Luke 24 -- He’s back

[ZNP]

If you have been paying attention the internet is filling up with “rapture” dreams. I also had one a couple of days ago. I do not have the peace to share what I saw, but it was related to this chapter in the Bible, so instead I’d like to share this chapter and the insights based on that dream.

1 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.

What is the point? If He is resurrected they’ll find out, it will all work out in the end. What is the point of anointing His body with spices 3 days after the crucifixion? I hear that very often from Christians when we discuss the Lord’s second coming. “It will all work out in the end”. Don’t you want to just tell these sisters, “hey, don’t worry about it, it will all work out in the end”? I didn’t think so.

2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. 3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: 5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, 7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.

Others say “we cannot know the day nor the hour”. There have been 1,000 interpretations, etc. But the words were spoken, they were there in the Bible, all you had to do was believe and seek and you would have found them. This is a word to us, He has given the word already, we need to remember what He said.

8 And they remembered his words, 9 And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest. 10 It was Mary Magdalene and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles. 11 And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.

Idle tales, this is the way too many are taking the word on the rapture, they feel it is simply an idle tale. These weren’t backsliders or lukewarm Christians, these were the apostles!

12 Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.

There was a reward for Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James to discover the resurrection. There was a reward to Peter.

13 And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. 14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened. 15 And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. 16 But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.

Mary mistook Jesus for the gardener and these two also did not recognize Him at first. I suspect this is the resurrected Jesus being very playful. The harder I look and rack my brain trying to remember the words spoken the more I feel like Jesus is playing with us.

17 And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad? 18 And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?

Right now all these political leaders in Washington are so self important, thinking they are so powerful. I suspect that after the rapture of the saints will anyone really think that? I think they are headed for a terrible crash. One day you are rich, powerful, you can do whatever you wish and ignore everyone else. The next day you are Saddam Hussein hiding in a hole in the ground.

19 And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: 20 And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. 21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done. 22 Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; 23 And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. 24 And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.

If Jesus was five years old He would have been totally loving this. How great is this! How does He keep a straight face?

25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: 26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?

Fools and slow of heart to believe. I think that is what Jesus will say to all those with the “it will all pan out in the end” doctrine. How can you take such a lackadaisical attitude towards Christ’s return?

27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. 28 And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further. 29 But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them. 30 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.

This is very clearly a game of hide and seek. No other way to describe it. Unless you want to call it a game of peekaboo. Also there is a secret here. The sisters were told to remember what He said to you, but here when He speaks He goes over the entire revelation of scripture. This is the way the Bible is, here a little and there a little. It is like one of these massive jigsaw puzzles, there is no single piece that is the “silver bullet”. Rather you can’t see the forest because of all the trees. When you put all the pieces together what do you see? Our Father is in Heaven, we His redeemed hallow His name, and we are praying that His kingdom would come and His will would be done. The world is ruled by Satan and it was necessary that Jesus and Satan would face off at the cross. Death versus life.

 

[ZNP]

32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? 33 And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, 34 Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.

All of these people are seeking Jesus, looking for Him, trying to find Him. Yet in each case He tells them He was hidden in the word of God. If you had not been foolish and slow of heart you would have found Him sooner.

35 And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread. 36 And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

Wherever two or three are gathered together into My name there am I in their midst.

37 But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. 38 And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? 39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. 40 And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? 42 And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. 43 And he took it, and did eat before them.

The Lord is manifested in fellowship with one another and in the breaking of bread, sharing our testimonies, and ministering the word.

44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. 45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,

The Lord has risen from the dead, what is at the top of His agenda? Opening the understanding of the disciples that they might understand the scriptures. Mix your personal experience with the word of God and prayer.

46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

There was a purpose to everything He went through. You don’t just learn the facts concerning when the Lord is going to be resurrected, you also learn the purpose.

48 And ye are witnesses of these things.

Then you learn your purpose. An apostle is a “sent one”, someone who has been sent from the Lord with a message. Their message is that they have witnessed the resurrection. Their message is to open the understanding of the saints to see Jesus in the word of God. If you take this attitude “I’ll find out in the end so no reason to bother with it now” then you can’t be sent. You have effectively nullified the grace of God.

49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

Up till now I think very few saints (other than Paul) have fully appreciated the power endued to the church from on high.

50 And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. 51 And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy: 53 And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.

 

[ZNP]

The appointed time — Luke 24 —
​

“remember how He said unto you”, “slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken unto you”, “all things must be fulfilled”, “thus it is written and thus it behooved Christ to rise from the dead on the third day”.

These verses really hit me, everything was there at the Lord’s resurrection for the disciples to know and understand, they simply needed to remember what He had said to them.

Revelation 4 After these things I saw, and behold, a door opened in heaven, and the first voice that I heard, a voice as of a trumpet speaking with me, one saying, Come up hither, and I will show thee the things which must come to pass hereafter.

This verse is a very strong support that the rapture, at least the first one, takes place after the church age (After Revelation 2-3). I shared about this in the account of Revelation 4. It also refers to the feast of Teruah when He says “a door opened in heaven”. The voice speaking like a trumpet saying come up hither links two concepts. First of course, the festival of trumpets, but also the marriage of the lamb. A week before a man is married the rabbi will call for him to come up hither to read the Torah to the congregation and when he comes forward the congregation will say “blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord”. That is a direct reference to the Lord’s return. A week before the coming of the Lord would be the tribulation. So this connects the Lord’s word that we would not see Him again until we say “blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” with the rapture taking place prior to the tribulation.

Luke 12:45 But if that servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;

Because of this many saints felt the Lord would return during the Feast of Teruah, the festival of trumpets. This was also based on the great sign in heaven referred to in Revelation 12 appearing on September 23, 2017. In a wedding ceremony the bride circles the groom three times before the ceremony starts. The earth had circled the sun three times since this sign appeared. But the festival came and went and so some might say “the lord delays His coming”. Of course this hearkens to a long list of failed predictions of the Lord’s coming. Many therefore have taken the Lord’s expression “you shall not know the day nor the hour” as the key principle in rejecting all discussion of the Lord’s return. The problem is that that phrase is an idiom of the Jews referring to the festival of Trumpets. This festival begins when two witnesses discern the new moon and report it to the Sanhedrin. They then blow the trumpets to signal the start. Since they don’t know the exact start and since it is very unlikely to start right at sundown this festival occurs over two days. It is called “the long day” and “the concealed day”. Paul said that these festivals were a shadow of things to come. The first four festivals marked the key events in the beginning of this age. Passover -- Lord’s crucifixion, Unleavened bread -- Lord’s burial, First fruits -- Lord’s resurrection, and Pentecost -- birth of the church. Therefore the next festival, the festival of Teruah should signify the beginning of the Tribulation accompanied by the rapture of the saints. If the seven years of the Great tribulation are likened to a week, it seems reasonable that the beginning, the “long day” would refer to the first year. But they weren’t raptured then, the Lord “delayed His coming”. I understand this in the following way. The festival of Teruah is when the books are opened to judge the saints and they are put into three groups. You have the faithful servants, you have the foolish ones, and you have the wicked ones. This is done during the ten days of awe which follow this festival and precede the day of atonement, the final judgement. Therefore I suggest that after three days the judgement of the first group is done and they are raptured. Then the next seven would be the tribulation, the last week, in which the foolish believers have a chance to get matured, and the wicked will get revealed. These ten days of awe are known as “Jacob’s trouble” which is an accepted reference to the tribulation. Because of this I felt the rapture would take place after three days. Of course “three days” like “the long day” and the “seven days” would refer to years.

21 From that time began Jesus to show unto his disciples, that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up.

The rapture is the resurrection of the believers. Jesus was the first fruit, the believers are the harvest. If it must be that the Lord is raised up on the third day it makes sense that the believers would also need to be raised up on the third day.

But I like the second part of this “He must go unto Jerusalem”. Instead of focusing on “when” the Lord tells us “where”. We have three different groups: Luke, Mark and Matthew. For the Jews and the Matthew group Jerusalem here should refer to Jerusalem in Israel. But for the Luke group here referring to the church it should refer to the “new” Jerusalem, not the one that descends from heaven to earth, no I mean the one that was established with the Mayflower compact. I have shared in the discussion in Daniel (and Jeremiah) why I think the US can be viewed as both Judah and Babylon. In the first crucifixion Jesus had to go up to Jerusalem, in this one at the end of the age His believers had to go up to Jerusalem. This is one reason why I think this January 6 rally in Washington DC is so significant. The Lord said that the biggest sign to those in this book of Luke (the first rapture) is that we would see Jerusalem compassed about with soldiers. We now see Washington DC compassed about with soldiers.

 

[ZNP]

I come quickly: hold fast that which thou hast, that no one take thy crown.

Here is another seeming paradox. The Lord delays His coming and yet tells us “I come quickly”. I love these seeming paradoxes because they are so unique it really is a prophesy that could only refer to something very specific. First let’s illustrate how someone can delay their coming and still say “I come quickly”. I remember Bobby Fischer versus Boris Spassky. For those of you too young here is what happened. This was a huge chess match, the US versus Russia. Everyone was excited, it was taking place in Iceland, a place no one thinks about but a place where Chess is very big. Fischer “delayed his coming” and forfeited the first two matches. In this tournament it is the first person to get 12 ½ points wins. You get 1 point for a win and ½ point for a tie. But once he did show up he had tied up the match by the fifth game and took the lead in the sixth. I watched this, it was psychologically crushing to Spassky. It is like giving your opponent a big head start in a mile race and then catching him by the end of the first lap. It is a lot of work to prepare for one of these matches. You have to study every game of your opponent, prepare counter moves, anticipate what they are going to do while also trying to come up with creative strategies that you are going to do. That is hard enough, but if the entire time you are doing this you are wondering where your opponent is and if they are even going to show up. That is mentally very difficult. It is like being in a championship fight blindfolded. You can’t see your opponent, but you have this dread that at any moment he will show up and clobber you. It is also hugely disrespectful. This is next level trash talking. Now let’s look at these soldiers at the Washington DC capitol. Pelosi brought them in because she was told there was “chatter” of an impending uprising. She is looking like an idiot or worse, a paranoid tin foil hat person buying into conspiracy theories. The inauguration looked like it took place in a concentration camp as though the prisoners all voted for a president. For the first time in US history the outgoing president wasn’t there. This isn’t simply rude and disrespectful, it is also disconcerting. There is a very critical routine that takes place the hand off of the nuclear football. Not only so but Biden has been signing executive orders and actions furiously. It exposes him as a total hypocrite and fraud since he said only dictators do that, but it also is very similar to Spassky winning the first two games. Clearly you can look at this situation and say “the Lord has delayed His coming” but when He does come He is going to come quickly, in the twinkling of an eye.

So many Christians feel “what is the point, there are many different theories, etc”. But in Luke 24 the three sisters are searching for the Lord in the cemetery and the angel says “why do you seek the living among the dead”? They made a mistake, but there is no condemnation, just correction. The two on the road to Emmaus are told by the Lord that they were slow to believe all that the prophets spoke, there is a little bit of rebuke there but again no condemnation. There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Where you are tells a lot about your heart. Are you in some movie from Hollywood? Are you in some video game? You can be sure if you are not in Christ Jesus there very well may be condemnation. The Lord may come as a thief in the night. You may go running through the temple naked. You may be put to shame for the whole world to see. Thomas Edison tried a hundred different ways to make a light bulb before they got one that worked well enough. He didn’t describe the first 99 attempts as failures, but rather they had discovered 99 ways that didn’t work. This is like solving a puzzle, it is extremely challenging, and it is extremely fun. Just because Mary didn’t recognize Jesus and thought he was the gardener doesn’t mean she is condemned, no it meant all those who were too lazy and complacent to be out looking for the Lord were.

Then it turns out in the dead sea scrolls the Essenes say that their calendar was corrupted and never fixed. You can imagine why the enemy would do that, set the festivals a month early and everyone appears to be wrong. That then opens the door for atheists to mock. It also will cause some to “say in their heart my Lord delays His coming”. The Lord is the discerner of our hearts. We should all know that “all is fair in love and war”. We are not ignorant of Satan’s devices. Again, I see this as “dividing the soul from the spirit”. When hit with adversity there are two possible responses, use that difficulty as an excuse to quit or double down harder. I am reminded of the story concerning Michael Jordan and the Bulls. They were getting beat up by the Detroit Pistons. You could argue that the Pistons were ruining the game, turning it into a brawl rather than “poetry in motion”. You could use it as an excuse to quit. Or you could do what the Bulls did which was to hit the gym and make sure the next year they were the ones beating up on the Pistons. Then when they did meet they swept them 4-0. The Lord allows Satan to operate because it manifests those that deserve the reward at His Bema judgement. Meanwhile what happens to all those complacent ones? They haven’t been perfected, they are still unable to overcome Satan, they will need another 3 ½ years in the Tribulation. Is that fair? Watch the TV show “The Last Dance”. Everyone tells you that playing on that team with Jordan was a daily tribulation. They went through the tribulation already, why should they have to go through it again? The Bema judgement is similar to being crowned the champions. Those that are crowned champions are raptured, those who aren’t still need to work on their game.

So now I feel comfortable sharing my dream. I was in the garden of Gethsemane and a brother I didn’t recognize, but I knew he was from a congregation that had kicked me out was asking me to clean up their mess. It was yard work. I told him I already had a job but I thanked him. He was surprised, why was I thanking him. I told him it was because he had remembered me and thought to ask. I felt this dream was very encouraging, the Lord telling me that I was expressing Him (He also was mistaken for a gardener in that garden).