Eschatology is the study of end events. It is the study of Biblical prophecy as God revealed long ago the major players, timeframes, and events that would occur at the ‘end of the age’ prior to the return of Yahshua the Messiah. Eschatology also includes the study of the God’s acts through history to fulfill His prophetic words.
A clear understanding of each end events as defined by Bible prophecy, how they have developed over time, and what to expect is much needed in the Church today. Below, major Biblical elements are grouped by testament and I provide an introduction of the Eschatological meaning as well as an overview of historical fulfillment.
Prophetic Overview of O.T.
In the Old Testament, God progressively revealed over time the reality of the Messiah, the two comings of the Messiah, the Church, and the 7,000-year timeline.
The prophets foretold of the Messiah and in doing so described
the coming Messiah in two distinct ways with very different goals. The Messiah in the Old Testament is portrayed
as a suffering servant (Messiah ben Joseph) as
well as a conquering king (Messiah ben David). The truth was revealed through Yahshua the
Messiah that instead of two Messiahs, there was only one who comes twice. First as the suffering
servant to die for the sins of humanity; then as the conquering king to rule
supreme for eternity. This truth
was portrayed earlier when God gave to
To understand God’s plan, and accurately identify end events (Eschatology), a clear understanding of the Old Testament is required. New Testament prophecy BUILDS on Old Testament prophecy and further defines it. Finding final fulfillment in the person of Yahshua the Messiah. So I want to quickly give an introduction of what God revealed concerning His overall plan in the Old Testament and then explain how it has been fulfilled in Yahshua the Messiah. This understanding is critical if we are to understand how history has developed and what Yahshua meant when He spoke about the end times.
Below is a list of major Old Testament concepts regarding God’s Plan for Man covered in this section. I provide a basic overview of each one. The purpose is to establish a basic understanding of what God revealed concerning His plan in the Old Testament to help shed light on His revelation through Yahshua the Messiah in the New Testament:
· Messiah ben Joseph – The first coming of the Messiah prophesied.
· Messiah ben David – The second coming of the Messiah prophesied.
· Feast Cycle – God revealed the Messiah’s comings in the Feast Cycle
· Messianic Age – time during which the Messiah would reveal the Kingdom of God, regather His Elect, establish Jerusalem, and proclaim the Torah as the bar of righteousness revealing the Church Age through prophecy.
· 7-Good Years of Joseph – 7 good years prior to the tribulation prophesied.
· 7-Bad Years of Jacob – 7 years of tribulation prior to the Kingdom Age prophesied.
· Dispensations – God revealed His plan in terms of 7 dispensations of time revealing the 7,000-year timeframe through prophecy.
Messiah ben Joseph and Messiah ben David
God first revealed
the concept of the Messiah in Genesis after the fall of man in the Garden of
Eden. The Messiah was described as being
a man, empowered by the Holy Spirit, who would suffer a blow from Satan. The Messiah, the Son of God, would ultimately
defeat Satan and restore man to his lost glory.
The Messiah would come first as a ‘suffering servant’ to be slain for the sins of the world (suffer a blow from Satan) and then come again as a ‘conquering king’ to defeat Satan and reign eternal. The prophets described both comings of the Messiah. The first coming came to be known as Messiah ben Joseph (the suffering servant named after Joseph son of Jacob). The second coming came to be known as Messiah ben David (the conquering king named after King David).
This two Messiah concept was the basis for John the Baptist's
question from prison asking Yahshua whether he was the Messiah or should they
expect another (Matthew 11:2). Because of the lack of Jewish understanding of
this Messianic expectation, Christians have concluded that John the Baptist was
in doubt as to whether Yahshua was the Messiah.
This is not true at all. It is
imperative that we examine these redemptive revelations within the context of
their Jewish origin. In truth, John had already declared Yahshua
to be Messiah ben
Joseph, the Suffering Messiah (John
Yahshua answered expressing that he would fulfill all of the Messianic prophecies. What Yahshua revealed to us is that God was not sending two Messiahs, but one Messiah in two separate appearances. These two appearances were to be separated by a 2,000 year period known in the Old Testament as the Messianic Age and in the New Testament as the Church Age.
The Old Testament is filled with pictures of the coming Messiah. For example the book of Isaiah offers a picture of the Messiah second to none in the entire Bible. In the opening pages of Isaiah we see a dim glimpse of the Messiah. As Isaiah progresses the picture of the Messiah grows much clearer until in the 40th Chapter of Isaiah the Messiah is disclosed in full glory! There are many pictures of the Lord in the Old Testament, but all of them and all of the anticipations and prophecies can be categorized under four aspects of the Messiah all confirmed and fulfilled in Yahshua:
1.
The King of
2.
The Suffering Servant - Second, we have other
Old Testament pictures, which speak of Messiah as the Servant, as the suffering
One. Again, Isaiah is in the fore-view. Joseph, a messianic type, gives us a
prior insight into the coming of One who is to suffer.
3.
The Son of Man - Third, we have frequent Old
Testament pictures of the Messiah's coming as a man. He was to be born of a
virgin, grow up in
4.
The Son of God - Finally, we have those
pictures, which speak of him as God, the Everlasting One. Micah says, "Out
of Bethlehem shall come he who is to be the ruler of
Yahshua is the one and only Messiah who appears twice. He came the first time as head of the Church of the Firstborn [Ephraim, son of Joseph]. He was the suffering servant who died in the final battle between good and evil (Col. 2:15) symbolized in the cross. He will return as Messiah Ben David to rule and reign in the earth as symbolized in the Star or Shield of David.
Biblical Feasts and Prophecy
A means to understanding the two messianic themes is in the
study of the Feasts. It is significant that God divided the Feasts celebrated in
the Tabernacle into two groups, Spring and Fall.
These two groups related prophetically to the first and second coming of the
Messiah. The feasts were given by God to
Leviticus
23:2
"These are the LORD's appointed feasts, the
sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times."
Each feast represents a physical fulfillment in history and represents a spiritual prophetic fulfillment in the Messiah. God commanded we keep the feasts because in doing so we are keeping alive the knowledge of the true God. We are also celebrating God’s deliverance of the sons of God. But most importantly, we are kept aware of the reality of the end times and the TIMING of Yahshua Second Coming.
The western church has misunderstood much of the words of prophecy such as “no one knows the day or hour” because of our lack of understanding concerning these feasts.
Colossians
2:16-17
"Do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or by with regard
to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration, or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were
to come; the reality, however, is found in the Messiah"
The spring festivals typified things associated with Yahshua' first coming, and the fall festivals illustrate things associated with his second coming. Yahshua promised that he would come again (John 14:1-3), and the Feast Cycle tells the story. My purpose here is not been to go into a lot of detail but to provide an overview of the yearly festivals and to show how they point to Yahshua the Messiah and provide insight into the timing of His Second Coming.
THE SPRING FEASTS – Fulfilled in the 1rst Coming
PASSOVER
Historical Meaning: Prior to the Messiah,
The celebration of the Passover included the slaughter of the Passover lamb, which typified the Lamb of God, who would cover the sins of the world and those found in the ‘blood of the lamb’ would be ‘passed over’ from the second death.
Messianic Fulfillment: Yahshua celebrated the Passover dinner known as the ‘Last Supper’ before He offered Himself as the Passover Lamb fulfilling the Feast of Passover.
FIRSTFRUITS (Leviticus 23:9-14)
Historical Meaning: This day was like the American Thanksgiving holiday. It was not observed on a particular date but always on a particular day. Just as Thanksgiving is always observed on the fourth Thursday in the month of November, the presentation of the Firstfruits was always celebrated on the first day of the week, during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
According to Leviticus 23:11, the priest is to wave the firstfruits on the day after the Sabbath.
Messianic Fulfillment: Yahshua came as the Anoined One, the Messiah, nearly 2,000 years ago; and with that are associated the festivals the Israelites observed around the spring harvest. When he was crucified, Yahshua died as the passover Lamb; and he was raised as the firstfruits on the day after the Sabbath. Yahshua was literally the ‘first fruit’ of the dead. The first human to ever be raised eternal. Fulfilling the meaning of the Firstfruits.
FEAST OF WEEKS (Leviticus
"From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks. Count off 50 days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the LORD."
Historical Meaning: The Feast of Weeks was to be observed on the day after the seventh Sabbath--the seven full weeks (seven Sabbaths) from the presentation of the firstfruits. Thus, the Feast of Weeks was always on the first day of the week. Further, it was to be observed 50 days from the presentation of firstfruits, which indicates that the firstfruits were always presented on the same day of the week as well--the first.
Messianic Fulfillment: On the 50th day from Yahshua' resurrection, the Holy Spirit came on the apostles on the Day of Pentecost, which was the Feast of Weeks. On that day, 3,000 believed the words of the apostles and received salvation (Acts 2). The Feast of Weeks is also a portrait of the divine timeline. Celebrating the 7th Sabbath representing the 7th Millennium.
THE FALL FEASTS – Fulfilled in the Second Coming
FEAST OF TRUMPETS (Leviticus
Historical Meaning: Observed on the first day of the seventh Jewish Holy month (September on our calendar). The purpose of the Feast of Trumpets is not clearly stated in the Bible, but according to Jewish tradition, it was to warn the people of the impending Day of Atonement, which came nine days later.
Messianic Fulfillment:
The first of the autumn festivals described in Leviticus 23 is the Feast of Trumpets.
Again, though Leviticus doesn't tell us much about the purpose of this day,
Jews understand it to be the warning of the approaching Day of Atonement, by
which all sin must be dealt with. I believe the Feast of Trumpets is fulfilled
by the seven trumpets of Revelation 8-9, 11. Study indicates that the sounding
of the trumpets coincides with the messages of the three angels--Worship the
Creator God,
Historical Meaning: Observed on the 10th day of the seventh month. This was the day when the people were to be cleansed of sin. All sin was to have been confessed and transferred into the sanctuary by this time, and the high priest ministered on the Day of Atonement to remove the sins from the sanctuary and have them born into the wildreness by the scapegoat (Leviticus 16).
Messianic Fulfillment:
The second of the autumn festivals is the Day of Atonement. This day was the
only day on which the ministry of the high priest directly included the ark of the covenant. At no other time was the ark to be seen
by human eyes. Revelation
FEAST OF TABERNACLES
Historical Meaning: The Feast of Tabernacles celebrated the autumn harvest, just as the Feast of Weeks celebrated the spring harvest.
Messianic Fulfillment: The third of the autumn festivals is the Feast of Tabernacles. This was the celebration of the harvest at the end of the year, just as the Feast of Weeks was the celebration of the spring harvest. The difference is that the Feast of Tabernacles was a much bigger celebration (see Leviticus 23). Revelation 14:14-16 describes the harvest; and Revelation 7:9-15 is another reference to those who are harvested from the earth.
Summary of God’s Feasts Fulfilled in Yahshua the Messiah
Hosea clarifies there is a 2,000-year Messianic Age or Church age between His two comings. Then Hosea confirms that He, the Messiah, shall come twice according the Feast Cycle (former rain is the Spring Feasts, the latter rain is the Fall Feasts):
Hosea 6:1-3
1 Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he
will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.
3 Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going
forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come
unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto
the earth.
The Spring Feasts point to the Messiah’s first coming. Yahshua presented Himself as the Passover
Lamb on the Passover Feast. Yahshua was
resurrected as the first fruits of the
The Autumn Feasts point to Messiah’s second coming. Yahshua returns on the Feast of Trumpets,
liberates
At that time, God’s Feast Cycle will be complete and the Kingdom Age or Millennial Reign begins.
Messianic Age
The Scriptures prophesy that the Messiah will suffer and even die and come back to life. Among these are Psalm 22, Isaiah 53, Zechariah 12:10, and 13:6.
The messianic age does not come without a Messiah. And Messiah by definition is the one who ushers in the messianic age. Messiah is the one who is responsible for bringing in the messianic age of peace, understanding, and prosperity. He is not simply lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time to receive all this blessing that will be brought about. But he takes an active role in establishing it. As Isaiah 11:3-9 says, he will strike the earth
with the rod of his mouth, with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Then the wolf will lie down with the lamb. And they will neither harm nor destroy on the holy mountain.
The Messianic Age was a time prophesied in the Old Testament
when the Messiah would re-unite
The 2,000-year Church Age fulfilled this period known as the Messianic Age in Old Testament prophecy.
14-Year Period of Joseph and Jacob (The End Times)
God disclosed the duration of the end times through prophecy in the Old Testament. The end times are the end of the Messianic Age and the beginning of the Kingdom Age or Millennial Reign.
This period begins with what is known prophetically as the 7 Good Years of Joseph followed by what is known as the 7 Bad Years of Jacob.
We know these are prophetic timeframes relating to the end of the age because the prophet Jeremiah confirmed this fact as I will explain below. But first, let me give a brief introduction.
7-Good Years of Joseph and 7-Bad Years of Jacob
Joseph, 17, was given a "richly ornamented (i.e.,
bright-colored) robe" (Genesis 37:3) by his father, Jacob. His brothers
were very jealous of him. They threw him into an empty well, and then sold
Joseph into slavery (going to
Prophetic Meaning and Fulfillment
The 14-year period of Joseph and Jacob is a prophetic portrait of the 14-year period known as the End Times. We know this, because God disclosed this truth through prophecy.
Notice particularly what Jeremiah says. Jeremiah, chapter 30, gives us a prophetic
overview of
Jeremiah 30:1-3
“The word that came to Jeremiah from
the Lord, saying, “Thus speaketh the Lord God of
This prophecy was fulfilled with the rebirth of
Notice below that God speaks to “
Jeremiah 30:3-9
3 For, lo, the days come, saith
the LORD, that I will bring again the captivity of my people
4 And these are the words that the LORD spake concerning
5 For thus saith the LORD; We
have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace.
We see above that the 7 good years of Joseph were a time of “false peace” (according to Isaiah) and next the world is writhing as a “man doth travail with child” the faces of men are pale with what is to come:
6 Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?
Now we see the 7 bad years of Jacob come upon the earth…
7 Alas! for that day is
great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble;
but he shall be saved out of it.
8 For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the
LORD of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy
bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him:
9 But they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will
raise up unto them.
Dispensations
When looking at God’s Plan, it is revealed in the Bible in
several ways. In the various
dispensations that give us a general look at how God has progressively
disclosed Himself over time through covenants.
God gave us a measuring rod in the nation of
Dispensation – God’s plan has been dispensed (or distributed) over His 7,000 year plan in 7 unique timeframes called Dispensations:
1. The Dispensation of Innocence (Gen. 2:15-3:21) – From the creation of man and his commission to rule the earth in the Adamic Covenant to the violation of the Adamic Covenant and man’s expulsion from the Garden of Eden.
2. The Dispensation of Consciousness (Gen. 3:22-8:14) – From the fall of man to the flood of Noah and the Noahic Covenant. Lasted 1,656 years.
3. The Dispensation of Human Government (Gen. 8:15 – 11:32) – From the flood of Noah (the Noahic Covenant) through the call of Abraham (The Abrahamic Covenant). Lasted 427 years.
4.
The Dispensation of Promise (Gen. 12:1 –
Ex.
5. The Dispensation of Law (Ex. 12:38 – Matt. 2:23;11:10-13; Luke 16:16) – From the exodus of Isarel from Egypt under Moses to the preaching of the Kingdom of Heaven by John the Baptist; or from Moses to the first coming of Yahshua the Messiah. Lasted 1,718 years.
6. The Dispensation of Grace (Matt. 3:1 – Rev. 19:10) – From Yahshua the Messiah’s first coming till Yahshua the Messiah second coming. Lasts approximately 2,000 years.
7. The Dispensation of Divine Government (The Millennium; Rev. 19:11-20:15) – From the second coming of Yahshua the Messiah until the last rebellion of Satan and man on Earth. Lasts 1,000 years.
Prophetic Overview of N.T.
The New Testament is in part the fulfillment of prophecy in the Old Testament and confirmation of the unfulfilled prophesies that will be fulfilled in the End Times. In this section I provide an explanation of prophetic timeframes and how they have been fulfilled to date.
In order to understand the words of prophecy spoken by Yahshua and the Apostles, we must understand the prophesies of the Old Testament explained in the last section; especially the Feast Cycle and the purpose of the Messianic Age, which was to reclaim Israel and Jerusalem.
The ministry of Yahshua fulfilled the Feast Cycle and the
commission of the Church went out to fulfill the Messianic Age to bless all
nations with the knowledge of God, reclaim the lost sheep of the House of
Israel, and to usher in the End of the Age.
I will begin with the End of the Age when the nation of
Is
It is certainly a miracle that
It could only have been an act of God, especially considering the Holocaust and the attempted genocide carried out against the Jews by Stalin.
But if prophecies can show that
The End of the Age – 1948-2007
The study of end events begins with the re-birth of
Isaiah 66:5-8
5 Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.
6 A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the LORD that rendereth recompence to his enemies.
7 Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child.
8 Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring
forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at
once? for as soon as
This prophecy declares that
The prophecy that
Understanding these prophecies demonstrates God’s sovereign
control over human events and the literal nature of prophetic fulfillment. Bible prophecy ties it all these events
together, resulting in the Nation of Israel’s punishment ending exactly on
Jeremiah’s 70 Year Prophecy of Punishment - Jeremiah 25:11
Jeremiah prophesied a punishment upon the Nation of Israel for rebellion. The Nation of Israel would have to spend 70 years under Babylonian captivity. According to history, that punishment began in 606 BC. The 70-year punishment was to end in 536 BC.
However, during this 70-year punishment, God pronounced,
through Ezekiel, 430 years of punishment for the Nation of Israel’s continued
rebellion. This leaves 360 years (430 –
70 years already served). The failure of
the Nation of Israel to repent invoked the Law of Leviticus, which multiplied
the remaining 360 years of punishment by 7 resulting in 2,520 years
Leviticus 26:18-28
18
And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto
me, then I will punish you seven times more
for your sins.
…
21 And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins.
22 I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your high ways shall be desolate.
23 And if ye will not be reformed by me by these things, but will walk contrary unto me;
24 Then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins.
25 And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant: and when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy.
26 And when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight: and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied.
27 And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me;
28 Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.
The Servitude of the Nation of Israel
Let's examine Ezekiel, chapter 4, verses 1-8. In this passage,
we see 430 years of judgment pronounced upon
Knowing that the Bible deals in 360-day years (the Jewish calendar consists of twelve 30-day months), if we convert the 2,520 ``360-day years'' into today's ``365.242-day'' years, we get 2,483 years plus nine months and 21 days.
Starting with the first siege of Nebuchadnezzar, which began the `Servitude of the Nation' in 606 B.C., the initial 70 years of Babylonian servitude ended in 537 B.C. as follows:
Seventy (360 day) years = 25,200 days = 69 (365 day years) less 2 days or: 606 B.C. (69 years - two days) = 537 B.C.
Counting from
537y 7m 23d (B.C.) plus 1year (because no year between 1 B.C. & 1 A.D.) plus 2483 years 9months and 12days = the 1948th year 5 month 14th day.
And what happened on
David Ben Gurion, citing the book of
Ezekiel as his authority, proclaimed ``
This is the exact date that God re-established the Nation of
On
On
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people:
Isaiah 11:11, 12
And he shall set up an ensign for the
nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of
Now that we know the exact date of a specific prophecy, we can discern the entire timeline! The next milestone would be the prophecy called the ‘Abominations of Jerusalem’ marking the beginning of what Yahshua called ‘The Last Generation’.
The Last Generation – 1967 – 2007
The next major marker during the ‘End of the Age’ is the re-capture of
The Desolations of Jerusalem
The Desolations of Jerusalem begins with the 3rd
Siege of Nebuchadnezzar when
Counting from
518year 8month 16day (BC) plus 1
year plus 2483years 9months 21days = 1967 6month 7day
On
Luke 21:24
``And they
will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations.
And
Another coincidence? The Jews say coincidence is not a kosher word. In the natural, it is impossible that this is coincidence. It is clearly by supernatural design. The fig tree is a symbol of the Nation Israel and we are the generation that will see the return of Yahshua the Messiah in Glory and great Power.
The Last Generation
It was the end of the ‘Desolations of Jerusalem’ that Yahshua prophesied that He would return within 1 Generation. Yahshua referred to both the Servitude of the Nation and the Desolation of Jerusalem prophesies in Matthew:
Matthew 24:32-36
vs 32
"When the tree is yet tender" meaning after the rebirth of Isreal
in fulfillment of OT prophecy ... fulfilled
vs. 34 "this generation will not pass away"
meaning from
vs. 36 "but of that day or hour no man knoweth" Yahshua was confirming His second coming according to God's Feast Cycle using a Jewish idiom for the Feast of Trumpets "but my father only" Yahshua was using another Jewish idiom referring to the wedding feast that occurs after the Feast of Trumpets because Jewish weddings were pre-arranged by the Father.
A Generation – 40 Years 120 Days
The Gospel of Mark teaches that Yahshua went up to His final
Passover in
We can easily discern the meaning of Yahshua’ words concerning the length of
time of a generation. Take out a
calendar, and count how many days there are from this date (8TH of 1ST) until Tisha B'Av (9TH day of 5TH
month):
8th day of 1st month =
9th day of 5th month =
Using Jewish inclusive reckoning, that means there are exactly 120 days between those anniversary dates. Also, as you know this is very significant a number, since it represents a period of testing and probation (i.e. the time mentioned before Noah's flood). As well, there are a total of 120 of these "120 day periods", in a biblical generation (3 per year X 40 years = 120).
Therefore, a generation is exactly 40 years and 120 days long. 120 sets of 120 day "windows".
ROM
``The hour has come for you to wake up from
your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first
believed.''
Luke 21:34-36
``Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with
dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on
you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come upon all those
who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and
pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you
may be able to stand before the Son of Man.''
The End Times – 1993 – 2007
Once the Servitude of the
Nation of
The 7 Good Years of Joseph (the 70th Week of Daniel) – 1993 – 2000
The first half of the 14-year period of ‘The
End Times’ is known as the 7 Good Years of Jacob. It is defined by Daniel and Isaiah as a
7-year ‘false’ peace treaty that fails to achieve peace and focuses the world’s
attention on
Understanding that Yahshua returns on
On
This peace treaty was called The OSLO Peace Accords. We will explore this most significant
fulfillment of prophecy in Chapter 10.
The 7 Bad Years of Jacob (Times of Jacob’s Trouble/ Tribulation) 2000 – 2007
The second half of the 14-year period of ‘The End Times’ is
known as the 7 Bad Years of Jacob in the Old Testament and the Tribulation in
the New Testament. The first half (3.5
years) would be the period Yahshua declared as a time of Wars and Rumors of
War.
The failure of
As a result of this trip to the
This fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy. Isaiah, speaking of
Isaiah 28:15-19
15
Because you have said, "We have made a covenant with death,
And with Sheol we are in agreement. When the
overflowing scourge (of war) passes through, It will not come to us, For we have made lies our refuge, And under falsehood we
have hidden ourselves."
…
18 Your covenant with death will be annulled, And your agreement with Sheol will not stand; When the overflowing scourge passes through, Then you will be trampled down by it.
19 As often as it goes out it will take you; For morning by morning it will pass over, And by day and by night; It will be a terror just to understand the report."
This war on terror is prophesied in the Bible as the War of Gog and Magog. The war that finally
resolves the long battle between Islam and Judaism/Christianity. As the war broke out between
Zech 12:2-3
"Behold,
I will make
The War of Gog and Magog
The first half of the 7-year Tribulation is a time Yahshua referred to as “Wars and Rumors of War” better known as the War of Gog and Magog. This is the time of war that Isaiah declares as a war on terror. This war resolves the long struggle between the sons of Abraham Ishmael (Islam) and Isaac (Judaism/Christianity).
On the Feast of Trumpets 2001, one year after the beginning of this war, Islam attacked the heart of Christianity for its support of Isreal:
As this war developed the September 2002 issue of TIME Magazine tells the entire story of the war the Bible prophesied to occur during the first 3.5 years of the tribulation.
The 3.5 Year Great Tribulation - 2004 – 2007
The period of time known as the Great Tribulation is the last three and one half years prior to the coming of the Lord on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. It is to be a very difficult time for the world as Satan will cause great harm and be on the earth through the auspices of the False Messiah and the False Prophet.
The Great Tribulation begins with the Abomination of Desolation when the agreement that permitted the
altar to be setup and operated on the
Many will come to fast and weep for the altar being shut down. From that group, two men will emerge as the Two Witnesses. The angel Gabriel is dispatched to put the seal on the foreheads of the 144,000 and then Gabriel is removed.
Very shortly thereafter, God judges the Household of God, the church is martyred, and in particular judges all those saints who spoke against the altar operation. Voices will ring out that the Great Tribulation has begun and the counting of the 1290 days and 1335 days are underway.
This will be met with disdain, ignorance, and mockery. The
warning will go out for all saints to leave
The Great Tribulation consists of the following events:
· The Transgression of Desolation
· The Rise of the False Messiah
· The Rise of the False Prophet
·
· The Great Apostasy
· The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit
· Martyrdom of the Church
· The 144,000 Sealed Servants
· The End Time Saint Escape
· God’s Judgments on Earth
· 5 Months of Darkness
· The Two Witnesses
· Salvation of the House of Judah (Jews)
·
The Reunification of
· The Abomination of Desolation
· The Second Coming
·
The
· The Feast of Trumpets
· The Feast of Tabernacles
· The Millennial Reign Begins
Below, I explain each of these major events and players.
The Abomination of Desolation
For those of you who do not really understand what the Abomination of Desolation actually is... it is not a single event, but rather a series of events that occur over a short period of time. I will explain that in detail below.
First we must understand the requirements of the Abomination of Desolation to occur:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The Cornerstone Laying Ceremoney
of the 3rd
6.
The RED HEIFER must be sacrificed on a working Alter on
top of the
7.
Next we must understand the motivation behind the Abomination
of Desolation. The Bible states in Revelation that
The Abomination of Desolation is by definition as the Highest Abomination that mankind has ever performed that leads to the complete Desolation of planet Earth and the immediate return of Yahshua on the Feast of Trumpets.
WHY?
You see, soon the Jews will erect the Alter to God to dedicate
His 3rd
Now we get to the actual Abomination of Desolation and WHY it is such an abomination that God destroys the planet....
1. First, the False Messiah shuts down the operating Alter on the grounds it is no longer needed... He is their long awaited Messiah.
2.
Next... the False Messiah is instrumental in rebuilding
the 3rd
3.
Next... the False Messiah works with the False Prophet
to split the
4. Next... the False Messiah sits himself in the Holy of Holies and declares himself the Messiah.
5.
Next... the False Prophet erects and IDOL of the beast
on the
At that point, it is complete. Satan has officially sat
in the throne of God and declared himself to be the god of this world... and
erected an image of the Babylonian Mother of God on top of the
That is the Abomination of Desolation. Time is growing very short. Summarizing, the Great Tribulation begins with the transgression of desolation and ends 1,290 days later with the abomination of desolation (approximately 3 1/2 years), and concludes with the coming of the Lord in a 45-day period known as the “days immediately after the tribulation.” This time period serves as the encasement for the key players and judgments spoken of by the prophets.
The False Messiah Comes to Power
First, we have the False Messiah or False Messiah. We are told
much about him including a series of identifying clues (see Chapter 5). Of a
very specific nature, we are told that he must come from the fourth great beast
given in Daniel’s visions (the
The False Messiah must rise to power through the auspices of 10 rulers. In a one-month dramatic rise to power, three of the rulers are “uprooted” followed by the other seven rulers giving their power to the False Messiah.
The present European Council of Ministers numbering 15 is soon to be 10 rulers. This is particularly noteworthy as each Minister has the power to rule for 6 months. If three were uprooted, the other seven would be able to give 42 months of power to rule to someone.
According to the prophecy, the False Messiah is to receive the
same 42 months to rule. The most likely candidate for the position of False
Messiah is Prince Charles of
The False Prophet will appear in
The False Prophet
Along with the False Messiah, the false prophet is to emerge and carry out certain tasks. Whereas the False Messiah rises to power politically, it is a given that the false prophet has religious authority over many peoples. He will have the authority and set up a statue on the temple mount, participate in its miracles, and compel others to worship the image. The most likely candidate for this position is the Pope (see Chapter 6). Miracles and statues are common events for Catholics.
Israel
The next player in the Great Tribulation is
Because this ground is only accessible by foot, only those in
the immediate
As the image is erected by the False Prophet, believing
The Two Witnesses will begin to prophesy in
Great Apostasy
We have all been taught that their will be a great revival in the End Times. This is taught because God pours out His Holy Spirit. However, the Bible never makes the claim of a great revival. Instead, the Bible clearly teaches a Great Apostasy which is the exact opposite of a revival. Believers fall away; they do not come to the Lord. Those true believers that do not fall away will be martyred.
The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit
The great exodus will begin with the 144,000 and End Time Saints leaving the cities to be delivered by God in the wilderness and countryside. God will pour out His Holy Spirit on the End Time Saints. Yahshua said these Saints will do greater miracles than He did. Living out their purpose as God’s witnesses on this planet.
Church Martyred
Many saints will try to defend themselves with arms and die. Some saints will allow themselves to be captured and be put to death. But other End Time Saints will heed the words of Revelation and position themselves under the leadership of the 144,000 and the Lord to safe areas of refuge.
However, many saints in
The 144,000 Sealed Servants
Scattered throughout the world will be another group of believing Sons of Israel; they are called the 144,000 sealed servants of God.
The 144,000 are representatives of the twelve tribes (12,000
each) who are sealed at the
beginning of the Great Tribulation, provide deliverance to the End Time Saints,
and wait on
They are sealed prior to the first trumpet judgment and the judgment upon the Household of God. The identity of the 144,000 is a mystery to many. First, they are the “Sons of Israel” from the various listed tribes. Today, modern Jews are composed of three tribes: Judah, Levi, and Benjamin. But where are the other tribes?
History tells us that they were scattered in the nations and
their rightful identity lost. However, the prophets have foretold how all
End Time Saints, Sealed Servants Escape and Survive
Last, but not least, are the saints that will go through the tribulation. For you and I, this is our primary interest in knowing the events of the Great Tribulation. We know that just being a member of a church or professing a belief in the second coming does not mean we are of the tribulation saints described as End Time Saints.
The prophecy speaks of judgment coming first to the Household
of God and a great apostasy and falling away from the faith. In fact, the
organized religious system of churches today is labeled “
The tribulation saints are to escape from
The start of the Great Tribulation will be primarily marked with Christians who don’t believe that it is the time of the Great Tribulation. Once reality begins to sink in, many will depart the faith simply because their God would never make them go through the Tribulation. Or, as others have defiantly said, “I won’t be in the tribulation!” Whatever the reason, the prophecy is very clear. The present day religious system of local churches and church leadership will fail miserably in the Great Tribulation.
One of two things must emerge: either Christians will leave the
organized church called
The End Time Saints have one of three destinies:
· sword,
· captivity,
· or deliverance.
Many will take up the destiny of the sword or captivity. Both the sword and captivity destinies end in martyrdom and death before the Great Tribulation has concluded.
Only the End Time Saints that leave
God’s Judgments on the Planet
The first four seal judgments will come in a clustered form. That is, they will occur rapidly and concurrently: the False Messiah comes to power, war, the economy is destroyed, death to 1/4 of mankind.
The first four trumpet judgments will come in similar fashion: 1/3 of the trees are burned up, 1/3 of the sea is destroyed by a volcanic mountain, 1/3 of the fresh water is destroyed by a glancing meteorite or asteroid, 1/3 of the light from the sun, moon, and stars is blocked.
The first four plagues will follow in similar fashion: a grievous sore will appear where the mark of the beast system was inserted, the sea dies, fresh waters die, the sun begins to scorch mankind.
Darkness Falls
Three years will have transpired, specifically 1150 days since the shutting down of the altar.
An asteroid will strike the earth with a deep impact scenario. The resulting explosion will send dirt and debris high into the earth’s atmosphere blocking out all sunlight.
The abyss that is opened will also bring out demons as big as horses. It will be a time to be in the company of the 144,000. Only they can stop the demons that will methodically and deliberately attack and terrorize mankind. The darkness will last 5 months and take us to the completion of the 1290 days of tribulation.
Two Witnesses Killed / Resurrected in Jerusalem
The Two Witnesses will complete their prophesying and be
killed. The world will watch them lay dead for 3 1/2 days. However, the Two Witnesses will
be raised before everyone. A great earthquake will cause 7,000 to die in
We will soon notice the light appearing deep in space coming our way. The sign of the Son of Man will appear and we will watch as He dislodges other stars sending them fleeing from Him. The armies of the world will begin to gather at Armageddon. The seven thunders will sound and everyone will know it is the Lord coming back.
Salvation of the Jews, the House of Judah
The 144,000 are called and sealed, to bare witness to the
truths of God and lead the remnant out of the nations and reunify the sons of
Jacob... the Nation of Israel. God seals the 144,000 Sealed Servants,
12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of
House of Judah returns to the Son
The remnant of Judah, House of Judah, has the blinders lifted and are led out of rebellion against the Son of God by the Sealed Servants.
House of Israel returns to the Father
The remnant of Joseph, House of Israel, come to the full knowledge of the TRUTH found in the Torah, Feasts, and Sabbath and are led out of rebellion against the Father by the Sealed Servants.
Reunified House of Jacob the Bride of the Messiah
Resulting in the Reunified Nation of Israel, the remnant, which bare witness to the Son of God by the SPIRIT and worship God in the TRUTH of the Torah, Feasts, and Sabbath... The Bride of the Messiah.
The breech between the House of Israel (which is the Christian Church) and the House of Judah (which is Judaism) is, among other things, the very reason for both the first and second coming of the Messiah.
I want to illustrate the importance of the "breech" of God's people and how that breech made it necessary for the Messiah to come TWICE... and the powerful effect of the healing of this breech.
You see, the purpose of the Messiah was to liberate the people of God and rule over them. But because of the breech between the two houses, the Messiah had to come twice.
· The first time to reclaim the lost sheep of the House of Israel
·
Then over
a period of 2,000 yeas the Holy Spirit leads the two houses back together
again.
· Then Yahshua returns for His Bride.
So... how important is the House of Judah (Jews) to the return of the Messiah? The salvation of the Jews and the heeling of the breech is SO IMPORTANT and powerful that literally it will... RAISE THE DEAD!
Romans 11:11-15
11 I say then, Have they (Jews) stumbled that
they should fall? God forbid: but [rather] through
their fall salvation [is come] unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to
jealousy. 12 Now if the fall of them (Jews) [be] the riches of the world,
and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much
more their fulness?
...
15 For if the casting away of them (Jews) [be]
the reconciling of the world, what [shall] the receiving [of them be], but life from the dead?
You see; the blinding of the Jews was used intentionally by God to reconcile the world and heel the breech by calling back the lost sheep.
And upon the heeling of this breech when God lifts the blinders from the eyes of the Jews and both houses are one again... Yahshua literally returns for His Bride and the First Resurrection occurs.
Second Coming
Before we go further, let us also describe the events that end the Great Tribulation and understand the big picture.
In the “days immediately after the tribulation,” the Lord comes
back! Those days also include the Resurrection and the Rapture, Armageddon and
the Day of the Lord, and our joining the Lord in
According to the Lord, the season of Summer must be present for some of those events (Matt 24:32). It would follow that if the Great Tribulation begins in the season of Winter, then three and one half years later must be the season of Summer. This also coincides with the Biblical feasts of Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles (Booths).
Of particular note is the last Feast of Tabernacles. The prophet Zechariah says after all this time of destruction and judgment we will celebrate the feast of Tabernacles. Could this be the “blessed day” that Daniel looked forward to, 1335 days after the start of the abomination of desolation? I think so. See Chapter 4 for more information.
The Feast of Tabernacles comes on the 15th of Tishri
according to the Hebrew calendar. This corresponds with our late September and
October. We know that the “days immediately after the tribulation” are 45 in length. This is
the difference between the 1290 days and 1335 days given by Daniel (Dan
Therefore, the days after the tribulation must be from 1 Elul through 15 Tishri on the Hebrew Calendar. Elul is the month of repentance leading up to the Day of Atonement. The Feast of Trumpets (1 Tishri) prophetically pictures the day of the resurrection and the Day of Atonement (10 Tishri) as the day of God’s great judgment - The Day of the Lord.
With the Great Tribulation starting in the Winter and concluding in the Summer, the last three Biblical holidays play an important role in the understanding of the basic events of the second coming. The sequence of Elul and Tishri with Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles best describes the “days immediately after the tribulation.” We repent, we are resurrected and raptured, God’s wine press of His wrath is tread out, and we all return to Jerusalem to celebrate Tabernacles (the wedding of the Lamb), when God makes His Tabernacle with us.
The First Resurrection
Immediately upon the 7th Trumpet of the Feast of Trumpets when Yahshua returns, the End Time Saints martyred during the Great Tribulation are resurrected. Yahshua reclaims His dead Saints as He assembles His army on His return to defeat the False Messiah.
We know the First Resurrection includes ONLY those martyred during the Great Tribulation because Revelation 20 gives the requirements for those who will partake in the First Resurrection of the dead. Those resurrected to meet Yahshua and reign for a 1,000 years are only those who:
1. Were beheaded for the witness of Yahshua during the Great Tribulation
2.
Those who refused to worship the image of the Beast
setup on the
3. Those who did not receive the Mark of the Beast
The rest of those who did in the Messiah prior to the Great Tribulation are not resurrected until the end of the 1,000-year reign. The Second Resurrection:
Revelation 20:4-5
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto
them: and I saw the souls of them that were
beheaded for the witness of Yahshua, and for the word of God, and
which had not worshipped the beast,
neither his image, neither had received his
mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and
reigned with the Messiah a thousand years.5 But the rest of the dead lived
not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the First Resurrection .
The Rapture
Immediately after the First Resurrection of the dead, those End Time Saints still alive at the time of the Second Coming are translated to meet the Lord upon His return. The Bible is very clear that Yahshua returns at the 7th Trumpet of the Feast of Trumpets, then the First Resurrection occurs, then the rapture occurs.
1 Thessalonians 4:15-17
15
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we
which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not precede
them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in the Messiah shall rise first:
17
Then we which are alive and remain shall be
caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so
shall we ever be with the Lord.
Battle
Once Yahshua has resurrected the dead End Time Saints (First Resurrection ) and translated the living End Time Saints (rapture), the Army of God will be assembled for the Battle of Armageddon.
The Battle of Armageddon is the final battle in the War of Gog and Magog. The armies of the earth are assembled in the
Feast of Trumpets
The trumpet sounds; the resurrection and rapture occur. We will say that the Lord fulfilled the Feast of Trumpets by blowing the shofar and gathering His people. We are lifted up into the clouds and gather to watch the day of the Lord. No creature on the surface of the earth or in any hole of the earth survives.
The entire structure of the earth is changed radically and violently by a great earthquake with mountains falling, valleys being raised, and 100 pound hailstones removing all the dirt and debris in the atmosphere.
The beast and false prophet are thrown into the lake of fire. Satan is bound and cast to the bottomless pit. God atones the earth.
Feast of Tabernacles
The Saints descending from Heaven with the Lord come to rest in
The Millennial Reign – Establishing God’s Divine Government
The reward for those End Time Saints who endure the Great Tribulation is to take part in the Divine System of Government that will be setup over Planet Earth for a 1,000 years.
Revelation 5:10
10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
Revelation 20:6
6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the First Resurrection : on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of the Messiah, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
This period of time is to prove the value and effectiveness of the Government of Yahshua the Messiah prior to final establishment of this Divine Government over all of creation. The entire Universe will be governed by the Lord Yahshua the Messiah and His Saints for eternity.
The Second Resurrection, Judgment, and the Second Death
After the 1,000 years is complete, all the dead are resurrected to face judgment.
Once every human ever created is resurrected in bodily form to face judgment, we see the final fulfillment of the Passover.
Those washed in the blood of the lamb, Yahshua the Messiah, will be passed over from the second death. Those not found in Yahshua the Messiah will be destroyed for all eternity in the lake of fire
Revelation 20:7-15
7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed
out of his prison,
8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Eternal State
Once final judgment is complete and the damned are destroyed, the Saints are organized under the Divine Authority of King Yahshua the Messiah and they rule the Universe for eternity.
Revelation 22:5
5 And there shall be no night there;
and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and
ever.
Jewish Idioms
Now that we have explored the meaning of Old Testament and New Testament prophecy, I would like to address the reality of Jewish idioms. Idioms that became a part of Jewish life at the time of the Messiah. Idioms that referred to the Feast Cycle specifically. In the next chapter I am going to demonstrate that God revealed through prophesy the exact date and timing of every event. But before I do, I must address the widespread belief that “no one knows the day or hour” and that “Yahshua returns like a thief in the night” to everyone on this Earth. This simply isn’t the truth.
Yahshua claims He told us everything in detail in advance:
Mark
“But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.”
And went on to say that no date or event should take us by surprise if we study prophecy:
1 Thessalonians 5:4
”But you brethren, are not in darkness that the day should overtake you like a
thief; for you are sons of light (illuminated by the Word of God)”
And that even the very dates are foretold in the Bible:
1 Thessalonians 5:1
”Now as to the times (seasons) and the epochs (dates) brethren,
you have no need of anything to be written to you (concerning the Second
Coming)”
However, the church has long taught us that no man knows the date of the Second Coming. Chastising those who search the scriptures for truth and even going so far as calling them false prophets if they attempt to understand prophetic timing. So how do we reconcile this paradox? Do we know everything or is it true that we can’t know end events? To understand the true words of Yahshua concerning His Second Coming, we must have an understanding of Jewish idioms.
Three of the most misunderstood Bible teachings is the Rapture, the Resurrection, and the timing of Yahshua’ Second Coming. Each of one of these doctrines are clearly taught in the Bible and we are expected to know the truth found in prophecy.
False Doctrines
The church in general has taught a false teaching regarding these events, specifically the doctrine of the Rapture with many different slants on it and interpretations of it. The Bible needs no interpretation and is in now way vague on this topic.
All that is required to understand it is the faith to believe what the Bible plainly states without adding to it out of fear for the consequences that are implied by the actual wording. The truth is that we must face the Great Tribulation as witnesses of our God to a damned generation. As terrible as the Great Tribulation will be, it serves as a standing sign of all time that the God of Israel exists and that Yahshua the Messiah is returning!
Isaiah
44
8 Fear ye not, neither
be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared
it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside
me? yea, there is no god; I know not any.
The Rapture should never have been a major doctrine. The word rapture cannot even be found in the Bible. The Rapture is not an event in and of itself; it is the physical effect the Second Coming has on Christians alive at the time as they are translated into their glorified state to meet the King of Kings upon His return. The Bible could not be clearer.
The church teaches us that Yahshua could return at any minute. This too is a false teaching. The Bible is clear that Yahshua returns according to the Feast Cycle 6007 years from Adam as portrayed by the Sabbath Covenant in the year of completion 777. As we will see in the next chapter.
Truly looking at what the Bible says and understanding the Second Coming shows that the Rapture is not a Biblical event and that the true event in question is the Second Coming. The Bible also makes it clear that the event of the Second Coming can be understood and the timeframe can be clearly known down to the very feast God designed for it… the Feast of Trumpets.
The church has also generally taught one resurrection on the last day. The fact is that there are two resurrections. The First Resurrection at the time of the Second Coming. The Second Resurrection at the end of the 1,000-year reign.
When attempting to overcome the false teachings of the Rapture, we must understand that major event in question is the Second Coming. It is at the time of the Second Coming that the First Resurrection and rapture of the living Saints occur. We must remove the demonic blinders of fear and read the simple words on the page. All Biblical references used to create the doctrine of the Rapture are in context of scripture referring not to an isolated unique event, but to the Second Coming.
In this document, I will establish the following:
1. What the church calls “the Rapture” is actually the same event as the Second Coming and the church is taken up AFTER the Great Tribulation.
2. There are two resurrections; the First Resurrection is the same event as the Second Coming and the Second Resurrection occurs at the end of the 1,000-year reign of the Messiah.
3. We do know the timing of the Second Coming. We are in fact “Children of the Light” and the Second Coming will NOT take us like a “thief in the night” because has told us “everything beforehand” and laid out a detailed timeline through Biblical prophecy. Another false teaching is “we don’t know the day nor the hour” meaning Yahshua could return at any minute.
The Truth of the Rapture
It is important to understand that while the Church has built an entire doctrine around the Rapture and constantly debates over “pre-trib, mid-trib, and post-trib” there is no debate in the Bible. Bible references used in the doctrine of the Rapture are clearly post-tribulation. In fact, “the Rapture” is not even a specific Biblical event but simply refers to what happens to the living Saints at the time of Yahshua’ Second Coming.
The Rapture, the way it is commonly taught, is a doctrine born out of fear. No one really wants to “suffer” through the Great Tribulation and everyone wants to believe his or her God is a loving God. So in response to the fear of the people, the church took a few scriptures out of context and created an entire doctrine called the Rapture.
The False Doctrine of the Rapture Defined
The doctrine of the Rapture is generally taught by combing a few scriptures together like this:
“the Messiah will come back for
His Church before the Great Tribulation and deliver the Saints
from persecution and wrath. For the
Bible says that Yahshua will return for His Bride, the Church, in a twinkling
of an eye. Like a thief in the night He
will come and we’ll be caught up in the air to meet Him in the clouds where
we’ll be with Him forever. So be
vigilant, and be watchful, for no one know the day or
the hour.”
Church leaders created this false doctrine to “tickle” the ears of God’s elect and put their hearts at ease concerning suffering during the Great Tribulation. These church leaders decided to “tell them what they wanted to hear”, instead of what God said in His Word. The fact that church leaders have misquoting and misrepresenting God’s Word to satisfy the fears of the people with myths such as a pre-tribulation rapture is in itself fulfillment of End Time prophecy.
2 Timothy 4:3-5
3 For the time will
come when people will not put up with
healthy doctrine but with itching ears will surround themselves with teachers who cater to their
own needs.
4 They will refuse to listen to the truth and will turn to myths.
5 But you must be clear-headed about everything. Endure suffering. Do the work of an evangelist. Devote yourself completely to your ministry.
The Danger of the False Doctrine of the Rapture
The danger with this doctrine is simple. I speak to Saints all the time that immediately discount the overwhelming evidence that we are in the tribulation and approaching the Great Tribulation. Why?
Because they have not been Rraptured! They believe so strongly that their loving God is going to “save” them from the Tribulation ‘wrath’ through the Rapture that they are willing to ignore the world around them. They are even willing to ignore the truth of the Bible concerning the Rapture.
They have fallen prey to a false doctrine and like the Bible declares they will be led like sheep to the slaughter directly to death in the Great Tribulation. The first moment they realize they are in the Great Tribulation and the Rapture didn’t occur like they were taught is when they are being forced to take the mark of the beast or die. They will die having missed the opportunity to ‘escape’.
Yahshua went like a lamb to the slaughter to reveal the full truth to His Elect.
Isaiah 53:5-7
5
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was
bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him;
and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
So we are without excuse if we follow false teachers and myths and find ourselves led like sheep to the slaughter:
Ezekiel 34:8
8
As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field,
because there was no (good) shepherd, neither did my shepherds search
for my flock, but the (worthless) shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my
flock;
I encourage all of you to know the truth and discern the lies. Serve your coming King as divine witness and stand as a testimony through tribulation. Whatever you do, do not stand in line with the sheep being led to the slaughter!
Scriptural Truth Concerning the Rapture and the Second Coming
Below I will make the point in scriptural and demonstrate that teaching a pre or mid tribulation rapture is false teaching. To teach the Rapture as anything other than the Second Coming requires taking every scripture referenced out of context and adding “doctrines of men” in order to come to any other conclusion than post-tribulation.
These men take scripture out of context or add to it and leave critical scripture out. God in His Word expressly forbids this practice of twisting scripture.
So as commanded by God, we will search the scriptures to see if what church leaders would have us believe is actually so…
Acts
11 “Now
these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the
word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether
these things were so.”
So, we have received the doctrine of the Rapture with great
eagerness trusting those church leaders in authority to speak the Word as it is
written. However, I have carefully examined
the Scriptures to see if these things they said were so.
“In a twinkling of an eye”
The first misquoted scripture grossly taken out of context is that “at any moment in a twinkling of an eye Yahshua could return and Rapture His Church.” Is this true?
Let’s look at the scripture references below:
1 Cor
Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and (then) we shall be changed.
The heading in my New American Standard Bible for this section is “The Mystery of Resurrection”. In other words, this passage is speaking about what happens at the time of the First Resurrection during the Second Coming.
Now, understand, the Bible clearly states that there are only TWO
resurrections. Not three. The First Resurrection as we will see later
occurs at the time of the Second Coming.
1 Cor
Let’s break this scripture down for ourselves without leaving anything out. You see, most churches stop at the “twinkling of an eye” leaving out the most important part… “at the LAST trumpet”! This scripture is referring to the Second Coming, which according to Revelation occurs at the LAST or Seventh Trumpet of the Feast of Trumpets as portrayed by the Feast Cycle.
This scripture is clearly stating that at that LAST Trumpet, those Christian still alive at the time of Yahshua’ Second Coming will not die, they will instantly be translated (changed) and the dead (those who died during the Great Tribulation) will be resurrected a the First Resurrection to meet Yahshua as He returns to wage war on the False Messiah.
Cross-referenced confirmation
God promises that Scripture always confirms Scripture so let us cross-reference for confirmation. Revelation speaks of this same event when the seventh angel sounds the seventh trumpet announcing the Second Coming of the Messiah. We see that the WRATH that we are spared is NOT the prior Tribulation period but final wrath poured out on the False Messiah and his armies:
Rev 11:15-19 (
15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there arose loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His the Messiah; and He will reign forever and ever."
16 And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God,
17 saying, "We give Thee thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who art and who wast, because Thou hast taken Thy great power and hast begun to reign.
18 "And the nations were enraged, and Thy wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to give their reward to Thy bond-servants the prophets and to the saints and to those who fear Thy name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth."
19 And
the
This next verse tells us more about the Second Coming and we begin to see evidence of only two resurrections the first occurring at the time of the Second Coming where only the End Time Saints are glorified. If there is only two resurrections, and the first occurs at the time of the Second Coming, then the doctrine of a pre or mid-tribulation resurrection and rapture has to be false:
Rev 20:2-6 (
And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.2 And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years,
3 and threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he should not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Yahshua and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they came to life and reigned with the Messiah for a thousand years.
5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the First Resurrection .
6 Blessed
and holy is the one who has a part in the
First Resurrection ; over these the second death has no power, but they will
be priests of God and of the Messiah and will reign with Him for a thousand
years.
Understanding the plan of God we know that Yahshua returns on the Feast of Trumpets at the end of the Great Tribulation only. No where in Scripture can you find support for a return prior to that for any reason.
“We shall be caught up together with Him in the clouds”
Another scripture taken completely out of context to justify the false doctrine of the Rapture is “we shall be caught up together with Him in the clouds”. We’ve all hear it taught “in a twinkling of an eye, like a thief in the night, we’ll be Raptured and caught up together with Yahshua in the clouds at any moment”…. Here two verses are combined, both grossly taken out of context to make you believe that Yahshua is going to come down and pluck us up just before the Great Tribulation and that it could happen at any moment.
Let’s look at the scripture referenced below:
1 Thess 4:13-18 (
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Yahshua died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Yahshua.
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, and remain until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep.
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in the Messiah shall rise first.
17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord.
18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
First, let’s consider in context what is being said. This scripture passage is specifically speaking about the First Resurrection at the time of the Second Coming not some mystery event called the Rapture occurring at any given moment prior to the Great Tribulation. This scripture plainly makes the following points:
1. God will bring “with Him” or “will resurrect and bring with the Messiah when He returns at the Second Coming” those who have previously died in the Great Tribulation. (See Rev. 20:2-6)
2. It is specifically talking about the last day or the Second Coming… “Those who are alive and REMAIN UNTIL THE END.” There is only one End. Not two or three.
3. Those alive WILL NOT PRECEDE THOSE WHO HAVE DIED… In other words, the First Resurrection occurs then those alive are glorified and translated. Verses 15 and 16 make it clear the dead are raised first and that those alive are then translated after the First Resurrection during the Second Coming.
4. The timing is specifically referring to the Second Coming vs. 16 “for the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God.” Again, we see “the trumpet” or the seventh trumpet of Revelation that heralds the Messiah’s return at the Feast of Trumpets.
5. Those alive at the time of the Second Coming are then “caught up together with THEM in the clouds”. It doesn’t say with Him, but with THEM. In other words, those alive are caught up with those End Time Saints who participated in the First Resurrection who are coming back with the Messiah to wage war on the False Messiah at the time of the Second Coming.
Paul faced the same false doctrine after the crucifixion of the
Messiah…
In 2 Thess 2:1-5 we see Paul seem a bit agitated. The early Christians too seemed to continuously forget that they were told that Yahshua was not coming back to get them anytime prior to the Great Tribulation. The scripture below always seems to be left out of our modern day Rapture sermon.
Let’s look at this passage below:
2 Thess 2:1-5 (
1 Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Yahshua the Messiah, and our gathering together to Him,
2 that you may not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.
3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,
4 who
opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so
that he takes his seat in the
5 Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things?
What is this passage saying? Paul basically says this:
With regard to the Second Coming and what you call the Rapture
(our gathering together to him), so that you will quit teaching and believing
the false teaching that Yahshua is coming anytime soon to get you (verse 2 “do
not be shaken by any message to the effect the day of the Lord has come”). Don’t listen to anyone who teaches a pre or
mid-tribulation rapture because the rapture will not come prior to the
Abomination of Desolation and great apostasy of the end times (verse 3-4 “let
no one deceive you, the Second Coming and our gathering together to Him will not
come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed,
the False Messiah, displaying himself to be God, the Abomination of
Desolation). Then Paul exclaims… Don’t
you remember me telling you this over and over?
This should be quite enough to put this false teaching to
rest. It has been around since the early
days after Yahshua was crucified. And it
is still around today deceiving the Saints.
This very important passage proves several things; first is that the
"coming of our Lord Yahshua the Messiah" (this is the second coming)
and the "gathering together unto him" is the same event.
“No one knows the Day or the Hour”
This is one of the most disruptive and damaging false doctrines in my opinion circulating in the established churches today. This doctrine teaches that no one can “set dates”, or timeframes, or timelines concerning the events of the End Times and most importantly the Second Coming. The Bible has something far different to say on this subject:
How much do we actually know about His Second Coming? In fact God actually states that we DO know every major “date” as well as the week, month, season, year, etc. of His Second Coming, end events such as the Abomination of Desolation, and more. The Lord declares we should already know the epochs which means “dates”:
1 Thessalonians 5:1
”Now as to the times and the epochs brethren,
you have no need of anything to be written to you (concerning the Second
Coming)”
What does “you have no need of anything to be written concerning the epochs” mean? Let’s see what Webster’s Dictionary has to say about this term:
Main Entry: ep·och
Pronunciation: 'e-p&k, 'e-"päk
1 a : an event or a time
marked by an event that begins a new
period or development b : a memorable
event or date
2 a : an extended period of time usually characterized by a
distinctive development or by a memorable series of
events b : a division of geologic time less than a
period and greater than an age
3 : an instant of time or a date selected
as a point of reference
1 Thessalonians is telling us that concerning the epochs or rather events and dates selected as points of reference, which in context is speaking of the Second Coming, we have been told everything in advance and they will not overtake us like a thief in the night!
1 Thessalonians 5:1
1 ”Now as to the times and the epochs
brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you
(concerning the Second Coming)”… 4 ”But
you brethren, are not in darkness that the day (of Yahshua Second Coming)
should overtake you like a thief; for you are sons of light
(illuminated by the Word of God)”
God has declared every ‘end event’ from the very beginning of time before He acts to fulfill them especially relating to end events and the Second Coming. God makes it very clear that nothing should take His people by surprise. The Lord declares all significant events long before they occur and He fully expects His people to study His holy prophets and understand His words:
In this
section, we will put this doctrine to the test in Scripture. We will in fact see that the Bible teaches:
1.
God revealed a detailed timeline through prophecy. Concerning End Events, God has told us everything in advance
through prophecy… and He expects us to know it.
2.
We are “Children of Light”. The Bible says that these events come as a “thief in the
night” to the rest of the world that lives in darkness. But, Saints have been given God’s Word
and live in the “light”. End Events WILL
NOT overtake Saints like a thief in the night but rather the Saints have the
“light” of His Word and are not in darkness!
1 Thess 5:1-11 (
1 Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you.
2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.
3 While they are saying, "Peace and safety!" then destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth pangs upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief;
5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness;
6 so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.
7 For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night.
8 But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.
9 For God has not destined us for wrath (of the last day), but for obtaining salvation (from the second death) through our Lord Yahshua the Messiah,
10 who died for us, that whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him.
11 Therefore encourage one another, and build up one another, just as you also are doing.
To justify the false teaching of the Rapture and to convince people that it could happen at “any minute like a thief in the night” and to prevent God’s elect from being truly ready, we get this one… “No one knows the day and the hour”. There is no greater injustice or false teaching in our church today than this one. This false teaching puts God’s Saints in darkness instead of light and renders them helpless and full of fear.
The Biblical truth is the exact opposite of this false teaching. Let’s look at the scripture reference and again we will see the church has taken the scripture completely out of context leaving out significant portions of scripture that shed amazing light on how much we actually know about the timing of the Second Coming…
Matt 24:42-51 (
42 "Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming (because He returns on the Feast of Trumpets which is celebrated over a two day period).
43 "But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.
44 "For this reason you be ready too; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will (reference to the Feast of Trumpets).
45 "Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time?
46 "Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.
47 "Truly I say to you, that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.
48 "But if that evil slave says in his heart, 'My master is not coming for a long time,'
49 and shall begin to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards;
50 the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know (Jewish idiom for the Feast of Trumpets),
51 and shall cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; weeping shall be there and the gnashing of teeth.
Let’s break down this passage of scripture:
1. Yahshua commands us to “be on alert”.
2. He say we will not know the “day” or the “hour” referencing the Feast of Trumpets.
3. Then Yahshua gives us a parable about slaves and their Master. He is telling us that there are two kinds of people; good and faithful who are “on alert” and evil people who say “why be alert, Yahshua is not Coming Back for a long time”.
4. Then Yahshua gives us another parable about 10 virgins. Five were foolish and not prepared. Five were wise and prepared.
5. Then Yahshua gives us another parable about slaves and talents using a Jewish idiom for the Feast of Trumpets.
I have had people tell me that this verse means that no one will ever know the week, month, year or anything and base it on this verse. Which contradicts 1 Thessalonians.
The truth is that the phrase "that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only" is a Jewish idiom for the Feast of Trumpets. Yahshua was a Jewish Rabbi speaking to a Jewish audience. Not one of the apostles, who heard Him say this, had any doubt that He would be returning on the Feast of Trumpets. The Feast of Trumpets is the only feast representing the Second Coming that no one can know the day or hour. The reason is because the Feast of Trumpets is based on the new moon. To this very day it is celebrated over 2 days because no on can know the day or hour of the new moon of this feast. Be careful, Yahshua says: "day or the hour". And that is exactly what He meant to say to confirm God’s Feast Cycle.
Matt
24:3-14 (
3 And
as He was sitting on the
4 And Yahshua answered and said to them, "See to it that no one misleads you.
5 "For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the the Messiah,' and will mislead many.
6 "And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.
7 "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.
8 "But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.
9 "Then they will deliver you to tribulation (no pre-tribulation rapture), and will kill you (no deliverance from the Tribulation), and you will be hated by all nations on account of My name.
10 "And at that time many will fall away (Great Apostasy) and will deliver up one another and hate one another.
11 "And many false prophets will arise, and will mislead many.
12 "And because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold.
13 "But the one who endures to the end, he shall be saved (the end of the Tribulation).
14 "And
this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness
to all the nations, and then the end shall come.
15 "Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION (the Saints are witnesses, not raptured) which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand and study prophecy),
16 then
let those who are in
17 let him who is on the housetop not go down to get the things out that are in his house;
18 and let him who is in the field not turn back to get his cloak.
19 "But woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse babes in those days (no rapture)!
20 "But pray that your flight may not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath;
21 for then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred
since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall.
22 "And unless those days had been cut short, no life
would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days shall be cut
short (the Saints are present
throughout the Tribulation period).
23 "Then if anyone says to you, 'Behold, here is the the
Messiah,' or 'There He is,' do not believe him.
24 "For false the Messiahs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect (the Elect are present during the Great Tribulation).
25 "Behold, I have told you in advance. (Yahshua plainly states we do know, we are not in the dark concerning the timing of the Second Coming)
26 "If therefore they say to you, 'Behold, He is in the wilderness,' do not go forth, or, 'Behold, He is in the inner rooms,' do not believe them.
27 "For just as the lightning comes from the east, and flashes even to the west, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be (obviously the Saints are present to the very end).
28 "Wherever
the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.
29 "But
immediately after the tribulation of those
days THE
30 and
then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes
of the earth will mourn, and they will see the
31 "And
He will send forth His angels with A GREAT
TRUMPET (seventh trumpet of Revelation and the
last trumpet of the Feast of Trumpets) and THEY
WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds,(the rapture) from one end of the sky to the other.
In Yahshua own words, He has told us EVERYTHING in advance and He made is crystal clear that we will endure the Great Tribulation and it is not until after the tribulation of those days that the rapture occurs at the time of the Second Coming. Then Yahshua encourages His Elect to be on alert at all times and pray for the strength to endure until the very end and stand as a living witness of the Second Coming:
Luke 21:36
36 "But keep on the
alert at all times, praying in order that you may have strength to escape all
these things that are about to take place, and to stand (living) before the
(return of) Son of
We have a choice. We can believe the plain words of the King of Kings that we must endure the Great Tribulation as His witnesses. Or we believe the worthless shepherds who lie to us and lead us like sheep to the slaughter. We can put our hope in the resurrection of the dead, or we can believe a lie and hope in the assumption of the living. One is truth the other is a lie. You decide. Your very survival depends on it.
Are you waiting for a Rapture?
All of us (including me until recent years) have been mis-lead by the false teaching of our churches to believe that we cannot know the timing of the Messiah's return. The entire Bible is a portrait of Yahshua the Messiah and goes into great detail about His second coming. The Second Coming is one of the most important subjects in the Bible. It is the culmination of God's plan, our reward, and our hope. And we are given:
· durations
· seasons
· dates
· prophecies
· parables
· portraits
· feasts
· signs
Each one telling us exactly when everything would take place. God then calls us "willingly ignorant" in 2 Peter 3 if we don't know by now!
2 Peter 3:1-5
1
This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both
which I stir up your pure minds by way of
remembrance:
2 That ye may be mindful of the words, which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:
3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
5 For this they willingly are ignorant
Paul is first reminding us once again that if we do not study prophecy we are willingly ignorant of the timing of the Second Coming!
But because we have been mis-lead to believe we either don't have to worry because of the Rapture or it is futile to try and figure it out because "No one knows the day or hour" and that day "comes like a thief in the night"... we actually are willingly ignorant for not knowing Scripture and prophecy and falling prey to that false doctrine. God was right! Even in light of the truth behind the Feasts, and the historical fact of the Jewish Idioms used by the Messiah... we still willingly ignore the obvious in favor of the lies... WHY? What are we scared of? That Yahshua might have actually told us when he was returning and that it does coincide with Jewish Feasts? Or maybe we really don't want Yahshua to return and disrupt our nice little lives.
We have been mis-lead and kept in the dark. We have been told there is no need to pay attention. We have been told we'd be raptured. We have not been taught about the meaning of God's Feasts. We have not been told the reality behind Yahshua returning on the Feast of Trumpets. We do not celebrate God's Feasts or His Sabbath. Both tell us when Yahshua returns and we are in rebellion as a church so how could we know?
We have denied the very celebrations God designed
that point to the Second Coming. And for that reason, the church is
currently blind. It is the
While I can tell you the truth now, I can explain to you the feasts, I can encourage you to remember the God of Israel and keep His everlasting covenant called the Sabbath, I cannot change the fact that the Western Church you belong to is luke warm, keeping you in darkness, and didn't tell you the truth behind God's Word. Your church leaders didn't teach you the truth of the feasts, didn't tell you the truth behind the Sabbath, and misled you concerning the return of your king. Our churches are asleep waiting for a rapture to save them from a tribulation that has already begun.
It is up to you individually to shed the
blinders and come to know the true God of Israel and keep His Sabbath Covenant
and celebrate His feasts. The Bible says to
work out your OWN salvation with fear and trembling. If you read the Bible at all you will be
SHOCKED to see that God and Yahshua never ever did away with the Sabbath as an
everlasting covenant and His feasts as a portrait of the Messiah's
return. We are supposed to be honoring them! We (the
We simply didn’t’ know!
Because we are not “Jewish” (of the House of Judah) but rather of the House of Israel and the church leaders didn't feel the need to tell us, or maybe they don't know... we didn't know what Yahshua meant when he said, "No one knows the day or hour" and when he said "like a thief in the night".
The truth is, and it is a well-documented historical fact, that
the phrases "No one knows the day or hour"
BOTH phrases mean the exact opposite of what you have been taught. They DO NOT mean, "we cannot know". In fact, they both are very specific in telling us "WE DO KNOW" and both of them were confirming Yahshua' arrival on the Feast of Trumpets. God was serious in His word when He commanded us to keep His Holy Days and His Feast Cycle. It is by obeying and keeping His holy days and feasts that we are kept informed of His second coming!
God established the Feast Cycle to illustrate Yahshua' return so that over the years we would not forget or lose sight of Yahshua' return and WE WOULD NOT BE IN THE DARK! Yahshua was confirming the feasts as a sign of His Second Coming by using idioms (phrases) for the Jewish feast He returns on... the Feast of Trumpets.
For example, if
Yahshua said:
"I
come on that day that not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse."
We all would quickly recognize he was returning on the Chistmas. This is an American idiom for the Chistmas. It is no different when he used the phrases “no one knows the day or hour” and “like a thief in the night” except that we do not keep God's holy days any more, so we (Western Christianity) didn't recognize the phrase! We need to wake up before it is too late.
But because our churches have not taught us the feasts, we do not keep His Sabbath, and we are in complete disobedience to God and do not celebrate them, we are blind to the timing of Yahshua' Second coming. We are in the dark and that day will overtake us like a thief and we will not know the day or hour…because we do not celebrate or know anything about the feasts and holy days that God established for the very purpose to teach us about Yahshua' Second Coming!
So now you know…
Please do not continue to deny God's holy days and feast and continue in darkness not realizing the very meaning of the words. God declares in the Bible that Yahshua returns on the last trumpet of the Feast of Trumpets. To deny this fact, is to deny the very meaning of the Feast Cycle, the Sabbath, and prophecy. And as God puts it in 2 Peter 3:2-9 to be "willingly ignorant" of His predestined and pre-disclosed plan.
So instead of being "willingly ignorant", let's just accept the meaning of the feasts and the Sabbath. It is well documented in the Bible.
The Feast of Trumpets is the
celebration of the Jewish New Year and begins on the 7th Jewish holy month of Tishrei. God's calendar is laid out in the Bible, and
the New Year begins on the Jewish holy month of Tishrei, which is celebrated by
the Feast of Trumpets.
So, we know Yahshua returns on the Feast of Trumpets. It is all over the place in the Bible. We even know which Feast of Trumpets!
The Perfect Number 7
Believe it or not, God went into great detail to give us the YEAR of His return as well. The Sabbath is the 7th Day of the Week. The Prophetic Sabbath is the 7th Millennium. Yahshua returns the 7th year of the 7th Millennium after 7 years of Tribulation, which begins after a 7-year peace treaty.
He returns in the year of completion 777. The Feast of Trumpets
of the 7th holy month of the 7th year of the 7th Millennium.
So what did Yahshua say about His return?
First God gave us His plan the Sabbath Covenant. The 6/7 Plan (6 millenniums of human government, 7th Millennial Reign)
Second God gave us the measuring rod in Daniel and declared the end of the 6 millenniums with a 7-year peace treaty.
Third God declared there would be 7 years of "preparation" called the Tribulation prior to His return after the 70th week putting us in the 7th Year of the 7th Millennium.
Fourth God gave us confirmation of "which Feast of Trumpets" by having the 70th Week of Daniel's treaty signed and annulled on the EXACT day the "Feast of Trumpets" in question begins in the 7th Month of the 7th Millennium... SEPTEMBER 13th.
Fifth God lays down a timeline in Daniel (and
Yahshua commands we read it) that gives us specific days triggered by major
milestones… 2,300 days, 1,290 days, and 1,335 days... this timeline
culminates on
Sixth Yahshua is presented King of the Jews at His First Coming on the 6th hour of the 6th day before the 7th day the Sabbath. Which is a portrait of Yahshua returning as King after 6 Millenniums after the 6th Jewish Holy Month in the 7th year of the 7th Millennium or "Prophetic Sabbath".
Seventh is that Yahshua returns 6007 years into God's plan which confirms God's 6/7 plan of the Sabbath Covenant!
Eighth Yahshua tells us the exact day of His
return when He said he returns a "generation" from major
milestone of
Anyone familiar with God and the significance of the number 7 will immediately recognize the significance of
all of what I have just written.
The bottom line is that the interpretation of our churches that "no one knows the day or hour" means we don't know anything concerning the timing of the Second Coming... disagrees with 99.99999% of the rest of God's word that says we DO know. God went to great lengths to tell us everything. And Yahshua told us which "Feast of Trumpets" and in what year.
So if your interpretation disagrees with the rest of the entire Bible guess what... you have got it WRONG. Do not cling to one verse that you have been mis-taught and ignore the rest of the Bible. We were all given the ability to READ and the Holy Spirit to INTERPRET. Do not rely on worthless shepherds who are telling you what you want to hear to tickle your ears. We are commanded to take EVERYTHING we are taught to the Scriptures and confirm it.
The truth is that Yahshua was using a Jewish Idiom and confirming his arrival on the Feast of Trumpets, 2007 which is celebrated over a two-day period. So while we don't know the exact day or hour because it is either Sept 12/13 depending on the new moon... we do know much more than we have been taught from the pulpits of our western churches. In fact, we have been kept in the dark on a lot more than just this one issue.
I encourage everyone to seek the truth while it can be found. "The Church Age" is coming to an end soon. I advise everyone to return to the God of Israel and come to know him through the Torah, the Feasts, the Holy Days, and keep his Sabbath. It may be the only way to "endure 'till the end".
The saints are being led like Sheep to the Slaughter by what the Bible calls a bunch of "worthless shepherds" overly concerned with money and this earthly system.
Don't stand in line.