“Ruth the Moabitess said, “He also said to me, ‘You shall stay close by my young men until they have finished all my harvest.’ ”And Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, and that people do not meet you in any other field.” So she stayed close by the young women of Boaz, to glean until the end of barley harvest and wheat harvest; and she dwelt with her mother-in-law.” Ruth 2:21-23 NKJV
Most are familiar with the story of Ruth, and the fact that many believe it is a picture of the wedding of the Church to her groom, Jesus Christ. As I have studied this story over and over again throughout the years, the one fact which keeps returning to my mind is the timing of the wedding, and if it might be a clue as to when the rapture will occur. If you look at the story and what it says, I believe God makes it clear that it occurs after the harvest of both the barley and the wheat. In Israel, while the barley is harvested in the spring, the wheat is harvested at the end of summer, usually in September close to the autumn equinox.
"The harvest is past, The summer is ended, And we are not
saved!"
Jeremiah 8:20 NKJV
This verse from Jeremiah is a lament over the fact that summer is over and they are not saved. The question that came to my mind is if the summer is over, it should be a time of rejoicing and celebration for the harvest. If indeed God is trying to tell us that the rapture may come at the end of summer, is the cry of Israel a response to that event? We know the tribulation is the time where God turns Israel back to Him by means of judgment so is it possible we find here another clue as to when that might occur? There is a saying among believers who study prophecy and the history of the nation of Israel, and it goes something like this; “the past is prologue”. What this means is that quite often we find that events in the Old Testament are somehow a sign of things to come because they often repeat themselves, especially when it comes to Israel.
"But
concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should
write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes
as a thief in the night." 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2 NKJV
I have often wondered if while we may not "know" when our wedding will take place, why does Paul mention the seasons in this passage? When speaking of the
rapture, many scholars believe we are told that if we watch as we are commanded
to do, we will recognize the “season” of the rapture of the Church. With that in mind, I can’t help but wonder if
the many references to the “harvest” when talking about the rapture, along with
the fact that the wedding between Ruth and Boaz occurred after the harvest is
something we need to take note of. Something
else I find interesting this year is just when the annual “harvest moon”
occurs.
Although
there is a full moon every month of the year, the term “harvest moon” is given
to the full moon which occurs closest to the autumn equinox. I live in an agricultural valley and believe it
or not, you can still find farmers baling hay in the light of the moon in an
effort to get it in the barn before it is ruined by rain, which lowers the
value dramatically. Of course, there are
many other harvests going on too, as many are picking over the last of their
gardens before the first frost arrives to end the season. I was surprised, however, to find that this
year the full or “harvest moon” will fall exactly on the autumn equinox,
something which rarely happens.
"You shall observe the Feast of Tabernacles seven days, when you
have gathered from your threshing floor and from your winepress.”
Deuteronomy 16:13 NKJV
As we approach Rosh Hashanah, also known as the Feast of Trumpets, many
believers get excited as it has traditionally been thought to be a strong
possibility for a day for the rapture of the Church. Since the calendar in
Israel is lunar rather than solar, the beginning of the month is determined by
the sighting of the new moon which may or may not occur on the day you
determine to be the first of the month. That is why Rosh Hashanah is celebrated
for two days rather than just one since there is a possibility the moon won't
be sighted when you would expect it. Like many, I have always thought it no
coincidence that this holiday is described as one where "no man
knows"
While Rosh Hashanah
has already been celebrated this past week, there are many who believe that the
calendar in Israel this year is off by one month, and that Rosh Hashanah has
been celebrated one month early. If that
were true, we would then be in the last month of “Elul”, which just
coincidently comes from a Babylonian word meaning “harvest”. In Israel, Elul is also known as the month of
the bride, which comes from the phrase, “My beloved is mine, and I am his”, taken from the Song
of Solomon 2:16. Another coincidence I found interesting is that in this “month
of the bride”, the full moon/harvest moon occurs in Israel on Monday the 21st. Since the Bible tells us the bridegroom comes
at midnight, it would then be Tuesday, which is the preferred day for weddings
in Jewish tradition.
So to summarize, we are fast approaching the time of the wheat harvest in Israel, the time of the wedding of Ruth and Boaz. If the calculations of some are accurate, we also find ourselves in the month on the Jewish calendar which means harvest, as well as the month of the bride. The favored day for a Jewish wedding is Tuesday, and since the bridegroom always comes at midnight, we find that when Tuesday arrives at midnight the the full harvest moon will be shining in Israel. While I would also caution that I have no idea exactly when the rapture will occur, it is certainly curious to me to see all of these coincidences arriving at the same time.
While all of these things are interesting to consider, if we take into account where we find ourselves as the body of Christ in the events of the past year or so, is it so hard to believe that our time on this earth is rapidly winding down? Speaking for myself, not only am I surprised we are still here, but also cannot help but believe that we will hear the call to “come away” to our wedding in heaven at any time. Looking at all the “coincidences” of the coming few weeks excites me to no end as I long for an end to what the Church has had to endure, as well as hearing from so many others of you who feel the same way I do.
Of course, of greater
importance is the question we all must ask of ourselves which is, am I prepared
for the return of Jesus for His bride, the Church? If you have never made the decision to ask
Jesus to come into your life and accept the gift of salvation He has offered
you I urge you to do it right now. Simply pray to Him and confess that you are
a sinner in need of salvation, and then ask Him to forgive you of your sins.
Tell Him you believe that He died on the cross to take your place and because
of that you want to turn your life over to Him. If you do that you have His
promise that you are saved.
"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children
of God, to those who believe in His name:"
John 1:12 NKJV
Keep watching.
