Pattern is Prologue

"Then the elders of the congregation said, “What shall we do for wives for those who remain, since the women of Benjamin have been destroyed?” And they said, “There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, that a tribe may not be destroyed from Israel. “However, we cannot give them wives from our daughters, for the children of Israel have sworn an oath, saying, ‘Cursed be the one who gives a wife to Benjamin.’ ”Then they said, “In fact, there is a yearly feast of the LORD in Shiloh, which is north of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.” Therefore they instructed the children of Benjamin, saying, “Go, lie in wait in the vineyards, “and watch; and just when the daughters of Shiloh come out to perform their dances, then come out from the vineyards, and every man catch a wife for himself from the daughters of Shiloh; then go to the land of Benjamin. “Then it shall be, when their fathers or their brothers come to us to complain, that we will say to them, ‘Be kind to them for our sakes, because we did not take a wife for any of them in the war; for it is not as though you have given the women to them at this time, making yourselves guilty of your oath.’ ”And the children of Benjamin did so; they took enough wives for their number from those who danced, whom they caught. Then they went and returned to their inheritance, and they rebuilt the cities and dwelt in them."      Judges 21:16-23  NKJV

 

A question I hear occasionally surrounds my decision to be a “watcher” and my teaching that certain days of the year are of special interest to me, while also claiming not to be a “date setter”.  I suppose that is understandable yet I always take pains to say I certainly do not “know” the day of the rapture but simply realize from study that certain days of the year have overtones which make them worthy of scrutiny in regards to the coming call from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  This coming Tuesday is one of those days which I have written about before and it is the Jewish holiday of Tu B Av.

 

I think most believers would agree that our hope, the event for which we are all watching and waiting is the rapture of the Church. I'm sure most of us too, are familiar with the Church being referred to as the “bride” of Christ. Many of you are also probably aware of how the events surrounding the rapture follow precisely the pattern of a Jewish wedding. Since Jesus is Jewish, it is expected that His wedding to His bride, the Church, will follow the pattern and traditions associated with Jewish weddings. But there is one question I personally have always had with this idea and it is this; does it matter at all to this picture that we the Church are not, strictly speaking, Jewish?

 

Years ago when I first met Chuck Missler and began to study his teachings, one thing he said which has always stuck with me was “your most fruitful investigations will be to probe the insights of the Jewish calendar”.  Another thing he said was that in the Bible, “pattern is prologue”. While there are many examples of this throughout scripture, it is probably never more obvious than when applied to the relationship between Christ and His Church.  Many of Jesus’ parables referenced the Jewish wedding ceremony and Paul refers to the Church as the bride of Christ.  Taking all these things into account, I had to wonder if there was a point to be made about a wedding between Jesus, a Jew, and the Church, a Gentile?

 

I don’t recall exactly when I first began studying the Jewish feast days, but I do know it was quite some time ago.  Yet it wasn’t until 2010 that I first became aware of the holiday in Israel called Tu B’ Av, and wrote my first article about it. Quite often it is referred to as an unknown holiday because most have never even heard of it; much less understand the traditional beliefs associated with it.  It isn't even listed on my Jewish calendar along with all of their other holidays, which makes me wonder why it is so "forgotten"? If you look it up on the internet, you will find that most sites call it a "minor" holiday in Jewish culture, but for reasons I want to share with you, I think it's entirely possible this might be the most important holiday for the Church that you've never heard of.

 

First of all, Tu B'Av was declared a celebration by the first generation after the forty year wilderness wandering from Egypt during the Exodus. If you recall, God commanded that an entire generation must die because of their sin before a new generation could enter the Promised Land. After forty years, seeing the full moon told the new generation that the appointed time had passed, and they were able to enter the land that God had led them to. Remember the Jewish calendar is lunar, so the months are calculated by observing the phases of the moon, and the full moon always occurs on the night of the 14th (don't forget the new day starts at sunset). So this new generation declared this day a new day of celebration.

 

Secondly, the Jewish Talmud, which is a collection of ancient Rabbinic writings, teaches that on this day, Tu B' Av, the tribes of Israel were allowed to intermarry. The rest of the year, it was required that you marry only within your tribe, but on this one day every year, women were free to marry whomever they wished from any tribe. For this reason, and because it also marks the end of the wheat harvest in Israel, many believe this is the day that Ruth married Boaz. If you remember the story, Ruth was not a Jew, but a Gentile. Yet as a distant relation, she and Boaz, who was Jewish, were allowed to marry. Their marriage occurred at the end of the harvest, and since on this day, marriages to others were allowed, it’s entirely possible that this was the day of their wedding.

 

Third, as a result of a civil war between the tribe of Benjamin and the rest of Israel, only 600 males survived the conflict. The leaders of Israel decided they would allow these men to take wives from "the daughters from Shiloh". It seems there was a celebration at the beginning of the grape harvest at Shiloh where the daughters would go into the vineyards and dance. The surviving men were told they were to hide in the vineyards and catch themselves a wife from the girls who came out to dance. In later years this day became known as a traditional day of love and courtship, where girls would exchange white clothing so that prospective husbands would not know who was rich or who was poor.

 

Fourth, Tu B' Av is the last holiday of the year in Israel. Since the New Year begins on Rosh Hashanah, which is just a month and a half away, this is the last holiday, as well as the last harvest of their calendar year. Being the last of the holidays, it is a time of celebration both in looking back, and looking forward to the New Year that is approaching. This day is also considered to be the time where planting of crops or trees was to end for the year. During the time of the Second Temple, Tu B' Av was proclaimed as the beginning of the grape harvest which continues until Yom Kippur.

 

Fifth, prophetically speaking, Tu B' Av could well picture the future marriage of Christ with His church.

 

"In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."               John 14:2-3 NKJV

 

In the Jewish culture, after the engagement the groom goes to prepare the home in which he and his wife will reside, and it is up to his father to decide when the home is ready and the son is allowed to return for his bride.  Another interesting fact is that the full moon is considered to be an auspicious time for a wedding and Tu b Av does indeed occur on a full moon.  A question I often ask myself surrounds the possibility of the rapture of the Church, the “fullness of the Gentiles” which Paul describes in Romans 11:25, actually occurs on the “full moon” as well.

 

So in review, we find there is a holiday in Israel that many are unfamiliar with which is a traditional day celebrating love. It is a day many choose as their wedding day, and historically is the only day that Jews were allowed to marry outside their own tribes. It is also a harvest holiday coming at the conclusion of the wheat harvest and the beginning of the grape harvest.  Along with being the last celebration of the year, because of the allowance to intermarry it also perfectly pictures the future marriage of Christ, a Jew, with His Church, Gentile.

 

Many look at this day as a perfect time for the rapture of the Church to occur, and in all honesty, I would have to agree. But as we all know, God has His own timetable and as far as we know, He hasn't made it crystal clear. Yet with all the clues we do have, and all that has been happening lately in the world, many are convinced that this truly could be the day. Who knows, but since Tu B' Av starts the evening of the fourteenth of Av at sunset, I would be lying if I said I wasn't going to be watching the skies more than usual. The day is approaching when we will be taken to be with our Lord forever and I'm praying it will be soon.

 

If you are reading this today and have never made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I urge you to do it right now. Simply admit to God that you need His forgiveness because you are a sinner,  be willing to turn away from your sins, believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins, and invite Him to come in and control  your life through the Holy Spirit by praying a simple prayer like this;

 

Father, I know I am a sinner in need of salvation. I believe you sent your Son Jesus to die on the cross for my sin, and I ask you now to forgive me of my sins. I want to receive your gift of salvation so please come into my heart and help me to live and follow you as my Lord and Savior. In Jesus' name, Amen.

 

"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

 

If you have prayed this prayer you are part of the body of Christ, a member of His Church, and like the rest of us are now waiting for the call to join Him in Heaven for the wedding soon to come.

 

Keep watching.

Judgment is Coming

"For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)—"       2 Peter 2:4-8  NKJV

One of my favorite writers in the New Testament concerning the time of the end of the age is the apostle Peter. You may recall some of my past writings on Peter and his letters to the Church, and I referred to them as his “last words” because of his awareness that his death was quickly approaching.  I believe that because of his knowledge of what was to shortly occur, his concern was for the future of the Church and the problems it would encounter.  In this passage from Peter’s second letter to the Church, we are told in no uncertain terms that their judgment is guaranteed.

In this chapter Peter begins by telling us that not only will there be false prophets as we approach the return of Christ, these people will receive the judgment they richly deserve just as God has judged others in the past.  Although it might seem to us at times that God could have forgotten because these individuals are not judged immediately, Peter makes the point that our Father never forgets.  He then goes on to remind us of three examples of God passing His judgment on those who have done something to deserve His wrath.

From the way that Peter words these verses, it almost seems certain that he is responding to the question of “when” will God judge?  I believe either some in the Church were asking the question already, or Peter understood that it would be asked.  Being impatient to see God judge sin is a common theme throughout the scriptures with many examples we can find of His people crying out “how long”?  God will even hear this in heaven during the seven year time of Jacob’s trouble, commonly called the tribulation, from those who have been martyred for His names’ sake.

"And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”                         Revelation 6:10  NKJV

Do you want to know when God will judge?  Peter’s answer is that God is waiting to remove His own from harm’s way before He judges the world for their offense towards Him.  The rapture of the Church, the time when all true believers are caught up to be with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, is the next event on God's calendar. Never fall into the trap of believing that God has forgotten, or changed His mind, or any other of the lies Satan uses to excuse sinful behavior.

"then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,"    2 Peter 2:9  NKJV

The state of our country has been the subject of much talk in the last year or so, what with the "changes" being instituted by the leaders in our government. Many have made no secret of the fact they believe the moral compass of our nation is seriously malfunctioning, and the direction we are going is quite the opposite of what it should be. Many have asked what we should do as believers when confronted by what we see happening in our nation today? I believe the answer is as clear as it was to Noah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and all the others appointed as watchmen. We need to stand up and be counted as opposing the direction our country is headed, and especially be clear as to why. Times like these are an opportunity to share the love of God with those around us, and to explain His laws and expectations concerning our behavior. The Bible is very clear that any nation that turns it's back on God will be judged. No question.

Look at what God had to say about Israel in Jeremiah's day.

"And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands."

Jeremiah 1:16 KJV

Do you see any similarities between our country and what was happening at the time of Noah? Are we as a nation turning from God and worshiping what we have created with our own hands as they did in Jeremiahs' day? Are the decisions made concerning social issues based on God's laws, or popular feeling? Is our country headed for judgement? If we continue on the course we are on, I have no doubt. Will it be hard to stand and be counted? Absolutely. Are we living in the last days? Personally I am surprised we are still here given what I can see with my own two eyes. America is fast approaching the time of judgment, and as Jesus said, "no man knows the day or the hour". 

As we watch the world, as well as our nation, seemingly descend into darkness, the conclusion that the rapture must be near is virtually inescapable. If you have never made the decision to accept that free gift I encourage you to do so today.  Simply ask God to forgive you of your sin based on your belief that Jesus died to pay the price for your sin, and turn over control of your life to Him.  You can do that right now by praying a prayer just like this one;

"Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I believe You died for my sins. Right now, I turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and life. I confess You as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank You for saving me. Amen."

God will judge this world.  We have His promise on that. His Church just has to leave first.

Keep watching.

Normal Isn't Coming Back, but Jesus Is!

Something most of us probably have never really considered is how greeting friends and acquaintances usually always begins with a question.  “How are you doing”, what’s new?”, what’s up?, etc. are just a few ways we begin conversations with others.  Hopefully we do this because we truly care and want to know how life is going for our friends and family but if you are like me, it would appear that the responses to greetings such as these are beginning to take on a darker tone.

For many in the world today, and lately especially believers, life could at best be described as challenging.  A great many people are beginning to suffer in one way or another and it is looking like the new normal is going to include struggles most of us never saw coming.  I believe most would agree that the life we were used to is not only gone, but probably never coming back and for those of us who believe, faith in God to provide for us has never been more important.

It just seems strange to consider the possibility that struggle in our lives might be a good thing, yet if we look closely at the examples of the lives of believers throughout the Bible we find that without question they all suffered at one time or another. Now at first I think we would all rather not go through our periods of struggling, yet if we take the time to remember our past struggles I think it possible we would find positives that came out of them. 

I certainly recall as a teenager coming to the realization that my parents were slowly allowing me to endure personal hardships rather than trying to “fix” things for me as a means to help me mature. I can also remember doing the same thing with my own daughters, as difficult as that was, in order to help them grow. So as I looked at the subject of Christians suffering, I tried to come up with some reasons why a loving God and Father would allow us to struggle at times, rather than smoothing out life's road. What follows are some of the ideas I came up with, and I hope they help a little in understanding why struggling can be good.

We are loved.

“For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives."If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?”

Hebrews 12:6-7 NKJV

I'm sure no one would argue that allowing us to struggle can certainly be seen as a form of chastening. I can recall certain instances in the lives of all my children where I knew I could fix something, yet held back in order to teach them a lesson. It was very painful for me to do, and it hurt to see them struggle, yet I knew it was for the best and in later years they have thanked me for doing it. God loves us, and takes no pleasure in watching us struggle, yet in His wisdom He knows we need to learn a lesson so He then allows us to learn by enduring.

We are taught.

“Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Your word. You [are] good, and do good; Teach me Your statutes.” 

Psalm 119:67-68 NKJV

“[It is] good for me that I have been afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes.” 

Psalm 119:71 NKJV

How often have I looked back and thought about how much easier my life might have been if I had been more “teachable”! I was one of those people who seemed to only learn my lesson the hard way. I wonder if that was the thinking behind these verses? Do you notice the result of the struggles? “Now I keep your word”. How many lessons have you learned and kept because you had to struggle during the teaching of them? I think we call them the “hard” lessons of life? No one I know likes it, but struggles can certainly teach us a lesson we will never forget.

We are judged.

“Yet if [anyone suffers] as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. For the time [has come] for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if [it begins] with us first, what will [be] the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?”

1 Peter 4:16-17 NKJV

Have you ever considered that God allows us to struggle as both a test and as a witness to others? If that seems strange to you, consider how often you have watched someone else struggle and think to yourself how you might react in the same situation. We all have done that, yet we often think to ourselves that no one else knows what we are going through. On the contrary, God uses the struggles we face as both a test for us and also as a witness to others. If we understand this we then can actually look at our struggles as a way to show others the power available to us as believers because we can call on God for the help we need.

We are saved.

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding [and] eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen [are] temporary, but the things which are not seen [are] eternal.” 

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NKJV

How easy is it for us to focus on the immediate rather than the future when we struggle. I certainly understand that this is a natural reaction, and I do it as well, yet the advice given to us here by Paul is to fight that tendency and focus rather on our future deliverance and reward in Heaven. Did you notice here that we are told what we endure right now is “light”? I'm sure you and I would agree there are times we would like to argue that point, but the truth is that God will not allow us to struggle in futility. Whatever we are called to deal with here and now is “working for us” in Glory.

No one likes to struggle, yet it seems clear we are called to do so as part of our “job description” as believers. Struggles can be good for both us, and for those around us who watch how we deal with them. If you are struggling now, or when you do in the future, remember that we are promised;

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to [His] purpose.” 

Romans 8:28 NKJV

However difficult our personal struggles might be, never forget they pale in comparison to what our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ endured. It is through His sacrifice that we can be saved and spend eternity with Him as He has promised us. Normal isn’t coming back, but Jesus is. Have you made the choice to accept Him as your Savior and Lord? If not, I hope you will consider doing it today. You can do this by simply praying a prayer like this one:

Jesus I know I am a sinner and have broken your commandments and sinned against you. I believe you died and rose again for me as a sacrifice for my sins. I ask you to forgive me of my sins and come into my heart so that I can begin to live for you. Amen.

Keep watching.

The Time of Jacob's Trouble

“Now these are the words that the LORD spoke concerning Israel and Judah. “For thus says the LORD: ‘We have heard a voice of trembling, Of fear, and not of peace. Ask now, and see, Whether a man is ever in labor with child? So why do I see every man with his hands on his loins Like a woman in labor, And all faces turned pale? Alas! For that day is great, So that none is like it; And it is the time of Jacob’s trouble, But he shall be saved out of it.”    Jeremiah 30:5-7. NKJV

As someone who has taught scripture for as many years as I have, there are many memories of certain events which stand out in my mind in relation to teaching from God’s Word.  One of my most endearing recollections is the time when a group of high school students came to me privately and asked if I would be willing to teach a study on the book of Revelation.  I can say without question from my many years of experience, this is not something you hear everyday.  In fact, considering how much resistance there was at the time to teaching prophecy from the Bible, to say I was astounded is an understatement.  Yet it was one of the most rewarding studies I participated in as these students desire for understanding was amazingly encouraging to me on a personal level.

When teaching on the subject of the last seven years of this age, one of the first points I like to discuss is the purpose for this particular time, and discuss what I believe the Bible has to say about it.  One of the first things we find in this passage from Jeremiah is God calls this period of time “the time of Jacob’s trouble”.  My immediate reaction to that is one of great rejoicing as God does not include the Church in His statement, rather He seems to make it clear that this time is focused primarily on the Jewish nation.  Truth be told, until Jesus used the term “Great Tribulation” in Matthew 24, it was always referred to as the time of Jacob’s trouble which certainly lends support to the idea that the Church will be raptured before this time begins.  The reason it is focused on Israel can be found in the book of Daniel where God explains His timeline for the Jewish nation.

“Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy.“Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times.“And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined.”   Daniel 9:24-26. NKJV

The following is from an article by Jack Kelley of “Grace thru Faith”

The phrase seventy sevens means seventy weeks of years, or 490 years. Some of these tasks were at least partially completed in the 483rd year at the time of the Crucifixion. But Israel’s rejection of the Messiah stopped the clock 7 years short of the total leaving the rest undone. These 7 years are yet to be completed, but as Paul and James both specified, the clock will not start running again until the Church disappears. This is what makes knowing all about Daniel’s 70th Week so important to the Church.  It helps us understand why the rapture can’t happen during any part of it.

The Bible is not a book of generalities, it’s a book of specifics. Those last 7 years are missing and must be completed. When you read the Bible literally, as was intended, there’s no sense in which they can be placed in the past. They’re part of the future and they’re not called the tribulation, they’re called Daniel’s 70th Week.  https://gracethrufaith.com/end-times-prophecy/there-is-no-seven-year-tribulation/

The last “week”, or seven years of this age will be a time of trouble for the nation of Israel which will also affect the entire world that is left behind after the rapture of the Church.  While the first half of the week is designed to bring about the regathering of Israel to its land, it is the second half of the week, which Jesus called the “Great Tribulation”, that we find God’s judgment poured out on Israel.  Returning to the prophecy of Jeremiah we find exactly how God describes this period of time.

“ ‘For it shall come to pass in that day,’ Says the LORD of hosts, ‘That I will break his yoke from your neck, And will burst your bonds; Foreigners shall no more enslave them.But they shall serve the LORD their God, And David their king, Whom I will raise up for them.‘Therefore do not fear, O My servant Jacob,’ says the LORD, ‘Nor be dismayed, O Israel; For behold, I will save you from afar, And your seed from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return, have rest and be quiet, And no one shall make him afraid.For I am with you,’ says the LORD, ‘to save you; Though I make a full end of all nations where I have scattered you, Yet I will not make a complete end of you. But I will correct you in justice, And will not let you go altogether unpunished.’“For thus says the LORD: Your affliction is incurable, Your wound is severe. There is no one to plead your cause, That you may be bound up; You have no healing medicines.All your lovers have  forgotten you; They do not seek you; For I have wounded you with the wound of an enemy, With the chastisement of a cruel one, For the multitude of your iniquities, Because your sins have increased.Why do you cry about your affliction? Your sorrow is incurable. Because of the multitude of your iniquities, Because your sins have increased, I have done these things to you.‘Therefore all those who devour you shall be devoured; And all your adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity; Those who plunder you shall become plunder, And all who prey upon you I will make a prey.For I will restore health to you And heal you of your wounds,’ says the LORD, ‘Because they called you an outcast saying: “This is Zion; No one seeks her.” ’“Thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, I will bring back the captivity of Jacob’s tents, And have mercy on his dwelling places; The city shall be built upon its own mound, And the palace shall remain according to its own plan.Then out of them shall proceed thanksgiving And the voice of those who make merry; I will multiply them, and they shall not diminish; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small.Their children also shall be as before, And their congregation shall be established before Me; And I will punish all who oppress them.Their nobles shall be from among them, And their governor shall come from their midst; Then I will cause him to draw near, And he shall approach Me; For who is this who pledged his heart to approach Me?’ says the LORD.‘You shall be My people, And I will be your God.’ ”Behold, the whirlwind of the LORD Goes forth with fury, A continuing whirlwind; It will fall violently on the head of the wicked.The fierce anger of the LORD will not return until He has done it, And until He has performed the intents of His heart. In the latter days you will consider it. “  Jeremiah 30:8-24. NKJV

The purpose of the last seven years of this age is twofold. God makes it clear that this will be a time of discipline and judgment directed at Israel for its sins while also a time of punishment for Israel’s enemies and all who have persecuted her.  Yet as we have said, this time does not begin until the Church has been removed by way of the rapture.  With all the signs we see right now as the world prepares for this coming time of judgment, just how close do you think the rapture might be?

As always, I will close with these words.  If you are reading this today and have never made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I urge you to do it right now. Simply admit to God that you need His forgiveness because you are a sinner,  be willing to turn away from your sins, believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins, and invite Him to come in and control  your life through the Holy Spirit by praying a simple prayer like this;

Jesus I know I am a sinner in need of salvation. I believe you sent your Son Jesus to die on the cross for my sin, and I ask you now to forgive me of my sins. I want to receive your gift of salvation so please come into my heart and help me to live and follow you as my Lord and Savior. In Jesus' name, Amen.

The signs of the time of Jacob’s trouble are all around us.  Deliverance is only afforded to the Church, made up of those who believe in the salvation offered to us by Jesus’ sacrifice, and the call to come home could happen at any moment.

Keep watching.

Vanished

“Woe is me!  For I am like those who gather summer fruits, Like those who glean vintage grapes; There is no cluster to eat Of the first-ripe fruit which my soul desires. The faithful man has perished from the earth, And there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; Every man hunts his brother with a net.”           Micah 7:1-2  NKJV

 

While I believe the Bible makes it clear that the rapture of the Church could happen at any time, that doesn’t necessarily mean there might not be a clue in the Word as to the season in which it might occur.  For quite a few years I have felt that this passage from the prophet Micah might be a clue that answers the question of when the rapture might occur.  He suggests that at the time of the first ripe grape harvest in Israel, usually at the beginning of summer, all of the faithful men of the earth have suddenly disappeared.  

Micah could best be described as a “country preacher” from a small town about 20 miles southwest of Jerusalem.  He was called by God to preach against the nation of Israel and to deliver prophecy about their future.  He was, in fact, a contemporary of Isaiah the prophet, and his words are very similar to what Isaiah was called to preach as well.  The book of Micah contains three messages or sermons, all of which contain a rebuke for Israel’s sin, and a prophecy of future judgment and blessing.  This passage from chapter seven speaks of the future judgment that occurs when the whole world will be against them.

There is a saying popular with many teachers of the Bible today which I find not only very true, but also extremely helpful in understanding both the Old and New Testaments.  You are probably familiar with it but even so I will repeat it here; “the Old Testament is the New Testament concealed, and the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed”.  I am continually amazed as I study the scriptures to find how much of the New Testament is actually hidden in plain sight in the Old Testament, and this passage from Micah is a perfect example. One meaning of the Hebrew word translated “perished” in the NKJV means “to vanish”.  From the teachings of the Apostle Paul in the New Testament, I am convinced that what Micah is describing is the rapture of the Church, and the state of the earth after all believers have been taken. 

 

I should make the point here that I am a firm believer in the doctrine of imminency, yet I have often wondered just what this world would look like when the restrainer, the Holy Spirit, is removed from the earth at the rapture.  I believe this passage from Micah tells us exactly what will happen.  Most of us are familiar with the observation of the philosopher Edmund Burke when he said “all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing”.  Well, what happens when, according to this passage, there are no faithful men?  Every man is against his own brother, and evil is rampant on the earth. This certainly appears to be all that is necessary to create the “perfect storm” of evil. God simply removes His Church along with the Holy Spirit and there is nothing left to fight against Satan and his forces.

 

Since history has shown that Satan’s priority is the destruction of Israel, what do you think he tries to do first?  Is it possible this passage from Micah refers to the rapture of the Church?  I think it certainly may well do that, considering the description it gives as to what the world looks like with the absence of the faithful.  Without the Holy Spirit present on earth in the body of the true Church, the evil that is presently being “restrained” will manifest itself in a fury this world has never seen, most assuredly in the direction of the nation of Israel. This evil, however, will not appear out of nowhere and I believe what we are witnessing today is somewhat like the filling up of a lake behind a dam until the point is reached where the dam will fail and a flood consume all that is before it.

 

Although some might disagree, there is considerable scholarship which supports the premise that the future tribulation period begins on the Jewish holiday of the Feast of Trumpets.  Those who hold the pre-tribulational position of the rapture of the Church look to this day as the time of our deliverance, and this has been taught for many years.  Yet although this would obviously be the point in time where the Church would by necessity have to be taken, there are many who have suggested over the years that there is no reason that there couldn’t be a period of time between the rapture and the beginning of the seven years of tribulation.

 

I believe a close study of the events that the Bible tells us lead up to the “peace” that the coming man of sin brokers between Israel and its enemies supports the idea that there are some very serious conflicts which take place first.  The majority of scholars I have studied believe that the attempted invasion of Israel outlined in Ezekiel 38, 39 and the deliverance by the direct intervention of God is the event which allows this peace agreement, and the tribulation, to begin.  Considering this, my question for years has been, “what is holding back Israel’s enemies right now”?  If your answer is the restrainer, then it follows He has to be removed before this attack can go forward.

 

If we accept that there might be a period of time between the rapture and the beginning of the tribulation, it is reasonable to consider the possibility of a summer rapture when the most likely day for an attack of this nature is on Israel’s national day of mourning.  That day is Tisha B’ Av, or the ninth of Av on the Jewish calendar.  This day normally occurs in the middle of the summer and this year it will begin at sunset on the evening of July 26th.  This day is unique in Israel as the day that many national tragedies have occurred throughout their history.  It seems reasonable considering this history that an attack of the type revealed in prophecy which is still to come would most likely occur on this date.

 

While we might look at the world right now and consider much to be truly evil, it holds no candle to what it will look like when the Church, along with the Holy Spirit is removed at the rapture.  The restrainer is right now holding back Satan’s full fury and the evil that he has planned for this world, but according to the Word of God it won’t last forever.  The Church will be taken and be spared from having to endure the evil which will come upon mankind and the most important question which needs to be asked is are you part of the body of believers which make up the Church?   

I talked a couple of posts ago about the fast day in Israel which happens on the seventeenth of Tammuz on the Jewish calendar.  That fast day is this coming week and with all the events we have been witnessing lately, it would not surprise me in the least if we were to hear the trumpet call to come home.  If you have never accepted the gift of eternal life offered to us by the sacrifice of Jesus, simply pray a prayer like this one;

Jesus I know that I am a sinner, and have sinned against you.  I believe you loved me enough to send your Son, Jesus Christ to die for my sins, and that He rose from the dead so that I can live.  Forgive me of my sins and come into my life and help me to live for you.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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