Will We Know?

"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first."      1 Thessalonians 4:16 NKJV

 

I have mentioned on more than a few occasions that while not subscribing to date setting for the rapture of the Church, I do believe we are told we can recognize the “season” of Jesus’ return for His bride.  If you have followed my posts for any length of time, you probably have come to the conclusion I am especially fond of the spring season as a likely time for this event to occur.  As far as the nature of the rapture itself, I have shared my thoughts on this on more than one occasion but if it is a subject new to you I thought I would repost an old article with just a few new thoughts. Most of the conclusions I have come to are based on the phrase found in Paul's writings that we will be changed in the twinkling of an eye.  

The late Chuck Missler was fond of saying that although we should be aware of just what the Bible says, it is equally important to be aware of what it doesn't say.  As I applied that thought to this passage, and to the question of what we are told occurs at the time of the rapture, my conclusion is that many believe the event itself happens in the twinkling of an eye, while in truth there are several events which make up the process of our deliverance. As I studied the question of the rapture, I was surprised to find that some of the teachers I highly respect do not necessarily agree with some of my thoughts.  Although I suppose that should not come as a surprise, yet it still was a disappointment to me because I believe that the Bible is pretty clear on the events surrounding our deliverance.  I have posted this article in the past but wanted to do so again, especially as it is spring.  So enjoy reading today and decide for yourself if those who choose to believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins, will in fact, know when we go.

One of the things I enjoyed most when teaching young people were the questions I often got from them concerning the things we were studying in the scriptures. One of my favorites, and one I got repeatedly when teaching the rapture of the Church is if we will know or be aware that we are being raptured, or do we simply find ourselves suddenly in heaven without a clue that it was about to happen? That really is a great question and one I think many of us have thought about at one time or another, so I thought we might take a little time this morning to look closer at the event we call the rapture.

This verse in Thessalonians is probably the best one we can use in describing exactly what God says will happen on that day. If we look closely at what it says, we find that we are told there are actually three distinct things which will occur in sequence when Jesus returns for His Church. These are a shout by the Lord Himself, the voice of an archangel, and the sound of the trumpet of God. So let's look closer at each of these three and see if there is a clue to the answer to our question “will we know”?

The Shout. In this verse we are told this shout is from the Lord Jesus Himself. Now at first, it would seem understandable that Jesus might want to shout since He has been waiting over two thousand years to come get His bride, yet there may be more to it than that. We are also told here that “the dead in Christ will rise first”. So there is a sequence of events, and the first is the resurrection of the bodies of those believers who have already died to be reunited with their souls which went to be with Lord at the time of their death.

"We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord."   2 Corinthians 5:8 NKJV

When a believer dies, his soul goes to be with the Lord in Heaven while his body is left behind. At the time of the rapture, the Lord apparently commands their bodies to rise from the grave just as He did with Lazarus.

"Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" John 11:43 NKJV

So the first thing to happen at the time of the rapture is the resurrection of the dead in Christ. While teaching this during Sunday School, one of my students said “dude, wouldn’t it be cool to be in a cemetery when that happens?” We laugh, but I just wonder if he is right?  Everybody present saw Lazarus rise, so I just wonder if we will see the dead in Christ rise?

The Voice. The only angel in the Bible to receive the title of archangel is the angel Michael, so I think it is safe to assume that is who is being talked about here. As opposed to the Lord's “shout”, we are told that we only hear the “voice” of Michael, so we are left to wonder exactly what his role here is. If you have studied this passage in the past, or study it further, you will find there are a few opinions as to what might be going on. Although any of them might be right, I am going to go as far as to suggest a new one which may or may not be accurate, but feels the most comfortable to me. As I sat and thought about why Michael might be involved, I decided to look at the other occasions where he is mentioned in the Bible. A very interesting place I found is in the book of Jude where we are told this;

"Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!"                    Jude 1:9 NKJV

Now I certainly found it curious that here we find a situation involving Michael that, along with the account of the rapture, is concerned with a body belonging to a believer. In this account in Jude, the only explanation that makes any sense is that Satan was disputing “possession” of the dead body of Moses. We can find an account of this in the non-canonical Book of Enoch, which Jude is obviously referring to. In that account Satan laid claim to the body for two reasons. The first was that Moses was a murderer because he took the life of an Egyptian, and the second was that Moses body was buried on earth, and he, Satan, is the lord over the things of this world. 

So my thoughts are these; if Satan has in the past disputed over the ownership of the body of one believer, just what will his reaction to the resurrection of all dead believers bodies be? If in fact this is what happens, doesn't it make sense that the same scenario will repeat itself and the voice of the archangel is Michael again saying “The Lord rebuke you” to Satan? As I said, there are other ideas concerning this portion of the verse, but since both of these accounts of Michael concern the ownership of believers bodies, to me this seems to be a reasonable conclusion.

The Trumpet. Actually, we are told here that what we hear is the "trumpet of God". Just what exactly is this trumpet sound and what if anything makes it special? In another account of the rapture, Paul tells us this;

"In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."   1 Corinthians 15:52 NKJV

Here Paul refers to this trumpet as the "last trump". This helps us identify it for from studying rabbinical sources we see that this use of the term "last trump" means it is the shofar, or ram's horn which is being used. The shofar is related to the account of Abraham sacrificing Isaac, and rabbinical tradition regards the left horn as the "first trump" and the right horn as the "last trump". There are two ways to blow the shofar, with the first being a series of short blasts which signify an alarm or bad news, and the second being one long blast which is meant to signal victory or good news. It is this last long blast which is identified as the "last trump". According to rabbinical sources the "last trump" or "tekiah gedolah" lasts as long as the blower has the lung capacity to blow. In this case, where the "trumpet of God" is being blown, one has to wonder just how long the blast will be? My personal opinion is very, very long.

The shout of Jesus calling for the resurrection of all dead believers bodies to rise, Michael rebuking Satan in the Lord's name for possession of the bodies, and the tekiah gedolah which lasts as long as the blower has breath, certainly gives rise to the thought that the answer to our original question might well be; yes! Yes we will know that the rapture is occurring because there is a sequence of three events which must take place before we go, and the last one to occur is when we are changed in the twinkling of an eye. I suspect the last trump will last long enough for all believers to know and understand that the time has come for the bride to go with the bridegroom and to rise and meet Him in the air. Come quickly Lord Jesus!

Unfortunately for many, these events will not bring joy, but sadness and misery because they will find themselves left behind as the world descends into chaos.  Leaving this world behind and joining our Father in heaven is a gift only given to those who have made the decision to accept the salvation offered to us by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  If you have never made the decision to accept Jesus Christ into your heart and accept the free gift of eternal life He has offered you, I urge you to do so right now. You can do that by praying this prayer and accepting the gift of eternal life God has offered you by the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ.

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.

Keep watching. (and listening)

The Day of Pentecost

“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.”               Acts 2:1-2  NKJV

A question I am often asked about the rapture of the Church is one you probably have thought of yourself, and that is do I have any idea of when it might occur?  I would hope that from my articles it would be apparent, but to state plainly, I believe that it could happen at any time without any warning.  That belief is called the doctrine of imminence, to which I agree and also subscribe to fully.  Yet that does not mean that there are not particular days on God’s calendar that seem to lend themselves to that event.  There are many which would seem to be clues or appropriate times because of other events which have occurred on the same day in the past. The Feast of Pentecost is one of those days, and it will occur this year just one week from now.  Although I have spoken much about it in the past, I thought today I would share an article with you from T.W. Tramm that he has posted on his website, https://www.theseasonofreturn.com.  My hope is that you will find it as informative as I did.

25 Ways Pentecost Foreshadows the Rapture 

T.W. Tramm – (05/18/23) 

THE BIBLE teaches that no one knows the day of the Rapture (Matt. 24:36–51). However, there is a day on God’s calendar that foreshadows this awesome event. 

Here are 25 ways Pentecost points to the rapture of the Church: 

1. A Harvest Festival 

The most telling feature of Pentecost is that it is one of three harvest festivals, during which all Israelite males are required to appear before the Lord: 

(Ex. 23:14–17). 

A harvest–gathering before the Lord denotes a resurrection (Matt. 13:30, 39; 2 Thess. 2:1; Rev. 7:9–14). What’s more, the three annual harvest festivals correspond to the “order” of resurrections mentioned by Paul: 

The harvest at Unleavened Bread corresponds to Jesus’ resurrection (1 Cor. 15:20).
The harvest at Pentecost corresponds to the Church’s resurrection–rapture (1 Thess. 4:13–17). 

The harvest at Tabernacles corresponds to the resurrection of tribulation saints at the Second Coming (Rev. 20:4–6). 

2. The Firstfruits of the Wheat 

Pentecost celebrates the firstfruits of the wheat harvest (Ex. 34:22). The Rapture is when the first of the believers, symbolized by wheat, are harvested and brought into God’s “barn” (Matt. 13). 

“Three times a year you are to celebrate a festival to me. ‘Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread .... 

the Festival of Harvest [Pentecost] ... and the Festival of Ingathering [Tabernacles] ... Three times a year all 

your males are to appear before the Lord God’” 

“But each [will be resurrected] in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who 

belong to Christ” (1 Cor. 15:23). 

3. A Gathering from Every Nation 

4. A Time of Rejoicing 

Pentecost is a time to rejoice before the Lord: 

5. A Time of Accountability 

When the Israelites appeared before the Lord at Pentecost, they were required to bring an offering proportionate to the blessings He had bestowed upon them (Deut. 16:16, 17). The requirement to bring a proportionate offering recalls how one’s fruits will be judged at the end of the age: “From everyone who has been given much, much will be required” (Matt. 25:14–30; Luke 12:48). 

6. The Wave Offering 

The wave offering of the grain sheaf during the Festival of Unleavened Bread is a picture of Jesus’ resurrection (Lev. 23:10; 1 Cor. 15:20). Thus, the wave offering of baked loaves seven weeks later, at Pentecost, is a picture of the Church’s resurrection (1 Cor. 15:23). The ripening of grain during the seven weeks symbolizes the growth and maturation of the Body of Christ during the Church Age. The grain transformed into bread at Pentecost represents the Church in a state of fullness, or completion, at the Rapture. 

7. Seven-Weeks Connotation 

Pentecost is the harvest festival preceded by a count of “seven weeks” (Lev. 23:15, 16). Seeing how God repeats numbers and patterns to show a connection or relationship, it is significant that seven weeks also precede the year of redemption (Jubilee) and Messiah 

At the Church’s first Pentecost, devout people from every nation, tribe and language were gathered in Jerusalem (Acts 2:5, 6). At the Rapture, devout people from every nation, tribe and language will be gathered in heavenly Jerusalem (Rev. 7:9). 

“Celebrate the Festival of Weeks [Pentecost] ... and 

rejoice before the LORD your God” (Deut. 16: 10, 11.) The ultimate time of rejoicing before the Lord will 

be immediately after the Rapture (Rev. 7:9–12; 

1 Thess. 2:19). 

the Prince (Lev. 25:8–10; Dan. 9:25). Thus, all 

things that occur after a period of seven weeks—harvest, redemption, and Messiah’s coming—point to 

the Rapture. 

8. The 50th Day 

The Greek word translated Pentecost, Pentēkostē, means “fiftieth.” Fifty is the number of redemption, pertaining to the Jubilee (Lev. 25:9, 10). Also, wherever the number 50 appears in Scripture, it denotes fullness and completion, as in the “fullness of the Gentiles” at the Rapture. 

9. Payday for Redemption 

The sending of the Holy Spirit on the Church’s first Pentecost is called the “down payment” or “first installment” on our redemption (Eph. 1:14). Since the initial payment for redemption occurred at Pentecost, it is logical for the final payment, the redemption of our physical bodies at the Rapture, to also occur at Pentecost (Rom. 8:23). 

10. A Wedding Day 

Pentecost is a wedding–betrothal day for Israel and the Church (Ex. 19; Acts 2; Eph. 4:30). This is significant because, according to the ancient wedding tradition, the bridegroom comes to gather the bride around the anniversary of the betrothal. 

11. The Third Day 

Moses ascended Mount Sinai to receive the Commandments on the “third day,” corresponding to the Day of Pentecost (Ex. 19). In John chapter 2, Jesus attends a wedding on the third day and alludes to the fact that He will be resurrected on the third day (vv. 1, 19–21). Thus, Pentecost is symbolically a “third day,” a day of weddings and resurrections. 

12. Ruth 

13. Rapture Allegory in Song of Songs 

In the Book of Ruth, a Gentile bride marries a Jewish redeemer—a picture of the Rapture—at the end of 

the wheat harvest, around Pentecost (Ruth 2:23; 4:9–10). 

In the Bible’s epic love poem, Song of Songs, the shepherd–king comes to gather and spirit away His 

beloved Gentile maid—a picture of the Rapture—in late spring, around Pentecost (Song 2). 

14. Enoch’s Rapture 

According to Jewish tradition, Enoch, a prophetic type of the Church, was taken up to be with God, or raptured, at Pentecost (Gen. 5:24; Heb. 11:5). 

15. A Time of Sealing 

Pentecost is when the first Church members were sealed by the Holy Spirit (Acts 2). Around the time of the Rapture, 144,000 of the Children of Israel will likewise be sealed by the Holy Spirit (Rev. 7:3, 4). If the sealing of the Church at Pentecost is the model, the sealing of Israel may also occur at Pentecost— perhaps as a result of their witnessing the Rapture. 

16. The Short and Abrupt Harvest Festival 

The first and last harvest festivals, Unleavened Bread and Tabernacles, are both observed for seven days (Lev. 23). In contrast, Pentecost is a one-day harvest festival, short and abrupt like the rapture of the Church. 

17. The Festival With No Set Date 

Pentecost is the only harvest festival with no assigned date in Scripture. Its timing must be calculated by counting seven weeks from the day after the Sabbath (Lev. 23:15). That the date of Pentecost is not specified in Scripture means “no one knows the day” (Matt. 24:36). 

18. An Hour We Think Not 

19. The Festival of God’s Trump 

(Ex. 19). If the model holds, the 

Jesus warns His followers that He is coming at an hour they “think not” (Matt. 24:44). Because there is 

disagreement concerning which Sabbath to count the seven weeks from, the correct date of Pentecost is 

always in question. It is therefore possible that God’s true Pentecost is on a day many would “think not.” 

The first time God’s trumpet was sounded was at Pentecost, when He descended in a cloud on Mount 

Sinai 

next time God’s trumpet is sounded, at the Rapture, may also be at 

Pentecost. 

20. Positionally, Pentecost Denotes the Church Age 

Pentecost’s parenthetical placement between the first and last harvest festivals, Unleavened Bread and Tabernacles, is suggestive of the Church Age. 

21. The Festival of New Beginnings 

Pentecost marks the beginning of new dispensations in Scripture, namely the Age of Law and the Church Age (Ex. 19; Acts 2). Also, the Book of Jubilees states that the two previous dispensations—the Age of Human Government (post-Flood) and the Age of Promise, from Abraham to Moses—began at Pentecost (Jub. 6:15–20). If the pattern holds, Pentecost may mark the beginning of the final dispensation, the Day of the Lord. 

22. Peter Proclaims the Day of the Lord at Pentecost 

At the Church’s first Pentecost, Peter stood up and quoted a prophecy from Joel: 

“Then Peter stood up ... raised his voice and addressed the crowd: ‘Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you ... this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people .... The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to
blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord’” (Acts 2). 

It makes sense that Peter would quote the portion of Joel about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, as this is what was occurring that day. But why would Peter also quote the verse about the Day of the Lord, which concludes the Church Age? Peter’s quoting of the verse about the end of the Church Age at Pentecost suggests a connection. 

23. The Festival Preceding Summer 

Pentecost occurs in late spring, just before summer begins. In Matthew 24, summer is a metaphor for the end of the age (Matt. 24:32). 

Additionally, summer is when . . . 

• The godly people are said to have “vanished” from the earth (Mic. 7:1, 2 NLT).
  
• The Jews lament not being saved at the harvest (Jer. 8:20).
  
• Israel is deemed ripe for judgment (Amos 8:1, 2).
  

24. The Time of Ripening Figs 

Pentecost in late spring is when early figs ripen. With this in mind, it is interesting to note that . . . 

• Figs represent Jews (Amos 8:1, 2).
  
• Figs that ripen early are said to be very good, or desirable (Hos. 9:10).
  
• Early ripe figs, because they are desirable, are quickly “snatched up” (Isa. 28:4 NLT).
  Could the figs that ripen early, around Pentecost, be symbolic of believing Jews “snatched up” at the Rapture?
  

25. The Festival Preceding the Grape Harvest 

In Scripture, the harvesting and crushing of grapes symbolizes the judgment of nonbelievers at the Day of the Lord (Rev. 14:14–20). In ancient Israel, grapes were the first major crop to ripen after Pentecost. 

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION 

With the above correlations in view, it is fair to say that Pentecost, better than any other biblical festival, embodies the types and themes of the Rapture: harvest, fullness, completion, redemption, resurrection, Jubilee, a wedding, the Church, a gathering before the Lord, a new beginning, a day no one knows, and the sounding of God’s trumpet. 

The fact that the Day of Pentecost foreshadows the Rapture begs the question: what did Jesus mean when He said “no one knows the day”? (Matt. 24:36). There are three Pentecost scenarios that can be reconciled with this statement: 

Scenario 1: Pentecost began to be fulfilled at the Church’s first Pentecost in Acts 2, initiating a Pentecostal era (Church Age) that will conclude on an unknown day. In this scenario, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2 represents the planting of a ‘field,’ the Church-field, which has been growing and maturing for nearly 2,000 years. However, in accordance with Matthew 24:36, only God knows the day that the last believer will be sealed by the Holy Spirit and the Church-field deemed ripe for harvest. 

Scenario 2: The Rapture will occur on the Day of Pentecost. However, due to calendar confusion and the controversy around the correct reckoning of the seven weeks, it may not be the day marked Pentecost on our calendars. 

Scenario 3: The Rapture will occur on the day marked Pentecost on our calendars, but there is no way to “know,” or be certain, until it happens. 

With the above scenarios in view, the Rapture could occur: 

• At Pentecost.
  
• Around Pentecost.
  
• Any day.
  “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come” (Matt. 24:42). 
• https://storage.googleapis.com/wzukusers/user-35306783/documents/6d197054d35e4b47b0b499fbaab15276/25%20WAYS%20PENTECOST%20FORESHADOWS%20THE%20RAPTURE%202023.pdf        

As I said at the beginning of this post, the Feast of Pentecost is only one week away and with the events we have been witnessing lately, it would not surprise me at all 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.

Keep watching.

What About Cush?

“Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of[ Meshek and Tubal; prophesy against him and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshek and Tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army—your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords. Persia, Cush and Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets, “ Ezekiel 38:2-5. NIV

It comes as no surprise to those who choose to watch for the return of Christ for His Church, that the conflict known as the Gog Magog War has taken its place front and center on many individuals radar.  Watching the political alliances forming between Russia and all the other nations listed in this prophecy has become obvious to even the most skeptical.  Yet there is one that I suspect may be flying “under the radar” so to speak and I thought I would mention it today as it is most certainly a very important one.

It would be hard to read or watch the news in the past few weeks without seeing a mention of the conflict occurring in the country of Sudan.  In 2019, then President Omar al-Bashir was removed from power by a military coup and in the years to follow, two factions within the military have emerged to vie for power.  The first is a military junta led by General Abdel Fattah al Burhan and the second is the RSF, or Rapid Support Forces led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.  

While these two factions fight for control, there is an important point that never seems to get mentioned which I believe is of great importance to prophecy watchers today and that is who is behind and supporting the RSF.  In fact, much of their weapons, military equipment, helicopters, and possibly even surface to air missiles are being supplied by none other than the Wagner Group.  Now if you are unfamiliar with them, they are a Russian paramilitary group of mercenaries who serve at the discretion of Russian President Vladimir Putin.  While you might recognize the name in regards to the war in Ukraine, many are unaware that they are involved in the conflict in Sudan.

With this sort of help, many believe it is only a matter of time before the RSF will succeed in defeating the ruling junta and establish control of the country.  It goes without saying though, that they will be indebted to Russia for their victory and one would have to logically wonder exactly what price will they have to pay for that help?  It has long been a desire of Russia to establish a military base at Port Sudan, and if they were to do that they would be in a position to use the Russian Navy to control the Suez Canal and all the traffic in the Red Sea.

So what does all of this have to do with the Gog Magog alliance you ask?  The answer to that question can be found in the identification of the country of “Cush” mentioned in the passage above.  Cush was the name of one of the sons of Ham, who was in turn a son of Noah.  Ham settled in what we now know as the northern part of Africa, which would include the countries of Libya, Sudan, and Ethiopia.  In many versions of the Bible, Cush is translated as Ethiopia, but it could in fact, be Sudan as well and recent scholarship has identified it as such.

In the past, many have questioned the involvement of some of the countries listed as allies in the Gog Magog War as it would seem there is no reason for such an alliance.  Yet it is becoming more and more evident that Gog is busy establishing a network of debtor governments and nations who, when the time is right, will be compelled to come to fight alongside of him in his attempted invasion of the nation of Israel. It is becoming evident that the more we watch, the more we see as the world gets ready to enter that period of time called the tribulation of which the Bible has said so much.  For those who are believers, the exiting truth is that the rapture of the Church is even closer and our deliverance from this world to spend eternity with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ could happen at any time.

Have you ever made the decision to accept the salvation God has offered to you by the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ?  Romans 10:9 states that there are two conditions necessary for salvation. 1) confess with your mouth and 2) believe in your heart. Verse 10 continues, “It is with your heart that you believe and are justified and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” Romans 10:13 says that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.  If you have never done this I urge you to do it right now, and not be taken by surprise when the Church is called home to spend eternity with God our Father.

Keep Watching

The True King

“Behold, the day of the LORD is coming,  And your spoil will be divided in your midst.

For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; The city shall be taken, The houses rifled, And the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

Then the LORD will go forth And fight against those nations, As He fights in the day of battle.

And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, From east to west, Making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north And half of it toward the south.

Then you shall flee through My mountain valley, For the mountain valley shall reach to Azal. Yes, you shall flee As you fled from the earthquake In the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Thus the LORD my God will come, And all the saints with You.

It shall come to pass in that day That there will be no light; The lights will diminish.

It shall be one day Which is known to the LORD— Neither day nor night. But at evening time it shall happen That it will be light.

And in that day it shall be That living waters shall flow from Jerusalem, Half of them toward the eastern sea And half of them toward the western sea; In both summer and winter it shall occur.

And the LORD shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be— “The LORD is one,” And His name one.”             Zechariah 14:1-9. NKJV

Today much of the world is focused on the coronation of King Charles III of England, and all of the pomp and circumstance associated with it.  To be truthful, many observers might also believe that the expression “pomp and circumstance” is a massive understatement and should rather be described as a “spectacle”.  While not desiring to take away anything from this event, I could not help but compare the coronation of an earthly king with what occurs when the true King arrives to establish His reign on this earth.

This passage from the prophet Zechariah describes the coming return of Jesus Christ to claim His place as the rightful ruler of this earth.  A careful reading of these verses reveals a stark contrast between the coronation occurring today in Britain, and the “coronation” which will happen when Jesus returns.  By definition, the word coronation simply describes the occasion when one assumes the position of the highest office.  While I admit I have not watched any of the events surrounding King Charles coronation, it is not hard to imagine exactly what is going on and how elaborate this event might be, especially if contrasted with what we find in the passage above.

The first thing I notice as I read this account is that the “crown” is not given to our Lord but rather He takes it by force.  “Then the LORD will go forth And fight against those nations, As He fights in the day of battle.”  While the rulers of this earth have been fighting with each other in unsuccessful attempts to claim the “throne” of power, our Lord returns and defeats them all in a show of force that no one on this earth can match.

Consider what we are told here; 

1. The Mount of Olives will be split in two with half of the mountain moving north and the other half south.  Speaking only for myself, I find that rather impressive.  I rather doubt any earthly king has the power to move mountains.

2.  On the day of His return we are told there will be no light, yet at night when it should be dark, it is light.   I believe I am safe in saying no one alive on this earth has the power to change night to day or day to night.

3.  In the middle of Jerusalem, a river appears that flows two directions, East and West, and never stops in either summer or winter.  I think it safe to assume creating a river which flows in two different directions could best be described as an act of God.

The result of all of this is should come as no surprise to anyone as we are told, “And the LORD shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be— “The LORD is one,” And His name one.” .  

What strikes me most about this event is that there is no “pomp and circumstance” but rather a simple demonstration of the power of God and the right to rule the earth that He created.  It makes me wonder if all of the pageantry and celebration that goes on during the crowning of earthly kings is a simple acknowledgement of their lack of true power, and an attempt to make up for that by elaborate festivities which only mask their unworthiness to assume the right to rule.

Even a cursory examination of the news lately shows evidence of powers trying to position themselves to assume the right to rule that they do not deserve. This day of our Lord’s return is, by all accounts, on our immediate horizon.  It will occur at the end of a seven year period known as the tribulation which follows an event called the rapture of the Church.  It happens when Jesus removes all who have chosen to believe that He is the Son of God who died and rose again to save us from our sin, and takes us home to live with Him for eternity in heaven.

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." 

Keep watching.

The Feckless King

"Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?"

Ezekiel 38:13

Many have noticed there has been a lot of talk lately concerning the coming conflict between a coalition of nations and the nation of Israel found in the prophecy about the Gog Magog War.  When we read what Ezekiel has to say, we see we are given a list of nations that join to attack Israel, yet what is even more interesting is the fact that God tells us of a few nations that don't. This is what we find in the Gog Magog passage above.

While I’m sure that many will recognize this passage from Ezekiel’s prophecy about the coming war led by Gog, there is something I believe is very important contained in it that many may not be aware of.  It has to do with the identification of the nations which decide to sit on the sidelines and do nothing to help Israel.  What we find is that these people question the motives of Gog and the alliance, but they don't participate, or for that matter, interfere with what occurs. So who are these people, and does their identification really matter? I think it does for I believe it will give us a more accurate picture of the possible timing of this event if we can figure out who they are and examine their foreign policy positions with Israel today. 

Fortunately, as always, we can look to the Bible to answer our questions, and to do this we go to Genesis to find our first clue. There we are told;

"Then Again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah. And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim. And the sons of Midian; Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abidah, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac. But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country."

Genesis 25:1-6

Here we find information about the many descendants Abraham had. We see that the sons of Keturah, which included his grandsons Sheba and Dedan, relocated from Israel to the east. If you look closely at a map, you find there is only one thing east of Israel, and that is the deserts of Arabia. Two very famous and well-respected archaeologists, Wendell Phillips and W.F. Albright have identified Sheba as being on the southwestern part of the Arabian Desert, and Dedan being located in the northern part. In fact, the capitol of Saudi Arabia has, and still is called Dedan on many maps. 

So if we can support the premise that Sheba and Dedan is in fact the present nation of Saudi Arabia, what about "the merchants of Tarshish"? Again, we can find references in the Bible that will help us figure this out. There are several verses in the Bible that mention Tarshish, but I want to use just one to try to explain the position many scholars take on what the Bible is referring to here. The most well-known reference is found in the book of Jonah, where in opposition to God's instructions, Jonah decides to flee. We find when we read in the very first chapter;

"Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the lord, and went down to Joppa, and he found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.     Jonah 1:1-3

Now most who have studied this story understand that it is all about choosing to do the opposite of what God instructs us to do, which is exactly what Jonah chose to do. God told him to go to Ninevah, which was located in what would be present day Iraq, and instead, he chose to go the opposite direction to Tarshish, which required the use of a ship to travel over the sea. The obvious picture here is that God told him to go east, and he went west! Although many have tried over the years to identify a specific city as being the ancient city of Tarshish, no attempt has ever produced enough evidence to gain popular support. However, if you look at all the passages in the Bible that refer to Tarshish, it becomes apparent that it seems that rather than trying to pinpoint a specific location, God is trying to show us a direction, and that direction is west. The following excerpt is from an article by Rick Gunter.

The Bible definitely gives the indication that Tarshish was far away from Israel. It was believed to be at the ends of the Earth, as far away as one could possibly go in the known world at that time.  The first time it is mentioned in scriptures as a place, it states that King Solomon sent his ships there to trade. It took three whole years to make the trip, and “…the merchant ships came, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and monkeys” (2 Chronicles 9:21 NKJV).

Another clue comes from Ezekiel in the Lamentation for Tyre:  “Tarshish was your merchant because of your many luxury goods. They gave you silver, iron, and tin for your goods” (Ezekiel 27:12). Silver and iron were minerals that could be found in many locations in the area of the Mediterranean Sea.  However, tin only came from a select few places. Tin was a very important and valuable raw material for the ancient world. In the late Bronze Age and into the early Iron Age, tin was a necessary ingredient for making bronze.

There is a long narrow peninsula in southwest Britain called Cornwall. Sometime in the geological past, great fissures occurred in the granite. Magma from beneath the Earth’s crust welled up into these cracks and crystallized, leaving behind many different minerals. One of these minerals was tin. Archeologists have determined that mining began in Cornwall back in the stone age—maybe as long ago as 2000 B.C. In fact, in ancient times, the British Isles were known as the Cassiterides, which means “Tin Islands.”  

http://thechristianpulse.com/2018/09/22/where-in-the-world-is-tarshish/

We also know that the historian Heroditus described Tarshish as being beyond the pillars of Hercules”, which refers to the straights of Gibraltar in the south of Spain. Another point that might seem to support this conclusion is that the word “Britain” comes from the Phoenician word Baratanac, which is translated “land of tin”.   So let's consider these conclusions in light of what we know for sure. The "merchants of Tarshish", which includes the "young lions" are engaged in trading or commerce with Sheba and Dedan, and choose to not get involved in, or interfere with, the attempted invasion of Israel. Yet while the attitude of Saudi Arabia might be understandable, one would have to wonder why Britain would adopt this same attitude with their long history of friendship and involvement with the nation of Israel.

feckless: adjective…Careless and irresponsible. Feeble or ineffective. Spiritless; weak; worthless.

The nation of Britain is a constitutional monarchy, ruled by a King or Queen descended from the royal bloodline whose origins can be traced back as far as the tenth century.  While technically the Head of State, the King has no executive or legislative role, his desires certainly affect the decisions of the Parliament.  The coronation of King Charles III will be a week from today and while I can’t say for certain that he will be the King when Ezekiel’s prophecy is played out, many certainly believe that the events of Ezekiel could occur at any time.  That said, the Bible also makes it clear that Tarshish, or Britain if we are correct in identifying it’s modern day name, will choose to sit on the sidelines and allow Russia to attempt to invade the nation of Israel.

I’m also sure it is just coincidence that this past week Russia made it’s thoughts on Britain quite clear.

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2023/04/22/medvedev-off-his-meds-ex-russian-prez-threatens-to-send-eternal-enemy-britain-into-abyss-with-nukes/

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ukraine-russia-war-russia-will-send-disgustingly-damp-britain-into-the-abyss/ar-AA1a8eal

The nation of Iran chooses to ally itself with Russia in the Gog Magog war.  It is no secret that the House of Saud is afraid of aggression from Iran for many reasons, including the fact that two of the three most holy places to Islam, Mecca and Medina, are located in Saudi Arabia. Iran's president has made no secret of his devotion to Islam, his anticipation of the arrival of the Islamic messiah called the Mahdi, and the creation of an Islamic nation that will rule the world. Control of the holy places of Islam is certainly high on his list, and Saudi Arabia is well aware of this, so we have a very good reason why Saudi Arabia will not interfere.

I believe many would find it incomprehensible that Britain would make the choice not to get involved in this conflict. Britain has a long history of engagement in the Middle East and it was the Balfour Declaration of 1917 which paved the way for Israel to become a nation.  The decision to abandon Israel when their very survival is at stake could only be described as a result of a feckless leadership.  Fortunately for Israel, there is a King who will come to their defense and the world will see just who has the power to rule with a “rod of iron”.

Keep watching.

Not Consumed

"For I [am] the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.”
Malachi 3:6 NKJV

A report was released this past week by the press in the Middle East in which plans by Iran to attack the state of Israel were outlined in detail, alarming many in the region.  If you have followed my thoughts for any length of time, and are familiar with Bible prophecy, the fact that Israel will be attacked by its enemies comes as no surprise.  What might come as a surprise, though, is my firm belief that while certainly concerning, for the most part these attacks will be fruitless.  Before I explain, however, please read the following articles listed below.

https://www.newsrael.com/posts/fo4xm318yl

https://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-threatens-to-destroy-tel-aviv-and-haifa-as-israel-marks-holocaust-memorial-day/

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-739393

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-politics-are-in-chaos-are-its-enemies-poised-to-take-advantage/

Within 48 hours, no less than 40 military instructors with Iranian citizenship crossed the Iraqi-Syrian border and entered the city of Albu Kamal.

This group was heavily protected by forces belonging to the Iranian Ministry of Defense.

The instructors were deployed in several districts:

Deir ez-Zor district

Homs

Dar’a

Damascus

Sweida 

Iran's abnormal activity in Syria continues unhindered.

Amir Tsarfati

https://t.me/s/beholdisraelchannel

Now I want to draw your attention to the passage we began with from the book of Malachi.  The context of this verse is from a prophecy by God concerning His future judgment on the nation of Israel.  What I want you to notice though is His statement that “you are not consumed”.  In simple terms, what I and many others believe is that Israel is being protected from its enemies by God for the express purpose of being preserved for His judgment, and the fulfillment of the seventieth week prophesied by Daniel which is also known as the tribulation, or the time of Jacob’s trouble.  The following is an excerpt from Jack Kelley’s commentary on that prophecy from Daniel.

Sitting upon His heavenly throne, God decreed that six things would be accomplished for Daniel’s people (Israel) and Daniel’s Holy City (Jerusalem) during a specified period of 490 years. (I’ve inserted the word “place” after Holy at the end of the verse to clarify the fact that it refers to the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem.)

We should be aware that in Hebrew these things read a little differently.  Literally, God had determined to:

1.  restrict or restrain the transgression (also translated rebellion)

2.  seal up their sins (as if putting them away in a sealed container)

3.  make atonement (restitution) for their iniquity

4. bring them into a state of everlasting righteousness

5. seal up (same word as #2) vision and prophecy

6. anoint (consecrate) the most Holy place (sanctuary)

In plain language, God would put an end to their rebellion against Him, put away their sins, and pay the penalties they had accrued, bring the people into a state of perpetual righteousness, fulfill the remaining prophecies, and anoint the Temple. This was to be accomplished through their Messiah (Jesus) because no one else could do it.  Had they accepted Him as their savior their rebellion against God would have ended. Their sins would have all been forgiven, and the full penalty paid for them. They would have entered into a state of eternal righteousness, all their prophecies would have been fulfilled, and the rebuilt temple would have been consecrated. It should be noted here that although it appears to have been accepted by Him, God never dwelt in the 2nd Temple, nor was the ark of the covenant and its mercy seat ever present therein.

https://gracethrufaith.com/end-times-prophecy/the-70-weeks-of-daniel/

While we know that Israel will be attacked by its enemies at least twice in the future, revealed to us in Isaiah 17 and in Ezekiel 38,39. We also know that these attacks will not be successful because God is reserving judgment on Israel for Himself.  These reports of Iran and others coming together to attack, however, are obvious signs that the age of grace is about to end and the world is being prepared for the time that God will once again intervene in the affairs of men.

The good news in all of this, though, is that in order for God to finish His work with the nation of Israel, the Church must be removed via the event we call the rapture.  At a time when so many in the body agree that all the pieces are in place for the seventieth week of Daniel to begin, the choice to accept God’s grace by the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ is the most important one you will ever make.  If you have never taken the step of asking Jesus to forgive you of your sins and to come into your heart and save you from eternity without Him, I encourage you to do that right now.  Simply tell Him you are sorry for your sin, ask Him to forgive you, and accept the sacrifice He made to die for your sin, and He has promised not only to forgive you but to make you one of His own and come into your life and provide all the help you need to begin to live for Him.  I am convinced His return is much closer than we may think.

 

Keep watching.