The Day the Door Shut

”But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah [were], so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.     Matthew 24:36-39 NKJV

I am rather certain that these verses from the Olivet Discourse are probably familiar to most believers today. Here Jesus is talking about His second coming  and He describes that time as being like the times of Noah. Like with many of you, I always seem to find there is more than meets the eye when studying scripture. Just when I think I have figured a passage out, something else, another question or idea pops out of nowhere and forces me to look even deeper. This passage is no exception. 

The subject of the flood of Noah has always been a favorite of mine, and it is at this time of the year when the rest of the world is preparing to celebrate Halloween that I am always especially reminded of the flood because the Bible tells us it occurred on the seventeenth day of the second month on the Jewish calendar. That usually puts it around the same time of the year as Halloween, or All Hallows Eve, The Day of the Dead, and all the other names it has gone by throughout history. (Being celebrated at the same time of the year the flood occurred is, of course,  just coincidence?)

Noah’s Ark, has in fact, been in the news quite a lot lately as an expedition to examine a location in Turkey with ground penetrating radar and core drilling is currently underway.  This week as I was reading news accounts of their progress, I decided to revisit the subject of Noah, which I have written about before, and share some of my thoughts with you today. One thing that stood out to me is that if you look closer at the passage above, you will notice something particular that Jesus said. He said that people in Noah's day went about their lives doing what they always did "until the day that Noah entered the ark". So since Jesus specifically refers to the “the day”, out of curiosity I decided to look closely at the passage in Genesis that talks about that particular day.

“Then the LORD said to Noah, "Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation. You shall take with you seven each of every clean animal, a male and his female; two each of animals that are unclean, a male and his female; also seven each of birds of the air, male and female, to keep the species alive on the face of all the earth.For after seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will destroy from the face of the earth all living things that I have made." Genesis 7:1-4 NKJV

What these verses tell us is that God told Noah to go into the Ark because in seven days the flood was going to begin.  Matthew tells us that the normal, everyday life of the unbelievers of Noah's day continued until "the day" Noah entered the Ark. If the flood did not begin until seven days after Noah entered the Ark, what happened on that day that got their attention to the extent they changed what they had been doing? Since Noah had been going in and out of the Ark for 150 years while he built it would mean something different had to have happened this particular day. Considering this, the only answer I could come up with is found in the following verse. 

“So those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the LORD shut him in.”    Genesis 7:16 NKJV

To put it another way, after everybody went in, it was God who shut the door. As I began to think more about that statement my train of thought turned to the door itself and eventually to "just how big was that door"?  It obviously had to be big enough for the largest animals on the earth to walk through making it a very sizable door.  With a background in construction, my next thought was how was it engineered taking into account the size and weight, especially considering the forces it was going to have to endure during the flood. Made of wood thick enough to withstand the pressures it would face from the sea, and treated with pitch which would make it even heavier, this door must have been massive. 

It would have taken an incredible effort on the part of Noah and his sons to even put that door in place, yet the Bible tells us that it was God who shut the door. It stands to reason that it took quite a while for all of the animals to enter the Ark, possibly even days or weeks, so I have no doubt that it attracted quite a few onlookers so what exactly did the people outside see and hear when God shut it? Did they see it closing seemingly all by itself? Did it close slowly or slam shut with a loud noise? Is it possible at that moment the people came to the realization that what Noah had been talking about for a hundred years was true? Whatever happened, the fact that people changed their behavior when that door shut tells me there must have been a message that they heard loud and clear.

What might that message have been? They had spent the last one hundred years mocking Noah and his sons yet now, in an instant of time, they suddenly changed their behavior?  Did they suddenly realize that door was not going to open again?  Was it fear and the realization that they might have been wrong? I wonder if it was a sense that no matter if they changed their minds or not, they had lost their chance to get in? Thinking about this led me to a couple of other passages where God talks about closing a door.

“And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. "Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.'    Matthew 25:10-12 NKJV

“Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open for us,' and He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know you, where you are from,' “    Luke 13:24-25 NKJV

I think the message God intends for the world is clear. In order to escape the judgment that is coming, you must enter before the door is shut. In Noah's day, I believe the people of the earth had a good idea what was coming when they saw the door shut, and realized they had lost their chance to escape. I truly believe it is logical to assume that when the rapture occurs, those left behind will realize exactly the same thing.  We are about three and a half weeks away from the anniversary of Noah’s flood and I can’t help but wonder if that day will prove to be significant in the future considering the propensity God has shown over time to orchestrate events to occur on the same day throughout history.  Is it possible God intends to begin to judge the world a second time on the anniversary of when He did it the first time?

As I write this, the rapture of the Church has not yet occurred.  That said, it follows that people still have time to change their minds and accept the salvation offered by the blood of our Savior Jesus Christ.  My prayer is that you have made the choice to enter in before the door to God’s Church shuts.  This story always makes me wonder what will go through people’s minds when the rapture occurs and that particular door slams shut? Jesus said this;

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20 NKJV

Have you made your choice? If you have never opened the door of your heart to Jesus, I would urge you to do it right now.  You can do that by simply praying this prayer and asking Him to come in.

Dear Father in heaven, I believe in your son Jesus. I believe that He died on the cross for my sins, that He rose up from the grave, and that my sins are forgiven.  Forgive me of my sin, help me to walk with you, and thank you for saving me. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

I pray you have asked Jesus to come into your heart, and have given your life to Him. If you have, we will walk through that door together. Hopefully soon.

Keep watching.

The Harvest Moon

 

“For seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation, and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. It is a sacred assembly, and you shall do no customary work on it.”   Leviticus 23:36  NKJV

 

This evening we will be treated to an annual occurrence which for some reason I always look forward to and that is the full moon called the “harvest moon”.  I live in an agricultural valley and believe it or not, you can see farmers still 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.  With rain predicted for tomorrow, you can count on seeing the baling continue throughout the night. 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.  This time of year, however, always reminds me of just how often the subject of “harvest” occurs in the Bible, and especially as it refers to our expected rapture of the Church.

“Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!"     John 4:35 NKJV

 

Also known as the Feast of Ingathering, the Feast of Tabernacles celebrates the last harvest in Israel for the year. Traditionally there are three harvests, these being the barley harvest, wheat harvest, and fruit harvest. In the fall, after these three were completed, you would celebrate the finish of your labors for the year. Obviously it was a time of celebration for your work was done, and you could look at the results sitting in your storehouse. Consider this, though; how often did Jesus use the illustration of planting and harvesting in His teaching while on this earth? Could the Feast of Ingathering give us a clue as to when Jesus might return for His Church? 

The Jewish people traditionally call this holiday Sukkot, a feast which serves as a reminder of the time the children of Israel dwelt in the wilderness in “temporary” dwellings before they were delivered to the Promised Land. During this feast Jews will construct “Sukkahs” or temporary shelters and will stay in them to remind them of what the children of Israel went through during their wilderness wanderings. Of the seven appointed feasts of the Lord given to the nation of Israel, this last one, called the Feast of Tabernacles, is arguably the most festive and celebratory.  It is a seven day celebration of the ending of the harvest, the forgiveness of sins on Yom Kippur, and a time of feasting as the people are allowed to eat of the tithes they brought to Jerusalem and it begins today.

 

“You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year. “And you shall eat before the LORD your God, in the place where He chooses to make His name abide, the tithe of your grain and your new wine and your oil, of the firstborn of your herds and your flocks, that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always. “But if the journey is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, or if the place where the LORD your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, when the LORD your God has blessed you, “then you shall exchange it for money, take the money in your hand, and go to the place which the LORD your God chooses. “And you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen or sheep, for wine or similar drink, for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat there before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household.” Deuteronomy 14:22-26  NKJV

 

Originally, this feast lasted seven days, but it was later expanded to eight, with this last day given the name “shemini atzeret” which means “sacred assembly”.  It is taken from the passage in Leviticus 23 where God institutes this eighth day and refers to it as such.  This term is mentioned several times in scripture, and Jesus also chooses this day to make an interesting announcement.

 

“On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” John 7:37-39  NKJV

 

Why do I call this interesting?  The Holy Spirit was not given to believers until the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter two, which most consider to be the day the Church, the body of Christ, was created.  So in truth, this statement by Jesus was a direct reference to the Church, which had yet to be created, given before His crucifixion and resurrection.  Another reason I find this last day interesting is the following passage from Joel which refers to a “sacred assembly”.

 

“Blow the trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast, call a sacred assembly; gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and nursing babes; Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, and the bride from her dressing room.”       Joel 2:15-16  NKJV

 

Many have suggested the possibility that this passage might be a reference to the rapture of the Church when it talks about the bridegroom going out from his chamber to claim his bride.  Although that may or may not be the case, Jesus, as well as Paul certainly taught that Christ returning for the Church will mirror the traditions of a Jewish wedding.

 

“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 14:3  NKJV

 

“And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!”        Matthew 25:6  NKJV

 

“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. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”              1 Thessalonians 4:16-17  NKJV

 

After receiving permission to fetch his bride from his father, the bridegroom comes with a shout and the blowing of a ram’s horn.  It usually would occur at midnight, and he would call out for his bride to join him for the ceremony.  When Paul tells us in his letter to the Thessalonians that Jesus will return in the clouds and call for the Church to join Him, it mirrors this tradition perfectly.  At some future date, known only by God the Father, Jesus will receive permission to return for His bride, the Church, and He will call out with a shout and a trumpet blast, for us to join Him in the air. As believers, we know that our time on this earth and in these bodies is but temporary as well. Not only do we have the promise from Jesus that He is building us a new and eternally permanent home, but will at the rapture present us with new and eternal bodies as well. Could this feast again be a foreshadowing of that coming time when our hope in Christ will be rewarded? 

Another of the more interesting traditions associated with this feast was the drawing of water from the pool of Siloam. Every day a priest would fill a golden vase with water, known as the living water, (mayim hayim) and take it to the temple where it would be poured out on a corner of the altar. In these verses from John we see that Jesus used this time of celebration to announce to the world that He was, in fact, offering mankind the water of eternal life. John also makes it clear that this occurred on the “last great day” of the feast.

 
This is a reference to the eighth day which is known as Shmini Atzeret. It is not part of the Feast of Tabernacles, but is celebrated the day after and it is then that the people would begin to pray for rain for the coming year. Water has always been at a premium in Israel, because without it the land would become desert. Yet Jesus took this day as an opportunity to announce that He had come to save the world. Is it no wonder this celebration is also referred to as the "Season of Our Joy"?

Regardless of whether or not the eighth day celebration, the sacred assembly, proves to be the time of the Church being caught up to meet her groom in Heaven, we as believers have much to be thankful for and setting aside a day to celebrate the gift of eternal life which has been promised to those who have chosen to believe is certainly a great idea. As we watch the world seemingly descending into darkness, the conclusion that the rapture must be near is virtually inescapable.  How wonderful it would be for the Church to go home during this season of thankfulness and harvest.  If you have never made the decision to accept the free gift of eternal life 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 following link is to an article written by T.W. Tramm on his website “theseasonofreturn.com”.  I thought you might find it interesting as well.

https://storage.googleapis.com/wzukusers/user-35306783/documents/52ec8e54658d4574824cdeb6535866c2/Feast%20of%20Tabernacles%20-%20Rapture%20Types%20and%20Shadows%202026%20rev%20a.pdf

Sitting In the Stands

"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

As we talked about last week, 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 called the Gog Magog War.  When we read what Ezekiel has to say, we can see a list of nations that join together to attack Israel.  Yet what is even more interesting is the fact that God tells us there are a few nations that don't join in. In fact, it would be fair to say that they simply sit in the stands and watch while doing nothing. 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 do nothing to help Israel.  What we find is that while these people question the motives of Gog and the alliance, they choose not to 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 which exist 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 did. 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.

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.  King Charles III is currently the King of England, 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 its modern day name, will choose to sit on the sidelines and allow Russia to attempt to invade the nation of Israel.  It’s entirely possible, considering Britain’s decision just a week ago to sanction Israel by banning imports from them, that the relationship between the UK and Israel is changing.

I believe, however, that 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 come as a result of the UK government making the decision that Israel somehow is simply not worth defending.  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”.

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. As we have already seen since the beginning of the war between Iran on one side and Israel along with the United States on the other, Iran has targeted Saudi Arabia and damaged some of their petroleum infrastructure.  Saudi Arabia has long tried to remain neutral in any conflict in the Middle East and to maintain that position in the future would come as no surprise.

There is no doubt in my mind that the current situation in Saudi Arabia along with the attacks they have suffered in the past few weeks, could be directly related to the future lack of action described to us by Ezekiel.  While we may not know for certain what motivates these countries not to help Israel, I believe its entirely possible that they do so as a result of a desire for self-preservation.  Considering the current feelings and political positions held by all these nations listed in Ezekiel’s prophecy, I truly believe the stage is set for these events to occur at any time.  That said, it should be more than obvious the return of Jesus Christ for His Church, made up of all who have chosen to believe in Him, could happen at any time.  

My prayer for you today is that if you have never made the decision to believe that Jesus Christ died and rose again for you, you would choose to do it right now. Invite Jesus to come into your life and forgive your sins, and begin to experience the joy that comes from having a relationship with a living God, and the knowledge that He has promised us eternal life with Him in Heaven if we only believe.  Pray this prayer and accept the gift of eternal life God has offered you by the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ.

Dear Father in heaven, I believe in your son Jesus. I believe that He died on the cross for my sins, that He rose up from the grave, and that my sins are forgiven.  Forgive me of my sin, help me to walk with you, and thank you for saving me. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Keep watching.

https://redstate.com/wardclark/2026/09/18/energy-crisis-saudis-tell-european-refiners-no-crude-next-month-n2207082#google_vignette

https://israel365news.com/421281/houthi-drone-intercepted-near-mecca-as-islams-holiest-city-comes-under-fire-for-second-time-in-nearly-a-decade/

https://www.news8000.com/news/national-world/uk-set-to-sanction-israeli-settlements-in-the-west-bank-in-major-reset-of-relations/article_430fec38-552a-5899-979b-79f00e5360a3.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5ydlex9yn3o