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

Unholy Alliance

“Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, “and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. “I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords.”   Ezekiel 38:2-4  NKJV

As many believers know, the attempted invasion of Israel by a coalition of nations outlined in Ezekiel 38,39 is the yet unfulfilled prophecy many are expecting to occur in our very near future.  Those who study this prophecy have long warned to watch for the sign of Russia, Iran, and Turkey establishing close ties both politically and economically which will result in their willing participation attempting to conquer Israel in order to take “spoil” as the Bible tells us.  Many have pointed to the recent meetings between these three countries as a possible sign that this unholy alliance is beginning to take shape.  The following is an excerpt from an article written by Dr. Steve Elwart that I have shared before concerning the Ezekiel prophecy.

“The above passage describes an invasion of Israel from the north. Later verses describe its destruction once they reach the area of the mountains of Israel. To fully understand the prophecy, one needs to identify the major players in this divine drama. In verses 1–4, Gog is first mentioned. He is described as the leader of the land of Magog. He is the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal. This leader was as unknown to Ezekiel as he is to us today. We do know “Gog” is not a proper name but a title for the ruler of Magog, just as the terms “pharaoh,” “kaiser,” and “czar” were titles for rulers and not proper names. The tribes identified as Magog, Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal can be identified by Scripture and other ancient writings as peoples who once occupied the areas of modern-day Russia. Magog, Meshech, and Tubal were between the Black and Caspian Seas, which today include parts of Iran, Turkey and southern Russia.”

Russia; Looking for Spoil by Dr. Steve Elwart   

http://www.khouse.org/articles/2016/1256/

The following news articles are just from the past week or so and appear to point to this alliance taking shape.

Russia pledges support to Iran amid war with US

https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/articles/russia-pledges-support-iran-amid-085330407.html

Turkey’s Erdogan signals further nuclear projects with Russia https://apnews.com/article/nuclear-akkuyu-erdogan-russia-putin-ee4b84498c0fcc410236e17892a61789I 

Trump's biggest Middle East crisis looms not in Iran, but among two allies

https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/trumps-biggest-middle-east-crisis-185705793.html

I believe any believer familiar with Biblical prophecy can see and understand the times in which we find ourselves today.  The signs are all around us that point to the fulfillment of prophecy in our immediate future, rich includes the rapture of the Church that we have all been waiting for.  While it may be disappointing to see certain dates come and go without hearing the trumpet blow and the voice calling us upwards, we still have God’s promise that it will be done.  How I personally deal with disappointment is to continually read the promises we have in His words to us that while we may not know the day, He has said it will be done.

There are, however, prophetic events in our immediate future which sound scholarship can apply dates to with a reasonable chance for accuracy.  One of these is this Gog Magog War spoken of by Ezekiel the prophet.  While there is a debate as to whether it occurs before, or right after the beginning of the tribulation, the fact we can see the signs of its approach is all the warning we need.  Either way, most believe this conflict lays the groundwork for the enforced peace between Israel and its enemies that the antichrist proposes.  While many have tried to set dates for the possible rapture of the Church, I believe this is the event that we all should be watching for as it appears that the rapture precedes it, and as Chuck Missler was fond of saying, “when you see the Christmas decorations going up, you know that Thanksgiving is near." 

Many of you are familiar with the name Grant Jeffrery.  He wrote many wonderful books before his passing, and one of my favorites was Armegeddon; Appointment with Destiny. In this book, he spends some time discussing this conflict and one of the more fascinating conclusions he comes to concerns when he believes the Bible tells us this war will occur.  If he is right, then the current moves we see happening today in Syria above the Golan along with Russia positioning itself in the Middle East, and the meetings between these three countries should be a warning sign no one should ignore.

“Although Scripture does not indicate the year in which this future invasion and defeat of Russia will occur, the prophet Haggai gives us a strong indication of what the actual day may be. Haggai reveals that on the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month (Chisleu) of the Jewish calendar, the day before Hanukkah, God will deliver Israel as He did twice before on this day: (1) the defeat of the Syrian army and recapture of the Temple in 165 b.c. and (2) the British capture of Jerusalem from the Turks in 1917 during the closing battles of WWI.

The prophet Haggai declares: "The Word of the Lord came unto Haggai in the four and twentieth day of the month [Chisleu], saying, Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth; and I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother" (Haggai 2:20­22).

This description by Haggai, and the exact language of his prophecy, is uncannily like the language of Ezekiel 38 and 39 that describes Russia's defeat. The interesting point is that Haggai names the exact day of the year on which this will occur. Since so many other prophecies have been so precisely fulfilled to the day, there is a strong probability that this prophetic event will also occur on its appointed anniversary date of the biblical calendar. "Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord God; this is the day whereof I have spoken" (Ezekiel 39:8). God's appointment with Russia is set; it will not be postponed.”

http://www.grantjeffrey.com/article/rusisrl.htm

“Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: ‘I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God. And who can proclaim as I do? Then let him declare it and set it in order for Me, Since I appointed the ancient people. And the things that are coming and shall come, Let them show these to them. Do not fear, nor be afraid; Have I not told you from that time, and declared it? You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one.’ ”   Isaiah 44:6-8  NKJV

Every week we are treated to more and more signs that our deliverance is close at hand.  The twenty fourth of Chisleu is just a few months away so my question is, are we seeing the Christmas decorations going up?  The sanctions on Iran have devastated their economy and the war in the Ukraine has severely impacted Russias economy in a negative way.  Both would benefit greatly from an invasion of Israel and the financial "spoil" that would come with it. Only time will tell if the Gog Magog war is on the immediate horizon, yet since the rapture of the Church could happen at any time, making the decision to join the family of God is of utmost importance.  

If you have never made the decision to accept the gift of eternal life offered by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ I urge you to do it today.  Simply tell God you accept His Son Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and turn your life over to His control.

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.