As always as we approach this time
of the year, there begins a lot of speculation concerning the rapture of the
church, and if it might occur on one of the Feast Days celebrated in Israel. This
year, unfolding as it has, certainly has more people speculating on this
possibility more than in the past. To be
completely truthful, I don’t blame them a bit and the way things are going, I
think the possibility of the Church going home in the near future is just about
as certain as growing old.
Now if you have followed my thoughts for any length of time, I’m sure you
understand that I am a believer in what is called the doctrine of imminence, or
the belief that Jesus could return for us at any time and not necessarily on
one of the Jewish Holy Days. There is, however, something I would like to share
with you for your consideration that might just give us a clue as to just how
close we might be to our time of departure.
One of the reasons many look to the feast days is the amazing occurrence of
numerous major events in Israel’s history which have taken place on those
particular days over the past 5000 years. It would seem that God, by intent,
has chosen to reveal Himself by orchestrating events to occur on the
anniversary of many special days throughout Israel’s calendar. Since these occurrences
are, according to the odds, almost impossible it would seem that we are faced
with the inescapable conclusion that not only is God at work, but He uses
certain days to do certain things. Does this seem hard to believe? If so, we
might look at that question in light of the following passage.
"For I [am] the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not
consumed, O sons of Jacob.
Malachi 3:6 NKJV
If we consider that God Himself tells us that He does not change, and we know
He has chosen to act throughout history on the anniversary of certain events,
is it logical to assume that He will again do so in the future? I think we can,
and I want to share a thought with you today concerning the end time events
many of us see, and the possibility that the time of Jacobs’ Trouble might be
just around the corner.
However, rather than discussing the rapture of the church, I want to draw your
attention to the period of time we know as the Tribulation. In the Old
Testament we find that God gave a prophecy to his servant Daniel concerning the
future of Israel which is known as the Seventy Weeks of Daniel. In it God
predicts that following the release of the nation of Israel from their
Babylonian captivity, a period of seventy “weeks of years” would occur. The
word for “weeks” literally means a period of seven years, so what was being
said was that Israel’s future history would be contained in a period of four
hundred and ninety years.
He also foretold that after the first sixty nine weeks the Messiah would come
but be rejected, and an indeterminate period of time would occur between the
sixty ninth week and the seventieth week. Not surprising, the length of time
between the release of the Jews from Babylon, and the entry into Jerusalem by
Jesus of Nazareth on Palm Sunday was exactly four hundred and eighty three
years. So where we are today is waiting for the beginning of the seventieth
week of Daniel, also known as the Tribulation, when God will judge the
unbelieving world along with unbelieving Israel for a period of seven years.
The question I want you to think about though is this; based on what we have
already seen, is it possible we might already have a clue as to when the
Tribulation might begin?
For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were
of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the
world [that] then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens
and the earth [which] are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire
until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
2 Peter 3:5-7 NKJV
What Peter tells us here is simple enough; the world will experience the
judgment of God twice. The first was by water, which was as we know the flood
of Noah, and a second time by fire which will be during the period known as the
Tribulation. In light of what we are discussing, the next question is do we
know when the flood of Noah occurred? If we look closely at the Genesis account
we find this;
In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the
seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep
were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
Genesis 7:11 NKJV
This passage tells us that the flood began precisely on the seventeenth of
Cheshvan, the second month of the Jewish civil calendar. Many of you know the
fall feasts occur during the first month, Tishri, beginning with Rosh Hashanah
or by another name, the Feast of Trumpets. As the Jewish calendar is lunar
rather than solar, each month begins with the first sighting of the new moon.
Depending on when the new moon is sighted, the anniversary of Noah’s flood
usually occurs around the end of October on our calendar.
Now considering the fact we know that God has allowed many events to occur on
the same day of the year throughout history, and He has clearly stated that He
does not change, is it possible that by knowing the exact day the flood began
we can assume the next judgment of the world could begin on the anniversary of
the first judgment? I believe our answer to that could certainly be “why not”?
It would follow the pattern that God has already established, and might, in
light of other passages of scripture, be logical when we know that Jesus talked
of His return at the end of the age by referring to the time of Noah and the
flood.
In light of the state of the world right now, and the events which many believe
are building up to an "apocalyptical" type of event, is it possible
we are fast approaching the beginning of that period of time which the Bible
tells us so much about? It would probably not surprise anyone who makes it a
point to study current events with regards to biblical prophecy, yet as we have
seen in the past, the patience of God towards His people could best be
described as longsuffering. Yet even God has foreordained a point in time when
His judgment will fall on an unbelieving world, and as many believe, it could
be very close.
An obvious question that follows from this discussion would then be, if you
subscribe to the pretribulational rapture of the church, how close to the
beginning of the Tribulation could the rapture occur? Opinions on that question are numerous and at
times contentious, but as I have mentioned before, one of Chuck Missler’s
favorite sayings about the rapture was “when you see the Christmas decorations
going up, you know Thanksgiving is near”.
After all that has happened in the first eight months of this year, my
mind is certain that we are witnessing exactly what Chuck was referring to.
Today we find ourselves in a situation that most of us would call unprecedented, and many are looking at the events of the past eight months and asking the question why are we still here? My question to you today is this. Just how close do you believe the rapture of the Church is on God’s calendar? If you believe like many others, it could be right around the corner. That nearness, however, also prompts me to ask you this question. If you have come to this point in your life and not made a decision to accept the free gift of salvation offered to you by our Savior Jesus Christ, don't you think it would be a good idea to do it now?
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:” John 1:12 NKJV
Keep watching.
