Saturday, September 3, 2016

The Rapture And Rosh Hashanah, A Heavenly Mind


Food for thought....


Article: Rapture and Rosh Hashanah




One of the more interesting Bible discussions in this life is about the timing of the Rapture. Hey, this world will go from normal to experiencing God's wrath in a split second. And there are many reasons to believer we're getting close to the end of this age. 

I wrote an article in our Spring Communique' entitled "The Last of the Last Days" and presented 10 unmistakable signs were close, very close, to wrapping up this age. If you missed it, you can read it HERE

So there are numerous clues hidden in scripture about the last days, especially pertaining to the Rapture. And based on these Biblical clues, I think that the Rapture will probably happen on the Jewish Feast day of Rosh Hashanah, regardless of the year. Here's why!

According to Leviticus 23, there are seven Jewish Feasts commanded by God to be observed each year.
They are:
Feast Name:      Jewish Date:        Hebrew:
1) Passover                 Nisan 14                 Pesach
                                          (April or May)

2) Unleavened              Nisan 15         Hag-Ha-Matzot
    Bread
3) Firstfruits             Starts the day after       Bikkurim
                                the Sabbath following
                                      Passover.
4) Feast of Weeks   Starts 50 days after       Shavuot
                                     Firstfruits.                                    
                                         (May or June)
  
5) Trumpets                 Tishri 1           Rosh Hashanah
                                        (Sept. or Oct.)

6) Day of Atonement  Tishri 10                Yom Kippur
7) Tabernacles             Tishri 15                   Succoth



Passover 

The symbolism of Jesus in the Jewish Feast of
Passover has been extensively analyzed by numerous Biblical scholars. In a nutshell, Jesus is our Passover Lamb, the Lamb of God.

   "...Christ our Passover..."   1Cor. 5:7

Jesus was slain on the cross on Mt. Moriah, the same mountain where Abraham tried to sacrifice his only son Issac. It's also the same mountain where all the animal sacrifices were offered. 

The Passover sacrifice had to be a male lamb without blemish to temporarily cover their sins. So it's quite fascinating that at the exact same time the Jews were slaying their Passover lambs on Mt. Moriah, just a few steps away Jesus was being sacrificed as permanent covering for our sins.
There's perfect symbolism in the other six feasts as well. 



Unleavened Bread
The second feast, Unleavened Bread, is the day after Passover. Jewish days began at dark, about 6 P.M., so the Feast ofUnleavened Bread began in the evening after Passover.

"...Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"   John 1:29 

Leaven in the Bible is a symbol of sin. The Jews purged their houses of leaven, in conjunction with what the sacrificial lamb had done--covered sin temporarily. 


Unleavened bread is a picture of what Jesus had done on the cross...permanently covering our sin.
                       "I am the Bread of life." John 6:48



Firstfruits

The Feast of Firstfruits was to be celebrated on the Sunday after the 
Sabbath following Passover. 


"But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep." 1 Cor. 15:20 

The Jews celebrated Firstfruits by offering a sheaf of grain to the Lord for His allowing the first harvest. 

Jesus is called the "firstifruits" from the dead (sleep).



Feast of Weeks

Fifty days after Firstfruits, the Jews celebrated the Feast of Weeks. Here the Jews offered two loaves of bread, as a second offering to the Lord, but this time they were baked with leaven, which again symbolizes sin.   

The two loaves could represent either the Old and New Testament, 

While the Jews were celebrating the Feast of Weeks, the Holy Spirit came roaring to earth, filling the Apostles (Acts 2) at what Christians call "Pentecost."





The symbolism of Jesus and the church in the first four spring Jewish feasts is undeniable.The first four major events of the Church Age - Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection, and the coming of the Holy Spirit - all fell exactly on the days of the Jewish Feasts.  


But there's a long summer break between the spring and fall Jewish feasts.  







The summer break in the feasts may very well represent the Church Age break in God's plan for the Jews.  
 
God divinely scheduled the first four major events of the Church Age to land exactly on the Jewish Feast days. Therefore it's probable that the next big Church Age event, the Rapture, will occur on the next Jewish Feast in the fall.... whichever year the Rapture takes place.  


This is where it gets very interesting! 
 



Rosh Hashanah


The next feast in the Biblical order order falls in September or October each year


Called Rosh HaShanah, it's a day of gathering and celebration and the Jews are specifically charged to "blow trumpets." The blowing of a Ram's horn from the southwestern corner of the Temple Mount was the signal that it was time to gather in Jerusalem.


For this feast, the Jews would blow the shofar for 29 days. Then on the last day there was one more blowing--three distinct series of 30 blasts each. This was followed by ten final blasts leading up to "The Great Blowing." This was one last, long blast of the trumpet, proclaiming the beginning of the feast. 

        "Now in the seventh month, on the first day of the  
         month, you shall also have a holy convocation;  
         you shall do no laborious work. It will be to you a  
         day for blowing trumpets"  Num. 29:1





Rapture and Rosh Hashanah


As all who have studied the Rapture know, it's a day of gathering in the air and certainly should be quite the celebration! 

The two most famous spine-tingling Rapture verses read:



"Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed." 1 Cor 15:51-52
"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 1Thes. 4:16 



There's a trumpet blown at the feast of Rosh Hashanah and a trumpet blown for the next Christian event, the Rapture. 

Coincidence? Hardly! The Jewish Feasts continue to mirror the major Christian events!



Therefore, following God's pattern of having the first four major events of the Church Age land on the first four Jewish feasts, I believe undoubtedly that the next big event of the Church Age is likely to occur on Rosh Hashanah, regardless of the year! 


Now, for those purists who will argue that you can't know the day and the hour based on this verse: 



First, when Jesus made that statement, He was speaking pre-cross and had not yet received all knowledge as described in Revelation 5.  

Like many other statements He made to the Jews under the Law, it was true when He made it before the cross, but not true today to you and me living in the Church Age. Today, Jesus can't make that statement!

Second, we still don't know the year, much less the day and hour as Israel is one day, eight to ten time zones ahead of us. 

But for what it's worth, just for fun, if the Rapture just happens to be this year, Rosh Hashanah begins on the evening of October 2. Just saying...










It's no coincidence that Christians, who have a love for Christ, long for heaven. When I read Spurgeon and other Puritan writers I constantly come across the themes of heaven and desire to be with the Lord. Spurgeon once told his congregation:

My beloved friends, I can assure you, it is always one of the sweetest thoughts I ever know, that I shall meet with you in heaven.

As he was pondering the nearness of his own death, Andrew Bonar wrote:

Yesterday and today I have had some glimpses within the veil, as if to prepare me for what may soon come. It is very solemn to find myself near the threshold of Eternity, my ministry nearly done, and my long life coming to its close. Never was Christ to me more precious than He is now. ~ Diary and Life

This same sentiment was shared by his friend Robert Murray M'Cheyne and all the great preachers of the gospel. Courage and joy were derived from being heavenly minded and their desire for Christ. We should look to their examples.

Christians have been begotten as heirs and children into a heavenly household - sons and daughters of God. We have an incorruptible inheritance reserved in heaven, not earned by our own deeds, but through our faith in Jesus Christ and His resurrection. This is what gives us joy and strength to endure all tribulations. Not our own strength, but God's faithfulness to His glorious promises (Psalm 16:5-6Rom 8:16-18Eph 2:191 Pet 1:3-9).

Think about this: whenever we read accounts of visions of the glory of God (or angels) in the Bible, they are met with a sense of unworthiness, fear and trembling on the part of those who experience them. See for example Isaiah 6:5Ezekiel 1:28Dan 10:7-8 and Rev 1:17.

In contrast to this we're told by the Apostle John that when Christ appears, we will be like Him because we shall see Him as He is (1 John 3:2). What an awesome thought!
Through all their trials and tribulations, my mother and the ladies I mentioned earlier kept their hopes in heaven. Now they've all gone on to be with their Lord, and I look forward to seeing them again one day.

As for now, the world has never been Christian-friendly - yet it seems that as time progresses we're rapidly heading into uncharted territory. Now, more than ever, we all need to constantly remind ourselves of our heavenly heritage.
Do you have a heavenly mind?







19 comments:

WVBORN56 said...

Encouraging articles Scott... I'm down with a Rosh Hashanna rapture! It sites seems like the table is fully set. It is hard to even fathom we are the generation that will actually experience the greatest event for man in human history!

Scott said...

Very interesting. Of course even if this theory is true it could be any year at that time before the Trib begins

WVBORN56 said...

Agreed....it could be any year but I can't imagine it is going to remain business as usual much longer.

Scott said...

I agree with that WV - I have a hard time seeing us all here next year at this time - so the coming weeks may be very interesting

D. Pearson said...

So, what are everyone's thoughts on the rapture and Rosh Hashanna? I know, no one knows the day nor the hour, not the Angels,nor Jesus himself, only the father.
I'm not sure when it will happen. I do know, there will be signs of it. God says when these things begin to happen. Look up!

Unknown said...

I believe I read something about Rosh Hashanah being September 2 of this year. I looked up Torah calendar but was unable to find anything.

Caver said...

Well, the signs have been all around and Rosh Hashanna meets all the other criteria, including not being able to know the exact day or hour.

ally said...

My mind surely does not work as well as it once did unfortunately. I recall reading somewhere that it has to occur in a Jubilee Year. I do remember that much lol. Which hey, just happens to be right now :) I sure hope it's this year. It's hard to stay positive and all filled up with God's joy when I see how awful things are for the people on this planet.
Good thing I'm a believer because unfortunately I'm also a lover of this nation and what it once stood for and uh, not sure how to word this but I have a feeling Caver might understand, have been sorely tempted to let's say, even the playing field a little. But I'm too much of a good girl to actually do anything lol. My life would have been a whole lot easier if I could have brought myself to be selfish and uncaring but I'm just not built like that.
Scott, I would like your opinion on the internet handover. Can we somehow have a backup site or something so we can find each other again if they shut you down. I also find the timing to be interesting, not just because of the election but it's proximity to Rosh Hashanah also. Satan has to see the signs and is getting ready also to cover up what really happened

ally said...

My mind surely does not work as well as it once did unfortunately. I recall reading somewhere that it has to occur in a Jubilee Year. I do remember that much lol. Which hey, just happens to be right now :) I sure hope it's this year. It's hard to stay positive and all filled up with God's joy when I see how awful things are for the people on this planet.
Good thing I'm a believer because unfortunately I'm also a lover of this nation and what it once stood for and uh, not sure how to word this but I have a feeling Caver might understand, have been sorely tempted to let's say, even the playing field a little. But I'm too much of a good girl to actually do anything lol. My life would have been a whole lot easier if I could have brought myself to be selfish and uncaring but I'm just not built like that.
Scott, I would like your opinion on the internet handover. Can we somehow have a backup site or something so we can find each other again if they shut you down. I also find the timing to be interesting, not just because of the election but it's proximity to Rosh Hashanah also. Satan has to see the signs and is getting ready also to cover up what really happened RAPTURE! Tho I'm certain all the people who didn't believe, that we constantly tried to inform with the truth, they will figure it out .......
People are going to freak out when their little kids are gone, grandparents, parents, spouses etc are gone instantaneously. The entire world will be in grief and that's when the final steps for total clampdown will occur. That is when the chaos really starts. And the nation's with very few Christians are going to be rocketed to the top of the pile overnight. (Think about that for awhile, the Islamic nations will be super strong with nothing to stop them anymore) along with China etc. The whole world will be different and a super power vacuum will exist so it will be war war war and all that comes with it until one man stands up to stop it. Yep. That man. Mr. Perdition

Dutch Treat said...

The Rapture is a sudden imminent event that will occur without warning; and by narrowing it down to a 3 day window period within a calendar year, it loses a lot of its imminence. That's why I believe it will fall on a random date. I believe however Mrs. C mentioned that the date of the feast has changed so often over the years that no one truly the knows the actual date except almighy God. We all celebrate Christmas on December 25; but Jesus was not necessarily born on that day. So the Rapture could occur on Rosh Hashana without necessarily falling on the prescribed calendar day. Whenever the Rapture occurs, I'm ready for it at any time. How about today?

WVBORN56 said...

I've been looking extra hard David with extra anticipation the past 3-4 years on RH. It just seems to make perfect sense and a nice exit for the church as God then turns his attention back to the Jews for the time of Jacobs Trouble. All of the symbolism of this feast works perfectly for the rapture. What a message to the Jewish people. It would be powerful.

Scott said...

Trent - I think its sometime in the first week of Oct

Don't forget there are 29 consecutive trumpet blasts (I believe on one on each day) until the final trumpet blasts on day 30 after it begins, so that throws some ambiguity into the mix.

Also - Dutch - don't forget, Jesus said that no one knows the day or the hour - which is exactly another namer Rosh Hashanah - the feast in which no one knows the day or the hour because it only came with the new moon and no one knew when exactly that would be ...Again, just food for thought.

Ally - I think we'll be seeing dramatic censorship of the internet....If gun control is the #1 agenda of the globalists, I'm certain that internet censorship is a close second. They HAVE to be able to control the internet in order to control the people.

WVBORN56 said...

Good point Dutch. I'm not dogmatic but see the potential and relevance of of a RH rapture plus it's pretty fun to be on extra high watch and alert every year when it rolls around. 😀

D. Pearson said...

I believe that the Internet handoff, the same sex marriage, the staged riots, the rigged voter machines, and now the threat of mass forced vaccinations are somewhat comparable to what Jesus and the disciples encountered at the last supper. When Peter rebuked Jesus for speaking about being handed over. Paraphrasing, he replied. Chill out, these things have to happen, I got this, trust me.
For me it's just cool to see these things happening. That means we are close. The more that happens, the closer we get. We can remember that when we want the brakes put on the world when we know it's headed for the cliff. Jesus standing at the edge, saying, I got this! All we need to do is stand firm and hold on for the ride!

D. Pearson said...

Scott, I agree about the Internet censorship. Just think the government has been monitoring all of us. What we eat, buy, sell, driver licenses, hunting licenses, concealed hand gun permits, and oh! The list goes on. Yeah, I imagine when they hit us, it's gonna be hard. They have all the bases covered, and have for some time now

George said...

I have read that it was the custom when the groom was asked by the nosy neighbors when the big day was, the response was that only my father knows.

Scott said...

David - good points - and you are right - Jesus has this covered absolutely

George - thats probably true as well - but don't forget the ancient Jewish wedding customs...After the agreement was made and sealed with a cup of wine, the groom would go back to the father's house to prepare living quarters and could only go back to get the bride when the father said the building was complete and ready for the bride. John 14

Caver said...

Ally, yep I understand about leveling the playing field. This is different...as much as I hate to say it. We got to let this play out...someone bigger than us has written the script. I firmly believe, at this point, the largest influence we can have on any modifications is on our knees and I do believe modifications are occurring.

A lot of folk down here are spending that "knee time" both privately and in Church/small groups and sincerely repenting and praying for Him to heal our land. Any number of small revivals have occurred.

No doubt, the basic time line will be kept but you can also sense some "change" in the works.

From my readings, Mrs. C is completely correct....there have been so many changes, we aren't absolutely certain the precise date of RH. BUT...BUT...it was and remains the first of the FALL Feasts. Not spring or summer or winter, but Fall. That's as in close...very close.

Whoopie!

D. Pearson said...

Where is that written about the feasts Carver? I want to read up on that. I've always heard the Jewish practioners say that the Fall feast is the event to look for. I'd just as soon it came this fall myself!!!!