Posted 3-31-01
There are actually two separate times referred to in these images of the birthing process. On is the birth of Messiah Himself (Chevlo shel Moshiach). Jeremiah 4:31 tells of the "daughter of Zion" bringing forth her firstborn child. "Daughters of Zion" was a term for the suburbs of Jerusalem, of which Bethlehem was one. Micah 4:8-10 specifies that it is to the Migdal Eder, the "tower of the flock, the stronghold of the daughters of Zion", that the Kingdom would come, and where these birthpangs would begin.
The other example of this imagery, which the eschatological passages usually refer to, is the time when the whole people of Israel is born into Messiah (Chevley shel Moshiach). The Day of the Lord is described as being so intensely terrifying that even men will howl in pain and be so troubled that they will appear like women in labor (Isaiah 13:8; Hosea 13:13; Jer. 6:24; 13:21). This is part of what tells us that these seven years are part of the 1,000 years, rather than preceding them: because the prophecies about the Day of the Lord (the seventh "day" of the world-week) include both tremendous terrors and great blessings. Isaiah himself reacted this way when he saw the vision (21:3).
The reason that the Day of the Lord can't begin at the beginning of the Tribulation is in the ending verses of the Old Testament (Tanakh). Mal. 4:5 says, "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet BEFORE the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD."
I think the catastrophe will take place on the first day of the millennial Day of the Lord. That first day is called "THAT DAY" in many scriptures and is like no other day--ever. It is the 2300th day (Dan. 8:13,14) of the shortened Tribulation, the day the False Prophet is deposed from office.
It is the day of the Pre-Wrath Rapture. Dan. 12:1,2 says, "at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be A TIME OF TROUBLE, SUCH AS NEVER WAS SINCE THERE WAS A NATION even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake."
Jer. 30:7 says, "Alas! for THAT DAY is great, so that NONE IS LIKE IT: it is even THE TIME OF JACOB'S TROUBLE, but he shall be saved out of it."
THAT DAY is also Coronation Day, the day of the Marriage of the Lamb and the day of the Judgment Seat of Christ (in Heaven). As Solomon did, Christ will purge his kingdom at its beginning. Rev. 11:15-18 says, "the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, We give thee thanks, O LORD God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come (Second Advent is 7 Jewish months future, Eze. 39:12,13); because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. And the nations were angry (Gog's army is attacking Israel, Eze. 38), and thy wrath is come (Day of God's Wrath), and the time of the dead, that they should be judged (Judgment Seat of Christ), and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great (in Heaven); and shouldest DESTROY THEM WHICH DESTROY THE EARTH."
The Day of the Lord begins with destruction. Joel 1:15;2:1,2 says, " Alas for the day! for the DAY OF THE LORD is at hand, and AS A DESTRUCTION FROM THE ALMIGHTY SHALL IT COME.... Blow ye the TRUMPET in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; THERE HATH NOT BEEN EVER THE LIKE, NEITHER SHALL BE ANY MORE AFTER IT, even to the years of many generations." Agape
Psalm 18: 1-19 (NIV): For the director of music. Of David the servant of the LORD. He sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said: 1 I love you, O LORD, my strength. 2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 3 I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies. 4 The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. 5 The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me. 6 In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. 7 The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry. 8 Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it. 9 He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet. 10 He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind. 11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him-- the dark rain clouds of the sky. 12 Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning. 13 The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded. 14 He shot his arrows and scattered [the enemies], great bolts of lightning and routed them. 15 The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of breath from your nostrils. 16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. 17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. 18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support. 19 He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me. Psalms 18:1-19 (NIV)
In these opening verses, the scene created is a direct parallel to a rapture dream that my daughter had. In her dream, the Lord was riding dark clouds that had such power that they pushed all other clouds aside as they moved across the Puget Sound in Seattle, Washington. Out of the clouds came great beams of light as they moved towards her. The Lord was bending over the edge of the clouds as one would bend over the bow of a boat, His arms were outstretched towards her and His laughter peeled in His delight! In a rapture dream my son had, a great earthquake struck the Seattle area as the Lord appeared for His own...these verses also go on to speak of the Lord being the one who maintained the lamp of the writer...delivering him by drawing him out of the deep waters, into a spacious place because he delighted in him!! The Bridegroom comes quickly! In Anticipation
Those are neat dreams. My son had one of us all going up, but I haven't had any of the Rapture.
Rev. 19:8 says, "the fine linen is the righteousness (dikaiomata, lit., righteousnesses) of saints." The fabric of the Tabernacle was fine twined linen. The priests' garments were of linen. Lev. 16:32 says, "the priest, whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest's office in his father's stead, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen clothes, even the holy garments." This sounds like linen represents holiness. That fits the temple too. Agape
As I stated before, I praise God for your extensive research and knowledge...I just think there is more to investigate here than the "obvious..." verbatim of unmotivated Pastors to spit out... "...a truth..."
Where in Scripture does it state the Two Witnesses MUST be Jewish? (Abraham wasn't a Jew "at first" ~ until God "sanctified" him as Chosen...) The given is Elijah, but what to do with Enoch, then? Never having experienced Death, nor judgement, apparently still clothed in corruption, (like Elijah), why would Enoch be the only one in human history to escape all? Our Saviour didn't get out that easy...
I totally respect your work and research, I fully believe you to be a Godly woman who is maintaining a great ministry...I feel I am built up by it...
I realize there are a lot of different opinions out there, and you field quite a few of the harsh ones quite successfully...(Your Ephesians 6 Armour is good!) Yet, I offer my theory in love, and open, civil debate...I understand your initial response, I look forward to your deeper point-of-view in regard to this matter as well as your response, if you prayerfully find it in God's Will....
We are not surprised by the events of today, we are not watching the Stock Market to find our worth...we are honored to be able to prepare ourselves and others in a time that has been wrtten about more than any other subject in the Bible!
We are excited, We are joyous! We are almost there! Who really cares who these Two Witnesse will be? We do.
However, we would love fellowship with you high above any doctrinal difference we each may perceive regarding eschatology. Let us discuss...!
Once again, we love your website, and stand firmly on The Rock with you. In Our King's Name, Jesus Christ!
> > Where in Scripture does it state the Two Witnesses MUST be Jewish?
Here are the clues. Jer. 11:16 says of Israel, "The LORD called thy name, A green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit." Rev. 11:4 says of the 2 witnesses, "These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth." Zech. 4:11-14 says, "What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof? And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves? And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the LORD of the whole earth." Moses and Elijah stood by the LORD of the whole earth at the Transfiguration. Enoch was not there, Moses was.
> > why would Enoch be the only one in human history to escape all? Our Saviour didn't get out that easy.
No, but because he is our Saviour, we will be caught up before the Tribulation as the Gentile Enoch was caught up before the Flood. "Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him" (Gen. 5:24). Heb. 11:5 says, "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God." We will escape all these things that are coming to pass. Luke 21:36 says, "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to ESCAPE ALL these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man."
I think Enoch (a Gentile) represents the Pre-Trib Rapture, and Elijah (an Israelite) represents the Pre-Wrath Rapture. Agape
I am not totally sure of your predictions, but I DO believe that you minister with a pure and humble heart. I do pray that Jesus would come soon...but I so wish I could be a better Christian, though I know it is not in my own power, but HIS.
Something interesting...I was watching a rerun of Oprah late one night when she had a young boy of age 11 or 12. He was a child prodigy, already attending college. His intelligence and captivation of the audience were amazing. He said that he had always felt that it was his mission to be an ambassador of peace, and not to just one religion, or one race. He has already somewhat began this mission by visiting other countries, and creating a website.
Anyway, the first thing I thought of was...Antichrist...though he would be too young at this stage. But, I thought it was very interesting...and very disturbing. God bless you much
It sounds like you have the right attitude, about confessing sins right away if we slip.
The wicked one may not live out half his days, so he could be young, but I don't think he will be a kid. However, I am amazed at the knowledge and talents of some of these kids. Agape
Lu 21:36 talks of "standing before the Son of man"... So it would seem that something happens during the rapture that enables us to gaze upon the Son of Man, and yet remain standing. I had often wondered exactly what this passage about standing in Luke meant, and I think this might be it. Thanks!
In Rev. 1:17, John fell at his feet as dead. John then said that Christ "laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death." Rev. 4:10,11 says, "The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." Verse 14 repeats the elders falling down and worshiping Him. I expect to join them. We are so lucky that he went through all he did to buy us from the slave market of sin. He didn't have to, but he did. He deserves our heartfelt praise. Agape
> > (Jesus) said that he won't return until all people groups have heard (or received?) the gospel."
Mt. 24:14,15 says, "this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall THE END come. When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place..."
THE END here seems to be the Great Tribulation. It starts when the False Prophet desecrates the temple. He sits there "shewing himself that he is God" (II Thess. 2:4). Moses and Elijah prophesy 1260 days before the Great Tribulation starts Mid-Trib. The 144,000 Israelites could be preaching throughout the world then too. Beyond that, there is a great multitude of believers to spread the word. The False Prophet will do his best to kill believers and stop preaching, but God will get the job done, nevertheless. Agape
Concerning the Rapture, Heb. 12:18-24 says, "ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched (the earthly Sinai, (probably from Sani, Sanskrit for Saturn), and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:) But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly [panegurei, a festal assembly; Thayer] and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus."
To me, this strongly suggests that the Rapture will be on a feast day. Jesus, head of the Body of Christ, was resurrected on the Feast of Firstfruits. Then a countdown of the 50 days to Pentecost began. On Pentecost in 30 AD, the Spirit of Christ came to indwell believers. Rom. 8:9 says, "ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." Since the Spirit of Christ came to believers on Pentecost, I think it is likely that Christ will come to believers at a Pentecost Rapture.
Song of Sol. 2:10-15 suggests the Rapture when winter is past and the rain (latter rain of Nisan) is over and gone. There are green figs and firstripe grapes as at Pentecost. It says, "My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle (lit., turtledove) is heard in our land; The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the TENDER GRAPE give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely. Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for OUR VINES HAVE TENDER GRAPES." The word "places" is not in the original. This literally is THE SECRET OF THE STAIRS. It immediately brings Jacob's ladder to mind. It reached from Earth to Heaven.
The spies went into the promised land at the time of the firstripe grapes. I think we will too. Numbers 13:20 says to see "what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was THE TIME OF THE FIRSTRIPE GRAPES."
Isa. 18:3-6 says, "ALL YE INHABITANTS OF THE WORLD, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he (the Lord) lifteth up an ensign (flag) on the mountains (nations, i.e., OWG); and WHEN HE BLOWETH A TRUMPET (first 'trump of God,' I Thess. 4:16), HEAR YE. For so the LORD said unto me, I will take my rest, and I will consider (nabat, see, look at) in my dwelling place (Heaven) like a clear heat upon herbs, and like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest (qatsiyr, harvest time). For afore the harvest, when the bud is perfect, and THE SOUR GRAPE IS RIPENING in the flower, he shall both cut off the sprigs (i.e., foolish virgins with no fruit) with pruning hooks, and take away and cut down the branches (twigs with no fruit). THEY SHALL BE LEFT together unto the fowls of the mountains, and to the beasts of the earth (the Beast and False Prophet, Rev. 13): and the fowls shall SUMMER upon them, and all the beasts of the earth shall WINTER upon them." Thus the Rapture seems to be in the spring. The grapes begin to ripen in the latter part of May and early June.
John 15:1,2 agrees with the pruning. It says, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. EVERY BRANCH IN ME THAT BEARETH NOT FRUIT HE TAKETH AWAY." These are believers. They are in him, i.e., in the Body of Christ. These are the foolish Laodicean virgins that he told "I will spue thee out of my mouth" (Rev. 3:16).
Luke 12:46 fits the picture in Isa. 18. It says, "The lord of that servant (the unwise one) will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder (lit., cut him off; i.e., prune him as an unfruitful twig), and will appoint him his portion (2300 days of the shortened Tribulation, Dan. 8:13,14) with the UNBELIEVERS." Mt. 24:51 adds, "And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites (pretenders): there shall be WEEPING AND GNASHING OF TEETH."
The weeping and gnashing of teeth is also found in the parable of the wedding feast. A man without a wedding garment (white robe of righteousness) was cast outside the door. Mt. 22:13,14 says, "Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into OUTER DARKNESS, there shall be WEEPING AND GNASHING OF TEETH. For many are called, but few are chosen." Rev. 17:14 says, "they that are with him (Christ) are called, and chosen, and faithful." We need to take heed. We need to be chosen and faithful.
Mt. 8:11,12 says, "many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into OUTER DARKNESS: there shall be WEEPING AND GNASHING OF TEETH." Mt. 25:28-30 says, "Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into OUTER DARKNESS: there shall be WEEPING AND GNASHING OF TEETH."
Isa. 57:1 says, "merciful men are taken away (acaph, to be gathered, removed, taken up, i.e., raptured), none considering that the righteous is taken away FROM the evil to come" (the Tribulation). Rev. 3:10 says, "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee FROM the hour of temptation (peirasmou, trial), which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth."
Luke 21:36 says, "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be ACCOUNTED WORTHY TO ESCAPE all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." Agape
Jesus told the Pharisees in 30 AD, "All these things shall come upon this generation." They did, in 70 AD. Things happened to Israel for our examples. I Cor. 10:11 says, "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world (lit., ages) are come."
Counting Palm Sunday as day #1, there were 40 years plus another 120 days to Av 10 in 70 AD, when the temple proper was burned. In our days, there are 40 years plus another 120 days from June 7, 1967, when the temple area was retaken, to Sept. 13, 2007. That is, I think, the Feast of Trumpets that begins the millennial Day of the Lord.
The Jews sacrifice during the 1st half of the Tribulation. They do not during the Great Tribulation, because the False Prophet desecrates the temple Mid-Trib. Dan. 8:13,14 shows that there are 2300 days (lit., evenings and mornings) in the shortened Tribulation. If we count backwards, using Jewish inclusive reckoning, we find that the 70th week of Daniel 9:27/Tribulation should start on the Feast of Weeks in 2001. I think we will be Raptured before the covenant is confirmed as the Tribulation starts.
Tishri 1, 5768 (Sept. 13, 2007) seems to be the end of the 7 good years and 7 bad years that began when the Oslo Accords were signed on Sept. 13, 1993. They were ratified in Israel 3 days later, on Tishri 1, 5754. Adding the 7 good and 7 bad years brings us to Tishri 1, 5768, which is Sept. 13, 2007.
That year has to be a Jewish Leap Year, because there are to be 7 months (Eze. 39:12,13) between Tishri 1, Day of God's Wrath, and Nisan 1, the Second Advent (Eze. 29:17,21; Hos. 6:3). The year 5768 is a leap year.
Things keep adding up. We are running out of time. The Lord's coming seems very near. Get ready. Mt. 25:10 says, "while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were READY went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut." Use I John 1:9. Agape
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Updated 3-31-01