Posted 4-3-01
However, the testimony was sketchy and without the detail I wanted. But with some investigation I was able to obtain the pastor's email address and asked for the full story. I just received the answer, and it is even more amazing than before, with a correlating testimony added. Also, I requested permission to share his story on the Internet, which he graciously and immediately granted. He would not object if you share it with others.
Note the 1967 date of the first incident, probably the most prophetically significant year in modern history. This adds credence to its divine origin. His message is copied below. Be blessed! Jim
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Hi Jim, I appreciate your kind words, and I would like to say thanks for your love for Christ and your tenacious ability to warn all of the imminency of Christ's return. In answer to your inquiry, the year was 1967. My wife and I were visiting an ancient burial site where many of my Jewish ancestors were buried. The place was extremely remote, and we walked a long distance to get to it. While looking over some of the burial plaques, a very strange feeling came over me, and I felt an awesome presence nearby. Almost simultaneously I felt a powerful hand grip my shoulder from behind. I could see my wife about fifty yards below me, so I knew it wasn't her. My first thought was that someone had approached me from behind out of the nearby woodland. I turned abruptly, only to find no one in sight, but the sensation from such a powerful presence still lingers with my thoughts to this day. Almost immediately
I heard a very clear distinct voice say, "Tell them I'm coming soon, you will be alive to see my return." I was a young man at that time and knew nothing about prophecy. But in a short while Yeshua began to open my insight into depth's I never knew existed.
In 1991 our church was engaged in building a new Cathedral type sanctuary to accommodate growth. One afternoon I stopped by to check out the progress. I walked across a cat-walk onto the top deck and chatted with the workers. It had been raining some prior to my visit. When I stepped back onto the cat-walk I slipped and fell several feet into a dug-out cut between an embankment and the wall of the sanctuary. Unfortunately none of the workers saw me fall. The impact of my body caught some of the jagged rocks protruding out from the embankment.I landed head first onto the concrete protruding out of the foundation.
Immediately I left my body and was standing just above the building and the workers. I tried to get their attention but to no avail. I heard music that was totally out of this world, and that's an understatement. I started moving toward the music, since it captivated and riveted my whole being toward it. I viewed my body with one last glimpse, so I thought. But then something happened, an 85 year old gentleman who thought I was the grandest person whom he had ever met, walked onto the cat-walk and look down. He screamed." Our pastor has fallen, he's dead, he's dead."
The next thing I knew was when the paramedics were reviving me. How much time elapsed between my fall and the paramedics arrival was obviously some time in which I do not recall. A cat-scan revealed massive internal injuries in which the doctors said my days of ministry were over. In fact, I had lost four units of blood internally, and there was no way of stopping the bleeding. My doctor, who was a surgeon said to me, "Pastor, imagine taking a chain-saw and slicing meat in all directions, that's the description of your inside. Our church organization was meeting with its top leadership from across America and abroad when they learned of my tragic accident. They asked if the phone could be placed near my ears, and they all prayed for my healing. Immediately the internal bleeding stopped. The road to complete recovery was slow and very painful, but His promise that I would be alive to see His return was validated by a miracle.
Jim, you and Marilyn Agee and others are very vital to the kingdom work. May Yeshua reward you greatly when you stand before Him, and that time is only a very short time away. Shaloam.
Pastor Robert Rudeseal
That's a strong statement to contemplate, but so true. When you get off faith and into works or worthiness you are missing the mark. That's a very dangerous place to be. To be confident in our abilities rather than God's mercies, grace and salvation.
Isa 12:2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.
If I'm saved, I'm saved and that means that I'm going with Jesus the SECOND time he comes just like he promised. He didn't mention a third or fourth.
Jesus Loves you, Mary PS.. The split rapture teaching is not a faith teaching. It is a works teaching.
Romans 9:30 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. 31 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. 32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law.
You are to be commended for getting salvation straight in your head. We are saved by faith in Christ plus nothing. That is the most important thing to learn, so that is step one for a babe in Christ learning to walk the Christian walk.
Heb. 12:1 shows us that we should take other steps beyond the foundation which is our faith in Christ. "Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, LET US GO ON UNTO PERFECTION; NOT LAYING AGAIN THE FOUNDATION OF REPENTANCE FROM DEAD WORKS, AND OF FAITH TOWARD GOD."
You are secure in your faith. I am secure in my faith. "LET US GO ON" from there. We are both already beyond needing milk. Neither of us needs to be taught the first principles over and over and over. I am ready for strong meat. I hoped that you were. So far, you seem to have the faith tint on the glasses you look through to see other scriptures, and it is shortening your field of focus. Don't throw it away, just file it back there in your brain instead of in front of your eyes and look at scriptures as if reading them through clear lenses for the first time. God has more to say to us than the basics of salvation. Don't be afraid to go on. You have salvation and can't lose it. That is your security that will hold you steady as you look for other things in Scripture.
Concerning strong meat, Heb. 5:12-14 says, "when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."
Peter shows us what we should add to our faith to make us worthy of being caught up with the Bride group in the first Rapture. In II Peter 1:4-11 says, "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that BY THESE YE MIGHT BE PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE (the oil of the Holy Spirit), having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, ADD TO YOUR FAITH VIRTUE; and to virtue KNOWLEDGE; And to knowledge TEMPERANCE; and to temperance PATIENCE; and to patience GODLINESS; And to godliness BROTHERLY KINDNESS; and to brotherly kindness CHARITY (agape love). For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But HE THAT LACKETH THESE THINGS IS BLIND (a Laodicean), AND CANNOT SEE AFAR OFF (Heaven), and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins (when he accepted Christ). Wherefore the rather, brethren, GIVE DILIGENCE TO MAKE YOUR CALLING AND ELECTION SURE: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an ENTRANCE (through Heaven's door, Rev. 3:8; 4:1) shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."
The blind are the Laodiceans. They risk not seeing Heaven just yet. Jesus has a message for them: "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent" (Rev. 3:19). If we repent, we should confess our sins as I John 1:9 commands.
The Philadelphians are the ones that have no words of condemnation mentioned to them. They are the ones before whom the "OPEN DOOR" of Heaven is set (Rev. 3:8). They are the ones Jesus is addressing when he 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." It is to the Philadelphians that Christ will say, "COME UP HITHER" (Rev. 4:1) before the first seal is opened to start the Tribulation.
It seems that all the overcomers of the 7 church groups will be funneled through the open door set before the Philadelphians. In other words, the overcomers become Philadelphians when they are wearing white robes of righteousness.
Jude 23 shows that our spiritual garments can be "spotted by the flesh." When we confess all known sins since we accepted Christ, we are washing our robes in the blood of Christ to make them white. The Bride wears white.
Mt. 25:10 says, "while they (the foolish virgins) went to BUY (as the Laodiceans were told to buy), the bridegroom came; and they that were READY went in with him to the marriage: and THE DOOR WAS SHUT." Notice that the foolish virgins didn't wake up to the fact that they had too little oil until "there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him" (Mt. 25:6). The foolish virgins are blind Laodiceans. We don't want to be caught in a state of not having enough oil of the Holy Spirit when the Bridegroom comes for his Bride. We need to figure out if we need to BUY anything of the Lord.
Our first goal was salvation. Our goal now is to be part of the Bride of Christ that goes with the Bridegroom because we are READY. First, we should use I John 1:9 and get in fellowship with our Holy God. Then we should pay attention to the things Peter said that we should add to our faith. There seems to be very little time left to get our affairs in order. Maranatha.
This first Rapture is as the days of Noah (Mt. 24:37). Noah was ready. Rain fell. The second Rapture is as the days of Lot. The "same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all" (Luke 17:29). The two days are different, because there are two Raptures, one for church saints and one for Tribulation saints.
The foolish virgins that get left behind need to know that God didn't leave them without their "blessed hope" (Titus 2:13). They will weep and gnash their teeth over what they stupidly lost, but will need to wash their robes in the blood of Christ and put all that behind them and look forward to the Pre-Wrath Rapture with determination to pay attention to I John 1:9 and II Peter 1:4-11.
> > PS.. The split rapture teaching is not a faith teaching. It is a works teaching.
You are hung up on faith vs works for salvation. The Raptures are for people that are already saved. That is past. All living saved people will be raptured at one time or another.
Could you forget the words split rapture and works for a minute? Let's take a mental trip. Let's pretend we are already living in the Tribulation. We have just accepted Christ and understand that we are saved. With a sigh of relief, we read here and there in the New Testament. We come to Mark 13:27. It says, "then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the EARTH to the uttermost part of heaven." As Tribulation saints, the elect, do we have the right to expect that the angels will gather us up from the Earth?
Let's pretend that I am in tears, and that you know more about the Bible than I do. I don't see how I can escape having God's wrath poured out on me. I think it is too late, too late. What would you tell me to help me see that God's wrath will never be poured out on believers. Maybe you would you quote I Thess. 5:9 to me. It says, "God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ."
Ok, but if I am not appointed to wrath, what am I appointed to? Will I be gathered from the uttermost part of the Earth as Mark said? Will I be among the great multitude that no man can number standing before the throne between the breaking of the 6th and 7th seals in the Great Tribulation?
Are you going to tell me that every last person of that great multitude will have to be martyred? That would bring more tears. I'd be scared to death. I wouldn't be able to function. I would like to know, does the Bible have any good news for me, or is it all bad news?
Is this what God has planned for his Tribulation saints? a dead end at martyrdom. Do they have no "blessed hope"? What about his promise in I Cor. 10:13: "God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will WITH THE TEMPTATION (peirasmos, trial) ALSO MAKE A WAY TO ESCAPE (ekbasis, a going up out of), that ye may be able to bear it.
Therefore, to the main Bride group, Jesus 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" (Luke 21:36). To the rest of the Body of Christ, he will "ALSO MAKE A WAY TO ESCAPE, that ye may be able to bear it. The first escape is before the Tribulation. I think the last escape is on the 2300th day of the Tribulation.
Heb. 12:25 says, "See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven. "The first escape is when Christ says, "Come up hither" (Rev. 4:1; I Thess. 4:16). At the second escape, he will send his angels to gather his elect from one side of the Earth to the other (Mark 13:27; I Cor. 15:51,52). Agape
Did you see the tape of the major league baseball pitcher who threw a pitch and it hit a Dove streaking across at that exact spot? It exploded that bird, feathers literally flew in every direction. The pitcher became very upset and sad that he had totally destroyed the bird. It is an unbelievable piece of tape.
I am so looking forward to May 28. The declaration in Israel of the beginning of Jacob's trouble is mind boggling. I will be in London, April 25-May 15. Made sure I would be back before May 28. Have to pack a goody bag for my little dog to go to heaven with me. Babies/small children will go, too.
Think that covers the differences between you and me - church doctrines, pets, and children.
As I have said before, I believe we get houses/mansions according to our works. I will get a duplex, you will get a huge mansion. I love you, Marilyn. You know that. Put me down for tea at your mansion. My dog and I will come.
> > Did you see the tape of the major league baseball pitcher who threw a pitch and it hit a Dove streaking across at that exact spot?
No. Poor bird. Some of those pitches are over 90 miles an hour. Ed saw it.
> > I will get a duplex, you will get a huge mansion. I love you, Marilyn. You know that. Put me down for tea at your mansion.
I don't even need a mansion. A comfortable cottage would do. I love you too. I keep you in my prayers and think of you often. Tea it is. Can't wait to see you....Agape
There will be no Rapture on Pentecost this year. The Firstfruit Rapture is reserved for the 10th of Nisan (Joshua 4:19). If in fact we are in this period, Pentecost this year will see the beginning of the fulfillment of Daniel 8:11-14. The "daily" or "continual" will be taken away, probably the daily prayers at the Wailing Wall and we may see the beginning of the "trampling under foot" of God's chosen.
Counting back 69 weeks (483 years) from September 28, 2000 takes us to the year 1517. Ring a bell? Martin Luther posted his 95 theses to the door of the court church at Wittenberg on October 31,1517. The 70 weeks began with the, "going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem." Martin Luther is credited with the beginning of the rebuilding of the Church (the Reformation). Love in Jesus, David
I don't think the 70th week of Daniel has yet been fulfilled. I do think the Rapture must take place before the 70th week of Dan. 9:27 starts. Isa. 57:1 says, "merciful men are taken away (acaph, gathered, removed, taken up), none considering that the righteous is taken away FROM the evil to come." Here, the Rapture is before the Tribulation, as it is in. Rev. 3:10. It 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." The Bride saints out of all nations are seen in Heaven in Rev. 5:9 before the 1st seal that starts the Tribulation is broken in Rev. 6.
> > There will be no Rapture on Pentecost this year. The Firstfruit Rapture is reserved for the 10th of Nisan
I am hoping for the Rapture this Pentecost. Get ready just in case. Use 1 John 1:9. The Israelites crossing the Jordan and going into the promised land on Nisan 10 isn't enough to make me believe that is the date of the Rapture. The spies went into the land first. Nu. 13:20 says, "bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the FIRSTRIPE GRAPES. Grapes come on in late May or early June. May 28 fits.
Isa. 18:3-6 says, "ALL YE INHABITANTS OF THE WORLD, AND DWELLERS ON THE EARTH, SEE YE, when he lifteth up an ensign (flag) on the mountains (nations, i.e., the OWG flag); and WHEN HE (the LORD) BLOWETH A TRUMPET (as in 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 (Pentecost). For afore the harvest, when the bud is perfect, and the sour grape is ripening in the flower (time of the firstripe grapes), he shall both CUT OFF (as in Luke 12:46) the sprigs (without fruit, maybe foolish virgins) with pruning hooks, and take away and cut down the branches (twigs with no fruit, maybe Laodiceans). THEY SHALL BE LEFT together unto the fowls of the mountains (nations), and to the beasts of the earth (Beast and False Prophet, Rev. 13): and the fowls shall SUMMER upon them, and all the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them." Therefore, I think the Rapture will be in the spring, when there are firstripe grapes.
Song of Sol. 2:10-14 agrees. My beloved (Christ) spake, and said unto me, RISE UP, my love (Bride of Christ), 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, symbol of Holy Spirit) 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 (i.e., in Christ), in the secret places of the stairs (like Jacob's ladder reaching from Earth to Heaven), let me SEE THY COUNTENANCE, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely." The words "of birds" and "places" are not in the original. Singing reminds us of the "new song" sung after the Rapture. This is THE SECRET OF THE STAIRS, and it is spring, the time of the firstripe grapes.
When the Rapture takes place, I think it will be a feast day. Heb. 12:22-25 says, "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, FESTAL ASSEMBLY; Thayer) and church (ekklesia, called out ones) 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....See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we ESCAPE, if we turn away from HIM THAT SPEAKETH FROM HEAVEN."
Since the rain is over and gone, the months of Tishri (former rain) and Nisan (latter rain) are eliminated. In my head, that knocks out 6 feasts. Only Pentecost is left. It is a time that the Spirit of Christ (Rom. 8:9) came to the church in 30 AD. I think it will be the time of the Pre-Trib Rapture, when Christ comes for his Bride.
> > Pentecost this year will see the beginning of the fulfillment of Daniel 8:11-14. The "daily" or "continual" will be taken away, probably the daily prayers at the Wailing Wall
I think the Jews must sacrifice 3.5 years before it will be taken away. Dan 8:10-14,26 says, "it (Satan, in the False Prophet) waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it (Satan) cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. Yea, he (the Satan-possessed False Prophet) magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and BY HIM THE DAILY SACRIFICE WAS TAKEN AWAY (Mid-Trib, when he sits in the temple "shewing himself that he is God (II Thess. 2:4), and the place of the sanctuary was cast down. And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered. Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice (1st 3.5 years of the Tribulation), and the transgression of desolation (Mid-Trib), to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days (lit., evenings and mornings, i.e., literal days, Gen. 1:5); then shall the sanctuary be cleansed....the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days."
From the Feast of Weeks/Pentecost in 2001, using Jewish inclusive reckoning, to the Feast of Trumpets in 2007 is 2300 days.
> > Counting back 69 weeks (483 years) from September 28, 2000 takes us to the year 1517. Ring a bell?
Yes. It is one of the modern parallels. It looks like God singled out seven blocks of years, totaled them up and saw to it that they were listed in Scripture to mark the years of the most important coming events of our time. Each block is in the four hundreds; and there are no others.
(1) 400 from the casting out of Ishmael to the Exodus (Gen. 15:13; Acts 7:6,7)
(2) 430 from Abram's call to the Exodus (Ex. 12:40,41; Gal. 3:17,18)
(3) 434 (Dan. 9:25) "threescore and two weeks" (62 x 7 = 434)
(4) 450 from the division of Canaan to king Saul, the period of the judges (Acts 13:19,20)
(5) 480 Theocratic Years from the Exodus to the time construction began on the temple (excluding the servitudes when Israel was out of fellowship) (I Kings 6:1)
(6) 483 from the time the commandment was given to rebuild Jerusalem to just before the Crucifixion (Dan. 9:25,26)
(7) 490 Theocratic Years from the commandment to rebuild Jerusalem to the Second Advent (excluding the church era, when Israel is out of fellowship, in the gap between the 69th and 70th week of years) (Dan. 9:24).
Adding these groups of years to 1517 (5278) suggests some astounding dates.
(1) 5278 plus 400 equals 5678 (1917/18) (a 7/8)
In 5678 (1917/18), the modern exodus began
(2) 5278 plus 430 equals 5708 (1947/48) (a 7/8)
In 5708 (1947/48), Israel declared her Independence
(3) 5278 plus 434 equals 5712 (1951/1952)
In 5712 (1951/52), 1st meeting of Knesset, Jerusalem declared capitol of Israel
(4) 5278 plus 450 equals 5728 (1967/68) (a 7/8)
In 5728 (1967/68), the Six-Day War, Sign of the End of the Age, had already been won. Temple area was retaken June 10, 1967 (Iyar 28, 5727.
(5) 5278 plus 480 equals 5758 (1997/98) (a 7/8)
In 5758 (1997/98), the 6000th year of man's test being mortal and knowing good and evil, living stones given "SPACE TO REPENT"?
(6) 5278 plus 483 equals 5761 (2000/01)
In 5761 (2000/01), I believe the Pre-Trib Rapture will take place and the Tribulation will begin on the Feast of Weeks/Pentecost
(7) 5278 plus 490 equals 5768 (2007/08) (a 7/8)
In 5768 (2007/08), Probable day of Pre-Wrath Rapture, Tishri 1, 5768 (Sept. 13, 2007) just barely preceding God's Wrath. I believe Christ will return 7 months later (Eze. 39:12,13) on the first day of the Jewish Regnal Year (Eze. 29:17,21; Hos. 6:3).
No man could have planned this. Only God, who had his complete timetable in mind, could have known how to draw these parallels. Truly, Scripture is God breathed.
> > The 70 weeks began with the, "going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem." Martin Luther is credited with the beginning of the rebuilding of the Church (the Reformation).
I think the 70 weeks began in the 1st year of Cyrus, BC 454. After 483 years, the Crucifixion took place in 30 AD. Isa. 44:28 says that the Lord "saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid." Martin Anstey (Romance of Bible Chronology) found an 82-year mistake in the era of the Persian Kings (536 - 82 = 454). Agape
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Updated 4-3-01