TIME IN PROPHECY
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Who wants us as the body of Christ to be completely ignorant of prophetic time?
Heaven?
Or Satan?
INTRODUCTION
Most of us in the church have been taught that we are to be completely ignorant of prophetic time, and therefore, we are supposed to have no knowledge of the timing of Christ’s descent in the clouds. Invariably, one verse is used to substantiate that position: “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father†(Mark 13:32).
Is Christ saying we are supposed to be completely ignorant of prophetic time?
If this is true, then why did Christ prophesy that we are supposed to “know that it is near, right at the doorâ€Â:
Now learn this lesson from the fig tree [Israel]: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it [the return of Christ] is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things [end-time events] have happened. (Mark 13:28–30)
Christ said we are to learn a lesson.
What is it?
Based on events that unfold in the Holy Land, we will “know that it [the return of Christ] is near, right at the door.â€Â
If Christ is correct, then how can we believe today that true spirituality requires complete ignorance of prophetic time?
Why else would Christ prophesy, “know that it is near, right at the door,†unless we are supposed to “know that it is near, right at the door�
How can we “know that it is near, right at the door†and, at the same time, be completely ignorant of prophetic time?
It’s impossible.
Therefore, there must be more to the story of not knowing the “day or hour.â€Â
What are we to learn from the prophecies of the “day or hour†and “know that it is near, right at the door�
Christ stated both prophecies in the same breath:
Now learn this lesson from the FIG TREE [ISRAEL]: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, YOU KNOW THAT IT IS NEAR, RIGHT AT THE DOOR. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things [end-time events] have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT THAT DAY OR HOUR, NOT EVEN THE ANGELS IN HEAVEN, NOR THE SON, BUT ONLY THE FATHER. (Mark 13:28–32)
“Know that it is near, right at the door,†relates back to Israel.
We are to learn a lesson from Israel.
If knowing “that it is near, right at the door†relates back to Israel, does the “day or hour†prophecy also relate back to Israel?
Is it possible that Christ’s reference to the “day or hour†has something to do with Israelâ€â€and the Old Testament?
How often did Christ refer to the Old Testament when elaborating on prophecy?
How often did Paul refer to the Old Testament when elaborating on prophecy?
What are we to learn from Paul when he prophesied that at “the last trumpet†the church would be transformed and transported?
What is “the last trumpet�
How is God marking time?
There is a holy day on the Hebrew calendar, the Feast of Trumpets, and no man knew the “day or hour†it would commence because it was the only feast that began with the sighting of the new moon. Is it possible that Christ is actually referencing this Hebrew holy day?
Additionally, the Feast of Trumpets was (and is) marked by the single, unbroken blast of a trumpet, known as “the last trumpet.†Is it possible that both Christ and Paul marked time by referring to the Hebrew calendar?
What about the first coming of Christ?
Were the Israelites supposed to be shocked when the Messiah walked in the Holy Land?
Or were they supposed to know about time in prophecy?
What did Christ say?
When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, "It’s going to rain," and it does. And when the south wind blows, you say, "It’s going to be hot," and it is. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?
(Luke 12:54-56)
In the first century, the religious authorities were ignorant of time marked in the Scriptures… and were… according to Christ… h y p o c r i t e s.
Why would anyone in the body of Christ embrace the same path, and choose to believe the dogma of ignorance, and follow in the footsteps of the Pharisees and Sadducees?
Satan must first deceive us into thinking it is spiritually correct to be ignorant of prophetic time.
...There is no need to be in subjection to this dogma of ignorance…
For those of us in the body of Christ who hold to the supreme authority of Scripture, there is one approach to Christ’s prophecy: “Know that it is near, right at the door,†means “know that it is near, right at the door.â€Â
Without question, Heaven marked time in the Scriptures.
With regard to the first coming of Christ, the angel Gabriel prophesied of the time the Messiah would walk in the Holy Land and marked the very year of his crucifixion:
Know and understand this: . . . After the sixty-two “sevens,†the Anointed One [Christ] will be cut off [crucified] and will have nothing. (Dan. 9:25, 26)
If God marked time in the Scriptures for the first coming of Christ, then what about the arrival of Christ for the church and Israel?
Christ said that there is a generation that will live to see the fulfillment of end-time prophecies.
Who is this generation?
Why else would Christ speak of such a generation, unless the generation spoken of by Christ would know that they are the generation?
What about the prophecies of “the last trumpet†and the “day or hour�
This opening post addresses God’s marking of time on the Hebrew calendar. Here, the prophecies of “the last trumpet†and the “day or hour†will be addressed. (The “generation†prophesied by Christ will be addressed in a future post.)
The following presentation introduces the seven holy days and elaborates upon the first five holy days.
PROPHECY: THE HEBREW CALENDAR: THE HOLY DAYS
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Can Christ return “any day†from Heaven?
How would Christ answer that question?
How would the apostle Paul answer that question?
How would the Old Testament Law answer that question? …
INTRODUCTION
The seven holy days in the Law of Moses foreshadowed major events that pertain to the first and second coming of Christ and reveal God’s plan to save the “Earth†from Satanâ€â€which includes Christ’s return for his church. These holy days make known not only how God would rescue souls, but how God would defeat Satan on the battlefieldâ€â€both in the spiritual realm and in the flesh and blood realm. The prophetic holy days disclose knowledge of God’s visionâ€â€especially as it concerns prophecy and our place in it.
To explore Heaven’s grand plan, this text moves back in time to the first century, to the days when the Messiah walked in the Holy Land and spoke forth this prophecy:
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. (Matt. 5:17, 18)
What has been accomplished with the first coming of Christ?
What shall be accomplished with the second coming of Christ?
How did God reveal in the Law the prophetic picture of what Christ would accomplish? Christ answered that question: “Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses†(Luke 24:44). What is specifically written about Christ in the Law of Moses? What has to be fulfilled?
What is specifically written about Christ in the Law and what has to be fulfilled are the seven holy days: the Feast of Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Firstfruits, the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh HaShanah), the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), and the Feast of Tabernacles.
God “wrote†his plan to rescue souls from Satan in the Lawâ€â€in the holy days; in the writings of Moses, God “embedded†the prophecies that Christ would ultimately fulfill, for within the seven holy days, God painted a “hidden†picture: the chronology, content, and significance of major events that pertain to the first coming of Christ, and the chronology, content, and significance of major events that pertain to the second coming of Christ.
It wasn’t until the days of the New Testament, and the revelation given by Heaven, that this divine story was revealed: the holy days are prophetic in nature. Just as Christ had to fulfill the Ten Commandments in his behavior, he had to fulfillâ€â€and has to fulfillâ€â€the prophecies written about him in the seven holy days. This connection between the holy days of the Old Testament and future events of the New Testament was made clear by the apostle Paul: “Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival [holy day], a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come†(Col. 2:16, 17).
The apostle Paul referred to the prophecies contained in the Old Testament Law: the holy days of the Old Testament “are a shadow [a foreshadowing] of things that were to come [in the New Testament].†Paul wrote this to Christ’s church because the holy days foreshadowed not only the birth of the church, but also the future of the church. In addition, the holy days give Christ’s church a prophetic picture of what is to come for “Israel†and the world.
What is the significance of Paul’s reference to the holy days and of Christ’s reference to the Law of Moses?
If the Old Testament Law foretold what would come to pass in the future, then the Old Testament set God’s precedent: New Testament prophecy must be in agreement with the precedent set in Old Testament prophecy. The Old Testament Law is God’s standardâ€â€not only for behavior but also prophecy. Herein, we as Christ’s church need not be blown about with every wind of doctrine on the subject of prophecy. God already established the irrefutable standard in the Old Testament.
This divine harmony between the Old and New Testaments cannot be broken. Frequently, Christ and his apostles quoted Old Testament prophets to demonstrate the fulfillment of prophecy and, in addition, what shall be fulfilled in the future. In essence, the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed.
With an understanding of the Old Testament holy days, New Testament prophecy speaks with a clear, unified voice regarding what was accomplished during the first coming of Christ, and what shall be accomplished during the second coming of Christ.
THE HOLY DAYS
As recorded in the Old Testament Law, Moses received from God seven holy days that the Jewish people were to celebrate every year. These holy daysâ€â€known as feastsâ€â€commemorated deliverance and blessing (among other things) for the Jewish people wrought by the hand of God. These feasts, however, had a dual purpose: they were not only annual days of remembrance for the Jewish people, but also were prophetic symbols that foretold of God’s ultimate plan of deliverance and blessing for all peoples by way of Christ. “The law is . . . a shadow of the good things that are coming†(Heb. 10:1).
Exactly how does the Old Testament Law speak to us in Christ’s church today?
The annual feasts that were marked on the Hebrew calendar were physical celebrations that foretold of future events and their timing. It was by way of these feasts that God marked time: key events that pertain to Christ would occur on the very holy days that God had given in the Old Testament. These ancient holy days not only marked time, but also foreshadowed what Christ would ultimately accomplish by way of his life, death, burial, Resurrection; his sending of the Holy Spirit; his descent for his church; his descent for Israel; and, finally, his 1000-year kingdom on Earth.
Exactly how did the seven feasts in the Law of Moses foreshadow major events that pertain to Christ?
Hundreds of years prior to the first coming of Christ, God marked the timing of the following dramatic events: Christ’s Crucifixion, burial, Resurrection, and the descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. Christ fulfilled the first four holy days: he was crucified on the Feast of Passover; he was in the burial tomb on the Feast of Unleavened Bread, he was resurrected from the dead on the Feast of Firstfruits, and, finally, Christ sent the Holy Spirit to his disciples on the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost)â€â€which was fifty days after the Resurrection. These events occurred as appointed by God, prophesied in the Old Testament Law.
Herein, Heaven established a precedent: If the first four feasts foreshadowed events that pertained to the first coming of Christ, then, logically, it stands to reason that the last three feasts foreshadow events that pertain to the second coming of Christ.
In essence, God’s plan to save the “Earth†from Satan would be accomplished in seven stages: God’s Son fulfilled the first three stages of the divine plan as the ultimate sacrifice and Savior while here during his earthly ministry; Christ fulfilled the fourth stage as man’s great high priest from the throne in Heaven when he sent the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, and he shall complete the final three stages when he returns as Lord and King.
This divine plan is revealed not only by seeing the prophetic nature of the holy days, but also how the holy days themselves fall on the Hebrew calendar. The first four feasts occur during the “spring season,†forming the first unit of time. The last three feasts occur during the “fall season,†forming the second unit of time. The spring feasts spoke to the first coming of Christ; the fall feasts (celebrated during the time of harvest) spoke to the second coming of Christ.
A long gap in time exists between the spring and fall feasts. On God’s prophetic timetable, this gap in time correlates to the time between the first and second coming of Christ; it is the time known as the “mysteryâ€Ââ€â€the time of Christ’s church. It is the time the world is living in now.
Exactly how did God set all this motion in Old Testament times?
The first four feasts mark key events that pertain to God delivering the children of Israel from Egypt through Mosesâ€â€which includes God dwelling with his people on Mount Sinai. The parallel to our time is the spiritual reality of God delivering souls from Satan through Christâ€â€which includes God dwelling with his people through the Holy Spirit.
This parallel between God’s deliverance of the Israelites, and God’s deliverance of souls, can be seen by looking back at the epic events that took place at the time of Moses. In the known history of this world, few events compare to those that rocked the Egyptian Empire and eventually led to God meeting with Moses and giving him the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai.
This historical saga begins with the children of Israel being slaves to Pharaoh of Egypt, who, despite nine plagues brought upon him and his people, refused to let the Israelites leave. For the tenth and final plague, the angel of death would “strike down every firstbornâ€â€both men and animals†(Exod. 12:12). The Israelites, however, would be spared if they sprinkled the blood of the sacrificial Passover lamb on the doorposts of their homes. The angel would see the blood and pass over the house.
The parallel to our time is as follows: just as the blood of the Passover lamb would save Israelites from death, so would the blood of God’s Lamb (Christ) ultimately save souls from death. The Feast of Passover marks this historical event for the Israelites. Passover is also referred to as the “Feast of Our Freedom,†for it marked the beginning of the end to slavery; it was the first holy day God gave to Moses.
God spoke to Moses and provided the details associated with this holy day: a lamb was to be killed on the fourteenth day of the Hebrew month called Nisan (equivalent to either March or April on the modern-day calendar). When God gave Moses this revelation, he was setting the stage for what would ultimately occur with his Son, the “Lamb of God†(John 1:29). When God marked the day the lamb was to be slain at the Jewish feast, God simultaneously marked the future day in time his own Son would be crucified.
Here is the Law that God gave Moses:
The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, “This month [Nisan] is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. . . . Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight [Hebrew: 3 p.m.].†(Exod. 12:1–3, 6)
This literal feast was also a prophecy that was fulfilled in the first century A.D. by the Lamb of God. While the Jewish religious leaders carried out their ceremony of Passover and sacrificed a lamb on the fourteenth day of Nisan, the Lamb of God was simultaneously sacrificed on the Cross.
According to the Law given to Moses, the sacrificial lamb was to be slain at “twilight,†which is a reference to the exact midpoint between our 12 p.m. and 6 p.m.â€â€which is 3 p.m. This is the precise moment that Christ “gave up his spirit†(Matt. 27:50). Herein, Christ fulfilled the Law given to Moses and fulfilled the prophecy contained within it.
If Christ didn’t fulfill the Law, then he wasn’t the Messiah. There is no doubt that Christ would fulfill the Law of Moses because he was the Messiah. As God’s own Lamb, Jesus had to die at the precise moment in time as originally given by God in the Law. In essence, God had to follow his own Law. The apostle Paul confirmed that Christ fulfilled the Law as God’s Lamb: “For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed†(1 Cor. 5:7).
Just as God marked the timing of Jesus’ Crucifixion by way of a Jewish feast, he marked the timing of the burial, Resurrection, and the descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost by way of Jewish feasts.
Christ’s burial is marked by the next feast: the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This feast began on the next day, the fifteenth of Nisan, which began at sunset. (Biblical days began at sunset.)
The Feast of Unleavened Bread is marked at the fifteenth day of Nisan, for on that day the angel of death struck down the Egyptians before midnight, and the children of Israel left Egypt that same evening. On this very day in ancient history, “Moses said to the people, ‘Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery, because the Lord brought you out of it with a mighty hand. Eat nothing containing yeast [nothing leavened]’†(Exod. 13:3). This feast marks the separation from Egyptian life, their gods, and what is sinful (leavened), and invites the believer to feed upon the Word of God. Jesus Christ is the true “bread of life†(John 6:35).
Three days after the Passover sacrifice, on the seventeenth day of Nisan, the Israelites reached the shore of the Red Sea. However, fear, not joy, filled their hearts as an angry Pharaoh sought vengeanceâ€â€chasing after the Israelites with his army. Now, with their backs to the Red Sea, the Israelites could see Pharaoh with his chariots pressing toward them. Yet Moses said, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today†(Exod. 14:13).
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. . . . Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.†(Exod. 14:21–23, 26)
God established a bridge to freedomâ€â€the land bridge formed at the base of the Red Sea. It was the salvation of the Israelites. It saved them from certain death.
Hundreds of years later on the very day that God parted the Red Sea and severed Pharaoh’s hold on the Israelites, he would raise his own Son from the dead. Therein, God would bring about deliverance from sin, sever Satan’s hold on the soul, and usher in immortalityâ€â€and its freedom. This is our spiritual reality that reflects the physical reality of what took place across the Red Sea. The annual feast that commemorates this day of deliverance at the Red Sea is the Feast of Firstfruits.
The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest’†(Lev. 23:9, 10). By offering the firstfruits of the harvest, the Israelites would acknowledge the miracle that ushered in their new “life.â€Â
Hundreds of years later, when God raised Christ from the dead on the seventeenth day of Nisan, the Messiah became the firstfruits of the divine harvest from the heart of the Earth. Those who would believe this miracle would themselves become a miracle (by gaining eternal life), and would ultimately witness another miracle: the transformation to an eternal, spiritual body, harvested from this Earth to Heaven.
The apostle Paul made specific reference to this truth:
But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep [died]. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die [the physical death], so in Christ all will be made alive [transformed to immortal, spiritual life]. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes [at Christ’s return], those who belong to him [will also be harvested from the Earth to Heaven]. (1 Cor. 15:20–23)
The key to this transformation is Christ: he is the bridge to move from mortality to immortality.
In the days of Moses, God established the land bridge to freedom that enabled the Israelites to journey forward toward the Promised Land. Along the way, they reached the wilderness of Sinai and camped by its holy mountain. Exactly fifty days after the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, God met with them at Mount Sinai.
[T]here was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him. (Exod. 19:16–19)
This descent of God on Mount Sinai “in fire†foreshadowed the descent of the Holy Spiritâ€â€the sign of which was “tongues of fire†(Acts 2:3). As God communed with his people on Mount Sinai fifty days after his divine intervention at the Red Sea, so God sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within the disciples fifty days after the Resurrection of his Son.
The fourth feast that marks this revelation of God on Mount Sinai is the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost). (“Pentecost†in the Greek language literally means “fifty.â€Â) The Feast of Weeks is marked fifty days after the Feast of Firstfruits, and it completes the season of Passover.
If Christ fulfilled the first four feasts on the exact days required by the Old Testament Law, then, logically, it stands to reason that the final three feasts shall be fulfilled with the same precision.
The next grand event on Heaven’s prophetic calendar is Christ’s return to gather his church, and the next feast to be fulfilled is the Feast of Trumpets. The prophecies given by the Son of God, the apostle Paul, and Moses reveal the divine harmony within and between the Old and New Testaments, for they speak with a unified voice regarding the Feast of Trumpets.
The apostle Paul unmistakably connected the return of Christ to gather his church to the Feast of Trumpets, for in Paul’s prophecy he referred to “the last trumpetâ€Â: “n a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed [transformed immortal]. For the perishable [the dead] must clothe itself with the imperishable [everlasting life], and the mortal with immortality†(1 Cor. 15:52, 53).
According to Paul, this prophecy will unfold at “the last trumpet,†which is a specific reference to “the last trumpet†blown on the Feast of Trumpets. During this feast, the religious authorities mark the celebration with a series of short trumpet blasts. The ritual is concluded with a single unbroken blast, held for as long as possible. It is called the Tekiah Gedolah. It is “the last trumpet.â€Â
On the Hebrew calendar, the Feast of Trumpets falls during a unique season: Teshuvah. In Hebrew, it means “to return or repent,†and the message is straightforward: God desires that his creation live righteously, and this time of the year was set aside for people to ponder their approach to lifeâ€â€with a view to setting the heart and mind straight before the Feast of Trumpets, for on that day God offers judgment. This feast is also referred to as Yom HaDin, or the Day of Judgment. On a future day in time, on the Feast of Trumpets, those who have been made righteous by the blood of Christ (judged righteous) will receive the blessing of that judgment and will ascend to Heaven.
Exactly how does the Feast of Trumpets foreshadow what shall come to pass on this future day?
When the trumpet blasts sounded on the Feast of Trumpets, they were more than just ceremonial expressions; they literally summoned the Jewish people. When the Jewish workers in their fields heard the trumpet call, they would immediately cease harvesting and journey to the temple for worship. As it was then (and is now), a Jewish worker could be harvesting alongside a non-Jewish worker, and when the trumpets were heard, the Jewish worker would leave the fields, but the non-Jewish worker would remain. Jesus Christ himself made reference to this phenomenon (and to this feast) when he spoke of his descent in the clouds:
As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the [second] coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the [second] coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken [to be with Christ] and the other left [behind]. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. (Matt. 24:37–41)
When “the last trumpet†sounds, “one [who belongs to Christ] will be taken [to be with Christ] and the other [who does not belong to Christ will be] left [behind].â€Â
Note: Even though Christ’s prophecy in Matthew 24 speaks of Israel’s salvation after the time of wrath, the fact remains, Christ is now referring to the Feast of Trumpets in this prophetic statementâ€â€which applies not only to Israel, but as we learned from Paul, the church as well. We as the church learn not only from Old Testament prophecies, but also from Christ in the Gospels. The prophetic, Hebrew calendar applies to both Israel and the church.
God marked the glorious, future event of the harvest (on the Feast of Trumpets) by way of the Law.
The Lord said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts.’†(Lev. 23:23, 24)
The Feast of Trumpets fell on the first day of the seventh religious month: Tishrei (equivalent to either September or October). Although Tishrei is the seventh month on the Jewish religious calendar, it is the first month on the Jewish civil calendar. The first day of Tishrei is known as “Rosh HaShanah†or, the “head of the year.†It is the start of the Jewish New Year.
In the Torah (the books of Moses), Rosh HaShanah is referred to as Yom Teruah: the “Day of the Sounding of the Shofar (trumpet),†or the “Day of the Awakening Blast.†Teruah means “an awakening blast†and is also translated as “shout.†The Talmud (Jewish commentaries on Scripture) associates Rosh HaShanah with the resurrection of the dead. The corresponding prophecy is unmistakable: when the “awakening blast†sounds on Rosh HaShanah, truly the church of Christ shall “awake†to the Lord Jesus Christ.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump [trumpet] of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (1 Thess. 4:16, 17 KJV)
The trumpet blast and the shout will summon all in the church of Christ. When shall this come to pass? Thousands of years ago, God had already marked the very day of the year on the Hebrew calendar when his Son would descent in the clouds for the church: New Year’s Day (Rosh HaShanah).
How does the Hebrew calendar mark New Year’s Day?
Unlike our modern-day calendar, the Hebrew calendar relied upon the moon to mark the first day of each month. The first day of each month on the Hebrew calendar was marked by the appearance of the new moon. When the first sliver of the new moon appeared in the sky, the Jewish authorities marked the first day of the month. Hence, the first day of the seventh month (Tishrei) was determined by the appearance of the seventh new moon. Herein, the heavens marked the start of the Feast of Trumpets: when the first sliver of the seventh new moon appeared in the sky, the first day of Tishrei was markedâ€â€and so was the start of the feast. The Feast of Trumpets is also referred to as the “Feast of the New Moon,†for it is the only annual feast of God that commences with this lunar sign from the heavens.
In ancient times, Jewish religious authorities could not predict the day or hour the Feast of Trumpets would begin; they had to wait until the new moon was actually seen by reliable witnesses. As stated in the Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, “Early in the morning of the 30th of each month, the Sanhedrin came together and, upon the testimony of two reliable witnesses, proclaimed: ‘The new moon is consecrated.’ Thus the 30th day of the month was declared to be the first day of the new month. If the moon’s crescent had not been seen on the 30th day, the new month did not begin until the 31st day†(Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, 1942, p. 171). In essence, the Jewish religious authorities did not know when the Feast of Trumpets would actually commence; they did not know the day or hour.
Jesus Christ made specific reference to this fact when he spoke of the time he would fulfill his promise to return; he said, “No one knows about that day or hour†(Mark. 13:32). This phrase about “not knowing the day or hour†is a specific Hebrew saying, peculiar to the Feast of Trumpets.
To expound upon this thought, Christ’s prophecy about not knowing the “day or hour†refers to two unique segments of time: “day†means “the time from one sunrise or sunset to another,†and the word “hour†means “a definite and limited time. . . . [T]he time of the day . . . the hour†(E. W. Bullinger, A Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English and Greek New Testament, pgs. 202 and 385). In essence, “day†literally means a “day†and “hour†literally means an “hourâ€Ââ€â€two segments of time associated with the Feast of the New Moon (Rosh HaShanah). Hence, Christ’s prophecy about “not knowing the day or hour†of his return is actually a direct reference to a common phrase used to describe the Feast of Trumpets.
This conclusionâ€â€that Christ is specifically referring to this feastâ€â€can be viewed from Hebrew history. Rosh HaShanah is also referred to as Yom HaKeseh, which means the “Day of Hiding,†or the “Hidden Day.†This is beast of Trumpets was the only day on the Hebrew calendar “hidden†from view: no man knew the day or hour that this feast would commence.
Herein, Christ and Paul both made direct references to the Feast of Trumpets when referring to the return to gather the church to Heaven. In other words, the day of the return corresponds to the day of the Feast of Trumpetsâ€â€just like the day of the Crucifixion corresponded to the day of the Feast of Passover. This divine harmony cannot be broken. “I [Christ] tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished†(Matt. 5:18).
God’s accomplishments through Christ had to correspond to the Law: Christ couldn’t die “any day,†nor could he be in the burial tomb “any day,†nor could he be resurrected “any day,†nor could he send his Spirit to the apostles “any day,†and Christ can’t come back “any day.†To believe that Christ can return “any day†for the church is to disbelieve that Christ has to fulfill the Law of Moses.
The belief that Christ can return “any day†is rooted in religious historyâ€â€not in the Scriptures. Our religious ancestors neglected the voice of Moses and consequently were deceivedâ€â€and the deception continues to this day.
When we stand before the throne of Heaven, what will be our individual testimonies to our Lord and Savior?
Will it be the supreme authority of religious tradition?
Will it be the supreme authority of famous names of renown?
Or will it be the supreme authority of Scripture?
For those of us in the body of Christ who hold to the supreme authority of Scripture, there is no intent to create traditions or stories, but to be worthy of the divinely inspired story already written. Let us not silence the prophecy God marked in the Law of Moses. The Old Testament Law stands: the day of Christ’s descent in the clouds for his church corresponds to the holy day marked by God.
God bless.
revel
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Who wants us as the body of Christ to be completely ignorant of prophetic time?
Heaven?
Or Satan?
INTRODUCTION
Most of us in the church have been taught that we are to be completely ignorant of prophetic time, and therefore, we are supposed to have no knowledge of the timing of Christ’s descent in the clouds. Invariably, one verse is used to substantiate that position: “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father†(Mark 13:32).
Is Christ saying we are supposed to be completely ignorant of prophetic time?
If this is true, then why did Christ prophesy that we are supposed to “know that it is near, right at the doorâ€Â:
Now learn this lesson from the fig tree [Israel]: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it [the return of Christ] is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things [end-time events] have happened. (Mark 13:28–30)
Christ said we are to learn a lesson.
What is it?
Based on events that unfold in the Holy Land, we will “know that it [the return of Christ] is near, right at the door.â€Â
If Christ is correct, then how can we believe today that true spirituality requires complete ignorance of prophetic time?
Why else would Christ prophesy, “know that it is near, right at the door,†unless we are supposed to “know that it is near, right at the door�
How can we “know that it is near, right at the door†and, at the same time, be completely ignorant of prophetic time?
It’s impossible.
Therefore, there must be more to the story of not knowing the “day or hour.â€Â
What are we to learn from the prophecies of the “day or hour†and “know that it is near, right at the door�
Christ stated both prophecies in the same breath:
Now learn this lesson from the FIG TREE [ISRAEL]: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, YOU KNOW THAT IT IS NEAR, RIGHT AT THE DOOR. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things [end-time events] have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT THAT DAY OR HOUR, NOT EVEN THE ANGELS IN HEAVEN, NOR THE SON, BUT ONLY THE FATHER. (Mark 13:28–32)
“Know that it is near, right at the door,†relates back to Israel.
We are to learn a lesson from Israel.
If knowing “that it is near, right at the door†relates back to Israel, does the “day or hour†prophecy also relate back to Israel?
Is it possible that Christ’s reference to the “day or hour†has something to do with Israelâ€â€and the Old Testament?
How often did Christ refer to the Old Testament when elaborating on prophecy?
How often did Paul refer to the Old Testament when elaborating on prophecy?
What are we to learn from Paul when he prophesied that at “the last trumpet†the church would be transformed and transported?
What is “the last trumpet�
How is God marking time?
There is a holy day on the Hebrew calendar, the Feast of Trumpets, and no man knew the “day or hour†it would commence because it was the only feast that began with the sighting of the new moon. Is it possible that Christ is actually referencing this Hebrew holy day?
Additionally, the Feast of Trumpets was (and is) marked by the single, unbroken blast of a trumpet, known as “the last trumpet.†Is it possible that both Christ and Paul marked time by referring to the Hebrew calendar?
What about the first coming of Christ?
Were the Israelites supposed to be shocked when the Messiah walked in the Holy Land?
Or were they supposed to know about time in prophecy?
What did Christ say?
When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, "It’s going to rain," and it does. And when the south wind blows, you say, "It’s going to be hot," and it is. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?
(Luke 12:54-56)
In the first century, the religious authorities were ignorant of time marked in the Scriptures… and were… according to Christ… h y p o c r i t e s.
Why would anyone in the body of Christ embrace the same path, and choose to believe the dogma of ignorance, and follow in the footsteps of the Pharisees and Sadducees?
Satan must first deceive us into thinking it is spiritually correct to be ignorant of prophetic time.
...There is no need to be in subjection to this dogma of ignorance…
For those of us in the body of Christ who hold to the supreme authority of Scripture, there is one approach to Christ’s prophecy: “Know that it is near, right at the door,†means “know that it is near, right at the door.â€Â
Without question, Heaven marked time in the Scriptures.
With regard to the first coming of Christ, the angel Gabriel prophesied of the time the Messiah would walk in the Holy Land and marked the very year of his crucifixion:
Know and understand this: . . . After the sixty-two “sevens,†the Anointed One [Christ] will be cut off [crucified] and will have nothing. (Dan. 9:25, 26)
If God marked time in the Scriptures for the first coming of Christ, then what about the arrival of Christ for the church and Israel?
Christ said that there is a generation that will live to see the fulfillment of end-time prophecies.
Who is this generation?
Why else would Christ speak of such a generation, unless the generation spoken of by Christ would know that they are the generation?
What about the prophecies of “the last trumpet†and the “day or hour�
This opening post addresses God’s marking of time on the Hebrew calendar. Here, the prophecies of “the last trumpet†and the “day or hour†will be addressed. (The “generation†prophesied by Christ will be addressed in a future post.)
The following presentation introduces the seven holy days and elaborates upon the first five holy days.
PROPHECY: THE HEBREW CALENDAR: THE HOLY DAYS
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Can Christ return “any day†from Heaven?
How would Christ answer that question?
How would the apostle Paul answer that question?
How would the Old Testament Law answer that question? …
INTRODUCTION
The seven holy days in the Law of Moses foreshadowed major events that pertain to the first and second coming of Christ and reveal God’s plan to save the “Earth†from Satanâ€â€which includes Christ’s return for his church. These holy days make known not only how God would rescue souls, but how God would defeat Satan on the battlefieldâ€â€both in the spiritual realm and in the flesh and blood realm. The prophetic holy days disclose knowledge of God’s visionâ€â€especially as it concerns prophecy and our place in it.
To explore Heaven’s grand plan, this text moves back in time to the first century, to the days when the Messiah walked in the Holy Land and spoke forth this prophecy:
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. (Matt. 5:17, 18)
What has been accomplished with the first coming of Christ?
What shall be accomplished with the second coming of Christ?
How did God reveal in the Law the prophetic picture of what Christ would accomplish? Christ answered that question: “Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses†(Luke 24:44). What is specifically written about Christ in the Law of Moses? What has to be fulfilled?
What is specifically written about Christ in the Law and what has to be fulfilled are the seven holy days: the Feast of Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Firstfruits, the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh HaShanah), the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), and the Feast of Tabernacles.
God “wrote†his plan to rescue souls from Satan in the Lawâ€â€in the holy days; in the writings of Moses, God “embedded†the prophecies that Christ would ultimately fulfill, for within the seven holy days, God painted a “hidden†picture: the chronology, content, and significance of major events that pertain to the first coming of Christ, and the chronology, content, and significance of major events that pertain to the second coming of Christ.
It wasn’t until the days of the New Testament, and the revelation given by Heaven, that this divine story was revealed: the holy days are prophetic in nature. Just as Christ had to fulfill the Ten Commandments in his behavior, he had to fulfillâ€â€and has to fulfillâ€â€the prophecies written about him in the seven holy days. This connection between the holy days of the Old Testament and future events of the New Testament was made clear by the apostle Paul: “Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival [holy day], a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come†(Col. 2:16, 17).
The apostle Paul referred to the prophecies contained in the Old Testament Law: the holy days of the Old Testament “are a shadow [a foreshadowing] of things that were to come [in the New Testament].†Paul wrote this to Christ’s church because the holy days foreshadowed not only the birth of the church, but also the future of the church. In addition, the holy days give Christ’s church a prophetic picture of what is to come for “Israel†and the world.
What is the significance of Paul’s reference to the holy days and of Christ’s reference to the Law of Moses?
If the Old Testament Law foretold what would come to pass in the future, then the Old Testament set God’s precedent: New Testament prophecy must be in agreement with the precedent set in Old Testament prophecy. The Old Testament Law is God’s standardâ€â€not only for behavior but also prophecy. Herein, we as Christ’s church need not be blown about with every wind of doctrine on the subject of prophecy. God already established the irrefutable standard in the Old Testament.
This divine harmony between the Old and New Testaments cannot be broken. Frequently, Christ and his apostles quoted Old Testament prophets to demonstrate the fulfillment of prophecy and, in addition, what shall be fulfilled in the future. In essence, the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed.
With an understanding of the Old Testament holy days, New Testament prophecy speaks with a clear, unified voice regarding what was accomplished during the first coming of Christ, and what shall be accomplished during the second coming of Christ.
THE HOLY DAYS
As recorded in the Old Testament Law, Moses received from God seven holy days that the Jewish people were to celebrate every year. These holy daysâ€â€known as feastsâ€â€commemorated deliverance and blessing (among other things) for the Jewish people wrought by the hand of God. These feasts, however, had a dual purpose: they were not only annual days of remembrance for the Jewish people, but also were prophetic symbols that foretold of God’s ultimate plan of deliverance and blessing for all peoples by way of Christ. “The law is . . . a shadow of the good things that are coming†(Heb. 10:1).
Exactly how does the Old Testament Law speak to us in Christ’s church today?
The annual feasts that were marked on the Hebrew calendar were physical celebrations that foretold of future events and their timing. It was by way of these feasts that God marked time: key events that pertain to Christ would occur on the very holy days that God had given in the Old Testament. These ancient holy days not only marked time, but also foreshadowed what Christ would ultimately accomplish by way of his life, death, burial, Resurrection; his sending of the Holy Spirit; his descent for his church; his descent for Israel; and, finally, his 1000-year kingdom on Earth.
Exactly how did the seven feasts in the Law of Moses foreshadow major events that pertain to Christ?
Hundreds of years prior to the first coming of Christ, God marked the timing of the following dramatic events: Christ’s Crucifixion, burial, Resurrection, and the descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. Christ fulfilled the first four holy days: he was crucified on the Feast of Passover; he was in the burial tomb on the Feast of Unleavened Bread, he was resurrected from the dead on the Feast of Firstfruits, and, finally, Christ sent the Holy Spirit to his disciples on the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost)â€â€which was fifty days after the Resurrection. These events occurred as appointed by God, prophesied in the Old Testament Law.
Herein, Heaven established a precedent: If the first four feasts foreshadowed events that pertained to the first coming of Christ, then, logically, it stands to reason that the last three feasts foreshadow events that pertain to the second coming of Christ.
In essence, God’s plan to save the “Earth†from Satan would be accomplished in seven stages: God’s Son fulfilled the first three stages of the divine plan as the ultimate sacrifice and Savior while here during his earthly ministry; Christ fulfilled the fourth stage as man’s great high priest from the throne in Heaven when he sent the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, and he shall complete the final three stages when he returns as Lord and King.
This divine plan is revealed not only by seeing the prophetic nature of the holy days, but also how the holy days themselves fall on the Hebrew calendar. The first four feasts occur during the “spring season,†forming the first unit of time. The last three feasts occur during the “fall season,†forming the second unit of time. The spring feasts spoke to the first coming of Christ; the fall feasts (celebrated during the time of harvest) spoke to the second coming of Christ.
A long gap in time exists between the spring and fall feasts. On God’s prophetic timetable, this gap in time correlates to the time between the first and second coming of Christ; it is the time known as the “mysteryâ€Ââ€â€the time of Christ’s church. It is the time the world is living in now.
Exactly how did God set all this motion in Old Testament times?
The first four feasts mark key events that pertain to God delivering the children of Israel from Egypt through Mosesâ€â€which includes God dwelling with his people on Mount Sinai. The parallel to our time is the spiritual reality of God delivering souls from Satan through Christâ€â€which includes God dwelling with his people through the Holy Spirit.
This parallel between God’s deliverance of the Israelites, and God’s deliverance of souls, can be seen by looking back at the epic events that took place at the time of Moses. In the known history of this world, few events compare to those that rocked the Egyptian Empire and eventually led to God meeting with Moses and giving him the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai.
This historical saga begins with the children of Israel being slaves to Pharaoh of Egypt, who, despite nine plagues brought upon him and his people, refused to let the Israelites leave. For the tenth and final plague, the angel of death would “strike down every firstbornâ€â€both men and animals†(Exod. 12:12). The Israelites, however, would be spared if they sprinkled the blood of the sacrificial Passover lamb on the doorposts of their homes. The angel would see the blood and pass over the house.
The parallel to our time is as follows: just as the blood of the Passover lamb would save Israelites from death, so would the blood of God’s Lamb (Christ) ultimately save souls from death. The Feast of Passover marks this historical event for the Israelites. Passover is also referred to as the “Feast of Our Freedom,†for it marked the beginning of the end to slavery; it was the first holy day God gave to Moses.
God spoke to Moses and provided the details associated with this holy day: a lamb was to be killed on the fourteenth day of the Hebrew month called Nisan (equivalent to either March or April on the modern-day calendar). When God gave Moses this revelation, he was setting the stage for what would ultimately occur with his Son, the “Lamb of God†(John 1:29). When God marked the day the lamb was to be slain at the Jewish feast, God simultaneously marked the future day in time his own Son would be crucified.
Here is the Law that God gave Moses:
The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, “This month [Nisan] is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. . . . Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight [Hebrew: 3 p.m.].†(Exod. 12:1–3, 6)
This literal feast was also a prophecy that was fulfilled in the first century A.D. by the Lamb of God. While the Jewish religious leaders carried out their ceremony of Passover and sacrificed a lamb on the fourteenth day of Nisan, the Lamb of God was simultaneously sacrificed on the Cross.
According to the Law given to Moses, the sacrificial lamb was to be slain at “twilight,†which is a reference to the exact midpoint between our 12 p.m. and 6 p.m.â€â€which is 3 p.m. This is the precise moment that Christ “gave up his spirit†(Matt. 27:50). Herein, Christ fulfilled the Law given to Moses and fulfilled the prophecy contained within it.
If Christ didn’t fulfill the Law, then he wasn’t the Messiah. There is no doubt that Christ would fulfill the Law of Moses because he was the Messiah. As God’s own Lamb, Jesus had to die at the precise moment in time as originally given by God in the Law. In essence, God had to follow his own Law. The apostle Paul confirmed that Christ fulfilled the Law as God’s Lamb: “For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed†(1 Cor. 5:7).
Just as God marked the timing of Jesus’ Crucifixion by way of a Jewish feast, he marked the timing of the burial, Resurrection, and the descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost by way of Jewish feasts.
Christ’s burial is marked by the next feast: the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This feast began on the next day, the fifteenth of Nisan, which began at sunset. (Biblical days began at sunset.)
The Feast of Unleavened Bread is marked at the fifteenth day of Nisan, for on that day the angel of death struck down the Egyptians before midnight, and the children of Israel left Egypt that same evening. On this very day in ancient history, “Moses said to the people, ‘Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery, because the Lord brought you out of it with a mighty hand. Eat nothing containing yeast [nothing leavened]’†(Exod. 13:3). This feast marks the separation from Egyptian life, their gods, and what is sinful (leavened), and invites the believer to feed upon the Word of God. Jesus Christ is the true “bread of life†(John 6:35).
Three days after the Passover sacrifice, on the seventeenth day of Nisan, the Israelites reached the shore of the Red Sea. However, fear, not joy, filled their hearts as an angry Pharaoh sought vengeanceâ€â€chasing after the Israelites with his army. Now, with their backs to the Red Sea, the Israelites could see Pharaoh with his chariots pressing toward them. Yet Moses said, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today†(Exod. 14:13).
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. . . . Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.†(Exod. 14:21–23, 26)
God established a bridge to freedomâ€â€the land bridge formed at the base of the Red Sea. It was the salvation of the Israelites. It saved them from certain death.
Hundreds of years later on the very day that God parted the Red Sea and severed Pharaoh’s hold on the Israelites, he would raise his own Son from the dead. Therein, God would bring about deliverance from sin, sever Satan’s hold on the soul, and usher in immortalityâ€â€and its freedom. This is our spiritual reality that reflects the physical reality of what took place across the Red Sea. The annual feast that commemorates this day of deliverance at the Red Sea is the Feast of Firstfruits.
The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest’†(Lev. 23:9, 10). By offering the firstfruits of the harvest, the Israelites would acknowledge the miracle that ushered in their new “life.â€Â
Hundreds of years later, when God raised Christ from the dead on the seventeenth day of Nisan, the Messiah became the firstfruits of the divine harvest from the heart of the Earth. Those who would believe this miracle would themselves become a miracle (by gaining eternal life), and would ultimately witness another miracle: the transformation to an eternal, spiritual body, harvested from this Earth to Heaven.
The apostle Paul made specific reference to this truth:
But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep [died]. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die [the physical death], so in Christ all will be made alive [transformed to immortal, spiritual life]. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes [at Christ’s return], those who belong to him [will also be harvested from the Earth to Heaven]. (1 Cor. 15:20–23)
The key to this transformation is Christ: he is the bridge to move from mortality to immortality.
In the days of Moses, God established the land bridge to freedom that enabled the Israelites to journey forward toward the Promised Land. Along the way, they reached the wilderness of Sinai and camped by its holy mountain. Exactly fifty days after the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, God met with them at Mount Sinai.
[T]here was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him. (Exod. 19:16–19)
This descent of God on Mount Sinai “in fire†foreshadowed the descent of the Holy Spiritâ€â€the sign of which was “tongues of fire†(Acts 2:3). As God communed with his people on Mount Sinai fifty days after his divine intervention at the Red Sea, so God sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within the disciples fifty days after the Resurrection of his Son.
The fourth feast that marks this revelation of God on Mount Sinai is the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost). (“Pentecost†in the Greek language literally means “fifty.â€Â) The Feast of Weeks is marked fifty days after the Feast of Firstfruits, and it completes the season of Passover.
If Christ fulfilled the first four feasts on the exact days required by the Old Testament Law, then, logically, it stands to reason that the final three feasts shall be fulfilled with the same precision.
The next grand event on Heaven’s prophetic calendar is Christ’s return to gather his church, and the next feast to be fulfilled is the Feast of Trumpets. The prophecies given by the Son of God, the apostle Paul, and Moses reveal the divine harmony within and between the Old and New Testaments, for they speak with a unified voice regarding the Feast of Trumpets.
The apostle Paul unmistakably connected the return of Christ to gather his church to the Feast of Trumpets, for in Paul’s prophecy he referred to “the last trumpetâ€Â: “n a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed [transformed immortal]. For the perishable [the dead] must clothe itself with the imperishable [everlasting life], and the mortal with immortality†(1 Cor. 15:52, 53).
According to Paul, this prophecy will unfold at “the last trumpet,†which is a specific reference to “the last trumpet†blown on the Feast of Trumpets. During this feast, the religious authorities mark the celebration with a series of short trumpet blasts. The ritual is concluded with a single unbroken blast, held for as long as possible. It is called the Tekiah Gedolah. It is “the last trumpet.â€Â
On the Hebrew calendar, the Feast of Trumpets falls during a unique season: Teshuvah. In Hebrew, it means “to return or repent,†and the message is straightforward: God desires that his creation live righteously, and this time of the year was set aside for people to ponder their approach to lifeâ€â€with a view to setting the heart and mind straight before the Feast of Trumpets, for on that day God offers judgment. This feast is also referred to as Yom HaDin, or the Day of Judgment. On a future day in time, on the Feast of Trumpets, those who have been made righteous by the blood of Christ (judged righteous) will receive the blessing of that judgment and will ascend to Heaven.
Exactly how does the Feast of Trumpets foreshadow what shall come to pass on this future day?
When the trumpet blasts sounded on the Feast of Trumpets, they were more than just ceremonial expressions; they literally summoned the Jewish people. When the Jewish workers in their fields heard the trumpet call, they would immediately cease harvesting and journey to the temple for worship. As it was then (and is now), a Jewish worker could be harvesting alongside a non-Jewish worker, and when the trumpets were heard, the Jewish worker would leave the fields, but the non-Jewish worker would remain. Jesus Christ himself made reference to this phenomenon (and to this feast) when he spoke of his descent in the clouds:
As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the [second] coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the [second] coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken [to be with Christ] and the other left [behind]. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. (Matt. 24:37–41)
When “the last trumpet†sounds, “one [who belongs to Christ] will be taken [to be with Christ] and the other [who does not belong to Christ will be] left [behind].â€Â
Note: Even though Christ’s prophecy in Matthew 24 speaks of Israel’s salvation after the time of wrath, the fact remains, Christ is now referring to the Feast of Trumpets in this prophetic statementâ€â€which applies not only to Israel, but as we learned from Paul, the church as well. We as the church learn not only from Old Testament prophecies, but also from Christ in the Gospels. The prophetic, Hebrew calendar applies to both Israel and the church.
God marked the glorious, future event of the harvest (on the Feast of Trumpets) by way of the Law.
The Lord said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts.’†(Lev. 23:23, 24)
The Feast of Trumpets fell on the first day of the seventh religious month: Tishrei (equivalent to either September or October). Although Tishrei is the seventh month on the Jewish religious calendar, it is the first month on the Jewish civil calendar. The first day of Tishrei is known as “Rosh HaShanah†or, the “head of the year.†It is the start of the Jewish New Year.
In the Torah (the books of Moses), Rosh HaShanah is referred to as Yom Teruah: the “Day of the Sounding of the Shofar (trumpet),†or the “Day of the Awakening Blast.†Teruah means “an awakening blast†and is also translated as “shout.†The Talmud (Jewish commentaries on Scripture) associates Rosh HaShanah with the resurrection of the dead. The corresponding prophecy is unmistakable: when the “awakening blast†sounds on Rosh HaShanah, truly the church of Christ shall “awake†to the Lord Jesus Christ.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump [trumpet] of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (1 Thess. 4:16, 17 KJV)
The trumpet blast and the shout will summon all in the church of Christ. When shall this come to pass? Thousands of years ago, God had already marked the very day of the year on the Hebrew calendar when his Son would descent in the clouds for the church: New Year’s Day (Rosh HaShanah).
How does the Hebrew calendar mark New Year’s Day?
Unlike our modern-day calendar, the Hebrew calendar relied upon the moon to mark the first day of each month. The first day of each month on the Hebrew calendar was marked by the appearance of the new moon. When the first sliver of the new moon appeared in the sky, the Jewish authorities marked the first day of the month. Hence, the first day of the seventh month (Tishrei) was determined by the appearance of the seventh new moon. Herein, the heavens marked the start of the Feast of Trumpets: when the first sliver of the seventh new moon appeared in the sky, the first day of Tishrei was markedâ€â€and so was the start of the feast. The Feast of Trumpets is also referred to as the “Feast of the New Moon,†for it is the only annual feast of God that commences with this lunar sign from the heavens.
In ancient times, Jewish religious authorities could not predict the day or hour the Feast of Trumpets would begin; they had to wait until the new moon was actually seen by reliable witnesses. As stated in the Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, “Early in the morning of the 30th of each month, the Sanhedrin came together and, upon the testimony of two reliable witnesses, proclaimed: ‘The new moon is consecrated.’ Thus the 30th day of the month was declared to be the first day of the new month. If the moon’s crescent had not been seen on the 30th day, the new month did not begin until the 31st day†(Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, 1942, p. 171). In essence, the Jewish religious authorities did not know when the Feast of Trumpets would actually commence; they did not know the day or hour.
Jesus Christ made specific reference to this fact when he spoke of the time he would fulfill his promise to return; he said, “No one knows about that day or hour†(Mark. 13:32). This phrase about “not knowing the day or hour†is a specific Hebrew saying, peculiar to the Feast of Trumpets.
To expound upon this thought, Christ’s prophecy about not knowing the “day or hour†refers to two unique segments of time: “day†means “the time from one sunrise or sunset to another,†and the word “hour†means “a definite and limited time. . . . [T]he time of the day . . . the hour†(E. W. Bullinger, A Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English and Greek New Testament, pgs. 202 and 385). In essence, “day†literally means a “day†and “hour†literally means an “hourâ€Ââ€â€two segments of time associated with the Feast of the New Moon (Rosh HaShanah). Hence, Christ’s prophecy about “not knowing the day or hour†of his return is actually a direct reference to a common phrase used to describe the Feast of Trumpets.
This conclusionâ€â€that Christ is specifically referring to this feastâ€â€can be viewed from Hebrew history. Rosh HaShanah is also referred to as Yom HaKeseh, which means the “Day of Hiding,†or the “Hidden Day.†This is beast of Trumpets was the only day on the Hebrew calendar “hidden†from view: no man knew the day or hour that this feast would commence.
Herein, Christ and Paul both made direct references to the Feast of Trumpets when referring to the return to gather the church to Heaven. In other words, the day of the return corresponds to the day of the Feast of Trumpetsâ€â€just like the day of the Crucifixion corresponded to the day of the Feast of Passover. This divine harmony cannot be broken. “I [Christ] tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished†(Matt. 5:18).
God’s accomplishments through Christ had to correspond to the Law: Christ couldn’t die “any day,†nor could he be in the burial tomb “any day,†nor could he be resurrected “any day,†nor could he send his Spirit to the apostles “any day,†and Christ can’t come back “any day.†To believe that Christ can return “any day†for the church is to disbelieve that Christ has to fulfill the Law of Moses.
The belief that Christ can return “any day†is rooted in religious historyâ€â€not in the Scriptures. Our religious ancestors neglected the voice of Moses and consequently were deceivedâ€â€and the deception continues to this day.
When we stand before the throne of Heaven, what will be our individual testimonies to our Lord and Savior?
Will it be the supreme authority of religious tradition?
Will it be the supreme authority of famous names of renown?
Or will it be the supreme authority of Scripture?
For those of us in the body of Christ who hold to the supreme authority of Scripture, there is no intent to create traditions or stories, but to be worthy of the divinely inspired story already written. Let us not silence the prophecy God marked in the Law of Moses. The Old Testament Law stands: the day of Christ’s descent in the clouds for his church corresponds to the holy day marked by God.
God bless.
revel
Then let them which be in Judaea [referring to the followers of the Old Covenant] flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.