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The Fig Tree, the Festivals, and the Doctrine of Imminency

Greetings brothers and sisters!  I hope that your eyes are remaining fixed on the sky.  This journey can be wearying, but it will be forever worth it.  When the day finally comes, all of the waiting and watching and longing will be eternally vindicated.  Watching for the Lord is not without pain (Rev. 10:10).  Some are not able to bear this burden—all of the inward groaning (Rm. 8:24–26), doubts, and continual scoffing from those who are wed to this world (2 Pt. 3:3–13; 1 Cor. 7:31; 1 Jn. 2:17–29) take their toll.  But we cannot be shaken.  Yet for those whom God has given the ability to bear it, it is worth more than all the treasure in the world.

There is a certain temptation to think we must somehow balance our hope in the world to come with our hopes and plans for this present world.  And this may even seem wise, tempered, and spiritual.  But God is calling us away from this world, because everything in it is passing away.  Every hope placed here is a misplaced hope (Mt. 6:19–21; Lk. 12:34; 18:22).  God has promised and God is faithful.  Faith isn't always easy, but it is simple.  Our faith is in Christ who is coming super-imminently to rescue us, heal us, and glorify us.

He's coming soon—not because I say so, but because He says so (Rev. 1:3; 22:6–7, 12, 20).  Are you believing those who say He delays His coming (Mt. 24:48–51; 2 Pt. 3:3–13; Rev. 3:3), or are you believing Him?  There are those who say His coming is delayed for a long time, but there are also those who say it's delayed in the short-term.  Many are comfortable with the signs converging, but they aren't as comfortable with the signs having already converged.  On their journey to the Red Sea the Israelites barely uttered a word against God's plan, but once their back was up against the water, with Pharaoh's chariots closing in, they immediately began questioning all the signs and wonders they had just witnessed when God had brought them out (Ex. 14:10–14).  Likewise, we have just witnessed the most apocalyptic year in any of our lifetimes, with clear signs of impending global economic collapse, global government, the mark of the beast, and worldwide threats of persecution against believers, and many are tempted to take their eyes off God's throne—instead looking at the waves beneath their feet.

The One who promised is faithful.  We have only to be still (Ex. 14:13–14), for the battle belongs to the Lord (1 Sam. 17:47).

Setting your hope here is such a powerful allure in this final generation given that we live at the most prosperous and technologically-advanced time in the history of the world.  We can buy anything we want, eat anything we want, go anywhere we want, and do anything we want.  We even have retirement accounts, so that we can alleviate some of the curse of the Fall—a privilege previous generations never had.  This is all an illusion, because this most prosperous of generations happens to be the very generation that will experience a total loss of it all.  Our generation has stored up treasure on earth more than any other generation, but is not rich toward God (cf. Lk. 12:16–21).

In this article I want to circle back on several recurring topics that have been stumbling blocks to some, specifically The Parable of the Fig Tree, the festivals, and the doctrine of imminency.  I hope that this will be encouraging and clarifying, especially considering how late the hour is.





Revisiting the Fig Tree


I firmly believe that Jesus' Parable of the Fig Tree is a clear reference to the nation of Israel and its historic reestablishment in 1948 for several key reasons:


1. The nation of Israel is unequivocally compared to a fig tree and the Israelites are alluded to as figs in numerous passages (e.g., Jer. 24:5; Hos. 9:10; Jl. 1:6–7; 1 Kgs. 4:25; Mt. 21:18-20; Mk. 11:12–14; Lk. 3:7–9; 13:6–9; Jn. 1:47–49).

Some post-tribulation proponents such as Irvin Baxter believe that Israel is instead compared to the olive tree based on Romans 11.  There is Scriptural warrant for this (e.g., Jer. 11:16–17), however, this argument can't be sustained.  First of all, Israel is compared to many different things: a fig tree, a vine, an olive tree, a firstborn son, a wife, etc.  This objection is a clear example of straining out a gnat, but swallowing a camel (a.k.a. missing the forest for the trees—pun intended).  It's like arguing that the male child in Revelation 12 can't represent the Church because the Church can only be the bride.  Well, no, in fact the Church is likened to many things: the united olive tree of natural and wild shoots (Rm. 11), a temple (Eph. 2:19–22; 1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19), one new man (Eph. 2:14–16), the collective body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:27), and even the singular offspring of Abraham (Gal. 3:29), which perfectly fits with the male child concept in Revelation 12:5.

Secondly, Paul explicitly connects the olive tree with Christ Himself.  Christ is the olive tree and the Jews are the natural branches. The Jews aren't the tree itself.  The wild olive shoots—the Gentiles—are not grafted into Israel, but are grafted into Christ.

The identity of Israel as the fig tree is a clear teaching of Scripture.


2. Extra-biblical sources, such as the 2nd century Apocalypse of Peter, leave no doubt that the fig tree was regarded as a symbol of Israel around the time of Christ:


And I, Peter, answered and said unto him: Interpret unto me concerning the fig tree, whereby we shall perceive it; for throughout all its days doth the fig tree send forth shoots, and every year it bringeth forth its fruit for its master.  What then meaneth the parable of the fig tree?  We know it not.

And the Master (Lord) answered and said unto me: Understandest thou not that the fig tree is the house of Israel?  Even as a man that planted a fig tree in his garden, and it brought forth no fruit.  And he sought the fruit thereof many years and when he found it not, he said to the keeper of his garden: Root up this fig tree that it make not our ground to be unfruitful.  And the gardener said unto God: (Suffer us) to rid it of weeds and dig the ground round about it and water it.  If then it bear not fruit, we will straightway remove its roots out of the garden and plant another in place of it.  Hast thou not understood that the fig tree is the house of Israel?  Verily I say unto thee, when the twigs thereof have sprouted forth in the last days, then shall feigned Christs come and awake expectation saying: I am the Christ, that am now come into the world.  And when they (Israel) shall perceive the wickedness of their deeds they shall turn away after them and deny him [whom our fathers did praise], even the first Christ whom they crucified and therein sinned a great sin.  But this deceiver is not the Christ. (source)


3. Jesus had already cursed a fig tree, which withered, representing the unfruitfulness of Israel when He came for His first inspection.  His cursing of the fig tree in Matthew 21:18–20 served as the backdrop for His prophetic parable just three chapters later (Mt. 24:29–34).  Sure enough, what was left of Israel withered, or you might say was cut down, in 70 AD when the Roman armies under Titus Vespasian destroyed the Second Temple and the city of Jerusalem and dispersed the Jews.  Thus the second regathering of the Jews and the reestablishment of the nation of Israel in 1948 naturally represent the regrowth of the fig tree and its “putting forth leaves.”  The Apocalypse of Peter even says as much: “when the twigs thereof have sprouted forth in the last days, then shall feigned Christs come...”  Did you catch that?  Having already established that the fig tree represents Israel, the author goes on to say that Jesus' Parable of the Fig Tree in the Olivet Discourse will occur in the last days, prefacing events that transpire during, or perhaps shortly before, the Tribulation (such as the appearance of false Christs).




Now I want to switch gears a bit and discuss where things become more speculative, namely in regards to how long the end-times fig tree generation will last before all things are fulfilled.  According to the Lord Jesus, all things, including Christ's return, will transpire within one generation.  I presently believe Psalm 90:10 provides the best estimate of the length of a generation, as it seems to be the only generic definition of the length of a generation provided in the Bible (70 to 80 years).  However, I've been careful never to put God in a box.  Jesus doesn't explicitly mention Psalm 90:10 in the Olivet Discourse.  If God determines that this final generation shall last 83 or 84 years, who will argue with Him?  His ways are higher than our ways.

All that to be said, we don't make this connection between Matthew 24 and Psalm 90:10 arbitrarily.  For starters, life expectancy itself is a hint that Psalm 90:10 is pretty close, if not right on the mark.  It was only this past decade, for the first time since the age of the patriarchs, that global life expectancy exceeded 70 years.  To put that another way: simultaneous with the incredible convergence of prophetic signs, it has only been in the last 10 years that global life expectancy reached the range of 70 to 80 years—and just in time for the final ramp up to the Tribulation (e.g., the blood moons, Revelation 12 Sign, mark of the beast technology, Third Temple preparation, Jewish Nation-State Law, Abraham Accords, and so forth).

Secondly, this year, already as crazy and pregnant with prophetic significance as it is, happened to show forth an amazing connection to the fig tree parable: the fig tree is Israel and Psalm 90:10 says a generation is 70 to 80 years—the two leaders of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu and Reuven Rivlin, were 70 and 80 years old, respectively, up until September 9th.  Rivlin turned 81 just a week before the Abraham Accords were signed.

Thirdly, Matthew 1:17 tells us that 42 generations transpired between Abraham and Christ.  That would average out to approximately 47–50 years per generation.  Granted, life expectancy was significantly shorter for most of that period than it is now, but these much shorter generations cast doubt on suggestions of 90, 100, or even 120-year-long generations pertaining to the fig tree.

Fourthly, I have studied several population tables for the U.S. and Israel and only about seven percent of either population is over 72 years in age (the nation of Israel is 72 now).  By approximately 2027 that seven percent who were present at the rebirth of Israel will be halved.  By 2037 it will be about one-half of a percent.  And that's not even factoring in the Tribulation itself and how many will die during the catastrophic events that transpire during it.  It's also not factoring in COVID-19, which is primarily targeting the elderly.  We're on overtime.  By what we can see, even being as generous as possible, Christ's return to earth in the mid-2030s and the commencement of the Tribulation in the middle or end of this present decade seem to be a hard and fast limit to the 1948 generation, and no wonder, since scholarship universally regards the crucifixion of Jesus as occurring in one of the years AD 30 through AD 33—approaching precisely two millennia ago.

To strengthen the case regarding Psalm 90, the passage happens to contain a number of prophetic, end-of-the-age themes.  For starters, the significance of Psalm 90 applies to all generations (Ps. 90:1).  Second, the apostle Peter pulls his language of the Lord's patience preceding the Tribulation from this very psalm (2 Pt. 3:8–10; cf. Ps. 90:4).  Third, the psalm contains language of new growth similar to Jesus' fig tree parable (Ps. 90:5–6).  Fourth, Psalm 90:10 itself is wrapped in language about the coming wrath of God and His judgment of sin, which makes v. 10 that much more relevant to the end of the age (Ps. 90:7–9, 11).  Fifth, v. 10 contains a possible allusion to the rapture event (“...and we fly away.”)  It could very well be that the Church flies away early in the 70 to 80 year range and Israel doesn't fly away until the middle or end (cf. Rev. 12:6, 14).  Sixth, the psalm ends with the prophetic hope that Moses and the Israelites had of finally receiving God's promises—a fulfillment that will not occur until the establishment of Christ's Kingdom on earth (Ps. 90:13–17).


Further reading:










A Note on the Festivals and Date Speculation


One thing I've learned while studying Scripture is never say never.  Ok, I'm being a bit facetious here!  We have to draw the line on essential doctrines.  I will never preach a false gospel.  I will never worship a false god.  But the essentials aside, I've found that many students of the Bible say “that's not scriptural” and seconds later are rebutted with Scripture.  Take for instance “no one knows the day or hour.”  It's the ultimate and most-used shutdown for any discussion of end-times prophecy or date speculation, but the way in which it is used ignores a plethora of other Scriptures that paint a different picture (e.g., Dan. 12:4; Mt. 24:48–51; 1 Thess. 5:4; Heb. 10:25; Rev. 1:1, 19; 3:3; 22:10).

For starters, “no one knows” isn't even a literal translation of the text.  Jesus spoke in perfect tense, which is completed action (i.e., “no one has known”), yet most translations insist on disregarding this in favor of the present tense.

Secondly, eventually everyone will know once the day and hour have come, and Jesus, having been glorified post-Ascension, already knows.  Therefore it isn't possible to reconcile with Scripture the view that οἶδεν represents a perpetual inability to know.  The fact that Edgar Whisenant got it wrong in 1988, or Harold Camping in 2011, is irrelevant.  Once the date is known it will be known for eternity future.  Scoffers only get this present dispensation to scoff, just as those in Noah's day only scoffed until the Flood came.

Thirdly, “no one knows” is used to stifle genuine speculation that otherwise strengthens the Church with a strong sense of urgency and mission.  It is used as a blanket be-all-end-all argument without regard for the whole counsel of Scripture, or even regard for what Jesus was contextually referring to.  The immediately preceding verse is the passing away of heaven and earth, an event that occurs at least 1,000 years after the millennial reign of Christ.  But Jesus' words “no one has known” seem to more appropriately conclude His description of the events during the Tribulation itself and His second advent (vv. 1–35), not the rapture, which isn't described until after He said “no one has known” (see vv. 37–44).  Note: some believe that the rapture is not referred to in any part of Matthew 24, whereas others teach that Jesus alluded to it beginning in verse 37.  Either way you slice it, linking the rapture to “no one knows” is a contextually-weak argument from silence.

Fourthly, the greatest irony of the misuse of these words is that Jesus concludes this very passage with this parable:


Who, then, is the servant, faithful and wise, whom his lord set over his household, to give them the nourishment in season?  Blessed that servant, whom his lord, having come, will find doing so; truly I say to you that he will set him over all his substance.  And if that evil servant may say in his heart, My lord delays to come, and may begin to beat the fellow-servants, and to eat and to drink with the drunken, the lord of that servant will arrive in a day when he does not expect, and in an hour of which he does not know, and will cut him off, and will appoint his portion with the hypocrites; there will be the weeping and the gnashing of the teeth. (Mt. 24:45–51, LSV)


Would Jesus tell His disciples that they could never know the day or hour when He was coming for them and then immediately, in the same discourse, tell them that it's the evil servant who will not know the day or hour?  It just doesn't fit.  These are not difficult puzzle pieces to fit together... Jesus made clear that no one had known, up to that point, when Tribulation events, His second advent, and the passing away of heaven and earth would occur.  And then He made clear that when He actually does come for His disciples, His wise and faithful servants would be aware of the time because they would be watching (e.g., Mt. 24:42; 25:13; Mk. 13:35; Lk. 12:37–39; 21:36; 1 Thess. 5:2–4).

This is where wisdom is entailed.  We all have access to the same revealed word of God.  No one has special insight that isn't already rooted in Scripture.  I am calling for believers to walk a fine line that hasn't readily been walked before.  I'm exhorting all of us to live in the tension and urgency of knowing, yet not knowing.  Of seeing the day, but not being certain of it, and maybe even having a strong sense of the day or hour, but not holding that date speculation up above criticism.  Date speculation isn't an exercise in being proved right or finding out for certain.  It's a Holy Spirit-driven group effort of constantly scanning the horizon for the next target that seems to best fit with Scripture, because we are getting closer.  Much closer in fact.  If brother Paul could write the following exhortation nearly 2,000 years ago—before the rebirth of Israel, before the United Nations, before the Revelation 12 Sign, and globally mandated vaccinations, and the Third Temple in waiting, and the gospel having been preached to all nations, and everything else that has converged to this very season within just the last few years—then who are we to live with any less urgency?


And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.  The night is nearly over; the day is almost here.  So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. (Rm. 13:11–12, NIV)


Actively watching (i.e., humbly speculating on how things are really playing out) isn't a bad thing.  To the contrary, it's a scriptural command.  Let's not pull back or get burned out.  Let's press on, understanding how late the hour is.  This isn't semantics.  The hour really is late.  We're on the precipice of everything that was prophesied to occur in the Day of the Lord and ours is the only generation that can live with such imminent certainty.  It is shocking that we are the ones to live during the final watch.




As we continue watching, a topic that always manages to turn into a debate (and shouldn't) is whether our Redeemer will come for us on a biblical festival or on any old day.  Please don't fight, brothers and sisters.  The only time you should take up your spiritual sword is when defending the essentials.  Otherwise, stand united and stand firm.  We're in the same trenches together.  As beloved brother JD Farag mentioned in his recent prophecy update, the world will know we are Christians by our love.  Not by our intellect.  And definitely not by our ability to debate.  If you find yourself trolling, causing strife, quarreling, and putting people on defense, check yourself.  You may have the Spirit, but you aren't being led by Him.  Wherever the Spirit goes there is life, abundant joy, goodness, temperance, humility, and reconciliation.  God's people turn the other cheek, shake the dust, and move on.  But the Devil's children fight incessantly.  They have no ability to control themselves, show respect, or agree to disagree.  They can't move on.  The Spirit of God brings self control, but the spirit of lawlessness makes one a slave—like a dog returning to his vomit or a fly fluttering toward the bug zapper.  We're all a slave, either to sin or the Spirit.  Sin puts you at enmity with everyone and everything around you, but the Spirit is a kind and gracious Master.  He sets you free.

So will the Lord Jesus take us home on a feast day?  I think it makes a lot of sense that He would.  God is a God of order and He seems to do things in an orderly way.  However, I have such a sense of urgency I wouldn't dare say He has to or that this is certain.  He ascended on a regular old day, but even that had a certain pattern to it being 40 days—a period of testing—after He rose from the grave.  As I say so often, let's never put God in a box.  He doesn't fit.  But let's also not ignore what He has revealed through Scripture, pattern, and prophecy.

I have learned to maintain a certain level of peace and comfort while looking for the next target because the signs have converged to such an extent that it is obviously right around the corner even if a particular day doesn't turn out to be the Day.  But living with such urgency can definitely cause distress when you set your heart on something that doesn't pan out.  We must all balance the urgency of actively watching with keeping our faith solely in our Rescuer, and not forgetting the thousands of things He has clearly shown us these past several years.  He isn't leading you astray dear friends.  The One who promised is faithful.  Like the magi of old, we saw the signs a few years ago and set out together to find the King.  Now we see Jerusalem just on the horizon.  We're so close, brothers and sisters.


Further reading:











A Clarification Regarding Imminency


If you made it this far decaffeinated you're a champ!  Click here to receive your prize.  I wanted to conclude this monstrosity with a clarification on the doctrine of imminency.  This is a doctrine that my fellow pre-tribbers emphasize, and rightly so, but it is often defined in a confusing, even misleading way, as that Jesus could return at “any moment.”  Sometimes this is taken to an extreme to mean that there are no signs to occur or prophecies to be fulfilled before Jesus removes the Church from the earth.  Ironically, there are some who are even watching for and calling out signs while simultaneously defining imminency in this way.  This causes confusion and is misleading some.

There is growing confusion because some are teaching that Jesus can come “at any moment” and that nothing else needs to happen before the rapture, while simultaneously pointing to various prophetic signs that have transpired over the course of this present dispensation, such as the gospel being preached in every nation and the rebirth of Israel in 1948.  That is not a coherent message.

When we search the Scriptures we get a strong sense that the New Testament's authors had expected Jesus to return very soon.  This constant expectancy is offered as evidence that the disciples did not expect to be hanging around during the extent of the seven-year Tribulation.  That's right.  That's good.  Scripture does teach expectancy and imminency.  But it does not teach randomness.  “Any moment” implies that God is flying by the seat of His pants and hasn't got this thing figured out yet.  Pardon the bluntness, but that's absurd.  It's even out-of-sync with more important doctrines like the omniscience and sovereignty of God.  God has predetermined how everything plays out (Acts 17:24–28; cf. Rm. 8:29–30; 9:6–29) and has already determined the dates and times of every prophetic event (e.g., Acts 1:7; Rev. 9:15).  You better believe almighty, all-knowing God has the rapture planned out.  Not only does He know the day, but He knows the very nanosecond it will occur, for He's told us in His word that it will occur in the twinkling of an eye (1 Cor. 15:51–52).  More than that, He's already told us everything and exactly what will transpire after it occurs.

The idea that the rapture is a signless event, prefaced by nothing, is unsupported by Scripture, and as mentioned above, even contradictory to more essential doctrines about the nature of God.  The rapture will occur at the fixed time the Lord has set for it, and many things have prefaced it, including about half of the New Testament, the gospel being spread all around the world, the rebirth of Israel, and the convergence of signs pointing to the onset of the Tribulation.  We don't worship a God of arbitrariness.

We need to teach imminency, but we need to teach it correctly.  Etymologically, the word imminent means “to overhang”—in other words, to be so close it's right on top of you.  It means to be close, soon, about to happen.  It doesn't mean “to occur at a random time” or “any moment” (see Wiktionary, Merriam-Webster, and Collins).  Notice that Jesus says He is coming soon, which is exactly what the word “imminent” means (Rev. 1:3; 22:6–7, 12, 20).  He doesn't say He's coming at any moment, randomly, or with any permutation of arbitrary arrival.

Besides causing confusion by misdefining the word and introducing contradictions with more important doctrines, some interpretations of the doctrine of imminency also discourage urgency rather than encourage it.  The goal of imminency is of course to create a strong impetus for us to evangelize and live sanctified lives, as well as encourage us with the knowledge that we will soon be with the Lord before all hell breaks loose on earth.  But think about it: if Jesus' coming was just as relevant to the disciples as it is to us today, because He's coming “at any moment,” then there is no genuine urgency or building crescendo toward His appearance.  His coming could just as easily be 10,000 years from now as it could have been 2,000 years ago.  That's not right.  Scripture says our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed and the Day is approaching (Rm. 13:11–12; Heb. 10:25).




Let's clear this up:

1. God declares, and therefore knows, the end from the beginning (Isa. 46:10).  Jesus knows, too.  He's God.  God knows when the rapture will occur.  He planned it Himself.

2. The rapture is imminent to us in three ways: first, because in the grand scheme of things a much greater proportion of history occurred prior to the Church Age than will occur during the Church Age.  The time prior was at least double (4,000 vs. 2,000 years; see how God considers this imminent in 2 Pt. 3:8–10).  Second, because Christ's coming for the Church precedes the Tribulation and His physical return to Israel.  In other words, because we don't know exactly how long this dispensation lasts, there actually is a certain sense in which the rapture will occur at any moment from our human perspective only.  The rapture is only the next event to occur when every other necessarily preceding event has transpired, but it is the next major event and we don't know when exactly it will occur.  We must watch and be readyThird, the rapture is imminent to us because it actually isn't random.  We're 2,000 years closer to it than the first-century disciples were.

In fact, since we are so much closer to it than the disciples were, and because the signs preceding it have clearly and unequivocally converged in the specific day and age we live in unlike any other generation, I want to introduce you to the doctrine of super-imminence!  Yes, you heard it here first folks: you happen to be part of the one and only generation in the history of the world that can say that the rapture of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is super-imminent!





Final Thoughts


Alright brothers and sisters in the Lord, you've made it to the end!  There is one more prize for you.

In conclusion, four key time markers, in addition to the final convergence of signs in our generation, add weight to the position we're within a few years.  In other words, Jesus' coming for the Church is now super-imminent!

1. The fig tree generation will not pass away until all things (including Jesus' physical return) are fulfilled.  Even independent of Psalm 90:10, we can't be far off.  The generation of 1948 is passing away.  It was only last decade that global life expectancy surpassed 70 years and those who were alive at the time of Israel's reestablishment will almost all have passed away within a decade or so, not even factoring in the seven years of the Tribulation.

2. The Revelation 12 Sign.  The sign came straight out of the middle of the book of Revelation and is closely connected to both the rapture and Tribulation in the narrative.  It had to be telling us we were now in overtime.  After all, the Bethlehem star occurred in close proximity to Christ's actual birth, give or take a couple of years.

3. By any measurement we are exceedingly close to precisely two millennia since the start of Christ's ministry and His death and resurrection.  The significance here is profound, as early Christian theologians wrote extensively about the theory that history would shadow the six days of creation (lasting for approximately 6,000 years before the millennial “Sabbath” period).  The Masoretic Text, which is used in the vast majority of Bibles, puts us extremely close to the 6,000th year by simple arithmetic.  Further parallels can be found in Hosea 6:2 and John 4:40.  Jesus' resurrection is itself a parallel as He rose again on the third day—representing the proverbial resurrection and redemption of creation in the third millennium.

4. The likelihood of a new seven-year Sabbatical cycle and/or a forthcoming jubilee year is extreme.


MARANATHA!

Post A Comment

143 comments:

  1. Excellent scholarship, insights and encouragement, as always. I, for one, genuinely appreciate your time and effort to edify the Body of Christ. Watching and warning with you brother. Maranatha!!!

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    1. Thank you brother! I appreciate you, as well. I know you are all in and will be RICHLY rewarded by Abba. Almost home.

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  2. Very well written. Thank you SO much always providing amazing insight. I look up every day!!

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    1. Thank you sister! All for God's glory.

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  3. Blessings and thank you for your love. Keep the Faith!

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  4. Grace and Peace to you and all. Thank you for your ministry and love. Keep the Faith.

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  5. Beautiful article. I am of the thought that May 14, 1948 was not the budding of the fig tree, Israel ,but rather was the planting of that tree. The Lord said to look for the Fig tree's "budding, putting forth of leaves". Trees do not bud or put forth leaves on the same day they are planted. It takes some time, a year or two, for them to grow , to put forth leaves and bud...perhaps a year or two after 1948 would give a starting date that aligns with 2020 and accommodates Psalm 90 ? And the first meeting of Israel's government in Jerusalem was in 1950 , I think ? Perhaps that is a "budding" ?

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    1. Could be! Either way, with Israel being the fig tree, we are getting wonderfully close for us and dangerously close for the world.

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  6. Gary! Thanks! Excellent article! This article makes me reflect. I find myself strangely at peace with everything....I guess because I know He lives, and lives in my every breath, my every sigh, or my every sorrow...He is always present, always with me. That gives me a certain amount of peace and comfort, no matter how long, yet within myself, I KNOW it is not long. Does that make sense?

    Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

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    1. Yes indeed. I think the Spirit is impressing upon us all that we are super-imminently CLOSE.

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  7. Here is something to think about. If the Lord returns on FoT in 2027, then 2,520 days before that would be the start of the 70th week and would be 11/8/20 (using 365 day years) or 10/2/20 (using 360 day years). If His return is on atonement in 2027, the start of the 70th week would be 11/17/20 (365 day years) or 10/13/20 (360 day years). I included the 360 day year dates because Stephanie Dawn makes a compelling case for the earth reverting to that for the final week. I subtracted 36 days from the 365 day calendar for those dates (7 years x 5 days/year plus one day for leap day in 2024). I would expect the rapture to occur a short time prior to the start of the last week to allow time for the Gog/Magog war and for the AC to come on the scene and do his thing. That timing could be a few days to a few weeks, but my guess is about a week.
    There is a good case for the rapture to occur on Pentecost. That is past for this year. By next year, Israel will be older than 73 years. I know we consider ourselves a particular age for an entire year, but God is very precise. When he said the Israelites would be in exile for 70 years, that is what He meant, not somewhere between 70 years and 70 years, 11 months and 29 days. When Daniel was told that Messiah would come after 7 and 62 weeks after the decree, it was exactly 483 years to the day, not 483 years, 11 months and 29 days. So if the rapture is not until next year, then the second coming is not until the fall of 2028 which is 73 years and several months and makes the Lord’s return at 80 years and several months.
    If we are still here in a few months, then perhaps we need to take a closer look at the definition of a generation or when the fig tree put out leaves.
    Just one man’s opinion.

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    1. I too am looking at Pentecost this year or next.
      Gary, there are no superlatives to describe what you wrote except it is perfect timing this week for these Days of Awe.

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    2. Thank you for sharing my friend! Pentecost is always among my top three (Pentecost, Trumpets, Tabernacles 7/Shemini Atzeret).

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    3. I guess I wasn't clear. "IF" the rapture is on Pentecost it will have to be next year which means that if the Lord returns at one of the fall feasts it would have to be in 2028 (or later) and by the fall of 2028 Israel will be 80+ years old. So "IF" the upper limit of a generation is 80 years, then we still need to be out of here this year.

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    4. But they won't be 81 yet... I want it to be sooner as much as the next person, but if there's still a few more who will get on the boat, and the Restrainer can hold off the storm long enough for them... I'm willing to wait...

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    5. So what are your plans about the vaccine? This vaccine is NOT like other vaccines!

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    6. A plan? Which of you by worry can add even a single day to your life? Sufficient to the day are the troubles thereof.

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    7. ah,.....not to take it! :)

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  8. I really needed the encouragement from this article. It's hard, as you say, to keep expectations high when we have to keep on keeping on. We want to be done and home! But, you are right, we can't put God in a box and in retrospect, we'll agree that His timing was perfect.

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    1. It's perfect and SOON. Love you sister.

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  9. Beautifully written Gary... thank you for always informing and encouraging us about His TRUTH !
    Blessings to a great big blessing 🙏🇮🇱

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    1. Blessings and GRACE to you. Maranatha!

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  10. Yesterday was somber and quiet for me. 3 Years since the Rev 12:1-2 sign... In that time 3 years ago, I set myself up for some disappointment in my excited state. I have not lost that hope and desire of those days, but now it is tempered with the realization that I projected way too much of my own expectation on that event, and others.

    These days, having divested myself of FB, I have had some time and peace to contemplate things without the noise.

    As is so typical, the Lord kept pointing to scripture to mull over... :)

    His message to me was stop fighting in my own strength. :) Echoes of Rev 3:8. My portion is to have His strength, by which is acquired in faith, simply, and to hold fast to it.

    It is ironic you bring up Moses and the Israelites at the Red Sea, since this is what I have been given to focus on for the last couple weeks.

    I extend this beyond just Moses and the Israelites since this is a type of thread all through scripture even in the New Testament. It is after all, what He means by entering His rest, taking His light burden of Faith in Him (trust), and giving Him our heavy burden.

    "Stand firm and see the deliverance (salvation) of the Lord...
    ... the Egyptians (world) you see today, you will never see again...
    ... The Lord fights for you, you need only be still."

    And I also think about Paul in his message to the Ephesians in chapter 6.
    ___

    Ephesians 6:13-14a

    Therefore take up the full armor of God,
    so that when the day of evil comes,
    you will be able to stand your ground,
    and having done everything, to stand.

    Stand firm then...
    ___

    Exodus 14:13-14

    But Moses told the people,

    “Do not be afraid.

    Stand firm and you will see the LORD’s salvation,
    which He will accomplish for you today;
    for the Egyptians you see today,
    you will never see again.

    The LORD will fight for you;
    you need only to be still.”

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    1. I was beginning to wake up when the Blood Moons of 2014-15 occurred, but I really woke up by the time the Great American Eclipse told of the near future splitting of the USA and the Rev 12 sign, which I consider the midnight cry that the Bridegroom is coming (not here yet).

      It is sad how some are revisionist of their perceived history, doubting and considering what they once held as now folly.

      His word stands, and I know what I saw with my own eyes and experienced in the spirit.

      He is so close, so near...

      Maranatha!

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    2. Beautiful, humbling, and encouraging thoughts brother. Maybe I'll have to join you on MeWe soon, although I know a lot of fish are on FB.

      🍇❌🍇❌🍇❌🍇❌🍇❌🍇❌

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    3. JackN,
      I feel badly when I see how disappointed people can get when they feel let down. Even in the book of proverbs it says, “ Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” (Pro 13:12) So, your disappointment is understandable.

      As for me, because I do not want to make myself vulnerable and exposed to that kind of pain, I have not put my eggs in any one basket. I know.....I’m a chicken! Lol

      Take care brother,
      TM

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  11. An important study at an important time!

    Scripture plainly gives us specific times and timings through signs, seasons and day-counts. They are not ambiguous nor fuzzy. They do, however, provide for multiple fulfilments which has been witnessed in the pages of UNSEALED.ORG.

    The more we watch the more we learn!

    Thank you for the excellent study, Gary!!


    Keep the faith!!

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  12. "Let's press on, understanding how late the hour is. This isn't semantics. The hour really is late. We're on the precipice of everything that was prophesied to occur in the Day of the Lord and ours is the only generation that can live with such imminent certainty."

    Soon and Very Soon, we are going to see the King!

    https://prayat316.com/rapture-dreams

    https://prayat316.com/rapture-songs

    http://www.itwasaplan.com/rapture-signs.html

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    1. Soon and very soon we are going to see the king
      Soon and very soon we are going to see the king
      Soon and very soon we are going to see the king
      Hallelujah hallelujah
      We are going to see the king
      Soon and very soon we are going to see the king
      Soon and very soon we are going to see the king
      Soon and very soon we are going to see the king
      Hallelujah hallelujah
      We are going to see the king
      No more crying there
      No more crying there
      No more crying there
      Hallelujah hallelujah
      We are going to see the king
      No more dying there
      No more dying there
      No more dying there

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  13. Gary,
    Wow! Well done brother! I swear I click on this site 5 times a day to check for the next article. This is my favorite site for insight. Another fantastic article. Indeed we are so close.
    I wanted to share an astronomy observation that I came across just the other day on YouTube. So October 3rd Venus will be in conjunction with Regulus. Right now there is an asteroid in between Regulus and Venus-the asteroid 1964 UA or 1930 Lucifer. Whaaaat!? Yeah, Lucifer. Here's the link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sV-1skv27Uk&t=109s
    It's about 7.5 minutes. I swear, some days I think that I need to keep a paper bag next to me at all times because I'm going to start hyperventilating the next time time I see or hear a jaw-dropping "something" that accords with Scripture. What amazing times!

    Maranatha brothers and sisters!

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    1. Thank you! All the glory to God.

      Now THAT'S INTERESTING. Regulus, "Lucifer", and Venus. What?!?!

      Also Saturn and Jupiter entered retrograde about the same time around Israel's 72nd birthday (this past May) and since then Saturn has appeared to be chasing Jupiter toward Sagittarius (the rider on a horse given a bow and crown - Seal 1 antichrist). But around FOT they stopped and now Jupiter is escaping...

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  14. What a good word! " We must all balance the urgency of actively watching with keeping our faith solely in our Rescuer, and not forgetting the thousands of things He has clearly shown us these past several years." It is not an easy balance to maintain when our desire to see Jesus and be shed of our "bodies of death" fills us with such a keen yearning for the harpazzo. However, in the process of searching scripture, sharing insights and encouraging one another as we wait, we are in fact growing stronger in Christ both individually and as a "virtual" body of believers. Thank you for your insights & exhortations - they really do minister to me and everyone else who regularly visits this wonderful online community!

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    1. Thank you my friend. Every day I do hope and pray more of Him and less of me. We are the body, He is the Head, and blesses us all so much.

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  15. Gary and Pastor Rich, would like some input. I've been back looking again at Mathew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21. Mathew 24:4 Luke 21:8 2nd Thessalonians 2:3 we are not to be deceived. In Matthew 24:15 we see the wrath and rapture in verses 30-31? Paul explains the relief of the rapture to the Thessalonians in 2nd Thessalonians 1 and chapter 2 explains the timing. If the events of the Olivet Discourse is chronological the Abomination of Desolation is Key. And some will say look at Mathew 24 it matches Revelation ch 6 and the seals. And it's in ch 7 you find the raptured Church. And based off of Daniel 8:10=11, Revelation ch12, and who is the restrainer that allows Satan loose. We can discuss and debate these non essential salvation issues till we are blue in the face, but are we really closer to knowing the day or hour? I think so,that's why we watch, as told to. As for the Church as a whole are we not to be about our fathers business? Don't hide your talent, share it, use it. Tell someone, anyone about salvation in Christ so they too can have eternal life. Let's bounce ideas,sharpen each other, love each other, and stop the arguments over the color of the carpet or drums.. Our purpose is to share the Gospel.

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    1. Also Isaiah ch 24-29, in light of it being directed to Israel, what can we take away from it. Safety, refuge, and salvation. The story is so profound and the Glory of the Lord forever.

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    2. @Brent, that's a lot of territory to cover and fertile ground for personal study.

      Take Matthew for example...I don't see Matthew 24 as completely chronological. Matthew steps back to illustrate times leading up to the AoD. As a matter of fact I think we are living in the days leading up to that right now. Consider all the talk of Rabbis talking with the messiah today! Tell me that doesn't smack of (Matthew 24:23-27 ESV)?!

      If this part of Matthew were strictly chronological would we be seeing that today? I wouldn't think so.

      (Matthew 24:29 ESV) begins with, "Immediately after the tribulation of those days..." where Jesus describes signs that mark the days of the coming Day. Is that the Great Tribulation? Again, I don't believe so. These are times of troubles in general that include talk of the *messiah* much as what we see today. This culminates with what appears to be the harpazo in (Matthew 24:31).

      I try to prayerfully boil it all down to the most basic components of who's who and what does God reveal through Scripture? Put it to Post-it notes if you have to and line your walls as you piece together the greatest story ever told!

      As for me? Right now I am eyeing the 40-days from Saturday, August 29, 2020 which was the 123rd Anniversary of the 1st Zionist Congress and the birthday of Dan in 1566 AM, 6th son of Abraham by Bilhah, servant of Rachel, to the end of the current quarantine of Isarel (quarantine, a term from the mid 17th century Italian word "quarantina" meaning ‘forty days’, from "quaranta" being ‘forty’) AND...wait for it...

      Hoshana Rabba!

      If you do not know the meaning behind Hoshana Rabba you owe it to yourself to go hunting and dig, dig, dig!

      Ten days after Hoshana Rabba is Parashah Bereshit (the beginning of Torah reading for the new year!)

      An interesting feature of Hoshana Rabba this year is this...if we go UP on the day Israel is released from 21-days of being withheld (think Daniel 10!!!) then back-to-back with our departure could be the arrival of the Two Witnesses. Their tenure is for 3-1/2 years which would in this case end on Purim in 2024.

      Right in concert with Passover on the Spiritual calendar, Easter Sunday and the GASE 2.0.

      Hmmmm...

      Imagine! The Two Witnesses preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem beginning on the first day of Torah reading for the New Year?!!

      I can hardly wait and marvel at the possibilities!

      Happy hunting,


      PR

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    3. @Pastor Rich, you are on to something with Hoshana Rabba - and the bell is ringing - the shofar will be sounding - from something I read, if it is right, Hoshana Rabba is the last festival day the shofar is blown in the religious calendar year...

      If it is on a feast day, then the next stop will be Hanukkah as it is a delayed Feast of Tabernacles - and Enoch and Hanukkah have the same root Hebrew word - Dedicated - And Enoch was the 7th from Adam and He was the first Raptured person - He was not for God took him. Halleluyah - I fully expect that we will be home by the end of Hanukkah 2020. Only God knows for sure, but I will be greatly surprised if we are still here after that.

      Occupy till He comes - He is coming soon !

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    4. Man, the Olivet Discourse is such a big topic. A growing number of pre-trib teachers, including the late Jack Kelley, see no reference to the rapture in Mt. 24. Some of the earlier scholars did see it portrayed there.

      The gathering in Mt. 24:30-31 is post-tribulation (v. 29) and refers to the gathering of the elect of Israel, and perhaps some lingering Trib Saints. I write about it here. I don't see the rapture anywhere in vv. 1-35.

      It *might* be alluded to indirectly in vv. 37-51, but I'm not completely decided.

      Some material that goes in depth:

      The Mount of Olives

      Psalm 45 / Parable of the 10 Virgins connection

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    5. I have the take that Luke 21:25-36 does refer to resurrection and rapture timing due to the context of the words used (look up, redemption draws near, escape these things).

      Matthew 24:26-31 on the other hand seems to be second coming (foot on the mount of olives).

      The disciples asked a two part question, in Matthew 24:3

      "when will these things happen,
      and what will be the sign of Your coming
      and of the end of the age?",

      Whereas in Luke 21:7 it seems only the first part of the question is asked

      "what will be the sign of your coming?".

      It seems clear to me that Luke addresses the first half of the question in his gospel (for the church/body and the hope of the believer), while Matthew addresses the second half in his gospel (for the Jew and Israel, the return of the king and the setup of His kingdom).

      A rather interesting "last is first, and first is last" layering we find all through scripture.

      The Olivet Discourse had so much information in it, and the Gospel writers were focused on their expectancy from their perspectives.

      To me, yet another mark of inspiration of these gospels by the Holy Spirit, as are the Tetramorph of the four living creatures (Ezek /Rev) to the four evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

      I see Revelation the same way. There is so much going on, so much information being given about the days that this book covers, that whole groups of characters are compartmentalized in the scope of the time that the book covers (7 years plus).

      Revelation 12 is a great example. It covers only the specific characters of The Woman (Israel), the Man-Child (the Body), the Dragon (satan), and the woman's other offspring, for the course of the 7 years plus time before it commencing with the starting gun of the Great sign of 9/23/17.

      How much time between that sign and the start of the Tribulation? Hard to say, as is the timing of the Harpazo of the man-child.

      A sign is placed way ahead of a bridge that is out, not right at the bridge where there is no time to prepare.

      If there is anything I have learned it is that "events, are event driven", like dominoes, it's not the timing so much as the convergence that knocks the next in line down. :)
      ___

      Matthew 24:3

      While Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives,
      the disciples came to Him privately.

      “Tell us,” they said,
      “when will these things happen,
      and what will be the sign of Your coming
      and of the end of the age?”
      ___

      Luke 21:7

      “Teacher,” they asked,
      “when will these things happen?
      And what will be the sign
      that they are about to take place?”

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    6. See Dr Thomas Ice’s notes on Math 24 in Blue Letter Bible

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    7. What does GASE 2.0 mean, Pastor Rich?

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    8. I think you are right on the money JackN - If you have not heard it before, you might enjoy Chuck Missler's teaching on the different ways Jesus responds to the Apostle's question in Matthew (from the pov of Israel) and Luke (from the pov of the Bride)

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLdVIu7b1eU&t=4887s

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    9. Yes! All in... I have seen that. :)

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    10. Moin, I think Pastor Rich is meaning the Great American Solar Eclipse that will happen in 2024.

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    11. @Moin, VS is correct, GASE 2.0 is the Great American Solar Eclipse 2.0 in April, 2024. Thanks for the back-up VS!!

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    12. Great stuff here JackN....regarding the distinction between Luke’s and Matthew’s Olivet Discourse. Me like....

      Shalom,
      TM

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    13. Chuck Missler's awesome study is what inspired my article that I linked above about the Mt. of Olives / Olivet Discourse. There are some key details that help make sense of the whole thing.

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  16. Thanks Gary, I enjoyed it, except for Gene Wilder.😀

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    1. Thank you my friend! But not grateful for your prize??? (:

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    2. I really liked the Willy Wonka part! He is bursting with happiness that Charlie passed the test when it looked like he wouldn't. I think for many, including myself, the past number of years, maybe decade, have been a trial with enduring the darkness of this Satanic world as the AC kingdom gains more momentum. Seeing Willy Wonka's enthusiasm is both a little comic relief that points us to the Tremendous Enthusiasm that our Perfect and Loving Heavenly Savior has for us as we near the finish line. Thank you Gary, I enjoyed the "prize." :)

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  17. Another well thought through article, Gary. Here's my question: I'm with you in watching with great interest for the last day (day 8) of Sukkot. However, I keep seeing contradictory teachings about what that day is called. Some say the last day is Hoshana Rabbah and that Shemini Atzeret follows Sukkot while others say Shemini Atzeret IS the last day of Sukkot. I think you are in that camp, I believe. So, here's the question. If SA is the last day of Feast of Tabernacles then HR would be the day before, but what would make that a special day? Wouldn't HR be just like the first seven days of Sukkot? Yet, that day (Hoshana Rabbah) is celebrated differently than the previous days of Sukkot. Okay, that was awkwardly written. Let me put it this way. What day is Jn 7:37 referring to when it says "On the last day, that great day of the feast..."? Is it referring to HR or SA?

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    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    2. Thank you Stan!

      Not sure about the sources suggesting it is the same as the seventh day (Hoshana Rabbah). Scripture is clear on this one (Lev. 23:33-39):

      "And YHWH speaks to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, In the fifteenth day of this seventh month [is the] Celebration of Shelters [for] seven days to YHWH; the first day [is] a holy convocation, you do no servile work; [for] seven days you bring a fire-offering near to YHWH, ***on the eighth day you have a holy convocation, and you have brought a fire-offering near to YHWH; it [is] a restraint, you do no servile work.*** These [are] appointed times of YHWH, which you proclaim [as] holy convocations, to bring a fire-offering near to YHWH, a burnt-offering, and a present, a sacrifice, and drink-offerings, a thing of a day in its day, apart from the Sabbaths of YHWH, and apart from your gifts, and apart from all your vows, and apart from all your willing-offerings, which you give to YHWH. Only—on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, in your gathering the increase of the land, you keep the celebration of YHWH [for] seven days; on the first day [is] a Sabbath, ***and on the eighth day a Sabbath;***"

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  18. They had such an expectation of imminency because after death, you are immediately in His presence. Either through the 'soul returns to God' or because you 'fast forwarded' to the resurrection. Either way, we are with the Lord Jesus :)

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    1. Exactly right. "To be absent from the body is to be present with the LORD." The rapture has been imminent to all Christians in all eras in that sense. I actually thought about adding this as a point in the article. Nice catch!

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  19. To add weight to the Psalm 90 and Matthew 24:34 discussion, Matthew 24:34 doesn't mention time between generations (which is the time differences between when mature couples have children, followed by the children having children etc...20-47 years etc); it merely says that generation 'will not pass away', so is genuinely in relation to the expected life-span of a generation (Psalm 90).

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    1. Very good point! It definitely seems to be pointing to the actual lifespan ("will not pass away").

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  20. So, Gary, if we do the math:

    1948 - Israel reestablished as a nation in ONE Day (Parable of the Fig Trees)
    + 80 - Length of a generation (Fig Trees Generation - average maximum life span)
    _______
    2028
    - 7 - Length of the Tribulation period which ends with the Second Coming of Christ
    _______
    2021

    Likely Rapture of the Church anytime during that time period...
    N.B. we don't know how long a GAP there will be between the Rapture and the signing of the agreement between Israel and "many."
    * * * * * *
    WAITING is a balancing act.
    Some things we know we HAVE to do - like pay year end property taxes and vehicle registration, so it's prudent to save and have the money in the bank. That's just good stewardship.
    But, my long term plans are NO longer about being HERE.
    I don't think I even used to get this excited when I was a kid going to Disneyland!

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    1. Oh yes, we're definitely close just going by whatever a generation might be. If Ps. 90 provides the correct length, we're very, very close. Maranatha!

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    2. right on, Jenny !
      In my opinion, the Tribulation will begin on FOT 2021. This will allow time for the Arab vs Israel war, then the EZ 38 war and confirmation of covenant next FOT to start 7 year Tribulation. This would mean return of Jesus on Yom Kippur 2028. I haven't seen a timeline yet to that effect, but I have to believe it will fit. Rapture should occur on a feast day this year. Oct 3rd conjunction between Venus/Regulus looks interesting, so does 12/19/20, end of Hannukah when Saturn/Jupiter conjunct.

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    3. I keep being nagged by the Blood Moon Tetrad timing here. Not the most recent one of 2014-2015, but that of 1949-1950.

      Israel's true elected government didn't start till January of 1949.

      Might we all be off a year from what God has set in the celestial clock? :)

      Just a thought.

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    4. Please not another year ☹

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  21. Thanks for the post. The Christian prophecy documentary 'Before the Wrath', with Jack Hibbs, Amir Tsarfati, Jan Markell, J.D Farag and Jay McCarl, states that Jesus' statement that 'no one knows the day nor the hour... but my Father alone' (Matt 24:36) was a common expression in a Galilean wedding at that time. The groom would go and prepare a place in his father's home. When asked when the wedding would begin, the Jewish groom said that no one knows the day for the father of the groom was the ONLY one who knew the day when his son could return to receive his bride and take her to be with himself in their new home.

    This could take a year or so and the bride NEVER KNEW the day her husband-to-be would come so she ALWAYS had to be ready and wait for the shofar call.

    This aligns perfectly with the gospel truth that the reason that we watch, as the bride, is BECAUSE we do not know the day He will return (note the 3 'because' below)

    Mat 24:42 Therefore keep watch, BECAUSE you do not know on what day your Lord will come.
    Mat 25:13 Therefore keep watch, BECAUSE you do not know the day or the hour.
    Mar 13:35 Therefore keep watch BECAUSE you do not know when the master of the house will come back--whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn.

    With this Jewish background understanding, in connection to the verses above, it becomes clear that Matt 24:36 is not talking about the day that heaven and earth pass away. Nor is it talking about about the 2nd coming. The Jewish background, which the disciples would have understood (even if we can miss it today) is to a wedding and when the groom will come come for His bride to take her to His home. It's the rapture.

    Believers are called to be ever watchful for the day of His coming. This is really important. But we are watchful, as the 1st Century Galilean bride was, because we (like her) do not know the day. We can see that the day is approaching and close. It is amazing to see. But scripture never teaches that we can know the day. And this is exactly how it should be. Not knowing, but always desiring, makes a person ever watchful.

    God Bless.

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    1. I've seen "Before the Wrath." I like a lot of it, but there's one thing that keeps me from recommending it: they don't source these Galilean customs at all. I can't find anything on it, though I've spent time digging. There's definitely a lot pictured in the traditional Jewish wedding customs that point to the pre-trib rapture and the Trib being 7 years, however, some of these distinctly Galilean customs shown in the movie... I'm not sure.

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    2. 'Before the wrath' was largely based on Jay McCarl's book "The Best Day of Forever". With the book currently out of print I contacted Jay a few months back who said Ingenuity films were publishing it again (as 'Before the wrath') to compliment the documentary... But I haven't seen anything yet. Given the people in the doco, I believe it to be legit, but like you I wanted to see the research behind it.

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  22. Thank you so much for the teaching, wonderful encouragement and most needed presently. Excitement is overwhelming for each passing day, as it makes it a day closer! MARANATHA!

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    1. Most welcome! Thank you for taking the time to read this monster, haha.

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  23. Amen brother.i think everyone should read this. So many are mocking and scoffing Christians for looking for Christ return. Date speculation, not setting. We ve even been compared to that guy in the 1980s. So sad. Thank you for this. Very encouraging! After all, we are suppose to encourage, not discourage, as we see the day approaching. Love you brother. Jesus is coming!

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    1. "Date speculation, not setting." Bingo! We are actively watching for the Lord's return.

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  24. "Can't know the day or hour"

    Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!

    Just take yourself out of the equation for a moment.

    First of all there is no Church yet.

    Jesus picks Paul to be the Apostle to the people other than Jews!
    He shows Paul the whole Grace covenant beginning and conclusion.
    Paul teaches all the Churches the same thing and as He is combating the problems
    goings on in the Churches specially the colossians 2:16.

    Yes you can know the day and hour! But you have to take the blinders off to see.

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    1. Greetings again brother Gregg,
      Firstly, I finished reading Sal’s Daniel....what a blessing. What was most interesting I found was this....many people say the AC has to be Roman, and many other people say he has to be Muslim. Sal says yes to both! I got a big kick out of that.

      Question...like Gary mentioned, some teachers, like one of my favorites, Jack Kelley, doesn’t see the church in the Olivet Discourse at all (I think the whole gospel of Matthew as well). Therefore, Jesus was not talking about some rapture to a bunch of Jews who never even really knew anything about the topic (john 14:1-3 could be debatable).

      Is that how you see the Gospel of Matthew too...pretty much for Israel?

      Always interested in reading and pondering your thoughts on these matters.

      Thanks,
      TM

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    2. Hi TennisMenace

      I'm glad, Rev book is like that they pretty much go together.
      The Gospel of Matthew, Mark and Luke together say much the same thing!

      In the Olivet discourse the question's are "Tell us, when will these things (The destruction of the Temple in 70 AD) be, and what will be the sign of Your coming (with power and Glory with the Church), and of the end of the age?"

      He does talk about two comings one in power and great glory and another like in the days of Noah.

      Now you can't have both at the same time, life just doesn't go on like usual in the end of days just before the second coming in great power and glory.

      Because He is coming to save what is left of mankind before extinction and the Church is with Him.

      Now the Noah one is interesting, cause when the door is shut, its over, kinda like the Laodiceans warning (Join Me in My Throne or not) Rev 3:21

      I did have a thought, it takes awhile to load that Ark, maybe a day or two or 40 days? I don't know, but there is always a warning first.

      The "Peace Maker" (https://kingabdullah.jo/en/page/profile ) or AC is either on stage or not and the 10 kings are where they are supposed to be or not according to Daniel.

      The covenant is there since 2001 if I recall correctly and the 3 dissenters (Iraq, Syria, and Libya)have pretty much been dealt with.

      Now The ten toes on Nebuchadnezzar's image represented the ten kingdoms participating in the end time scenario that grow out of the Feet Kingdom (the Moslem Empire). On the stage of history today, their rulers are Moslems.

      The ten horns represent the rulers of those kingdoms, and they all grow out of the fourth beast; that is the territory once occupied by Rome.

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  25. Agreed. The idea that the rapture is always imminent and yet completely unknowable implies that it is random. Nothing the Lord does is random. Even arguing that it only seems random from our perspective is inconsistent with a direct revelation of TRUTH via the scriptures. Granted we don't have a comprehensive revelation, but what we do have should be decipherable and internally consistent. Therefore, we expect the rapture will happen at an appointed time, and as we get closer we should expect that time to become more apparent. This was true for Jesus' first advent, and it should apply to the second. Anything less than this would be inconsistent with both the Lord's character and his eternally unchanging nature.

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    1. "but what we do have should be decipherable and internally consistent."

      Well said!

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  26. Gary,
    Again, Thanks for this...great stuff, discussing several relevant topics “we” are all discussing in the marketplace (regretfully, probably not in the churches).

    You, this website, and the people who comment here are all a breath of fresh air to me. Appreciate you all.

    TM

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    1. Thank you TM! Very glad to have you here.

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  27. Meanwhile Covid-19 has been wreaking havoc again in Western-Europe since the signing of the Abraham Accord, its is the second wave which will be much more devastating than the first wave did in last March and April.

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    1. Here too, in Quebec, we are starting the 2nd wave of covid 19.
      I find it unfortunate that the media hardly speak (very little or a small summary) of what is happening elsewhere. The floods and the damage done, the huge fires everywhere, tornadoes, the violence in the streets in America, the huge risk of war with Iran, Russia, China and everything. In Quebec, people really don't know much and they are less afraid of whatever is to come because of the lack of global information. Only the virus bothers. Not many people are aware of the rest of the plagues everywhere. By being in the dark, people don't have too many questions. Except a small number! Carole

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    2. And Israel, too. I think the second wave will be the real gamechanger/global reset. It will go hand-in-hand with the rapture I believe.

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  28. I see that Palestinian Mahmoud Abbas is calling on the UN to host a peace conference for early 2021. These are amazing times to be alive! Keep sharing the Gospel while we still have time!

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  29. Couldn't agree more, thanks!

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  30. Hi, re: "linking the rapture to “no one knows” is a contextually-weak argument from silence."

    The gospel of Mark links it together. Jesus carries the thought right through. Three times in the following passage it says we cannot know the day and/or time and what time is it speaking of? It is speaking about when the master (Jesus), who has gone away to a far country (Heaven), comes back and find his servants watchful, ready, or not. This, for believers today, is not the 2nd coming, nor when heaven and earth pass away as some say. It is the rapture. It is then that we will be found watchful or sleeping. We watch because we do not know the day as scripture teaches. All the date speculation doesn't change that.

    Mar 13:32-37 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming--in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning-- lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!"

    All the best.

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    1. Think about it this way: "Watch therefore, for you do not [yet] know..."

      Like all the other instances, Jesus is speaking in perfect tense, "...you have not known..."

      We watch so that we WILL know "lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping."

      That passage directly parallels the parable at the end of Mt. 24, which culminates with:

      "48 But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, 50 ********the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know********"

      The point isn't that we can't know the day or hour. The point is that we haven't known it yet, so we must WATCH, so as not to be caught surprised/unaware/"sleeping" and therefore NOT know the day or hour. Cf. Rev. 3:3, Heb. 10:25, 1 Thess. 5:1-11, etc.

      Blessings.

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  31. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  32. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    1. First Timer

      You can do that yourself you know!

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  33. Behold Israel website claims a person randomly found a potential red heifer in Columbia. Reading about it totally struck me as a "God will provide" (at the times it's needed, discarding man's efforts). Considering how hard Israel has been working at getting a red heifer, it would be deliciously ironic if they ended up "coincidentally" finding one.

    It hasn't been verified by the Rabbis yet or anything, nor do I know how old it is, but I m watching this with interest!

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  34. Gary, thank you again for another excellent article brother. I appreciate you circling back around for another pass on these central prophetic threads. These same areas have been on my mind a good deal lately as well. Thanks for once again sharing the fruit of your study and meditation with us all. As far as your take on imminence goes, I absolutely agree with everything you have to say, however I find it difficult to put across the concept myself. It is true. There is nothing haphazard about the rapture or any other part of our God’s timing, and yet, Jesus commanded us to watch and be prepared, since He could come at any time, like a thief in the night. Obviously, the Father has always known the day and the hour, and presumably now, so does the Son. And yet, as you say, from our perspective, all throughout church history, we were right to expect it to happen. Obviously, the increasing convergence of signs in the last one hundred years makes it clear that the return of Jesus is now, as you say, super-imminent, but has the church been wrong to think that Jesus genuinely could have come during any previous generation? Even though, there always has been, and always will be only one appointed time, were not our brothers and sisters of past times, right to live expectantly as if Jesus really could come during their lifetimes? Sorry, I’m just trying to reconcile our perspective and the Father’s perfect one. :-)

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    1. Hey Pastor Michael! Blessings brother.

      I had to scroll back up and find @Kris Garrison's excellent suggestion:

      "They had such an expectation of imminency because after death, you are immediately in His presence. Either through the 'soul returns to God' or because you 'fast forwarded' to the resurrection. Either way, we are with the Lord Jesus."

      I think it reconciles in two ways: first, because His coming was truly [historically] soon throughout the Church Age (2 Pt. 3:8-10). 2,000 years seems like a long time, but once the Church Age kicked off, the last days began, so to speak. If we're waiting for the weekend (the Saturday Sabbath) and creation began on Sunday (in a manner of speaking), then Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday had already transpired by the time the NT was written. Thursday had begun.

      Secondly, like Kris points out, for every Christian in every era, Christ's coming for them was never more than one lifetime away. "To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord."

      I can't help, but wonder if from their perspective they get "fast forwarded" to the resurrection/rapture event. Thoughts that boggle the mind.

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  35. Thank you Gary again for giving of your time and energy to strengthen us. I have wondered if the account in Numbers 14:29 in this wilderness your bodies will fall—every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me) might provide insight into how the LORD thinks of a span of a generation. I was thinking, and I hope this is from GOD, that the LORD may consider those 19 and under to be a generation. Certainly a generation is really a span of years rather than just those born in a single year. The LORD in Numbers 14 was cleansing Israel of an unbelieving people. He told the nation of Israel that they would not be allowed to enter the promised land, but He set the span of years for those who would be preserved at 19 and under. I then consider if this might be applicable to the Fig Tree generation. Specifically, when Israel became a nation in 1948 all the people 19 years right down to those who were born in 1948 are that Fig Tree generation. They were the tender shoots. If that is the case then this generation is actually a span of age currently at 72 to 91 years old. We know that people do live into their 80s and a few into their 90s. It seems to me that this generation has hit the upper limit. As Gary pointed out the the percentage of those alive in the upper limits is sharply dropping. I also think that the LORD when he said that this generation shall not pass away until... meant that there would be a sizeable number of people who were alive at the momentous time of the rebirth and the fledgling years of Israel's reemergence.

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    1. Well, that might just be one more pointer to 2020—20 years after the turn of the Millennium.

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    2. Thank you Gary for commenting, I really appreciate you taking time again. When you said 20 years after the turn of the Millennium that made me perk up again. I know it may be one more pointer and sure hope so. My family and I are most definitely blessed by your steadfast concern for the body of Christ. It is clear that your website is not simply a place to discuss the rapture but it truly in a gentle, scholarly, and sincere way ministers to Jesus' sheep who are earnestly looking for the Salvation of their Chief Shepherd. Thank you!...

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  36. Hi Brother Gary. How can you write such well-researched, edifying articles? Are you a writer by hobby or even by profession? This article truly comforted me. I was getting weary that the rapture didn't happen on Rosh Hashanah that I cried. All praises to Lord Yahweh Elohim.

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    1. Thank you my friend! It's definitely my heart and passion to preach the gospel in these last of the last days.

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  37. Thank you, Gary, for another great timely article.

    Many commentators have said that “Israel is God's hour hand, Jerusalem is the minute hand, and the Temple Mount is the second hand on God's Timepiece.” Indeed, we have seen Israel like a fig tree “replanted” into her land, with her branch tender, and then putting forth leaves (Matthew 24:32) which some interpret it to mean when Jerusalem was returned to her, plus her various annexations of land in the past 72 years and the recognition of the Golan Heights as well. The next thing to look out for will be Israel “putting forth her green figs” (Song of Solomon 2:13) which I believe indicates the rebuilding of her third temple, or at least the sign of some form of rebuilding. Hopefully, we will see sign of this in the next few months, possibly made more possible after all the signing of peace with the Abraham Accord, and then we are out by Pentecost 2021!

    I truly believe our rapture timing is Pentecost. My reasoning is that since God is indeed not the author of confusion, but of order, then the next order of event will follow from the last. Christ is the firstfruits and the last resurrection that happened was that of the Old Testament saints recorded in Matthew 27:52,53 because they came up AFTER Christ’s resurrection at the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Since “every man in his own order” and those “that are Christ’s at His coming” in 1 Corinthians 15:23 means the Church is up next, it follows logically that the next resurrection/rapture in order will happen at the Feast of Pentecost. This also tied in to God’s order (pun intended ) in Deuteronomy 16:16 for Jewish males to appear three times before Him at three specified feast days, including Pentecost.

    When I realised the strong likelihood of rapture at Pentecost, I was quite blown over. I’ve read 1 Corinthians 15:23 many times, but did not register the word “ORDER”, (or believed God says what He means, and means what He says) and so was confounded many times over the years, swinging from one possible rapture feast date to another and back again, like a dog chasing its own tail. I asked the Lord for confirmation, and that was when in the same week, I heard the same thing from Mr Jack Langford and Dr Peter Ruckman regarding this verse and the possible rapture at Pentecost. I was also given some numerical confirmations, but I will not talk about them here. I do not know which Pentecost is our rapture, though I’m hoping for next year, but for now ... I’m contented to continue to watch for sign of some “green figs”.

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    1. There are no apparent signs in the heavens for Pentecost 2021 ( 5/23/21 ). I agree, the Rapture will be on a feast day. It will be, in my opinion, before FOT 2021.

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    2. I've still got my sights on this Fall. I can't begin looking beyond until we make it to the end of November. Maranatha!

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  38. Thank you Gary for the encouraging article. Keep up the good work. Our prayers are with you.

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    1. Your prayers are SO appreciated. Spiritual war is intense.

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    2. RE: Spiritual Warfare.
      If you're looking at current events we can SEE it happening right down here at street level!
      For example, the visceral HATRED of those who RAGE over folks, including young children and teens, wearing MAGA hats or against those who have MAGA stickers on their vehicles.
      We have mobs destroying businesses, attacking "innocent" people (wrong place, wrong time) and our law enforcement, and "cancelling" out via total annihilation anyone who has a differing opinion - especially those espoused by our court system (who had the facts of the matters when making their decisions)!
      The main stream media supports the destruction and encourages the political and cultural divides, along with a large number of politicians, and even church pastors.
      • * * * *
      It truly has become at time of GOOD versus EVIL.
      Can there be any other reason for such BLATANT and outright HATE outside of demonic spirits - at "best" whispering influences, and at worst, outright possession!?!
      The more I read about a couple of the major protest groups, the more demonically inspired they appear to be!
      The founders of one have said point blank on video that "say her name" is a means of calling up demonic spirits! (Not as a form of remembrance.)
      * * * *
      Gary, if you do NOT want to post my comment I understand as it is political in nature.
      I did not name names, but…

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  39. Great post! I went back and re-read the Shemini Atzeret article from 2017. Any chance of an update on that date for 2020 with the constellation connections that you do?

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    1. I'm definitely stewing on the subject. (:

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    2. Gary, I re-read the Shemini Atzeret article as well. In it you wrote that the second coming would be at atonement. How do you see the feast of trumpets being fulfilled? Thank you.

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  40. The meeting, of the kings of Daniel 2:43 had finally shown up on the stage of history; it took place on October
    17, 2000, at Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt.

    The entire League of Arab Kings, Sheiks and Potentates attended the meeting to decide on a final solution to their Jewish issue.

    Among the crowd of attendees, that included an American delegation led by Secretary of State Madelyn Albright, were ten Moslem Kings from the territory of the old Roman Empire, plus the Hashemite King and others. The close of the meeting revealed that the vote taken to decide on peace or war with Israel was overwhelmingly passed in favor of peace with only three dissenting. The three dissenters, who named
    themselves, were Iraq, Syria, and Libya. Abdullah II, King of Jordan, the Hashemite King, was appointed as the representative of those in favor of peace - to act for them in finding a way to peace that would be acceptable to all parties concerned.

    Now fast forward to today!

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  41. Just wanted to say that I've seen the year 2030 flash around quite a bit, lately, as a possible and even probable date for the Second Coming.

    I don't claim to know anything, but these three coincidences are interesting . . .

    The Hebrew Beerisheet Passover Prophecy predicts 2030 by using Hebrew numerology from the first word of the Bible. Here's a link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtATSQx3cjI

    After looking into it, I've come to accept 30AD as the most likely year for Christ's crucifixion, and that exactly matches the reference to Hosea 6:2 and a 2030 return of the King.

    And I recently came across an insightful reference to the year 1950 in Israel. On July 5th of that year "The Knesset passes the Law of Return, which gives Jews, those of Jewish ancestry, and their spouses the right to migrate to and settle in Israel and obtain citizenship." I would consider it a valid argument that no nation is a nation by name, but by the fullness of its citizenry.

    Of course, 1950 + 80 = 2030. And if we stick to fall feasts, that puts the rapture squarely in view for the fall of only 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023. It sounds like a lifetime, but one more day of agony for us is one less lifetime of agony for one of them. We can do that.

    II Kings 6:16 "Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them."

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  42. May I suggest a scripture that keeps a smile on my face....Philipians 4:8


    As much mayhem and chaos there is out there, there is STILL A LOT OF GOOD!!

    So, this scripture has me often "dwelling" on positive things....and its like pulling up to a gas station, by pass "No Lead".and select "All LOVE"

    and let God bless you.


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  43. Out of the 7 feast given by God for the Israelites to keep, 3 are very important to God and He required that all men from each tribe attend every year. 
    Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles.
    In the Millennial Kingdom, only Tabernacles will be required. Tabernacles seems to be the most important of them all. 

    The blood moons happened both years on 2 of those most important feasts

    Passover and Tabernacles. 

    I've always thought God used those 2 feasts for a specific reason. Giving us a clue. 

    Perhaps Tabernacles is the Rapture. Jesus gave His life for us on Passover, maybe He takes His church on Tabernacle.


    If we only look at the most important feast of God, we see a picture. 


    Jesus became our sacrifice and gave us a proposal to be His on Passover

    He gifted/ empowered us with His Holy Spirit on Pentecost

    Maybe He will bring us to the wedding on Tabernacle 

    The way I see it is that God uses the MOST important days to Him to do the MOST significant things. 

    It seems very possible that He will rapture us on Tabernacles. 

    The feast of tabernacle is called "the season of our joy," being in heaven will definitely be our season of joy. 

    Tabernacle is the 7th feast, celebrated for 7 days, celebrating with great joy. 
    There are trumpets blown on the feast of tabernacle too. And it will be the last trumpet blown in the fall. 

    Jesus died on passover but was raised at the end of the Spring feasts. Maybe We are raised at the end of the Fall feasts. 

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    1. The Feast of first fruits is 50 day feast and ends on pentecost.
      Ascension day is 10 days prior and that is the day Jesus cast as a shadow into the future, along with the many previously resurrected also cast as a shadow into the future.

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    2. Lovin' Jesus,
      Thank you for adding this encouraging comment. It definitely is one that resonates with me.

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    3. Your welcome,you are so close to making the connection.
      The connection between ascension day and Rapture day.

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    4. Rev church letter: You will have tribulation 10 days... Is it a clue to Tabernacles?

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  44. As if there weren’t enough dangerous matters in the world to keep track of, now there’s a reigniting of old conflict in a dangerous and often overlooked area. Armenia and Azerbaijan are wedged in between Russia, Turkey, and Iran, and they’re fighting rather aggressively. The conflict is shaping up to be more than a passing border clash, especially given Turkey’s recent militant stance, and their long running bad blood with Armenia. A more widespread conflict could easily develop.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/28/world/asia/azerbaijan-armenia-nagorno-karabakh.html

    DW

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  45. The 9/23/2017 sign is a marker for me and therefore reference it when considering timeframes for rapture. The "10 days of awe" (3 + 7 years) write-up was helpful for correlating the Rev 12 sign with possible 2020 timeframe.

    For timeframes mentioned after 2020 (Spring 2021, future years, etc.), I ask myself how does it correlate to the Rev 12 sign (i.e., mid-trib, etc.)? I'm still looking at October 2020.

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    1. Hay Jon
      and everyone

      Next Spring would be the time frame I would be watching for a repeat of Matt 27:52,53
      along with I Thes. 4:16 then Ascension 40 days later.

      Gives us time to warn everyone else to some extent that want to be warned!

      Given everything that has and is happening at the present, not so far fetched is it?

      Cause these Globalist's are not going to stop (lying, cheat, Steal, murder) the ends justify s the means(Saul Alinsky).

      But we know Daniel 4:17 "the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men".

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    3. Hi Gregg-----thanks for sharing about the anniversary of those spring events (saints coming to life after the crucifixion, ascension)...it's not far fetched...it's also somewhat near anniversary of May 14, 1948 Israel statehood. I lean toward pre-trib but that timeframe would be 3.5 years (mid-trib?) from Rev 12:1-2 sign.

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    4. Hi Jon
      I pre trip to and next May 14 is ascension day being 40 days from first fruits.
      First fruits is always on a Sunday after the first Sabbath after Passover.
      And from Psalms reference of 80 yrs being a max generation which Israel is at now.
      Wow!

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  46. https://www.israel365news.com/158710/a-red-heifer-was-accidentally-discovered-in-colombia-watch/

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  47. Thanks Gary, appreciate the reply above. I'll just reply once then leave it there being mindful that I'm 'almost' a lone voice on this site for this topic : )

    Whether we can know the date of his return isn't an intellectual argument for me having had a family member stunted for many years in their Christian life through failed date setting. And as you have watched 'Before the wrath' you'll know that Amir, Jack, J.D and Jan all speak from experience of the damage to the Christian message and prophecy in general that has come about through date setting and the endless fascination with trying to know and state the date beforehand (at the 40:19 minute mark if interested). So it's something to be mindful of. You won't find any of them even speculating on a date in any of their messages even though they know and always importantly teach on the signs/season and nearness of His return - which we all long for.

    I personally don't see the Bible saying that we are to watch so that we can know the date before hand. It says we watch because we do not know the day. Season? Yes, Date? No. Using the illustrations from the Bible, if a master went on a journey and the servant knew or worked out the date of his return, he wouldn't have to watch for it in advance because he already knows the day. He watches because he doesn't know and wants to be found alert and ready when it happens. Or if a Jewish bride knew that her husband-to-be was definitely coming back for her in 12 months time, would she be watching for his return after 1 week? 1 month? No. She watches because she doesn't know the date but doesn't want to disappoint her husband when he does arrive.

    Concerning the verses you quoted, I personally don't see any of them teaching that we can know the date, only the season. 1 Thess. 5:1-11 is technically about the day of the Lord (and not the rapture) and how we are not of that day of darkness. I don't see Rev 3:3 even being about the Lord's return at all but his coming to the Sardis church in judgement if they don't repent, just as he has stated to the church in Ephesus in Rev 2:5. Heb 10:25 - knowing that the day is approaching and knowing the specific date are two different things. As an illustration, an elderly loved one may be showing signs that their end is close. We may say that 'the day is approaching' because we can see the signs. But we don't know the actual day. Tomorrow? 1 month? 6 months? Only the Lord knows. We only know that it is approaching and close. Same with the Lord's return.

    Ok.. over and out on this! Thanks for reading (if you have). Though we may disagree on this point, I honestly don't write to be argumentative or picky though some may see it that way. But I've seen the damage and disappointment, even within my own family, that failed dates can do. I appreciate the work you do and the blessing this site is to many. At the end of the day we are all eagerly awaiting and desiring the return of our Lord : ) May God continue to bless you and your work for His name. Heb 6:10.

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    1. Greetings my brother,
      Always enjoy reading your comments and insight, thank you. You make very good points using both scripture and the Jewish wedding tradition....., one that we all should at least consider. I confess, I lean toward your way of thinking and also sort of stand alone at times, because I’m not convinced the rapture has to take place on a Feast of the Lord Day, like Yom Teruah, but I also don’t discard it

      In fact, the longer I study Bible prophecy, the more I don’t just see just one way, but instead I see possibilities. Is this a cop out? Some may say, yes, but I don’t feel so. I mean, I can’t definitively say the rapture can’t be on a Feast Day....but I also can’t see it absolutely has to be on a Feast Day. So I see possibilities. Am I making sense here?

      So, while I think a lot like you, I love to root for the thinking of those who do make a good case for some Feast Day, hoping they are right. Unlike your Dad I believe you said, I just don’t put my eggs in that one basket. I watch of course, but then again, I’m also watching for Him to call me up on some ho hum Wednesday as well.

      In the meantime, if he tarries, I get to study His word more, pray more, show love and kindness to the lost world and my fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord more.....not to mention, play some more doubles tennis with my friends.

      It’s all good, right? To God be all glory, honor, and praise....for He, and He alone (Trinity) is worthy!

      Love you brother,
      TM

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    2. Elgordo and TennisMenace,
      I also enjoy your insights, as well as each and every brother and sister on this site. Such encouragement and challenge to remain steadfast in Jesus!
      As a mom and a nurse, my viewpoint of our soon Rapture is thus: we definitely know we are in the season for we see and feel and experience both the birth pangs of this "pregnant" time and the "dying process" of this dispensational age. As a mom, I knew I was pregnant, I knew when my contractions began that I was very close to birthing my children but not until it was intense did I know it was within hours. Also, as a nurse watching my mom go through her dying process, I knew she was passing away but I did not the the day. However, as the signs of her shallow breathing occurred, I knew it was within a day/hours.
      So, too, with the Rapture I believe. When we get closer, the month, day and hour will become so evident to us watchers it will be unmistakable. Praise our Yeshua!

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    3. I don't think we can predict the exact day... certainly not the exact hour and minute. Certainly not a long time in advance. But, as we watch the events and listen to the Holy Spirit... I think we can know that we the day is close. Very close. If we're listening, we may even know it's time to go outside and look up.

      I just know that the whisper in my head has changed from saying 'soon' to 'very soon' in the last few weeks... It no longer feels like there is enough time to accomplish anything significant (taking longer than a few days or weeks). (This whisper repeats 'Jesus has come in the flesh' anytime I ask it, so I don't think it's a sign of insanity... yet...)

      And on the stream I'm watching, just now I saw someone type: 'I have returned. :) Work is done.' Divine timing?

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    4. Iminaweofhim (lovethename) and Kris,

      I enjoyed reading both of your posts very much. I don’t think I “feel” the closeness as some people do, like yourselves, probably because I am sooooooo cautious to not put myself in a position where I could be so disappointed.....much like elgordo’s dad. So, my emotions are very much in check.....but I can assure you both, praying for Jesus to return to the planet to become King of the World is most definitely my #1 prayer. Anytime I allow for my mind to consider what that all means.....being whisked up into the clouds, putting on a perfect incorruptible body, flying around in space, moving my residence to the New Jerusalem Condos, hanging out with fellow family members who love God as much as I do, and of course, meeting and kissing the feet of Jesus and thanking Him a million times for dying for my sins to give me eternal life of gladness. Wow!

      To think all of that is “right around the corner”........That’s why I come to this website and read all these articles and comments and Links.......to keep that fire burning brightly!

      God is good.....all the time....even when I don’t feel it or know it!
      Love going out your way,
      TM

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    5. Ever since the whisper changed over to saying 'very soon,' I have been thinking, 'How close are you Lord?' at random times.

      A few days ago, this happened to my next door neighbor. Less than 10 feet away from where I'm typing this right now:
      https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/28/us/oregon-police-salem-hostage-situation/index.html

      The suspect's middle name was Jesus... A terrible way to get the answer if that is what it is... Jesus was/is very close...

      To make this strike even closer to home, we were only a few blocks away when we saw the police cars heading in the direction of our street, having lunch. We were spared from being in the midst of this by my grandmother's monthly doctor appointment and her normal restocking trip to Walmart. When I saw the police passing by, I remember saying out loud, 'I hope they are not going to our street.' Later on our way home after Walmart, I said something along the lines of, 'I hope that there's no one shooting up our whole street...' Then we rounded the corner and saw the police barricades. I had no reason to suspect a situation here, especially these neighbors... They were one of the quietest and happiest families on the street. I had never seen or heard any trouble there. Just smiles and waves.

      It's been a rough few days trying to learn details. There is a deep sense in my heart that this was kept from escalating to a greater degree by the prayers of those nearby. (If I'm reading the stories right, it sounds like something exploded in the house... I see several bbq sized propane tanks in the backyard, so I'm kind of convinced that the house and neighborhood could have suffered more damage if they had more fuel in the tanks. Why this makes me think of the 10 bridesmaids with their lamps I have no idea... but it does...)

      If people can pray for the mother, Laura, and the surviving family... they are going to need every ounce of emotional strength she can get. (The family is Catholic and I have no reason to doubt their salvation, with all the love they show to everyone...)

      Delete
    6. Kris,

      Count on prayers! Indeed!!

      Say, about that CNN link: Did you notice that at the 44-second mark of the video a Marion County Sheriff's patrol car license tag is shown? It is,

      E279777

      Just how close do you think the LORD is?!!

      VERY CLOSE I would say...

      Glad you are all safe and have your boarding ticket in hand!!!


      PR

      Delete
    7. I've seen that car in person, along with a few other things that made this stand out. One of the people interviewed was Pauline, who owns the huge field behind our house. One of the officers who has been watching the house at night also has a certain prophet's name... And he's definitely a watchman from our short conversations. This whole neighborhood is a mix of different denominations. Catholics, Pentecostals, Presbyterians, just about everyone here can say 'Jesus is Lord' openly and have no one try to contradict them. It definitely feels like we were 'gathered' here...

      Delete
  48. This video is so good and I think it goes right along with what Gary and others teach us. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4w1OizkoPVw&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR3nL7haroqDpAZ-IzpyXUzas46yD4XKt5Ic0Jn4ZUnBvFr26Ic2GB8DYJg

    ReplyDelete
  49. PROPHECY WATCHERS - The Last Trump

    Gary Stearman: The Last Trump

    Quoting, Prophecy Watchers,

    "Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Paul spoke fluently and passionately of resurrection, trumpets, firstfruits, the blessed hope and the LAST TRUMP. Those carefully chosen words, the last trump, hold the key to a complete understanding of the rapture of the church. What exactly does that last trumpet represent? And where in the biblical timeline will we hear it? In order to understand the trumpets, we need to dig into the history of biblical trumpets, shofars and the actual voice of God as sounded throughout Scripture. Gary and Bob take us all the way back to Mt. Sinai on the Feast of Pentecost, a day the Israelites will likely never, ever forget! Thunders, lightnings, terrifying sounds, angels and God Himself descended on that holy mountain for one reason full of end-time symbolism. The Trumpet of Law will one day become the Trumpet of Grace!"


    A highly recommended resource and quick view video of introduction!

    Happy hunting,


    PR

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah... Paul's phrasing for 'the Last Trump' was only used twice (both Rapture passages), and seems to have intentionally cut off part of the word for Trumpet. It also seems from the writings of that age that Paul was the only one to have wrote this word this way, so we have less idea of it's meaning. I know many have thought that it directly points to Trump, but we have to wait and see...

      Delete
  50. Thank you Gary for writing this article and for all who wrote out their comments. I have enjoyed reading all of it. I am also one of those watchers who cannot say if the Rapture is or is not on a Feast Day. With each one that passes I hope that this is the one but then since we are still here we yet do not know. Sometimes I think because the Church was born on a Feast Day, Pentecost, it will probably also be Raptured on one as well. I really enjoyed "Lovin Jesus" comments that the Feast of Tabernacles is a good fit for the Rapture of the church. Early this morning social media informed us that President Trump and First Lady Melania have Covid19. This afternoon the President's doctors advised him to check into the Walter Reed Medical Center for extra precautions. The times are indeed dark and getting darker. I hope and pray for a speedy recovery for our President and our First Lady! I truly believe President Trump will be the last president the church will see. In a way he is our "Last Trump."

    ReplyDelete
  51. Dear Gary, WHAT A FABULOUS ARTICLE! Thank you so very much. :) I am a very new member to Date Watchers, and do not want to break any rules! :) I had already very strongly connected Matthew 24 v 31-35 with Psalm 90:10, and concluded ( privately) that my time on Earth may well finish by May 14th 2021! So I am trying to tidy up some loose ends! :) Anyway, your scholarship is dramatically more advanced than mine! Simple question: Am I allowed to share this wonderful article on my facebook page ( https://www.facebook.com/richard.kent.75) or is this forbidden? I know you have very strict rules about who can become a member of Date Watchers, and really do NOT want to cause any problems! Thank you again for such a brilliant article, which I have printed out for deeper study! with very best wishes, richard ( Dr Richard Kent, UK)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. HI Richard

      Just saw your post, and wanted to ask why May 14th 2021?
      Just curious, I have that on my calendar also.
      10 days before pentecost 40 days after first fruits!

      Delete
    2. Dr Rich,

      Welcome to UNSEALED.ORG! We're pleased to have you!! Yes, please feel free to link articles. Our rules of conduct may be found HERE and state,

      "Commenting policy:

      The contributors at Unsealed believe in open and free discourse and in keeping with that belief want to allow readers to comment and share varying and opposing views. However, the nature of freedom is that abusive people take advantage of it to harm others. As Believers we won't turn a blind eye to trolling or abusive behavior. Racist, antisemitic, obscene, spam, or particularly invalidating or goading comments will be deleted without warning and repeated violators will be banned."


      Please feel free to share thoughts and ideas as well as questions here and share the URL with friends and associates as you feel led.

      Blessings!


      PR

      Delete
    3. I was just thinking!

      How does this time in general feel to?

      Does it feel like the days of Noah?
      (Buying, selling, marrying and given in marriage, eating drinking)

      I know Jesus was addressing the Jews but even in Israel they are experiencing the UN global agenda.

      To me it just doesn't feel like life going on as usual. So my thinking is something has to give or stop this UN global takeover.

      Delete
    4. It feels like both the times of Noah and the times of Lot.

      Noah had a population boom, the rise of 'men of great reknown (aka:celebrities)' and a general uptick in violence. Also, for 120 years while he was building the Ark, he was warning people what was coming and no one else that we hear of got onboard, but his children and their wives. Sounds like symbology of the church warning the world, and the world not listening.

      Lot had a lot of carnality going on. Drinking to excess, debauchery out in the open, a definite decline in morality... and even Lot was affected by it since he didn't exactly fight off his daughters when they decided he was the last man alive... One of the biggest categories of 'adult entertainment' right now is incest/taboo as well... Nothing hidden either, anyone who knows the url's can get it for free.

      We're also in the days where people say, 'Blessed are the wombs that never bear.' Vegans/Vegetarians are getting militant about not eating meat. The current constant relationship advice is 'Don't get married, sleep around first, try before you buy...' and we'll not even go into how they're trying to pervert marriage... beastiality, same sex...

      They're trying to go 'Brave New World' here, while missing the message of that book. It becomes spiritually meaningless and unfulfilling. The 'alpha' in charge of running things has a Bible and somewhat believes there is a God, and feels that he is sending more people to heaven by witholding that knowledge from the people. 'We eliminated the awareness of sin, and thereby restored innocence...' But in actuality, they created a utopia for the flesh... The ending was chilling, the outsider hanging himself because he couldn't live for a moment longer in that prison, and they weren't going to let him leave... He basically refused the mark of the beast...

      Delete


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