Awaiting Nativity 2.0
Brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ, Merry Christmas Eve! I pray you are all standing firm in the Lord and in the power of His might (Eph. 6:10). I know it has been a challenging and painful year for many of you with grief and loss, sickness, weariness, financial burden, betrayal, opposition, and intense spiritual warfare; but as we await the trumpet blast, do not grow weary: put on the full armor (given, not earned), gird your loins, hang on a little longer, “for He who promised is faithful” (Heb. 10:23). Just as the weary faithful once rejoiced at the first appearance of our Savior, whose coming in the fullness of time abruptly interrupted a long period of heavenly silence, so too will we rejoice when that very same Savior interrupts this present darkness with a cry yet again—not as a baby in a feeding trough, but as the glorified and enthroned King calling His newborn children home.
O holy night, the stars are brightly shining;
it is the night of the dear Savior’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices,
for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!
Angels we have heard on high,
Sweetly singing o’er the plains,
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains.
. . .
Come to Bethlehem and see
Him whose birth the angels sing.
Come, adore on bended knee
Christ the Lord, the newborn King.
My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
And exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
And the rich He has sent away empty.
He has helped His servant Israel,
In remembrance of His mercy,
As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and to his seed forever. (Lk. 1:46–55, NKJV)
Nativity 1.0: God Himself taking on flesh in humility and being born into a fallen world to save His people from their sins.
Nativity 2.0: The people of God, the Church, taking on heavenly bodies to be born into God’s very presence, to rule and reign with Christ from Heaven—the Body forever united to the Head (Rev. 12:5; Isa. 26:17–21; 66:7–9; 1 Thess. 4:16–17; 1 Cor. 15:51–53).
Revisiting the Final Four
We enter the last year of the final four theory and it fits like a glove in many ways. Numero Uno: if 2,000 years transpires between Christ’s ascension and return, and AD 33 was the year of His ascension, then 2026 could very well be the year (2033 less seven years of Tribulation). I think this makes the most sense. That said, other possibilities rattle around in my head: What if the Church Age itself is 2,000 years in duration and Daniel’s 70th week stands outside of this time period? Or what if the beginning of Christ’s public ministry extending through to the Rapture constitutes the 2,000 years? (Note that even during His earthly ministry Christ was already speaking proleptically regarding the Church and salvation by faith alone as if the new dispensation had already been instituted: see, in particular, the Gospel of John.)
In these scenarios, the “final four” would be: 2030–2033 or 2026–2029, respectively.
While I suspect our departure is nearer, these other possibilities uphold the septa-millennial theory, and I think septa-millennialism is the strongest overarching theory we have, backed by the plain sense of Scripture (2 Pt. 3:8; Rev. 20) and very clear dispensational and/or millennial markers (approximate):
1. Creation + Adam and Eve 6,000 years ago,
2. Enoch raptured 5,000 years ago,
3. Abraham 4,000 years ago,
4. David/Solomon/Temple 3,000 years ago,
5. Christ 2,000 years ago,
6. Great Schism 1,000 years ago,
7. Rapture and Second Coming (imminent),
8. New Creation 1,000 years from now.
Note that Enoch’s rapture + Enoch seeing the Second Coming (Jd. 14–15) came 1,000 years after creation in a perfect mirror of our rapture + the Second Coming coming 1,000 years before the new creation.
In these scenarios, the “final four” would be: 2030–2033 or 2026–2029, respectively.
While I suspect our departure is nearer, these other possibilities uphold the septa-millennial theory, and I think septa-millennialism is the strongest overarching theory we have, backed by the plain sense of Scripture (2 Pt. 3:8; Rev. 20) and very clear dispensational and/or millennial markers (approximate):
1. Creation + Adam and Eve 6,000 years ago,
2. Enoch raptured 5,000 years ago,
3. Abraham 4,000 years ago,
4. David/Solomon/Temple 3,000 years ago,
5. Christ 2,000 years ago,
6. Great Schism 1,000 years ago,
7. Rapture and Second Coming (imminent),
8. New Creation 1,000 years from now.
Septa-millennialism defined: The belief that the history of the world leading up to the new creation and eternal age (Rev. 21–22) mirrors the six days of creation and the subsequent sabbath rest (cf. 2 Pt. 3:8; Rev. 20).
Note that Enoch’s rapture + Enoch seeing the Second Coming (Jd. 14–15) came 1,000 years after creation in a perfect mirror of our rapture + the Second Coming coming 1,000 years before the new creation.
I for one have had significant qualms about an AD 32 crucifixion (and by deduction, a 2025 rapture). It is hard to fit AD 32 with either Friday or Wednesday crucifixion scenarios, but I certainly would have preferred it to work. AD 30, 31, and 33 remain the best candidates for the year of the Crucifixion and Resurrection (in this writer’s humble opinion). AD 30 and 33 are the best researched years with monumental scholarly support. On the other hand, AD 31 fits well with either a Wednesday or Thursday crucifixion.
Regarding the day of the week on which Christ was crucified, I approach the question comprehensively because a controversy exists and an [apparent] contradiction. I say “apparent,” because I believe the contradiction is resolvable. Scripture repeatedly states that Christ would rise “on the third day” or simply “the third day.” By Hebrew metric, this would be akin to saying that Christ would rise “the day after tomorrow.”
Secondly, all four gospels state that Christ was crucified on Preparation Day. There is scant evidence this refers to anything other than Friday. Moreover, each Gospel (except Matthew) directly states that the Sabbath followed the day of crucifixion. (And to be clear: I am aware of the argument that there was a special Sabbath, etc., but I do not think the argument necessarily holds much water against the traditional Friday crucifixion theory, especially since παρασκευή, Preparation [Day], is universally tied to Friday in Koine literature as far as I can tell.)
Given that Christ rising on the third day is repeatedly and clearly stated in Scripture (by my count, 11 times), my hermeneutic compels me to interpret Matthew 12:40 (a solitary verse) in light of the overall direction and force of Scripture. In other words, Matthew 12:40 is reconciled to all these many verses, rather than the other way around.
A simple and more literal reconciliation might look like counting the miraculous three hours of darkness as a night and including Christ’s imprisonment and crucifixion itself as the meaning underlying the idiom “heart of the earth.” Most attempts to reconcile Matthew 12:40 regard it as symbolic or entirely idiomatic. Rick Lanser has a thorough and scholarly deep dive on the three days/three nights issue here.
The day of the week of the Crucifixion will remain the crux of the issue. And a Friday crucifixion scenario is still the likeliest scenario in my opinion, although I reserve room for being wrong on this. While I do not outright discount Wednesday/Thursday theories (in fact, I have promoted AD 31 as the best year for these), I nevertheless believe that the case for a Friday crucifixion is still pretty strong despite Matthew 12:40 (“three days and three nights”). A Friday crucifixion only works in AD 30 and 33. AD 33 is the traditional date, and 30 is the date with the most scholarly support (although 33 is not far behind).
By normal count, Nisan 14 fell on a Monday in 32 which does not work for either Wednesday or Friday theories. Making 32 work always requires a lot of contortion and fudging (in my humble opinion).
Regarding the day of the week on which Christ was crucified, I approach the question comprehensively because a controversy exists and an [apparent] contradiction. I say “apparent,” because I believe the contradiction is resolvable. Scripture repeatedly states that Christ would rise “on the third day” or simply “the third day.” By Hebrew metric, this would be akin to saying that Christ would rise “the day after tomorrow.”
Secondly, all four gospels state that Christ was crucified on Preparation Day. There is scant evidence this refers to anything other than Friday. Moreover, each Gospel (except Matthew) directly states that the Sabbath followed the day of crucifixion. (And to be clear: I am aware of the argument that there was a special Sabbath, etc., but I do not think the argument necessarily holds much water against the traditional Friday crucifixion theory, especially since παρασκευή, Preparation [Day], is universally tied to Friday in Koine literature as far as I can tell.)
Given that Christ rising on the third day is repeatedly and clearly stated in Scripture (by my count, 11 times), my hermeneutic compels me to interpret Matthew 12:40 (a solitary verse) in light of the overall direction and force of Scripture. In other words, Matthew 12:40 is reconciled to all these many verses, rather than the other way around.
A simple and more literal reconciliation might look like counting the miraculous three hours of darkness as a night and including Christ’s imprisonment and crucifixion itself as the meaning underlying the idiom “heart of the earth.” Most attempts to reconcile Matthew 12:40 regard it as symbolic or entirely idiomatic. Rick Lanser has a thorough and scholarly deep dive on the three days/three nights issue here.
Septa-millennialism + Israel’s rebirth and perfect technological synchronicity leading up to the 6,000-year mark + the Revelation 12 Sign = my very deep conviction and confidence in being able to say, “This is it.” But pinning down that exact “day and hour” seems to be the never-ending fool’s errand. We see the Day approaching (Heb. 10:25), we will not be caught off guard (1 Thess. 5:4), the signs are clear and evident (Mt. 16:3; Lk. 19:44), but the tension of knowing but not knowing remains.
The Lord has come and He’s coming again. His promises are true. Merry Christmas!
Thank you Gary, I was just thinking about how I would like to hear your thoughts on the final four as we approach 2026. I hope that we don’t have to start considering scenarios where the 2000th anniversary is in the middle or at the beginning of the tribulation, but I know we can’t rule it out yet.
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy your content and hope to hear more from you in the year ahead if we are still here. Merry Christmas!
Great post! :)
ReplyDelete___
Prayers for Israel and her people.
Keep the word, and don't deny His name. Endure patiently.
🚫 🍇
🦊 Jack Foxman on the Wall Blog
Dear Gary, based on the translation of your message, I don't understand everything. If the crucifixion took place in 31 AD, in what year will the rapture take place? And if it took place in 30 or 33 AD, in what year will it take place? Should we add 7 years or not? I'm sorry, I don't fully understand your message. Thank you for clarifying. Merry Christmas to all!
ReplyDeleteDon't forget that I live in Quebec! 😊
DeleteGreat question! Bible doesn't say, but we're speculating here...
DeleteI see AD 31 as just one of three [likely] possibilities for the year of the Crucifixion (the others being 30 and 33).
The Final Four theory could take three forms:
1. 2,000 years from the Ascension to the Second Coming (thus 2,000 years between Christ's physical departure and physical return). Subtracting the seven years of Tribulation, the "final four" would be 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.
2. 2,000 years from the beginning of Christ's public ministry / His baptism (thus His being anointed by the Spirit as Messiah) to the Rapture (His ministry would have likely begun in AD 26, 27, 28, or 29). Adding 2,000 years, the "final four" would be 2026, 2027, 2028, or 2029.
3. 2,000 years of the Church Age (from Pentecost at the beginning of the Church to the Rapture). Adding 2,000 years, the "final four" would be 2030, 2031, 2032, 2033.
Conclusion: next year is ULTRA HIGH WATCH, *but* septa-millennialism (and perhaps also tying "that generation" to Israel) still fits well with all years from 2026 to 2033.
Maranatha.
Thank you so much my brother! Honestly, I hope it's number 1. ☺️
DeleteHos 5:15-6:2 Then I will go back to my place until they admit their guilt. And they will seek my face; in their misery they will earnestly seek me." (6:1) Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. (2) After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence.
DeleteCan't be dogmatic on these things, but for what its worth, this familiar passage seems to link the start of the 'two days' (ie after 2000 years) with the Messiah going back to His place (Heaven) ie Jesus' ascension starts the clock. And as Israel is revived after those 2 days/2000 years (which happens at the end of the Tribulation), well... time is getting short given we have to squeeze a 7 year Trib. in there! And then in the third day Israel is restored to their rightful position as the head of the nations and they live in His presence... because He is here and rules from Jerusalem in His long awaited Messianic Kingdom.
PS Liked this part about Enoch Gary... had never thought of the timing of His rapture in this way b4:
"Note that Enoch’s rapture + Enoch seeing the Second Coming (Jd. 14–15) came 1,000 years after creation in a perfect mirror of our rapture + the Second Coming coming 1,000 years before the new creation."
Certainly my preference as well. And I think, at least as of now, it makes the most sense.
DeleteThank you elgordo!
DeleteRE: Enoch 1000 Year Rapture time marker Chiastic?
Deleteelgordo,
Here is a visual of that Enoch 1000 Year Rapture time marker Chiastic. The symmetry is amazing. Although I do not agree with the assessment of ruling-out 32 AD just yet, we have to factor ‘completed years’ in that 32 AD + 2000 years is 2032. But we have +1 year to factor as one would of a birthday. This is to say that it is in the 2026th year that the event should be occurring, having 2,025 years completed given (32 AD + 2000 Years = 2032). Perhaps.
But it is mathematically impossible to for a 72-hour duration from the Roman Church assertion of a Friday to Sunday morning death, burial and resurrection, regardless of a Jewish Idiom. You have to consider the Law of 1st Mentions. In Genesis, a Day is defined, clearly.
1. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was Evening, and there was Morning—the 1st day.
2. Then Jesus stated, ‘Are there not 12 hours in a Day’?
Thus, if Jesus was crucified on a Friday and rose on a Sunday morning, then so was Jonah that exact time in the belly of the Great Fish. But you cannot have both.
Blessings and Keep the Watch
Lu Vega
Chart
JUBILEE PATTERN OF TIME
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HX9iwRIWi80MC9GHastQQ5gj1sKJQZ-Z/view?usp=drive_link
Nice chart as always Ludo! You packed a lot of info into that one - had me starring and pondering for a while.
DeleteAs a side note, I added up the exact number of years that Enoch was raptured from creation according to the genealogies in Gen 5 and it came to 987. Well, when I say 'I' added it up, I got AI to! Hmmm, 987... 1007 would have had a nice symmetry to it! I didn't come up with anything clever on why 987 but throwing it out there for any spiritual Einstein's amongst us : )
Elgordo,
DeleteGood stuff!
I'm persuaded that the clock for the Church Age began immediately after the ascension. This is because my studies lead me to see the rider of the white horse (Revelation 6:1-2) as being the Spirit-filled body of Christ being sent out to conquer. The time-frame for the Church to overcome death, pestilence, poverty and war is the Age of Grace or 2,000 years leading up to the Millennial Kingdom. Thus the 70th week would be subtracted from the 2,000 years, a shortening of days and the days shortened that Jesus spoke of in (Matthew 24:22).
Happy New Year, 2026!
PR
RE: Creation Year?
Deleteelgordo!
It is an approximation, but it depends on which start year is being used, as you know. The very popular year is -4004 BC. The Rabbinical Jews use -3761 BC, etc. If one accounts for a literal 1 Day = 1000 Years, then the factors are as follows.
X Year (from Creation) + 1000th year – 7th Year = Enoch Rapture, thus Year 993
X Year (from 2nd Coming and start of 1000 year Kingdom) – 7th Year = Bride Rapture 5993
If one then reverse engineers the 6000 Years – 7 years for the Rapture would result in the following as the 'Math' appears to check itself.
6000 years (6 days) – 7 years (Bride Rapture) = 5993th year
5993 – 4000 years (4 Days) = 993th year Enoch Rapture? = 7-year difference
HERE IS THE QUESTION
If 1 day is as 1000 years. And there are 7 periods of 1000 years. If the Rapture occurs 7 years prior to the start of the 7000th year marker, that is 5993th year, and the Biblical character of Enoch was raptured in the 993th year? What was the start year wherein Adam was created, presumably? It is rather interesting that in Genesis 5:23-24, Enoch lived 365 years when he was raptured. It echoes the Gentile quality and disposition of the timing in how the Gentiles basically use a 365 Solar Day Calendar.
This is just a suggested mathematical equation. I did pose the question to A.I., and got an interesting response. It is +/- 1 year from either a 32 AD or 33 AD Crucifixion. So, I do not put that much confidence into it. But for a Saturday Resurrection? One is convinced that part of the reason why the Roman Church suppressed the masses from reading and having the Bible in the various vernaculars is that they would/could discern from such teachings as a Friday to Sunday Morning Resurrection timeframe.
Consider the original Greek. It clearly implies a Sabbath Resurrection time-frame. The Jewish Idiom that was and would be understood is the ‘Week’. To the Jews, that was a period of a 7 Days, Weeks or Years, etc. So, if you ask a Jew, ‘What is the midst of the week?’, they will surely say, ‘Wednesday’. It is like in the American idiom of saying ‘Hump Day’, etc.
____________________
Luke 24:1
https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/luk/24/1/t_conc_997001
Sabbath: g4521
GREEK Luke 24:1: ‘Th de mia twn SABBATWN orqrou baqeos hlqon epi to’.
Or from Matthew 28:1, the time-frame is from when the Women had gone to the Garden Tomb, no longer observing the Sabbath and able to travel.
‘In the end of the SABBATH, as it began to dawn toward the 1st day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher’.
____________________
The implication is that Jesus had already been risen or resurrected prior to this time-frame relative to the Women reaching the Garden Tomb, etc. So, one is just sharing these alternative thoughts.
Blessings,
Lu Vega
The Enoch connection is so fascinating to me because it hasn't really been touched on much — I mean in regard to the fact that his "rapture" was approximately around the 1,000-year mark from Creation and/or the Fall ("approximately" being the key word). And no wonder, since Enoch has become somewhat of an obsession among the watching community and deep-divers over the past decade.
DeleteI grasped onto the Millennial Day Theory with trembling hands and it made all the sense, but I was anxious for the Rapture so I knew I could be influenced, LOL 😆. Is a day REALLY like a thousand years? We'll find out.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the encouragement :D. Our Father wants literal readings of His Word. Children are literal. I will err on the side of childlike faith.
NEW CALENDAR MODEL for 2026
ReplyDeleteA quick note that I'm well down the path on my calendar model studies for the New Year, 2026. There is more data to add, but the framework is already there and *one date stands out* above all for the harpazo and beginning of D70W. (Hint: It is not Yom Teruah or Yom Kippur!) This date is further reinforced by Joel, which is a new piece to this study. It continues to build on the two witnesses, but will, IMHO, require a deeper dive into (Psalm 90:10).
More to come...
3I/ATLAS MEETS JUPITER
Remember, today 3I/Atlas is in conjunction with, and passes about 33M miles from the king planet, Jupiter, man-child of the R12S, on what may be the 2,026th anniversary that Herod the great sent troops to kill all the male children of two-years or less in the region of Judea and all around Bethlehem; a type and shadow of the R12S and the harpazo to come.
AZOVMENA, 2026?
Will 2026 be the year the next part of Pastor Phillip Barnett's vision comes to pass? BBC recently reported on the war in Ukraine that the main framework for ending the war,
"proposed security guarantees from the US, Nato and Europeans for a co-ordinated military response if Russia invaded Ukraine again."
This is the first time I'm aware of such a guarantee being made by NATO countries let alone the United States. The plan involves the demilitarization of the eastern provinces, all of which were key in the so-called Azovmena Prophecy. I in no way support the use of nuclear weapons, but if that were to happen, and the peace be broken for whatever reason, I can see, under the current circumstances and considering the personalities involved, where a demilitarized zone of contested territory would be considered subject to strategic strikes to blunt an advance.
Yes, it's madness, but...
All eyes on Jesus, all hope in Christ!
PR
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteA CURIOSITY
ReplyDeleteRecently, I noted the day count between the proposed Bethlehem Star in 2 BC to the first Christmas of the same year, that's the arrival of the wise men from the east included 40 Saturdays and 40 Sundays. I just compared that to the day count of the proposed modern, meaning present day, anniversary of the attack of Herod on the male children in the region in and around Bethlehem; which was potentially marked by the conjunction of 3I/Atlas with the king star Regulus in the constellation Leo, to the interesting day found in my current 2026 study.
Both counts embody 40 Saturdays and 40 Sundays.
Just a data point but I thought worth sharing.
Pastor Rich, I'm eager to see your model for 2026, and the date you think is possible for a rapture. It's wonderful to see all the biblical scholars who have the ability to calculate and identify so much richness in the Word of God. Thank you in advance!
ReplyDeleteI'm far from a Bible scholar but I'm definitely a believer who was called to dig and make connections according to how God made me. My goal has been to encourage the saints to seek His face and point others to the living God.
DeleteWill be happy to share once more work is complete.
Bonne Année!
PR
I will pass this along for those who want to know. Pastor JD Farag's wife Kellie passed away yesterday from her cancer.
ReplyDelete___
From the JD Farag Appreciation Group on Facebook:
@everyone
Please continue praying for pastor JD and his family. Below is his message to us regarding Kellie's homecoming to be with Jesus.
PASTOR JD'S ANNOUNCEMENT OF KELLIE'S HOMEGOING TO JESUS - DECEMBER 29TH, 2025
"Kellie entered into the presence of the Lord on Monday, December 29th and is now absent from her cancer riddled body awaiting her glorified body, which she will receive at the pre-tribulation rapture when we who are alive and remain will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air at which time we'll be with all our loved ones, countless multitudes of believers and infinitely more importantly we'll all be with our Bridegroom forever.
I truly hope you all know that Kellie made it very clear to our 3-adult children and myself, that she so longed to be with Jesus knowing that the Lord would take care of us as her family until that glorious day and hour of which no man knows. This was always her blessed assurance and remains ours now more than it ever has.
As for celebrating Kellie's life and rejoicing in her eternal life, please kindly grant me the much-needed time to make plans as we navigate this difficult time for both us as a family and you as a church family. Once plans are in place, I'll let you know as soon as possible and Lord permitting I'm also hoping to announce that I'll be returning to the pulpit sooner now. Please know your grace and love in my absence has been overwhelming.
I cannot even begin to thank you all enough for allowing me this extended time out of the pulpit to have one last wedding anniversary with my wife in which we celebrated 37-years of marriage and 39-years together. I also cannot thank you all enough for allowing me to be out of the pulpit to celebrate our last Thanksgiving and Christmas together with Kellie. The Lord in His amazing grace and unending love knew we needed this.
Lastly, while we certainly appreciate your thoughtful kindness sending flowers and providing food, we would kindly ask you to just simply pray for us instead. I miss you and love you so, so, so much and I'm looking forward to seeing all of you again as soon as I'm able. I'm just ever so grateful for you being patient with me.
Until,
JD
Heartbroken to hear. JD has been a huge inspiration to so many, including myself. But of course we know she is with the Lord and who could ask for more. Maranatha.
DeleteHeartbreaking to hear especially at this time of year. I've been through it too. Grace and peace to JD and family.
DeleteOhhhh
ReplyDeleteI am sad to come on here just as the news comes out of J.D.'s wife passing. . .
THANK YOU, LORD, FOR THE PROMISE OF ETERNAL LIFE and for that assurance that J.D. will see his Kellie again very soon!
Well, there is no way to gracefully segue to the article I just posted, except to say--here's news that will help keep you awake this New Year's Eve:
New Year’s Eve Deadline, the Psalm 83 War, and the Rapture
MARANATHA, BELOVED IN THE LORD!
39 years really isn't long enough to be with the one you love. I'm married 35 years and it seems so short. Much love to JD.
ReplyDelete