I think I have disobeyed the Lord. In fact I know I have. He gave me a message to share with all of you, an important message for these very days which we are entering. It is a message that startled me when I received it and consequently made me afraid to share. After all, as Satan was quick to remind me, who am I to share such a message? Fear gripped me that people might laugh at me or lose respect for me or just out-and-out reject me. So I posted the message as just another reply in a thread on the millennial-day theory. I felt guilty as soon as I did it. God gave me the message to share and I disobeyed by doing what I did, making the excuse that I did "share" it. But He didn't ask me to bury it, He told me to share it. So I am now going to obey Him. Here is the message. You can ignore it if you like, or even disagree with it. But I ask you to pray and then take the time to read it. What you do with it then is up to you.
As you all know, if you have been following my teaching over the years, I believe that the seven Great Feasts that God gave to Israel in the Torah are pictures of God's full dealings with mankind, from the finishing of His work of Redemption to the finishing of His work of Restoration. In other words, the seven feasts picture everything from Christ removing sin from man to Christ removing Satan from the world, thus restoring everything to right relationship with God. This is why the Bible says that God has not done anything that He has not already revealed to his people through his prophets. Just as in the Tabernacle --and everything associated with it, including the sacrifices-- God gave us a picture of Jesus and His entire plan of salvation, so too in the feasts He gave us a picture of everything He was going to do. So, let's examine this right now, because it relates to the Rapture, and its timing and the point of this message.
The four spring feasts are as follows:
When the seven festivals are finally fulfilled, God's purpose for history will be fulfilled. (By the way, before we continue, have you ever pondered the fact that there are seven feasts? Just as God created the world in seven literal days, and may well have laid out everything in seven prophetic days (that is to say 1000 year periods -- hence the Millennial-Day theory) I believe He will restore it in seven figurative days. And just as on the seventh day of Creation He rested, His creative work being complete, surely He will rest on the seventh day of Re-creation, which is the seventh feast...that being Tabernacles when Messiah will dwell among humanity here on earth, thus marking the completion of God's work of restoration of the world to Himself.)
"But pastor," I hear someone say, "you have said many times that the feasts are for Israel, not the Church. How come you are now saying that the Feast of Trumpets is the Rapture? That would make the feast for the Church." Not at all. It is the Feast of Trumpets, not the Feast of Trumpet. Yes, the trumpet will sound, calling all of us home who believe in Jesus Christ for our salvation. But that is not the only event being marked. God uses trumpets for many purposes, in order to signal significant events and to issue warnings. When we leave, the restrainer leaves, and the time of Jacob's trouble will begin.
The Feast of Trumpets lasts 10 days, and leads up to the great Day of Atonement. That is why those days are referred to as the Days of Awe. During them, Jews prepare to ask God for forgiveness of their sins by repenting of those sins and forgiving others who have sinned against them. The minute these days end, the solemn Day of Atonement begins. Oh! what a day that will be when Israel finally cries out in agony of heart for its Messiah!
Anyway, my precious brothers and sisters, that is what I believe God has opened up to me to share. Throughout my ministry, God has, from time to time, illuminated certain doctrines, not as a result of any effort on my part to come to an understanding, but purely by Him placing them into my mind in His time, and for His purpose. And it is at this very moment in time that I feel the freedom in my spirit to share the message I am sharing right now. I believe God wants us all to understand the significance of what is happening now. He wants us to understand the time we are in and the time we have left to serve Him before we are removed and the Great Tribulation begins.
Before I get to the conclusion of my message, I want to speak about timing. If my understanding of the feasts is correct --and I believe it is-- the Rapture will occur on a Feast of Trumpets. How soon that particular feast may occur depends first of all on whether we are in "the season" or not. I believe we are. Second of all, it depends on when ”the fullness of the gentiles” (Romans 11:25) occurs; and THAT no one knows, except God. But surely we are close.
Now please, please, PLEASE understand that I am NOT saying the Rapture will occur this October, although it could. But I believe it will occur in an October on a Feast of Trumpets in the not too distant future. At best, I believe we only have a few years. Maybe not even that many. So, are we to rejoice that we're almost out of here? It's certainly something to rejoice about. What could be better than that? But are we to focus on the Rapture and our deliverance from this body of flesh? I suggest not.
What is it that Christ commanded us to be doing when He left? It was to be sharing the Gospel. Do you think He will be pleased if when He comes for us He finds us doing everything but? Do you think at that moment we will be glad we have been focusing the greatest part of our attention on our lives, our jobs, our finances, our plans, our earthly dreams, or anything else? Only you can answer for yourself. I know I will not be feeling good about myself when I look Jesus in the eye, if the main focus of my life at that point has not been serving my Lord and Savior.
In the process of laying this message on my heart and freeing me in my spirit to finally deliver it, He has strongly impressed on me that now is the time to begin doing what He has called us to do, and to do so with our whole hearts. We have entered a very serious time ... not simply in the history of the world, but in the history of mankind. We are entering a time different from every other time that has existed since the world began. Things are about to change and change dramatically. And you and I are about to see it.
But God has not called us to be spectators of what is happening. He has not called us to merely report on what we see, nor speculate on events. He has called us to be about His work. And so, in love, but in the strongest terms possible, I encourage each one of you to focus on what the Holy Spirit places into your heart. For me it's one thing; for you it will possibly be another. Each one of us has been given gifts and ministries. Let us employ our gifts and pursue our ministries with our whole hearts.
The day of the Lord is at hand, the day of our departure is close, and once we leave this earth we will never earn another reward. What we have earned by the time we leave this earth will be what we have for eternity. This Earth is the one place where you and I can demonstrate our faithfulness to God and store up for ourselves rewards in Heaven that we will enjoy for all eternity. Let us not miss our remaining chances to do so.
Brothers and sisters, dearly beloved of God, I encourage you now to enter a new phase of living, a new phase of serving. I believe that as you set your hearts to obey Him, He will speak to you ... through His Word, or directly into your spirit. But He will speak to you, it will always align with His Word, and He will lead you in the way in which you should go from this point onward. What He gives to you, please share with everyone you can; just as I am sharing with you what He has given to me. And, in fact, please share this message with other mature Christians whom you know will benefit from it.
I am praying for each of you. Please pray for me and for Andrea. Let all of us, each one of us, fulfill the ministries that God has given us. And please do not be panicked by what's happening in the world or even in your family. Don't be panicked by this message. Do not be panicked with the thoughts of unsaved loved ones. Trust God. He has everything under control. He has heard your prayers and He will do what is perfect and right. Just focus on Him and follow Him wherever and however He leads you.
I love each individual one of you in Christ. As does Andrea. What a truly exciting time we live in! What a truly awesome God we serve! And what a privilege He has given us to be alive and to be allowed to serve Him at this exact point in history! Hallelujah! Glory to His name! Now please go forth and, encouraged by the message I have shared, make full proof (as the KJV puts it) of your ministry. In other words, take your gifts and use them. May God bless you as you do.
As you all know, if you have been following my teaching over the years, I believe that the seven Great Feasts that God gave to Israel in the Torah are pictures of God's full dealings with mankind, from the finishing of His work of Redemption to the finishing of His work of Restoration. In other words, the seven feasts picture everything from Christ removing sin from man to Christ removing Satan from the world, thus restoring everything to right relationship with God. This is why the Bible says that God has not done anything that He has not already revealed to his people through his prophets. Just as in the Tabernacle --and everything associated with it, including the sacrifices-- God gave us a picture of Jesus and His entire plan of salvation, so too in the feasts He gave us a picture of everything He was going to do. So, let's examine this right now, because it relates to the Rapture, and its timing and the point of this message.
The four spring feasts are as follows:
- Pesach (Passover) represented Christ's atoning sacrifice,
- Chag haMatzot (the Feast of Unleavened Bread) --which immediately followed Passover, beginning the instant it ended-- involved the removal of everything impure, thus picturing the removal of sin
- Chag ha-Bikkurim (the Feast of First Fruits) pictured Christ's resurrection. It occurs during the seven days of Passover, on the first day of the week (Sunday for us) following the Sabbath after the Passover sacrifice. So, if Christ was crucified on Friday, it would be the third day.
- Shavuot (Pentecost) marked the beginning of the wheat harvest and is a picture of the beginning of the Church, which was created to spread the gospel and bring in the harvest of souls...made possible, of course, by the coming of the Holy Spirit to indwell Christ's followers.
- Yom Teruah (the Feast of Trumpets) when I personally believe the Rapture will occur, ushering in the "time of Jacob's trouble." (By the way, this feast is most commonly known as Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. The ancient rabbis also referred to this as the feast where no man knows the day or the hour.)
- Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) when I believe God will bring Israel to a point where they will engage in deep personal and national repentance before the Lord God and cry out for their Messiah
- Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles) when I believe Christ will return and dwell with Israel, ruling the earth from Jerusalem.
When the seven festivals are finally fulfilled, God's purpose for history will be fulfilled. (By the way, before we continue, have you ever pondered the fact that there are seven feasts? Just as God created the world in seven literal days, and may well have laid out everything in seven prophetic days (that is to say 1000 year periods -- hence the Millennial-Day theory) I believe He will restore it in seven figurative days. And just as on the seventh day of Creation He rested, His creative work being complete, surely He will rest on the seventh day of Re-creation, which is the seventh feast...that being Tabernacles when Messiah will dwell among humanity here on earth, thus marking the completion of God's work of restoration of the world to Himself.)
"But pastor," I hear someone say, "you have said many times that the feasts are for Israel, not the Church. How come you are now saying that the Feast of Trumpets is the Rapture? That would make the feast for the Church." Not at all. It is the Feast of Trumpets, not the Feast of Trumpet. Yes, the trumpet will sound, calling all of us home who believe in Jesus Christ for our salvation. But that is not the only event being marked. God uses trumpets for many purposes, in order to signal significant events and to issue warnings. When we leave, the restrainer leaves, and the time of Jacob's trouble will begin.
The Feast of Trumpets lasts 10 days, and leads up to the great Day of Atonement. That is why those days are referred to as the Days of Awe. During them, Jews prepare to ask God for forgiveness of their sins by repenting of those sins and forgiving others who have sinned against them. The minute these days end, the solemn Day of Atonement begins. Oh! what a day that will be when Israel finally cries out in agony of heart for its Messiah!
Anyway, my precious brothers and sisters, that is what I believe God has opened up to me to share. Throughout my ministry, God has, from time to time, illuminated certain doctrines, not as a result of any effort on my part to come to an understanding, but purely by Him placing them into my mind in His time, and for His purpose. And it is at this very moment in time that I feel the freedom in my spirit to share the message I am sharing right now. I believe God wants us all to understand the significance of what is happening now. He wants us to understand the time we are in and the time we have left to serve Him before we are removed and the Great Tribulation begins.
Before I get to the conclusion of my message, I want to speak about timing. If my understanding of the feasts is correct --and I believe it is-- the Rapture will occur on a Feast of Trumpets. How soon that particular feast may occur depends first of all on whether we are in "the season" or not. I believe we are. Second of all, it depends on when ”the fullness of the gentiles” (Romans 11:25) occurs; and THAT no one knows, except God. But surely we are close.
Now please, please, PLEASE understand that I am NOT saying the Rapture will occur this October, although it could. But I believe it will occur in an October on a Feast of Trumpets in the not too distant future. At best, I believe we only have a few years. Maybe not even that many. So, are we to rejoice that we're almost out of here? It's certainly something to rejoice about. What could be better than that? But are we to focus on the Rapture and our deliverance from this body of flesh? I suggest not.
What is it that Christ commanded us to be doing when He left? It was to be sharing the Gospel. Do you think He will be pleased if when He comes for us He finds us doing everything but? Do you think at that moment we will be glad we have been focusing the greatest part of our attention on our lives, our jobs, our finances, our plans, our earthly dreams, or anything else? Only you can answer for yourself. I know I will not be feeling good about myself when I look Jesus in the eye, if the main focus of my life at that point has not been serving my Lord and Savior.
In the process of laying this message on my heart and freeing me in my spirit to finally deliver it, He has strongly impressed on me that now is the time to begin doing what He has called us to do, and to do so with our whole hearts. We have entered a very serious time ... not simply in the history of the world, but in the history of mankind. We are entering a time different from every other time that has existed since the world began. Things are about to change and change dramatically. And you and I are about to see it.
But God has not called us to be spectators of what is happening. He has not called us to merely report on what we see, nor speculate on events. He has called us to be about His work. And so, in love, but in the strongest terms possible, I encourage each one of you to focus on what the Holy Spirit places into your heart. For me it's one thing; for you it will possibly be another. Each one of us has been given gifts and ministries. Let us employ our gifts and pursue our ministries with our whole hearts.
The day of the Lord is at hand, the day of our departure is close, and once we leave this earth we will never earn another reward. What we have earned by the time we leave this earth will be what we have for eternity. This Earth is the one place where you and I can demonstrate our faithfulness to God and store up for ourselves rewards in Heaven that we will enjoy for all eternity. Let us not miss our remaining chances to do so.
Brothers and sisters, dearly beloved of God, I encourage you now to enter a new phase of living, a new phase of serving. I believe that as you set your hearts to obey Him, He will speak to you ... through His Word, or directly into your spirit. But He will speak to you, it will always align with His Word, and He will lead you in the way in which you should go from this point onward. What He gives to you, please share with everyone you can; just as I am sharing with you what He has given to me. And, in fact, please share this message with other mature Christians whom you know will benefit from it.
I am praying for each of you. Please pray for me and for Andrea. Let all of us, each one of us, fulfill the ministries that God has given us. And please do not be panicked by what's happening in the world or even in your family. Don't be panicked by this message. Do not be panicked with the thoughts of unsaved loved ones. Trust God. He has everything under control. He has heard your prayers and He will do what is perfect and right. Just focus on Him and follow Him wherever and however He leads you.
I love each individual one of you in Christ. As does Andrea. What a truly exciting time we live in! What a truly awesome God we serve! And what a privilege He has given us to be alive and to be allowed to serve Him at this exact point in history! Hallelujah! Glory to His name! Now please go forth and, encouraged by the message I have shared, make full proof (as the KJV puts it) of your ministry. In other words, take your gifts and use them. May God bless you as you do.
