Don’t Look Back

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (I Thess. 4:16-17)

The phrase “caught up” was sadly translated rapturo in the Latin Bible, from whence we get the term rapture.  The root of this word is “rape” which means to be taken against your will for sex.  This has led to the false belief that when Christ descends from heaven and the trump sounds, living Christians will automatically be swept into the clouds to meet Jesus.  But our BrideGroom is a Gentleman who will await our final consent as a member of His Bride.

Jesus taught there will be a moment of decision when He returns.

“²⁸Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; ²⁹But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. ³⁰Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. ³¹In that day, he which shall be on the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. ³²Remember Lot's wife. ³³Whoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. ³⁴I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.” (Luke 17:28-34)

Besides the rampant sexual sins in Sodom, there was also much commerce.  Lot was rich prior to moving into Sodom (Genesis 13).  He continued to do well in business and was an elder who sat in the gate (Gen. 19:1).

“And while he lingered, the men laid hold on his hand, and on the hand of his wife, and on the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful to him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.” (Gen. 19:16)

The word “lingered” is maw-hah in Hebrew from a root meaning to question.  One angel took the hands of Lot and his wife, and the other angel took the hands of the two daughters.  That means each of the four only had one free hand to carry anything with them (possibly some provisions bundled up the previous night).  Lot’s delaying question might have been, “What more can we take with us?” to which the reply was “Nothing” as the angels grabbed their hands and pulled them out the door and out of the doomed city.

We’re not told why Lot’s wife disobeyed the angel’s command to not look back towards Sodom, but she did.  Jesus used her as a warning for us, that we should be ready at any time to give up all that we have in order to follow Him.  Our lives are hidden in Christ (Col. 3:3), and should not be so entangled with the world that we can’t separate ourselves from it (I John 2:15).  Even your closest Christian friends might not understand they can choose to hold onto something in this world instead of obeying the trumpet call.  Please share this message with them.

5^th Seal of Beheaded Christian Martyrs

My 2009 understanding of the order and timing of Revelation might be all wrong, but it is apparent the 5^th seal is currently taking place in the Middle East.  Who could have foreseen in our modern world with weapons of mass destruction, that the enemies of God’s people would literally behead them?

“And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark on their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” (Rev. 20:4)

These Christian believers living in the Babylon of the Middle East are often given the choice to deny Jesus Christ and become Muslim, or die.  These martyrs are now pleading with God to avenge their blood.  The Lord tells them to rest a “little season” until all the martyrs join them.

“And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: ¹⁰And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, do you not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? ¹¹And white robes were given to every one of them; and it was said to them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brothers, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. ¹²And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, see, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; ¹³And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, even as a fig tree casts her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. ¹⁴And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. ¹⁵And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every slave, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; ¹⁶And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: ¹⁷For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” (Rev. 6:9-17)

The sun became black, a total solar eclipse, on March 20, 2015, and a blood moon or total lunar eclipse occurred the evening of Passover on April 4, 2015.  Both were viewable from Israel.  But there was no major Middle East earthquake prior to them.  The Lyrid meteor shower can be viewed from mid to late April [link].  Verses 14-17 sound like a nuclear explosion and its aftermath, with people hiding in underground bunkers from radio-active fallout.

Christ Died on Nisan 14, the Day of "Preparation"

Definitions of Evening

Because I am a Gentile raised on the concepts of a Roman day and the Gregorian calendar, I have had a difficult time understanding biblical days. Since Elohim created light out of darkness, the first (and subsequent) days last from "evening" to "morning" (Genesis 1:5ff). Yeshua would have considered a 24 hour "day" (yom in Hebrew, and hemera in Greek) to last from dusk to dusk; half of which would have been daylight (John 11:9). I thought and taught Yeshua ate Passover with his disciples and then was crucified on the afternoon of Nisan 14 on Passover day based on the following Scripture:

In the fourteenth [day] of the first month at even [is] the LORD's passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month [is] the feast of unleavened bread to the LORD: seven days you must eat unleavened bread. (Lev. 23:5-6)

But I was wrong. The word "is" has been inserted by the translators. The 14th is the day of preparation for Passover during which the lambs are killed. All four gospels agree that Christ was crucified on Nisan 14 the day of "preparation" (Mat. 27:62; Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54; John 19:14, 31, 42), so that the Sanhedrin could get rid of Him before Passover.

I didn't understand the biblical words "even" and "evening" can mean a period of darkness or the hours prior to darkness (late afternoon). There is no Hebrew or Greek word which translates to "afternoon" (though natah is translated as such in Judges 19:8). So when I read the following passage, I thought the words "evening" and "night" were synonymous and described Nisan 14 as Passover followed by the first day of Unleavened Bread on the 15th; but I was wrong.

In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb . . . a lamb for an house: . . . And you shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening ['ereb]. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. And they shall eat the flesh in that night [layil], roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. (Exodus 12:3-8)

"Evening" ['ereb] can include noon to 6pm. So the passover lambs were to be slaughtered during those hours on Nisan 14, and then roasted and eaten during the dark "night" [layil] of Nisan 15. Then it makes complete sense that Passover and the first day of Unleavened Bread both begin at dusk on Nisan 15.

Here is part of Clarke's Commentary on Exodus 12:6 . . .

"In the evening] beyn haarbayim, "between the two evenings." The Jews divided the day into morning and evening: till the sun passed the meridian all was morning or fore-noon; after that, all was afternoon or evening. Their first evening began just after twelve o'clock, and continued till sunset; their second evening began at sunset and continued till night; i.e., during the whole time of twilight; between twelve o'clock, therefore, and the termination of twilight, the passover was to be offered." {I will call the first evening "even" and the second evening "evening".}

Clarke's "second evening" was subdivided into four watches of three hours each: first watch 6-9pm (Lam. 2:19), second watch 9pm-midnight (Judges 7:19), third watch (Ex. 14:24), and the fourth watch (Mat. 14:25). So we have dealt with the Hebrew terms; on to the Greek terms.

A biblical day began after sun down [helios dumi] (Mark 1:32) and proceeded to "evening" [hespera] (Acts 4:3; 28:23); roughly 6pm to midnight. Night [nux] (Mark 14:30) was the period from midnight to dawn (Acts 20:11). The "rising of the sun" [anatello to helios] can also be translated "morning" [proi] (Mark 16:1-2) or "early" [bathus orthos] (Luke 24:1). Noon is mid-morning [mesohemera] (Acts 26:13) or [mesembria] (Acts 22:6). Clarke's "first evening", or "evening" or "even" [opsios] (Mark 15:42) is roughly noon to 6pm, and includes dusk (Mat. 16:2).

Day of Preparation

Nisan 14 was the day of preparation for Passover. Passover and the first day of Unleavened Bread began after dusk on Nisan 15.

Now the feast of unleavened bread drew near, which is called the Passover. . . . Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed. And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat. . . . And they went, and found as he had said to them: and they made ready the passover. [they cleaned out all leaven] And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. And he said to them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: For I say to you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: For I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. And he took bread, and gave thanks, and broke it, and gave to them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you (Luke 22:1-20)

Jesus desired to eat the Passover with them before He suffered, but instead He would become the Passover lamb who would be sacrificed for them, and He would not get to eat the Passover with them until its ultimate fulfillment in His kingdom. The phrase "last supper" is appropriate. It was not Passover because the disciples thought Judas might be buying something for the feast when he left that night (John 13:26-30), and if it was already the high sabbath of Passover, no one would be allowed to sell him anything.

Christ, our Perfect Sacrifice for our Sins

At the Temple in Jerusalem, the priests would be sacrificing lambs all day long, from dawn to dusk; but they also would have made the daily [tamid], perfectly whole [tamiym] sacrifice of a lamb for the morning and evening sacrifices. According to ancient Jewish sources outside the Bible, the morning offering of the Tamid took place at the "third hour" (9 am), and the evening offering took place at the "ninth hour" (3 pm) [Mishnah, Tamid 3:7; Josephus, Antiquities 14.4.3; Philo, Special Laws, 1:169].

Christ was nailed to the cross at the "third hour" (Mark 15:25), and died the "ninth hour" (Mark 13:34-39). During the two daily sacrifices, the priests would also have been reciting prayers for redemption, forgiveness, coming of Messiah, and eternal life (website).

Yeshua became our Passover lamb and "daily sacrifice" (Daniel 12:11), making further animal sacrifices unnecessary to approach Elohim, so the veil separating access to His Presence in the Holy of Holies was rent as well as graves (Mat. 27:50-53) because eternal life with our LORD had been purchased at a great price.

Christ Died on a Thursday

Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. (Jonah 1:17)

Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from you. But he answered and said to them, An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. (Matthew 12:38-41)

After all that about biblical days being from evening to morning, now we have a specific time-frame of three days and three nights; purposely beginning with daytime. The first chapter of Jonah does not provide a real time-frame except he slept and was awakened, and the men tried to row towards land before Jonah was tossed into the sea; but the LORD says it began during daylight. Those who ascribe to a Wednesday crucifixion for Yeshua begin with a "night" and then have him resurrect during the night of Sabbath (pre-dawn on Saturday, nullifying a First Fruits resurrection). Those who ascribe to a Friday crucifixion, can't squeeze in three days or three nights. Therefore a Thursday crucifixion works out the best, which was Nisan 14, 33 AD.

Happy Passover!

My Prophetic Outlook of 2012

The date of April 6, 2009 was found counting 1260 (3.5 X 360) days back from the Feast of Trumpets in 2012. Paul gave us Feast of Trumpets (I Thess. 4-5) for Christ's return, and Daniel (12:10-12) gave us the year which is 45 years after Jerusalem was retaken by Jews in 1967. All other dates are merely my conjecture. For how my post-trib view of the fulfillments of the seals, trumpets, and vials, read the 2011 booklet on my site at http://www.kneelingmedia.org/AwakeBride/.

On April 6, 2009, President Obama began his 3.5 years as the “little horn” by announcing in Turkey that “The United States is not, and never will be, at war with Islam.” In the first three months of 2011, President Obama systematically removed three of the ten horns of the Sunni beast: Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya. President Obama has not attempted to remove the two horns of the Shia beast: Muqtada al-Sadr, the leader of the Mahdi army in Iraq; and Ahmadenijad, the dictator of Iran (Persia). The Sunni and Shia hate the idolatrous Wahhabi of Saudi Arabia (whore of Babylon).

In October 2011, the US uncovered an Iranain plot to assassinate the Saudi Ambassador in DC. The Saudis are afraid the Iranians will attack them on their own soil. Al-Qaeda's attempts to blow-up the Kaaba in Mecca failed, but the Sunni beast will destroy the Jeddah-Mecca area (possibly with a little help from Shia Iran). The port of Jeddah sends out oil tankers throughout the world. The Saudis have had the US and other countries wrapped around their little oily fingers for generations.

“And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength to the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. And he said to me, The waters which you saw, where the whore sits, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God has put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. And the woman which you saw is that great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth.” (Rev. 17:12-18)

This destruction will be quick and devastating, and the smoke will be visible for miles.

“Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judges her. And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall mourn her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is your judgment come.” (Rev. 18:8-10)

That sounds like a conventional bomb. This is “mystery Babylon” not the city in Iraq. Babylon was the religious center of its time, today all Muslims pray facing Mecca.

The book of Esther is read during Israel's holiday of Purim. Purim is March 8, 2012 this year. In Persia, Haman cast lots (purim) for the best day to annihilate the Jews, and arrived with the 13th of Adar (Esther 3:13), which is the twelfth month of the Hebrew calendar. Because Esther fasted and prayed and boldly pleaded to the king for her people, the Jews were granted authrority to kill their persecutors on that day instead. Though Leon Panetta suggested Israel may attack Iran in April, May or June, I think March 8th would be poetic justice for the modern-day Haman.

Today on The 700 Club, Erick Stakelbeck stated that war against Israel would occur this year. He also suggested Isaiah 17:1 might be fulfilled soon.

“The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.” (Isaiah 17:1)

For more of Stakelbeck's amazing indepth reporting, check out his “Stakelbeck on Terror” at
http://blogs.cbn.com/stakelbeckonterror and don't be alarmed if his site is under attack and difficult to view. Though Tiglath-Pileser beseiged Damascus for three years, the Assyrians did not leave it as a heap of ruins.

This April 6, 2012 will be the evening prior to Passover commemorating Yahweh's deliverance of the Jews from Egypt. Egyptians might seek some poetic justice of their own in attacking Israel that day or during the following week of Unleavened Bread.

On the day of Messiah's return, September 16, 2012, some country is going to use chemical and/or nuclear bombs according to Zechariah, or the LORD will simulate something like it.

“And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand on their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth. And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbor, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbor. And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the heathen round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance. And so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass, and of all the beasts that shall be in these tents, as this plague.” (Zechariah 14:12-15)

Stay close to the LORD Jesus in prayer, and obey what His Holy Spirit tells you to do, because the coming days will be very perilous. 2011 saw the most earthquakes of any single year, and had ten different billion dollar disasters in the US alone. Jesus told us of the increase of quakes and signs in the sky (Matthew 24). I pray you are prepared.

Joseph and Mary and Egypt

The names of Jesus' parents are clues to Jesus' first and second comings.

JESUS' FIRST COMING
Joseph was the Hebrew who was sold into slavery in Egypt, only to rise to reign Egypt and provide a place for the Hebrews to live in abundance during the famine, and save the world from starvation by storing grain. Two hundred fifteen years after his death, a pharaoh arose "who knew not Joseph;" and Moses was born, and Miriam watched over him. [Mara, Maria, Mary, Marjam, and Miriam are all based upon the same root word.] Miriam is not mentioned by name until she sings of God's victory over Egypt's army after crossing the Red Sea.

Both Joseph and Moses are redeemers of the Hebrew people. Joseph became governor of Egypt at age 30, the same age Jesus was baptized as "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." God gave Moses instructions to have the Hebrews prepare a lamb and eat the feast of Passover prior to their exodus from Egypt. Note that the Hebrews remained in Egypt during the plagues, but that God made distinction between them and the Egyptians, and those who placed the lamb's blood on their doors so that the angel of death would "pass over" them. The three nights of their travels across the Sinai Peninsula correspond to the three nights Jesus was entombed. Jesus' resurrection morning corresponds to the Hebrews' safe crossing and the destruction of their enemies, when Miriam takes a timbrel and dances and sings of God's victory.

Hosea 11:1 "When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt." Just as the Hebrews physically dwelt in Egypt and were brought out safely, so too Jesus dwelt in Egypt for safety and was later called out. Matthew 2:14-15 " 14When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: 15And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son." As the Bride of Christ we have been called out of darkness into His light (1 Peter 2:9).

JESUS' SECOND COMING
Joseph, son of Jacob, and Mary, daughter of Heli (means 'ascending'), were descendants of King David who was born in Bethlehem. Bethlehem means 'house of bread,' and the "Bread of Life" was born there on Rosh Hashanah; the Jewish New Year in which kings are crowned.

Joseph, ancient Jacob's son, was a faithful son who was sold into slavery. He was a faithful slave who was falsely accused and thrown into prison. In both periods of tribulation (the greater tribulation in prison was for more than two years), Joseph was highly favored and caused to prosper. It was his ability to interpret dreams which led to his release. When Joseph was brought out of prison and made second in command over Egypt, trumpets were blown. The trumpets blown during Rosh HaShanah are a memorial of Joseph reigning over Egypt (Lev. 23:24-25; Genesis 41:46-47,50a; Psalm 81:3-5a; Revelation 11:8,15). Joel chapter 2 combines this celebration with God's Spirit poured out on all flesh so as to dream and prophesy just prior to the Lord's coming.
Though the Bride of Christ may be falsely accused and enslaved and imprisoned during the great tribulation, we can still expect God's gracious hand of favor to be upon us, making a distinction between believers and unbelievers as plagues are released. Several of the plagues mentioned in Revelation were of the ten used upon Egypt.

At His first coming, Jesus fulfilled the three spring feasts and sent the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, leaving the three fall feasts to be fulfilled with His second coming. The first of the fall feasts is Rosh Hashanah. It is a fitting day for the King of kings to reclaim His kingdom on earth at the "last trumpet" when we are gathered unto Him. Those who believe in King Jesus should be watching and ready for His return.

For more information on the Great Tribulation, go to www.KneelingMedia.com/AwakeBride/.