The Fall of Babylon

A 'System" or a "City"?

This is one of those areas of prophecy study that contains some debate. We will present this topic primarily in terms of Babylon as a worldwide system. However, my personal feelings correlate back to the Festival issues and those that have not been fulfilled. I will include a "counterpoint" to describe this view.

In the 17th chapter of Revelation, John records his vision of another hideous and distorted creature. "I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns" (Rev. 17:3). The woman has a name on her forehead: "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH" (Rev. 17:5). She is pictured as being drunk with the blood of the saints. That is, she persecutes and martyrs the people of God.

Chapters 17 and 18 portray the judgment of God upon this great madam-the mother of harlots-and the "scarlet beast" she rides or controls. In Old Testament prophecy, the image of a harlot is commonly used as a metaphor for false religious worship (Isaiah 1:21; Ezekiel 16:15). Isaiah mocks Babylon by calling her "virgin daughter" (Isaiah 47:1).

The "Scarlet Beast"

What is this strange "scarlet beast" with seven heads and 10 horns, carrying the harlot woman? This beast ridden by the woman exists through time right to the second coming of Christ. The 10 horns of the beast arise in the last days. They Bible states they represent 10 rulers who receive political power at the very end of this world's civilization and just before the Messiah's intervention.

The Apocalypse tells us these horns fight the returning Christ. John writes: "The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast . . . . These will make war with the Lamb and the Lamb will overcome them" (Rev. 17:12-14).

To what, then, do the "seven heads" refer (Rev. 17:3)? John tells us in verse nine: "The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits." These heads correspond to seven successive kings, controlling powerful empires (verse 10). These, in turn, are "ridden" or manipulated by the "woman." The final "head," king or empire has not yet appeared. "When he comes, he must continue a short time" (verse 10).

The 10 horns or kings pool their power to form one empire under a super-dictator, the final or seventh head of "the beast." They "have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast" (Rev. 17:12). That is, the seventh head is also called "the beast" just as the whole system is like a beast.

A Different Beast

We must be careful not to confuse the seven heads and 10 horns of the beast in Revelation 17 with another beast having the same number of heads and horns. It is described in Revelation 13. The beast in Revelation 13 is depicted in the following terms: "[It] was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion" (Rev. 13:2). Notice the animals mentioned-a leopard, a bear and a lion.

Daniel, the seventh chapter, also describes this same beast. The prophet Daniel saw a vision of four beasts rising from the sea. "The first was like a lion . . . a second, like a bear." Then, he said, "After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard .... The beast also had four heads." Still later, Daniel said, "I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast . . . . It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns" (Daniel 7:4-7).

The reader should note that the four beasts in Daniel 7 had seven heads because the leopard alone had four heads. Daniel tells us these four successive powers would govern from his time down to the coming of the ruling Messiah (Daniel 2:37-44). According to Daniel the fourth beast or kingdom would have 10 successive "horns," "kings" or kingdoms.

Daniel wrote, "The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth .... The 10 horns are 10 kings who shall arise from this kingdom" (Daniel 7:23-24). These 10 horns of the fourth beast of Daniel 7 coincide with the 10 horns of the fourth beast in Revelation 13:1-10. Three of these are subdued by a "little horn" (Daniel 7:20-25). The remaining seven horns are pictured as the seven heads in Revelation 17, over which the woman sat.

By reading the verses in Daniel 7, it's clear that the prophet is also talking about a religious authority who "shall persecute the saints of the Most High" (verse 25). This is none other than the "woman" of Revelation 17. The returning Christ destroys this woman's power along with that of the final "horn" or revival (Daniel 7:23, 26-27).

This "woman" is identified as "that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth" (Rev. 17:18). Revelation refers to her as a harlot who sits in control of "peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues" (Rev. 17:15). She has authority to coerce and compel."

Babylon's" Worldwide Influence

The harlot woman is the force behind the throne. The "beast," of course, wields the real power. It represents the political-military presence. But the woman rides the beast. She directs its activities, molds and shapes its ruling philosophy and ideals. Thus, she stands for false religious ideology and philosophical dogma.

What John is depicting, then, is a powerful organization that promulgates and enforces certain religious, social and political laws. It is the moving spirit behind human society. But it is, as Revelation has shown us, a depraved system. For this reason, the Messiah comes to crush it.

John hears an angel shout: "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a habitation of demons, a prison for every foul spirit" (Rev. 18:2). The city called "Babylon" stands as the symbol for this anti-God system that has swayed and oppressed the human race.

To the citizens of the world, however, the system does not appear evil at all. On the contrary, it seems to offer mankind that which it has always sought. For example, it brings great economic prosperity to the nations of the world. Most of chapter 18 is taken up with this theme.

An Economic SuperPower

"Babylon the great" is seen as an economic market of great breadth and power. That is the source of its wealth, a prerequisite for world domination. Political and military power, of course, is dependent on economic power. Without money, it's not possible to buy guns or wield influence.

Revelation shows us that Babylon is fabulously wealthy. The list of imports and exports that this power controls is impressive (Rev. 18:11-15). The merchandise index here is similar to the one found in Ezekiel 27:12-24. There the Phoenician city of Tyre is the metaphor for a power that controls world trade.

Babylon makes businessmen rich and ushers in general prosperity. John writes: "The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore" (Rev. 18:11). They cry, "Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! For in one hour such great riches came to nothing" (Rev. 18:16-17). The traders throw dust on their heads, crying out, "Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth!" (Rev. 18:19).

That is one reason the nations will be tricked into fighting the returning Christ. They will have been deceived into thinking they had a good thing going. Babylon the great had brought international trade and prosperity, perhaps a false sense of peace. However, God judges the system and destroys it. "For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication" (Rev. 19:2).

After John sees Babylon destroyed in vision, he hears an angel announcing a royal victory celebration hosted by the Lamb. It solemnizes God's establishment of his universal reign on earth (Rev. 19:6). Revelation paints the festival as a great wedding party in which Christ (the Lamb) and his faithful followers (the Bride) consecrate their union (Rev. 19:7-9). The symbol-the bride of Christ-represents God's Church. The apostle Paul explained that in the spiritual realm the union between husband and wife illustrates the relationship of Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:23-24, 31-32).

The angel calls the animal world and birds of prey to a separate supper feast (Rev. 19:17). The beasts are to dine on the bodies of all those who opposed the returning Christ (Rev. 19:18). This feast stands in grim contrast to the joyous marriage banquet of the Lamb.

Alternative View of 'Mystery Babylon'

There is a split in understanding exactly what the bible refers to as Babylon. Obviously, it relates the new Babylon to the old city itself. A corrupt, sinful perversion that displeased God. Many who study prophecy feel the end times Babylon refers to the 'world system' we discussed above. However, there is a significant amount of scripture that indicates this could be the United States or one of it's greatest cities. One needs to think twice about this in light of the enemies bent on destroying New York's financial center following Sept. 11, 2001.

It is interesting to note that the U.S. is mysteriously absent from most end times events. The nations described in the prophetic books include the middle east, Europe and Asia, but there is no mention of the U.S. specifically. The reason that many feel the prophecies relating to end days Babylon refer to the United States come from the description of it:

The greatest economic power in the world
Lifted up in pride
Dwells securely and is Heavily Fortified
A river divides it's land
Awesome from it's beginning
A 'mighty kingdom'
Land given to her pleasures
Hammer of the whole earth
Land of enchantments
Multitude of sorcery
Mixed peoples in a land of plenty
Made all drink of the wine of her fornication
Whore of the world

Well, that is a pretty good case for the USA. Further evidence comes from descriptions of the acutal destruction of this 'Babylon'.

Destruction in one day and in one hour
No-one shall be able to dwell there
She will be plundered
She shall not be inhabited
Trapped but unaware
Her wealth is cut off
The army is destroyed
It's defenses are penetrated
Men of war are terrified
Brought down like lambs to the slaughter
Her images are broken in pieces
Destruction allows demons to possess the land

Quite a sobering list of descriptions and events. One finds it easy to believe that this end times Babylon is more than a 'system' or 'philosophy'. In short, we need to be open to further interpretation.

The Event of the Ages

The book of Revelation now describes one of the most important events of human history. It is the coming of the Messiah or Christ to reinstate God's government on this earth and to reward God's faithful people. Revelation announced this singular event earlier: "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" (Rev. 11:15).

Once again, the second coming is proclaimed in a vision and recorded in Revelation 19. In this vision, John sees the returning Christ in sharp focus. He is symbolically riding on a white horse, and making war against Satan's political and religious system. John writes, "I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army" (Rev. 19:19).

Christ destroys the armies and captures "the beast" and the false prophet alive. Both of them are thrown into a "lake of fire" and quickly burned up (Rev. 19:20). (See II Thessalonians 1:7-10 which shows Jesus as coming from heaven in flaming fire to obliterate the wicked.)

Satan Bound for 1000 Years

One final act must be carried out before Christ officially becomes "King of kings and Lord of lords" (Rev. 19:16) over the remaining inhabitants of the earth. In vision, John sees an angel having a key to the "bottomless pit." He is carrying a massive chain.

John writes, "He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit" so that Satan "should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished" (Rev. 20:1-3).

At last, God has removed the destructive spirit of Satan from the affairs of man. The government of God-bringing peace, prosperity and spiritual health-comes to the human race. Now the wonderful world tomorrow can begin.

More to come next time...

AntiChrist

Wars and Rumors of Wars... The False Christ

Regardless of the timing of the Rapture, the other events of the Tribulation happen in a fairly straight forward manner. This is an overview of the heart of the tribulation. We won't be covering the entire book of Revelations, but below you can see the "Seals" that are opened and the results.

Two Theaters of Events

One must keep in mind that there are two series of events taking place during the Tribulation. One on earth, and another in the spirit realm. While the earth is suffering through plagues, war and a host of other horrible events... there is a celebration in Heaven for the "bride" of Christ and the "groom" (Jesus).

The 7th seal (not shown here) includes 7 plagues which are probably the worst part of the Tribulation.

Using the Pre-Tribulation Rapture

I personally lean toward the pre-trib timing of the Rapture for the reasons I'll provide below. Of course, as a believer, I would like to be snatched away prior to the calamity that will come. I also must prepare to be 'in the world' during this time.

On the 12th month of the year on the civil calendar (Ellul 1) begins a 40 day "Teshuvah". This is translated as a "return" or "repentance". At 30 days into this period (Tishri 1 on the time line) there will begin the coronation in heaven. The "Tzaddikim" or rightous ones will be present in heaven on this day.

If you recall what the bible says about the day of judgement... "The court was seated" and "the books were opened". This refers to the "book of life". Basically, all people on Tishri 1, 600X will fall into one of three categories.

1. The Tzaddikim (aka: Righteous ones)
2. The Average

3. The Rashim (aka: Evil ones)

This day is known as a Yom haDin or "day of judgement". The word actually means "the gates were opened". This is the day that believers in Christ will be "raptured" or taken up to heaven to begin the coronation. At the same time on earth, corresponding events will be taking place. While the believers are celebrating, the average and evil will be left on earth for the period of 7 (years).

Unfortunately, this will be a time like has never been or ever will be again, according to the bible. All of the disasters mentioned in the book of Revelation will happen during this period. The good news is that those "average" folks will have the chance to accept and believe in Christ during this period. Some will indeed die, but will join the others already in heaven. Others will live to see Christ return with his "bride" (believers). The bible has a lot to say about what will happen to the "Rashim" or evil ones. Some people, no matter how much proof they will be provided in those last days, will refuse to believe. If you're still on the fence, I hope this blog site will changed your mind.

Now, keep looking back at the timeline. Ironically, according to Festival timing... on that Tishri 1, 6000 the Jews will lay the foundation of their new altar (remember they have been waiting almost 2000 years to rebuild it). As per Jewish law, they will begin cleansing sacrifices on this altar for 10 days. That brings us to Tishri 10, 6000. This just happens to be Yom Kippur (The day of Atonement). It also is the date that daily temple sacrifices will begin. It is also known as "the gates were closed". It may be that the rapture takes place over the 10 day period. This is also the date that the false messiah will sign a contract with the Jews which is to guarantee their peace and safety... probably in light of what has just happened (the Rapture). However, the bible states clearly that "when they say peace... sudden destruction comes".

The temple will be under construction for a period of time, but must be completed by the middle of the 7 year period on Nisan 10. It could be a temporary structure. Remember in the old testament that the temple was actually a tent and was used for years. This Nisan 10 date will be the exact day that the world figure we call the antichrist will present himself in the temple, stop all sacrifices, and claim to be the Messiah. The bible calls this the “abomination that causes desolation”. Ironically, this event will occur on Passover... the same day that Christ entered the temple claiming to be God. Remember that the Anti-Christ tries to mimic God in many ways. Satan believes that we can all be like God, and every deception he creates is an attempt to mimic God’s power and authority.

Sometime during this 7 year period, 144,000 Jews will become evangelists to the entire world. Possibly, they will realize that Christ was indeed the Messiah when they see believers disappear at the rapture. Unfortunately, other Jews will not believe until they see antichrist enter their temple. At that time they will realize how wrong they had been. As an interesting side note: Many religions have totally slaughtered this particular area of scripture. For example, Mormens believe that the 144,000 is actually the number of people that will be saved! That would mean 99% of their own church members are going to hell. Others have manipulated these verses to mean they are Christian travelers, Americans, etc. These are all incorrect. It is sad to me… because we must have an understanding of the Jewish faith to see the fulfillment of the Christian faith. The Jewish faith was God’s original plan… and the Christians were “grafted into the tree”. But I digress…

There will be a spirit of anti-christ (meaning an anti-God sentiment) globally after the Rapture. This makes sense because all the believers are gone! It is at this time that the greatest nation on earth is destroyed. I personally believe that this is the United States (or some of it's greatest cities). NOTE: There is another opinion that 'Babylon' refers to the global economic system. We'll cover that possibility in a future topic.

Fallen! Fallen is... She has become a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird. For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries. ...for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Mix her a double portion from her own cup. Give her as much torture and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her. "When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry: `Woe! Woe, O great land, land of power! In one hour your doom has come!' The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes any more.

NOTE: The Old Testament books have a lot to say regarding prophecy as well. A good example is in Isaiah. You can get a good overall view of what will happen by studying the 10 kings of ancient days. Those kings and their battle methods correlate to things that will happen during the wars of the 7 year tribulation. We won't go into detail here but the Kings relate to specific years of the tribulation.

The Jewish Kings and the correlating Tribulation year:

Yotham 1st Year

Ahaz 2nd Year

Hezekiahrd 3rd Year

Mariassah 4th Year

Amon 5th Year

Josiah 6th Year

Jehoahaz, Jehoikim, Johoichin & Zedekiah All 7th Year

In the beginning of the first year of the tribulation, the false messiah will have made a treaty with Israel. This would be Tishri 10, 6001... just a few days after the rapture of all Christians happens and 144,000 Jews accept Jesus (this uses the pre-trib rapture view). Russia may be the spark that ignites the tribulation since it's economy is nearly collapsed. They will destroy a great nation (?) in the first 14 days. Rev 18:17 'In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!' During the panic, the European false messiah will rise to power virtually over night to help solve this global catastrophe.

The treaty with Israel would be signed on Tishri 10, 6000. This occurs on the festival of Yom Kippur or The Day of Atonement. The result of this leader coming to power will bring about the start of the "seals" of the book of Revelation. In short, this will begin with a time of spiritual deception (false Christ), multiple wars, resulting famine, and various plagues. This is a result of the power given to the antichrist.

The Bible gives us SPECIFIC dates and number of days for this time period. There is no mistaking God’s plan.

These events will all occur within a 42 month (3 1/2 year) period. Keep in mind this is all based on the 30 day month Jewish calendar. The Bible states that EXACTLY 1260 days after the signing of the covenant, this man will present himself in Jerusalem, enter into the newly built Jewish temple, and claim himself to be Christ. If you go 1260 days past Yom Kippur in any given year, you just happen to fall EXACTLY on Aviv 10. This is the same day about 2000 years before that Jesus entered the temple. Hopefully you are beginning to see how this is not just by coincidence. All these dates and events have been pre-arranged!! I’ve said it a hundred times… the festivals are to be a rehearsal of God’s appointments with mankind.

This event, known as the abomination of desolation will defile the Jewish holy place. The Jews will begin to see that this man they thought was their Messiah, is in fact a false messiah. The next 3 1/2 years will be the worst time on earth since creation. The Bible says if it were not that God himself cut these days short, no man would survive. Indeed only a small fragment of the population remaining at that time will make it to the end of this period.

A thorough review of the book of Daniel will give you insight to the following information if you desire a more detailed look.

From the available Biblical and Jewish sources, we know that this man will likely come to power in Europe, will come to power as a man of peace, will undoubtedly have Jewish roots, and will be seen as the Messiah by Israel (and probably the Muslim world as well).

The antichrist will be in charge of a 10 nation group (previously 13, but reduced to 10 somehow) comprised of the old Roman empire nations. The Bible describes the make-up of this last kingdom and after almost 2000 years, it was "revived" on January 1, 1993. It is the European Community or EU (European Union) if you will. In Europe, it is known simply as the EU or EC and has been in the news daily for the past several years. Plans are in the works for a EC national card since many of the nations already have a national I.D. card. Of course, the Bible has already predicted all of these events, and in Revelations it says that no man will be able to buy or sell without the mark of the beast (antichrist). We are told that in the final 3 1/2 years of the rule by antichrist, people will be required to have a mark on their hand or forehead before they are allowed to buy or sell anything. Letters of the Hebrew and Greek alphabet have number assignments, as do words. The Bible says the number of this antichrist is the number of a man, and it is 666. There is a possible second opinion on this “666” verse. I will also cover that in another topic date.

Note: An agreement in the EC in January of 2002 resulted in a unified currency called the Euro. The next action will result in a cashless society. With no cash to use, it is obvious that either a card or implant will be required for trade. The EC is in the process of tagging all livestock with computerized chips. These chips provide all the health information, breeding, location and owner information needed for the EC's trade requirements. Chilling events to say the least! Remember, this is not science fiction, it is happening today. In December of 2001 a physician on the east coast was the first human to have an ID chip implanted in his body.

By the 2nd year of the Tribulation, Israel will be attacked on all fronts by the Arabs. Syria's forces will invade from the north including the Golan and West Bank, Saudi Arabia from the south, and the Palestinians from the Gaza strip. Just as in the ancient days of Tiglat Pileser III (the Assyrian King), Russia will be asked to come to aid. At some point Damascus will be destroyed. The Jewish state will be divided prior to this happening (possibly from the Mennonite Zion group or an independent Palestinian State).

Unfortunately, by the third year of the tribulation, following a Jewish peace treaty, Russia will attack Israel (Tishri 1, 6003?) while their defenses are down. God will perform a dramatic miracle at this time, totally defeating the Russians (Tishri 10, 6003?). The bible says that fire and stones will rain down from heaven and the whole world will know that it was the Lord that defeated them. There will be a dramatic acceptance of Jesus by Israel as a whole. The EC's false messiah leader however, will also have attacked the Russians. The leader will, at the midpoint of the Tribulation, enter the temple, claim to be God, and make Jerusalem his headquarters. Some Jews, now exposed to the true Messiah will reject him and flee to the wilderness into Jordan and the area of Petra in the Succot Valley, bringing elements of the Tabernacle with them.

The false messiah will place his image in the temple for worship. Of course, by this point he is indwelt by Satan. Just as Jesus Christ became God in the flesh, the anti-christ will become Satan in the flesh. Fear of this powerful figure will bring the Asians into conflict with this EC leader in the 5th year. Their 200-million man army will cross the Euphrates river according to the bible to wage war in the Valley of Meggido (the battle of Armageddon).

Like lightening out of the east, Christ will return to the Mt. of Olives (with his bride) to defeat the armies (who all have rejected Him). There will be a great earthquake (the greatest in the history of the world) splitting the city in two on Yom Kippur, Tishri 10, 6007. This will have completed the 2520 day prophecy.

WOW… I know that was a ton of information. And if we covered all the biblical and festival references here it would take me a year. This is just a starting point for you to do your own study. And, of course my blog will continue next time...

The Rapture

Talk About Global Chaos!

The Rapture is the snatching away of believers during the Tribulation. There is debate over the timing of this event. Some say it happens at the start of the Tribulation, some say it occurs in the middle, and still others claim it happens at the end. Remember, we now understand the significance of the Festivals and how they are a picture of future events. Those in the past were fulfilled by Chirst in perfect timing EXACTLY on their specific days.

The unfulfilled festivals that take place during the Tribulation will take place with the same precision... they are no exceptions.

The Bible states that the dead in Christ will rise first (those who have previously died but who believed in Jesus) this will be the resurrection promised by Jesus for all believers. The Bible goes on to say those (believers) who are alive and remain will be caught up with Him (Jesus) to meet the Lord in the air. DO NOT confuse this with Christ's second coming at the end of the tribulation. He will first come to get the believers, and will later return with the believers to battle at armageddon and to establish the permanent home for the 1000 years.

Understand that there are two theaters going on at the same time ... one in heaven and one on earth. The reason for taking away the believers is so that the coronation and the marriage supper of the lamb can be celebrated. Once again, if we look at the Jewish festivals, we can understand what will be happening here.

The Jewish Wedding Festival
The meaning behind this ceremony in regards to our future and God's gift to us is such a beautiful festival, we really should not try to explain it all in one page. If you have the time, you may want to study more on this festival to understand the deeper meaning behind it... but here is the condensed version.

When a Jewish couple wishes to marry, the groom's father approaches the girl's father with a proposal and complete marriage plans. The two men agree on a price to be paid (a dowry) and the agreement is sealed with a toast of wine. The future bride enters the room and the groom asks her to be his bride. This is her decision, and hers alone. She can accept this groom and proposal, or she may not. If she does, validation of the couple's agreement is a gift given by the groom. He has to offer it in the presence of at least 2 witnesses and say "behold you are consecrated unto me with this gift according to the laws of Moses and Israel".

A written contract is made listing the times, dates, places and celebrations in preparation for the marriage. This "ketubach" was kept in the bride's possession until consummation of the marriage. The first part of this 2 part ceremony then concludes with a toast of wine with the witnesses.

The groom then departs and assures his bride of his promise to build a home for her and return to get her for the ceremony. The bride did not know when this would be. She could know when it was near, however. It usually took a year to prepare her new home which was an addition built on his own father's house. The bride was to remain true and lived for the day of his return. The impending return of the groom was to influence her behavior and actions during the wait.

At the return of the groom, members announced the arrival with a loud shout as he is seen approaching the house with torches of fire. Rather than the groom entering the bride's house, the bride was to stop everything and go to meet him instead. The couple and wedding party return to the groom's home for the marriage ceremony. After their consummation (a 7 day period), the bride was unveiled to the guests and they live their future together in the father's house.

This is HUGE. I hope a light went off in your brain.

Now even if you only have slight experience with the Bible, I think you may be able to see some significance here. Remember, this wedding festival was practiced long before Christ was alive, and long before the Bible was in print, yet the Bible and events that happened 1000's of years later correspond to even the smallest details of this celebration. Remember, these festivals teach us about the past, they show us what to do in the present, and they have a prophetic application as well.

Just as the dowry (price) was decided. God the Father told us that he would send his son to pay the "price" for all of us. The Bible states "for you are bought with a price". After the "plan" was established, a proposal of salvation was given to all mankind in a written ketubach (the Bible). Just like the wedding festival's book, it contains events, times, dates and specifics regarding God's future appointments with man. The "plan" was sealed when Jesus lifted a glass of wine in the presence of his witnesses . Are you seeing the big picture? There is more...

Jesus said he would go to prepare a place for us IN HIS FATHER'S HOUSE and would return again for his bride (believers). This arrangement was secured by the Holy Spirit who protects the "purchased bride" until Christ"s return. When the groom (Jesus) returns for his bride (believers), he will come with a shout and note this: the bride (believers) will be caught up together to meet him, just as it happens in the Jewish wedding!

The bible then tells us there will be the marriage celebration in heaven (for a period of 7) which will correspond to the tribulation on earth. At the end of the celebration (and end of the tribulation period) Christ will return with his bride (the raptured believers) to "unveil" her before those witnesses on earth.

Rev 19:7 "Let us rejoice and give honor to Him, for the marriage of the lamb is come, and his wife has made herself ready".

You see, bible prophecy is not so mysterious if we have the information to work with! I hope you will read this page a second time if this is new to you. The end of the Tribulation and return of Christ centers around this beautiful wedding festival.

Back to the Rapture
Keeping the Festivals, the Rapture will occur on a Rosh Hashanah between 6000 and 6007. Considering the 3 possibilities of it's timing, we have a pre-trib, mid-trib and post-trib possibility. The most likely of these is the pre-tribulation model, but let's take a look at all three:

Pre Tribulation Rapture
This would likely occur on Tishri 1, 6000 (Rosh Hashanah). Ten days later on Tishri 10, 6000 (Yom Kippur) several things will have happened:

1) There will be the "rapture" or catching away of all believers
2) 144,000 "Firstfruits of the Tribulation" become believers and begin their preaching to the remaining non-believers
3) Construction of the new Jewish temple has begun, and animal sacrifices will resume during this time
4) The destruction of the greatest nation on earth (or 'Babylonian System')
5) The (EU) European Community meets and gives power to a new ruler in what will probably be an emergency session
6) The new leader guarantees a peace treaty with Israel for her protection against her enemies

Remember, the believers in Christ will be taken away at the time of the rapture. This will probably set the stage for the other events that take place. This will no doubt be the most traumatic event in all of human history for those left behind. The events that follow a Pre-Trib model seem to make the most sense. People disappear, the world is in fear and chaos. Along with the trumpet judgements... war, famine, and pestilences result. A False-Christ is brought to power. Christ returns with believers (a period of '7') 7 years later at the end of the Tribulation.


Mid Tribulation Rapture
This would likely occur on Tishri 1, 6003 or 6004 (Rosh Hashanah)

1) There will be the "rapture" or catching away of all believers
2) In the chaos, Anti-Christ comes to power and goes to the Temple
3) He takes advantage of the 'disappearance' of millions by providing some explanation that the world accepts (Remember this is going to be traumamatic for those left behind. How will this be explained to the world? It could be something wild like UFO's :)
4) Says the world was purged of 'intollerant' people, he claims to be God
5) The Abomination in the Temple has thus happened
6) Anti-Christ begins his reign of terror for the remaining 3 1/2 years

There is some evidence to suggest that the Rapture will be explained to those left behind as an alien abduction. Some texts do refer to a deception so great that even those that will become believers (during the trib) will be confused. The panic, fear and choas will be unimaginable. This view promotes a demonic deception and explains the rapture as a 'cleansing of the earth' of intollerant people. This explanation would fit well into the Mid Trib model.

Post Tribulation Rapture
This would likely occur on Tishri 1, 6007 (Rosh Hashanah).

1) There will be the "rapture" or catching away of all believers
2) Believers are spared the final judgements
3) Coronation and Marriage supper take place in heaven for 7 days
4) The destruction of Mystery Babylon occurs
5) Nations gather in the Megiddon Valley to wage war (against Christ)
6) Christ returns with His 'Bride' (raptured believers) to stop Armegeddon

Can you imagine the chaos that will occur when people physically disappear from earth? This will be the most glorious day for believers, but a day of horror for those left behind. If you picture every believer gone from the face of the earth, you can imagine the explanations given for the missing. The Bible states 'men's hearts will fail them' looking at those things which are coming to pass.

NOTE: I would like to suggest everyone read the "Left Behind" book series. It is a work of fiction, but is based on the tribulation. It is a good read, and you will learn what this time in history may be like. They have been on the NY Times best selling books list over and over. Again, I strongly (and seriously) recommend reading them.

And we'll continue next time...

The Tribulation

Birth Pains of the Tribulation

The Bible actually describes the time leading up to the Tribulation as birth pains. Just before a women is to deliver her child, she goes through some trying, difficult moments which are really just a taste of what is to come during the actual birth. In the same way, there will be world events that wake us to the fact that Tribulation like has never been seen before is about to occur. God will actually shorten this time frame because if He did not, no human would survive.

Mark 13:19-23 ...because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now-and never to be equaled again. If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. At that time if anyone says to you, `Look, here is the Christ!' or, `Look, there he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect-if that were possible. So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.

The Tribulation

Luke 21:10-11 "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven."

And that's just for starters! Actually, this is a very serious time for mankind. It will be the worst the world has ever experienced. Although we are probably experiencing the 'birthpains' of this period, the actual 7 year timeline will begin on the year 6000. (Remember that we are somewhere between 5985 and 5999 today). Let's back up a bit to get a better look at the beginning of this time.

Leading up to this time are significant prophecies that have been fulfilled, one of the major ones being the formation of Israel as a "state" or "nation" as directed in the Bible and which occurred in 1948. There are some who believe this prophecy actually refers to the Taking of Jeruselem in 1968 during the Yom Kippur war. In either case, we cannot avoid the excitement the Bible proclaims following this event. The book says the generation that sees Israel become a nation will live to see the events of Christ's second coming! That generation is alive today.

The events which lead up to the tribulation include a shift toward global political and economic unity. One only needs to pick up the daily paper to see news about the "new world order". The Bible states that there will be a 10 nation union composed of the revised Roman Empire that will come to power near the "end times". People have cried out in the past that various governments and unions were "the" 10 nation group the Bible quotes. One of the biggest "scares" was the area of domain that Hitler ruled. Others have claimed it to be the U.N. nations. Make no mistake... the Roman empire has not been revived since its downfall about 2000 years ago. That is until today!

It is important to note that for the first time in history, the old Roman Empire has been "rebuilt". After nearly a decade of negotiations on January 1, 1993 the very powerful European Community or "EC" began its rule. Never before has their been a re-joining of the original Roman Empire countries into a unified power. In fact, the new EU contract was built on the "treaty of Rome" foundation and references the old empire as it's roots. This is indeed the 'revived Roman empire'. The Bible says the number of nations will grow to 13 or more, but the final number will be 10.

As of December 10th, 1991, the EC nations agreed in a 15 hour meeting in the Netherlands to adopt a one bank/one currency by. Earlier in 1991, the "EC Mark" was created and it will be required to be on every item entering or leaving the EC. This is not predicted fiction, it is already history. In January of 2002, the EC adopted a single currency for all countries.

Interesting Side Note: I was in Rome in 2004. The day we were leaving to return to the states the heads of all the EU nations were coming to sign the final 'Treaty of Rome'. I heard from a taxi cab driver "the signing of this document has been delayed for quite some time, but they were finally able to remove every single reference of God from the documents and that is why they are here today". The anti-christ will (likely) come out of a EU country and it is interesting to me that these nations have gone out of the way to remove any reference to God from the founding documents.

The Pope at the time was also very upset with the signing of this treaty. Rome is known as the city on 7 hills. The leaders chose one of these important historical hills to be the location where they signed the new contract for the EU. They chose the ONLY hill (one of 7) where the Judeo-Christian God has NOT been worshipped. It was the only location that has only had idol worship... again a slap in the face to Christianity and the significant role the Catholic church has played in the city of Rome.

You will also learn that during the Tribulation, a leader of a 'corrputed church' will team up with the false christ to do 'signs and wonders' to manuipulate the world. That leader will come from 'the city on 7 hills' according to the prophecy of the Bible. It seems to point to the city of Rome.

The site picked for all economic interests and a universal bank is Brussels Belgium. It is interesting to note that the largest computer in the world is located in Brussels which has the current capacity to generate 4 trillion pieces of information every second for every person in the world. By fate, plan or coincidence, it was nicknamed "the beast" several years ago. If you recall, the bible has alot to say about the word "beast". A one-bank, one-mark, cashless society is scheduled for completion by the EC within 5 years. This power group will be so strong, markets of the west and east will no doubt be forced to join out of necessity.

You may recall the Bible stating that during the tribulation, no man will be able to buy or sell without the 'mark of the beast'. We are certainly heading in that direction. This New World Order formed out of the EC will affect all major markets around the world. It is out of this union of nations that the "man of peace" (eventually the False-Christ) will appear.

This will be a time of trouble and tension in the world, especially in the middle east. In fact, nearly all of the unfulfilled prophecy in the Bible will center around Israel. A great leader will either come up with or confirm a wonderfully designed peace plan to settle the problems between the Jews and the Muslims. He will be admired by the whole world as a man of peace, and will confirm a 7 year contract for peace.

Unfortunately, this will be a false peace, and in fact he will break this contract after 3 1/2 years. The following must exist prior to the Tribulation:

A unified group of nations from the old Roman Empire World-wide economic problems Unrest in the middle east Preparation for the new Jewish temple in Israel Oil discovered in Israel Anti-semitism will rise dramatically.

As you can see the time is ripe. Many people feel a God who is loving and kind would not turn on mankind for their mistakes. God is love, and slow to anger, but do not doubt the degree of his wrath. Many people will not survive the tribulation period, and despite God's attempt to "convert" them to believers, many will resist to the very end and indeed perish. God has allowed 6000 years since Adam for the world to accept Him as their creator. For many, the Tribulation will be the time God finally gets their attention.

The events that will occur (in a nutshell) are in order as follows:

1. A group of 10+ nations united and powerful

2. Signing of a 7 year peace contract

3. War, famine, economic fall and pestilences occur

4. Believers in Christ disappear from earth (Rapture)

5. Wrath of God on non-believers takes place

6. Christ's second coming to Armegeddon7. A millenium of peace

Timeline In a Nutshell

Tlie Bible prophesies a seven-year period that will immediately precede the Battle of Armageddon. It is at Armageddon when Jesus returns to earth to establish His 1,000-year reign of peace. The beginning of the final seven years will be triggered by an event called "the confirmation of the covenant." The one-world leader known as the Antichrist is the one who will confirm the covenant, but most of the world will probably be unaware of this development when it happens. In fact, the confirmation of the treaty my even be secret. Within three and one-half years after the confirmation of the covenant, a Jewish temple will be completed on the Temple Mount and animal sacrifices will be resumed there. This could be a building or a temporary structure like a tent used in the old testament.

Halfway through the final seven years, the Antichrist will be revealed. At the time of his revealing, he will stand on the Temple Mount claiming to be God. This event is called the abomination of desolation. The occurrence of the abomination of desolation will signal the beginning of the Great Tribulation and the reign of the Antichrist. His reign will last for the final three and one-half years, culminating in the Battle of Armageddon and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The anti-christ will be a very charasmatic leader, initially a man of peace. He will mimic the actions of Christ in his distorted way. He will be indwelled by Satan during the Great Tribulation. The Bible seems to indicate he might have recovered from a fatal head wound and may have a vision problem in one eye and a disabled arm as a result.

To the non-believer, this sounds like the plot to a Hollywood movie script. Remember, this prophecy was given thousands of years ago... before any of these things made sense or were known.

How do we know these things?

The prophecy concerning the final seven years is found in Daniel 9:27.

"And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate."

From this single scripture and other prophecies explaining this scripture, we are able to know most of the major events that will occur in the final seven years. Now let's discover the keys that will unlock our understanding of Daniel 9:27.


The prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27 states that 70 weeks are determined upon the Jewish people. In this prophecy, each day equals a year. Consequently, this prophecy covers 70 weeks of years, or 490 years. Let's pause for a moment to explain how we know that each day equals a year.

According to Daniel 9:27, the abomination of desolation occurs in the middle of the 70th week. Jesus said that the abomination of desolation would be the event that triggers the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:15-21). The Great Tribulation then lasts for 3 1/2 years. We know this from Daniel 7:25, Revelation 12:6 and Revelation 13:5. Revelation 13:5 clearly states that power was given to the beast (the Antichrist) to continue for 42 months.

So, if the reign of the Antichrist and his Great Tribulation lasts for 3 1/2 years, then the last half of the 70th week equals 3 1/2 years. Of course, the first half would be the same as the last half. From this we know that a week in this prophecy refers to a week of years, or seven years.

The gap between 69th and 70th week

One of the points of greatest controversy concerning Daniel's 70 weeks prophecy is the gap theory. This teaching states that there is a gap between the 69th and 70th week of the prophecy. That is the reason the 70 weeks were broken up into 7 weeks, 62 weeks, and 1 week.
Daniel 9:26 tells us that after 7 weeks and "...threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off..." This cutting off is obviously referring to the crucifixion of Jesus. It also states that, after the 69th week, "...the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary."

The crucifixion of Jesus happened somewhere between 27 AD and 37 AD. The city of Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed in 70 AD by the armies of Rome, led by General Titus. Both of these things were prophesied to happen before the beginning of the 70th week. Consequently, it is obvious that there has to be a gap between the 69th and the 70th week. This is the time of the gentiles. It is also called the 'Church Age' and 'The Age of Grace' by some. When the 70th week resumes, things will turn to a jewish perspective as this is God's chosen people and he will complete his work through them.

How long is the gap?

It is very clear from the prophecy that the crucifixion marked the end of the 69th week-the end of 483 years. But what event signals the beginning of the final seven-year period

Daniel 9:27 clearly states that it is the confirmation of the covenant that begins the final seven years of Daniel's 70 Weeks prophecy. We will soon prove that it is the Antichrist of the endtime that will confirm the covenant. Since the Antichrist has not yet appeared on the world scene, we know that the last seven year period has not yet begun. The gap presently stands at around 1,99X years and counting.

What will the covenant be?

Before we can understand what the confirmation of the covenant is, we need to know what the covenant is. It appears that the covenant that is to be confirmed refers to Israel's right to the land of Israel and to Jerusalem. God first entered into this covenant in Genesis 15:18. "In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates."

On May 19, 1993, the nation of Israel adopted a document called the Jerusalem Covenant. It is presently displayed in a beautiful glass case on the main floor of the Israeli Knesset. This Covenant states that Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the nation of Israel. It affirms that Jerusalem must never again be divided or surrendered. The Jerusalem Covenant concludes with the famous words of King David, "If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy (Psalms 137:6).

During the Tribulation, three and one-half years after the covenant is confirmed, a Jewish temple will have been re-established and animal sacrifices will have been resumed. From this we can conclude that the covenant and its confirmation will affect the status of the city of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. This strengthens the probability that the covenant is God's promise that placed Jerusalem under Israel's control.

What is the confirmation of the covenant?

We can't say for certain, at this time, what the confirmation of the covenant will actually be. Many have speculated that it will be a peace treaty between Israel and the Palestinians. However, it appears that this may not happen. We know this because the Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues throughout the great tribulation. The center of the conflict is the West Bank, which is also known as Judea and Samaria. Jesus pinpointed Judea as the center of the great tribulation in Matthew 24:16.

The more likely scenario would be an understanding concerning the Temple Mount between Israel and the Antichrist. The seemingly unsolvable problem in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the status of the Temple Mount. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, in an attempt to solve this problem suggested placing the Temple Mount under United Nations control. He proposed that, under this arrangement, both Jews and Muslims would be able to worship there.

If the World Community did end up controlling the Temple Mount, that would explain why the Antichrist, as the international leader of the world, will stand on the Temple Mount claiming to be in control there ...even claiming to be God. The Bible prophesies that he will do exactly that (II Thessalonians 2:3-4). So the confirmation of the covenant will apparently consist of the Antichrist and the World Community agreeing to Israel's presence on the Temple Mount, even to the extent of allowing the build of Israel's Third Temple.

Who confirms the covenant?

Some have contended that the "he" who confirms the covenant for seven years is Jesus Christ Himself. However, this cannot possibly be true. Since Messiah was to be cut off and Jerusalem destroyed after the 69th week, Jesus was gone from the earth before the 70th week could possibly have begun. Daniel 9:27 states that the "he" who confirms the covenant also causes the sacrifice and oblation to cease and is responsible for the abomination of desolation.

Daniel 11:30-31 proves that it is the Antichrist who takes away the daily sacrifice and places the abomination of desolation. Notice what it says: "And arms shall stand on his (the Antichrist's) part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries..." So we know for certain that it is the Antichrist who will confirm the covenant.

Why should we believe the final seven years is near?

For 2,000 long years, Israel has been estranged from the city of Jerusalem. To build a temple on the Temple Mount has been totally out of the realm of possibility. However, Israel's Supreme Court recently ruled that Gershon Solomon and his Temple Mount Faithful movement could conduct a symbolic cornerstonelaying for the building of the Third Temple. They were not permitted to do it on the Temple Mount because the Supreme Court knew that would unleash terrible bloodshed. However, they did permit the ceremony to be held just outside the walls of the Old City near the Temple Mount.

The Muslims became very upset at even this symbolic gesture. They began to throw rocks down onto the Jewish worshipers praying at the Wailing Wall. Four hundred Israeli police knocked down the door of the Temple Mount. Fifteen Palestinians and fifteen Israelis were injured in the resulting melee. The smallest dispute over the Temple Mount inevitably throws Israel and the Palestinians into violence.

When Yasser Arafat, Ehud Barak and Bill Clinton met at Camp David in July of 2000, the issue that reportedly kept the Palestinians and the Israelis apart was disagreement concerning the Temple Mount. Simply stated, the Temple Mount has become the center of the Middle East conflict. And the Temple Mount and the building of the Third Temple are the very issues that will trigger the final seven years to Armageddon

Here is ground zero for the coming conflict that ushers in the return of Christ:

Is God a Liar?

Here's The Big Question: If God is not a liar and does what He said He would do... and if Jesus came and fulfilled the first festivals down to the smallest detail... down to the very minute that was predicted centuries ago... then wouldn't He also fulfill the final festivals in the same, precise, promised manor? Of course he will!

Now some people use that information and say, "but I thought that no man could know the hour of his return?" As we have shown, because of the calendar problems we will not know the timing of the 7 year tribulation until it is here. At that time, the Bible gives us the exact number of days until His return.

Just prior to the return of Christ to the earth, the bible tells us that Christ will return in the air, that all believers will be raptured or taken to him when he shouts "come up hither". At that time, believers from all time will take place in the coronation and marriage supper of the lamb. If this is all new to you, hang on, it's just a quick overview. While there is celebrating in heaven, there will be a period on earth of 7 years of trouble that we have termed the Tribulation.

Although this word is not used for this specific period of time, it has been accepted as an appropriate word to describe the events outlined in the Bible.

This period of time we are speaking of is also called Daniel's 70th week. Whatever label you give it, the Bible gives specific periods of time and even exact numbers of days that events will occur. You may be surprised to learn how specific God has instructed us about this time. You will see this mentioned in the Bible in different ways: The 70th Week, two periods of 'Time-Times-and 1/2 time', a certain number of days, etc. Some periods may only describe the last half of this period. We don't have the space to cover all of these verses, but below is a simplified version:

The Jews have been upset because the site of the old temple is currently occupied by the Dome of the Rock -- the Islamic temple. This is the spot that Muslims claim Mohammed ascended to heaven. If the Jews were to take over this site, destroy the Dome and build their temple, we would have major war involving the entire middle-east.

As you may know, the religion of Islam allows for the murder of any non-muslim, so the situation is extremely volitile. We have seen what suicide bombers and the 9-11-01 radicals are capable of doing. God is going to allow the Jewish temple to be built, even though it wouldn't be necessary because of the "New Covenant" (sacrifices are no longer needed ...remember?). How this will happen we do not know, but it will be built... and soon. It will be built during a period of peace, and animal sacrifices will certainly return. What is even more exciting is that garments and temple instruments have already been completed! Note: This does not mean that a return to the sacrifices is needed, it just means that the Jews believe it is, and we are close to this prophecy being fulfilled.

It is interesting to see all the peace negotiations currently taking place. Eventually, one specific treaty or negotiation will lead to a final "guaranteed" contract of peace. "People will claim peace at last... but then sudden distruction will hit them like labor comes upon a pregnant woman".

Unfortunately, a man brought to world attention because of this peace contract will convince the Jews he is actually the Messiah they have been waiting for. In fact, the Bible states that exactly 1260 days (3 1/2 years) after the signing of the final peace contract between Israel and it's neighbors, this man will physically enter the temple, stop the sacrifices and actually claim to be God in the flesh. The Bible calls this the 'Abomination and Desolation'. We'll cover that at a later point.

We will be using several forms of this timeline throughout my blog as we continue our study.
Below is a condensed timeline that describes Daniel's 70 weeks, and includes the 70th week. The bible actually defines this as '70 weeks of years' so each 'week' is a 7 year period. Spend a few moments studying this.

Next time we'll dive in deeper...

Time Tables

The Religious Calendar
The basis for understanding prophecy & God’s Time Table

I can't help but feel extremely sad (as well as frustrated) to know how little the masses know about prophecy. The reason, as I've been trying to build the case for you, is that MAN has continued to try and make up the rules. When God gave us the law he provided a provision for its completion through Jesus. But, because man got involved, various religions developed over time which destorted what God had originally given.

If you haven't already figured this out... I would probably be Jewish. But since I get the whole Jesus deal... I'm a Christian. However, in terms of understanding prophecy you need to come to grips with the fact that the Jews are the chosen people. The gentiles are "grafted in" to his plan and thus you need to think of things from a Jewish perspective if you are to ever understand end times events.

One thing you must learn is that the dates, times and appointments God has provided for us in the Bible are based on the Jewish calendar. If you fail to get a grasp on this calendar, you will never understand prophecy. Whenever you study prophecy, try to think of things from a Jewish perspective.

Did you know that the Jews use a different calendar than the rest of us? They use the calendar that God himself gave to man.

From the beginning of recorded history, the calendar has been used to keep records and predict the time for the changing of the seasons. The calendar provided a framework in which man could plan his work. It was an effective timetable for marking various religious festivals that were to be celebrated at regular intervals.

The "Day"

The Bible's timetable, and thus the festival days, are confusing at first since the calendar has been changed multiple times. The Hebrew calendar is determined by the moon's position (the "new moon" of scripture), while the current Gregorian calendar is based on the movements of the sun. Unfortunately, this confusion has made predicting the date of Christ's return impossible. We cannot know the year of Christ's future appointments but we can know the days and the season. In fact, those who know scripture will understand when the season is... even when it is 'at the door'. The Bible also states that if you are one of light (believer) the day will not overtake you like a thief in the night as it will to those in darkness (unbelievers). In fact, we CAN know the days of prophetic events but we do not know the year ....yet!

God originally designated Nisan (Abib) as the first month of the year. Later, God made Tishri 1 the Jewish "New Years Day". This was in preparation for the fall feasts yet to be fulfilled. It's also important to know how the "day" differs:

Prophecy is still based on the biblical months, so an understanding of that calendar is a must. The 12 thirty day months you should become familiar with are given below. You may want to purchase a Jewish calendar which allows you to follow these months along with our current calendar. For example, the year 2009 on the Jewish calendar says 5769. Unfortunately Jews in the past only counted years that had favorable kings or rulers... go figure! You can begin to see why the margin of error results in a problem with date setting. The accurate current year is somewhere between 5985 and 5999. Review the months below:

• Month 1 Nisan (Abib) March-Ap
• Month 2 Zif April-May
• Month 3 Sivan May-June
• Month 4 Tammuz June-July
• Month 5 Ab (Av) July-August
• Month 6 Elul August-September
• Month 7 Tishri September-October
• Month 8 Bul October-Nov
• Month 9 Chisleu Nov-Dec
• Month 10 Tebeth Dec-January
• Month 11 Sebut January-February
• Month 12 Adar February-March


To further complicate things, God changed the 1st month of the year to Tishri later in the Bible, so simply start with that month and proceed forward to understand the new sequence. This was changed to prepare for the coming fall festivals which are to be fulfilled in the near future. Everything God does has a purpose, even though we might not understand it.

6000 Year Plan of God

God is really incredible! Everything he has designed has purpose. For yesterday, today, and for the future. Time as we know it has been stretched out, but we don't need to get bogged down with the techical aspects of quantum physics again!

God created the earth in 6 days. It is not important for us to know how he measured the day. "A day is as a thousand days with the Lord, and a thousand years as one day". Whether the day was 24 hrs or a billion years is not important. The period of 6 is.

The world was Created in 6 Days, on the 7th Day God called for Rest

Remember, EVERYTHING God does has purpose (past, now, future). This creation plan is a shadow of things to come. It is a picture of His overall BIG plan. He intends on giving man 6000 years to "try and figure it out" but eventually realize "without God, nothing works right". His plan then includes His return to get us back on track. The 7th day represents his plan of 1000 years of rest under His rule and reign back on earth. So, in short, his 6 Day Creation plan is a mirror of his 6000 year world plan.

Now, if we get back to the calendar... we are approaching the Jewish 6000th year. Do you see the significance of this? God is not slack with his appointments with man. On the 6000th year of human history in His plan, God will begin to complete his overall time table.

Back to the Festivals. Don't Freak Out... I know this may be a bit confusing!

The first 4 festivals (or appointments with man, if you will) were fulfilled at Christ's first coming. There was then scheduled a 2000 year period (The age of Grace, or the "church age") and then the clock will resume ticking, and the last 3 feasts will be fulfilled. This age of Grace was a time for the gentiles to really excel and prosper through God's plan of grace. At the end of this period things will return to a Jewish perspective. Keep in mind, this does NOT mean we are returning to the law. We are not condemed by the law but freed by Christ's fulfilling it. Nevertheless, the Jewish Festivals will become "Believer Festivals" and they will have significance in the new millenium after Christ's second coming.

The Jewish (or biblical) calendar is composed of 12 months of 30 days each for a total of 360 days per year. There was also an extra month in the 7th year to allow for a correction due to the sun's rotation. This is why man changed the calendar on more than one occasion to reflect a 365 day year. While this has been beneficial for man, it has provided a great deal of confusion among those who study prophecy. Both calendars are extremely accurate. One is religious. One is secular.

This makes it impossible to know the current biblical year we are in! It also means we cannot know the YEAR these events will begin (that is until Tishri 1, 6000 is here!). At that point, God gives us the exact number of days until His return! We'll be covering these things in detail if you feel a bit lost.

You recall me mentioning I believe we are beginning to enter the period of the loss of prosperity. This is a prelude to the Tribulation period. There will be a 7 year period of trials and tribulation for mankind. It is divided into two parts. Each 3 1/2 years long. This is also referred to in the Bible as "Daniel's 70th week". Here again, the word week is referring to a figure of seven. There are 69 sevens, and a final 70th seven. Sixty nine weeks of years, and a final 70th week of years (or 7 years). DON'T FREAK ON ME YET! I will be covering all this stuff later.

Dan 12:11 11 "From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. (NIV)

In biblical years, 2009 would actually be 6009. However, as we mentioned above, we don't know the exact year and we may be off as much as 15 years. After studying this for about 35 years, it is MY OPINION that the seven year period we are talking of should occur before 2017 if you consider all possible errors in our calendar. The start of that period would be no later than 2010. Regardless if I am accurate or not, it is indeed still very, very close!

Example Calendar: Here is a sample of a calendar in Year 2001. Not all of the Jewish events are listed on it, but you can see how the dates of November and December correlate to the Religious calendar of Kislev. Also note that all months have 30 days. This is essential to understanding Biblical prophecy.

Once we have been able to obtain information on the Jewish festivals, we see (as did all believers in the 1st century) that God kept His promise. He said these festivals were holy. He also said they were rehearsals of His appointments with man. Jesus was sent to fulfill those appointments. And Jesus did so, down to the exact minute. However, no human could be born, live a life, and die on the exact dates (down to the minute) as the Festivals predicted without supernatural direction and advance knowledge of time. Jesus was God in the flesh.

The Jewish day begins and ends at sundown. Thus, all holidays begin at sundown of the day preceding the date shown and end at sundown of the (last) day shown.

Since the Jewish calendar begins with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish year always straddles two years from the civil calendar. In other words, spring holidays (such as Pesach and Shavuot) occur in the civil year following Rosh Hashanah.

An additional note: not all Jews observe two days for holidays shown as lasting two days.

If you recall... only the first festivals have been fulfilled. Here is a sample of Festival Dates for different years. My point in showing you this is so that you understand, we know ALL the dates of past festivals, and we know ALL the dates of future festivals.

Our next topic will begin with a study of this period of time, called the 'Tribulation Period' or 'Daniel's 70th Week'.

Dual Meanings

The Dual Meaning in the Festivals... Only God could do something this cool!

As I stated, long before Jesus appeared on the earth the people were given various holidays, festivals and customs to follow until the coming of their Messiah. Let us look at these Old Testament Festivals (we'll often call these the 'Jewish' feast days since they still follow them (not recognizing Christ is the fulfillment of the Law).

To Recap: Centuries before Jesus was born, the Jews were following the various Festivals and customs... waiting for the coming of their Messiah. These were to be followed on the EXACT days and hours given by God. The original Hebrew translation for these special festivals was "a practice" or "preparation" and "rehearsal of future things".

The principle of hidden information was given to us through these feast or festival days. The verse is "Let no man judge you in meat or in drink, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days .... which are a shadow of things to come." In other words, don't worry about what others might say about what I have instructed you to eat or drink on these holy days, or let them judge you regarding the new moon each month which I have placed in the sky along with the stars to inform you of the dates these festivals should be followed .... because, these are a rehearsal of My future appointments with you! These feasts are pictures of great events on God's calendar. They are a shadow of things to come.

Throughout history, numerous spiritual events have occured on these exact pre-established Jewish Holy days. Yes, ON THE EXACT DAY, even on the exact hour! Even at the exact minute!
We know the exact dates of these festivals for the past 3000+ years... and we know the exact dates for them in the years to come as well. The Bible and other historical documents give us the exact dates of Jesus' travels and the day of His crucifixion. The dates coincide EXACTLY with the festivals. Hopefully, you will begin to see these match-ups are not accidental. This is probably the most significant aspect of prophecy. These feasts are pictures of God's appointments with mankind... actual "rehersals" of great events on God's calendar.

The First Festival's Dual Meaning

Almost 1500 years before Christ, God called Moses to lead the Jewish nation out of bondage in Egypt. Their release came after the first born child in every house died at the hand of the Lord. Miraculously, the firstborn in each Jewish house lived because of the Lamb's blood that was placed around the doorway. The yearly PASSOVER meal is a memorial of those saved lives and the nation's release from slavery.

But wait, God said these festivals are a picture of things to come. Let's look at some specifics:
During the Passover Festival each house was to take a perfect lamb without blemish on an EXACT date each year. The lamb was to be brought into town for public inspection. For those traveling from out of town, a lamb could be purchased in the city that was considered the "lamb factory". In fact, over 250,000 lambs were raised in this town for this first passover alone! When the lamb was brought into town, the onlookers waved palm branches as it passed by... on it's way to be inspected and then sacrificed.

Once in the center court of the city, the lamb was to be inspected for 4 days to make sure it was indeed perfect. On the 14th of the month of Aviv (the Jewish or biblical calendar), the lamb was to be killed at Exactly 3:00 p.m. At that time, the lamb's throat was to be cut, shedding the blood while it was bound to an upright stick. At the time of the lamb's death, the phrase "It is finished" is to be spoken aloud.

The lamb is then prepared for a meal by roasting it on an upright stick, not across the fire as meat is usually prepared. It's intestines are removed, rolled into a circle and placed like a crown on the lambs head. There are so many other elements that we don't have space to tell them all.
Have you seen the whole picture here? If you have doubted who Jesus Christ is, you need to read the fulfillment of this festival. No human being could stage an event like this... from prophecy provided generations before!!

On the very day the Jews were celebrating their Passover, a man (who had been born in the same town as the lamb factory; Bethlehem) was riding into town. Keep in mind that a person cannot choose his place of birth! Those Jews that knew Jesus turned away from the lambs that were going through town and waved their palm branches at Jesus instead (Christians call this Palm Sunday). Have you ever wondered why the people waved palm branches, or why Jesus is called "the lamb that was slain"? God was fulfilling his appointments with man through Jesus... down to the exact detail!

As you may remember, exactly like the inspection of the lamb, Jesus was inspected and questioned 4 days by the Sadducees, Pharisees, and other government officials who could not find fault with Him but sentenced Him to death anyway. Jesus had no say in why they took exactly 4 days (just like the lamb!). Like the lambs that were inspected for fault, He was also inspected for fault, but none was found... He was innocent. He was found without 'blemish', just like the lambs to be sacrificed. Regardless of His innocence, He was nailed to an upright stick. Was it just coincidence that Jesus had to be placed on the cross early that day because the next day happened to be a Sabbath, and no bodies could be left up at the crucifixion sites. And records (even non-biblical sources), show that he died at exactly 3:00 pm which, in fact, was the exact time of the slaying of the lambs.

Was it also a coincidence that his legs were not broken, even though all crucifixions of the time involved breaking the legs to speed the dying process (remember that the prophecy in the old testament indicated his legs would not be broken). What were His very last words spoken in front of hundreds of witnesses? "... Jesus said, "It is finished:" With that, He bowed His head and gave up His spirit." (John 19:30) The same words were spoken on the other side of town (at the exact moment) when the lambs were killed. WOW!

Coincidence, followed by coincidences, followed by coincidence, followed by another coincidence, continued by more coincidence, followed by a coincidence, following more coincidences? I think NOT. Remember, we are only able to cover part of the fulfillment of this ONE prophecy alone. We also have non-bibical historical documents supporting this event. If you ever doubted that Jesus was God in the flesh... you now have a non-disputed answer.

If this hasn't brought you to your knees, we'll share a bit of the second festival for you skeptics. Remember, these festivals were celebrated 1500 years before Christ, and continue 2000 years after Christ!!! These predicitons were given generations before Christ's birth. No man can choose events in his life, his birth date, and the day of his murder. Unfortunately, most Jews have failed to see the connection and Christians haven't pieced it together either. Many have never even considered the evidence. It is this very lack of understanding that will play a significant role in future events... as this was predicted too.

Another Festival

This festival began on the Passover preparation at which time only unleavened bread could be eaten. (This commemorated the hurried release of the Jews from Egypt when they had to take their food (bread) before it was finished and get out of town ).

The presence of leaven (yeast) in bread causes it to rise and become puffed up. Bread baked without is flat, but does not spoil or mold. Leaven in our Bible is a symbol of sin:

"Know ye not that a little leaven does leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out ...the old leaven that you may become a new lump." "...let us keep the feast not with the old leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."

Christ Himself was without leaven (sin). This graphic taking away of leaven is a picture of Christ taking away our sins after shedding His own blood.

These festivals are quite involved, and if you study the details, there would be no doubt in your mind regarding their significance. Just one other interesting element of this feast: Instructions during this festival include piercing the bread and grilling it. This makes holes and stripes on the flat bread. then, the piece of matzah (unleavened bread) was to be wrapped in linen and buried.

Remember these verses:
Isa 53:5 "...by his stripes we are healed." and John 19:37, "They will look on the one they have pierced." (NIV)

Three days later, the children who watched the burial try to steal it and hold it for ransom from their father. Do you remember that Christ's body was called bread? Remember what the bread and wine stand for during communion? Jesus (the pure unleavened bread) was pierced, striped, wrapped in linen, was buried, and EXACTLY 3 days later was out of the tomb? The body was thought to be stolen... held ranson from the Father. Once again, the Jews celebrate this festival but have not seen the entire picture of it's intended meaning.

Coincidence, following coincidences? The probability of the past two festivals being fulfilled by a human are not even measurable.

Have you begun to see the awesome significance of these festivals? Every major event of Jesus's life occurred on the exact days of the festivals. Even at the EXACT minute of the day. Read that last line again. Not in a "similar manner", not "like the festival", but at the very SAME minute in time!

Stay Tuned...

Appointments with God

You only need to turn on the TV this week to see a world in distress. Oh, but we've had bad times in the past and got through them. Right? Yes, but there is much more happening at the same time in today's world. In fact, the ancient texts said the Jews would be forced out of their land for 2000 years. When they returned (which happened in 1948) and when they were back in control of Jerusalem (which happened in 1967), THAT generation would not die but would see the fulfillment of all the biblical prophecies.

We are that generation friends.

Scriptures have a clear forecast of the "last days", "the time of the end", when the career of mankind in the earth will come to a critical point. It is not a picture of continuing progress and peace, but rather of world trouble and fear. It is a world of distress and perplexity, of fear seizing men's hearts as they contemplate the events taking place on "the inhabited earth" (as the word Jesus used literally means).

The Apostle Paul, writing about 35 years after the time of Jesus` prophecy, has this to say about the character of the last days:

. . . In the last days there will come times of stress. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents. ungrateful, unholy, inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, fierce, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure, rather than lovers of God, holding the form of religion but denying the power of it . . . (2 Timothy 3:1-5, RSV).

This is an astonishing picture of a civilization; mankind is throwing off all restraint and indulging its own desires, reckless of consequences. Its uncanny resemblance to the developments in our own world cannot be denied. Especially as we see our moral and economic systems degrade.

So this is the position: whereas the "wise men" of only 100 years ago were confidently anticipating an era of progress and peace for the nations of the world, the Bible, in the words of Jesus and Paul, was foretelling a world of distress, fear, and perplexity, an age of violence, self-indulgence and hatred. Our human philosophers were wrong; Jesus and Paul were right. But they spoke and wrote thousands of years ago! How could they have known? Only because neither of them spoke his own words, but the words of God Himself. It was God who knew, and inspired His Son and His apostle to reveal the character of the last days.

God's Appointments with Man. Now this is gonna be interesting!

When you hear people talk about the end of the world, or the "end times", they may not have read the bible! God's word clearly tells us that this is 'a world without end' although we will soon be coming to the end of "this age" and Christ's return to earth. Christ will live and reign here on earth for 1000 years before the world is destroyed (actually the original text indicate a "revitilization" not destruction) and a new world created.

The bible teaches us that just like creation, ( the world was made in 6 days, and the 7th day was a period of rest) man's history since Adam will be for 6000 years, and then we will have 1000 years of peace... the way God originally intended before man decided he could run things on his own. To God, a 'day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day'.

Many things that were known during and shortly after Christ's life have been lost in today's teaching. Remember, the first Christian believers were indeed Jews. There are many laws and holy days that were given by God and through Moses that we should be aware of. God had a specific plan for the Jews. It is not that they are any more special than us, but that God wanted to use them to fulfill a purpose in His master plan of which we will all take part.

Much of this "hidden" knowledge was known in the first several centuries following Christ's death, but has slowly been lost with time. However, this information is still in our Bibles, we just don't discuss or study it! Some say that the information pertains to the Jews, and therefore Christians don't need to get bogged down with these details. However, every word in the Bible is placed there for a purpose!

Have you ever wondered why certain names or titles were given to Jesus in the Bible. For example:

• The "Lamb that was slain"
• Christ "our Passover"
• Bread described as His "body"
• Christ "our Tabernacle"
• Christ, the "unleavened bread"
• He was the "Firstfruits" of the harvest
  

And have you wondered about phrases of events that seem strange. For example:

• The "bride" of Christ
• The "marriage supper of the Lamb"
• The "wedding feast"

No wonder some find the Bible difficult to read, most have no idea what these things mean. Jesus wasn't a literal lamb, so why was He called one? These phrases and hundreds more, are easily explained by looking at the Laws and Festivals delivered to the Jews. If we are to understand the Bible fully, and appreciate all the details, we must have a background of our heritage and detailed information on these festivals. These terms all describe Christ's actions fulfilling the Festivals.

Why does the Bible talk so much about the "shedding of blood"? Remember, when man first arrived on the scene (Adam and Eve), God had designed a perfect world with man living in God's presence. However, God gave man free will and did not force Himself upon them. The only rule was that they were not to eat of the knowledge of good and evil. Remember, prior to man's existance there was only the spirit world, and there was a falling away in that realm led by Lucifer (Satan, God's most beautiful angel).

Everything was great until Satan told Adam and Eve they didn't need God, that they could know everything God knows, and that they could be in control of their own destiny. So they ate of the knowledge and they were aware immediately of good and evil. At that EXACT moment, sin entered the world... and so did death. You see, God's original plan for man did not include sickness, disease, sorrow or even death!

Noticing they were naked in front of God, they felt shame and they tried to cover themselves with fig leaves. It was at that point that God had to kill an animal to provide their clothing. It was the world's first death to "cover the sins" of man. God said that now there would be no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood.

Man now needed a method of forgiveness for these sins. This process included animal sacrifice (shedding of blood) . These required offerings (sin offering, guilt offering, grain offering, burnt offering, etc.) are described briefly in the book of Leviticus in the Bible. The only problem was that these animal sacrifices did not "take away" sin, but like the clothes God provided, they merely "covered them" until the next sacrifice. This needed to be repeated over and over and over, year after year. This was because man was sinful and could not lead a pure life.

However, God said he would send the only one capable of living a perfect life... his son (the Messiah) who would "cover sin" once and for all for all mankind by the shedding of his own blood and becoming the 'sacrifice' for all mankind. God knew that no human like us could ever fulfill this task. He would allow Christ to take on the sin for all man for all time. This would cover the offering to God once and for all. He would establish a New Covenant that would replace the Old Covenant (Law). Hang on... we're almost done...

Now the Bible specifically states that a Will or Covenant goes into effect at one's death, and indeed when Christ died the New Covenant took effect.

QUESTION: If you believed In God, and believed that He was to send a Messiah to fulfill this Law, BUT you failed to realize that Jesus actually was the one, what would you still be thinking and believing today? Think before reading on ....

Well, you would still think that you should be following the Law of the Old Testament. You would still think that you should be sacrificing animals, and you would still be waiting for your Messiah to come! Who does this describe? The Jews (and even the Muslims to a lesser extent).
Even in the Old Testament (also used by Jews & Muslims), the Bible describes this Messiah as a suffering servant AND a conquering King. The Jews have a really hard time explaining this one because they don't realize that this Messiah actually comes two times... first as a servant to mankind and later as a king to rule on earth.

Once you understand the importance of this information, the whole middle-east crisis can come into focus. Why do you think there has never been lasting peace between the Jews and Arabs? It is because of religious differences that relate to this very problem. God told the Jews that they were to build His temple on a specific site in Jerusalem, and they did... twice! Unfortunately, it was destroyed both times (most recently in 70 A.D.). The Jews were scattered throughout the entire world and did not return until 1948 when the state of Israel was born. This is a fulfillment of prophecy. They also took control of Jerusalem in 1967 during the 6 Day War (Yom Kippur War).

It Is Important to note that Bible prophecy also states that the generation that sees the Jews back in control of their holy city, Jerusalem, will not pass before all prophecy in the Bible is fulfilled. They were absent from their land for nearly 2000 years until 1948, and have been in control of Jerusalem since 1967. That generation referred to is alive today. We are that generation! Just one more piece of information that shows we are coming to the end of this age.

Hidden Knowledge

You may have read parts of the Bible and thought it was impossible to understand. Unfortunately, over time many of the "pieces of the puzzle" have been distorted or lost. In fact, the church today in many areas is not teaching correct theology. It is so sad to hear the same sermons year after year, when there is so much we need to learn to form a better relationship with God. A note to confused believers: this does not mean we are returning to Old Testament Law!

The Festivals

In the book of Leviticus and numerous other books of the Bible, God had instructed the Jews to follow and observe certain feasts. We are all familiar to some degree with these festivals, but because we have no knowledge of the Jewish faith, we do not understand the full significance of these special days. Also, since Christ came to fulfill the law previously taught, we Christians do not need to keep the festivals... but we better have an understanding of them. If you're like most folks, you may be learning this for the first time. Remember, you don't have to become Jewish to learn from this information. Never forget that Jesus and his followers were Jews. The Bible was written by Jewish writers inspired by God, and was printed by Jewish people. The first people that believed in Christ (Christians) were also Jews.

When Moses received the Torah (the Law) from God, which included the 10 commandments, there were also numerous other laws that were to be followed. Christians no longer need to follow these laws, as God had a separate plan for the body of believers. However, the day is coming when there will be a return to things Jewish (but not a return to the 'Law'). Jesus will return to earth, after He has completed His master plan and the Jews finally figure out that He indeed was (and is) their Messiah. The Bible, as you may know, says that Christ Himself will reign from Jerusalem for a 1000 year period. The Jews are promised an eternity with Christ as King in their own land. However, believing Christians have the same promise of eternity with since they were 'grafted into' the same 'fig tree'.

Knowledge of these Jewish things will not change anything about who you are as a believer, except that it will allow you to understand more fully about the Bible and future events. In fact, an understanding of prophecy is impossible without an understanding of the Old Testament Festivals.

Getting Started

Centuries before Jesus was born, the Jews were following the various Festivals and customs... waiting for the coming of their Messiah. These were to be followed on the EXACT days and hours given by God. The original Hebrew translation for these special festivals was "a practice" or "preparation" and "rehearsal of future things".

In Colossians 2:16-17 the principle of hidden information was given to us through these feast or festival days. The verse is "Let no man judge you in meat or in drink, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days .... which are a shadow of things to come." In other words, don't worry about what others might say about what I have instructed you to eat or drink on these holy days, or let them judge you regarding the new moon each month which I have placed in the sky along with the stars to inform you of the dates these festivals should be followed .... because, these are a rehearsal of My future appointments with you! These feasts are pictures of great events on God's calendar. They are a shadow of things to come (including Christ the Messiah!)

The Jews know every little detail of these holy days, and follow them exactly. Because the early church leaders knew these festivals related to Old Testament Law, and Jesus came to fulfill that Law and replace it with the New Covenant, they didn't see a need to continue to teach about the holy days. Wrong! Yes, it is true that believers don't need to practice these holy days. However, we must thoroughly understand them if we are to know what is coming in the future. Even though they contain an Old Testament legal element, they also reveal a fulfillment by Christ.
The problem is the Jews are following the holy days because they think they still need to. Unfortunately, they don't see the significance behind them. Christians on the other hand, don't know anything about them because we think it's just something the Jews do and the festivals must not be important for us.

There are a total of 7 feasts or festivals that were to be observed. The Bible also instructed us that these would be fulfilled by Christ on their EXACT days. The first 4 feasts occur early in the year at the time of the "former rain". This refers to the rainy season early in the year, but also describes "reign". These are known as the spring festivals. The final 3 festivals occur during the "latter rain" late in the year and are called the fall festivals. This is also a picture of Christ's first coming (the former reign) and Christ's second coming in the future (the latter reign).

These festivals are often related to agriculture. The dates they are to be practiced are EXACT, and are provided via the earth's position to that of the heaven's. It is interesting to note that God gave us the stars and what we hear of as the "zodiac" to help us relate back to Him and what He wants us to do and to look forward to on specific days. Satan has, like most things, confused the entire situation so that today people are looking to the stars for answers... not to God! What a disaster. (Be sure to go back in my blog and read the entry on the zodiac)

The spring festivals have already been fulfilled by Jesus. There was then a 'pause' scheduled (the age of grace or the church age) of 2000 years. The prophetic time clock stopped. When it resumes, then the fall festivals are to be fulfilled.

We do not have time to go into the fine details of each festival here, but I would like to show you some examples of feasts that have been fulfilled by Jesus and then skip to the festivals that are coming soon!

Let me stress here again: Everything God does, everything recorded in his word, is EXACTLY what he wants to convey to us. The numbers, dates, the stories, etc., have all been designed and recorded for his purposes. Tune in next time...