ISRAEL'S FEAST:FORESHADOW OF REDEMPTION

by Jack Kinsella

Praise God, another Minister that I admire that believes as I do...didn't know that he understood the signifigance of God's Feast...but here it is, from a brother I admire.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It is easy to see why secularists -- and even many Christians -- have a hard time getting their heads around the idea of what is called the Rapture of the Church.  When you take a step back and look at it, it does sound a little, er, weird.

Describe it without using Bible terms and see how it sounds:  People will suddenly disappear without warning, and will be transported -- alive -- into the air, and from there, it's off to heaven.

What people?  Only the ones that believe. . .  if you aren't a believer, you will be left behind.  If you aren't a believer, how does that sound to you?  A little nuts, right?

Some years ago, I appeared on a National Geographic program called, "Doomsday: The Book of Revelation" that pitted "believers" against "experts" over how literally one should take doctrines like the Rapture, the Tribulation and Bible prophecy in general.

"Fundamentalists who believe in the apocalypse call it the Rapture," the narrator intoned.  Nat Geo played the whole thing strictly for laughs, I thought, taking the Rapture about as seriously as it does Nostradamus.

Is the Rapture doctrine something made up by believers?  Or is it a legitimate part of the whole endtimes' scenario?  How far back can we trace it?  Is there evidence that God had it planned from the start?

Or is it, as the skeptics say, a recently-invented doctrine from the early 19th century?

Assessment:

In the Book of Leviticus, God issued instructions to His chosen people, the children of Israel, concerning how they were to worship Him.  Leviticus gives instructions regarding the priesthood, the Law and the system of sacrifices.  God also issued instructions for seven designated feasts that Israel was to celebrate each year.

Each of the feasts is significant both to Israel and to the Church in that both highlight God's provision for His people.  Both His provision for the needs of His Chosen People and His provision for mankind by the coming of the Messiah and His redemptive Work on the Cross.

The seven Levitical feasts played significant roles in the Lord's earthly ministry and are symbolic of the whole redemptive story, from His death as the Passover Lamb to His Second coming when He will "tabernacle" (or dwell) with His people forever.

The first three feasts take place almost back-to-back, just as do the events that they symbolize.  Passover recalls the day the Lord visited judgment on all those that rejected Him, passing over those whose homes were sprinkled with the blood of a lamb.

Jesus was God's Passover Lamb offered as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  Jesus died on the Cross and His Body was placed in the grave. 

The Feast of Passover is followed the very next day by the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The Feast of Unleavened Bread lasts one week, and it recalls Israel's hasty escape from Egypt, (symbolic of the world) during which time there was no time to let bread rise. They ate it without yeast.

The Feast of the Unleavened bread symbolizes when Christ descended into Paradise (with the thief), where He led the righteous dead out of their captivity in Abraham's bosom and into the presence of God.

The fourth day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is the Feast of Firstfruits.  Jesus is the first-fruits of the Redemption Who conquered death and Hell and rose from the grave on the third Day after Passover.

Fifty days after the Feast of Firstfruits is the Feast of Pentecost.  The Feast of Pentecost celebrated the end of the grain harvest.  Pentecost was also 10 days after the day that Jesus ascended into Heaven, ending His earthly ministry, but not before promising to send another Helper, the Holy Spirit.

The arrival of the Holy Spirit is a reminder that the promise of salvation and future resurrection is as sure as the harvest and His indwelling empowers believers for ministry to bring in the harvest until He returns.

The Book of Acts records Jesus' ascension into heaven before Pentecost, saying He rose into the air and was received into the clouds.

"And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." (Acts 1:11)

Pentecost concludes the spring-time feasts for Israel just as it concluded the Lord's earthly ministry for the Church.  After Pentecost, there is a period of time before the Fall Feasts begin.   This is symbolic of the Church Age -- the Lord has fulfilled the first four feasts of Leviticus to the letter.

To recap, the first three Feasts symbolized His death, His time in the grave and His Resurrection. His sacrifice and Resurrection are past, we have received His Holy Spirit and now we await His Return. 

The first three symbolized the major redemptive events of His First Advent -- the remaining four tell the story of His Second Coming.

The Feast of the Trumpets is next on the calendar and it celebrates the waning of the agricultural year.  The growing season is over and the harvest is in the barns.   The Feast of the Trumpets, or Rosh Hashanah, marks the start of ten days of repentance, or "Ten Days of Awe."

There are many that believe Rosh Hashanah symbolizes the "Fullness of the Gentiles" and that the Rapture will occur at some time during this ten-day period. How important is that?

If there is no pre-Trib Rapture,  then the Feast of the Trumpets has no symbolic counterpart and the whole dual fulfillment interpretation falls apart.

Recall Jesus' admonition was that "no man would know the day or the hour," but we COULD know when it was "near, even at the doors."

A ten-day window out of one generation, somewhere in time, does no violence to the traditional understanding of either of these relevant Scriptures. 

And it fits perfectly with Paul's description of the event in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.

"For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."

The Day of Atonement was the day the High Priest would make an offering for the sins of all Israel.  It symbolizes when God will turn His attention away from the Gentiles and back to Israel.

"For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob." (Romans 11:25)

Finally, Sukkot, the seventh feast day on God's calendar takes place five days after the Day of Atonement.  It is the Feast of Booths, or Tabernacles and lasts for seven days. It recalls the time the Israelites lived in huts made from palm branches prior to entering the Land of Canaan.

It also foreshadows entry into the Millennial Kingdom where Christ will rule from Jerusalem and people from every kindred, tongue and nation will be able to "tabernacle" or dwell in His presence.

Israel is back in the Land of Promise.  The fullness of the Gentiles is almost complete.  The Lord is coming back to reap His Harvest and we can almost hear the trumpet.

What a time to be alive!  Maranatha!

SIGNS OF THE TIMES

by Steve Meehan

One of my passions every few years is to take a trip out to the southwest of the United States and to explore the wide-open spaces of our country, where a small part of the Lord's creation is marvelously on display. My job as a pilot, flying internationally, takes me to a lot of heavily congested areas of the world, so the trips out West are a welcome reprieve from the densely populated metropolitan centers of the globe that I travel to, and allow me to get lost for a few days at a time in the far less crowded desert regions of the Old West, while soaking in the stunning vistas in that part of the World.

 

I've also developed an affinity for the locomotives that traverse those wide-open regions, and have had to stop my car on numerous times in order to get the "perfect shot" of the trains hauling their seemingly mile long haul of cargo amidst the backdrop of the green cacti and the setting sun-lighted desert dunes in the distance. I'm convinced now that if I wasn't flying airplanes for a living, that being an engineer in one of those iron horses, as it plods its way through spectacular scenery-would not be a bad gig.

 

Another byproduct of these getaways, has been the opportunity to discover billboards, murals and other depictions of the development and settling of the western towns that dot the desert landscape, that go back as far as the native Americans who used to dwell in these regions. The murals are quite colorful and really stand out.

 

A stopover town that I frequent quite often on these adventures - and one that I am currently in and hence the inspiration for this article - is the desert community of Barstow, where numerous murals appear on sides of buildings, throughout the old section of town. These signs of the times, hand painted by locals, give a rendering of the tribes who once settled there-the pioneers who later journeyed through the region, the railroad that steamed its way across these sands opening up the west, and even of the infamous Route 66, that mother road ribbon of highway that cuts a swath across the nation, from Chicago to Southern California.

 

These signs of the times point us back to yesteryear and a bygone era of the growth and development of our fledgling nation. They encapsulate, in a brief snapshot, of what had transpired in the past and how we got to where we are today.

 

By contrast, to the students of Bible prophecy and really to all Christians who should be reading the Word, the signs of the times that we see developing in our present day are pointing us forward, to what is foretold to happen in these last days. The signs are pointing from every direction that the end is near - for the Church Age, anyway, and that soon-Christ will be returning for His Body of believers, and that a final seven-year period for the inhabitants of the earth is about to get underway.

 

Like the tracking and forecasting of Hurricane Irma that is about to make landfall in southern Florida, the impending impact of the Tribulation hour is very near. Indicators and warning flags are all around us. While storms like Harvey and now Irma, were being tracked days in advance, thus allowing for people to make preparations for its arrival, the final seven years of human government before Christ would return and rule from Jerusalem, was first announced back in Old Testament times.

 

The prophets Daniel, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Joel and others first foretold of its coming centuries ago. Jesus, even in the New Testament, spoke of its onset, when His disciples asked about the end of the age. And lastly, the apostle John wrote of its occurrence in the final chapter of the Bible, in the book of Revelation. The tracking of this event has long been underway and we are witnessing the climatic buildup as it nears us with each passing hour.

 

There is no chance that this storm will veer off and away from us; it will be all encompassing. Everyone left on the earth will feel its wrath and unlike a typical hurricane that sticks around for a few days, then eventually moves on or downgrades, this event will last a full seven years, and will only intensify until finally the Lord Jesus returns to earth and puts an end to its carnage. The entire globe will be engulfed in this catastrophe and the devastation will be unfathomable.

 

How can we be so sure that this prophesied event is soon to happen? Every sign that was scribed to herald its impact is before our eyes today. One cannot watch the 24-hour news channels, read a newspaper, or surf the internet without seeing the indicators of the nearness of this event.

 

An ear-piercing claxon warning that is hard to miss in regard to how close we are, is the foretold "Rumors of War" condition that Jesus forewarned about to His Apostles in Matthew 24. There is no escaping the fact that we are a single military misstep away from a possible nuclear exchange with North Korea. The rhetoric and actions of the regime in Pyongyang defies logic, and they seem hell bent on provoking the USA into taking military action on the North Korean missile sites. That, in turn, would trigger a retaliatory response from Kim Jong-Un on South Korea and/or even Japan. I'm convinced that only God's restraining hand is presently holding off what could be an imminent situation only until after the Rapture of the Church.

 

Also under the rumors of war category would be what is presently taking place in Syria. The Bible is Israel centric, and so most of Bible prophecy is also Israel centric, or how Israel is affected by the events of Bible prophecy. A sign of the times billboard that should be highly visible to prophetic watchers is the fulfillment and nearness of the Isaiah 17 prophecy, regarding the destruction of Damascus.

 

With all the turmoil that has been ravaging the country of Syria these past five or six years, it has allowed for enemies of Israel, such as Iran and Hezbollah, to gain an even stronger foothold in that nation and to plot their evil deeds against the Jewish state.

 

Israel is extremely concerned with this current situation, and has been making forays into Syria destroying the cache of chemical weapons that could be used against the Jewish people. It is only a matter of time until the Isaiah 17 prophecy turns from being a foretold event to one that sees its fulfillment.

 

I don't see Israel taking a preventive measure that initiates that occurrence, but will more than likely take strong retaliatory action only after being attacked from some party within Syria, be it the Syrians themselves, the occupying Russian forces now firmly entrenched in the country, or most probably from a disguised attack from Iranian forces in Syria, or their Hezbollah proxies. To take military action to level a city like Damascus is no small matter and the worldwide outcry will be fierce, so to warrant such an occurrence, means that something huge has occurred to initiate such a measured response.

 

Still in the rumors of war dialogue, is the prophesied invasion of Israel by the forces of Gog and an Islamic confederation as foretold by the prophet Ezekiel (chapters 38 and 39). Now, with Russia taking up positions in nearby Syria, and with Iranian forces and proxies also in the next-door nation, an eventual military campaign from that region can be better effected. Might such an action like the destruction of Damascus by Israel cause the invasion of these forces, or will the Isaiah 17 prophecy occur in conjunction with the opening salvo of the Gog/Magog campaign? Time will tell.

 

The last seven years or the Tribulation period are also described as "The times of Jacob's trouble." The buildup and present actions of those who wish to destroy Israel are now taking up positions in Syria, and plotting their evil schemes, it can't be too much longer until these demonically influenced forces are given the green light to carry out their prophesied and doomed advances.

 

Another sign of the times is the development of the one world religion that is foretold to be in existence during the final seven years. Prophecy watchers have seen the stages of this entity taking shape, under the guidance and manipulation of the past few popes and their ecumenical drive to bring all religions under the Vatican's influence. We've seen the images of Pope John Paul II kissing the Quran, in an attempt to curry favor with the Islamic peoples and bring them into a closer alliance with the Roman Catholic Church. If that man would have been a true servant of Christ, he should have realized that the Quran denies that Jesus went to the cross, paid the penalty for our sins in an excruciating manner and that Jesus Christ is God. Why kiss such a lie-filled book, unless one had ulterior motives?

 

The Roman Catholic Church's "Home to Rome" campaign has long been underway to entice those of us who were lead away from their bondage by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to once again reunite with them and give up our wayward position of trusting in Christ alone for our salvation. All is forgiven, and we "separated brethren"-formerly called heretics, can now go home to our "Mother Church"-the only true means of salvation, as they mistakenly contend.

 

They have pulled out all the stops in welcoming not only Protestants, but adherents of all faiths - Muslim, Buddhists, Mormons, you name it - anybody and everybody - to join up with them, just as long as the pope and the Vatican are the controlling force. And now Francis is even claiming that homosexuals are probably welcomed into heaven; in other words, he is trying to say that all peoples of any stripe or persuasion can seek entrance into the Catholic system, and pay their allegiance to the Roman Pontiff, thus ensuring one's salvation. The fulfillment of the one world religion system has never looked more promising and this sign of the times has never been clearer.

 

The march to a one world government has also been long underway, but was momentarily derailed by events like Brexit and the election of Donald Trump. Barak Hussein Obama did all he could to further the ambitions of the globalists, and his supposed heir apparent Hillary Rodham Clinton, would have even further diminished the influence of the USA, by us giving up our sovereignty to the whims of a ruling elite in Europe.

 

Thank God for the brief timeout we were blessed with by the election of a D.C. outsider. Obviously, the mainstream media is still incensed by that turn of events and one cannot do a channel search without hearing some negative comment or see the bottom of the TV screen crawl that depicts President Trump in a bad light. Those people are so out of their minds with fury, that the "news" has become unbearable to watch.

 

But, alas, the Bible does warn that a one world government will arise, so it is only a matter of time until it takes place. Something will happen that will cause America to lose its influence and give way to the rise of the Antichrist and his one world government. Even with Brexit and Trump, nothing can stop its formation as it has already been prophesied to occur.

 

The Rapture could be, and probably will be, the "mother of all signs" (to use middle east parlance and sometimes bluster) to usher in and eventuate all the signs together to begin the "Day of the Lord. The build up to the Tribulation period is preceded by all the signs happening in the world right now. Many believe the inking or confirming of the seven-year peace deal with Israel and her neighbors is the actual start of the Tribulation period.

 

With the Church gone, that also allows for the 144,000 Jewish evangelists to go out and spread the gospel of Christ. Did you know-if you do the math-that 144,000 divided by say, 200 countries in the world comes out to approx. 720 evangelists for each nation?! That is an incredible number. No wonder that there are so many Tribulation saints that come out of that period, thanks to the Jews (again!) and all for the glory of God. To break down that number even further, 720 would equate to about 14.4 evangelists, of say, apostle Paul or maybe even Billy Graham caliber per state in the USA. That is an astonishing number.

 

The Rapture will of course remove the true church of Christ and give rise to an apostate false church, whose ascendancy has long been underway. She will be transformed into an amalgamation of all different religions, creeds and beliefs and its influence will be worldwide. Its leader, will even point the masses to a new worldwide ruler, who, might even come out her ranks. We shall see.

 

The signs of the times are all around us; the end is near. Along the old Route 66, Burma Shave had signs positioned sequentially, so as you progressed down the road, beginning with the first sign, reading each one, you would finally reach the last sign and put together a complete, if not whimsical promotion for their product. Unlike the humor found in those advertising gimmicks, we are progressing further and further along the road that leads to disaster, especially for the soul not prepared for its impending arrival. We are immersed in the signs and action needs to be taken to avoid calamity. Each sign of the times is followed by another.

 

There is a way out from what lies ahead. There is a detour that keeps us on a safe, narrow path. His name is Jesus Christ. He proclaims:

 

"I am the Way, the Truth and the Life: no one comes to the Father but by me" (John 14:6)

 

Why the attempt at taking another route? If one sees barricades blocking an unsafe section of highway ahead, isn't it the smart move to follow the signs that lead away from the danger?

 

By rejecting the only means of salvation, not only will one have to endure years through the Tribulation period  (it is seven years long) but the chances of surviving the entire time is slim. And then after that, if one still rejects Christ's free gift of redemption, that person will spend an eternity in the lake of fire. Will it be worth it? Hardly.

 

Heed the following sign:

 

"Enter in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many there be that go in that way" (Matthew 7:13)

 

Please take notice of the signs of the times. Christ is coming soon for His Body of believers. Impending peril lies dead ahead. The world will be thrust into calamitous times. There'll be no escaping it. Plan your evacuation now, before it is too late.

 

The Antichrist and False Prophet will soon emerge on to the world scene deceiving people, and forcing them into accepting a mark-that not only allows for buying and selling but will also signify that you have rejected Christ and His gospel of free grace, and instead have opted to worship the Beast. This will seal your doom eternally.

 

Whoever takes the mark of the beast will find themselves in a Christ-less eternity. You may escape the wrath of the Dragon while on earth, but you will not escape the eternal flames of the lake of fire, as meted out at the Great White Throne Judgment, presided over by the Lamb of God (aka the Lion of the tribe of Judah, Jesus the Christ).

 

Say yes to Christ now, and you will detour all that lies ahead. Your name will be written in the Lamb's Book of Life, a glorious future will await you, and Jesus will soon snatch you out of this world before the seven-year tribulation begins.

 

Signs warn of danger. They are only effective if one reads, then heeds.

 

"And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, lift up your heads, for your redemption draws near." (Luke 21:28)

 

"'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?' And they said, 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shall be saved.'" (Acts 16:31)

WARNING FROM GOD, OR A COINCIDENCE?

by Daymond Duck

Was the Aug. 21, 2017 total solar eclipse a warning for America to repent of its sin?

One, my heart and prayers go out to the victims of Hurricane Harvey. I have no desire to add to their suffering. Prophecy Plus Ministries has sent a contribution. We encourage others to do the same.

Two, I am not qualified to say whether the total solar eclipse was a warning or not, but if God was warning America to repent, it is a mistake to be one of those that are ridiculing the idea. The people of Texas and Louisiana have suffered the most, but the entire U.S. is going to pay a price and the cost will keep increasing, if there is no repentance.

Three, because darkness was one of the Ten Plague warnings to Egypt's Pharaoh to let God's people go (Ex. 10:21-23) some Jewish rabbis believe darkness caused by an eclipse is a warning from God.

Four, the total solar eclipse was seen only in America so some Jewish rabbis believe it was a warning to America.

Five, if the total solar eclipse was a warning to America, repentance is needed all over America not just in Texas and Louisiana. To deny that America needs repentance is seriously wrong. Repentance would be good for America not bad.

Six, God told Noah to warn people that He was going to send a Flood to destroy the earth (Gen. 6:1-7:12).

Seven, God told Jonah to warn the people of Nineveh to repent or He would overthrow them in 40 days (Jonah 3:1-10). NASA and Cuneiform tablets confirm that here was an eclipse in Nineveh shortly before Jonah arrived.

Eight, God sent two angels to warn Lot that He was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19).

Nine, when God sends a disaster to warn people to repent (II Chron. 7:13), if His people will humble themselves, and pray, and seek His face, and repent, He will forgive their sins and heal their land (II Chron. 7:14; Jonah 3:10).

Ten, since the sun is almost 400 times as big as the moon, the sun would have to be about 400 times farther away from the earth than the moon is for them to appear to be about the same size. That is the way it is and it is not likely to be an accident.

Eleven, Anne Graham Lotz (Billy Graham's daughter), Mark Biltz, Steve Cioccolanti and others were preaching that the total solar eclipse could be a warning from God.

Twelve, the total solar eclipse was unusual in many ways:

a) Jerusalem, the Holy City that is associated with the Tribulation period, probably got its name from the King of Salem called Melchizedek (Gen. 14:18);

b) The sun set in Jerusalem at the exact moment the eclipse started in the U.S.;

c) The first U.S. city to experience the eclipse was Salem, Ore.;

d) The eclipse occurred over seven cities (a significant Bible number) in the U.S. named Salem;

e) It has been almost one generation since Israel became a nation in 1948;

f) It has been about six God-Days (6 X 1,000 years = 6,000 years since God created Adam;

g) The Aug. 21, 2017 total solar eclipse will be followed by a second total solar eclipse in 2024 (about 7 years apart) and they will make an "X" over the U.S. with the center of the "X" being an area in Illinois that is often called "Little Egypt" (Darkness was one of the Ten-Plague warnings in Egypt and the only place in the U.S. that will be crossed by both eclipses is called "Little Egypt."

Thirteen, God controls the weather and He uses it to fulfill His Word (Job 38:24-28; Psa. 135:6-7, 148:7-8; Luke 21:25).

Fourteen, on Aug. 21, 2017 Harvey was a tropical storm. Three days later, it became a Category 1 Hurricane (at 1 pm on Aug. 24). Less than 30 hours later it had grown to a Category 4 Hurricane (at 6 pm on Aug. 25). It made landfall 4 hours later (at 10 pm on Aug. 25).

Fifteen, when Harvey made landfall it got trapped by two high pressure systems. As powerful as it was, it was boxed in and it couldn't break loose. It just kept spinning and dumping rain. Who besides God can trap a Category 4 hurricane?

There are many reasons why America needs to repent: pushing the two-state solution to divide Israel and Jerusalem, abortion; the U.S. Supreme Court redefinition of marriage, LGBT issues, the globalist effort to create a world government, violence and bloodshed all over America, silent pastors and church members, corruption in the swamp and media, and more.

Did you notice that the first item on the list is pushing the two-state solution to divide Israel and Jerusalem? Look at event number Fourteen above. Notice that Harvey went from being a tropical storm on Aug. 21, 2017 to being a Hurricane on Aug. 24, 2017.

Now notice what was going on with the peace negotiations in the Middle East: President Trump's Advisor and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and his "negotiating team" went to Saudi Arabia and Qatar on Aug. 21, 2017, Jordan on Aug. 22, 2017, Egypt on Aug. 23, 2017 and they arrived in Israel on Aug. 23, 2017 for a next-day meeting with Prime. Min. Netanyahu on Aug. 24, 2017.

God said He will drag the nations into the battle of Armageddon for scattering the Jews and dividing the land of Israel (Joel 3:2). The total solar eclipse over the U.S. occurred on the same day Jared Kushner and his team went to Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Hurricane Harvey made landfall in the U.S. on the same day Jared Kushner and his team met with Prime. Min Netanyahu in Jerusalem (or ancient Salem).

The total solar eclipse passed over "Little Egypt" in the U.S. one day before Jared Kushner and his team were in Egypt to discuss Pres. Trump's "ultimate deal."

Is there a connection between the eclipse, Jerusalem and Hurricane Harvey?

It has been said, "There are no coincidences with God." These things are either a warning from God or coincidences. Each person should decide for their own self.

Many are reluctant to say these things are a warning from God to repent, but if they are people need to stop ridiculing it, they best get on their knees soon and the U.S. needs to end the so-called peace process immediately.

If God's patience with America is waxing thin, there are no words to describe what America may experience in the next few weeks or months (Israel attacked - God and Magog, economic collapse, increased violence, birth pang type natural disasters, persecution, only God knows what else.