Dave Camp (3 Apr 2004)
"NVJ, Part 4 - Is The End at Hand?"

Dear Doves,

Intro

In this last post, I'll do a recap summary from the first three; then let's see if we can find those "missing pieces" I mentioned in my third post!

Ready?


Recap

0) (Foundational Assumption): Since Jesus did NOT say SOME of the Scriptures testified of Himself, then we must assume they ALL do. Thus the Nazirite vow is somehow prophetic of Jesus - of some aspect(s) of His ministry, His character, and/or maybe even His return!

2) Jesus announced His Nazirite Vow when He instituted the Lord's Supper.

But He also announced that He would not drink wine again until doing so WITH the disciples in the Father's Kingdom.

Luke 22:18 For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.

Matt. 6:10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

And since part of the Lord's Prayer is our praying that this Kindom would COME TO EARTH, this event will most likely NOT take place in "up there in Heaven" as we've been taught!

3) However, Jesus' vow was (most likely) broken on the cross when He drank the vinegar, just before His death. However, no days "were lost."

4) Jesus appeared to the disciples "after eight days," most likely after having completed the "regulations" for renewing His vow.

Assuming He began doing so after vanishing from the sight of the disciples on Easter Sunday evening, then He would have reappeared to them Monday evening the following week - ie, at the beginning of Tuesday (Jewish time).

Lastly, it's possible that His appearing here suggests ANOTHER appearing at the END of His vow - perhaps in our day!

5) Noting God's naming of Ezekiel as "son of man," the slaying of Ezekiel's wife may very well be prophetic of judgment beginning in God's House, with a symolic "slaying" of the wife-to-be of Jesus, the OTHER "Son of Man."

Note that such a "slaying" may very well indicate the Rapture, where the Spirit is taken from the Apostate Church - just as Jesus' spirit was taken by God at His death on the cross! (I had mentioned to CAPS before in an email that "judgment beginning in God's House" could very possibly be the Rapture, as those left behind would DEFINITELY find themselves to have been judged!)

Also, note that if Jesus "is ear" to His wife-to-be when this "slaying" takes place, the days of His separation will AGAIN "be lost."

6) Finally, I suggested that, due to Jesus' now being our High Priest "seated in the Heavenlies," there is then a STRONG parallel between Passover (symbolized by His death "for all those who believe") and Yom Kippur (ALSO symbolized by His death - but for the "whole world" [1John 2:2]).

Thus I suggested that the time of Jesus' vow would end either:

• On Passover (specifically, the evening of 13/14 Nisan), since it begun then; or,
• On Yom Kippur, since that's where Heaven's time is representationally "stuck."

Now there is ALSO a "hint" to such in the Scriptures! Here Doves, let me show you:

Inside Story

Consider the following:

a) The Nazirite Vow was also open to women (Num. 6:2).

b) It appears that Anna, who prophesied over Jesus along with Simeon, may have been under such a vow, as she remained "separated unto the Lord," having never left the Temple (Luke 2:37).

c) Anna did so at Jesus' FIRST public appearance, which was when Joseph and Mary brought Him into the Temple to offer the required sacrifices at the end of Mary's 40 days of uncleanness (Luke 2:22-24).

d) This day was 10 Heshvan (link) - the VERY SAME DAY that Noah was commanded to get into the Ark (Gen. 7). But Noah didn't APPEAR again until he came back OUT of the Ark on 27 Heshvan, when he made sacrifices for his family (the whole world of his time), on Yom Kippur Katan (meaning "Little Yom Kippur")!

e) This suggests a connection between the Nazirite vow and Jesus' appearance in OUR day - ESPECIALLY when considering these two verses together:

Luke 2:38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

Luke 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption is drawing near.

(back outside)

Now - where do we go from this recap?


Two Feasts at Once ?

I suggested above that Jesus' vow might end on either Passover (specifically 13/14 Nisan), or Yom Kippur. But what if BOTH were true?

Do we see any signs of these two feasts - or shadows thereof - occurring TOGETHER?

Let's see ...

1) Since Passover is this coming Monday, 13/14 Nisan in the evening would then be this Sunday evening.

2) For the Jews, the first day of Elul begins a 40-day period of repentance, leading up to Yom Kippur.

3) Mel Gibson's film The Passion opened on Ash Wednesday, when devout Catholics began a 40-day period of repentance, leading up to Palm Sunday.

4) THIS Sunday is Palm Sunday, ending on 13/14 Nisan - just before Passover!


Conclusion

Could it be?!?

Hmm ...


Outro

The phrase "the days are lost," in regards to the Nazirite vow ending prematurely, is a most curious one.

Now in my calendar studies, I had concluded that, after Jesus' Resurrection, He kept Yom Kippur in Heaven (by presenting His blood before the altar there) on SECOND Passover, 12 days before His Ascension. (This is how I determined the alignment of the Heavenly Calendar (link), as I lined up Yom Kippur in Heaven with Second Passover in that year.)

However, God sees a keeping of Second Passover as being just as effective as Passover kept in the first month (Num. 9:9-14).

So I wonder:

Dan. 2:21 And he [God] changeth the times and the seasons; he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding

Might God "change the times and the seasons" by changing Monday's date IN HEAVEN to Yom Kippur - 10 Tishri - so that when Jesus COMES OUT of the Holy of Holies in Heaven, it will be SAME DATE as when He went in?

Might THIS be what God meant when He said "the days shall be LOST?"


-Dave