ASCENSION DAY 2005 RAPTURE

a study………Arlene

I so very much appreciate the studies of Ted Porter, Jim Bramlett and all others here at Five Doves who are looking for the rapture on May 5, 2005, which is the anniversary of our Lord’s ascension into heaven. Along with all the other “fives” that come upon us from the heavenly signs and other hints, do we not have another glaring “five” in the very name of John’s gathering place for all of us; i.e., FIVE DOVES. John, how perceptive of you, back at the naming of your forum.

[Note: Arlene, FIVE is the number for GRACE. :)
John]

So, I embark upon a study of this next sign-post in our waiting and watching, the ascension day of our Lord. And will try to point out some things that will add to the treasures already presented in the recent past here.

First of all, we know by Zechariah 14:3-4 that “And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east…”

Also at this coming “to the earth”, He will be seen as:

Zechariah 12    

12:10

And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

Above, we see that those who see Him are “the house of David”, and “the inhabitants of Jerusalem”, and they will “mourn”.

Then, later in Revelation we read about this coming:

Revelation 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

So, when He comes to the earth, He comes on a “horse”, and He is followed by “armies” dressed in white linen, who were also riding “white horses”. (cool……) He is also not in a very good mood, as He comes to “tread the winepress” of Almighty God. Then there is Jude, speaking of these same saints that follow Him:

Jude 1:14 -

And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

It is very clear in the above references that Christ does not come alone, but with hoards of saints. Whereas, we read in 1^st Thessalonians 4:16-17 that “FOR THE LORD HIMSELF WILL DESCEND FROM HEAVEN WITH A SHOUT”.

And we know that He comes with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, not with saints.

When this happens, we (the resurrected and living), will be “CAUGHT UP……IN THE CLOUDS”…..those very clouds that received Him out of the deciples’ sight.

So, that clears up the fact that His “second coming” to the earth is 1) on a horse 2) with armies also on horses and

3) touching His feet down upon the Mount of Olives, and 4) in “vengeance”

Now, to go over and take a look at when He departed, also from the Mount of Olives, 40 days after firstfruits, or His resurrection, and ten days before Pentecost. In Luke it says that He went with them to “Bethany”, which is on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, so it was from here that He departed. (I looked up where Bethany is, because, like so many things, I didn’t know…….) I also found out that a “sabbath day’s journey”, when they returned to Jerusalem after He was taken up, was about ½ mile, which was, by the Jewish law, all that could be undertaken as a journey on the sabbath day………(didn’t know that either…..)

Here is this description:

Acts 1:6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8 But ye shall receive power, ^F1 after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. 9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11 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. 12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey.

First of all, “while they beheld” a cloud received Him out of their sight. And they kept looking stedfastly toward heaven. In Luke 21, we are told “when you BEGIN to see these things, LOOK UP, for your redemption draws nigh…..” So, the Lord is telling us to have the same posture as those who saw Him leaving were in; i.e., looking up. Then appears two angels, which address them as “Ye men of Galilee”.

So, I looked into just who these guys were:

*snip*

The greater part of Jesus' private life and public acts took place within the borders of Galilee. The first three Gospels are chiefly taken up with our Lord's ministrations in this province, while the Gospel of John dwells more upon those in Judea.

With the possible exception of Judas Iscariot (meaning Judas, a man from Kerioth, a village in southern Judah), the disciples were doubtless natives of this fertile area. At that time, Galilee was inhabited by a mixed population. There were Judeans, grafted no doubt on a substratum of Israelites, Syrians and Canaanites. There was the cultivated class inhabiting the Greek cities, and the military representatives of Rome.

Yet it was the common people who heard Jesus gladly, and doubtless these Israelites in the villages of Samaria and Galilee were more receptive to the His Message than they of Judea where Jesus feared to walk openly among the Jews (John 11:54). The Province of Judea took in Samaria, but we noted, Galilee was excluded.

In Judea, the Galileans were looked down upon. Nathanael said to Philip, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth" (John 1:46)? The Pharisees said, "This people who know not the Law are cursed". And when Nicodemus stood up for impartial justice they said, 'Are you also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee comes no prophet' (John 7:49-52)."

Galilaeans spoke a dialect of Aramean differing from the dialects used in Samaria and Judea which betrayed Peter when he endeavored to deny his discipleship. Matthew 26:73, "And those who stood by came to Peter and said, 'Surely you're also one of them; for your speech betrays you'."

So, these men of Galilee were His deciples. And they were exclusively the group that saw Him taken up to the clouds.

When He returns at the second coming, He will be seen by all, and in particular those in Jerusalem, who will “mourn”, but here, these deciples, these “men of Galilee”, were the only ones who saw Him go away to heaven. Likewise, I think when He returns, and we are “looking up”, I think He will appear “IN LIKE MANNER” as they saw Him go away. It will be an exclusive appearing for “those who look (up) for Him”. The church will be “looking up”……….whereas, when we return with Himat the close of the tribulation years won’t we be “looking down” upon the earth?

The fact that He returns to the Mount of Olives at His final coming to the earth is neither here nor there, as regards the rapture of the Church, even though He also left from that place. It is true that He left the deciples from this very Mount of Olives. But all of us are not going to be gathered together in Israel on May 5, 2005, on the Mount of Olives (however much we would like to……) Rather, we will be in various places all over the earth. And from wherever we are, we will see Him, IN LIKE MANNER, coming back to us.

And “In like manner” ------- drum roll here………..

could conceivably be on the ANNIVERSARY

of that very day, 40 days after His resurrection ? He will return 40 “jubilee” periods of 2000 years in like manner as He left.

Maybe some of you read my recent study on the forty jubilees of the church age. Since Jesus gave His commission to the deciples on this day that He was taken up, that very day would be when the church age started………He told them they would after the ten days to Pentecost, receive “power from on high”, but nonetheless He gave the great commission right there to them, on the Mount of Olives, just before He left.

Somewhere I read that the number 555 is the “bride” number………………..anyone?

Here’s a cheering section chant for us:

“TO HEAVEN ALIVE, ON 5-5-5 !”

WHAT SAYEST THOU ?

YSIC Arlene