You know, with each passing date we have all longed for (not the silly ones that are just wild conjecture) but the serious-really well thought out ones, with each date that goes unfillfilled for the Rapture, I must admit, I withdraw a little.  I withdraw from the action of what I will call date-speculation.
 
And yet, it is difficult to keep from looking....to keep from wondering.......especially since I KNOW that the date is getting nearer.  Fortunately, it has NOT hurt my faith.....it has NOT made me wonder if what I have learned is really true.  While a couple dates have come and gone.......this is STILL the season of the fig tree.  Nothing has changed that knowledge.
 
I do look at 3 times of the year that are the strongest possibilities.....Easter/First Fruits....Pentecost....and Rosh Hashana.  It was 6 years ago I first asked the Lord this question in my mind:  Lord, we may not ever know the year for the Rapture...but can we know the time of the year when it will happen?  And within a few weeks, the Lord led me to Zola Levitt's TV show. That was when I first heard of the parallel between the Jewish feasts and first and second comings of Jesus Christ.  WOW! What a revelation for me...and it was confirmed again on a radio program for Focus on the Family around that time as well.  Zola thought everyting pointed to Rosh Hashana...but I understand all 3 points of view.....and I really can't say which feasts (fall or spring) make the most sense.  All 3 cases have their good points.
 
But I have thought about this many, many many times over these past 6 years.  Probably to the point of too much focus on the NEXT life and NOT ENOUGH focus on THIS life.  But I'm a pretty bright guy, and once you make your case to me and it makes sense......I just want to move to the next step.  So, the Lord has shown me the case for His return.......and He has etched it into my heart that the time IS near........and so, in the BIG picture of eternty....LET'S GET ON WITH IT THEN..........(lol)..........  I'd rather be there than here.....Ah but the time is not up quite yet........not quite yet......
 
You know, I find this to be THE MOST EXCITING TIME IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD as a Believer.  Watching the events of the world play out on the nightly news, just like our Lord has shown us in the book of Revelation.  WOW!!!!!   (The only other time that would have been THIS exciting would have been when Jesus first walked on this earth.  How many times I have wondered what it would have been like to hear Him preach...to be WITH HIm......to be one of the disciples..........)  I am fascinated by mere existence of books like The Left Behind Series....TV shows like Zola's; like Hal Lindsey; like Ed Hinson; radio programs and TV shows that talk about Christ's soon return and detailed looks at the book of Revelation like Adrian Rogers, David Jeramiah; and Jack vanImpe.  Oh, and what about on the internet:  RaptureREady.com  and  Hal Lindsey's site  and of course, FIVE DOVES;  and have you seen WATCH.org ? ! There truly is ALOT out there in the public view about this subject now......so much more than even just 5 years ago.  WE have seen ALL OF THIS even make it into the MAINstream media.  Talk about the Rapture on 60 minutes a couple times.....and in TIME magazine and others.  WOW!!!!   The world will have NO excuse when it happens....NO excuse......
 
By the way, isn't it interesting that some of these leaders on this subject have recently died...or are quite old or ill at this time??   I don't know what that means...if anything....but isn't it interesting?  Adrian Rogers recently died.....as has Zola....and Jack vanImpe has been ill as well.....and Billy Graham's up there in years.
AS I write this it hits me that this must be the way the Israelites must have felt in those closing years before they went into the Promised Land.......Hmmmmm??  ALL of their leaders had died....or were nearing death, like Moses..............and then they were let in.....to their promised land........hmmmmmmmmm........  could WE possibly be THAT NEAR???   I wonder........
 
I thank God for this forum on FiveDoves.  I have learned much from all of you......big smile....thank you!  It does take some discernment to wade through everything and keep my head on straight.......you know what I mean.  But, nonetheless, I appreciate everyone's point of view and ability and right to express it.  It takes some guts to come out of the shadows of lurking and post a thought.......I know, because thats how I felt the first time I did so here...
 
So, in conclusion......is THIS THE year???  I don't know........But I just don't see it (the world) making it through too many more months or years until it MUST then be time for Christ to welcome His bride to her wedding feast! I absolutely LOVE the story of the Jewish wedding feast....it makes so much sense that that will be the way Christ has prepared for and will come back for His bride, the church............until then,  Randy