Rene (9 Apr 2008)
"Marie's "Spring or Fall""


Marie - I saw the program too that you are speaking about. I do not believe it is cut in stone that the rapture must be on a Jewish feast day such as feast of trumpets. Feast of trumpets could be the fulfillment of the rapture of the 144,000 which occurs during Jacob's trouble.  Perry could be right about believing the rapture will be on some feast of trumpets, however, consider this: when it comes to being hidden and a marriage, The Sons of Jacob collectively make up the wife of Jehovah - so keep in mind there are TWO women involved, the wife of Jehovah and the bride of Jesus. Perhaps God did this to hide the rapture from us and make it less easy to "figure out," because he wants us to be ready at ALL times, not just right before some certain feast day.  Consider the following:
 
The Song of Solomon seems to point to a SPRING rapture. Jesus came to the Jews FIRST (I believe he was born on Tabernacles, possibly it was 9/11 that year). He fulfilled the feast of unleavened bread too -- and the passover feast (as the passover sacrificial lamb) and first fruits, etc.  All of these things point to a fulfillment of given JEWISH FEASTS from the past - Jesus as our LAMB.
 
However, one feast in particular that points most strongly to the Church is Pentecost, because it was a combination of Jews and gentiles that received the filling of the Holy Spirit. I have heard some teach that as the church was "born" on Pentecost, she will be removed some future Pentecost. We won't know for sure 'til it happens. Remember the story of Ruth and the kinsman redeemer, Boaz? Well, isn't it interesting that Ruth lay at the feet of her kinsman redeemer during the Spring barley harvest and Ruth was GENTILE. We all know that Ruth was a type of the Church. Isn't it odd how God took time to give us an entire book (Ruth) about a GENTILE bride being married to a JEWISH redeemer during the Spring? Ruth's mother-in-law-- Naomi - who lost her sons and all that she had just about, is a type of the Jew, who is chastised by God, then blessed immeasurably in the end! She returns to her land a pauper and ends up ultimately being blessed by her daughter-in-law - a GENTILE!   (Esther is just the opposite! Esther is JEWISH and she marries a gentile king! Strange, eh?) The wife of Joseph (the greatest type of CHRIST) was a gentile who married Joseph, a Jew,  BEFORE the 7 plagues hit Egypt. This pictures our marriage BEFORE the Great Tribulation and God's wrath is poured out!  The church escapes the Time of Jacob's trouble!
 
Once the rapture does occur -- that will leave God once again dealing primarily with the JEWS on this earth. The remainder of the JEWISH feasts will be fulfilled in the Fall, e.g. Trumpets, tabernacles,  etc. The church is a parenthesis in the time of God dealing with Jacob. Once the church leaves, the time of Jacob's trouble begins --- This could mean that the Church goes up at Pentecost or that the Church may not even go up on what is a classic Jewish feast day. Only God knows... perhaps it does happen on trumpets - we are not given that conclusively!
 
Here is something else that no one ever thinks about. John the apostle, who penned Revelations, was called the "disciple whom Jesus loved." He was exiled to Patmos due to his testimony, but as far as anyone knows, John was not martyred like the other 11 disciples (I believe Paul was the 12th disciple), but lived to be an old man. Why was JOHN spared a martyr's death?  Rev. chapter 4, vs. 1 is the call that John received to "come up hither!" Jesus loved John in a special way because John was a TYPE of the church! He was the one leaning his head on the Lord's supper at the last supper. He is the one CAUGHT UP in Rev. 4 BEFORE all hell breaks loose on this earth!  John is the greatest type of believer who escapes the tribulation! The church is not mentioned again until you see her returning with Jesus in Chapter 19.  Remember when Jesus said "one of you will betray me?" and they all asked "Lord, is it I?"
 
Peter asked John to ask the Lord who it was. But notice this - John never said "Lord is it I?" He only asked - "Lord, who is it?"  WHY?  Because John loved Jesus so much he KNEW that he could NEVER betray him! He did not need to ask, "Lord is it I?" He KNEW it was NOT him!!!  John is a type of the Church! He is the ONLY one of the 12 disciples (that we know of) who did NOT die a martyr's death. God PRESERVED him because he was a type of the Church and he was "CAUGHT UP" in Rev. 4:1 just as the Church is to be caught up to God's throne. And remember too-- that after Jesus rose and then appeared to his disciples, Peter asked him about John. He pointed to John and asked "What about this man?" And remember, Jesus asked Peter - "What is it to you if I will that he tarry 'til I come?"  Well some of the apostles thought Jesus meant John would not DIE before Jesus' return in glory, so the rumor went about that John would never die ---but Jesus did not say he wouldn't die - just that he would tarry 'til Jesus came - and he did!  In Rev. 4:1, John was caught up right through billions of light years and placed smack dab in the middle of God's throne where the 24 elders were seated with crowns and throwing themselves down to worship God. John is a type of the church. John goes UP without dying!  Just as there is a whole generation of believers who go UP without dying. (Of course all types can't be taken all the way through, because we do know that John died AFTERWARDS, or we are told that he did. Now, the fact that he was driven to Patmos and lived a harsh life of exile, could have made his life shorter, so in essence, because of that, he could be considered a martyr, but I think it is interesting that the greatest "type" of the church in the New Testament was caught up to God and His throne BEFORE the whole panorama of God's wrath on this planet was revealed in Revelations!
 
In the Old Testament Rebecca is one of the greatest types of the Bride of Christ, a gentile who went to marry a Jewish man. Rebecca died of course, but you won't find her death mentioned in the Old Testament. She represents the church. The church never dies, because our Redeemer has given us eternal life!
 
Rene