All Doves:

In this series, I have shared a major part, but yet only a small portion of the Biblical content that lays out "The Biblical Theme of The Bride".  There is so much more you are unaware of in regard to this major Biblical theme.

When I did my initial study work on the Bride motif back in 2000, I discovered just over 850 passages of Scripture that focuses the reader on the concept of marriage.  There are three specific books of the Bible that marriage is dealt with almost exclusively, as a core theme, that being the book of Hosea, and the book of Ruth, and the Song of Solomon.   

I have offered more than enough evidence in my postings to persuade the reader to understand that the wedding motif of the Bridegroom and the Bride will take place on 'Rosh HaShanah', the 'Feast of Trumpets', "seven" years before the Second Coming.  The growing volatility of war, violence, suffering, and death in the growing regional attacks being waged in Israel are becoming evident of a much larger conflict on the horizon.  Israel could soon be facing a three-front war. 

The idea of a Pre-Tribulation Rapture is attacked by much of the church that follows a Covenant/Reformed theological hermeneutic (interpretation) understanding of the Bible.  The only theological hermeneutic that remains firm about a Pre-Tribulation Rapture is that of Dispensationalism.  This view is held by most of the Baptist Churches, the Assemblies of God, the Christian and Missionary Alliance (CMA), independent Bible churches, Pentecostal churches.  In my series of posts on Dispensationalism, I noted the three basic tenets of this view.

You can go back and review my posts on Dispensationalism to review those basic tenets.  They are foundational in understanding the big picture of the Bible.  Unfortunately, Lucifer has prejudiced the minds of so many in the Church today and fanned the flames of Anti-Semitism, such that most of the Church today is lost in understanding the Biblical message.  Anti-Semitism has poisoned the well of Biblical scholarship.

The Bible is God's "love letter" to His creation.  While we have many examples of the overt message of God's love for humanity, chiefly John 3:16, there are so many other passages that it is simply a given fact.  The word "love" appears 310 times in 280 verses.  The word "loved" appears another 98 times in 89 verses.  You can see how important the theme of love is to God.  The phrase "God is love" is found 2 specific times in 1st John 4:8,16. 

Make no mistake about it, the Pre-Tribulation Rapture will occur on the 'Feast of Trumpets', if not this year, September 25/26th, then, perhaps next year, or the next.  There are too many signs to not believe in its nearness.  It's very close.  I'm watching the signs of the times for any confirmation that will validate my hope and expectation.  In this post on "The Biblical Theme of the Bride" I'm going to share another piece of evidence for the 'Feast of Trumpets'.  In previous posts I have discussed how the Roman Catholic Church became the dominant Beast that it is, namely for its geographical center to the early Christian world.  Biblical Christianity has paid a huge price for that power grab. Catholicism renders Biblical understanding "allegorically" or "spiritualize" the text.  It rejects the literal principle.  Likewise, its daughter churches repeat the error.

Most of the heresies in the church today can be traced back to the Roman Emperor Constantine.  "The Biblical Theme of the Bride" or the Marriage Covenant Festivals, or the "Feast Days of Leviticus 23", which Constantine changed by introducing pagan fertility festivals.  Constantine as Emperor, declared Christianity the legal religion of the Empire, and then he combined paganism with Christianity as the state religion.  Anything Jewish or Hebrew in matters of faith, worship, were virtually dispensed with under Constantine.  Most everyone knows that he changed the official day of worship to "Sun"-day from the Sabbath.  He expunged anything of even remotely associated with the Hebrew people and their Biblical heritage. 

The "Feast Days of the Lord" or sacred festivals were removed, with the exception of 'Pentecost'.  It was virtually impossible for Constantine to get rid of 'Pentecost', because of its Christian significance.  This does not change the fact that the Jews had been keeping 'Pentecost' for 1,500 years before the birth of the Church.  The "Feast Days of Leviticus 23" were so ordered by God to be observed by all people, not just Jews.  To some of you that may be a big surprise, but it is obvious in the Hebrew text, that these Feasts were intended for all of humanity, and not just Jews.  The Feast Days were "rehearsals" as well as observances.  If you have watched Mark Biltz's DVD series on the 'Feast Days of the Lord', you will have probably picked up on his constant referral to the Feast Days as "rehearsals".  If you are married or participated in a wedding of a friend or a relative, you understand the practice of a wedding rehearsal, prior to the big day, usually the day before the wedding.  This is one of those events that I never particularly looked forward to.  But for the rehearsal to go off like clockwork, as smooth as possible, it becomes necessary for the pastor to assert control over the rehearsal lest it unravel into a state of confusion. 

Ironically, the Jews observe the day of 'Rosh HaShanah' as the head of the year or the new year, and hardly even so much as mention the Rapture.  I have identified all of the idioms that the 'Feast of Trumpets' go by, but to Jews, marriage is not particularly meaningful to the Jewish on this day.  Today, the first three rehearsal [Spring Feasts] events are now past and merely celebrations.  These three have already been fulfilled.  These marriage events were completed when the Messiah came down from Heaven and became engaged/betrothed to marry His Bride - the Church.  What this means is that the next rehearsal to be fulfilled will be the Rapture of the Church from Earth to Heaven for the marriage ceremony in the Kingdom of the Bridegroom's Father.  As I noted, watching world events in the Middle East, the Ukraine, and elsewhere, it appears that Christian believers might be leaving for the wedding at any time.  Do you know there are 38 wars underway around the world today.  That is a fact courtesy of the UN.  As I have been saying for some two decades, Christians ought to be burning the midnight oil learning what these rehearsal Feasts are all about.

Rehearsal number one was the birth of the Messiah.  Actually, it is rehearsed as the day that the deity of Jesus Christ was left at the Kingdom of Heaven, while the humanity of Jesus Christ descended to the earthly kingdom of His Bride.  He would court His Bride Church until the day he would pay the Bride Price to become engaged, or betrothed, to marry her and then return to His Father's House/Kingdom so He could prepare a place for her to live with Him.  The journey of God's Son from Heaven to Earth and the birth of Jesus are rehearsed as the 'Feast of Passover'.

In the second rehearsal, the 'Feast of Unleavened Bread', the observance begins with three pieces of unleavened bread, or Matzah.  One piece is for the Father, one for the Son, and one for the Holy Spirit.  The middle piece of unleavened bread is broken into two pieces.  One half is the deity of Jesus Christ, which remains in Heaven with God the Father, and God the Holy Spirit.  The other half is the humanity of Jesus Christ, which descends to the festival table as the Afikoman, which the Apostle John called the bread of life sent to the Earth by God the Father.  As Jesus Christ became engaged/betrothed to the Church Bride at His last supper on Earth, Jesus broke the Afikoman half of the unleavened bread and passed the pieces among His disciples.  To complete the engagement or betrothal, Jesus drank wine from the Cup of the Messiah and passed the cup to His disciples, representing the Church.

The third rehearsal is the death of Jesus Christ, representing His humanity.  This rehearsal has become a celebration now called the 'Feast of First Fruits'.  There is so much to each of these Feast Days, I am synthesizing the essence of each.  I could write pages on each of the "seven" Feast Days of the Lord elaborating on all the parallels and symbolism represented in each of the Feasts.  They [the Feasts of the Lord] are fulfilled historically, physically, spiritually, and prophetically.  There is an incredible study I could do on how these four aspects are fulfilled by the Lord Christ Jesus.

The fourth rehearsal is 'Pentecost', celebrating when the Holy Spirit came from the Father's Kingdom to empower the Church Bride to live on Earth as a citizen of Heaven, her ultimate home.  We are just travelers in this world.

There is a synchronized pattern design in all of the Feast Days of the Lord.  Each of these Festivals were played out and rehearsed in a precise pattern, according to a designated God-instructed design.  Again, we see that aspect of the Feast Days are being rehearsed for a future culminating event.

The next Feast Day or Festival that will be played out is that of the Rapture, (a Pre-Tribulation Rapture).  God is about to send His Son, Christ Jesus back for a quick return to Earth to fetch His Bride the betrothed Church, to their marriage in Heaven.  In my post on "The Link between The Theme of The Bride and Rosh HaShanah", we have a series of idioms that are associated with the 'Feast of Trumpets'.  Here you might ask, could it be possible that the Tribulation might begin and possibly end before the Rapture?   Not likely, not a snow ball's chance.  The Tribulation is tied to the Festival rehearsal that follows the Rapture.  Note closely.

All the people, from Adam to Jesus, were supposed to rehearse the sixth festival as the Day of Judgment under an Everlasting Covenant (God's plan of redemption).  The Day of Judgment under the Everlasting Covenant was preserved by the Order of Melchizedek, which was completed by Christ Jesus.  Ancient Hebrew literature cites Abraham as observing the Day of Judgment.  Judicially speaking, judgment is administered one way to the guilty, and another way to the not guilty.

There is a Messianic Covenant within the Everlasting Covenant.  Those who enter the Messianic Covenant by accepting redemption are no longer guilty.  Those who do not repent, remain guilty.  Symbolically, the Messianic Covenant was working within the Everlasting Covenant, even before God cut the Messianic Covenant with the Nation of Israel at Mt. Sinai.  However, the Messianic Covenant was not recognized until God entered into a marriage covenant with Israel, as noted in Exodus 24.  God instructed Israel, in the Messianic Covenant, to observe the Day of Judgment as the 'Day of Atonement', or 'Yom Kippur'.

'Atonement' is the "not guilty" side of judgment.  All people who are atoned (made right with God) through the Everlasting Covenant redemption are covered by the Messianic Covenant and will be Raptured to Heaven.  Nine days later, on the 'Day of Atonement', the Rapture will complete atonement by entering the Marriage Covenant with Christ Jesus.  Then we will spend "seven" years in Heaven, living in the place Christ Jesus prepared for us (the New Jerusalem).  At the close of the "seven" years, Christ Jesus will bring us back to Earth to help Him rule for eternity.  The New Jerusalem will descend to Earth from Heaven as the place for us to continue living with Christ Jesus, our Spiritual Bridegroom.  That is the Atonement side of Judgment.

Those who would not accept redemption through the blood of Jesus Christ in God's Everlasting Covenant will be left behind when Jesus Raptures His Bride Church.  Nine days later, on the day of Judgment, 'Yom Kippur', those left behind will experience the Tribulation beginning on Earth (on the exact same day that the Bride Church will marry in Heaven).  Tribulation is guilt judgment administered against the world system developed by Lucifer when he captured dominion of Earth from humans, at the fall, by inserting his will into human souls to replace God's will.  The Tribulation will last for "seven" years and will terminate when Christ Jesus returns with his Bride Church to retake dominion of Earth.

As I have briefly illustrated in this pattern, the Tribulation is between the Rapture of the Bride Church and the day when Christ returns with His Bride Church to rule and reign on Earth for 1,000 years.  Thus, the Rapture will be Pre-Tribulational.  When an individual understands God's "Feast Days/Festivals" or marriage rehearsals, which Eusebius omitted from Constantine's Bible, facts about the Rapture, Tribulation and Atonement, become much clearer in their understanding.  The final Feast Day or Festival is known as 'Sukkot', and is characterized by living in the presence of the Messiah, our Bridegroom.

The idea of a Mid-Tribulation, Pre-Wrath, Post-Tribulation, or no Tribulation, is pure nonsense.  Proponents of all these other views that have cropped up in the last seventy years or so are far from the truth they are the product of confusion, deception, and babble!  They are the consequence of the liberalism that came into the Christian world that began at the beginning of the 1900's.  Today, the Internet is loaded with sites that argue there is no "seven" year rapture, or it is a hoax, or call it a lie, a deception, fiction, a false doctrine, ritual abuse, led astray, a myth, a trap, heresy, delusional, a fraud, corrupt, and worse.  They simply are illiterate and do not understand the purpose of the Bible.

The Preterists, the "Pre-Wrath-Rapture-Babble" crowd, the Mid-Trib and Post-Trib groups simply do not understand the truth of the Biblical message or choose for various reasons of their own to believe their own lies and deceit.  Proverbs 16:18 states, "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall."  The word "pride" is found 49 times [7 x 7] in the KJV Bible, in 46 verses.  I mention this because it is one of thousands of words that appear in the KJV Bible in multiples of "sevens", another sign of God's method of authenticating His Word.

Have a great week in the Lord's presence.  We are going home for the wedding celebration.  

His blessings to you,

Pastor Bob