Dear Daniel,

     Concerning your thoughts about a prophetic model based upon the birth of Christ, I believe that a pattern of conception, gestation, and birth is connected with the Rapture and the Tribulation. It is one of the reasons why I believe that there will be a 10 year time frame between the Rapture and the end of the Tribulation. I think that the Rapture itself is a model of the Second Birth. When we are born the first time, we are born with a mortal body. It should follow, therefore, that when we are born the second time, we will be born with an immortal body. I believe that our world is filled with physical patterns of spiritual truths. Conception, gestation and birth are so commonplace in our lives, that I am convinced that they must represent a pattern of a spiritual truth. Please see my May 9, 2006 post where I discuss this gestation pattern as well as other patterns of a 10 year time frame: http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/may2006/lisat59.htm
 

     Since the time of my previous post, I have come across another pattern where an archetype of Jesus Christ marries after a period involving an increment of 10. In 1 Samuel 25, we have the story of David, Nabal and Abigail. Abigail was married to Nabal, a wealthy but foolish man. David and his men had protected Nabal’s flocks and, at the time of sheep-shearing, David sent 10 of his men to Nabal to ask for some compensation. Nabal refused to give them anything and, when David heard about it, he got angry and gathered some of his men to go after Nabal. An unnamed servant tells Abigail about her husband’s insult to David and she quickly takes food to David and his men and apologizes to him. David praises Abigail for her wisdom and for keeping him from shedding blood. When Abigail returns home, her husband is holding a banquet, so she waits until the morning to tell him what she had done. As soon as he hears about it, he suffers a stroke and dies about 10 days later. After David hears about his death, he sends his servants to Abigail with a message – asking her to become his wife. She accepts and, accompanied by her five maids, goes to be married to David. I think that Nabal could be a type of the World to which we were married to prior to becoming Christians. "The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’" Psalm 14:1. Note that the Hebrew for fool is "nabal." Abigail is a type of the Church who shows a reverent fear of the judgment of God and an understanding of the need to repent. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Psalm 111:10. David, of course, is a type of Jesus Christ. Lastly, I think that it is significant that 5 maids accompany Abigail to her wedding to David. There seems to be a connection to the 5 wise virgins of Jesus’ parable of Matthew 25:1-13.

     I hope this helps. Maranatha.

                             – Lisa Taylor