Dear friends:
I have never been very good on calendars and dating and have often been confused by all the "experts" who insist their calculations are correct and everyone else's incorrect, but this morning I was attracted to the following post on the Five Doves Web site:
http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/feb2008/lauren215.htm
This post linked me to http://www.christian-forum.net/index.php?showtopic=16401, which is quoted in part below. I cannot attest to the author's accuracy or conclusions, but if they are true, they point to the Day of Atonement, 10 Tishri (October 9) 2008, as the end of the prophesied 120 Jubilee (50-year) cycles from Adam, marking the end of the age.
The below is just an excerpt. For the full article, click on the link below.
Speculation: If the Day of Atonement, 10 Tishri (October 9) 2008, is the end of the prophesied 120 Jubilee (50-year) cycles from Adam, marking the end of the age, then it seems to me the rapture could be at any time before that, such as in the Spring of 2008 as many believe.
Jim
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Excerpt from http://www.christian-forum.net/index.php?showtopic=16401
ELIJAH’S AMAZING PROPHECY
Now, let's take a look at these prophetic words of Elijah: "Elijah told Judah, the brother of Sala Hasida, 'The world will endure not less than 85 Jubilees, and on the last Jubilee the Son of David will come'" (Talmud, Sanh.97b). Elijah the prophet stated quite clearly that the Messiah the Son of David WILL COME ON THE LAST Jubilee year!
This passage quotes the words of ELIJAH THE PROPHET. HE STATED QUITE CLEARLY that the Messiah the Son of David will come ON THE LAST Jubilee!
What does "not less than 85 Jubilees" mean?
The "world" Elijah was speaking of was "this present evil world." The Bible speaks of the "world that then was," the pre-Flood world, and "the world that now is," this present world is the post-Flood world. The post-Flood world began in the year 2344 B.C. but AT SOMETIME after the new post-Flood world began, the population of the earth began to go astray. WHAT caused it and WHEN did this ‘Great Rebellion’ occur?
DO THE MATH
If we count this time period of 85 Jubilees from the first year of Peleg, whose name means "division," as THE BEGINNING OF THE REBELLION, and ULTIMATELY THE “DIVISION OF THE EARTH”, then the period of 85 Jubilees prophesied by the prophet Elijah would be 85 x 50 years. 85 x 50 = 4250 years
Subtracting (85 Jubilees) or 4250BC - 2243BC Peleg’s birth as the beginning of rebellion = 2007 +1 (no year zero) = 2008 AD, THIS PRESENT YEAR!!
The division of the earth occurred BECAUSE OF THE SIN of the tower of Babel. Therefore the tower of Babel construction, and destruction, and division of the earth, occurred during the time of Peleg. You can read the Biblical account of this event in Genesis 11:1-9
Thereby starting our count from Elijah's tower of Babel rebellion prophecy in 2243BC, the year Peleg was born and during his time the earth was "divided", we find 85 Jubilee periods THAT COUNT OUT in 2008 A.D.!!!
The 6000 years of man are 120 ‘years of jubilee’ cycles that began with the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the garden with the FINAL ‘year of Jubilee’ beginning 10 Tishri 2008 A.D. kicking off the Millennial reign of Yeshua- this very year!
End of excerpt
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Comment: If the above it true, then the Tribulation could take place at the beginning part of the Millennium, a possibility explained scripturally by author Marvin Byers. In summary, Solomon's reign was symbolic of the coming Millennium, and in the first few years of his reign Solomon had to take actions to purge and clean up the kingdom (1 Kings 2), after which "...the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon (v.46).
Dear beloved brother Jim,
Jim Bramlett's "Elijah's Prophecy"
I appreciate so much your sharing this with me and others. It confirms again what I have been pointing out in different studies for weeks; the rapture of God's people will take place in 2008, and the Tribulation will immediately follow.
Brother Jim, I have been teaching for many years that the first 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation finishes up the 6,000 years or six days [2 Peter 3:8] allotted to mankind to do all of man's work upon the earth, and that the last 3 1/2 years of the Trib extends into the promised Millennial Sabbath Kingdom. You are right on target with the comment you gave about Elijah's prophecy.
Seven times in the Old Testament Scriptures the Lord repeated His command first recorded in Exodus 20:9-10, "Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:" God, in His great plan of the ages, has allotted mankind six days [6,000 years] to do all his work upon the earth. The Lord Himself said that the night is coming ".....when no man can work," John 9:4. If you study Revelation carefully, it is precisely at the middle of the Tribulation when Christ takes to Himself His ".....great power, and hast [Greek tenses...began to reign] reigned," Revelation 11:17. It is also at that precise time that God quits using men to preach His Word, as He has done throughout human history, and starts using His angels to preach ".....the everlasting gospel.....unto them that dwell on the earth.....," Revelation 14:6-7. The "work" of the Lord is taken out of the hands of men at that time, and placed in the hands of God's angels. Why? Because precisely at that time the supernatural powers of both God and Satan will be unleashed upon the earth, and natural man cannot "work" with such supernatural powers at war with one another, exactly as the Lord predicted in John 9:4.
Brother, what this tells and shows me is that regardless of how men have messed up human chronology [the calendar system], the Lord still knows exactly how much time He gave to mankind and exactly how much time mankind has used, and the Lord is very precise. Exactly at the middle of the Trib the 6,000 years [6 days] allotted to mankind will be completed, and the great Millennial Sabbath Kingdom age will begin. The last half of the Tribulation will extend 3 1/2 years into the Millennial Sabbath Kingdom. I have taught this for many years. It is the only conclusion one can come to and harmonize the Scriptural statements of the prophetic Word with Scriptural chronology.
The extension of the Trib 3 1/2 years into the Sabbath Kingdom will also enrage God Almighty, for it was He who gave mankind His Law and limited man's work upon the earth to six days [6,000 years]. It is not then an act of God granting to man a 3 1/2 year extension of time, but rather it is and act of rebellion on the part of Satan and the Antichrist who refuse to yield themselves to obey God's Law of the Sabbath, and who refuse to honor the legal proven claim of the Lord Jesus Christ, our Kinsman-Redeemer, to ownership of this earth [the seven sealed book]. During the last half of the Trib, Satan and the Antichrist and their followers will be "squatters" upon the earth and continue their wicked "works" upon the earth, refusing to give possession of it back to the rightful owner, the Lord Jesus Christ.
When Satan and his crowd so defy Almighty God, God the Father Himself will fly into a rage and ".....do His work, His strange work; and bring to pass His act, His strange act," Isaiah 28:21, pouring out such "wrath" upon the incorrigible wicked on this earth as has never previously been seen or has occurred in all of human history, Revelation 15 - 16; Matthew 24:21. Almighty God has repeatedly decreed that the 7th day [7th Millennium] should be a "day of rest." What was true for ancient Israel on a weekly scale, is true for all humanity and all of God's creation on a far grander scale. When Satan and the Antichrist and their followers dare to defy God's decree, then Almighty God will "bare His holy arm," Isaiah 52:10, and show all of His creation His power to put down rebellion in His Kingdom, and to visit the consequences of such rebellion upon the wicked.
Just studying about and meditating on this terrible visitation of God's wrath upon the wicked. causes me to fear and tremble before Him who created me and brought me to a saving knowledge of His dear Son. I well understand why the great Apostle told even God's people to "...work out your own salvation with fear and trembling," Philippians 2:12. What a great and dreadful and fearful and terrible and awesome and loving God we serve. I will never stop thanking the Lord throughout all eternity for being merciful to me, a fallen sinner, and bringing me to salvation in Christ. Glory! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! I am so glad that the Heavenly Father is my God and my Father. Praise the Lord!
Now brother, if your calculations are correct, and I have many good Scriptural reasons to believe that they are, then our Lord will indeed come for His people in 2008. Many other studies also set forth the same truth. Glory to God! This also means that the middle of the Tribulation will occur in 2012, which perfectly corresponds with the time when Planet X will come flying past this earth raining down death and disease and destruction upon the earth and all humanity upon it at that time. Read about the opening of the 6th seal in Revelation 6:13-17.
Brother, the nearer we come to the end of this dispensation, the more and the faster the pieces of God's wonderful prophetic puzzle are fitting together. Praise the Lord!
Thank you for being a dear and wonderful brother in the Lord, and for having a heart to know the truth of His Word. I'm looking forward to throwing my arms around your neck in glory and just rejoicing with you as we meet personally for the first time and praise the Lord together. I will know you when I see you, for you are "my brother" and a member of "my family" and then we shall "know as we are known." I love you dear brother! I don't want to wait until I get to glory to tell you so. May God's blessings and mercy rest upon you and upon all true believers; God's dear people, is my fervent prayer.
I'll see you all at the great reunion in glory, 2 Timothy 1:12; 4:8. COMING SOON!
"Even so, come, Lord Jesus," Revelation 22:20.
Pastor F. M. Riley
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Dear brother John,
This is just too good to keep. I'm sending a copy of my answer to Jim on to you to post. God bless you dear brother. See you soon!
Bro. Riley
Thank you, dear brother. I am greatly honored with your words of affirmation and friendship.
But as I said, I am not good on these matters and mostly what I do is report the hard work of others who are more talented or knowledgeable than I am, such as yourself. Sometimes by God's grace I may stumble upon a winner. I hope this is one of those times.
I look forward to soon meeting you too!
God bless you,
Jim