I was asked why I felt the rapture might be 3/21/08. It has to do with a fleece that I put out before the Lord 7 or more years ago and the number 153 that I have been seeing everywhere. When I say everywhere, it's an understatement. I have prayed that God will show me why in the world He is putting it everywhere in front of me. The only answer I have had is that after the disciples pulled up the 153 fish to shore, Jesus said to them: "Come and dine..." so I know it has something to do with the marriage feast - but I haven't put it together.

 

I do realize that even though there were 153 fish in the net - the 154th fish was on the fire that Jesus was roasting. I believe the fish on the "fire" is a type of Israel and the 153 fish, of course, represent members of the saved Gentile nations being pulled in by the Holy Spirit. Once the Holy Spirit takes us up from every tribe and tongue and nation - Israel will be under God's judgment and trial. But of course, the unsaved gentiles will be tested and tried as well. Well God seems to do things by sevens. (7 seals, 7 trumpets, 7 bowls, etc). It is interesting that when Jesus appeared this third time to his disciples, there were only SEVEN disciples in the boat at this particular time, not 11 or 12. When He says "come and dine," it is John 21:12 (21 is 3 x 7 and 12 is just 21 backwards - so you have 3 x 7 and 3 x 7 again and 7 disciples. Now, it says that there was fish laid on the fire. This could be more than ONE fish. It could be for example - one fish to represent Israel and another fish to represent the unsaved Gentiles - we are not told that specifically. However, if you take 153 and divide it by 7, you get the number 21.857142 ( here is the number 21 showing up again) and if you take 154 fish and divide them by 7 you get 22 (the number of chapters in the Book of Revelations --- yet the very last chapter in Rev has 21 verses - odd...)  I believe God reveals things in pieces bit by bit to various people in His Body as time goes on. Perhaps He will reveal this answer to someone else in His flock in another way. Isn't it strange that the apostle whom Jesus loved (John - who is a TYPE of the Church!) was the only one who RECOGNIZED the VOICE of Jesus that day? That it was Jesus on the shore? It is this same John who hears the VOICE of Jesus in Rev 4 when He says "COME UP HITHER" - a type of the rapture! Only those who are born from above, ransomed by the blood will HEAR the "come up hither". It was Jesus who said "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." (see John 10:27 and also John 10:3 as well as John 10:16 and Psalm 95:7). There is MUCH to be said about hearing the VOICE of our Shepherd! Then when the disciple John told the others it was the Lord, Peter, of course, jumped into the water to get to the shore faster. I also think of the wonderful compassion that Jesus has for all of us. He showed it to Peter. Peter denied him THREE times, yet after the apostles came to shore with the 153 fish, Jesus gave Peter a chance to tell him THREE times that he loved Him (to make up for the 3 times he had denied Him!) Isn't it awesome how tender-hearted and caring Jesus is? He remembered Peter's denial and subsequent humiliation over denying Jesus, so he gave Him a chance to make it up to Him! Peter ended up telling Him THREE times that he loved Him. Only Jesus knew what that meant to Peter.

 

I won't go into more detail about the fleece, but only God knew about it. However, it was answered late last year, but nothing happened immediately afterwards. Well, then one day I took the day it happened and added 153 days and it hit right smack on March 21 - which I thought rather odd, since March 21 happens to be Good Friday. I realize from another post that Aldo McPherson won't be 16 until April and will start preaching then, so of course, this day I came up with could mean something entirely different. And of course, if 3-21 comes and goes, I'll know that it has another meaning - perhaps the end of the age - maybe just something else that only God is privy to.  Even if 3/21 comes and goes and no rapture, it is possible that Aldo could be given only a very short time frame to preach - like 40 days or less - time will tell. Whether Spring or Fall or not a feast at all - we shall all soon hear the call!   I am certainly no prophet and don't claim to be--- just intensely interested in the coming of our Blessed One as are all the other waiting, watching doves out there!

 

Rene