Your kind words are much appreciated and lift me up. Thank you for taking time to write. If you are doing God's work, then one shouldn't need the praise of men, but it helps a bunch if you know that your efforts are reaching someone. It raises your spirit and gives "hope" a little flesh boost.God seems to give a different dispensation to each of his followers and no one gets it all. The internet is a wonderful place to exchange thoughts and revelations. It's kind of like those pot luck dinners, an amazing good meal when all is on the table. If you are not so sure you like something, you can kindly move on to the next item, ha.
After many years of prophetic study, I pretty well had the end time scenario worked out in my mind. The book of Daniel is still a challenge though. But, in light of the many different views, there was always that element of doubt. Then one night, The Holy Spirit seemed to be really talking and He led me to this pattern in Genesis chapter one and reminded me of the pattern of the golden candlestick (menorah). All that He had ever shown me concerning the end times were confirmed by the pattern, and then some.
Ellen, I am just average guy smart, which means nothing to brag about, ha. I am convinced that the little wisdom I have concerning prophecy is the work of the Holy Spirit. God's word though seemingly complex has a beautiful simplicity of theme all the way through. I reckon that is why He chose fishermen and such common men/women as His apostles and prophets.
God's prophecies have the same simplicity of pattern. God makes it a point to stay within the pattern. I believe this is a way of saying to all His creation, I am God and in control. As well, future events tend to be foreshadowed. Prophecies then often have more than one fulfillment. It seems that nearly every recorded event in the OT has some application to end time events. Solomon's wisdom in Eccl 1:9, "The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be: and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun."
A simple, though not perfect analogy, is prophecy is like God playing poker with Satan in front of all the creation. The winner gets God's throne. God then makes it more than fair to His enemy by playing with all His cards face up. What's more, God never discards a card. What I mean by that is when God makes a promise (blessing, covenant etc), you can bet that it has or will come true. Satan has never precluded God from fulfilling His words, but nevertheless, he deceives men with many lies. Unfortunately, he is alive and well in many pulpits.
Many believe that because of man's or nation's shortcomings, God was unable to keep many of His promises. Well, in the beginning God new the end and all in between. God made no promises which He was unable to keep. His word never comes back void. Importantly, don't waste your time looking in the small places to see where He hid His fulfillment. If you are looking for ants, you are liable to be run over by a herd of elephants.
From Eve on, this is man's biggest stumbling block. Men do not really believe that God carried and continues to carry out every promise, every word, without fail. The reality won't hit home for many until they see themselves entering the gates of hell.
Like a master builder, God laid out the design of the house in the foundation. The patterns continue all the way through to the finish so that the house is not only structurally sound but architecturally consistent and beautiful. The foundation is laid in Genesis, even chapter 1, and continues to build through the Torah, the old and new testaments to the finish in Revelations. The design of the tabernacle and contents give us clues to the patterns. Follow the blueprints and thou shalt find the answers.
After the fall feasts are over, I'll bring the spring feasts pattern back up. I do not want to take from any the joy of watching through the fall feasts period. It is better to watch and stay prepared each day than to pin the hopes on a particular day. It's an endurance race and Paul says we must endure to the end. But, next spring there are a bunch of scriptural clues coming together like the guiding star to Bethlehem.
The important thing is to understand there is a division among the believers. Mat 25, the parable of the ten virgins; Luk 14, the parable of the man who made a great supper; Mat 22, the parable of the king who gave his son a wedding; and Rev 2 and 3, Jesus' letter to the seven churches all point to a division among believers. Worthiness is the byword throughout the NT and overcomer the byword in the Revelations scripture.
When you look at the above examples, particularly Lk 14, it seems the issue is character. The worthiness issue is not about works as men define works (see Lk 13:26-27), but about whether you are in the image of Jesus Christ. Those rebuked and left behind are made worthy by purifying in the fires of the tribulation. The gold/silver analogy is Jesus' way of saying when they are pure (worthy), I will see my image in them.
All those worthy of the first resurrection (OT saints, pre-trib bride, trib saints) are worthy of the reward of serving as kings and priests with Jesus Christ during His 1000 year earthly kingdom. The rest of the dead lived not again until the 1000 years were finished (Rev 20:5). St John indicates the free gift of salvation (eternal life) is applicable to this resurrection. See chapter 5:28-29 and 6:33-58 (noting vs, 39, 40, 44, 54). Worthiness to receive the reward of being the bride is sobering. St John who was given a preview of his coming reward may have been the only man to know that he was worthy. Paul, who knew he was saved, was nevertheless concerned about his worthiness for this reward.
But, there is hope. The Luke parable indicates those that got to the supper were the poor, the maimed, the halt and the blind. These are the very people the world has historically looked down upon. Truly, Jesus said that many of the last will be first and many of the first shall be last. But, it must be noted that of the 10 virgins, 5 were too late in their preparations and found themselves short of oil. Obedience, developing a love character (forgiveness), living separate and testing of faith etc, all take time and effort. Paul calls it working out your salvation. You do your part and the Holy Spirit will do the rest.
The crown on Joseph's head for living separate (Gen 49:26) was a reward over and above the free gift of salvation. His multi-colored coat is the different peoples of Rev 5:9 and 7:9, iaw, Joseph is prominent as a leader of the saved gentile church and those worthy to serve in the kingdom. That is why his children received the name Israel and the name of Abraham and Isaac (Gen 48:16), i.e. those that believe are the seed of Abraham. The ultimate fulfillment of Ex 11:7, "that ye may know how that the Lord doth put a difference between the Egyptians (world) and Israel (faithful believers)" will be the resurrection of the dead (1 Thes 4:13-17)(midnight cry of Mat 25:6). I am not a God of the dead but of the living (Mk 12:25-27/Lk 20:35-38).
Note in Deut 33:16 (Joseph's end time blessing), those of goodwill are separated at the time of the bush. Concerning the resurrection of the dead (1 Thes 4:13-17)(also midnight cry of Mat 25:6), Jesus made reference to the bush in Mk 12:25-27 and Lk 20:35-38. This bramble bush has it's on parable in Judges 9:8-15 called "the trees anoint a king". It is no accident that the U.S. has had two bush presidents. Job 11:6 says the secrets of wisdom, that they are double to that which is. Time is very near for this greatest event since Jesus Christ.
Add 40 (generational testing) to the June 1967 war of Israel (fig tree parable of Mat 24:32/Mk 13:28) and we get the spring of 2007. After exactly 40 years of wandering in the desert, Joshua (an Ephramite) led the Israelites across the parted Jordan into the promised land. Jesus will meet the bride in the air, first the dead, then the living. 7 years after the rapture of the bride, the trib saints will be resurrected with the two witnesses. About 10.4 years after the rapture of the bride, Jesus will return in the fall appropriately at the Jubilee (50). The nation-state Israel, born in May 1948 will be 69-70 years old (three score and ten), a generation. God's plan is surely coming together and we no longer have long.
Sadly, Joseph's (Ephraim's) nature changes after the separation. In Deut 33:17, with the strength of the horns of a unicorn he pushes the peoples of the world together. In Rev 18, we can see his double blessings have been changed to double curses in accordance with God's promises through Moses in Deuteronomy and he comes to his end.
Again to Helen, also Jill and the other doves, thanks and hang in there. I think we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It's time to stock up on some extra oil and trim our lamps. Don't wait till next spring to clean the house, ha. Like Hezekiah's cleaning the temple, if you can't be ready by First Passover, be sure to be ready by the Second. Steve