Greetings John and Fellow Doves,I have silently followed the debate over the timing of Yeshua's return for his Bride, and I feel that it may be time to break my silence. Being an advocate of the significance of the patterning of God, especially the Festivals, I have read with interest the submissions which have expressed the various mental exercises and positionings within the body of Christ, presented by Believers with various backgrounds and understandings. Many have faithfully endeavored to pinpoint the moment of our departure, combining reasoning with typological backing. All such efforts themselves are highly commendable, and will doubtlessly be praised when we stand before our maker. I have done likewise, and (God permitting), I will continue to do so as long as I have breath. My concern, however, is the manner in which some of these efforts are presented. We must bear in mind that shadow typology is NOT a science. It, (as well as various means for interpreting Scripture), is subjective. It is when such observation and visions, etc. are treated as though they were objective and infallible that I rather cringe. When a view is presented as the "only possible timing", etc., it casts dispersion upon all other considerations that may actually have equal validity potential from a different subjective perspective.
I do understand the desire to passionately defend one's view. I have been there, and done that! I would however, ask that you consider the following:
Daniel 7:25 says that the enemy will actually think to "change times and laws". It is possible that our calendars are already confused - especially the Hebrew version? What constitutes the "new moon", the "sabbath days", the "turn of the year", etc. Could we be doing it wrong? I know we are trying, but maybe we're not quite getting it right! Why would God have said in Amos 5:21: "I hate, I despise your feast days ..."? Could it be that the timing down here has been skewed? Could it be that we are putting too much emphasis on Yeshua's return on Feast days that may not even be accurate?
Matthew 24:44 states: "Therefore be ye also ready: FOR IN SUCH AN HOUR AS YE THINK NOT the Son of Man commeth". Everyone THINKS he will be coming on Festival days, but will He? If we are all thinking that He will, and He will come when we THINK NOT, how can this be so?Whereas the Festivals foreshadow His coming, they may NOT be the actual time that He arrives for His Bride!
I am aware that Amos 3:7 says that the Lord will do nothing but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. I am also aware that Revelation 3:3 says: "... If therefore thou shalt NOT watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. " The converse actually implies that those who watch may know the hour of his coming. I'd like to work with that just a bit. We have two separate statements here: 1) I will not come on thee as a thief, AND 2) thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. Somehow, the body of Christ has merged the two and treat them as one. The coming as a thief virtually always represents Yeshua's coming. He will steal away the Bride. The ones who perceive him as the thief, however will be the ONES LEFT BEHIND. He will have stolen their loved ones. The ones he steals away will see Him as their redeemer. When He says He will or won't come upon you as a thief, I believe the warning is to be ready so he does not leave you behind and take those whom you love! The timing aspect is a separate matter. There is an inference that we CAN know the HOUR of his arrival. Per Matthew 24:44, it will NOT be when the body at large is EXPECTING HIM! Note that it doesn't say date and hour, but only hour. I believe that Yeshua may make it known only to a few of his closest servant/prophet associates, who will be leaving with him so they can make final arrangements per His instructions, but that knowledge will probably not be released months or even days in advance, but rather just a few HOURS before his arrival. Thus this verse implies that some who are watching may know what HOUR he will come.
Since the concept of the thief occurs also in I Thessalonians 5:1-11, let's look for a moment at that passage as well. It begins with: "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know PERFECTLY that the day of the Lord so commeth as a thief in the night. The word "perfectly" here is Strongs #199 and means "accurately" and "circumspectly". In other words, when we walk circumspectly (per Ephesians 5:15), we can know (and accurately so) that His arrival will be largely unexpected. If the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up (per Matthew 24:43)! I Thessalonians 5:4-5 then says: "But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day SHOULD overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness." We should carefully note the wording of SHOULD here. There is no emphatic statement that this cannot happen to the Brethren. It is saying that as children of light it SHOULD not happen to them! Continuing in verses 7-10, we find: "For they that sleep sleep in the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet the HOPE of salvation. For God hath not APPOINTED us to wrath, but to OBTAIN salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him."
The key words here have been highlighted with capital letters. They are often ignored. First I want to stress that the word "salvation" in this passage is not the spiritual salvation unto eternal life. It is a "being saved" from the tribulation - a physical form of salvation. Eternal salvation is not "obtained" (as we see here), it is freely offered as a gift per Ephesians 2:8. This salvation must be OBTAINED. This word is Strongs #4047, and means "purchased".
Recall please that the five foolish virgins were told to go "purchase" oil. They had not done so in a timely fashion, so the Bridegroom came and stole away the five wise virgins during their absence, and they returned to find their associates missing and the door closed. The thief had visited, and they were left to deal with the loss of their beloved counterparts and the closed door.
Similarly, we should also note that the wording of our Thessalonians passage refers to the HOPE of salvation (from the tribulation) - NOT an ASSURANCE of it! The word "appointed" is Strongs # 5087, and it means "ordained". Thus we see that Believers are not "ordained" by God to experience His wrath, but this does not mean they cannot be subjected to it through default! This default would be through negligance (i.e. the failure to "OBTAIN" salvation from it).
How do we "obtain" this salvation? Verse 6 says to WATCH. This is Strongs # 1127, and means "to keep awake" and "to be vigilant". Just before the dissertation regarding the ten virgins in Matthew 25, we find the parable about the man who tired of waiting for his Lord and resumed an inappropriate lifestyle. He was found wanting at the Lord's return, and cut asunder, being left with the hypocrites. We cannot afford to abandon our vigilance to the circumspect walk with the Lord! To watch means to "keep awake".. Complacency is not an acceptable state in which to be found at His return, so let us not go there!!
In case you hadn't guessed it by now, I do advocate a split rapture. This passage would seem to confirm that as well. Verse 10 says that Yeshua died for us "that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him." Ultimately, the entire body of Christ will be with Him, but I would not want to endure what some will endure who are left behind after the righteous portion of His Body is taken home. The second rapture will bring the body together at last, but by then, many of the body will certainly be the worst for wear!
I guess my fear is that many of the body of Christ will buy into the concepts presented that say that the return will ABSOLUTELY be on a certain date. If that date is several months or even days away, then that Believer may become complacent or lackadaisical in the interim, and may be found wanting if the Lord arrives as a Thief in advance of the expected date. If the goodman of the house THINKS he knows when to expect the Master's return, might he not be gearing only toward being ready at that specific moment? He may believe he can get his "ducks in a row" the last few days before the anticipated arrival date. I really fear that those of us who post writings that say His arrival can only be during certain times of the year may be creating a pitfall for the body of Christ.
Does this mean we aren't to watch for the signs and seasons, and keep each other informed as to the hopes and potentials that are occurring in the news and the planets, etc.? ABSOLUTELY NOT! I very much value this input, and I too look at certain times with extra anticipation. My hope is, however, that in our passion to defend our findings, we will stop presenting them so emphatically that they pose a problem for the body in the event that we are not seeing the whole picture and it doesn't pan out as we think.
Matthew 16:1-4 tells of God's rebuke toward the Pharisees and the Sadducees for being able to discern the face of the sky but unable to discern the signs of the times. Then there is a very ominous reference in verse 4. It states a wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign, (could that be ours?) and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah. And he left them and departed." Though I value all the efforts to discern the signs, and there are a few mentioned in Matthew 24, etc. which are evident today, this verse seems to indicate that the body at large may be taken by surprise at the exact timing of his return.
Mark 13:34-37 says: "For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to WATCH. WATCH ye therefore, FOR YE KNOW NOT WHEN the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: LEST COMING SUDDENLY HE FIND YOU SLEEPING. And what I say unto you I say unto all, WATCH!" Then, even as we found in Matthew 24:44, likewise Luke 12:40 says: "Be ye ready also: for the Son of man cometh AT AN HOUR WHEN YE THINK NOT."
After concluding the description of the tribulation events, Yeshua's red letter words to his church are found in Luke 21:36, where He cautions us to: WATCH ye therefore, and PRAY ALWAYS that ye may be accounted WORTHY to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. Just prior to that in verse 28, He had told us: "And when these things BEGIN to come to pass, THEN LOOK UP, and LIFT UP YOUR HEADS; for YOUR REDEMPTION DRAWETH NIGH"!
The things referenced in this context are indeed beginning to come to pass. Should we not be lifting up our heads NOW rather than fixating on a date yet in the future? "Nigh" may turn to "Hi" at any moment! Are you truly ready - even NOW? Have you already OBTAINED your salvation? Will you be found worthy? If you are questioning this, please be about the process of doing so right away. The wise virgins cannot give you any of their oil. You must purchase your own. Please be about the process NOW!
I write this in admonition from the prompting of the Spirit. Please don't ignore this. We must not be fixated on a future date to the exclusion of expecting his imminent even immediate return, and we must be WATCHING (i..e. awake) at ALL TIMES, and be living circumspectly (as in WALKING AFTER THE SPIRIT) in order to avoid condemnation (Romans 8:1-2).
Are you ready - TRULY READY for His return - EVEN NOW?
Sue
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