To all:  I have read your letters and taken a few notes.  I appreciate your questions, remarks and opinions.  I will sit down this weekend and work on some answers to your questions.  I apologize for not being able to respond tonight, but I'm plumb tuckered.  Can't even think clearly.

 

I have had a lot of worldly events that have distracted me and robbed my time.  Think I'm possibly being buffeted by our old nemesis.  I know he entertains many of you as well.  Think I will keep the Sabbath holy tomorrow and do some serious rest. 

 

To Marilyn:  It's been a while since I have corresponded with you via email.  A couple years back you answered some of my inquiries and did so promptly and in detail, as well in a sweet spirit.  Thanks again for your dedication to the study of end time events and God's word.  At the time you seemed to be having some health problems and I believe also your husband.  Hope both of your are doing good.

 

I will delve into detail later, but a couple quick remarks.  The 40 years is measured according to the law of stripes.  You may receive 40, but not 41.  It marches from birthday to birthday (anniversary).  Notice Isaac married Rebekah at age 40 (Gen 25:20).  He married her between the ages of 40 and 41.  Take a look at Acts 7, noting verses 23, 30 and 36. (KJV) This is a prophetically significant chapter.  It tells us how to reckon the 40.   Here Moses' life is divided into 3 sets of 40.  (The 400 is mentioned in vs 6.)  Each set of 40 must be fully complete or expired, before the stated event occurs.  In verse 23, it did not enter into Moses' heart to visit the Hebrew children until his first 40 years were fully complete, i.e. sometime between his 40th and 41st birthdays.  In verse 30, the next 40 years were expired (fully complete) before an angel of the Lord visited him in a flame of fire in the bush, i.e. somewhere between his 80th and 81st birthdays.  Verse 36 takes a little extra research.  Moses died before the children were led into the promised land.  Deut 34: 7-8 says he died at age 120, i.e. between his 120th and 121st birthdays, and they mourned him 30 days. For sure his last 40 years were also expired (fully complete) before Joshua took over and led them into the promised land.  Yet, it says they wandered 40 years in many passages.

 

You have to use this law of stripes method of accounting for the 40 years.  It allows for the 40th year to be reckoned all the way up to (but not including), the 41st birthday (anniversary/stripe).

 

You can see this by the actual wandering in the wilderness.  They departed on a Passover day, the 15th of Abib,  the day after the midnight Passover (Exodus 12:51 & 13:4).  These verses say they came out of Egypt (out of bondage) on the 15th of Abib.  This is the start point.  They wandered 40 years.  Joshua led them across the Jordan River and into the promised land on the 10th day of the first month (Abib) (Joshua 4:19).  They were either 5 days short of 40 years or 5 days short of 41.  Isaac's wedding between the ages of 40 and 41 supports the latter.  The examples in Acts 7 concerning Moses' 3 sets of 40 years, with each having to be fully complete before the stated event occurs also point to the latter.  In order for the children to have wandered 40 years fully complete, they crossed over into the promised land 5 days short of the 41st anniversary (stripe).  It was between the 40th birthday of departure and the 41st....real close to the 41st.

 

It think it is a real good clue to the rapture date.  It will be very close to the 41st birthday of the sign of the Fig Tree.  I would bet all I have on it.

 

The tribulation period:  Without a doubt it is a 10 year period (Rev 2:10) plus the difference between the spring and fall feasts (about 10.5 years).  It starts with the rapture of the bride.  Jesus begins to open the seals right after the bride is seen around the throne in Rev 5:9-10.  Each of the 3 sets of 3.5 years (42 months/1260 days) are separated by the number 4.  Death and Hell (the two beasts, the antichrist and false prophet) come to power at the end of the 4th seal, following the 4th horse.  Jesus came at the end of the 4th day (4000 years) right?  

 

The Satan embodied second beast comes to power (takes over) at the end of the 4th trumpet.  Satan has just been thrown out of heaven (the accounts of Rev 10).  He kills the two witnesses and the tribulation saints are resurrected with them and ascend in a cloud (Rev 11:12).  He subdues (makes fall) 3 kings/horns (Daniel 7:20 & 24).  This is also the time the 144,000 of the tribes of Israel are sealed (Rev 7:2-8) and hidden in the wilderness for 1260 days (Rev 12:6).  These are mortal men who are sealed to protect them from the demons of the 5th and 6th trumpets (Rev 9:4).  This 144,000 are the only repentant men left on earth during this last 3.5 years (Rev 9:20-21).  The bride and tribulations saints have departed.  This is a number of perfection in government (a multiple and amplification of the 12).  These will be the leaders of the mortal nation of Israel when Jesus gathers the remnants of all the tribes and gives them the promised land.  Israel will be chief of the mortal nations.

 

The bride is also a picture of perfection in government, except she is immortal and the chief leaders (kings and priests, Rev 5:9-10, pillars in the temple, Rev 3:12) of the immortal world/global government of Jesus Christ, which is above all mortal nations.  A description of her is found in Rev 14:1-5.  Her number is 144, 000 (perfection in government) and her home is described in Rev 21.  It is full of the number 12 and 144,000.  Is this an actual number, symbolic, figurative or some multiple or amplification like 144,000,000?  I do not know.  But there are two groups of 144,000 and both represent perfection in government, one mortal and the other immortal.  The tribulation saints are resurrected with the two witnesses 7 years after the rapture of the bride, on a Pentecost Sunday, exactly 7 years after the Holy Spirit outpouring on them.  They are a multitude too great to number (Rev 7:9) and will be priests of God as the last part of the first resurrection (Rev 20:4-6).  They will also serve in the thousand year kingdom as immortal priests. 

 

Now we have discussed the last two time periods of this 10.5 year period.  You can see the 3 sets of 3.5 years take us from a spring rapture and beginning of the seals to a fall time period when the two beast come to power and sign the covenant (false 7 year peace treaty) of Daniel 9:27.  You will note that the fall is when the kings of Israel were normally crowned.  You will notice everything about negotiating the disputed lands (Oslo, Annapolis etc) have been conducted in the fall.  It is when these two beasts come to power  that it sets in motion the last 7 years.  The last 3.5 years: Satan will be thrown from heaven, come down and embody the false prophet (second beast) in the spring.  It is this spring time period when the tribulation saints and two witnesses ascend at Pentecost.  His 3.5 year rule will end with Jesus' coming to earth in power in the fall.  I will not get into the shortened tribulation.  I will leave it to you and others.  I am simply showing the seasons and years of the events.  Jesus will return in the fall of 2018.

 

The two witnesses show up at about the same (maybe a few days later) as the two beasts come to power at the end of the 4th seal.  Their 42 months runs very closely with the 42 months of the antichrist.  Elijah will battle the antichrist much as he did with King Ahab.  Because it is a period when the mark is established, the tribulation saints will really begin to suffer and die (note Rev 6:9-10 & 20:4).  They will all die.  The two witnesses are the last.   I believe these two witnesses have much to do with preparing the 144,000 mortal men to be sealed. 

 

What about the first 3.5 years?  The first 3 seals are opened and the 3 horses ride.  This time period continues well into the 4th seal and the 4th horse as the two beast come to power following the 4th horse.  The first seal and first horse is the white horse.  This is the Holy Ghost filled tribulation saints carrying forth a worldwide revival.  It begins 10 days after the ascension of the bride on a Pentecost Sunday.  They are very successful during this first 3.5 years though persecuted.  This is why they are a multitude too great to number (Rev 7:9-15).  Everything about Jesus' kingdom is white.  He sits upon a white cloud, conducts a white throne judgment, His angels and saints all wear white, His bride is given a white stone, He returns on a white horse etc.  The OT saints which were resurrected with Jesus were the cloud (white) into which He ascended.  The rapture of the bride (dead, then living) are the clouds (plural, 2)(white) of 1 Thes 4:17.  The two witnesses ascend in a cloud (white) of tribulation saints (Rev 11:12).  Jesus returns with clouds (white) in Rev 1:7. 

 

 The white horse is absolutely not the antichrist coming to power peaceably.  That does not happen until after the 4th (pale) horse.  Luke 11:5-13 is Jesus' message to the left behind.  It is at midnight and involves a man on a far journey.  It is an emphatic statement that Jesus will give the left behind man all the bread he asks.  In verse 13, the bread is identified as the Holy Spirit.  The Elijah/Elisha example is a foreshadow of this event.  Elisha knew Elijah was departing as did 50 others.  Elisah asks for Elijah's spirit, a double portion.  The mantle falls to earth after Elijah departs.  This outpouring will happen exactly 10 days after the ascension of the bride on ascension day, just as it did on the apostles.  This was foreshadowed in Gen 24:55 when Rebekah's family asked Abraham's servant if she could remain 10 more days.  The servant refused. 

 

The red horse (war), the black horse (famine, pestilence, rationing) and the pale horse (disease, hunger and death) are part of the events designed by the future antichrist and 10 horns to prepare the world for a global government.  It is not natural for families/tongues separated by God at Babel and into nations to give up their sovereignty to a global government.  They will resist and preparation is required to exalt the vision of these wicked men.  These evil men have conducted their plans behind closed doors in secret chambers.  They are all allied with Satan, because it is he, the prince of this world, who holds the keys to power, position, wealth, fame etc.  The nations and peoples of the world will be ready to accept this global government by the end of the 4th horse. 

 

Why the 4 is a divider and marker of time for the division of 3 sets of seals periods:

 

The number 4 is seen in creation week day 4 along with the creation of the celestial calendar, i.e. markers of time (for signs and days and years).   The sun (Son) and moon (bride) are lights which divide and are given the right to rule.  You can physically see the cross in the 4.  It was put into motion on this day that Passover preparation day, the day Jesus would be crucified would be a Wednesday, day 4, the cardinal midweek dividing point of the 7 day week.  We can see this same pattern in the Menorah candle which lit the inner tabernacle.  It is the same pattern as the 7 candles before the throne in Rev 1.  The 4th middle dividing candle also contained the almond shaped bowl of oil (Holy Spirit) which provided fuel to light all the candles.  Of the 7, numbers 1, 4 & 7 are prominent and the middle dividing calendar is preeminent, with right to rule.    

 

It will be a Second Passover event.  I will show you all the reasons why later, but when Passover preparation day falls on a Wednesday, day 4 as it should, then the midnight cry and Passover day celebration fall on a Wed. evening/Thursday. 

 

Second Passover falls exactly 30 days after First Passover and therefore the midnight cry and Second Passover celebration day falls on a Friday evening/Saturday, a Sabbath day.  Keep the Sabbath Holy??  In fact, it falls exactly on the 4th Sabbath Omer of the Feast of Weeks, the exact cardinal midpoint of this 7 week feast which takes us from Passover to Pentecost.  This resurrection of the dead will fall on both a regular 7th day Sabbath and a High Sabbath feast day, Second Passover.  Due to our 2008 calendars offering two different months for Easter and Passover leaves me in question as to the actual date.  This is caused by the solar and lunar calendars not containing even weeks.  But, I firmly believe, the days of the week are foremost and preeminent.  It was the 7 days of the week which were created first.  It could be in mid to late April, but I think mid May to the first week in June is more likely.

 

Now, if you will overlay two sets of time periods, I will show you something which will make a believer out of you concerning Ecclesiastes 1:9, what has been shall be, there is nothing new under the sun.

Lay out the 40 days Jesus walked on this earth, counting inclusively from a Sunday Resurrection day to a Thursday Ascension day.  Now note that from Passover Preparation day (a day 4 Wednesday) until Ascension day is 44 days (inclusive counting) and from Passover celebration day (a day 5 Thursday) to Ascension day is 43 days.  The rules for Second Passover is that it is exactly 30 days after First Passover.  Laying this out, you will see that Second Passover Preparation day must fall on a Friday and the midnight cry and Second Passover celebration day must fall on a Friday evening/Saturday Sabbath day.  This then will be a regular 7th day Sabbath and also a High Sabbath Feast Day.  It should be most holy. 

 

This will set in motion a 13 day period from the midnight cry (resurrection of the dead) until Ascension day.

If you read the parable of the 10 virgins (Mat 25) you will see clearly they have time to talk to each other throughout events until the living wise depart for the wedding.  The rapture events of 1 Thes 4:13-17 clearly state, the dead are first, then the living.  It even mentions clouds (plural) indicating the two ascensions are far enough apart to be more than one.   1 Cor 15:51-52 tells us the changing into immortal is required for the living and takes place in the twinkling of an eye.  The dead are immortal upon resurrection.  There are 3 events over time and the parable of the 10 virgins indicate this. 

 

Now look at Hezekiah's Second Passover celebration of 2 Chron 30.  Even note the conclusion to the chapter.  It has a 7 + 7 day pattern which perfectly fits the scenario in the parable of the 10 virgins and the requirements of Second Passover that it be an exact duplicate of First Passover (Num 9:12).  Hezekiah's group has those clean and sanctified and those not, same as the 5 wise and 5 unwise.  Second Passover is followed by 7 days unleavened bread.  This is a period in which leaven was to be gotten out of the home, i.e. remove sin from your body/mind the temple of the Holy Ghost.   In the parable of the 10 virgins, they are alerted by the midnight cry resurrection of the dead.  They begin to trim their lamps.  You trim a wick to make the light shine brighter and more efficiently.  This is an act of confessing, repenting and fasting to make the virgins' light shine brighter.  Unleavened bread is a 7 day period and so will be the period of trimming the lamps.

 

At the end of 7 days, Hezekiah's group (for joy and anticipation), vote to extend the feast another 7 days.  It is at this point the wise virgins have been changed.   The wise are full of joy and the unwise are still hoping to be changed.  In the parable of the virgins, the unwise begin to ask questions to the wise about how to acquire the oil of the Holy Spirit.  Six days later the living wise virgins will ascend on ascension day, same as Jesus.  You can get a 7 + 7 pattern by one of two possible ways.  The first would be to count the day they took the vote as the last day of the first 7 and the first day of the last 7.  The other way is to look at the actual ascension time on Thursday.  Isaac saw Rebekah coming on the camels at even tide (in the evening, i.e the next day)(Gen 24:63).

 

10 days later on Pentecost Sunday will be the outpouring on the left behind virgins, just as it happened to the disciples and early believers.

 

Why Second Passover?  There are 3 groups of the first fruits, first resurrection.  Jesus and the OT saints were first and they are associated with First Passover (1st week of Feast of Weeks).  They will be the groom's bridal party at the wedding.  The bride will be associated with Second Passover (4nd week, even 4th Sabbath Omer of the Feast of Weeks).  She attends the wedding.  The tribulation saints will receive their outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost and 7 years later will be resurrected on Pentecost (7th week of the Feast of Weeks).  She attends the wedding supper.  The Feast of Weeks is about first fruits (Lev 23:17).  She is two loaves of fine meal and oil (Holy Spirit).  These two loaves are the bride and tribulation saints.  These loaves are waived before the Lord on Pentecost because that is the day the Holy Spirit completes His work.  As God did in Gen 2:2, the Holy Spirit will rest.   

 

Leviticus 23:39 is about the fall feasts.  You notice it mentions gathering in the fruit of the land.  It does not mention first fruits.  First fruits always get ripe in spring and early summer. 

 

Second Passover is for those defiled by the touching of the dead (Num 9).  Look at Jesus' last meal with the disciples, His new testament church.  It was a Passover meal which Jesus changed into the Lord's Supper, a rite of passage for all Christians.  Jesus gave the disciples bread to eat and said it was His body, shed (died).  He gave them wine and said to drink for it was His blood, shed for the remission of sins.  This He said was the covenant of the New Testament and told them they should participate in this symbolic ritual as often as they wished.  This meal is a symbol of the New Testament church and a rite of passage.   I don't know how a man can get more defiled by the touching of the dead than to eat his dead body and drink his shed blood.  Those so defiled are the bride.  Now go back to Numbers 9 and note that Jesus added something that Moses did not ask.  Jesus added the man on a far journey, i.e. himself who has gone to get himself a kingdom.  The man on a far journey is the groom.

 

 This is all that I have time for.  I was groggy so if you catch a typo or it doesn't seem quite so organized, please understand.  In the follow on letters, I will try to fill in details and write more clearly.

 

Steve