John, I know that Nov 8 was a marker, and I strongly believe that it was a marker pointing us to "the rest of the story" as Paul Harvey would say, about the days of Noah. Read Matt 24: 37-39:

 

"But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."

 

So by reverse inference, should we be looking at how the days were AFTER the flood? If things happen as in a mirror dimly, then often times they are reversed. Just like Jesus went into heaven, the angel told the disciples He would come again in like manner, but it would be the reverse of how He left: coming FROM heaven in the clouds.  Perhaps the Lord was pointing us to the day the floods BEGAN so that then we would have a marker to count the days from, beginning with the floods.

 

Gen 7:12:

 

"And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights."

 

This is the second scriptural marker, pointing to the next one, which is given in Gen 7:17-18:

 

"And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth. And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters."

 

Then the next marker, 40 days after Nov 8, the day the floods began, will be Dec 17, Hannukah, the Feast of Lights.  We get to that day and realize this may not be THE day yet, just another marker, like blazes on the path of a hiker, telling him that he is on the right path and nearing his destination. Then the next clue is the verse in Gen 7:24:

 

"And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days."

 

   These are STILL the days of Noah, and God gave them to us for a reason! 150 days after Dec 17, 2006, is May 17, 2007, the day of Ascension! Coincidence? I hardly think so. Many thought this year the day of Ascension would be THE day. If anyone had said then we would have to wait another year, some would have given up before finishing the race. Now that we are only 32 days away from the day the ark was lifted up, we can keep on running the race for the victor's crown. We can keep running for the prize even if it is another 150 days after that, but we know we are getting closer to the destination, the prize, the reward. There is a crown for those who long for His appearing, and we will receive that crown when He appears and we are at the end of the race. Paul looked forward to the end of the race, because he knew he would get the same crown. When those in the group of the resurrected dead meet the living in the air, we will all get that crown.

 

Heb. 12: 1-2 :

 

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."

 

    Notice that the writer of Hebrews, probably Paul, starts this passage about the race, by describing the great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, who are running the race. Who are the great cloud of witnesses? The same cloud of resurrected Old Testament saints that ascended with Jesus after His resurrection. If Jesus is described as the author and finisher of our faith, then when is our faith finished? When we finish running the race! When is the race over? When we get to victory, the victory over death that Jesus already conquered, when we, who are alive and remain shall be caught up with them in the clouds! Just as in Acts 1:9-11 tells us:

 

"And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."

    Notice this verse just happens to appear in Acts 1:11. Just another coincidence?
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Thanks, Ellen!
John