Hi Doves,
 
I believe that the rapture will occur on the seventh day of the feast of tabernacles. For this year 2005, that is the 24th of October. The day starts at sundown on the 23rd (Jerusalem time) and ends at sundown on the 24th. I personally expect it to happen within the first 12 hours. That is from sunset the 23rd to sunrise the 24th Jerusalem time.
 
One thing that many have failed to grasp is that "...Salvation is of the Jews." (John 4:21) This salvation includes the redemption of our physical bodies. This is why it is important we not only look to the Jewish feasts, but we also look to Jerusalem for the timing.
 
In 1Thessalonians 5:2,3 We read "...the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night, for when they shall say, peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape."
 
Once I began to understand that the rapture will occur anytime from sunset of the seventh night of the feast of tabernacles many things began to make sense. Would this last night not be a time of celebration? Would people not have a higher tendency to get drunk and over eat and then fall asleep? Is this not the reason why Paul tells us to be sober and not sleep?
 
"Therefore let us not sleep (literally), as do others; but let us watch (stay awake literally) and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation." (1Thess.5:6-8)
 
We should all be reading the Word and praising God  that night.
 
"Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days..." (Nehemiah 8:18)
 
"Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days...And thou shall REJOICE in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter..."(Deut.16:13,14)
 
Back in Ancient Jewish times the scribe would spend six hours reading the law from dawn to noon. Today many struggle to spend 15 minutes in the Word.
 
"And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men an women...and he read therein before the street...from the morning (dawn) until midday, before the men and the women" (Neh.8:2,3)
 
This is a possible scenario, imagine two Jewish families in Jerusalem celebrating the last evening of the seven day feast of tabernacles.They live next door to each other. The first family are orthodox Jews, they believe in God, they read the Torah, but they do not believe in Jesus as the Messiah. The second family, however, are Messianic Jews, they are born again, they worship Jesus as Lord.
 
Now imagine the rapture suddenly taking place at 2300hrs on that evening. The family of Messianic Jews are taken, while the family of the orthodox Jews are left. What do you think will be going through the minds of the orthodox family? All of a sudden they'll realise their neighbours have been taken and they 've been left. They'll realise that their worship of God, during this feast, has not been accepted because they didn't believe in Jesus.
 
Can we find, in scripture anything resembling the above scenario. Yes we can! It is in the book of Hosea,
 
"They shall not offer wine offering to the Lord, neither shall they be pleasing unto him...What will ye do in the solemn (appointed) day, and in the day of the feast of the Lord? For , lo, they are gone ( died) because of destruction...The days of visitation (punishment for those not ready) are come, the days of recompense(the rapture for those that were) are come; Israel shall know it." (Emphasis mine) (Hosea 9:4-7)
 
It is because the rapture will happen on the last evening of the feast of tabernacles, many surviving Jews will come to accept Jesus as the Messiah. They will start to preach the gospel and warn the world of the Antichrist, after 3 years and 6 months they will flee into the wilderness, were they will be protected, for another 42 months, from the Antichrist until Jesus returns with His saints.
 
In the book of Revelation chapter 7, John sees a great multitude. I believe this great multitude are the Body of believers that have just been raptured on the seventh day of the feast of tabernacles.
 
"...lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, STOOD BEFORE THE THRONE, AND BEFORE THE LAMB, clothed with white robes, and PALMS IN THEIR HANDS." (Rev.7:9)
 
The fact that they had palms in their hands is very significant. For this is how the Israelites worshipped the Lord in the temple during the seven days of the feast of tabernacles.
 
"And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of beautiful trees, BRANCHES OF PALM TREES, the boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and YOU SHALL REJOICE BEFORE THE LORD YOUR GOD FOR SEVEN DAYS." (Lev.23:40)
 
Many have put forward the thought that this great multitude can not be believers because they came out of the great tribulation. They thus conclude that they must be the tribulation saints that were killed for their faith. I disagree with this thought for the simple reason. THE ANGEL DOESN'T TELL JOHN THAT THEY WERE KILLED FOR THEIR FAITH. He only says
 
"These are they which CAME OUT OF GREAT TRIBULATION..." (Rev.7:14)
 
The reason why he said this is because THE RAPTURE WILL OCCUR JUST BEFORE THE GREAT TRIBULATION ON THE SAME DAY.
 
Lets use the last day of the feast of tabernacles for this year as an example. That day will start at sunset on the 23rd of October at 1800hrs (Jerusalem time). If the rapture occured at 2300hrs, and took 30 minutes from start to finish. the great tribulation would begin at 2331hrs (Jerusalem time)
 
The rapture and the great tribulation will happen on the same day. This is clearly revealed by our Lord himself.
 
"...As it was in the days (last 7 days) of Noah so shall it be in the days (7 days of the feast of tabernacles) of the Son of Man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the (last) day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;BUT THE SAME (24 HOUR) DAY THAT LOT WENT OUT OF SODOM IT RAINED FIRE AND BRIMSTONE FROM HEAVEN, AND DESTROYED THEM ALL." (Luke17:26-29) (words in brackets mine)
 
Many have wondered whether we will have a warning that the rapture is about to occur. I believe that the feast of tabernacles gives us SIX DAYS TO PREPARE FOR THE RAPTURE. Notice in the verse above "...in the days of the Son of Man..." I believe these words are referring to the days of the seven day feast of tabernacles. These are the Lords days. Notice also that it will be business as usual during six of those days.
 
Let rejoice before the Lord during this years feast of tabernacles we could end up standing before His throne with palm branches in our hands. Hallelujah!!!
 
Do remain blessed,
 
OLA.