Hi Marilyn and Doves,

 

Marilyn, I thank you for your reply to my post that the pre-trib rapture would probably not be ON a Jewish Feast day since scripture tells us that it will be a normal day....people will be buying and selling, building, etc.  I still think evidence is overwhelming concerning Rosh HaShanah though.  Shofar blowing and true repentance a whole month prior to Rosh HaShanah literally heralds the "day of judgment," the day God opens the Book of Life to see who's name is found.  Scripture also mentions the "last trump," in regards to the rapture. (1Cr 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.) That is why I felt that it could be that the last trump (shofar) blown prior to Rosh HaShanah on Sept 28th, could be speaking of an event that could be a 7 day warning prior to the start of the tribulation (Judgment Day).   Prophecy has been fulfilled in the past on a Jewish Feast days, and as I see it Rosh HaShanah is next.  It is the Feast of Trumpets, and traditionally a time of favor AND judgment of the God of Jacob, heading up the 10 Days of Awe (Time of Jacob's Trouble).  The rapture would certainly be God's ultimate reality check for the world of lost souls. It would be a "hidden day" preceding God's ultimate version of Shock and Awe!   Who could see the dead rise and so many living believers taken up supernaturally by the hand of God Himself, and not immediately feel like a sinner in need of repentance(?) which is the first step to salvation.  

  Gen 7:1 And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.

Gen 7:2 Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that [are] not clean by two, the male and his female.

Gen 7:3 Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth.

 

God was interested in saving the "seed" or remnant of His creation from the flood.  They were "redeemed" from the earth prior to destruction.

Gen 7:4 For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.

Gen 7:5 And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him.    

 

Gen 7:10 And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.  
  
  To me, in Gen 7:1 the "Come thou and all thy house into the ark" sounds a lot like "Come up hither."of Rev 4:1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door [was] opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard [was] as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

 

Noah was told by God to enter the ark with his family,  7 days before destruction came upon the earth. This gave him time to prepare.  I feel that our Lord will also give a 7 day warning.  Even in Rev 4:1 "Come up hither", is followed by "and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. 

 

On the other hand, Lot and his family were taken out of the city just prior to it's imminent destruction.  I believe the second rapture will be the exact same way--JUST BEFORE destruction comes (God's Wrath) on the same day.  I believe this acknowledges two distinct raptures, because only one rapture could not happen "as in the days of Noah" (7 day warning) and of Lot (immediately), since one has a warning, and one doesn't to speak of.  But BOTH are taken out of harm's way due to righteousness in their day.

Rev 11:3 And I will give [power] unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred [and] threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

  Rev 11:7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

 
Rev 11:11 And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.

Rev 11:12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.

Rev 11:13 And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.

 

In these verses, not only is this "as in the days of Lot, but I also see a similarity to Jesus' crucifixion.  The two witnesses lay dead three days and a half (as Christ was in the earth three and a half days)--and  the SAME HOUR they are raptured into Heaven there is a great earthquake, just exactly like after Jesus uttered the words "it is finished."

 

 Dan 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

 

Lot was spirited out of the city quickly, so the angels could complete their complete devastation on Sodom and Gomorrah. In fact, they weren't even far enough away to be out of sight.  Therefore, they had to be told to not look back, because the destruction was immediately after he and his family were at a safe distance away.  Sounds to me like the same warning in of sudden destruction in Mark:

Mar 13:14 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:

Mar 13:15 And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter [therein], to take any thing out of his house:

  Mar 13:16 And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment.

 

In other words, Get outta Dodge NOW!!!  Don't look back, RUN!  This is during the tribulation, and if God's "tribulation redeemed" will escape what's coming, they must run away fast to a place of refuge. I just happened to walk into another room and FOX NEWS is reporting that Rita is expected to end up being a CAT 4 hurricane, and headed for the Gulf, just like Katrina.  The forecaster said, "I don't know if this one will strike New Orleans, only God above knows where it will hit."  I take this as a confirmation of what I was in the middle of writing.  I think God is showing us that the only warning in those days will be just like we saw with Katrina..."evacuate NOW!"  Many did, but many chose not to and suffered the consequences.  I believe the tribulation saints will be raptured from this place of refuge. 

 

  Mar 13:19 For [in] those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.

Mar 13:20 And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.

 

The Lord dealt with Noah personally, and the scripture tells us:  And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.  Noah was faithful, and obedient to God and was seen as righteous.  He was seen as perfect in his generations, and walked with God. 

 

 If this verse is a parallel to rapture 1, then in our end-time generation we have not seen God or walked with Him personally, so we (the church/believers) would be seen as righteous only because of the shed blood of Jesus.

 

Righteousness was also an issue with anyone being saved out of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah:

 

  Gen 18:32 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten (righteous) shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy [it] for ten's sake.

Gen 18:33 And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.

Abraham also communed directly with God, and was seen as righteous.  These Old Testament saints had the privilege of face-to-face encounters and were considered righteous. 

 

 Jhn 20:29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed [are] they that have not seen, and [yet] have believed.

 

I don't know why we all see so many different things in the scriptures, and have such varied beliefs in regards to the rapture and prophecy fulfillment.  But, God Himself knows the appointed times of the rapture of His remnant, and the time of His second visitation upon the sons of Jacob.  All we can do is pray for wisdom, trust in His omnipotence, pray we are found worthy at our appointed time, and watch for Him as commanded.  These are just the late night musings and thoughts of mine, who can always be considered the least of the least, and I only present it as hopefully some inspiration to those more gifted in this area.  No matter what His plan is for us ultimately, He IS our great hope!!! 

 

 

  Kay