July 20, 2018


I state in the beginning that this must be speculation. I do believe it has merit.


TU B'AV THE FESTIVAL OF LOVE AND ROMANCE


The Feast of Tu B'Av prophetically pictures the betrothal of the Lamb of God. It is the last festival of the Jewish year, and it pictures the marriage of His Church to Jesus Christ. It is in fact, a Feast of Love and Romance.


Its origin was during the exodus. God cursed the wandering Jews for their idolatry and sentenced them to wander in the wilderness for 40 years during which every last one of that generation would die, except Joshua and Caleb. The date of the curse was Tisha B'Av which means 9th of Av. Each year on Av 9, the Jews of that cursed generation had to dig their own graves, lie down in them and during the night the death angel would take those whom he chose. After the 40 years was up, on that 9th of Av, there were no deaths. The survivors waited 6 days more and when all still lived, they knew that the end of the curse had come. It saw them throw a great feast in the wilderness on Av 15, six day later.


Many centuries later, after a bitter civil war that saw the tribe of Benjamin fight against the other tribes, Israel had defeated the tribe and had killed all of the Benjamites except for a mere 600 warriors Israel then exiled the warriors to Edom, banished out of Israel. But, Israeli authorities relented a little when it was considered that the extinction of the tribe would be the eventual outcome because there were no women, and thus no children. So, these authorities allowed volunteer women of Shiloh, then the capital of Israel, to go to the Shiloh vineyards on the night 15 A and dance. The banished warriors were give pass to come to Shiloh only on that day. The warriors came to the vineyard on that day and night and snatched away one of the women for perhaps to be his wife. She in turn got a husband and they fell in love and married. In tis way, the tribe survived. The picture is that the man snatched out his bride-to-be. It is a picture of the Lord snatching out His Bride-to-be.


This seems to be the very best day for Jesus to grab or snatch His bride. And remember that Jesus said “on a day ye think not, the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 24:44). I know of few, if any, who gave this Feast any real credibility as the day of His coming. After all, it is a minor feast, howbeit, it is the most popular feast today in Israel ranking up there with Yom Kippur, the Feast of Atonement. It is also interesting that the Feast of Tu B'Av begins the grape and other harvests and the Feast of Atonement ends it. When writing about this, Heaven may have the following Scripture passage in mind, as do I.


“Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give Him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and the Bride has made herself ready. It was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure, for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said unto me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb”. And he said to me, “These are the true words of God”. (Rev 19:6-9).


On a soon-coming day those who belong to the LORD and are faithful to follow His Way will be blessed with the unspeakable joy of consummating their relationship with Him. This is heaven, itself, to be in the Presence of the Lord of Glory, the King of kings and Lord of Lords, and to be His beloved Shulamite bride.


The Song of Solomon foresaw this passage. After describing the beauty of the Bride, the gentile girl called the Shulamite (which is all of the Church, the Body of which Christ is the Head), and also the Shepherd lover (Jesus Christ) of the Song of Songs chapter 7:1-10), the Bride invites her Beloved to go with her into the fields. Not only there but into the vineyards to see if the vine flourishes, whether the tender grape appears, and the pomegranates bud FORTH: There she is going to give Him her loves, that is to consummate their marriage. Notice it is later than the rapture as the budding of the pomegranates has now advanced to budding forth. And just to be sure that we know when this is, the mandrakes (a fruit like tomatoes) give a strong smell. (Song 7:11-13). That is throughout the harvest time, July to September. Total count of days is fifty three exclusively counted. This day, September 18/19 would begin the honeymoon. So, we now know how long the Laodicea Christians will be hounded and persecuted.


This year the Feast of Tu B'Av is also on the day of the blood moon over Jerusalem and it will be the first day of the grape and other harvests, July 26/27.


Matthew 13:24-30 speaks of the tares (weeds that look like wheat until the grain time when there is no grain on the plant) that Satan planted in the Church age. “The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in they field? From whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest, I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn”.


The first event is the transformation of the Philadelphia Church Christians.This transformation is found in I Corinthians 15:51-57 and it says “Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed (transformed). For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, 'Death is swallowed up in victory'. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victoryi? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ”.


It could be, however, that this Feast of Tu B'Av is the time of the resurrection of the saints and the transformation of the living Philadelphia Church saints. If so, the living, transformed ones will surely remain (this word “remain” is found in I Thessalonians 4:17 and has really puzzled me in studying that passage until now). I believe that I now know why it is in the passage. We remain here on earth 53 days, I think, in transformed bodies to minister to the left behind saints (the Laodicea Church Christians) after which both Philadelphia and Laodicea may be raptured at the same time in as found in the Song chapter 6 and verses 10-12. Here, in the Song, is a sure and certain description of the rapture and its effect on Israel, who is termed “daughters of Jerusalem”. It says, “Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners? (This is the Philadelphia Church Christians in transformed bodies). I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished, and the pomegranates budded. Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Aminadib”.


For clarification, the word or title “Aminadab” is not a person's name, rather it denotes One who owns many chariots. I believe this One who owns may chariots is Jesus Christ and they are chariots of fire, as Elijah experienced. An alternate reading of Song 6:12 could be this – ere I knew of it, I was taken by the servants of the Man with many chariots. The language meaning has changed somewhat over the three thousand years that have passed since Solomon wrote this play, of course.


The Song is the key to the letters that Jesus gave to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3. Since there are no living members of the first five of these church ages, the rapture can only apply to the two with living members, the largest in number of which is Laodicea. It is also the apostate church and the one given the sternest rebuke by the Lord in Revelation 3:14-22. In opposition to the rebukes that our Lord gave Laodicea, He had no criticism of Philadelphia. Rather He said of this church, “Because thou hast kept the word of My patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.


This rapture is of the Laodicean Church Christians after their trial by fire in the opening days of the great tribulation. But, it also includes the Philadelphia Church Christians who have already been transformed and are leading the left behind ones to fitness for heaven. At that point, in chariots of fire, like Elijah, both ascend to the marriage supper. The next chapter of the Song portrays her beauty and her honeymoon with her Bridegroom, now married and ready to consummate their marriage. It is noteworthy that the pomegranates are seen to be budded here, but they are budded FORTH at the time of the honeymoon.


Notice that the “daughters of Jerusalem”, obviously modern Israel, cry out at seeing the rapture saying, “Return, return, O shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee”. Either an angel or the Bride herself asks “What will ye see in the Shulamite?” (And here may be POSITIVE PROOF that Philadelphia has remains in transformed bodies to support and help bring in their Laodicean sisters to worthiness to be the Bride). The daughters of Jerusalem reply, “As it were the company of TWO armies”. Note that Philadephia appeared as ONE army with banners, and now there are two armies, both awith banners. The dead in Christ, the Christians of the first five Churches, all of whom have died, are resurrected before these last two are. It is now the Church triumphant at last, complete, all seven together, all transformed and all in heaven, Bride of Christ for all eternity.


If, as I believe, this is correct, it means that the time of harvest begins with the transformation of Philadelphia Christians at the start of harvest, which is July 26/27, 2018 and ends with the Feast of Atonement, the end of the harvest on September 18/19. It will see the fulfillment of I Thessalonians 4:16, 17. “For the Lord, Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first (Song 2:10 - 13), the transformation will be second, and then we which are alive and remain (until Laodicea's fiery trial is over) shall be caught up together with them (Laodicea) in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord”. It is possible that the dead in Christ may arise in July at the time of our transformation as well as later. It is just that the dead in Christ rise first.


This scenario gives time for the refinement by fire of Laodicea aided by Philadelphia, the resurrection of the dead in Christ, the rapture of both Philadelphia and Laodicea, then followed by the destruction of America as seen by so many watchers, and a time for great tribulation by of the world by awful destruction by tsunami, earthquake and volcanic activity. This allows the redeeming work to occur before these awful things happen in order to save Laodicea Christians from an untimely death..


So, how important is the Feast of Tu B'Av? Titus 2:13 says this: “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ”. May He snatch us and transform us on that Feast day. And the mockers and the scoffers will have their mouths finally shut then.


Briefly this is the time line:


July 26/27 the transformation of the ready Christians, the Philadelphian Church maybe preceded by the resurrection of the dead in Christ at this time.


July 27-29 the three days of darkness? Grape and other harvests begins.


September 18 the end of the grape and other harvests like the wheat harvest and the Feast of Yom Kippur, (Atonement)



From July 26/27 to September 18/19 is 53 days of great trial for the left behind Laodicea Church Christians.

August 4, 2018, the birthday anniversary of the antichrist and probably his incarnation by the cast out of heaven, Satan. The great tribulation begins.


September 18/19 If not back in July the now is the resurrection of the dead in Christ


September 19/20 The Autumn equinox and the rapture of the now complete Bride of Christ consisting of already transformed Philadelphia and now transformed Laodicea.


September 20/21 The undiluted wrath of an angry God now appears.


Maranatha


Gerry Almond

sgalmond@yahoo.com


I hope and pray that you know Jesus Christ as your PERSONAL Savior as that is the only way to escape the wrath to come. REPENT, REPENT, REPENT, Laodiceans, before it is too late and you find yourself in great tribulation, the wrath of God Almighty.


To the unsaved:


Surrender to Jesus Christ, call upon Him Who alone can save you. Find a Bible or grab hold of a Christian person. Read John 3:16 and believe in your heart that Jesus died for you personally and He will save you from this awful hour to come. It is really that easy, but you must mean it in your heart, down where you live.


Seek ye the Lord while He may be found. Call upon Him and be saved.