I have been actively watching for Jesus for a long
time. I get whiny real quick when it comes to
difficulties and so my continuing to watch for Jesus is
because of God's mind-blowing, miracle working
grace. Period.
Early on, like others, I became frustrated with trying
to understand the calender(s). It was a bit of a
rollercoaster some years when it appeared that the Jews
might be a month off on their popular Hebcal. Two
sets of high watch days month by month. Not fun.
Here's the thing, God originally gave the children of
Israel the responsibility to proclaim His Feasts.
This is clear in Leviticus 23:1. AND, the scriptures
also express that "the gifts and the calling of God are
irrevocable" in Romans 11:29. In my thinking, this
also applies to Israel's responsibility to proclaim the
Lord's calendar. Proclaiming the Feasts goes hand in
hand with proclaiming the calendar. Yes, Israel
might finally get a clue when Moses and Elijah show up,
but those two dudes are not here yet.
So, how do I deal with the times when I sincerely
believe that Israel is off in terms of how they are doing
their calendar?
This is not a simple matter. I observed a number
of occasions in the scriptures where God does not take
kindly to those who try to usurp the authority that He
clearly gave to others. Rebellion is not
acceptable, no matter the
rationalization/justification. Think here of Miriam
and Aaron complaining about Moses in Numbers 12 and what
happened afterward. God did not treat it lightly, at
all.
Think of Korah's rebellion in Numbers 16 and how God
dealt with that whole group. Talk about not playing
games. Think of the children of Israel's rebellion,
even after Korah's, in Numbers 16 starting at verse 41 and
what happened afterward. Extreme. God did not
spend any time listening to Moses attempt to
intercede. Also, in Numbers 17 God makes clear who
is to be the High Priest before Him. The people
still alive were beginning to think, "No matter what, we
are dead." (see Numbers 17:12). God's choice stands,
period.
As a counter example to Korah, David did well when he
chose to not take the life of King Saul when the king was
vulnerable in the cave, a king who was indeed failing the
nation in not pursuing the Lord God in righteousness, a
king who David was already anointed to replace. Yet,
David humbled himself before God's choice, and therefore
God's timing in elevating him to the position of
rulership. David did not assert himself, in
rebellion, against God in that situation.
So in my early years of trying to discern the timing of
when Jesus might come for us, I was conflicted because
even though God gave Israel the responsibility of
declaring His calendar, it appeared to me that aspects of
the calendar had been distorted/hijacked by the evil
influence of Pharisee type leadership. For example,
they "start" their count of determining when
Shavuot/Pentecost will take place by negating how Jesus
had indeed fulfilled the Feast of First Fruits three days
after Passover. They instead start their
calculation, what they refer to as the Omer Count, on the
day right after the first day of the Feast of Unleavened
Bread, instead of waiting to do so until after the weekly
sabbath. Thereby they ignore/negate how Jesus
fulfilled the sign of Jonah by being in the grave for
three complete days, and afterwhich rose to also be the
fulfillment of the Feast of Firstfruits.
Discerning the calendar in the scriptures is not an
easy task by any means, especially with our hearts
involved. It is not simply an academic
exercise. It touches our deepest hope.
I do not recall the exact date during those watchful
years of frustration, but at some point it was like God
spoke these words to my heart concerning this, "Cease
striving (let go, relax) and know that I am God.".
In terms of the calendar mess, God does not break a
sweat about it.
In that moment of revelation, it was like God was
letting me know that He was not stressed about it, and
that He was quite capable of meaningfully fulfilling
multiple versions of the calendar on a particular date,
during the same 24 hour day, including Israel's popular
calendar. I could keep multiple calendars before me
at the same time and observe how they might dovetail
together during a particular high watch time. It was
not an "Either/Or", it was a "Both/And".
I say all of this to explain another reason why June
20th-23rd is a high watch for me. A number of
different "calendars" each "dovetail" in that same time
window this year. Keep in mind that this might only
be a coincidence. Yet, I find it interesting.
One I already covered. The 23rd day of June is
the 17th day of the 3rd month per the Jewish Hebcal.
That is the timing of when God came down on Mount Sinai
during a long, loud trumpet blast and called Moses up to
Him.
Another type of calendar is how the sun, moon and stars
"act out" events possibly taking place on the earth at the
same time and in a similar manner, like what I touched on
in terms of Gideon breaking the clay vessels per midnight
in Jerusalem on June 21st, when the sun is exactly
centered at the top of Orion's "torch".
June 23rd is also a significant date per the Essene
version of the calendar. It is the 5th day of the
4th month. Ezekiel 1:1 says:
1Now it
came about in the thirtieth
year , on the fifth
day of the
fourth month , while I was by the river Chebar
among the exiles , the heavens were
opened and I saw
[a]visions of God .
In that vision and on that date, the heavens are opened
(John's open door?) and God comes down in power.
This is similar sounding to God coming down in power at
Mt. Sinai, yet a different "date" is provided. That
date on the Essene calendar is the 23rd of June.
There is also a way to understand yet another calendar
in terms of the above, yet for us a New Creations in
Christ Jesus wherein, because we have been given the
Heavenly Places Kingdom of God to rule in (Ephesians 1:3),
and because we as New Creations are in union with the God
through the indwelling Holy Spirit and are thereby of a
Reality that transcends the physical reality such as
ethnicity, Jew or Gentile (Galatians 3:27,28), that
perhaps we are to think first and foremost in terms of the
constellations. Because we are seated with Jesus in
heavenly places. For example, from that perspective,
the moon can be seen as full, always fully reflecting the
sun, echoing our reality that Jesus alone is our only
total righteousness. So, we do not reference the
moon to begin a month.
Bear with me here. This is hard for me to express
in my typing, with dementia slowly making its presence
known in my "not so young" body/brain.
When does the Father perform His re-creation of the New
Heavens and the New Earth? It is sometime after
Jesus' 1000 year reign. At the end of that 7th
1000-year "day", and beginning the 8th 1000-year "day",
our Father will perform quite the miracle. I believe this
is one reason why folks on the earth during Jesus' reign
are required to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles with
its adjoining 8th day. It was a way for people to
acknowledge that even though Jesus had lifted the curse,
they were still subject to aging (though greatly slowed
down) and this aging experience is expressed by the slow,
7 day withering of tree branches that made up the
tabernacles during that Feast. While people will be
celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles, they will be looking
forward to what the Father would do on the upcoming 8th
day. In other words, the Feast of Tabernacles
during Jesus' 1000 year reign would be a type of prophecy
even during that time, a way to express that they were
looking forward utiimately to what the Father would pull
off on the grand 8th day.
Now, after saying the above, I am finally able to get
to my point about the New Creation constellation calendar.
We are of that future New Creation Reality accomplished
by the Father in the physical domain, yet now, at this
time. We, in our spirits, have been "leapfrogged" to
that REALITY already. That is why the Bible refers
to us as New Creations in Christ Jesus. It is based
on REALITY. It is not pretending.
So, where will the spring equinox be at that time when
the Father starts the New Creation Reality that we are
truly, currently a part of already? It will be in
the constellation of what is referred to nowadays as
Aquarius. The summer solstice will be in the
Ox/Bull, the autumnal equinox will be in the Lion, the
winter solstice will be in the scorpion (the tribe of
Dan's symbol which actually had a dual picture both of an
eagle and of a serpent). In other words, there is a
picture of a Man, an Ox/Bull, a Lion and an
Eagle.
Where do we find that symbolism? The cherubim as
seen by Ezekiel in chapter one, (on the 5th day of the 4th
month!), and in Revelation 4 before the scroll with the
seven seals are opened.
In the faces of the Cherubim, I am thinking God is
letting us know that all planned by the Godhead will be
accomplished, being expressed in His act of the New
Creation, and of which we are a part of now. In
other words, we, as New Creations in Christ Jesus, are to
reference Aquarius as the start of our new "year".
Was it just a coincidence that Billy Graham, a great
proclaimer of the message of grace, the foundational
message of our New Creation Reality, would die on the very
date that the sun, in 2018, would just then be entering
the Aquarius constellation?
Is this a stretch? I do not think so. Look
at what Paul says in II Timothy 4:6-8:
6For I am already being poured out as a drink offering,
and the time of my departure has
come. 7I
have fought the good fight,
I have finished the
course, I have kept the
faith; 8in
the future there
is reserved for
me the crown of
righteousness,
which the
Lord,
the righteous Judge,
will award to
me on that day;
and not only to
me, but also to
all who
have loved His
appearing.
Notice
the focus of
the
above.
Time for us to
go as well?
Now
notice this
list of names,
in English, of
particular
star's names
in Aquarius
and in two of
its associated
constellations
Pegasus and
Cygnus (this
is from EW
Bullinger's
book Witness
of the Stars):
Within Aquarius are star names: The Record of pouring
forth, Who goeth and returneth, The Pourer out.
Within Pegasus are star names: Returning from afar, Who
goeth and returneth, Who carries, Who causes to flow.
Within Cygnus are star names: The Judge, Flying
swiftly, Flying quickly, Who returns as in a circle, Who
goes and returns quickly, Gloriously shining forth.
Compare the above names with Paul's words in II Timothy
4:6-8 as he is discussing the time of wrapping up his
(our?) earthlifetimes.
Was Paul, or the Holy Spirit within him, giving us a
reference point to discern timing? I am thinking
possibly so.
The sun this year entered Aquarius on about February
20th. That makes this upcoming June 20th the
beginning of the 5th constellation month, as the sun is
entering the 30 degree constellation wedge of The Couple
(Gemini). This 1st day of the 5th month is the date
"name" of when the Feast of Pentecost fully came after a
count of 7 weeks was to be followed by a count of 50
days. This "1st day of the 5th month" was when God
brought Aaron's extended life to a close. Aaron was
originally going to loose his life on the original day of
the 1st day of the 5th month at the rebellion of the
golden calf. (See Deut. 9:20). This alone I believe
validates the timing date of when the Feast of Pentecost
fully came. By Israel's 1st day of their 5th month,
grapes were ripening. This 1st day of the 5th month
is also when Ezra made a point of getting to Jerusalem
after leaving Babylon in the first month(see Ezra
7:9). I believe he wanted to get to Jerusalem by
that Feast, the same as Paul wanted to do during one of
his journeys (see Acts 20:16).
To summarize, the weekend of June 20th-23rd this year
is pointed to by a number of calendars.
If June 23rd ends up being the date we go, that would
be the "third day" of the constellation calendar's
"month". Possibly a wedding day?