It is painful to be waiting, when we know not the "day or the hour".

We have been presented several possibilities of Pentecost 2012.  May 27, which is past, which is celebrated as Pentecost by

most Christian churches in the West, and by modern Jews with whom we are familiar, the Orthodox, Conservative and Reform.

Then we have the very interesting statement of Jack Kelly that June 3 is the day which is called Pentecost, due to his own

scripture readings, but Kelly does not set this as a date, because he believes the rapture will happen whenever the church has

a full complement of souls, a full "crew" to set sail.  But he does think that if the rapture is on a feast of the Jews, Pentecost is

the most likely one, for all of the reasons we have discussed here ad infinitum.

But then we have the date of July 18 being the most likely for 2012 if the rapture occurs in 2012, based on the lunar Creation

Calendar which Eliane finds good, and which Marilyn says is not correct because it's based only on one Bible, the Fenton, which

she says is not as reliable as KJV, and which does not agree with other translations which we in the modern church commonly use.

Marilyn also does not believe in British Israelism, which she says is a basis of the Fenton Bible. Elaine and Marilyn are both very

trustworthy Bible scholars, way beyond anything I can achieve.  I cannot understand the dates and figures, but I do understand what

"spring wheat harvest" means, and that is must be in summer, and so I am inclined to listen to Eliane.  

If Jack Kelly is right, we will be home by the time this letter appears on Doves.  If Elaine is right, we wait.  Another thought, what is the 

significance of 40 days prior to July 18?  Is it possible the Dead in Christ arise then, testify, and then go to Heaven with us, the yet living,

on the 18th?

And then the webbots say July will be the most active and catastrophic month so far this year.

I keep telling myself never to look at dates, only seasons.  But how can I help it when we have deadly smoke all around us here, and no

place for most of us to go unless we spend foolishly getting there?  How can others of you help it when, for other reasons, you are

in dire distress?  And need to go home very badly?

Although this is not a usual talking point for those who advocate for the pre-trib or mid-trib rapture (mid trib if you believe we are already

in the tribulation), I believe that the extreme distress that many in the church are experiencing is one reason, at least, why the rapture may

be pre-trib and soon.  Many people outside "western civilization" (a misnomer at best in these days) are now in extreme distress, under 

persecution, starvation, and uprooting.  We in "western civilization" are also suffering more than before, perhaps fulfilling Jesus' criteria that

there will be troubles in the tribulation far greater than ever known before, even if great trouble have already been known by His people,

both Jews and Church.  The extraordinary violence against Christians all over the world (you know the stories, I don't need to describe every

cleaver used against innocent people by fiends) and the extraordinary emotional trouble felt in the west, as we see our civilization dying,

may qualify to be "the worst ever".  At least extreme birthpangs, which cannot get worse without a birth occurring, so it seems from this

observer.

If Randy is right and we wait until Trumpets, I believe the birthpangs will have us all screaming for help.  And if it is not by then, in September,

many of us will be in collapse and ruin we have never known before.  The "preppers" say that's to be expected.  I do believe in moderate prepping,

but I don't think any can withstand long in the tribulation, whatever preps they have done.

May Jesus prove us wrong who feel this way, and may we all be able to stand until He comes, whenever it is.