The Transfiguration and the Rapture/TribulationCould the
Transfiguration of Jesus hold a clue as to when the Rapture/
Tribulation might be? I believe there is a strong possibility that it does.
Until a few days ago I had never considered the
Transfiguration to be
instrumental or relevant to the Calendar Study - that is until I received
an e-mail from a faithful watcher. That person opened the door for a
new discovery and one which I believe is exciting to the Calendar Study
and potentially to end time watchers.
A big thank you to Elizabeth.
Luke 9:31 begins with "
about 8 days after Jesus said this"........The question
we may ask is - the
8th day from what to what? I believe the following will
present a realistic and accurate explanation for those two questions.
It was the
8th day after Jesus had been speaking to His disciples. I believe that
8th day was March 8. Part of what He was sharing with them was to let them
know He would be killed and raised on the 3rd day. He made the most fantastic
statement -
"Truly I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste
of death before they see the Kingdom of God come with power". What must
the disciples have thought?
The
"8 days" appears to be a deliberate count for deliberate reasons and the
Transfiguration at this particular time was God's timing to introduce something
new - a foreview of the Rapture and/or 2nd Coming of Jesus - which was to be a
special preview of what was to come. The disciples were privileged to see this
spectacular event.
We're told that while on the mountain Moses and Elijah "spoke about his
"DEPARTURE, which He was ABOUT TO BRING TO FULFILLMENT AT JERUSALEM". The count begins on the
8th day - 2 days before March 10, and Jesus' triumphal
entry into Jerusalem. However, the count doesn't end there but continues
from
March 10 to the Resurrection. From
March 10 to the Crucifixion is 5 days +3 days to the Resurrection which equals 10 days from the initial 8 day count.
How odd, this special count, but maybe not considering the days ahead and
it's significance. It was to be a the most extraordinary time in history.
Jesus, knowing what was soon to come, was counting the days - wouldn't
you be too? The anticipation of what was ahead was truly remarkable and I believe
this is the reason for giving the unusual counting of days in the scripture. From the
8th day He had
7 days remaining to the
Crucifixion + 3 days to the
Resurrection. My
question is, are we under the same count- time- frame now as then to when the
Rapture will occur? I sure hope so.
Note in the Calendar Study one of the dates for the Tribulation is
April 20, 2015on the 365.25/day calendar. If the Tribulation does begin on that date the closing
date of the Tribulation on the 365.25/day would be
March 14/15. The calculations
would be 35 days for calendar difference + 2 days for leap yrs. (there are 2 leap
yrs. in the next 7 yr. period). So, by these calculations the Rapture and Second
Coming could be on both dates - that is if the Rapture occurs on the 14/15 or
17/18.
What was the
Transfiguration exactly? Ray Stedman gives an outstanding
teaching on this subject and rather than going into my own explanation
I'll give the link and you can read for yourself. You will be amazed at Stedman's
insights.
Here's a preview taken from his site:Jesus
says to them, Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who
will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.
(Mark 9:1, RSV)
And
many have wondered what Jesus meant when he said, there are some
standing here who will not taste of death before they see the kingdom of
God come with power.
And
many have thought that perhaps Jesus meant that his coming was to be
while men were still alive in the day of his flesh. And this is why many
commentators say that Jesus was mistaken about the time of his second
return, or he missed the time, since no one who stood there then lived
until he returned. But Mark you see solves this for us because he puts
these accounts right together and he shows us that the Transfiguration
is a fulfillment of what Jesus said, what he meant when he said, there
are some standing here who will not taste of death before they see the
kingdom of God come with power.
And
that’s our first clue as to the meaning of this strange event. For it
obviously then is a picture of the coming kingdom. A little foreview -- a
foretaste -- granted to these three disciples by which they leaped over
the intervening centuries and were, as it were, present at the coming
of Christ in his second return to earth. This is the hour then of his
return and in verse 38 of chapter 8, Mark links these two events
together clearly. Jesus says, For whoever is ashamed of me and my words
in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of man
also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy
angels (Mark 8:38 RSV). So that the Transfiguration and the glory that
shown there was a picture of the glory of the returning Christ when the
world shall see him come once again to earth in his second return. And
this is a foretaste, a foreview, of that very event.And the glory of
that second return is the glory of a crowned humanity. This is what Paul
means when writing to the Colossians, he says, When Christ who is our
life shall appear, then shall you also appear with him in glory.
(Colossians 3:4 RSV). And he links therefore the coming of Christ and
the glory of the believer, the glorification of the believer, together.
I love the description of the why Mose and Elijah were with Jesus during the Transfiguration. See below:
“And
there appeared unto him Moses and Elijah.” What could that mean? Well,
you who have studied the Word of the Lord and you who have attended
these services would indeed know what the preacher is going to say now.
If this is a miniature, if this is an anticipatory preview of the coming
of our Lord, Moses represents somebody and Elijah represents somebody.
Whom
does Moses represent? He represents those who have died and who are
resurrected, immortalized, glorified, raised from the dead. And Elijah,
whom does he represent? Elijah represents those who shall be alive when
the Lord comes who are translated, “in a moment, in the twinkling of an
eye, at the last trump,” [1 Corinthians 15:52] who shall never taste of
death.
In regard to the two different accounts - the 6th day in Mark 9 and the 8th day in
Luke 9:31 see the following for the explanation. It WASN'T a contradiction as some
have argued.
In any event, be looking up as He is at the door and that door is about to open.
Blessing,
Judith