Hello!  Welcome to the
Month of May, 2018
                                                                                                    By Pastor F. M. Riley
                                                                                                    May 1, 2018
     "So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors,"  Matthew 24:33.  
Introduction
     Today is the first day of the month of May, 2018 on our Gregorian calendar.  On the Jewish calendar this day is Iyar 16, 5778.  On our calendar, May is the 5th month of the year.  On the Jewish calendar, Iyar is the 2nd month of the year.  The numerical order of these months make this month of May a very important month.
Numerical Significance
      I mention this to emphasize the numbers involved.  "5" is the number in the Bible which signifies, "Grace; the grace of God." Grace literally  means, "Favor; the unmerited favor or blessing of God freely poured out upon undeserving mankind."  
     "2" is the number in the Bible which signifies, "To separate or divide; to call or bring out."
     Now here in one month in this present year, both of these Biblical truths are prefigured; the unmerited "grace" of the Lord God [5] in the resurrection and catching away [rapture...2] of all of His true believing saints.  How do these two different calendar months, coming together in one calendar month prefigure this?  I'm so glad you asked!  
Examining These Two Months
     On our Gentile Gregorian calendar, May 3rd is observed as the National Day of Prayer.  I certainly hope every reader of this study remembers this, and especially all who "profess" to be Christian believers.  
     Then May 13th, the second Sunday in May, has been designated as Mothers Day.  On this day every living American is expected to honor their mother which brought them into the world.  However, there is much more to this day than an American holiday.....
     May 13th on the Jewish calendar is Yom Yerushalayim; Jerusalem Day, the day the Jewish people have set aside for thanking and praising the God of Israel for restoring to them their lovely capitol city of Jerusalem, following their centuries of exile throughout the world.  Then.....
     The next two days, May 14th-15th, are the days the modern nation of Israel came into existence 70 years ago in 1948.  This is a very important observance for Israel as a nation, and also is highly important from the viewpoint of Bible prophecy.
     "7" in the Bible is the number which signifies, "To complete or fulfill; completion or fulfillment; to finish."  
     "70, ten times 7, is the number in the Bible which signifies, "The restoration of Israel."  Every serious student of Bible prophecy knows that there are numerous prophecies in God's Word, not only promising that Israel would be restored as a nation, but also promising that Israel would be restored to a right relationship with God.
     Yes, the nation and people of Israel have been out of spiritual fellowship with their God for the past 2,000 years, due to having rejected and crucified their Messiah and Savior whom God sent to them. At that time in history He was "the only begotten Son of God, John 3:16; the Lord Jesus Christ.  But the spiritual leaders of Israel back then didn't believe it, and persuaded the Jewish people to crucify Him.   But this breech of fellowship between Israel and God is now going to be removed, and Israel's spiritual fellowship with God restored, and it could easily happen this very month of May.  
Pentecost
     Both the Gregorian calendar and the Jewish calendar reveal that the Jewish holy day of Pentecost will occur this month on May 20th, just seven days after modern Israel's 70th birthday.  Glory to God!
     That date on the Jewish calendar is the sixth day of Sivan, the third month on Israel's calendar.
     I have already pointed out the numerical significance of "5" in God's Word.  But what is the numerical significance of "20" in the Bible?  This number in the Bible signifies, "Redemption; to redeem or be redeemed."  Glory!  This is what Israel has been needing for many centuries.  Now what does this have to do with Pentecost?  Just keep reading.......
     Pentecost is one of the three most important "holy days" during the Jewish year, Exodus 23:14-17.  The religious Jews today call this day  Shavuot, rather than Pentecost.  But in God's inspired Word, it is referred to as Pentecost.  This literally means "fifty," being exactly 50 days from Passover; their first holy day in the year.
 Authority From God   
      The serious Bible student should know that it was on the Day of Pentecost when God appeared to Moses at Mount Sinai, and gave to him an "everlasting covenant," Genesis 17:1-8; Exodus 19:1-6, choosing the nation and people of Israel to serve as His "witnesses" before all the nations and peoples on the earth.  This "everlasting covenant" the Lord made with the nation and people of Israel, written with the finger of God, was the Law of the Ten Commandments, and it was given to Moses to give to Israel on the Day of Pentecost.  
      However, with the passing of time the nation and people of Israel turned away from and forgot the Lord God, and went into deep apostasy.   The entire Old Testament gives us the record of their descent into apostasy.  
     At the first coming of Christ, Israel was still in a sad state of apostasy.   Had they been truly living for the Lord, and seriously studying the Old Testament Scriptures received from the Lord by their prophets, they surely would have recognized and received the Lord Jesus at His first coming.  The prophet Isaiah described so perfectly how Christ was to come into the world, Isaiah 7:10-16.   But instead of studying and believing God's Word, and receiving Christ as their Messiah, King, and Savior, they rejected Him, spit upon Him, and crucified Him.  
      Therefore, at the end of the ministry of Christ at His first coming, the authority to serve as God's "witness" in the world was taken from Israel and transferred to the Lord's church.  And when did this happen?
     "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they [the Lord's church] were all with one accord in one place.
     And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
     And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
     And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost [Spirit], and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance," Acts 2:1-4.  
      On this occasion, the power and spiritual authority to serve as God's "witness"  on the earth was transferred from Israel to the Lord's church.  And the Lord's churches have been seeking to fulfill the Great Commission given to it for the past 2,000 years, Acts 1:8.
Ecclesiastes 1:9  
     Sadly, I have to say that most of the churches today, "professing" to serve and witness for the Lord, have descended into the same state of apostasy into which ancient Israel descended.   I have been in the Lord's ministry for now 64 years, and never previously have I seen such Biblical illiteracy as I see today.  It is hard to find a church today, or even a pastor, who is truly digging deeply into the Word, and preaching the whole counsel of God, even as God's Word expressly commands God's people to do, Acts 20:26-28.  May the Lord God have mercy on us all.
It is Time to Restore Israel
     Therefore it is time for Israel to be restored to right relationship with God.  That this will happen can be found in numerous Scriptures in both the Old and New Testaments.  But as I write I think particularly of the prophecy in Joel 2:28-30 as quoted by Peter in Acts 2:17-19.  
      This prophecy was partially fulfilled on the Lord's church, which I remind our readers was composed of only believing Jews at that time.  I have heard preachers who ought to know better, boldly claim that the Lord cannot come until the church experiences another great revival through another outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and they use these two passages as Scripture as their "proof texts" for such a claim.  The last time I checked 2 Timothy 2:15 was still in the Bible.  
     The complete fulfillment of this prophecy in both Joel 2 and Acts 2 has to do with the restoration of Israel as God's "witness" to mankind on the earth.  And this outpouring of the Spirit again, will not happen until the Lord's churches and people are removed from the earth by the resurrection and rapture.  PERIOD!  
     Another Seven Days
     If our readers will notice, there is seven days between the fulfillment of Israel's 70 years as a modern nation on May 14th and the Day of Pentecost on May 20th.   On one of these seven days, it is highly possible that the resurrection and rapture of the Lord's Church and all New Covenant believers will occur.  
     Yes, I am quite familiar with the favored "date" of Rosh HaShanah for the rapture, held by many Christian believers today.  I once held that position myself.  But I had to change my mind, and my teaching, after a careful study of The Song of Solomon 2:8-13.  These Scriptures make it glaringly clear that the rapture will take place in the Spring of the year, not in the Fall.  Study it for yourself.  Oh, but how could that be?  What about the sounding of the trumpets at the time of rapture?  
     I have again and again pointed out that the trumpets were sounded on every Jewish holy day throughout the year, and not just on Rosh HaShanah.  Every reader needs to study Numbers 10 before labeling me as mistaken or a liar!
      It is the inspired Word of God which plainly states and teaches that the resurrection and rapture will occur in the Spring of the year.  Now do our readers choose to believe the Word, or are some going to reject the Word in favor of their own opinion or theology?  Well...??
Back to the Month of May
     Jerusalem Day occurs on May 13th.  Israel's 70th birthday as a nation occurs on May 14th.  The Day of Pentecost occurs on May 20th.  The Day of Pentecost was when the Lord God first gave authority to mankind to be His "witness" on the earth.  The Day of Pentecost was when the Lord transferred that authority from Israel to His Gentile bride; His church.  
       Does it not then appear reasonable for the Lord God to transfer that authority back to Israel on the Day of Pentecost, after first resurrecting and rapturing His church, and all New Covenant believers to glory? All I am asking of any reader is that you give this some serious thought, and maybe even feel led to pray about it?  
Conclusion
      I truly do want to meet every reader in glory when the rapture occurs.  Please don't disappoint me!  If any reader is unsaved, please read and believe God's Word and in humble prayer act upon the following Scriptures.....
     John 3:16-18, 3:36, 5:24, 14:6, Acts 4:12, 10:43, 16:30-31, Romans 10:8-13, 1 Corinthians 1:18, Ephesians 2:8-10, Hebrews 9:22, 9:28, and 12:1.  
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     Permission is granted to any true believer or Bible believing Christian ministry to reproduce this study to share with others, or to quote from it in context as written.  
     Those readers who would like to contact me personally should use one of the following methods:
     Postal:   Pastor F. M. Riley, 14275 County Road 8120, Rolla, MO 65401
     Email:    francismriley34@gmail.com
     Phone:   573-202-6493  
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