GATHER
YOURSELVES O NATION OF JESUS:
A
Pre-Tribulation Rapture Confirmation
Gregory M. Wilson, J.D.
May
14, 2021
(Israel's
73rd Birthday)
Introduction
Friends, we are in the
season of the Resurrection/Rapture event foretold by Paul
in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 and 1 Corinthians 15:52.
This is a letter of comfort and encouragement.
I will focus on two items:
(1) Zephaniah 2:1-3 and (2) the Leviticus view of dating
the pilgrimage feast of Shavout/Pentecost.
The Book of Zephaniah is
one of the dated books of the Minor Prophets.
Zephaniah prophesied during the reign of Josiah (Zeph.
1:1) about 630 B.C. He would be a contemporary of
Jeremiah (Jer. 1:2). It is believed that Zephaniah
was the great, great grandson of King Hezekiah of
Judah. His name means "Jehovah has hidden" or
"Jehovah has treasured". His three chapters are
about the Second Advent of our Lord and Savior. His
book principally condemns apostate Israel, but in Chapter
2 he includes a section on the Gentiles. The book
ends with the restoration of the Jewish people just as
confirmed by Paul (Rom. 11:26).
Part I - Zephaniah 2:1-3
Discussion
The first three verses of
Zephaniah 2 state:
1Gather
yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not
desired;
2 Before the decree
bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before
the fierce anger of the Lord come upon
you, before the day of the Lord's anger come
upon you.
3 Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek
of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek
righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be
hid in the day of the Lord's
anger. (KJB)
Gather,
Gather yourselves together
Beginning
with the imperative command "gather yourselves" I was
taken forward to 2 Thessalonians 2:1. Paul
intentionally uses this verb "gather" in association with
the resurrection/rapture of Christ's beloved church.
He says:
1Now we beseech
you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and by our gathering together unto him,
Continuing in this line of
inquiry, I wondered about the second repeating of "gather
together". I am well aware that Hebraic poetry of
the Old Testament often uses such repetition, but it
cannot be just poetry without meaning. God's word is
rich and deep beyond our comprehension. Why
twice? If this is a prophecy about the
resurrection/rapture, then the use of two calls to gather
is rather appropriate. Paul informs us that there
are two groups which are gathered at the
resurrection/rapture. The dead in Christ shall rise
first. Then, we which are alive and remain will be
caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord.
(1Thess. 4:16-17) Two calls to gather is exactly
what we see in Paul's prophecy about the
resurrection/rapture event. So, is it possible that
Zephaniah's verse speaks to the Church's departure, before
the day of the Lord?
Who is the "nation not
desired?"
Historically, in these last
days, Israel has been a "nation not desired". Since
the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 and 130 A.D. the Jews
have been disbursed into the nations. The Great
Diaspora exile ended on May 14, 1948 with Israel's
Declaration of Independence, the restoration and growth of
the smitten fig tree. (Matt. 24:32, Mark
11:12-14) However, today regathered
Israel is mired in unbelief and still rejects Jesus.
Israel has been regathered in unbelief with God's fury
poured out. (Ezek. 20:34) This will come to Israel
to the uttermost. (1 Thess.2:16) This "nation not
desired" cannot be the nation of Israel because as we see
in verse 3, this "nation not desired" is hidden before the
day of the Lord. We know that Daniel's 70th week has
been reserved to bring the nation of Israel into
tribulation when they will call on the name of the Lord
Jesus.
So, as I read these verses,
I am comforted to understand that all those who are
Christ's at his Coming (1 Cor. 15:23, 52) are a "nation
not desired". Is Jesus the desire of the nations
today? Certainly not!
What is the "desire of
nations" today?
All nations desire peace
and security. Peace and security is the desire of
nations! Today, the "nation not desired" is the
nation of Jesus. Those who possess the Son, possess
Peace. Biblically, there will never be peace
without righteousness. We know this for a
biblical fact. Consider Christ's titles. In
the Book of Hebrews, Paul uses Abraham's meeting with
Melchizedek to teach us that he was the image of Christ's
First and Second Advents. Christ is the King of
Righteousness. He is the King of Peace.
The "nation not desired" has the Lord's imputed
righteousness and His peace which transcends human
understanding. Paul again in Romans 14:17 informs us
that "the kingdom of God...[is] righteousness, and peace
and joy in the Holy Ghost. The "nation not desired"
on Earth is the nation which possesses the spiritual
kingdom of God. Isaiah says, "And the work of
righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of
righteousness quietness and assurance forever." (Isa.
32:17)
Timing: Before,
Before, Before, Before
Timing for what?
Well, when you read verse 3 above you noticed that the
"nation not desired" gets hidden before the day of the
Lord. And just to make sure that we get the
message, it is repeated four times. Just so there is
no confusion, the day is described as: (1) before the
decree, (2) before the day pass as chaff, (3) before the
fierce anger of the Lord, and (4) before the day of the
Lord's anger. We know that Christ's own are
not subject to the God's fierce anger. (1 Thess. 1:10;
John 5:24-25; Romans 8:1) All judgment has been
given to Jesus. (John 5:22) We are part of His body.
(1 Cor. 12:27; Romans 12:5) His body and our
transgressions were judged on His atoning Cross and we
have repented and received Him as our Lord and Savior.
Amen!
Hidden in the Day of the
Lord's Anger
Zephaniah's name says it
all. We will be hidden in Jehovah God at the Rapture
event. We treasure the Lord and He treasures
us! Isaiah speaks of the same subject.
Isaiah 26: 20-21 states:
20 Come, my
people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors
about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment,
until the indignation be overpast.
21 For, behold,
the Lord cometh out of
his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for
their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood,
and shall no more cover her slain.
Part II - Pentecost 2021
You have probably notice
that there are multiple dates for the pilgrimage Feast of
Shavuot/Pentecost. My friend T.W. Tramm has written
a new book which analyzes the Levitical method of dating
Pentecost. This is my plug for his new book.
It is a good read and I will post a link for it at the
end.
Keep in mind that the seven
festivals of the Lord are prophetic metaphorical symbols
of God's redemptive plans. They were also
useful for planting and harvesting crops. In
the Spring, Israel planted barley and wheat. The
Spring Equinox was used as a sign for planting as winter
transitioned into Spring. God gave Moses a new way
to measure Israel's months. Month 1 was the first
new moon following the Spring Equinox. The Spring
Equinox is the beginning point for the Festivals of the
Lord. (Leviticus 23)
We should confine our
inquiries into doctrine and prophesy with the word of God,
for me the King James Bible, the only bible in the world
today originating from the majority text. When I say
majority text I refer to the archeological manuscript
evidence. The majority text represents 95% of the
archeological record. All modern bibles are based on
the minority text representing the other 5%. For me,
I follow the evidence and 95% is clear and convincing.
In 2021, the Spring Equinox fell
on March 20, the first day of Spring 2021.
The first new moon following the
Spring Equinox marking the beginning of Month 1 (Nisan)
was April 12-13.
Passover necessarily began on
April 27, 2021. Christ was our Passover Lamb of God.
Unleavened bread began on April
28, 2021. Christ
was buried without sin.
First Fruits began on May 2,
2021. Christ was resurrected on First Fruits
representing the grain seed that had to perish in order to
produce fruit. (John 12:24)
Pentecost begins on June 20,
2021. Christ delivered the Holy Spirit to
believers imputing His righteousness and giving them
eternal life (Part 1) and at the resurrection/rapture He
will redeem our bodies of sin translating them into
glorified bodies (Part 2) The feast symbolism
of Pentecost is the priestly offering of two loaves of
bread offered up to God as thanks for the harvest.
The resurrection/rapture event is symbolized in these two
loaves. One loaf represents the resurrection and
lifting up of the dead in Christ, the other the
translation and catching out of the living in Christ.
Let us look forward to the
glorious appearing of our Lord and Savior in this 2021
Pentecostal season. Only the Lord knows the day and
hour, but we may speculate just like the prophets of Old.
11 Searching
what, or what manner of time the Spirit of
Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified
beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory
that should follow.
We too,
"search what manner of time" that the "glory that should
follow" which is "Christ at His appearing". (1
Peter 1:11; 1 Cor. 15:23;52)
Expectantly
waiting,
Greg
Summer is
Near by T.W. Tramm
https://www.amazon.com/Summer-Near-Could-Pivotal-Prophecy/dp/1716163781/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=T.W.+Tramm&qid=1621012423&s=books&sr=1-1
PENTECOSTAL RAPTURE
CHALLENGE
Fact: Nobody is certain of the
date of Pentecost. There are always 4-5 dates.
Fact: All of God’s Festivals
(Leviticus 23) speak to salvation and redemption
process.
Fact: The Spring festivals are
all about salvation and redemption of “Christ’s Own”
following His first Advent.
They are underlined
below: The symbolism represents “types” as
stated in Colossians 2:16-17. These “festivals of
the Lord” or “holydays” are shadows of things to
come. God invites us to search and study the
Scriptures of truth. God has not spoken in a dark
place. (Isaiah 45:19) He has not hidden His word.
(Proverbs 25:2) But, He does expect you to desire
His truth and prophetic challenges which require diligent
study and prayer.(2 Tim 2:15)
|
Festival
Name
Holydays
|
Symbolism
Shadows
|
Jesus
Fulfillment
Things to come
|
|
Passover
|
Unblemished
Lamb Sacrificed (Leviticus 23:5)
|
Lamb of God
self-sacrificed as a sin offering once for all
|
|
Unleavened
Bread
|
Bread without
leaven-leaven representing sin (Leviticus 23:6)
|
Jesus buried
during unleavened bread as sinless Son of Man
|
|
First Fruits
|
Wave grain
sheaf offering up to God (Leviticus 23:10-11) in
thanks for the coming harvest
|
Jesus
represented the grain seed which had to die/fall
to the ground to produce much fruit. (John 12:24)
|
|
Pentecost- Two stages
(read Ephesians 1:14 to confirm!)
(1) earnest deposit
of Spirit; (Acts 2:4; 2 Cor. 5:2-5)
(2) redemption
of body. Romans 8:23) and (1 Cor.
15:52; 1 Thess. 4:17)
|
Two-loaf wave
offering raised up to God in thanks for the
harvest (Leviticus 23:15-17)
|
The
resurrection/rapture event is represented by the
two loaves: (1) the dead in
Christ resurrected and (2) living in Christ
translated (raptured).
|
Now, doesn’t make sense,
that we can know that Pentecost is the pilgrimage feast
(Exodus 23:14-17) based on the symbolism or shadows of
things to come, that the Church’s resurrection and rapture
is played out in the Pentecostal symbolism.
The Church is the harvest that Jesus referred to and we
are the loaves the fruitfulness of His redemptive work.
Paul teases and challenges
you to notice that the First Resurrection has three stages
or as he says “orders”. Count them! Christ, the first
fruit. (1 Cor. 15:20). Afterward, Christ’s own at
His coming. (1 Cor. 15:23,52). Then the end, when He
shall have delivered the Kingdom of God and rules with
authority. (1 Cor. 15:24, Revelation 20:5)
Notice that this “first resurrection” comprising three
orders is completed at the Second
Advent.
Then, Jesus rules for 1,000 years, then the second
resurrection occurs, the resurrection of condemnation.
(John 5:29)