Hello John, Petr and Doves,
Last week, 4 May 2025, I sent in a
letter TO John Tng where I wrote, "There have been times
when writing to Doves that I've not written about a
subject I had thought about or I purposefully left
something out or deleted it all together...because I
decided I didn't want to write about that or I didn't want
that in the letter...only to find that someone else on
Doves wrote the exact thing I didn't write about or that I
deleted! One way or the other, the Lord will get His
message to the people. If He doesn't use you, He
will use someone else."
Well, another letter sent to Doves last
week showed me exactly what I was getting at when I wrote
to John.
In a letter that Petr sent in last
week, 4 May 2025, there was a topic that I was going to
write about several years ago concerning Pentecost, but
didn't - I deleted it out of my letter - thinking it was
probably a stretch and no one would see the
connection. I did however 'save' it for a
future reference or potentially, another letter. I
have never come across this topic anywhere else...until
Petr's letter on Doves last week.
Well, I found that part of my Doves
letter that I left out - it's dated July 23, 2017; and
it's titled "Pentecost and Paul". I copied it below
Petr's comments.
Snip From Petr's Letter:
In his letter, Petr wrote about Acts
20:16. "For Paul had determined to sail past
Ephesus, that he might not spend time in Asia: for
he hastened, if it were possible, to be at Jerusalem on
the day of Pentecost." This situation occurred only
once in his life, and that was on this very day. It
is clear from the scriptures that he had a great desire to
be in Jerusalem for this feast and his behavior on this
occasion was completely different form his usual
behavior. Paul had a strong desire to evangelize and
plant churches in the world of that time and subordinated
everything to this. Suddenly something changed and
he began to behave differently, he did not want to stay
anywhere in Asia, even though the disciples persuaded him
to do so. What was the reason for this change in
Paul's behavior? Up to a certain point, Paul
believed that the rapture would also affect him. He
knew that the rapture would be a worldwide event, because
it mainly affects Gentile Christians. Since Paul was
not yet a disciple of Jesus at Pentecost, when the Holy
Spirit was poured out, he could not personally participate
in this event. However, it is very likely that he
had a great desire to be in Jerusalem and participate in
this event together with the apostles of the Lord
Jesus. From the later letters that Paul wrote, it is
clear that he finally understood that the rapture of the
church would not happen in his lifetime."
My Letter, 2017:
Here's what I wrote, and deleted from my
letter, July 23, 2017:
"Another possible clue from scripture as
to a rapture event taking place on a Pentecost is
something Paul does during his third missionary journey
according to Acts.
I understand Paul as being about one
main mission, spreading the good news of Jesus to the
Gentiles. He was/is the one apostle assigned
specifically to do this. He felt the weight of
this. He did it wholeheartedly due to the grace of
God.
However, I observe Paul make a shift
away from this in Acts 20. About half way in his
trip he decides to hurry back to Jerusalem. He even
chooses to not go out of his way to meet with folks in
Ephesus. Instead, he asks them to travel and meet
with him, and the meeting is not for a long time.
He explains why in verse 16: He
was in a hurry to be in Jerusalem, if possible, by the day
of Pentecost. Why?"
(end snip)
The Prophetic
Significance of the Feasts of the Lord:
Paul was highly educated - he was a
Pharisee. He knew all the rules and
regulations. He knew the Torah and the oral
law. So Paul was very familiar with the Feasts of
the Lord - and all of the firstfruits requirements through
the harvest season. He probably had connected all of
the dots. He saw a pattern of fulfillment.
1) Passover: Jesus
was crucified on Passover - the last sacrificial
lamb. Paul knew what happened at The Last
Supper. The drinking of the wine and the eating of
the unleavened bread. "This cup is the new
testament in my blood, which is shed for you." Luke
22:20
2) Unleavened Bread:
Jesus' sinless, broken body lay in the tomb on this
feast. "And He took the bread, having given thanks,
He broke it and gave to them, saying, "This is My body,
which is given for you: do this in remembrance of
Me." Luke 22:19
3) Firstfruits:
Jesus was the firstfruits risen from the dead. Paul
wrote to the Corinthians: "But every man in his
order; Christ the firstfruits; afterwards they are are
Christ's at His coming." 1 Cor 15:23 Paul knew
there was an set order to the
'raptures/resurrections'. And he saw the connection
to the specific feast days.
Paul saw these first three Feasts of the
Lord were fulfilled by Jesus Himself. He knew these
days to be 'prophetic'. So by default, all the other
feasts should be fulfilled by Jesus.
4) Shavuot/Feast of Weeks:
I believe this is Ascension Day. The witnesses of
this event were a 'Sabbaths' day journey from Jerusalem -
a strong hint that this was a feast day. They knew
exactly what day this was.
IF Jesus did ascend on Feast of Weeks,
fulfilling that feast day Himself, Paul would have known
this and he would have surmised that the next big thing to
happen, the Rapture, would occur on the very next feast
day. He revealed the Rapture to the Gentiles.
I believe he 'suspected' that on some future Pentecost,
Jesus would come in the clouds for the Believers.
5)
Pentecost: I believe this is Feast of
New Wine. A firstfruits festival. The
next thing to happen is the Rapture - fulfilled by Jesus
Himself coming in the clouds. (9th of Av
has also come up as a possibility. Or some other
day count.)
IF Paul highly
suspected that the Rapture would occur on this feast
day, this would explain his change in mindset on that
mission trip - and why he wanted to be in Jerusalem
where it all started - 'he hastened if it were at all
possible'. He wanted to be raptured in the Holy
City where it all began. As Petr wrote, Paul missed the
giving of the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem to the apostles
and other Believers...he didn't want to miss this next
HUGE event - he wanted to experience this with them.
It follows
then, that Paul would have assumed that the last three
feasts will be fulfilled by the Second Coming, the Great
Judgment and the Millennial Reign of Christ. Feast of
Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles.
In order, by Jesus Himself.
Paul's Travels At
That Time:
It is written that, during this time, Paul had set sail
from Assos to Mitylene. From there he sailed to
Chios then on to Samos and then Miletus.
He sailed past Ephesus "for he hasted, if it were
possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of
Pentecost." Acts 20:13 - 16.
Did Paul believe that the Rapture was
going to occur on Pentecost? Did he 'figure' it
out? I too wondered if he was in a big hurry to get
to Jerusalem for Pentecost because he knew that the next
order of firstfruit raptures would occur on
Pentecost.
The Believers in the days of the
Apostles and the days of Paul believed Jesus was returning
very soon after His resurrection for them. And as
time passed they realized it probably wasn't going to be
in their life time.
The 70th Week of
Daniel and the Early Church:
Some of the early Christian teachers believed
that Jesus' ministry was the first three and a half
years of the 70th week of Daniel and that there were
only three and half years left. I wonder how many
of Jesus' followers believed that He would return in 3.5
years after His Ascension - finishing up that 70th
Week?
"The
Length of Jesus' Ministry and Daniel 9" - Jason
Staples Letter
IF they were were taught what Jesus said/did on
the day of the Triumphal entry then they would know what
He prophesied did not fit with the end of the 70th
Week. "And when He was come near, He beheld the
city (Jerusalem) and wept over it. Saying, "If
thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day,
the things which belong unto they peace but now they are
hid from thine eyes..For the days shall come upon thee,
that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and
compass thee round and keep thee in on every side
And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy
children within thee, and they shall not leave in thee
one stone upon another, because thou knewest
not the time of they visitation." Luke
19: 41 - 44
Paul knew the prophecy of Daniels 70th Week - he
knew how the 70th Week was suppose to end: 1) To
finish the transgression (rebellion/revolt). 2) To
put an end to sin. 3) To atone for iniquity
4) To bring in everlasting righteousness 5) To
seal up vision and prophecy 6) To anoint the
most Holy. It didn't end like this. Jesus
prophesied at the Triumphal Entry how it would 'be
different now' for Jerusalem and her people.
They must have eventually realized that the last
3.5 years of the 70th Week was not going to happen...for
a long time. IF they knew the prophecies of Daniel
for the 70th Week they knew that the prophecies were not
fulfilled...and Jesus told them of the destruction of
the Temple and that the people would be scattered.
Maybe some figured it out. After that 3.5
years after His Ascension had passed they knew their
thought on the timing of the Rapture was wrong.
And after decades passed, they knew....
"The
Length of Jesus' Ministry and Daniel 9" - Jason
Staples Letter
Conclusion:
As Petr wrote in his letter, it
was clear from Paul's later writings that he understood
that the Rapture would not be in his lifetime after all.
Believers have been looking for
Jesus' return for hundreds of years now. We are that
last generation. Will we 'know the time of our
visitation'? Will we know 'this thy day' that He's
coming back in the Rapture? If Paul saw a pattern,
shouldn't we? We are told to not be like the man who
knew not when the thief would come...by default, it looks
like we can know, if we...look at the pattern. ?
I have no idea
if Petr writing about this topic now is significant or
not...but like I wrote John, if the Lord wants to get a
message out there - he'll get it out there. Were
my thoughts on this topic just too early to put out
there to Doves? I wrote about this 8 years ago.
Will this be important for this upcoming 2025
Pentecost? I don't know. Maybe it's just
another bizarre coincidence.
But It would
be absolutely amazing if the Rapture happened on
Pentecost - the next prophetic appointed day...this
year. And the pattern would certainly be obvious
to those Left Behind who become Believers during the
Tribulation. Three feasts left to fulfill.
Pentecost 2025:
Now - when is
the date of Pentecost 2025?? Feast of New Wine -
Dr. Awe will no doubt, have a date. Tyler at
Generation2434 will probably have a date. Luis
Vega has July 23, 2025. I haven't done any
'counting' yet. We'll at least have a relatively
short range of days to consider.
The Essene
calendar has their count to First Fruits of New
Wine: July 20, 2025 (3 Av)
Essene
Calendar
Just some
thoughts for now....
Pray for the
peace of Jerusalem!
Maranatha!
Chance