Consider the Heavens

PINPOINTING THE END OF THE AGE

Part 1--Consider the Heavens

The Wise Seek Him

Just as the wise men (or magi) followed the signs in the heavens for approximately two years to meet the Messiah at His First Coming, so we see the indicators of His Second Coming. The Second Coming, of course, referring to Christ’s actual return to earth NOT our meeting Him in the air at the harpazō which occurs beforehand.

Suffice it to say, that during those two years, the planets and stars told a story that was absolutely incredible, so incredible that the Great Magi of Babylon felt compelled to take a long journey at great expense to see the One to Whom the whole heavens appeared to be pointing. tentmaker.org

The wise men only “knew in part” just as we do, but they went forward with what they knew and succeeded in meeting the Messiah some months after His birth.

We also know from the writer of Matthew that when the Wisemen came Jesus was no longer in a stable. He was in a house whereas when the shepherds of Israel came, He was "lying in a manger" in a stable. (Matt. 2:11) ("To the Jews first" and then to the Gentiles.) tentmaker.org

So too those of us who are looking up and watching the signs of Christ’s Second Coming see the nearness of the close of the Age of Grace and anticipate meeting the Lord in the air—our blessed hope. Personally, it has been almost three years I have been in this journey since the Spirit of the Lord spoke to me that His Coming was close at hand.

Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; - Titus 2:13 KJV

The Holy Spirit is revealing MUCH to His people related to the nearness of the Resurrection and Rapture of His Overcoming Church, however, I find it difficult to believe that God would give the actual date of His Son’s gathering of the Bride. Gary from unsealed.org recently did an interesting article listing the mounting earthly and heavenly signs and giving possible Rapture dates (admitting it is speculation and not prediction)-- unsealed.org/2018/07/did-key-events-preceding-day-of-lord.

No one knew the precise timing of Christ’s birth until it was announced to the shepherds and no one will know the precise time of the Resurrection/Rapture of the Overcoming Church until it happens.

The Heavens Declare

Although I do not believe we can pinpoint the day of the Resurrection/Rapture of the Bride of Christ, I do believe the Gospel Story is written in the stars.

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.

[There is] no speech nor language, [where] their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.

- Psalm 19:1-4a KJV

The Heavens, the constellations spell out the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. And that is what David is referring to in this Psalm.

The most important story ever told… the Gospel message was and is told by the stars written in the Heavens in plain sight and nothing man nor Satan could do could or would ever take it away . . .

So it should come as no surprise that Satan, from earliest times, has set out to obscure and deny the witness that is the Gospel told by the stars. Satan knew that man would see the stars you can’t hide them. And the message would be passed down through time using these memory aids. Satan knew he had to offer an alternate story…a counterfeit of the true heavenly message. So Satan offered astrology . . . gbible.org

The End of His Story will be written in the stars just as The Beginning was. E. W. Bullinger expresses this beautifully in his book, The Witness of the Stars. Below is an excerpt from its Preface:

It is the possession of "that blessed hope" of Christ's speedy return from heaven which will give true interest in the great subject of this book.

No one can dispute the antiquity of the signs of the Zodiac, or of the constellations. No one can question the accuracy of the ancient star names which have come down to us, for they are still preserved in every good celestial atlas. And we hope that no one will be able to resist the cumulative evidence that, apart from God's grace in Christ there is no hope for sinners now; and apart from God's glory, as it will be manifested in the return of Christ from heaven, there is no hope for Israel, no hope for the world, no hope for a groaning creaton. In spite of all the vaunted promises of a religious world, and of a worldly church, to remove the effects of the curse by a social gospel of sanitation, we are more and more shut up to the prophecy of Genesis 3:15, which we wait and long to see fulfilled in Christ as our only hope.

Psalm 19 further exhorts us to look to the heavens for our Bridegroom:

Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, - Psalm 19:4 KJV

Which [is] as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, [and] rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. - Psalm 19:5 KJV

The Sign of the Woman that appeared in the constellation Virgo on September 23, 2017, is part of His Story and THE STORY IS CONTINUING!

Libra/The Altar

The YouTube Channel clearlywrittendotnet calls our attention to Jupiter arriving in the constellation Libra which in ancient times was referred to as The Altar. He believes this, along with other related planetary movements, is indicating an October 17, 2018 Rapture (5 Major Rapture Signs Are Being Ignored (continued).

The Summer Morning Star

Other watchers believe the heavens are declaring a summer Rapture such as Daniel Valles of informedchristians:  

Jesus used the pattern of summer drawing nigh, as a comparison to His coming - and that preceding signs would show something was nigh. We are now at the time of the arrival mark (summer) - that the signs were pointing to. It is here that we see several celestial events that remind us of the prophetic next chapter, and other celestial time pictures that Jesus used in the Book of Revelation - written for the churches. Right NOW is the time for hearing what He said, looking for Him to appear, and shining bright for Him! Maranatha!! The Bright and Morning Star

In this video Daniel shares that in ancient times the star Sirius was referred to as “the morning star” and how it may be the key to understanding how close the Rapture is. He surmises Sirius might be what God’s Word is referring to in Revelation Chapter 2—

And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

And I will give him the morning star. - Revelation 2:26-28 KJV

Jubilee Indicator

Sandy Armstrong, Soldiers for Christ YT, also believes the Scriptures point to the summertime for the Great Harvest and that we are currently in the 120th Jubilee Year which will end sometime in September 2018.

(The Great Harvest has a double meaning, I believe. It is speaking of the end time harvest of souls AND it is speaking of the 3-PART HARVEST before the Messiah’s Second Coming to earth. That is why in the above rhema He said, “LOOK UP!” SEASON OF THE OVERCOMER)

Beginning at around the 20-minute mark of his July 18th The 9th Of Av Curse And The Rapture video, Brother Sandy shares this insight:

Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grapegleanings of the vintage: [there is] no cluster to eat: my soul desired the firstripe fruit. - Micah 7:1 KJV

Here in Micah 7:1 it is HARVEST TIME and God is going out to gather the summer fruit and finds there are NO grapes of the first-ripened fruits. This refers to Him seeking to harvest from Israel; however, God finds none who are qualified at this time. (Remember during this Age of Grace the chosen ekklēsia is NOT identified as Jew or Greek, only as those who are one in Christ—Galatians 3:28.)

The good [man] [chaciyd] is perished ['abad] out of the earth: and [there is] none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net. - Micah 7:2 KJV

Brother Sandy shares that these verses are referring to the time of the Resurrection/Rapture when all the saints have disappeared from the face of the earth and evil runs rampant so much so that you cannot trust the one you go to bed with. Other supporting Scriptures are:

The righteous perish ['abad] and no one takes it to heart; devout men are swept away ['acaph]  , with none considering that the righteous are guided from the presence of evil. Isaiah 57:1 Berean Study Bible

The word “perish” is translated from the Hebrew word 'abad which is most commonly translated into English as “perish” but is more accurately translated as “vanish” and can also mean “ESCAPE”. And the phrase “swept away” is translated from the Hebrew word 'acaph which means “gather; together; assemble; rereward”.

Help, O LORD, for the godly [chaciyd] are no more [gamar]; the faithful have vanished [pacac] from among men. Psalm 12:1b Berean Study Bible

The Hebrew word chaciyd means “saints; godly men” and gamar  means “come to an end; complete; perfect” while pacac translates into “disappear; vanish”.

When are the godly perfected and vanish from among men? At the resurrection and harpazō of the Overcoming Church.

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump:

 for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible,

and we shall be changed.

- 1 Corinthians 15:52 KJV

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up [harpazō] together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. - 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 KJV

And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up [harpazō] unto God, and [to] his throne. - Revelation 12:5 KJV

It did my heart good to hear at the end of Brother Sandy’s video what someone told him over the phone:

“If the Rapture happens before Yom Kippur 2018 all this crazy study you did was right. . . so we understand you must be hearing from God.”

“I’m glad you called, ’cause I thought I was crazy,” Sandy responded.

“Hold on, you might still be,” the man said while laughing, “if we don’t have a Rapture before Yom Kippur 2018!”

Whether our Heavenly Father chooses to send His Son to catch us away in 2018 or not, we are right to have great anticipation in the coming autumn as we look for our blessed hope!

May the God of all grace accept and bless this effort to show forth His glory, and use it to strengthen His people in waiting for His Son from Heaven, even Jesus which delivered us from the wrath to come.

Ethelbert W. Bullinger