THE RAPTURE & THE LAST DAYS

Earlier today I was inspired to take one of my favorite books down from the shelf to see what was written about Rosh HaShanah, the next festival on the calendar celebrated this year beginning sundown September 4.

"The gates of Heaven are opened on Rosh HaShanah so the righteous nation may enter (Isaiah 26:2; Psalm 118:19-20). Because the gates of Heaven are understood to be open on RoshHaShanah, this is further evidence that the rapture (natzal) of the believers in the Messiah Yeshua will take place on Rosh HaShanah. [Excerpt from Ed Chumney's The Seven Festivals of the Messiah, page 115.]

 

The English word 'rapture' is natzal in Hebrew or harpazo in the Greek language. Coincidentally (?) I stumbled upon this 15 minute youtube video [link], where Chuck Missler shares what his understanding is regarding the timing of the rapture (harpazo). He believes it could indeed occur at ANY TIME and is NOT CONTINGENT ON ANY OTHER EVENT. I love that he encourages people not to take his word for this, but to study it for themselves!

At this point, my understanding leans toward the Messianic belief that we will meet the Lord in the clouds on Rosh HaShanah, the Hebrew new year. This day is referred to as "the day no man knows" (Matthew 24:36) because the new moon marks the first day of the new year and is not known until the new moon is sighted.

As believers in the Messiah, our Jesus, we recognize the appointed seasons and are not in darkness.

But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. I Thessalonians 5:4


 Looking for that glorious hope~

P.S. If you are interested in understanding the difference between the RAPTURE and THE DAY OF THE LORD, Mr. Missler gives an excellent explanation at this site [link]. After clicking on the link, click on the audio presentation labeled 'The Rapture'.

Jesus Walked in the Temple and it was Winter

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. - John 8:12 KJV

While thinking on the Lord recently I was led to read of when he healed the man born blind from birth. As I read the account in the Book of John I saw something that I had not seen before or had forgotten.

What I realized was that the Messiah performed this miracle just prior to going into the temple during the feast of dedication.

And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch.
And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. - John 10:22-23 KJV


Those of you who read my blog or are familiar with the scriptural holidays know that the feast of the dedication is also called Hanukkah or The Festival of Light (read also: Hanukkah and Jesus).

Going back one chapter to John 9 is the account I am referring to:  

And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.

And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.
I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. John 9:1-5 KJV

I believe it is significant that the Lord speaks of day versus night--light versus darkness--for a couple of reasons.

First, the Messiah ministers healing to the man--born blind. A man who knew only darkness is given the gift of light. Not only does the man receive physical light, but he receives spiritual light. When questioned--or rather 'drilled' by the Pharisees:

The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and [yet] he hath opened mine eyes.
Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.  If this man were not of God, he could do nothing. - John 9:30,31,33 KJV


It had been written in the Old Testament that the Messiah would fulfill many prophesies including healing the blind. It is very significant that Jesus not only healed a blind person but healed one who had been born blind--

Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. John 9:32

So prior to walking into the temple during the feast of light, THE Light of the World fulfills prophesy by performing a miracle never done before.

Because of our Messiah fulfilling all things, those who believe on Him have His Spirit residing within and are able to do the works He did and greater (John 14:12).

We dwell in a world that seems ever darkening, but we are not of this world and therefore do not dwell in the darkness! We must look through eyes of enlightenment remembering it is Christ in us--the Light of the World.

Abundant Love and Blessings to You and Yours this Season of Light!
 

I Am the New Year

I Am the New Year

Author Unknown

I am the new year. I am an unspoiled page in your book of time.

I am your next chance at the art of living.

I am your opportunity to practice what you have learned about life during the last twelve months.

All that you sought and didn’t find is hidden in me, waiting for you to search it out with more determination.

All the good that you tried for and didn’t achieve is mine to grant when you have fewer conflicting desires.

All that you dreamed but didn’t dare to do, all that you hoped but did not will, all the faith that you claimed but did not have~
These slumber lightly, waiting to be awakened by the touch of a strong purpose.

I am your opportunity to renew your allegiance to Him who said, “Behold, I make all things new.”

I am the new year.

Christmas--Lost & Found

My sister sent me a Christmas card as usual, but this time she wrote a comment that struck me. "Hey, doesn't this look like something Grandma B. would have sent?" Sure enough the angelic print trimmed in gold resembled the old fashioned Christmas cards our grandmother sent us when she was living.

Lately it has really hit me--the pain of loss many, many folks experience at the holiday season--the loss of loved ones who are no longer with us for various reasons. This year I realized that I have no mother, no father, no grandmothers, and no grandfathers to celebrate the season with. No uncles and no aunts.

Instead of dwelling on the loss, I decided to recall favorite memories, like the one my sister shared with me. I have the old--I mean really old--Christmas songs that my mother would sing to us when we were children like 'Here Comes Suzy Snowflake' and 'Hurrah for Captain Santa Claus'. The words and melody just crop up in me and I begin to sing them no matter where I am or what I am doing. And I have old ornaments and holiday decor. There's the corroding silver ball ornament with my name and birthdate that my Mom painted onto it with red nail polish the first Christmas after I was born. I still remember that my husband's mother gave us the golden-haired angel with the flowing crimson gown.

Our Heavenly Father has a way to redeem all loss. Some losses are redeemed in this earthly lifetime. I was witness to such a thing recently.

I have a sweet neighbor who lost her husband and her long-haired dachshund this past year. My daughter Rachel and I visited her a couple of weeks ago. Knowing how lonely she must feel I asked, "Have you been thinking about getting another dog?"

She smiled and said she had put a few calls into places looking for a small dog but that it was difficult to find one that was not a puppy. She didn't have the strength to train a puppy. "Somehow I think this dog will just come to me," she admitted with a shy grin.

Later that week, Rachel went out to the mailbox and spied a small white dog trotting down the street. The poor thing looked wretched with its matted coat wet from the day's rainfall. "Here, puppy," Rachel coaxed. But the dog scurried away in fear.

Two days later another neighbor called me and told me how she had trapped a small runaway dog and was going to take it to the groomer and the vet. On her way home from the vet, Gloria came by to see me. In her arms was the cutest little dog I have ever seen with red and green plaid bows tied to her ears.

As if reading my mind, Gloria asked, "So who wants her?"

"My daughter Rachel just reminded me that this little dog would be perfect for our neighbor acrossed the street!" I exclaimed and gave her a few details. Gloria's mind was made up when I repeated my neighbor's comment, "And she believes this dog will simply come to her!"

Tears sprung to my eyes as I watched Gloria ring the doorbell to my neighbor's door. "Oh, Mighty Father! How good You are that You would do such a thing to bless this dear woman at this holiday season!"

I decided to wait a couple of days before poking my nose in and seeing how they were doing. "Thank you so much," she said when I called, "And thank Rachel too for thinking of me! I've named the dog Holly." She shared more of Holly's story with me. I was so happy for her...and for Holly!

May yours be a Christmas of Holy Redemption!

Linger Under the Canopy

As the Feast of Tabernacles comes to a close, the Lord asks us to linger one more day--the eighth day of assembly or Shemini Atzeret. This indicates His great desire for intimacy and communion with those He loves. When I shared about how I decorated our library during Sukkot, I said that when I had finished draping the white sheer panels, it looked like a wedding canopy. There's a reason I did that.

Like the cloud by day that led God's people, the cloud also represented a chuppah or wedding canopy:

And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies ], a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory [shall be] a defence [2646]. - Isaiah 4:5 KJV

The word 'defence', according to the Strong's Concordance note No. 2646, is the Hebrew word chuppah meaning 'canopy; chamber; divine protection'.

In a Jewish wedding, the couple is married under the chuppah signifying their new home together. The chuppah can be made from a piece of cloth or other material attached to four poles, or a prayer shawl (tallit) held over the couple by four family members or friends.
I believe it will be during Tabernacles that the Bride of Christ will marry the Bridegroom, Yahshua.

The word chuppah originally appears in the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Joel 2:16; Psalms 19:5)...In biblical times, a couple consummated their marriage in a room. In Talmudic times, the room where the marriage was consummated was called the chuppah.(Excerpt from: wikipedia.org)

Let us linger under the canopy of intimacy...He is the Beloved!

Jesus' Appearing and the Fall Festivals

Many of you who read my blog are already familiar with or knowledgeable of the seven festivals or feasts of the Lord as outlined in the 23rd Chapter of the Book of Leviticus. The word ‘feast’ is derived from the Hebrew word mo’ed meaning 'an appointed time'. It is a set time ordained by God—an appointment with humanity.

I find them fascinating and am continuing to learn more every time I delve into the topic. (For an overview of the feasts and how Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s plan for the world through them, click here.)

Currently, it is the season of Rosh Hashanah (the Feast of Trumpets) that culminates on Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). Rosh Hashanah is a festival rife with spiritual significance. Here is a list of themes associated with it:

1. Teshuvah (repentance)
2. Rosh HaShanah (Head of the Year, Birthday of the World)
3. Yom Teruah (the Day of the Awakening Blast/Feast of Trumpets)
4. Yom HaDin (the Day of Judgment)
5. HaMelech (the Coronation of the Messiah)
6. Yom HaZikkaron (the Day of Remembrance or memorial)
7. The time of Jacob’s trouble (the birthpangs of the Messiah)
8. The opening of the gates
9. Kiddushin/Nesu’in (the wedding ceremony)
10. The resurrection of the dead (rapture, natzal)
11. The last trump (shofar)
12. Yom Hakeseh (the hidden day)

Above information taken from The Seven Festivals of the Lord by Edward Chumney. His excellent website can be found at: http://www.hebroots.org/
The Feast of Trumpets is a fall festival that has not yet been fulfilled by the Messiah. When will it be fulfilled?

Simply put, it is when I Thessalonians 4:16-17 occurs:

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 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
Edward Chumney, author of The Seven Festivals of the Lord, gives us more insight:

A theme and term associated with Rosh HaShanah in Hebrew is HaMelech (the King). …The shofar blown on Rosh HaShanah is known as the last trump…which is mentioned in First Thessalonians 4:16-17. At this time, the believers in the Messiah who are righteous…according to Yom HaDin (the Day of Judgment) will escape the tribulation…on earth and will be taken to Heaven in the rapture (natzal) along with the righteous who had died before this time. [excerpt from page 107]

The gates of Heaven are opened on Rosh HaShanah so the righteous nation may enter (Isaiah 26:2; Psalm 118:19-20). Because the gates of Heaven are understood to be open on Rosh HaShanah, this is further evidence that the rapture of the believers in the Messiah Yeshua will take place on Rosh HaShanah. [excerpt from page 115]

Next I will share about the tribulation—the time of Jacob’s trouble.

I Just Can't Wait!

Remember when you were a kid and Christmas was coming and you were just busting at the seams with anticipation? "I just can't wait!" blurted from your mouth while your eyes shimmered at the thought of gifts and sugar plums danced around your head?

That's how I feel today.

I admit that it's all this talk about Comet Elenin--will it affect the Earth or not--that got me thinking more about Christ's return. According to Seven Theory Ministries (http://www.seventheory.com/Home_Page.php), there is a possibility of this happening very soon.

"It doesn't seem like it's the right time yet," I said when sharing my thoughts with my family.

"Yeah--I agree," my daughter added.

"What do you mean?" Tom asked me.

"Well, I have always believed that there would be a great move of God, a great harvest of souls before Christ returns (see harvest/crisis)."

"Who's to say that with modern technology that hasn't already occurred," my husband postulated.

We all agreed, however, that meeting the Lord in the air was not as imminent as we would hope. But He is coming.

That's what has me excited! Whether it's time for His appearing or time for a great wave of the Holy Spirit, I just can't wait!! That's why I still believe that we are...

Living in the best of times and the worst of times,

Should We Celebrate Christmas?

My husband and I believed we were in God’s will when we moved to a small city further south in the state. Before moving, we had been part of a Messianic home fellowship where we had learned the significance of Jesus Christ, Yahshua Ha Moshiach, fulfilling the Old Testament prophecies including the seven feasts of the Lord. We were looking forward to being a part of our new church family, for we had already met some of the brethren before relocating and knew they shared a similar background.

One Sunday in late autumn, the children’s pastor stood up to make an announcement. She invited the children and their parents to become involved in a Christmas program she was planning.

This puzzled me, because in my Messianic fellowship we had been taught that Christmas was of pagan origin and not a holiday instituted by God. We had relinquished many old traditions, including the Christmas tree, for we had learned of its idolatrous roots. Instead, my family embraced the winter feast of Hanukkah, The Festival of Light, and celebrated Jesus fulfilling it as The Light of the World. As she spoke, I went to the Lord in prayer.

“Why are they doing a Christmas program, Lord? Shouldn’t they be celebrating Hanukkah instead?”

His reply was immediate. “Both Hanukkah and Christmas honor Me.”

Like the Grinch who stole Christmas, a warm revelation filled me. What was in our hearts was all our Heavenly Father cared about. It did not matter to the Lord whether I put up a Christmas tree or not. What mattered was why I placed one in my home. Because of my mother’s teaching, to me the evergreen tree was a symbol of eternal life available through our Savior.
This was good news indeed, for I missed the traditions of my childhood. I felt…free!

Now at wintertime my family and I fill the house with decorations, including a brightly lit Christmas tree. We sing Christmas songs and bake Christmas cookies.

Should we celebrate Christmas? Yes! Yes! Emphatically, YES! With our whole being let us celebrate and honor the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

What Does Hanukkah Have to Do With Jesus?

This year Hanukkah began at sunset on December 1. Were you aware that the Lord is mentioned in the New Testament regarding Hanukkah?

It was winter and Jesus was in the Temple in Jerusalem for Hanukkah, the Feast of Dedication. John 10:22-23 KJV

This feast is also called ‘The Festival of Light’. It is not one of the seven major festivals as named in the Old Testament; nonetheless, we should be aware of its significance. (For more information on the seven festivals, see my blog posting in September 2010 titled ‘Remember I Love You’.)

Just as Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the Feasts of the Lord, He is THE FULFILLMENT OF THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHT—HE IS ‘The Light of the World’!



Another wonderful truth about Hanukkah is that it is the time of year when Mary conceived Jesus, Our Savior. Yes, The Light of the World came to earth during The Festival of Light. For greater understanding of how this could be true, follow this link to The Messianic Center's site and read the article 'Dreaming of an Autumnal Christmas': http://www.themessianiccenter.com/2009/10/1/dreaming-of-an-autumnal-christmas

Hanukkah is a special celebration begun many years ago to remember when God’s people were victorious over darkness. Let us celebrate Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light! (I Peter 2:9)


Hallelujah!

Remember I Love You

Everyone has a favorite holiday or season of the year. Our Creator was the originator of that idea, of course. He outlined several special occasions beginning in Leviticus 23 with the major festivals. Each one has historical, Messianic, and spiritual significance, but for simplicity I will list only the Messianic fulfillment of each:

Passover (Pesach) Death of The Lamb of God
Unleavened Bread (Hag HaMatzah) Burial of Yeshua, our Jesus
First Fruits (Bikkurim) Resurrection of Jesus
Pentecost (Shavuot) Pouring out of the Holy Spirit
Trumpets (Rosh HaShanah/Yom Teruah) Resurrection of the believers
Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) The day of the Messiah's second coming
Tabernacles (Sukkot) The Messianic Era/Millennium

Above information taken from The Seven Festivals of the Lord by Edward Chumney. His excellent website can be found at http://www.hebroots.org/

Why are these important? Why is your favorite holiday important? These are special occasions where we want to REMEMBER SOMETHING GOOD and CELEBRATE IT! The festivals of the Lord were given to us to understand the coming of the Messiah and His role in redeeming man back to God following the fall of man in Genesis. Our Heavenly Father wants us to remember how much He loves us. His love is so immense that He set forth a plan of redemption and restoration giving the precious life of His only begotten Son.

I'm not going to go into depth regarding all the feasts in one post, but I did want to share my thoughts on The Feast of Trumpets which, according to my calendar, begins tonight. At this season I find myself thinking of those who have gone before me--those in my family who are asleep in death awaiting the trumpet blast of I Thessalonians 4:16--


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...

The youngest of these is my nephew DJ who died just before turning five years old. I would like to acknowledge him today by telling you of the book his mother Linda Blechinger wrote regarding this time in her and her family's life, Mourning to Morning. Linda at first self published the book but now is in the process of having an expanded version coming out through a publishing house. Linda gives a Godly perspective to grieving and is a wise counselor to those who are mourning. If you would like to get in touch with her, she can be reached through her site at http://mourn2morn.blogspot.com/

Where would we be without Jesus? I shudder to think. But during this Feast of Trumpets, I'm going to celebrate that He gave me hope of eternal life! 1 Corinthians 15:55 KJV - O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?