The Big Picture

What Time is It (On God’s Celestial Calendar)?

/ Stephanie Dawn / 3 Comments

pocket watch.jpg

God is a God of order, not chaos.  He reveals patterns and sequences, templates and types.  God is outside of time, but He has a plan involving time from before the foundation of the world.

…for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’  

(Isaiah 46:9-10 ESV)

An interesting study is trying to discern the time we are in.  I believe most of us would agree that we are in the season of Jesus’ return.  I would suggest many of us are interested in studying just how close His return might be.

 

The Prophetic Calendar – 7000 Years

My first post on God’s calendar,  God’s Prophetic Timeline, discussed how the years allotted to humanity parallel the 7 days of creation and the Sabbath cycle.

And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation. 

(Genesis 2:2-3 ESV)

When Adam and Eve “fell”, their “work week” began.  No longer would they enjoy the pleasures and life of ease in Eden, but would have to work, strive and toil for the essentials of life.  Ever since, all creation longs for the Sabbath rest on the 7th day.

all creation groans.jpg

From the Sabbath cycle, we can discern that humanity is granted approximately 7000 years of existence on Earth.

6000 years of human government

+ 1000 years of Jesus’ government in the Millennial Kingdom

= 7000 years

To support this belief, Jews have always acknowledged that the seven day creation week symbolizes a seven-thousand-year plan for humanity.  Each prophetic “day” represents 1000 years of the earth’s story.  (See Wikipedia – Year 6000)  The dispensation model for understanding God’s ordering of the ages of humanity also affirms this interpretation.

But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

(2 Peter 3:8 ESV)

The Jubilee Cycle, of 7×7 years followed by a Jubilee year, would also seem to correlate.  In Genesis 6, God said:

“My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” (v3 ESV)

This 120 year period was a literal time period before the global flood, but it has been suggested that it is also representative of 120 Jubilee cycles.

120 cycles x 50 Jubilees = 6000 years

I know that there has been a lot of speculation regarding “Jubilee years” lately, and the last several years have been suggested as candidates.  I would suggest that the Jubilee year has more to do with the restoration of Israel and the redemption of the whole of creation than it does with the church body.  I understand that the Feasts of God apply to all the redeemed, but the Jubilee would seem to apply more specifically to Israel.  As such, I would suggest that the Jubilee cycle ends on the 6000th year, ushering in the eternal Jubilee and the 7th Day of Rest for humanity.  This would place the Jubilee year at the Second Coming of Christ – Year 6000.  The last thousand years, the Millennial Kingdom, will see the Earth restored to near Eden-like conditions with Christ ruling on His throne.

 

What Time Is It?

I think many of us are aware that there are inconsistencies in the calendars that are used today and that have been used in the past.  Every feast day that comes up, the true calendar becomes an important consideration.  I believe we need to use the calendar in the sun, moon, and stars – the Mazzaroth – to determine God’s timelines.  It’s the only one that humans can’t mess up.  Genesis 1:14 declares

“And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years”.  (ESV)

(What are the feast days, you ask?  God set appointed times on His calendar from the beginning of creation.    The sacred times, or seasons, are the fixed or appointed times when God would meet with His people.  These appointed times are illustrative pictures for humanity of God’s redemption plan.  For more on these feasts, please see The Feasts of God – His Appointed Times).

Now let me just say, knowing what “time” it is isn’t a salvation issue.  Studying the calendars and pressing in to God in prayer over this is just something that I have been interested in.  All I want to do is share my findings with you, that it might springboard your own studies and thoughts.

With that said, here are my suggestions:

  • It shouldn’t require complicated calculations to figure out
  • It should involve the sun, moon, and stars
  • It should be supported by scripture

sun moon stars.jpg

Since Jesus is not currently here ruling in the midst of us, and we continue to live under the curse issued in Genesis 3, humanity must still be in our “work week”.  What most of us are interested in (me!) is how close we are to our “Sabbath Rest”.  Let’s see what we can discover!

 

So Many Calendars

One of the challenges to knowing exactly what year it is, is that the tracking of time has changed throughout human history.  A number of calendars have existed, some based on the sun (solar), some on the moon (lunar), and some on a combination of the two (lunisolar).  The Julian calendar was established in 45 BCE, and refined in 1582 CE to become the Gregorian calendar that is still in secular use today.  This calendar is based on “anno Domini nostri Jesu Christi” – “in the year of Our Lord Jesus Christ”, the presumed year of the birth of Jesus (which was probably more like 3-4 BC not year “0” that the calendar uses).  Anno Domini was renamed to the “common era” or “CE” about 350 years ago to remove Jesus from the picture.  Although this calendar gives us reference to the current age, the “Church Age”, it doesn’t give a picture of the entirety of human history.

Gregorian calendar – June 9, 2019

Well, what about the Hebrew calendar?  The Hebrew calendar is a lunisolar calendar, using intercalary months instead of leap years to make up the time difference between the lunar and solar years.  It is based on starting year counts at the creation of the world.  It also has gone through a few revisions and there is a discrepancy between the Orthodox Rabbinic calendar and the Nazarene calendar.  Currently, in 2019, the Orthodox Rabbinic year count is 5779.  The Orthodox Rabbinic calendar is based on a book called the “Seder Olam Rabbah”, which was written in 240 CE (AD).  Unfortunately, there is indication that there are up to 240 “missing years” in this calendar, which may or may not be deliberate.

Orthodox Rabbinic calendar – 6 Sivan, 5779

Orthodox Rabbinic calendar + 240 Missing Years – 6 Sivan, 6019

The Orthodox Rabbinic calendar, 5779, would place us several centuries away from the Second Coming of Christ.  The signs of the times (Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign) would suggest otherwise.  What about if we add in the 240 missing years to get 6019?  This would seem to put us into “overtime”.  Regarding both of these calendars – let me ask you this.  Do you think God, who is Sovereign and pre-planned this from the foundation of the world, would mix up His own year counts?  With the amazing preciseness of scripture, I am inclined to believe that God has orchestrated the symphony of humanity perfectly.  So let’s keep looking.

Remember all the begats and the age counts in Genesis?  These are actually extremely useful pieces of information when determining the age of the Earth, the timeline of the Great Flood, and the dividing of the Earth.  When combining the genealogical information in scripture with archaeological evidence, it appears that we have around 6000 years of human history.  Without getting into a creation debate, here are some articles if you are interested in the numbers:

begats.jpg

The Nazarene calendar uses the accounts in the Old Testament to date the year, much as current creation science does.  This is where God’s careful recording of genealogies comes into play!  All Scripture is there for a purpose, to lay out God’s plans and purposes.  Using numbers supplied in scripture, we can discern this timeline:

Adam to the Flood: 1656 years
Flood to the birth of Abraham 454 years
Abraham to the Exodus 430 years
Exodus to the First Temple 480 years
First Temple to the Exile 393 years
Exile to Second Temple 72 years
Total 3,485 years

Next, to count how many years there were between the building of the Second Temple until the year [2019] (i.e., now), we must switch to the Western (Roman) Gregorian calendar. The reason for this is that Scripture does not record these dates for us.

Now the Temple was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.  (Ezra 6:15)

Secular historians inform us that the sixth year of the reign of Persian King Darius took place in approximately 515 BCE. When we add 515 years to the [2019] years that have elapsed since Yeshua’s birth, we find that the Second Temple was built approximately 2520 years ago:

Second Temple built 515 BCE
Years elapsed since Yeshua’s birth [2019]
Total [2532] years

Now, to find the approximate age of the earth today (in the year 2019), we should add the number of years from the Creation to the building of the Second Temple (3,485) to the number of years from the building of the Second Temple until now (2,532). This will give us the approximate age of the earth in the year 2019 CE:

Creation to the Second Temple 3,485 years
Second Temple to 2019 CE 2,532 years
Years since the Creation (approximate) 6,017 years

(Source reference: Paul D Newman)

Bible Genealogy calendar – 6 Sivan, 6017

Using scripture as the backbone for our calendar is important.  I believe God gave us these specific ancestries and year counts on purpose – not just to verify Jesus’ bloodline.  However, using the biblical genealogies alone also puts us into “prophetic overtime”.  Since I do not believe this is a possibility, we need to keep searching.

 

The Calendar in the Sun, Moon, and Stars

The genealogies listed in scripture are useful pieces of information in the calendar of humanity.  However, after the Flood, they are based upon calendars which changed over time.  Thus, I suggest we need to corroborate these numbers with the calendar in the heavens.  Remember this verse?

And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years’

(Genesis 1:14 ESV)

God provided the sun, moon, and stars to serve as signs and to mark days and years.  The sun, moon, and stars have remained unchanged by humanity, even when the earth changed its’ course.  Is there any sign in these heavenly bodies that can give us a clue as to what “time” it is on God’s unchanging clock?

Well, yes there is.  Interestingly, when prophecy watchers started scanning the thousands of years of human history and future for a specific sign in the sun, moon, and stars described in Revelation 12:1-2, they found only one match.

And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.  She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth.  (Revelation 12:1-2 ESV)

The sign occurred on September 23, 2017 and is detailed HERE.

Rev12 sign

While the sign in fulfillment of Revelation 12:1-2 only occurs once, watchmen did find three other partial alignments.  These partial alignments occurred on September 11, 3 BC (Jesus’ birth?), August 27, 70 AD (destruction of Second Temple), and August 5, 3915 BC.  All extremely significant events for humanity.

 

August 5, 3915 Sign in the Sun, Moon, and Stars

Adam and Eve were created to be eternal beings, and in their perfection were granted to eat freely from the Tree of Life.  We are not told how long they were in their perfected state before they sinned, but I’m not sure it matters to us at this point.  It was only when they FELL and became physically mortal that time would begin.  It was when they FELL that humanity’s day counts and “work week” began:

…cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”  

(Genesis 3:17-19 ESV)

Mankind was allotted 7000 years before this form of heaven and earth would be complete and we would return to our eternal state (either with God or apart from Him – the choice is up to each one of us).

Regarding the alignment in the sun, moon, and stars on this date, see this excerpt from Unsealed:

There is a near perfect match on this date (though not as precise as the 2017 alignment).  In fact it is such a close match that it has been speculated that this could have been the date of the Fall of Mankind when God spoke these eerily relevant words to the devil and to Eve in Genesis 3:15-16:

And I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will crush your head,
and you will strike his heel.”

To the woman he said,
“I will make your pains in childbearing very severe;
with painful labor you will give birth to children.
Your desire will be for your husband,
and he will rule over you.”

Interestingly, in this dialogue the same three entities mentioned in Revelation 12 are also present: the serpent (Revelation 12:9), the woman, and the male child.  The planet Saturn, which some have speculated represents satan, happens to be near the heel of The Lion.

 

The calendar in the sun, moon, and stars would seem to possibly give us a date for the fall of mankind to be August 5, 3915 BCE.  What year would that put us in now?

3915 BC + 2019 (current year) – 1 (no year “0”) = 5934 years

Celestial Calendar – 6 Sivan, 5934

Using the Revelation 12:1-2 sign in 3915 BC puts us decades under 6000 years, right?  Or does it?

 

360 Versus 365.25 Days Per Year

At some point between the Flood and Today, the earth wobbled in its orbital path and gained a few days per year.  I would think it is safe to assume that the “fountains of the deep bursting forth” and the “windows of heaven opened” of the Flood had something to do with it.  The Bible doesn’t provide a lot of detail on this, but we know the post-Flood world was a significantly different environment than the pre-Flood world.  We also know that this instability of the earth’s crust lasted for a period of time – a few hundred years.  Scripture tells us that the land was divided (the crust shifted) “in the days of Peleg” after the Flood (Genesis 10:25).  So it took a while for things to settle down and come to their current resting place.

The result that pertains to us, is that somehow we ended up with approximately  365.25 day-years, instead of the 360 days per year from creation.  The length of a year is currently cited at 365.242190 days.  (Wikipedia)

Interestingly, the Bible uses a year length of 360 days in both Genesis and Revelation.

In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened.

(Genesis 7:11 ESV)

At the end of 150 days the waters had abated,  and in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.

(Genesis 8:3-4 ESV)

In Genesis chapters 7-8 we are told the Flood covered the land from the 17th day of the 2nd month to the 17th day of the 7th month.  This time period totals 150 days.  This would only be true if each month had 30 days in it.

…they will trample the holy city for forty-two months.  And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days…

(Revelation 11:2-3 ESV)

…and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.

(Revelation 12:6 ESV)

…so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time.

(Revelation 12:14 ESV)

And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream; he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time, and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be finished. 

(Daniel 12:7 ESV)

Forty-two 30-day months = 1260 days = “time, and times, and half a time” (“time”= 1 360-day year).

I would assume God uses 360 day years in His word for a reason, not just because the numbers round nicer than 365.25.  I would suggest that God has allotted 6000 years for humanity to rule based on the original creation of 360-day-years.

This is where I both agree and disagree with the Enoch/Zadok calendar.  I agree that God created the Earth with a 360-day solar year orbit.  Each month was 30 days, and the moon phases likely obeyed this 30 day pattern.  I also agree that after the rapture of the church, the Earth will once again have 360-day solar years with 30-day lunar months.  I believe that the resurrection / rapture event will be so severe as to cause the earth to sway and change its orbital path once again.

For the windows of heaven are opened,
    and the foundations of the earth tremble.
The earth is utterly broken,
    the earth is split apart,
    the earth is violently shaken.
The earth staggers like a drunken man;
    it sways like a hut;
its transgression lies heavy upon it,
    and it falls, and will not rise again.

(Isaiah 24:18-20 ESV)

Compare this to Genesis 6:

In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. (v.11 ESV)

earth reeling.jpg

Where I disagree with the Enoch/Zadok calendar is in laying the 360-day-year model on top of our current situation.  The Earth did change in orbit and tilt.  I believe the Earth will change in orbit and tilt.  While the sun, moon, and stars remained in place, the Earth’s relative position to them changed.  Thus, our perspective of them changed, and our observance of them had to change.  I do believe we can correct for this, though.

To figure out what year we are in, we need to account for the discrepancy between how the earth was created (360-day years) and how it is now (365.25-day years).

Biblical Precedence to Correcting for 360-Day-Years

Prior to the Global Flood, the Earth had 360-day years.  Subsequent to the Rapture, the Earth will have 360-day years.  It is the interim time we wish to correct for, in order to discern the current year.

We don’t want to just go ahead and apply corrections to day counts to support our theories without some sort of scriptural basis to do so.  Fortunately, I believe we have several instances that supports this correction.

The first is the 430 Days of Laying of Ezekiel:

“Then lie on your left side, and place the punishment of the house of Israel upon it. For the number of the days that you lie on it, you shall bear their punishment.  For I assign to you a number of days, 390 days, equal to the number of the years of their punishment. So long shall you bear the punishment of the house of Israel.  And when you have completed these, you shall lie down a second time, but on your right side, and bear the punishment of the house of Judah. Forty days I assign you, a day for each year.  And you shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem, with your arm bared, and you shall prophesy against the city.  And behold, I will place cords upon you, so that you cannot turn from one side to the other, till you have completed the days of your siege.”  Ezekiel 4:3-8 ESV

Ezekiel literally laid on his side for 430 consecutive days to represent the punishment Israel was facing for disobedience.  God even strapped him down so that he couldn’t turn.  FOR OVER A YEAR.  70 years are most certainly accounted for in the Babylonian Captivity.  But there were still 360 years remaining.

430 days laying.jpg

After their captivity, by and large the nation of Israel did not repent.  Many didn’t even return to the Promised Land, and most didn’t obey God’s commandments.  Even after the rebuilding of the Temple, Israel remained in rebellion.  Israel’s continued disobedience resulted in a greater punishment coming into effect.  This was forewarned by God through Moses in Leviticus 26.  In this chapter, God states four times that He will increase their punishment “sevenfold” if they continue to disobey.

360 remaining years of punishment x 7-fold = 2520 years of punishment remaining

2520 years x 360 days = 907, 200 days

907, 200 days divided by 365.25 days (current Gregorian calendar) = 2483.778 years (2483 years, 9 months, 10 days)

What do we do with these numbers?  Well, there are two different time periods that might qualify:

“The Servitude of the Nation” – prophesied to last 70 years – Started by the first siege of Nebuchadnezzar in 605BC.  This lasted 70 years to the day – using the prophetic 360 day-year – ending in 536BC in Nisan (March/April) .  Using this calculation:

2483 years, 9 months, 21 days  MINUS 536 years [3-4 months/unsure day] PLUS 1 year (no year “0”) = 1948 year [undetermined month/day]

Restoration of Israel as a Nation – May 14, 1948

“The Desolations of Jerusalem” – prophesied to last 70 years – Started by the third and last siege in 587/6 BC and resulted in the destruction and desolation of the Temple and the city of Jerusalem.  This also lasted 70 years, until 516/7 BC, when the Second Temple was finished.  Using this calculation:

2483 years, 9 months, 21 days  MINUS 516/7 years [unsure month/day] PLUS 1 year (no year “0”) = 1967 year [undetermined month/day]

Restoration of Jerusalem to Israel – June 7, 1967

It seems that Ezekiel’s 430 days of laying prophetically predict the scattering and regathering of Israel within days or months, when a 360-day-year correction is applied to our current orbit.  It is interesting that God uses the prophetic year of 360 days, even though Ezekiel certainly lived far after the Flood and the days of Peleg.  (For more on Ezekiel’s 430 days, please see: Ezekiel’s 430 Days of Laying)

Ezekiel’s 430 days of laying remind me of the 70 weeks prophecy given to Daniel, of which Jesus expected His people to be aware.

And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. (Luke 19:41-42 ESV)

The second example of 360-day-year correction is found in this 70 Weeks of Daniel prophecy.  Although Daniel’s prophecy was given post-Flood, when the Earth was surely in 365.25-day-year orbit, the dates given to him were in 360-day-years.

In Daniel 9:24, Daniel is given a prophecy:

Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city

Seventy weeks uses the Hebrew term “weeks” or “sevens”, which is a period of 7 years (much like our decade is a period of 10 years).  Seventy sets of seven years, or 70 weeks of years, is 490 years. Israel was to look for their anointed one, a prince, their Messiah, in 7+62 “weeks” from the decree issued in 445 BC.  69 weeks of years = 483 years.

The word to restore and build Jerusalem was given by King Artaxerxes in the month of Nisan in the 20th year of his reign.  Nisan 1 in his 20th year of his reign corresponds to March 14, 445 BC.  We learn from several places that a prophetic year is 360 days long.

483 years x 360 days = 173, 880 days

173, 880 days / 365.25 day-years = 476.06 years

445 BC – 476.06 years + 1 (no “year 0”) = 32 AD

[Or, 444 BC – 476.06 years + 1 = 33 AD (see here)]

Throughout His ministry, Jesus concealed His identity as the Son of God, at least in public.  This was so that He could proclaim Himself as Messiah on the very day foretold in the Scriptures.

palm sunday.jpg

Jesus deliberately arranged to enter Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the 10th of Nisan, 32 AD in fulfillment of Messianic prophecy (Zechariah 9:9, Psalm 118:26, Daniel 9:25).  On that day, he rode in to Jerusalem on a donkey while the crowd cheered Him on as the Messiah.  This was exactly 173, 880 days after Artaxerxes gave word to rebuild Jerusalem.  (For more on Daniel’s 70 Weeks, please see Daniel’s 70 Weeks)

Once again, in the example of Palm Sunday, it seems we have precedence not for laying a 360-day calendar over top of our current one, but for correcting our current orbit to an equivalent 360-day orbit.

There is Scriptural precedence given for correcting our calendar to a 360-day-year prophetic calendar.

So, What Time is It Really?

Let’s summarize so far:

  • Word of God – From scripture genealogies, we can place the global flood at 1656 AM (anno mundi, years after creation)
  • Mazzaroth – From the sun, moon, and stars, it seems we can possibly place the fall of man on August 5, 3915 BC
  • Prophecy – There is biblical precedence to correct for a 360-day-year Prophetic Calendar

 

First 360-Day Correction Calculation

In my original calculations, I guessed that things settled down to balance out to 365.25 days/year, on average, right after the flood.  To adjust current years to the prophetic 360-day years, it means humanity has existed for an extra ~5.25 days per year since the global flood.  If our allotted days are only 6000 360-day-years, we have actually “used up” more years than our calendars currently indicate.  Correcting for these extra days and converting them to 360-day-years:

3915 (Fall) – 1656 (Flood) = 2259 years humanity lived BC

+ 2019 years AD – 1 (no year 0)

= 4277 years lived with “extra days”

4277 x 365.25 (current days/year) / 360 (prophetic days/year) = 4339 360-day-year equivalent years since the Flood, lived by humanity

4339 (post flood years) + 1656 (preflood years) = 5995 years (+/- approximately half a year)

(Calculation 1) Prophetic Calendar – 6 Sivan, 5995 

I think we are getting much closer in our calculations here, but I’m not sure we are quite there yet.  The main concern with this calculation is that we don’t know how long the earth reeled for and when its’ orbit settled into 365.25-day-years.

Was the earth’s orbit affected when the land was divided post-flood in the days of Peleg?  What about in the days of Joshua?  The book of Joshua records for us a unique occasion where the “sun and moon stood still” to allow the Israelites to defeat their enemies.  How was the earth’s orbit affected at this time, or was it?

And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. 

(Joshua 10:13 ESV)

Through the work of Daniel Matson at Watchfortheday, it seems that another adjustment to the Earth’s axis may have occurred around 713BC during the days of King Hezekiah – documented in 2 Kings 20:8-11, when the sun’s shadow went backwards 10 steps.

And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “What shall be the sign that the Lord will heal me, and that I shall go up to the house of the Lord on the third day?”  And Isaiah said, “This shall be the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do the thing that he has promised: shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or go back ten steps?”  And Hezekiah answered, “It is an easy thing for the shadow to lengthen ten steps. Rather let the shadow go back ten steps.” And Isaiah the prophet called to the Lord, and he brought the shadow back ten steps, by which it had gone down on the steps of Ahaz. 

(2 Kings 20:8-11 ESV)

How do we factor in these additional uncertainties, or can we?

 

Should We Just Give Up?

I spent quite a bit of time in mental anguish here, wondering if God just wants us to give up trying to figure out what time it is.  I pleaded with Him – “Do You really not want us to know the time we are in?  You tell us to watch, to be ready!  You say You will not do anything without revealing it to Your prophets.  We know we are in the season, but You suggest we can know more than that.  Please help me, Lord!”

God expected the Jews to be aware of the time:

You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

(Luke 12:56 ESV)

It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out.  

(Proverbs 25:2 ESV)

For the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets.

(Amos 3:7 ESV)

Remember that Jesus’ triumphal entry was able to be counted down to the exact day.  The restoration of Israel was able to be counted down to the exact year.  And here is where I believe God impressed upon my heart the Key of Enoch.

Enoch.jpg

For days, I couldn’t get Enoch off my mind.  Tradition, plus the extra-biblical text of Enoch, holds that Enoch was both born and raptured on the same day of the year – Pentecost.  I had just written a series on Pentecost and how it intimately relates to the body of Christ (Everything You Need to Know About Pentecost, the Feast that Ties It All Together For The Church).  What if God raptured Enoch, pre-flood, at 365 years exactly to give us a clue?  If we use the number 365.0 in our calculation as the correction factor, does that adjust for all the wobbling the earth went through?  You’ve got to admit that it is kind of interesting that Enoch would be raptured specifically at 365.0 years old (instead of, say, 360, or 492, or 253, or….).

Second 360-Day/Year Correction Calculation (From Enoch’s Rapture):

I considered that it might be Enoch’s rapture date that should be used for the 365.0 day correction start point instead of the Flood.  Enoch was raptured 669 years prior to the Flood.  That number surely must be significant in some way?  What if we are to take it into account in the calendar correction?

August 5, 3915 BC – Fall of Man

17 Iyar, 1656 AM (3915 – 1656 = 2259 BC) – Flood

Enoch’s Rapture Date = 669 years prior to the Flood at age 365

= 2259 + 669 = 2928 BC on Pentecost

August 5, 3915 BC – Pentecost 2928 BC = 987.05 years x 360 = 355,338 Days pre-Enoch Rapture

Pentecost 2928 BC – Pentecost 2019 AD (-1, no “year 0) = 4946.0 years

x 365 = 1,805,290 Days post-Enoch Rapture

Total Days of Humanity = 2,160,628 / 360

= 6001.7 years (the date as of Pentecost, June 9, 2019)

(+/- up to 1 year)

 (Calculation 2) Prophetic calendar – 6 Sivan, 6001.7

This calculation would seem to put us into prophetic overtime.

 

Third 360-Day/Year Correction Calculation (From Global Flood):

Using the global flood as a start point, instead of Enoch’s rapture, we get:

August 5, 3915 BC – Fall of Man

17 Iyar, 1656 AM (2259 BC) – Flood

3915 – 1656 = 2258.7 years pre-Flood

+ 2019.05 years (Pentecost, Sivan 6) – 1 (no year 0)

= 4276.75 years lived with “extra days” (from Flood until today)

4276.75 x 365 (Enoch days/year) = 1,561,013.75 days

1656 (pre-Flood years)  x 360 = 596,160 days

1,561,013.75 + 596,160 = 2,157,173.75 days / 360

= 5992.15 years (the date as of Pentecost, June 9, 2019)

(Calculation 3) Prophetic calendar – 6 Sivan, 5992 

Prophetic calendar – Pentecost 2020 (~May 31, TBD) – 6 Sivan, 5993

 

Using the flood as a start point would seem to be logical, since we know that is when the earth was changed from its’ 360-day year course.  It doesn’t, however, take the time gap between Enoch’s rapture and the flood into account, if that is meant to be a clue.

 

Let’s Review

I would suggest that by using the clues God has given us in scripture and in His celestial calendar, we can come close to knowing the current year on God’s Prophetic Calendar. As far as how to put all the pieces together, and which is most accurate, I cannot say I know for sure.  I hope, though, that the above calculations have made sense and have given you ideas for further research.

In summary, as of June 9, 2019 (Pentecost) the “time” could be:

Gregorian calendar – June 9, 2019

Orthodox Rabbinic calendar – 6 Sivan, 5779

Orthodox Rabbinic calendar + 240 Missing Years – 6 Sivan, 6019

Bible Genealogy calendar – 6 Sivan, 6017

Celestial Calendar – 6 Sivan, 5934

(Calculation 1) Prophetic Calendar – 6 Sivan, 5995

(Calculation 2) Prophetic calendar – 6 Sivan, 6001.7

(Calculation 3) Prophetic calendar – 6 Sivan, 5992

 

I am persuaded to continue to weave together all of God’s clues. Stay tuned for Part 2!

 

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Note:  This article was previously published as What Year is it Really?  (Is it 5991?) on April 27, 2018, and Calendars, Calendars, Calendars… 360 Days Versus 365 Days Per Year – The Clue of Enoch on May 28, 2018.

Further Resources:

Are you CERTAIN of your Salvation, beyond a shadow of a doubt?  Do you KNOW that no matter when the rapture occurs, you will be counted worthy to escape?  If not, please read What Must I do to Be Saved.

God’s Prophetic Timeline – 7000 Years of Humanity

The Fig Tree Sign and Israel’s Rebirth

Ezekiel’s 430 Days of Laying

The Terminal Generation

Revelation 12 – A Sign in the Heavens, September 23, 2017

Year 6000 – This Wikipedia page discusses the Jewish expectation of the Messianic Age to begin at year 6000 at the latest.  Their calendar is off (see the discussion on the missing years, and the 360-day calendar conversion above), but this shows the Jewish belief of the 7000 years destined for humanity.

God’s Challenge!  Understand My Plan by Douglas Berner

God’s Mosaic – A Whole Scripture Overview of Things To Come

Main Menu – God’s Mosaic Prophecy Model

The Bible is infallible.  I am not.  I am merely challenging traditional models and testing them against Scripture.  I believe that traditional pretribulation teachings provide a solid backbone upon which to lay the musculature of details.  I encourage you to consider my thoughts as you also examine the scriptures to see if these things are so!

Revelation Chapter 12 – A Grand Synopsis of the Rapture and Daniel’s 70th Week

/ Stephanie Dawn / 3 Comments

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(Note: This is an update from previous articles Revelation 12 – Rapture and Tribulation Overview and Revelation 12 – A Visual Rearrangment)

Ooooh, you guys!  I just love Revelation 12 so much.

Over the last few years we have had SO much excitement over this little chapter – particularly with verses one through five.  You know you’re a watchman when your point of reference for events is “pre-Rev12” and “post-Rev12” – referencing the Revelation 12 sign that occurred on September 23, 2017.  If you are just joining us here, you just have to read through these amazing articles – you just HAVE to!!!!

Revelation 12 is a fascinating chapter.  Up to this point in the book of Revelation, we have seen views of end time events in the throne room of God in heaven (the “third heaven”, where God dwells).  We have also seen views on earth and in the atmosphere (the “first heaven”).  Now, in chapter 12, we are privileged to see a view of end time events as they appear in the universe/space (the “second heaven”), as well as in the first and third heavens.

Revelation 12 uniquely gives an overview of the entire Tribulation Week (Time of Jacob’s Trouble) from all 3 vantage points – the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd heavens.

An overview of the entire tribulation period, you say?  Well, I want you to consider the structure of the book of Revelation itself.  It seems that in his visions, John is first given a sweeping overview, followed by what I call “detail pop-outs”.  These details are given in separate parts of his visions, after the overview.  I believe this is the structure of Revelation chapter 12 as well.  I suggest to you that verses 1-6 give an overview, and the rest of the chapter fills in the details.

In this post I hope to visually demonstrate what I mean by rearranging the verses in what I suggest is chronological order.  Some of this may challenge what you currently believe.  I don’t want to be dogmatic about it, I just want to see what you think!

Visual Rearrangement – Revelation 12

1 And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.  2 She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth.  3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems.  4 His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth.  And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it.  7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon.  And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

5 She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne,  10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.  [Chapter 7: 9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”]

12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”

13 And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.  6 and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.  14 But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time.  15 The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. 16 But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth.

17 Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.  13:1 And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads… 13:5 And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. 13:6 It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. 13:7 Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, 13:8 and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.

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Verse-By-Verse Commentary – Revelation 12

Verse 1 – And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.

  • There is no reason to believe anything other than that this is a literal alignment that appears in the heavens (constellations – second heaven – space).  God placed the sun, moon, and the stars deliberately, and He controls their movements (Genesis 1:14).
  • The only woman constellation is Virgo.  While “Virgo” is the corrupted astrological name for the constellation, in the Mazzaroth (God’s redemption plan in the heavens) Virgo is generally considered to represent Israel.  At this point in time, the woman is in unbelief (believing Jews are instead considered part of the church).
  • This vision of John’s is reminiscent of Joseph’s dream in Genesis 37:9-11.
  • This sign, in its completion, seems to appear in the heavens in one time only in human history – September 23, 2017.

Verse 2 – She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth.

  • The heavens obviously can’t be pregnant, but the theme of labor pains and birth is used to describe the “discomfort” of the end of the age in multiple places in scripture. (Isaiah 26; Matthew 24).  It’s interesting that the woman is described as already in birth pains and in the agony of giving birth here, before the dragon is described.
  • It’s possible the crying out in verse 2 illustrates the early fulfillment of Ezekiel’s vision of the Valley of Dry Bones (Ezekiel 37), where Israel is restored nationally and physically before she is restored spiritually.  This is described in Isaiah 26 as Israel laboring by herself (without God) to attempt to obtain deliverance.  The woman is clearly Israel, and it is her who is in pain.
  • God is not about to bring to the point of birth without delivery (Isaiah 66:9).  Israel is about to enter TRUE birth pains, and receive TRUE deliverance.

Verse 3 – And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems.

  • This is “another sign”, separate and distinct from the “great sign” in verses 1-2.  This sign has prompted a whole host of speculations as to what it might be!
  • The dragon constellations include Draco, Serpens, and Hydra.  Will any or all of these be involved in the sign of the red dragon?  What about the yearly Draconid meteor showers in the fall?  What about Planet X?  Some people suspect a mysterious planet or planetary system could be involved.
  • Maybe the dragon sign won’t be in the sun, moon, and stars at all – maybe it’s a separate kind of sign from the “great sign”.  As of the time of this post, no one is truly sure how the dragon sign will play out, although it will likely become clear as the time of its fulfillment is imminent.  I am inclined to agree that we probably won’t physically see a sign.
  • The seven-headed, ten-horned dragon, however the sign plays out, is clearly a reference to satan.  (We are explicitly told this in Revelation 12:9 and 20:2)
  • Elsewhere, we see a seven-headed, ten-horned Beast (Daniel & Revelation), which is also satan, or the human kings he controls.  The heads are wearing diadems (like crowns); we are told they are kings.

Verse 4 – His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth.  And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it.

  • The Bible refers to angels as “stars of heaven” multiple times, such as in Job 38:7.  It seems that this third of the stars of heaven is quite possibly referring to the portion of the angelic host that joined satan/Lucifer in his initial rebellion (Isaiah 14:12-15, Ezekiel 28:12-17).  When they fell, they were cast to the earth, where they are now the powers, principalities, and rulers of this present world (Ephesians 6:12).
  • If verse 4 is giving an overview of the “war in heaven”, then this casting down of stars to the earth would suggest the fallen angelic host will no longer have access to the third heaven, where God dwells.  While satan has this privilege currently, we are not told if his horde does or not.
  • There may be a connection between this event and Seal 6, in which “stars fall from the sky” (Revelation 6:13).  If this connection is valid, then it seems that the fallen angels will somehow be involved in the fulfillment of the so-called dragon sign.  (“alien invasion” anyone?)
  • Note that the dragon isn’t actually devouring the woman or her child, but is anticipating devouring her child.  He wants to, but the child hasn’t been born yet.
  • One might say the dragon is being restrained from devouring the child (wink, wink).


Verse 7 – Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon.  And the dragon and his angels fought back,

  • “Now” brings us to a different part of the vision, referencing back to the dragon of verse 3-4.  This seems to lend credence to the view that verses 1-6 are an overview, and we are about to be filled in with the details, starting with the dragon.
  • Is the war in heaven when the child is snatched?  Is it when the woman flees?  We are not told what causes the battle, but the most likely scenario in my opinion would be the rapture of the Church.  John MacArthur makes the interesting suggestion that the prince of the power of the air and his demon hosts may try to hinder the passage of the raptured believers as they pass through their realm (Rev 12:3-4), which would trigger the battle with Michael and the holy angels (Rev 12:7-8).  I believe this has strong merit, as the dragon is poised to devour the child as it is being born.
  • This is a monumental war, guys.  It’s not like war erupts in heaven every day, like it does on earth.  This war is over something BIG.

Verse 8 – but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.

  • There is no longer any place for Satan and his demons in heaven.  Now listen, until this moment, there apparently WAS a place for them in heaven.
  • “Place” here doesn’t so much refer to space or room, but to purpose (Strong’s 5117, topos).  Biblehub describes this as “the condition or station held by one in any company or assembly” or “opportunity, power, occasion for acting”.
  • What was satan’s purpose in heaven?  Satan, after his initial fall, retained access to God’s throne in order to accuse believers before Him (remember the book of Job?).
  • There’s no longer any purpose/place for him to do so all of a sudden.  Why?
  • I would suggest there is momentarily no longer any believers left to accuse on earth – as they have all just been raptured.  Think about it…  Big event, big war, no purpose for satan in heaven anymore…

Verse 9 – And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

  • As we learned in verse 8, since there is no longer purpose for them in heaven, they are cast to the earth.  There is still purpose for them there, which is a “woe” for the inhabitants of earth.  Note that verse 12 is coincident with this event.
  • I see possible connection between the casting down of Satan and his horde in verse nine with Seal 6, where the “stars” fall from heaven to the earth (Rev 6:13 – “and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind“).   In v4 we have already been introduced to the fallen angels as being “stars”, and we know Satan and the demons are cast down to the earth.  Are the figs dropping as part of the “fig tree generation”?  Is the strong wind the Holy Spirit ascending to heaven with us – the reverse of the Holy Spirit descending as a strong wind from heaven on Pentecost, detailed in the book of Acts?  What do you think?

Verse 5 – She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne,

  • Rapture time!!!
  • Using an interlinear translation, we see the woman give birth to a male huion arsen (Strong’s 5207 and 730).  This male child is to shepherd the nations with a rod of iron.  The woman is  identified as Israel (the corporate entity), who brings forth Jesus (the male child – huion arsen).  A child, teknon (Strong’s 5043), is then caught up to God and to His throne.
  • When Jesus ascended to heaven, He was not seized suddenly with great force, nor was He in any danger from the dragon.  In Acts 1:9, Jesus is lifted up (eperthe – Strong’s 1869) until He is hidden from view.  We see this word in 19 other instances in scripture, and it means “exalts;  lifts itself; lifting up voice or eyes; lifting up; turning gaze“.
  • The child in Rev 12:5 is “caught up” – herpasthe (Strong’s 726), not eperthe .  Where else do we see Strong’s Greek 726?  1 Thessalonians 4:17 – Those who are alive and remain will be caught up together…; 2 Cor. 12:2, 4 Paul is caught up to the third heaven; Acts 23:10 – take him away from them by force; Acts 8:39 – Philip is snatched by the Spirit of the Lord.  There are 14 instances of this word in scripture and it means “plucked; seized; snatched suddenly and forcefully“.  There is quite a difference between being lifted or raised and being snatched or seized, isn’t there?
  • Let’s take a look at the child who is snatched.  Is it the same child as the male child – huion arsen?  Well, no, in fact, it isn’t.  This child that is snatched is a teknon (Strong’s 5043).  This is a commonly used word to mean children, child, descendant (gender neutral).
  • If Israel represents the corporate entity of Israel, the child (neutral gender) represents the corporate entity of the church – Jew and Gentile made one in Christ.  It is the church that is snatched up, suddenly and forcefully.  It is the church to whom Jesus has promised to share His iron-rod rule with (Revelation 2:26-27).
  • The woman, currently unbelieving, is left behind.
  • Are you stunned?  From Isaiah 66 we know that “before she was in labor she gave birth”.  This is entirely consistent with Jesus telling us that when we BEGIN to see all these things (the beginning of birth pains sign He describes on the Mount of Olives), that our redemption draws near.  As Israel enters her birth pains, the time of Jacob’s Trouble, the body of Christ will be delivered.  The nation that is born in one day is the body of Christ (1 Peter 2:9).
  • Listen folks – the rapture IS equivalent to salvation at this one moment in human existence – there is no partial birth, no partial rapture!
  • Still not convinced:  Please see these amazing articles on Unsealed:

Verse 10 – And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.

  • Woohoo!  Celebration in heaven as the accuser has been cast down.  Note that this is coincident with verse 12 – heaven is rejoicing.
  • Salvation has come through the power of Christ – the power of resurrection and eternal life – our blessed hope, the rapture!

Verse 11 – And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.

  • Who is the “they” that have conquered the accuser?
  • Okay guys, I’m going to have to do some fast talking here not to lose you.  I realize this but please, hear me out!
  • Who is it that conquers satan by the blood of the Lamb?  Don’t we all, as believers?  I mean, we don’t conquer satan by our own strength.  It is the blood of the Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world, that gives us victory over sin and death.
  • Who is it that conquers satan by the word of their testimony?  Don’t we all, as believers?  The word of our testimony is that we confess that Jesus is Lord.
  • Check out the comparison with Romans 10:9-10 – “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”  Is not this conquering by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony?
  • Those who persisted in faith until the end (death for those who died, the moment of the rapture for those yet living) are the overcomers!  The conquerors!  “For everyone born of God overcomes the world.  This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.  Who is it that overcomes the world?  Only the one who believers that Jesus is the Son of God.”  1 John 5:4-5
  • I do believe that the reference to not loving their lives even unto death is reference to the martyrs in Christ, but that is a topic for another post!

[Chapter 7:9-10 – After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”]

  • Just dropping this bomb here… note the close association with verse 10 – singing about salvation…
  • Vast multitude… largest group ever seen in heaven by far… from every nation, tribe, people, and language… clothed in white and singing about salvation… immediately post-birth event… pre-tribulation… as Israel is about to enter her true birth pains…
  • Big event, war in heaven, no purpose for the accuser anymore…
  • Just chew on it.

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Verse 12 – Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”

  • This verse is coincident with verses 9 (dragon cast down – woe to the earth) and 10 (salvation celebrated with the accuser having been thrown down – rejoicing in heaven).
  • We see here the extremes of rejoicing in heaven contrasted with the woes on earth.  This is a theme throughout the book of Revelation.
  • With the Restrainer removed (the Holy Spirit indwelling in the body of Christ), satan will now unleash his deception upon the remainder of humanity – who refused to be saved. (note yet another connection between salvation/rapture).   “The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.  Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12)
  • God will use satan for His purposes, to fulfill the time of Jacob’s Trouble and the Day of the Lord.

Verse 13 – And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.

  • Satan immediately starts pursuing Israel.  I want you to note that the word is pursuing, not devouring or attacking.
  • Let’s go to the interlinear, because I’m not quite sure you believe me!  Pursued is Strong’s 1377 – dioko.  While Strong’s lists the definition as “to put to flight, pursue, by implication to persecute”, HELPS Word-studies has a different take – “1377 diṓkō – properly, aggressively chase, like a hunter pursuing a catch (prize). 1377 (diṓkō) is used positively (“earnestly pursue”) and negatively (“zealously persecute, hunt down”). In each case, 1377 (diṓkō) means pursue with all haste (“chasing” after), earnestly desiring to overtake (apprehend).”
  • Satan will aggressively and zealously pursue Israel, earnestly desiring to overtake her.  Instead of viewing the pursuing as open and hostile aggression, though, I tend to view it as manipulative and cunning.  Think of it as deceptive infiltration.
  • I would suggest in the first half of Daniel’s 70th week, satan will try to make this pursuing look positive.  Imagine satan trying to woo Israel as her long-awaited Messiah.  Israel is expecting a Messiah and I believe that satan will have his antichrist attempt to step into that role.

Verse 6 – and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.

  •  Admittedly, the placement of verse 6 can cause some consternation.  Without viewing verses 1-6 as an overview, with details following, it can seem that the rapture might not be until mid-tribulation.  But is that what the rest of scripture tells us?  Clearly, a literal interpretation of scripture describes a pretribulation rapture.  So what gives?  There is a gap in the overview between verses 5 and 6.
  • In verse 6 we skip forward to view the fate of the woman, at some point (approximately 1260 days, or 3.5 years) after her child has been snatched.
  • John Abent in his book “Signs in the Heavens” suggests that the 144,000 sealed Jews flee to the wilderness right away after the rapture event.  He sees the 2 witnesses as instructing them there in the wilderness, teaching them as Jesus taught His disciples for 3.5 years.  If this is correct, it would give an amazing key to the timeline in Revelation – defining two consecutive 1260 day time periods.  After the initial 1260 days, the abomination of desolation would occur, and the watching faithful Jews would join these in the wilderness for the last 1260 days  of “Greatest Tribulation” described in Matthew 24.  I’m not sure that I agree with this view, but I thought that it was worth considering.
  • Because we are viewing a grand panorama, I believe that verse 6 is more than likely an identification marker.  It is used to positively identify the woman as the elect remnant – faithful, believing Israelites – by clearly connecting her identity to later verses.
  • Verse 6 positively identifies the woman, and tells us what will become of her.
  • [Totally unrelated, but I have heard speculated that God will again provide manna for the people of Israel in the wilderness – wouldn’t that be so wonderful!]

Verse 14 – But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time.

  • Here we have the detail of how the woman (faithful Israel) will flee to the wilderness.
  • When the abomination of desolation is placed in the Third Temple, and the antichrist claims to be “god”, observing Jews will recognize the warning of Jesus from Matthew 24/Daniel 9 and flee to the wilderness.
  • The wings of the eagle and flight here refer to the speed with which she flees.  There is also connection to being sheltered under the wings of the Lord (for further discussion please see: The Woman Flees to a Place Prepared).
  • I would suggest that this is when Michael stands up (Daniel 12:1), to defend and protect Israel in the wilderness for the duration of the 1260 days of Beast rule.  Guys, it makes sense.  Michael is Israel’s angelic prince.  He’s not relieved of his duties for the worst time of her life.  Instead, he gets an extra-special assignment!
  • Verse 14 confirms what verse 6 stated – believing Israel will be securely protected by God in the wilderness throughout the time of “greatest tribulation”.
  • This verse also gives us confirmation that time, times, and half a time is equivalent to 1260 days, when related back to verse 6.

Verse 15 – The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood.

  • Will this be literal water?  Possibly, but I don’t think so.
  • I think a more likely explanation might be armed troops, as the same word for water (Strong’s 5204) is used in Revelation 17 to represent many peoples.  “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters… And the angel said to me, “The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages.” (Revelation 17:1,15)  So the serpent (dragon) could send forth many peoples after Israel, to try to drown her out before she reaches safety.
  • Another possibility for the water that the serpent sends forth might be demonic entities that chase elect Israel as she flees. Why demonic entities?  I base this interpretation from a similar description during the 6th Bowl judgment, where impure spirits flow from the mouths of the dragon, beast, and false prophet –  “Then I saw three impure spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet.  They are demonic spirits that perform signs” (Revelation 16:13-14).  Note the similarities of pouring out of the mouths of the serpent versus the unholy trinity (dragon, beast, false prophet).  This is not the SAME event, as verse 15 is at the midpoint of the 7 year period, and Bowl 6 is near the very end of the 7 year period.

Verse 16 – But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth.

  • I don’t see why this couldn’t refer to the earth literally opening its mouth, with sinkholes or an earthquake.
  • Whatever this “earth opening its mouth” is, God saves the fleeing Jews from the serpent/dragon/satan in this way.

Verse 17 – Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.

  • In this chapter, we have already seen the woman (believing Israel) and the Church (gender neutral child/descendant).  Who then are the “rest of her offspring”?  Here we see the woman’s other offspring (spermatos – gender neutral – Strong’s 4690), that have come after the baby that was snatched up to heaven.  Since the woman is securely hiding in the wilderness at this point, these offspring must be the post-rapture gentile followers of Christ – the “tribulation saints”.
  • We find out in Revelation chapter 13 that these saints will be given into satan’s hand.  Most will become “tribulation martyrs” during the “greatest tribulation” period – the last half of Daniel’s 70th week.

Chapter 13:1 And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads… 13:5 And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. 13:6 It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. 13:7 Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, 13:8 and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.

  • Throughout the duration of the last half of Daniel’s 7th week (3.5 years, or 1260 days), the antichrist has global rule, blasphemes the one true God and His followers, and slaughters the tribulation saints.  He is not allowed to touch the believing remnant of Israel, who is hiding in the wilderness under God’s hand of protection.

And thus concludes our study on Revelation chapter 12, with a little sneak peek at chapter 13.  I hope I’ve given you some food for thought!

tribulation overview.jpeg

Further Resources:

Are you CERTAIN of your Salvation, beyond a shadow of a doubt?  Do you KNOW that no matter when the rapture occurs, you will be counted worthy to escape?  If not, please read What Must I do to Be Saved.

God’s Mosaic – A Whole Scripture Overview of Things To Come

Main Menu – God’s Mosaic Prophecy Model

The Bible is infallible.  I am not.  I am merely challenging traditional models and testing them against Scripture.  I believe that traditional pretribulation teachings provide a solid backbone upon which to lay the musculature of details.  I encourage you to consider my thoughts as you also examine the scriptures to see if these things are so!

Examining the Day of the Lord In-Depth

/ Stephanie Dawn / Leave a comment

We have already discussed an overview of the Day of the Lord here: The Day of the Lord.  Now let’s take a look more in-depth, examining some of the many passages which pertain to it!

Scripture References

“The Day of the Lord” is elsewhere referred to as “The Great Day”, “The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord”, “The Time of Jacob’s Trouble”, “The Day of God”, and “That Day of Which I Have Spoken”.  Sometimes it is referred to as simply, “That Day” or “The Day”.

Isaiah 24:21-22; Zephaniah 1:14-18; Isaiah 13:4-6,9-11; Jeremiah 46:10; Job 20:28-29; Ezekiel 30:3-4; Isaiah 27:1; Joel 3:12-14; Zephaniah 3:8; Romans 2:16; Revelation 6:15-17; Amos 5:18-20; Isaiah 2:12; Joel 1:15; Joel 2:1-2; Matthew 7:22-23; John 12:48; Romans 2:5; Jeremiah 30:7-8; Joel 2:23-28; Isaiah 11:11; Isaiah 27:12-13; Micah 4:6-7; Matthew 24:30-31; Mark 13:26-27; Zephaniah 3:14-20; Isaiah 4:5-6; Isaiah 26:1; Joel 2:32; Joel 3:16-18; Zechariah 9:16-17; Isaiah 4:3-4; Zephaniah 3:11-13; Zechariah 14:20-21; Malachi 4:1-2; Micah 4:8; Micah 5:8-9; Daniel 12:1-2; John 6:40; John 11:24; 1 Corinthians 1:8; 2 Timothy 1:12; 2 Timothy 4:8; Ezekiel 38:14-16; Zechariah 14:2; Revelation 20:8-9; Isaiah 4:2; Isaiah 11:10; Jeremiah 30:9; Hosea 3:5; Amos 9:11; Zechariah 9:9; Zechariah 12:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3; Matthew 24:43-44; Luke 12:39-40; Mark 13:32; 2 Peter 3:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:4-8; Ezekiel 13:5; Zephaniah 2:1-3; Malachi 4:5; 2 Peter 3:11-12; Matthew 24:33; Mark 13:29; Luke 21:31; 2 Thessalonians 2:3; Acts 2:19-20; Joel 2:30-31; Joel 2:10; Luke 21:11; Joel 2:2-4; Amos 5:27; Matthew 24:21; Mark 13:19; Isaiah 11:12-14; Haggai 2:23; Zechariah 3:8… (I’m sure there are more as well!)

DOTL

Beginning of the Day of the Lord

The Day of the Lord will start suddenly, unexpectedly, and catastrophically.  It is described as coming upon the earth “like a trap”, “as labor pains”, and “as a thief in the night”.  The Day of the Lord starts with an earthquake that becomes global in scope, like nothing the earth has ever experienced before. The beginning of the Day of the Lord has strong connections with the events of Seal 6, the beginning of birth pangs (Olivet Discourse), and the Gog Magog war, and is marked by:

  • God rises in judgment and wrath (Mt 24, Rev6, Ez38-39)
  • The birth pangs begin  (Mt24, Mk13, Lk21)
  • Sudden, unexpected destruction (Mt 24, Rev6, Ez38-39)
  • Great war (Mt 24, Rev6, Ez38-39)
  • Global earthquake (Mt 24, Rev6, Ez38-39)
  • Famine (Mt 24, Rev6)
  • Pestilence (Mt 24, Rev6, Ez38-39)
  • Wild beasts (Rev6, Ez38-39)
  • Dark sun  (Rev6)
  • Blood red moon (Rev6)
  • Men HIDE in fear (Rev6)

Note the Blood Moon Sign, which is a special key unique to Joel 2, Acts 2, and Revelation 6 and is detailed more in this post:  Precursors to the Day of the Lord. 

“And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke.  The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.”  Joel 2:30-31 ESV

And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood,  before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’  Acts 2:19-21 ESV

When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood,  and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale.  The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.  Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains,  calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb,  for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”  Revelation 6:12-17 ESV

The Blood Moon Sign specifically comes BEFORE the Day of the Lord, but it seems that the inhabitants of the earth recognize that “the great day of wrath” has arrived when it appears.  The blood moon will occur in conjunction with worldwide earthquakes, wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke.  This catastrophe on a global scale will certainly be identified as an “act of God”.

Any pause between the blood moon sign and the Day of the Lord officially beginning may be explained by Seal 7’s “about a 1/2 hour of silence”.  During this silence, perhaps satan’s great deception will be revealed or perhaps it is the “great angelic war” of Revelation 12.

Note that Joel introduced us to wonders in the heavens, blood, fire, vapor of smoke (volcanic eruptions), and a great earthquake which moves every mountain and island.  Note other passages which connect these same signs:

“But on that day, the day that Gog shall come against the land of Israel, declares the Lord God, my wrath will be roused in my anger.  For in my jealousy and in my blazing wrath I declare, On that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel.  The fish of the sea and the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the field and all creeping things that creep on the ground, and all the people who are on the face of the earth, shall quake at my presence. And the mountains shall be thrown down, and the cliffs shall fall, and every wall shall tumble to the ground. I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Lord God. Every man’s sword will be against his brother.  With pestilence and bloodshed I will enter into judgment with him, and I will rain upon him and his hordes and the many peoples who are with him torrential rains and hailstones, fire and sulfur.  So I will show my greatness and my holiness and make myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord.” (Ezekiel 38:18-23 ESV)

After this event, Israel burns the weapons of war for 7 years – placing the start of the Day of the Lord approximately 7 years before the end of the Day of the Lord (as fuel sources will not be needed in the Millennial Kingdom; regardless, it is unlikely they would survive the destruction of Jerusalem at the Second Coming anyways).  Isaiah tells us that in the Kingdom Age, weapons will be beaten into ploughshares and pruning hooks (agricultural implements), not burned.  

He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.  Isaiah 2:4 ESV

Ezekiel 38 additionally mentions ALL the people on earth being affected, just as Seal 6 did.  We find ALL the people on earth hiding as the Day of the Lord begins in Isaiah as well:

Enter into the rock and hide in the dust from before the terror of the Lord, and from the splendor of his majesty. The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.  For the Lord of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up—and it shall be brought low; And people shall enter the caves of the rocks and the holes of the ground, from before the terror of the Lord, and from the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to terrify the earth. In that day mankind will cast away their idols of silver and their idols of gold, which they made for themselves to worship, to the moles and to the bats, to enter the caverns of the rocks and the clefts of the cliffs, from before the terror of the Lord,  and from the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to terrify the earth.  (Isaiah 2:10-12, 19-21 ESV)

Everyone on earth responds in fear at the Beginning of the Day of the Lord. Additionally, the Beginning is marked by “birth pangs” as in “labor”:

Wail, for the day of the Lord is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty.  Because of this, all hands will go limp, every heart will melt with fear. Terror will seize them, pain and anguish will grip them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at each other, their faces aflame.  See, the day of the Lord is coming —a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger—to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it.   (Isaiah 13:6-9 ESV)

Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you,  for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.  While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.  (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3 ESV)

These are the words that the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah:  “Thus says the Lord: We have heard a cry of panic, of terror, and no peace.  Ask now, and see, can a man bear a child? Why then do I see every man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor?  Why has every face turned pale?  (Jeremiah 30:4-6 ESV)

The “beginning of birth pains” are defined by Jesus in the Olivet Discourse:

7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.  8 All these are the beginning of birth pains. (Matthew 24)  8For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains. (Mark 13) 10 Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. (Luke 21) 

“All these” groups the birth pains together as they act collectively.  The birth pains are represented by the Seals in Revelation 6 – the time has come for Jesus to unseal the title deed to Earth.  The “scroll” details how the reclamation will occur; the seals detail what is unrestrained/released at the initial opening of the scroll.  The effects of the opened seals will continue on throughout the entire Day of the Lord.

Seals:

  1. White horse with a rider, conquering (antichrist, now unrestrained from rising to power)
  2. Red horse with a rider, war and murder (unrestrained violence, possibly marked by the Gog/Magog war)
  3. Black horse with a rider, scales in hand (unrestrained economic oppression/control; famine)
  4. Pale horse ridden by Death, followed by Hades.  1/4 of humanity killed by sword, famine, pestilence, wild beasts (a result from the effects of the other seals)
  5. Martyrdom (unrestrained global anti-Christ religion will result in martyred believers in Christ)
  6. The third heaven is opened to receive the church (as the church is born, Rev12), resulting in a global earthquake, which in turn causes volcanic eruptions.  The ash and smoke in the atmosphere cause the sun to appear black and the moon to appear red.  Those on earth can see into heaven and hide from God and the Lamb.  Satan and the fallen angels are cast down from heaven onto the earth (stars falling – Rev12); alternately the “stars falling” could be meteors/asteroids.
  7. Silence in heaven for “about half an hour”.  After this, peals of thunder, rumblings, lightning, an earthquake.

The only other place a “great sign in heaven” is mentioned, other than Luke 21, is in Revelation 12:1-2.  This is an interesting connection, because this sign occurred in September 2017 (see HERE).

This day, the Day of the Lord, will come like a trap upon those on the earth, but note that there is an escape route prior to the start – the rapture of the church:

“But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.  For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth.  But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”  (Luke 21:24-26 ESV)  

Like a pregnant woman who writhes and cries out in her pangs when she is near to giving birth, so were we because of you, O Lord; we were pregnant, we writhed, but we have given birth to wind. We have accomplished no deliverance in the earth, and the inhabitants of the world have not fallen. Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead.  Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until the fury has passed by. For behold, the Lord is coming out from his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it, and will no more cover its slain.   (Isaiah 26:17-21 ESV)

The passage in Isaiah 26 is particularly interesting in that it connects the dead rising (resurrection), God’s people entering their chambers to hide (rapture), and God coming out of His silence to punish the earth (beginning of wrath).

It appears that God rises up in wrath to supernaturally protect Israel from imminent destruction, and whisks the church out of the way at the same time.  God is fully in charge of the timing of this event – he “hooks the jaws” of Gog to lead him as a horse into position.  Likewise, Jesus is the “author and finisher of our faith”, and thus controls when the “fullness of the Gentiles” (Rom 11:25) is complete.  God has a Day of which He has spoken, and this Day will begin exactly at the time He has preordained.

During the Day of the Lord

The entire Day of the Lord is marked as being one of darkness.  In it is contained the entirety of God’s wrath through the 7 Trumpets and the 7 Bowls:

Trumpets:

  1. Hail and fire, mixed with blood.  1/3 of earth and trees burned up.  All green grass burned up.
  2. Something like a mountain burning with fire (asteroid?) thrown into the sea.  1/3 sea becomes blood, 1/3 sea creatures die, 1/3 ships destroyed.
  3. Great star (asteroid?) falls from heaven, blazing like a torch.  1/3 rivers and springs are poisoned by “wormwood”.  Many people die (from either poisoning or thirst).
  4. 1/3 of the light from the sun, moon, and stars are dimmed.  1/3 of day is dark, 1/3 of night is dark.
  5. Woe 1 – Satan given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit.  Demon army comes up like locusts/scorpions to sting humans for 5 months.  Death will not be allowed.  The sealed 144,000 Israelites will be untouchable.
  6. Woe 2- 200,000,000 demon army kills 1/3 of humanity via fire, smoke, and sulfur.
  7. Woe 3 – Flashes of lightning, rumblings, thunders, an earthquake, heavy hail.  The 7 Bowls are released.

Bowls:

  1. Harmful and painful sores on people who have taken the mark of the beast.
  2. Entire sea turns to blood, all sea creatures die.
  3. All rivers and springs become blood.
  4. Sun scorches people with fierce heat.
  5. Kingdom of the beast is plunged into darkness.  People in anguish over their pain and sores (continuing from Bowl 1).
  6. Euphrates river dried up, humanity assembles for battle at “Armageddon”
  7. Flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, the greatest earthquake ever – Jerusalem split into 3 parts, cities in the nations fall, all islands disappear, all mountains flattened.  100 pound hailstones fall from the sky.  This Bowl ends the Day of the Lord.

Besides what is described in the book of Revelation, events encompassing the Day of the Lord time period are described as a time of punishment, distress, darkness, and gloom:

The great day of the Lord is near—near and coming quickly.  The cry on the day of the Lord is bitter; the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry. That day will be a day of wrath— a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness— a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the corner towers. “I will bring such distress on all people that they will grope about like those who are blind, because they have sinned against the Lord.  Their blood will be poured out like dust and their entrails like dung. Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the Lord’s wrath.”In the fire of his jealousy the whole earth will be consumed, for he will make a sudden end of all who live on the earth.”  (Zephaniah 1:14-18 ESV)

Alas! That day is so great there is none like it; it is a time of distress for Jacob; yet he shall be saved out of it. “And it shall come to pass in that day, declares the Lord of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off your neck, and I will burst your bonds, and foreigners shall no more make a servant of him. But they shall serve the Lord their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.“Then fear not, O Jacob my servant, declares the Lord,nor be dismayed, O Israel; for behold, I will save you from far away, and your offspring from the land of their captivity.Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease, and none shall make him afraid. For I am with you to save you, declares the Lord; I will make a full end of all the nations among whom I scattered you, but of you I will not make a full end. I will discipline you in just measure, and I will by no means leave you unpunished.  (Jeremiah 30:7-11 ESV)

Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming. It is close at hand—a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was in ancient times nor ever will be in ages to come. Before them the earth shakes, the heavens tremble, the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine. The Lord thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number, and mighty is the army that obeys his command. The day of the Lord is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it?  (Joel 2:1-2, 10-11 ESV)  

But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. (2 Peter 3:7 ESV)

The Day of the Lord will be a time of great persecution for those who come to faith in Jesus Christ, as there will be a strong deception upon mankind (the last 3.5 years in particular, after the antichrist declares himself to be “god” and sets up the “abomination of desolation” in the Temple):

For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. (Matthew 24:21 ESV)

9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, (Matthew 24)

9 “But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. 10 And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. 11 And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. 12 And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. 13 And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. (Mark 13)

Note that the original Seal 5 martyrs who had been crying for vengeance, received their robes (resurrection bodies) and entered their “rest” (as per Isaiah 26) along with the rapture of the church.  However, as these last three passages demonstrate, there will be many more martyrs added until “the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been” (Rev 6:11/5th Seal).  The souls of these martyrs accumulate on the crystal sea before God’s throne (Revelation 15).  The deception upon mankind will be so persuasive that persecution of true believers will be done at the hands of “religion” – note that believers will be beaten in the synagogues.  Believers will have to stubbornly persist in the faith, even unto death.  The Holy Spirit will guide the words of those standing in the faith, just as He did for the apostles and early Christians.  Early believers underwent great persecution and martyrdom, and the latter believers will as well.  God has a specified number of martyrs that He will allow, and no more.

The deception upon mankind will be very persuasive:

11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.  (Matthew 24 ESV)

23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.25 See, I have told you ahead of time. (Matthew 24) 21 And then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. 22 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. 23 But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand. (Mark 13)

The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders,  and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 ESV)

Satan will be empowering the False Prophet and the Antichrist to perform many signs and wonders.  It is part of God’s judgment on the portion of humanity that rejected His Son that He not only allows satan to deceive, but He sends a supporting deluding influence upon humanity.

During this time the Gospel will continue to be preached:

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14 ESV)

Yes, it is the church’s job to spread the gospel.  But this preaching of the gospel continues through the 2 witnesses (Revelation 11), the sealed 144,000 Jews (Revelation 7), and an angel –  “Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. 7 And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.” (Revelation 14:6-7 ESV)

Everyone will hear the gospel before the final wrath of God is poured out in the Bowls.  God, even in His wrath, calls people to repentance.

“Yet even now,” declares the Lord,
    “return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
     and rend your hearts and not your garments.”
Return to the Lord your God,
    for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
    and he relents over disaster.
 Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,
    and leave a blessing behind him,
a grain offering and a drink offering
    for the Lord your God?

Joel 2:12-14 ESV

Ending of the Day of the Lord

It seems that the Mount of Olives may be split in two on this day (or perhaps several days sooner?), to allow a final escape before Jerusalem  is destroyed.

 

Then the Lord will go out to battle against those nations, waging war as in a day of battle.  His feet will stand in that day on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem. Then the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a very large valley, with half of the mountain moving toward the north and half toward the south.  You will run away through my mountain valley, because the valley of the mountains will extend as far as Azal. You will flee, as you fled from the earthquake during the reign of King Uzziah of Judah. And so the Lord my God will come, and all his holy ones will be accompanying you.”  Zechariah 14:3-5 ESV

And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.  Joel 2:32 ESV

After this last-chance escape, everything will go dark:

29 “Immediately after the distress of those days, “‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ (Matthew 24) 24 “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. (Mark 13) 25 “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26 people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. (Luke 21)

Here we have a picture of the END of the Day of the Lord:

  • the sun will be darkened
  • the moon will be darkened
  • the stars will “fall from the sky”
  • nations in perplexity with the roaring of the sea and the waves
  • the heavenly bodies will be shaken
  • people fainting with fear and foreboding of what is coming on the world, because of the powers of the heavens being shaken
  • The Son of Man comes in a cloud with power and great glory

The outpouring of the 7th Bowl judgment also gives a sweeping overview of the End of the Day of the Lord:

The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake.  The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath. And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found.  And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe.  (Revelation 16:17-21 ESV)

It appears that Mystery Babylon (likely the “Tribulation-times” city of Jerusalem), is destroyed at the End of the Day of the Lord, perhaps in conjunction with the armies assembling against Christ for the Battle of Armageddon.  It is also possible that the destruction of Mystery Babylon is PART OF the Battle of Armageddon.  The destruction of Mystery Babylon is detailed in Revelation 17&18.

There are both similarities and differences between the Beginning, Middle, and Ending of the Day of the Lord.  The Day of the Lord ends with the Second Coming of Jesus.  It is marked by a unique day of darkness in the sun, moon, and stars.  The moon is dark, not blood red (a critical distinction).

“On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost. And there shall be a unique day, which is known to the Lord, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light.” Zechariah 14:6-7 ESV

The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light.  The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light.  I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless. I will make people scarcer than pure gold, more rare than the gold of Ophir. Therefore I will make the heavens tremble; and the earth will shake from its place at the wrath of the Lord Almighty, in the day of his burning anger.  Isaiah 13:10-13 ESV

 

30 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. (Matthew 24:30). 

What is the sign of the Son of Man in heaven?  We are told in Revelation 19:

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.  His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself.  He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.  And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses.  From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.  On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God,  to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.”  And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army.  And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.  And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.  (Revelation 19:11-21 ESV)

Power and great glory indeed!  In the evening, Jesus appears on a white horse with the armies of heaven and defeats His foes with one Word at the Battle of Armageddon (which turns out to be an extremely one-sided “battle”).

“For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem,  I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgment with them there, on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations and have divided up my land”  (Joel 3:1-2 ESV)

Proclaim this among the nations: Consecrate for war; stir up the mighty men. Let all the men of war draw near; let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords,  and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, “I am a warrior.” Hasten and come, all you surrounding nations,  and gather yourselves there. Bring down your warriors, O Lord. Let the nations stir themselves up and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Go in, tread, for the winepress is full. The vats overflow, for their evil is great. Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon are darkened,  and the stars withdraw their shining. The Lord roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth quake. But the Lord is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the people of Israel. (Joel 3:9-16 ESV)

For the Lord is enraged against all the nations, and furious against all their host; he has devoted them to destruction, has given them over for slaughter. Their slain shall be cast out, and the stench of their corpses shall rise;  the mountains shall flow with their blood.  All the host of heaven shall rot away, and the skies roll up like a scroll. All their host shall fall, as leaves fall from the vine, like leaves falling from the fig tree.  Isaiah 34:2-4 ESV (entire chapter 34 is the end of the DoTL)

Just like the beginning of the Day of the Lord, a cataclysmic earthquake will mark the End of the Day of the Lord.  Where the earthquake at the beginning “merely” moved every mountain and island out of place, this earthquake will completely flatten every mountain and every island will disappear.  Not only will the earth be shaken, but the “powers of the heavens” (satan and the horde of fallen angels/demons) will be shaken as well. The end of the Day of the Lord is marked by utter destruction:

Behold, the Lord will empty the earth and make it desolate, and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants.  The earth shall be utterly empty and utterly plundered; for the Lord has spoken this word.  The earth lies defiled under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt; therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched, and few men are left. Terror and the pit and the snare are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth! He who flees at the sound of the terror shall fall into the pit, and he who climbs out of the pit shall be caught in the snare. For the windows of heaven are opened, and the foundations of the earth tremble. The earth is utterly broken, the earth is split apart, the earth is violently shaken.  The earth staggers like a drunken man; it sways like a hut; its transgression lies heavy upon it, and it falls, and will not rise again. On that day the Lord will punish the host of heaven, in heaven, and the kings of the earth, on the earth. They will be gathered together as prisoners in a pit; they will be shut up in a prison, and after many days they will be punished. Then the moon will be confounded and the sun ashamed, for the Lord of hosts reigns on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and his glory will be before his elders. (Isaiah 24:1,3,5-6, 17-23 ESV)

“I will utterly sweep away everything from the face of the earth,” declares the Lord. “I will sweep away man and beast;  I will sweep away the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, and the rubble with the wicked.  I will cut off mankind from the face of the earth,” declares the Lord.”  (Zephaniah 1:2-3 ESV)

In Hebrews 12, the author reminds his listeners of the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai, where God’s voice shook the earth in an earthquake.  He goes on to say “At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”  This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain.  Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe,  for our God is a consuming fire.”  (Hebrews 12:26-29).  He states that only once more God’s voice will shake the earth – but this time His voice will shake the heavens, too.  In shaking the heavens, He will remove the things that have been made (the fallen angels – Ephesians 6:12).  This will complete the preparations necessary for setting up His kingdom that cannot be shaken, which will begin in the Millennial Kingdom and never end.

Delivery at the End of the Day of the Lord

The birth pangs reached their climax during the Day of the Lord and are now over – the End of the Day of the Lord is marked by “delivery”. At this point, all Israel (the elect) will be saved.  Jerusalem will be restored and raised up above the nations.  God will forever dwell among His people:

Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel.  Micah 5:3 ESV

And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Matthew 24:31)

In the whole land, declares the Lord, two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall be left alive. And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’”  Zechariah 13:8-9 ESV

And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one. The whole land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. But Jerusalem shall remain aloft on its site from the Gate of Benjamin to the place of the former gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s winepresses. And it shall be inhabited, for there shall never again be a decree of utter destruction. Jerusalem shall dwell in security.  Zechariah 14:9-11 ESV

 “Therefore thus says the Lord God: Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have mercy on the whole house of Israel, and I will be jealous for my holy name. They shall forget their shame and all the treachery they have practiced against me, when they dwell securely in their land with none to make them afraid, when I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them from their enemies’ lands, and through them have vindicated my holiness in the sight of many nations.  Then they shall know that I am the Lord their God, because I sent them into exile among the nations and then assembled them into their own land. I will leave none of them remaining among the nations anymore.  And I will not hide my face anymore from them, when I pour out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, declares the Lord God.”  Ezekiel 39:25-29 ESV

And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”; “and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.”  Romans 11:26-27 ESV

This is the point at which all Israel, the remaining elect, will be saved.

all israel saved

Further Reading:

Are you CERTAIN of your Salvation, beyond a shadow of a doubt?  Do you KNOW that no matter when the rapture occurs, you will be counted worthy to escape?  If not, please read What Must I do to Be Saved.

The Day of the Lord

A Summary of the Seals, Trumpets, and Bowls – Are They Coincident, or Sequential?

7 Trumpets, with 3 Woes

The Woman Flees To A Place Prepared

Who is Mystery Babylon, and What Does She Do?

The Mark of the Beast – The Irreversible 666

God’s 3 Announcing Angels

7 Bowls/Vials of Wrath

The Mount of Olives – Final Escape Route

The Battle of Armageddon

Second Coming of Christ

Sheep and Goats Judgment

The Millennial Kingdom

Daniel’s 70 Weeks

The Day of Christ- BEMA Seat

Part 1 – Tribulation, Great Tribulation, and Wrath

Part 2 – What is the Tribulation?

Part 3 – Spared From Wrath – the 7 Year Key

Studying the Prophetic Keys in 2 Thessalonians 2:

  1. Part 1 – That Day Will Not Come Until…
  2. Part 2 – The Restrainer and the Restrained in 2 Thessalonians 2
  3. Part 3 – The Apostasia [Departure/Falling Away] and the Revealing of the Lawless One

Part 4 – The Wicked Deception – “Aliens”?

Douglas Berner – “When God Intervenes”.

Peter Goodgame – The Day of the Lord: When, How and Why?

Jesus Christ Initiates the Wrath of God – BeginningandEnd

God’s Mosaic – A Whole Scripture Overview of Things To Come

Main Menu – God’s Mosaic Prophecy Model

The Bible is infallible.  I am not.  I am merely challenging traditional models and testing them against Scripture.  I believe that traditional pretribulation teachings provide a solid backbone upon which to lay the musculature of details, some of which I think might need to be adjusted slightly.  I encourage you to consider my thoughts as you also examine the scriptures to see if these things are so!

 

Statement of Faith

/ Stephanie Dawn / Leave a comment

I affirm traditional evangelical Christian teaching, including:

THE BIBLE

The Bible is our “daily bread” – the Word of God.  It is the main way God speaks to us!  If we don’t “eat” of it regularly (daily!), we wither spiritually.  We can only identify the false if we know the true!

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,  that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV

For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:21 ESV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  John 1:1 ESV

I believe that the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments (66 books), is supernaturally inspired and inerrant in the original manuscripts.  I believe that it has been preserved in meaning by God throughout translation, and is both sufficient and authoritative in our lives!

THE TRINITY

I believe in one God who eternally exists and reveals Himself in three persons – Father, Son, Holy Spirit – each having the same nature, attributes and perfections.

And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”  Matthew 3:16-17 ESV

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…  Matthew 28:19 ESV

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Corinthians 13:14 ESV

GOD THE FATHER

God is our Creator and Sustainer – life exists by Him and through Him.  The purpose of this life is knowing God.  God is omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, infinite, and unchanging.

To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.  1 Timothy 1:17 ESV

O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    you discern my thoughts from afar.
 You search out my path and my lying down
    and are acquainted with all my ways.
 Even before a word is on my tongue,
    behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
 You hem me in, behind and before,
    and lay your hand upon me.
 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
    it is high; I cannot attain it.

 Where shall I go from your Spirit?
    Or where shall I flee from your presence?
 If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
    If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
 If I take the wings of the morning
    and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
 even there your hand shall lead me,
    and your right hand shall hold me.
 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
    and the light about me be night,”
 even the darkness is not dark to you;
    the night is bright as the day,
    for darkness is as light with you.

 For you formed my inward parts;
    you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.

Psalm 139:1-13 ESV

GOD THE SON 

Jesus is our Lord and Savior!  He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  No one comes to the Father except through Him. (John 14:6)  I believe that Jesus Christ is the Word of God, and the visible image of the invisible God.  Jesus, as God, is eternal, and by Him and through Him all things were created and are sustained.  Jesus was not created and has no beginning and no end.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.   He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.  John 1:1-3 ESV

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.  John 1:14 ESV

No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.  John 1:18 ESV

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.  For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.  And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.  Colossians 1:15-17 ESV

I and the Father are one.  John 10:30 ESV

…yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.  1 Corinthians 8:6 ESV

 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  John 14:6 ESV

For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily… Colossians 2:9 ESV

I believe that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, therefore being fully God and fully man.  He lived a sinless life under the Law.  He taught and performed many wonders and signs exactly as revealed in the four gospels.  By His sovereign choice He came into the world to save those of humanity who would receive Him.

 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.  Isaiah 7:14 ESV

And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.  1 John 4:14 ESV

I believe that Jesus willingly laid down His life and was crucified and died to pay the penalty for our sins.  He raised Himself from the dead on the third day. Forty days later He ascended to the Father’s right hand where He has remained ever since, interceding for the saints as our heavenly High Priest. From there He is coming again personally, bodily and visibly to this earth to set up His millennial kingdom.

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,  that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures… 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 ESV

He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.  Acts 1:3 ESV

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Hebrews 4:14-15 ESV

This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.  Acts 1:11 ESV

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.  John 14:3 ESV

GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT

I believe that the Holy Spirit is a member of the Holy Trinity, possessing all the divine attributes. He convicts of sin, regenerates, indwells, baptizes, and seals all believers at the moment of their salvation, and has the goal of conforming them to the image of Christ. He also teaches, comforts, gives spiritual perception and understanding, and power according to our willingness to yield to Him.

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1:13 ESV

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Ephesians 4:30 ESV

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? 1 Corinthians 6:19 ESV

For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:13 ESV

Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.  And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:  concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.  John 16:7-11 ESV

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,  even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”  John 14:15-17,26  ESV

The Spirit gives spiritual gifts to each believer for the purpose of building up the body of Christ.  I respectfully acknowledge that there can be some difference of opinion surrounding the ministry of the Holy Spirit.  Although I believe in the continuation of the manifestation gifts of the Spirit, they are at His discretion and for the purpose of drawing attention to and glorifying Jesus.  We see the Holy Spirit working in signs and wonders where the gospel of Jesus Christ is actively being preached, to give testimony to the truth of the gospel (as in Acts).  He “comes upon” believers on occasions as He wills, separate from His sealing ministry at the time of salvation.  God is not the author of confusion or chaos and believers must always be on guard and test the spirits.  (John 16:13-15; 1 John 4:1; 1 Corinthians 12)  One is neither more-holy nor less-holy by having these “experiences”.  (I do not believe in a separate, subsequent one time “baptism” in the Holy Spirit.  I only believe in one baptism – that by water, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – Matthew 28:19).

HUMANITY

I believe that humanity was created in the image and likeness of God.

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him;  male and female he created them.  Genesis 1:26-27 ESV

Through the sin of Adam, the human race has inherited a sin nature and is alienated from God.  We remain “dead in our sins” unless we are “born again”.   We are enslaved to sin and the god of this world unless we receive the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.

In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.  2 Corinthians 4:4 ESV

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins  in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—  among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.  Ephesians 2:1-3 ESV 

Humans are morally corrupt and completely unable to save themselves by any amount of effort.  Our works to try to earn or maintain salvation are as “filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6).

SALVATION

I believe that salvation is a free gift of God that cannot be earned in any way.  Salvation is by God’s grace alone, through faith in Jesus Christ alone.  I believe salvation is an intricate dance between being called by the Holy Spirit and responding to that call at an individual level.

The Bible makes it clear that every sin has to be punished by death and paid by the penalty of innocent blood.  Jesus lived a perfect life on Earth – though He lived as a man under God’s Law, He never broke the Law.  This qualified Him to take our sins upon Himself to become a perfect sacrifice.  Jesus died on the cross to take our punishment for us.  His blood paid the price required by God for our sins.  It doesn’t end there, though.  On the third day, Jesus was raised to life, to a new eternal body.  When we join God’s spiritual family, we, too, will get a new eternal body someday.

Jesus didn’t just pay PART of our debt, or even MOST of it, leaving some on the tab for us.  He paid our ENTIRE debt.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 6:23 ESV

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.  For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.  Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Romans 5:12, 17-21 ESV

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  John 3:16 ESV

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.  John 1:12-13 ESV

I believe that salvation is through each person’s choice (free will) to accept or reject God.  Jesus’ sacrificial death was sufficient to save every human, but many will reject it.  God, existing apart from time, has known since before creation (foreknowledge) what each human will choose.  Those He foreknew would believe in Jesus alone for salvation are called the “elect” and the “saints” throughout the Bible (Old and New Testament).  In the Old Testament, salvation was through faith in a coming Messiah.  In the New Testament and beyond, salvation is through faith in Jesus as the Messiah.  Saving faith is demonstrated by actions that are congruent with one’s belief in Jesus – faith without works is dead.  (James 2:14-26)  Conversely, actions do not necessarily indicate saving faith – God is aware of the attitudes and beliefs of the heart.

Saving faith involves both the intellect and the heart.  We are saved when we believe what God says about us – we are sinners desperately in need of saving – and what God says about Jesus – He is God Himself and a Savior, who paid the price for our sins.  This change of mind or heart about ourselves and Christ is called repentance and is not a “work”.

If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord”, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. Romans 10:9-10 ESV

I believe that we are saved and kept in salvation apart from works.  God will never turn us away or “lose” us.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.  John 10:27-29 ESV

I do believe it is possible to reject salvation, despite a knowledge of the truth.  This is why it is right and good to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5).  While God will never lose us, it does seem possible that we may retain the ability to leave on our own free will.  It is possible that those who leave never were truly saved, but deceived themselves and everyone around them.  I am not the judge of hearts.   However, the story of the Prodigal Son involves a son who chooses to leave and “becomes dead”, then “becomes alive” again when he returns.  I believe the parable alludes to the possibility of him not returning, in which case, he would seemingly remain dead in his sins.  The Lost Sheep parable also alludes to a sheep, who was part of the flock, gets lost, and is sought by the Shepherd. The parable states that if the sheep is found, the Shepherd rejoices. (Hebrews 10:26, Luke 15:11-32, Hebrews 6:4-6, Luke 15:3-7)

Salvation is not something that should be taken for granted.  We are to examine ourselves, to see if we are in the faith (2 Corinthians 3:15).

THE CHURCH

The body of Christ, or the true Church, is composed of all those who have saving faith in Jesus Christ.  It exists apart from any building or denomination or tradition.  We are united together in one body, under the headship/Lordship of Jesus.  We are to gather together for worship, prayer, accountability, fellowship, teaching, good works, spreading the gospel, and exercising the spiritual gifts.

And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,  which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.  Ephesians 1:22-23 ESV

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many.  1 Corinthians 12:12-14 ESV

For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.  2 Corinthians 11:2 ESV

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’  teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.  And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.  And all who believed were together and had all things in common.  And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.  And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.  Acts 2:42-28 ESV

…so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.  Romans 12:5 ESV

 For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.  Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?  1 Corinthians 3:9,16

The Bible clearly teaches how the church is to be organized and how leaders are to be selected.  The Church is the Bride of Christ.

BAPTISM

I believe that total immersion water baptism is an act of obedience to Christ following salvation.  It is an outward manifestation of an inward reality, and represents identification with Christ’s death and resurrection.  It is a symbol of the “new birth”.  Baptism itself does not save and is not required for salvation.  However, it should be strongly encouraged as soon as possible as an act of obedience.  It should be a conscious decision.

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in  the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.   Matthew 28:19-20 ESV

And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Acts 2:38 ESV

Baptism should be performed in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

COMMUNION

As believers, we are commanded to observe the Lord’s Supper, or communion, in remembrance of the sacrifice Jesus made for our sins.  We are not saved through communion, but perform it to fellowship with Christ.  We are to examine our hearts before taking part and are not to take it lightly.

And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”  And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.  Luke 22:19-20 ESV.

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread,  and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”  For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.  Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord.  Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.  For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.  1 Corinthians 11:23-29 ESV

Communion helps us to remember the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!  It is therefore both a somber and a joyous event.  Each time we participate in communion we are to look forward to being with Him forever!

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  Romans 8:1 ESV

Once saved, I believe that we are called to abide in Christ and grow in holiness.  We are called to lay aside the world with its’ passions and walk in newness of life.  We still sin, but the desire is to get back on track and restore our relationship with God.  The Holy Spirit will continue to convict us of sin.  It is our job to listen to Him and follow His lead, to progress in sanctification.  If we “grieve” or “quench” Him, we may be disciplined by God.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.  Ephesians 2:10 ESV

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.  John 15:5 ESV

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.  For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.  Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,  idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,  envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.   Ephesians 5:16-25 ESV

But that is not the way you learned Christ!—  assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,  and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,  and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.  Ephesians 4:20-24 ESV

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,  looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.  Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Ephesians 4:30 ESV

Do not quench the Spirit.  1 Thessalonians 5:19 ESV

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
    nor be weary when reproved by him.
 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
    and chastises every son whom he receives.”  Hebrews 12:6 ESV

 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,  waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. Titus 2:11-14 ESV

We are the salt and light in the world and are called to be set apart for holiness.  To grow in Christ we follow the spiritual disciplines of prayer, Bible reading, and fellowship with the saints.  We are called to a life of service and good works – we are meant to bear fruit.  These things don’t save us or maintain our salvation, but are the result of saving faith.

If you love me, you will keep my commandments.  John 14:15 ESV

THE SECOND COMING

I believe in the personal, premillennial and imminent coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Soon, Jesus will appear in the clouds of heaven and us to come up to be with Him.  The dead in Christ will be resurrected and transformed with the alive in Christ, we will receive eternal bodies, and so we will forever be with the Lord.  Following a period of approximately 7 years of tribulation on earth called “The Time of Jacob’s Trouble”, Jesus will return to earth to set up His 1000 year Millennial Kingdom.  There will be one final rebellion after this, followed by the general resurrection of the dead and the Great White Throne Judgment.

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.  For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.  For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.  1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 ESV

Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,  in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.  1 Corinthians 15:51-52 ESV

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.  2 Corinthians 5:10 ESV

Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.  Revelation 20:6 ESV

And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison  and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea.  And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.  Revelation 20:7-10 ESV

And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. Matthew 25:46 ESV

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.  And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.  And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.  Revelation 20:11-15 ESV

I believe that each human ever created will consciously exist in either glory or torment for eternity.

FURTHER RESOURCES:

The How To’s of the Good News – What Must I Do To Be Saved?

Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry (CARM)

Gotquestions – Statement of Faith

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Revelation – Outline and Summary

/ Stephanie Dawn / 2 Comments

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.  Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. 

Revelation 1:1-3 ESV

The book of Revelation can be very overwhelming.  However, it is meant to REVEAL, not conceal.  It’s a gift from God to show us what is to come.  No other book in the Bible promises a special blessing to those who read, hear, and keep it!  The book of Revelation uses strong visual imagery.  This doesn’t mean that it’s allegorical.  Much in the book of Revelation is literal!  The book is also chronological (Seals – Trumpets – Bowls), with a number of “Detail Popouts”. These detail popouts provide a more in-depth explanation about what was just introduced.

Click on the links for further details as we go.  Let’s dive in!

Outline

  • Chapter 1 – Introduction and Prologue
  • Chapters 2 & 3 – Letters to the Churches
    • DETAIL POPOUT – Chapters 4 & 5 – Heavenly Throne Room
  • Chapter 6 – Seals 1-6
  • Chapter 7 – 144,000 Sealed, Body of Christ Worships the Lamb
  • Chapter 8 – Seal 7’s Silence
  • Chapters 8 & 9 – Trumpets 1-6
    • DETAIL POPOUT – Chapter 10 – The Angel and the Little Scroll
    • DETAIL POPOUT – Chapter 11 – The Two Witnesses
  • Chapter 11 – Trumpet 7
    • DETAIL POPOUT – Chapter 12 – Overview of the Entire 70th Week of Daniel
    • DETAIL POPOUT – Chapter 13 – The Beasts
    • DETAIL POPOUT – Chapter 14 – The 144,000 Appear in Heaven
  • Chapter 14 – The Announcing Angels
    • DETAIL POPOUT – Chapter 14 – The Harvest of the Earth
    • DETAIL POPOUT – Chapter 15 – The Martyrs and the 7 Angels
  • Chapter 16 – 7 Bowls of Wrath
    • DETAIL POPOUT – Chapters 17 & 18 – Mystery Babylon
    • DETAIL POPOUT – Chapter 19 – Rejoicing in Heaven
    • DETAIL POPOUT – Chapter 19 – Marriage Supper and Rider on a White Horse
  • Chapter 20 – The Millennial Kingdom, the Defeat of Satan, the Great White Throne Judgment
  • Chapter 21 & 22 – The New Heaven and the New Earth
  • Chapter 22 – Doxology

Summary

Chapter 1 – Introduction and Prologue

This book is a gift from God to the followers of Jesus Christ.  Each member of the Holy Trinity sends grace and peace.  The message is clear – Jesus is coming!  This offers great hope for those who are saved by the blood of Jesus, for we will make up His kingdom and serve God forever!  This also offers stern warning to unbelievers, who will “wail on account of him”.  John’s first vision is of the Son of Man, Jesus Christ Himself.  The language clearly identifies Jesus as being one with the Almighty God, the great “I AM”.

Chapters 2 & 3 – Letters to the Churches

Chronological.  The letters to the churches apply to the entirety of the church age.

Jesus Himself dictates letters to 7 specific churches.  These were 7 literal churches that existed in John’s day, but they were deliberately selected to address issues that would occur throughout the church age, both in congregations and individual believers.  The letters each follow a similar pattern.  There is generally a commendation, an admonishment, and a reward for the overcomer.  These rewards are offered to EVERY BELIEVER.  We overcome through the blood of the Lamb (Jesus’ death and resurrection) and the word of our testimony (confessing that Jesus is Lord) and by holding firm in the faith unto death (Rev 12:11).  All the rewards point to an element of eternal life and ruling with Christ in both His millennial and eternal kingdom.

The church in Ephesus is commended for its’ works, endurance, and testing of doctrine; it is admonished for losing its’ “first love”.  The greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our strength!  God wants us to be passionate about Him.

The church in Smyrna is the suffering church.  Jesus encourages them to be faithful unto death.

The church in Pergamum has held fast to their testimony and has not denied Jesus’ name.  However, they have allowed false doctrine and sexual immorality to come in.

The church in Thyatira has good works, love, faith, and patient endurance.  Unfortunately, they also tolerate false doctrine and sexual immorality.

The church in Sardis also has good works.  However, they are spiritually dead.  No matter how good our works are, when they are done apart from the Holy Spirit they are “incomplete”.  Isaiah describes these righteous deeds as “filthy rags”.  This church is given a stern warning to wake up, or Jesus will come like a thief against them in judgment!  This “thief in the night” warning is issued several times in the New Testament against those who aren’t spiritually prepared for Jesus to come.

The church of Philadelphia, as with the church in Smyrna, has no admonition.  They have good works, keep Jesus’ name, and patiently endure.  This church is promised to be kept “from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth”.  This promise, as with all the others, is offered to all true believers.  This promise to be kept from the time of trial is uttered by Jesus Himself!!!

The church of Laodicea is the lukewarm church.  It is so repulsive to Jesus that He says He will “vomit” them out of His mouth.  They say they are rich, prosperous, and need nothing – however, they are spiritually poor, blind, and naked.  The danger of riches and comforts in this world is that people will be lulled into spiritual slumber!

We would all do well to “have an ear to hear what the Spirit says to the churches”.

A Study on the Overcomers: Who Is Worthy to Escape All These Things?

Detail Popout – Chapters 4 & 5 – Heavenly Throne Room

NOT Chronological.  The Throne Room Scene is a new vision, that goes back in time to  Jesus’ Death, Resurrection, and Ascension.

John sees the throne of God and those who surround it – the four living creatures (cherubim) and the 24 Elders.  It is a common misconception that the 24 Elders represent the church.  This can’t be true because they are present in heaven BEFORE the slain Lamb appears.  These might be the Patriarchs from before the Flood, or they may be an angelic order.  HERE is a post discussing the 24 Elders.

We then see THE 7-Sealed SCROLL in the right hand of God.  This scroll is the title deed to the earth and its kingdoms, and details how Jesus is going to take back what is rightfully His!  Note that satan offered the kingdoms of the world to Jesus when he tempted Him in the wilderness.  It was a valid offer – satan is the present ruler of this world (Eph 6:12).

A search begins for someone who is worthy to open the scroll, and NO ONE in heaven, on earth, or under the earth is found.  This search encompasses the supernatural, the natural from one end of the universe to the other, and both the living and the dead.  The timing of this vision is thus placed before Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension.  As John weeps, we then see the Lamb of God!  Jesus, as the Lamb of God, is uniquely able to take the scroll and open its seals.  By His blood he paid the purchase price for humanity and the redemption of the earth.  The 24 elders, the living creatures, and myriads of angels are joined by all of creation in worshiping the Lamb!  (Notably missing is any mention of humans).

Chapter 6 – Seals 1-6

Chronological.  The opening of the Seals marks the conclusion of the Church Age.

Jesus, as the Lamb, opens the seals on the scroll!  He is about to open the document which details the mystery of the process by which He will reclaim the earth for His eternal kingdom.  Based on Daniel’s vision stating that the scroll will be sealed “until the time of the end”, I believe Jesus opens these seals when the fullness of the Gentiles has come in to the new covenant (Romans 11:25).  I believe they are opened one right after the other (same day/hour, at the rapture of the church).  For a more in-depth discussion, please see Seals 1-4, Seal 5, Seal 6.  Keep in mind these seals open concurrently, so the events they describe are overlapping.

Seal 1 – A white horse, whose rider has a bow and a crown.  This horse and rider conquers.  I believe this is the antichrist/beast rising to power as soon as the Restrainer is removed.  Who is the Antichrist and What Does He Do?

Seal 2 – A red horse, whose rider is permitted to take peace from the earth.  Violence will be prevalent as people literally fight to survive.  This may also include the destruction of Damascus (Isaiah 17), and attacks on Israel (Gog/Magog – Ezekiel 38-39, and possibly Psalm 83).  There will also be wars as the antichrist rises to power. Triumph: The Beast (Antichrist) Rises to Power  Note that this seal also appears to involve the removal of Restraint on violence.

Seal 3 – A black horse, whose rider holds a pair of scales.  This seal seems to involve economic control, and perhaps famine.  As the results of the seals are felt, food will become scarce.  The ultimate fulfillment of this seal is the Mark of the Beast economic control, which will come later on.  Current restraint on famine and economic controls will be released.

Seal 4 – A pale/dappled horse, whose rider’s name is Death and is followed by Hades.  These are given authority over 1/4 of the earth to kill by sword and famine and pestilence (infectious disease) and wild beasts.  The fact that Hades (hell) follows death strongly suggests that this seal cannot affect Christians.  Since there is no protection mentioned for believers, they must not be there…and there is only one time in human history where there will be NO believers present on earth – immediately following the rapture of the body of Christ.

Seal 5 – Souls of martyrs are seen under the altar of God, crying for vengeance.  Thus, we know no wrath has started yet (or they wouldn’t be asking “how long until…”).  They are then clothed in white robes.  I believe this is a picture of the resurrection of the dead in Christ.  After the resurrection/rapture event, martyrs will continue to accumulate before God’s vengeance is complete.  They will not accumulate under the altar, but on the crystal sea before God’s throne – Revelation 15:2.

Seal 6 – Great earthquake (possibly caused by the resurrection of the dead coupled with the transformation of living believers), sun darkened, moon becomes like blood (these two possibly caused by ash or smoke in atmosphere), stars of the sky falling to the earth (possibly satan and his angels being cast down – Revelation 12), sky vanishes like a scroll (opening up to receive the body of Christ – the rapture/harpazo), every mountain and island moved out of place (this is global and severe).  Everyone left on earth hides from “the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”  Everyone can see into heaven.  The taken are received into heaven, and we are about to see, will STAND.  The left behind are terrified – for the great day of their wrath has come.

Chapter 7 – The 144,000 Sealed, The Body of Christ Worships the Lamb

Chronological.

The events of Seal 6 continue and the two visions in this chapter are parallel.  One is on earth and one is in heaven.  Jumping back and forth between visions of the heavenly track and visions of the earthly track will continue throughout the book of Revelation.

The Holy Spirit’s indwelling seal on the body of Christ has been removed at the rapture (Seal 6), and He immediately moves to seal 144,000 elect Hebrews on their foreheads.  These are a literal group of 144,000 people from each of the 12 tribes of Israel as listed.  These people may not know which bloodline they are from, but God does!  It’s possible this sealing process takes a period of time, as the four angels who will blow Trumpets #1-4 are actively holding back their judgments until the sealing is complete.  I suggest that this sealing might take place between the Feast of Trumpets and the Feast of Atonement, during the “Days of Awe” (days of repentance), but that is just a speculation.

John’s attention is drawn from the earth up into heaven, where he sees “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”.  Clearly, if you lay aside the teachings of man, this can be none other than the newly raptured church.  If we go to an interlinear translation, and look up the individual words, it suggests that these are the ones coming out of (away from, away from the time and place of) great tribulation (affliction, anguish).  We are literally violently snatched (harpazo) from the earth as the birth pains are beginning.  It’s entirely possible that we see the earthquake, darkened sun, blood-red moon, and the “stars falling”, before or as we are taken.

Chapter 8 – Seal 7’s Silence

Chronological.

Seal 7 is likely opened at the same time as Seals 1-6, it’s just that there was SO MUCH to describe during those seals.  Seal 7 involves silence in heaven “for about half an hour”.  This is significant because normally heaven is a very noisy place!  The cherubim alone never cease to worship God.  This silence represents a pause.  There is a pause between the events of the Seals and the beginning of the Trumpets.  The 144,000 may be coming to know Christ at this time; this also may be the time of the War in Heaven between the holy angels and the fallen angels as per Revelation 12. I believe this silence might represent the 10 Days of Awe between the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement.  For more details see Seal 7.

When the silence is complete, a heavenly Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) service is performed with the censer, the incense, and the fire from the altar.

Chapter 8 & 9 – Trumpets #1-6

Chronological.  Possibly begins on Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).  Trumpet 6 (woe 6) concludes with the death and resurrection of the 2 witnesses.  So the timeframe for Trumpets 1-6 is likely approximately 1260 days (the first half of Daniel’s 70th Week).

Remember the 4 angels who were holding back their judgments on the earth, sea, and trees?  These are the first 4 angels who are about to blow their Trumpets.  The 144,000 have been successfully sealed.  For a detailed description of the Trumpets, see HERE.

Trumpet 1 – Hail and fire mingled with blood, 1/3 of trees burned, all green grass burned (has parallels to Ezekiel 38-39)

Trumpet 2 – Great Mountain burning with fire cast into sea, 1/3 sea becomes blood

Trumpet 3 – Great star falls from heaven, 1/3 of fresh water made bitter

Trumpet 4 – 1/3 of light from the sun, moon, and stars is dimmed

Trumpet 5 – Woe 1 – Demonic army is unleashed from the abyss and tortures men for 5 months.  They are not allowed to touch the sealed 144,000.

Trumpet 6 – Woe 2 – Demonic army of 200,000,000 is unleashed from the region of the Euphrates, where they have been bound, and kills 1/3 of humanity over a period of time.  Woe 3 ends at the resurrection of God’s 2 Witnesses.

Trumpets 1-4  issue forth judgments on the earth and sea.  Note specifically the “1/3” judgements, which might have reference to the “1/3” of the fallen angels (Revlation 12:3). Trumpets 5 & 6 will unleash demonic / fallen angelic spirits upon the earth.

Detail Popout – Chapter 10 – The Angel and the Little Scroll

NOT chronological.  This chapter gives further detail, but is chronological in that it follows Trumpet 6 and precedes Trumpet 7.

John sees another mighty angel, which cannot be Jesus because this angel swears “by him who lives forever and ever” and God does not swear by Himself.  This is the same angel and a parallel vision to the one Daniel has in Daniel Chapter 10.  This angel tells John that in the “days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled”.  This tells us that the seventh trumpet will encompass a period of more than one day, which makes sense because the seventh trumpet contains the 7 Bowl judgments.  The angel also confirms to us that the 7th Trumpet, which includes the 7 Bowls of Judgment, will complete the “mystery of God”.  The mystery of God is none other than the full revelation of Jesus Christ (Colossians 2:2-3).  Jesus will bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth as He establishes His eternal Kingdom.  The time has FINALLY ARRIVED!  (Gotquestions discusses the mystery of God further).

John also hears the voices of the seven thunders, but is not allowed to write what they say.  I wish we knew!

Detail Popout – Chapter 11 – The Two Witnesses

NOT chronological.  This chapter backs up a bit to give further detail.  It starts in between Seal 7 and Trumpet 1, and ends at the end of Trumpet 6.

This chapter introduces us to God’s 2 Witnesses.  Their identification is debatable, but possibilities include Elijah and Moses or Elijah and Enoch, or maybe Zerubbabel and Joshua (more discussion HERE).  Jews are expecting Elijah to arrive BEFORE the Day of the Lord begins (Malachi 4:5-6).  They are granted authority by God to prophesy for 1260 days, likely proclaiming “Repent!  For the Kingdom of God is at hand!”  They will be invincible during their ministry, and are able to call down plagues at will.  When their 1260 day ministry is complete, the antichrist (beast) – likely newly resurrected from the dead himself – will be allowed to successfully kill them.  Their bodies will lie in the streets of Jerusalem for 3.5 days, likely while the antichrist declares himself to be “god”.

After 3.5 days, God will resurrect them and call them up into heaven.  An earthquake follows, and we are told this completes the second woe (Trumpet 6).

Chapter 11 – Trumpet 7

Chronological.

The seventh angel now blows his trumpet.  Remember the mighty angel told us that in the days it sounds, the mystery of God would be complete.  We see the 24 Elders in heaven celebrating this exactly – the Lord God Almighty who is and who was has taken His great power and has begun to reign!  There is no more “is to come”.  Heaven celebrates the imminent redemption of the earth.

Trumpet 7 – Woe 3 – Lightnings, voices, thunderings, earthquake, great hail. Contains the 7 bowl judgments, which complete the wrath of God.

From this point on in Revelation, we are given the details of how Trumpet 7 is carried out.

Detail Popout – Chapter 12 – The Woman, Her Offspring, and the Dragon

NOT chronological.  Revelation 12 gives an overview of the entire Day of the Lord from a completely different vantage point.  Verses 1-6 give an overview, and the rest of the chapter fill in details.

Revelation 12 is my favorite chapter 🙂  It begins with a specific sign in the sun, moon, and stars (fulfilled September 23, 2017).  The woman, identified as Israel through strong connections to Jacob’s vision in Genesis 37, is pregnant and crying out in birth pains.  This birth pain theme is a thread which ties together many verses about the Day of the Lord.  Basically, Revelation 12 outlines that Israel about to enter her “birth pains”.  We see a dragon waiting to devour her child, but the child will be snatched up to heaven (the rapture of the body of Christ).  The church will be snatched out of (away from) great tribulation that is unfolding on the earth in its’ wake with the Restrainer now removed.  This is entirely consistent with Jesus telling us that when we BEGIN to see all these things (the beginning of birth pains sign He describes on the Mount of Olives), that our redemption draws near.  As Israel enters her birth pains, the time of Jacob’s Trouble, the body of Christ will be delivered.  The timeline for this is Seal 6.

Ok, with the church successfully delivered, there is now no longer a place for satan and his minions in heaven.  For the moment, there is no one left to accuse before God’s throne (remember how satan asked for permission to bug Job?).  War ensues and satan and his fallen angels are cast down, while we sing salvation songs!  (this parallels Revelation 7)

Satan immediately pursues the woman (Israel).  I don’t believe he will immediately start trying to kill the Jews – he already tried that plan through Hitler.  Instead, I believe he will deceptively infiltrate her – quite probably by raising up his antichrist to appear to be the “Jewish Messiah”.  This rise to political and spiritual power will take place during the first half of Daniel’s 70th week.  When he claims to be “god”, many Israelites will clue in and flee to the wilderness to “a place prepared for her” for the 1260 days of the antichrist’s rule from the Temple.  This is when Michael stands up (Daniel 12:1), and defends them in the wilderness for the duration of the 1260 days of Beast rule.

With the believing remnant of Israel safely hidden, the dragon is furious and makes “war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.”  This is the 1260 days of his rule when the saints are given into his hand.  Note that the woman’s offspring here are the post-rapture gentile followers of Jesus.

For a verse by verse commentary on Revelation 12 see HERE.

Detail Popout – Chapter 13 – The Beasts

NOT Chronological.

The first beast we see is the antichrist.  He rises “out of the sea”, and has ten horns and seven heads.  We are told here that one of his heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but the mortal wound was healed.  So this description is occurring AFTER his resurrection from the dead.  The beast will frequently be referred to by this apparent resurrection.  It is this that seems to prompt the earth to marvel after him, and is likely the impetus for why he can claim to be “god”.  It is also at this point that the beast likely kills the 2 witnesses, which prompts the world to say “who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”.  The beast is then given 42 months authority to rule via the dragon’s power.  This will spark the Greatest Tribulation that Jesus refers to as beginning at the “abomination of desolation”, and is parallel to Revelation 12 where the dragon makes war against the saints.  Who is the Antichrist and What Does He Do?

The second beast we see is the false prophet.  He rises “out of the earth”, and has two horns like a lamb and speaks like a dragon.  The false prophet points the world towards the antichrist via supernatural signs and wonders.  There will be a forced worship of the antichrist via an image, and those who refuse to worship will be killed.  The false prophet will institute the Mark of the Beast system that is required for all economic transactions.  One will not be able to take the Mark by accident; it will be a deliberate decision. Who is the False Prophet and What Does He Do?

Collectively, the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet form an “unholy trinity” in mockery of the true Holy Trinity.  The 2 beasts likely begin their rise to power as soon as the Restrainer is removed at the rapture of the church.  However, their global power doesn’t take hold until the authority of the 2 Witnesses ends.

Basically, I envision the 2 Witnesses being given their authority upon the rapture of the church (Seal 6).  Meanwhile, the restraint is removed on the 2 beasts and they begin their campaign to rise to power.  Near the end of the 2 Witnesses’ ministry (1260 days), the antichrist beast is killed.  He then rises from the dead and immediately acts to try to kill the 2 Witnesses, and this time he will be successful.  The antichrist will then declare himself to be “god” and commit the abomination of desolation in the Temple.  This begins the antichrist’s 1260 period of authority.  He may campaign to kill the 144,000 sealed Israelites at this time (as they are seen in heaven right after this descriptive passage).

Mark of the Beast Speculation HERE.

Detail Popout – Chapter 14 – The 144,000 Appear in Heaven

NOT Chronological.

Remember the 144,000 that were sealed in Revelation 7?  These are now seen on the heavenly Mount Zion with the Lamb.  That they have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb acknowledges that they are deceased (likely martyrs) and they are the first of the elect remnant of Israel.  They are both covenant Israelites (firstfruits for God) as well as followers of Jesus Christ (firstfruits for the Lamb).  They are the first intake of the new harvest.

Note this distinction of them being “firstfruits” supports that a new period of time began in Seal 6 when they were sealed.  This would not make any sense at all if the body of Christ carried over past Seal 6.  Seal 6 involved a “passing of the torch” from the church (the 7 lampstands, sealed in hearts) to the 2 witnesses (the 2 lampstands and the two olive trees) and the 144,000 (sealed on foreheads).

See: Passing the Torch – Ministry Transfer from the Church to the Two Witnesses (Unsealed)

Chapter 14 – The Announcing Angels

Chronological (details).

The announcing angels follow the 7th Trumpet and are God’s final warning calls.

Angel 1 – This angel proclaims the eternal gospel in such a way that every single person on earth hears.  This is God’s final call to salvation.  This may include Jesus’ call to “come out of her, my people!” in anticipation of the second angel’s announcement.

Angel 2 – This angel announces the impending fall of Babylon the Great, who I believe is the end-times city of Jerusalem.  God will provide one final call to escape before Babylon is destroyed.

Angel 3 – This angel warns that anyone who worships the Beast or takes his mark will have their fate sealed – they will drink God’s wrath in the upcoming Bowl Judgments and will face the eternal fate of the Lake of Fire.

More on the Announcing Angels HERE.

Detail Popout – Chapter 14 – The Harvest of the Earth

NOT Chronological.  This gives an overview of what the 7 Bowls of wrath will accomplish: the reaping of the earth.

Once the final warnings of God have been given, the 7 Bowls of wrath will be poured out.  These Bowls will collectively “reap” or “harvest” the earth.  The image of the sharp sickle and the reaping is not a comforting one.  The harvest of grapes in specifically thrown into the great winepress of the wrath of God, which is about to be described in great detail in the next few chapters.

Detail Popout Chapter 15 – The Martyrs and the 7 Angels

NOT Chronological.  Further detail is given on how and why the earth will be harvested.

John is seen a vision of the 7 angels who hold the 7 Bowls of Wrath.  With them, the wrath of God will be complete.  These will be unleashed “in the days of the 7th Trumpet”.

The purpose for the 7 Bowls of Wrath is revealed – it is time to answer the prayers of the Seal 5 Martyrs.  John is shown the “tribulation martyrs”, those who have died in Christ since the rapture, standing on the sea of glass before God’s throne.  They sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb, suggesting there are both Jews and Gentiles included.  The fullness of the martyrs has been reached!  It is time to pour out God’s vengeance upon the earth.

God’s sanctuary, which has been accessible to believers through our High Priest, Jesus Christ, is now closed until the Bowls of Wrath are completed.  It seems that humanity’s fate has been sealed.

Chapter 16 – 7 Bowls of Wrath

NOT Chronological.  These will be poured out sequentially after Trumpet 7 sounds, and will ‘harvest the earth’.

Bowl 1 – Harmful and painful sores occur on people who have taken the mark of the beast.

Bowl 2 – Entire sea turns to blood, all sea creatures die.

Bowl 3 – All rivers and springs become blood.

Bowl 4 – Sun scorches people with fierce heat.

Bowl 5 – Kingdom of the beast is plunged into darkness.  People in anguish over their pain and sores (continuing from Bowl 1).

Bowl 6 – The Euphrates river is dried up to allow humanity to assemble for the battle at “Armageddon” (Jerusalem?).  The antichrist and false prophet send three deceiving frog-like spirits go out into all the world to collect the people.

Bowl 7 – Lightning, rumblings, thunder, greatest earthquake ever, 100 pound hailstones.  The earthquake splits Jerusalem into 3 parts, causes all the cities in the world to fall, all mountains to collapse, and all islands to disappear.  It is also through this earthquake that God pours out the “cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath” upon Mystery Babylon, completing her destruction.  This is the “winepress of God’s wrath” described in Chapter 14.

Detail Popout – Chapters 17 & 18 – Mystery Babylon

NOT Chronological.  Detailed description of Mystery Babylon and her destruction.

Mystery Babylon is so significant that she earns herself two whole chapters in the book of Revelation.  She is described as “drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus”.  I believe that the end-times city of Jerusalem becomes Mystery Babylon through its’ worship of the antichrist.  Israel (the non-elect 2/3) so embraces the antichrist (likely as “messiah”), that it entices the whole world to follow him.  Israel is often described as a harlot throughout the Old Testament, in reference to her spiritual idolatry.  Mystery Babylon is about to become the ultimate manifestation of this harlotry when Israel “embraces the one who comes in his own name” (John 5:43).  Jerusalem will become the seat of the antichrist’s rule, and the dwelling place for demons (literally).  Out of this rule will come the greatest persecution of the saints of all time.  Numerous scripture references place the collective blood of the martyrs from the start of humanity squarely upon Jerusalem’s shoulders (18:24), and Jerusalem is about to receive the vengeance of God for it.

The timing of Mystery Babylon’s destruction appears to be right before the Battle of Armageddon.  It seems to happen quickly (“in one hour”), but chapters 17&18 skip around a little bit.  As we see in Revelation 18:4, Jesus issues a final warning to “come out of her, my people!”, which must precede her actual destruction.  Perhaps this warning accompanies the split of the Mount of Olives, which creates a pathway for the elect remnant of Israel to flee as described in Zechariah 14.

Note that it is the beast and his 10-king confederacy that carry out Mystery Babylon’s initial destruction in fulfillment of God’s judgment.  This might begin before the Bowls of Wrath are poured out, at or right after the 2nd Announcing Angel proclaiming it’s fall.  We are not quite caught up in the narrative yet, as Mystery Babylon’s  final death blow will be dealt via the 7th Bowl Judgment which has not yet occurred.

Detailed discussion on Mystery Babylon HERE.

Detail Popout – Chapter 19 – Rejoicing in Heaven

NOT Chronological.  A parallel heavenly view while Mystery Babylon is being destroyed.

With the destruction of Mystery Babylon (Jerusalem), there is much rejoicing in heaven.  The martyrs of all the ages have been avenged.

Detail Popout – Chapter 19 – Marriage Supper and Rider on a White Horse

NOT Chronological.  Shows the heavenly preparation for Bowl 7.

Heaven prepares to open once again.  As it opened at the Beginning of the Day of the Lord (seal 6) to receive the body of Christ, so it will open again to let us all out at the End of the Day of the Lord.

The wedding in heaven is complete and the saints have received their rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ.  It is Jesus’ righteousness that clothes us in white robes, but there is suggestion here that we will be adorned with our deeds – those that survived the test of fire.  It is now time for the marriage supper.  On that note, heaven opens again (the sky rolls back as a scroll).  Jesus is in the lead, mounted on a white horse.  He is no Lamb this time; he is about to judge and make war.  The armies of heaven (the Bride of Christ) follow Him, also mounted on white horses.  There will be no need for us to fight.

Jesus is about to tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.  Again, this connects us to the harvest of the earth (Chapter 14).  We then see the beast and the kings and the armies of the earth all gathered to make war against Jesus and the Bride.  We know that these gathered during Bowl 6.  Thus in the chronology, Bowl 7 is about to be poured out.

Further detail is given in Daniel chapter 7 and Zechariah chapter 14, but in summary the beast and the false prophet are captured and thrown alive into the lake of fire.  The rest of the armies are slain by the Word of God, Jesus Christ.  The birds feast upon the flesh of the slain.  Now, Bowl 7 is poured out. Basically the entire earth is remodeled.  The heavens and the earth are completely shaken, and all the kingdoms of the earth fall (including the supernatural ones).  The earth is now ready for the Millennial Kingdom (Messianic Rule).

And now we are caught up in the chronology from Chapter 14.

Chapter 20 – The Millennial Kingdom, The Defeat of Satan, the Great White Throne Judgment

Chronological.

A ton of stuff is packed into this short chapter.  First, Satan and his hordes are seized and chained in the abyss.  Then, the post-rapture martyrs (the ones we saw the souls of on the sea of glass in chapter 15) are resurrected from the dead to rule with Christ during His Millennial Kingdom.  The Bride will also help Christ rule.  Everyone who has been resurrected from the dead to this point are considered part of the “first resurrection”.

The Millennial Kingdom happens here, but is not described.

At the end of the Millennial Kingdom, Satan will be unleashed for a short period of time.  He will deceive a large number of humanity at this point and march them up against Jerusalem to battle Jesus and His saints.  It appears that not all will be fans of Christ’s “rod iron rule”.  Once again, there will be no battle but fire will come from heaven and consume them all.

Satan will be thrown in the lake of fire.  Finally.

We then see heaven and earth pass away as they flee before the Great White Throne.  All the dead from the dawn of humanity, who did not participate in the “first resurrection”, will be resurrected at this time to face Judgment.  Anyone who is not found in the Book of Life is thrown into the eternal Lake of Fire.

Chapter 21 & 22 – The New Heaven and the New Earth

Chronological.

We are introduced to our new home at this point – the New Jerusalem.  Here is the ultimate promise to believers – it is finished, and all things are made new.

“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (21:3-4 ESV)

This chapter describes the dazzling brilliance of the home which Jesus has prepared for those of us who love Him, who are called by His name.  It’s absolutely huge and stunning.  There is nothing accursed, and God will dwell among us.  There will be no more night.  And so we will reign forever and ever with God and the Lamb.  Click for MORE ON ETERNITY.

The chronology of Revelation ends here.

Doxology – Chapter 22 – Jesus is Coming

NOT Chronological.

Jesus concludes His message that He is coming soon!  He will bring His reward with Him, to repay each one for what he has done. Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the ending.

Surely He is coming.

Soon.

Are you CERTAIN of your Salvation, beyond a shadow of a doubt?  Do you KNOW that no matter when the rapture occurs, you will be counted worthy to escape?  If not, please read What Must I do to Be Saved.

 The Bible is infallible.  I am not.  Be a Berean – examine the scriptures for yourself to see if these things are so!

Olivet Discourse Overview

/ Stephanie Dawn / Leave a comment

Jesus’ words on the Mount of Olives to His disciples give a wealth of information about the end of this age of humanity.  Taking each verse on its own leads to confusion, or worse, incorrect doctrine.  In order to rightly divide the Scriptures, we must take them as a whole.  Not just a passage or chapter, and not even by book.  We take the entire body, the whole wealth of the Bible, and weave it together to form our understanding.

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming.  (Ephesians 4:14 ESV)

In a previous post, I wove together the tapestry of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.  However, it is a little long and cumbersome to read, so I will provide an overview here.  I understand that in tackling this, I can introduce my biases.  Thus, I encourage you to search the Scriptures for yourself to see if these things are so.

Jesus has just told his disciples that the Temple will be destroyed, with not one stone left upon another.  Because they, along with all of Israel, are anticipating Jesus ushering in the Messianic Kingdom, they don’t even know how to comprehend what He has just told them.  And so they approach Him and ask Him when this is going to happen and when He’s going to finally usher in His Kingdom.  They actually ask about the signs of His coming as well, but remember that they didn’t even comprehend His death and resurrection at this point.  Even upon His ascension, they are markedly confused about how His plan is going to unfold.  So although scholars have broken down the disciples’ questions into three parts (temple destruction, Second Coming, End of the Age), the disciples themselves did not see that these would necessarily be different events.

To answer their questions, Jesus first describes the Church Age in one broad sweep.  He warns the disciples not to be led astray by false messiahs or false doctrine.  He also states that there will be wars and rumors of wars, but the end is still to come.  These things would be part of the general “trials and tribulations” that would end up being part of the entire church age.  And of course, this is what the church age has seen.  There have been many false religions in the name of Christ, including false messiahs and prophets.  Wars continue to sprinkle throughout the pages of history.

In Luke’s version alone, Jesus answers the question of when the Temple would be thrown down.  He tells them there will be much persecution for the disciples including prison and martyrdom.  He encourages them that the purpose of this persecution is to bear witness for His name’s sake, and that He would give them the words to say when the time comes.  Then, when Jerusalem is surrounded by armies, its destruction is near.  He warns them to flee to the mountains at this time.  Then Jerusalem will fall in order to fulfill all that is written, namely, the prophecies of Israel being scattered among the nations until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.  Again, we see Jesus’ words fulfilled in the pages of history.  All the apostles died the death of martyrs, save John.  Even though John had been boiled in oil, God spared His life for a time.  The Temple was thrown down, to the very last stone, and Jerusalem seized in 70AD.  However, the process of the taking of Jerusalem involved some confusion, giving time for those who recalled Jesus’ words time to flee.  It is recorded that no Christians died in the taking of Jerusalem.  The Jews were then scattered worldwide for almost 2 millennia.  While Israel started to regather in the late 1800’s, the complete regathering of Israel is yet future.

Next we have the arrival of the “time of the end”.  Jesus describes a specific set of signs as marking the “beginning of birth pains”, which announces the “time of the end”.   This collection of signs includes:  nation rising against nation, kingdom rising against kingdom, famines, earthquakes in various places, terrors, and great signs from heaven.   Individually, these signs don’t signify the end.  When the end DOES arrive, it will be very obviously marked by this collection of signs occurring all at once.  Note the parallels of these signs to Seals 2,3,4,6 and Ezekiel 38-39. The only other place a “great sign in heaven” is mentioned is in Revelation 12:1-2, which is an interesting connection as this sign occurs on September 23, 2017.  The end will come like a flood, or a trap, indeed, and it will be obvious to all.

Jesus then describes a period of intense persecution, which is very similar to the persecution experienced by the original apostles.  This persecution and its’ connection to Seal 5 is critical to understand.  When we read through Seal 5 (Revelation 6), we see that the Seal 5 martyrs are given white robes and told to rest.  Then, in Seal 6 the sky rolls back as a scroll to reveal the Lamb and the throne of God and a vast collection of people from all tribes, tongues, nations, and peoples.  I have come to the understanding that the 5th Seal represents the resurrection of the dead (the dead in Christ will rise first), and Seal 6 the rapture of the resurrected dead and the living.  While the Seal 5 martyrs, now resurrected and robed, “rest” in heaven (Isaiah 26), martyrs will continue to accumulate throughout the Day of the Lord.  Instead of accumulating under the altar as in Seal 5, these collect before the throne of God on the “sea of glass” (Revelation 15:2; ref Revelation 4:2).

Amidst this time of persecution, Jesus warns against false prophets.  This is the time of deception described in 2 Thessalonians 2.  Satan will be empowering the False Prophet and the Antichrist to perform many signs and wonders.  The indwelling Holy Spirit is not a part of this short “age of wrath”, even though He will continue to convict and lead to salvation.  It will be very difficult to cling to faith in Jesus at this time and believers are encouraged to stand firm in their faith until the end.

Jesus states that the gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world, and “then the end will come”.  This also is a potential stumbling point for timelines.  Yes, it is the church’s job to spread the gospel, and we have indeed already successfully reached all nations.  But this preaching of the gospel continues in our absence through the 2 witnesses (Revelation 11), the sealed 144,000 Jews (Revelation 7), and an angel –  “Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people.  And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.” (Revelation 14:6-7 ESV)  Thus, everyone will hear the gospel before the final wrath of God is poured out.  God, even in His wrath, calls people to repentance.  

Jesus then refers to the book of Daniel and warns that when “the abomination that causes desolation” is seen standing in the holy place, that those who are in Judea (Jerusalem) should flee to the mountains.  This hearkens back to the days of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD; however, this time the trigger is the “abomination of desolation” not “Jerusalem surrounded by armies”.  From the books of Daniel and 2 Thessalonians, we know that the abomination reference here is the time when the antichrist sets himself up in the temple and declares himself to be “god”.  We know that Jesus is referring to those in Jerusalem literally (and not symbolically) by the references to the holy place in the Temple and to the Sabbath.  Only observant Jews would be concerned about fleeing on the Sabbath, as they were only allowed to travel very small distances from their homes at that time.  This desecration of the holy place will mark the beginning of the most intense persecution of followers of Jesus Christ of all time – “the Greatest Tribulation”.

Jesus states that for the sake of the elect, the days of “greatest tribulation” will be shortened.   I don’t believe we can know exactly what is meant here, other than that God has allotted a certain amount of time for satan to rule and not a moment more.

Jesus again warns about false messiahs and false prophets performing deceptive signs and wonders.  This is Satan’s last chance to deceive humanity.  You can bet that he has been planning this for thousands of years and that it is going to be very cunning.  I’m anticipating that the antichrist will present as the Jewish “messiah”, literally, a “false christ”.   However, no matter what is being claimed, the arrival of Jesus will be absolutely unmistakable.  If there is ANY QUESTION AT ALL, it’s not Jesus.

Immediately after the distress of the greatest tribulation of all time, the vultures will gather in preparation for the sacrificial feast that will be offered to them at the Battle of Armageddon.  The sun, moon, and stars will be darkened (note: DARK moon, not BLOOD moon; a critical distinction that trips people up).  The BLOOD moon specifically only occurs at the beginning of the Day of the Lord (Joel 2:30-31, Acts 2:17-21, Revelation 6/Seal 6). The DARK moon happens a few times throughout the day of the Lord as well as at the END of the Day of the Lord.

Zechariah 14:6-7 describes the END as “On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost. And there shall be a unique day, which is known to the Lord, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light.“  It’s possible that in the evening on this day of darkness is when the Son of Man will light up the sky in all His glory, when He comes on His white horse with all the holy ones behind Him.   The powers of the heavens will be shaken at this time, as Jesus boots the rulers of this present world  (Ephesians 6:12) out of power.  When Jesus comes, the evil forces that currently run rampant in our realm will literally be shaken out of their abode.

Jesus then sends out His angels with a loud trumpet call to gather the elect “from the four winds”.  The four winds represent the four compass points, meaning the entire globe.  The elect in view here are the believing remnant of Israel.  One of the main purposes of the Day of the Lord and the 70th Week of Daniel is to draw Israel back to God.  Over and over again the Old Testament proclaims Israel’s regathering.  This reminds us of Zechariah 2:6, where God states that “I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heavens, declares the Lord.”  Where He once spread the Israelites abroad via the four winds, He will now gather them via the four winds.  “And so all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:26).

I find that this also gives people a lot of difficulty.  Note that at the rapture, 1 Thessalonians 4:16, the Lord Himself will give a shout of command (likely “Come Up Here!) along with the trumpet sound of God (“last trump”) and we will obey.  Angels will not be involved in collecting the dead in Christ or the alive in Christ at the time of the rapture.

The remainder of humanity, both believers and unbelievers, will be collected at some point after this to enter the Sheep and Goats Judgment that Jesus discusses in Matthew chapter 25.  They are not in view here, however.  Neither are the deceased elect from time of the “tribulation”, commonly called the “tribulation martyrs”, who won’t be resurrected until after the Sheep and Goats Judgment. (Revelation 20:4)

In Luke, there is a change in the narrative with the word “Now”:  Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:28 ESV).  Our redemption draws near when all these things BEGIN to take place, not AFTER they have all taken place.  Our redemption is our salvation – the completion of God’s work in us.  This is when we will sing about salvation before God’s throne (Revelation 7 and parallel in Revelation 12).  When these things (the beginning of the birth pains) BEGIN to take place, we will be harpazo’d (raptured) away from the time and place of the birth pains.  We will come immediately out of the great tribulations/afflictions/trials that are just beginning on the earth.

The Fig Tree Parable is the next topic of discussion, which is generally agreed upon to be the rebirth of the nation of Israel in 1948.  This parallels the Valley of Dry Bones prophecy in Ezekiel 37, where Israel first comes together politically and physically before it will be restored spiritually.  Here, the fig tree will leaf out, but it will not yet bear mature fruit.  Our redemption is drawing near when we see the fig tree leaf out.

Jesus then mentions a specific generation that will not pass away until “all these things are accomplished”.  The most common interpretation of “this generation” is the one that sees all the signs Jesus mentioned in the Olivet Discourse being fulfilled.  I agree, because of the little word “until”. Jesus is suggesting that this generation will pass away, but not until all these things have taken place.  Thus, it must refer to an actual generation, and not the Jewish race (God’s covenant with them is ETERNAL, so as a race they will NEVER pass away).  There will be a specific generation of Jews that will be a transitional generation, witnessing both their country’s rebirth and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (and all the events in between).

Jesus emphasizes the sudden, severe, and global nature of the events that are coming.  This is in harmony with other descriptions of the Day of the Lord as coming on like labor pains, like a trap, and like a thief in the night.  We are to WATCH and be AWAKE at all times.  Then, Jesus mentions the escape route.  The truly saved, the invisible true body of Christ, will escape all these things that are going to take place.  And we literally will stand before the Son of Man (Revelation 7).  Again, we are to watch for the very BEGINNING of these signs, as when we see them our redemption is drawing nigh.  This can only be the rapture, because it’s an escape route.

Next we have yet another highly debated phrase  – “but concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”  It must be describing the escape route, the rapture, because it follows the statement that Jesus’ words will never pass away.  Since they won’t ever pass away, there isn’t a day or an hour to watch for.  There are thus four possible interpretations of this phrase:

  1. While Jesus was on earth, He laid down His deity to become as one of us.  I’m not entirely sure, but this may have included his omniscience.  When He ascended to heaven, He would have become fully omniscient again and would certainly now know the day and the hour.
  2. When Jesus was instructing the disciples in these things the offer for Israel to accept Him as Messiah was legitimately on the table.  If Israel had accepted, the “day” and the “hour” could have come much sooner.  In essence, the 70th week of Daniel could have carried on uninterrupted after Palm Sunday.  Thus, the Day and the Hour could have been approximately only 7 years down the road!  Clearly, Jesus knew they wouldn’t accept His offer, but it had to be a real option.
  3. “About that Day or Hour No One Knows” is a common Hebrew idiom for the Feast of Trumpets.  This was a feast that could not be predicted with accuracy, because it relied on the confirmation of 2 witnesses sighting the first sliver of light after the New Moon.  Thus, it could vary by a day or two.  It is the only feast of God’s appointed times that no one could predetermine the day or hour of, and it is the only feast on God’s timetable where the fulfillment is somewhat enigmatic.  Thus, when Jesus announces that “about that day and hour no one knows”, He is declaring it to occur on the Feast of Trumpets.  And as such, until that day, we would not know whether or not it was the day.  (If we could somehow discern the year).
  4. We truly may not know the time of Jesus’ coming within a range of dates.

Regardless of the exact meaning of the phrase, we will definitely know the season if we watch for the signs.  Jesus tells us to WATCH, be AWAKE, and Paul adds in that we are not of the darkness that we should be overtaken as by a thief in the night.  On the day, we may know the day.  At the hour, we may know the hour.  Always be prepared for Jesus to return!  We don’t know when our Master will come, and we want to be found doing His work when He arrives.

Next, we have Jesus describing how the coming of the Son of Man will be as in the days of Noah and as in the days of Lot.  Mark 13 describes these as the “days of the Son of Man” when the “Son of Man is revealed”, which is a better indication of what is happening when some are taken and some are left.  People will be going about with ordinary daily activities, knowing nothing about what is to come on the world.  Noah and Lot were pulled out of the paths of destruction and then wrath came down upon the rest like a flood.  This passage emphasizes the unexpected nature of the beginning of the Day of the Lord.  Elsewhere it is referred to as a “trap” and “birth pains” – both of which have no escape.  This stands in stark contrast to the End of the Day of the Lord when the Son of Man returns (the Second Coming).  At the battle of Armageddon (the END of the Day of the Lord), life will not have been continuing on as usual.  The “flood” will be almost over – well over half the human population will have died by that point.  Everyone will know about what has been happening on the earth.  It won’t be a surprise that Jesus is coming, because people have gathered deliberately in expectation to fight Him.

We then see one person taken, and one person left behind from ordinary activities.   Jesus is clearly talking about the rapture here.  He just mentioned His revealing and how it will WHAM! come unexpectedly.  This emphasizes the sudden nature of the rapture – it will happen in the twinkling of an eye – we will be changed, and then snatched.  There won’t be time to actually turn back at that point (don’t worry!).  But nor will there be time to repent and join in. The word used for “taken”, paralambanetai, is used elsewhere to represent “received”.  I believe this translation gives a better picture of what is happening:  believers are seized (harpazo) and received (paralambanetai) unto the Lamb, while the ones left behind will suffer the wrath of God.

Mark ends his passage with a reference to corpses and vultures, which seems out of place.  It actually ends up being a very useful connection marker.  We dig in scripture to find the key.  There are two instances in prophetic verses where God prepares a banquet for the birds of prey and wild animals.  There is one at Armageddon, yes – at the END of the Day of the Lord.  However, there is also one at the Gog/Magog war at the BEGINNING of the Day of the Lord.  This passage, among other keys, connects Ezekiel 38-39 with the BEGINNING of the Day of the Lord, as well as the rapture. Ezekiel 39:17 ESV “Son of man, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Call out to every kind of bird and all the wild animals: ‘Assemble and come together from all around to the sacrifice I am preparing for you, the great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel. There you will eat flesh and drink blood.”  (Notably, this also ties in the death by “wild beasts” of seal 4).

We are then commanded again to keep watch and be ready!!!

I hope this has helped clear up the Bible prophecy timeline in the Olivet Discourse.  In it we find a number of useful connection keys.  For further reading I have written posts on all these keys separately:

  1. The Gospel Will Be Preached to All Nations
  2. The Fig Tree Sign and Israel’s Rebirth
  3. The Terminal Generation
  4. Is it Better to Be Taken or Left?
  5. The End of the Age According to Jesus – Matthew, Mark, Luke
  6. Braxton Hicks, Labor Pains, and the Time of the End
  7. The Gog and Magog War of Ezekiel 38 & 39
  8. Blood Moon VERSUS Dark Moon

Are you CERTAIN of your Salvation, beyond a shadow of a doubt?  Do you KNOW that no matter when the rapture occurs, you will be counted worthy to escape?  If not, please read What Must I do to Be Saved.

God’s Mosaic – A Whole Scripture Overview of Things To Come

Main Menu – God’s Mosaic Prophecy Model

The Bible is infallible.  I am not.  I am merely challenging traditional models and testing them against Scripture.  I believe that traditional pretribulation teachings provide a solid backbone upon which to lay the musculature of details.  I encourage you to consider my thoughts as you also examine the scriptures to see if these things are so!

jesus-olivet-discourse

God’s Mosaic – Possible Sequence of End Time Events

/ Stephanie Dawn / 2 Comments

In writing this I will tell you straight up that I likely have several events in incorrect order.  For some it is difficult to place them with precision; I will try to identify these as we go along.  Why write this at all, then?  Well, I have personally found it much easier to grasp details if I can hang them on an approximate visual timeline.  When starting out on this study it can be very overwhelming!  As with all my posts – search the scriptures for yourself to see if it is so.  *ALL* human interpretation is subject to error.  All prophecy will come into clearer focus as it unfolds.

Dispensations

God’s revelation and dealings with humanity can be broadly separated into “ages”.  This is the basis for Dispensational Theology.  It’s not perfect, but it helps us grasp how God has progressively revealed Himself and His redemption plan to humanity.  Here, I will just mention the dispensations that affect our generation:

Age of Grace (~32 AD to present)

Age of Wrath  (~7-10 years)

Millennial Kingdom (1000 years)

Eternity

What I have called the “Age of Wrath” consists of the 70th Week of Daniel and the Day of the Lord, which are distinct but overlapping.  This period of wrath isn’t part of the Age of Grace, nor is it part of the Millennial Kingdom.  It is this relatively short period that is the focus of much Bible Prophecy.  While it is short, it is incredibly significant.

Let’s add some further details.  This backbone is based on a literal scripture interpretation.

End Times Backbone

Pentecost

Church Age Begins At Pentecost – Holy Spirit Comes Down ~ 32 AD (Acts 2:17-18).

Church Age

The church age will be marked by wars, rumors of wars, “desolation” (scattering among the nations) for the Hebrews, general tribulation, and “false christs” (false doctrine in Christianity and false prophets).

Rapture

Church Age Ends At the Rapture – Holy Spirit Goes Up (Acts 2:19-21, 2 Thess 2:7).  We may truly not know the “day or hour” of the rapture.

God’s Judgments Start

After the rapture of the church, the effects of Seals 1-7 will be seen and the Trumpet Judgements will start.

Antichrist Revealed

The antichrist will be revealed at some point AFTER the rapture of the church.

Day of the Lord Begins

The Day of the Lord likely begins after a future Gog/Magog war (Ezekiel 38-39) when God Rises to Protect Israel.  The duration of the Day of the Lord is not given; however, it appears to be at least 7 years long based on “7 year burning of weapons” following the Gog/Magog war.  Alternately, the official Day of the Lord may not begin until later – what is clear, is that it starts at some point after the antichrist is somehow revealed (2 Thessalonians 2).  God’s wrath is contained within the Day of the Lord, which church age believers are promised to be spared from.

70th Week of Daniel Begins – 7 yr Covenant

The 70th Week of Daniel begins immediately upon the confirming of a 7 year covenant with Israel and “many” (duration 1260+1260 days).  The exact nature of this covenant is unknown.  Traditional interpretation states it is a peace treaty between the antichrist, Israel, and surrounding nations.  It’s also possible that it is GOD who re-confirms His Abrahamic covenant with Israel through sparing her from certain destruction at the Gog/Magog war of Ezekiel 38-39.  The 70th week of Daniel will overlap the Day of the Lord to some extent, or even possibly in entirety.

Abomination of Desolation – Midpoint of 7 yr Covenant

Abomination of Desolation = Covenant Confirmation + 1260 Days.   Regardless of who confirms the covenant with Israel, someone (the antichrist, false messiah) will declare to be “god” at this point and seat himself in the Jewish Temple.  He, or his false prophet, will set up some type of worship system for him in the temple.  This is an abomination to God.

Time of “Greatest Tribulation”

The time of greatest tribulation mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 24, and mentioned in Daniel 9 and Revelation 12, is when the saints are handed over into the antichrist beast’s hand.  This is sometimes referred to as “Satan’s wrath”.  It begins at the Abomination of Desolation and ends at the Second Coming of Christ.  People near Jerusalem are welcome to flee to the wilderness (Petra?) to avoid this, but they must leave immediately.

Second Coming of Christ – Feast of Atonement (Yom Kippur)

Abomination of Desolation + 1260 Days = Second Coming of Christ and the Battle of Armageddon.  This fulfills the Feast of Atonement (Yom Kippur) – Judgment Day.

Sheep and Goats Judgment

This judgment of the living follows the Battle of Armageddon.  The Antichrist (beast) and his False Prophet become the first inhabitants of the Lake of Fire.  The living are sorted into “sheep” (true believers) and “goats” (unbelievers).  The “sheep” are ushered into the Millennial Kingdom, and the “goats” are banished to hell / lake of fire.  This might possibly take 30 days (1260 + 30 = 1290).

Millennial Kingdom – Feast of Tabernacles

The Millennial Kingdom, “God With Us”, fulfills the Feast of Tabernacles (Booths).  God will dwell among His people, and rule them “with an iron rod” for a period of 1000 years.

Millennial Temple Dedication – Hanukkah?

The millennial temple may be dedicated on Hanukkah, the feast of lights.  This feast  happens to fall 75 days after Yom Kippur.  Note 1260 + 75 days = 1335.  Hanukkah is the Temple Re-dedication holiday for Israel, and marks when the oil in the Menorah miraculously lasted for 8 days instead of 1 day.  Hanukkah is not one God’s appointed times, but it is a significant historical celebration for Israel that Jesus participated in when He was here the first time.

Final Rebellion

At the end of 1000 years, Satan will be released for a “little season” to gather humanity in a final rebellion against God.

Great White Throne Judgment

This is the final resurrection of the dead.  Believers from the millennial kingdom, and unbelievers of all ages, will be judged.  Those who are washed clean in the blood of the Lamb go to heaven; those who attempt to pay for their own debts will find that it is impossible, and thus will be sent to the Lake of Fire.

Eternity

God makes all things new.

 

We now have a structure on which to hang further details.  Here is where I will add in my speculations and possible dates for the “Age of Wrath” that will likely affect most people alive today.  This sequence is based upon my best and current understanding, but will likely be wrong on some points.

God’s Mosaic – Possible Sequence of End Times Events

Pentecost ~32AD

Church Age

Beginning of Birth Pains

It appears from the sequence of Seal 6, which is a detailed description of the “beginning of birth pains” Jesus referred to in His mount of olives discourse, that the church might be here as the time of trouble just BEGINS to be unleashed upon the earth.  This might include:

  • nation rising against nation, and kingdom against kingdom (WW3)
  • earthquakes
  • volcanic eruptions
  • tsunamis
  • meteor showers / asteroid impacts
  • famines
  • pestilences (infectious disease outbreaks?)
  • “terrors and great signs from heaven”

Rapture

  • Possible “high watch” days include Pentecost, Feast of Trumpets, Yom Kippur, and coincidence with the Ezekiel 38-39 war.  Or, possibly day and hour are truly unknown (imminent).
  • The Feast of Trumpets may have dual fulfillment with the rapture of the church, and the Mount of Olives cleaving for the Elect Remnant of Israel ~7 or 10 years later.
  • Restrainer (Holy Spirit sealing within the true Church) is removed from the earth (2 Thessalonians 2)
  • Seal 1 – Unrestrained antichrist – the lawless one is freed to rise to political and spiritual power (2 Thessalonians 2, Revelation 6).  How quickly he arises is unspecified, but within about 3.5 years he will declare himself to be “god”.
  • Seal 2 – Unrestrained Violence and/or War – Possibly WW3, Ezekiel 38-39, and the wars the antichrist fights as he rises to power (described in Daniel 7&11).  Possibly includes the violence as people fight for survival.  This violence begins now but continues until the Second Coming of Christ.
  • Seal 3 – Unrestrained Economic Control and Famine will occur  as a result of the events that are being unleashed.  The ultimate economic control will be seen in the “Mark of the Beast” system at some point after the antichrist declares himself to be “god”.
  • Seal 4 – A result of Seals 1-3 – Death via sword, famine, infectious disease (pestilence), wild beasts.  Death is followed by Hades (hell); as such, it does not affect Believers in Jesus Christ.  The gates of hell do not prevail against the church (Matthew 16:18).  A fourth of the earth will be killed, beginning at the opening of the seals and extending for some unspecified period of time.  I would assume a short time, based on the fact that many people WILL become true believers shortly after the rapture when they realize that the Bible is true.
  • Seal 5 – The dead in Christ arise (resurrection and rapture) and enter their rest (Isaiah 26).  Meanwhile, the number of martyrs will continue to collect again until the full number of martyrs is complete.  Unrestrained antichrist religion will result in martyrs for the true Christ.  The martyrs’ blood will not be completely avenged until later, when the 7th bowl judgment is poured out.
  • Seal 6 – great earthquake, which moves every mountain and island; sun is blackened; moon turns blood red.  I believe the earthquake causes volcanic eruptions as a chain reaction, and the smoke and ash in the air darken the sun and make the moon appear blood red worldwide.  In Joel 2 we are told this occurs BEFORE the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord begins.  I believe this earthquake is likely CAUSED by the nuclear transformation of the physical into the eternal (resurrection/rapture event).
  • Seal 6 – sky vanishes like a scroll being rolled up – I believe this is the third heaven opening up to allow the entrance of billions of resurrected and live believers to enter heaven.  This may come after the great earthquake.
  • Seal 6 – the left behind, every human left from rich to poor, hide among the caves and rocks to attempt to hide from the wrath of him who is seated on the throne and from the Lamb, “for the great day of their wrath has come”.
  • Seal 6 – stars of the sky fall to earth – I believe this parallels Revelation 12:9 – “And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.”  This may be the basis for an “excuse” of what happened to believers, and may involve “aliens” (fallen angelic deception).  Alternatively, this could be asteroids/meteors, or the fallout from a near-collision with “Planet X / Nibiru”.
  • Seal 6 – 144,000 Israelites are sealed on their foreheads, to accomplish God’s purpose on earth.  They will become the firstfruits unto God of the remnant of Israel that will be saved.  I believe these are literal bloodline Israelites, from the 12 tribes as detailed in Revelation 7.
  • Seal 6 – Believers from all nations, tribes, tongues, and peoples are seen in heaven worshiping the Lamb and the One on the throne.  These are the raptured and resurrected saints.

Pause

  • Seal 7 – Silence in heaven for “about half an hour”, then it appears that the Yom Kippur Ceremony takes place in heaven.  This half hour of silence may represent the “10 Days of Awe” between the Feast of Trumpets and Yom Kippur, it may be a literal half hour, or it may represent some other sum of time.
  • 2 Witnesses appear.  They are expected BEFORE the Day of the Lord.  Jews are expecting Elijah; whether this will truly be Elijah or someone “in the spirit of Elijah” I am unsure.  The other person could be Moses, or Enoch.  Or it could be Zerubbabel and Joshua… Whoever they are will be clear because they are granted authority to do certain signs and wonders, and they will be clothed in sackcloth.  Their ministry lasts 3.5 years (1260 days).

NOTE: There is possibly a TIME GAP between the rapture of the church and the confirming of the covenant with Israel that begins the 7 year 70th Week of Daniel.  This time gap may be approximately 2 months OR approximately 3 years and 2 months in duration OR some other possibility?  Or, there may not be a gap at all.

God’s Judgments Start – Yom Kippur?

After the rapture of the church, the effects of Seals 1-7 will be seen and the Trumpet Judgements will start.  These may be coincident with the antichrist being revealed and the Day of the Lord beginning.

Antichrist Revealed

The antichrist will be revealed at some point AFTER the rapture of the church.  Whether this is through him fighting and winning wars for Israel, through confirming a peace treaty with Israel, or at the time of his apparent death and resurrection, it is not entirely clear.

Day of the Lord Begins ~ Yom Kippur?

  • Yom Kippur represents “Judgment Day”, and seems a fitting start to God’s Great and Terrible Day of the Lord.  I believe Yom Kippur may have dual fulfillment, marking both the START and END of the Day of the Lord.
  • After the ~ 1/2 hour of silence in heaven, there is thunders, rumblings, lightning, and an earthquake.
  • The effects of the Seals opening continue on.
  • Trumpet 1:  Hail and fire, mixed with blood.  1/3 of earth and trees burned up.  All green grass burned up.  This description is paralleled as one of the fallouts of the Ezekiel 38-39 war, so the Gog/Magog war may be at this time.  Or this judgment may occur twice.
  • Trumpet 2:  Something like a mountain burning with fire (asteroid?) thrown into the sea.  1/3 sea becomes blood, 1/3 sea creatures die, 1/3 ships destroyed.
  • Trumpet 3:  Great star (asteroid?) falls from heaven, blazing like a torch.  1/3 rivers and springs are poisoned by “wormwood”.  Many people die (from either poisoning or thirst).
  • Trumpet 4:  1/3 of the light from the sun, moon, and stars are dimmed.  1/3 of day is dark, 1/3 of night is dark.
  • The 1/3 judgments seem to reflect back upon the 1/3 of angels who fall with satan (Revelation 12).  I believe these are cast down to earth at or right after the time of the rapture; and thus, these 1/3 judgments would seemingly reflect, or announce, their arrival on earth.
  • Are trumpets 1-4 related to “Planet 7X” “Nibiru” “Planet X”, if such a thing really exists?  If it is indeed a planetary system, then God created it for a specific time and purpose.
  • I am guessing Trumpets 1-4 occur close together, to form somewhat of a unit of judgment, near the beginning of the Day of the Lord, perhaps before the 70th Week of Daniel starts.

70th Week of Daniel Begins – 7 yr Covenant Confirmed With Israel and the Many

  • This is the most speculative estimation for dates.  However, since I believe Jesus’ Second Coming will be on Yom Kippur, and I believe the 70th Week of Daniel lasts 2520 days, then counting back from Yom Kippur places the covenant confirmation around November 3.5 years earlier.  If Yom Kippur 2028 is the Second Coming, the covenant signing would occur around November 6, 2021.  It’s hard for me to imagine it taking that long, though, with the rate things are happening in Israel these days.
  • Trumpet 5 – Woe 1 – Satan is given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit.  A demon army comes up like locusts/scorpions to “sting” humans for 5 months.  The pain from this will be unbearable and people will seek death, but death will not be allowed.  The sealed 144,000 Israelites will be untouchable from the “stings”.
  • Trumpet 6 – Woe 2- 200,000,000 demon army kills 1/3 of humanity via fire, smoke, and sulfur. These may be the fallen “watchers” (fallen angelic beings) mentioned in 2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 1:6, who are being kept in chains until the “judgment of the great day”.  This trumpet judgment begins at some point after the Trumpet 5 locust demon army, and ends after God’s 2 witnesses are killed and resurrected.  The “abomination of desolation” likely occurs while the 2 witnesses are laying dead in the streets of Jerusalem.

Beast Killed and Resurrected (April?)

It is insinuated in several passages that the antichrist/beast is killed via a mortal head wound and then is resurrected from the dead.  The timing of this is likely shortly before the antichrist declares himself to be “god”, because it probably is one of the reasons that he seemingly CAN claim to be god.  This is an attempt to parallel Jesus’ death and resurrection, and thus it seems very possible that it might occur on Passover/Firstfruits.  The antichrist is resurrected from the dead by the power of God, when Satan is allowed to take possession of his body.

Abomination of Desolation – Midpoint of 7 yr Covenant (April/May?)

The Abomination of Desolation occurs at the Covenant Confirmation + 1260 Days.  Someone (the antichrist/beast) will declare to be “god” at this point and seat himself in the Jewish Temple.  This is an abomination to God.  An image will be set up in the Temple for people to give worship and sacrifices to the antichrist, which is also an abomination.  Old Testament style sacrifices will cease.  This may be an attempt to copy Jesus, who was the fulfillment of the Old Testament sacrificial system.

2 Witnesses Killed – Resurrected After 3.5 Days (end-April/early-May?)

Likely one of the first things that the newly resurrected antichrist will do is kill God’s 2 witnesses.  He’s probably been trying to kill them all along, but until now they’ve been untouchable.  The 2 Witnesses will lie dead in the streets of Jerusalem for 3.5 days, then be resurrected from the dead and called up into heaven.  It is at this point we also see the 144,000 previously sealed Israelites on the heavenly Mount Zion.  So it is possible that the antichrist turns on these along with the 2 witnesses when he proclaims himself to be “god”.  This would make sense, since they will be proclaiming the true Christ as the only way to the One True God.

Time of “Greatest Tribulation” – 1260 days

The time of greatest tribulation mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 24, and mentioned in Daniel 9 and Revelation 12, is when the saints are handed over into the beast’s hand.  Satan is allowed 1260 days to rule over the kingdoms of the world.  This is sometimes referred to as the time of “Satan’s wrath”, when he pours out all his hatred of Christ onto Christ’s followers.  Martyrdom will be extremely common.  The Time of Greatest Tribulation begins at the Abomination of Desolation and ends at the Second Coming of Christ.  People near Jerusalem are welcome to flee to the wilderness (Petra?) to avoid this, but they must leave immediately after the antichrist declares himself to be “god”.  Note that many will be following the antichrist and willingly worshiping him, and these will not be persecuted…yet.  The time of Greatest Tribulation, the Antichrist’s rule, lasts 3.5 years.

Mark of the Beast

At some point after his rule is established, the antichrist will institute his “mark of the beast” system.  This will show allegiance to him and will be required for all economic transactions.  An angel from God will warn the earth not to take this mark, as it will render whoever accepts the mark to be “unsaveable”.  As to what it could be, it may affect human DNA somehow.  Jesus died to save humanity alone – those who bear His image.  Our very humanity is defined by our DNA.  This is speculative, but I am guessing that it will come near the very end of the beast’s rule based on the timing of the Feasts of God and the messages of the 3 Messenger Angels.

Mount Olives Split – Feast of Trumpets?

Trumpet 7 is also Woe 3  and includes flashes of lightning, rumblings, thunders, an earthquake, and heavy hail.  I am speculating that the Feast of Trumpets is when Trumpet 7 is blown.  Trumpet 7 releases the 7 Bowls of Wrath.   For this reason, I imagine it is blown near the end of the antichrist’s rule.  Zechariah 14 tells us that before Jesus comes with His holy ones, the Mount of Olives will be split into two – from East to West – to allow the Hebrews to flee before a great (the greatest ever) earthquake occurs.  I’m postulating that the earthquake of Trumpet 7 is the one that splits the Mount of Olives.  I believe this is Jesus calling to the elect remnant in Jerusalem, “Come Out of Her, My People!”, right before the destruction of Mystery Babylon (end-times city of Jerusalem).  Anyone who obeys would be spared from God’s final outpouring of wrath.  It seems that half the city goes out into exile to obey.   Perhaps this is because the messenger angel #1 just flew over proclaiming the eternal gospel?

This would seem to be a second fulfillment of the Feast of Trumpets, if the rapture occurs on the Feast of Trumpets as well.  Another chance for the elect (this time Israel) to escape wrath.  Or, is it possible that the earthquake that divides Mount Olives to provide an escape route for the remnant of Israel will occur 3 days after the darkness of Bowl 5?  This would parallel God’s deliverance of Israel after 3 days of darkness at the first exodus.

Messenger Angels (Days of Awe?)

Once the 2 witnesses and the 144,000 sealed Israelites have been killed/taken up into heaven, God will use 3 messenger angels to communicate with humanity.  These will deliver their messages at some point after the abomination of desolation, but before the bowls of wrath.  Because the second angel announces the imminent fall of Mystery Babylon, which is right near the Second Coming of Jesus, the timeline of the Messenger Angels is likely near the end of the 1260 day beast-rule.  I’m suspecting the messenger angels (3) plus the bowls of wrath (7) might fulfill the 10 Days of Awe between the Feast of Trumpets and Yom Kippur.

  1. Eternal Gospel Proclaimed to Every Nation and Tribe and Language and People
  2. Fallen, Fallen is Babylon the Great (Mystery Babylon)
  3. Warning Not to Worship the Beast or Its Image or Take Its Mark Under Penalty of Wrath and Lake of Fire

Destruction of Mystery Babylon

At some point near the Second Coming of Christ, Mystery Babylon (end-times city of Jerusalem) is destroyed.  This is where the antichrist and his confederacy turns on her.  It must occur after the Mount of Olives splits, to allow the believing remnant to flee.  It occurs with enough time for the kings of the earth (not included in the beast’s confederacy) to mourn for their loss of income at her destruction.  Does it possibly happen on the second Day of Awe when the angel announces “Fallen, Fallen is Babylon the Great”?

Bowls of Wrath  (Days of Awe?)

The Bowls of Wrath will begin at some point after the Mark of the Beast system is instituted.

  • Bowl 1 – Harmful and painful sores occur on people who have taken the mark of the beast.
  • Bowl 2 – Entire sea turns to blood, all sea creatures die.
  • Bowl 3 – All rivers and springs become blood.
  • Bowl 4 – Sun scorches people with fierce heat.
  • Bowl 5 – Kingdom of the beast is plunged into darkness.  People in anguish over their pain and sores (continuing from Bowl 1).
  • Bowl 6 – The Euphrates river is dried up to allow humanity to assemble for the battle at “Armageddon” (Jerusalem?).  The antichrist and false prophet send three deceiving frog-like spirits go out into all the world to collect the people.

Second Coming of Christ + Battle of Armageddon = Feast of Atonement (Yom Kippur)

Bowl 7 wraps up the destruction of Mystery Babylon and the Battle of Armageddon.  It includes lighting, rumblings, thunder, the greatest earthquake of all time, and 100 pound hailstones.  Abomination of Desolation + 1260 Days = Second Coming of Christ and the Battle of Armageddon.  This fulfills the Feast of Atonement (Yom Kippur) – Judgment Day.  Zechariah 14 describes this as “a unique day, with no light, cold, or frost….neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light” (v6-7).  I speculate that this is the sign of the Son of Man – when Jesus appears in heaven with eyes blazing, mounted on a white horse and flanked by His holy ones (Revelation 19).  Jesus kills the armies of the beast via what seems like some type of nuclear event.  Flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder are followed by the greatest earthquake ever.  Jerusalem is split into 3 parts, all the cities in the nations fall, all islands disappear, and all mountains are flattened.  100 pound hailstones fall from the sky.  Jerusalem is elevated onto a broad plain.

Gathering of the Elect

Angels gather the remnant of Israel.  All bloodline Hebrews who have survived the 70th Week of Daniel (1/3) are now believers and will be ushered into the Millennial Kingdom.  “And so all Israel will be saved”.

Sheep and Goats Judgment

The Gentile Sheep and Goats judgment follows the Battle of Armageddon.  The Antichrist (beast) and False Prophet become the first inhabitants of the Lake of Fire.  All remaining living humans are sorted into “sheep” (true believers) and “goats” (unbelievers).  The “sheep” are ushered into the Millennial Kingdom, and the “goats” are banished to hell / lake of fire.

Satan and Demons Banished

Satan and his demonic horde are banished to the abyss for the duration of the Millennial Kingdom.

Resurrection of Tribulation Martyrs

Tribulation martyrs that died in Christ will be resurrected and reign with Christ during the Millennial Kingdom.  I am not sure if this includes all the tribulation saints or just those who were martyred.

Millennial Kingdom – Feast of Tabernacles

The Millennial Kingdom is the fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles, and as such would be expected to begin on this feast date.  While the feast lasts 7 days, the Millennial Kingdom will last 1000 years.  7 is the number of completion, or perfection.

Temple Re-dedication – Hanukkah

The Temple may be cleansed and restored, or at least the sacrificial altar, in time to be dedicated on Hanukkah, which happens to fall at 1260 + 75 days = 1335.  Hanukkah is the Temple Re-dedication holiday for Israel, and marks when the oil in the Menorah miraculously lasted for 8 days instead of 1 day.  Hanukkah is not one God’s appointed times, but it is a significant holiday for Israel.

Final Rebellion

At the end of 1000 years, Satan will be released for a little season to gather humanity in a final rebellion against God.  This will complete humanity’s 7000 year story.

Great White Throne Judgment

This is the final resurrection of the dead.  Believers from the millennial kingdom, and unbelievers of all ages, will be judged.  Those who are washed clean in the blood of the Lamb go to heaven; those who attempt to pay for their own debts go to the Lake of Fire.

Eternity

God makes all things new.

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Everything mentioned in this post is discussed in further detail on this site.  Please see the  Main Menu – God’s Mosaic Prophecy Model.

Are you CERTAIN of your Salvation, beyond a shadow of a doubt?  Do you KNOW that no matter when the rapture occurs, you will be counted worthy to escape?  If not, please read What Must I do to Be Saved.

The Bible is infallible.  I am not.  I am merely challenging traditional models and testing them against Scripture.  I believe that traditional pretribulation teachings provide a solid backbone upon which to lay the musculature of details, some of which I think might need to be adjusted slightly.  I encourage you to consider my thoughts as you also examine the scriptures to see if these things are so!

Daniel’s 70 Weeks

/ Stephanie Dawn / Leave a comment

 “Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time.  And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.  Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed.  And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”  Daniel 9:24-27 ESV

God gave Daniel one of the most important prophecies in all of Scripture.  At the time, Daniel was in exile in Babylon.  He had been studying the scriptures, and from the book of Jeremiah knew that the 70-year time of captivity should soon be done.  The captivity was a result of Israel’s refusing to allow the land its’ Sabbath rest (Leviticus 25:1-7).  God was giving the land its’ rest Himself (2 Chronicles 36:21).  After this period of captivity, Israel (for the most part, except for portions of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin) remained in rebellion to God – their punishment for this may be described through 430 Days of Laying by Ezekiel.

While Daniel was still praying, God sent the angel Gabriel to bring Daniel an answer to his prayer:

Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city

Seventy weeks uses the Hebrew term “weeks” or “sevens”, which is a period of 7 years (much like our decade is a period of 10 years).  Seventy sets of seven years, or 70 weeks of years, is 490 years.  This time period concerns Daniel’s people (Israel) and his holy city (Jerusalem).

to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place

Here we have the purpose of the entire 70 week period:

To finish the transgression: This says that transgression itself will be finished. Taken literally, this means establishing an entirely new order on earth, with an end to man’s rebellion against God.

To make an end of sins: Taking these words at face value, this means not only the end of the guilt of sin, but an end of sin itself. It means to “seal up” or to “restrain” sins. This looks to a new, redeemed world.

To make reconciliation for iniquity: Man’s iniquity must be reconciled to God’s justice and holiness. This work was clearly accomplished at the cross.

To bring in everlasting righteousness: One might take this in an individual sense, but there have always been righteous individuals. Taking the statement at face value, this means a new order of society brought in by the Messiah.

To seal up vision and prophecy: This speaks of both the ending and fulfillment of prophecy, concluding the final stage of human history and culminating with the reign of the Son of God. 

To anoint the most holy: Taken at its simple, literal meaning, this refers to a place, not a person. There is a most holy place – the most holy place of the temple – that will be anointed and blessed.

(Source: Enduring Word – https://enduringword.com/bible–commentary/daniel-9/)

Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem

Note that we are looking for a word to rebuild JERUSALEM, not just the Temple.  There are several dates that can be considered here:

  1. The decree of King Cyrus of Persia in 538 BC – recorded in 2 Chronicles 36:23, Ezra 1:1-4, Ezra 5:13-17, Ezra 6:1-5.  It was given for rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem; no mention is given of rebuilding the city.  Temple reconstruction began at this time.
  2. The decree of King Darius in 517-520 BC, confirming the decree of King Cyrus – recorded in Ezra 6:6-12.  There was some question on if the Jews had permission to rebuild their temple, and Darius confirmed the original decree given by Cyrus, allowing the work to continue.
  3. The decree of King Artaxerxes of Babylon in 458/457 BC – recorded in Ezra 7:11-26.  This decree allowed Ezra and other remaining Israelites to return to Israel.  Ezra was allowed to take back the Temple articles as well as supplies to restart Temple worship.  Interestingly, King Artaxerxes received word that the Jews had also started restoring the walls and foundations of Jerusalem and commanded this work to stop (Ezra 4:21).  It appears that God needed to stop the work at this time, so that the coming of the anointed one would be exactly at the time decreed.
  4. The decree of King Artaxerxes in 445 BC – recorded in Nehemiah 2:1-9, 17-18.  Here, Nehemiah requests to return to Jerusalem for the purpose of rebuilding the city, and he is granted this request.  This word from Artaxerxes is the fulfillment of Daniel’s vision, and is the only one involving the rebuilding of the walls of the city.  Nehemiah receives letters of support to confirm this word.  Permission is granted to restore and rebuild Jerusalem in the 20th year of the reign of King Artaxerxes Longimanus of Babylon in the month of Nisan.

For an excellent explanation of the Hebrew word “dabar”, which is the decree/word in question here, please see this link: Red Moon Rising by Peter Goodgame.

to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time.  

Jerusalem was indeed rebuilt “in a troubled time”, as recorded in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah.  Israel was to look for their anointed one, a prince, their Messiah, in 7+62 “weeks” from the decree issued in 445 BC.  69 weeks of years = 483 years.

The word to restore and build Jerusalem was given by King Artaxerxes in the month of Nisan in the 20th year of his reign.  Nisan 1 in his 20th year of his reign corresponds to March 14, 445 BC.  We learn from several places that a prophetic year is 360 days long.

483 years x 360 days = 173, 880 days

173, 880 days / 365.25 day-years = 476.06 years

445 BC – 476.06 years + 1 (no “year 0”) = 32 AD

Jesus was born somewhere around 3-4 BC.  He was baptized in 28 AD.  Throughout His ministry, Jesus concealed His identity as the Son of God, at least in public.  This was so that He could proclaim Himself as Messiah on the very day foretold in the Scriptures.

Jesus deliberately arranged to enter Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the 10th of Nisan, 32 AD in fulfillment of Messianic prophecy (Zechariah 9:9, Psalm 118:26, Daniel 9:25).  On that day, he rode in to Jerusalem on a donkey while the crowd cheered Him on as the Messiah.  This was exactly 173, 880 days after Artaxerxes gave word to rebuild Jerusalem.

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!  Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!  Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.  (Zechariah 9:9 ESV)

Some did, indeed, recognize Jesus as fulfilling this prophecy:

And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road.  As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen,  saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”  And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.”  He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”  And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it,  saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.  For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side  and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” (Luke 19:36-44 ESV)

Although they may have recognized Him as Messiah, they were confused when He didn’t fulfill their expectations of conquering their enemies and ushering in the Messianic Kingdom at that time.  Thus, a mere 4 days later, they crucified Him.

The first 69 weeks of Daniel’s prophecy were completed at the triumphal entry of Jesus on Palm Sunday in the city of Jerusalem – the coming of the Anointed One.

And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing.

After the 7+62 weeks (483 years), the Anointed One shall be cut off.  The KJV reads “And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself“.  This cutting off, but not for himself, is Jesus’ death for all of mankind.  The NLT reads “the Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing“.  Jesus’ death came as a shocking blow to His followers, and appeared to be a great victory for satan.  Of course, this turned out to be the greatest victory for God, as He defeated the power of sin and death through Jesus’ death and resurrection.

John MacArthur writes about this phrase:

“And after,” now watch that word “after”, “after threescore and two weeks,” that is, you’ve got the seven and then the threescore and two, after 69 weeks, “shall Messiah be…what?…cut off.” Now listen, now watch this, it doesn’t say during the 69 weeks, it says what? After.  Now this is essential to complete the prophecy. There is yet one more week left. But before you get to that week, look at verse 27, there you have one week. Do you see it? “He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week.” Before you get to the one week, you have a gap in verse 26. Now mark that in your mind. There is a gap there.

That is utterly essential to the understanding of this prophecy. The 70 weeks did not run sequentially right through the seventieth week. Now you shouldn’t be shocked by that because such gaps are very common in prophecy, aren’t they?

But look with me now at this verse 26. “After the seven and, “you always add the seven in from verse 25, “and then the 62, or the 69, shall Messiah be cut off.” Now the verb “to be cut off” means “to kill,” or “to destroy.” It is used that way in Genesis 9:11, in Deuteronomy 20:20, in Jeremiah 11:19. It means “to kill.” It literally says after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be killed.

Now, any Jew that knew his Scripture would not then say that the preaching of the cross is foolishness because he would know his Messiah had to die. But they couldn’t handle that. They couldn’t fathom that. The Bible says that to them the cross was a stumbling block. They could not perceive a crucified Messiah.

Let me take it a step further. This word in the Hebrew, “to be cut off,” is used at least three places in the Old Testament, that I found, Leviticus 7:20, Proverbs 2:22, Psalm 37:9, to speak of execution of a person given the death penalty for a crime. Messiah will not only die, He will die as a criminal would die. Now, folks, that’s a pretty narrow, pretty accurate, specific prophecy, isn’t it?

Here is Daniel saying 69 weeks will pass and after that, Messiah will be executed as a criminal. That’s what he says. There’s no other way to interpret it. How could anybody miss the fact that 69 weeks to the very day, Jesus rode into Jerusalem as the Messiah the Prince and after that, He was executed as a common criminal? Just exactly what Daniel said would happen. Hard to think of, tragic, that they would wait all those centuries for their Messiah and then miss the whole thing and hate Him and despise Him. Incredible.

But you know You say, “Well, maybe that Daniel’s passage was a little obscure.” No, they could have read Psalm 22 and Psalm 22 gives you a detail by detail outline of every event of the crucifixion. It even talks about when they gambled for His garment. Or they could have read Isaiah…what?…fifty-three where it describes Him as a sheep led to slaughter. It’s all there. The Old Testament said it would be so.”

Source: https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/27-26

I believe that if Israel had accepted Christ at this point, in that 40 day window He gave them after His resurrection, then Daniel’s prophecy would have continued without a gap between the 69th and 70th weeks.  The mystery of the church age, that fills the gap, is purely because Israel rejected Jesus at the time of His first coming.

The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ fulfills the reconciliation for iniquity, and provides for an end for sin and brings in everlasting righteousness for individual believers.  The complete fulfillment of the rest of the prophecy is yet future.

And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.

The people of the prince who (was) to come, the Romans, destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD.   Titus, the Roman prince who was still to come in Daniel’s time, opposed the destruction of the Temple and tried to stop it 3 times while his people destroyed it.  It was literally the “people” of the “prince who was to come” who destroyed the Temple.    This verse may be specifically describing that it was the people, not the prince, who was acting because that would have been very unusual (normally armies follow the commands of their leaders).

Because Israel did not recognize the time of their visitation by the Messiah, they entered into judgment from God and the complete fulfillment of the 70 weeks was postponed.  In essence, the 70 week clock was paused between the 69th and 70th weeks. As I stated above, the mystery of the grafting-in of Gentiles into a newly-formed “church body” would fill the gap:

Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. (Romans 11:25 ESV)

The purpose of the inclusion of Gentiles into the church body was to provoke Israel into jealousy, so they would return to the Lord their God:

So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. (Romans 11:11 ESV)

Once the fullness of the Gentiles has come in to the new covenant (the New Testament covenant of Jesus’ blood), this partial hardening will be released, the 70 week clock will be unpaused, and the 70th week will begin.  God’s focus will again be on Israel.

Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. 

Daniel mentions “to the end there shall be war”.  Jesus also tells us that the entire church age will be filled with wars and rumors of wars, but the end “is not yet”.  War itself, however, will continue until the end, as the final “week of years” will be marked by “nation rising against nation, and kingdom against kingdom”.  Upcoming prophetic wars are detailed elsewhere in Daniel, Ezekiel 38-39, Isaiah 17, and Psalm 83.  Please see this Overview of Coming Prophetic Wars.

The end, that comes like a flood, will be a time of destruction, misery, devastation, and despair – The Time of Jacob’s Trouble.   The flood compares the 70th week to be “as in the days of Noah”.  We see this comparison made by Jesus in the gospels (Luke 17, Matthew 24).

Desolations are decreed.  

“Desolation” is a noun, referring to complete emptiness or destruction; anguished misery or loneliness; devastation, hopelessness, despair.  (dictionary.com)   Daniel mentions that “desolations are decreed” for the interim between the destruction of the city and the temple, and the strong covenant which will be made at the end.  Dictionary.com defines “desolation ” as “a state of complete emptiness or destruction” and “anguished misery or loneliness”.  Basically, this desolation describes the scattering of the Hebrews among the nations.  Israel was decreed to lie in emptiness and destruction, which it did, for almost 1900 years.

 

And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, 

Here we have the definition of the starting point of the 70th week!  “He” shall make a “strong covenant with many” for “one week”.  The “one week” is easy – that’s a week of years, the final 7 years concerning Israel and Jerusalem.  The making of the “strong covenant with many” is a little trickier.  This covenant seems to be specifically made for 7 years.  We know this because there is a reference to “half the week”, which is a period of 3.5 years.  This 3.5 years is further referenced as 1260 days or 42 months.  If the covenant was open-ended, there would be no “half the week”.  I have read that the covenant may be open-ended or “eternal”, but God is telling us that it will last for only “one week”.  This may be supported by the verse that the antichrist will “seek to change the times and the law” (Daniel 7:25), but we know that God will cut short his days and he will come to his decreed end (Matthew 24:22).

The covenant may be a new covenant, or it may be a strengthened pre-existing covenant.  We are not told what this covenant involves, but it will likely include Old Testament-style Jewish worship and sacrifices in a rebuilt Third Temple in some fashion.  We know this because in the same sentence, sacrifice and offering is ended – which means it must have been occurring as part of the “strong covenant”.  The strong covenant must include the people of Israel, but it might include others as well.  The covenant may be initiated by Israel (who will all of a sudden be in a position of strength once God rises up to protect her), or it may be initiated by the “he” (the antichrist or his false prophet), or it might be strengthened by God Himself.  I have a detailed discussion on this here:  The Covenant With Many.

All we can say for certain is that someone arises on the scene with the power to make a strong covenant with Israel, and she accepts.

and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.

The “he” here could refer to the antichrist or to his false prophet.  One of them will put an end to sacrifice and offering.  Regardless of who the “he” was, the “one who makes desolate” is clearly the antichrist himself.  Abomination, the Hebrew word (shiqquwts), is connected to horrific idolatry.  Israel will commit horrific idolatry against God with the antichrist.  It appears that the majority of them (2/3 – Zechariah 13:8) embrace the antichrist as their Messiah, after rejecting their true Messiah (Jesus) 2000 years ago (John 5:43).  During the 70th week:

At the end of the 70th week, Jesus Christ will return at the Second Coming to fight the Battle of Armageddon.  The antichrist and false prophet will be cast in the lake of fire, and satan and his demons will be locked in the abyss.  The “sheep and goats judgment“ will follow, with the Temple being restored and anointed after that.  This will usher in the Millennial Kingdom rule and finish the transgression, put an end to sin, atone for iniquity, bring in everlasting righteousness,  seal both vision and prophet, and anoint a most holy place.  (Daniel 9:24 ESV)

The purpose of the 70th week of Daniel is to bring Israel to repentance and acceptance of Jesus as their true Messiah.

And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”; “and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.”  (Romans 11:26-27 ESV)

 

Further Resources:

Are you CERTAIN of your Salvation, beyond a shadow of a doubt?  Do you KNOW that no matter when the rapture occurs, you will be counted worthy to escape?  If not, please read What Must I do to Be Saved.

Enduring Word – Bible Commentary Daniel 9

Red Moon Rising – A Study of the 70 Weeks (Chapter 9) – Peter Goodgame

The 70 Weeks of Daniel – Jack Kelley

Main Menu – God’s Mosaic Prophecy Model

The Bible is infallible.  I am not.  I am merely challenging traditional models and testing them against Scripture.  I believe that traditional pretribulation teachings provide a solid backbone upon which to lay the musculature of details.  I encourage you to consider my thoughts as you also examine the scriptures to see if these things are so!

70-weeks-prophecy_833_460_80_c1

God’s Prophetic Timeline – 7000 Years of Humanity

/ Stephanie Dawn / 2 Comments

God is a God of order, not chaos.  He reveals patterns and sequences, templates and types.  God is outside of time, but He has a plan involving time from before the foundation of the world.

…for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’  (Isaiah 46:9-10 ESV)

Not only does God have a plan, but He does not keep it completely secret:

For the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets. (Amos 3:7 ESV)

God and His Sevens

The Creation Week

One of the ways in which God has revealed His pattern is through groupings of 7’s.  We first find this pattern in the Creation Week:

And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation. (Genesis 2:2-3 ESV)

God created the world in 6 days, and on the 7th day He “rested”.  Now could God have created the world in 4 days?  12 days?  10 years?  A billion years?  Yes.  But He specifically chose a pattern of 6+1 days.  6 is the “number of man”, and 7 is the “number of completion”.  This 7 day week has persisted throughout human history and was set up by God as a template for the Sabbath cycle.

The Sabbath Cycle

God further reveals His pattern in the Sabbath Cycle:

Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the Lord in all your dwelling places. (Leviticus 23:3 ESV)

God affirms His pattern of 6+1 days in a weekly work/rest cycle.  This is to be the pattern Israel follows for their Work Week, forever.  Have you ever wondered why we have a 7-day work week?  Why not 10 days?  Why not 5?  Even in secular society the 7 day pattern is followed around the world.  Historians trace the 7-day week back to ancient Babylon, but we know that it was observed before then from the Biblical record.

The Sabbath is grouped with the other Feasts of God, for it serves as a sign just as the feasts do:

“You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the LORD, sanctify you. Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever. It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’” (Exodus 31:13,16-17 ESV)

The Sabbath is one of God’s “appointed times”.   The reason God places such high importance on the Sabbath is because of its’ significance.  Gotquestions describes it like this:

The various elements of the Sabbath symbolized the coming of the Messiah, who would provide a permanent rest for His people. Once again the example of resting from our labors comes into play. With the establishment of the Old Testament Law, the Jews were constantly “laboring” to make themselves acceptable to God. Their labors included trying to obey a myriad of do’s and don’ts of the ceremonial law, the Temple law, the civil law, etc. Of course they couldn’t possibly keep all those laws, so God provided an array of sin offerings and sacrifices so they could come to Him for forgiveness and restore fellowship with Him, but only temporarily. Just as they began their physical labors after a one-day rest, so, too, did they have to continue to offer sacrifices. Hebrews 10:1 tells us that the law “can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.” But these sacrifices were offered in anticipation of the ultimate sacrifice of Christ on the cross, who “after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right of God” (Hebrews 10:12). Just as He rested after performing the ultimate sacrifice, He sat down and rested—ceased from His labor of atonement because there was nothing more to be done, ever. Because of what He did, we no longer have to “labor” in law-keeping in order to be justified in the sight of God. Jesus was sent so that we might rest in God and in what He has provided.

(Source: https://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-Sabbath.html)

So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.  (Hebrews 4:9-10 ESV)

The Shemitah Cycle

God establishes a “week of years” Sabbath cycle, called the Shemitah Cycle:

Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its crop, but during the seventh year the land shall have a sabbath rest, a sabbath to the LORD; you shall not sow your field nor prune your vineyard.  (Leviticus 25:3-4 ESV)

Again, a pattern of 6+1, this time in years.  The 7th year was to be a time of rest for the land, where it would lay fallow.  It was also the year of “release” for Hebrew slaves.

The Jubilee Cycle

The next pattern involves 7×7, or “seven sevens”.  After each period of “seven sevens”, there was to be a year set apart as a Jubilee.  In the Jubilee (50th) year, it was an extra year where the land got to rest, debts were canceled, and Hebrew slaves were released:

You shall count seven weeks of years, seven times seven years, so that the time of the seven weeks of years shall give you forty-nine years.  Then you shall sound the loud trumpet on the tenth day of the seventh month. On the Day of Atonement you shall sound the trumpet throughout all your land.  And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, when each of you shall return to his property and each of you shall return to his clan.  That fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you; in it you shall neither sow nor reap what grows of itself nor gather the grapes from the undressed vines.  For it is a jubilee. It shall be holy to you.  (Leviticus 25:8-12 ESV)

Now that we know God’s pattern of 6+1 and groupings of 7’s, what is He trying to tell us?

Time as a Prophetic Marker

As Douglas Berner points out in his book “God’s Challenge”, the Bible references time using different concepts – both in a scientific sense and an undefined prophetic sense.  Some times given are exact (1260 days, 42 months, “time, times, and half a time” – where “time”=1 year), and some times are more ambiguous (“as a thousand years”, “about half an hour”, “a season”).  Scripture uses words like:  appointed times, set times, fullness of time, time to come, time of trouble, former times, judgment time, and time of the end.  What we can know, is that everything has an “appointed time“:

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven  (Ecclesiastes 3:1 ESV)

We can also know that everything will come about in the “fullness of time“, or at just the right time on God’s schedule:

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,  to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.  (Galatians 4:4-5 ESV)

Days as 1000 Years

A prophetic “day” may not necessarily be an exact 1000-year period, but it seems to  approximate very closely to 1000 years.  There are several significant passages that relate 1000 years as being like a day:

For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night. (Psalm 90:4 ESV)

Peter relates this passage in Psalm 90 to the Day of the Lord:

“…knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.  They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.”  For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God,  and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished.  But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.  The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.  But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. (2 Peter 3:3-10 ESV)

God warns Adam regarding the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil that he will die in the day he eats of it:

but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:17 ESV)

Douglas Berner notes that although spiritual death entered Adam on that day of sin, his physical death occurred 930 years later – still included in the first thousand-year-day.  This is specifically discussed in the apocryphal book of Jubilees.

Another significant passage is found in the book of Hosea:

I will return again to my place, until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face, and in their distress earnestly seek me. “Come, let us return to the Lord; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him.  Hosea 5:15-6:2 ESV

After the Jews rejected Jesus as Messiah, He returned to the right hand of the Father in heaven.  He will remain there until they call Him as foretold in Matthew 23:38-39:

“See, your house is left to you desolate.  For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” (ESV)

Hosea’s thousand-year-days could possibly either begin around the time of the Messiah’s birth, when Israel should have been watching for Him to appear, or at His death and resurrection.  When they ultimately rejected Him, their desolation came into effect.

Israel was desolated in 70 AD when the Temple was destroyed and in 135 AD when Jerusalem was overthrown.  At that point, the Jews were dispersed throughout the nations as foretold in Scripture.  And there they remained, until near the end of the second thousand-year-day – May 1948.  This marked the beginning of their revival physically.  This relates to the prophecies in Ezekiel chapters 36-39, where Ezekiel details the regathering of Israel after her dispersion among the nations.  In his “Valley of Dry Bones” vision, Ezekiel sees Israel return in stages.  She has come together as a nation, and will continue to do so as the “second thousand-year-day” continues until the end of Daniel’s 70th Week.  Israel has yet to be raised up in complete spiritual revival.  The raising up on the third thousand-year-day will take place at Jesus’ Second Coming and throughout the Millennial Kingdom, when Israel will be physically and spiritually elevated above all nations

God’s Blueprint

We have seen that the creation week gave us a pattern of six days followed by a day of Sabbath rest.  We have also seen that each day approximates 1000 years prophetically.  We know from Revelation 20, that there is an upcoming Kingdom rule of Christ on earth for 1000 years – called the “Millennial Kingdom”.  This “thousand years” time period is repeated six times for emphasis in verses 2-7.  If this thousand-year Millennial Kingdom is the “Sabbath Rest”, then it should be preceded by six one-thousand-year-days of human history.  6 thousand-year-days + 1 thousand-year-day = 7 thousand-year-days, the completion of humanity.

6000 years of “work” + 1000 years of “rest” = 7000 years of humanity

Jews have always acknowledged that the seven day creation week symbolizes a seven thousand year plan for humanity.  Each prophetic “day” represents 1000 years of the earth’s story.  (See Wikipedia – Year 6000)

Is There a Dual Meaning in the Jubilee Cycle?

Interestingly, the Jubilee Cycle may give insight into the “work week” of humanity:

Then the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not abide [contend] in [with] man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.”  (Genesis 6:3 ESV)

120 “Jubilees”, 50 year cycles, gives 6000 years.  Just as God allotted 120 literal years before He poured out judgment on the entire earth in the form of a flood, it appears He may have allotted 120 “Jubilees” (6000 years) before He pours out judgment on the entire earth in the form of fire:

For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God,  and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished.  But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.  (2 Peter 3:5-7 ESV)

At the end of 6000 years, global judgment from God will ensue before Jesus’ 1000 year Millennial Kingdom rule.  In the 7th thousand-year-day, the earth (both land and inhabitants) will be “set free” from the curse just as the land was allowed rest and slaves set free in the Jubilee year.

What Time Is It?

Since Jesus is not currently here ruling in the midst of us, and we continue to live under the curse issued in Genesis 3, we must still be in our “work week”.

From archaeological evidence, it appears that we have around 6000 years of modern human history.  Without getting into a creation debate, here are some articles if you are interested in the numbers:

One of the challenges to knowing exactly what year it is, is that the tracking of time has changed throughout human history.  A number of calendars have existed, some based on the sun (solar), some on the moon (lunar), and some on a combination of the two (lunisolar).  The Julian calendar was established in 45 BCE, and refined in 1582 CE to become the Gregorian calendar which is still in secular use today.  This calendar is based on “anno Domini nostri Jesu Christi” – “in the year of Our Lord Jesus Christ”, the presumed year of the birth of Jesus (which was probably more like 3-4 BC not year “0”).  Anno Domini was renamed to the “common era” about 350 years ago to remove Jesus from the picture. Although this gives us reference to the current age, the “Church Age”, it doesn’t give a picture of human history.

The Hebrew calendar is a lunisolar calendar, using intercalary months instead of leap years to make up the time difference between the lunar and solar years.  It is based on starting year counts at the creation of the world.  It also has gone through a few revisions and there is a discrepancy between the Orthodox Rabbinic calendar and the Nazarene calendar.  Currently, in 2017, the Orthodox Rabbinic year count is 5777.  The Orthodox Rabbinic calendar is based on a book called the “Seder Olam Rabbah”, which was written in 240 CE (AD).  There is some indication that there are up to 240 “missing years” in this calendar, which may or may not be deliberate.  The Nazarene calendar, on the other hand, uses the accounts in the Old Testament, much as current creation science does.  This is where God’s careful recording of genealogies comes into play!  All Scripture is there for a purpose, to lay out God’s plans and purposes.

Here is the geneaological counting, which was done in 2007:

Adam to the Flood: 1656 years
Flood to the birth of Abraham 454 years
Abraham to the Exodus 430 years
Exodus to the First Temple 480 years
First Temple to the Exile 393 years
Exile to Second Temple 72 years
Total 3,485 years

Next, to count how many years there were between the building of the Second Temple until the year 2007 (i.e., now), we must switch to the Western (Roman) Gregorian calendar. The reason for this is that Scripture does not record these dates for us.

Ezra 6:15
15 Now the Temple was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

Secular historians inform us that the sixth year of the reign of Persian King Darius took place in approximately 515 BCE. When we add 515 years to the 2007 years that have elapsed since Yeshua’s birth, we find that the Second Temple was built approximately 2520 years ago:

Second Temple built 515 BCE
Years elapsed since Yeshua’s birth 2007
Total 2520 years

Now, to find the approximate age of the earth today (in the year 2007), we should add the number of years from the Creation to the building of the Second Temple (3,485) to the number of years from the building of the Second Temple until now (2,520). This will give us the approximate age of the earth in the year 2007 CE:

Creation to the Second Temple 3,485 years
Second Temple to 2007 CE 2,520 years
Years since the Creation (approximate) 6,005 years

(Source: Paul D Newman – http://pauldnewman.blogspot.ca/2007/04/about-240-missing-years.html)

According to this model, we should now be at around year 6015.  This would technically put us into “prophetic overtime”.  Or does it?

The Calendar in the Sun, Moon, and Stars

And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years (Genesis 1:14 ESV)

God provided the sun, moon, and stars to serve as signs and to mark days and years.  The sun, moon, and stars have remained unchanged by humanity.  Is there any sign in the heavens that can give us a clue as to what “time” it is?

Interestingly, when prophecy watchers started scanning the thousands of years of human history and future for a specific sign in the sun, moon, and stars described in Revelation 12:1-2, they found only one match.

And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.  She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth.  (Revelation 12:1-2 ESV)

The sign occurred on September 23, 2017 and is detailed HERE.

While the sign in fulfillment of Revelation 12:1-2 only occurs once, watchmen did find three other partial alignments.  These partial alignments occurred on September 11, 3 BC (Jesus’ birth?), August 27, 70 AD (destruction of Second Temple), and August 5, 3915 BC.

It is the 3915 BC alignment that is relevant to our current discussion:

From Unsealed:

There is a near perfect match on this date (though not as precise as the 2017 alignment).  In fact it is such a close match that it has been speculated that this could have been the date of the Fall of Mankind when God spoke these eerily relevant words to the devil and to Eve in Genesis 3:15-16:

And I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will crush your head,
and you will strike his heel.”

To the woman he said,
“I will make your pains in childbearing very severe;
with painful labor you will give birth to children.
Your desire will be for your husband,
and he will rule over you.”

Interestingly, in this dialogue the same three entities mentioned in Revelation 12 are also present: the serpent (Revelation 12:9), the woman, and the male child.  The planet Saturn, which some have speculated represents satan, happens to be near the heel of The Lion.

(Source: unsealed.org – http://www.unsealed.org/2017/01/the-revelation-12-sign-compendium.html)

Adam and Eve were created to be eternal beings, and in their perfection were granted to eat freely from the Tree of Life.  Thus, it was only when they FELL and became physically mortal that year counts would start to actually matter.  It was when they FELL that humanity’s “work week” began:

…cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”  (Genesis 3:17-19 ESV)

Mankind was allotted 7000 years before this form of heaven and earth would be complete and we would return to our eternal state (either with God or apart from Him – the choice is up to each one of us).

Let’s examine what time it is based on the calendar in the sun, moon, and stars:

3915 BC – Fall of Humanity + 2017 (current year) – 1 (no year “0”) = 5932 years

This puts us under 6000 years, right?  Or does it?

God’s Prophetic Calendar

The following is the original post but I have updated this information in a new post here: What Year Is It Really?  (Is It 5991?)

The length of a year is currently 365.242190 days.  The length of a year is decreasing by approximately 0.000006 every century. (wikipedia)  The Bible, however, uses a year length of 360 days.

…they will trample the holy city for forty-two months.  And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days…  (Revelation 11:2-3 ESV)

…and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days. (Revelation 12:6 ESV)

…so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. (Revelation 12:14 ESV)

42 30-day months = 1260 days = “time, and times, and half a time” (“time”= 1 360-day year)

In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. (Genesis 7:11 ESV)

At the end of 150 days the waters had abated,  and in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. (Genesis 8:3-4 ESV)

In Genesis chapters 7-8 we are told the Flood covered the land from the 17th day of the 2nd month to the 17th day of the 7th month.  This time period totals 150 days.  This would only be true if each month had 30 days in it.

I would assume God uses 360 day years for a reason, not just because the numbers round nice.  Let’s assume that God created the world with 360-day years, as seen in the Flood account above.

Let’s also say that the global flood was in 1656 AM as calculated through the Torah here (AIG), and in the Nazarene calendar above.

At some point between the Flood and Today, the earth wobbled in its orbital path and gained a few days per year.  I would think it is safe to assume that the “fountains of the deep bursting forth” and the “windows of heaven opened” of the Flood had something to do with it.  The Bible doesn’t provide a lot of detail on this, but we know the post-Flood world was significantly different and many species died off at that time.  Whatever happened (asteroid impacts?  massive earthquakes?), we do know that the land was divided (the crust shifted) “in the days of Peleg” and that this occurred a little while after the Flood (Genesis 10:25).  The result is that somehow we ended up with approximately  365.25 day-years.

For the purpose of our calculations, let’s use the year 1656 AM (anno mundi, after creation) and guess that things settled down to balance out to 365.25 days/year quite quickly after the global flood.

This means humanity has existed for an extra ~5.25 days per year since the global flood.  But if our allotted days are only 6000 360-day-years, what happens if we take into account the “extra” days?

3915 (Fall) – 1656 (Flood) = 2259 years BC

+ 2017 years AD – 1 (no year 0)

= 4275 years lived with “extra days”

4275 x 365.25 (current days/year) / 360 (prophetic days/year) = 4337 360-day-year equivalent years since the Flood

So, What Time is It, Really?

4337 (post flood years) + 1656 (preflood years) = 5993.3 years

Alternately, some software programs give the year 3914 BC for the sign in question.  Using this date:

4336 (post flood years) + 1656 (preflood years) = 5992.3 years

I would suggest we are currently approximately at year 5993.  However, it is impossible to tell how quickly the earth stabilized in her orbit after the flood.  There are also additional variables such as, was the earth’s orbit affected when the land was divided post-flood in the days of Peleg?  Was the earth’s orbit affected during the days of King Hezekiah when the sun went backwards a few degrees?  Was the earth’s orbit affected when the “sun and moon stood still” in the days of Joshua? I’m not sure that we could ever sort out exactly what corrections to apply to each of these dates.

Suffice it to say that it appears that our “work week” is drawing to a close – if not this year, then very, very soon!  

ADDENDUM – The Days Time Went Backwards

The book of Joshua records for us a unique occasion where the “sun and moon stood still” to allow the Israelites to defeat their enemies.  How was the earth’s orbit affected at this time, or was it?

And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day.  Joshua 10:13 ESV

Through the work of Daniel Matson at Watchfortheday, it seems that another adjustment to the Earth’s axis may have occurred around 713BC during the days of King Hezekiah – documented in 2 Kings 20:8-11, when the sun’s shadow went backwards 10 steps.

 And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “What shall be the sign that the Lord will heal me, and that I shall go up to the house of the Lord on the third day?”  And Isaiah said, “This shall be the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do the thing that he has promised: shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or go back ten steps?”  And Hezekiah answered, “It is an easy thing for the shadow to lengthen ten steps. Rather let the shadow go back ten steps.” And Isaiah the prophet called to the Lord, and he brought the shadow back ten steps, by which it had gone down on the steps of Ahaz.  2 Kings 20:8-11 ESV

 

ADDENDUM – When Is the Next Jubilee?

I have found NO reliable way of telling if this year is the start or the end of a Jubilee.  There are several recorded instances in scripture where it is suggestive of a Jubilee celebration (Ezekiel 40:1), but because of the calendar errors as discussed above, the dates are pretty much impossible to reconcile.

Many people believe it is the ending of a Jubilee in 2017 because of a prophecy made by a Jewish Rabbi named ben Samuel.  This prophecy is highly suspect because the original source has never been found in Rabbi ben Samuel’s writings.

The Problems

The Internet prophecy as written above as attributed to Judah Ben Samuel, however, has three big problems.

First, a number of Internet articles sceptical of this prophecy have pointed out that the Ottoman empire mentioned in the prophecy did not even begin until 1299, more than 80 years after his death. The term “Ottoman” comes from the man, Osman I, who was not even born until 40 years after Judah Ben Samuel. More generally, the “Turks” were segmented, scattered and in continuous decline at the time Judah Ben Samuel lived! This begs the question of exactly how is the original prophecy is worded in its original language and context? That question leads us to a bigger problem.

Second, the available works of Judah Ben Samuel do not contain any reference to this prophecy as far as we are aware! Had there been such reference, it would certainly have garnered the attention of Jews given the respect paid to him.

Third, the announcement of this prophecy was not made until a few years ago, essentially after most or all of its events were completed. Predictions that are released after-the-fact immediately raise concerns.

It was these problems that caused us to discover that there is exactly one original source for everything written on the subject. This prophecy comes from an article published in Israel Today magazine, March 2008, page 18, by Ludwig Schneider.

Source:  Breaking Israel News – https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/58608/the-mystery-of-the-lost-jubilee-part-vii-judah-ben-samuels-internet-prophecy-opinion/#DlVtav4vEXeLHkA9.99

Breaking Israel News has a study dedicated to researching the Jubilees, which I highly recommend.  15 Part Series.  Parts 7&8 address Rabbi Ben Samuel’s prophecy.

Dan Matson has recently released an article in which he calculates the Jubilee as beginning on Yom Kippur 2017.  It is worth consideration – The Tetrad and the Jubilee.  (The Tetrad and the Jubilee on YouTube).

Further Resources:

Are you CERTAIN of your Salvation, beyond a shadow of a doubt?  Do you KNOW that no matter when the rapture occurs, you will be counted worthy to escape?  If not, please read What Must I do to Be Saved.

Year 6000 – This Wikipedia page discusses the Jewish expectation of the Messianic Age to begin at year 6000 at the latest.  Their calendar is off (see the discussion on the missing years, and the 360-day calendar conversion above), but this shows the Jewish belief of the 7000 years destined for humanity.

God’s Challenge!  Understand My Plan by Douglas Berner

God’s Mosaic – A Whole Scripture Overview of Things To Come

Main Menu – God’s Mosaic Prophecy Model

The Bible is infallible.  I am not.  I am merely challenging traditional models and testing them against Scripture.  I believe that traditional pretribulation teachings provide a solid backbone upon which to lay the musculature of details.  I encourage you to consider my thoughts as you also examine the scriptures to see if these things are so!

history

Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign – The Convergence is Now

/ Stephanie Dawn / Leave a comment

We stand at the edge of a precipice.

The feeling is electric – the anticipation of war, economic collapse, natural disasters, global uncertainty.  It is being felt in all religions and in all communities. I am here to tell you that the feelings of humanity are correct.  “The Apocalypse” is almost upon us.

Humanity has almost filled the cup of God’s wrath with its wickedness – how many sins remain until the cup is full?  God is about to act swiftly and decisively.  Life as we know it is going to suddenly and permanently change. Every single human being on the planet will be affected.  It will be a time of chaos, destruction, and confusion.  Fortunately, God has not left us in the dark about what is to come.  While most religions delineate vague notions of an “end times scenario”, the Bible is very detailed and specific about what is going to come upon the earth.

SOON.

It is in God’s character to issue warnings before acting in judgment.  He gives signs heralding His interventions on the earth.

Indeed, the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing His counsel to His servants the prophets.  (Amos 3:7 ESV)

God has only issued global judgment one other time – in the days of Noah.  At that time, He called Noah forth to be a preacher of righteousness.  Noah preached of the upcoming flood while he built the ark over a number of decades.  It does not specify how long the ark took to build, but we can assume a long time frame – up to 120 years (Gen 6:3) – given that it was done by hand and with little help.  The ark bore witness as a warning, accompanied by Noah’s declarations according to the Word of God.

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The Bible tells us that the upcoming judgment of the earth by fire will be “as in the days of Noah”, when the world was judged by water.  This alludes to a few different things, but in this post I will focus on the signs that God gives in order to provide humanity with the opportunity to repent and escape all that will be coming upon the world.

Signs in Israel and the Nations

Let’s look at the signs in Israel and the nations, described by God as heralding his upcoming time of wrath on the whole earth.  For further details on each sign, click on its name:

  1. The Fig Tree sign – Jesus tells His disciples that when they “see the fig tree leaf out”, they would know that the time of His coming was near.  Many prophecy scholars agree that this sign refers to Israel’s rebirth in May 1948.
  2. Israel Reborn – Regardless of whether or not the fig tree refers to Israel, Israel’s rebirth as a nation after 2000 years of not being one is a flashing neon light!  The Kingdom of Heaven is Near!!!
  3. Jerusalem Recaptured – Jerusalem features heavily in end times prophecy.  The 6 day war of 1967 was very significant prophetically!  It’s possible that war fulfilled Psalm 83; alternately, the complete fulfillment of Psalm 83 may be yet future.
  4. Jewish Aliyah – Along with the re-establishment of Israel as a physical/political nation, God’s chosen people are foretold to return to the Promised Land.  This has been slowly but surely occurring over the last 120 years or so, with approximately 45% of the world’s Jewry living in Israel at this time (2016).
  5. The Third Temple – We know from the book of Daniel, the gospels, and Revelation that there will be a functioning Jewish Temple during the “70th Week of Daniel“.  While the Temple has not yet been built, the plans are complete, Levite priests are trained, and Temple equipment/furniture is made.
  6. Apostasy in the Church – It seems that as we approach Christ’s second coming, churches will fall away from preaching sound doctrine. Instead, they will focus on a social gospel that “tickles men’s ears” (tells them what they want to hear to feel good).
  7. Immorality in Society – Society will move further and further away from God and His laws/morals.  We see this most clearly in the last several decades through Abortion (1.5 billion since 1980), Homosexuality (general worldwide acceptance in non-Muslim nations), and Human Euthanasia (legal in some nations, including Canada).
  8. As in the Days of Lot – Society will be marked by violence, homosexuality, and sexual immorality.
  9. As in the Days of Noah – Society will be marked by violence, DNA manipulation, and sexual immorality.
  10. Knowledge Will Increase – In the latter days, people will travel “to and fro” and knowledge will increase.  We are approaching a “technological tower of Babel” situation!
  11. The Gospel Will be Preached to All Nations – While there are still unreached people groups within nations, the gospel has been successfully taken to all nations around the globe.  The gospel will continue to be preached during the coming times of tribulation.
  12. Labor pains – are often used to describe the beginning of the “end times”.

Wars, and Rumors of Wars

There are a number of prophetic wars that will occur during the time of the end.  As the players maneuver into position, we can see that the time is near.

  1. Overview of Coming Prophetic Wars
  2. Nation Rising Against Nation, Kingdom Rising Against Kingdom – WW3
  3. The Destruction of Damascus – Isaiah 17
  4. Arab-Israeli Promised Land War of Psalm 83
  5. The Gog and Magog War of Ezekiel 38 & 39
  6. Connecting Isaiah 17, Psalm 83, Ezekiel 38&39

Heavenly Announcements

God uses signs in the heavens as announcements:

And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years… (Genesis 1:14 ESV)

  1. Star of Bethlehem – God announced the arrival of His Son to the world the first time through a great star sign.  This, of course, was the birth of Jesus.
  2. A Great Sign in the Sun, Moon, and Stars – It appears God may be announcing the imminent rapture of the church and the nearness of His Second Coming through a great sign in the sun, moon, and stars described in Revelation 12:1-2.  This great sign appeared in the sky on September 23, 2017.  Interestingly, satan seems to think September 23 was an important date as well.
  3. A Solar Eclipse and the Season of Repentance – There are many who believe the total solar eclipse over the USA on August 21, 2017 was a final warning to Gentile nations.
  4. Planet X/Nibiru – If there is a mysterious Planet X, God has created it and appointed it for a specific purpose.

Mathematical Verification

God issues mathematical calculations of His arrival:

  • God’s 7000 Year Calendar – While God is outside of time, He has allotted humanity 7000 years of existence.  We are on the brink of 6000 years – the last 1000 years will be Jesus’ Millennial Kingdom!
  • Triumphal Entry – Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem was foretold in the 70 Weeks of Daniel prophecy.  This is why Jesus mourns over Jerusalem when He enters it – they should have known on that very day that He was their Messiah.
  • Ezekiel’s 430 Days of Laying – It appears that the rebirth of Israel, to the very year, was foretold 2500 years ago through the prophet Ezekiel.
  • The Generation sign – Jesus tells His disciples that “this generation will certainly not pass away before all these things are accomplished”.  The phrase “all these things” encompasses the signs He just mentioned, including the fig tree sign, the events during the “tribulation”, and His second coming.  Many prophecy scholars agree that this sign refers to the generation being born during the time of Israel’s rebirth, and that this specific generation will not die before Jesus’ second coming.  The length of a generation is defined in Psalm 90 as 70-80 years.
  • Great Pyramid of Egypt – It appears that certain dates may point to the possible advent of Jesus – both His first and second comings – in the mathematics of the Great Pyramid.   The angles in the corridors of the pyramid point to certain stars/constellations only on specific dates and years.

Who Are the Signs For?

Sometimes there is resistance to looking for signs from God.  As 1 Corinthians 1:22 states, Jews seek after signs, and Gentiles seek after human wisdom.  Opposition to “watching” suggests that “signs” are given to Israel, not gentiles.  This is actually true, for the most part.  The Revelation 12 sign was visible from Jerusalem.  The fig tree sign, Israel’s rebirth, Jewish aliyah, the Third Temple, all have to do with Israel.  The Star of Bethlehem was given to Israel.  But, it was the GENTILE MAGI who paid attention to the star sign.  These wise men traveled far with exceedingly great gifts to give the King announced by the star.  Israel should have been watching Jesus closely from the moment of His birth.  The angels’ announcements, the miraculous conception, the fulfillment of His birth in Bethlehem… all these were obvious signs.  Signs which apparently went largely unnoticed.  While the signs may be meant for Israel, they are not hidden from gentile eyes.

Jesus gives the command repeatedly – WATCH!  This is for all who call on His name, all believers.  We are to be AWAKE and READY at all times.  I say to you again – WATCH!

Conclusion

It is nearly impossible to keep track of all the signs heralding that the Kingdom of God draws near.  Several of the signs are very specific, and many of the signs are more general.  While prophecy scholars disagree on the finer points of how it actually may play out, they do agree that the convergence of signs on our generation is significant.  Across the entire span of humanity – religious and nonreligious alike – there is a hushed sense of imminent change.  Even secular society can’t help itself and unknowingly points to the time of the end.

God is issuing YOU one final offer.  It is no coincidence that you are on this page.  He is offering you this choice because He loves YOU.  He wants you in His family.  But He loves you enough to let you CHOOSE.  He will hold you accountable for your choice.

The one true God personally loves YOU more than you could ever imagine!

God is Calling YOU 

 

Are you CERTAIN of your Salvation, beyond a shadow of a doubt?  Do you KNOW that no matter when the rapture occurs, you will be counted worthy to escape?  If not, please read What Must I do to Be Saved.

Recommended Prophecy Watching Sites:

  1. Unsealed
  2. Revelation 12 Daily
  3. Watch For The Day – especially recommended if you like numbers/patterns

Main Menu – God’s Mosaic Prophecy Model

The Bible is infallible.  I am not.  I am merely challenging traditional models and testing them against Scripture.  I believe that traditional pretribulation teachings provide a solid backbone upon which to lay the musculature of details, some of which I think might need to be adjusted slightly.  I encourage you to consider my thoughts as you also examine the scriptures to see if these things are so!