By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments.4If anyone says, “I know Him,” but does not keep His commandments, he is a liar, and the truth is not in him.5But if anyone keeps His word, the love of God has been truly perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him:6Whoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked. [1 John 2:3-6]
I often wonder what it would be like if Jesus were walking the earth today. It’s an interesting thought at the very least.
Try to imagine with me if you can. You are outside, working in the garden, and Jesus walks up to you. You know it’s Him. His eyes – full of the fiercest love – cut right through your heart. He holds out his nail-pierced hand and simply says, “follow me.”
What do you do? Do you reach for your phone to make a call? Do you hesitate as you calculate all the possible scenarios? Or do you lock eyes, stand up and simply say, “Yes Lord. Lead the way.”
I hope I know what I would do. No hesitation. No calculation. Just simple obedience.
Now, let’s try to imagine what it would truly look like to walk with Jesus.
The Weightier Matters of the Law
It doesn’t take too much of an imagination to know what walking with Jesus would be like. Surely the Son of God would seek the least of these, the poor, the sick, sinner, the widow, and the fatherless. He would preach repentance and the good news of the Kingdom. He would heal, restore, bless, and provide.
Jesus would do righteously, show mercy, and walk humbly, for these are what He called the weightier matters of the Father’s heart.
In condemning the hypocritical religious leaders of Judah, Jesus reminds us of what is most important.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin. But you have disregarded the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. [Matthew 23:23]
Justice. Mercy. Compassion. Faithfulness. These are the principles of the Kingdom that are at the forefront of the Father’s heart, and therefore should be on ours as well.
But is that all that would be expected if we walked with the Messiah?
The Prophet Like Moses
Now imagine after ministering with Jesus all day, the weariness sets in. You are tired and hungry, and Jesus looks to you and says, “Prepare us a meal so that we can be refreshed.”
A meal? Fit for the King? Oh my… You weren’t prepared for that!
As you return to your house, you check the fridge. Not much there. Just some deli ham and cheese. So you grab some bread and quickly throw together a few sandwiches with some chips and set the plate before Jesus.
He looks at the plate and looks up with a loving smile.
“Could you prepare just some bread and cheese for me my son,” he asked kindly.
“Bread and cheese? What’s wrong with the sandwich? Did I do something wrong,” you think to yourself. Your mind is racing.
Jesus perceiving your thoughts gently says, “It’s okay my son. You didn’t know. But I only eat what the Father permits. Only that which is good for food.”
Then it hits you! The HAM! Pig is not a clean animal. The Father forbids His people to eat unclean animals.
How could you have been so careless? After all, you had eaten pig your whole life. Grandma’s Easter ham was a family staple.
And yet the reality of walking with Jesus and sharing a meal with Him changed everything!
“Never again,” you say to yourself. “From now on, I will only eat what Jesus eats.”
“Forgive me Lord,” you say dropping your head.
“You are forgiven, my son,” Jesus says, gently lifting my head. “Now let us bless the Father and give thanks for our daily bread.”
He didn’t say another word about the ham. He didn’t have to. His grace and kindness was more than enough to bring conviction and restoration.
Then you remember the words of the Father to Israel.
Then the LORD said to me, “They have spoken well.18I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. I will put My words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him.19And I will hold accountable anyone who does not listen to My words that the prophet speaks in My name. [Deuteronomy 18:17-19]
It’s not just the weightier matters of the law that matter to Jesus. Jesus came as our example to show us how to walk out all of the Father’s commandments.
Sabbath Rest
After your meal, Jesus looks up and notices the sun is setting over the horizon. It’s Friday evening.
You ask, “Lord, what will we do tomorrow? I need to go into the office for a few hours to catch up on some work. Would you like to come? I would love to introduce you to all my coworkers,” you say excitedly.
Once again, Jesus looks at me intently but with kindness. “No my son,” He says. “It is the Sabbath. We will rest tomorrow. I have so much to show you in my word. And we will pray to the Father and ask Him to show us where to go and what to do next.”
The Sabbath! That’s right. Saturday is the Sabbath. “Of course,” you say to yourself. “Why didn’t I remember.”
So you build up the courage to ask Jesus.
“Lord, my pastor taught me that we don’t have to rest anymore on Saturday because that commandment was just for the Jews. And he also says that we worship on Sunday now because the Sabbath was fulfilled when you died on the cross and our new day to gather is Sunday. I don’t understand.”
Jesus simply responds, “It is written from the beginning, God blessed the seventh day and made it holy. I did not come to abolish the law. The Son of Man is Lord even over the Sabbath.”
“Lord of the Sabbath,” I think to myself. “Of course! It all makes sense. Jesus didn’t come to abolish the Sabbath. He came to honor it to the fullest.”
“I can’t wait to honor the Sabbath with you Lord,” you say. “I have so much to learn!”
Walk as Jesus Walked
Now let me ask you. Is this an accurate illustration of what it would look like to walk with Jesus if he were with us on the earth?
If so, then why do so many of His followers walk according to the traditions of men and not according to His commandments?
When we sign up to follow Jesus, He requires that we surrender everything to Him. Not just parts of our lives that are convenient. That obviously includes the weightier matters of the law. But not at the neglect of other commandments.
Jesus expects obedience in all areas of our lives, including what we eat, how we keep our schedules and calendars, and even what we wear.
It’s not complicated or burdensome. It’s simple. If the Father commanded it and we can do it, then we should. Not to earn our salvation. Not to boast or be seen by men. But simply because we love Him and want to walk as He walked.
“Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.”
[Revelation 1:7]
The past few weeks I have seen the usual chatter about the very predictable and highly irresponsible “rapture of the church” prophesies circulating on all the big social media platforms. It seems like these “predictions” happen every few years, creating an enthusiasm for Christians who are hoping to be translated out of this world without warning and escape the coming days of great trouble.
There is only one problem.
Every single pre-tribulation rapture prediction in my lifetime has been proven false, and these so-called prophets are left scrambling to justify their false prophecy and adjust their timelines one more time. If we haven’t learned anything over the last 40 years, it’s that sensational rapture claims without Biblical substance has become the boy who cried wolf one too many times.
This latest craze of rapture predictions have been connected to Yom Teruah — or the Day of Shouting — otherwise known as the Feast of Trumpets. Yom Teruah began yesterday (September 23) at sundown at the sighting of the new moon. The Feast of Trumpets is one of God’s divine appointments (Leviticus 23) that has been intertwined within the fabric of creation to bless all of God’s covenant people and point us to the redemptive work of Jesus Christ.
The irony is that I actually believe the Second Coming of Christ will almost certainly occur on or around a future Yom Teruah – just not this one. The difference is that I see the return of Jesus Christ and the rapture as being one-in-the-same event, not two separate events separated by a “7-year” tribulation period.
Defining our Terms — The Gathering
For clarity, when I speak of the “Second Coming” of Christ, the dispensational camp is thinking of a totally separate event, completely distinct from the pre-tribulation rapture. The pre-trib doctrine teaches the sudden, secret, invisible “return” of Jesus to whisk away the church to heaven before God unleashes hell on the world during the great tribulation.
Separating the Second Coming of Christ into two “phases” or “comings” has created confusion and an unhealthy preoccupation with the pre-tribulation rapture. At the same time, this doctrine has provided a convenient loophole to make a square peg fit into an otherwise round hole.
Just for the record, I believe the Bible clearly teaches a “rapture” event in the future. I just disagree with the conventional timing that is being proposed by the pre-trib camp. I believe a better description of this event is what the Bible calls the “gathering” of God’s people, which provides a more accurate interpretation of what happens at the end of this age when Christ returns to resurrect our mortal bodies and translate us into His glorious image to inherit the Kingdom.
Here are just a few Scriptures that describe the gathering (aka rapture). Notice the timing element.
“In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea. 12He will raise a signal for the nations and will assemble the banished of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.” [Isaiah 11:11-12]
“Immediately after the tribulation 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 powers of the heavens will be shaken.’ 30At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31And 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 the heavens to the other.“ [Matthew 24:29-30]
“Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to Him, we ask you, brothers, 2not to be easily disconcerted or alarmed by any spirit or message or letter seeming to be from us, alleging that the Day of the Lord has already come. 3Let no one deceive you in any way, for it will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness—the son of destruction—is revealed.” [2 Thessalonians 2:1-3]
He replied, “The One who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38The field is the world, and the good seed represents the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest (gathering) is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. 40As the weeds are collected and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom every cause of sin and all who practice lawlessness. 42And they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” [Matthew 13:37-43]
In other words, it’s not a matter of “if” the rapture takes place but rather “when.” And as I said earlier, the notion that there will some type of secret rapture for the “church” prior to the great tribulation is Biblically indefensible.
If only God’s people would take off their pre-trib rapture-colored glasses and read their Bibles with a fresh set of eyes and an open mind, they would see that not only is it careless and useless to predict the very day or hour of Christ’s return, but also that the pre-trib rapture is nowhere to be found in the pages of Scripture.
Top 3 Reasons the Gathering (Rapture) Cannot Be Pre-Tribulation
I have written extensively on the timing of the rapture, so I won’t belabor the point. Here are my top three reasons from Scripture that the rapture cannot be a secret, invisible event prior to the tribulation.
Reason #1 – Prophetic Signs that Precede the “Rapture” Must First Be Fulfilled
I could spend multiple blogs just discussing all the prophetic signs that must first occur before Jesus Christ Returns to gather His people. Here is just a sample size.
Birth pains must rapidly increase in intensity and frequency, including war, famine, pestilence, natural disasters, cosmic phenomena, and overt persecution of God’s people.
The rise of the final Beast empire and the revealing of Beast himself, who will blaspheme God, establish a global surveillance and economic system, muster an army, and martyr the saints.
The reestablishment of some form of the Levitical priesthood in Judah and the resumption of the sacrificial system in Jerusalem.
The abomination of desolation must take place in or on the holy place in Jerusalem (aka Temple Mount), where the Beast declares Himself to be the god of this world.
The world is deceived by Satan with many false signs and wonders, and the mark of the Beast is required for everyone who surrenders allegiance to the Beast and rebels against God.
The testimony of the Two Witnesses who call the world to repentance and who come working great wonders and with supernatural signs to validate their message.
The siege of Jerusalem, when all hostile nations will surround her and trample the city underfoot, killing many and taking many into captivity.
I will share just one passage to prove that there are specific signs that must be fulfilled prior to the Return of Christ and the rapture.
“Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to Him, we ask you, brothers, 2not to be easily disconcerted or alarmed by any spirit or message or letter seeming to be from us, alleging that the Day of the Lord has already come. 3Let no one deceive you in any way, for it will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness—the son of destruction—is revealed. He will oppose and exalt himself above every so-called god or object of worship. So he will seat himself in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God … And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of His mouth and annihilate by the majesty of His coming.” [2 Thessalonians 2:1-4, 8]
Reason #2 – The Rapture is a Supernatural, Public, and Universally Visible Event Connected to the Return of Christ to Earth
There is nothing secret or mysterious about the rapture. The Scriptures tie the rapture (gathering) to the glorious return of Jesus to the earth, which is described as the unique Day when heaven is opened, the elements melt in fervent heat, the earth will be shaken, the great trumpet blast of God is unleashed (aka Yom Teruah), the angelic army descends to fight, the archangel shouts and a cry of a command is given, and every eye will see Jesus riding the clouds in glory as He descends to earth to wage war against the Beast and all the forces of darkness that is gathered in Jerusalem to fight.
There is nothing secret or invisible about the Biblical description of this event. Just consider the most famous “rapture” passage used by the pre-tribulation camp to support their view and ask yourself if it fits the “secret rapture” profile?
“For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we also believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him. 15By the word of the Lord, we declare to you that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. 17After that, we who are alive and remain 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 4:14-17]
Reason #3 – The Rapture Is Simultaneous With the Resurrection of Dead
There is no way to dispute the fact that in every single passage of Scripture that describes the “rapture,” or gathering of God’s people, it is always connected to the resurrection of dead – specifically the first resurrection. Scripture is replete with references that remind us that the resurrection of the dead occurs at the end of the age, when Christ returns to earth in glory. This one reason alone is enough to debunk any notion of a pre-tribulation rapture.
If you notice in the passage above (1 Thessalonians 4), the catching up of believers coincides with the resurrection of the dead – except the dead in Christ are raised first, and then those who have survived the great tribulation and remain will receive their immortal bodies.
Allow me to leave you with a few more passages that demonstrate the timing of the resurrection, which is the same as the timing of the final gathering (rapture) of God’s people.
“And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose none of those He has given Me, but raise them up at the last day. 40For it is My Father’s will that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” [John 6:39-40]
“For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23But each in his own turn: Christ the firstfruits; then at His coming, those who belong to Him. 24Then the end will come, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, authority, and power.” [1 Corinthians 15:22-24]
“Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.53For the perishable must be clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.” [1 Corinthians 15:51-53]
Then I saw the thrones, and those seated on them had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or hands. And they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years were complete. This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years. [Revelation 20:4-6]
So when we ask the question, “Are you rapture ready,” we are asking an entirely different question than our pre-tribulation brothers. We are asking, “Are you ready to be Christ’s witnesses in a hostile world, to suffer persecution and tribulation for His sake, to resist the strong delusion of rebellion coming upon the world, and to faithfully endure to the end?”
At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. 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 the heavens to the other. … No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
[Matthew 24:30-31, 36]
One of the most misunderstood verses in all of Scripture comes from the teachings of Jesus known as the Olivet Discourse. When referring to His second coming, Jesus says that “no one knows the day or the hour” of His return (see Mark 13:32 and Matthew 24:36).
Unfortunately, this one phrase has been lifted out of context and seriously mishandled as a prooftext to support the idea that Jesus can return at any moment without any necessary signs to precede His coming. Many in the dispensational camp call this teaching imminence, which suggests that the rapture of the church will be a secret, surprise event that could happen at any minute in the indefinite future. As a result, many have proposed that is impossible to discern the prophetic signs associated with the second coming of Christ and therefore a futile exercise altogether.
But what if this one phrase actually is teaching God’s people something radically different? What if Jesus was teaching us the exact opposite of “imminence,” and instead giving us a critical clue to discerning the signs and the general season of His return. After all, the entire Olivet Discourse is a master class on discerning the signs that precede the end of the age and the coming of Christ. Just a few verses before Jesus declares, “no one knows the day or the hour,” He also says, “So also, when you see all these things, you will know that He is near, right at the door” (Matthew 24:34).
So which is it? Will the generation alive at the end of the age recognize these signs and know that the return of Jesus is near, even at the door? Or is it impossible to know the timing of Christ’s return?
I don’t think we can accuse Jesus of making contradictory statements to His disciples, only to leave them unsatisfied and confused. So there must be a better explanation. Maybe we are missing something from the historical context of this passage that is essential to understanding what Jesus actually meant.
I suggest that Jesus was using an idiom from His day to connect His listeners to a very familiar concept and a very specific day of the year — namely Yom Teruah, or the Feast of Trumpets.
Yom Teruah — A Day and Hour that No One Knows
Tonight (Wednesday, October 2, 2024) upon the sight of the new moon the Feast of Trumpets, or Yom Teruah, will begin. Also known as the Day of Shouting, Yom Teruah is the first of the fall festivals established by God to serve as annual divine appointments for those in covenant with the God of Israel.
Trumpets is unique when compared to every other Biblical feast in that it is the only divine appointment that is not predetermined and fixed by a set day on the calendar. Yom Teruah begins of the first day of the seventh month (Tishri 1), and the only way to determine the first day of the month is visibly to observe the new moon in the night sky.
Obviously with the advent of modern technology and the accuracy of astronomical algorithms, we can more precisely predict the timing of each new moon; however, in Biblical times, the only way to identify the first of the month was to observe the night sky and watch for the sign of the new moon to emerge. Of course, our ancient ancestors had sufficient knowledge of the heavenly bodies as they followed their courses and would have known when the first day of the month was near — within a day or two. Consequently after their exile in Babylon, the Jewish rabbis dedicated a two-day window for the Feast of Trumpets just to ensure the new moon was accurately sighted.
To learn more about this two day window, read here.
So the official sign of the Feast of Trumpets was the sighting of the new moon, which then followed by a command from the High Priest to begin sounding the trumpet blasts, or shofar, and announce the beginning of the festival. Historically Yom Teruah has been celebrated with shouting, singing, candle lighting, and feasting with joy.
But if Jesus was using His teaching to draw a connection between the Feast of Trumpets and His return, perhaps this holy day — like all appointed feasts — is providing a prophetic shadow picture of the ministry and mission of Jesus.
The Biblical Imagery and Purpose of the Shofar
“God has gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet. Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm!”
[Psalm 47:5-7]
The shofar — or ram’s horn — is a prominent symbol throughout Biblical history.
The trumpet was sounded on Mt. Sinai when the LORD came down in flaming fire to meet with Moses and enter into covenant with Israel (Exodus 19).
The shofar was blown under Joshua’s command during the conquest of Jericho (Joshua 6).
The shofar was sounded by Gideon as he led Israel to defeat the Midianites (Judges 7).
The trumpet was sounded at the coronation or procession of the King (Psalm 47, 98).
The shofar also was blown as a battle cry against the enemies of God.
But beyond all that, the trumpet has always been connected to the return of Christ our King to the earth the judge the living and the dead. Just consider the following verses.
The great day of the LORD is near,near and hastening fast;the sound of the day of the LORD is bitter;the mighty man cries aloud there.A day of wrath is that day,a day of distress and anguish,a day of ruin and devastation,a day of darkness and gloom,a day of clouds and thick darkness, A day of trumpet blast and battle cryagainst the fortified citiesand against the lofty battlements.
[Zephaniah 1:14-16]
Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming; it is near;a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness…
[Joel 2:1]
Then the LORD will appear over them, and his arrow will go forth like lightning; the Lord GOD will sound the trumpet and will march forth in the whirlwinds of the south.
[Zechariah 9:14]
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 come down 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. Therefore comfort one another with these words.
[1 Thessalonians 4:15-18]
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]
Then the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and loud voices called out in heaven: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.”
[Revelation 11:15]
As we can clearly see, the blowing of the shofar is a significant and central sign that is connected to the return of Christ. Furthermore, Jesus mentions the blowing of the trump of God in Matthew 24:31 when He says, “And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call.”
And let us not forget that Jesus perfectly fulfilled the first four spring feasts during His first coming. He was crucified on Passover, buried on the first day of Unleavened Bread, raised to life on the Day of Firstfruits, and poured out the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost.
It only stands to reason that Jesus will fulfill the fall feasts through His second coming, beginning with the day and hour that no one knows — the Day of Trumpets!
Not only can we know the season of Christ’s return to this earth, He expects us to know. He is telling us to observe the signs, keep watching, stay awake, and lift up our heads for our redemption draws near. Just like with the Feast of Trumpets, we may not know the precise day or hour Christ returns, but we will know when His coming is near, even at the very gates of heaven!
I hope that you will celebrate this amazing feast this year with joy and anticipation of the return of our King and to shout His victory over sin and the grave!
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot.
[1 Peter 1:18-19]
Passover is the first appointed feast of the LORD on God’s prophetic calendar. All of God’s divine appointments (Leviticus 23) are directly connected to the person and work of Christ, either in His first or second coming. The death, burial and resurrection of Christ will forever be associated with Passover, as Jesus is our Passover Lamb.
For centuries the “church” has distanced herself from God’s appointed feasts, starting with the Roman Catholic Church and continuing with Protestant Christianity.
One of the most serious misunderstandings within the church is believing that these appointed feasts are “Jewish” feasts and therefore no longer have any relevance or significance for “Gentile” believers. Nothing could be further from the truth.
These are NOT “Jewish” feasts. These are the feasts of the LORD, and therefore all of God’s people, whether Jew or Gentile, are invited to worship Jesus through the annual observance of these divine appointments.
Discover why everyone in covenant with the God of Israel should be excited about keeping these feast days holy and glorifying Jesus through them. After all, these appointed feasts are all about Jesus and lead us closer to Him.
WATCH the FOLLOWING VIDEO TEACHING HERE — JESUS OUR PASSOVER LAMB
And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
[Revelation 21:3-4]
This week God’s people all over the world have been celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles — or Sukkot.
This amazing divine appointment shows us so much about God’s desire to dwell with His people.
Tabernacles reveals to us significant patterns of the past, reminds us of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, and points us to the prophetic promises of the coming Kingdom of God.
To discover more about his appointed feast of the LORD, feel free to access my previous posts and watch my latest teaching on the Regeneration Radio You Tube page below.
For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
[Hebrews 9:24-28]
This is the Day …
The Day of Atonement.
The holiest of God’s divine appointments.
Today is a day for the covenant people of God to humble themselves, examine their hearts, confess their sins, and boldly approach God’s throne to find mercy and grace in time of need.
May this be the posture of God’s people until the setting of the sun today … and beyond.
May God reveal Himself to you in a personal and powerful way, as you seek His face on Yom Kippur.
May the Lord Jesus be worshipped and glorified for His finished work as our Great High Priest and as our atoning sacrifice for sin, once and for all!
For more information of this sacred appointed day, feel free to access my previous teachings on Yom Kippur by clicking the links below.
When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world’
[Matthew 25:31-34]
At sundown on Tuesday October 4 through sundown October 5, God’s people all over the world will be observing the Day of Atonement — the most holy of God’s divine appointments.
The Lord Jesus is our Great High Priest who was raised from the dead and entered the heavenly temple to offer His own blood once and for all, partially fulfilling the Day of Atonement.
However, Jesus will finally fulfill this divine appointment when He returns as King of heaven and Judge of all the earth.
Even today, we as God’s people have a unique opportunity once a year to deny ourselves, examine our hearts, confess sin, and ask God for forgiveness and mercy, as we prepare to stand before the Judge of all the earth.
To discover more about the most holy day on God’s calendar, check out my latest video teaching on the Day of Atonement, posted through Regeneration Radio. As always, if you find this study helpful, be sure to like and subscribe for my most recent content, and help me spread the good news by sharing this in your own personal network!
“And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other … But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.“
[The Lord Jesus — Matthew 24:31, 36]
We are fast approaching the fall Feasts of the LORD and the high holy days, beginning with the Feast of Trumpets at sundown on September 25.
Just as the Lord Jesus fulfilled the spring feasts in astonishing detail during His first coming, I am convinced that Jesus also will fulfill the fall feasts at His second coming to the very day.
God’s covenant people were commanded to keep and celebrate these divine appointments each and every year as dress rehearsals in preparation for the prophetic fulfillments through Messiah. Furthermore, we get to continue to celebrate these amazing holy days in perpetuity as we gather together to worship King Jesus!
The Feast of Trumpets is unique in comparison to all the other appointed times because it is the only feast that does not have a predetermined date on the calendar. On the contrary, the Feast of Trumpets can only be announced upon the official sighting of the new moon in the evening sky, which designates the beginning of the seventh month. Because the observation of the new moon is required before Trumpets can begin, this appointed feast arrives “on a day and at an hour that no one knows.”
Does that sound familiar?
It should because those are the exact words that the Lord Jesus uses in His most popular teaching about His second coming.
Contrary to popular belief, when Jesus says that no one knows the day or the hour when He will return, He is not referring to some secret rapture event in which He could return at any moment to whisk away the church without a trace, leaving the rest of the world behind in bewilderment.
Many in the church have grossly misinterpreted this passage to say something that it does not, primarily because we have forgotten the Feasts of the LORD, and without a Biblical context, we cannot understand Jesus’ teaching.
Jesus was making a direct reference to the Feast of Trumpets in the Olivet Discourse, as the day and an hour that no one knows. Jesus tells His disciples to know the signs and the general season of His second coming, so that we should be aware when His return is very near — even at the door!
Jesus knew better than anyone that as the beginning of the seventh month drew near, there would be at least a two-day window of waiting and watching before the new moon would appear. So in regard to the Feast of Trumpets only, Jesus is saying that we may not know which day or the precise hour of His return, but on the other hand He commands us to know when His coming is near.
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For Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur (that is, cast lots), to crush and to destroy them. 25But when it came before the king, he gave orders in writing that his evil plan that he had devised against the Jews should return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.
[Esther 9:24-25]
Today at sundown marks the beginning of the Biblical Feast of Purim.
To discover more about this amazing holy day and appointed time of the LORD, be sure to check out the video teaching on the Regeneration Radio YouTube page.
Before there comes upon you the burning anger of the LORD, before there comes upon you the day of the anger of the LORD. Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands; seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the LORD.
[Zephaniah 2:2-3]
Today at twilight, the 14th of Nissan, Passover begins. Passover arguably is the most sacred of holy convocations among the people of Israel. The feast was established between the God and people of Israel to be observed throughout all generations and forevermore. It is the climatic moment of redemptive history when the Creator and King of the universe supernaturally broke out on the earth and entered the natural realm with awesome displays of power and supreme sovereignty.
The essence of Passover, however, is found not only in the power of God but also in His provision and grace. The heart of Passover is found in the blood of the lamb. Israel was covered (atonement) and redeemed by the blood of the spotless male Lamb — saved from the angel of death who would passover those who trusted God and obeyed His word.
Passover is that moment when the children of Israel were saved by God’s grace, through faith. By believing God’s Message and Messenger, Israel was delivered from the bondage of Pharaoh and from the power of the gods of Egypt. Having been baptized through the Red Sea, Israel emerged as a chosen race, a holy nation, and a people of God’s own possession.
The prophetic typology and spiritual realties of the Passover are immense and I have written a few posts on the subject here if you would like to dig deeper.
Today I would like to focus on the future fulfillment of Passover through the lenses of the end of the age and the age to come. The prophetic patterns of God are unmistakable. What’s been done will be done again. Every type and shadow of redemptive history will recapitulate and culminate in the last days. I do believe the Scriptures portray the glorious return of Christ and the final redemption of the righteous as a greater Second Exodus.
For example, the Scriptures portray a believing remnant God’s people who experience a greater Exodus in the last days, when the greater Moses — Jesus — will return to destroy the greater Pharaoh — Antichrist — and supernaturally deliver His people from the bondage of the Beast and from the angel of death — Abaddon?
Is it possible that the LORD will part the sea again or supernaturally provide for His people in the wilderness with manna from heaven and water from a rock? Is it possible that the LORD will supernaturally protect many of His people through the great tribulation — covering and sheltering them from the judgements that are coming upon the earth — just as Israel was sheltered and protected in the midst of Egypt while the LORD poured out the plagues?
Is it possible that King Jesus will lead His innumerable host from heaven and earth on a triumphant procession from Sinai to Zion?
Not only is it possible, it is Biblical. The Passover provides a prophetic glimpse into the supernatural events that will occur on a global scale at the end of the age before the Great Day of the LORD.
WE ARE SEALED BY THE BLOOD AND SAVED FROM THE DESTROYER
Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth. 4They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads … They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon —the Destroyer.
[Revelation 9:3-4, 11]
God’s judgments during the great tribulation will parallel the plagues of Egypt, only on a global scale. While many faithful witnesses are destined to suffer persecution, captivity, and even death at the hands of the Beast, there will be a considerable remnant who is supernaturally protected from the Beast and preserved through the plagues of death coming upon the earth.
In the 4th Seal of Revelation, we are told that the angel of Death rides across a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth” [Revelation 6:8]. This is otherwise known as the Destroying Angel — or the Destroyer — the evil entity that leaves a wake of destruction and desolation when unleashed upon mankind.
The Destroyer is the same angel unleashed upon Egypt on the night of the first Passover, and he soon will be unleashed again upon the whole earth. Only those covered by the blood of the Lamb will be spared.
For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you.
[Exodus 12:23]
The Destroyer will come up out of the Abyss — or Hades — during the trumpet judgments and lead a supernatural demonic horde to plague the earth and eventually kill 1/3 of mankind [Rev. 9:13-19]. Notice in Revelation 9, however, at the blowing of the 5th & 6th Trumpets, only those who do not have the “seal of God on their foreheads” suffer torment and death from the Destroyer.
Those who are covered by the blood of the Lamb and sealed with the Holy Spirit will be supernaturally protected once again from the plagues and the Destroyer. [see also Ezekiel 9]
A REMNANT WILL BE PROTECTED IN THE WILDERNESS FOR 1260 DAYS
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]
After the LORD delivered Israel from Egypt through the Passover, He then led her on a wilderness journey in the desert and supernaturally nourished and protected her. Scripture tells us that this epic drama will unfold one again during the great tribulation, and I believe it will be witnessed on a global scale. As the devil launches an all-out assault against God’s people — Jew and Gentile alike — the LORD will intervene in a supernatural way to preserve a faithful remnant.
It is during this final wilderness journey that we can expect to see God reproduce many of the same miracles He worked during the Exodus. Manna from heaven. Water from the rock. Opening the earth. Even parting the sea.
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. 15The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. 16But 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. 17Then 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.
[Revelation 12:14-17]
The prophet Ezekiel tells us that there is yet another future wilderness journey that will eclipse even the Exodus from Egypt.
As I live, declares the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out I will be king over you. 34I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out. 35And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face. 36As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you, declares the Lord GOD.
[Ezekiel 20:33-36]
WE ARE SAVED FROM THE COMING WRATH OF GOD
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.
20Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until the fury has passed by. 21For 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 26:19-21]
The Passover Blood resembles the cross of Christ
The death of every firstborn in Egypt at the hand of the Destroyer was severe enough, but God’s decisive display of wrath against Pharaoh ultimately would drown the evil king and his army in the depths of the sea. When Israel emerged on the other side, her deliverance was complete, and the entire assembly shouted in victory and sang songs of deliverance to the LORD!
While God has used water in the past to carry out His judgments, His final return to earth will be in the form of an all-consuming fire. [see 2 Peter 3]
Just as Israel was saved and protected from God’s wrath against Egypt during Passover, so it will be on the Day of the LORD. Not only will believers receive their resurrected, immortal bodies at the end of the age when Christ returns to earth, but also God will direct His wrath exclusively on the ungodly and the wicked inhabitants of the earth.
Even the Bowl judgments in Revelation 16 — which culminate with the return of Jesus to earth — are reserved exclusively for the Beast, his kingdom, and those who have taken the mark of the Beast. The point is that God is quite capable of preserving His people through judgment and protecting us from His wrath while on the earth, just as He did through Passover and the Exodus.
The prophet Zephaniah says that the humble and righteous will be “hidden” from the wrath of the LORD on that great Day [Zephaniah 2:3], and Isaiah uses Passover language about God’s people entering their “chambers” and shutting their doors behind them until His fury has passed by.
But now thus says the LORD,he who created you, O Jacob,he who formed you, O Israel:“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;I have called you by name, you are mine.2When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,and the flame shall not consume you.3For I am the LORD your God,the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.I give Egypt as your ransom,Cush and Seba in exchange for you.4Because you are precious in my eyes,and honored, and I love you.
[Isaiah 42:1-4]
WE WILL OBSERVE PASSOVER IN THE AGE TO COME
The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt. This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast.
[Exodus 12:13-14]
Artist rendering of Millennial Temple
Every Gentile believer who places faith in the Messiah of Israel — Jesus Christ — immediately is grafted in to Israel and receives a new national identity. We are adopted into the family of the God of Israel, granted citizenship in the Kingdom of Israel, incorporated into of the commonwealth of Israel, and commissioned as servants of the King of Israel.
Israel always has represented the unified people in covenant with the One True God from all nations throughout all time. When a stranger and sojourner came in faith and joined himself to the God and people of Israel, he was recognized and treated as a native born. Many Egyptians joined the company of Israel during the Exodus, and many more Gentiles became participants in the kingdom by faith — Rahab, Ruth etc… — and submitted to the laws and customs of Israel.
All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. 48If a stranger shall sojourn with you and would keep the Passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised. Then he may come near and keep it; he shall be as a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person shall eat of it. 49There shall be one law for the native and for the stranger who sojourns among you.”
[Exodus 12:47-49]
Since the Day of Pentecost, untold millions of Gentiles from the “nations” now believe in the God of Israel and His Messiah Jesus, which means that the church did not replace Israel but rather has been grafted into the true Israel of God. Unfortunately, the church has mostly abandoned her religious heritage and forgotten her Hebrew roots.
Furthermore, when Christ returns to establish the Kingdom of Israel on earth, we will most definitely follow the laws of Israel and celebrate the feasts of the LORD that He gave to Israel. We will observe Passover in the Millennial Kingdom of Israel [see Ezekiel 45:21], as the people of Israel, giving glory to the God of Israel, and praising the Lamb who was slain from the Lion of the Tribe of Judah — Israel’s King.
Each of us will belong to one of the 12 tribes of Israel and inherit the land allotted to our tribe. Every year we will called up to Jerusalem to worship during the appointed Feasts of the LORD. We will forever commemorate the Passover in the Kingdom in the same way we observe the Lord’s Supper — in remembrance of the Great God and Redeemer of Israel who is mighty to save to the uttermost.
As the sons and daughters of Israel, we will forever rejoice in the Lamb and observe Passover for all generations.
My question is then, why don’t we faithfully keep it now?
I would strongly encourage every believer in Jesus Christ to discover new ways to keep Passover in this age, especially considering we will be keeping it in the age to come!
Days of Noah 