The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. 10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.
Taking this together with what Messiah Yeshua/Jesus told us confirming this fact in Matthew 24 and Luke 17:26—37 And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27 They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark…. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom.
Yeshua/Jesus said that the days of Noah and Lot would be like the days just prior to His return and the establishment of His Kingdom.
We hear this referred to many times and even more lately in light of recent events… wars and rumors of wars…
And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
Matthew 24:6-8
This certainly sounds like things that are happening right now….
Maybe we should take another look at what the days of Noah and those of Lot were really like and compare them? It may give us more of an indication if our days are similar to theirs.
We are told that most people will be going about their normal activities, unaware of the times. When He returns, society will be degenerate and wicked, just as it was before the Flood came.
In the days of Noah and the days of Lot, only one family was protected. Yeshua/Jesus compared both to the End Times, so the same will be true just before His return.
And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart.
The Hebrew phrase,
acharit ha-yamim – אַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים
often translated,
“latter days”
refers to the “end of days, or “last days”,
mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments, and points to a critical period late in human history.
The Lord God told Noah and Abraham for Lot, that judgement was at hand. Yeshua/Jesus was telling us that it will be the same just before His return.
Here are some similarities and differences between the two events, as we read them, how many are in evident in the world today?
In the days of Noah wickedness was universal.
In Lots’ days wickedness was universal and we read of the five cities that God destroyed.
The events before the destruction, Noah built the ark and preached righteousness not allowing the wickedness to affect his family.
Whereas Lot moved into the wicked city of Sodom and the evil of the city vexed his righteous soul. Lot offered to give his daughters to the wicked men of the city.
God Himself brought the judgment on the wicked. Genesis 6:13.
God Himself brought the judgment on the wicked. Genesis 19:23.
Noah saw the violence that existed during this time but no violence was committed against him.
Lot saw the violence that existed during his time and experienced violence against him from the homosexual men of Gomorrah.
Regarding Family: Noah’s sons married wives who became righteous removing themselves from the wicked society.
Lots daughters were betrothed to wicked men these men were destroyed in the wicked society.
Noah and his sons and their wives were in unity in their beliefs and their work on the ark. They stood together against those who were wicked in that generation.
Lot and his family had no family unity. His sons were not even in contact with him. His daughters were influenced by the wickedness of Sodom and his wife turned back and was destroyed.
The judgment in Noah’s time lasted many days. Genesis 1:11, 8:14.
The judgment and lots times lasted only part of the day. Genesis 19:23-27.
The judgment of the flood even included the highest mountains.
The judgment on Lot’s time was only in the valleys.
Noah brought living animals out of the judgment.
No animals were saved in the location of the judgment in Lots time.
God caused His Spirit to pass over the waters to cause the waters to subside. Genesis 8:1.
There is no mention of Spirit in the destruction in Lots time.
Noah did not know that judgment was over until God told him to leave the ark.
Lot did not know when the judgment was over and he feared that there was more to come so he fled to a cave even though judgment had ended.
Noah was not vexed by evil, he found grace in the eyes of God. Genesis 6:9. God said that Noah was a righteous man in the midst of an evil generation. It does not say that Noah was vexed by their unrighteous deeds. Righteousness is defined as keeping the Commandments of God in other words keeping Torah.
Lot was vexed by evil and apparently he had not told his family to keep the way of Torah according to 2Peter 2:8. He lived in Sodom one of the five cities that were destroyed.
Noah was told to gather food for himself and the animals.
Lot was not told to gather food.
Noah knew of the coming judgment he had been told by God that the earth was going to be destroyed by a flood 100 years before it happened. Genesis 6:13. After the ark was built, God told Noah that the flood was going to start in seven days. Genesis 7:4 There was no panic just simple obedience to God’s command.
Lot did not know of the coming judgment that God was going to bring on the city until the angels came to take them out of it. Abraham knew of the coming judgment because he commanded his children to follow the ways of God, however he interceded for the righteous in the cities that were to be destroyed.
Noah did all that God told him.
Lot argued with the angels about where he was to escape to. Genesis 19:18.
Noah and his sons worked for 100 years to prepare for the time of judgment.
Neither Lot nor his family worked to prepare for the coming judgment.
Noah was warned directly by God.
Angels brought the warning to Lot.
Noah was given specific plans
Lot was not given specific plans.
Noah was told that the judgment was on the whole world.
Lot was not told that the judgment was only on the five cities so he may have believed that it was on the whole world.
Noah was called a preacher of righteousness; and He preached repentance for 100 years to all who came to mock him for building the ark.
Lot had spoken little about righteousness as we can see by the reaction of those who wanted him to bring out the angels. Genesis 19:9.
As a preacher of righteousness, Noah and his family were known to be in opposition to the accepted way of life in his time, they did not fit in.
Lot and his family were well known in Sodom. Although he did not accept the life style of Sodom, he was not known to be in opposition to it until he objected his last night there. He also offered to give his daughters, something that Noah would have never done. Lot had lived in Sodom without affecting it for good. He and his family had fitted into life as usual there, he sat at the city gates which was a sign of a leader of the city. Genesis 19:1.
Sexual wickedness was rampant before the destruction, in the form of multiple wives one for pleasure and one for reproduction. This custom had started with Lamech and had progressed to rape and seduction. This was perpetrated by the sons of the rulers who took women by force, leaving children who never knew their father. When these children grew up they brought an increase in the violence in the world. Genesis 6:1-5.
Sexual wickedness before the destruction of Sodom had increased greatly in all the five cities. Homosexual men forced themselves on all strangers who had the misfortune to enter the city. Genesis 19:5.
Noah had a very close relationship with the Lord God and did not need anyone to intercede for him.
Lot may not have been saved if Abraham had did not interceded for him. Genesis 19:29.
The door was shut by God in Genesis 7:16.
The door was shut by angels in Genesis 19:10.
All of Noah’s family were saved because they obeyed God, however, none of the world was saved because they did not obey him. All of mankind are descendants of Noah and his sons after the flood.
Lot’s sons-in-law would not leave the city so they were destroyed. Lot’s wife disobeyed the angels instructions and she was destroyed. The men of the cities were destroyed because of their unrighteous deeds. Lot and his two daughters were saved by obeying although they did argue with the angels.
Conditions at the time of deliverance: Noah and his family walked onto the ark on the day the rain came. There was no panic or confusion, just obedience to God’s commands even though the earth was covered in violence/hamas.
With Lot and his family, there was panic and confusion and there was violence in the city of Sodom as well as in the other four cities.
Noah and his entire family including his daughters in law were taken into the Ark.
Lot and his family had to flee on foot, his sons in law would not leave the city and his wife looked back and they were destroyed.
Noah sent a raven and a dove to see if the waters were receding.
Lot and his daughters had no way to know if the judgment was over.
What was saved from the destruction? Noah saved all that he needed The Lord God told Noah to bring the animals on the Ark to save them. He had all that he needed to replenish after the flood was over.
Lot did not save anything. He was saved as someone who runs out of his burning house with nothing but clothes he was wearing. All his works were burned up.
For no one can lay a foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, his workmanship will be evident, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will prove the quality of each man’s work.… 1 Corinthians 3:12-13
The Lord God made a Covenant with Noah after the flood, to never again destroy the earth by water. He used the rainbow as a sign of the covenant. Genesis 8:20-22.
No covenant was made with Lot, however the Lord God did not make a covenant to never judge the earth by fire again.
After the destruction: Noah offered a sacrifice after the flood.
Lot was fearful of continuing destruction and fled to hide a cave.
Noah knew they were the only people left on earth and that they were to be fruitful and multiply.
Lots daughters believed that they were the last three people on the earth and could only repopulate the earth through incest with their father.
Noah and his sons were commanded to be fruitful and fill the earth and they did so. Genesis 9:1.
Lot and his daughters were not commanded to be fruitful and fill the earth but they did so in a sinful way.
God put the fear of man into all animals.
Lot and his daughters were fearful. Genesis 19:30.
Wine and sexual perversion after the destruction: Noah got drunk and was unaware of what took place. ‘His nakedness was seen by his son Ham.’
Lot got drunk and was unaware that his daughters had sexual relations with him.
God remembered Noah and caused the waters to subside.
Abraham, not Lot, was remembered by God and because of this, Lot was saved from the destruction of the fire. Genesis 19:29.
Dates are given for different stages of the judgment of the flood.
No date is given for the judgment by fire.
All mankind and all nations are descendants of Noah and his sons.
All of Lot’s descendants came through him and his daughters. Only the nations of Moab and Ammon, the two enemies of Israel came from Lot.
Honor and dishonor of their descendants: Noah’s descendants through Shem were men of honor whom the Lord God used; and this included Abraham, Isaac and Jacob together with Jacob’s 12 sons. God made a covenant with all of them. Some of Noah’s descendants through Ham were cursed; this included Amalek, who God said he would be at war with until the end of time.
Lot’s descendants were dishonored and were enemies of those under the Covenant. His descendants were born through incest with his own daughters , these are the people of Moab which means: ‘from father’. The other daughter named her son Benammi, which means: ‘son of my people.’ He became the father of the people of Ammon. This is the name of the capital of the nation of Jordan. Although Lot was related to Abraham, he did not follow in his ways.
The method of destruction: water destroyed the world in Noah’s day. Water is usually a substance that brings life because life cannot exist without it. The Lord God said He will never again destroy the Earth with a flood. Judgment came from the heavens and from the fountains of the deep.
Jude 1:7. “Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, of punishment.
Fire destroyed Sodom and the others cities in Lots’ day. Fire brings death and purification, the judgment came from the heavens. Genesis 19:23.We know that the destruction at the end of this age will be by fire. 2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
The extent of judgment: In Noah’s day, all animal life on the earth except what lived in the oceans and those on the Ark. Plant life recovered after the flood without any help from Noah or his family.
In Lot’s day, all life in the area of the five cities including plant life did not recover because the sulfur caused the soil to become too acidic, there is little that grows there even today.
In Noah’s day the wicked had no idea of the coming judgment, they were doing all the normal things of daily life.
In Lot’s day the wicked did not know of the coming judgment, they too were doing all the normal things of daily life.
In Noah’s day the wicked were taken out of the world and made examples for others who would want to live like them.
In Lot’s day the wicked were taken out of the world and made examples for others who would want to live like them.
Noah and his family were not taken out of the world.
Those who were delivered from Lot’s family were not taken out of the world.
In Noah’s day the judgment started in the daytime when the fountains of the deep burst forth. Genesis 7:11.
In Lot’s day the judgment started in the evening when the angels came, but the fire fell at dawn. Genesis 19:1.
Noah and his family could not see the judgment because they were in the ark with the window and door shut.
Lot and his family were told not to look at the judgment but his wife did, and she was destroyed together with the wicked.
Noah preached righteousness for 100 years without one convert because there was great spiritual blindness in the people.
In Lot’s day, the angels caused the wicked people to be struck with physical blindness.
Noah and his family were the only eight people out of the whole world, so the ratio of those saved to those destroyed could easily have been 1 in 1 million.
Lot and his two daughters were saved out of several small cities. The ratio could have been 3 out of 3000 or 1 in 1000 as those cities were small.
Noah and his family were transported in the ark above the mountains, they did not need to do anything to escape.
Lot and his daughters had to flee on foot over the rough ground. They had to make their own way in their own strength and could not carry much with them; they never left the surface of the earth.
After the flood, Noah and his family had a large place to live on top of the mountains. He may well have lived in the Ark after the animals had left and their home would have been 450’ x 75’ with 15 foot ceilings. Those who are righteous when Messiah returns will live in the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven.
Lot and his daughters first went to the small city of Zoar then they became fearful and ended up living in a cave with very few possessions.
Those who are unrighteous and who see Messiah returning in great glory, will try to hide themselves in caves and rocks.Revelation 6:16 And they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb,
There are too many similarities today to the days of Noah and Lot to ignore and as violence/hamas is again filling the earth and Matthew 24:12 tells us because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
Many are falling away from the faith. Now is the time for our light to shine in the darkness and offer the good news of the gospel of the kingdom. It is time to tell people there is forgiveness of sin and of the grace and mercy we can receive through Messiah to restore our relationship with His Heavenly Father. Messiahs sacrificial death at calvary was on purpose to redeem us and give us eternal life.
If you have not received Yeshua/Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord and if you are not certain where your eternal future lies…make sure right now. Today is the day of salvation for we do not know the day nor the hour of His return…let’s all be ready …time is running out..
Shalom aleikhem
chaverim and mishpachah!
Peace to friends and family.
Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week.
Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him.
It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.
You are very precious in His sight.
Not sure ..you can be…
SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute,
SAY IT RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name.
Noach/Noah נֹ֗חַ was a righteous man, whole hearted he had been among his generation. With God did Noach walk.
There was one thing that set Noah apart from everyone else of his day He was wholehearted, completely sincere, fully committed and upright, having integrity in God’s ways, so that
with God did Noah walk.
8549 tamim: complete, sound
Original Word: תָּמִים Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: tamim Phonetic Spelling: (taw-meem’) Definition: complete, sound, whole, integrity, blameless, uprightly, sincere, wholehearted.
Can this be said of us today?
So many of us spend our lives seeking and searching for something or someone to make us complete, anything that will give us meaning and purpose in our lives. Noah was whole in heart because he filled himself with the only thing that can truly complete a person, and that is our Heavenly Father. When we look to the world to fill us up we really do walk alone but, the one who is wholehearted in the ways of righteousness will always walk with God. In a previous post, we looked at Abraham who also walked with God and was called, the friend of God, and yadiyad, walked hand in hand with Him.
Both Noah and Abraham were in covenant relationship with YHVH and so are we, if we have received Yeshua/Jesus Messiah as Savior and Lord of our lives. In this relationship we are supposed to have yielded our lives completely to Him, as they have been bought with a price beyond what we can ever pay. Therefore our lives are not our own any longer.1 Cor. 6:20
When we walk righteously with the Lord God, we offer Him our faithful service. We have been made righteous by faith in Messiahs sacrificial provision. The Lord God honored such righteousness in Noach by making him the chosen one to receive His covenant with all living things. He expected His covenant to be kept and He sealed it with the sign of the rainbow; this is the reminder that He and all the descendants of Noah were to remain faithful and remember His promises forever. Sadly, so many times we forget, and then we make excuses to ignore His promises. However, our Heavenly Father is faithful even when we are not, and never goes back on His word or His promises. So even when we fail on our side of the covenant, our Heavenly Father does not; reminding us through the rainbow that follows every storm in the heavens, that the Creators promises may never be broken.
Genesis 11:4.
they went to build a tower.
In the face of our Fathers faithfulness we arrogantly display our strength and instead of remembering His promises, we bury them at our feet and build monuments to ourselves on top of them. However, the plans of the unrighteous prophesy their own destruction. We think we will go so high so that we will not be scattered, but ultimately our lives will fall apart. We believe we can stay so low that we will avoid being seen and our deeds will not be exposed; yet everything will be revealed and brought to light. We decide we will be our own gods, so that we will be in control of everything that concerns us; yet in reality we will lose command of everything we ever wanted to be in charge of and rule over.
However, for the righteous in every generation, our Heavenly Father has a purpose, a plan, a mandate, an order, and a method of bringing His will to pass. We do not need to build up our own cities and kingdoms because God is the builder and destroyer of kingdoms.
Daniel 1:12 He raisesupkings and also bringsthemdown, Hebrews 3:4 For every house is built by someone, but Godis the builder of everything.
His plan will bring us up to His level and standards by His strength power and might. If we hope to walk with our Heavenly Father and like Noah and Abraham, be called righteous by Him, it will be according to His plan and not by one of our choosing. Our desire should be that of a life of devotion to our Savior, not satisfying our own wants and desires. Nor should we be walking pridefully in a strength that is not our own, but instead be seeking after Him to fill us up and make us whole in heart. Then we can be wholehearted.
Abram was 99 when He was called to walk with the lord inGen. 17:1.
Right here in the first book of the Bible, are the examples of living a life before the Lord given for every reader. When the Lord God appeared to Abram, He told him He was
the Almighty All Sufficient God.
This we are familiar with as El Shaddai, and this verse is the original reference to that divine attribute of Our Heavenly Fathers character.
He is told to walk before him. Here the word walk in Hebrew is הִתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ hitehaleke.
Walk with me – hitehaleke lepani .
Biblical Hebrew does not focus so much on the tense, meaning whether it is past, present, or future; but rather on the action itself, instead of the time that the action occurred.
The Hebrew word for before is pani and has the meaning of:
the face of or the presence of something.
So this could be rendered as:
I am the all sufficient God walk with me.
Today there is an expression used when someone in authority wants to say something to us that is very important but wants to say it as a friend not as a boss or employer…..
Walk with me.
At this point in the scripture, our Heavenly Father starts to reveal to Abram the covenant He wants to establish with him. We looked in an earlier post at the reason for waiting until Abram was 99. 90 is the number of humility and 9 represents divine completeness. God was waiting for Abram to reach that state of divine completeness in humility before He could come to the place of speaking with him as a friend and not as an authority. This should help us to understand that if our Heavenly Father speaks to us as a friend before we are really humble, we might consider ourselves to be better than other people; then there is a danger of spiritual pride. We could say that humility is realizing that we are unable to fulfill our Fathers will without His power.
A question to ask ourselves is:
have we really allowed God to be El Shaddai, all sufficient in our lives?
Or is it just a name we use in prayer, conversation or simply a head knowledge reference?
It’s easy to say He is all sufficient when we have jobs or regular income from work or social security payments; however, would we still boldly declare He is El Shaddai if there was no job, or regular check in the mail? When we enter into a completeness in honest humility, this is the time when we enter into our Fathers heart and know His presence and His provision. This is the place where we can learn, Ex. 17:1, and be yadiyad as we walk with Him. That’s when He becomes El Shaddai – the all sufficient one – and; we cannot let Him be El Shaddai unless we humble ourselves, this is something we must do. We must remove and divest ourselves of all that trust we place in ourselves, our own abilities and resources, so that our trust is in Him alone. Sometimes, what at first seems a bad thing, can often be a blessing in disguise. For example, that bad health report or the loss of job or income may bring us to the place of complete humility; and to the point where we can walk with God, putting our complete and total trust in Him alone and experience Him as El Shaddai.
The sages say that the word Shaddai is really a a combination of 2 words: she’amar and diy which means: He who said stop. A simple play of the word diy, is our abbreviation of do it yourself which is humbling ourselves. Also, when our Father reveals Himself to us as El shaddai, He is saying: Stop
Telling us to:
Stop what we are doing,
stop trusting in ourselves,
stop trusting in our jobs, our investments, our schemes
and all our earthly securities.
Stop relying on all the worlds resources and allow Him to be in control, to be sufficient for us – all sufficient – for every area of our lives.
Abraham was 99 before he could walk with God and call Him El Shaddai, we don’t have to wait to reach that age, happily, we can do it today. Humble ourselves, choosing to walk away from the world and like Noah
walk with Him wholeheartedly
and be righteous in our generation.
We hear these days more conversations on ‘the days of Noah’ as being a sign of the end of the age just as Jesus/Yeshua described in Matthew 24:38,39
We read that in Noahs day the earth was filled with violence. The first mention is in Genesis 6:11 of the violence that led to Gods judgement by cleansing the earth through the flood.
Genesis 6:11 HEB:וַתִּמָּלֵ֥א הָאָ֖רֶץ חָמָֽס׃ NAS: was filled with violence. KJV: was filled with violence.
The [population of the] earth was corrupt [absolutely depraved—spiritually and morally putrid] in God’s sight, and the land was filled with violence [desecration, infringement, outrage, assault, and lust for power]. Amplified
This violence is a sure sign of coming judgement once again. The verse in Genesis which speaks of violence, holds an indication in the word itself which in Hebrew is Hamas; which is very much in the news today.
2555 hamas: violence, wrong
Original Word: חָמָס Part of Speech: Noun Masculine Transliteration: chamas Phonetic Spelling: (khaw-mawce’) Definition: violence, wrong
In light of current events, it would indicate we are in times of impending judgment and this surely is all the more reason to STOP and consider our ways; and know in Whom we are trusting and where our loyalties and allegiance lie… while there is still time.
Isaiah 55:6 Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him whilehe is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy
Shalom aleikhem
chaverim and mishpachah!
Peace to friends and family.
Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week.
Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him.
It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.
You are very precious in His sight.
Not sure ..you can be…
SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute,
SAY IT RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name.
When Jesus/Yeshua referred to the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings; (Tanakh),
it was to remind us of the prophetic declarations being fulfilled from the scriptures.
The reason we need to dig out the treasures of His Nechama is because of the days in which we are living.
Why specifically?
Because His Nechama is what we will need more and more as this age comes to its prophetic and timely conclusion.
So what is nechama/ nechamah
(sometimes written with a letter h at the end of the word).
Nechama is the Hebrew word for comfort,
but what does it have to do with the Genesis 5 and Noah?
The days that will signify Messiah’s imminent return are coined in the phrase: as in the days of Noah.
In Jesus/Yeshuas own words, He was answering questions that His disciples asked regarding the things that would happen in the future; and of what signs they should take notice.
“Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
The entire passage from Matthew 24:15-31 is the specific answer to the disciples of the sign of His coming and of the end of the age. Also found in Mark 13 and Luke 21.
There are many of those signs happening and as Jesus answered:
“Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 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.
With the climactic sign being the second coming and the glory that attends it, and will fulfill the prophecy of Acts 1:11 that Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMashiach, will return as He went up into heaven.
We are 2000+ years on from His statement. Many subsequent generations have wondered if these words would be fulfilled in their lifetime with unsettling world events and world wars taking place etc etc.. However there are certain markers that are mentioned in scripture that have since happened, which had not occurred in previous millennia.
The most obvious and significant was for Israel in 1948 and again When Israel gained East Jerusalem in 1967.
Jesus indicated that this generation (the one that sees all these events occurring together/simultaneously,) will not pass until all these things are fulfilled.
Matt. 24:34; Luke 21:32
These are without doubt, uncertain times, in that suddenly there can be serious weather related events which take the form of catastrophic storms, of one type or another. Also nations rising against nation in conflict, pestilences, plagues of different things, insects and virus outbreaks…. However all these things must come to pass and by His words of caution and warning, we are to take COMFORTthat He knows about all these events and is in ultimate control of all of the outcomes.
So many times He says to us
FEAR NOT..
DO NOT BE AFRAID..
WHY??
because He said for I have overcome the world and we can rely on His covenant promises of Genesis 9:15
Be not afraid when news breaks of things that may certainly have serious repercussions around the globe.
Because Matthew 24:25
Behold, I have told you beforehand – That is, I have forewarned you.
This is encouraging so we will know and,
He has told us before they happen.
Stand firm in faith and don’t be moved by what we hear or see but hold fast to the truth we know and trust.
Let faith rise in our hearts and keep scripture on our lips and know beyond any doubt that the loving arms are underneath us and we are safe in that secret place of the most high.
And remember He has our 6!
We have His promises which are always yes and amen and here are some of those promises for us to meditate upon …
Spiritual preparation is the most important preparation we can do
and have
and rely on.
Knowing the Father
through Jesus/Yeshua,
and being filled with His Holy Spirit;
and by keeping ourselves filled with His Word,
faith comes,
and His love is spread abroad in our hearts.
Romans 5:5. 5:5 Hope shameth us not – That is, gives us the highest glorying. We glory in this our hope, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts – The divine conviction of God’s love to us, and that love to God which is both the earnest and the beginning of heaven.
This is the love that casts out ALL fear. 1John 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
Hebrews 2:14-16 (NASB) 14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.
And as for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD: my spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever.
Always remember [L Do not let depart from your mouth] what is written in the Book of the ·Teachings [Law]. ·Study [Meditate on] it day and night to be ·sure [careful; diligent] to obey everything that is written there. If you do this, you will be ·wise [prudent; successful] and ·successful [prosperous].
His promise to us is:
I will not leave you comfortless John 14:18
Just as He brought COMFORT to the repentant thief on the cross beside Him with the promise…. return to EDEN!
So He is the source of
nechamah – comfort.
He promised: I will send the comforter-
who is Gods’ Holy Spirit, Ruach HaKodesh.
This is how Jesus/Yeshua can say that He is with us, even to the end of the age.
This confirms that COMFORT and us being comforted is very important to Him.
We live in days of uncertainty and there are those with needs that are both physical and spiritual in nature. Our Father knows what we need is to be comforted.
We know who has our back/6 and now we know from where our
If we break its letters down, there are two overlapping words:
no•ach (comfortable and resting) and
cham or cha•ma (warm).
Ne•cha•mah is an offer of rest and easement to a troubled, suffering soul.
Comfort is gained through warmth and restful conditions.
Who comforts us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, through the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
As a noun, ne•cha•mah appears only in the New Testament:
‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort;’
2 Corinthians 1:3
There are many other verb references of comfort and consolation in both the Old and New Testaments.
Two of the Books of the Old Testament are about ne•cha•ma – The Book of Nehemiah which means: ‘God is my comfort,’ and the Book of the prophet Nachum whose name means comfort and consolation.
Capernaum (or Kapernaum), an ancient settlement on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. The Hebrew name of the site: Kfar Nahum, which means the Village of Nahum.
Ne•cha•ma/h is the focus of the prophets Nahum and Isaiah who wrote in chapter 40:1-2 ‘na•cha•moo, na•cha•mu ami.’ Which means: be comforted, be comforted, my people.
Comfort my people, comfort them, says your God. Speak comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry to her, that her fighting is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.’
Isaiah 40:1-2
עַמִּ֑י נַחֲמ֥וּ נַחֲמ֥וּ
Na•cha•mu na•cha•mu ami yo•mar Elo•hey•chem. Dab•ru al-lev Yeru•sha•láyim ve•kir•oo e•lé•ha ki mal•ah tze•va•áh ki nir•tza avo•na.
He is also our Shepherd..
A shepherd knows when His sheep need comfort, assurance and kind words.
The Bible is God’s written Word and offers us just what we need.
The items that make the news headlines are often less than comforting and we would do well to listen less to the talking heads and rather absorb encouragement from the source of all comfort. 2Cor. 1:3.
Here are some reminders that we have a savior who is cognizant of all our weaknesses and all the human emotions that accompany every aspect of our earthly existence.
Jesus/Yeshua, is our sympathetic High Priest/Kohen HaGadol, who had to be made like his brothers in every way(Hebrews 2:17) and whoshared in [our] humanity” (Hebrews 2:14),He is intimately acquainted with the devastating effects of our human feelings/emotions. He is also able to come to our aid to help and give hope/tikvah that can lift us out of the deepest pit.
King James Bible Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
The God of All Comfort 2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed be the God andFather of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.…
Berean Study Bible Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort.
The fact that He is the God of all comfort, teaches us that, all comfort ultimately comes from Him. He is our source of peace/shalom and happiness and blessing.
Let’s ask Him to bring His Nechamah to our lifes/chaim and situations.
God is the source of all good comfort.
Let Him comfort you.
Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, 17 comfort your hearts and establish you in every good work and word. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
Paul refers to Him as the God of all comfort.
To comfort means: to soothe someone who is in distress or who is sorrowing. This is done by easing their misery or grief and bringing them consolation and rest.
Ou Father certainly does this. 2 Corinthians 1:3, 4.
The comfort – nechamah, of the Lord is a combination of
There are several kinds of rest referred to in the Book of Hebrews. The first rest mentioned is the rest the first generation of Israelites failed to enter, namely entrance into the Promised Land and rest from its enemies (Hebrews 3:11). Then there was the rest to which the psalmist referred in Psalm 95 that was available in his time (today).
nuach
nuach: to rest
Original Word:נוּחַ Part of Speech:Verb Transliteration:nuach Phonetic Spelling:(noo’-akh) Definition:to rest
nuach or noach
nuach or noach: rested,
Original Word:נוּחַ Part of Speech:Noun Masculine Transliteration:nuach or noach Phonetic Spelling:(noo’-akh) Definition:rested,
Noach
Noach: “rest,” patriarch who survived the flood
Original Word:נֹחַ Part of Speech:Proper Name Masculine Transliteration:Noach Phonetic Spelling:(no’-akh) Definition:“rest”, patriarch who survived the flood
Noah. The same as nuwach; rest; Noach, the patriarch of the flood — Noah. nuach or noach ►. Strong’s Concordance. nuach or noach: rested,. Original Word: נוּחַ Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Noah prepared for 100 years (a generation?); then entered his ark/box ofGrace, with his family, providing salvation for them from the judgment of God that came upon the earth.
They were kept safe in the place of grace/ark/covenant and then began a new life in an earth cleansed from sin. Fulfilling his fathers words This one will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD has cursed.
It is a picture of Jesus/Yeshua who is our ark of grace and when we enter into Him we receive salvation from the judgment of God that will come again on the earth according to the scriptures.
We enter in to the comfort and the place of rest and peace He is our Sar Shalom. The renewed covenant that He has made with those who receive Him fulfilling His fathers words through the angel in Matthew 1:21
She will bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus [the Greek form of the Hebrew Joshua, which means Savior], for He will save His people from their sins [that is, prevent them from [a]failing and missing the true end and scope of life, which is God]. Amplified Bible.
and
John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
Isaiah also spoke of the rest as well as the comfort.
Isaiah 28:12 HEB: אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם זֹ֤את הַמְּנוּחָה֙הָנִ֣יחוּ לֶֽעָיֵ֔ף NAS: to them, Here is rest, give rest KJV: To whom he said, This [is] the rest [wherewith] ye may cause the weary to rest …
This comfort is not simply a feeling or an emotion of the soul and a means to feeling better….
It’s place of total covering/immersion/enveloped/hidden/nestled under wings in that secret place returning us to the genesis and its eden, the state and place of original grace in the beginning. And it is the promise contained in Noahs’ name, which precious promises we have obtained now, through and under Jesus/Yeshuas’ blood. Where His provision is completed and all our waste places are comforted in His presence/ throne of grace; and where His tender mercies are new every morning.
WOW! What a Father we have!
What an unequalled God we serve, worship and adore!
We have a God of comfort/ and peace/shalom to help us in our time of need, Who is Holy Spirit/Ruach HaKodesh, Who is also called the comforter and is living inside born-again believers.
..see previous posts and the connection to Eden.
Don’t hold back any longer, let’s simply give God all that is in our hearts, because nothing in this world can compare with that which He imparts reciprocally to us; so that in turn, we can comfort others.
When those whom God places in our lives are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has shown and imparted to us.
Jesus/Yeshua is our ark of salvation and as in the days of Noah/Comfort we must enter into Him into comfort, into salvation, into His place of nechamah. As righteousness judges sin, we must not procrastinate any longer, for just as in the days of Noah, the day came when God shut the door – the dalet – and there was no longer a WAY into the place of Grace the ark of covenant and its’ nechmahah.
Jesus/Yeshua, is the door, the dalet, and one day the door will close and He will knock no longer.
Opportunity to enter into noah/rest – nahamah – comfort of salvation will not be available.
The times of the gentiles/heathens will be fulfilled, completed.
Share this understanding of comfort with all you can and let not that day come upon you as a thief/unawares.
In connection with the description of God as the God of all comfort, is the statement that He is the Father of Mercies.
Mercy is the outward manifestation of compassion for others in their affliction. Mercy had its origin with God, calling Him its’ Father. All acts of pity and compassion proceed from Him.
Isaiah 51:3The LORD will comfort Israel again and have pity on her ruins.Her desert will blossom like Eden, her barren wilderness like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found there. Songs of thanksgiving will fill the air.
Psalm 23:4 Even when I walk through the darkest valley,I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.
2 Corinthians 1:5 For the more we suffer for Christ,the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.
Isaiah 40:1Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
Psalm 119:50 This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.
Romans 15:4-5 For everything that was written in former times was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and through encouragement of the scriptures we may have hope. Now may the God of endurance and comfort give you unity with one another in accordance with Christ Jesus,
Isaiah 51:12 “I, yes I, am the one who comforts you. So why are you afraid of mere humans, who wither like the grass and disappear? Yet you have forgotten the LORD, your Creator, the one who stretched out the sky like a canopy and laid the foundations of the earth. Will you remain in constant dread of human oppressors? Will you continue to fear the anger of your enemies? Where is their fury and anger now? It is gone!
Yeshua/Jesus weeps over our sorrows.
John 11:33-36 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”
Psalm 56:8 You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.
Psalm 119:76-77 Now let your unfailing love comfort me, just as you promised me, your servant. Surround me with your tender mercies so I may live, for your instructions are my delight.
Psalm 119:81-82 My soul faints with longing for your salvation, but I have put my hope in your word. My eyes fail, looking for your promise; I say, “When will you comfort me?”
Isaiah 58:9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
God comforts us in our trials so we can comfort others.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.
2 Corinthians 1:6-7 Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation!For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
Listen to these songs and let the ruach of comfort-nechamah, minister to our hearts as we worship Him and long for His return to catch us, His Bride, away!
Can you hear His footsteps?…He’s Coming… Hallelujah!
EVEN SO….
Be comforted Mishpachah/Family!
Final thought on the concepts behind the pictographs for
nechama/nechamah:
Nun: sprout, new life, seed, fish, continue, increase.
Chet: His dwelling place – HaMishkan, Ark, He is the guardian of the passageway, the process of entry, wall, protect, fence, divide, separation.
Mem: water that washes clean and chaos as in storms.
Hey: look, behold or pay attention to reveal to make known. Breath or sigh as in awe!
Put together it could be said of Nechamah/Comfort:
A separation will be followed by entry through the guardian of the WAY into the protection from the chaos of the storm/deluge, look in awe to the process of entry into new life which will continue.
Noah comfort and rest.
The rest we enter into will be fulfilled in the Millenial reign of Yeshua Messiah as we enter His Rest – His Shalom – the Sabbath rest of the 7th day 1000 years. The time of shalom/peace and comfort.
So the best part of the days of Noah is his comfort/nechamah and the forthcoming new beginning, new start,
Behold I make all thing new! Isaiah 43:18; Rev 21:5.
I saw a new heaven and a new earth. Rev. 21:1
As we are returning to Eden too –
that’s why Messiah said:
today you will be with me in paradise. Luke 23:43.
For today is the day of salvation!
Get into the ark/Jesus/Yeshua, because He is not only the Word, He IS our ARK, we must get into Him for our salvation.
Shalom, shalom, mishpachah!
You are loved and appreciated and prayed for daily.
Fear not, simply rest in Him and be comforted!
Stay alert, prepared and be ready!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read the posts and for all your kind and encouraging comments. Please continue to share with others, like and subscribe for notifications of new postings. It all helps to freely spread the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth and reaches others with the blessing of His Truths that always point us to Our Heavenly Father, Through Jesus/Yeshua by the power of His Holy Spirit/Ruach HaKodesh.
Share His comfort to those going through times of testing and trouble…be an encourager of hearts!
As always, a very warm welcome to each and every subscriber/follower/visitor, both old and new; and remember that the post is best viewed on the Homepage site in full color!
Please don’t leave this page without the knowing in your heart you are totally His.
You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.
Its all about Life and Relationship, not Religion.
NOT SURE? YOU CAN BE..
SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen.
What is the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?
The disciples asked the very same questions 2000+ years ago that we also ask today. His answers are the same today as they were to those disciples; and given an option, it’s probably not what we would choose to hear either. According to Yeshua/Jesus own words, it is not going to be a pleasant time, as this is the time of Gods’ judgment on the rebellious world system.
These following verses which give Matthew and Luke’s account of the same event would seem to indicate that the words parousia and apokalupsis do refer to the SAME ONE COMING OF CHRIST.
In Matthew 24:37 it says …“But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming [parousia] of the Son of man be.” … And the same account in Luke 17:26, 30 says … “As it was in the days of Noah … Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed [apokalupsis].” This is how we are to find out the TRUTH. We need to compare scripture with scripture.
So why are the two Greek words used?
Parousia means presence, a VISIBLE return. And Apokalupsis means to reveal, a REVEALING OF THE TRUTH.
So to turn these two words into two separate comings would appear to make no sense.
They both describe the ONE event, the physical, visible, loud, fiery second coming of Christ, in which the truth will be REVEALED!!
26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the desert,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.
27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.
29 “Immediately after the distress of those day 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.’
30 “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.
31 And he will send 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.
Yeshua said,
“…when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is at hand. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let those who are in the midst of her depart. Let those who are in the country not enter therein.
For these are days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who nurse infants in those days! For there will be great distress in the land, and wrath to this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars; and on the earth anxiety of nations, in perplexity for the roaring of the sea and the waves; men fainting for fear, and for expectation of the things which are coming on the world: for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
But when these things begin to happen, look up, and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near.”
Luke 21:20-28
Here are 2 separate events,
the sign of your coming and of the end of the age,
that we may have not really read but have just believed what someone told us without taking the time to check it out for ourselves. People tell you the truth as they know it, especially when they have believed what they were told. We have no reason to doubt someone’s sincerity, however they can be sincerely wrong and what we choose to believe will never change truth.
Loving Caveat:
This post may challenge long held beliefs, as it has for mmm, however living in ignorance and deception due to exposure to false teaching/doctrines in the past does not serve us well for the future. Knowing TRUTH is the only WAY that leads to LIFE and makes us FREE in HIM.
This is not about proving or disproving doctrine, or being right or wrong, as always its about TRUTH and the fact remains, that the ‘rapture’ in and of itself, is not as important as the TRUTH that, Messiah IS coming back for His Bride.
The attempt to condense this post failed miserably!!! To divide again would cause loss of focus in the content….so grab some coffee, or whatever is your yen, get comfortable, an apocalypse is coming, so enjoy the ride! This is most assuredly a Megamannamoment! Much Shalom from 1gratefulheart!
Most important and critical to all studies and conclusions is…What does the scripture say?
What does Yeshua/Jesus say?
1 The sign of your coming
2 The end of the age
The end of the age has the signs of the days of Noe/Noah and Lot. This look into the days of Noah has its own apocalypse, revealing facts that have been obfuscated and lost in time..
The sign of His coming. vs. 27-31
Days of Noah,days of flesh– Natural pursuits of the consumer flesh body.
Verse 28, days of Lot
Eating
(Consuming resources, all of these things are fleshly desires and indulging the flesh)
Drinking
Buying
Selling
Planting
Building
Until the day Lot came out of Sodom and it rained down fire and brimstone/meteors and killed them all!
Days of Noah, verse 26.
Eating
Drinking
Marrying
Being given in marriage, (much perverse unrestrained
behavior and lasciviousness).
Sinned against the animals and plants.
This one above on closer examination, could include genetic modification and interbreeding because they ‘sinned against the animals and plants’. No different to todays scientific trends.
Often overlooked for one reason or another, giants, the offspring of intermingling/interbreeding between humans and fallen angels! (Yes apparently it did happen! Og, Goliath, his brothers and the ones the spies encountered, (The Fallen Ones, Rephaim, etc.) were very real. Gives new meaning to ‘we were as grasshoppers in their sight’ and would explain the oversize/genetically modified grapes?!
They came from somewhere and there were more than just one or two. It’s simply that no one talks about it much as it’s become too controversial! The past gets buried, (literally,) or secreted away in vaults which are generally inaccessible to the public and over centuries, the various cultures collective memories fade as generations pass away. What was once common knowledge becomes the stuff of legend and no 21st century person is going to believe such ‘nonsense’! This may be quite a shock to the senses, however it is no joke and yes, that is 36ft or 10.97 meters! Too many bones have been documented to dismiss this simply as a hoax.
As always we encourage personal research. The mere fact that Genesis 6 mentions them and in connection with the Days of Noah, the correlation to End Times is enough to spark our curiosity. (If that’s you, type Gensix Giants in your browser for a site with information and one that also believes in Jesus.)
Here are several pictures of artifacts that appear to be genuine however, we know not everything on the internet is to be believed. First one was from 1895 before photographs could be manipulated.
Further information can be found at http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/6658-giants
Indulging the flesh.
Opposite of abstinence, until the day Noah entered the box/ark and the floods came and killed everybody.
His days were noted by increased fallen angel activity.
Production of Nephilim offspring.
Transhumanism, i.e. creation of hybrids/clones.
Advanced technology.
Rebellion and hostility toward God.
Corruption of Gods creation, human and animal and plant GMO foods and animals.
Inter-dimentional Portals, breaching the barriers between natural and spiritual realms.
Satanic temple sparks uproar by unveiling statue of goat-headed, winged creature called Baphomet in Arkansas state capitol of Little Rock. U.S.A.
The days of Noah included the building of the ark and of course the flood itself.
Noah was pure/righteous in his generations meaning his DNA was undefiled. His bloodline was directly from Adam. 100% human DNA.
Some of the signs are not immediately obvious and many of the writings mentioned in the scriptures that shed much light on the end times; were not included in the canon of the Bible. (As determined by a small group of men at the council of Nicea.)
One of these is the book of Enoch.
Enoch was a important person, he is mentioned in Genesis 5:24. Enoch was the 7th from Adam, the son of Jared (Gen. 5:18) and the father of Methuselah (5:21; Luke 3:37). ‘He walked with God and was not for God took him’. So he had a very close relationship with God.
A little information about Enochs’ book:
We first learn of Enoch in Genesis 5 but it leaves us with questions. Hebrews 11 has the answers and Jude quotes Enoch! How did Jude come to know the words of Enoch? They are not in the Bible. The answer is The Book of Enoch. A book which is actually quoted not only by Jude, but also James the natural brother of Yeshua/Jesus. The Book of Enoch chapter 68:1 “And after that my grandfather Enoch gave me all the secrets in the book…
The Book of Enoch; (also 1 Enoch; Ge’ez: መጽሐፈ ሄኖክ mets’iḥāfe hēnoki), is an ancient Jewish religious work, ascribed by tradition to Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah. The older sections, (mainly in the Book of the Watchers,) of the text are estimated to date from about 300 BC, and the latest part (Book of Parables) probably to the first century BC.
The Book of Enoch is not accepted as part of the Canon of Scripture as used by Jews, apart from the Beta Israel canon; nor by any Christian group, apart from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and Eritrean Orthodox Church canon.
It is mentioned in Jude 1: 12-15. quoting Enoch 1:9
The quote is as follows: “In the seventh (generation) from Adam Enoch also prophesied these things, saying: ‘Behold, the Lord came with his holy myriads, to execute judgment on all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners spoke against him’.”
James 4:5 Jesus quoted it and so did the apostles
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. (Mat 5:5) The elect shall possess light, joy and peace, and they shall inherit the earth. (Enoch 5:7 {6:9})
the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the son (John 5:22). the principal part of the judgment was assigned to him, the Son of man. (Enoch 69:27 {68:39})
shall inherit everlasting life (Mat. 19:29) those who will inherit eternal life (Enoch 40:9 {40:9})
“Wo unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. (Luke 6:24) Woe to you who are rich, for in your riches have you trusted; but from your riches you shall be removed. (Enoch 94:8 {93:7}).
Ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (Mat. 19:28) I will place each of them on a throne of glory (Enoch 108:12 {105:26})
Woe unto that man through whom the Son of man is betrayed! It had been good for that man if he had not been born. (Mat. 26:24) Where will the habitation of sinners be . . . who have rejected the Lord of spirits. It would have been better for them, had they never been born. (Enoch38:2 {38:2})
between us and you there is a great gulf fixed. (Luke 16:26) by a chasm . . . [are] their souls are separated (Enoch 22: 9,11{22:10,12})
In my Father’s house are many mansions (John 14:2) In that day shall the Elect One sit upon a throne of glory, and shall choose their conditions and countless habitations. (Enoch 45:3 {45:3})
that ye may be called the children of light (John 12:36) the good from the generation of light (Enoch 108:11 {105: 25})
the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. (John 4:14) all the thirsty drank, and were filled with wisdom, having their habitation with the righteous, the elect, and the holy. (Enoch 48:1 {48:1})
Sep 14, 2016 – In several of the Dead Sea Scrolls there is a complicated network of parallel … papyri showing portions of the Book of Enoch in Greek (P.Mich.inv. … Fragments of these books, Enoch and Jubilees, were also found at Qumran Cave 4: I Enoch in Aramaic,Sep 14, 2016 – In several of the Dead Sea Scrolls there is a complicated network of parallel … papyri showing portions of the Book of Enoch in Greek (P.Mich.inv. …
Doesn’t it seems strange that his book was not included? Reading his descriptions of the things God revealed to him may shed some light on why he was dismissed! Controvertial is a word often associated with Enoch. Makes one want to know why! What did they not want us to read?
For the curious a Free copy can be downloaded as a pdf at this link
Luke 17:30 it will be according to these things on the day the Son of Man is revealed. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Lightning from east to west, clouds, power and great glory, (doxa or shekinah), angels with loud trumpet calls gathering the elect who apparently are still on earth.
It’s Not going to be hard to miss!
There is another option to Daniels 70 weeks suggesting that 69 have already passed and with 1 week left. The thought is that the last week which is indicative of a 7 year period began when Yeshua Messiah was born and further that the half of that ‘week’ was fulfilled by His 3 1/2 years of ministry. The conclusion being that the final 3 1/2 years is the time of Jacobs trouble/tribulation in the last days just prior to His return? An interesting interpretation!
On researching this subject there was no specific reference found in the scriptures pertaining to a literal period called the 7 year tribulation! Like most having been taught and believed in a rapture, it is somewhat disturbing to find the Word of God doesn’t seem to support that belief!
Remember when you believed in things like Easter Bunny/Tooth Fairy/Father Christmas.
We are ensnared by half truths and fables, (lies) and make believe, since we were little children. We were told stories that were pure fiction and when we find out they are not true we inevitably go through a process.
Shock – someone we trusted told us something that’s not true
Disbelief – don’t want to acknowledge the 1st and still want the ‘lie’ to be truth, so we may choose to continue to believe it until one day there is undeniable proof.
Anger – why did they do that and now I have to get over the issues
Reality – people don’t know everything and sometimes they lie! so can you trust what people say?
Sense of loss/sadnessour bubble has been burst, our sense of reality has changed. Innocence is being diminished a little more.
Disappointment and disillusionmentthat we believed something that seemed wonderful only to have the illusion taken away.
There are similar feelings that accompany learning and realizing other ‘truths’. Especially spiritual ones!
Some are much more serious than a bunny and old men in red costumes.
However there is nothing worse than finding out something after the fact that is contrary to our strongly held opinions and doctrines and worse someone knew and could have told you.. Wouldn’t we rather know the truth however unpalatable and inconvenient at the time and have to deal with it now, and not when it’s too late? How many millions are going to cry out, ‘Why didn’t you tell me about salvation through Jesus/Yeshua’? Why didn’t you make me listen?
The Truth will make you free and it is the Way that leads to Life.
How can we be prepared if we don’t know what to be prepared for?
Charts showing various sequences of end time events
There is no debate of whether or not a type of rapture (as in Messiah/Jesus is coming for the saints) will occur; the Bible is clear on that question. There are 2 Comings He came the 1st time and He will return which is the second coming.
The catching away does not scripturally fit with a separate rapture, that is, apart from at the second coming!
What if there is not such a thing as the rapture as has been taught?
The Rapture is the belief that faithful Christians will be bodily caught up from the earth, suddenly taken out of the world, avoiding all the bad end time tribulation, to be united with the Lord in the air.
However, not only did Yeshua/Jesus not mention a rapture, but the word “rapture” as such, does not occur in the Bible.
What if we are looking for the wrong event?!
It’s all in the timing.
Reading the scriptures carefully gave pause for thought and after confirming some facts, the findings are presented here.
Yes, Messiah Yeshua/Jesus is coming
for the believers who are ready
and looking for His coming.
However, it clearly says in Thessalonians that those who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with Him in the clouds
BUT..it also says..
that our being taken up to be with the Lord will not precede the resurrection of the dead in Christ!
So when is the resurrection of the dead? Whenever that occurs….we are next!
“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. Therefore encourage one another with these words” (1 Thess. 4:13–18,
The Greek term meaning “caught up” is harpazo, which means to seize suddenly or snatch. In Latin the word is rapio, which means to seize and carry away; it is from this Latin word that the term “rapture” comes.
The word ‘rapture’ is in the Bible if you have the Latin Vulgate!
Seems like we should be looking for the resurrection of the saints instead!
1 Corinthians 15:50-52 tells us that we shall be changed at the last trump. The LAST, that means there is not another trump after that one!
While it is true, that the word rapture is found no place in our English Bibles, it comes from the Latin word rapturo, (Latin)which means the very same thing as the Greek word harpazo (Greek) in 1Thessalonians 4:17.
1 Thessalonians 4:14 For if we believe that Yeshua died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Yeshua will Elohiym bring with Him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Father/YHWH, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Father/YHWH shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Father/YHWH himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of Elohiym: and the dead in Messiah shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up [harpazo, rapturo] together with them in the clouds, to meet the Father/YHWH in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Father/YHWH.
This Greek word harpazoin 1 Thessalonians 4:17 means the following: to seize, to catch away, to pluck, pull, take (by force), and it has the very same meaning as the Latin word rapturo.
It is also the same word in Hebrew for takenin2 Kings 2:11 which islaqachwhen Elijah was taken in a chariot of fire:
#3947 laqach law-kakh’ a primitive root; to take (in the widest variety of application): —accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, up), use, win.
It is important to point all of this out because there are some that would try to argue that there is no such thing as a rapture/catch awaybut this is not the case. The issue is timing and that it has a different name.
As already stated this word does not appear in our English Bibles, the word rapturo (Latin) or harpazo (Greek) or laqach (Hebrew),all mean the very same thing, as when the bridegroom comes and seizes his bride and carries her away into the marriage.
The five wise virgins will be taken into the marriage, while the five foolish virgins will be left out of the marriage, and then the door will be shut.
Interestingly, the Hebrew & Greek meaning for takenmeans to take into marriage while the Hebrew & Greek meaning for the word leftmeans to divorce or forsake.
Some teach and believe, the ones who are taken is the bride of Messiah into a set-apart place, and then she returns with Him on white horses after a seven-day wedding.
The ones who are left behind are the ones who are going to be eaten by the birds of prey down here on earth on the Day of Wrath! (Revelation 19:21).
Matthew 24: 29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
There is no debate among Bible scholars as to whether there will be a catching away/rapture, but much discussion has occurred over when the catching away/rapture will occur.
We must guard against the ‘itchy ears’ and ‘superficially interested’ in doctrine, or the desire for knowledge; just because we are satisfying our curiosity and want to be ‘in the know’! For we are to be doers of the Word and put into practice what we learn or it is not worth anything.
There have been five main theories put forward as to the timing of the rapture and they all surround what is known in prophetic biblical teaching as the “tribulation” period, which is mentioned by Jesus/Yeshua in Matthew 24 and described in great detail in Revelation 4—19.
The five hypotheses are:
First: Post-tribulation – believers are raptured at the end of the tribulation period, when Messiah returns in judgment (Revelation 19). Second: Pre-wrath – believers are caught up somewhere between the sixth and seventh seals described in Revelation. Third: Mid-tribulation – living believers are taken in the middle of the tribulation period. Fourth: A Partial rapture – only faithful believers are taken to be with Messiah at the beginning of the tribulation, with unfaithful Christians being left to endure it. Fifth: (and most favored) A Pre-tribulation – believers are caught up to be with Messiah before the tribulation begins.
Here are a few brief historical facts
Research reveals that the origin is in fact from an interpretation by John Nelson Darby, considered by many to be the father of dispensationalism, he first proposed and popularized the pre-Tribulation Rapture in 1827-31 and it was further used by Darby and Schofield and then enhanced by the intricate detailed charts by Larkin.
Preached and taught so may times, it became a doctrine and was adopted by various denominations and even inspired movies and books like the left behind series.
This view was accepted among many other Plymouth Brethren movements in England. Darby and other prominent Brethren were part of the Brethren Movement which impacted American Christianity, especially with movements and teachings associated with eschatology and fundamentalism, primarily through their writings.
Influences included the Bible Conference Movement, starting in 1878 with the Niagara Bible Conference. These conferences, which were initially inclusive of historicist and futurist premillennialism, led to an increasing acceptance of futurist premillennial views and the pre-Tribulation Rapture especially among Presbyterian, Baptist and Congregational members.
[32] Popular books also contributed to acceptance of the pre-Tribulation Rapture, including William Eugene Blackstone’s book Jesus is Coming published in 1878[33] and which sold more than 1.3 million copies, and the Scofield Reference Bible, published in 1909 and 1919 and revised in 1967.
The main scripture used is Thessalonians 4: 16-17 where The word rapture is a transliteration of the greek word used and translated as caught up.
The term “caught up” in the verse is where we get the term “rapture.” This is because the Latin Vulgate translated the Greek word “harpazo” into the Latin word “rapiemur.” Both of these words have the idea of a violent snatching away, or capture.
Source(s): Latin Vulgate
If the rapture theory is a true Biblical teaching. Why was it not well known and popularized until the early 20th century?
Amillennialists and premillennialists use First Thessalonians 4:17 to teach that, in the future, Jesus will materially appear in the sky in such a way as to be visible and physically “rapture” the saved from the planet to meet Him in the air, and then to be materially changed and taken to Heaven.
First Thessalonians 4:17: Then [after the dead in Christ rise, v. 16] we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
The phrase caught up comes from the Greek harpazo which means to seize (Strong’s, Thayer’s, Bauer’s, et. al.; cf. Septuagint of Lev. 6:4 & Jug. 21:21 & 23), and Vine’s and Bauer’s specifically says that a suddenness is involved in the term. (A twinkling of an eye [1 Cor. 15:52] kind of suddenness you think.) An examination of harpazo reveals some interesting information:
It’s derived from the Greek term from which we get our word “heresy“—the term hairesis, which Vine’s says refers to ‘a … choice’ (from [the verb] haireomai [meaning] to choose’). Strong’s says that haireomai means “to take for oneself, i.e. to prefer—choose” (cf. Bauer, Mat. 11:12); i.e., so it’s a choice based on one’s preference.
The Greek term harpazo also carries with it the idea of “oneness,” i.e. making those things or … people … which a person prefers and chooses one with himself, implying of course that they are or become one with each other in the process. An illustration of a biblical example from the Septuagint (the Greek version of the OT):
In Job 24:19 harpazo is used of assimilation of water and sinners: As drought and heat consume the snow water, so the grave consumes those who have sinned.
Two of the scriptures focused on are Matt:24:41: Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Again consider that it’s the wicked one that is removed and the believer left, as in days of Noah and Lot!
and
1Thessalonians 5:4: You [the Thessalonians], brethren, are NOT in darkness so that this day should overtake you [the Thessalonian brethren] as a thief.
Who didn’t have an excuse of being overtaken by the day of the Lord? The Thessalonian Christians. Why? Because they not only knew the signs of Matthew 24, they believed in the Lord who spoke them, meaning that they had no reason to let anything bother them.
This is meaning that believers will NOT be in darkness NOR will it come like a thief for us, however it will come as a thief in the night for those unsaved and not ready. If we are in the light and ready we will see Him coming. We will hear the trumpet.
The sequence through the year being an annual rehearsal of the actual events that will all take place fulfilling what each of the 7 festivals/feasts/appointed days represent. The spring feasts have been fulfilled the fall/autumn ones are said to be also when Messiah returns.
They give detail about the first coming including the date on which He would arrive, the manner of His death, on the birth of the ecclesia the called out ones /church/ecclesia.
The rituals/ feasts speak of a natzal (or rapture) and also of a terrible time called the Yamin Noraim. Days of Acharit ha-yamin, the latter days, is the time of the promise of restoration of Israel.
Only when they are in tribulation, b’tzar lekha, as declared in Deut. 4:30-31. This agrees with Yeshua’s words in Matt. 24:21, foretelling of Israel’s coming troubles in the latter days.
Only after they cry out calling for Him to come saying,
blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord.
Baruch haba be’shem Adonai.
Maybe that’s what we as believers need to be calling out?
Maranatha come Messiah Yeshua/Jesus in reference to Yeshua. Then they will they be delivered during the 70 birthpangs of the Messiah, otherwise called,
Chevlei Mashiach חֶבְלֵי מָשִׁיחַ
(חֶבְלֵי הַמָּשִׁיחַ) the “birth pangs of the Messiah” (Sanhedrin 98a; Ketubot, Bereshit Rabbah 42:4)
or the Time of Jacobs Trouble.
This is the time immediately before the coming of the Mashiach. The world will undergo various forms of tribulation and is called Ikvot Meshichecha the Footsteps of the Messiah. A phrase that comes from Psalm 89:51.
It is this great test of faith during the Chevlei Mashiach that frightened Rabbi Yochanan to the point that he said, Let the Messiah come, but may I not see it!?
The years which are viewed as the birth pangs of Mashiach, are said to last for seven years, during which Israel will be refined spiritually in preparation of His arrival.
The 7 years is a combination of 2 periods of time of 1,260 days each.
(Matthew) 24:21: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
We need to read that scripture again!
(We gloss over it and do not fully understand the ramifications it implies, especially if we have believed we are to be ‘raptured out’ of here before any of that happens!)
Now we can see that the word time in the phrase times, time and a half timescan actually mean several things. If we take the word, time, (mowed/moed), to mean a literal year, then the phrase means the following:
time = mowed in Hebrew = 1 year
times = two years
half times = six months
hence, times, times, half times = 3.5 years
We see that during this time the two witnesses will have a ministry of 1,260 days (3.5 years)
It makes it hard to continue to believe that we will be taken up to meet Messiah in the air before the Great Tribulation, when Matthew 24:29 makes it abundantly clear that Messiah will gather His elect, (we the believers), immediately AFTER the tribulation?
In order to ascribe to a pre-tribulation catching away of the bride, we would have to believe in two raptures for the righteous, but the Bible says in Revelation 20 that there are only two resurrections for two groups of people:
1.) One for the righteous and this is called the first resurrection.
2.) One for the wicked after the 1,000 years are finished.
In 1Thessalonians 4:16-17 the Apostle Paul/Sha’uwl says: ‘the dead in Messiah shall rise first, then we which remain shall meet them in the air.’
So as soon as we see the Abomination of Desolation, then shall be great tribulation (Matthew 24:15-21). The 2 witnesses will prophesy 1,260 days (3.5 years) and the false Messiah will speak blasphemies for 42 months (3.5 years).
The last half of Daniel’s 70th Week (3.5 years), picks up with the Anti-Messiah setting up ‘The Abomination of Desolation’, in the 3rd Jewish Temple, and this it appears is when the Tribulation period actually begins. (Matthew 24:15-21).
Concurrently, the two witnesses in Revelation 11 will also have a ministry that lasts for 1,260 days (3.5 years).
Jacobs’s Time of Troubleis for a time, times and a half, according to Daniel 12 & Revelation 12. As previously noted, the word time in Hebrew and Greek means one year and so time = 1 year; times = 2 years; half times = 6 months, hence 3.5 years. There is no place in scripture that specifically says that the Tribulation is ‘7’ consecutive years; although 1,260 days x 2 = 3.5 years x 2 = 2,520 days = 7 years!
The word tribulation both in Greek & Hebrew literally means persecution.
When they build the 3rd Jewish Temple, the man of sin, will sit in the temple and demand to be worshiped as God (2Thess. 2:4). Then he will probably become possessed, supposedly by the Messiah Jesus, but it will actually be Satan.
(There is already a strange rumor that they have cloned Jesus from the DNA found in the Shroud of Turin. Which it was thought was the burial cloth of Messiah and has recently been disproven).
Messiah Yeshua is said to make his appearance during the eighth ‘year’.
On the eight day, at the beginning of the eight day [also meaning “year”] the baby is to have its foreskin removed – i.e. the concept of a foreskin which acts as a barrier between man and God. We read in Zachariah(13:2) that God will destroy the spirit of impurity form the earth. This is believed that it will occur during the eighth year.
Some scholars say Yom Kippur isalso the same day when Jesus/Yeshua Mashiyach, was circumcised as a baby boy, eight days after Hs birth; and some say it may have been on (our calendar) September 11th in 3 B.C.; which happened to fall on the Feast of Trumpets that year or Yom Teruw’ah.
Why would the Messiah be circumcised on Yom Kippur? His Blood was sprinkled as an infant because His Blood would later on be the Blood of the Lamb that would be sprinkled on the Mercy Seat for Israel/Yisra’el. Hence, the blood released when His foreskin was removed is like the veil to our hearts that is removed when our hearts are circumcised. (Deuteronomy 10:16, Jeremiah 4:4, Romans 2:28). Interestingly in these aspects, it could be said that He fulfilled all three of the Fall Feasts at His birth, for He was born on Yom Teruw’ah (Feast of Trumpets), circumcised on Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) and He also dwelled in a sukkah (manger) with His parents during Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles)!
(Ps. 19:5, Joel 2:16) the children of wrath who are caught off guard by,the thief in the night, are having bowls of wrath being poured out upon them and they still won’t repent. (Dan. 12:10, 1Thess. 5:2, Rev.16:15).
And then after 1000 years, we will go into the 8th day or the 8th millennium, which parallels to the last day of The Feast of Tabernacles. At the end of the Millennium, this present earth that we know of will pass away. This temporary earth, or shelter, that we dwell on, will be replaced by a New Heaven & a New Earth (Rev. 21:1).
At the end of the Millennium on the Last Great Day will be the white throne judgment seat of Messiah. (Rev. 20:11-15)
In a Hebrew Wedding custom, the bride is given a three-day notice that the groom is on the way. She hears the shouts from a three day’s journey in the distance and she knows that sometime within those three days, he will be there to catch her away. It is said that this could very well be the same period of 3 ½ days where the Two Witnesses will have their dead bodies lying in the streets and then at the sound of the 7th angel (7th trumpet), they are resurrected. (Rev. 11:11-15).
Here is why this feast is prophetically called, The day that no man knows. Not only does the bride not know the precise timing of when the bridegroom will arrive; (although she knows the approximate timing), but the enemy is not made privy to this timing, so that he cannot come and kidnap the bride away!
Another reason why Yom Teruw’ah is called, The day that no man knows, is because it cannot be determined by a fixed time on the calendar. It can only be determined by the first sighting of the new moon by the Two Witnesses.
Also, in a Hebrew Wedding custom, the bridegroom (not wanting to make known the exact timing of his arrival to the enemy), tells the nosey people who inquire about the wedding date, no man knows the day nor the hour – only my father knows!(Matthew 24:36). This is a Hebrew Idiom for the Feast of Trumpets.
Only the wise will understand that all these trials and pains of the Chevlei Mashiach are part of a consecutive series of events orchestrated by God in which each new birth pang unfolds a notable occurence and is absolutely crucial and brings us that much closer to our desired goal of future redemption. But many will not understand and will not pass the test.
Zion will be comforted when Messiah Yeshua is received by Israel as the rightful king and He will set up His Kingdom for 1000 year reign of true Shalom. For those non Yeshua believing Israelites, it is the first coming of their Messiah.
We need to get the timeline in correct order. The 7 (messianic) festivals, are the biblical appointed times, God commanded the ancient Israelites to observe.
This is the reason why He commands His covenant people to celebrate and observe His seven annual feast days; ‘as a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.’ (Lev. 23:21). He wants His bride to be ready when He returns, therefore, He has given her these seven feasts as “holy convocations” (Lev. 23:8). The Hebrew word for convocation, literally means a rehearsal. What is the bride rehearsing for?
The Marriage Supper of the Lamb, as described in Revelation 19:7. Without these seven feasts, the bride will not be ready to meet the bridegroom! This is the reason why the traditional Christian Church does not fully understand prophecy. It is because some are keeping the counterfeit holidays of the Anti-Messiah, such as Christmas, New Years Day in January, Good Friday, Ash Wednesday, Easter Sunday, etc. These counterfeit holidays are patterned after the false Messiahs of the Roman Empire with their Julian & Gregorian calendars and are designed to keep us off course and in the dark concerning the times and seasons of Messiah.
This is why Rev. 18:4 commands followers of Messiah to ‘Come out of her, my people, that you be not partakers of her sins, and that you receive not of her plagues.’
The true bride will not mistake the timing of her bridegroom’s return, because she knows The Times & Seasons (1Thes. 5:1), which are The Appointed Times, Moedim/Mowediym, the seven annual feast days or rehearsals. There are those in the Christian Church who believe that our Messiah’s return is imminent, meaning that it can happen at any time. The justification for believing in His imminent return is a mis-understanding/mis-interpretation of
1Thess. 5:
2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of YHWH so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction comes upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
From Paul’s warning, it says that only those who are in darkness are expecting His return to be like a thief in the night, but the children of light know when to expect His return, because they are already rehearsing His seven annual feast days! The idea that the ‘Church’ will be taken by surprise without warning into what is commonly called The Pre-Tribulation Rapture. Once we realize that the bride is given clear instructions to observe the seven annual feasts from year-to-year it really has no scriptural foundation. These are the times and the seasons spoken of by Paul in 1Thess. 5:1 which are to help the bride to make herself ready, and to light her path into the marriage supper.
Rev.20:6 …’Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.’
There is no mistaking that there is a time period that is going to be a 1000 years, but when does it start? The popular mainstream teaching is that after the church is raptured, the saints spend 7 years in heaven with Messiah Jesus, while the great tribulation happens on earth. Then after the 7 years, they believe the church comes back to earth with Jesus where He will reign from Israel for a 1000 years.
From the following verse it indicates that the first resurrection may startsthe thousand year millennium.
Matt. 24:30-31 …’And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.’
1 Thess. 4:16-17 …’For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.’
So we have the second coming of Messiah in the above scripture, where He sends out His angels to gather the saved. The ‘dead in Christ’ rise first and then those who are Messiah’s and still alive at His coming, they are caught up with those who have been resurrected and they meet Messiah in the air.
A vital point to remember about the second coming of Christ, is that He does not touch the ground when He returns, we meet Him in the air. So this is the first resurrection above, and is it the starting point of the 1000 year millennium?
In Rev. 20:5 it says that ‘the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished’. The rest of the dead are those who are lost (the wicked), that were either killed at the second coming, or were already dead at Christ’s coming. To support with scripture that the lost living at the second coming, ARE killed, look at the following verses:
Lk. 17:26-30 …’And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all … Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.’
When Messiah returns, the lost will be destroyed. Just like in the flood and the fire judgment of Sodom, ALL the lost were destroyed and only the righteous were left alive. And when does Revelation say the lost are resurrected? AFTER the 1000yrs.
The following verses describing what the earth will be like after the second coming of Christ …
Isa. 13:13 …’Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.’
Isa. 24:1 …‘Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste,
and turneth it upside down,
and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.’
To put it back to where it once was
Jeremiah 4:23-26 …’I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger.’
Verse 27 of Jeremiah 4 says that the whole land is desolate, but God will not make a complete end. This matches with the truth that the earth will be ‘made new’, and we will inhabit this ‘earth made new’ after the 1000 years. So God is not going to totally destroy this world. He is going to ‘burn up’ all things in it (2 Peter 3:10) and then renew it (2 Peter 3:13).
Jer. 25:33 …’And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.‘
The wicked are destroyed at Messiah’s second coming. The saints go to heaven with Him.
One interpretation gained from the scripture above, is that the earth will lay desolate for the 1000 years! Is it telling us this is what the earth will be like during the thousand year millennium? If so, it won’t be a happy, peaceful place where Messiah reigns over the nations, it will be desolate, laid waste and empty! Could it imply that to Satan it will be as a “bottomless pit” to which he is bound for the thousand years? Time will show us if that scenario is accurate or not.
However by all accounts it seems l that we should be looking for the resurrection of the saints!
Jesus/Yeshua, was the first fruit resurrection from the dead. Then many people came out of their graves and walked into the city! Was this also a resurrection? If we are still alive at His coming, we will not be ‘resurrected’ but changed/transformed in the twinkling of an eye, at the speed of light!
Paul teaches that Christ will come at some future point in time for those who belong to Him. Those who are the “dead in Christ” will experience their resurrection first and be gifted with glorified bodies when He comes. Those believers in Christ who are alive at that time will then be instantly transformed from their earthly state to their eternal state, and will not experience death. Instead, they will be caught up, to be with all those who have previously gone on, to be with the Lord and be transferred to heaven. Paul speaks about this generation of believers who will not taste death when he says, “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, (die) but we shall all be changed” (1 Cor. 15:51).
This is a resurrection, a transforming. We will have to have new bodies because Corruptible cannot go into the presence of a Holy God and must put on immortality/incorruption.
The idea of just living our lives with a, ‘someday being raptured away before anything gets bad,’ may not be the reality, for the years of tribulation include all the events which are listed in Revelation.
Are we spiritually and physically prepared to endure to the end, however long that may be? Partway into the last years? Halfway in? or longer? There is nothing that tells us an absolute, except the resurrection of those who have died in Him. However it does point to His second coming at the end of the tribulation period.
Mathew 24:13 But he that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved.
To endure means “to remain firm in a commitment to be true to the commandments of God despite temptation, opposition, and adversity.”
It would be easy on the flesh and soul to believe we get ‘scooped up’, before any of the events described actually begin. Many 1000’s of our brothers and sisters are however going through horrendous persecution for their testimony of salvation in Yeshua all around the world. Being wrong about the ‘Rapture’, would be fine in this instance, however better to believe the worst and hope for the best and be spiritually prepared for whatever unfolds as time moves forward.
However The Day and Hour is Unknown
36 No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
As to when the so called rapture will take place, no one knows the exact timing of the event. Messiah confirms this in Luke when He says, “You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Luke 12:40).
Again being prepared and not needing it, is preferable to the shock that we were not ready and be one of those who hearts fail them for fear of what is coming!
That sounds pretty serious!
Failure to prepare is preparing to fail.
Fill those lamps with oil!
We must guard against the ichy ears and being superficially interested in doctrine or the desire for knowledge just because we are satisfying our curiosity and want to ‘be in the know’! For we are to be doers of the Word and put into practice what we learn, or it is not worth anything.
If our doctrine and beliefs are sound and on the firm foundation of the Rock of His Word and we maintain a deep relationship with Him, they will stand the storm of scrutiny.
This is simply to determine if we have some hard times ahead and what to expect and to give us an opportumity to be more prepared than we are today.
Just remember for believers, its NOT the end, it’s a transition into the next part of Fathers plan.
John 14:1-3 …’Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.’
Jesus said “I will come again and receive you unto Myself, that where I AM there ye may be”.
Whatever is used to try and deceive prior to Messiah’s return, whether its pseudo aliens who supposedly created us, (which are in reality demons, evil spirits and fallen angels,) we know the devil is behind it.
Looking at the above verses, there will be no mistaking it when He does appear.
So for all believers, the apocalypse the revealing is NOT a one time incident, or some event to fear, but something to look at, as a way of being shown things we did not know before. Information that we can better understand concerning what The Ruach of the Father is trying to tell us. When we receive knowledge, then we are accountable for what we have been told.
It’s often a way of waking up a sleepy group of people and encouraging them to go forward, to grow and mature; and we can in fact live in the intimacy and safety of His Shalom presence, even while we remain here. Just as His chosen ones in the days of Noah and Lot, if we are in Him, we will be taken through the things to come.
We need to be about our father’s business, busy doing His commands and not focused on being scooped out of here avoiding any hard times. Let’s look to the author and finisher of our faith and trust His plan. Nothing is going to take Him by surprise and with Him nothing is impossible.
In a nutshell what we are being told is that,
If you seek to keep your life you will lose it, if you lose it you will preserve it alive.
Loving not our lives unto death but focused on Him just as Stephen did.
Flesh always wants the soft option and inevitably chooses the easy road. We are not of those who shrink back but are those who are to be very courageous.
The righteous are bold as lions (of Judah)
There are multiplied 1000’s of our brothers and sisters around the world who are tortured suffering and dying for their faith every day. If we cannot physically change their situation we can pray for them and in turn God will raise up intercessors for our needs.
Chazown (Revelation) 22:17
“And the Ruwach ha’Qodesh (Holy Spirit) and the bride say, Come. Andlet him that hears say, Come…”
Be encouraged family we are awaiting the return of our King and He will NOT disappoint us. You are greatly loved!
May His Shalom surround, guard and keep you in Name of Yeshua, the author and finisher of our faith.
PLEASE Don’t leave this page before you make certain Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him because…
the sands of your TIME on earth are running out!
You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.
Its all about Life and Relationship, not Religion.
NOT SURE? YOU CAN BE..
SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen.
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