Place yourself in Jerusalem, it’s 32 A.D. For the past week you have been studying the scrolls of Daniel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Zechariah.
As you read Daniel chapter 9, Gabriel tells Daniel that “70 weeks are determined for Israel and the Jews.” Gabriel tells Daniel that when the first 69 weeks are finished, Messiah will come to earth.
After careful computation, you realize that the last day of the 173,880 days of Daniel’s prophecy is today. (From the prophecy of Daniel 9:25)
You turn to look down the street and see Jesus of Nazareth on the foal of a donkey, turning the corner to enter the street that leads into Jerusalem. People are lining both sides of the entrance of the city, waving palm branches and shouting, “Hosannah to the son of David, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” A quote from Psalms 118.
As you run to see what all the excitement is about, you can hear hundreds of people at the city gate shouting, “your Messiah comes to you, humbly, riding on the foal of a donkey.” A quote from Zechariah 9:9.
Jesus Was Following A Precise Timeline
Many times the disciples of Jesus urged Him to go to Jerusalem and tell the leaders of the Sanhedrin that He is the Messiah. Jesus said, “My time has not yet come.”
Jesus was waiting until this precise day when Daniel’s prophecy would be fulfilled before He went to Jerusalem. This is the day that David proclaimed when he wrote, “this is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad.” It is Palm Sunday, the day Israel inspects the Lamb for defects, four days before a Passover.
John the Baptist said that Jesus is “the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world.”
Jesus planned every day of the past three and one half years, to be here, in this exact place, on this precise day.
Very few knew or understood that this day was coming. Fewer still, knew it was the day Daniel and other prophets had predicted. Messiah had arrived but the world was not prepared for Him.
Later, Jesus condemned the Pharisees because they did not “recognize the time of their visitation.”
Why Would Jesus Come For His Church During Trumpets?
Tomorrow evening, September 9, 2018, begins the Feast Of Trumpets or Rosh Hashanah for the Jews. Jesus arrived the first time, on The First Feast, Passover. He was crucified on the same day that the Passover Lamb was offered. They placed Him in the tomb on the Feast of Unleavened Bread where He remained un-raised.
Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead, as Paul described Him, “the Firstfruits of those who will rise from the dead,” on the precise day the Feast of First Fruits was observed. Jesus instructed His disciples to wait in Jerusalem until the “promise of the Father,” arrived, the coming of the Holy Spirit. Forty days later, on the precise day of the Feast of Pentecost was observed, Jesus birthed His church.
Jesus was carefully fulfilling each of the first four Feasts of Israel, on the precise day they were to be observed.
The Harvest Period Interval
After the first four Feasts, a four month harvest period began. Jesus stopped at the fourth Feast, and called that time “the harvest.” We have been living during the Harvest for the past 2,000 years. God has been patiently waiting for the whole world to hear about Jesus and make a decision.
When the disciples stood before Jesus, He told them that a great harvest period remained for all those who can believe in Him and receive eternal life. The four month harvest was described by Jesus as the interval between the fourth Feast (Pentecost), and the Fifth Feast (Trumpets).
Do you not say, “There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! ~John 4:35
Then Jesus returned to heaven and promised to come again when everything was ready.
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 to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. ~John 14:2-3
If Jesus chose to precisely fulfill all of the first four Feasts on the precise day they were observed and purposely attributed what He was doing as the fulfillment of these Feasts, will He come again to fulfill the remaining three Feasts; Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles?
The Feast Of Trumpets 2018
When the ram’s horn is blown on Sunday evening, September 9, 2018 at 6:52 pm, in Jerusalem, this will begin 48 hours, or two days for the Feast of Trumpets. Trumpets will end at 6:49 pm in Jerusalem, on Tuesday, September 11, 2018.
Just as those who were in Jerusalem during Jesus’ first arrival were utterly shocked by His proclamation that He was Messiah, on the precise day that Daniel predicted Messiah would arrive, so also will the whole world be if Jesus shall arrive tomorrow during the Fifth Feast of Trumpets.
The world is not ready, nor is it expecting the return of Jesus. We who love Him and are following the scriptures which promise His return, we are always watching and waiting.
If Jesus comes tomorrow, here in the United States and all over the world, we will adjust our clocks to get the precise start of the Feast of Trumpets. Here in The U.S., at Mountain time, Trumpets begins at 8:52 am on Sunday morning. On the East coast, Trumpets begins at 11:52 am on Sunday, September 9, 2018, and continues till 11:49 am on Tuesday, September 11, 2018.
You can follow the start of Rosh Hashanah, or Trumpets, by examining your world clock on your phone and noting the time at Jerusalem. The start of this Feast is based upon Jerusalem time, not where you are.
If this is not the year of the Lord’s return, then these two days will pass as any others have. Next year we will begin our vigilant watch again during the two days of Trumpets.
Jesus was right. We don’t know which of the two days, nor which of the 48 hours within those two days, He will arrive.
We will watch and wait and hope that this is the time of Jesus’ promised return. If He does come, the world will be shocked by the removal of perhaps, a billion people at the Rapture described by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. Chaos will begin in the world and the new world leader known as the antichrist will make his entrance and begin the final seven years of this current world.
At the end of seven years, Jesus will return physically to earth and bring His church with Him. He will fight the Battle of Armageddon north of Jerusalem and destroy the waiting armies of the antichrist. Every soldier and armament will be destroyed by the words of Jesus’ mouth, just as He spoke and the universe came into being by His great power.
Jesus will return to Jerusalem and begin the establishment of His kingdom on earth for 1,000 years, as promised to David in the Old Testament. Those who have lived for Jesus during their earthly lives, will be given places of authority at various cities around the world, where they will co-rule with Jesus.
At the end of the 1,000 years, Jesus will destroy the heavens and the earth and create a new heavens and earth. All those who have loved Him will live together in peace and perfection forever.
These are the plans of God that He determined before the universe existed. The time in which we now live is our opportunity to turn from our sins, believe in Jesus as our Savior and join those who will be with Him and reign with Him.
At the writing of this article, the world has less than 15 hours before Trumpets begins. I don’t know if this is the time of Jesus’ return, but I do know that there have been events taking place all over the earth for the past seven years, which have caused me to believe that this is the best year during my 44 years of following Jesus, for His return. All of the things that Jesus said would happen before He comes again, have taken place. Now we may be on the precipice of one of the greatest days in human history.
Waiting Until The Final Moment
Some may wonder when the Lord is most likely to arrive, if He does come this year. I was thinking about this today and what Jesus’ arrival will mean for the world that doesn’t know Him. For those who love Jesus, the moment He comes for us is the greatest time of our lives. For those who do not know Jesus or reject Him, this will be a time of untold judgement for the world. Knowing that God “takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked,” and He often withholds judgment until the last moment, it may be that when Jesus does come, it will be at the final minute of the Feast of Trumpets.
I wait with all of you who love our Lord, with great anticipation. If the next two days do not bring the return of Jesus, we will all continue to be faithful, vigilant, and watchful so that we do not forget or become lax in waiting for Jesus’ return, perhaps next year during the Feast of Trumpets. It is also important to say that my theory about Jesus coming during Trumpets is only a theory. Jesus could come for us at any time of the year.
By Resurrection Or Rapture?
I want to remind you that should you begin to feel sad or disappointed if the Lord does not come for us at this time, remember something very important. If the Lord should delay His return for many years and you and I die and leave this earth, we will immediately go to be with the Lord in heaven. When He does return to earth we will be coming with Him. The first persons to get their new bodies at Jesus’ return are those who have already died and have been in heaven with Jesus. Then those who are alive and remain on the earth will rise to meet the Lord in the air and also receive their eternal bodies (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
Ask yourself this: would it be better to have the experience of death and the angels coming to carry you to heaven, seeing that beautiful place and all of your loved ones, then returning with Jesus and all the believers to earth; or to be alive when He comes and rise to meet Him and go to heaven? It seems to me that those who die have a much fuller experience than those who are alive when Jesus comes.
Many times, people are excited for the return of Jesus and they forget that whether by resurrection or rapture, we are all going to be with the Lord. The dead who go to be with the Lord, and return, I think, have a more incredible experience. Something to think about.
I just finished a new daily devotional that I am very excited about. Check it out at Amazon. “To Love Jesus: A 365-Day Devotional“
See Also:
Is There A Candidate For Antichrist In The World Today?
The Feast Of Trumpets And The Rapture: September 9-11, 2018
Categories: Believers Removed before Tribulation, Believers saved during the Tribulation, Israel in the Last Days, Messianic Prophecies, Not Watching For The Rapture, Salvation through Jesus, The Battle of Armageddon, The Time and Season of Jesus Return, The Tribulation Period
Robert Clifton Robinson 
This questions has to do with the tribulation period…..
My understanding (and I am no expert) that during the period of Grace or the building of the Body of Christ (which we are in now)…..
Now most teachers who preach the rapture, believe that once the rapture occurs – God’s focus returns to Israel and Grace period closes.
If that is true, does it not at least imply that for a gentile to be saved during the tribulation – they will need to convert to the Jewish faith?
After all before the Body of Christ period gentiles could only be “blessed” through the Jewish people….
Like to hear your thoughts…..
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Thank you for the great question!
The seven year Tribulation is the 70th week of Daniel’s prophecy that concerns Israel and the Jews. Daniel chapter 9 describes this prophecy in detail, telling us the precise day that Messiah will arrive the first time, which Jesus fulfilled exactly on the day Daniel predicted.
See my article: Daniel 9:25
Although we are now in the period of “harvest” that Jesus described, also called the time of Grace, God’s grace for sinners never ends while the unsaved are on the earth.
The seven year Tribulation takes place after Jesus removes His church out of the earth so that the antichrist can be revealed and the time of the Lambs wrath can begin. We will not be here since we are not appointed to God’s wrath but to obtain salvation.
It is true that God does turn His attention back to Israel during the seven year Tribulation so that Daniel’s 70th week can be fulfilled and the Jews who can believe will be saved. During this time, God does not cease to call Gentiles to salvation. The difference between this present time and the seven year Tribulation is that now accepting Jesus only leads to persecution, but not often the threat of death.
During the seven year Tribulation, those who believe in Jesus and are saved, will not take the mark of the beast. They place themselves in great jeopardy, and according to the text of Revelation, all believers during the seven year Tribulation will be beheaded for their unwavering faith.
We see evidence of this in Revelation chapter 6 as the Great Tribulation begins (the last 3 1/2 years).
As the fifth seal is opened by Jesus, we see those who have been executed for their faith in Jesus during this last 3 1/2 years. They ask the Lord “how long” before they are avenged by Him. Jesus reply is that they must be patient and wait until the full number of those who will be killed for their faith in Christ during the Great Tribulation are complete. The idea here implies that all those who live during the Great Tribulation, as believers in Jesus, will be beheaded.
Revelation 6:9-11 (NKJV) 9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.
Revelation 20:4 (NKJV) 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
These verses tell us that anyone can express saving faith in Jesus during the Great Tribulation and be saved, which is only possible as an active work of the Holy Spirit drawing them to Jesus. The cost of their saving faith will be death.
We used to say back in the 70’s “if you can’t live for Jesus now, you will not be able to die for Him during the Tribulation.” In other words, it will be much harder to accept Jesus during that time, than it is now.
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So I’ve read (elsewhere) about how Christians in the Tribulation either cannot or will not ever take the Mark of the Beast, because scripture says that everyone with that mark is doomed. And I’ve read questions that some people have about how that would work (are Christians prevented from this somehow? Do they lose their salvation if they take this mark? What about if they do so in ignorance or are forced?) and I, personally, haven’t given the issue much though (because I’m not planning on being here during the Tribulation), but then I read (again, elsewhere) how one person took this idea a step further. He claimed that salvation in the Tribulation is necessarily works-based and not just grace/faith based because there is an action (avoiding the mark of the beast) requirement in order to be saved. That got me to thinking. Now, I disagree with that man’s idea because I think salvation is always and forever faith/grace based on Jesus death/burial/resurrection alone. So for the Old Testament ‘saints’, I’d apply the same principle (after all, Abraham had faith and it was accounted to him as righteousness, not because he followed a law), and I’d say the same thing would apply to the Tribulation period, but we do have that annoying thorn of a verse that claims that everyone who takes the mark of the beast is going to hell. So…I thought about this and thought about it. And here’s my question: shouldn’t this verse be taken in the same way we, Christians take the verse in 1st Corinthians 6:9-10, and apply it more liberally than literally. We don’t say that Christians CAN’T do these things (because they can, and can be forgiven) Nor do we say that a person who does them loses their salvation (again, forgiveness). And ignorance is also forgivable. We just take it to mean that a person who claims to be Christian will likely be trying to not do these things (or that the Holy Spirit is working to show them the error of their ways) or that they will lose rewards in Heaven – but NOT that refraining from such sin will get a person into Heaven. So shouldn’t we take the verses about the Mark of the Beast the same way? Say that the Grace of God is more powerful and even someone who takes the Mark could be forgiven (even though I wouldn’t encourage a relaxed attitude about that sin)?
What do you think of this?
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I have seldom seen such wonderful and sincere questions. I am impressed by your heart and desire to know the truth of God in these matters. Thank you for taking the time to write your detailed questions and for giving me the privilege of trying to answer them.
YOUR COMMENTS: So I’ve read (elsewhere) about how Christians in the Tribulation either cannot or will not ever take the Mark of the Beast, because scripture says that everyone with that mark is doomed. And I’ve read questions that some people have about how that would work (are Christians prevented from this somehow? Do they lose their salvation if they take this mark?
MY RESPONSE: The scriptures which speak of taking the mark of the beast, are describing people who willingly take the mark as a part of their worship of the beast. Because we have the scriptures where Jesus warned us not to take the mark, you are correct, those who come to faith in Jesus during the Tribulation, will not take the mark of the beast.
Theres is also the issue of those who say now that they will wait to accept Jesus as their Savior until after the Rapture, so they can see if what Jesus said is really true.
The scriptures speak of these people who would not “receive the love of the truth so that they might be saved.”
2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
When the antichrist arrives, he will have the power to deceive the world. Those who have not received Jesus as their Savior and waited, will be deceived by the antichrist, his miraculous powers, and charisma. They will believe his lie and therefore not believe the love of the truth about Jesus and be saved. Those who reject Jesus now, and wait until the Tribulation period, God will send them a strong delusion so that they will believe the lies of the antichrist and they will not be saved.
The idea here is that God takes personal offense when people trample His Son under their feet and count the death Jesus died for us as nothing, or ignore Him. The person who willingly denies Jesus, mocks Him, works to undermine His Gospel, God will give them what they ask for; darkness, confusion, and eternal separation from His presence.
Hebrews 10:29-31 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
There will likely be millions saved out of the Great Tribulation, we see evidence of this in the Book of Revelation. These persons will likely be those who have never heard or understood the Gospel of Christ, not those who heard but rejected or ignored Christ.
Revelation 7:13-14Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?”
14 And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
YOUR COMMENTS: What about if they do so in ignorance or are forced?) and I, personally, haven’t given the issue much though (because I’m not planning on being here during the Tribulation), but then I read (again, elsewhere) how one person took this idea a step further. He claimed that salvation in the Tribulation is necessarily works-based and not just grace/faith based because there is an action (avoiding the mark of the beast) requirement in order to be saved. That got me to thinking. Now, I disagree with that man’s idea because I think salvation is always and forever faith/grace based on Jesus death/burial/resurrection alone. So for the Old Testament ‘saints’, I’d apply the same principle (after all, Abraham had faith and it was accounted to him as righteousness, not because he followed a law), and I’d say the same thing would apply to the Tribulation period, but we do have that annoying thorn of a verse that claims that everyone who takes the mark of the beast is going to hell.
MY RESPONSE: The reasons that we do the things we do, are known to the Lord and He will judge the motivations for our actions, as well as our actions. Jesus is righteous and just and when He judges all of the sinners, He will be completely fair. The lost will be lost, only because they rejected the only way that God has provided for the forgiveness of their sins, Jesus death and resurrection. The only sin God cannot forgive is the sin of unbelief in the death and resurrection of Jesus for salvation.
For those who are a part of Jesus and have taken Him as their Savior, there is no future judgement for sins. That judgement took place at the cross. The judgement that we as believers will experience, is to have our works after salvation, examined so that Jesus might reward us. These rewards will be given to us after the Rapture, when we return to heaven with Jesus.
Salvation is only about our trust in what Jesus has done, and is not based in any part by good works we might try to do to make ourselves acceptable to God. No one can earn their right to heaven by trying to be a good person. We are all lost in sin with no hope of eternal life, apart from what Jesus has done for us in dying for our sins on the cross.
Jesus’ brother, James also points out that we can see that a person does believe in Jesus as their Savior by how these persons live their lives. In this regard, our good works show that we are believers, but good works do not make us acceptable to God for salvation.
If we claim to belong to Jesus but then live a life of sin, what does this say to the world? We will never be sinless while living in our bodies, but we should try to sin less. Romans 6 asks the question, “how can we who have been delivered from sin, continue any longer in it?”
YOUR COMMENTS: So…I thought about this and thought about it. And here’s my question: shouldn’t this verse be taken in the same way we, Christians take the verse in 1st Corinthians 6:9-10, and apply it more liberally than literally. We don’t say that Christians CAN’T do these things (because they can, and can be forgiven) Nor do we say that a person who does them loses their salvation (again, forgiveness). And ignorance is also forgivable. We just take it to mean that a person who claims to be Christian will likely be trying to not do these things (or that the Holy Spirit is working to show them the error of their ways) or that they will lose rewards in Heaven – but NOT that refraining from such sin will get a person into Heaven. So shouldn’t we take the verses about the Mark of the Beast the same way? Say that the Grace of God is more powerful and even someone who takes the Mark could be forgiven (even though I wouldn’t encourage a relaxed attitude about that sin)?
What do you think of this?
MY RESPONSE: These are really excellent questions and I commend you for asking such a well thought and detailed inquiry.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NKJV) 9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
The context of 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 is about a Christian man in the church at Corinth who had begun a sexual affair with his father’s mother. Paul is writing to correct the leaders of this church who did not take steps to confront this young man.
Paul tells the believers at Corinth that someday, those who have trusted in Christ, will act as judges over the world when Jesus comes again to establish His kingdom for 1,000 years. He asks why then, they cannot take steps to judge this sin and seek to correct the behavior of this young man, a member of their church.
The Corinthian church took the politically correct view of not wanting to confront people or hurt the feelings of a person. Paul said that if they do not act to correct this young man who is using his body for sexual sin, that he will disqualify himself from salvation. If a person is continuing is sexual sin while claiming to be a believer of Jesus, this text in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 is applicable to them.
Whether it is fornication, adultery, sam-sex, or transgender behavior, these persons must repent of their sexual sin and cease from the practice, or they will not “inherit the kingdom of God.”
In 2 Corinthians, Paul writes again to commend the leaders of the church who did confront this young man and he had repented of his sexual sin. He was forgiven and restored to the Lord.
So, in this context we see that anyone who claims to be a Christian but continues in sexual sin, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, or extortioners will not inherit the kingdom of God.
This is speaking of a lifestyle in these sins where they are ongoing and there is no repentance. Every believer is certainly guilty of committing some of these sins on occasion, but they are not continually practicing them. It is the continual practice, as with this young man, that jeopardized his eternal life.
Notice the last verse of Paul in 1 Corinthians 6:11
1 Corinthians 6:11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
Repentance is required for salvation and when it does occur and this person ceases from these sins, they are washed, sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus. Paul said that some of the people at the Corinthian church were committing these sins, but they had turned from them: “and such were some of you…”
Jesus will forgive all of our sins, but we must be willing to turn from them and not practice them again. Jesus forgave the woman caught in sexual sin but also told her, “go and sin no more.”
May the Lord continue to bless your life as you seek Him with all of your heart and study His word.
Rob
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