PS News-367

#367:
RAPTURE IS NOT IMMINENT
STUDY OF THE RESURRECTION TO COME
A Case for a Rapture being Time-Specific

Will the Rapture event be 'imminent' or a fixed day and time?
Is there a sequence to the order of the resurrections?
Did Jesus allude to the end of the Church Age as a 'harvest'?

by Luis B. Vega
for PostScripts News (PSN) | www.PostScripts.org
EMAIL: vegapost@hotmail.com

‘There is an Appointed Time for Everything. And there is a Time for every Event under Heaven.’ -Ecclesiastes 3:1

The purpose of this study is to consider the likelihood that the Rapture event, which is initiated by the Resurrection of the Church Age Saints and the Last Generation of Living Saints, that making-up the Bride of Christ is not ‘imminent’. Rather it will coincide with a specific day and time, as appointed and scheduled by Jesus. What is the definition of imminent? The word im·mi·nent | \ˈi-mə-nənt \ is an adjective meaning to be ready to take place: happening soon, likely to occur at any moment; impending, etc. This study is an expansion of posts made on the online blog, https://rev12daily.blogspot.com which I highly recommend. In one of the discussions, there was an idea shared how snow, pertaining to weather, could signal the possible timing of the Rapture.

This study will strongly suggest that the Resurrection-Rapture event, in context of a ‘whitening’ suggests the end of the later Wheat Harvest of a given Summer timeframe and not ‘imminent’ as in that it can happen at ‘any time’. It is understood that one cannot know precisely the ‘time’ or day of the coming event perhaps. But as Elisha and the School of the Prophets in Jericho knew of the taking or ‘rapture’ of Elijah, perhaps the LORD in these Last Days, is revealing more understanding as to the ‘timing’ and pieces of the prophetic puzzle. The doctrine or the wide-held belief is that those who believe in the Pre-Tribulation Rapture strongly suggest that the Rapture is imminent, that is, it can happen ‘any time’. That there is no prophecy and/or event that precludes it from occurring. It is true that for one, the next significant and profound prophetic event to occur on the prophetic timeline is the Resurrection-Rapture.

Then second, that there is the understanding that it is believed that no variable or element has to occur before the Rapture is to occur. This 2nd portion is what one is questioning and will suggest that primarily, there is 1 major variable and element to be completed, that is the Bride of Christ with the conclusion of the Church Age. It is strongly suggested that the Resurrection-Rapture is predicated on the Bride of Christ to be extracted from the Body of Christ that is presently being made-up of Jew and Gentile. It is predicated on the present dispensation of time that constitutes the Great Commission, the Age of Grace or the Church Age, etc. Then, that the Resurrection-Rapture event is tied to 1 of the 7 Prophetic Feasts of YHVH, that being Pentecost. Lastly, that the Resurrection-Rapture event is pegged to Jesus’ one. He was a type of a Harvest, as the 'Head'. So too then will the 'Body' naturally be and follow as a harvest type for the Resurrection-Rapture to conclude the 'Pentecostal Intermission'.

Just A Matter of Time
One can understand the theory of it being imminent and it is very appealing and many have presented the Resurrection-Rapture in such a way, even the Apostles. However, one is not attempting to contradict Scripture or the Apostles Teaching. In the context of the present Church Age, one does not know when this Age is to conclude, but it will. This is true, and thus the notion of needing to be vigilant, and about the Father’s Business rings true at any time until then as the Apostles right admonished. One realizes that this perspective and interpretation of the Resurrection-Rapture not being ‘imminent’ is not popular or widely accepted. This study is only offering its correlations but based on Scriptural typologies and precedence that mainly, the Creator, YHVH, Jesus has never done, is not doing and will not do any work apart from His divine spectrum of time and schedule. The following are just a few references of how when YHVH moved, it had been ‘time specific’, according to order and the Divine Plan.

There is the disclosure of Jesus’ birth that at ‘the proper time, Jesus was born’. Likewise, with Jesus’ death, the letter to the Romans teaches that ‘at the right time, Jesus died for Sinners’. Then during Jesus’ ministry when He started, many wanted to forcibly make Him ‘King’ there and then, but ‘it was not His time’. Or when Jesus was at the wedding of Cana and the wine ran out. Because of Mary’s plea, and ‘not His time’, Jesus nonetheless performed His 1st miracle. Then there are many other instances when YHVH moved among His People Israel prophetically. There was a specific time the Jews were to be in Egypt, then were to be in Babylon, etc. The point is that nothing the LORD GOD of Israel has done, is doing and will do is ‘imminent’ in a prophetic sense. In this context, there has always been the variable of imminence, for example when it has involved judgment and conditions only after ample warnings.

In such cases, the imminence pertained to a wrath, plagues, judgments, etc., as in sudden, pending and ‘any time now’. Or consider the death of Lazarus. The Bible states that Jesus intentionally waited to raise Lazarus from the dead. Why? It was not time and although He could have ‘imminently’ done so, Jesus chose to allow a time of suffering to occur. Why? It allowed a ‘time’ for reflection but that He too entered into that suffering with those affected and loved ones. And when the Bible states the shortest verse in the Bible, ‘and Jesus wept’, it was not like, oh, Jesus shed a tear. No, it was a sense of busting-out as if to be overcome. As to the blog conversation, it was suggested that coming-off of a Winter timeframe in relation to the ‘white’ of snow, the passage about a 4-month countdown till the ‘white’ of the harvest in John 4 was suggested.

It was assumed though that the ‘whiteness’ meant that the 4-month count had occurred then and thus corresponded to perhaps the whiteness of the snow of the season in question and not the condition, 4-months off. However, in studying and looking into the Word for clues, this writer believes that a big clue for the timing of the Resurrection-Rapture event was insinuated by Jesus no less. This clue is given in John 4 regarding a Summer Wheat Harvest that turns ‘white’ when it ripens and is ready for harvesting. Realize that a 4-month period is 120 days….4 months of 30 days each. Does 120 ring a bell? Days of Noah? 120 Disciples? In one’s interpretation and estimation, the only harvest that truly turns ‘white’ is the later Wheat harvest of a given Summer.

A Ripening Time
Why ‘white’? The Summer heat dehydrates the stocks/heads and thus appears to turn white in color. It is a spectacle to see in an actual field. This is the same procedure that occurs for the almond tree harvest that also coincides with a mid to late Summer Harvest. Just before the almond hulls are to be harvested by beating or shaking the trunk of the trees so as to have the almonds detach and fall to the ground, the water is cut off for about a 1-2 weeks or so. This ‘dry spell’ or time allows the tree to become brittle and stresses-out the tree to its breaking point. But the dehydration allows for the almond hulls to detach and fall easily. Consider prophetically that if and when the Resurrection-Rapture event does actually near in terms of time, there could also be an event that will be worldwide that will cause it to be a ‘time’ of ripening perhaps, ready to be detached from this world?

Could it be to ‘dehydrate’ the Saints or ‘stress’ them to a breaking point but to allow a ‘Time’, set apart to then have the whole world be harvested of Jew and Gentile turned now ‘white’? Has the Bride of Christ entered into this ‘time of ripening’, of being made ‘white’ for the harvest that will be the Resurrection-Rapture event? Many, especially in the Western churches are feeling the anxiety and stress of the current Pandemic episode that is now worldwide. Consider that in the past since the Church was born in Pentecost, any suffering, tribulation and/or persecution occurred segmentally around the world at any given time. Not all the Body of Christ experienced the same condition or conditions all at once, except now in this Last Generation. This is in one’s estimation profound as the same effect is being experienced by all the Body of Christ at once around the globe.

Of course, this is in the context that so is everyone else for that matter. However, it has become a ‘time’ for both Believers in Jesus and non-Believer. It is a time of introspection, of reflection of spending time to confront and deal with oneself, one’s sins and eternity now that the idols and the distractions of everyday life and mindless routines have been taken away by the worldwide quarantines. Naturally one does not want to go through a prolonged period of suffering or stress but for Followers of Jesus in such times, have been given strength is one’s joy and peace only found in Jesus. However, it is understood relative to the Western Churches that the rest of the Brethren of the world have largely experienced tribulation, extreme poverty, persecution, suffering and martyrdom. Perhaps it is now a time for the Western church to learn and exercise such perseverance, patience and long-suffering.

Perhaps this ‘time’ now is the ‘ripening’ that will lead to the ‘whitening’ of the same prophetic Wheat Harvest to come per Jesus’ resurrection and inference to a 4-month countdown to a ‘white’ Wheat Harvest. The point is that this study does consider Jesus’ specific reference to a ‘whitening’ and a harvest that is associated in many places in Scripture to the harvest of the world and typology of the resurrection that started with His. As to this writer, one has mentioned in many prior studies that presently, the highest watch time and/or window for the Resurrection-Rapture event to occur thus has to be around a July timeframe when the Wheat Harvest turns ‘white’. And that the specific ‘time’ is unknown of a given year but based on the current dispensation.

Resurrection Countdown
This unique time is referred to as the ‘Time of the Gentiles’, i.e., a Ruth and Boaz typology among others. The other typology is that of the 7-branch Menorah that also correlates to the 7 Prophetic Feasts of YHVH. In the Menorah, the center-stem is the 4th in perspective, that of Pentecost, of a grafting-in, a Wheat Harvest, etc. In terms of the Menorah, it is modeled after a tree, an almond tree no less that the Gentiles are being grafted into, Jesus. Pertinent to the Menorah typology, such ‘wild branches’ can only be grafted into the main stock…not on any other of the remaining 6 branches that stem from the main center trunk. The 4th branch which is the Center Stem is thus a ‘Pentecost Time’. Thus, based on Jesus’ clue of the 4-month countdown of a whitened harvest type, the Rapture event which is actually a Resurrection-Rapture double-event, must follow Jesus’ resurrection who was the 1st.

The resurrection of Jesus was during the Barley Harvest but with a sample of the early Wheat Harvest. The sheaf was taken and waved-up by the High Priest. When? It was 3 days after Passover. It is believed and understood by many that it was a symbol, a token or down-payment of the whole harvest to follow. This token sheaf signified Jesus as the First Fruit of the Resurrections and a sample that came out of the graves at His resurrection on that Sabbath evening. In terms of time, it was 3 days or 72 hours after the High Day Sabbath or the Passover, that being the Wednesday prior in the week. He was thus the ‘First Fruits of the coming Resurrection-Rapture Wheat Harvest and those making up His Body that was to be built during this present Pentecostal Age. What is also not readily accepted or understood is that based on Leviticus 23, there is an alternative interpretation of when Pentecost is counted down.

For the most part, it has been understood that Pentecost occurred on the 50th day from the Sabbath after First Fruits and that it was in the Upper Room, etc. It has been presented by a few that there is actually a 100-day count and that the event occurred at the Temple. Thus, when ‘Pentecost fully came’ in the Temple, not the Upper Room, the 120 Disciples then became the start of the prophetic harvesting of the world.
The day was the occasion when 2 loaves of baked bread with liven were then lifted up by the High Priest at that time. It signified the end of the later Wheat Harvest during a given Summer. This lifting of the 2 loaves was representing both Jew and Gentile, made ready, baked and ‘sweet smelling’ to the LORD.

That is what Jesus has done for Sinners, although full of sin as liven or ‘red’ as crimson….are now made acceptable by one’s High Priest, Jesus who one day will lift up His Bride composed of both Jew and Gentile during this Age as 1 body to meet Him in the air...When? In 4 months, 120 days, as in 120 Disciples, when made ‘white’ as snow. It is rather interesting to calculate when exactly did Jesus state that ‘are there not 4 months and then the harvest’ statement. Based on John 6 and the inference to the up-coming Feast of the Jews, it is understood that it was clearly a Passover Feast. Thus, if one subtracts 120 days from a mid-July month, it would be exactly 20 days prior to that given Passover Feast. For example, if one uses 2020 to compare such a time frame, and one randomly chooses July 17, 2020 and subtracts 120 days…guess what day it landed on? March 19, 2020, which happened to be the Equinox.

For 2020, it was the earliest Equinox in over 100 years and the Dow Jones closed on at +188. This is rather odd as 188 is an astronomical number pertaining to a reckoning of a 'Season'…of ‘Time’. Thus, could that Summer Wheat Harvest offering be when the Holy Spirit came down and those 120 Disciples as 1000s of the Jews were there for the 3rd of the Harvest Feasts, Pentecost? The multitude of Jews would have come from the 4 corners of the then known world and spoken in their regional languages.

The multitudes crowded around the Temple platform during this ‘time’ only. They then heard the Gospel in their regional tongue uttered by the 120 Disciples. Thus, it is somewhat compelling if the actual 4-month countdown per Jesus occurred on the Equinox. It is also compelling that if the countdown to Pentecost is actually 100 days, 50 days plus then a 2nd 50-day count from the Sabbath that Jesus rose from…to be around mid-July, then that is the ‘time’ when the Wheat Harvest is ‘white’ as snow ready to harvest and perhaps will coincide with the Resurrection-Rapture event.

March April July

Equinox                       Passover   U. Bread       First Fruits                      Pentecost?

    |--------- 20 Days ----------|--------------- 3 Days ---------|---7 Sabbaths + 50 Days------| 120 Disciples

                                                                                      |---------------- 100 Days-----------| July 20?

Jesus Statement    Wheat Harvest Begins
   |----------------------------------------------- 120 Days -----------------------------------------------| 4 Months
                                                            (40 x 3) (4 x 30 days)

Of course, this presentation and study is one interpretation among many as to the timing of the Rapture. However, it has been based on Scriptural precedence of time, Jesus’ clue and statement about a 4-month countdown to a ‘white’ harvest and Biblical typologies. This study thus strongly suggests that the Resurrection-Rapture event is not ‘imminent’ but rather time-specific, tied to the sequence of Jesus’ resurrection, a ‘white’ later Summer Wheat Harvest, etc. And that the event has to coincide with the last Gentile saved, the last ‘brick’ placed in the Spiritual Temple of Christ, the last ornament placed in the Bride’s Dress. It is a fixed time. It is just a matter of ‘Time’.
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Main Sources
https://rev12daily.blogspot.com
Wikipedia.com
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