Global SITREP C3-17: The Harpazo

UPDATED (BELOW) 8 May 2017: I was researching something and came across what may be a very important article by Don Koenig (The Prophetic Years) with an included excerpt by the late Jack Kelley (GraceThruFaith). I could not wait to post this find much longer than I have, which as of right now is four hours.

The crux of this 2009 article is about how the Harpazo (Rapture) of the bride of Christ might well occur on a Pentecost Sunday. This struck me immediately as something I had not considered before, primarily because I'm one of those who always thought the Harpazo would occur on the Feast of Trumpets. After reading this article and Jack Kelley's excepts on the topic and knowing that the Revelation 12 sign occurs this September... well, the hair stood up on my forearms! Jesus was right, He will come for us when we least expect it, or at least when I had least expected it.

So, I immediately looked at Pentecost Sundays going forwards from this year to 2021. Here's what I found. Pentecost occurs this year on June 4th. In 2018 on May 20th. In 2019 of June 9th. in 2020 on May 31st, and in 2121 on May 23rd. This is keeping with no one knowing the day or the hour except the Father, so no one accuse me of date setting.

Here's some interesting points made to whet your appetite for doing some personal Berean research on this subject.  Pentecost always occurs 7 weeks following Resurrection Sunday (I do not call it Easter). So on the 8th Sunday every year following Resurrection Sunday Pentecost Sunday occurs. 

Pentecost occurs on the same day as the Festival of Weeks, Shavuot in Judaism, which is also known as the Festival of the Harvest. (If that's not a subtle hint, I don't know what one is.) The word Pentecost comes from the Greek Pentecostos, meaning 50. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit came down and the bride of Christ was created on the 50th day after Our Lord's Ascension. The anniversary of the start of the Six Day War on June 5, 1967 marks its 50th occurrence this year. It was during the Six Day War in 1967 in which Israel took control of all of Jerusalem. The day prior to this year's anniversary beginning on Monday, June 5 is the Pentecost Sunday noted above. Just something interesting to which I actually attach no significance, its just something interesting at this point.

Enoch of the Old Testament was born on the day that would become Pentecost. Enoch was Harpazoed into Heaven by God on his birthday. Pentecost occurs smack dab in the middle of the six other. It is the day that Moses received the Law on Mt. Sinai from God. Pretty significant day down through the ages, all things considered!  There is only one embedded link above and I urge everyone to check it out. Here also is the link to Jack Kelley's full May 2015 article as well:

The Feast of Pentecost. 

Soon and Very Soon indeed!

Marana'tha!

Update 29 May 2017: The Scripture of 2 Kings 2, as looked at previously on Eschatology Today, is a unique and the first detailed look at the Harpazo of a living human being. We're now going to look at some of those details.

The Harpazo of the prophet Elijah is the subject this chapter. It begins in a place called Gilgal, which is the name of the location of the first permanent camp established by the Israelite's after they crossed the Jordan River (Joshua 4:19-5:12; 9:6 and 10:6). This is also the location where Israel observed the very first Passover after crossing the Jordan in what is today modern Israel. Gilgal is also the location where many of Israel's prophets lived (2 Kings 4:38) and this located is not too far north of Bethel (Beyth-'El - "house of God). The prophets who lived in Gilgal "went down" to Bethel. The word gilgal also means a circle, or a wheel, something which rolls away.

So, in the first two verses we see Elijah, accompanied by Elisha, were engaged in a short journey from Gilgal down to Bethel. Elijah actually had wanted Elisha to tarry, to wait in Gilgal, while he went on alone to Bethel, but Elisha would have none of that and insisted on accompanying Elijah, so they made the trip together. Verse three is where it gets really interesting. Here the "sons of prophets" come north from Bethel to meet Elisha on the road, and they tell him point blank, "Do you know that God will take away (Laqach) your master (Elijah) from you this day." Elisha responds, "Yes, I know, and you should be silent."

The word Laqach is the exact same Hebrew word as found in Genesis 5:24 which describes Enoch's being taken by God straightaway into Heaven. In this sense the word Laqach is clearly the Hebrew equivalent of Harpazo or Rapture, and why I capitalize it here. So this Scripture tells us that not only did most of the inhabitants of Bethel know beforehand that God was going to take Elijah into heaven that day, but so did Elijah and Elisha. 

But the journey is not over yet and again Elijah tells Elisha to tarry again, this time in Bethel while he continues on alone to Jericho. Again, Elisha will have none of that, so on they go together to Jericho. However, this time fifty of the sons of the prophets of Bethel go also, but stand off at some distance to observe Elijah and Elisha who soon arrive at the Jordan River. It is here that Elijah removes his mantle, the garment or cloak of a prophet, and in his last act of a miracle violently strikes the Jordan River with it and the waters part so the two of them can cross on dry ground to the east bank.

It is here on the eastern bank of the Jordan River that Elijah suddenly asks of Elisha what he can do for him before his Laqach takes place. Elisha asks for a double portion of the (Ruwach) Spirit within Elijah. And Elijah says, "That's a difficult thing you ask. But if you see me as I am taken, it will be so; but if you do not see me being taken then it will not recieve it. 

So, the two of them trek onward in private conversation on the eastern side of the Jordan River when suddenly a chariot of fire (a flaming vehicle) as a horse leaping (skipping like a swallow in flight) which split the two of them from the side of the other and immediately Elijah is Laqach into Heaven by a tornado-like storm. Elisha witnesses the Laqach of Elijah with his own eyes. Elisha declares the vehicle to be "the chariot of God prevails" (rekeb Yisra'el). 

And what does Elisha notice right away after ripping his own robe into two halves? Elijah's mantle, the cloak of a prophet, lies on the ground where second before his father had stood. And Elisha takes it up, going back to the Jordan River and in his first miraculous act he strikes the water violently with the cloak and it parts again so he can cross over to the west bank on dry ground. 

Then again on the way back Elisha is met by the fifty sons of prophets, and they prostrate themselves before him, yet they not do not believe Elijah was Laqach up to God in Heaven. These fifty sons of prophets demand to send out a search party to locate Elijah. Now these are the same fifty sons of prophets who had previously asked Elisha if he knew that God would take Elijah that same day; now they simply do not believe what they've seen from a distance at Jericho. So they beg Elisha to allow the fifty of them to search for Elijah; Elisha says to equivalent of, "Don't bother." Yet these fifty persist and pester and eventually Elisha relents and they are sent out to search. Three days later they return having found nothing, and Elisha says to them the modern equivalent of "See, I told you not to waste your time."

Elisha has clearly been given his request of a doubled portion of the Spirit (Ruwach) and he performs the second miracle of his young ministry as a prophet of God by healing the waters of the spring at Jericho.

What might the lessons here be for the bride of Christ as we know our Harpazo approaches? I'll not say, but ask that you each ask the Lord what lessons there are. Is there anything the Father will not give to those of His children who ask?

Marana'tha!