21 October 2017: Its been a month since the sign of Revelation 12:1-2 was literally and gloriously fulfilled in the heavens above, yet the depression among the bride of Christ that's due to the Harpazo not occurring is quite obvious if not palpable. I think the remedy to this is to realize that listening to the musings of men regarding the things wholly within the domain of Almighty God the Father is something that Scripture has endeavored to teach us since we each were babes-in-Christ.
It's very much the same reason Paul was obliged to write II Thessalonians 2, (Read it!) and that was because his earlier Spirit-filled teachings to the Corinthians were largely cast aside by a significant number of believers who had listened to and believed the non-Spirit-filled teachings of non-Spirit-filled men and the attendant rumors which followed in their wake. Wolves in sheep's clothing. Snake oil salesmen. And you know what, some of them, even a month later are still at it; still date-setting the utterly un-date settable, and some brethren are still listening to them and their calculated musings.
Cleave ONLY to what the Word of God teaches - it really is that simple. "Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle." (II Thessalonians 2:15)
There's something else that just as disturbing if not more so. I'm talking now about all of this plant 9, Nibiru, planet X, Babylonian enuma elish garbage that has been invading mainstream Christian discussion of late. It's all abject nonsense and outright deception based upon unproven theory that originated in the non-Christian secular world. Simply put this topic has no place in Christian discourse except to dismiss it outright as garbage to be ignored. FoxNews publishes a report and that makes Nibiru real? Really??
Brethren, especially those of you lending an ear to this nonsense, listen up, and I'll explain it as simply and as truthfully as possible. The ancient Akkadian word NI-BI-RU simply refers to a crossing, something which intersects an established baseline. That baseline is the ecliptic plane our solar system which God created and set in motion the specific parameters thereof for all the heavenly bodies orbiting around the Sun.
Every year at the time of the spring (March) and fall (September) equinox when our Sun rises above or falls below the ecliptic plane as seen from Earth, that particular day was known to the ancient Mesopotamian peoples - the Akkadians, Sumerians, Babylonians - as the nibiru, the crossing. Nibiru is not a planet, it is the day on which our Sun crosses the ecliptic plane year in and year out every March and September. That's all this is, everything else is non-scholarly mis-translation of cuneiform texts and made-up nonsense from unqualified and unlearned charlatans like Zechariah Sitchin, et al.
Again, none of this planet Nibiru, planet X nonsense has any place within Christian talk or any discussion about specifics within The Revelation of Jesus Christ about these last days prior to the establishment of our Lord's millennial kingdom, except to abruptly and soundly dismiss it as something added to that text. Adding something to the God-breathed prophecy of the Revelation of Jesus Christ is addressed in Revelation 22:18-19.
We are all alert and looking at and for the signs of His coming for us the bride of Christ. It's a "day and hour" which only God the Father knows. Yet, according to the Jewish betrothal tradition upon which the Harpazo/Rapture of the bride is derived, once the Father instructs the Son to begin the wedding by collecting His bride, one of the Grooms procession would lead the way loudly proclaiming, "Behold, the bridegroom comes!" The sounding of the shofar (trumpet) accompanies. This is what we are waiting for, this will be how our departure will occur, with an angelic shout and trump to announce His coming.
There is no need to look at any calendar for this, that would be a completely futile endeavor to engage in because neither the day or the hour are recorded in any book, not even the Holy Bible. Therefore, there is no way to count or to calculate the number of days before its occurrence. We encourage one another with the knowledge that we are today living in the very season of its occurrence; that it will happen at any moment, in the twinkling of an eye.
Sean,
ReplyDeleteGod gave all of us HIS Word and we grow only by His Words when applied in His Righteousness. Mankind cannot dictate to God in any manner and that is a fertile ground to grow in. Abba said that there was a SET NUMBER of GENTILES to be added to the redeemed and then Jesus would be told by HIM to go get your bride! Not that man would know but only Abba. We will continue to know the seasons and the signs will continue to increase and that will be the thing which will usher in the conviction of souls that will bring in the harvest!
Evil days are truly here but "greater is HE who is IN Me than he who is in the world" and as Believers in the Name, Blood and Power of Heaven & earth given to Jesus who sits at the right hand of God in Heaven, we can and are able to overcome anything that evil tries to get by with!
As for me and my household we will stand strong and delight in the grace and mercy of God Almighty and wait on Him to put the CALL OUT to "come up here"!
Amen
GG5/SHALOM
AMEN and AMEN!!
ReplyDelete-Tova
Amen!
ReplyDeleteSean,
ReplyDeleteI will confess to being saddened that we are still here (as I'm sure most of us are), but I can't let go of the fact that prophecies (Rev 12:1-2) from the book of Revelation has been fulfilled right in front of our eyes. I'm ready to go, and I know we are here....this is the season, this is the time. Now we watch, wait, and follow as He leads.
I don't watch professional soccer much, but I do catch an occasional match. Soccer has something called "injury time". Injury time is an undisclosed amount of time added to matches based on the amount of clock stoppage that occurs during a match..due to injuries. The coaches, players, and fans have no idea how much time is added....only the time keeper knows (and they relay that info to the refs). The players have no choice accept to play until they hear that final whistle. We are in "injury time" my brother, and we are waiting for that final whistle (trumpet in our case!). Thanks for "playing" at 100% while we wait for injury time to expire!
I'd like to add that -I believe so- the Lord Jesus knows the date of the rapture too. Since He and the Father are one.
ReplyDeleteSorry about the typo earlier, it was extremely early this morning when I put in Corinthians instead of Thessalonians... but at least the URL was correct! However, II Corinthians 2 has been on my mind a lot lately.
ReplyDeleteLance,
ReplyDeleteThe great sign of Revelation 12:1-2 did happen a month ago, and no one should ever let go of that literal sign which occurred before our eyes. No doubt we are the generation Jesus spoke of.
Nora,
I believe that when Jesus said 'no one knows the day or the hour,' He in fact did not yet know at that time. But once ascended and in Heaven with the Father all was revealed to Him. That's what the book we know as The Revelation of Jesus Christ is all about - the revelation He received from the Father and gave to John to inform all the rest of us.
I’m the most cautious of people who are claiming that the Lord personally told them the exact time of the rapture, aka the exact day and hour. I think it’s best to avoid following them (on social media for example). None of the very few watchmen/women I’m paying attention to are doing that. Otherwise, I don’t think there’s a problem with speculating how near the rapture might be, pointing out possible “high-watch times/dates” while we’re emphasizing that we’re only speculating and sharing our own ideas. For me, this is part of “loving His appearing”. Generally though, we’re living in *the high-watch time* itself, especially since *the Rev 12 Sign* appeared on the 23th of this September. As for now, I believe so that the strongest reason for the possibly unknown time of the exact day and hour of the rapture is for strategic reasons. I mean, I assume that the Lord is keeping the exact time of the catching away in secret because He wants to keep Satan in the dark about it. Although, someone could argue what is Satan’s power and craftiness compared to the Lord’s infinite power and wisdom, all of that is nothing to Him (and Satan is already His defeated enemy). Also, for the sake of balance, there’s the story of Elijah and Elisha. And there’s Revelation 3:3 which is often quoted in watcher communities. “If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.” Many people reason that -based on this verse- if we are watchful, as the Lord admonished us to watch, we’ll know what hour He will come for us. Personally, I think that watching for Him could simply mean that we won’t be caught totally unaware when the rapture happens. As for now, I’m not sure (but I’m open if that’s His plan) that the Lord will let us know the exact hour and date of the rapture. I think right now regarding this whole topic (too), “we see through a glass, darkly”.
ReplyDeleteGood blog item today, as usual. A technical question about the blog software: Do you have the option to turn on arrow buttons for the comments scroll bar? I visit Eschatology Today using Google Chrome. There are no arrow keys for the scroll bar in the comments section. I find the up and down arrows a useful feature on web pages.
ReplyDelete- Brian from Florida
Sean,
ReplyDelete“I believe that when Jesus said 'no one knows the day or the hour,' He in fact did not yet know at that time. But once ascended and in Heaven with the Father all was revealed to Him. That's what the book we know as The Revelation of Jesus Christ is all about - the revelation He received from the Father and gave to John to inform all the rest of us.”
I agree with you! The only thing that I’m not sure of that Jesus meant the time of the rapture when He said, “no one knows the day and the hour”. The whole mystery of the Church has only been revealed after the Holy Spirit came down from Heaven at Pentecost. (So sorry for my grammar!) And, I think people are probably right saying that the mystery of the rapture has been revealed to the Apostle Paul first and Jesus wasn’t talking about the rapture when he had that conversation with the disciples. The disciples were asking Him about the time when He’ll finally usher the Kingdom of Heaven in, when the Millennial Kingdom will start. They were eager to know when He’ll establish His Kingdom with Israel as the chief nation on Earth. I could be wrong of course but my two cents for now is that Jesus was talking in this context and He wasn’t hinting at the rapture. I’m aware that the “as it was in the days of Noah” description with people buying and selling, eating and marrying was the description of the pre-70th week era, the times when the rapture will happen. But back then, the whole Church Age was a mystery yet to be revealed and I believe so that the Lord left it (our current dispensation) deliberately out and after describing “people doing business as usual just like in the times of Noah before the Flood came” (my paraphrase) He jumped right at the topic of His Second Coming. After His resurrection He waited 40 days on Earth for Israel to change their mind officially about Him and accept Him as their Messiah but they didn’t do that so He went back to His Father and after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost the Church Age has officially begun. So my final assumption is that, despite knowing the future outcome of Israel’s decision (they rejected Him at His First Coming completely), He left the door (and therefore the possibility) for Israel accepting Him open, during the whole time of His earthly ministry, that’s the reason (at least one of them) why He left our current dispensation out in His conversation with the disciples.
p.s.: Sorry, a bit of correction. He left out the topic of the Church from their conversation, that’s more precise. (Since His description of the end times is the description of our current times.)
ReplyDeleteSean,
ReplyDeleteYour remark about II corinthians 2 caused me to skip over there and refresh my memory of those great passages and sure enough, I am greatly refreshed. I love all of the epistles and especially I and II Corinthians. But chapter 2 of II COR.is a heart bender when I consider who the author is and to whom he is greeting. No greater love can ever be more pungent when considering the depths for Jesus Christ that Paul worshipped and shared with all the new Gentile converts he became the shepherd for. It made me shed a few more tears this afternoon and it felt good.
I agree with Lance about the excitement of the Rev. 12 passage but also, as you stated back on about the second day after the Virgin Sign that we were so blessed to be a part of, you said "but be aware that the rest of that passage from verses 7 through 17 is yet to be fulfilled".. But verses 10 through 12 will find substance in Ephesians 1:15 through 23 as to how we are to deal with the forces of evil. " Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit says the Lord". We are not defeated, undone nor set adrift in a shoreless ocean! Not by any means and what we have ahead of us is just what we are being prepared for right now. We don't whimper, hide in a cave or complain about the challenges set before us. NOPE, real soldiers might sigh a little, chomp down on their cigars somewhat or even kick a few dirt clumps but we keep on going because Greater is HE who is in us, then he who is in the world.!
GG5/SHALOM
Excellent article Sean,
ReplyDeleteThe comments are good and I'll add my Amen! also.
It is a testimony to God that after almost two thousand years we still have the His Word to rely on. The people who peddle His word should take heed to God's longsuffering. Your advise to take heed only to God's word is very good advise. We as sheep can listen to what others say but should learn to be cautious in believing any teaching 'til the Holy Spirit leads us in the truth. (Diligence and patience is needed here).
I for one will take the good encouragement from the saints here and keep looking up.
Lance,
ReplyDeletePersonally I'm not that surprised (or sad) the rapture hasn't happened yet. This is mainly because I try my best to be patient and not get carried away with date-setting.
Nowhere in the Bible did it say the rapture would happen on the date of the 9/23 sign, yet many speculated it would. In fact if that sign was meant to serve as a warning / wake up call to the people (as I believe it is), then it makes perfect sense to me that there should be a gap of time between this warning sign and the event itself!
Hey Mark,
ReplyDeleteI understand your point, but just to be clear, I'm sad that the rapture didn't happen last night (or this morning). I'm ready to go, and I'm looking for Him everyday. I didn't sell everything and disconnect from life or anything, but I was definitely hopeful that something would happen before/during/shortly after 9/23. The biblical pattern seems clear to me that we will know when he is coming. What's not understood (by me at least) is how will we know & when we will know it. Will it be one year, one month, one week, one day, one minute, or one second before the event? I don't know. With that being said, I'm not moping through life. I was just owning up to the feeling of longing for His return. I don't think that is a bad thing, but it can become an issue when we get consumed with calculating the date. At this point, I'm content to watch and wait because I really believe we are right there.
Deep down, I didn't know what to expect on 9/23, so it was more a question for me..."Could this really be it?". Nope? Okay, let's keep moving forward because we know we're close!
ReplyDeleteRereading GG5's comment....I think she nailed the description of the level of discontent.
GG5 said...
We are not defeated, undone nor set adrift in a shoreless ocean! Not by any means and what we have ahead of us is just what we are being prepared for right now. We don't whimper, hide in a cave or complain about the challenges set before us. NOPE, real soldiers might sigh a little, chomp down on their cigars somewhat or even kick a few dirt clumps but we keep on going because Greater is HE who is in us, then he who is in the world.!
That quote best describes how I feel....not let down that nothing occurred on a specific date so much as I wish He had ALREADY come for us. Disappointment replaced by the realization that He is coming....and SOON!
SITREP D7-17 will be an update that's five years over due. Publishing later today.
ReplyDeleteAs a soccer coach I relate to Lance using "injury time" as analogous to the time we are in. As a Christian who tries to seek the mysteries of God, study the entire Bible, and pray in the Spirit for God to bring clarity...I echo Lance's feelings as well; in my words, our blessed hope is still our only hope, but I am surprised that we are still here.
ReplyDeleteIt is up to God and no man can save, so I am thankful it is up to God; many have created a mess, but God still loves, tells the truth, and saves. That said, the reason I am surprised is often times not spoken of in depth as people tend to focus on the signs and make them sensational, which is partly the reason for this post I suspect (guessing the dragon is this or that). The reason I am surprised is because Harpazo is literally, as we know, the word used in Revelation 12:5, so if 12:1-2 happened my human brain can't understand how the obvious convergence all around us has not thrown us up to Heaven at the speed of light. When water is poured on a table it eventually will fall off, it has no where else to go.
I have not payed much attention to the sign aspect of this, I have always said if this is the sign then the rapture has to happen soon because I have deeply studied the language in God's Holy Word. I have always tried to keep the Word of God in front of all of this hysteria. The only thing I am fully convinced of now is how little I know. So, perhaps God has me right where he wants me:) Won't stop watching.
My view for some time has been tied directly to Psalm 90:10, with 1948 being a count-down initiator for a 80-year generation of strength.
ReplyDeleteI also have in previous years expressed belief that 2017-2018 would be tremendously important prophetically. That belief is thus far holding true and we still have one to go.
I'm thankful for the time He's providing to keep working here for His Name's sake.
It's definitely not about me and my selfish wants - (our 1st Century brethren suffered far worse than any of us can possibly fathom) - but it's all about His Kingdom and His will be done.
Greetings in the strong Name of Yeshua our Messiah,
ReplyDeleteFor some reason, i did not take the 9/23 harpazo that serious because in my way of thinking, we may need a few more things to happen before such departure. I know many believe the harpazo is imminent and we may not need any signs, but I guess I haven’t completely accepted the imminence doctrine as many accept it. (Don’t stone me yet, please.)
Anyhow, in my heart I believe we will see either the Psalm 83 or the Ezekiel 38 War before we get taken out. I kind of believe the 6th seal and Ezekiel War May coexist simultaneously and then the rapture. David Lowe’s book made a lot of sense to me, Earthquake Resurrection.
So I guess I was one of the few not disappointed we are still here. But don’t get me wrong, I’m ready and always watching. I just found this blog, so,I have a lot of catch up to do. Cheers my brothers and sisters in Christ. Thanks Sean for sharing your insights.
Shalom,
Paul