Now let’s briefly take a look at the words “caught up” in 1 Thes. 4:17. These words have produced the word “rapture” in the modern Christian theology, which isn’t in the Bible.  The Greek word for “caught up” means “harpazo,” which is translated “caught away or seized.”

Indeed, all believers can be “caught up” in the Spirit with the Lord when His presence is amongst us and heaven’s reality seems to be larger than earth’s reality. But we can also be “seized” by the Lord when the Holy Spirit is calling us forth (trumpet/voice) and we draw ourselves toward Him in our hearts.  Moses gave us that example at Mt. Sinai when He went up to be in the thick cloud-like presence of God (Ex. 19:18-20).

Whether we actually lift off the ground like Jesus did when He walked on water and was transported from the place He and the disciples were in the boat to the land across the sea,

“Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum.  And i was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them.  Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing.  So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid.  But He said to them, ‘It is I; do not be afraid.’  Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going” (John 6:16-21).

or translated like the disciple Phillip,

“Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.  But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea (Acts 8:39,40).

or we get “caught up” sitting in our living rooms worshipping and the fire, wind, and rain of the Holy Spirit “seizes our hearts,”

“I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven” (2 Cor. 12:2),

I really can’t say for certain.

But I do know that the union with Christ is for the purpose of escorting the KING (Commander in Chief) to His kingdom here on the EARTH to reign….Not to go away with Him to stay in heaven.  

“Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse.  And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True.  And in righteousness He judges and makes war…And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp work, that with it He should strike the nations.   And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron…” (Rev. 19:11,14-15).

Many misinterpret this “caught up” or rapture idea thinking we are to escape and live in heaven eternally and miss the “days of tribulation.”  But this contradicts the Disciples Prayer [called by many as the LORD’S Prayer], which IS THE BASIC BLUEPRINT OF GOD’S PLAN OF REDEMPTION (Matt. 6: 9-13).

“Thy kingdom COME, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10).

God’s heart is to bring His kingdom to earth to rule, redeem, and multiply His goodness, not destroy it.  Anyone who has embraced the Lord’s sanctification process has NOT been trained by it to run away from the Lord’s battle, or to hide from the battle we are going to win.  This process trains us to follow our Commander in Chief!

God is also NOT taking Christians away so He can destroy the earth.  The earth will go through tribulation due to God’s judgment in correcting the choices believers and the non-believers have made to sin.  It will produce a “shaking” to break the evil strongholds and to set the captives free (Is. 24).  This will lead creation through a process that produces healing, life, and a revelation of His love. 

God and His army are coming so that the earth can be restored back to His glory through righteous leadership.  This is why the Bible says:

“creation eagerly waits for the revealing [unveiling, stepping forth, “catching up” of the sons of God”(Rom. 8:19).

Jesus informs us that the “last days,” before the Fall Feasts begin to go “live,” are going to be similar to the days of Noah. 

“But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matt. 24:37).

Noah was never taken from the earth during the tribulation of his days. Noah was divinely protected through the flood of judgment.  It was Noah’s obedience to the Lord’s instructions to build an ark and share the news of repentance for 120 years prior to the flood that was a part of his “sanctification process.” Noah obeyed the Lord wholeheartedly.  Jesus captures the heart of Noah’s example when He said,

“For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me” (John 6:38).

From the story of Lot, he was removed from Sodom, and taken to another city on the earth so he would be spared from the Lord’s judgment.  In both instances, the WICKED were removed from the earth, not the righteous.  

“But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took THEM all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left (Matt. 24:37-40).

The “THEM” in the above Scripture was the WICKED, not the righteous!

The Lord even tells us in the Beatitudes in Matt 5:17 that the meek (gentle) will be blessed and inherit the earth, not be removed from it

Jesus is coming back to judge the nations, and there will be consequences for those who oppose Him. But God promises us protection, as He declared in Psalm 91, and showed us that same pattern of protection for His people in Egypt when the 10 plagues were released.

“And in that day, I will set apart the land of Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there, in order that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the land.  I will make a difference between My people and your people.  Tomorrow this sign shall be” (Ex. 9:22-23).

I believe the sign of the “dead in Christ” rising from the graves, and the sound and sign of Christ and His army coming will cause an alarm to ALL Christians who will then mourn.  This is because the “fear of the Lord” will be upon us, and we will understand our frailty in the presence of the Lord and recognize our need to repent. This is also why the ten days following the Feast of Trumpets are called the “Ten Days of Awe,” as Christians will be in awe that the time is at hand for the Millennium reign to begin, which means judgment will begin in the house of the Lord.

“For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God” (1 Peter 4:17)?

We will all be in a state of reflection:  Are we ready? Will we be like the 5 wise Virgins in the Parable of the 10 Virgins, who had oil? Or will we be like the 5 foolish Virgins who didn’t have oil and the door was shut, joining those in the First resurrection (Matt. 25:1-13)?  These Fall Feast “dress rehearsals” each year helps us examine our hearts so we are ready.

“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming” (Matt. 25:13).

We have established that the one of the signs of the fulfillment of the Feast of Trumpets is that the “dead in Christ” will rise.  These will be those chosen, along with those who are called and chosen who are alive at His return, to be a part of the FIRST resurrection to reign with Christ in the Millennium.  

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.  And the dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thes. 4:16).

The next Scripture is key for the order of events for all those who are alive when this event happens on the Feast of Trumpets.

“THEN 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” (1 Thes. 4:17).

Let’s unpack this last Scripture, starting with the word first word, THEN.  “Then,” in verse 16, indicates that the next event will happen AFTER the dead in Christ are raised, but it is not clear WHEN.

Most Christians assume that after the dead in Christ resurrect, those Christians who are alive are “caught up” with them immediately. But this is because most Christians aren’t familiar with the blueprint of the Fall Feasts, and how they are a prophetic pattern that reveal the redemption story concerning Christ’s return.  When we examine the Feast blueprint, it gives us a clearer timetable.

It is conclusive that THEN does indicate afterwards, but according to the Fall Feast blueprint, there is ten days, known as the “Days of Awe,” that elapses between the Feast of Trumpets [The appointed day that the dead in Christ rise], and the next Fall Feast, which is the Day of Atonement.  On the Day of Atonement, the Church is judged, and this is the day that the Lord sifts out those believers who are alive who are His overcomers; for it is the day of reward or judgment of the body of Christ.  This is when the THEN is.

The Scripture also defines who will be caught up by saying it will be those who are alive AND REMAIN. The word “remain” defines those saints who are alive at that appointed time whose hearts “abide” in the Lord, who have surrendered their will for His and have become “bondservants” of Christ:

“…He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruits; for without Me you can do nothing”(John 15:5).

Next, the purpose of the “dead in Christ” being raised from the grave is to inherit God’s promise of their “glorified body.” In order to do so, they need to first be above ground, “in the air,” where the Lord can breathe new life into them and form their body:

” So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army” (Ez. 37:10).

On the Day of Atonement, when the reward/judgment is determined, the “dead in Christ” and those who are “alive and remain” will be “sealed” by the Lord to be the ones to inherit the promise of their gloried bodies first. The two will come together with Christ and begin the glorification process during the Feast of Tabernacles, until the 8th day when they are ready to ascend to the throne, and then descend to the earth, as Christ did.

“..who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself”(Phil 3:21).

Let’s continue unpacking 1 Thes. 4:17 as we look at the meaning of “clouds” in the Scripture:  

“Then 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” (1 Thes. 4:17).

Clouds can be both literal and figurative in the Bible.  In the literal sense, God’s presence comes like a cloud at Mt. Sinai, and the cloud covered the children of Israel by day when they were in the wilderness.

“And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way…”(Ex. 13:21). 

Clouds are also figuratively used in referring to the list of the “heroes of faith” in Hebrews 11 as the great cloud of witnesses.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses… (Heb. 12:1).

Jesus speaks of the day He returns “coming on the clouds of heaven with power and glory” (Matt. 26:64). I think these clouds are again those “witnesses” who are a part of the Lord’s army escorting Him here to earth.

John also begins the book of Revelation with this statement in the first chapter of how Christ is coming with clouds (witnesses):

“Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen”(Rev. 1:7).

When describing the Feast of Trumpets, we can refer to the prophet Joel who said it best:

“Blow the trumpet in Zion.  And sound an alarm in My holy mountain!  Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; For the day of the Lord is coming, For it is at hand” (Joel 2:1.)

The Feast of Trumpets is a “blast of the horn” that signals an awakening of God’s people to remembrance and readiness:

“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold”(Psalm 18:2).

It is also an announcement that the King is coming to gather His army to wage war against the enemy and to establish His reign on earth:

“Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God”(Rev. 19:15).

These Fall Feasts are honored and celebrated as “dress rehearsals” so our hearts are in sync with the Lord’s redemption plan.  So what happens when the Feast of Trumpets goes “live” after the sound of the trumpet?

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.  And the dead in Christ will rise first (1 Thes. 4:16).

One of the most remarkable signs that will happen when this Feast is fulfilled is that the dead in Christ will rise from the grave.  Most Christians assume ALL those who are believers that have died will rise at this resurrection. But after studying Scriptures, a different pattern emerges as we define the purpose of the two resurrections the Bible refers to:

“Blessed and holy is he who has part in the FIRST resurrection.  Over such the SECOND death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with Him a thousand years” (Rev. 20:6).

The fact that the Scripture indicates there is a first resurrection mandate that there is a second. God has a trumpet call for two occasions, and it is clear from Rev. 20 that the FIRST is for those who will reign with Him during the Millennium.

Let’s go back in the Bible and find the purpose of the blowing of the silver trumpets and see how it ties into these two resurrections.  In Numbers 10, God instructed Moses to make two trumpets from hammered silver: 

“Make two silver trumpets for yourself; you shall make them of hammered work; you shall use them for calling the congregation and for directing the movement of the camps.  When they blow both of them, all the congregation shall gather before you at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.  But if they blow only one, then the leaders, the heads of the divisions of Israel, shall gather to you”(Numbers 10:2-4).

Notice that when the Lord said to blow ONE trumpet, He was calling forth the HEADS (those chosen for rulership) to the door of the tabernacle of meeting. But when the two trumpets were blown, it was to gather ALL.

1 Cor. 15:51,52 shares Scriptures that reveal some details of Christ’s return, and the unfolding events after the trumpet is sounded:

“Behold, I tell you a mystery:  We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed – in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.  For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

Notice the Scripture above doesn’t say trumpets.  This is because the purpose of this first resurrection is to call forth those who have been chosen as “heads” (first) to reign with Christ in the Millennium.   This is also confirmed in 1 Thes. 4:16. Both Scripture references say one trumpet is blown when the dead in Christ rise.  Therefore, all those who are dead in Christ won’t arise in this first resurrection (Rev. 20:6).  Those who remain dead will rise and get their glorified bodies in the second resurrection.

The word “head” is actually the definition for the Hebrew word “Rosh” which is the same word used to describe “firstfruits.”   

The Bible makes it clear that God has set aside a “firstfruits” remnant of 144,000 who are redeemed from the earth and chosen to reign with Him in the Millennium.  This number is most likely symbolic as it follows the pattern of symbolism throughout the whole Book of Revelation, and using common sense, God will need more than 144,000 in the earth to help assist Him through the Millennium reign. The Bible does make clear that ALL aren’t chosen to reign with Him during this time.

“Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads”(Rev. 14:1).

In John, Jesus did however talk about a general resurrection in which ALL who were dead, both good and evil, will be raised at the same time and hear His voice – NOT just those who are “dead in Christ” as the previous Scriptures indicated.  

“Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which ALL who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth-those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation”(John 5:28,29).

The above Scripture is a picture of the SECOND resurrection that includes both believers and unbelievers.

Looking at all these Scriptures, it is evident that the FIRST resurrection is NOT the time for the resurrection of salvation.  The first resurrection marks the time Jesus is coming back, gather the 144,000, and together, rule over the nations to secure and establish His governmental authority in the earth.  

The issue of salvation is the purpose of the SECOND resurrection, which is explained in Rev. 20.

“And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened.  And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life.  And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books [The Law].  

The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them.  And they were judged, each one according to his works.  

Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire.  This is the second death.  And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:12-15).

Taking all these scriptures into account, we can conclude that the sole purpose of the FIRST is to call forth those believers who are “rewarded” with the responsibility to reign with Christ for 1,000 years (Gen. 14:18-20; Heb. 7; Rev. 20:6).

When talking to the disciples about the rewards of leaving all to follow Him, Jesus said to them that they would be repaid at the “resurrection of the just.” 

“And you [disciples who gave ALL] will be blessed, because they [the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind] cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just (Luke 14:14).

We can further conclude that Christ is referring to the FIRST resurrection since there is no reference in this passage of the SECOND, and the “just” can ONLY signify believers since no one outside of faith in Christ alone are “just” (Rom. 5:1).

The reward given at the FIRST resurrection that Christ was referring to doesn’t equate to be a more “powerful or important position” in the Body of Christ. That kind of thinking is what our world thinks, so it’s hard to grasp that this doesn’t mean a person chosen that is “special” or “better than” other Christians.

On the contrary, these who are rewarded are “bondservants of Christ” like our example of the Apostles Paul and Peter, who laid their lives down to serve Christ (Rom. 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1). 

“For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake” (2Cor. 4:5).

In humility of heart, these bondservants followed His voice out of obedience to serve and faithfully steward the talents God had given them. “Bondservants” of Christ have allowed the sanctification process to crucify their flesh so that they think and act like Christ. Christ can then entrust them with His authority of rulership, which is His reward:

“For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works” (Matt. 16:27).

In the letters to the 7 Churches in the Book of Revelation, God first praises and acknowledges each Church for the things they were doing well. But He goes on to chastise each Church in the areas they were in error or had veered off course. In every letter the Lord addresses, He states that those who had an ear to hear would be rewarded when He returned, for following His instruction.  These would be known as His “Overcomers;” the ones who embraced the sanctification process and were willing to go through the tribulations of their day. Here is a list of rewards for those who OVERCOME:

1.  “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God”(Rev. 2:7).
2. “…He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death” (Rev. 20:2:11).
3. “…To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat.  And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it”(Rev. 2:17).
4. “And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations- ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; they shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’- as I also have received from My Father; and I will give him the morning star”(Rev. 2:26-28).
5. “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels”(Rev. 3:5).
6. “He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more.  I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the NEW Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God.  And I will write on him My new name”(Rev. 3:12).
7. “To him who overcome, I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne”(Rev. 3:21).

If you read the entire chapters of Rev. 2 and 3, the Lord makes a distinction between Christians who will overcome, and those who don’t repent but continue following their own ways.  It is important to emphasize that becoming an “overcomer” has nothing to do with salvation, for the letters were addressed to ALL who were saved by grace.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is a gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast (Eph. 2:8,9).

But Christ does lay out the rewards for those who overcome through this sanctification process.  They enter into the FIRST resurrection, while the others continue on with the sanctification process, or die, and must await until the SECOND resurrection.

In the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus shares what rewards, concerning the kingdom of heaven, have to do with rulership. The man traveling to a far country in this parable is symbolic of Jesus.  He gives to each servant (Christians) talents according to their ability to steward them until He comes back.  What does He say to the servant who gained from the talents given:

“…Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you RULER over many things.  Enter into the joy of the Lord” (Matt. 25:21).

Rulership is a product of faith, obedience, and the sacrifice of self. No one bi-passes this sanctification process.   Even Jesus Christ couldn’t bi-pass the process that led Him to the cross.  But there is a “firstfruits” remnant whose hearts will be ready first at the time of Christ’s return.

Think about the difference between King Saul and King David.  Both kings served the Lord.  Both weren’t perfect leaders, nor perfectly obeyed the Lord’s commandments.  But Saul never fully surrendered his heart to the Lord. Instead, he was led more by his own ambitions, needs, and pride. David, however, was on his knees asking for the Lord’s help. David was not perfect by any means, but he was one in whom God could entrust with His anointing of rulership.  

Kingships “rewards” are a product of our choices whether we lean into God’s voice as Moses did, in obedience to His commandments, or run away and do our own thing.  Those who have learned obedience by the things they suffer will find their reward, as Christ did (Heb. 5:8).

“And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with Me, to give to every man according to his work” (Rev. 22:12).

In the Old Testament, when the seventh month of the Hebrew year arrived, the ram’s horn was blown for Firstfruits when the sliver of the moon was spotted in the sky on the darkest night of the month. Afterwards, the silver trumpet was blown to signify it was the Feast of Trumpets, or also known as the “Day of Awakening.”

“Speak to the children of Israel, saying; ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month (Firstfruits), you shall have a Sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation” (Lev. 23:24; also found in Numbers 29:1-6).

On this “appointed” day, there were two separate types of horns signifying two events that were happening at the same time. One horn was made from the horn of an animal, which is the shofar.  The other horn was made by man from silver – the trumpet. Both the man-made trumpets and the God-made shofar came together as ONE on this day of REMEMBRANCE, READINESS, and RESURRECTION.

The shofar was blown for Firstfruits as a reminder that God is the One who provides and honors His Covenant, inspiring a response of thankfulness to the Lord (Num 10:10).  This then became the sound of the beginning of “Firstfruits.” It was also a reminder to the children of Israel of the event when God stopped Abraham from offering up Isaac and supplied the ram from which the shofar was made (Gen. 22:13,14).

“Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a ticket by its horns.  So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.  And Abraham called the name o the place, “The-LORD-Will-Provide; and it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided”(Gen. 22:13-14).

The silver trumpet was blown to awaken to a memorial.. of what?

The Lord instructed the children of Israel to always remember the sound of the trumpet as it related to events that transpired at Mt. Sinai.  What event during that time was significant to Trumpets?

To answer that question, we have to go back to Ex. 19:5, when God proposes to the children of Israel to be His “special treasure” above all other people. The people responded in verse 8 and said “We do.”  God instructs Moses on how He wants the “marriage ceremony” to go and it happened like this:

“Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain, and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled (Ex. 19:16).  

Moses brought the people (bride) out to meet God (Ex. 19:17).

“Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke because the LORD descended upon it in fire….And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice.  THEN the LORD came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain.  And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up” (Ex. 19:18-20).

Jesus shares a prophetic proclamation of the future event that will take place when He returns. The same symbolism of the thundering’s and lightnings are given; the thunder of HIs glory flashing from the east to the west as He comes with the desire to join His Bride:

“For as the lightning comes form the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matt. 24:27).

God wanted His people to always remember the Covenant of Marriage then, so we will understand how the Covenant is redeemed up ahead through Christ.  As the children of Israel waited at the base of Mt. Sinai and the Lord descended and came down to the people in the form of a cloud, lightning, thundering, fire and VOICE, it was a moment of matrimony. (I wish I could have been there!)

When Moses went up the mountain by himself afterwards, it was symbolic of Christ ascending and presenting Himself as the “Firstfruits.” 

“But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep…..But each one in his own order:  Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming” (1Cor. 15:20,23).

We too anticipate the time when we will be able to follow Christ’s example and be able to go before the throne in heaven and come back to earth in a glorified body.  The Feast of Trumpets marks the beginning of the fulfillment of that promise of resurrection, followed by another “wedding ceremony” of the Bride (Church) with the Groom (Christ).

It is worth noting that in Deut. 4:25-40, we get an account of how the children of Israel responded to the voice of God. They trembled out of fear, hid, and asked Moses to stand before them.

In Ex. 20:19-21 it says:

“Then they said to Moses, ‘You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.’  And Moses said to the people, ‘Do not fear, for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may no sin.’  So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was.”

Today, we have had Christ make a way for the Lord’s voice to be heard again through the Holy Spirit. Believers are faced with the same choice now that the children of Israel had: to draw near to His voice as Moses did, or hide and have another stand in the gap and become the voice of God (religious leaders).

I am certainly not saying it’s not important to hear what religious leaders have to share.  But we should not lean on them first to hear the Lord for our own lives, or think religious leaders are the only ones who hear from the Lord.

We also learn from this blueprint in Exodus that believers who draw near to the Lord’s voice and His presence, as did Moses, will be “caught up” to meet God in the “air” and come back with Him to reign in the Millennium.

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock.  If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and dine with him, and he with Me.  To him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches”(Rev. 3:20-22).

The Trumpet signals to the Bride to awaken because the Groom has determined it is time to for the ceremony of union to begin.  Those who hear and are ready will run towards the Lord.  Those who aren’t will want to hide.  The Day of Atonement that follows after the Feast of Trumpets sifts this all out.

“Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon, At the full moon, on our solemn feast day.  For this is a statute for Israel, a law of the God of Jacob”(Psalm 81:3,4).

So what is the significance of the Feast of Trumpets? The literal Hebrew translation is “a memorial of blasts.” In Hebrew, this Feast is called “Yom Teruah.”  Yom means day, but Teruah doesn’t mean trumpets.  It means a shout or blast of war, alarm or joy. So literally translated, this is a Feast that is a “Day of Blasting or Shouting.”

The Feast of Trumpets is the ONLY Feast that is celebrated on Firstfruits, tying its meaning with “firsts” and making this day the “granddaddy” of all Firstfruits celebrations. It is believed by Biblical historians that Adam was born on this day. It has also been known by the Jews as the “Anniversary of Creation.”

The Feast of Trumpets is celebrated in the Hebrew month of Tishrei. Tishrei was originally recognized as the first month of the calendar the Hebrews followed, due to the epic beginnings just described. 

However, in God’s master plan for redemption, He needed to create a separate, but intimate, calendar with the people He was in covenant with so that they could become His SIGN, to the nations, that He was the one true God.  

This special covenant calendar was purposed to establish a pattern, purpose, timing, and union with God that set the Israelites apart from all other nations.  But it also was a witness of the sign of the “Coming One” (Jesus), as God would use the calendar to fulfill His prophetic promises.

It’s worth mentioning again that the Hebrew Covenant Calendar was created when God spoke to Moses and Aaron in Ex. 12:2:

“This month (Abib/Nisan) shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first of the year to you” (Ex. 12:2). God followed this commandment with His instructions for Passover.  Afterwards, He declared, “So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations.  You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance”(Ex. 12:14).

Later on when the children of Israel arrived at Mt. Sinai, God gave instruction for all 7 Feasts after He sealed His Covenant with them and set them apart from all the other nations. The month of Tishrei was now changed to be the seventh month in the Hebrew calendar, and the first day of the harvest (blessed) season and the month in which all the Fall Feasts were celebrated.

“Therefore all the men of Israel assembled with King Solomon at the feast in the month of Ethanim (Tishrei), which is the seventh month” (1 Kings 8:2).

There is much confusion today as to when the Hebrew Covenant calendar starts because the Jews today emphasize celebrating the beginning of their civil year in the month of Tishrei. Today, Jews celebrate the first day of Tishrei as Rosh Hashanah; translated as “the ‘head/first’ of the year.”   But if God said that Nisan was to be the first of the year, why are the two months still recognized as first?

To find the answers as to why this is, we can go back to Biblical history when the twelve tribes of Israel were split into two kingdoms after King Solomon’s reign (1 Kings 11).  Subsequently, the Israelites were divided into the Southern Kingdom, also known as the House of Judah; and Northern Kingdom, also known as the House of Israel (1 Kings 11). The House of Judah consisted of the two tribes, one being the tribe of Judah where the Jews originated, and the other the tribe of Benjamin (so that David My servant would have a light in Jerusalem when the Messiah) (1 King 11:36).

After being in captivity, the House of Judah adopted some Babylonian ways, and added them to their Jewish traditions.  One of those changes was the “resurrection” of importance of the Jewish Civil year again in the first and second century because of the writings that were compiled in what is known as the “Mishnah.” Sometime between the finality of the writing of the Torah by Ezra, and the creation and codification of the Mishnah, the autumn Civil Calendar New Year regained acceptance by the Jews, and it’s relevance was incorporated into the Feast of Trumpets celebration. The Hebraic Covenant Calendar, which God created for His covenantal purpose and celebraton, was now intertwined with the calendar the Lord had separated His people out of. The first of Tishrei took on a double meaning, which makes it confusing.

The Northern Kingdom (House of Israel), made up of the remaining ten tribes, originally kept the Hebrew Covenant Calendar that God commanded them to follow in Ex. 12 as well…. Somewhat.  But over time, after the House of Israel was captured by the Assyrians and scattered all over the nations, their heritage, name, blueprint of Covenant (including following the Hebrew Covenant Calendar), was altered or omitted because they forgot they were God’s people, even though God promises He would never forget them.  

“Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb?  Surely, they (House of Israel) may forget, yet I will not forget you” (Is. 49:15).

“Forgetting” was a part of the chastisement of God, which is why when Jesus speaks of his original mission for the disciples:

 “These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying, ‘Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.  But go rather to the lost tribes of Israel’” (Matt. 10:5,6).  

By the time the Mishnah was created in Babylon, and its writings adopted as ” Jewish tradition,” the House of Israel was long gone, having scattered through the Caucasian mountains, into Europe and the “isles” (which was later known as Great Britain.) 

Technically, both calendars are correct, because both calendars exist.  But God commanded Moses and His chosen nation to follow His new calendar in Exodus 12, and for those wanting to recognize, honor, and be a SIGN of the redemption process that God has determined, honoring the Hebrew Covenant Calendar should continue to trump any calendar, including the Gregorian calendar most of our world today recognizes.

The school calendar versus Gregorian calendar is a parallel example of two calendars followed during the same time, but the Gregorian begins on January 1^st, while the school calendar starts in September.  The Gregorian calendar is the one the world follows, while the school calendar is for a specified people who are signed up for education, which is their focus. 

Because the Jews returned to honoring the Jewish Civil calendar with their Feast celebration, it brought about the confusion that continues to exist today when celebrating the meaning of the Feast of Trumpets.  This is perhaps one reason why the Jews couldn’t see and accept Christ as the Savior when He began His ministry because the adoption of honoring the two calendars caused them to anticipate a conquering king FIRST rather a sacrificial lamb.  

God created the Covenant Calendar in Ex. 12 to “set apart” His Covenant promises of how Christ would become our High Priest FIRST, and our King of kings second when He returned to the earth. If we keep our focus on God’s purpose in creating this calendar, we will not be confused or blinded with God’s prophetic timing of redemption.

“…You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; For You were slain and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation. And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth” (Rev. 5:9,10).

So let’s now get back to the simplicity of the purpose of the Feast of Trumpets, which is to awaken us with a blast of the trumpet.  What are we awaking to?

The trumpet has many significant meanings in the Bible.  

The trumpet was blown to signal war against the adversary (Josh. 6:5; Jer. 51:27; 1 Cor. 14:8) 

“When you go to war in your land against the enemy who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the Lord your God, and you will be saved from your enemies (Numbers 10:9).

It was also used to announce the king (2 Kings 9:13; 11:14).

“Then Zadok the priest took a horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon.  And they blew the horn, and all the people said, “Long live King Solomon!” (1 Kings 1:39).

The trumpet was the sound to wake up the Church (Rev. 1:10).

“I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet.”

All of these reasons (and there are many more) of why the trumpet is used are all united together on the Feast of Trumpets. This “dress rehearsal” shares it’s purpose of becoming the signal (/sign/proclamation/alarm/shout) to awaken us, to announce war against the adversary, to announce the return of the King, and to summon God’s people who are IN covenant with Him.  And when this Feast goes “LIVE,” it will mark the beginning of the Millennium.

The last three out of seven Feasts of the Lord are celebrated in the seventh month, known as Tishrei, of the Hebrew Covenant Calendar.  Typically, these last three are collectively referred to as the Fall Feasts, but singularly they are known as the Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. 

In short, the Feast of Trumpets announces the commencement of the Fall Feasts, and the trumpet is blown to awaken God’s people that the King is coming.  The Day of Atonement follows ten days later and is the one day of the year God chose for the nation to repent for their sins (The Lord’s “National Day of Prayer”). The Feast of Tabernacles is an eight-day grand finale of a joyful celebration of the harvest, and the promise of receiving glorified bodies and “dwelling” with the Lord.

The three Fall Feasts reveal the pattern and purpose of God’s SET TIMES when Jesus will return to finalize His Dominion (Kingdom) and to rule the nations (Matt 6:6-9).  During His 1,000-year reign, Christ will utilize His “Firstfruits” Remnant to establish His righteousness in the earth (Rev.5:9,10).  

The Fall Feasts reveals the events, purpose and timing when Christ returns that are corporate in nature and a fulfillment of the promise given in the Bible to Abraham and his descendants.

“As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations.  No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.  I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you…” (Gen. 17:4-6).

Given that Abraham was promised “nations,” the Lord is not just coming back for the land of Israel.  There are nations He is returning for, particularly those who have multiplied His Kingdom on the earth.

“Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it” (Matt. 21:43).

The Scriptures indicate that God will use the “Feasts of Tabernacles” as a SIGN to distinguish those nations in the Millennium that accept Him as Lord and King, and those who aren’t:

“And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.  And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain.  If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.  This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles” (Zech. 14:16-19).

The nations accepting or rejecting the Kingship of Christ in the earth during the Millennium are differentiated in the Bible as those who are called “sheep” nations (with Christ), and “goat” nations (oppose Christ). (It is interesting that many Christians do not realize that the nations are judged FIRST).

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left”(Matt. 25:31-33).

In the book of Exodus, Pharaoh ruled an “anti-Christ” government that opposed the Lord and oppressed God’s people (Heb. 11:26).   So when the Lord delivered the Israelites out of Egypt and brought them to Mt. Sinai, He offered the nation a “proposal of marriage” that they accepted (Ex. 19).  By honoring God’s Covenant, they were “His Holy Nation,” under His governmental authority, as well as a SIGN to the world.

“Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths [weekly and yearly Feasts, or “Holy Days”] you shall keep, for it is a SIGN between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I AM the Lord who sanctifies you” (Ex. 31:13).

As the nation honored the Feasts, they became God’s witness, His SIGN, that He was the One True God.  In like manner, these corporate Fall Feasts, specifically Tabernacles, will unify the nations under the Lord’s headship as it did back in the Old Testament with the Israelites, but now, perfectly through the union of Christ. The corrupt governments of the world will be exposed through His leadership.

“For I will cast out the nations before you and enlarge your borders; neither will any man covet your land when you go up to appear before the Lord your God three times in the year” (Ex. 34:24).

Because the Israelites failed to keep their promise to God, it didn’t take much time until they did not reflect God’s SIGN in the earth.  It would take God Himself to keep His promise to the nation regardless of their shortcomings.  And so…. Christ came… fulfilled the Spring Feasts, redeemed the Covenant, and made way for His SEAL/SIGN once again to bear Witness of the One True God.

Jesus will come again and fulfill the pattern and purpose of the Fall Feasts very soon.  He will judge the nations, with His “Firstfruits” remnant at His side, and establish righteousness in the earth. The nations who are with Him will become HIS CORPORATE SEAL/SIGN in the earth.   

For those to whom God is revealing this pattern of His Holy Days, they too have an opportunity to resurrect God’s SIGN in the earth.

The Feasts of the Lord reveal a roadmap of God’s progressive pattern planned to take man from the depths of bondage (sin), to the heights of His glory.  Let’s take a look at some of the key components of understanding this Blueprint.

The Feast dates celebrated each year were, and still are, determined by the Hebrew Covenant Calendar.  But when did the Hebrew Covenant Calendar originate, and how is it determined?  

At the time the Lord instructed Moses of what the children of Israel needed to do in order for the death plague to “pass over” their dwelling, the Hebrew Covenant Calendar was birthed (Ex. 12).  The conversation started with the Lord “resetting” the yearly calendar starting in the Spring, rather than in the Fall when the Hebrews were accustomed to recognizing the first of the year. 

“This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you” (Ex. 12:2).

“This month” would later be identified as the month the Bible refers to as “Abib” or “Nisan,” when the land was able to offer up its spring “firstfruits” (Lev.23:10).  God established this calendar based upon the moon, using the New Moon to signify the beginning of each month.  Passover was the first Feast God set forth on this calendar before leaving Egypt, and the rest of the Feasts were established later at Mt. Sinai (Ex. 23).

“…On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father…….now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month……And thus you shall eat it….It is the LORD’S Passover” (Ex. 12:3,6,11).

God attached the Feast dates to the pattern of the moon rather than the sun, which was set apart from the Egyptians who looked to the sun god to worship.  When the “new moon” arrived, this signaled day one of the first month, with Passover being celebrated 14 days later.

When the children of Israel departed Egypt and came to Mount Sinai, the Lord offered the nation a proposal of marriage to be His Holy Nation (Ex. 19:6).  The people accepted, and the “Tablets of Covenant” were given, which included the Hebraic Covenant Calendar that had the dates of the Feasts, a “holy” time to honor the marriage covenant (Ex. 20-23). 

God commanded the children of Israel to honor the Lord seven times a year through His Feasts, including the continuation of celebrating Passover each year so they remembered how He delivered them from Egypt. 

“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them; The Feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be ‘holy convocations,’ these are My feasts…These are the Feasts of the LORD, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times” (Lev. 23:2,4).

The Lord Himself referred to these Feasts days as “Convocations;” which when translated, means “sacred assembly” as well as “rehearsals.” He called them “Holy” and gave specific instruction for each holy rehearsal to follow as a “statute forever” (Lev. 23:14,21,31).  The rehearsal was not only a remembrance of the Israelites history with the Lord when He became their “Groom,” but also a prophetic witness of how God would later perfect His covenant relationship through Christ and “His Bride.”   

So why did God establish His Hebrew Covenant Calendar with the moon?

To answer that question, let’s first define God’s mission in making the sun, moon, and stars and tie it together with the Feasts.

Genesis 1:14 says, “Then God said, ‘Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for SIGNS and SEASONS and for days and years.”

The word SIGN in Hebrew means, “a signal of the Coming One.” God chose to use the sun, moon and stars to establish His timing, His days, and His nights, but also His SIGN of the “Coming One.”  

When God spoke to Moses and established this Feast calendar according to the “new moon,” His purpose was to use it to establish a SIGN of the “Coming One.”   In making a Covenant with His Chosen people (The Commonwealth of Israel and then later in the New Testament the nation of Christians), God’s plan was to use them to become His SIGN of the “One to Come” (Christ the Redeemer and Christ the King).

Psalm 89:37 also confirms the moon as the Lord’s sign.  

“It shall be established forever like the moon, even like the faithful witness in the sky” 

In Psalm 104:19, the Scripture declares that God “appointed the moon for seasons” [divine appointment, fixed time, signal, or witness].

Searching through the scripture again in Genesis 1:14, the word “SEASON” in Hebrew means “moed,” and is translated as “a divine appointment, fixed time, signal, or witness.”

Coincidentally, in Leviticus 23:2 (shown up above), the word “FEAST” in Hebrew also means “moed.” Therefore, Feasts are also translated “divine appointment, fixed time, season, signal, or witness.” 

The scriptures indicate a direct correlation between God’s SIGNS and SEASONS, mentioned in Genesis 1:14, with the moon and the Feasts to reveal the “One to Come.”  The Feasts of the LORD were God’s fixed time to extend an intimate invitation to be His witness to the world.  

When the children of Israel celebrated these Feasts each year, the nations watched and witnessed them diligently traversing three times a year to God’s appointed place (Deut. 16:16).  Surely, many who observed the trek most likely asked about the purpose of the journey.  The witness of the purpose was given:   The One True God who delivered His people out of Egypt through Passover, married them at Pentecost at Mt. Sinai with a written certificate signed by His own finger (Tablets of Covenant), and bore witness of His Covenant with His presence dwelling in the Tabernacle is worthy of our honor. 

Today, believers are a sign (witness) individually as we share our faith in Christ and celebrate how He delivers us from Egypt (sins of the world), gives us the Holy Spirit who writes the Tablets of Covenant on our hearts, and dwells in our temple (body).  

The Feast blueprint also reveals a corporate union with the Lord, becoming a corporate SIGN that will reveal the “Coming King” and “His Bride” who later judge the nations in the Millennium.

The importance of these “Feasts” dates that God established has not ceased, changed or become irrelevant, even though we now live in the Age of the New Covenant. On the contrary, as believers, the invitation is actually more relevant to us now since we can see through the lens of the Old AND New Testament of how Jesus fulfills the Feasts. 

Honoring the Feasts isn’t a requirement for our salvation of course, but they do serve a Kingdom purpose of a SIGN to the world of Christ as Savior and King.  In the years ahead, they will also be used as a measuring stick as to which nations are aligned with Christ in the Millennium:

“And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. ¹⁷ And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain. ¹⁸ If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. ¹⁹ This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles” (Zech. 14:16-19).

The purpose of any dress rehearsal is to put into practice a production/show in its entirety before the “live performance.”  The Children of Israel (representing those IN COVENANT WITH GOD) were chosen to be a part of the cast of what I am going to coin, the Lord’s “Redemption Production.”  In this production, the manuscript was written by the “finger of God,” and given to the Children of Israel at Mt. Sinai (Lev. 23).  Their role was to follow each Feast as instructed so that WHEN Christ came many centuries later, there was no doubt of who the Lord was.

We can read about the whole Blueprint of the Spring Feasts going “LIVE” in the Gospels when Christ became the Passover Lamb, died, rose from the dead, and sent the Holy Spirit as a promise of His return.  As the Spring Feasts come around each year now believers can celebrate the memory of that “live performance,” and thank God for sending Jesus to fulfill the script.

Today, believers have been given the privilege of participating in the cast of the second act of the “Redemption Production;” preparing for the time when Christ will return as King.

The final three Feasts that we are awaiting the fulfillment are known as the “Fall Feasts.” The Fall Feasts consist of the Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles.   

Given that ALL Christians have great hope and expectation of Jesus’ return, it serves us well to study His Manuscript, so we understand our role and participate in the “dress rehearsal” so that our hearts are ready.

“And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him’…” (Matt. 25:6)!

Many of you have asked me about the Passover recording I did about George Washington’s vision.  I felt compelled by the Holy Spirit to record it and release it in the atmosphere so that the Word would speak NOW.  Below is a link for those who would like to hear the vision.

Topic: George Washington’s Vision from God
Date: Apr 8, 2020 08:02 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Meeting Recording:
https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/tcVabJzT7iRIfavn6EHyAbEiTtv0aaa81ilP_vUMzUaBq-lhmyuQfUZd89m6rp9z

Access Passcode: F9BFmo

 

On August 19th, we enter into the sixth Hebrew month known as ELUL, which is linked to the tribe of GAD. Gad was the seventh son of Jacob and his name primarily is translated as a “troop.” However, GAD can also mean good fortune, to attack, to overcome, to invade, and to gather together.

This is the final month of the summer season and one that reminds us of the “good fortune” that comes when God’s people choose to gather together in a heart of humility, repentance, and forgiveness.

ELUL is pictured as a month that God wants to meet us intimately right where we are, even in the midst of struggle, and “hang” with us.  This can be best illustrated through the ministry of Jesus here on the earth: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” John 1:14. 

The word “dwelling” is actually the word for “tent” or “tabernacle.” Jesus left His throne to come and “tabernacle” among us for 33 years.  Then He gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit who “dwells” within us.

In the days of Moses, the two months prior to ELUL (Tammuz and Av) were tragic.  In Tammuz, the children of Israel built the golden calf while Moses was gone to get the “Tablets of Covenant” from the LORD (Ex. 32:1-5). When Moses returned in AV and saw them worshipping idols, he broke the Tablets of Covenant.  Moses then called out, “Whoever is on the Lord’s side-come to me”  (Ex. 32:26). Those who came with Moses were then given instruction to kill everyone else left, totaling 3,000 people.

Afterward, Moses instructed the remaining people to consecrate themselves while he went to ask God to pardon them for their sin (Ex. 32:29-31).  The Lord still plagued the people, as their “stiff-necked” demeanor was being chastised. During this time, God was provoking them to throw away their idols and to choose Him (Ex. 33:5). After many days of continual prayers, God answered Moses’ plea to pardon the people.

On the first day of ELUL, Moses cut two stone tablets and went back up to Mount Sinai to bring them to the LORD (Ex. 34:4).  It was during this time (ELUL), that the children of Israel gathered together and prepared their hearts in humility.  They understood it was the mercy of God that had given them a second chance.

The month of ELUL reminds the Body of Christ to prepare their hearts, both individually and corporately, with humility, prayer, and thanksgiving as we wait for Jesus to return as King.  

This year this month is so relevant and critical for us today, and we need to participate with heaven.  The “Church at large” is being asked by the Spirit of God to wake up, reset, position herself in prayer and worship, seek God’s heart, and gather together in unity with this core attitude:  Admit we need Jesus – His leadership, truth, righteousness, and justice.  The Holy Spirit is trying to alert the Church….get in the game by getting desperate for Him…..for our “ways” have not worked, and the enemy “appears” to be running the show in our nation and the nations.  God has given us the key to overturn these events.  He desires for us to partner with heaven in the overturning and the shaking.

During this time, we need to come broken in humility (2 Chron. 7:14).  We need His truth, revelation, and anointing to bring breakthrough for the Church and the nation.  We need to be moved with a passion to seek His leadership.  The healing, purpose, and identity of our nation need the Church to take this posture in the prayer.

The tribe of GAD was known to be great warriors and taking the lead line on the battlefield. 1 Chronicles 12:8 says, “Some Gadites joined David at the stronghold in the wilderness, MIGHTY MEN OF VALOR, MEN TRAINED FOR BATTLE, who could handle shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as gazelles on the mountains.”

The Gadites were effective when they joined the king’s forces and came under their authority and purpose. The Lord today is training us to be His mighty army as we learn to come under His command and defeat the enemy., first in prayer and then obedience to the Holy Spirit.

Before Moses died, he prophesied over the tribe of Gad.  “..he (Gad) administered the justice of the Lord, and His judgments with Israel”  (Deut. 33:21).

The great prophet, Elijah, was from the tribe of Gad. His life illustrates how one man can take down the enemies of the camp with the “sword/word.”  The story of Elijah confronting the false prophets of Baal really captures the essence of Gad’s strength as well as the Father’s heart of giving his people an opportunity to repent and forgive before judgment comes.

In 1 Kings18:18, King Ahab accuses Elijah of being a “troubler of Israel.” Elijah boldly answers, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and have followed after Baals.” It was after this encounter that Elijah challenged King Ahab to bring all the false prophets to Mount Carmel. Ahab takes on the challenge and brings the children of Israel as well.

God then uses Elijah to draw a line in the sand between righteousness and justice, giving the children of Israel the opportunity to humble themselves and escape God’s judgment. In verse 21, Elijah SPEAKS truth to the people, “How long with you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” Unfortunately, God’s people did not respond to this call.

Elijah then challenges the false prophets to a sacrifice dual. “Then you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord; and the God who answers by fire, He is God” (1 Kings 18:24). Elijah eventually calls on the Lord after the false prophets fail the task. The Lord consumes the sacrifice with fire and then has all the false prophets executed.

This is the same cry of God’s heart even today: HOW LONG WILL YOU FALTER BETWEEN TWO OPINIONS? God wants to see the gift of Gad rise up in all of us and confront the enemy, but more importantly, he wants us to have ears to hear His rebuke so we can repent before judgment comes.

After Elijah’s huge victory over the enemy, we find him alone in the wilderness, fleeing in fear for his life after Queen Jezebel threatens to kill him.  This was right after he was used by God to call down the fire of judgment on the false prophets.  This hidden fear in Elijah was exposed when he SAW Jezebel and HEARD her threat.  All of a sudden, God became small compared to Jezebel’s threat to kill him.

Let’s look back at the Word that was given to Gad to understand Elijah’s weakness.  Genesis 49:19 prophecies of GAD in the latter days: “Gad, a troop shall tramp upon him, BUT he shall triumph at last.”

This latter-day prophecy of Jacob over his son Gad used the word “troop” to describe Gad’s enemy. This indicates that Gad’s greatest enemy can be himself because “a troop” is what Gad’s name means!  The enemy can work on the soul of Gad to defeat himself, even though he is known as a great warrior.  This happened even to the great prophet Elijah!  How many Christians today are defeated by fears instead of the fear of the Lord?  We must stand, and continue to speak His truth.

BUT, God came to Elijah in a still small voice, meeting him intimately in his weakness. As God spoke, Elijah gathered strength, humility, and the instruction of moving forward with God’s plan.  This is the heart of ELUL and the heart that is ready to meet the King!

“In mercy and truth atonement is provided for iniquity, and by the fear of the Lord, one departs from evil” (Proverbs 16:6).

May the Body of Christ join together in the unity of prayer and worship and seek God’s leadership in this critical time.  We must speak the truth as He leads, and be obedient to His instruction.

 

 

 

According to Breaking Israel News:

“Israel Antiquities Authority recently excavated an administrative storage center from the days of King Hezekiah and Manasseh in the Arnona neighborhood of Jerusalem.  Excavation of the site revealed an unusually large structure built of concentric ashlar walls.  Of particular interest, 120 jar handles were found bearing seal impressions containing ancient Hebrew script.  Many of the handles bare the inscription “LMLK,”  belonging to the King with the name of the ancient city, while others feature the names of senior officials or wealthy individuals from the First Temple period.  This is one of the largest and most important collections of seal impressions ever uncovered in archaeological excavations in Israel.”

“At the site we excavated, there are signs that governmental activity managed and distributed food supplies not only for a shortage but administered agricultural surplus amassing commodities and wealth.  Evidence shows that at this site, taxes were collected in an orderly manner for agricultural products such as wine and olive oil.”

I share this article because the Holy Spirit reminded me of how reading about King Hezekiah led me to learn about the significance of the Hebrew calendar and the principles of the blueprint God established in His word for a nation to experience healing.  And today, this discovery is a sign to me that the story of Hezekiah’s reign is a key to helping us through these difficult times.

In 2012, God had me study King Hezekiah’s reign, and how he got a revelation that the kings before him had established a wrong governmental platform for the nation. These iniquitous choices were causing God’s people to crumble under the weight of the enemy invading the land.  The Assyrian army had already defeated the House of Israel and part of the House of Judah at the time Hezekiah came into kingship.  Hezekiah was raised in an hour that stopped the demise completely…at least bought the House of Judah time and allowed them to prosper under his reign.  Unfortunately, subsequent kings didn’t do as Hezekiah did, and the demise of the nation came through the Babylonians approximately 100 years later.

Prior to King Hezekiah’s reign, the kings had forsaken what God wrote in His law and began adopting their “own ways.”  They also stopped honoring God’s “holy days” and adopted pagan practices and idolatry.  God then raised up an adversary, the king of Assyria to invade the land and displace many of God’s people.

But Hezekiah removed all the things that were outside of God’s laws and understood this was the wrath of God that had come upon them for turning away from the Lord:

“Now sanctify yourselves, sanctify the house of the Lord God of your fathers, and carry out the rubbish from the holy place.  For our fathers have tresspassed and done evil in the eyes of the Lord our God; they have forsaken Him, have turned their faces away from the dwelling place of the Lord, and turned their backs on Him” (2 Chron. 29:5,6).

He sent out messengers to all the tribes to come and celebrate the Passover: 

“Then the runners went throughout all Israel and Judah with the letters from the king and his leaders, and spoke according to the command of the king.  ‘Children of Israel, RETURN to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel; then He will return to the remnant of you who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria…Now do not be stiff-necked as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the Lord; and enter His sanctuary, which He has sanctified forever; and serve the Lord your God, that the fierceness of His wrath may turn away from you. For if you return to the Lord, your brethren and your children will be treated with compassion by those who lead them captive, so that they may come back to this land; for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn His face from you if you return to Him'” (2 Chron. 30:1-9).

Many mocked the invitation, but some did come:  

“So the runners passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh as far as Zebulun, but they laughed at them and mocked them.  Nevertheless, some from Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.  Also the hand of God was on Judah to give them singleness of heart to obey the command of the king and the leaders, at the word of the Lord” (2 Chron. 39:10,11).

And while they chose to follow God’s law and return to God’s covenant calendar, God healed the people:

“And the Lord listened to Hezekiah and healed the people” (2 Chron. 30:20).

There was great joy in Jerusalem, and God also opened His ears to hear the prayers of the priests:

“Then the priests, the Levites, arose and blessed the people, and their voice was HEARD; and their prayer came up to His holy dwelling place to heaven” (2 Chron. 30:27).

Hezekiah did what was good and right and true before God.  And God prospered him:

“And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart.  So he prospered” (2 Chron. 31:21).

God also gave King Hezekiah victory over the Assyrian king’s army, even though they were outnumbered in men and resources:

“Now because of this:  King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz, prayed and cried out to heaven,  Then the Lord sent an angel who cut down every mighty man of valor, leader, and captain in the camp of the king of Assyria.  So he returned shamefaced to his own land.  And when he had gone into the temple of his god, some of his own offspring struck him down with the sword there” (2 Chron. 32:20,21).

This year, because of COVID-19, the nations came together to honor Passover.  This was a “Hezekiah” moment.  When Hezekiah called to restore the honoring of Passover, it was the first time it had been honored like that since the time King Solomon reigned.  And it led to a healing of the people.

COVID-19 also forced the churches to close their doors.  It has been a “divine pause” that God is trying to wake up the church too.  We should be examining how we are doing church.  How effective is the church in the nation?  What needs to change?  How can we get back into the places of influence and authority?  These questions demmand answers because the church has lost her influence and positioning of authority in this nation.   The “house” that man has built versus the house God wants to be built must be examined.  We are in a Hezekiah moment to stop and pause as he did and discover why the nation has grown so weak and yet the enemy gaining power.  But God’s word tells us why:

“For so it was the children of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and they had feared other gods, and had walked in the statutes of the nations who the Lord had cast out from before the children of Israel, which they had made.  Also, the children of Israel SECRETLY did against the Lord their God things that were not right, and they built for themselves high places in all their cities, from watchtower to fortified city” ( 2 Kings 17:7-9).

There is nothing new under the sun.  This pattern of “turning away” from the Lord and His ways exists today.  God is first after the church and things done in “secret” as well as the doctrines that man created.  He is trying to get us to follow His blueprint in being the body of Christ under His headship.  This “divine pause” is a wake-up call for the church to get into alignment with His truth.

Repentance is required first as we see in the story of Hezekiah.  But repentance isn’t just the answer.  In the story of Hezekiah, the king shifted and asked the people to TURN from their wicked ways. They then took action to restore what God commanded and removed all idols.

Restoring the “Holy Days” is also one of the keys to bridging the body of Christ back into one voice and heartbeat.  We saw the coming together across denominational divides, continental divides, and political divides as we celebrated Passover this year.

Hezekiah shows us that government done rightly will cause ALL to prosper and defeat the enemy.  The excavation and discovery of King Hezekiah’s “governmental activity” that handled the distribution of supplies is a sign for us to wake up and learn from Hezekiah in this hour.  There were 120 handles found.  120 is the biblical number that symbolizes a divinely appointed time of waiting.  It was 120 years that God gave before the flood of judgment came (Gen. 6:1-3).  Yet in the New Testament, it was 120 that the Holy Spirit poured out His fire upon, baptizing them with God’s truth and grace (Acts 2).  It is God’s time to judge, and it is His time to pour out His Spirit of truth.  In this time of shaking, King Hezekiah holds a key to the healing of this nation, and the nations who call upon the Lord.

Praying we all shift through the shaking, learn from the example of Hezekiah, and we enter into the commandment and promises of 2 Chron 7:14:

“If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, THEN  I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins and heal their land.”