This is an astute article by Jack Kelly on Pentecost and rapture of the Church. Like Kelly, I also believe that the parables of Matthew 13 describe the Church on earth and would also say each parable is linked to what Jesus also said to the seven different Church types in Revelation.

*Chuck Missler gives us a small taste of this design and correlation in his teaching on Revelation:

The Seven Kingdom parables:

The Sower ……………   Ephesus: The apostolic Church

The Tares …………….   Smyrna: The persecuted Church

Mustard Seed…………..Pergamos: Marriage to the World

Women/Leaven ……….Thyatira: The Papacy in the Medieval World

The Field………………. Sardis: Denominational/Dead Orthodoxy

The Pearl ………………Philadelphia: The rebirth of the Missionary

The Dragnet …………..Laodicea: The apostate Church

* The Book of Revelation , supplemental notes page 60, Koinonia House Inc., 1995

I believe that it is very possible that the Church will be taken alive to Heaven on Pentecost on the very same feast day when the Bride of Christ was born. The Church like Enoch was born on Pentecost and tradition tells us Enoch was taken on Pentecost. Enoch was taken because he walked with God before the judgment of the flood. The bride of Christ will also not reap the coming judgment of God because she is the Bride of Christ. Only after Jesus takes his rightful role as King of Israel and takes a Gentile bride can Israel’s promised restoration come.

I know many want to believe the Rapture is on the Feast of Trumpets but remember the Feast of Trumpets will be another fulfillment through Jesus for Israel. The Feast of Trumpets starts the last week for Israel foretold by Daniel and it ends it seven years later with the second coming of Christ. Some like to think the Rapture will occur on the same date that God deals with Israel again. However, scripture really gives no indication that the Rapture has to occur precisely seven years before the second coming of Christ. The Rapture could occur months or even a few years before the final seven years for the Jews.

One thing is certain in my mind. The 70th week and the lifting of the blindness of Israel cannot even take place until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in (Ro 11:25). In this passage Paul was speaking of the grafting in of a Gentile Bride into the Commonwealth of Israel. This Bride born from above is born of the Spirit she is not born of any flesh, be it Jew or Gentile. However, anyone not Jewish by natural birth (she is spiritual) is typed as a Gentile by definition. Therefore, the Bride is not Jewish even though there are people who were natural Jews within the Bride. This Bride gives no sin offering of her own as required by the law. Her sins are covered by the blood of God’s Jewish sacrificial Lamb. That is the reason why Pentecost is celebrated with leavened bread (leaven represents sin), the Church is full of sinners covered by the blood of Christ.

Anyway, this article by Jack Kelly is well worth the read and it is timely, being right before the Feast of Pentecost.

Pentecost and the Rapture of the Church | GraceThruFaith

Pentecost and the Rapture of the Church

A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

Pentecost comes in the early summer (May-June). This year it’s May 31. It’s the only Holy Day between the 3 Spring Feasts (Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits) and the 3 in the fall (Rosh Hashanna, Yom Kippur, and Tabernacles). Its Hebrew name is Shavuot. Pentecost is a Greek word and translates “50 days” since it comes 50 days after the Feast of First Fruits, the day we should know as Resurrection Morning . The Feast of First Fruits is celebrated on the day following the first Sabbath after Passover and Pentecost on the day after the Sabbath seven weeks later, (Lev. 23:15-16) giving rise to its nickname “Feast of Weeks.” Since the Jewish Sabbath is Saturday, both these Holy days are Sundays.
What’s a Pentecost?

Jews celebrate Pentecost (I’ll just use its Greek name to avoid any more confusion than necessary) as the day Moses received the Law on Mt. Sinai in the wilderness and the nation Israel was born. (Exodus 19-20) Christians celebrate it as the day the Holy Spirit fell on the Disciples in Jerusalem and the Church was born (Acts 2). If you agree with my view that the parables of Matthew 13 describe the church on Earth and that the parable of the yeast predicts there will be sin in the church, you’ll be interested in the fact that unlike all the other Jewish Feasts that call for unleavened bread, Pentecost requires bread baked with yeast (Lev. 23:17). Pentecost also began the annual wheat harvest, perhaps pointing to another of Matthew’s Kingdom parables, the Wheat and the Tares.

By tradition Enoch, one of the patriarchs from Genesis 5, was born on the day later to be known as Pentecost. Enoch’s name means “teaching”, a primary function of the Church. For this reason many scholars see him as a “type” of the church as well. Genesis 5:21-23 indicates that Enoch was very close to God and was actually taken live (raptured) into Heaven before the Great Flood. Pre-Trib scholars see this event as hinting of a yet future disappearance of the Church before the Great Tribulation. These same traditions also hold that Enoch disappeared from Earth on his birthday. So here’s a model in Genesis 5 of a man identified with the church being born and raptured on the day that would become Pentecost, the day the church was born.

Full article.

Chuck Missler did a two part series on the history of Christmas.

I wish you all a Merry Xmas (joking). I wish you all a Merry Christmas and pray that you will have a fruitful New Year in Christ.

The History Of Christmas – Part I

The celebration of Christmas has caused some controversy in recent years, for a variety of reasons. Many have been concerned that Christ is too often left out of Christmas; replaced by trimmings and presents and fudge. Others have battled over whether we should allow manger scenes on public property or allow the school choir to sing Christmas carols that actually contain a message about Jesus Christ. On the other hand, a growing number of Christians have been arguing that we should not celebrate Christmas at all because there is no command to do so in the Bible and because the celebration has pagan roots.

What stand should we take? How should we approach Christmas in the light of history and in the light of the Bible? This week we’ll look at the history of the winter solstice and other pagan celebrations, and continue next week with the Jewish and Christian roots of this beloved holiday.

Full article

The History of Christmas – Part II

Chuck Missler explains why Israel is God’s land, that the covenant to occupy it is to the Jews, and what this has to do with what we see going on in the Middle East today.

The Betrayal of the Chosen – CWN

For those of us who take the Bible seriously, it is a critical time to be up to date on our homework. There are many dangers in not taking the Word of God seriously.

The Land does not belong to the Palestinians. It doesn’t belong to the U.N., the U.S., or even Israel! It specifically is the Lord’s. Yes, “the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.”1 And yet, it is strange to note that there is a very specific parcel of real estate which has been set aside as His, and His alone.2 God delights in making and keeping promises. He takes them very seriously.

Ezekiel 36:21-25

This is a startling passage! They are to be regathered, not because they “deserve” to be, but because God’s own reputation is at stake-His Name is on the deal! (Again, it’s always by grace-just as our own blessings are!)

On May 14, 1948, the debate should have been silenced: the State of Israel was reborn in the very Land which God had declared for that purpose. Also, note the “then” in v. 25: they are to be regathered before becoming cleansed by faith and repentance. (It appears that the acknowledgment and repentance of the believing remnant is a precondition of the Second Coming.9)

World food supplies are getting tight. The black horse seems to be on the horizon, Who knows exactly how close the white and red horse are that start this horse race to the end are?

Behold a Black Horse: The Global Food Crisis – CWN

This situation has not received enough media attention, prompting some to label it the “silent famine.” Malnutrition and hunger are growing problems, and charitable organizations are having trouble keeping up with the growing demand. The black horseman of the Book of Revelation speaks of a condition wherein a man’s daily wages are so poor, he can barely support himself, much less his family (Revelation 6:5-6). Could it be that we are getting close?

If anyone thinks the next President will escape major problems to deal with in the world, or if you just wonder what we have to look forward to. Read Chuck Missler’s strategic trends for America and the world in this article.

clipped from www.christianworldviewnetwork.com As we enter the new year and survey the turbulent horizon ahead, global enigmas continue to challenge any competent analysis. Anyone who assumes that the years ahead will be smooth sailing is underinformed. Nevertheless, whoever ultimately enters the coveted Oval Office is likely to be overwhelmed by the emerging realities that will confront the new president. Other than acquitting ourselves responsibly at the voting booths, you and I cannot impact significantly any of the strategic trends that are destined to buffet us in the coming months and years. It is clear that most of the presumptions that we have adopted from previous decades are going to drastically change and prove obsolete and ineffectual. What we can do, however, is prepare ourselves, as much as possible, as stewards for our families.

Chuck Missler’s strategic trends should be of interest to all Bible prophecy students who want to understand the times we live in.

STRATEGIC TRENDS: Amazing Year in Review

There’s No Place Like Home (church) – CWN: “There is no place like home, at least for some Christians. In recent years the number of home churches and small group fellowships in the United States has risen exponentially. Since the year 2000, it is estimated that more than 20 million Americans have begun exploring alternative forms of worship, including home churches. A survey conducted by the Barna group concluded that about 9% of adults in the United States today attend a house church – a decade ago that number was less than 1%.”

Home cells connected with a church that are led by leaders held accountable to elders of a church are generally much safer then independent home churches in American. If you go to a home church it can be very good or very bad depending on the teachings and practices of the leader. I certainly do not endorse home churches for those baby Christians who have never been taught the fundamentals of the faith and for those who will not check out what is said by their leaders, from the scriptures, using a healthy doze of Missouri logic (show me).

WorldNetDaily: Farah to speak at prophecy conference: “Joining Farah at the conference, slated for Sept. 9-11, will be intelligence expert and Bible teacher Chuck Missler, Arnold Fruchtenbaum, a messianic Jew who spent time in Soviet prison, and Thomas Ice, director of the Pre-Trib Research Center in Arlington, Texas, and Dave Hunt, author and editor of the Beran Call newsletter.”

What an outstanding line-up of speakers. I wish I could attend. I hope you will attend if at all possible.

The Real State of Our Union: What The Politicians Know But Don’t Talk About – CWN: “Events over the past few years have caused many informed observers to be concerned over the increased precariousness of our strategic horizon. In addition to natural disasters-such as Hurricane Katrina-and the continuing terrorist threats promising a major sequel to “9/11,” and the probability of rogue nuclear attacks of various kinds, anyone who is relying on smooth waters over the next 12-18 months is simply among the ranks of the under-informed. To prepare for potentially volatile uncertainties, some years ago we published a series of suggestions, which we called “The Vortex Strategy,” and in view of our current horizon, it seems appropriate to review some of those ideas. The next major terrorist event could prove to be an even more impacting sequel than “9/11”-whether it is an Al Qaeda plot of some kind, or an EMP attack which threatens to plunge the U.S. back into the 19th century. But without indulging in speculations regarding the challenges that Homeland Security presently faces, many experts are also anticipating a possible upheaval to emerge from the current debt debacle of the United States. What would be the consequences to you and your family if America’s economic foundation was ripped out from under you? We individually can’t change the probabilities of such an event, but what is your action plan to protect yourself and your family?”

I think it is wise to respect what Chuck Missler says in this article because he is not just blowing smoke. We are in big trouble.