Rosh Hashanah is a good time to look up for the Lords coming. There
have been those who preached the "Imminent Return of Christ." They
still preach it. It means that Christ could come at any moment. They could be right.
In another way, other then being raptured, He could come for us at any moment if we should happen to die. That would be an imminent coming for many of us and a surprise, if we are not
prepared for it.
In a way, I believe in the Imminent Return of Christ. No one
knows the exact date. But I also believe that we might be able to narrow it down a little
as to when He might come.
Everyone has an opinion about end-time events. I don't think
we need to fight over our interpretations of Scripture about when the Lord might
come. We know that He is coming and that should be good enough to bring unity among all Christians.
There is a good chance, however, that the Lord will return at Rosh
Hashanah.
I want to show you something different that is not repeated
from another's teaching on the rapture. Let's go back to the rapture in
Revelation 7 and the appearing of all the saints at the throne of God.
After the rapture this scene unfolds:
"After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which
no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues,
stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and
palms in their hands" Revelation 7:9
They had palms in their hands. Did you know right after Rosh
Hashanah is the Feast of Tabernacles? Sunday Evening, September 27 - Monday,
October 5.
Here is some help on Jewish months which are different than
our calendar.
"Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when
ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the Lord
seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be
a sabbath. And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees,
branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the
brook; and ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days" Leviticus
23: 39-40
Lulav: [lolav]; Hebrew: לולב) is a closed frond of the date palm tree.
"While standing, the person picks up the lulav with its
attached willows and myrtle in his right hand, holding the lulav so that its
spine is toward them. The etrog is picked up in the left hand, next to the
lulav, with its tip (pitom) pointing down. The blessings are said: “Blessed are
You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us by His
commandments, and instructed us concerning the waving of the palm branch.” Then
the shehekeyanu is said: “Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the
universe, for keeping us in life, for sustaining us, and for helping us reach
this day.” The etrog is then turned right side up and shaken with the lulav.
Each day of the Feast of Tabernacles, the people in the Temple courtyard would
hold their lulavs and make a circular procession around the altar. During the
procession they would pray a prayer that came to be known as Hoshanos. It is a
prayer for God’s blessing, ending each phrase of the prayer with the word
hoshana (“Please save” or “save now!”). On the first six days they would march
around the altar one time. On the seventh day they marched around it seven
times. Traditionally, Psalm 27 is recited at the service of the Feast of
Tabernacles. Bible prophecy tells us that people from the nations of the world
will come up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles with the Jewish people in
Jerusalem."
In Revelation 7 what are the people doing around the
throne?
"And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our
God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood
round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell
before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing,
and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be
unto our God for ever and ever. Amen" Revelation 7: 10-12.
It sounds to me like they are worshiping and saying words like in the " shehekeyanu."
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If you are into blood moons there is one coming this year in
September.
"Some people
believe that the tetrad has special significance because the eclipses coincide
with important Jewish festivals. The two April lunar eclipses in 2014 and 2015
occurred at the same time as Passover, while the October and September eclipses
occur during the Feast of Tabernacle. This, they suggest, is connected to a
biblical prophecy of the end of times."
Is God trying to get our attention? He might be. Just
like there was a sign given at the birth of Jesus (the Bethlehem star) there are
signs perhaps given to us as to the time of Christ return.
There is more. This Jewish year is a jubilee year. It starts
on September 23:
"Recall that in a Jubilee year it is a great BLESSING
to those who are humble, repentant, who are seeking to SHEMA, to hear and obey
by the Holy Spirit. It is the year of RELEASE of the captives, return to your
homeland, canceling of debts…freedom for the slaves…
But, for those who are unrepentant of sin, the Jubilee year is
a JUDGMENT. The Jubilee year brings both great BLESSING and RESTORATION and
LIBERTY and it also brings JUDGMENT, all rolled up in one, happening at the
same time….."
Will Christians be released from their captivity on the
earth? Will we return to the Lord as His possessions?"
Clarke's Commentary
on Ephesians 1:14
"Which is the earnest of our inheritance - This Holy
Spirit, sealing the soul with truth and righteousness, is the earnest,
foretaste, and pledge of the heavenly inheritance. And he who can produce this
earnest - this witness of the Spirit, in the day of judgment, shall have an
abundant entrance into the holiest. On the αρῥαβων, or earnest, see the notes
on Genesis 38:17 (note), etc., and on 2 Corinthians 1:22 (note).
The redemption of the purchased possession - That is, till
the time when body and soul are redeemed from all their miseries, and glorified
in the kingdom on heaven.
The redemption of the purchased possession - Απολυτρωσις της
περιποιησεως is variously understood; and indeed the original is variously
translated. Dr. Whitby has observed that the verb πεειποιειν signifies to save
alive; and he refers the περιποιησις, here, to the redemption of the body from
corruption, and to its final glorification with the soul.
All those who believe in Christ Jesus are considered as his
peculiar people and property, and to them eternal glory is promised. The Spirit
of promise, which is given them, is a pledge that they shall have a
resurrection from the dead, and eternal blessedness; the redemption, or
bringing to life of the body, cannot take place till the day of judgment, but
the Holy Spirit promises this redemption, and is now in their hearts an earnest
or pledge of this complete restoration at the great day, which will then be, in
an especial manner, to the praise of his glory, viz. of Christ, who has bought
them by his blood."
It is an interesting time of the year. I like the coolness of fall. Perhaps the Lord will come this September. But if He doesn't look up anyway,
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