Saturday, May 10, 2008

Pentecost 2017 - May 10

May - A Month to Celebrate

Not only does yours truly celebrate a birthday this month, Israel was also born in May sixty years ago. Ezekiel, a servant of God, gives us a prophecy of the rebirth of modern Israel:

They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children's children will live there forever, and David my servant will be their prince forever. I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and increase their numbers, and I will put my sanctuary among them forever. My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. Then the nations will know that I the LORD make Israel holy, when my sanctuary is among them forever.' " (Ezekiel 37:25-28)

Jesus Himself taught that when things start happening quickly the generation that sees all these things will be the one to usher in the millenial reign (aka the sabbath):

"Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. (Matthew 24:32-35)

Does the Fig Tree Represent Modern Israel's Rebirth?

This one is a real mystery. Some will say yes, some no. I do not believe Jesus was talking specifically about the modern-day resurrection of Israel in the above passage. I do however believe that Israel's rebirth signifies the beginnings of the close of the church age. Now the age of grace did not end when Israel came into being in 1948. But (and this is a big but), I believe it commenced the countdown to the end of this age. If seventy years is the average human life span (knowing that all generations overlap with one another), then 25,200 days (70 prophetic years each comprised of 360 days) from May 15, 1948 to the year 2017/5777 strikes me as a very reasonable timetable.

Why the Number Seventy? A Top Ten List to Ponder

In 1988, some Bible scholars believed that Jesus (the bridegroom) would come for His church (the bride). That was based on the forty years that the Jews spent wandering in the desert. The year 1988 came and went and we're still waiting. I think these well-meaning individuals were half-right. The start point was right but the period of time was too short. So why 70 years instead? Consider the following:

1) The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy in all. (Exodus 1:5)

2) It was seventy elders of Israel along with Moses who confirmed the covenant with God (Exodus 24)

3) The offerings given for the dedication of the tabernacle had one silver plate weighing 130 shekels (fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering). The other silver plate weighed seventy shekels. Each one of the twelve tribes of Israel gave this offering.

4) Gideon had seventy sons in all. All seventy died as a result of the sins of Abimelech. (Judges 8,9)

5) Seventy men of Beth Shemesh were killed by God because they looked into the Ark of the Covenant. (1 Samuel 6:19)

6) Seventy sons of the house of Ahab were killed by Jehu (2 Kings 10)

7) King Hezekiah purified the temple with seventy bulls (and rams and male lambs) as a burnt offering. (2 Chronicles 29:32)

8) The Babylonians conquered the Israelites and left Jerusalem desolate for seventy years according to Jeremiah's prophecy. (Jer 25:11)

9) The length of our days is seventy years. (Psalm 90)

10) Daniel was given the the prophecy of Seventy 'Sevens'. (Daniel 9)

The number seventy is better associated with God's judgement than forty. What we see here is a theme of sanctification and purification from sin. Seven is the perfect number, ten (or five) is the complete number. God's perfection is multiplyed by His completeness (7 x 10 = 70). If ever there was a finite number to describe Him, seventy would be it.

So why Pentecost?

The church was born on Pentecost (see Acts 2). The Law was handed to Moses on Pentecost (also known as Shavuot). It is the very day (on two separate occasions) where Jewish ethics and the Christian faith were married. If God wanted to get our attention by removing His church, there's no better day to do it than on Pentecost/Shavuot. The year 2017 is also the Hebrew year of 5777. If both the Lord and the church are represented by the number 777, does not the year 5777 strike us as terribly important?

Mind you, I have been wrong before. Only time will tell if I am wise or foolish.

Johnny Cash

(Added Jan 29, 2009)
Postscript: Shavuot or the day of Pentecost in the year 5777/2017 falls on the 6th of Sivan/31st of May. Just thought I'd let you know!

11 comments:

brokedown777 said...

Hello, Fred from Tampa,Fla. I believve you are right on the money concerning pentecost being the day of the rapture. The birthday of the church. I noticed something concerning 2012. Not only have a lot of outside sources in the past predicted the end was Dec. 21st 2012 but in that year Shavout and the Christian pentecost are on the same day. May 27th, 2012 (5772) As you said, only time will tell. Christ Jesus is our great Hope and I for one am excited because I know Jesus will come soon!

Richard Bowers said...

Hi Fred. I'm glad you enjoyed my article. However, Shavuot (the giving of the Law to Moses and the Israelites) and Pentecost (the birth of the church) happen on the same day each year. I'm also familiar with the Dec, 21, 2012 prediction. It's based on the Mayan calendar. My bet is to stick with God's word which has never failed. As Jesus came to Bethlehem on time, there's no reason to believe His arrival for the start of His millennial reign will also be on time. I never explicitly said that the rapture would happen on May 31, 2017 (or in the year 2017/5777 or on the day of Pentecost for that matter). I refuse to make such a boast. What I did say was that this date deserves some scrutiny because the timing seems to fit with God's time frames of 70 years. Time will tell as you say!

Cordially, JC

brokedown777 said...

Thanks for your reply JC. I agree totally as to never giving an absolute date or year for the rapture. We just dont know. There is a lot of merit to your speculation though. I did want to mention that for instance this year, Pentecost Sunday is May 31 and Shavuot is on Friday, May 29th. Everyone have a blessed day. Fred

brokedown777 said...

Thanks for the reply JC. I did want to ask you before I have to do the math, do you happen to know if we are using May 14,1948 for the date Israel became a nation, what exact date in 2017 would seventy years be? I am just curious. I agree with you totally that we cannot put any absolute date for the rapture. Yours is an excellent speculation though. One thing I was trying to say in my previous comment was that in 2012, the sunday that christians celebrate pentecost would be on the exact day of Shavuot. In most years they vary by three or four days. Everyone have a blessed day. Fred

Richard Bowers said...

Hi Fred,
I'm not going to dispute dates as per Shavuot/Pentecost. If you say they vary by three or four days that's good enough for me. I'm using Israel's birthday of May 14, 1948 as a starting point. I do not know the exact date (I'm too lazy to do the math) but multiply 70x360 (360 days is the length of the prophetic calendar) you get 25,200 days. Adding that length of time from Israel's rebirth should land you close to the day of Pentecost in 2017/5777. I'm not a numerologist or a mathematician, just some guy speculating on the end of the age. Even educated guesses can lend you a whole heap of trouble! Hope that answers your question.

Cordially, JC
P.S. I read all three of your comments. I deleted the short one because it seemed repetitive. Thanks again for visiting!

brokedown777 said...

I just wanted to add one last comment. My birthday is May 31st. Would that be incredible or what? I am excited. I believe we are living in the last of the last days and the Lamb of God will return soon. Christ Jesus is my Love and my Great Hope.

Richard Bowers said...

Fred, you and I both share the same month when it comes to birthdays. I suppose that would be a marvelous gift! May His peace be upon you.

Cordially, JC

brokedown777 said...

I did the math. It carried us to within two days of Shavuot. This cant be a coincidence. I believe the seventy years is going to be a generation.

Queen Royalty said...

7+3=10/Perfect ten
7x3=21/ 2021
7represents the #of completion...3 represents the #of perfection & Trinity

2012...Is perfect & complete!!!!Out of time

20+12=32..3+2=5#of Grace(May the grace of our God be with us)!!

Richard Bowers said...

Hello QR, glad you could join us! Do take the time to read my comments following this post. At no time have I made any boast about having special insight into God's perfect timing. Mathematics is a difficult subject, one best left to the experts. Numbers, like language, can be craftily manipulated to prove whatever we want. It is always best to exercise caution when engaging in such amateurish guesswork. May the grace of God be with you too!

Cordially, JC

Frank Freeman said...

1. The Rapture and The Day of the Lord are 2 separate events.
2. When the Bible speaks of the generation which was alive at the inception of the New Israel it refers to the Day of the Lord. Hosea 9:10, Luke 21:29-32.
3. The Day of The Lord is the day the Tribulation period ends. It is the end of exactly 7 years of Tribulation.
4. One generation (70 years) after May 14/15,1948 is May 14/15,2018.
5. Christ comes to Earth and stops the Battle of Armageddon.
6. He then judges the Nations, the righteous and unrighteous and the tribes. Matt. 25: 31-46
7. This judgment takes 30 days as prophesied by Daniel 12:11.
8. He then takes another 45 days to assign territories to all the saints to administer. Daniel 12:12, Rev.20:6
9. Subtract 7 years (the tribulation period) from May 14/15,2018 to come to the beginning of the tribulation when the Anti-Christ is announced, May 14/15,2011.
10. The Anti-Christ makes a deal protecting Israel from all enemies as a result of the war of Gog and Magog.
11. The war of Gog and Magog starts on the Jewish Sabbath, the Feast of Yom Kippur, the feast of Atonement.
It is this battle that brings the nation of Israel to accept Jesus as the Messiah. Ezekiel 39:7
12. Yom Kippur is on the 10th of the Jewish month of Tishri.
13. On the 1st of the same month, the feast of Rosh Hashanna also known as the Feast of Trumpets and The Feast Of First Fruits is celebrated. It is in this month that the resurrection of the saints will occur, ie. "the Rapture. 1 Thes. 4:13-18

ARE YOU READY: Counting events backward from May 14/15,2018, we arrive at the conclusion that the "Rapture" will occur on September 8/9,2010.

BY THE WAY: I'll be ready for the "Rapture"on 9/09/2010, but if my calendar is wrong, I'll still be ready whenever it does occur.