A FREE printed copy of the Sacred Calendar booklet is available upon request.
APPENDIX A: New Moon Times & the Beginnings of Months for the years 1994 - 2005
APPENDIX B: 1994 Examples
APPENDIX C: Prophetic Time Spans
APPENDIX D: Scheduled Events in the Diary of God
The aim of this booklet is threefold:
The reader is advised to carefully preserve this booklet, for
it contains rare information concerning the appointed days
on which divinely predicted signs in the sun, moon and stars
are expected; signs which will not only confirm the Holy Bible
as the Word of God, but will cause all humanity to prepare for
the Day of Judgement. With these opening thoughts in mind let
us proceed.
The Need for a Calendar
Pause a while and consider the civil calendar hanging
on your living room or office wall and ask yourself these questions.
Why is it there? What is its true purpose? Where and how
did the calendar originate? Is a calendar essential?
Your response would probably go something like this. The calendar
is there to help me, my family and my fellow-workers keep track
of time. Its purpose is to keep us in touch with appointments
and events at home, in the office and abroad. No, I have little
knowledge of where and how it originated.
Before answering the next question, Is it essential? try
to imagine a world without a calendar; a world without pre-numbered
days, months and years. Could society operate in a world
without a calendar? I suppose it could - after a fashion; but
it would be a crippled society at best. Why? Because planning
further than a few days ahead would not be possible. All
official, social, religious and sporting appointments would be
extremely difficult to make; for no one would know on which
day to meet. The entire legal profession, with its millions
of carefully dated documents, would also be thrown into a state
of total chaos. The activities of travel agents, airlines,
hospital/dental surgeries and countless business organisations
and clubs would slow to a snail's pace; for no one would be able
to organise events more than a few days ahead. Without a calendar
there would be no diaries, no long-term business, social or personal
planning. Without question, a world without a calendar would
be a world of frustrating confusion. Yes, you may be sure that
a calendar of some sort is absolutely essential.
Currently there are several calendars in use throughout the world. Most are religious calendars used mainly to identify the dates of religious festivals celebrated by the faithful of the world's many religions. Amongst these is the sacred calendar of the God of Israel, the calendar this booklet is about. The sacred calendar is based on the movements of the sun and the moon. It is also linked directly to many Bible prophecies which describe world-encompassing events shortly to take place. Bible prophecy clearly tells us that there is coming a 'great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.' After the tribulation there will be 'signs in the heavens.'
| Matt.24:29 | Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun
be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,
and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers
of the heavens shall be shaken. |
Knowledge of the sacred calendar will stand you in good stead
when those signs in the heavens appear. But more of this
later.
The Gregorian Calendar
Besides the various religious calendars being used by mankind,
there is the popular civil or Gregorian calendar. This
is the calendar that hangs on the wall of almost every office
in the civilised world. The Gregorian calendar takes its name
from Pope Gregory X111, who reformed the Roman calendar
in the year 1582. Before that time the civil calendar was called
the Julian calendar, after the Roman Emperor Julius
Caesar who had also made some alterations to the calendar
in the year 46 BC. One of Caesar's amendments was to pattern
the civil calendar on the calendar of ancient Egypt, which
was at that time the only calendar in which the lengths of
the months and years were fixed by definite rules. In other
words, the civil calendar which hangs upon your office
wall is similar in structure to the calendar that was used in
ancient Egypt. Like its Egyptian ancestor, the civil calendar
is governed by the sun alone, and its months (January to December)
are in no way influenced by the moon. In the civil calendar a
new moon can occur on any day in the month; days begin in the
middle of the night (0.00 hour) and years (in the northern
hemisphere) begin in the middle of winter on the 1st January.
The Sacred Calendar
By comparison the sacred calendar is strikingly different. In
it the days begin and end at sunset, months begin at the sighting
of a new moon and the years begin in Israel's spring, when
nature awakens from its winter sleep. Not surprisingly,
therefore, many creatures from tiny birds keeping to their 14,
21 or 28 day cycles, right through to the complex human body,
are designed to keep in step with the weekly and monthly periods
of the Creator's calendar.
Interesting though these points may be, they are, nevertheless, of small account when compared with these two all-encompassing facts:
The Most High not only reveals His plans to His servants the prophets, but, like every good managing director, His plans are carried out on schedule - at appointed times. And those appointed times are all linked to the sacred calendar, which has been in existence since the creation of the world. We read of the sacred calendar's use in the account of Noah's flood which was over 800 years before Israel came out of Egypt.
| Gen.7:11 | In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the
second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day
were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows
of heaven were opened. |
| Gen.8:4 | And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat. |
| Gen.8:13 | And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry. |
In the sacred calendar a 24 hour day is the period of time between one sunset and the next. According to the Scriptures, days begin and end at sunset and are divided into two parts, evening and morning.
Evening: when the sun is down.
Mark 1:32 : And at even, when the sun did set…For
further proof that days start and end at evening, sunset, at
the going down of the sun, see Joshua 8:29, Joshua 10:26-27, 1
Kings 22:35-36, 2 Chron.18:34, 2 Samuel 3:35
Morning: when the sun is up.
Thus in Genesis chapter 1 we read how "the evening
and the morning were the first day," "the evening and
the morning were the second day," "the evening and the
morning were the third day" and so on.
A month in the sacred calendar is measured by the moon. A month
is the period of time between one new moon and the next. A month
begins when the new moon is sighted with the naked eye. The
moon orbits the earth in about 29.5 days. Months in the sacred
calendar may, therefore, be either 29 or 30 days in length: they
cannot be 28 or 31 days in length. Note that the new moon mentioned
here is not the astronomical new moon (conjunction),
which is invisible; but the visible new moon as it is first
sighted with the naked eye by an observer at Jerusalem. This
point is explained further in Part Two, Question 1.
Months in the sacred calendar are usually, though not always,
referred to in Scripture by their numbers, not by their names:
i.e. 1st month, 2nd month, 3rd month, 7th month etc.
Unlike most weekdays, however, months in the sacred calendar
do have proper names, most of which are found in the Bible.
The names of months are given below:
| MONTHS IN THE SACRED CALENDAR | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Name | Bible Reference | Comment |
| 1 | Abib / Nisan | Exo. 12:2, 13:4, Esther 3:7 | Sprouting/Budding |
| 2 | Zif | 1 Kings 6:1 | Blossom month |
| 3 | Sivan | Esther 8:9 | Third month |
| 4 | Tamuz | Jeremiah 39:2 | Name not in Bible |
| 5 | Ab | Numbers 33:38, Zech.7:3 | Name not in Bible |
| 6 | Elul | Nehemiah 6:15 | The gleaning month |
| 7 | Ethanim / Tishri | 1 Kings 8:2 | Perennial/seventh |
| 8 | Bul | 1 Kings 6:38 | Rain/Eighth |
| 9 | Chisleu | Nehemiah 1:1, Zech.7:1 | The Hunter/ninth |
| 10 | Tebeth | Esther 2:16 | Winter/tenth |
| 11 | Sebat | Zech. 1:7 | Eleventh |
| 12 | Adar | Esther 8:12 | Fire/twelfth |
Note:
When a 13th month is periodically added to keep the sacred Feasts
'in their seasons,' (agricultural seasons) then
the 12th month is called Adar 1 and the 13th month is called
Veadar or Adar 2. In the literature published by Stewarton
Bible School we usually refer to months by number. We do this
for two reasons:
A year in the sacred calendar begins in Israel's spring (March/April)
and is the time between one spring season and the next. When
the sacred calendar is printed in advance the new moon nearest
the spring equinox is chosen to begin the year; that is,
the new moon which normally coincides with the natural
conditions in Israel which the ancient Sanhedrin looked for when
they selected Abib's new moon. See the answer to Question
2 at the back of this booklet concerning the choice of Abib's
new moon.
Most years in the sacred calendar consist of 12 months, each
of 29 or 30 days. Thus, assuming six months at 29 days and six
months at 30 days, a normal year would contain about 354 days.
This figure is about 11.25 days short of a 365.25 day solar year,
which is the time the earth takes to complete one orbit of the
sun. In order to ensure that the Feasts of the Most High
occur at their appointed seasons (Passover in
the Spring, First Fruits in the summer and Tabernacles in
the Autumn) it is necessary for this 11 day annual loss to
be made good every two or three years. This is done by intercalating
(adding) an extra month after the twelfth month to make the
calendar harmonise with the solar year and the agricultural seasons.
This extra month (Adar 2) results in a leap year - which has
13 months. See Part 2, Question 5 for further details
about leap years.
To summarise the foregoing we may say that in the sacred calendar:
Note: In the popular Jewish calendar the year begins in autumn with the month of Ethanim (Tishri). Strictly, this is the start of the agricultural year. The religious year begins in the spring with the Passover month of Abib (Nisan).
| Exo.12:1 | And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land
of Egypt, saying,2 This month shall be unto you the
beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to
you. |
| Exo.13:4 | This day came ye out in the month Abib. |
| Exo. 34:18 | The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep.
Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee,
in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou
camest out from Egypt. |
In ancient times, years were usually numbered from important events such as a ruler's birth, coronation or death. Examples are:
| Gen. 7: 11 | In the six hundredth year of Noah's life,
in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same
day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the
windows of heaven were opened. |
| Isa.6:1 | In the year that king Uzziah died… |
| Luke 3:1 | Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius
Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod
being tetrarch of Galilee… |
The week is another important cycle operating within the sacred
calendar. It was designed by the Most High to regulate the
physical, mental and spiritual welfare of the human race. Peoples
of all religions have a seven day week; a fact which is strong
proof that all nations came from a common ancestor who received
the seven-day week from the Creator. At first glance the week
appears to have no connection whatsoever with the movements of
the earth, the moon and the sun. The week, however, forms the
basis of an important spiritual cycle of sevens, which
we refer to as the Sabbatical cycle. The sabbatical
cycle figures extensively in Bible prophecy. The Sabbatical/Jubilee
cycles mentioned in Leviticus chapter 25 are briefly described
later in this booklet.
In the sacred calendar the days of the week are not named but numbered: first day, second day, third day etc. The main exception being the seventh day of the week, which is called the Sabbath. In the Roman civil calendar, the one currently used by virtually all the world, the days of the week are named after various pagan or planetary gods:
When conversing with the peoples of this world, it is necessary
to use these popular names (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday etc.), else
few would know what we were talking about if only the Biblical
numbering system were used. But it should be remembered that these
popular weekday names have pagan roots and are not found in the
Bible.
In the Scriptures the seventh day of the week is called the Sabbath. The word Sabbath is synonymous with rest, repose, restoration, refreshment, calm, tranquillity, freedom, peace, harmony, holiness and sanctification. It is, therefore, a fitting sign of the Creator's character and aims. The divine record of the creation is brief; but it leaves one in no doubt that the Creator rested on, blessed and sanctified the seventh day of the week at the creation of the world. Notice what His Word says on this matter in:
| Genesis 2: 1 | Thus the heavens and the earth were finished,
and all the host of them. 2: And on the seventh day God ended
his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day
from all his work which he had made. 3: And God blessed the
seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested
from all his work which God created and made. |
Many people will be surprised to learn that the true Sabbath day is not Sunday but Saturday. Sunday is the first day of the week. Saturday is the seventh and in Scripture is called the Sabbath of the LORD. In other words Saturday is the true LORD'S's Day. The Sabbath starts at sunset on Friday evening and ends 24 hours later at sunset on Saturday evening. Lev 23:32 "From evening unto evening shall you celebrate your Sabbath." The Sabbath commandment is part of the Ten Commandments, which were written with the finger of God!
| Exo.24:12 | And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into
the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone,
and a law, and commandments which I have written; that
thou mayest teach them. |
| Exo.31:18 | And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end
of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony,
tables of stone, written with the finger of God. (See
also Deut.9:10) |
| Exo.20:8 | Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9: Six
days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 10: But the seventh
day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not
do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant,
nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is
within thy gates: 11: For in six days the LORD made heaven and
earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh
day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed
it. |
Yahweh's Sabbath Day
In view of the above facts, it is a mistake to refer to the
Sabbath as the Jewish Sabbath; or that it is only
to be observed by Jews. The Sabbath is Yahweh's Sabbath;
or, as the Scriptures put it: the Sabbath of the LORD
thy God! To be sure it is kept by Israel and the Jews;
but it is not for Israel alone, any more than the Ten Commandments
are for the Jews alone. According to the fourth commandment,
even 'strangers' (Gentiles) are expected to keep
the Sabbath day. If they obey this royal command, Gentiles will
also be greatly blessed. Notice the word 'stranger'
in the following texts:
| Exo.20:8-10 | Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy...in it
thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter,
thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy
stranger that is within thy gates: |
| Isa.56:6: | Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; 7: Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer… |
Neither is there any evidence in the New Testament to suggest that the Saviour or his Apostles changed the Ten Commandments and transferred the sanctity of the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day of the week. Instead, Jesus kept his Father's commandments (John 15:10). If he hadn't done so he would have been classified as 'a sinner.' But we read that the Saviour kept the Sabbath day as it was meant to be kept, much to the annoyance of the Scribes and Pharisees who had burdened the day with many petty, man-made restrictions. These the Master brushed aside. Commenting on the eternal nature of his Father's law the Saviour said these words:
| Matt. 5:17 | Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or
the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18: For
verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot
or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be
fulfilled. |
Pause and consider this text and see how pointless it would
have been for the Saviour to have given this advice to his
predominantly Jewish followers if the Sabbath commandment was
going to be abolished at Calvary. The truth is, the Saviour had
absolutely no intention whatsoever of doing away with or changing
the Sabbath commandment. He had an extremely high regard for
his Father's law; which he was instrumental in giving to Israel
in the first place. (James 4:12) In short, the true Sabbath
day is still the seventh day of the week, the day commonly
known as Saturday!
This unequivocal fact means that those who break the Sabbath
commandment are guilty of sin, whether they realise it or not;
for '…sin is the transgression of the law.' (1
John 3:4) For further proof of this astonishing fact, see SBS
article Is Sunday the Christian Sabbath?
Hanging from the Sabbath commandment in the law of the Almighty are the seven annual Sabbaths of Jehovah the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel. Unlike the popular holidays of Christmas, Easter, Hallowe'en etc., which have absolutely no scriptural backing whatsoever, the Feasts of the Almighty are the sacred memorials of the Creator's mightiest acts in the Plan of Salvation; each and every one of them being an appointed anniversary of a distinct, decisive achievement in His plan. Yahweh's Feasts are the high days in His Diary. He looks forward to them in much the same way as we would some special anniversary or event. At this moment in time, most of them point to realities that are still future. But all through eternity the redeemed host will look back at these days and will then - year by year - commemorate the mighty deeds the Most High and His Son performed on them for the salvation of the human race. "What" you may well ask, "are the Almighty's Annual Sabbaths?" There are six Feast days and one Fast day. I list them:
These are the seven annual memorial Sabbaths of the Almighty; which all peoples, Jew and Gentile alike, are commanded to observe. These days do not belong to any particular race or religion. They are not Jewish festivals. They are the Almighty's 'appointment times' and all nations are required to keep them. The Most High refers to them as 'My Feasts, My Sabbaths.'
| Lev.23:1 | And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2: Speak
unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the
feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy
convocations, even these are my feasts. |
For further information about these divinely appointed memorial
Sabbaths of the Most High see the SBS booklet entitled: The Feast
Days of the God of Israel.
SIGNS IN THE SUN, MOON & STARS
The sun, moon and stars were originally created by the Almighty to draw universal attention to the spectacular deeds He planned to perform on the appointed Feast days, seasons and sabbatical years in the sacred calendar. This astonishing fact is mentioned in the very first chapter of the Bible. Genesis 1:14 which says:
According to Strong's Bible Dictionary
In other words: the sun and moon were set in the heavens to signal the appointed sacred seasons, the set feasts, when Israel was to gather in worship at the Creator's tent of meeting. To be sure the sun and the moon determine the literal days, nights, seasons and years and they directly influence the climate. But the language of Genesis 1:14 goes far beyond these natural events. It tells of the spiritual reasons why the sun and moon were created. They were created I repeat:
Several Bible prophecies confirm the message of Genesis 1:14 by telling us that just before Jesus Christ returns to earth there will be 'signs in the sun and the moon.' Consider these verses:
| Joel 2:10 | The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and
the stars shall withdraw their shining. |
| Joel 2:30-31 | The sun shall be turned into darkness, and
the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day
of the LORD come. 32: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever
shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered |
| Amos 8:9 | And it shall come to pass in that day, saith
the LORD GOD, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon,
and I will darken the earth in the clear day: |
| Matt.24:29 | Immediately after the tribulation of those days
shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her
light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers
of the heavens shall be shaken: |
| Rev.6:12 | And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal,
and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black
as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; 13: And
the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth
her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.... |
| Rev.8:12 | And the fourth angel sounded, and the third
part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the
moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third
part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part
of it, and the night likewise. |
These predicted signs in the heavens are scheduled to happen shortly before Yeshua the Messiah returns to earth; and happen they will. When they occur they will provide unmistakable evidence that one of the Almighty's appointed seasons has begun and that the end of this age has arrived. World shattering events will occur at that time and all mankind will then become aware of the LORD'S requirements and His anger at the refusal of many to obey His law.
| Rev.6:16: | And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on
us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne,
and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17: For the great day of his
wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? |
If you believe the message of Genesis 1:14 then at each sacred
festival you should be on the watch for celestial signs in the
sun, moon and stars. Failure to keep the Almighty's appointments
could mean that when those signs occur - as they surely will
- the spiritual significance of the feasts and the prophecies
to which they relate will be lost to you. To be sure you will
marvel at those celestial signs, all humanity will, but you will
not realise their spiritual significance and will be
completely oblivious to what they mean and, more importantly,
what you are expected to do.
Note:
Astrology is the study of the supposed influence of the
stars on human affairs. A horoscope is an astrologer's
forecast of future events, based on the position of stars and
peoples' birthdays. The study of astrology and the daily reading
of horoscopes is strongly condemned in the Scriptures. (Deut.4:19,
2 Kings 23:5) The signs in the sun, moon and stars mentioned in
this booklet have nothing to do with the study of astrology
or the reading of horoscopes. The celestial signs prophesied in
the Scriptures will occur at the Almighty's appointed time. When
they appear, it will be too late to rush about improving your
understanding of God's Word. That must be done now, before it
is too late. If on the other hand you are a believer, then do
not be terrified when those signs appear, because they spell out
good news to the obedient.
Bible prophecy is the news in advance. It is the Almighty telling humanity and the angel host what He is about to do or allow Satan to do. Studying Bible prophecy is like taking a look at the Diary of the Most High. When studied in conjunction with the sacred calendar, Bible prophecy is the most reliable evidence the church has that the Almighty is working to a divine timetable; one that is infinitely more reliable than the diaries and wall charts business managers use. Bible prophecy is also the LORD'S way of warning all mankind of approaching danger.
| 2 Pet.1:19 | We have also a more sure word of prophecy;
whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth
in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise
in your hearts: 20: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the
scripture is of any private interpretation. 21: For the prophecy
came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake
as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. |
| Amos 3:7 | Surely the LORD GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth
his secret unto his servants the prophets. |
| Eze.33:11: | Say unto them, As I live, saith the LORD GOD, I
have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked
turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways;
for why will ye die, O house of Israel? |
| Isaiah 24: 1 | Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and
maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth
abroad the inhabitants thereof. 2: And it shall be, as with the
people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master;
as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so
with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as
with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him. 3:
The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the
LORD hath spoken this word. 4: The earth mourneth and fadeth
away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people
of the earth do languish. 5: The earth also is defiled under
the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws,
changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. 6:
Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell
therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are
burned, and few men left.
verse 19: The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. 20: The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again. 21: And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. 22: And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited. 23: Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously. |
| Rev. 16:19 | ... and the cities of the nations fell...!
|
It is virtually impossible to imagine the devastation that will occur when these prophecies comes to pass. The very idea of the earth being 'utterly waste,' 'turned upside down' and 'reeling to and fro like a drunkard' is beyond human imagination! All the cities of the nations will then collapse in ruins and international trade will come to a shuddering halt. Yes, these are amazing prophecies and they are bound to happen at the 'appointed times' in the Almighty's calendar. This fact about 'appointed times' is repeatedly mentioned in the Scriptures. (i.e. Gen.18:14, Exo.9.5, 2 Samuel 24:15, Dan.8:19, 10:1, 11:35, Hab.2:3, Acts 17:31, Gal.4:2) Consequently when we study Bible prophecy in conjunction with the sacred calendar we are in fact looking at the 'Diary of the God of Israel.' We are being given a preview of earth-shaking events before they actually take place! The Most High is revealing His plans to us simply because the events that are about to occur concern the whole human race. In the books of Daniel and Revelation there are several prophecies involving exact periods of time. In this booklet these are referred to as Time Prophecies or Time Spans. They are:
Millions of Christians know little or nothing about these prophecies.
They have never heard a sermon about them or studied them. Of
the believers who have read them, the majority think that these
prophecies have already been fulfilled and, therefore,
do not concern the Christians living in our day. This is a tragic
mistake, because these Time Prophecies concern events
scheduled to occur in the days just prior to the return
of Jesus Christ. In other words, they concern all humanity - today!
Proof of this fact is given below.
No student of Bible prophecy will fail to recognise that current
world events perfectly match the Master's warnings recorded in
Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21. The Saviour predicted that
just before his return to earth, there would be an increase in
wars, famines, disease epidemics, earthquakes, drought,
floods, high winds, sexual immorality, violence and
widespread unbelief. These signs are now evident
all over the world. They are proof that we have reached the
closing days of this age, the 'time of the end.'
Also notice that the time prophecies listed above are not
vague generalities, but exact periods of time. Important questions
are : What do they mean? When do they start? When do they
end? How do they concern me? You need to know the answers
to these questions; because drifting in blissful ignorance towards
disaster is certainly not for the sober minded.
Before we attempt to answer these questions, let us first examine
a popular theory which says that in Bible prophecy one day
represents one year. Many Christian groups believe that these
time spans in Daniel & Revelation (the 2300, 1260, 1290, 1335
days) all represent years and that they have
all been fulfilled. For example the 2300 day prophecy of Daniel
chapter 8, they believe, is telling of a period of 2300 years;
and the 1260 day prophecy of Revelation 12:6 was 1260 literal
years: all in the past! Is this the case? Does one day in Bible
prophecy always represent one year? The answer is,
not always. A prophetic day equals a year only when the prophetic
language so implies, as it does in Numbers 14:34 and
Ezekiel 4:1-6. If the language does not give this clear
indication, as it does not in Dan.8:14, Dan.12:11-12, Matt.27:63,
Rev.11:3 and Rev.20:4-5, then a day is a normal day and
a year is a normal year.
How can we be sure that the time spans mentioned in Daniel 8 and Daniel 12 are literal days and not years? The answer is, we are plainly told by an angel messenger that this is the case; that the 2300, 1260, 1290 and 1335 day time prophecies will occur at the 'time of the end.'' Yes, we are told this fact. Here is proof.
The 2300 day Prophecy of Daniel 8
| Dan:8:17 | So he came near where I stood: and when he came,
I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand,
O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision. |
| Dan.8:26 | And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days. |
The 1260,1290 & 1335 day Prophecies of Daniel 12
| Dan.12:8 | And I heard, but I understood not: then said I,
O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? 9: And he said,
Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till
the time of the end. 10: Many shall be purified, and made
white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of
the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand. |
| Dan.12:13 | But go thou thy way till the end be: for
thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days. |
This means that these prophecies, the longest of which is 2300
days (just under 6.5 years) will occur in about a seven
year period just before the Saviour returns to earth. I repeat,
the events predicted by these prophecies did not start in
the distant past thousands of years ago. Instead, they
will be understood and then fulfilled, as these texts clearly
say, 'at the time of the end;' and that time, dear
reader, has now arrived. In short, the day-for-a-year
principle does not apply to the end-time prophecies of Daniel
8 and 12; and placing them in the distant past is a serious
error. Not only is it wrong, but it is dangerous, because few
believers will trouble to study them if they think they have all
been fulfilled - when they obviously haven't.
Why, then, have some Christians placed these time prophecies
in the distant past and used the 'day for a year'
theory to explain them. The answer is because there is one
prophecy in the book of Daniel where a prophetic day does represent
one year and a prophetic week does equal seven years. That
prophecy is found in Daniel chapter 9. It is the '70 weeks
of years' prophecy concerning the return of the Jews from
Babylon to the Promised Land, the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem
and the death of the Messiah. In the prophecy recorded in Daniel
9 a day does equal one year. But not in the prophecies of Daniel
8 and 12. Remember this vital difference.
When comparing the prophecy of Daniel 8 with that of Daniel 9 we learn the following:
The 2300 day Prophecy of Daniel 8.
The 490 year Prophecy of Daniel 9
This prophecy concerns a period of time lasting '70 weeks of years.' Seventy weeks of years equals 490 years. (70x7 = 490 years)
As we can see the vision of Daniel 8 was given some 15 years
before the prophecy of Daniel 9. More importantly, the
starting dates of the two prophecies are over 24 centuries
apart. The 490 year prophecy started when the 'commandment
to restore and to build Jerusalem' went forth and ended
490 years later in the days of the Apostles. At its basic
level the prophecy of Daniel 9 has already been fulfilled.
It is past. But the 2300 day prophecy of Daniel 8 is still
future. It will start at the 'time of the end'
and end when the Messiah returns to earth and supernaturally
destroys the Antichrist 'without hand.' The 2300 day
prophecy is a 'high-level' forecast of the Antichrist's
attack on the heavenly sanctuary and the throne of God! When
that time comes, and it is very near, the 'little horn,'
the 'man of sin' will rise from the Abyss and
enter heaven itself. He will then defile the heavenly sanctuary
and dare to take over the throne of the Almighty GOD! This blasphemous
act, prefigured at its lower level by Absalom's rape
of his father's wives on the palace roof (2 Samuel 16:20-22) is
scheduled to take place in the very near future. See article
Who/What is the Antichrist?
Having incorrectly assumed that the day-for-a-year principle
applied to all the time prophecies in Daniel and Revelation,
some leaders have placed the 2300 day prophecy of Daniel 8
in the past. They believe it started in the 457 BC and ended
2300 years later in the mid nineteenth century. But that is an
error. One could hardly call 457 BC or even the nineteenth century
the end of the world!
The 1335 day Prophecy of Daniel 12 is also future. Daniel was told by the heavenly messenger that he would be raised from his grave at the end of this period (Dan.12:13); and we know that the resurrection takes place at the Saviour's return. (1 Thess.4:16-17) The next question is: If these prophecies have not already occurred, then when do they begin? The answer is: No one knows the exact year, but here is a vital clue to consider:
The last-day time prophecies of Daniel 8 and 12 all slot into periods of time between Feast days in the sacred calendar! Begin counting from a sacred Feast in one year and lo! 2300, 1260, 1290 or 1335 literal days later another sacred Feast occurs.
These exact counts of 2300, 1260, 1290 or 1335 etc. are not limited
to a single decade or century. They occur over and over again
throughout time, keeping step with the sun and the moon; which,
as we have already pointed out, were initially created
by God to highlight the mighty deeds He planned to perform on
His Feasts. At this very moment in time these exact counts move
within the sacred calendar like cogs within the wheels of a
divine wrist watch; moving that is, towards the appointed
festivals when the prophecies they are designed to measure
begin to occur. A few examples of exact counts which occur between
a Feast day in one year and another Feast some 2300, 1260, 1290
or 1335 days later are given at Appendix C.
We now have three vital clues concerning the Time Prophecies in Daniel and Revelation. They are:
Understanding these three clues will ensure that the obedient
followers of the Most High, the ones keeping Yahweh's Feasts,
will not be caught unawares by events at the crisis at the end
of the world which will be signalled by signs in the sun,
moon and stars. In other words, when a celestial display
coincides with a Feast day in the sacred calendar, (as promised
in Genesis 1:14) it will be a clear signal to the festival-keeping
church that one of those Time Prophecies has begun. That is the
point being made here. The reader is advised to study this section
again and again to fully grasp its significance.
In Leviticus chapter 25 we are told that every seventh year is a Sabbatical year, a year of rest for the land. We are also told that every fiftieth year is a Jubilee.
| Lev.25:1 | And the LORD spake unto Moses in mount Sinai, saying,
2: Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When
ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep
a sabbath unto the LORD. 3: Six years thou shalt sow thy field,
and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the
fruit thereof; 4: But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath
of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither
sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard. Verse 9:Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land. 10: And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family. 11: A jubile shall that fiftieth year be unto you: ye shall not sow, neither reap that which groweth of itself in it, nor gather the grapes in it of thy vine undressed. 12: For it is the jubile; it shall be holy unto you: ye shall eat the increase thereof out of the field. 13: In the year of this jubile ye shall return every man unto his possession. |
A Jubilee is the 50th year; the year after the seventh sabbatical
year. A Jubilee is not the 1st year of the next fifty year
cycle. The Jubilee is a year in its own right. The next seven
year cycle begins on the 51st year. Put differently we may say
that there are two Jubilees in every century and 70 Jubilee
cycles total 3500 years not 3430 years. Any Jewish rabbi
will confirm this fact.
The Jubilee year is heralded the autumn before, on the Day of Atonement, by the blowing of a Yobel (shophar): the ram's horn trumpet. Lev.25:8-13. See passage quoted above. Close study of Leviticus chapter 25 reveals the following:
Sad to say, ancient Israel failed to recognise the lessons
from Yahweh's Jubilee blueprint. The nation seldom - if ever
- kept it as instructed. Nevertheless the Most High is keeping
to His appointed plan, and the spiritual realities to which a
Jubilee points (redemption, freedom, reconciliation
and miraculous growth) will be fulfilled when the
appointed time arrives and the redeemed slaves
of sin finally meet their heavenly Father and enter their
eternal inheritance. The Jubilee Year will be announced on a
soon-coming Day of Atonement with a trumpet blast from
heaven, as foreshadowed in the blueprint instructions given to
Moses.
Can we identify a Jubilee Year? I believe we can, but not with absolute accuracy - yet. This is how we in SBS see it. According to Luke 3:1-21 Jesus was baptised by John in the 15th year of the Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judaea. Depending on which historian you believe, that was between the years AD 26 and AD 30. For the purpose of this booklet we'll say that the 15th year of the Emperor Tiberius was AD 28.
| Luke 3:1: | Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, 2: Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. 3: And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. |
If you study Luke chapters 3 and 4 you will see that immediately after his baptism Jesus went into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil (Luke 4:1-13). Then after 40 days he returned to Nazareth and entered the synagogue (verses 14-19). In the synagogue he was given the Scriptures to read and after finding the place he read from Isaiah chapter 61. That chapter tells of the spiritual realities to which a Jubilee points. It tells of how the Messiah would:
That sermon was preached in the 15th year of the Emperor
Tiberius; when the Saviour began his earthly ministry in
fulfilment of the prophecy.
Compare those spiritual realities with the directions listed
in Leviticus 25 and you will see that the 15th year of Tiberius
Caesar was in all probability a Jubilee year and the Saviour
was, in fact, preaching a Jubilee sermon! That is why
the Master stopped his normal work and invited his disciples
to give up theirs in order to proclaim the Gospel of
Salvation. He was, in fact, keeping the Jubilee command to
rest from his ordinary labours. The year in question was, as recorded
in Luke 3:1, the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar; which,
give or take a year or two, was AD 28. If AD 28 was a Jubilee,
then the next Jubilee would occur 50 years later in AD 78
and the one after that in AD 128. In other words the 28th and
78th years in every century are Jubilee years. Counting 2 Jubilees
to every century would bring us to the start of the 40th Jubilee
in the year 'about' 1978. Again I use the word 'about'
simply because historians differ as to which was the 15th year
of Tiberius Caesar.
Bible students all know that many events recorded in the Scriptures occurred in cycles of 40: 40 days, 40 nights, 40 years in the wilderness etc. We also know that many, if not all, Old Testament experiences have high-level spiritual parallels.
| 1 Cor.10:11 | Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. |
The word 'ensample,' in this context, means to 'prefigure a future person or thing.' In other words, Israel's bygone experiences, as recorded in the Old Testament, were types, shadows, examples, living blueprints and real-life dramas which prefigured realities scheduled to occur on a world scale in our day! One such reality is that Yahweh's people, like ancient Israel in the wilderness of Sinai, are also circling in the spiritual wilderness of human society; but this time it is for 40 Jubilees! The 40 Jubilee cycles are due to end in about AD 2028. Will time last that long? Will our wilderness wanderings last all of 40 Jubilees - till AD 2028? We think not, because the Master clearly told us that the time will be cut short.
| Matt.24:22 | And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. |
This means that the Saviour could return before the 40th Jubilee cycle has run out - before AD 2028. How many years before that date we do not know. Indeed no one knows the exact time of the Saviour's return; any more than a midwife knows the exact moment of a child's birth, especially if a premature birth is involved.
| Matt.24:36: | But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. |
What we do know is that we are well into the 40th Jubilee since
Yeshua preached his Jubilee sermon in the 15th year of Tiberius
(AD 28). We also know that the 'time will be cut short.'
Moreover we know that when one or another of those Time Prophecies
is about to begin, the Almighty will signal the day, the season
or the year with signs in the sun, moon and stars.
How does Israel reckon a Jubilee?
The nation of Israel also reckons a Jubilee to be the 50th year; and that there are two Jubilees per century. But Israel considers that Jubilee years occur in the 15th and 65th year of every century. Jubilee years, according to their reckoning, began in the autumn of 1815, 1865, 1915, 1965 etc. Arthur Spier, a world-famous Jewish authority, in his book The Comprehensive Hebrew Calendar says this about the Jubilee cycle:
"The 50-year cycle, or the Yobel (Jubilee) years. They were counted according to Maimonides, only as long as the Temple was in existence. Every 15th and 65th year in each century of the World Era are Yobel years, and the intermediary years represent the seven cycles of the Shemittah (release) years. 2815, 2865, 3815, 3865, 4815, 4865 would be examples of the Yobel years." (para C on page 225)
Stewarton Bible School agrees with Israel that Jubilee cycles are 50 years in length and that two Jubilees equal 100 years. But we have reservations about the Jubilee years being the 15th and 65th year of each century. Much rather would we go by the Saviour's Jubilee sermon in AD 28 and say that the 28th and 78th year of each century are Jubilee years.
NOTE: Israel is currently (1998) celebrating a civil
Jubilee to commemorate the 50 year-old State; which was officially
proclaimed a State on Friday 14th May 1948. Do not
confuse this civil Jubilee with the sacred Jubilee mentioned
in Scripture.
All Yahweh's agricultural laws have spiritual applications. In other words, laws concerning animals and crops also concern us humans who are as 'sheep in the Almighty's flock' and 'plants in His garden.' Few believers realise that the last day, commandment-keeping church is in fact the 'spiritual Jubilee crop' to which Leviticus 25 is pointing. A Jubilee crop according to that chapter is:
Yahweh gave the Jubilee illustration or model to teach mankind a mighty spiritual lesson about His last-day church, the real Jubilee crop! If you carefully read Leviticus 25:18-24 you will see how that the spiritual Jubilee crop (the end-time church) would, with divine assistance alone, produce spiritual fruit for Yahweh's honour and glory. So I repeat:
Commandment-keeping believers of the last-days are the real Jubilee crop! With Yahweh's help we are about to proclaim the Truth that will bear the everlasting fruit of righteousness for His glory.
Publishing truth-filled literature is an initial step towards learning and reproducing Truth. Very shortly, however, the Holy Spirit, unaided by popular material or mechanical resources such as money, printing/copying equipment, TV, radio, the Internet etc., will multiply the spiritual harvest the Jubilee crop represents. The final work of proclaiming the Everlasting Gospel to earth's billions will be done in the last days by preachers who will themselves comprise the Jubilee crop! Like the agricultural Sabbatical and Jubilee crops of Leviticus 25 we will fulfil Yahweh's plan and finish His work on time - aided by His Spirit alone! Without the help of money, television, radio, video/cassette tapes, the printing press or the Internet, the Everlasting Gospel will be 'preached' to all the world just as it was in the days of the Apostles. That will be the real Jubilee Crop. We will literally 'preach' the Everlasting Gospel like it has never been preached in earth's entire history; and the work will be finished - on time!
The tiny nation of Israel is of mighty significance in this
troubled world. With a population of about six million, Israel
has become the focus of attention to all peoples. Geographically
and economically, Israel sits at the control centre of the world.
Its capital, Jerusalem, has been revered by Jews, Christians and
Muslims for millennia; and Israel's God has been worshipped by
billions of believers of all nations since time began.
Why is this tiny nation so important? And how is it that Israel
exerts so great an influence on mankind? The answer is: Because
the Almighty God is with Israel! Without Him, Israel would
be as unimportant as the weakest nation on earth - as nothing!
Yes, the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is with Israel.
In the Bible He refers to Himself as the God of Israel or
the holy One of Israel over 230 times! The pages of His
diary are filled with appointments with Israel. Over the
centuries the Most High has shared His plans with Israel. Through
Israel came His law, His prophets and finally Yeshua His only
begotten Son - the Messiah! Yes, Yahweh is with Israel!
To be sure other nations and individuals count; but only as
they affect Israel and relate to Israel's Saviour - the Son
of God! The Bible is, in fact, the record of Israel's history
and Israel's future. Let us further consider why this nation
is so important.
ISRAEL, YAHWEH'S CHOSEN PEOPLE
No matter what the majority of mankind think, no matter what the Christian church may believe or preach, the fact is the nation of Israel is the chosen people of God! Not chosen because she is intrinsically better than other nations; but because of Yahweh's great love for Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and because He is keeping to an oath made to Abraham many centuries ago. This fact is plainly taught in the Bible:
| Deut.7:6 | For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God:
the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto
himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.
7: The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you,
because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the
fewest of all people: 8: But because the LORD loved you,
and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your
fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand,
and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of
Pharaoh king of Egypt. |
| Deut.10:15: | Only the LORD had a delight in thy fathers to
love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above
all people, as it is this day. |
| Deut.14:2 | for thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy
God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto
himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth. |
| Isa.41: 8 | But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom
I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend. 9: Thou whom
I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from
the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant;
I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away |
Yes, anti-Semitism has been around for thousands of years and
every nation and religion - including Christianity - is
guilty. Today the eyes of the world are again on the people of
Israel; simply because an all-out war in the Middle East would
drag the whole world into war; not to mention its catastrophic
effect on the economies of all nations. The Jews, bear in
mind, are major players in world economic affairs and control
more of the world's money than most people remotely imagine.
Surrounded as she is by her enemies, Israel is a nation living
under constant threat. Never a week passes but Israel is in
the news. Why is this? What makes Israel so important? How
has this tiny nation become the centre of attention to the whole
world? What hypnotic power does Israel possess with God and
man? The answers are many and amazing to say the least. Let
us consider a few.
Israel was the name given to Abraham's grandson Jacob when he successfully wrestled all night with God at a place called Peniel, which means 'I have seen God face to face.'
| Gen.32:27 | And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. 28: And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. |
The Most High chose the descendants of this man Israel (Jacob), gave them His law and placed them in the Promised Land with the intention of using Israel as a channel of instruction and blessing to all nations. Through Israel came the law, the prophets and eventually the Son of the Most High (Yeshua the Messiah, Jesus the Christ)
| Rom.3:1 | What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? 2: Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God. 3: For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? |
Alas! Israel, in the main, failed to live up to Yahweh's hopes. Israel rejected the Almighty's law and grievously sinned. Israel rejected the oracles of God, broke the everlasting covenant, murdered most of Yahweh's prophets and crowned her rebellion by crucifying His Son Yeshua. The story of Israel's rebellion against their God goes back a long way, long before New Testament times.
| 2 Kings 17:9 | And the children of Israel did secretly those
things that were not right against the LORD their God …
verses 13: Yet the LORD testified against Israel, and against
Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn
ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes,
according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which
I sent to you by my servants the prophets. 14: Notwithstanding
they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the
neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their
God. 15: And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that
he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified
against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and
went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning
whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them.
16: And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God,
and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove,
and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. |
| Jer.6:16 | Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see,
and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein,
and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will
not walk therein. 17: Also I set watchmen over you, saying,
Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will
not hearken. 18: Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation,
what is among them. 19: Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil
upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they
have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected
it. |
| Matt.27:22 | Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then
with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let
him be crucified. 23: And the governor said, Why, what evil hath
he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.
|
| Rom.3:10 | As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not
one: 11: There is none that understandeth, there is none that
seeketh after God. 12: They are all gone out of the way, they
are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth
good, no, not one. |
How then did the Almighty respond to ancient Israel's rebellion and rejection of His law and of His Son? The Almighty carried out the punishments given through His prophet Moses. One of those punishments was banishment from the Promised Land. This happened: Yahweh scattered Israel, scattered His chosen people to the four corners of the earth. The warning to scatter Israel, if she persisted in disobedience, was made centuries before the event took place. Texts about the scattering of Israel are legion. I quote a few:
| Deut.4:25 | When thou shalt beget children, and children's
children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall
corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of
any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God,
to provoke him to anger: 26: I call heaven and earth to witness
against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from
off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye
shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed.
27: And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and
ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the
LORD shall lead you. |
| Deut.28:64 | And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people,
from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there
thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers
have known, even wood and stone. 65: And among these nations shalt
thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest:
but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing
of eyes, and sorrow of mind: |
| Eze.20:23 | I lifted up mine hand unto them also in the wilderness,
that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them
through the countries; 24: Because they had not executed my
judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my
sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers' idols.
For further study see: Lev.26:33, Psa.44:11, Jer.9:16,
Jer.49:32-36, Eze.12: 14-15, 22:15-16, Neh.1:8. |
Even though ancient Israel sinned grievously and was scattered to the four corners of the earth, the Almighty did not abandon His people. To be sure He punished Israel over and over again with war, famine, and pestilence: but the Holy ONE of Israel has not abandoned His people. Israel is still the chosen race! The LORD God is still with Israel! Pause awhile and consider these little-known divine promises.
| Eze.11:16 | Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Although
I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have
scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a
little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come. 17: Therefore
say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the
people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been
scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel. |
| Jer.31:35 | Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name: 36: If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever. 37: Thus saith the LORD; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the LORD. |
The Apostle Paul continues this thought in the New Testament when he cautions Gentile believers not to imagine that God has abandoned or cast away Israel; because He hasn't.
| Rom.11:1 | I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2: God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, |
In other words, the people of Israel are still the chosen
race and will continue to be as long as the immeasurable
universe exists! Pause a while, dear reader, and dwell on
that stunning fact! That is what the LORD God of Israel is saying
in His Word.
Even while the Most High was predicting the Diaspora (the scattering of Israel) He was also forecasting Israel's re-gathering. Over and over again He said that He would re-gather His scattered people; and bring them back from the four corners of the earth to the land He had promised to give them. That is why that land is called The Promised Land! The re-gathering of Israel is predicted over and over again in the Scriptures. Once more I quote and list a few of the many texts as proof:
| Deut.30:1 | And it shall come to pass, when all these things
are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set
before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations,
whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee, 2: And shalt return
unto the LORD thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all
that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all
thine heart, and with all thy soul; 3: That then the LORD thy
God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and
will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the
LORD thy God hath scattered thee. 4: If any of thine be
driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will
the LORD thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee:
5: And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy
fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee
good, and multiply thee above thy fathers. |
| Eze.11:17 | Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel. (Also read: Jer.29:14, Jer.31:10, 32:34-41, Neh.1:9, Psa.107:3, Isa.43:5, Eze.34:12-31. 37:21, Mic.2:12) |
Is a re-gathering of Israel taking place? To be sure it
is. Consider the statistics of Jews returning to Israel since
the nation was reborn on 14/5/48.
1948 ... 657,000
1950 ... 1,203,000
1958 ... 1,810,000
1962 ... 2,069,000
Currently thousands of Jews, especially from the former Soviet Union, return to Israel every year and the population is heading towards 6,000,000 mark.
| Isaiah 11:11 | And it shall come to pass in that day, that
the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover
the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria,
and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam,
and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the
sea. 12: And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall
assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed
of Judah from the four corners of the earth. |
| Isaiah 43:5 | Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy
seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; 6: I will say
to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring
my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;
|
| Eze.39:27 | When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies' lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations; 28: Then shall they know that I am the LORD their God, which cause them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there. |
Yes, Bible prophecies concerning Israel's return to the Promised
Land are being fulfilled before our very eyes. The descendants
of Jacob are returning in their millions to the land of their
fathers; and the Christian church, in the main, stands bewildered
at events it doesn't understand, simply because it believes that
Israel was abandoned by God and replaced by a Gentile church.
Oh what a tragic misconception that is!
What does Yahweh plan to do after re-gathering Israel? What does His Holy Word the Bible tell us? It tells us that the Most High is going to refine Israel as a silversmith refines silver; with the sole intention of producing an obedient and holy nation, a nation that will reflect His perfect character. He is going to do this for His great Name's sake, which Israel has profaned among the nations by its sinful practices. Yahweh is about to act, not because the Jews are better in any way than Gentiles, because they are not, but to clear His slandered Name and reputation throughout this rebellious planet.
| Eze.22:15 | And I will scatter thee among the heathen, and
disperse thee in the countries, and will consume thy filthiness
out of thee. 16: And thou shalt take thine inheritance in thyself
in the sight of the heathen, and thou shalt know that I am the
LORD. 17: And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 18: Son
of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross: all
they are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the
furnace; they are even the dross of silver. 19: Therefore
thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye are all become dross, behold,
therefore I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. 20: As
they gather silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin, into
the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it;
so will I gather you in mine anger and in my fury, and I will
leave you there, and melt you. 21: Yea, I will gather you,
and blow upon you in the fire of my wrath, and ye shall be melted
in the midst thereof. 22: As silver is melted in the midst of
the furnace, so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof; and ye
shall know that I the LORD have poured out my fury upon you. |
| Eze.36:21 | But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went. 22: Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. 23: And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. 24: For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. 25: Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. 26: A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27: And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. 28: And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. |
According to Bible prophecy Yahweh is going to gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle. The city is going to be captured and be under Gentile domination for a period of 42 months, 1260 days or 3.5 years. Texts concerning this last-day confrontation are numerous. Zech.12:3, Hos.10:10, Micah 4:11, Joel 3:1-14, Zech.14:1-2 and Rev.11. These predictions, though partially realised in days gone by, will all find fulfilment in the near future.
Points to note are:
When these final events occur, Israel will have reached a degree of purity and faithfulness never known before. The decimated nation will be as 'pure silver.'
4. THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH & ISRAEL
Over the years the Christian church has made many serious
mistakes; one of which was to suppose that because Israel, in
the main, rejected the Son of God, Yahweh abandoned His chosen
people and transferred His favours and work to the Gentile church.
As mentioned previously, this is a colossal error; because the
Most High promised never to abandon His chosen people Israel.
All that happened when the leaders of Israel rejected Jesus Christ
was that the Holy Spirit directed certain Apostles to take the
Gospel to the Gentiles, who had previously been mostly excluded
from Yahweh's Truth. When Paul and Barnabas answered that
call, the 'Time of the Gentiles' began and a partial
spiritual blindness settled on Israel. But Israel
was not abandoned. She was simply blinded
to the Gospel which she had stubbornly refused to
accept. That spiritual blindness is being removed at this very
moment as thousands of Israelis around the world accept Yeshua
and the Gospel of Salvation their forefathers rejected many centuries
ago.
Another fact that comparatively few Christians realise is that every believer in Jesus Christ is considered by the Almighty to be a 'child of Abraham.' In other words Gentiles who believe in Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) are spiritual Israelites - Jews! Here is proof of this little-known fact:
| Rom.2:28 | For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither
is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29: But he
is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the
heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not
of men, but of God. |
| Gal.3:26 | For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27: For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28: There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29: And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. |
| Rom.11:16 | For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also
holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. 17: And if
some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being
a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them
partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; 18: Boast
not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not
the root, but the root thee. 19: Thou wilt say then, The branches
were broken off, that I might be graffed in. 20: Well; because
of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith.
Be not highminded, but fear: 21: For if God spared not the
natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee…
25: For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this
mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness
in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles
be come in. 26: And so all Israel shall be saved: as it
is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall
turn away ungodliness from Jacob: |
| Eph.3:6 | That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: |
In view of these amazing facts, everyone, especially Christians, should treat the people of Israel - and their fellow Christians for that matter - with respect. To be sure, some Jews as in the days of old, are the 'children of the Devil' (John 8:44); but the whole nation must not be condemned because of the few. The Jew is the 'Apple of God's eye' and all who oppose them will find themselves fighting God! (Zech.2:7-8) How true were the words of the mercenary prophet Balaam, who, in spite of himself, pronounced this eternal truth as he lifted up his eyes and beheld the people of Israel:
It is also a dangerous thing for Gentile Christians to smugly gloat over Israel's blindness in rejecting Jesus and his Gospel. Gentile boasting is out of order, because the church, though paying lip service to Jesus Christ, has rejected the very commandments the Saviour came to magnify. The Bible tells us that Jesus came to save mankind from sin, that is from disobedience.
| Matt.1:21 | And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call
his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. |
| Rom.8:3-4 | ... God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. |
In other words, the purpose for which Jesus came to earth was to save believers from sin, that is, from breaking God's law, from disobedience. His final objective is 'that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us.' But what do we find in the Christian church? We find that millions, like ancient Israel, have abandoned the law of God and are sinning with impunity. Indeed the average person would be hard pressed to tell you even five of the Ten Commandments, let alone all ten. Why this almost incredible ignorance of so important a law? The answer is, because the Ten Commandments are not being taught in most churches and schools. The law of God is considered, by many, to be impossible to keep and is now obsolete. Some even go so far as to say that it is barbaric! As for the Sabbath commandment, it has become an embarrassment to most Christian ministers and priests. Few will ever preach about Sabbath-keeping. But the fact remains, that without the Ten Commandments it is impossible to define sin, let alone cope with sin's horrifying consequences.
The Bible says:
| Rom.3:20 | ... for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
|
| Rom.7:7 | What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid.
Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known
lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. |
| 1 John 3:4 | Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. |
In other words, God's law tells us what actions are right and
acceptable and what actions are wrong and unacceptable - to
Him. If the Ten Commandments are not taught in the schools and
churches, then men, women and children will have absolutely no
idea how to behave. Nor will they feel guilty when they sin. They
will do as they please and the rule of the jungle will take
over. Is it any wonder that there is so much evil in the world,
so much violence and vice, so much sexual immorality and sin?
It is because the knowledge of righteousness, which God's
law alone imparts, is fading from the earth. Comparatively
few people know anything about the Almighty's standard of morals.
His commandments are not being taught any more; so evil is taking
over. As for the weekly and annual Sabbaths of the LORD, they
are despised and rejected. In their place we find an array
of human traditions and pagan celebrations - all abhorrent
to the Most High. Consider these staggering quotations about pagan
holidays in the Christian calendar.
Christmas is not a Bible festival. It is an ancient pagan festival masquerading as the birthday of the Son of God.
What about Easter? How did this pagan, fertility festival enter the Christian calendar? Most certainly there is no mention of Easter eggs in the Scriptures; no mention of bunny rabbits. Where did they come from? Is it wrong to celebrate Easter? The facts will surprise you; but here are a few quotations about Easter from Alexander Hislop's famous book The Two Babylons, published by S W Partridge & Co., 4 Soho Sq., London. (ISBN 0 7136 0470 0).
Similar quotations can be found in Hislop's 330 page book about other pagan traditions which over the centuries have crept into the Christian calendar, false teachings such as:
Not one of these practices is endorsed in the holy Scriptures.
They are pagan through and through. They were adopted centuries
ago by a spiritually blind ecclesiastical hierarchy which
had absolutely no idea of the sinfulness of its actions. Celebrating
these pagan festivals is nothing but baptised idolatry;
and as such is abhorrent to the Almighty and His Son.
To be sure, there is nothing wrong with a human tradition - if it does not clash with a command of the Almighty God. But if a tradition conflicts with a divine commandment, as most of the popular Christian festivals do, then once they are recognised for what they are, their continued acceptance will neutralise one's worship, making it vain, pointless and futile. Their continued use can even jeopardise one's salvation. This frightening fact is clearly taught by the Master himself:
| Mark 7:6 | He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias
prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth
me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7: Howbeit
in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments
of men. |
| Matt.15:8 | This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9: But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. |
At its basic level a seal is a legal device used to stamp a name,
coat of arms or logo on some impressionable material like wax,
clay or paper. On the spiritual level Yahweh seals the impressionable
minds of His people with His Law, His Name and His Character. In the covenant made at Sinai the Almighty wrote
His law on tablets of stone. But the majority in Israel were
unwilling to obey it. In fact they despised the holy commandments
and broke them with impunity. In the new covenant, which is also
made with the people of Israel, the Almighty plans to write His
law in His true followers' minds and hearts. It
will become part of our nature. Obedience will then be as instinctive
as breathing.
The sealing work is detailed in Revelation chapter 7. It will not take place till the events of Rev. 6:12-17 (the 6th Seal) have occurred. Only then will the 144,000 Israelites be sealed. Who are these people? Where are they sealed? Who seals them? With what are they sealed?
The answer is:
The 144,000 are true Israelites who are sealed, in their foreheads (minds)by the Holy Spirit, with God's Law. In some mysterious
way the Holy Spirit is going to impress Yahweh's law on every
true believer's mind; overwrite with perfect obedience our natural
tendency to sin. We will then instinctively obey the divine
commandments and will obey them to perfection. By doing so we
will reflect Yahweh's name, His character and His holiness in
our every thought, word and deed. We will be perfectly holy people
- through and through! That's what knowing the Almighty's Name
means. And how do we know that we are to be sealed with obedience?
The answer is: the Bible tells us:
| Isa.8:16 | Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my
disciples. |
| Heb.8:7 | For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. 8: For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: 9: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. 10: For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: 11: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, : for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. |
| Heb.10:15 | Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, 16:This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17: And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. |
THE ALMIGHTY'S SIGN (SIGNATURE)
At its basic level a signature is a sign or inscription of a person's name. If you were asked to sign a cheque or document, you would inscribe your name on it. Your sign is your signature, your name. On the spiritual level the God of Israel refers to His Sabbath days as His Sign or signature; and like His law He inscribes His signature on the obedient believer's mind.
| Exo.31:12 | And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 13: Speak
thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths
ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout
your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth
sanctify you…16: Wherefore the children of Israel shall
keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations,
for a perpetual covenant. 17: It is a sign between me and the
children of Israel for ever: |
| Eze.20:12 | Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them. 20: And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God. |
Yahweh's Sabbaths (note the word Sabbaths is in the plural, meaning
the weekly and annual Sabbaths) constitute His signature. They
are the SIGN of the everlasting covenant. Throughout
eternity they will be remembered (kept in mind) and celebrated
as the memorials of salvation; the days on which Yahweh accomplished
His mightiest deeds in the redemption of mankind. Yahweh's Sabbath
days will be kept throughout eternity because they are the
sacred seeds of His planting, eternal memorials of His mightiest
deeds in the Plan of Salvation. Unlike pagan traditions, they
will never be uprooted or forgotten.
Bible prophecy tells us that in the last days, just before the return of Jesus Christ, the Antichrist will come. He will pose as Christ himself. He will do mighty miracles and deceive millions into accepting the claim that he is the real Jesus Christ, God in human flesh! The Antichrist is known by various names and descriptions. They are:
The Bible gives us many clues concerning the identity of the Antichrist. Six clues are briefly considered below:
CLUE No.1 ... The Antichrist is the 'Lawless One'
| 2 Thess.2:3 | Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; |
He is called the man of sin (another word for lawlessness) because he vainly thinks that he can change the law of the Almighty God. According to