February 21, 2024

If you have been around for any length of time, then you have witnessed many trends come and go.  These trends stretch from entertainment to politics, and everything in-between.  The only constant in life (besides the Lord) is change.  Sometimes this is a good thing.  Other times not so much.  Regardless, the change always comes. 

The same can be said for theology and the things of the Bible.  That is an odd thing to say given that the Bible never changes.  However, the Bible itself tells us that this change will come.  It’s not so much change as it is an increased understanding of what the Lord has already revealed.  Especially in these last days this has become evident.  Daniel tells us that the last days will be marked by a knowledge explosion.  There are many that do not realize that this explosion of knowledge also includes our understanding of the Bible.  As the Lord reveals the great end time’s mysteries we see our understanding opened in ways we could never have imagined.  Even the explosion in technology has leant itself to the explosion in Biblical knowledge.  Nowhere is this more evident than in original language studies.  The abundance of online resources can turn anybody into an original language scholar.  You still have to put in the work and a degree of discernment from the Lord is required.  However, if you are willing to dig the Lord is willing to reveal. 

As we have drawn closer to the rapture and tribulation, we have seen a myriad of tremendous and powerful insights revealed with regards to end time’s prophecy.  Again this was expected.  Sometimes the depth of the revelation is nearly beyond comprehension.  The things we have come to understand in just the past 10 years alone nearly defies expectation.  Yet here we are.  I can still remember the older “traditional” views of the rapture and tribulation being taught in church when I was a child.  As time as progressed that understanding has opened in ways we could never have imagined. 

This makes sense when you think about it.  Of course, the fact that the Bible itself tells us that this would happen is enough.  However, from a practical standpoint it makes sense.  I have covered the great end times revealing of mysteries in another project.  Simply stated, as the rapture and tribulation draw closer, the Lord has steadily opened up more understanding.  There are any number of reasons for the delay in the opened understanding.  Of the more practical reasons are the proclivities of men to be very singularly minded.  Stated differently we forget what we have learned long ago. 

Here is the link to the project on the revealing of the end times mysteries: 

http://tribulationrisingcom.fatcow.com/the-great-revealing-of-the-end-times-mysteries/ 

Relevancy is another predominant theme in the Bible.  The Lord will hold on to a mystery until it becomes relevant to the times at hand.  The great mysteries revealed to Paul are a perfect example.  Until the Church was born the greater understanding of “church things” was simply not needed.  Once the Church existed then so did the need for the greater doctrines that would guide the Body of Christ. 

When it comes to end times prophecy the same holds true.  Likewise, there is another factor that comes into play – deception.  The Bible tells us that the last days prior to the return of Christ and the tribulation that there would an abundance of deception.  So, the Lord has selectively released the greater insights into prophecy piece by piece as they have become necessary.  This has prevented an all-out attempt by Satan at a full corruption of the most critical doctrines regarding the end times.  This especially holds with regards to revelations regarding the rapture.  As we have detailed many times on Trib Rising, the rapture is the single most critical of all the pre-tribulation buckets of knowledge and understanding.  The Lord knew just how pervasive the attempts would be to subvert the promise of His coming.  He knew that faith itself would come under attack as a glut of false doctrines would rise to supplant faith with self-reliance. We could never have imagined even 30 years ago just how many in the Body of Christ would fall away from faith, and actually look forward to their shot at the tribulation! 

One of the greatest revelations to come to light in the past 20 years or so has been the connection between the rapture and the Feast of Trumpets.  Those that have taken to time to truly listen and absorb the details of the connection between the two have been left with an undeniable understanding that the two events are inseparable. 

However, there has arisen a strange dichotomy in the doctrine of the rapture as a result.  Doubtless that most of us have seen this play put time and time again – is the rapture the fulfillment of the Feast of Trumpets (FOT) and must occur chronologically on the FOT, or does the rapture truly happen at an unknown day and hour?  This dichotomy has given life to a strange “no man’s land” in the realm of the rapture.  You have likely seen this yourself, but probably never really spent the time to delve into what was truly being revealed.  This “no man’s land” looks a little something like this: 

You will have preachers and teachers who have been die hard “no man knows” adherents and have never budged off that position.  Yet, when they were exposed to the teaching of the FOT, they could not deny the link between the feast and the rapture.  So, their rapture teaching is firmly in the camp of no man knows, yet they must always hedge their bets with the mandatory disclaimer about a possible FOT rapture. 

“You know, the Lord is coming soon!  You must be ready at all times for no man know the day nor hour!  Why, we could see the Lord return before this very service ends and half of this congregation reduced to nothing but a pile of clothes!  The other half of you better get your house in order lest you be left behind. 

Yet, there is a trumpet sounding soon on that glorious FOT day!  As that longest and loudest trump sounds we cannot help but to look up, for the Lord shall soon fulfill that great and glorious feast and we shall be called up yonder to Glory!  Could this be the year the Lord calls us home?  Will half of you show up to this service next week only to find that the FOT came and the rest of us went?  Time is short my friends, and I wouldn’t want to let even one more FOT pass without gettin’ right with the Lord!” 

I can almost hear the preacher now in the deep gravelly southern Pentecostal draw belting out the warning.  On the other side of the debate, we have our heavy FOT rapture “guy” belting out this warning to the congregation: 

“You know, time is short.  We see every day on the news.  We watch Israel grow closer to the return of Messiah.  We see the world moving at breakneck speed towards the end.  If you look close and listen hard, you can almost see Messiah stepping through that front gate of the great Heavenly Temple, for He is near, even at the doors of the great temple.  Soon shall the King sound that great shofar of the Most High God and the Great Assembly shall be called to the meeting! 

Brothers and sisters, ask yourself a question today.  Are you part of the congregation that shall be called to the Tent of the Meeting?  Will you be among the called-out ones who shall walk through the gates of Glory as the 12 disciples are on one side of the gate, and the 12 sons of Abraham on the other, and they measure you out with the great silver rods of measurement, just has the sheep were measured in the days of the great Temple of Solomon? 

Will you be among the called-out ones? 

I tell you that some of you are not living right.  Your garments are stained and dirty!  Hear me today my friends.  Some of you need to get your hands on a little heavenly Tide and run those robes through a heavy-duty wash and rinse cycle! Many of you sit there thinking you got it made.  You don’t need to worry about your laundry right now.  Why, the FOT isn’t for another six months!  You’ll be alright letting your robes sit in the dirty clothes pile with every load of laundry you keep procrastinating on. 

Husbands quit looking at your wives, lest you see the Lord of Glory before your appointed time! 

I tell ya, sittin’ on that dirty laundry might just land you in the hot water my friends.  For the Lord Himself says that no man knows the day nor hour!  Don’t be the one to wake up one day to find out that midnight came and the Bridegroom shouted, and all you needed was a final rinse cycle and a light dry cycle to be on your way to the great Tent of the Meeting that very morning! 

Yet, there you are, dirty robes and dirty bed sheets all siting in one very dirty pile…” 

Many of you can hear the very same warning echo through your head as you read these examples.  We have all heard this narrative play out.  You literally get both premises presented in a single setting, and it leaves a great deal of confusion on the table.  Of course this is hardly intentional.  Nor is it unexpected.  The Bible lays out very strong evidence for both positions.  Now, this has also lent itself to an entire generation of believers that will simply adopt both positions.  The rapture is the fulfillment of the FOT, and the Lord must return on the feast day.  Yet, they keep no man knows tucked firmly in the discussion.  Often times, their casual conversations will revolve around no man knows, while their more formal discussions will center on a FOT fulfillment. 

This default position is not a bad thing.  We all understand that there are things in the Bible that are difficult to understand.  For that matter none of us will ever hold all of the mysteries of God until we walk through the other side of eternity.  So, this default position works nicely and does no harm to scripture since there are some known correlations that allow both positions on the rapture to cooperate with each other.  Case closed, right? 

Not so fast. 

We are told that it is the glory of kings to search out the scriptures for the mysteries that the Lord has buried within.  The Lord admonishes us to dig through the scripture line by line.  In that digging the deeper concepts are revealed as we put line online, precept on precept.  In that digging we find the gems, the nuggets of truth which are intentionally hidden and reserved only for those willing to dig and search.  They are a literal reward for those diligent enough to put in the work. 

Here’s the thing with our default position.  While it works there is a gulf that separates the two core understandings.  The fact is that you still have a gulf on your hands. Scripture lays out both possibilities.  However, in the end, there is an immutable conclusion that most have reached, yet few dare to speak. 

“Both positions cannot be the correct position, can they?” 

I wonder what a silent show of hands would reveal if I were to ask a large group of believers if they are confused by the apparent contradiction.  One on hand you have a direct declaration that no man knows the day nor hour.  Yet, on the other hand you have a clear line and precept case for the FOT fulfillment with the rapture. 

Of course, there is the school of thought that turns to the connection of no man knows and the 48-hour window of the start of the FOT.  The statement we hear is that the Jews would have known what Jesus was saying when He used the term “no man knows the day, nor hour” due to its connection to the FOT.  So, for this group it is case closed.  They have the connection which links the two seemingly contradictory pieces of evidence and gives you the final answer.  Let me ask you something and be honest with your answer. 

Have you ever tried to apply that same rationale to the FOT/no man knows dilemma and something about it just seems to fall a little short? 

Perhaps that is not the right terminology.  I think it is more accurate to say that while the connection between no man knows and the 48 hour FOT window (we’ll cover that more in just a moment) makes sense on an academic, almost third person disconnected level, it doesn’t quite resonate with the same intensity that you get from those “ah ha!” moments where the epiphany comes and the matter becomes clear and cemented on a personal level.  Stated differently – you can see the connection between the two elements of the rapture, but it just doesn’t hit you on a personal level quite the way you would expect it to if it were the undeniable truth. 

Top Down, Bottom Up 

Before we get into the depth of this project, we need to take a few moments and discuss something I call “top down, bottom up” (TDBU).  It is a study method that is utilized in different forms yet has not been quantified as a single study method as of yet.  You will recognize it, however, as we go along.  You have most likely used it, or parts of it, yourself – especially if you conduct detailed studies in prophecy.  We will start by detailing the “top down” method, followed by the “bottom up” method. 

In using the top down approach to study prophecy, we find that future prophetic books such as Daniel and Revelation provide the definitions and context required to understand the things we see in the Torah, and the Old Testament as a whole.  The seven feasts of Israel are one such example of learning “top down”. 

In top down, we can take the Book of Revelation and break it into its various pieces. We can then find those pieces in the different aspects of the feasts.  Actually, top down is demonstrated in the life of Jesus and His fulfillment of the first three feasts during His crucifixion and resurrection.  When Jesus is crucified at the exact moment the Passover lambs are being slaughtered, we are able to see top down exactly why Moses and the Israelites were required to sacrifice a lamb.  In the trial of Jesus and the release of Barabbas, we can see why the Torah required two goats on the Day of Atonement. These are two such examples of “top down”, where the later event shows the significance of the prior event. 

We can take this same approach and apply it to the study of future prophetic fulfillments. 

Revelation 8: 1-5 English Standard Version (ESV) – The Seventh Seal and the Golden Censer: 

When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. 3 And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, 4 and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. 5 Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings,[a] flashes of lightning, and an earthquake. 

When we apply top down to this passage, we find that this is a direct correlation to the Day of Atonement and the offering of the incense by the High Priest.  Incense was offered daily in the Temple but was only offered once a year before God in the Most Holy Place.  In taking this piece and finding its corresponding piece in the Torah, it allows us to see and understand what the Torah was showing us. 

Top down has become one of the best tools for studying prophecy.  While it is not called “Top Down”, the unofficial title truly describes the function of this method of study. Simply put, you use the heavenly things to define the earthly things.  You take the things which happen “up top” and find the equivalent event “down here”.  Everything we see in prophecy has a picture in the Old Testament and the Torah. 

Ecclesiastes 1:9 English Standard Version (ESV): 

 What has been is what will be,
and what has been done is what will be done,
and there is nothing new under the sun. 

Simply stated, the things that will happen, have happened.  That is the premise behind all prophecy.  We see this in prophecy that has already been fulfilled.  Every aspect of the life of Christ is found in some earlier event.  Every aspect of His life to come is likewise found in some earlier event.   

Top down also provides timing markers and clues to understanding some of the more difficult elements of the Torah.  The counting of the omer is one such example.  The counting of the omer is a 50-day process that starts on the Feast of First fruits and ends on Pentecost.  Each day, a sheath of barley is to be counted and presented at the Holy Temple.  At first glance it seems an odd command.  However, there are no accidents in the Bible.  There is nothing written “just because”. 

A detailed study of the counting of the omer and a top down approach finds the fulfillment of the counting in Revelation.  (We cover this on several other pages on Trib Rising).  The counting of the omer is the prophetic picture of the martyrdom of those that find Christ in the first 42 months of the tribulation.  Top down also reveals the counting to be a chronological, or timing marker for the overall timing of the tribulation.  Not only does it confirm the order of the rapture with regards to the tribulation, but it also confirms the prophetic timing of the Ten Days of Awe – also in the Torah (the ten days beginning with the Feast of Trumpets and ending with the Day of Atonement).  In the Ten Days of Awe, we find the overall timing of events from the rapture to the Second Coming.  We will cover this in greater detail later in this project. 

Top down has opened up a far deeper understanding of the Bible than any of us could have ever imagined.  This does not apply to prophecy alone, but to the entire breadth of the plan for salvation.  Because of top down, we are able to chronicle a growing body of evidence for the divinity and life of Christ as well.  As more discoveries are made that prove the existence of Israel during Biblical times (contrary to the claims of those that deny Israel’s right to the Holy Land) and of yet older manuscripts of the Bible, so emerges more confirmed evidence that Christ did exist, and that He was indeed who He said He was – and is. 

However, top down does have limitations in what we can learn.  Rather, it’s not that there are limitations – it’s that top down is only half of the learning equation.  To truly open our understanding of the scriptures, and specifically prophecy, we must bring in the other half of the learning model.  This is something I call “Bottom Up”. 

In top down, we use the events in heaven to define the nature and purpose of the things on earth.  Top down gives us the “why” when it comes to things such as the feasts and the Law of Moses.  However, there is another consideration when it comes to the Torah: 

Hebrews 8: 1-5, 23-24 English Standard Version (ESV) – Jesus, High Priest of a Better Covenant: 

Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 a minister in the holy places, in the true tent[a] that the Lord set up, not man. 3 For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. 4 Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. 5 They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. 

23 Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 

24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 

In these scriptures we have the justification for top down.  It tells us that the things on earth are the copies of the heavenly things.  This is what allows us to use the heavenly things as the model for what is yet to come.  However, in these same scriptures we also find the justification for going “bottom up” in our studies as well. 

There is something that needs stated before we continue.  It is not possible for the things of God to be duplicated on a one-to-one ratio, or basis.  In other words, imperfect men cannot perform the perfect things of God.  As such, singular pictures in the heaven are broken down into multiple pieces on earth.  What exactly does this mean?  That question is best answered with a question: 

Have you ever wondered why the Law of Moses consists of over 600 commands, yet Jesus said they could be summed up into two commands – love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and to love others as we love ourselves? 

How is this even possible?  It comes down to a simple premise.  There is no law or command of God that is given “just because”.  Every last one has a commonsense purpose and reason.  Each law teaches us something about God and reveals something about Him.  In each law, love for others is the overarching theme.   

For this reason, God gave us the Bible.  In its pages, we see the many small pieces of the much larger puzzle.  The seven feasts are a prime example of this.  In the feasts are the picture of humanity, redemption from sin, and the coming Kingdom.  However, everything we see in the seven feasts could not be rolled into a single feast that presented the total picture contained in all seven.  If they could be rolled into one feast, the Lord would have done just that.  There are additional reasons for the number seven, but for this discussion, the point is this – it takes more than one feast.  Imagine – a single feast that matches in perfect detail all of the events we see play out in Revelation! 

Instead, we get the Passover Lamb during the Feast of Passover.  In this feast we see the defining elements of what Christ would do on the cross, given over 1,500 years prior to Moses and Israel.  This is followed by Unleavened Bread which defines the burial of Christ for three days.  This was followed by the Feast of First fruits, which encodes far more than we have the time to cover in this project.  The point is this.  We have three feasts which encode and define the events that transpired over three days in Jerusalem. They involve the life of one Jewish carpenter.  Yet, they encode the salvation of all mankind.  They even set timing markers that we will cover later in this presentation. 

This was three days that could not be encoded in a single feast.  It was a singular event in the life of Christ.  Yet, imperfect men cannot duplicate the perfect things of God.  So, smaller pieces of a larger picture are required.  This becomes especially evident when you get into the prophetic impact of these three feasts, and how they weigh on the things that are yet to come. 

With that said, here is where bottom up comes into play.  We use top down to give us the context for the feasts, the Law of Moses, and the Torah.  However, this is only half of the equation.  This does not answer all of the questions.  Here is what I mean.   

Let’s use the first three feasts, and the scriptures given above as an example.  When you take the full reading and context of the scriptures, you notice something.  Hebrews talks about Christ entering the Heavenly Temple and sprinkling the furniture with His blood.  Here’s the problem.  That is an act encoded in the Day of Atonement – a feast which has not yet been fulfilled.  It seems that something is out of order. 

Furthermore, a detailed study of what is revealed in Hebrews tells us that this series of events actually happened on the Feast of First fruits!  Literally, we have the merging of three separate feasts into a single moment – Passover (the blood), First fruits (the offering at the Temple) and Atonement (the cleansing of the Most Holy Place from sin). 

This can be confusing for those that are new to prophetic studies.  Likewise, they are confusing if you practice a top down approach alone.  As we stated earlier – top down gives you the context for the things practiced on earth.  However, our scriptures from Hebrews reveal the second piece of the puzzle.  Inasmuch as the things on earth are the copies of the things in heaven, then we need to take the individual pieces of the earthly things and place them in their proper perspective with regards to the heavenly things. 

In other words, we use top down to give us the overall context for the study and understanding of the feasts, Law, and Torah.  This context tells us where each of the earthly things go in the heavenly picture – the actual picture.  So, now armed with the proper context for each of the feasts, for example, we can now go “bottom up”.  We can take the earthly event, and fit it into its proper place in Daniel, Revelation, Matthew 24, Luke 17, etc.  Though the context is found “top down”, the definitions given in the feasts, Laws and Torah themselves must also be known and understood.  You see, in the example of the feasts, there are requirements and pieces which are the specific definitions needed to understand the things in Revelation.  These definitions are required to understand the meaning behind why we see the things in Revelation. 

When we do this, the answers to some very tough question emerge.  How does the Shemitah come into play with end time’s prophecy?  Does the Shemitah show us the rapture?  Why does Atonement show up in more than just the Day of Atonement?  How does immanency reconcile with the Feast of Trumpets?  (Hint – While “no man knows the day, nor hour” does come from the Feast of Trumpets, what it actually means is nothing less than a bombshell, and I am NOT talking about narrowing the rapture down to a set two day block every year.) 

Why are the saints in white raiment prior to chapter six, as opposed to white robes after 6:1?  What is the significance of the white stone and the new name?  What is the significance of the order of events given in Revelation?  Is Revelation chronological?  All of these questions, along with numerous others, are best answered in the bottom up approach. 

These are just a few of the questions that we will address in this study.  It should also be noted that when prophecy is studied “top down, bottom up”, it will NEVER contradict ANY single scripture, or block of scripture.  It is the truest fulfillment of the words of Isaiah: 

Isaiah 28: 9-13 King James Version (KJV): 

9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? And whom shall he make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. 

10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: 

11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. 

12 To whom he said, this is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. 

13 But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken. 

This is a lot of information to take in.  Also, if you have never thought about this type of learning, or attempted to quantify exactly what you were doing when you utilized these particular tools, then you may still be a bit hazy on exactly how this works.  Rest assured that by the time you finish this project you will understand exactly how “top down, bottom up” works.  We will refer back to TDBU at various points in the project and show exactly how it reveals the answers to some of the toughest questions we are asking. 

With that, let’s move forward!

There is something in what we just read that we need to key up on: 

Though the context is found “top down”, the definitions given in the feasts, Laws and Torah themselves must also be known and understood.  You see, in the example of the feasts, there are requirements and pieces which are the specific definitions needed to understand the things in Revelation.  These definitions are required to understand the meaning behind why we see the things in Revelation. 

Top down gives us the needed context to understand what the events on earth point to in the heavenly picture.  Without top down we would not understand what Passover was meant to show us.  Without top down we would not understand what First fruits were meant to show us.  The same holds true with Pentecost.  For that matter you can include the serpent on the brass pole, the releasing of Barabbas at the trial of Jesus, Moses ascending Mt. Sinai, etc.  There are literally dozens of examples where top down provides the necessary context for what we are reading about in the life and actions of Christ. 

However, bottom up provides the critical piece of the different puzzles written in the Bible – the definitions given in the feast days, as well as all of the imagery we see in the Old Testament.  This is important for a singular reason.  It changes how we view, perceive and process the things that Christ does with regards to fulfilling the Torah. 

Stay with me.  This might get a bit confusing now, but later in this project it will make perfect sense. 

Let’s go at this with an example that is relevant to the subject matter of this project – the appointed days.  In a nutshell, the appointed days are the days on the Hebrew calendar in which certain events are to take place, as well as the number of days between certain events.  We can use the first four feasts as our example.  The Torah tells us that Passover is the 14th day of the first month.  It tells us that Unleavened Bread lasts for seven days starting on the 15th day of the first month. The Feast of First fruits is the first day after the Sabbath.  The Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) occurs 50 days after that.  In these examples we have set days to start the feasts, and a number of appointed days between those start dates. 

In our top down approach, we know that these are the days on the Hebrew calendar in which Christ must complete certain actions in order that those days be fulfilled in accordance with the Law of Moses.  So that is the lens in which we view these events.  Indeed, that is exactly what happened.  Jesus was crucified in Passover and died at the hour in which the lambs were being slaughtered for the feast.  He was in the tomb when Unleavened Bread began. He began appearing to the disciples once First fruits came.  On the Feast of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came.  As we said, top down determines that Christ fulfills certain requirements on certain days, and that the days between those events are honored as well.  With all of that said, I am going to make a statement. 

Christ did NOT fulfill the appointed days. 

How many of you are sitting there scratching your heads as you wonder why I would say such a thing?  After all, in the prior paragraph I made it abundantly clear that the appointed days were fulfilled by Christ.  Which is it?  What gives? 

Here’s how it breaks down.  While Christ did perform the required functions on the required days, He was not doing so to fulfill the appointed days.  Rather, he was doing so to fulfill the definitions given in the Torah for the individual feasts.  The phrase “difference without a distinction” comes to mind.  Either way, Christ still fulfilled the appointed days.  So, either way the result is the same, right? 

Not exactly. 

Try this on for size – if there had never been any of the spring feasts written into the Law of Moses Christ would have still come and completed His assigned role in redemption no matter what and done so on the days that He did. 

Did you catch that?  The appointed days were not given to be the requirements which Christ had to meet to be successful in securing salvation.  Rather, the appointed days were determined after the fact.  I know that sounds strange given that the Torah was written before Christ came.  However, they were given after the fact because the plan of salvation was already in place.  Every day, every detail, every action – all of it already existed before the Throne of the Most High God and His Christ. 

The first and the last. 

The beginning and the end. 

The Alpha and Omega. 

He who is from everlasting to everlasting. 

He who knows the ending from the beginning. 

He who knew us from the foundations of the world. 

Is this making more sense now?  Why this distinction is important is that when we look at the definitions of the feast days (the Torah as a whole), we truly begin to see the “why” behind all of this.  Bottom up allows us to see the definitions, or premise, behind what we read with regards to the feast days and the appointed days. 

If we view the days of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ just in terms of the appointed days we miss the major revelations and critical puzzle pieces which matter for end time’s prophecy.  We miss tremendous insights as to what was happening as Christ transitioned though these days. 

A good example of this would be the resurrection on the third day as the first fruits, yet Unleavened Bread is still in progress.  Going top down, we simply chalk this up to the resurrection occurring on First fruits.  While that is a correct statement, and the resurrection had to occur on First fruits, it misses some amazing revelations and insights that can only be found in in the definitions of both Unleavened Bread and First fruits. 

For instance, why would the Lord call for First fruits to occur while Unleavened Bread is in progress? Why the four-day gap between First fruits and the end of Unleavened Bread? 

Why was Mary able to see Christ outside the tomb, yet unable to touch Him? 

Why was it not until after the conclusion of Unleavened Bread that Christ finally starts appearing to multiple people and can be touched? 

All of these revelations are found in the definitions, or defining characteristics of the feast days, and the appointed days associated with those feasts.  These characteristics are found in the bottom up method of study. 

This will be an important factor to keep in mind for later.  There is a hidden gem in the start of the Feast of Trumpets which puts all of this into its proper context – and it’s not what you think.  We will reference TDBU a bit later in the project. 

No Man Knows… 

September 2016 — while on a website discussion an article came up. One of the folks involved pointed out the following: 

The specific quote in question left me wondering. It is: 

When I read this interlinear [the Concordant translation] I received a surprise. Here is how that translation reads for Matthew 24:36: “That day and hour not yet anyone has perceived, not yet the messengers [angels] of the heavens, not yet the Son, [but] the Father only.” Notice the modifier “not yet” in there; at the time that Matthew wrote that information was not YET known. (quoted from the Setterfield web site)  

The key Greek word in this verse is “oude.” The problem I have with the Concordant translation in the above quote is that “oude” is translated into English as “not yet.” The Greek word “de” is a post-positive particle that is most frequently translated as “but,” but is also translated as “yet” in some places. “ou” is one of the Greek forms of negation (the other is “me”). When the Greek “ou de” appears, it is normally given in crasis form as the single word “oude” as it is in Matt 24:36. This can be translated as “but not.” But when it appears in a series like in Matt 24:36, it is used to create a “neither/nor” series. So it should be rendered in Matt 24:36 in the form: “…no one has perceived, neither the angels, nor the Son, [no one] except the Father alone.” To translate “oude” as “net yet” is to completely ignore the context that the word is used in. 

Trying to translate Matt 24:36 with the phrase “not yet,” not only violates the correct usage of “oude,” it also contradicts other scripture. All New Testament scripture is unified in the view that nobody knows or will know when Christ will return. Scriptures tells us that he will come “like a thief (I Thes 5:2, II Pet 3:10, Rev 16:15)” and “the Son of Man will come at an hour that you do not expect him (Matt 24:44).” Peter dedicated all of II Peter 3:1-10 to emphasize our lack of knowledge of when Christ will return. When you try to argue that Matt 24:36 implies that the date of Christ’s return will be revealed in the future, this contradicts everything else that scripture is teaching us. 

I went and checked my Greek lexicons to verify the word “oude” and its standard translation forms. From my lexicons: 

1. The Walter Bauer Lexicon (translated by Arndt & Gingrich into English) translates “oude” as 1. and not, nor. 2. also not, not either, neither. 3. not even, but not even. This lexicon quotes Matt 24:36 as falling in the 3. form of this translation as “not even.” 

1. The Thayer Lexicon translates “oude” as 1. and not, nor. 2. also not, neither. 3. not even. This lexicon does not quote Matt 24:36 as an example. 

1. The Liddell & Scott Lexicon translates “oude” as 1. but not, nor. 2. not even. 3. also not, not…either, not yet. This lexicon does not quote Matt 24:36 as an example. 

1. The Oxford Greek-English Dictionary [modern Greek] translates “oude” as not even, neither, nor. The modern meaning of this word has not changed from its meaning 2000 years ago in the koine Greek. 

In the list above, only the Liddell & Scott Lexicon lists “not yet” as a valid translation of “oude.” This leaves me wondering why the Concordant Translation would use this as the standard translation for “oude.” What makes it more of a question for me is the modern Concordant Translation renders Matt 24:36 as: “Now, concerning that day and hour no one is aware, neither the messengers of the heavens, nor the Son; except the Father only.” It is only the older 1930 edition that has the “not yet” translation that you quoted. Is the older edition really the best source for translating this verse? 

With that, let’s jump into the study of “no man knows” with a look at the word “know”: 

Englishman’s Concordance 

οἶδεν (oiden) — 22 Occurrences 

Matthew 24:36 V-RIA-3S
GRK: ὥρας οὐδεὶς οἶδεν οὐδὲ οἱ
KJV: and hour knoweth no [man], no, not
INT: hour no one knows not even the 

Mark 13:32 V-RIA-3S
GRK: ὥρας οὐδεὶς οἶδεν οὐδὲ οἱ
KJV: [that] hour knoweth no man,
INT: hour no one knows not even the 

οἴδατε (oidate) — 64 Occurrences 

Matthew 25:13 V-RIA-2P
GRK: ὅτι οὐκ οἴδατε τὴν ἡμέραν
KJV: therefore, for ye know neither the day
INT: for neither you do know the day 

Strong’s Concordance 

eidó: be aware, behold, consider, perceive 

Original Word: οἶδα
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: eidó
Phonetic Spelling: (i’-do)
Short Definition: I know, remember
Definition: I know, remember, appreciate. 

HELPS Word-studies 

1492 eídō (oida) – properly, to see with physical eyes (cf. Ro 1:11), as it naturally bridges to the metaphorical sense: perceiving (“mentally seeing”). This is akin to the expressions: “I see what You mean”; “I see what you are saying.” 

1492 /eídō (“seeing that becomes knowing”) then is a gateway to grasp spiritual truth (reality) from a physical plane. 1492 (eídō) then is physical seeing (sight) which should be the constant bridge to mental and spiritual seeing (comprehension). 

Here is what Vine’s reveals: 

1.  Οἶδα (Perf. of 5, εἰδῶ 1492), from the same root as , “to see,” is a perfect tense with a present meaning, signifying, primarily, “to have seen or perceived”; hence, “to know, to have knowledge of,” whether absolutely, as in divine knowledge, e.g., Matt. 6:8, 32; John 6:6, 64; 8:14; 11:42; 13:11; 18:4; 2 Cor. 11:31; 2 Pet. 2:9; Rev. 2:2, 9, 13, 19; 3:1, 8, 15; or in the case of human “knowledge,” to know from observation, e.g., 1 Thess. 1:4, 5; 2:1; 2 Thess. 3:7.   

The differences between ginosko (No. 1) and oida demand consideration: (a) ginosko, frequently suggests inception or progress in “knowledge,” while oida suggests fullness of “knowledge,” e.g., John 8:55, “ye have not known Him” (ginosko), i.e., begun to “know,” “but I know Him” (oida), i.e., “know Him perfectly”; 13:7, “What I do thou knowest not now,” i.e. Peter did not yet perceive (oida) its significance, “but thou shalt understand,” i.e., “get to know (ginosko), hereafter”; 14:7, “If ye had known Me” (ginosko), i.e., “had definitely come to know Me,” “ye would have known My Father also” (oida), i.e., “would have had perception of”: “from henceforth ye know Him” (ginosko), i.e., having unconsciously been coming to the Father, as the One who was in Him, they would now consciously be in the constant and progressive experience of “knowing” Him; in Mark 4:13, “Know ye not (oida) this parable? and how shall ye know (ginosko) all the parables?” (RV), i.e., “Do ye not understand this parable? How shall ye come to perceive all …” the intimation being that the first parable is a leading and testing one; (b) while ginosko frequently implies an active relation between the one who “knows” and the person or thing “known” (see No. 1, above), oida expresses the fact that the object has simply come within the scope of the “knower’s” perception; thus in Matt. 7:23 “I never knew you” (ginosko) suggests “I have never been in approving connection with you,” whereas in 25:12, “I know you not” (oida) suggests “you stand in no relation to Me.”   

The first thing we need to see above is this:

The differences between ginosko (No. 1) and oida demand consideration: (a) ginosko, frequently suggests inception or progress in “knowledge,” while oida suggests fullness of “knowledge 

What that tells us is this – that when Jesus says “knows” in “no man knows the day or hour”, what He is revealing is that there will be no additional revelations as to the date and time.  In other words, His statement reveals that this is the complete revelation on the matter. 

When you read through the explanations above and consider the examples given, you see that this premise bears out.  Whenever the emphasis highlights a finished revelation, oida or a similar transliteration is the Greek word used. However, when there is additional information to be learned or revealed, ginosko and related transliterations are the words used. 

This gives us another key insight.  The knowledge of Christ is complete in this respect.  While this should come as no surprise to anybody that understands the imagery of the ancient Jewish wedding (where the Bridegroom goes to prepare the wedding chamber at his father’s house, and the father alone decides when it is ready – declaring only then that the bridegroom can go and get his bride), there are many who are attempting to justify discarding immanency based on the connection of “no man knows” to the two day span at the Feast of Trumpets where the exact start of the festival was based on the first sighting of the silver sliver of the moon.   

The premise offered here is that while Jesus walked the earth as a man, He did not know the day and hour.  However, ascended to heaven, Jesus now knows as He and God are one. Furthermore, this claim makes a serious doctrinal leap of faith in making the argument that this newly acquired day and hour IS the revelation that Daniel was told to seal up until the times of the end.  Additionally, it is now that the day and hour are revealed as a part of the Feast of Trumpets. 

We cover the sealing of Daniel’s vision elsewhere on Trib Rising, and how the back half of the tribulation is what Daniel was allowed to see, yet not reveal.  This is a study in its own right, and something which is worth reading in the other projects on Trib Rising. 

What gets lost is that while there is a connection between this timespan at the Feast of Trumpets and the words that Jesus spoke, we cannot alter the actual definition and meaning of the original words.  No matter how you slice it, the original Greek word used here makes any other possibility, well, impossible. 

There will not be any new information as to the exact day and hour of the rapture, which included trying to fit a known two-day timespan into an unknown, unexpected day and hour! 

There is something else that bears understanding.  Even if a person wanted to argue that Jesus would now know the day and hour, that premise misses the actual core point of what Jesus spoke in Matthew 24:36, 25:13, and Mark 13:32 – regardless of whether or not He would one day know the day and hour, He would not reveal it to us.  Consider again the statement in question: 

But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 

Here is the key to the verse: 

no man 

And this: 

Knoweth 

Simply put, NO MAN KNOWS.  No man will ever know, as “knows” is a standalone present tense verse in a conversation about the future.  The Bible never counters or amends this statement, nor changes the tense to “no man knows at this time”, or “no man knows now, but will know tomorrow”, or other such related statement.  Remember, both the Old and New Testaments are replete with examples of this very thing. This very conversation in Matthew 24 and 25, as well and Daniel’s vision being sealed until the times of the end are examples of this very thing.

Likewise, Revelation itself declares that it is time for these things to be revealed, and then does so – without EVER revealing a direct reference to the day and hour of the rapture. 

Revelation 10 English Standard Version (ESV)

The Angel and the Little Scroll 

10 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. 2 He had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, 3 and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring. When he called out, the seven thunders sounded. 4 And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.” 5 And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven 6 and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay, 7 but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.

8 Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, “Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” 9 So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, “Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.” 10 And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter. 11 And I was told, “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.” 

I underlined the mystery of God would be fulfilled for a reason.  It needs to be understood that the tense and original Greek script reveal that this is a future tense statement.  Rather, it is a statement in the present which tells us that something is about to happen. In this case, it reveals that the mystery of God is now going to be opened up and fulfilled.  It shall no longer be a mystery. 

Of course, there are several references to the mysteries of God in the Bible.  Nearly all of them have corresponding scriptures in the New Testament which reveal how those mysteries were opened up for our understanding.  However, the one final mystery that has not yet been revealed up until this point is – you guessed it – the mysteries that Daniel was required to seal up until the end. 

This is far too detailed of a study to delve into at this point.  However, you can read more on this in various other projects on Trib Rising.  For now, I will point you in the right direction for your own studies. Study these scriptures in conjunction with the scriptures above from Revelation: 

Ezekiel 2:8 – 3:3 ESV – “But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Be not rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.” 9 And when I looked, behold, a hand was stretched out to me, and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. 10 And he spread it before me. And it had writing on the front and on the back, and there were written on it words of lamentation and mourning and woe. 

And he said to me, “Son of man, eat whatever you find here. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” 2 So I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.” Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey. 

And this: 

Jeremiah 15:16 KJV – Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts. 

And finally, this: 

Revelation 12:4-9 ESV – But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”

5 Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on this bank of the stream and one on that bank of the stream. 6 And someone said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream,[b] “How long shall it be till the end of these wonders?” 7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream; he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time, and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be finished. 8 I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said, “O my lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?” 9 He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end. 

With that said, the key takeaway is this.  When we undertake a full study of the original Greek, and the full context of the scriptures ahead and behind “no man knows”, what we find is that the intent was never that we would or would not know the day or hour.  Rather, it is that we would know the day and hour is at hand, WITHOUT knowing the exact moment these things transpire – thus requiring watchfulness in a day and time where watchfulness would seem unnecessary and difficult.  Of course, this meshes completely with the full context of the same parables elsewhere in Matthew 24 and 25, Mark 13, Luke 17 and 21.  Now, before we cover the next aspect of this – God preserving His word unto all generations – there is an observation that needs to be made, and is missed by everybody, and I do mean EVERYBODY. 

There are many debates on who the Lord is addressing in Matthew 24 and 25.  Is He addressing the church? Is He addressing Israel? Is He addressing both?  We cover this in great detail in “Matthew 24 and the Rapture” and reveal a bombshell that answers this question.  That said, this debate has been the source of much speculation with regards to “no man knows”. Likewise, when the debates on the Feast of Trumpets are added to the mix, specifically the connection with this statement and the two-day new moon window, the list of doctrinal differences become absolutely overwhelming. 

Here is the link to the project on Matthew 24 and the rapture: 

http://tribulationrisingcom.fatcow.com/matthew-24-and-the-rapture/ 

The Glaring Question

In the context of our current conversation, there is something that gets missed.  Now, what I am getting ready to say must not be subject to a knee jerk reaction. However, the plain truth is that the majority of folks reading this project will immediately have two distinct reactions.  First, they will rush through a fast and furious litany of halfcocked comparisons between their own views and the statement I will make in just a moment. They will do so in an effort to determine that my statement cannot mean that they are wrong.  Second, they – just as fast and furiously – will begin to assign fault to those on the other side of the relevant argument. In this case, the argument centers on immanency or the two-day new moon window, and which one is correct when it comes to the timing of the rapture. 

Hear me very carefully.  Though you will be tempted to run down this road, I must urge you to be careful, and hold any such analysis until later in the project.  This goes for BOTH sides of the debate on the rapture timing. Understand this – regardless of which side you are on, and how shocking my statement is – one thing holds true.  Even if you panic and are not sure how, this statement does NOT mean you are wrong.  I cannot emphasize this enough and will clarify so that there is NO misunderstanding. 

Whether you hold to immanency, the two-day new moon window – or both – my statement does not mean you are wrong.  Rather, it reveals that you are about to get the next big pieces in the overall picture. With that, here is what gets missed. 

If the rapture is the fulfillment of the Feast of Trumpets, and “no man knows” refers to the two-day new moon FOT window alone, then how are these scriptures possible? 

Matthew 24:40-41 ESV – 40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 

For some of you the light bulb just came on. 

For the rest of you, read these again very carefully, and consider the question I asked before sharing these two scriptures.  Do you see it yet?

These two scriptures are direct references to actions and activities which are illegal on the Feast of Trumpets! 

All of the rest of the related scriptures in this conversation are general in nature and described the days of the end in a general sense.  However, these two scriptures do something different. They relay specific actions and set them to the exact moment of the rapture. These are specific actions that are being carried out at the moment the Lord returns, and in that moment one of the concerned parties is taken.  You cannot be grinding when the Feast of Trumpets begins. Likewise, you cannot be in the field either. These are actions which run counter to the Law of Moses. 

Remember, Christ is in Jerusalem talking to Jews.  That is important in this respect – I have heard the argument made that while it may be the feast day in Israel it will not be the feast day elsewhere on the planet.  The problem is that Christ isn’t talking to Gentiles, or Jews outside of Israel, and the Law of Moses is still in effect when He speaks these words.  That also presents another secondary problem with ascribing the rapture to the two-day window of the FOT.  I say secondary as all prophetic timing does in fact center on the time and timing of events in Jerusalem.  So, it is not a huge issue, but certainly one that is worth keeping in mind while you ponder this issue.

As I said, most will be running to make sense of this statement in light of their own position.  However, the statement stands and cannot be dismissed. For those that speak on the timing of when Jesus spoke different things, it must be remembered that Jesus is speaking these things to Jews, in a time when even He still followed the Law of Moses.  So, would Jesus readily declare that He will one day break that Law, at the very instant He is fulfilling that very same Law?

Remember, He died on the cross still perfect.  By definition, this requires that He cannot be guilty of attempted subversion of the Law of Moses!  In other words, Jesus cannot even suggest that any action that runs contrary to the Law of Moses.

The same premise holds for those that are attempting to find a link between this and the possibility that Jesus is addressing the future church (the Law and feast days are fulfilled, and therefore we can work on the Feast of Trumpets).  Therefore, the prohibition against working on the Sabbath and feast days still holds, even if the premise is that the Law is fulfilled. Remember, Jesus does not ever break a single premise of any Law of God and must actually fulfill every written Law of Moses.  If He sanctions working on the Sabbath and feast days where doing so is not an absolute necessity, then He is violating His own Law. Likewise, while working on the Sabbath and feast days can clearly be a necessity for some, it is not for everybody. Yet still, even if the premise of necessity is accepted, it is a moot point.  Jesus fulfilling the Law must be so in a manner that is absolutely above reproach. We have already touched on this when it comes to the burial of Christ elsewhere in Trib Rising. There cannot be even the appearance of impropriety in ANYTHING that Christ does. It is not because of the guilt or innocence of Christ. Rather, it is about the perfect justice of God, and that everything we are discussing here must be above board if it is to have the weight necessary to truly stand as an eternal record against those who shall stand condemned for all eternity.   

There is something else that needs covered before we move to the preservation of God’s word.  There has been every conceivable attempt to subvert the subject of what Christ is addressing in Matthew 24 and 25.  We deal with this in great detail in the other projects on Trib Rising. Specifically, there has been an effort to declare that “no man knows” speaks to the second coming, and not the rapture.  While we will not delve into all of the aspects of this argument, there are several points which are worth stating in this particular project, for the sake of the overall context of our discussion. 

The first thing that we need to understand gets back to the conversation on “no man knows”.  Specifically, the criteria of these scriptures. Here is what I mean. 

But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 

Is there anything that sticks out to you in this statement? 

Remember, this goes to the context and meaning of this scripture, and whether or not it speaks to the rapture or second coming.  Read the scripture again. Is there anything which rings a bell with regards to both the rapture and second coming? 

This statement deals with both the day and hour, and never separates the two! 

Here is why this is important.  Every scripture must be truth as a standalone scripture, and as a part of the line-on-line doctrines.  That matters in this respect. Regardless of whether or not other scriptures deal only with the hour aspect of this event, Matthew 24:36 and several other scriptures tie the timing of this event to both the DAY and HOUR.  In other words, it cannot be speaking of an event where the day can be known. 

For that matter, it cannot be speaking of an event where the hour can be known either! 

We can take it one step further – it cannot be on any known hour of any known day!

Remember, the spring feasts were fulfilled on both the day and hour that they were written into the Law of Moses.  If “no man knows” is speaking to the second coming and not the rapture, then we have a real problem on our hand.  The Day of Atonement reveals the exact hour and day in which the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will return! 

We know the exact hour of the events that transpire on the Day of Atonement.  We know the exact day of the year that the Day of Atonement transpires. Once the tribulation starts, we know the exact year, month, day, and hour that the second coming will occur. 

The only thing we DON’T know is when this final series of events will start – and that comes ONLY with the rapture! 

There is another scripture that we need to examine in this regard: 

Matthew 24:44 ESV – Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. 

At first glance, this scripture appears to be very problematic for the two-day new moon window of the Feast of Trumpets.  If the original Greek reveals this scripture to mean what we see here, then by definition we have a real problem on our hands. 

With that, let’s examine the word “expects”: 

Strong’s Concordance
dokeó: to have an opinion, to seem
Original Word: δοκέω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: dokeó
Phonetic Spelling: (dok-eh’-o)
Short Definition: I think, seem, appear, it seems
Definition: I think, seem, appear, it seems. 

HELPS Word-studies
1380 dokéō – properly, suppose (what “seems to be”), forming an opinion (a personal judgment, estimate).

1380 /dokéō (“suppose”) directly reflects the personal perspective (values) of the person making the subjective judgment call, i.e. showing what they esteem (or not) as an individual.

[1380 (dokéō) is the root of: 1378 (dógma), 1391 (dóksa), and 2106 (eudokéō). Each cognate stresses “the subjective mental estimate or opinion about a matter” (R. Trench, 304).]

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from dokos (opinion)
Definition
to have an opinion, to seem 

NASB Translation
deem (1), expect (1), has a mind (1), inclined (1), recognized (1), regarded (1), reputation (3), reputed (1), seem (3), seemed best (1), seemed fitting (1), seemed good (4), seems (3), suppose (5), supposed (2), supposes (1), supposing (4), think (18), thinking (1), thinks (6), thought (4). 

Thayer’s Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 1380: δοκέω

δοκέω, δοκῶ; imperfect ἐδόκουν; 1 aorist ἔδοξα; (akin to δέχομαι or δέκομαι, whence δοκός an assumption, opinion (cf. Latindecus, decet, dignus; Curtius, § 15; cf. his Das Verbum, i., pp. 376, 382)); (from Homer down); 

1. to be of opinion, think, suppose: followed by an accusative with an infinitive, Mark 6:49 (R G L Tr); 2 Corinthians 11:16; 1 Corinthians 12:23; with an infinitive relating to the same subject as that of δοκέω itself, Luke 8:18 (ὁ δοκεῖ ἔχειν); Luke 24:37 (ἐδόκουν πνεῦμα θεωρεῖν); John 5:39; John 16:2; Acts 12:9; Acts 27:13; 1 Corinthians 3:18; 1 Corinthians 7:40; 1 Corinthians 8:2; 1 Corinthians 10:12; 1 Corinthians 14:37; Galatians 6:3; Philippians 3:4; James 1:26; μή δόξητε λέγειν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς do not suppose that ye may think, Matthew 3:9; cf. Fritzsche at the passage followed by ὅτι, Matthew 6:7; Matthew 26:53; (Mark 6:49 T WH); Luke 12:51; Luke 13:2, 4; Luke 19:11; John 5:45; John 11:13 ( T Tr WH); ; 1 Corinthians 4:9; 2 Corinthians 12:19; James 4:5, so used that the object is easily understood from the context: Matthew 24:44 (ἡ ὥρα οὐ δοκεῖτε ὁ υἱός τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἔρχεται); Luke 12:40; Luke 17:9 (R G L brackets Tr marginal reading brackets); forming a parenthesis in the midst of a question: πόσῳ, δοκεῖτε, χείρονος ἀξιωθήσεται τιμωρίας; Hebrews 10:29; (Aristophanes Aeharn. 12 πῶς τουτ’ ἐσεισε μου, δοκεῖς, τήν καρδίαν; Anacreon () 40, 15 (i. e., 35 (33), 16) πόσον, δοκεῖς, πονουσιν, ἔρως, ὅσους σύ βαλλεις;). (Synonym: see ἡγέομαι, at the end) 

Here are the operative pieces that we need to understand what the Lord is saying to us: 

“to be of opinion, think, suppose” 

“so used that the object is easily understood from the context” 

Let’s introduce this into the scripture at hand: 

Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not think, suppose, or have the opinion IS the hour of His coming. 

What we learn here is this.  First, there will be an expectation of a particular hour that will see the return of the Lord.  Second, it is that hour which will NOT be the hour of His return! 

Here is an interesting tidbit that will likely get missed if not pointed out.  In the information above there are numerous meanings given for the various transliterations of dokeó.  In those transliterations the truth of the matter is revealed. 

deem (1), expect (1), has a mind (1), inclined (1), recognized (1), regarded (1), reputation (3), reputed (1), seem (3), seemed best (1), seemed fitting (1), seemed good (4), seems (3), suppose (5), supposed (2), supposes (1), supposing (4), think (18), thinking (1), thinks (6), thought (4). 

Look at the sum total of these different meanings.  What do you see? It is the very premise that so many hold with regards to the rapture, that the two-day new moon window ALONE is the ONLY time that the rapture can occur!  There is one very glaring problem with that line of thinking.  

It removes the remaining 363 days of the year as rapture possibilities! 

Remember what we just discovered: 

Therefore, you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not think, suppose, or have the opinion IS the hour of His coming. 

Here is the issue.  In ascribing the rapture to a single yearly window of just two days, we actually place ourselves in direct violation of the Bible.  To limit the rapture to just two days per year is to effectively declare that these must be the days that the rapture occurs. 

you do not think, 

suppose, 

or have the opinion 

IS the hour of His coming. 

You THINK it is one of two days.  You SUPPOSE it is one of two days.  You have the OPINION it is one of two days.   

What needs to be understood is that the only way that we cannot be in danger of violating this scripture is to adhere to the premise behind “no man knows”.  That is, to operate under the premise that EVERYDAY is the possible day of the return of Jesus.  Rather than remove the remaining 353 days of every year, we need to include all 365 days! 

When we ascribe the rapture to more than a singular two-day window every year, we not only remove the dangers of violating Matthew 24:44, but we likewise place ourselves into compliance with additional scripture: 

But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. 

Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 

the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know 

While we are here, there is something that we need to address.  The last scripture above reveals a core truth that gets missed by so many in discussions as to whether or not these are rapture or second coming scriptures.  Here is why. The last verse above spells out the answer to this debate. 

The second coming does not happen on an unknown day! 

For that matter, it does not happen on an unknown hour either.  This gets into something which is going to blow your mind. We will cover the “hour” aspect in just a moment.  For now, the day is the issue at hand for the second coming. Here are several scriptures that really put the issue of the second coming in perspective: 

Daniel 12:11 ESV – And from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days. 

Revelation 12:6 ESV – and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days. 

Revelation 12:13 ESV – But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. 

Revelation 13:5 ESV – And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. 

We cover the timing of the tribulation in two primary projects, “Biblical Proof of a Seven Year Tribulation” and “Time, Times, and a Dividing of Times”.  They are well worth reading, and present evidence for what we are going to say next. 

The answer as to whether or not the scriptures regarding “no man knows”, “unknown days”, “unknown hours”, and “unexpected days and hours” speak to the second coming reside in a simple question asked of the individual scriptures above. 

Daniel 12:11-12 ESV – And from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days. 

What happens on day 1,291? Does the abomination simply stop, and life go back to normal?  (The two projects referenced above also deal with the extra 30 days in the 1,290 days, and the 1,335 days given in Daniel as well). 

Revelation 12:6 ESV – and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days. 

What happens on day 1,261?  Does the Lord suddenly remove His protection from the women?  After 1,260 days, is she suddenly not nourished? 

Revelation 13:5 ESV – And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. 

What happens on 42 months and one day? Remember, at 42 months this is a true statement.  However, if ANY timeframe other than 42 months is exercised this scripture becomes a lie!  The same premise and understanding holds for each of these scriptures. Likewise, there is an abundance of scripture and prophecy which reveals that after the tribulation the Jewish remnant is restored, and Israel becomes the seat of Messiah’s government.  That leaves us with a singular understanding: 

Once the allotted timeframes above are complete, the promises given elsewhere in the Bible require an immediate return of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to throw down the Antichrist and set up His government on the earth. 

Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 

Just in case there are any question on this, a quick look at the actual meaning of “immediately” should put this to rest: 

Englishman’s Concordance
εὐθέως (eutheōs) — 36 Occurrences 

Matthew 24:29 Adv
GRK: Εὐθέως δὲ μετὰ
NAS: But immediately after the tribulation
INT: Immediately moreover after 

Strong’s Concordance
eutheós: at once, directly
Original Word: εὐθέως
Part of Speech: Adverb
Transliteration: eutheós
Phonetic Spelling: (yoo-theh’-oce)
Short Definition: immediately, soon
Definition: immediately, soon, at once. 

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
adverb from euthus
Definition
at once, directly
NASB Translation
immediately (32), shortly (1). 

Thayer’s Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 2112: εὐθέως

εὐθέως, adverb (from εὐθύς), straightway, immediately, forthwith: Matthew 4:20, 22; Matthew 8:3, and often in the historical books, especially Mark’s Gospel (where, however, T Tr WH have substituted εὐθύς in some 35 out of 41 cases); elsewhere only in Galatians 1:16; James 1:24; Revelation 4:2, (for פִּתְאֹם, Job 5:3). shortly, soon: 3 John 1:14. (From Sophocles down.) 

Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance 

as soon as, forthwith, immediately
Adverb from euthus; directly, i.e. At once or soon — anon, as soon as, forthwith, immediately, shortly, straightway.

see GREEK euthus

There we have it!  The scriptures regarding “no man knows” can only refer to the rapture, an event in which its corresponding feast likewise defines the same element of mystery, and something we will delve into in just a moment – the unexpected day and the unexpected hour! 

None of what we have just covered speaks to the aspects covered by the Day of Atonement, which is the subject of an upcoming project, and part of what we addressed just a few moments ago.  Long story short, “no man knows” deals with the rapture, not the second coming. 

Timing and Telling the Story

With that said, the next point that needs shared is simply this.  90 percent of the conversations I see on the timing of the tribulation occur amongst people that do not understand the three-dimensional nature of conversation, and specifically the conversations in the Bible.  Revelation is a good example of this. There are more false doctrines on the timing of Revelation simply because people cannot discern conversational flow and understand when the Bible transitions to a back story. 

They don’t understand that in the days of the Bible that there was no such thing as timelines, graphs and charts.  John did not have the understanding of how to draw a timeline for us to follow. Instead, he wrote Revelation the same way all authors of his day would have written Revelation.  He gave the chronological telling of events up to a certain point, then he stopped to fill in the missing backstory. John understood that while he was recounting the main timeline and subject of Revelation – the seal, trumpet, and vial judgments – there were additional events taking place at the same time. 

When the time comes to transition to the next phase or subject of Revelation, John stops the forward progress to reveal the additional events which have also happened to that point yet had not been written as of yet. 

Did you ever notice the timing of the two witnesses?  Here is an excerpt from “Biblical Proof of a Seven Year Tribulation” on the two witnesses and the three woes: 

Here is the link to “Biblical Proof of a Seven Year Tribulation”: 

http://tribulationrisingcom.fatcow.com/addendum-2-proof-of-a-seven-year-tribulation/ 

The Book of Revelation is littered with chronological markers and pictures of events that are designed to give the proper sequence of the timing.  Let us look at one set of these markers – the three woes. 

The three woes in the Book of Revelation are truly underappreciated, and as such they are generally overlooked.  Most confine their study to the seals, trumpets and bowls. However, every word uttered in the Bible has significance and must be studied.  The three woes are no different. To the contrary – it is the three woes that set the chronology of the tribulation. 

Let us start with the first woe.  In Rev. 9:12 we see that the first woe is complete.  Officially, the three woes begin at Rev. 8:13, and each actually begins with the blowing of the last three trumpets.  From 8:13 to 9:12 we find terrible judgments that strike not just the planet in general – but these judgments fall upon men specifically.  This is why they are called the “woes”. Other judgments that are general in nature can be compensated for and survived. The woes cannot be avoided – they are people specific. 

So, in Rev. 9:12 we see that the first woe is complete or passed.  It is critical to note the timing. The first woe is tied to the completion of the fifth trumpet.  More on this in a moment. 

Now, let us look at the second woe.  We find the second woe in Rev. 11:13. 

In Rev. 11:13 we find that 7,000 people have died as the result of an earthquake in Jerusalem.  Likewise, the rest of the city fears God for this and gives him glory. As it was with the first woe, the second woe likewise fell upon specific people for a specific purpose. 

Here is the critical part of the equation. 

The second woe is tied to the start of the 6th trumpet and the two-witness revealed in chapter 11.  In chapter 11 we see that the rebuilding of the Temple, announcing the judgments of God and striking down those that come against the Temple are a part of the two witnesses and their calling.  Also, they are decreed to stand for 1,260 days. This is important to understand. Many simply assume that the 1,260 day extends from chapter 11 forward. It does not. The 1,260 days end at Rev. 11:7. 

The second woe is completed at the end of the 1,260 days of the two witnesses.  They are overtaken by the Antichrist – who has just invaded Israel. They are killed and lay dead in the streets for three days.  After the three days they are resurrected and raptured back to heaven. This results in an earthquake that finishes the second woe. 

What must be remembered is that the completion of the second woe FOLLOWS the 1,260 days of the two witnesses.  This is a direct designation by the Bible. This means that 1,260 days have progressed since the signing of the treaty with Israel – and BEFORE the second woe. 

The second woe is then followed by the 7th trumpet and the start of the third woe – which runs the entire length of the second 42 months of the tribulation, which begins after the abomination of desolation.  We see the commencement of the third woe in chapter 12, at verses 12 and 17 (the official start is the blowing of the 7th trumpet, but we see the stated effect for the first time at 12:12, after the Beast and False Prophet are introduced).  This tells us that the third woe – like the first and second – is people specific. We find that the third woe commences after the remnant of Israel flees Jerusalem, and the Antichrist is stopped from harming them. It is now that he turns his attention to the rest of the saints.  It is now that he heaps woe upon any that call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Also, the second woe is completed BEFORE the seventh trumpet.  This is extremely critical. 

We can sum up the chronology of the three woes in this manner: 

The first woe is complete at fifth trumpet in Rev. 9:12. 

The third woe starts after the abomination of desolation, in Rev. 12:17 – and runs the length of the 1,260 of the second half of the tribulation. 

The completion of second woe comes at the end of the 1,260 days of the two witnesses.  It also begins with the sixth trumpet – just before the seventh trumpet. 

That tells us that a minimum of 1, 263 days have progressed BEFORE the 7th trumpet is sounded. 

This is only possible if the tribulation runs the entire length of seven years – or the full 70th week. 

Let’s take a moment and put all of this together in more of a graphic form to make it easier to digest.  Here is the scripture critical to this exercise: 

From Revelation chapter 11: 

3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. 

This gives the witnesses 1,260 days. 

7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. 

This declares that they die after those 1,260 days. 

11 And after three days and an half the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. 

This tells us that they are dead three days.  Running total puts us at 1,263 days. 

13-14 And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven. 

The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.~ 

And there we have it – the earthquake and 7,000 dead complete the second woe.  The second woe did not come before the 1,260 days of the witnesses. It came after. 

So, lets put this all together: 

6:1 – Seal one 

6:3 – Seal two 

6:5 – Seal three 

6:7 – Seal four 

6:9 – Seal five 

=================================================== 

6:12 – Seal six / Opening signs in the heavens – the start to the day of the Lord: 

The sun turned to darkness, And the moon to blood – Joel 2:31* 

And the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood – Revelation 6:12* 

* The blood moon is different than the darkened moon 

<<< The start of the 1,260 days of the witnesses (you will see this in a minute) >>> 

8:1 – Seventh seal – silence for the space of about a half hour 

8:7 – Trumpet one 

8:8 – Trumpet two 

8:10 – Trumpet three 

8:12 – Trumpet four 

9:1 – Trumpet five 

9:12 – Woe one 

9:14 – Trumpet six 

11:14 – Woe two – see above ^^^.  Finished at the earthquake which comes after the death and resurrection of the two witnesses. 

11:15 – Trumpet seven – Judgment Seat of Christ 

12:12 – Woe three begins – runs the rest of the tribulation. 

<<< The 1,260 days of the witnesses are complete.  Otherwise, they would not have died three days before woe number two occurred.  >>> 

=================================================== 

Let’s examine the rest of the timeline in Revelation: 

12:6 – The 1,260 days of the Jews in the wilderness begins. 

12:12 – Woe three begins. 

16:2 – Vial one 

16:3 – Vial two 

16:4 – Vial three 

16:8 – Vial four 

16:10 – Vial five 

16:12 – Vial six 

16:17 – Vial seven 

19:11 – Second Coming / closing signs in the heavens. 

The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining – Joel 3:15** 

Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light – Matthew 24:29** 

** The emphasis here is the darkened moon, or the moon that does not give her light – not the blood moon which still gives its light. 

=================================================== We can emphasize this a bit further.  Scripture shows the Day of the Lord beginning with the signs in the heavens.  That places the start of the 1,260 days of the witnesses after the 6th seal, at the 7th. 

As we noted above, there are distinct differences between the signs that come.  Here are the signs in the heavens, showing their differences and placement. 

Joel 2:31 KJV – The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come. 

Revelation 6:12 KJV – 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; 

Not to be confused with the similar signs that declare the Second Coming, which call for the moon to be darkened as opposed to turned to blood (lunar eclipse gives us the blood moon – the new moon gives us the blackened moon). 

Matthew 24:29 KJV – 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: 

Joel 3:12-15 KJV – Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. 

Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. 

Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. 

The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. 

For those of you keeping score at home, that is 1,263 days from 6th seal to second woe. 

The section on “Time, Times and a Dividing of Times” has more on the timing, and why the first six seals are not a part of the seven-year tribulation yet are a part of the eight years that pass from the rapture and the Second Coming. 

How many arguments over this particular subject seem to have missed what should have hit them like a rock?  How many of you just got smacked in the mouth on this one? 

The same thing happens with Matthew 24 and 25.  People fail to see and understand when the conversation transitions.  In fairness, most folks are not writers by nature. Those who do not write will not notice the things of writers.  If they did, they too would be writers. Here is where that comes into play: 

24:32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: 

When you read a direct translation from the Greek, it reads like this: 

Of now the fig tree, learn the parable ~ 

Without breaking into a full grammatical dissertation, I will leave it simply at this.  This is the verse that transitions out of the chronological recounting of the tribulation, and transitions BACK to the overall subject of the entire conversation.  Here is an excerpt from “Matthew 24 and the Rapture”: 

There is another interesting piece that comes into play also.  Consider these scriptures detailing the start of the same conversation between Jesus and the disciples:

Luke 21:7 KJV – And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?

Mark 13:4 KJV – Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?

Matthew 24:3 KJV – And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

You may have noticed a difference between the three.  Specifically, a difference in Matthew 24:3 and the way it speaks to the subject.  The passages in Mark and Luke are nearly identical, yet Matthew reveals something critical to the discussion – the order of events and the key as to why there seems to be a complete difference between the first part of Matthew 24 and the second.

As we laid out earlier in this presentation, the first part of Matthew 24 is very time specific.  With the introduction of Daniel into the text, it sets the timing of the events of the tribulation to the exact day after the Abomination of Desolation.  This is in stark contrast to the back half of Matthew 24 and Matthew 25, which clearly indicate there is no such known timing to the return of the Lord. Not only does this eliminate the possibility of a post-tribulation rapture, but it takes every other possibility off the table as well.  We know this as Daniel and Revelation taken together reveal the exact timing of both halves of the tribulation and declare a multitude of signs and events which run clearly counter to the parables offered in the back half of Matthew 24, chapter 25, Mark 13 and Luke 21. 

There is another piece that will be covered in just a few minutes detailing additional scriptural evidence of the pre-tribulation rapture – Luke chapter 17.  Most read through this chapter without really considering what it says. They simply assume that it is an extension of Matthew 24. It is not. It is, in fact, ironclad proof of the pre-tribulation rapture.

So, the question is how we know that the order given in Matthew 24:3 is specific, and not a random writing.

As we said earlier, there are no errant words in the Bible, nor are there arbitrary statements.  We have detailed in the Final Warning that every last word spoken on earth must be accounted before heaven.  So, it is with the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Every statement he spoke is profitable for instruction. We also see this in the back half of Matthew 24 and chapter 25.  Each of the parables spoken by the Lord are done so in a specific order.

For example, there are those that tell us that Matthew 24:39-42 indicates that those which are taken are the wicked, removed from the earth by the Lord.  At first glance, and taken by themselves, these scriptures look as though they can indeed indicate such a thing. However, when taken with all of the parables the Lord spoke on the subject, and in the order they are given – a full picture emerges with each parable defining the prior parable.

We see the same principle revealed in the Revelation chapters two and three.  When we take all of the things that are given to those that “overcome” and read them in the order they are given, we see the complete picture emerge of what comes in the rapture and the fulfillment of the initiation of the priesthood.  Each of the rewards to the overcomer are specific, they are rooted in the priesthood, and as Paul tells us in Hebrews – they are the actual fulfillment of the things that occur on earth. To paraphrase the Apostle Paul – the rewards to the overcomers are the things in which the earthly order of priests are copied from.  Also, each of the rewards given in Revelation cannot be given on earth. They can only be given in heaven, as this is where the final fulfillment of the calling of the Kingdom of Priests will occur. Likewise, a listing of the offenses found in Revelation chapters two and three reveal the severity and order of those things to which we are declared as not overcoming.

We will cover the rewards of the overcomers more in just a moment.

What makes Matthew 24:3 so interesting is that it sets the context for the differences in Matthew 24 as a whole.  When the disciples ask the Lord about his comments on the destruction of the Temple, they ask a critical question:

“What is the sign of your coming?”

Let’s look again at the verse in question:

Matthew 24:3 KJV – And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

What I am about to share is a prime example of how circular reasoning based on man’s assumptions truly fails us when it comes to the things of the Lord.  It is akin to saying that the last trumpet judgment in Revelation is the last trump of God declaring the rapture – yet never willing to ask the obvious question:

Is this the only “last trump” that the Bible attaches to end times prophecy?

The answer is of course “no”.  Yet so many seek to justify their own positions at the expense of academic integrity.  We cover the difference between the Last Trump and the trumpet of the seventh angel in great detail on another page.  The differences are stunning to say the least.

Here is why circular reasoning fails.  In Matthew 24:3, the word “coming” is parousia in the original Greek (Textus Receptus, Codex Sinaiticus, various additional manuscripts).  Parousia is Strong’s number 3952, and generally defined as “presence, coming or advent”. Indeed, the interlinear has “presence” as the given translation.  So, why is this critical?

Here are the critical excerpts on “parousia” taken from Vine’s:

~3. parousia (παρουσία, 3952), lit., “a presence,” para, “with,” and ousia, “being” (from eimi, “to be”), denotes both an “arrival” and a consequent “presence with.”

When used of the return of Christ, at the Rapture of the Church, it signifies, not merely His momentary “coming” for His saints, but His presence with them from that moment until His revelation and manifestation to the world. In some passages the word gives prominence to the beginning of that period, the course of the period being implied, 1 Cor. 15:23; 1 Thess. 4:15; 5:23; 2 Thess. 2:1; Jas. 5:7,8; 2 Pet. 3:4. In some, the course is prominent, Matt. 24:3,37; 1 Thess. 3:13; 1 John 2:28; in others the conclusion of the period, Matt. 24:27; 2 Thess. 2:8.~

Did you catch that?  Here is the takeaway from the original Greek:

“When used of the return of Christ, at the Rapture of the Church, it signifies, not merely His momentary “coming” for His saints, but His presence with them from that moment until His revelation and manifestation to the world… 

In some, the course is prominent, Matt. 24:3,37; 1 Thess. 3:13; 1 John 2:28;”

This is an absolute bombshell!  It reveals the truth of what the disciples were asking.  They were not asking a general question as to the return of the Lord, or of the Second Coming.

They were asking of the rapture!

How did the disciples know that the rapture would even occur?  A moment ago, I stated the Luke 17 was absolute proof of the rapture.

Here is how we know this – the things spoken in Luke 17 point back to specific Old Testament pictures and prophecies of the Day of the Lord.  Two such examples would be Zephaniah 1:14 – 2:3, and also Joel chapter 2, where the imagery of the ancient Jewish wedding is used to frame the Day of the Lord.  By course, this example introduces the necessity of the Lord returning for His bride in secret, stealing her away for seven days to the house of His Father. This would be followed by a very public return with the bride.  We covered some additional Old Testament examples of the rapture earlier in this writing also.

We will see these allusions to the ancient Jewish wedding more in a moment.  They are an absolutely amazing revelation prophetically concealed in both Matthew 24 and Luke 17.

When Jesus spoke, the words recorded in Luke 17 it was the first time that he provided direct context for the many pictures of the rapture in the Old Testament.  Recall, context is part two of the revealing of the mysteries of God.

So that there is NO misunderstanding – the disciples already had a partial knowledge of the return of the Lord and what it would entail.  When they speak to Jesus in Matthew 24, they are looking for additional details to something He had already started to reveal!

Now, the question becomes why Jesus spoke of the Second Coming at the end of the tribulation if the disciples were asking of the rapture.  The reason is simple – the disciples actually asked three questions here:

When shall these things be (Jesus had just recounted the destruction of the Temple)?

What shall be the sign of your coming (presence)?

And of the end of the world, or age (aoen)?

That is exactly what the Lord answered.  That is why there seems to be three separate conversations or subjects in Matthew 24 – and why verse 36 forward seems to be a completely different conversation from the rest of what was just spoken.

Verses four through eight are when these things will be.

Verses nine through 14 are the sign of His coming.

Verses 15 through 35 are the end of the world, or the age – of which the Second Coming is a critical and prophesied piece in the Old Testament, as is the rapture at the beginning of the end. 

As we said a moment ago, verse 32 is the point where Jesus transitions back to the full conversation, and continues addressing the overall point of this discussion: 

~~ Now, the question becomes why Jesus spoke of the Second Coming at the end of the tribulation if the disciples were asking of the rapture.  The reason is simple – the disciples actually asked three questions here:

When shall these things be (Jesus had just recounted the destruction of the Temple)?

What shall be the sign of your coming (presence)?

And of the end of the world, or age (aoen)?

That is exactly what the Lord answered.  That is why there seems to be three separate conversations or subjects in Matthew 24 – and why verse 36 forward seems to be a completely different conversation from the rest of what was just spoken.

Verses four through eight are when these things will be.

Verses nine through 14 are the sign of His coming

Verses 15 through 35 are the end of the world, or the age – of which the Second Coming is a critical and prophesied piece in the Old Testament, as is the rapture at the beginning of the end. ~~ 

Verse 32 is the transition point which sets up what we see from verse 36 forward.  With this premise in mind, it should be a bit more clear when you read verses 32 through 35: 

32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:

33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 

The question is this – do these four scriptures even resemble a continuation of the chronological recounting of the tribulation that we see up until verse 31? 

Now you know the rest of the story! ~~ 

The Word Preserved

One of the primary issues in the modern “no man knows” debate is the assertion that as the Lord has opened up an end times understanding, “no man knows” has shifted from a literal reading to an idiom which does not actually mean what it appears to say on face value, but instead, specifically means a set two-day window every year at the Feast of Trumpets.  However, this premise, like so many these days, ignores a pivotal fact of the Bible: 

The Lord preserves His word unto ALL generations! 

Psalms 12:6-7 KJV – The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. 

In a study of these scriptures, I encountered something that is rarely seen – a sense of agreement amongst most sources on this topic.  Let me state that I am not saying that everybody agrees. Rather, I am saying that there are surprisingly few detractors from what these scriptures present. 

What makes this odd is that not every translation renders these versus the same way.  Here is the rendering from the ESV, which shows the second of the two primary translations shared among the majority of the different Bible translations: 

The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times. 

You, O Lord, will keep them; you will guard us from this generation forever. 

You can see the core difference between the two renderings.  In one, it is the words of the Lord that are preserved. In the other, it is people that are preserved.  So, which rendering is right? In my own studies and analysis, I am able to document that the more accurate translation is that of the KJV, which renders the scriptures to mean that the Lord preserves His word (a cursory internet search will provide more than enough reference material, should you be so inclined to research this for yourself).  The context of Psalms chapter 12 alone bears this out: 

Psalm 12 King James Version (KJV)

12 Help, Lord; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.

2 They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.

3 The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things:

4 Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?

5 For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the Lord; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him.

6 The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

7 Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

8 The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted. 

The only commentary I will offer on this is that verse five is where the subject of verses six and seven is given.  At first glance, it seems as though the subject of verse five is the poor and the needy. Indeed, then can be seen as such.  However, the crux of the matter resides in what the Lord lays out next: 

now will I arise, saith the Lord; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him. 

The subject is not the people, but that the Lord has given His word to them and spoken what He will do.  Verses six and seven do not speak to the Lord keeping or preserving people. Rather, they speak to the Lord preserving His words and promise to those same people – no matter what!  In other words, once the Lord delivers a promise you can take it to the bank! 

There is far deeper analysis that is possible on these scriptures.  However, I think what we have said already suffices for the purposes of this project. 

That said, here is the kicker on this.  Even though there are two primary differences in these two scriptures, and various sources that speak to which translation may be right – the one thing that nearly every source agrees on is that the Lord does indeed preserve His word unto all generations!  In other words, whether or not these two scriptures declare the Lord’s words preserved, it is generally agreed that some scriptures clearly reveal this. 

However, in all of the discussions on this topic, it seems that the crux of the matter resides in two words that are never addressed in connection to the Lord preserving His word.  Here is the core statement containing the two words in question: 

“from this generation for ever.”

The two words in question are “from” and “this”.  It is these two words which reveal the truth of the issue.  With that, let’s also look at the other two words in the statement, and start there. 

We will start with generation:

Strong’s Concordance
dor: period, generation, dwelling
Original Word: דּוֹר
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: dor
Phonetic Spelling: (dore)
Short Definition: generation

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from dur
Definition
period, generation, dwelling

NASB Translation
age-old (1), all generations (20), another (1), dwelling (1), every generation (1), forever (1), generation (53), generations (52), kind (4), many generations (3), nor (1), time (2). 

Brown-Driver-Briggs
I. דּוֺר, דֹּר noun masculine Deuteronomy 32:5 period, Generation, dwelling (compare below
verb above; also Late Hebrew דּוֺר, Aramaic (included Biblical Aramaic) דָּר, , age, Generation; Arabic  gyrus, orbis, periodus; Sabean דר, one time, once, דרם דרם each once in a year DHM in MV) — absolute דּוֺר Genesis 7:1 68t.; דֹּר Exodus 3:15; 36t.; construct דּוֺר Deuteronomy 32:20 7t., דֹּר Exodus 3:15; suffix דּוֺרִי Isaiah 38:12, דּוֺרוֺ Isaiah 53:8; plural דּוֺרִים Psalm 72:5 2t., דֹּרוֺת absolute Job 42:16; Isaiah 41:4; construct Judges 3:2; דּוֺרוֺת construct Isaiah 51:9, דֹּרֹת Genesis 9:12; suffix דֹּרֹתָיו Genesis 6:9; Leviticus 25:30, דּוֺרוֺתֵינוּ Joshua 22:27, דֹּרֹתֵינוּ Joshua 22:28, דּרֹתֵיכֶם Genesis 17:12 27t., דֹּרֹתָם Genesis 17:7 10t.; — 

2 – of men living at a particular time (period, age), generation, as transitory דּוֺר הֹלֵךְ וְדוֺר בָּא Ecclesiastes 1:4: specifically

a. in the present, and (or) the past Genesis 7:1 (J) Exodus 1:6 (P) Numbers 32:13 (JE) Deuteronomy 1:35; Deuteronomy 2:14; Judges 2:10 (twice in verse); Isaiah 53:8 (compare Che critical note) Jeremiah 2:31; also Psalm 95:10; Job 8:8; Isaiah 41:4. 

What this tells us is that when Psalms records the word generation, it is specifically speaking of the current generation (at that time).  This use of “generation” speaks to men living during the specific present age addressed in any given scripture. In this case, it is the generation alive when these words were spoken. 

Now, let’s examine the word (or words) forever: 

Englishman’s Concordance
lə·‘ō·lām — 174 Occurrences 

Strong’s Concordance
olam: long duration, antiquity, futurity
Original Word: עוֹלָם
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: olam
Phonetic Spelling: (o-lawm’)
Short Definition: forever 

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from an unused word
Definition
long duration, antiquity, futurity 

NASB Translation
ages (1), all successive (1), always (1), ancient (13), ancient times (3), continual (1), days of old (1), eternal (2), eternity (3), ever (10), Everlasting (2), everlasting (110), forever (136), forever and ever (1), forever* (70), forevermore* (1), lasting (1), long (2), long ago (3), long past (1), long time (3), never* (17), old (11), permanent (10), permanently (1), perpetual (29), perpetually (1). 

Brown-Driver-Briggs
עוֺלָם439 noun masculine long duration, antiquity, futurity; — ׳ע Genesis 9:12 405t.; עֹלָם Genesis 3:22 19t.; עֵילוֺם2Chronicles 33:7, read probably עוֺלָם (for other explanations see note in Kit Hpt); suffix עֹלָמוֺ Ecclesiastes 12:5; plural עוֺלָמִים Isaiah 26:4 7t., עֹלָמִים Psalm 145:13 2t.; construct עוֺלְמֵי Isaiah 45:17; — 

1. b. continuous existence,(1) of things: the earth, הָאָרֶץ לְעוֺלָם עֹמֶדֶת Ecclesiastes 1:4; other phrase: Psalm 78:69; Psalm 104:5, heavens and contents Psalm 148:6, ruined cities Isaiah 25:2; Isaiah 32:14; Ezekiel 26:21; Ezekiel 27:36; Ezekiel 28:19, ruined lands Jeremiah 18:16; Jeremiah 25:9,12; Jeremiah 49:13,33; Jeremiah 51:26,62; Ezekiel 35:9; Zephaniah 2:9; ׳לעד עד ע Isaiah 30:8 for a witness for ever, in a book; 

(2) of nations: לעולם אהיה Isaiah 47:7 (Babylon loqu.), compare Psalm 81:16; Obadiah 10; ׳ישׁב לע of Judah Joel 4:20; 

In the case of “forever”, the similarities in the transliterations for items one and two reveal the heart and soul of our particular inquiry.  “Forever” reveals the link between God’s word and the nations of the earth! Now, we can bring in the words “from” and “this”, and tie everything together. 

Starting with “from”:

Englishman’s Concordance
min- — 619 Occurrences 

Strong’s Concordance
min or minni or minne: from
Original Word: מִן
Part of Speech: Preposition
Transliteration: min or minni or minne
Phonetic Spelling: (min)
Short Definition: than 

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
a prim. preposition
Definition
From 

NASB Translation
abandon* (1), about (4), above (17), above* (46), according (1), account (3), account* (2), across* (3), addition* (1), after (16), after* (5), against (13), against* (7), all (1), all alone* (1), all* (4), alone (2), alone* (2), aloof* (3), among (34), among* (1), any (35), any* (6), anything* (1), away (6), because (92), because* (86), before (12), before* (117), beforehand* (1), behind* (10), belongs (1), below (1), below* (10), beneath* (7), bereft* (1), beside* (6), besides (1), besides* (45), between (1), between* (2), beyond (1), beyond* (20), both (27), both sides* (1), both* (2), close* (1), concerning (1), concerning* (1), course* (2), devoid (2), dictated* (1), distance* (3), doing* (2), due (4), either (2), ever (1), exclusive (1), facing (2), far* (2), forever* (3), forsaking* (2), gone (2), Hamites* (1), help* (1), high* (1), hovered* (2), including (1), inside* (16), inward* (1), later* (1), leave* (7), left (1), mere (1), Mine (2), more (7), more…than (6), more than (43), more* (2), more…than (33), most (1), never* (2), no (10), no more (1), no* (1), nor (2), off (1), off* (6), one (4), openly* (1), opposite* (6), origin* (1), outermost* (1), outside* (52), over (4), over* (4), part (1), part* (1), presence* (1), previously* (1), promised* (1), rather than (7), recently* (1), regard (1), regarding* (1), removed (1), responsible* (1), result (1), said* (1), same (2), shared* (1), since (20), since* (2), so (12), so…cannot (8), so…no (4), so…none (1), so* (3), some (123), some* (1), than (224), than* (1), theirs* (2), there* (2), thereafter* (1), through (11), through…after (1), throughout (2), throughout* (1), too (51), top* (2), toward (6), toward* (3), under (3), unless* (1), when (3), where* (1), wherever* (1), whether (7), willingly* (1), within* (1), without (9), without* (6). 

Brown-Driver-Briggs
מִןֿ and מִּ , before יְ (except Daniel 12:2; 2 Chronicles 20:11) contracted to מִי (as מִידֵי from מִיְּדֵי), before guttural and ר, mostly מֵ, occasionally מִ (Ges§ 102, l R.; more fully Köii. 291ff), מִן before article in all books much commoner than -מֵ; מִן; before other words most frequently in Chronicles [51 t.: elsewhere 47 t. (Kö292)]; in poetry also מִנִּי, with the old י of the Genitive (Ges§ 90.3a) Judges 5:14 (twice in verse); Isaiah 46:3 (twice in verse); Psalm 44:11; Psalm 44:19; Psalm 68:32; Psalm 74:22; Psalm 78:2; Psalm 78:42; Psalm 88:10 19t. Job, and in לְמִנִּי Micah 7:12 (twice in verse) and מִנֵּיֿ (on analogue of עֲדֵי, עֲלֵי) Isaiah 30:11 (twice in verse), preposition expressing the idea of separation, hence out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not (Phoenician מ; Aramaic ; Arabic  >; Ethiopic ; Sabean בן (DHMZMG xxix.606 ff.; xxxvii.375)); with suff, מִמֶּנִּי (the מִן reduplicated, Ol§ 223c, and others, Köii. 289 f.), in poetry מִנִּי Isaiah 22:4; Isaiah 30:1; Isaiah 38:12; Job 16:6, מֶ֫נִּי Psalm 18:23; Psalm 65:4; Psalm 139:19; Job 21:16; Job 22:18; Job 30:10; מִמְּךָ, מִמֶּ֑ךָּ, מִמֵּךְ; מִמֶּ֫נּוּ ( Job 4:12 מֶ֫נְהוּ), מִמֶּ֫נָּה; 1 plural מִמֶּ֫נּוּ (according to Orientals מִמֵּ֫נֿוּ: see Baer Job. p. 57 Kö290); מִכֶּם; מֵהֶם (מִנְּהֶם Job 11:20), מֵהֵ֫מָּה Jeremiah 10:2; Ecclesiastes 12:12; מֵהֵ֫נָּה7t. (see הֵ֫מָּה 8c), מֵהֶן (editions מֵהֵן) Ezekiel 16:47,52 (see Zerweck Heb, Präp. Min, 1894): — 1. with verbs expressing (or implying) separation or removal, whether from a person or place, or in any direction, also from guilt, calamity, etc.: — thus 

The amount of information on “from” is extensive.  However, the associated 619 uses for “min” all bear out the same meaning.  “From” means exactly that – starting at a given point, moving forward. “From” denotes the point at which the words of the Lord are preserved.  Understand, this does not mean that the Lord’s words are not preserved prior to this moment. Rather, it indicates that the point of preservation for human understanding begins with the initial uttering of those words in the Bible.  Remember, Psalms 12:7 is speaking of a promise that was just uttered in the prior verses. Psalms 12:7 tells us that once those words were uttered, they are in fact uttered forever. 

Let’s examine the meaning of “this”: 

Englishman’s Concordance
zū — 15 Occurrences 

Strong’s Concordance
zu: this, which, who
Original Word: זוּ
Part of Speech: pronoun; demonstrative
Transliteration: zu
Phonetic Spelling: (zoo)
Short Definition: which 

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from zoh
Definition
this, which, who 

NASB Translation
this (2), where (1), which (5), who (1), whom (4), whose (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
זוּ pronoun (poetry), indeclinable. 1 a
demonstrative Habakkuk 1:11 זוּ כֹחוֺ this his strength, Psalm 12:8 מִןהַֿדּוֺר זוּ (unusual, for הַזֶּה), Psalm 62:12 שְׁתַּיִםזֿוּ שָׁמַעָתִּי these two things &c. (but: better (Wickes Post. Acc. 64) שְׁ֖תַּיִם ז֣וּ two things (are there) which &c.: see 2). 2 a

relative, Exodus 15:13 עַםזֿוּ גָאָ֑לְתָּ the people which thou hast redeemed, Exodus 15:16; Isaiah 42:24 זוּ חָטָאנוּ לוֺ against whom we sinned, Isaiah 43:21; Psalm 9:16 (feminine) רֶשֶׁתשֿזוּ ָפמנוּ so Psalm 31:5; Psalm 10:2; Psalm 17:9 (with a plural antecedent) מִמְּנֵי רְשָׁעִים זוּ שַׁדּוּנִי, Psalm 32:8; Psalm 68:29 (thou) who hast wrought for us ! Psalm 142:4; Psalm 143:8. To most of these paasages the remark made under זה 5 respecting the intention of the punctuators also applies: compare De on Psalm 9:16. (compare , used as an indeclinable relative pronoun =  in the Tayyite dialect: thus there has come upon them that which has come: it is we who have done this. See SchuHariri Cons. ii. 75, Thes406, WAG. i. 347, e, Lanep. 986, FlKl. Schr. i. p. 359.)

זהב (√ of following; meaning dubious; compare Lag BN 55 Anm). 

The meaning for “this” was certainly easier to parse through.  Very simply, it is demonstrative, and is best illustrated through these scriptural examples: 

this his strength 

these two things 

two things which 

the people which thou hast redeemed 

against whom we sinned 

“Zu” is demonstrative of ownership and subject, if you will.  Let’s take the first example above – “this his strength” reveals the subject is “his strength.  It can be better understood as “this, his strength”. We see this premise in each of the examples above.  With that, let’s bring back the operative piece of Psalms 12:7 that reveals the crux of the issue: 

“from this generation forever.” 

What we see when we examine the evidence above is a promise that answers the question on “no man knows”.  Psalms 12:7 reveals that from the moment any word of God is uttered to men, it is immutable, immovable, and forever.  The deeper examination of these words in the original Hebrew shows that this promise does indeed apply to all scripture, at the moment it is uttered, and cannot be altered unless God Himself does so.   

There are examples where He does indeed do this.  Food is the most common example. In the Old Testament there are numerous prohibitions on what man can eat.  In the New Testament, the OT laws are completed, and the new covenant makes a new way for the old things. However, this transition is clearly indicated in scripture, with sufficient supporting context to reveal WHY the Lord is making the change.   

In the case of “no man knows” there exists no such change.  The premise that the two-day new moon window of the Feast of Trumpets now replaces “no man knows” is not supported anywhere in scripture. 

However, we cannot wantonly disregard the link of “no man knows” to the two-day new moon window.  It is there for a reason, and as such, is a part of the equation. Regardless of how much a person advocates for “no man knows” being an indication that the rapture can happen at any time, the fact remains that the rapture is the fulfillment of the Feast of Trumpets.  Likewise, as our own projects on Trib Rising bear out, each of the spring feasts were in fact fulfilled on the exact calendar day they are given, and in the exact chronological order they are given. Yet “no man knows” reveals that we cannot actually know which day the rapture will occur?   

So, what gives? 

The question becomes whether or not the two-day new moon window meets the technical definition of “no man knows”.  At first glance it would seem that it does. After all, “no man knows the day or hour” does appear to be exactly what the two-day new moon window conceals.  Is this the case? Let’s dig a little deeper. 

Two-Day Window or “No Man Knows”?

Can we know it must be one of only two days per year – thus knowing which two days the rapture must occur on – and yet still remain true to scripture?  Or does this this run contrary to what “no man knows” reveals to us? 

Let’s take a few moments and look once more at “the day”, specifically dealing with the meaning of day, and what a day actually is when Christ spoke these words: 

Days – ἡμέρας (hēmeras) — 127 Occurrences 

Matthew 24:36 N-GFS
GRK: δὲ τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης καὶ
NAS: But of that day and hour no one
KJV: of that day and hour
INT: moreover the day that and 

Matthew 24:38 N-GFS
GRK: ἄχρι ἧς ἡμέρας εἰσῆλθεν Νῶε
NAS: until the day that Noah
KJV: until the day that
INT: until that day entered Noah 

Strong’s Concordance
hémera: day
Original Word: ἡμέρα, ας, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: hémera
Phonetic Spelling: (hay-mer’-ah)
Short Definition: a day
Definition: a day, the period from sunrise to sunset. 

Thayer’s Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 2250: ἡμέρα 

ἡμέρα, ἡμέρας, ἡ (from ἥμερος, ἡμορον, properly, ἡμέρα ὥρα the mild time, cf. Lob. Paral., p. 359; (but cf. Curtius, p. 594f; Vanicek, p. 943)); Hebrew יום; day; used 

1. of the civil day, or the space of twenty-four hours (thus including the night): Matthew 6:34; Mark 6:21; Luke 13:14, etc.; opposed to an hour, Matthew 25:13; to hours, months, years, Revelation 9:15; Galatians 4:10; ἡ ἐν ἡμέρα τρυφή, the revelling of a day, i. e. ephemeral, very brief, 2 Peter 2:13 (others refer this to 1 b. above); ἑπτάκις τῆς ἡμέρας seven times in the (space of a) day, Luke 17:4; the dative ἡμέρα of the day on (in) which (cf. Winers Grammar, § 31, 9; Buttmann, § 133 (26)): as τρίτῃ ἡμέρα, Matthew 16:21; Mark 9:31 (Rec.); Luke 17:29; Acts 2:41, etc.; ἡμέρα καί ἡμέρα, day by day, every day, 2 Corinthians 4:16 (after the Hebrew וָיום יום Esther 3:4, where the Sept. καθ’ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν, and יום יום Psalm 67:20 (), where the Sept. ἡμέραν καθ’ ἡμέραν; (cf. Winer’s Grammar, 463 (432))); ἡμέραν ἐξ ἡμέρας (see ἐκ, IV. 2), 2 Peter 2:8; as an accusative of time (Winers Grammar, 230 (215f); Buttmann, § 131, 11): ὅλην τήν ἡμέραν, Romans 8:36; Romans 10:21; μίαν ἡμέραν, Acts 21:7; and in the plural, John 2:12; John 4:40; John 11:6; Acts 9:19; Acts 10:48; Acts 16:12; Acts 20:6; Acts 21:4, 10; Acts 25:6, 14; Acts 28:7, 12 (L dative), 14; Galatians 1:18; Revelation 11:3, 9. joined with prepositions: ἀπό with the genitive from … forth, from … on, Matthew 22:46; John 11:53; Acts 10:30; Acts 20:18; Philippians 1:5; ἄχρι with the genitive until, up to, Matthew 24:38; Luke 1:20; Luke 17:27; Acts 1:2 ( Tdf.); ; ἄχρι πέντε ἡμερῶν, until five days had passed, i. e. after five days, Acts 20:6; μέχρι with the genitive until, Matthew 28:15 (L Tr, WH in brackets); ἕως with the genitive until, Matthew 27:64; Acts 1:22 (T ἄχρι); Romans 11:8; διά with the genitive, see διά, A. II.; πρό with the genitive before, John 12:1 (on which see πρό, b.); ἐν with the dative singular, Matthew 24:50; Luke 1:59; John 5:9; 1 Corinthians 10:8 (L T Tr WH text omit ἐν); Hebrews 4:4, etc.; ἐν with the dative plural, Matthew 27:40; Mark 15:29 (L T Tr omit; WH brackets ἐν); John 2:19 (Tr WH brackets ἐν), 20, etc.; εἰς, unto (against), John 12:7; Revelation 9:15; ἐπί with the accusative for, (German auf …hin), Acts 13:31 (for many days successively); ; Hebrews 11:30; καθ’ ἡμέραν, daily (Winer’s Grammar, 401 (374f)), Matthew 26:55; Mark 14:49; Luke 16:19; Luke 22:53; Acts 2:46; Acts 3:2; Acts 16:5; Acts 19:9; 1 Corinthians 15:31; 2 Corinthians 11:28; Hebrews 7:27; Hebrews 10:11; also τό καθ’ ἡμέραν, Luke 11:3; Luke 19:47; Acts 17:11 (L T Tr text omit; WH brackets τό), (Polybius 4, 18, 2; cf. Matthiae, ii., p. 734; (Jelf, § 456); Bernhardy (1829), p. 329; Buttmann, 96 (84)); καθ’ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν, every day, Hebrews 3:13 (Xenophon, mem. 4, 2, 12); also κατά πᾶσαν ἡμέραν, Acts 17:17; μετά, after, Matthew 17:1; Matthew 26:2; Matthew 27:63; Mark 8:31; Luke 1:24; John 4:43; John 20:26; Acts 1:5; Acts 15:36, etc. οὐ πλείους εἰσιν ἐμοί ἡμέραι ἀφ’ ἧς, namely, ἡμέρας, Acts 24:11. A specification of the number of days is thrust into the discourse in the nominative, as it were adverbially and without any grammatical connection (cf. Fritzsche on Mark, p. 310f; Winers Grammar, 518 (481) and § 62, 2; (Buttmann, 139 (122))): ἤδη ἡμέραι (Rec. ἡμέρας, by correction) τρεῖς, Matthew 15:32; Mark 8:2; ὡσεί ἡμέραι ὀκτώ, Luke 9:28. ἡμερῶν διαγενομένων τινων, certain days having intervened, Acts 25:13. ἡμέρα and ἡμέραι are used with the genitive of a noun denoting a festival or some solemnity usually celebrated on a fixed day: τῶν ἀζύμων, Acts 12:3; τῆς πεντεκοστης, Acts 2:1; Acts 20:16; τοῦ σαββάτου, Luke 13:14, 16; John 19:31; ἡ κυριακῇ ἡμέρα, the Lord’s day, i. e. the day on which Christ returned to life, Sunday therefore, Revelation 1:10; the following phrases also have reference to sacred or festival days: κρίνειν ἡμέραν παῥ ἡμέραν, to exalt one day above another, and κρίνειν πᾶσαν ἡμέραν, to esteem every day sacred, Romans 14:5; φρονεῖν τήν ἡμέραν, to regard a particular day that is selected for religious services, Romans 14:6; ἡμέρας παρατηρεῖσθαι, to observe days, Galatians 4:10. After the Hebrew usage, which in reference to a definite period of time now elapsed speaks of a certain number of days as fulfilled or completed (see Gesenius under the word מָלֵא), we have the phrases ἐπλήσθησαν αἱ ἡμέραι τῆς λειτουργίας, the days spent in priestly service, Luke 1:23 (when he had been employed in sacred duties for the appointed time); τοῦ περιτεμεῖν αὐτόν, for him to be circumcised, Luke 2:21; τοῦ καθαρισμοῦ αὐτῶν, Luke 2:22; συντελεσθεισῶν ἡμερῶν, Luke 4:2; τελειωσάντων τάς ἡμέρας, when they had spent there the time appointed, Luke 2:43; ἐν τῷ συμπληροῦσθαι τάς ἡμέρας τῆς ἀναλήψεως αὐτοῦ, when the number of days was now being completed which the reception of Jesus into heaven required, i. e. before which that reception could not occur, Luke 9:51; ἡ ἐκπλήρωσις τῶν ἡμερῶν τοῦ ἁγνισμοῦ, the fulfilment of the days required for the purification, Acts 21:26; συντελοῦνται αἱ ἡμέραι, Acts 21:27; ἐν τῷ συμπληροῦσθαι τήν ἡμέραν τῆς Πεντεκοστης, when the measure of time needed for the day of Pentecost was being completed, i. e. on the very day of Pentecost, Acts 2:1. As in some of the examples just adduced ἡμέρα is joined to the genitive of a thing to be done or to happen on a certain day, so also in ἡμέραν τοῦ ἐνταφιασμοῦ, John 12:7; ἀναδείξεως, Luke 1:80. with the genitive of person, ἐν τῇ ἡμέρα σου (but L T Tr WH omit σου) in the day favorable for thee, the day on which salvation is offered thee and can be obtained, Luke 19:42 (Polybius 18, 5, 8 μή παρῇς τόν καιρόν … σῇ νῦν ἐστιν ἡμέρα, σός ὁ καιρός; meus dies est, tempore accepto utimur Seneca, Med. 1017). 

Here are the specific pieces for each of the scriptures that specifically deal with the day of the Lord’s return, and our not knowing the hour it comes, expanding our analysis to all seven: 

For Matthew 25:13 – 

Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. 

1. of the civil day, or the space of twenty-four hours (thus including the night): Matthew 6:34; Mark 6:21; Luke 13:14, etc.; opposed to an hour, Matthew 25:13; 

For Luke 17:29, 31 – 

But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.

Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. 

Englishman’s Concordance
ἡμέρᾳ (hēmera) — 108 Occurrences 

Luke 17:29 N-DFS
GRK: ᾗ δὲ ἡμέρᾳ ἐξῆλθεν Λὼτ
NAS: but on the day that Lot went
KJV: But the same day that Lot went
INT: in that moreover day went out Lot

Luke 17:30 N-DFS
GRK: ἔσται ᾗ ἡμέρᾳ ὁ υἱὸς
NAS: the same on the day that the Son
INT: will it be in that day the Son

Luke 17:31 N-DFS
GRK: ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ὃς ἔσται
NAS: On that day, the one who
KJV: In that day, he which shall be
INT: that day [he] who will be 

1.  of the civil day, or the space of twenty-four hours (thus including the night): 

the dative ἡμέρα of the day on (in) which (cf. Winers Grammar, § 31, 9; Buttmann, § 133 (26)): as τρίτῃ ἡμέρα, Matthew 16:21; Mark 9:31 (Rec.); Luke 17:29; Acts 2:41, etc.; 

For Matthew 24:36, 38, Mark 13:32, and Luke 17:27 – 

But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 

But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. 

They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. 

Englishman’s Concordance
ἡμέρας (hēmeras) — 127 Occurrences 

Matthew 24:36 N-GFS
GRK: δὲ τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης καὶ
NAS: But of that day and hour no one
KJV: of that day and hour
INT: moreover the day that and

Matthew 24:38 N-GFS
GRK: ἄχρι ἧς ἡμέρας εἰσῆλθεν Νῶε
NAS: until the day that Noah
KJV: until the day that
INT: until that day entered Noah 

Mark 13:32 N-GFS
GRK: δὲ τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης ἢ
NAS: But of that day or hour
KJV: of that day and [that] hour
INT: moreover the day that or 

Luke 17:27 N-GFS
GRK: ἄχρι ἧς ἡμέρας εἰσῆλθεν Νῶε
NAS: until the day that Noah
KJV: until the day that
INT: until that day entered Noah 

1. of the civil day, or the space of twenty-four hours (thus including the night) 

ἄχρι with the genitive until, up to, Matthew 24:38; Luke 1:20; Luke 17:27; 

Most of the examples above are directly addressed in the evidence.  Several were left out due to the overall volume. Yet, the examples left out have the exact same text as the included examples.  Therefore, we can include them in the appropriate examples above. While each of the examples above are either in opposition to (until it comes, no one knows, etc.), or specifically directing us to, the operative piece remains the same for each of the scriptures given above: 

1. of the civil day, or the space of twenty-four hours (thus including the night) 

There is something that needs understood with regards to the premise that the two-day new moon window fits the evidence above because we do not know the year.  None of the scriptures above deal with the year as a constraint or a condition of knowing a particular day. Here is what I mean. 

When you study the evidence on “day” above, there is nothing which includes ANY mention of any year as a condition of the “day” in question being fulfilled.  In other words, the particular year is NOT the condition on which we can or cannot know the day at hand. We will include the entire block of evidence on “day” from Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, and you will be able to see beyond all doubt that the year is NEVER the determining factor for fulfillment.

It is and has ALWAYS been the day! 

However, when it comes to “years”, we do find this in additional study – since the original Greek bears out that it is the civil day (see part two in the series on proof of a pre-trib rapture), it also requires an understanding that the civil day in Israel centers on the yearly civil calendar.  In other words, when the civil day is mentioned as the measure of time in question – as it is in “no man knows” – it is, by definition, the civil days of the civil year! Care to guess which feast days starts the civil year in Israel? 

If you guessed the Feast of Trumpets, you win the prize! 

Here is the full text on “day” from Thayer’s Greek Lexicon (you can confirm the following information in any number of additional sources): 

Thayer’s Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 2250: ἡμέρα

ἡμέρα, ἡμέρας, ἡ (from ἥμερος, ἡμορον, properly, ἡμέρα ὥρα the mild time, cf. Lob. Paral., p. 359; (but cf. Curtius, p. 594f; Vanicek, p. 943)); Hebrew יום; day; used
1. of the natural day, or the interval between sunrise and sunset, as distinguished from and contrasted with night;

a. properly, ἡμέρας, by day, in the daytime (cf. colloquial English of a day; Winers Grammar, § 30, 11; Buttmann, § 132, 26), Revelation 21:25; ἡμέρας καί νυκτός, day and night (cf. Winer’s Grammar, 552 (513f); Lob. Paralip., p. 62f; Ellicott on 1 Timothy 5:5), Mark 5:5; Luke 18:7; Acts 9:24; 1 Thessalonians 2:9; 1 Thessalonians 3:10; (2 Thessalonians 3:8 L text T Tr WH); 1 Timothy 5:5; 2 Timothy 1:3; Revelation 4:8; Revelation 7:15; Revelation 12:10; Revelation 14:11; Revelation 20:10; ἡμέρας μέσης, at midday, Acts 26:13; νύκτα καί ἡμέραν (Winers Grammar, 230 (216); Buttmann, § 131, 11), Mark 4:27; Acts 20:31; 2 Thessalonians 3:8 R G; hyperbolically equivalent to without intermission, λατρεύειν, Luke 2:37; Acts 26:7; ἡμέρας ὁδός, a day’s journey, Luke 2:44 (Genesis 31:23 (μιᾶς ἡμέρας ὁδόν, Josephus, contra Apion 2, 2, 9; cf. Winers Grammar, 188 (177); B. D. American edition, under the phrase, Day’s Journey)); τάς ἡμέρας, accusative of time (Winers Grammar, and Buttmanns Grammar, as above), during the days, Luke 21:37; ἐκείνην τήν ἡμέραν, John 1:39 (40); πᾶσαν ἡμέραν, daily, Acts 5:42; ἐκ δηναρίου τήν ἡμέραν, so sometimes we say, for a shilling the day, Matthew 20:2; δώδεκα σισιν ὧραι τῆς ἡμέρας, John 20:9; to the number of days are added as many nights, Matthew 4:2; Matthew 12:40; γίνεται ἡμέρα, day dawns, it grows light, Luke 4:42; Luke 6:13; Luke 22:66; Acts 12:18; Acts 16:35; Acts 23:12; Acts 27:29, 33, 39 (Xenophon, an. 2, 2, 13; 7, 2, 34); περιπατεῖν ἐν τήν ἡμέρα, John 11:9; ἡ ἡμέρα φαίνει, Revelation 8:12; ἡ ἡμέρα κλινεῖ, the day declines, it is toward evening, Luke 9:12; Luke 24:29.

b. metaphorically, the ‘day’ is regarded as the time for abstaining from indulgence, vice, crime, because acts of the sort are perpetrated at night and in darkness: 1 Thessalonians 5:5, 8; hence ὁ αἰών οὗτος (see αἰών, 3) is likened to the night, αἰών μέλλων, to day, and Christians are admonished to live decorously as though it were light, i. e. as if ὁ αἰών ὁ μέλλων were already come, Romans 13:12f ἕως ἡμέρα ἐστιν while it is day, i. e. while life gives one an opportunity to work, John 9:4. of the light of knowledge, 2 Peter 1:19.

2. of the civil day, or the space of twenty-four hours (thus including the night): Matthew 6:34; Mark 6:21; Luke 13:14, etc.; opposed to an hour, Matthew 25:13; to hours, months, years, Revelation 9:15; Galatians 4:10; ἡ ἐν ἡμέρα τρυφή, the revelling of a day, i. e. ephemeral, very brief, 2 Peter 2:13 (others refer this to 1 b. above); ἑπτάκις τῆς ἡμέρας seven times in the (space of a) day, Luke 17:4; the dative ἡμέρα of the day on (in) which (cf. Winers Grammar, § 31, 9; Buttmann, § 133 (26)): as τρίτῃ ἡμέρα, Matthew 16:21; Mark 9:31 (Rec.); Luke 17:29; Acts 2:41, etc.; ἡμέρα καί ἡμέρα, day by day, every day, 2 Corinthians 4:16 (after the Hebrew וָיום יום Esther 3:4, where the Sept. καθ’ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν, and יום יום Psalm 67:20 (), where the Sept. ἡμέραν καθ’ ἡμέραν; (cf. Winer’s Grammar, 463 (432))); ἡμέραν ἐξ ἡμέρας (see ἐκ, IV. 2), 2 Peter 2:8; as an accusative of time (Winers Grammar, 230 (215f); Buttmann, § 131, 11): ὅλην τήν ἡμέραν, Romans 8:36; Romans 10:21; μίαν ἡμέραν, Acts 21:7; and in the plural, John 2:12; John 4:40; John 11:6; Acts 9:19; Acts 10:48; Acts 16:12; Acts 20:6; Acts 21:4, 10; Acts 25:6, 14; Acts 28:7, 12 (L dative), 14; Galatians 1:18; Revelation 11:3, 9. joined with prepositions: ἀπό with the genitive from … forth, from … on, Matthew 22:46; John 11:53; Acts 10:30; Acts 20:18; Philippians 1:5; ἄχρι with the genitive until, up to, Matthew 24:38; Luke 1:20; Luke 17:27; Acts 1:2 ( Tdf.); ; ἄχρι πέντε ἡμερῶν, until five days had passed, i. e. after five days, Acts 20:6; μέχρι with the genitive until, Matthew 28:15 (L Tr, WH in brackets); ἕως with the genitive until, Matthew 27:64; Acts 1:22 (T ἄχρι); Romans 11:8; διά with the genitive, see διά, A. II.; πρό with the genitive before, John 12:1 (on which see πρό, b.); ἐν with the dative singular, Matthew 24:50; Luke 1:59; John 5:9; 1 Corinthians 10:8 (L T Tr WH text omit ἐν); Hebrews 4:4, etc.; ἐν with the dative plural, Matthew 27:40; Mark 15:29 (L T Tr omit; WH brackets ἐν); John 2:19 (Tr WH brackets ἐν), 20, etc.; εἰς, unto (against), John 12:7; Revelation 9:15; ἐπί with the accusative for, (German auf …hin), Acts 13:31 (for many days successively); ; Hebrews 11:30; καθ’ ἡμέραν, daily (Winer’s Grammar, 401 (374f)), Matthew 26:55; Mark 14:49; Luke 16:19; Luke 22:53; Acts 2:46; Acts 3:2; Acts 16:5; Acts 19:9; 1 Corinthians 15:31; 2 Corinthians 11:28; Hebrews 7:27; Hebrews 10:11; also τό καθ’ ἡμέραν, Luke 11:3; Luke 19:47; Acts 17:11 (L T Tr text omit; WH brackets τό), (Polybius 4, 18, 2; cf. Matthiae, ii., p. 734; (Jelf, § 456); Bernhardy (1829), p. 329; Buttmann, 96 (84)); καθ’ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν, every day, Hebrews 3:13 (Xenophon, mem. 4, 2, 12); also κατά πᾶσαν ἡμέραν, Acts 17:17; μετά, after, Matthew 17:1; Matthew 26:2; Matthew 27:63; Mark 8:31; Luke 1:24; John 4:43; John 20:26; Acts 1:5; Acts 15:36, etc. οὐ πλείους εἰσιν ἐμοί ἡμέραι ἀφ’ ἧς, namely, ἡμέρας, Acts 24:11. A specification of the number of days is thrust into the discourse in the nominative, as it were adverbially and without any grammatical connection (cf. Fritzsche on Mark, p. 310f; Winers Grammar, 518 (481) and § 62, 2; (Buttmann, 139 (122))): ἤδη ἡμέραι (Rec. ἡμέρας, by correction) τρεῖς, Matthew 15:32; Mark 8:2; ὡσεί ἡμέραι ὀκτώ, Luke 9:28. ἡμερῶν διαγενομένων τινων, certain days having intervened, Acts 25:13. ἡμέρα and ἡμέραι are used with the genitive of a noun denoting a festival or some solemnity usually celebrated on a fixed day: τῶν ἀζύμων, Acts 12:3; τῆς πεντεκοστης, Acts 2:1; Acts 20:16; τοῦ σαββάτου, Luke 13:14, 16; John 19:31; ἡ κυριακῇ ἡμέρα, the Lord’s day, i. e. the day on which Christ returned to life, Sunday therefore, Revelation 1:10; the following phrases also have reference to sacred or festival days: κρίνειν ἡμέραν παῥ ἡμέραν, to exalt one day above another, and κρίνειν πᾶσαν ἡμέραν, to esteem every day sacred, Romans 14:5; φρονεῖν τήν ἡμέραν, to regard a particular day that is selected for religious services, Romans 14:6; ἡμέρας παρατηρεῖσθαι, to observe days, Galatians 4:10. After the Hebrew usage, which in reference to a definite period of time now elapsed speaks of a certain number of days as fulfilled or completed (see Gesenius under the word מָלֵא), we have the phrases ἐπλήσθησαν αἱ ἡμέραι τῆς λειτουργίας, the days spent in priestly service, Luke 1:23 (when he had been employed in sacred duties for the appointed time); τοῦ περιτεμεῖν αὐτόν, for him to be circumcised, Luke 2:21; τοῦ καθαρισμοῦ αὐτῶν, Luke 2:22; συντελεσθεισῶν ἡμερῶν, Luke 4:2; τελειωσάντων τάς ἡμέρας, when they had spent there the time appointed, Luke 2:43; ἐν τῷ συμπληροῦσθαι τάς ἡμέρας τῆς ἀναλήψεως αὐτοῦ, when the number of days was now being completed which the reception of Jesus into heaven required, i. e. before which that reception could not occur, Luke 9:51; ἡ ἐκπλήρωσις τῶν ἡμερῶν τοῦ ἁγνισμοῦ, the fulfilment of the days required for the purification, Acts 21:26; συντελοῦνται αἱ ἡμέραι, Acts 21:27; ἐν τῷ συμπληροῦσθαι τήν ἡμέραν τῆς Πεντεκοστης, when the measure of time needed for the day of Pentecost was being completed, i. e. on the very day of Pentecost, Acts 2:1. As in some of the examples just adduced ἡμέρα is joined to the genitive of a thing to be done or to happen on a certain day, so also in ἡμέραν τοῦ ἐνταφιασμοῦ, John 12:7; ἀναδείξεως, Luke 1:80. with the genitive of person, ἐν τῇ ἡμέρα σου (but L T Tr WH omit σου) in the day favorable for thee, the day on which salvation is offered thee and can be obtained, Luke 19:42 (Polybius 18, 5, 8 μή παρῇς τόν καιρόν … σῇ νῦν ἐστιν ἡμέρα, σός ὁ καιρός; meus dies est, tempore accepto utimur Seneca, Med. 1017).

3. of the lust day of the present age (see αἰών, 3), the day in which Christ will return from heaven, raise the dead, hold the final judgment, and perfect his kingdom, the following expressions are used: ἡ ἡμέρα, simply, Romans 13:12; Hebrews 10:25, cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:4; (ἡ) ἡμέρα τοῦ κυρίου, Χριστοῦ, Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, Luke 17:24 R G T Tr WH marginal reading; 1 Corinthians 1:8; 1 Corinthians 5:5; 2 Corinthians 1:14; Philippians 1:6, 10; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:2; 2 Peter 3:10; ἡμέρα κυρίου ἡ μεγάλη, Acts 2:20 (from Joel 2:31 ()); ἡμέρα ἡ ὁ υἱός τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἀποκαλύπτεται, Luke 17:30; ἡ ἡμέρα τοῦ Θεοῦ, 2 Peter 3:12; ἡ ἡμέρα ἐκείνῃ ἡ μεγάλη τοῦ παντοκράτορος, Revelation 16:14 (even in the prophecies of the O. T. the day of Jehovah is spoken of, in which Jehovah will execute terrible judgment upon his adversaries, as Joel 1:15; Joel 2:1, 11; Isaiah 2:12; Isaiah 13:6, 9; Amos 5:18, 20; Jeremiah 26:10 (); Ezekiel 13:5; Ezekiel 30:2ff; Obadiah 1:15; Zephaniah 1:7ff; Malachi 3:17); ἡ ἡμέρα ἐκείνῃ and ἐκείνῃ ἡ ἡμέρα, Matthew 7:22; Luke 6:23; Luke 10:12; Luke 21:34; 2 Thessalonians 1:10; 2 Timothy 1:12, 18; 2 Timothy 4:8; ἡ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρα, John 6:39f, 44, 54; John 11:24; John 12:48; ἡμέρα ἀπολυτρώσεως, Ephesians 4:30; ἐπισκοπῆς (see ἐπισκοπή, b.), 1 Peter 2:12; κρίσεως, Matthew 10:15; Matthew 11:22, 24; Matthew 12:36; Mark 6:11 R L brackets; 2 Peter 2:9; 2 Peter 3:7, cf. Acts 17:31; τῆς κρίσεως, 1 John 4:17; ὀργῆς καί ἀποκαλύψεως δικαιοκρισίας τοῦ Θεοῦ, Romans 2:5 (יום־זַעַם, Ezekiel 22:24; אַף־יְהוָה יום, Zephaniah 2:3f; (עֶבְרָה יום, Proverbs 11:4.; Zephaniah 1:15, 18, etc.)); ἡ ἡμέρα ἡ μεγάλη τῆς ὀργῆς αὐτοῦ, Revelation 6:17; ἡμέρα σφαγῆς, of slaughter (of the wicked), James 5:5 ((Jeremiah 12:3, etc.)). Paul, in allusion to the phrase ἡμέρα κυρίου, uses the expression ἀνθρωπίνῃ ἡμέρα for a tribunal of assembled judges on the day of trial (A. V. man’s judgment) (cf. the German Landtag,Reichstag), 1 Corinthians 4:3.

4. By a Hebraistic usage (though one not entirely unknown to Greek writers; cf. Sophocles Aj. 131, 623; Euripides, Ion 720) it is used of time in general (as the Latindies is sometimes): John 14:20; John 16:23, 26; Hebrews 8:9 (cf. Buttmann, 316 (271); Winer’s Grammar, 571 (531)); τήν ἐμήν ἡμέραν, the time when I should appear among men as Messiah, John 8:56; ἐν τῇ ἡμέρα τῇ πονηρά, in the time of troubles and assaults with which demons try Christians, Ephesians 6:13; ἡμέρα σωτηρίας, the time when anyone is or can be saved, 2 Corinthians 6:2; εἰς ἡμέραν αἰῶνος, for all time, forever (see αἰών, 1 a.), 2 Peter 3:18; much more often in the plural: ἡμέραι πονηραί, Ephesians 5:16; ἀφ’ ἡμερῶν ἀρχαίων, Acts 15:7; αἱ πρότερον ἡμέραι Hebrews 10:32; πάσας τάς ἡμέρας, through all days, always, Matthew 28:20 (כָּל־הַיָמִים, Deuteronomy 4:40; Deuteronomy 5:26 (29), and very often; ἠματα πάντα, Homer, Iliad 8, 539; 12, 133; 13, 826, etc.); αἱ ἔσχαται ἡμέραι (see ἔσχατος, 1 under the end), Acts 2:17; 2 Timothy 3:1; James 5:3; αἱ ἡμέραι αὗται, the present time, Acts 3:24; the time now spoken of, Luke 1:39; Luke 6:12; Acts 1:15, etc.; ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις (see ἐκεῖνος, 2 b., p. 195a); πρό τούτων τῶν ἡμερῶν, Acts 5:36; Acts 21:38; πρός ὀλίγας ἡμέρας, for a short time, Hebrews 12:10; ἐλεύσονται … ἡμέραι ὅταν etc., Matthew 9:15; Mark 2:20; Luke 5:35; ὅτε etc. Luke 17:22; ἥξουσιν ἡμέραι ἐπί σε, καί, followed by a future, Luke 19:43; ἔρχονται ἡμέραι, καί, followed by future, Hebrews 8:8; ἐλεύσονται or ἔρχονται ἡμέραι, ἐν αἷς etc., Luke 21:6; Luke 23:29, with a genitive of the thing done or to happen: τῆς ἀπογραφῆς, Acts 5:37; τῆς φωνῆς, Revelation 10:7; τῆς σαρκός αὐτοῦ, of his earthly life, Hebrews 5:7. αἱ ἡμέραι with the genitive of a person, one’s time, one’s days, i. e. in which he lived, or held office: Matthew 2:1; Matthew 11:12; Matthew 23:30; Matthew 24:37; Luke 1:5; Luke 4:25; Luke 17:26, 28; Acts 7:45; Acts 13:41; 1 Peter 3:20 (Genesis 26:1; 1 Samuel 17:10; 2 Samuel 21:1; 1 Kings 10:21; Esther 1:1; Sir. 44:7 Sir. 46:7; Tobit 1:2; 1 Macc. 14:36, etc.); αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, the time immediately preceding the return of Jesus Christ from heaven, Luke 17:26; μίαν τῶν ἡμερῶν τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, a single day of that most blessed future time when, all hostile powers subdued, the Messiah will reign, Luke 17:22. Finally, the Hebrews and the Hellenists who imitate them measure the duration and length also of human life by the number of days: πάσας τάς ἡμέρας (L mrg Tr marginal reading WH dative) τῆς ζωῆς (G L T Tr WH omit) ἡμῶν, during all our life, Luke 1:75 Rec. (Genesis 47:8f; Judith 10:3; Tobit 1:2 (3); Sir. 22:12 Sir. 30:32 (24); 1 Macc. 9:71); προβεβηκώς ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις αὐτοῦ, far advanced in age, Luke 1:7, 18; Luke 2:36 (בַּיָמִים בָּא (the Sept., προβεβηκώς ἡμερῶν or ἡμέραις), Genesis 18:11; Genesis 24:1; Joshua 13:1; (Joshua 23:1; 1 Kings 1:1; see προβαίνω, at the end)); ἀρχή ἡμερῶν, beginning of life, Hebrews 7:3 (αἱ ἔσχαται ἡμέραι τίνος, one’s last days, his old age, Protevangelium Jacobi,

c. 1); ἡμέραι ἀγαθαί, 1 Peter 3:10. 

Just to drive home this point, go back through and reread the sections which deal with more than just the civil day, or any reference to what we think of as a day.  What you will not find are any indications or usages of ANY form or transliteration for “day” that was EVER applied to the meaning of the civil “days” spoken of in the scriptures in question. 

There is no way around this.  When Jesus said that “no man knows”, He wasn’t addressing the year of a particular Feast of Trumpets.  He was addressing the particular civil day of ANY civil year. It is not the year that brings the day, but the particular day of ANY year that we cannot know! 

However, there is another reason why the two-day window of the Feast of Trumpets ALONE cannot be the time in question and it goes back to something we mentioned earlier in this project: 

We already know the exact hour that the trumps sound on the Feast of Trumpets! 

This is the elephant in the room when it comes to timing the rapture.  So, why does this matter? In each of the scriptures we have examined so far, it is precisely the exact hour that we cannot know when it comes to the rapture.   

Here is the thing.  All of the spring feasts were fulfilled on the exact day of the feasts, at the exact time the Law of Moses determined that they were to be fulfilled (there are trumpets sounded on those days also).  By default, we must then have the times and hours of the three remaining feasts. Indeed, we see this in an examination of the Day of Atonement, of which a later project will lay out in great detail. The Feast of Trumpets is no exception. 

So, what gives? 

If we have the exact hour of the sounding of the trumpets for the Feast of Trumpets (we have both the modern timing, and the ancient timing in the days of the Temple), the four spring feasts were likewise fulfilled at the exact hours given in the Law of Moses, how then does the Bible declare that we cannot know the hour – yet the rapture is the fulfillment of the Feast of Trumpets? 

The answer is going to blow your mind!  We will come back to this question shortly. 

Trumpets in the Bible

For now, we need to understand a bit more about trumpets in the Bible, and specifically the two trumps of the rapture.  Here is an excerpt from “Final Evacuation Orders to the Overcomer”: 

It is at this point that we need to stop and address the trumps that sound to announce the rapture.  There is some confusion as to what exactly these trumpets are. The common refrain from those that do not believe in the pre-tribulation rapture is that the last trump spoken of by Paul is the last of the seven trumpets sounded in Revelation 11:15.

However, this is not correct.  The last trump that calls the rapture is not the seventh trumpet – it is the last of the two trumpets given in the Law of Moses to call the congregation.  There are several ways that we know this.

First, the Bible defines every new concept it introduces.  There are any number of examples to this. When Daniel declared the dream of the statue of empires to King Nebuchadnezzar, he likewise gave the interpretation.  When Zechariah saw the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, they were likewise defined immediately. Also, when he saw the image of the two candlesticks, the Lord immediately provided the meaning.

We see this play out in the parables of Jesus and the Book of Revelation as well.  When we see the elders and creatures of heaven in chapter four, we are not left to wonder of their meaning.  It is given in chapter five. Likewise, the 24 elders are also defined later in Revelation, and earlier in the New Testament – a point which is critical to what we will say in a moment.  Yet another example is that of the beast rising from the sea with seven heads. Even the angels that pour out the judgments are made known to us as redeemed servants of God – just as John is.

We can sum all of this up into a simple statement regarding the things we see in the Bible.  Every concept in the Bible is either explained when it is given, or it was explained in prior scripture.  This is true for every scripture without exception. If you find something in a scripture that is confusing to you, yet there is no explanation given, it means that it was already defined.

Let’s examine the two prominent scriptures on the rapture and trumpets:

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 ESV – For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 ESV – Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.

Here is the issue with declaring that these are the seventh trumpet of Revelation.  Nowhere in 1 Thessalonians or 1 Corinthians does Paul ever define what the last trump is.  Understand, the Book of Revelation will not be written for another 40 years or so. Paul does not know of the seven trumpet judgments as they have not been revealed to any man, nor are they found anywhere in the Old Testament, accept in the picture of the fall of Jericho. 

~~ Here is a link to a project on Trib Rising that deals specifically with the last trump and the rapture:

http://tribulationrisingcom.fatcow.com/is-the-7th-trumpet-of-revelation-the-last-trump-of-the-rapture/ 

This project also goes into additional details about the trumps of God and provides evidence for what we will cover in just a few moments. ~~ 

They are part of the remaining mystery of God, the mystery that is revealed with John, and fulfilled after the sounding of the seventh trumpet.  The mysteries of God finished after the seventh trumpet are those things which were not revealed fully in either the Old or New Testament (until Revelation – which rules out the last trump as the seventh trumpet), and as such, will not be fully understood until they are brought to pass.  This is why the seventh trumpet is the final mystery of God. However, Paul clearly tells us that he is the one revealing the mystery of the last trump, and not the Book of Revelation.

Likewise, when you read through Revelation chapter 11, the seventh trump is not defined as the last trump to sound the rapture.  There is no definition given to the seven trumpets anywhere in Revelation – save one – they are the trumps of angels, not of God.  As I stated earlier, we see the picture of the seven trumpets of judgment in the fall of Jericho. This also sets the definition of the seven trumpets to that of “judgment”, as opposed to calling the assembly.

Is it possible that God would not define such a critical foundation to prophetic scripture?  No, it is not. As we have established at the outset, God changes not. If he has defined every other concept in the Bible, then he also defined the last trump that Christ revealed to Paul on Mt. Sinai.  That leaves only one possibility. The reason that Paul did not define the last trump is that he did not need too. It was already well known in Israel, and it never had anything to do with seven trumpets of judgment (also a key to understanding this – the rapture is not a judgment for those called to heaven).

Stated differently, the last trump was already defined by God in the Bible.  It is found in the Torah – the Law of Moses.

Remember, the Apostle Paul was a member of the Jewish ruling class.  He was highly educated in the law and knew the exact meaning behind the last trump as it was already an active part of religious life in ancient Israel.  Likewise, every Jew that heard Paul speak on the rapture also knew exactly what the last trump was, as they all abided by it through the religious and civil year.

Number 10:1-10 ESV – The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Make two silver trumpets. Of hammered work you shall make them, and you shall use them for summoning the congregation and for breaking camp.

And when both are blown, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the entrance of the tent of meeting.  But if they blow only one, then the chiefs, the heads of the tribes of Israel, shall gather themselves to you.

When you blow an alarm, the camps that are on the east side shall set out.  And when you blow an alarm the second time, the camps that are on the south side shall set out. An alarm is to be blown whenever they are to set out.

But when the assembly is to be gathered together, you shall blow a long blast, but you shall not sound an alarm.

And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets. The trumpets shall be to you for a perpetual statute throughout your generations.

And when you go to war in your land against the adversary who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, that you may be remembered before the Lord your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies.

On the day of your gladness also, and at your appointed feasts and at the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings. They shall be a reminder of you before your God: I am the Lord your God.”

For the record, the tent of the meeting was the Tabernacle of God.  Later, this would transfer to the Temple of God. There is more, however.  When Paul reveals the mystery of the rapture and the last trump, he gives us the key to understanding exactly what he is referring to.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 ESV – For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

The trumpet of God is what tells us that the rapture does not occur with the sounding of the seventh trumpet of Revelation.  Rather, it tells us that the answer to this question lies in the exodus from Egypt. We find the answers to the last trump, and the trump of God in Exodus chapter 19.

Exodus 19:9-11, 13-20 ESV – When Moses told the words of the people to the Lord, the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments and be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.

When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.” So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people; and they washed their garments. And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; do not go near a woman.”

On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain.  Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly.

And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.

The Lord came down, and Moses went up!

In the interest of time, I am providing a link to a fantastic article that details the gold trumpet of God.  It is one of the critical points to understand in relationship to the message in the article. However, there is another critical aspect that must be addressed.  It is on this point that we shall labor. Here is the link to the additional article:

http://amos37.com/2011/07/27/a-golden-trumpet/

As the article will mention, we see that the voice of God himself is as a trumpet, and also as the sounding of thunder.  Likewise, we see several times throughout the Bible that God Speaks, only those that are meant to hear his words will actually hear his words.  To all others it is as the sound of confusion, still to others it is the sounds of lightning, thunder and terror. Ironically, it was Paul himself that experienced this firsthand, and those that traveled with him on the road to Damascus.  When the Lord came to Paul and knocked him of his horse, it was Paul alone that could understand the words spoken by the Lord.

Still, some in the group believed the sounds to be those of angels.  Still others could not discern the meaning of the sounds, discerning only the sound itself.  Likewise, when we read the account of Moses and the ascension upon the mount of God, we also see the fear and trembling from the sound of the trump of God – which may in fact be the very voice of God himself!

The primary principle of what we are discussing is also found in Exodus chapter 24.  In 24, we see the congregation of Israel which is restricted to the base of the mountain.  This is the same congregation that turned to the worship of the Egyptian bull god when Moses was gone for 40 days.  They are the type and shadow of the body of Christ that has turned from God and sought their own ways. They heard the lightnings and thunders of God, and they trembled for this was a fearsome sound!

Also, in 24 we see Aaron and the elders of Israel.  Unlike the congregation, they heard the words of the Lord and were called to the mountain.  They were permitted to ascend the mountain and look upon God from a distance. Likewise, they did eat and drink that day on the mountain.

Aaron and the elders are the type and shadow of the believer that is seeking God, yet something still remains from them.  They see God from afar, and even consume the bread of life and blood of Christ. They are the picture of the three-quarter Christian.  They seek Christ, yet something still keeps them from the full presence of God. They have heard the voice of God, yet they have not the access to the Throne of God.  They can only look from afar as the next event takes place.

Lastly, we have Moses and Joshua, the type and shadow of those that seek God with a whole heart.  Unlike the elders of the congregation that could only hear God speak from afar, yet never truly approach him, it is Moses and Joshua alone that can proceed any further.  Furthermore, in Moses and Joshua, we see the type and shadow of the calling of the elect to the mountain of God, Mt. Sion.

First to be called to fellowship before the Lord was Moses, the type and shadow of the church.  It was Moses that was allowed to commune with God 40 days. It was Moses that received the revelation of the Word of God, directly from God himself – just as the Apostles communed with Christ 40 days after his full revelation as the risen Son of God.  It was the Apostles that received the Word of God directly from the Holy Spirit in the second fulfillment of the High, Holy place – the upper room.

Second to be called was Joshua, the type and shadow of Israel, as it was Joshua – not Moses – that was permitted to cross over the river Jordan into the Promised Land.  Moses would stand afar, looking upon the Promised Land, knowing it was not to be his possession – yet desiring to be grafted in. It would be the Gentile that would likewise stand afar off, finally being grafted into the covenant of God with Israel.  Joshua alone would lead Israel – himself also a type and shadow of the coming Jewish Messiah, and also the tribulations that would await Israel as they looked to coming of their future Messiah, and the moving to their promised possession.

This dynamic of Moses and Joshua would also be the type and shadow of the coming rapture of the church before the time of tribulation, and of the rapture of the sealed Jews before the time of Jacob’s trouble.  As Moses ascended the mount of God first, and would lead Israel into the wilderness first, it would be Joshua that likewise ascended the mount after Moses, and would lead Israel, after Moses, into the tribulations that befell Israel enroute to her promises.

There is another dynamic here that directly relates to the final orders that the Lord has now issued to the overcomers.  It is the dynamic of proximity. Simply stated, the closer you are to God, the more you can hear his voice. This is not a surprise to Christians and makes logical sense to most. However, this holds true for EVERYTHING that the Lord says.

That includes the calling of the Great Assembly.  That means the gold trumpet of God. That means both the first and last trumps.  That means the very voice of God that calls out “the Bridegroom cometh, go out to meet him!”

Some of you are getting the picture now.

In ancient Israel, at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles (they were likewise sounded for all the feasts), the two silver trumpets would be sounded to call the congregation to the Temple of God.  The first trump would sound to waken the congregation and tell them to get ready and assembled at the door. The last trump would sound, declaring that the time had come to leave the camp and head for the Temple.

However, there were several things worth noting here.  First of all, during the feast, all of Israel was to come to Jerusalem to celebrate.  That meant millions of tents and shelters spread all across the Judean countryside. Now, if you were among the first to arrive, you pitched your tents right in front of the City of David, as close to the Temple Mount as possible.  Likewise, the later you arrived (usually from living further from Jerusalem, or further from God if you please), the further away your tent was pitched.

On the day of the feast, the first trump would sound.  Those closest to the Temple would have no problems hearing the blast.  Likewise, they would hear the clear and distinct tones of the different calls.  They would know what was being said to the congregation by the notes that were being played.  Notes that they could hear clearly, and with no issues.

It was a different story for those that had arrived later than they should have.

The further from Jerusalem that you camped, the less you could hear the blast of the trumpets.  This made distinguishing the notes much more difficult as well. If you could not distinguish the notes, then you would not know what was being commanded.  You might just miss the last trump declaring that it was time to go.

This presented another problem.  Not only did the distance from the Temple (God) affect your hearing the blasts of the trumpets, it affected your ability to get to the Temple in time.  If you were delayed enough to miss the calling of the assembly, you were in direct violation of the Law of God. However, there was a specific time for all of the ceremonies that would occur.  If you did not arrive at the appointed time – you were locked out!

There was yet another dynamic at play here.  Even amongst the congregation that was closest to the Temple there were strangers and foreigners.  Many would also be here for the feast days, seeking out business opportunities or whatever else caught their fancy.  These strangers to the land of Israel would hear the trumpets as clearly as the Jews heard them. However, they would not understand what they meant.  They would not understand the notes or commands. They would certainly inquire as to what they were hearing. They could even attempt to gain some understanding.

In the end they were still strangers in a strange land.  They could be told what the trumpets were for, yet there would be no personal connection.  They would not understand the notes themselves, only what someone told them. Likewise, they would not journey to the Temple.  Instead, they would simply watch as the congregation of Israel moved to the presence of God, leaving them behind. Though they inquired of the meaning, though they would seek to understand, it did not change the fact that they were not part of the elect.  They could have converted to the faith of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Doing so would have ensured that they too would depart with the body.

It should also be understood that at a certain distance it would no longer be possible to hear the trump of God.  Those in Edom, Assyria, Babylon, Persia and Egypt would neither hear the sound, nor have any knowledge that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was calling His children to the Holy Temple.

From this background we can see several prophetic meanings to the scriptures.  First, only those closest to God are going to clearly hear and understand the blowing of the first and last trumpets.  Second, there are many strangers among the Holy, and though they may have some understanding – they are still strangers.  They may even look the part, as was the custom in the ancient lands. None the less, they will be left for they have not joined the congregation.

There will be many that believe, and hear the trumpets, yet they are further from God than they have the time required to travel.  Still, there will be those that are far enough from the Temple that they are not sure that they even heard the trumpets. They may remain unconvinced that the first trump has blown.  They may not realize what has happened until they see the congregation off in the distance, departing for the Temple. However, they are not ready. They scoffed at the first trump and did not dress.  They scoffed at the first trump and did not fill their lamps. They scoffed at the first trump and had not their shoes.

Now, it will take the shedding of blood to atone for their transgression as they have missed the feast.  They have realized their error and tried to make the assembly. But alas, the door was shut and locked when they arrived.  Now, the must repent before God for their failure.

Lastly, there are a great many foreigners in many different nations that do not know of the God of Israel.  They do not believe and do not hear the trumpets blown so far from them.

The trump of God – both first and last – will be a proximity event.  Stated differently, if you are far from God, you will not make it in time.  If you are a stranger in the land, you will not understand what you have heard.  If you are part of the congregation, yet far in distance from God, you may not believe the sounding of the trumpet.  If you should find yourself at too great a distance from God, or know not the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, you simply will not hear anything. ~~~ 

What the Trumpets Tell Us

That said, the question remains – why then does the FOT actually have the two trumps that are blown when we know the hour that the feast is to start – once the day is determined?  For this, let’s take another look at Numbers chapter 10 and see what greater mysteries are revealed, and expand our understanding of the trumpets themselves: 

The Silver Trumpets 

1 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Make two silver trumpets. Of hammered work you shall make them, and you shall use them for summoning the congregation and for breaking camp.  

3 And when both are blown, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the entrance of the tent of meeting.  

4 But if they blow only one, then the chiefs, the heads of the tribes of Israel, shall gather themselves to you.   

5 When you blow an alarm, the camps that are on the east side shall set out. 6 And when you blow an alarm the second time, the camps that are on the south side shall set out. An alarm is to be blown whenever they are to set out.  

7 But when the assembly is to be gathered together, you shall blow a long blast, but you shall not sound an alarm.  

8 And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets. The trumpets shall be to you for a perpetual statute throughout your generations.  

9 And when you go to war in your land against the adversary who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, that you may be remembered before the LORD your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies.  

10 On the day of your gladness also, and at your appointed feasts and at the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings. They shall be a reminder of you before your God: I am the LORD your God.” 

Here are the elements and definitions found in the scriptures referenced above: 

1 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Make two silver trumpets. Of hammered work you shall make them, and you shall use them for summoning the congregation and for breaking camp.  

Here we have two silver trumpets. 

Used for summoning ALL the congregation. 

Used for the breaking of the camp. 

3 And when both are blown, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 

Here we have both blown together. 

The entire congregation gathers at the entrance of the Temple or Tent of Meeting. 

4 But if they blow only one, then the chiefs, the heads of the tribes of Israel, shall gather themselves to you. 

This is unique – in this element there is the blowing of the single trumpet to call the leadership to the king.  Originally to Moses, but now to the king. 

This verse is a subscript to verse three.  It essentially says, “first there was the blowing of both trumpets for the entire congregation, but sometimes we only need the leadership to gather”. 

Once this special condition is covered, the rest of the scriptures return to the condition of blowing both trumpets. 

5 When you blow an alarm, the camps that are on the east side shall set out. 6 And when you blow an alarm the second time, the camps that are on the south side shall set out. An alarm is to be blown whenever they are to set out.  

Here we have the order that the camps will break to move.  Combined with Numbers Two, we see that the order of deployment is as follows: 

East. 

South. 

West. 

North. 

7 But when the assembly is to be gathered together, you shall blow a long blast, but you shall not sound an alarm.  

This shows the differences in the types of blasts used for the different purposes.  It is a dual reference when combined with the scriptures on the sounding to the two trumpets.  The single trumpet represents the singular voice of God, which is as the sound of multiple trumpets! 

One trumpet calls the leadership. 

Both trumpets call the entire congregation. 

The rapture is ultimately the calling of the leadership of the kingdom of Christ.  We are the kings and priests, called to be initiated into service for the coming millennial reign of Christ on earth.  We will address this distinction in greater detail in a few minutes. 

8 And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets. The trumpets shall be to you for a perpetual statute throughout your generations.  

It is only the priesthood that can blow the trumpets, whether one or both.  It is interesting to note that when the rapture occurs, Christ is still in His role as our heavenly High Priest.  His coronation as King of Kings has not yet occurred. 

9 And when you go to war in your land against the adversary who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, that you may be remembered before the LORD your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies.  

When the times of conflict, distress, tribulation and war fall upon Israel the sounding of the trumpets is the call of remembrance before God.  It is with the sounding of the trumpets that the people of God come up before Him as a remembrance. 

10 On the day of your gladness also, and at your appointed feasts and at the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings. They shall be a reminder of you before your God: I am the LORD your God.” 

Here are the additional occasions for the blowing of these trumpets: 

the day of your gladness 

at your appointed feasts 

the beginnings of your months 

over your burnt offerings 

over the sacrifices of your peace offerings 

be a reminder of you before your God: I am the LORD your God. 

In verse 10, we see the introduction of another element to the blowing of the trumpets God – the burnt and peace offerings.  Given that there is nothing arbitrary in the Bible, the inclusion of these two offerings and the exclusion of the others is meant to reveal something further regarding the trumpets.  Let’s take a closer look at these two offerings and see what they reveal. 

Let’s start with the burnt offering: 

Strong’s Concordance 

olah: ascent 

Original Word: עֹלָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: olah
Phonetic Spelling: (o-law’)
Definition: whole burnt offering 

Brown-Driver-Briggs 

1. עֹלָה286 noun feminine whole burnt-offering (that which goes up ( √

6) to heaven (al. on altar)); — ׳ע Genesis 22:3 141t.; עוֺלָה Numbers 28:37 33t.; construct עֹלַת Exodus 29:42 27t., עוֺלַת Numbers 28:24 2t.; suffix עוֺלָֽתְךּ Psalm 20:4, etc.; plural עֹלוֺת Joshua 8:31 42t., עֹלֹת Genesis 8:20 3t.; עוֺלֹת Deuteronomy 27:6, עוֺלוֺת Amos 5:22 +; suffix עֹלוֺתֵיבֶם Jeremiah 6:20 +, etc.; — the whole burnt-offering (beast or fowl) is entirely consumed and goes up i the flame of the altar to God expressing the ascent of the soul in worship. All of the victim is laid on the altar except the hide and such parts as could not be washed clean. If beast the ׳ע must be a male without blemish Leviticus 1:3,10; Leviticus 22:18,19, of herd or flock; if of flock, either sheep or goad; if fowl, either turtle-dove or young pigeon Leviticus 1:14, the latter usually offered by the poor Leviticus 5:7; Leviticus 12:8; Leviticus 14:22; Leviticus 15:14,15,29,30; Numbers 6:10; Numbers 6:11. A lamb was offered by individuals Leviticus 12:6; Numbers 6:14, and by the nation at the עֹמֶר offering Leviticus 23:12, and daily at the עֹלַת הַכֹּקֶר Leviticus 9:17; Numbers 28:23; 2 Kings 16:15; Ezekiel 46:13, and at morning and evening עלח תמיד Numbers 28:3, (הַ)תָּמִיד עֹלַת Exodus 29:42; Numbers 28:6,10,15,23,24,31; Numbers 29:6,11,16,19,22,25,28,31,34,38; Ezra 3:5; Neh Nehemiah 10:34; Ezekiel 46:13. These were doubled at the עֹלַת שַׁכָּת Numbers 28:10. A ram was offered by Aaron and his sons Exodus 29:28; Leviticus 8:18; Leviticus 9:2; Leviticus 16:3,5; but a young bullock was of greater value Numbers 15:8,24; 2 Samuel 24:22 = 1 Chronicles 21:23, at consecration of Levites Numbers 8:12, socalves Micah 6:6; on great occasions bullocks + rams Numbers 23:1-6,14,15, bullocks + rams + lambs Isaiah 1:11; one of each kind offered by tribal chiefs Numbers 7:15,21,27,33,39,45,51,57,63,69,75,81,87. In ritual of עֹלַת (ה)חֹדֶשׁ Numbers 28:14; Numbers 29:6 and at מצּות and Pentecost 2 bullocks, 1 ram, and 7 lambs were added to daily offering Numbers 28:11,19,27; at offering of new bread at Pentecost 1bullock, 2 rams, and 7 lambs Leviticus 23:18 on the 1st and 10th of the 7th month and at עצרת1bullock, 1 ram, and 7 lambs, in addition to the offerings of new moon Numbers 29:2,8,36; the system culminated in 70 bullocks, 14 rams, 98 lambs for the 7 days of Tabernacles Numbers 29:13 ff. Acc to Ezek. the prince was to offer on each of 7 days of מצות7bullocks and 7 rams Ezekiel 45:23, and on Sabbath 6 lambs and 1 ram Ezekiel 46:4. At the reconsecration of temple 70 bullocks, 100 rams, and 200 lambs were offered 2 Chronicles 29:32, and at the return of exiles 12 bullocks, 96 rams, and 77 lambs Ezra 8:35. In early times whole burnt-offerings of children were sometimes made, e.g. Jephthah’s daughter Judges 11:31; Isaac proposed as, Genesis 22:2 but ram substituted Genesis 22:13; made to other gods 2 Kings 3:27; Jeremiah 19:5 +. The ׳ע was anciently made on any altar used for worship, but in P confined to מִזְבַּח הָעֹלָה Exodus 30:28; Exodus 31:9; Exodus 35:16; Exodus 38:1; Exodus 40:6,10,29; Leviticus 4:7,10,18,25 (twice in verse); Leviticus 4:30,34; 1 Chronicles 6:40; 1 Chronicles 21:26,29; 2Chronicles 29:18 (not in other literature); מזבח לעלה Joshua 22:29; 1 Chronicles 22:1. The offerer imposed his hands on head of animal, then slaughtered it Leviticus 1:4,5; ׳שׁחט ע Leviticus 4:24,33; Leviticus 6:8; Leviticus 7:2; Leviticus 9:12; Leviticus 14:13,19,31; Ezekiel 40:39,42; Ezekiel 44:11, and flayed it ׳הַפְשִׁיט ע Leviticus 1:6; 2Chronicles 29:34. The priest washed the pieces Ezekiel 40:38; arranged them on the altar above the wood Leviticus 6:5; the fire devoured them Leviticus 6:2-6; Leviticus 9:24; 1 Kings 18:38; 2Chronicles 7:1, they went up in the flame (ל) ריח ניחח ליהוה Leviticus 1:9,13,17; Leviticus 8:21; Numbers 28:13; לְרָצוֺן, according to character of offerer Isaiah 56:7; Jeremiah 6:20; see also Psalm 20:4; Psalm 40:7; Psalm 51:18; 1 Samuel 15:22.Phrases: ׳העלה ע Genesis 8:20; Exodus 32:6 (J) Exodus 24:5 (E) Exodus 30:9; Exodus 40:29; Leviticus 14:20; Leviticus 17:8 (P) Deuteronomy 12:13,14; Deuteronomy 27:6; Joshua 8:31; Joshua 22:23; Judges 6:26; Judges 20:26; Judges 21:4; 1 Samuel 6:14,15; 1 Samuel 7:9,10; 1 Samuel 10:8; 1 Samuel 13:9,10,12; 2 Samuel 6:17,18; 2 Samuel 24:24,25; 1 Kings 3:4,15; 1 Kings 9:25; 1 Kings 10:5; 2 Kings 3:27; 1 Chronicles 16:2,40; 1 Chronicles 21:24,26; 1 Chronicles 23:31; 1 Chronicles 29:21; 2Chronicles 1:6; 8:12; 9:4; 23:18; 24:14; 29:7,27; 35:14,16; Ezra 3:2,3,6; Job 1:5; Job 42:8; Psalm 66:15; Jeremiah 14:12; Jeremiah 33:18; Ezekiel 43:18,24; Amos 5:22 (compare העלה 

9); ׳זבח ע Exodus 20:24 (E); ׳עשׂה לע Leviticus 23:12; Numbers 6:11; Numbers 15:24; Numbers 29:39; ׳עָשָׂה ע Leviticus 5:10; Leviticus 9:7,22; Leviticus 15:15,30; Leviticus 16:24 (twice in verse); Numbers 6:16; Numbers 8:12; Numbers 15:3,8; Numbers 29:2; Deuteronomy 12:27; Judges 13:16; 1 Kings 8:64; 2 Kings 5:17; 2 Kings 10:24,25; 2Chronicles 7:7; Ezekiel 43:27; Ezekiel 45:17,23; Ezekiel 46:2,12 (twice in verse); Ezekiel 46:13; ׳הִקְרִיב ע Leviticus 7:8; Leviticus 9:16; Leviticus 10:19; Leviticus 23:37; Numbers 28:3,11,19,27; Numbers 29:8,13,36; 1 Chronicles 16:1; Ezra 8:35; Ezekiel 46:4; ׳הקריב לע Leviticus 22:18; Numbers 6:14; ׳הביא ע Deuteronomy 12:6,11; 2Chronicles 29:31,32; 30:15; Isaiah 43:23; Jeremiah 17:26; ׳הקטְיר ע 2 Kings 16:13,15; 2Chronicles 13:11. — עֹלָתָה, עוֺלוֺת see also עַוְלָה below I. עוּל. 

1. [עֹלָה] noun feminine ascent, stairway, עלותו Ezekiel 40:26 Kt, עֹלוֺתָיו Qr; read probably מַעֲלָתוֺ (ᵐ5 Co SS לוֺ, Toy עֹלָתוֺ).

Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance 

ascent, go up to 

Or mowlah {o-law’}; feminine active participle of alah; a step or (collectively, stairs, as ascending); usually a holocaust (as going up in smoke) — ascent, burnt offering (sacrifice), go up to. See also evel. 

see HEBREW alah 

see HEBREW evel 

The Virtual Jewish Encyclopedia offers this on the burnt offering: 

Types of Karbanot 

There are many different types of Karbanot, and the laws related to them are detailed and complicated. This section introduces some of the major types of Karbanot – there are many subtypes within these classifications and other types that do not fit into these categories. 

Olah: Burnt Offering 

Perhaps the best-known class of offerings is the burnt offering. It was the oldest and commonest sacrifice, and represented submission to G-d‘s will. The Hebrew word for burnt offering is olah, from the root Ayin-Lamed-Heh, meaning ascension. It is the same root as the word aliyah, which is used to describe moving to Israel or ascending to the podium to say a blessing over the Torah. An olah is completely burnt on the outer altar; no part of it is eaten by anyone. Because the offering represents complete submission to G-d’s will, the entire offering is given to G-d (i.e., it cannot be used after it is burnt). It expresses a desire to commune with G-d and expiates sins incidentally in the process (because how can you commune with G-d if you are tainted with sins?). An olah could be made from cattle, sheep, goats, or even birds, depending on the offerer’s means. 

Now let’s look at the peace offering: 

 Strong’s Concordance 

shelem: a sacrifice for alliance or friendship, peace offering 

Original Word: שֶׁלֶם
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: shelem
Phonetic Spelling: (sheh’-lem)
Definition: a sacrifice for alliance or friendship, peace offering 

NAS Exhaustive Concordance 

Word Origin
from shalem
Definition
a sacrifice for alliance or friendship, peace offering
NASB Translation
peace offering (2), peace offerings (85). 

Brown-Driver-Briggs 

שֶׁ֫לֶם87 noun [masculine] sacrifice for alliance or friendship, ‘peace-offering’ (explanation disputed: originally sacrifice for alliance Di; al. peace-offering (mark of peace with God), ᵐ5Sm. Kings Proverbs εἰρηνική, De StaG i. 496 WeHeid. 71 (fellowship between God and worshippers); welfare-offering, ᵐ5 elsewhere σωτήριον, Ke; thank-offering (as due rendered for benefit, or in paying vow, compare v Pi`el 4, and Proverbs 7:14) Ges Ew Kn; sacred meal its special feature: see RSSemitic i. 219; 2nd ed. 237; NowArchaeology ii. 211 f. GFMEncy. Bib. SACRIFICE, § 11; Assyrian šulmu = שֶׁלֶם is cited by J JeremEncy. Bib. RITUAL, § 11); — construct ׳שׁ Amos 5:22; elsewhere plural שְׁלָמִים Exodus 24:5 69t.; construct שַׁלְמֵי Leviticus 10:14; suffix שְׁלָמֶ֫יךָ Exodus 20:24, etc.; plural is abstract intensive Leviticus 7:13; Numbers 6:17 (P) +; plural of number Exodus 24:5 (JE), 1 Samuel 11:15 +; usually hard to decide; ׳שׁ (in app.) defines זְכָּחִים Exodus 24:5 (JE), and so זבח of covt. of Horeb is ׳שׁ, as also sacrifice for Saul 1 Samuel 11:15; following phrase shew ׳שׁ essentially = זבחים in like phrase (see זבח); ׳שׁ coming to mean ׳ז in all ritual; over against עוֺלוֺת Exodus 20:24; Exodus 32:6 (JE), Leviticus 6:5 (P), Deuteronomy 27:7; Joshua 8:31 (D), Judges 20:26; Judges 21:4; 1 Samuel 13:9; 2 Samuel 6:17,18; 2 Samuel 24:25; 1 Kings 3:15; 1 Kings 9:25; 1 Chronicles 16:1,2; 1 Chronicles 21:26; 2Chronicles 31:2; Ezekiel 43:27; Ezekiel 45:17; Ezekiel 46:2,12; so in longer lists Leviticus 9:4,22; Numbers 6:14; Numbers 29:39 (P), 1 Kings 8:64 (twice in verse); 1 Kings 16:13; 2Chronicles 7:7; 29:35; Ezekiel 45:15,17; Ezekiel 46:12; and when ׳שׁ alone Leviticus 7:14,33; in P ׳שׁ defines ׳ז in construct singular or plural: Exodus 29:28; Leviticus 3:1 34t. P, Leviticus 17:5; Leviticus 19:5; Leviticus 22:21; Leviticus 23:19 (H), so 1 Samuel 10:8; 1 Kings 8:63; 2Chronicles 30:22; 33:16; Proverbs 7:14; ׳שׁ ׳ז of H and P including תודה, נדר, נדבה Leviticus 7:12,16, and so ׳זבח תודה שׁ Leviticus 7:13; Leviticus 7:15; ׳שׁ distinguished from (larger) ׳ז in lists ׳שׁ, ׳ז, עולות Joshua 22:27 (P); נדר, ׳ז, עלה Numbers 15:8 (P); ׳שׁ distinguished from נְדָבָה Ezekiel 46:12 (where may = either of other two); from נדרים, נדבות Numbers 29:39 (P) (and must then reference to תודות); from נדר Numbers 15:8 (P); apparently then not distinguished from תּוֺדוֺת, תּוֺדָה2Chronicles 33:16 being probably specification. 

Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance 

 peace offering 

From shalam; properly, requital, i.e. A (voluntary) sacrifice in thanks — peace offering. 

see HEBREW shalam 

The Virtual Jewish Encyclopedia offers this on the peace offering: 

Zevach Sh’lamim: Peace Offering 

A peace offering is an offering expressing thanks or gratitude to G-d for His bounties and mercies. 

The Hebrew term for this type of offering is zebach sh’lamim (or sometimes just sh’lamim), which is related to the word shalom, meaning “peace” or “whole.” A representative portion of the offering is burnt on the altar, a portion is given to the kohanim, and the rest is eaten by the offerer and his family; thus, everyone gets a part of this offering. This category of offerings includes thanksgiving-offerings (in Hebrew, Todah, which was obligatory for survivors of life-threatening crises), free will-offerings, and offerings made after fulfillment of a vow. 

What are the different elements that are revealed to us in the material above? 

ascent 

whole burnt offering 

that which goes up 

the whole burnt offering (beast or fowl) is entirely consumed and goes up in the flame of the altar to God expressing the ascent of the soul in worship. 

The priest washed the pieces Ezekiel 40:38; arranged them on the altar above the wood Leviticus 6:5; the fire devoured them Leviticus 6:2-6; Leviticus 9:24; 1 Kings 18:38; 2Chronicles 7:1, they went up in the flame 

a sacrifice for alliance or friendship, peace offering 

A (voluntary) sacrifice in thanks — peace offering. 

A peace offering is an offering expressing thanks or gratitude to G-d for His bounties and mercies. 

A representative portion of the (peace) offering is burnt on the altar, a portion is given to the kohanim, and the rest is eaten by the offerer and his family; thus, everyone gets a part of this offering. 

One of the fascinating elements of the Bible is how the Lord will use different things to capture the essence of the real thing.  The rapture is a key example of this.  Take the winnowing of grain for example.  We see in the winnowing of barley a perfect picture of exactly how we will be caught up in the air with the Lord.  We have an earthly implement used to perfectly define and capture a supernatural event.  Likewise, we see this same principle play out in other aspects of the Temple service.  We see the smoke of the incense offering that ascends up as the prayers of the saints.  In both of these cases, as well as many other examples, the correlation between the earthly element and the supernatural fulfillment is written into the definitions given in scripture.  The same is found here in Numbers 10. 

As you read through the elements listed above, you can clearly see that the two offerings which require the two trumpets of God to be blown directly define and represent the rapture of the church.  We have covered each of these aspects at great length through all of the rapture specific projects on Trib Rising. 

Even the flame itself directly represents the key delivery system of the rapture!  Flame and the 2 Peter judgment of fire are the direct result of the lightning that comes with the rapture! The size and scope of the lightning and how it moves across the planet will effectively set the entire planet on fire.  You see read more about this in the project on what the rapture will look like.

Both the burnt and peace offerings together describe PERFECTLY the raptured saint!  They describe what it takes to be raptured.  TDBU reveals first that these offerings are a part of the rapture process through the top down method of study.  The bottom up method reveals how the rapture is encoded in the definitions of each sacrifice. 

Key point – the rapture is the FOT fulfillment and has all of the four types of blasts present when it is time as the rapture embodies and fulfills ALL of the elements given in Numbers 10.  This is one of two core reasons why there is a last trump referenced.  To fulfill Numbers 10, each of the blast types must be sounded.  That is why they are all sounded on the FOT.  We will cover the second core reason shortly. 

It is ONLY when the last trump is sounded that Numbers 10 is fulfilled, and only then that the assembly can head to the heavenly temple! 

7 But when the assembly is to be gathered together, you shall blow a long blast, but you shall not sound an alarm.  

The longest and loudest blast! 

The two core rapture passages that deal with trumpets. 

From 1 Corinthians 15: 

Mystery and Victory 

50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 

From 1 Thessalonians 4: 

The Coming of the Lord 

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord,d that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words. 

As we look further, we find that the trumpet mentioned in both blocks of scripture is Strongs 4536. 

 

4536 [e]

σάλπιγγι· salpingi

trumpet.

N-DFS

4536 [e]

σάλπιγγι salpingi

[the] trumpet

N-DFS

 Let’s bring up Strong’s 4536 and see what we find: 

 Strong’s Concordance 

salpigx: a trumpet 

Original Word: σάλπιγξ, ιγγος, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: salpigx
Phonetic Spelling: (sal’-pinx)
Definition: a trumpet
Usage: a trumpet, the sound of a trumpet. 

HELPS Word-studies 

4536 sálpigks – “properly, a war-trumpet” (WS, 797) that boldly announces God’s victory (the vanquishing of His enemies). 

In the OT, trumpets were used to called God’s people to war, and to announce victory wrought by Him. That is, a military clarion that proclaimed the Lord inspired and empowered the victory on behalf of His people. 

[“The trumpet was the signal employed to call the hosts of Israel to march as to war and is common in prophetic imagery (Is 27:13). Cf. The seventh angel (Rev 11:15)” (WP, 1, 193). 

Trumpets in the OT summoned God’s saints for His righteous wars (Nu 10:9; Jer 4:19; Joel 2:1). See also Lev 23:24,25; Nu 10:2-10; Ps 81:3.] 

NAS Exhaustive Concordance 

Word Origin
from salpizó
Definition
a trumpet
NASB Translation
bugle (1), trumpet (8), trumpets (2). 

Thayer’s Greek Lexicon 

STRONGS NT 4536: σάλπιγξ 

σάλπιγξ, σάλπιγγος, ἡ, a trumpet: Matthew 24:31 (cf. Buttmann, 161 (141); 343 (295)); 1 Corinthians 14:8; Hebrews 12:19; Revelation 1:10; Revelation 4:1; Revelation 8:2, 6, 13; Revelation 9:14; ἐν σάλπιγγι Θεοῦ, a trumpet which sounds at God’s command (Winer‘s Grammar, § 36, 3 b.), 1 Thessalonians 4:16; ἐν τῇ ἐσχάτῃ σάλπιγγι, the trumpet which will sound at the last day, 1 Corinthians 15:52 (4 (2) Esdr. ; see commentaries on 1 Thessalonians as above). (From Homer down; the Sept. for שׁופָר and חֲצֹצְרָה.) 

Here are the total uses for salpigx: 

Strong’s Greek 4536
11 Occurrences 

σάλπιγγα — 1 Occ.
σάλπιγγας — 1 Occ.
σάλπιγγες — 1 Occ.
σάλπιγγι — 2 Occ.
σάλπιγγος — 5 Occ.
σάλπιγξ — 1 Occ. 

I highlighted one of the occurrences used above as it reveals something fascinating.  Of the eleven uses for salpigx, there are two scriptures that use a different transliteration.  That transliteration is salpingi.  Bear in mind that these are the ONLY two uses for salpingi in the entire New Testament, which sets these two uses apart from every other reference to trumpets in the NT.  That tells us that they are both unique and linked, and both point to something specific that is unique from all other uses. 

It just so happens that these two occurrences are from our reference blocks of scripture above showing the rapture: 

 Englishman’s Concordance 

σάλπιγγι (salpingi) — 2 Occurrences 

1 Corinthians 15:52 N-DFS
GRK: τῇ ἐσχάτῃ σάλπιγγι σαλπίσει γάρ
NAS: at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound,
KJV: the last trump: for
INT: the last trumpet a trumpet will sound indeed 

1 Thessalonians 4:16 N-DFS
GRK: καὶ ἐν σάλπιγγι θεοῦ καταβήσεται
NAS: of [the] archangel and with the trumpet of God,
KJV: and with the trump of God: and
INT: and with trumpet of God will descend 

There are several observations we can make here.  First, that salpingi connects two critical pieces of information. 

KJV: the last trump: for 

KJV: and with the trump of God: and 

With salpingi, we have both the last trump and the trump of God.  This brings us to the next observation – this last trump of God is singular – not plural.  That means one of the trumpets will be sounded for this particular event.  This becomes critical to understand, and it will become clear as to why in just a moment. 

Let’s bring back something we found earlier: 

Thayer’s Greek Lexicon 

STRONGS NT 4536: σάλπιγξ 

σάλπιγξ, σάλπιγγος, ἡ, a trumpet: Matthew 24:31 (cf. Buttmann, 161 (141); 343 (295)); 1 Corinthians 14:8; Hebrews 12:19; Revelation 1:10; Revelation 4:1; Revelation 8:2, 6, 13; Revelation 9:14; ἐν σάλπιγγι Θεοῦ, a trumpet which sounds at God’s command (Winer‘s Grammar, § 36, 3 b.), 1 Thessalonians 4:16; ἐν τῇ ἐσχάτῃ σάλπιγγι, the trumpet which will sound at the last day, 1 Corinthians 15:52 (4 (2) Esdr. ; see commentaries on 1 Thessalonians as above). (From Homer down; the Sept. for שׁופָר and חֲצֹצְרָה.) 

Here is the key piece we need to key up on: 

1 Thessalonians 4:16; ἐν τῇ ἐσχάτῃ σάλπιγγι, the trumpet which will sound at the last day, 1 Corinthians 15:52 (4 (2) Esdr. ; see commentaries on 1 Thessalonians as above). (From Homer down; the Sept. for שׁופָר and חֲצֹצְרָה.) 

Did you catch that?  For both scriptures in 1 Thessalonians and 1 Corinthians we have an amazing insight: 

the trumpet which will sound at the last day 

This is an amazing revelation!  From Thayer’s we can see the operative uses for all 11 occurrences of trumpet in the original Greek.  We can see a very clear distinction between the nine and the two scriptures.  When we put everything that we have just learned about the two examples of trumpet together here is the literal translation we are left with: 

“The single trumpet of God that will sound on the last day!” 

What a bombshell to say the least!  This will come into play in just a moment. 

There is another piece of the puzzle that we will need later – the word “last”: 

σάλπιγγι (salpingi) — 2 Occurrences 

1 Corinthians 15:52 N-DFS
GRK: τῇ ἐσχάτῃ σάλπιγγι σαλπίσει γάρ
NAS: at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound,
KJV: the last trump: for
INT: the last trumpet a trumpet will sound indeed 

We need to examine the word last and see exactly what it reveals to us.

Strong’s Concordance 

eschatos: last, extreme 

Original Word: ἔσχατος, η, ον
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: eschatos
Phonetic Spelling: (es’-khat-os)
Definition: last, extreme
Usage: last, at the last, finally, till the end. 

HELPS Word-studies 

2078 ésxatos (from esxaton, “end, last”) – properly, last, final (the furthest, extreme-end). 2078/esxatos (“future things”), the root of “eschatology” is “the study of last things.” This includes future Bible prophecy, the end-times, and life after death (“the after-life”). 

NAS Exhaustive Concordance 

Word Origin
of uncertain origin
Definition
last, extreme
NASB Translation
end (1), last (46), last of all (1), last man (1), last men (1), late (1), remotest part (1). 

Thayer’s Greek Lexicon 

STRONGS NT 2078: ἔσχατος 

ἔσχατος, ἐσχάτῃ, ἔσχατον (from ἔχω, ἔσχον adhering, clinging close; (according to others (Curtius, § 583 b.) superlative from ἐξ, the outermost)), the Sept. for אַחֲרון, אַחֲרִית; (from Homer down); extreme, last in time or in place; 

1. joined to nouns: τόπος, the last in a series of places (A. V. lowest), Luke 14:9f; in a temporal succession, the last: ἔσχατος ἐχθρός, that remains after the rest have been conquered, 1 Corinthians 15:26; κοδράντης, that remains when the rest have one after another been spent, Matthew 5:26; so λεπτόν, Luke 12:59; ἡ ἐσχάτῃ σάλπιγξ, the trumpet after which no other will sound, 1 Corinthians 15:52, cf. Meyer ad loc.; αἱ ἔσχαται πληγαί, Revelation 15:1; Revelation 21:9; ἡ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρα τῆς ἑορτῆς, John 7:37. When two are contrasted it is equivalent to the latter, opposed to ὁ πρῶτος the former (Deuteronomy 24:1-4): thus τά ἔργα (opposed to τῶν πρώτων), Revelation 2:19; ἡ πλάνη, Matthew 27:64 (where the meaning is, ‘lest the latter deception, caused by the false story of his resurrection, do more harm than the former, which was about to produce belief in a false Messiah’); ὁ ἔσχατος Ἀδάμ, the latter Adam, i. e. the Messiah (see Ἀδάμ, 1), 1 Corinthians 15:45. ἡ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρα, the last day (of all days), denotes that with which the present age (הַזֶּה הָעולָם, see αἰών, 3) which precedes the times of the Messiah or the glorious return of Christ from heaven will be closed: John 6:39f, 44 (); . of the time nearest the return of Christ from heaven and the consummation of the divine kingdom, the following phrases are used: ἐσχάτῃ ὥρα, 1 John 2:18; ἐν καιρῷ ἐσχάτῳ 1 Peter 1:5; ἐν ἐσχάτῳ χρόνῳ, Jude 1:18 Rec., ἐπ’ ἐσχάτου χρόνου Jude 1:10. Tr WH; ἐν ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις, Acts 2:17; James 5:3; 2 Timothy 3:1; for other phrases of the sort see 2 a. below; ἐπ’ ἐσχάτων τῶν χρόνων, 1 Peter 1:20 R G, see below.
2. ὁ, ἡ, τό ἔσχατον absolutely or with the genitive,
3. of time: οἱ ἔσχατοι, who had come to work last, Matthew 20:8, 12,(14); the meaning of the saying ἔσονται πρῶτοι ἔσχατοι καί ἔσχατοι πρῶτοι is not always the same: in Luke 13:30 it signifies, those who were last invited to enter the divine kingdom will be first to enter when the opportunity comes, i. e. they will be admitted forthwith, while others, and those too who were first among the invited, will be shut out then as coming too late; in Matthew 19:30; Matthew 20:16 it means, the same portion in the future kingdom of God will through his goodness be assigned to those invited last as to those invited first, although the latter may think they deserve something better; cf. Mark 10:31. ὁ πρῶτος καί ὁ ἔσχατος i. e. the eternal, Revelation 1:11 Rec., ; . ἔσχατος as a predicate joined to a verb adverbially (cf. Winer‘s Grammar, 131 (124); § 54, 2): Mark 12:6; ἐσχάτῃ (R G; but see below) πάντων ἀπέθανε, Mark 12:22. ἔσχατον, ἔσχατα, used substantively (cf. Buttmann, 94 (82) § 125, 6) in phrases, of the time immediately preceding Christ’s return from heaven and the consummation of the divine kingdom: ἐπ’ ἐσχάτου or ἐσχάτων τῶν ἡμερῶν, Hebrews 1:2 (1); 2 Peter 3:3 (the Epistle of Barnabas 16, 5 [ET]); τῶν χρόνων, 1 Peter 1:20; ἐπ’ ἐσχάτου τοῦ χρόνου, Jude 1:18 L T (see 1 above, and ἐπί, A. II. at the end), cf. Riehm, Lehrbegr. d. Hebrärbriefes, p. 205f τά ἔσχατα with the genitive of person the last state of one: Matthew 12:45; Luke 11:26; 2 Peter 2:20 (but without the genitive of person). Neuter ἔσχατον, adverb, lastly: (with the genitive of person, Mark 12:22 L T Tr WH); 1 Corinthians 15:8.
4. of space: τό ἔσχατον τῆς γῆς, the uttermost part, the end, of the earth, Acts 1:8; Acts 13:47.
5. of rank, grade of worth, last i. e. lowest: Mark 9:35; John 8:9 Rec.; 1 Corinthians 4:9.

Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance 

end, last, uttermost. 

A superlative probably from echo (in the sense of contiguity); farthest, final (of place or time) — ends of, last, latter end, lowest, uttermost. 

see GREEK echo ~~~ 

What is it we discovered just a few moments ago regarding these two blocks of rapture based scripture? 

“The single trumpet of God that will sound on the last day!” 

To this we can add “the trumpet after which no other will sound”, which gives us the combined revelation of the following: 

“The single trumpet of God, after which no other will sound, that will sound on the last day!” 

It is important to emphasize something here that will be easy to forget or overlook. It is the single trumpet of God that will sound no more on a final day of any age.  It is not trumpets in general. After this sounding the church age is done.  However, this must not be confused with other trumpets which will continue to be blown throughout the tribulation, after the tribulation, and even into the millennial reign.

The original Greek points only to the trumpets of God in these scriptures.  All other types of trumpets in the Bible are in play depending upon their purpose and definitions.  That said, there is one more element contained within these two blocks of scripture that bears pointing out – the meaning of the word “last”: 

Strong’s Concordance 

eschatos: last, extreme 

Original Word: ἔσχατος, η, ον 

Part of Speech: Adjective 

Transliteration: eschatos 

Phonetic Spelling: (es’-khat-os) 

Definition: last, extreme 

Usage: last, at the last, finally, till the end. 

Thayer’s Greek Lexicon 

STRONGS NT 2078: ἔσχατος 

ἔσχατος, ἐσχάτῃ, ἔσχατον (from ἔχω, ἔσχον adhering, clinging close; (according to others (Curtius, § 583 b.) superlative from ἐξ, the outermost)), the Sept. for אַחֲרון, אַחֲרִית; (from Homer down); extreme, last in time or in place; 

1. joined to nouns: τόπος, the last in a series of places (A. V. lowest), Luke 14:9f; in a temporal succession, the last: ἔσχατος ἐχθρός, that remains after the rest have been conquered, 1 Corinthians 15:26; κοδράντης, that remains when the rest have one after another been spent, Matthew 5:26; so λεπτόν, Luke 12:59; ἡ ἐσχάτῃ σάλπιγξ, the trumpet after which no other will sound, 1 Corinthians 15:52, cf. Meyer ad loc.; αἱ ἔσχαται πληγαί, Revelation 15:1; Revelation 21:9; ἡ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρα τῆς ἑορτῆς, John 7:37. When two are contrasted it is equivalent to the latter, opposed to ὁ πρῶτος the former (Deuteronomy 24:1-4): thus τά ἔργα (opposed to τῶν πρώτων), Revelation 2:19; ἡ πλάνη, Matthew 27:64 (where the meaning is, ‘lest the latter deception, caused by the false story of his resurrection, do more harm than the former, which was about to produce belief in a false Messiah’); ὁ ἔσχατος Ἀδάμ, the latter Adam, i. e. the Messiah (see Ἀδάμ, 1), 1 Corinthians 15:45. ἡ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρα, the last day (of all days), denotes that with which the present age (הַזֶּה הָעולָם, see αἰών, 3) which precedes the times of the Messiah or the glorious return of Christ from heaven will be closed: John 6:39f, 44 (); . of the time nearest the return of Christ from heaven and the consummation of the divine kingdom, the following phrases are used: ἐσχάτῃ ὥρα, 1 John 2:18; ἐν καιρῷ ἐσχάτῳ 1 Peter 1:5; ἐν ἐσχάτῳ χρόνῳ, Jude 1:18 Rec., ἐπ’ ἐσχάτου χρόνου Jude 1:10. Tr WH; ἐν ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις, Acts 2:17; James 5:3; 2 Timothy 3:1; for other phrases of the sort see 2 a. below; ἐπ’ ἐσχάτων τῶν χρόνων, 1 Peter 1:20 R G, see below. 

We see from the above the confirmation that this will indeed be the last sounding of the trumpet of God.  It is plain to see.  However, the greater context of the original Greek reveals another interesting facet to the last trump of God.  Let’s take another look at Leviticus 23 and a piece to the FOT mystery: 

Englishman’s Concordance 

Leviticus 23:24 

HEB: שַׁבָּת֔וֹן זִכְר֥וֹן תְּרוּעָ֖ה מִקְרָא־ קֹֽדֶשׁ׃ 

NAS: a reminder by blowing [of trumpets], a holy 

KJV: a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy 

INT: A rest A reminder blowing convocation a holy 

Strong’s Concordance 

teruah: a shout or blast of war, alarm, or joy 

Original Word: תְּרוּעָה 

Part of Speech: Noun Feminine 

Transliteration: teruah 

Phonetic Spelling: (ter-oo-aw’) 

Definition: a shout or blast of war, alarm, or joy 

Brown-Driver-Briggs 

תְּרוּעָה noun feminine shout or blast of war, alarm, or joy; — ׳ת Leviticus 23:24 +; construct תְּרוּעַת Jeremiah 4:19 +; — 

1 alarm of war, war-cry, Joshua 6:5,20; Jeremiah 20:16; Ezekiel 21:27; Amos 1:14; Amos 2:2; Zephaniah 1:16; Job 39:25; מִלְחָמָה ׳ת Jeremiah 4:19; Jeremiah 49:2; מֶלָךְ ׳ת battle-cry of king Numbers 23:21 (poem in J E). 

2 blast for march: ׳תקע ת Numbers 10:5,6 (twice in verse) (P; with חֲצֹצְרוֺת; hence) ׳חֲצֹצְרוֺת הַתּ Numbers 31:6 (P) 2 Chronicles 13:12; on day of atonement ׳שׁוֺפַר ת Leviticus 25:9 (H); 1st of month ׳זִכְרוֺן ת Leviticus 23:24 (P; בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ), יוֺם תֹ Numbers 29:1 (P); Generally ׳צִלְצְלֵי ת Psalm 150:5. 

3 shout of joy with religious impulse, 1 Samuel 4:5,6 (twice in verse); 2 Samuel 6:15 = 1 Chronicles 15:28; 2Chronicles 15:14; Ezra 3:11,12,13; הַשִּׂמְחָה ׳קוֺל ת Ezra 3:13; in public worship Generally Job 33:26; especially + musical service Psalm 33:3; Psalm 47:6; ׳זִבְחֵי ת Psalm 27:6, ׳יֹדְעֵי ת Psalm 89:16. 

4 shout of joy, in General Job 8:21 (“” שְׂחַוֺק). 

We see that of the accepted commands given for the blowing of the trumpets of God in Numbers 10, the Feast of Trumpets requires the sound of the blast to march, or to break camp and move.  Yet, it is a mystery as to why the FOT would need a command to the camp to move as the Bible does not specify. 

 There is something that we need to mention again, as we have covered it numerous times at various points on Trib Rising – there must be a fulfillment of every scripture in the Law of Moses.  This can happen in several different ways.  You can have an individual event that fulfills an individual scripture.  The Passover Lamb is a good example of this.  Jesus was our Passover Lamb.  This was a creature brought forward once in the story of Moses and Israel in Egypt.  Likewise, there was one man who would be that Passover Lamb.  We have a one-to-one ratio; one individual scriptural element fulfilled by one man at one time – Christ on the cross. 

We can also have one event that fulfills multiple elements of the Law of Moses.  Sticking with our Passover example, Jesus was slain at Passover as the Lamb.  However, since He was the perfect sinless sacrifice, His death rendered all other sin sacrifices required for all of the appointed feast days fulfilled, as well as the sin offerings required for everyday functions at the Temple.  In fact, all blood sacrifices required in the Law of Moses were fulfilled in this one singular death on the cross.  To that end there no longer needs to be any more blood sacrifices for sin.  That requirement from the Law of Moses has now been fulfilled wherever it is found written. 

This requirement to fulfill every scripture in the Law of Moses likewise applies to our block of scripture on the two silver trumpets found in Number chapter 10.  For each of those examples given there must be a fulfilling during the end times.  There must be trumpets that are blown for the reasons given in this block of scripture.  To that end we need to bring up a point. 

The sounding of the trumpets for the purpose of judgement is NOT found in Numbers chapter ten.  Likewise, the sounding of the trumpets to gather the elect from the four winds, or the four corners is NOT in Numbers 10. 

There is a critical observation that must be made regarding Number ten: 

Numbers chapter 10 involves a congregation that is NOT scattered, but rather, remains encamped together!  Why is this observation important? 

Matthew 24:31 ESV – And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Likewise, why is important that we understand that Numbers ten does not include the sounding of the call to judgement? 

Revelation 11:15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” 

Remember, the seven angels begin blowing their trumpets in chapter 8, and these trumpets announce judgments.  Likewise, just before the seventh trumpet is sounded, we are told that the third woe is soon to come.   Likewise, with the sounding of the seventh trumpet come the pronouncements from the 24 elders of several different things, including the time to destroy the destroyers of the earth. 

It also bears mentioning that the seventh trumpet does not sound on the last day of anything.  It is near the midpoint of the tribulation period. 

“The single trumpet of God, after which no other will sound, that will sound on the last day!” 

Even if you were to argue the meaning of “last trump” based on the definition that no other trumpet would sound, the last day requirement of the trump of God makes any attempt to render the seventh trumpet as the trumpet after which no other will sound moot as it does not occur on the last day.  Likewise, we will show shortly that after which no other will sound has a different and specific reference which is not connected to the overall series of trumpets found in Revelation.  Rather, it is an indication of the series of notes and blasts which are sounded – a series that starts with a first trump and ends with a last trump. 

For those thinking “the longest and loudest trump” you are absolutely on the right track.  More on all of this in a few moments. 

Remember, all scripture must be fulfilled word for word, literally, with no ambiguity.  There can be no “close” or “almost” fulfillments.  You cannot take an event and force it into the Law of Moses.  We see this principle at play quite a bit these days as folks are trying to fit our current state of world affairs into the book of Revelation.  There are folks preaching that the tribulation has already begun due to a litany of close comparisons between current events and what the Bible says must come.  Yet, the fulfillments must be exact, in the given order, with every last element present.  Anything less and you do not have a fulfillment of prophecy. 

It’s at this point we must address the other primary argument with regards to trumpets and the timing the rapture.  With that, let’s take a look at Matthew 24:29-31: 

The Coming of the Son of Man 

29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. 

The other primary argument is that this is the signal that brings the rapture.  The premise is that a trumpet is sounded at the end of the tribulation, angels go to the four corners of the earth and gather the elect.  To be fair some of what we have covered here would appear to be evidence in favor of that argument as well.  However, we will see that this is not the case.  Indeed, we do in fact have a single trumpet blowing which signifies the calling of the leadership.  We have already established that it is the leadership alone that is called during the rapture. 

However, as we have covered numerous times in the various projects here on Trib Rising that we can see the redeemed of Christ in Heaven from the very outset of the events collectively known as the tribulation.  We go so far as to see them actually fulfilling tasks and orders from God during the tribulation.  John is told several times not to worship the angels’ bringing judgments to the earth because those angels are in fact not the traditional “angels” we see throughout the Bible, but they are actually men of God – as John is – and his fellow servants of Christ.  If you have not read the project on “John, Angels and Martyrs – Final proof of a Pre-Tribulation Rapture” you really need to do so.  It is one of the most eye-opening studies on the rapture that I have ever seen or been given! 

However, with all that said, there is a singular element in the scriptures above that make the prospect of a post-trib rapture an impossibility.  It has been said many times on this website that critical observations skills are an absolute necessity when studying the Bible.  They will help prevent what we are about to show you.  Let’s bring back in verse 29: 

29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 

Is there anything that sticks out to you in this scripture?  If you have spent any time with any of the projects on this site then you have likely read about tense, and how it is critical to prophecy.  Revelation is filled with examples of tense which set the timing markers so that you same connect the individual sections of Revelation together to see the entire picture.  Let’s look just a bit closer at one piece of verse 29: 

Immediately after the tribulation of those days 

We see that when the events of verses 30 and 31 occur they do so after the last day of the tribulation!  Remember, the definition of the last trump is a trump that sounds ON the last day.  It does NOT sound on the day after the last day.  By definition that would be the first day of a new phase of time.  Right now, there are some who are getting defensive and attempting to argue that this is not what the Bible is actually saying, and that I am reaching. 

Am I?  Is it? 

If verse 29 is not literal truth as written, then your use of verse 31 as justification is equally flawed.  It is flawed as you fail to account for the additional scriptures in the Bible which further define what the rapture is and when it will occur – all of which present a different picture of verses 29 -31.  For that matter this verse gives additional elements that are never associated with the rapture anywhere in the Bible: 

the sun will be darkened 

the moon will not give its light 

the stars will fall from heaven 

the powers of the heavens will be shaken 

I complete several very exhaustive studies on the book of Joel, the signs given, and how they play out in the timing of the tribulation.  Without rehashing the studies on these elements of this verse I can tell you that these events DO NOT come with the rapture!  In fact, these separate elements serve to break time up between the last day of the tribulation which has past at this point, and the start of the new phase of God’s plan, of which the first day is now underway.  I highly recommend you go spend time with these projects as they will answers questions long held by many Christians. 

Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory 

And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. 

What do we see in these two elements of scripture?  We see the defining elements of a new day, a glorious day which is bringing the return of the Lord!  Recall from earlier in this study we were able to determine that the sounding of the last trump defines the final day, the last act of the church age.  Likewise, here the trump being sounded is also heralding a transition.  In the case of the rapture, it heralded an end.  In this case it heralds a beginning! 

There is another point that bears making, one of which is covered extensively here on Trib Rising: 

31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. 

This is the fulfillment of the gleaning, or the four-corner harvest.  The gleaning is the requirement in the Law of Moses that when you have finished your harvesting you will leave the four corners of the field for the pour, the widow, the hungry, the sojourner – effectively for those who are without to come in and reap a little for themselves.  It is the last and final stage of all harvest cycles – the barley, the wheat and the fruit.  Understand, the four corners would remain untouched by the owner of the field throughout all harvest cycles.  The wheat and barley that remained could last quite some time.  Fruit does not last nearly as long so there would be less to be gleaned from your fruit fields. 

However, as winter approached the owner would finally have to clean up what was left in preparation for the planting and growing of the next season.  So finally, he would head out and finish off the harvest with what little grain or fruit remained.  Only now was the total of the harvest seasons complete.  In an interesting parallel, all of the grain field would be leveled, and all of the fruit trees shaken bare – a prophetic picture of the Second Coming.  The rotting and decaying grains and fruits would be swept away and only a blank canvass would remain.  From this blank canvass the master of the field would begin anew! 

Getting back to the point here is where this really starts to set the narrative: 

Numbers 10:4 ESV – But if they blow only one, then the chiefs, the heads of the tribes of Israel, shall gather themselves to you. 

We spoke of two core reasons earlier and have referenced that there is something more when it comes to the blowing of the two trumpets of God in Numbers 10.  Suffice it to say that things are about to get really interesting! 

As we have already seen from the different elements in the other scriptures in Number 10, there is an undeniable link to the rapture.  It’s impossible to miss once you start to break everything down.  However, tucked into everything else in this block of scripture is this singular verse which deviates from the rest of the scriptures.  It’s similar in that folks gather at the entrance to the tent of the meeting, and they do so before the king.  Yet, it’s different in that only one of the two trumpets are blown, and it is only the leadership of the congregation, or the elders of the tribes, that gather to the king. 

Of course that makes practical sense.  There are times that a staff meeting needs to be called.  This was probably a regular occurrence.  After all, the entire nation of Israel was gathered in the wilderness for 40 years.  There are a lot of logistics that need discussed, worked out, matters that need addressed, etc.  It would be no different than any other head of state calling the court or cabinet together.  You had to have a means to get the word out to all of the elders to head to the meeting.   To that end it makes sense to blow one trumpet instead of both.  This would allow the difference in the purposes to be clearly distinguished. 

Here’s the thing – why the silver trumpet as opposed to the ram’s horn shofar, or just shofar.  One practical answer is the magnification of sound.  The metal clarions are simply going to be louder – a LOT louder.  The camp of Israel was massive.  In modern terms it was an entire modern city out in the wilderness.  During the exodus, there were more than a million human beings spread out in a cross formation with the Tabernacle at the center.  The clarions were the best way to ensure that the entire camp could hear the group announcements that the trumpets were used to sound. 

Of course, the shofars were also used.  Each of the individual tribes would use the shofars for different purposes.  A shofar would be a great way to sound a more localized call to the members of just your tribe.  As a practical matter, even the four recognized blasts of the shofar could be modified enough that all 12 tribes could use the same four blasts, yet each tribe could add a subtle, yet distinguishable difference to each to differentiate which tribe was sounding the call.  It’s not inconceivable that you could hear different shofar blasts at different times throughout the day from different corners of the camp based on what was happening at any given time. 

These similarities aside, and even the practical implications which alone would have been enough to merit their place in scripture, there is something about this one verse that catches your attention. 

When you look at the entire block of scripture on the two silver trumpets, you find that some of the events that require blowing the two trumpets would, by default, require calling the leadership council together first.  Anytime the camp was going to break you would need to speak with the elders first.  Anytime war was on the horizon you would need to speak to the elders first.  Anytime the entire congregation was going to be called to the Tabernacle or Temple to gather before the king you would need to speak to the elders first.  You would need to speak to them so they could help facilitate whatever was coming.  The elders would have to know what was coming so that they could be in place first and prepare for the rest of the congregation to do whatever was required. 

I didn’t think too much about it at first.  There were so many elements which seemed to answer the questions of how the two silver trumpets were connected to the rapture that it seemed we already had enough evidence.  Still, this one scripture was here, and it was therefore a part of the overall picture.  That meant it must be accounted for, and it must be fulfilled.  Not only that, but it must be fulfilled in the context of Numbers 10.  It must be fulfilled in conjunction with a calling of elders, the assembling of the full congregation, the Temple of God, breaking camp, and the call to war, and all of the elements we have previously discussed.  Then the Lord hit me with something, a singular thought that really took me back. 

“The last trump”. 

The key was “trump”, as in singular.  I was rereading these scriptures when I came back to verse four and it just kind of stuck out to me.  Then I heard the words in my mind. 

“The last trump”. 

It took just a second then it hit me.  Suddenly it all came flooding in.  “Of course!”  I hadn’t seen it before, but now it stuck out like a sore thumb.  Let’s bring back something we talked about a moment ago: 

Here is the key piece we need to key up on: 

1 Thessalonians 4:16; ἐν τῇ ἐσχάτῃ σάλπιγγι, the trumpet which will sound at the last day, 1 Corinthians 15:52 (4 (2) Esdr. ; see commentaries on 1 Thessalonians as above). (From Homer down; the Sept. for שׁופָר and חֲצֹצְרָה.) 

Did you catch that?  For both scriptures in 1 Thessalonians and 1 Corinthians we have an amazing insight: 

the trumpet which will sound at the last day 

This is an amazing revelation!  From Thayer’s we can see the operative uses for all 11 occurrences of trumpet in the original Greek.  We can see a very clear distinction between the nine and the two scriptures.  When we put everything that we have just learned about the two examples of trumpet together here is the literal translation we are left with: 

“The single trumpet of God that will sound on the last day!” 

What a bombshell to say the least!  This will come into play in just a moment. ~~ 

The single trumpet of God that will sound on the last day.  I was floored.  It had been there the entire time! 

So often we read the various accounts of trumpets in the Bible without giving it a second thought.  It could be one trumpet, or two – or 12.  It makes little difference.  A trumpet is a trumpet is a trumpet.  Yet, this is not the case.  Every use of trumpets in the Law of Moses means something and has a specific purpose.  We simply fail to stop and observe the subtle differences.  Usually that doesn’t hurt anything in our studies, as it doesn’t affect the meat of the message.  But when it comes to the rapture and Revelation it is a critical distinction.  We simply miss it. 

The rapture does not use both trumpets of God.  It uses only one trumpet of God – at least for the calling of those who are alive and remain! 

As we saw from our earlier conversation it is the king himself that sounds the call to the Great Assembly every seven years.  However, our two key rapture scriptures reveal another piece of the puzzle which meshes with all of the additional evidence for the pretrib rapture that we have discovered so far.  When the Lord descends to the clouds above us it will not be the entire congregation called to the entrance of the tent of the meeting to gather before the king.  It will be the leadership and elders!  As we have detailed in most of the projects on Trib Rising (literally, almost every rapture project we have published touches on a different aspect of this), only a small percentage of the living church actually goes in the rapture.  The rest come along at some point during the first half of the tribulation.  We have laid out the evidence for what it means when the Bible speaks of “kings and priests” and a “kingdom of priests”.  The project on The Final Warning goes into great detail regarding who does and does not go in the rapture.

However, this point is better illustrated in the context of the millennial reign of Christ.  In terms of leadership and elders, remember that at the Second Coming the Lord returns with the saints, and His Kingdom is set up.  Over the next thousand years a small remnant population explodes into a full global population.  We saw this in the beginning of the earth.  Lots of children give way to lots of families, which will cause a massive explosion in the planetary population very quickly. 

If we estimate a surviving remnant of just 1,000,000 that enter the millennial reign of Christ, within one hundred years or so it is conceivable that the global population could be over three billion.  This number assumes an average of five children per couple (be fruitful and multiply, and now do so where Christ Himself reigns in a world with no war and no crime at first, and very little during the overwhelming majority of the thousand years).  By the time the second 100 years have concluded we could be looking at a population that exceeds one trillion.  Yes, the earth can more than handle the numbers we are talking about.  No, there will not be a shortage of resources.  Remember, we are ruled directly by Christ Himself who fed 5,000 with just five loaves and two fish.  It will become clear during this time just how much of a lie the environmental movement is based upon. 

By the time we reach the midpoint in the reign of Christ, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that we could see 20 trillion plus on the earth.  We can take things a step further.  At current, there are estimated to be around a billion Catholics living on the earth right now.  Of course, that does not mean that they all have salvation, nor does it address the discussions surrounding the Catholic Church itself.  However, it does give us a good number for a starting point of reference. 

If we currently have a billion Catholics, then let’s put the number of Protestants at about 30 percent, which meshes with current Pew Research numbers as a rough average.  Understanding the core differences between the two groups of Christians theologically, and an honest assessment of what faith actually looks like with regards to salvation (not all who say “Lord, Lord” will be saved, and Christ does not know all who call Him Lord), I was able to take a rough look at the global population estimates throughout history, accounting for the rough number of Jews and others that would have had a shot at Abraham’s Bosom prior to Christ, and the estimates of Catholics and Protestants globally during the years since 33AD. 

I was able to come up with a very rough number of around 200 billion living and dead saints at the time of the rapture, with an estimate of a population turnover that has seen between 20 to 40 trillion people come and go on the planet.  If that number is even close to accurate, then by the midpoint of the millennial reign we are looking at a ratio of one saint for every 100 living human beings.  By the time we reach the three quarters mark that number could jump a hundred-fold.  By the time the reign of Christ comes to an end, and we are ready to head into the new Heaven and new earth, there could be one saint to every 5,000 to 10,000 people. 

There is a reason why it’s a new earth, and the dimensions are never given – yet the dimension of the new Jerusalem alone appear to be close to the size of the moon.  Remember, the new earth must be large enough to fit EVERY living creature that ever existed yet died innocent of the sin wrought upon creation by humanity.  That is the part of the redemption of all creation that never gets discussed. 

The total population that is ready to enter eternity will finally reach that number, promised to Abraham by God, which is beyond all the sands, and all the stars in heaven, and the new earth will be more than able to accommodate all of us – every last blood and adopted child of Abraham!

At the front of that group will be the Kingdom of Priests, or the Kings and Priests which the Bible tells us will come from the living and dead saints that eventually end up before the Judgment Seat of Christ.  In other words, the elders and leadership of Christ’s eternal Kingdom. 

This would be the group called at the first and last trump of God, when the dead shall be raised first, and then those who are alive and remain are caught up with them to meet the Lord in the air! 

Numbers 10:4 ESV – But if they blow only one, then the chiefs, the heads of the tribes of Israel, shall gather themselves to you. 

There is another aspect that we need to address.  Let’s bring back something we covered just a moment ago: 

Did you catch that?  For both scriptures in 1 Thessalonians and 1 Corinthians we have an amazing insight: 

the trumpet which will sound at the last day 

This is an amazing revelation!  From Thayer’s we can see the operative uses for all 11 occurrences of trumpet in the original Greek.  We can see a very clear distinction between the nine and the two scriptures.  When we put everything that we have just learned about the two examples of trumpets together here is the literal translation we are left with: 

“The single trumpet of God that will sound on the last day!” 

What a bombshell to say the least!  This will come into play in just a moment. ~~ 

Let’s talk about the “last day” for a moment.  This is a critical distinction that likewise addresses the timing of the rapture.  The last day is exactly that – the final day of a phase, cycle, series, time period or age.  The last day always sees the completion or close of one thing, and the start of the new thing begins on what becomes the first day, or the next day after the last day is complete. 

Jesus did not rise on the last day of the week.  He rose on the first day of the week. 

The Pentecost feast does not come on the last day of the “seven sevens”, or day 49.  It comes on the first day of the new summer season. 

Likewise, the Holy Spirit did not come on the last day of the old covenant.  The Holy Spirit came on the first day of the new church age.  Remember, it is the receiving of the Holy Spirit which sanctified and empowered the new church to stand and deliver.  There is a reason why it was Pentecost that saw the Holy Spirit come – and not before! 

Noah was not sealed in the ark after the judgment started to fall.  He was sealed in the ark to complete the time of grace.  Only when he was sealed inside did the waters begin to come. 

Lot and his family did not escape Sodom after the judgement started to fall.  The judgement did not fall until after he and his family were secure inside Zoar. 

Our Heavenly Father did not rest on the first day.  His rest came at the completion of His work, before the first day of His new completed creation began. 

The destroyer did not come into the midst of Egypt on the first day of Israel’s freedom.  The destroyer came on the final day of their bondage. 

The Bible is filled with examples of the “first day principle” which is akin the 8th day principle we have discussed in other projects on Trib Rising, where it is the first day when all things are become new.  That is what we see here in our scriptural references to the trumpet of God in both 1 Thessalonians and 1 Corinthians. 

“The single trumpet of God that will sound on the last day!” 

The single trumpet of God sounds on the final, or last day of the age.  On that day the church age ends.  The sounding of the trumpet and the gathering together of the saints represent the final act on the final day of the age of the church.  For after that comes the time of judgment. 

This last day distinction is also one of numerous evidences that eliminates Matthew 24 as the rapture as well.  Let’s look again at that block of scripture from Matthew 24: 

The Coming of the Son of Man 

29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. 

We see the reference to the end of the tribulation, and the events which play out immediately after the tribulation is officially over.  Likewise, we see the transition in that Christ is no longer in Heaven, but has now returned to the earth, being seen first in the clouds. 

Immediately after the tribulation of those days 

 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man 

The last day of the church age brings the final act of that age – the sounding of the trumpet of God and the gathering together of the saints. 

The first day of the tribulation period begins with both Christ and those saints in Heaven, beginning the heavenly process encoded in the Temple rituals. 

The last day of this period sees Christ and His saints still in Heaven preparing for the return.  The first days sees Christ and His saints absent from Heaven and heading to earth. 

The first day of the reign of Christ on earth begins with His sign in the heavens and His coming. 

With that said we need to connect the dots on the Numbers 10 requirement for the elders and leaders of the tribes of Israel to report to the king at the sounding of the single trumpet of God.  There are several blocks of scripture from Revelation which directly relate to this requirement: 

Rev 4:4 ESV – Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. 

Rev 5:8-10 ESV – And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” 

Rev 6:9 ESV – When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. 10 They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been. 

We have several elements in these scriptures which need to be brought out and examined to see what they reveal.  I have underlined critical observations that shed light on what is happening in Heaven during this time, and exactly who and how Numbers 10:4 if fulfilled.  Bear in mind that everything we are about to point out transpires in Heaven BEFORE the first trumpet judgement is sounded!  Likewise, if you have a chance to read throughout project on the timing of the how the tribulation starts and its timing, I highly recommend that you do so.  It goes into great detail as to what the sealed scroll is, why it is opened the way that it is opened, and when the tribulation actually starts. 

http://tribulationrisingcom.fatcow.com/coming-signs-2-joel-and-the-timing-of-the-end/ 

That will be critical to fully understanding the differences between the groups of people shown in these blocks of scripture!  With that, let’s bring down just the underlined sections: 

twenty-four elders  

and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth 

the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne 

until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been 

When you understand what the seals are, and the timing of when they are opened, and why they are opened, you will have a better grasp of what separates the two different groups of people shown in these scriptures, and why they are shown where they are shown.  I will provide a short summary here.  You can get the detailed evidence in the link above, and also the project on John, angels and martyrs. 

http://tribulationrisingcom.fatcow.com/john-angels-and-martyrs-final-proof-of-the-pre-trib-rapture/ 

In the elements above we see the 24 elders.  It is important to understand that these are the twelve disciples and the 12 sons of Jacob.  Again, the two projects listed above provide great detail and evidence of this. 

Then we see the souls of the witnesses under the altar, followed by a reference to the fellow servants yet to be killed.  We see this same group of martyrs in the next set of passages: 

Rev 7:9, 13-14 ESV – After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,  

13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 

However, we find something interesting in Revelation 17 and 19: 

Rev 17:1-2 ESV – 1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters, 2with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk.”  

Rev 19:9-10 ESV – And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” 10 Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. 

Again, I have underlined several elements of these scriptures: 

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me 

You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God 

What we see here is critical – first the angel that approaches John is one of the angels that poured out the bowl judgments.  However, as we see in Revelation 19, this same angel declares who he really is. 

He is one of John’s brothers, and also a servant of Jesus Christ! 

Without rehashing a project that is several hundred pages long, what I can share with you is that this angel was already an angel slated to pour out a bowl judgment when the seals start to be opened.  We also know that this was a very human servant of Christ.  We also know that this was not a servant that was martyred during the end times events.  All who lose their life for Christ are indicated as such in Revelation.  Rather, we see that this was a brother from the church age, specifically in the time of the first century church when John himself was alive. 

If you have not already figured it out, the 24 elders and the angels of judgment are humans who were alive at some point prior to the rapture.  More specifically, they were either the sons of Jacob, the 12 apostles, or those converted by the apostles and became the original elders of the church.  Further evidence of that rank and position is found with a full and in-depth study of Revelation two and three and the letters to the seven churches. 

There is evidence that the angels of judgement are among the Old Testament saints that were resurrected while Jesus was in the grave, and then emerged from their tombs when Jesus emerged from His and were seen walking the streets of Jerusalem prior to the first secret ascension of Christ to sprinkle His blood on the heavenly furniture and present the First fruits.

The key takeaway here is this: 

Numbers 10:4 ESV – But if they blow only one, then the chiefs, the heads of the tribes of Israel, shall gather themselves to you. 

Now you are starting to get the picture! 

To this end there is one more block of scripture that links the church to the fulfillment of Numbers 10:4, and their place as potential elders in the camp and congregation of Israel: 

Romans 11:11-24 ESV – So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. 12 Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean! 

13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry 14 in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. 15 For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? 16 If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches. 

17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. 19 Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. 23 And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree. 

I underlined three of the scriptures that help drive home a critical point.  Simply stated, the Church and the Kingdom of God starts with Israel and with the Gentiles.  Both elements are required for a complete body of Christ.  Both can be removed from the Body of Christ, and both can be returned to the Body of Christ. 

However, I think this scripture really brings home to key point: 

Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean! 

It is the full inclusion of both groups that sees the full extent of the Body of Christ! 

What must be remembered is that each covenant officially began with twelve.  There were twelve sons of Jacob that became the heads of the 12 tribes.  There were 12 Apostles that became the 12 heads of the Church.  Both groups are needed for the corps of elders seen in Revelation 4:4. The twelve elders from Jacob are not enough because the Law was not enough.  The twelve Apostles are not enough because they would not exist without the original twelve elders.  In the 24 are found both covenants – the old covenant between God and Israel, and the new covenant between Christ and the church.  Together, and only together is there complete salvation for all mankind! 

The 24 elders are also the key witnesses that can attest to the veracity of the claim of Christ to alone be worthy to open the seven sealed scroll! 

All twenty-four are required before the seven-seal scroll is passed around the great congregation looking for one who is worthy, as without them present as witnesses the great scroll cannot be opened in the first place!  This goes back to several other projects here on Trib Rising which detail exactly what the scroll is, how it was sealed, why there are seven seals, and why there must be certain folks present to witness the breaking of those seals. 

The 24 elders cannot be present to witness the breaking of the seals without a pretrib rapture! Perhaps the 12 sons of Jacob were among those seen walking the streets of Jerusalem.  However, the church had not yet been born at that point.  The rapture alone is the only way the 12 Apostles make the big meeting!

At this point we need to examine one last piece of this particular puzzle – the meaning of “the last” when it comes to the last trumpet.  Those with a passing understanding of Rosh Hashanah, or the Feast of Trumpets will have some idea what I am talking about.  The last trumpet, or the last trump refers to what is known as the Tekiah Gedolah, the longest and loudest trump.  It is the last of the four distinct soundings of the shofar on the feast day.  With that, let’s bring Numbers 10 back into the discussion: 

The Silver Trumpets 

1 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Make two silver trumpets. Of hammered work you shall make them, and you shall use them for summoning the congregation and for breaking camp.  

3 And when both are blown, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the entrance of the tent of meeting.  

4 But if they blow only one, then the chiefs, the heads of the tribes of Israel, shall gather themselves to you.   

5 When you blow an alarm, the camps that are on the east side shall set out. 6 And when you blow an alarm the second time, the camps that are on the south side shall set out. An alarm is to be blown whenever they are to set out.  

7 But when the assembly is to be gathered together, you shall blow a long blast, but you shall not sound an alarm.  

8 And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets. The trumpets shall be to you for a perpetual statute throughout your generations.  

9 And when you go to war in your land against the adversary who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, that you may be remembered before the LORD your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies.  

10 On the day of your gladness also, and at your appointed feasts and at the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings. They shall be a reminder of you before your God: I am the LORD your God.” 

From the scriptures above we can ascertain four general circumstances which require the blowing of the two silver trumpets of God: 

you shall use them for summoning the congregation and for breaking camp. 

An alarm is to be blown whenever they are to set out.  

But when the assembly is to be gathered together, you shall blow a long blast, but you shall not sound an alarm.  

On the day of your gladness also, and at your appointed feasts and at the beginnings of your months 

We have the calling of the camp and congregation. 

We have the sounding to set out on a journey. 

We have the sounding of alarms and commands. 

We have the soundings of celebration. 

Each of these particular differences in the sounding of the shofar have profound spiritual implications as well.  Likewise, we can see several variations on a particular set of soundings from the scriptures above.  Calling the camp to the tent of the meeting is one such example.  The same sounding is used to call both the camp and just the leaders of the camp.  The difference would be in the number of trumpets sounded. 

Here is a link to a short web page that lists the four sounds of the shofar and a quick reference to the spiritual applications.  Bear in mind that the spiritual applications are drawn directly from the logistical meanings behind each type of blast.  For example, the sounding of the alarm blast has spiritual implications to times of trouble and distress. 

https://pjlibrary.org/beyond-books/pjblog/september-2020/what-do-the-sounds-of-the-shofar-mean 

Here is a link to the full sounding of the shofar: 

https://youtu.be/M9jjOg7Hs1U 

With that, here are the four blasts of the shofar: 

Tekiah – One long blast 

Shevraim – Three medium length blasts 

Teruah – Nine short staccato sounds 

Tekiah Gedolah – One extra-long blast 

Here is the nickel version of what you have in each of the four blasts – you get the first trump, or Tekiah, which is the sounding to attention, that something is happening. 

That is followed by the Shevraim, the alarm or the call to action. 

Following that comes the Teruah, the blasts of gladness and accomplishment. 

Finally, these are followed by the Tekiah Gehdolah – the longest and loudest trump – also known as the last trump, which signal the “return” to the beginning, or the start.  It is quite literally the last trump to call us to the start of the new cycle.  It takes us to a beginning! 

Let’s bring back what we just discovered from Numbers 10: 

You shall use them for summoning the congregation and for breaking camp. 

This is the first trump, or Tekiah, which is the sounding to attention, that something is happening.   

An alarm is to be blown whenever they are to set out.  

This is the Shevraim, the alarm or the call to action. 

On the day of your gladness also, and at your appointed feasts and at the beginnings of your months 

This is the Teruah, the blasts of gladness and accomplishment. 

But when the assembly is to be gathered together, you shall blow a long blast, but you shall not sound an alarm.  

This is the Tekiah Gehdolah – the longest and loudest trump – also known as the last trump, which signal the “return” to the beginning, or the start. 

In case you have not put all of this together yet, the FOT literally brings together the four actions and conditions required for the rapture!  That is ultimately the prophetic meaning of Numbers 10! 

The first trump – we are called to attention and alerted that something is about to happen.  Something special is soon in motion. 

The second trump – the alarm is sounded, and the command is given.  Something profound has begun to transpire. The Lord begins His descent into the clouds.

The third trump – the call to gladness and the showing of accomplishment.  Only those that have met the requirements are called – only those with the required accomplishments.  That would be the dead in Christ, those that have completed their race.

The longest and loudest trump – the last trump – everything is now set, and the time has come!  The last piece of the puzzle now falls into place – those who are alive and remain.

What did we cover earlier? 

From 1 Corinthians 15: 

Mystery and Victory 

50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 

From 1 Thessalonians 4: 

The Coming of the Lord 

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words. 

The context of Numbers 10 link both the single trump of the rapture and the two trumpets that call the assembly and sound the feast days. 

However, the scripture regarding the sounding of the single trumpet is an “in addition to” type of item.  Numbers 10 is about the two trumpets.  It lays out the requirement to make the trumpets.  It then says to “do this with the trumpets”, and then “do this”, and then “blow them here”, and “sound them like this”. 

It lays out a building narrative as to what these two trumpets are for.  Then, it adds one final condition – sounding the single trumpet and why. 

Everything else in Numbers 10 applies to the single trumpet (if applicable) such as the different types of soundings based off the particular need for the meeting or gathering. It simply lays out one final condition, that there will be a point where the leadership must be called, and that call must be distinct from all of the other uses of the two trumpets.  Yet, every law governing the two trumpets governs the single trumpet. 

Also, a single trumpet is only blown by one person – Moses or the king.  One person cannot blow two trumpets.  Likewise, it takes two people to blow two trumpets. 

What that reveal is this – the single trumpet is blown to summon the leaders. 

Only the supreme leader of the camp has the authority to summon the other leaders. 

Despite where it’s found in the overall text of Numbers 10, this one verse is a “one last thing” provision meant to signal something prophetic – that one day the King of kings would sound that single trumpet to summon the leadership.  Of course, it has the literal meaning and practical application given in scripture.  Yet, it is also a prophetic reference. 

Let’s bring back all three blocks of scripture and tie everything together. 

From Numbers 10: 

The Silver Trumpets 

1 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Make two silver trumpets. Of hammered work you shall make them, and you shall use them for summoning the congregation and for breaking camp.  

3 And when both are blown, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the entrance of the tent of meeting.  

4 But if they blow only one, then the chiefs, the heads of the tribes of Israel, shall gather themselves to you.   

5 When you blow an alarm, the camps that are on the east side shall set out. 6 And when you blow an alarm the second time, the camps that are on the south side shall set out. An alarm is to be blown whenever they are to set out.  

7 But when the assembly is to be gathered together, you shall blow a long blast, but you shall not sound an alarm.  

8 And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets. The trumpets shall be to you for a perpetual statute throughout your generations.  

9 And when you go to war in your land against the adversary who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, that you may be remembered before the LORD your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies.  

10 On the day of your gladness also, and at your appointed feasts and at the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings. They shall be a reminder of you before your God: I am the LORD your God.” 

From 1 Corinthians 15: 

Mystery and Victory 

50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 

From 1 Thessalonians 4: 

The Coming of the Lord 

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words. 

With all of the evidence shown to this point the picture begins to emerge.  On the Feast of Trumpets, we have the memorial of the blowing of trumpets.  This is plural both in the context of more than one trumpet being sounded and the number of times and types of soundings blown.  We have the call to attention, the call of commands, the call to celebration and the call to move the camp (not in that order, of course). 

However, Numbers 10 leaves use with an additional distinction – one circumstance where only one of the two silver trumpets will be blown. 

Both blocks of scripture from 1 Corinthians and 1 Thessalonians give us the context and requirements of fulfillment for the scripture on the single trumpet in Numbers 10 – the rapture. 

At the rapture, all of the trumpet blasts laid out in Numbers 10 will be sounded exactly as the Law of Moses records.  However, on the longest and loudest trump, the last in the series, it will be only the single Trump of God that is sounded!  In this you have the complete fulfillment of Numbers 10 with the advent of the rapture! 

Notice that nothing in Numbers 10 requires that only one or both trumpets can sound a particular sound.  To the contrary, you can have either one or both silver trumpets blow the given soundings listed.  You can use blow the first three sets of blasts with both trumpets, and then have the last blast blown by the single trumpet.  For that matter this is actually practical.  In the days of ancient Israel, you may need to do this very thing.  You may need to call the leadership back to the tent of the meeting after the camp has been prepared and ready to go.  There may be last minute instructions to be issued.  There may be last minute changes.  Perhaps the entire exercise in question suddenly needs to be postponed. 

4 But if they blow only one, then the chiefs, the heads of the tribes of Israel, shall gather themselves to you.   

This is the scripture that definitively ties Numbers 10 to the rapture! 

Putting it all Together

To this point we have covered a great deal of ground.  We have seen how “no man knows” points clearly to any day, any hour as the standard given by Christ for the timing of the rapture.  We have seen that the two-day window on the FOT is what Christ was directly alluding to when He spoke those words, yet His words were also literal in that the two-day window alone does not match the actual original Greek meaning of the words He spoke. 

So, what gives? 

There is no way around what I will say next – from all appearances we have a glaring contradiction on our hands.  How can the rapture fulfill the FOT, yet at the same time be fulfilled on any other day and hour besides the actual calendar FOT? 

I will tell you that I also struggled with this.  I always knew that “no man knows” meant exactly that.  However, when I saw the evidence for the rapture as the fulfillment as the FOT I could not deny that either.  This was made even more problematic when I began to see exactly what the rapture actually was, and why it would merit one of just seven of the biblical feast days.  There are so many events in the Bible that would seem to be more important as to merit a feast day.  The tribulation alone is littered with them.  Yet, I think that is when this really started to click with me. 

“What exactly makes an event worthy of a yearly feast day in the first place?” 

The feast days are the great timing markers.  They are the great event markers.  When you look at them in totality you see a pattern emerge. 

Passover – the death of the Lamb and the shedding of blood for the remission of sins. 

Unleavened Bread – the burial of Christ for three days in the tomb. 

First fruits – the resurrection of the dead and the raising of Christ from the dead. 

Pentecost – The giving of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the church age. 

Trumpets – The removal of the faithful church and the start of the days of decision (tribulation) and the end of the church age. 

Atonement – The second coming of Christ and the judgment of nations. 

Tabernacles – the commencement of the millennial reign of Christ. 

There is something in the list above that I need to mention.  For many years Atonement has been associated with the tribulation.  It was the feast that marked the tribulation prophetically.  While this is not untrue, it stuck with me for quite some time that this was not truly accurate.  It’s not that it was wrong in that Atonement represents judgment, and the tribulation is a time of judgement and decision, it was the decision part that kept hanging me up. 

Understand, there are two phases to judgment – decision and execution.  The first part of judgment is the decision phase.  It is twofold itself.  There are the decisions that we make in how we will decide what we do in the things which lead to judgment, and then there are the decisions made in weighing what we have done in the things that led to judgement.  I could not escape the fact that while judgment and wrath were falling on the earth, one of the central themes of the tribulation was the reaction of men to the actions of God.  There are multiple scriptures that show – sadly – men, as a whole, will fail to repent of their evil.  What’s more, we see that there will come a point of final decision for many when they have to decide whether or not to take the mark of the beast. 

However, what I began to notice is that this cycle played out during the entire time of the tribulation.  There was no one final judgment (not referring to the punitive judgements that are occurring, but to an official judgement proceeding) during the tribulation here on earth.  The earth does not see an actual formal judgement until after the second coming.  Then the study of the Days of Awe kept coming back to me.  I could not escape the timing of these days, and what they represent in the yearly feast cycle.  I already had the revelation of the timing of the tribulation based on the ten days of Awe.  Without rehashing the project on the timing of the tribulation or the project on the coming signs, which I will link to in just a moment, the short story is that the time we typically think of as “the tribulation” is in reality the time from the rapture to the second coming.  It is a period greater that the seven calendar years broken into 42 months and 42 months, with each month lasting exactly 30 days.  In reality, from the moment of the rapture to the moment of the second coming, there will elapse a total of eight years on earth. 

Here are the links to the timing and coming signs projects: 

http://tribulationrisingcom.fatcow.com/the-timing-of-the-tribulation/ 

http://tribulationrisingcom.fatcow.com/youre-not-going-to-believe-this/ 

There was simply no way around this.  The key feature of the tribulation was the process of decision, with the key feature of a determined judgment not happening until after the second coming.  Again, while it is not incorrect to say that Atonement is the picture of the tribulation, it misses the greater point that it is actually fulfilled by the second coming and judgement of nations as opposed to the tribulation.  This also gets into the common denominator between the events listed above which merit their own feast day. 

Take another look at the list above and tell me what you see.  What appears to be the defining feature of the seven feast days? 

Stated simply, the seven feast days are the markers of the redemptive process and what each brings.  They are based on Christ and actions based in righteousness.  This is why the tribulation itself does not have its own feast day.  Instead, it is found in the appointed days between Trumpets and Atonement.  Let’s take another look at the seven feasts yet do so in a slightly different manner. 

The Lamb’s blood is shed making redemption possible – Passover. 

The Lamb is allowed to decay over three days, passing the point of any natural resuscitation, also the sign of Jonah.  Yes, Jonah actually died in the belly of the great fish.  That is a detailed study in its own right.  This confirms the nature of death – Unleavened Bread. 

The Lamb is resurrected from death, the key purpose of redemption – First fruits. 

That redemption is now shared with all who would accept it.  They now share the message of redemption with others – Pentecost. 

The time for sharing redemption freely now stops.  Those who are undecided must now make a final decision – Trumpets. 

With that decision made, final judgment will now fall on mankind – Atonement. 

With judgment complete and sentence now executed upon the earth, the condemned are destroyed, and the righteous take their places in the Kingdom of Christ – Tabernacles. 

The seven feast days are a living testimony of the redemption of mankind through the shed blood of Christ.  At present, I have another project in the works on the Day of Atonement.  This is a massive undertaking, and it centers on why there are so many aspects and phases to this particular feast day.  It is by far the “busiest” of all the feast days, and it has aspects which are fulfilled on other feast days as well.  It was during that study that I finally was given the picture of a courtroom testimony with regards to the feast days, and what they truly represent.  This aspect comes full circle in the Day of Atonement and will be one of the most amazing projects the Lord has ever given me.  Atonement also encodes and proves the pre-trib rapture as well. 

The key to understanding each of the feast days resides in the individual definitions given for each.  We spoke briefly about this already.  You can think about the feast definitions like this – they are the individual elements given in each feast, what each element means, what each element points to, and what each element indicates.  It is no small task to decipher the elements – and thus, the definitions – of each feast day.  It takes a great deal of assistance from the Holy Spirit.  It takes critical observation skills.  It requires asking questions of each piece of each feast. 

To illustrate this principle, let’s take the feast of Weeks, or Pentecost, and pull out several of the encoded definitions.  We will start with the scriptures from Leviticus 23 outlining this feast day: 

Leviticus 23:15-22 – “You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the LORD. You shall bring from your dwelling places two loaves of bread to be waved, made of two tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour, and they shall be baked with leaven, as firstfruits to the LORD. And you shall present with the bread seven lambs a year old without blemish, and one bull from the herd and two rams. They shall be a burnt offering to the LORD, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. And you shall offer one male goat for a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old as a sacrifice of peace offerings. And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the LORD for the priest. And you shall make a proclamation on the same day. You shall hold a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a statute forever in all your dwelling places throughout your generations. 

“And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the LORD your God.” 

The first thing that needs to be mentioned is that there are actually two sets of definitions at play in this feast.  This is true of all the feast days.  There is a set of definitions which covers why certain sacrifices and offerings must be made on a particular feast day.  We will get into this more in the forthcoming project on the Day of Atonement.  Essentially, there are multiple types of offerings and sacrifices, and each has a different meaning, definition, and purpose.  The purpose of the particular feast day determines which offering and sacrifice types are required.  They spell out the purpose for that particular day from a practical standpoint. 

The second set of definitions revolves around the actual prophetic purpose for each feast day.  In case you have never heard this before, or it has never really resonated, each feast day has as its primary purpose to serve as a prophetic picture.  The reasons, timing, results and necessity for the prophetic events commemorated by each feast are found in the feasts themselves.  We have already covered this aspect of the feast days a bit earlier, though we did not present this particular point when we did. 

Taking a look at Pentecost, we will leave the sacrifice portion alone for the most part as this gets into a project in its own right.  We’ll pull out a couple of examples of the definitions of the feast to highlight what we mean when we speak of the definitions.  Let’s start with the very first verse: 

“You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering. 

This is one of the times where the offering listed is directly related to the definitions for the feast itself, so we will include it.  The first thing to point out is that the seven weeks (hence, the “Feast of Weeks” designation) is defined more specifically in the next verses as 50 days, or even more specifically as 49 days plus one day.  That is the first key defining piece – that there must be seven weeks between the feast day and First fruits. As an aside, the seven weeks, or 49 days, are the appointed days between the two feast days. 

You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the LORD. 

While it’s not readily evident in this reading, what this scripture calls for is a grain offering each day of the 49 days between the two feast days.  In additional scriptures elsewhere this does get spelled out.  That is important as it is a part of the definitions or defining characteristics of the feast. 

Here is a critical piece to understand – the fact that there are requirements for these 49 days reveal that the 49 days themselves will have a prophetic fulfillment. In this case it is the counting of each day and the omer which is counted on each day. In actuality, the 49 days themselves indicate a future prophetic fulfillment in that there is a specific number of days given between First fruits and Pentecost.  We likewise see the same dynamic with the appointed days between Trumpets and Atonement, and Atonement to Tabernacles.  The specific time periods alone indicate that there is a reason those time frames are chosen, and that they are not simply arbitrary numbers. 

However, when you add in the 49 first fruits offerings of wheat you confirm this very special future prophetic link.  During the time from the resurrection to Pentecost we saw those 49 days elapse.  However, there were no actions from the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, or disciples which directly correlate to the omer offering that took place each of those 49 days.  To that end there was no fulfilment possible yet as the church had not yet been born.  It would not be until the events in the upper room on Pentecost that a future prophetic fulfillment of the omer would become possible. 

So, in what we have thus far is a requirement to count 49 days after First fruits, and on each of those day to present a grain, or wheat offering (again, that is also spelled out in subsequent scriptures and another project on Trib Rising).  So, in ascertaining the definitions, or defining characteristics, we start by listing them. 

from the day after the Sabbath 

You shall count seven full weeks 

from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering 

Again, also bringing in the aspects which get spelled out elsewhere, the first defining characteristic of this feast is that it requires 49 days of wheat offerings, after First fruits, with the barley First fruits offering being the key factor in the start of this time period.  We also know that the feast days are a prophetic picture, and that the appointed days must also be fulfilled prophetically. 

So, taking all of this from the bottom up method of learning and study, we see that these appointed days point prophetically to a 42-month time period of continuous sacrifices of believers during the times of the tribulation. 

If you are sitting there with a puzzled look on your face, wondering just how I actually came to that conclusion, don’t worry – I’m not offended.  I actually detail all of this in the project on the counting of the omer.  To date, it constitutes the most exhaustive study on the prophetic nature of the omer that I have ever seen myself.  Yet, it is critical to understanding the timing of the tribulation, the nature of the martyrdoms that take place, and it’s one of many undeniable proofs of a pre-trib rapture. 

 http://tribulationrisingcom.fatcow.com/the-case-for-the-pre-trib-rapture-part-three-the-counting-of-the-omer-2/ 

Essentially, once you understand the different aspects called for by the Lord for these 49 days, you will have the definitions necessary to understand exactly what these days are alluding too, or what they are trying to show us.  In this case, the Bible uses not just First fruits as the starting point for the 49 days, but it specifically references the actual first fruits of the barley that are offered on that day.  Not only is that a prophetic reference to Christ as the first fruits of the dead, but it is also a specific prophetic reference to the initial barley harvest that kicks off the subsequent period of time referenced in the 49 days.  Those 49 days each require an offering of the wheat which is also defines a particular type of sacrifice. 

So, the definition of this feast day tells us first that there will be an initial barley offering before God, followed by 49 “days” of wheat offerings before God.  The defining nature of barley is that it represents believers in Christ who have faith and stand on His promises.  This is due to the nature of how you separate barley from its shell and from the chaff.  The same holds true of wheat – except that wheat has a harder outer shell that required a great deal of force to break and free the wheat grains.  The wheat represents the hardheaded Christian that must go through a time of trouble to get their attention and help them to finally stand on faith. 

This is NOT a works-based salvation statement.  It does not declare that salvation is lost for the believer that is left behind.  This is a point also covered in great detail on Trib Rising.  The rapture is a reward for faithfulness.  Salvation is the reward for all who accept Christ as their Lord and Savior – regardless of the level of hardheadedness involved.  Rather, this statement reflects the single most overriding tenet in our Christian faith – the actual faith itself!  In times past we had entire lifetimes to build our faith.  In the final generation this is no longer so.  Getting left behind is not about what you will do for the Lord from that point forward. 

It’s about realizing that you no longer can do ANYTHING absent unyielding faith in Him, and that despite what you thought you would be in the tribulation – you are not capable of being anything without full faith in Christ. 

Also, I said “days” as this is a prophetic timing reference that will eventually translate into a specific timing reference that points to the first half of the tribulation.  This is also covered in the Omer project.  Actually, there are two projects which get into the counting of the Omer.  The other project, which is the first of the two projects, gets into the meaning of “Sabbath” in the scriptures referenced above, and exactly when the counting of the Omer starts. 

In reading the given definition up to this point, what we find is that there will be an initial barley harvest at the start of the tribulation period, and that it will be followed by approximately three and a half years of a running wheat harvest, ending just before the period known as mid-trib.  What that tells us in the plain language is that everything kicks off with the rapture, then there are three and a half years where folks will have to endure the first half of the tribulation, yet they will still find Christ and the Holy Spirit.  It also tells is that something changes after that time period with regards to the martyrdoms that are occurring.  Those answers are found in the fruit harvest and additional references found elsewhere in the Bible, including the book of Revelation. 

To answer the next question – no, I have not given enough information in these few paragraphs for you to figure out how I went from point A to point Z on this.  The two Omer projects combined are hundreds of pages long and are effectively two books worth of information.  Hopefully your interest has been stirred to go and give those projects a look.  You won’t be disappointed if you do. 

That said, hopefully you have the gist of how the definitions of the feast days’ work.  With TDBU, you start top down to figure out what each feast day is pointing to and link it to the things that Christ did with an emphasis on specific events in His life.  Bottom up then allows you to understand the actual context of the feast day, and what it means prophetically.  For Pentecost, you cannot know that the 49 days from First fruits to Pentecost cover the rapture and martyrdoms in the first half of the tribulation if you don’t first understand the significance of the barley and wheat offerings that are a part of these days.  The only way to understand that aspect is to go top down and see where Christ fulfilled First fruits when He arose, and how the Church fulfilled Pentecost that day in the upper room. 

Moving forward with our study, let’s bring back a statement from earlier in the project: 

“What exactly makes an event worthy of a yearly feast day in the first place?” 

As I detailed earlier, the seven feast days encode the redemptive plan of salvation and the coming Kingdom of Christ.  I had to spend some time with this, and I had quite a few conversations with the Lord on what I was seeing and the different critical observations I was making.  However, what could be described as the single biggest critical observation clicked with me during this process.  I call it the single biggest observation as it is what would eventually allow all of this to come together. 

Let’s take a moment and bring in the various scriptures on the seven feast days from Leviticus 23 and see if there is something that jumps out: 

Passover – 4 “These are the appointed feasts of the Lord, the holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at the time appointed for them. 5 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight, [a] is the Lord’s Passover. 

Unleavened Bread – 6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. 

First fruits – 10 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, when you come into the land that I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest, 11 and he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, so that you may be accepted. On the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. 

Pentecost – 15 “You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering. 16 You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the Lord. 

Trumpets – 23 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation. 

Atonement – 27 “Now on the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict yourselves[d] and present a food offering to the Lord. 

Tabernacles – 34 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, On the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the Feast of Booths[f] to the Lord. 

The first thing to notice is that these scriptures have as their central theme that actual start date for each feast.  It should be noted that I left out a great deal of scripture on each feast – except for Trumpets, which has only one additional verse with just 17 additional words.  With that, let’s drill down on the key pieces: 

“5 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight” 

“6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month” 

“On the day after the Sabbath” 

“15 “You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering” 

“In the seventh month, on the first day of the month” 

“27 “Now on the tenth day of this seventh month” 

“On the fifteenth day of this seventh month” 

Above we have seven statements regarding the seven start times for the seven feast days.  Here is where it pays to understand the elements, details and definitions of what each feast day encodes.  There is something specific that we see in each of these start times that does not readily jump out, but is there, nonetheless. 

Of the seven feast days, only Trumpets is set to the new moon! 

Of the other six, only Pentecost gets close to the new moon.  Depending on the particular year, Pentecost typically comes in around the 4th or 5th day of the month.  Yet even this is not the new moon.  However, even if it was, the core premise behind Pentecost is not the moon, but rather, a specific counting of days and offerings starting with first fruits of the barley harvest given on the Feast of First fruits! 

For that matter, both the start dates for First fruits and Pentecost are set to precise day counts specifically due to their future prophetic relevance to the rapture, tribulation, and the martyrdom’s that will occur.  Again, I will refer you back to the two studies on the counting of the Omer that we referenced earlier for greater detail on these two core elements of First fruits and Pentecost. 

I remember when this clicked with me.  I was genuinely puzzled and curious as to why Trumpets would begin on the first day of the month, with the new moon being the central feature of that particular day each month.  Of course, I already understood the now common link to the “unknown day and unknown hour” aspect of the FOT, but I could not escape that there was something more here.  This stayed with me for quite a while, until I heard a teaching that inadvertently got close to at least a partial answer.  For that matter, it was two teachings that the Lord used to move this study forward. 

I’m going to go off of memory on this, so if I get a date or a title wrong it’s not intentional.  A friend had sent me the CDs from one of the Perry Stone Prophetic Summits that he hosts each year.  I believe these were from 2015.  There were two of his teachings that really brought out information critical to this study, and also to the Day of Atonement project I have been working on ever since.  The two messages were “Yom Hakesah: The Mystery of the Hidden Day”, and “Second Coming Secrets Encoded in the Priestly Rituals”.  The second title is where my memory gets a bit hazy.  I do believe it was that message where Perry talked about the Day of Atonement having a double fulfillment. 

The long and the short of that message centered on the fact that the Day of Atonement has rituals and requirements which were actually fulfilled in the three spring feast days!  This should catch most folks off guard for good reason.  If the Lord fulfills each feast day chronologically, and has done so to this point, how can you fulfill elements of one feast day on a day other than when the Bible tells us that it must be fulfilled?  The answer to that question resides in the definitions and elements of the actual feast day itself.  Simply stated, the feast day itself can allow, permit, or even require that certain aspects of its intended purpose be fulfilled prior to the day it is celebrated.  Likewise, the same premise holds true of the appointed days as we have already discussed.  It was this particular message that got me started down the road of wondering why there would have to be elements of some of the feast days fulfilled at times outside of the given calendar day for the feast in question.  From that one message ultimately came both of the Omer projects, the Atonement project currently in the works, and this project that you are reading now. 

The prime example of this is the death of Christ on the cross.  Of course, this was the fulfillment of Passover.  Yet, it is the Day of Atonement where the lamb is slaughtered, and the blood used to redeem us from our sins.  Also, it is Atonement where the High Priest sprinkles this blood on the furniture of the Temple to cleanse the Temple itself from sin, to prepare it Temple for the ongoing work of redemption.  Each of these events was already fulfilled by Christ, though the Day of Atonement itself has not yet been fulfilled. 

From Hebrews chapter 9: 

11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. 

15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. 16 For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. 17 For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. 18 Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. 19 For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.” 21 And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. 22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. 

23 Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. 

We can see in these scriptures that Christ has already taken His blood, shed on Passover, and purified the Heavenly Temple itself.  Remember, sin did not originate on earth in the Garden of Eden.  It originated in the Holy Temple of God Himself, in Heaven, before His very Throne!  Before any redemptive work could begin – before Christ could take up His duties as our High Priest, ever making intercession for us, the Heavenly Temple itself had to be prepared.  It had to be cleansed and purified.  That brings in two scriptures which many do not connect with these passages in John 14: 

1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 

And this from John 20: 

11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (Which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her. 

Without rehashing material I have already laid out in great detail in other projects on Trib Rising, the short version of both blocks of scripture – taken together – is that when Jesus arose on the first day of the week, after the Sabbath, which was the Feast of First fruits, Mary saw Him at the tomb dressed in four white linen garments.  She mistook Him for a gardener.  This was due to the fact that those garments were similar to what a gardener would have worn in that hot Mediterranean climate to work outside.  It is still similar to what happens today in those types of the situations. Mary mistook Jesus for the gardener because He was alive, wearing clothes that resembled those of a gardener, yet had not been buried wearing any clothes, nor would any have been left for Him in the tomb! 

Also, we see where Jesus told her not to touch Him because He had not yet ascended.  Yet, we know that He would be touched before He ascended 40 days after He arose.  We further see that He is getting ready to ascend when Mary sees Him in the garden. 

The clothing Jesus was wearing were the four white linen garments of the priesthood, the same garments that the High Priest would wear when he entered the Holy of Holies to sprinkle the blood on the Ark of the Covenant, the rest of the Temple furniture, and purify the Temple for the coming redemptive work for the redemption of sins!  On Atonement, the High Priest would emerge from a time of preparation.  Dressed in the same garments Christ was wearing, He could not be touched until after the purification of the Temple was complete.  The High Priest would go to prepare the place of redemption.  It should be noted that the Day of Atonement was the ONLY day the High Priest wore these garments, and the process of the atonement ceremony was the ONLY time during that day he wore these particular garments.  All other official functions on that day, and the remaining 364 days of the year required the High Priest to be clothed in the full garments of beauty for any official functions – the uniform we are most familiar with when we think of the High Priest. 

Christ then ascended – yes, a secret ascension – to sprinkle the blood and present the first fruits of the barley harvest.  Remember all of those dead saints and prophets that were seen walking the streets of Jerusalem after Christ had died? Just as the High Priest had cut down the first fruits of the barley harvest to present them at the Temple in Jerusalem, it would have been right about the same time Christ Himself was doing the same thing at the Heavenly Temple. 

Matt 27:52-53 – The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

Christ had also fulfilled a promise made to the disciples four days prior in the upper room at the last supper.  He went to prepare a place – the place – for all of us.  Understand, until the Heavenly Temple itself was cleansed, no soul could yet be redeemed back officially – which requires presentation before God the Father – as Christ was not yet able to make intersession for us.  Likewise, without the first fruits of any harvest, the rest of the harvest is corrupted and unacceptable before God. 

1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 

Now you understand what these scriptures are referring to.  We tend to read these scriptures as Christ is going to prepare many rooms or mansions (depending on the translations) that do not exist yet.  However, read these verses more closely – the rooms already exist.  Heaven is perfect.  The only thing that remained to do was to purify the heavenly sanctuary from the original sin committed by Lucifer.  Until then, no human spirit or resurrected saint could enter heaven.  Christ had to ascend immediately following His resurrection to purify the furniture of the Heavenly Temple that we may finally receive the reward for which He died.  Only then, after His resurrection could any human appear in Heaven (aside from Enoch and Elijah which is a massive study in its own right).

Romans 9:23 -28: Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 

24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.  

25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own,  

26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.  

27And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,  

28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. 

With this act of Christ, the place for all of us was now prepared that all of us could reside where He was at.  As a result, we see the saints with the Lord throughout the Book of Revelation, both under the altar and before the Throne of God Himself. 

We can see that there are many aspects of the feast days that overlap and work together to form a bigger picture.  Also, we must remember that it is not possible for the things of earth to fulfill the things of God on a 1:1 ratio, or basis.  So, one event from the heavenly realm must be broken into many different parts and time frames here on earth.  To that end, there must be parts of the different feast days which transpire with other feasts, and on other days in order for everything to be in place on the actual feast day itself, that the feast day must be fulfilled. 

I will add in one more example of this.  Going back to the death of Christ on the cross at Passover, we have already mentioned that redemption and atonement are made on the Day of Atonement.  Yet, the death of Christ at Passover fulfilled that aspect of the Feast of Atonement.  How is this possible?  What do we find in the definitions and elements of the feast days that makes this not only possible – but required?  The answer is found in Hebrews chapter 10 again. 

You might recall an earlier statement we made regarding the differing nature of the various offerings and sacrifices made on each feast day, and in reality, those are made every day at the Temple.  The particular offerings and sacrifices determined the nature and definition of that particular day or feast.  On all regular, run of the mill days you would have the same offerings and sacrifices occurring in the same order, at the same time, and in the same manner.  The various feast and special days would have additional offerings, sacrifices and practices that were required.  Again, this would be based on the particular occasion, and what that occasion was meant to signify. 

There were some sacrifices that had to be made each day no matter what, as well as some practices.  For example, every priest that was going to work in the Temple that day had to be ritually cleansed and purified before they could start the daily work.  Likewise, there were certain sacrifices and sin offerings that had to be made each day to prepare the Temple to receive offerings and sacrifices from the people daily.  Likewise, these same offerings and sacrifices were made for the priesthood and for Israel.  While my description is a bit simplistic, it does emphasize the point.  There had to be a shedding of blood every single day at the Temple.  First, blood was shed to prepare the priests and the Temple for daily operation.  Then would come any ritually required blood sacrifices for special days and occasions.  Then could come the daily offerings and sacrifices brought by the people. 

The Day of Atonement was no exception to this.  Before any of the feast specific blood was shed at the Temple, the required daily sacrifices for the morning service had to be completed.  Only then could the celebratory sacrifices begin.  However, the very definitions of those sacrifices tell us something special – something that is spoken of in Hebrews chapter 10. 

12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. 

The purpose of the blood shed daily in the Temple was to wash away sin.  Even though the primary sacrifices offered on Atonement were for the priesthood, the nation, and the people for the remission of the sins committed for the coming year, what happened specifically is that these once-a-year sacrifices made the daily sacrifices possible.  Without the once yearly sacrifices on Atonement there would be no need to shed any more blood throughout the year, as that blood would have been worthless before God.  You cannot start the process to have your sins remitted if that starting place itself is defiled.  So, Atonement required the once yearly sacrifices to sanctify everyone and everything for the coming year, which in turn granted access for the people to then come throughout the year to make offerings and sacrifices that dealt with their daily, personal lives. 

Even though the Day of Atonement had been successful, each and every Jew still had to deal with their own personal sin and guilt before God. 

So, understanding those elements and definitions of the various sacrifices, we can now look at what happened on Passover.  This was the first feast of the year.  Due to the nature of what it was, it required the Passover lamb to be slain every year.  Encoded in the definitions of Passover was the actual death of Christ on the cross for the remission of sin.  It was the shed blood of the Passover lamb which stopped death.  This is the very definition of the atoning work of Christ when He died on the cross.  However, Hebrews 10 speaks something amazing. 

The shedding of the blood of Christ was the perfect, atoning sacrifice! 

Stated differently, encoded in the definitions of both feast days is the perfect blood of Christ.  As such, once Christ died on the Cross, all remaining blood sacrifices for sin were fulfilled!  That meant that every feast day sin sacrifice written into the Law of Moses was officially crossed off the “to do” list from that moment forward.  There had to be a blood sacrifice on Passover as this was the first of the seven feasts.  However, by the very definition of the day – as shown by the bottom up method of study – that particular blood sacrifice had to be the blood of the last and final Passover Lamb in order that this particular feast day be fulfilled.  Yet, the very nature of that last Passover Lamb also meant that every other feast day blood sacrifice would now also be fulfilled! 

That meant that none of the remaining six feast days would require another blood sacrifice to be fulfilled.  Instead, each subsequent feast day would then proceed with fulfilling the next set of definitions and elements written into that particular day.  Those that were written to be fulfilled by Christ would be fulfilled by Christ.  Those written to be fulfilled by the Holy Spirit would likewise be fulfilled.  The same goes with the church.  There are aspects to the feast days that, by definition, are fulfilled by the church.  The same also holds true of the appointed days as we have already briefly touched on with regards to the omer. 

In the case of the ten days of Awe, or the 10 days from Trumpets to Atonement, it is the tribulation and wrath of God upon the face of the earth which fulfill those days. Again, this is written into the definition of those same days. 

To state all of this differently, what it comes down to is this.  When a particular fulfilling aspect of a feast or appointed day shows up for the first time and completes its required function for that day, any other appointed or feast days where that function is required to happen again is likewise fulfilled.  That particular aspect will not have to be repeated.  The only exception to this would be any case where the Lord specifically defines that same function to occur again on another feast or appointed day.  There are some examples of this, especially with regards to the Day of Atonement.  We will cover these in the forthcoming project on the DOA.  For now, you get the point – each feast and appointed day has encoded definitions that reveal the true reason for that day, and how that day must ultimately be fulfilled. 

Moving forward, the second of the two messages – Yom Hakesah – is the one that really opened the door to this project, especially after the Lord gave me the above understanding and the necessary pieces for the omer projects as well. 

It should be noted that as I write this part of the project, I do not yet know how much I will end up including on the link between the Feast of Trumpets and the rapture in the earlier part of this project.  As that statement indicates, I am writing this section before I address that section, which you will have already been through by now.  The Lord will guide me on that after this portion is written.  As it stands now, a majority of the people that will read this project already understand many of the key components that link Trumpets and the rapture, and that the rapture is the fulfillment of Trumpets – or at the very least be familiar with it in principle, even if they are still figuring it out themselves. 

There will be some material and references on the rapture and FOT, but the bigger piece of this project are the sections dealing with “no man knows”.  This is due to the fact that there really isn’t an abundance of deep word studies on that aspect of the return of Christ.  In all fairness, we discovered earlier that “no man knows” really does mean what it says in the plain reading in both the modern and ancient languages.  Truthfully, unless you are embarking on a detailed study such as this, the common understanding is more than sufficient for the many other subjects and lessons from the Bible which utilize those scriptures and principles.  To this point there really has not been a need to deep dive the various scriptures on the subject. 

Some of what I will write about now will be done so from that standpoint that it was not already been covered in the earlier sections of this project.  When it’s all said and done, you may very well be reading some of this for the second time.  I ask that you be patient with me.  The project will simply flow better if written in this fashion.  Worst case scenario is that you may end up reading something twice.  Of course, I will do my best to include references in what will be the earlier material presented in this project – which you will have read by this time ironically.  It’s like “Back to the Future” – for the Bible! 

*Note – since writing this piece of the project, it was determined that the connection between the rapture and the FOT would be left to individuals to research, beyond what is determined necessary to include in this project.  This project in and of itself is far too complex without the additional information.  Beyond that, it is now a fairly well-known issue and there are many teachers that have spent a great deal of time on the subject. 

So, there I was.  I had been hit with the understanding that the FOT occurred on the new moon, yet no other feast day (or appointed day, specifically) did the same.  I also knew of the “no man knows” link between the FOT and the two-day new moon window.  Then the Lord put two teachings in my hand that starts speaking to the FOT, DOA, and their links to the moon and starting times.  I also had the beginning understanding of the dual fulfillments of the DOA and was beginning to understand there was something more there to be discovered.  Very shortly thereafter I was led to get the companion book to the two teachings that I had been handed.  I had quite a few disconnected pieces of the puzzle.  There were many questions rolling around in my head at this point. 

The next piece of the puzzle to start falling into place was the link of the dual fulfillment of certain aspects of the DOA, and how that meant that such fulfillments had to be included in the Bible to be valid.  It was at this point that the Lord began to show me TDBU.  He used this (though He went bottom up first) to begin to open up how the counting of the omer was to be fulfilled in the tribulation and was specifically pointing to the various martyrdoms and resurrections that occur in the first half of the tribulation. 

It was from there that I was able to finally start grasping the understanding of the definitions that each feast and appointed day actually had.  Likewise, I was starting to see the top down method of study and began to realize that most of us already use this method – even though we don’t call it anything in particular.  We simply study that way and don’t really think about it. 

At this point was when bottom up really clicked.  I was starting to notice – almost by accident – that if you graphed a timeline from the top down perspective, you could literally follow that same timeline back up and find the “part two” to what the feast or appointed day was encoded to represent.  In other words, when you studied the feast or appointed day downwards to connect it to the life of Christ, you could then follow the exact same line of travel back up and you would end up someplace “different”. 

The two differences would complement each other perfectly, and both would be 100 percent biblically correct and verifiable! 

You would literally find the fulfillment of the day or feast in Christ, then you would find the why, or the heavenly reason.  It was almost a living representation of Christ coming down to us, then returning back to Heaven to complete the real purpose for the given day or feast.  Ironically, TDBU is also encoded in Hebrews 10!  We just never saw it in this manner until these last days. 

It was at this time that the connections on several different projects occurred.  With all of the resources mentioned above, the Lord opened up the missing pieces on the missing link between “no man knows” and the new moon, beyond the 48-hour window that many are now familiar with.  Likewise, He opened up the omer project as well.  With that let’s take a look at something.  Here are the primary scriptures concerning the seven feasts of Israel from Leviticus 23: 

Feasts of the Lord 

23 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, these are the appointed feasts of the Lord that you shall proclaim as holy convocations; they are my appointed feasts. 

The Sabbath 

3 “Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the Lord in all your dwelling places. 

The Passover 

4 “These are the appointed feasts of the Lord, the holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at the time appointed for them. 5 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight, is the Lord’s Passover. 6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. 7 On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. 8 But you shall present a food offering to the Lord for seven days. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work.” 

The Feast of Firstfruits 

9 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest, 11 and he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, so that you may be accepted. On the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. 12 And on the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb a year old without blemish as a burnt offering to the Lord. 13 And the grain offering with it shall be two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, a food offering to the Lord with a pleasing aroma, and the drink offering with it shall be of wine, a fourth of a hin. 14 And you shall eat neither bread nor grain parched or fresh until this same day, until you have brought the offering of your God: it is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 

The Feast of Weeks 

15 “You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering. 16 You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the Lord. 17 You shall bring from your dwelling places two loaves of bread to be waved, made of two tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour, and they shall be baked with leaven, as firstfruits to the Lord. 18 And you shall present with the bread seven lambs a year old without blemish, and one bull from the herd and two rams. They shall be a burnt offering to the Lord, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 19 And you shall offer one male goat for a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old as a sacrifice of peace offerings. 20 And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before the Lord, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the Lord for the priest. 21 And you shall make a proclamation on the same day. You shall hold a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a statute forever in all your dwelling places throughout your generations. 

22 “And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.” 

The Feast of Trumpets 

23 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation. 25 You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall present a food offering to the Lord.” 

The Day of Atonement 

26 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 27 “Now on the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict yourselves[d] and present a food offering to the Lord. 28 And you shall not do any work on that very day, for it is a Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God. 29 For whoever is not afflicted on that very day shall be cut off from his people. 30 And whoever does any work on that very day, that person I will destroy from among his people. 31 You shall not do any work. It is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. 32 It shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict yourselves. On the ninth day of the month beginning at evening, from evening to evening shall you keep your Sabbath.” 

The Feast of Booths 

33 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 34 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, on the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the Feast of Booths[f] to the Lord. 35 On the first day shall be a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. 36 For seven days you shall present food offerings to the Lord. On the eighth day you shall hold a holy convocation and present a food offering to the Lord. It is a solemn assembly; you shall not do any ordinary work. 

37 “These are the appointed feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim as times of holy convocation, for presenting to the Lord food offerings, burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, each on its proper day, 38 besides the Lord’s Sabbaths and besides your gifts and besides all your vow offerings and besides all your freewill offerings, which you give to the Lord. 

39 “On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the produce of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the Lord seven days. On the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest. 40 And you shall take on the first day the fruit of splendid trees, branches of palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days. 41 You shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths, 43 that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” 

44 Thus Moses declared to the people of Israel the appointed feasts of the Lord. 

In addition, Passover is covered in both Numbers and Deuteronomy. Firstfruits has additional references in Exodus and Numbers.  Unleavened Bread is found numerous places in the Bible.  Pentecost is found also in Exodus, Number Deuteronomy, and 2 Chronicles.  The Day of Atonement is found in Number and Acts.  Tabernacles is found in Deuteronomy, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Zechariah, and John. 

Why did the Lord set the start of each month to the new moon, as opposed to the full moon?  Why use the moon for this in the first place? 

If you start the first month of the year based on the new moon, then you would have to keep that schedule to keep the calendar on track.  Otherwise, a set start to each month after that based on a set number of days, would eventually skew the calendar as a whole. With the new moon as a reference, you would end up shorting the new month a day, or delaying it by a day, depending on when the first silver sliver was actually visible. 

However, there was something more to this.  I could not escape that I was missing something.  In the new moon lay the answers to the questions I had. 

As I was contemplating this, the Lord reminded me of Alfred Edersheim and his comprehensive work on the Temple and its rituals.  If there was any source that could clearly lay out the meaning and definitions of the different aspects of the new moon and festival it was Edersheim.  So that’s where I went. 

This is a resource that I have used before, and I am currently using it as the backbone for my project on the Day of Atonement.  It contains an entire chapter on the new moon festival, and its link to the Feast of Trumpets.  So, let’s take the relevant excerpts and break them down, and we will be able to see the various elements of the new moon and its associated festival.  From there we will have the necessary reference and background to apply the new moon to the rapture in its fullest and broadest sense. 

Let’s head to chapter 15 of Alfred Edersheim’s classic “The Temple – its Ministry and Services”.  Here is a link to download a copy from Trib Rising: 

http://tribulationrisingcom.fatcow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/The-Temple.pdf 

With that, let’s begin. 

Paul reminds us of this fact: 

‘Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath: which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.’—Colossians 2:16, 17. 

This scripture separates “holy day” and “new moon”, indicating two separate functions – not that the new moon festival is not a holy day, but rather, each will have separate functions and definitions.  In separating these functions, it defines both as days which will require their own prophetic fulfillment in the future. 

With this, let’s take a look at some passages from Edersheim with regards to the new moon festival how these days are defined.  We will start with chapter 15 dealing specifically with the new moon festival and its biblical requirements. 

“Scarcely any other festive season could have left so continuous an impress on the religious life of Israel as the ‘New Moons.’ Recurring at the beginning of every month, and marking it, the solemn proclamation of the day, by—’It is sanctified,’ was intended to give a hallowed character to each month, while the blowing of the priests’ trumpets and the special sacrifices brought, would summon, as it were, the Lord’s host to offer their tribute unto their exalted King, and thus bring themselves into ‘remembrance’ before Him.” 

“and finally learning from the prophecies of Isaiah and Ezekiel that it also had a higher meaning, and was destined to find a better fulfilment in another dispensation, when the New Moon trumpet should summon ‘all flesh to worship before Jehovah’ (Isa 66:23), and the closed eastern gate to the inner court of the new Temple be opened once more to believing Israel (Eze 46:1).” 

“In the law of God only these two things are enjoined in the observance of the ‘New Moon’—the ‘blowing of trumpets’ (Num 10:10) and special festive sacrifices (Num 28:11-15).” 

“The object of it is expressly stated to have been ‘for a memorial,’ that they might ‘be remembered before Jehovah,’ it being specially added: ‘I am Jehovah your God.’ It was, so to speak, the host of God assembled, waiting for their Leader; the people of God united to proclaim their King.” 

“Besides the ‘blowing of trumpets,’ certain festive sacrifices were ordered to be offered on the New Moon (Num 28:11-15). These most appropriately mark ‘the beginnings of months’ (Num 28:11). For it is a universal principle in the Old Testament, that ‘the first’ always stands for the whole—the firstfruits for the whole harvest, the firstborn and the firstlings for all the rest; and that ‘if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy.’ And so the burnt-offerings and the sin-offerings at ‘the beginning’ of each month consecrated the whole.” 

“The Council sat from early morning to just before the evening sacrifice, to determine the appearance of the new moon. The proclamation of the Council—’It is sanctified!’—and not the actual appearance of the new moon, determined the commencement of the feast. Immediately afterwards, the priests blew the trumpets which marked the feast. After the ordinary morning sacrifice, the prescribed festive offerings were brought.” 

“These festive sacrifices consisted of two young bullocks, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year for a burnt-offering, with their appropriate meat- and drink-offerings, and also of ‘one kid of the goats for a sin-offering unto Jehovah.’” 

“I. The burnt-offering—Olah, or also Chalil (Deut 33:10; in Psalm 51:19 literally rendered ‘whole burnt-offering).—The derivation of the term Olah, as wholly ‘ascending’ unto God, indicates alike the mode of the sacrifice and its meaning. It symbolized the entire surrender unto God, whether of the individual or of the congregation, and His acceptance thereof. Hence, also, it could not be offered ‘without shedding of blood.’ Where other sacrifices were brought, it followed the sin- but preceded the peace-offering. In fact, it meant general acceptance on the ground of previous special acceptance, and it has rightly been called the sacrificium latreuticum, or sacrifice of devotion and service.” 

“Thus day by day it formed the regular morning and evening service in the Temple, while on sabbaths, new moons, and festivals additional burnt-offerings followed the ordinary worship.” 

“The burnt-offering was the only sacrifice which non-Israelites were allowed to bring.” 

“II. The sin-offering.—This is the most important of all sacrifices. It made atonement for the person of the offender, whereas the trespass-offering only atoned for one special offence.” 

“Hence sin-offerings were brought on festive occasions for the whole people, but never trespass-offerings (comp. Num 28, 29). In fact, the trespass-offering may be regarded as representing ransom for a special wrong, while the sin-offering symbolised general redemption. Both sacrifices applied only to sins ‘through ignorance,’ in opposition to those done ‘presumptuously’ (or ‘with a high hand’). For the latter the law provided no atonement, but held out ‘a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation.’ By sins ‘through ignorance,’ however, we are to understand, according to the Rabbis, not only such as were committed strictly through want of knowledge, but also those which had been unintentional, or through weakness, or where the offender at the time realised not his guilt. The fundamental difference between the two sacrifices appears also in this—that sin-offerings, having a retrospective effect on the worshippers, were brought at the various festivals, and also for purification in such defilements of the body as symbolically pointed to the sinfulness of our nature (sexual defilement, those connected with leprosy, and with death).” 

One final piece of the puzzle needs to be brought in and will be addressed momentarily – the meat and drink offering.  On a side note, the meat offering is also known as the grain offering.  The KJV renders the translation as “meat”, but it is also effectively translated as “grain” – which should be obvious when you see that it involves grain only, and not meat from an animal.  The actual practice of the meat offering actually revolves around bread, as opposed to the actual grains.  It is an offering of grain in its final, finished form. 

We close with a few particulars about meat-offerings. These were either brought in conjunction with burnt- and peace-offerings (but never with sin- or with trespass-offerings) or else by themselves. The latter were either public or private meat-offerings. The three public meat offerings were: the twelve loaves of shewbread, renewed every Sabbath, and afterwards eaten by the priests; the omer, or sheaf of the harvest, on the second day of the Passover; and the two wave-loaves at Pentecost. Four of the private meat-offerings were enjoined by the law, the daily meat-offering of the high-priest, according to the Jewish interpretation of Leviticus 6:20; that at the consecration of priests (Lev 6:20); that in substitution for a sin-offering, in case of poverty (Lev 5:11, 12); and that of jealousy (Num 5:15). The following five were purely voluntary, viz. that of fine flour with oil, unbaken (Lev 2:1); that ‘baken in a pan’; ‘in a frying-pan’; ‘in the oven’; and the ‘wafers’ (Lev 2:4-7). All these offerings were to consist of at least one omer of corn (which was the tenth part of an ephah) (Exo 16:36). 

But any larger number under omers might be offered, the reason of the limitation being, that as the public meat- offerings enjoined on the feast of Tabernacles amounted to all private offerings must be less than that number. 

In all baken meat-offerings, an ‘omer’ was always made into ten cakes—the symbolical number of completeness—except in that of the high-priest’s daily meat-offering, of which twelve cakes were baken, as representative of Israel. Finally, as the Rabbis express it, every meat-offering prepared in a vessel had ‘three pourings of oil’—first into the vessel, then to mingle with the flour, and lastly, after it was ready—the frankincense being then put upon it. The ‘wafers’ were ‘anointed’ with oil, after the form of the Hebrew letter caph, or the Greek letter kappa, as they explain, ‘to run down in two parts.  When presenting a meat-offering, the priest first brought it in the golden or silver dish in which it had been prepared, and then transferred it to a holy vessel, putting oil and frankincense upon it. Taking his stand at the south-eastern corner of the altar, he next took the ‘handful’ that was actually to be burnt, put it in another vessel, laid some of the frankincense on it, carried it to the top of the altar, salted it, and then placed it on the fire.  The rest of the meat-offering belonged to the priests. Every meat-offering was accompanied by a drink-offering of wine, which was poured at the base of the altar. 

Now that we have brought out specific passages, we can perform a deeper dive and see exactly what definitions are contained within the new moon and its required functions.  Let’s look at the defining characteristics of the new moon, and address a few of the points that present themselves in the text: 

While the blowing of the priests’ trumpets and the special sacrifices brought, would summon, as it were, the Lord’s host to offer their tribute unto their exalted King, and thus bring themselves into ‘remembrance’ before Him. 

Here we have specifically a remembrance of those called as a part of the Lord’s host.  The imagery of this host of the Lord is scattered throughout Revelation, appearing first shortly after Rev 4:1. 

when the New Moon trumpet should summon ‘all flesh to worship before Jehovah’ (Isa 66:23), 

This is a critical point.  We typically associate the trumpets blown on the FOT as those that are meant to summon “all flesh” to God.  However, as we can see here, the calling of the congregation has its roots and definition in the actual new moon and its associated festival.  This takes the trumpets of summoning from solely a FOT function to a function of every new moon festival. 

the closed eastern gate to the inner court of the new Temple be opened once more to believing Israel (Eze 46:1). 

This is a bombshell! 

In the days of the Temple, the Eastern Gate would remain closed throughout the week, being opened only on the Sabbath day, and on the new moon.  Both of these principles reveal a critical detail that is seen only when both are viewed together.  As we have seen in prior projects here on Trib Rising, the Sabbath is part and parcel to the rapture for a myriad of reasons.  Likewise, with Ezekiel 46:1, we see that the opening of the Eastern Gate is tied to both the Sabbath and the new moon. 

By definition, there must now be a fulfillment of the opening of the Eastern Gate of the Temple that is tied to both the Sabbath AND the new moon.  What did we establish earlier from Paul? 

‘Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath: which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.’—Colossians 2:16, 17. 

By now some of you are starting to see a pattern emerge! 

the ‘blowing of trumpets’ (Num 10:10) and special festive sacrifices (Num 28:11-15). 

In these two blocks of scripture, we have the biblical mandate that the new moon must be established by only two things – the blowing of trumpets and the special festive sacrifices.  By definition, the elements of each must be fulfilled prophetically in the future, and they must be fulfilled together. That requires a singular event to transpire for these requirements to be crossed off the list. 

‘for a memorial,’ that they might ‘be remembered before Jehovah,’ 

Lev 23:24-25 – And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall present a food offering to the LORD.” 

Memorials before God are something we spoke about extensively in the project on tithing, specifically with regards to the Book of Remembrance spoken of in Malachi.  At its heart, the blowing of trumpets as a memorial before God is tied directly to a singular day when that remembrance will bear fruit: 

From Malachi, chapter three: 

The Book of Remembrance 

Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name. “They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him. 

A full study of the Book of Remembrance is likely the most compelling case for the pre-trib rapture that you will ever come across.  Perry Stone has a three CD teaching series that covers nearly four hours’ worth of deep dive insights and instruction.  I have never seen a more effective body of instruction when it comes to the rapture. 

it being specially added: ‘I am Jehovah your God.’ It was, so to speak, the host of God assembled, waiting for their Leader; the people of God united to proclaim their King. 

Once again, we see the blowing of trumpets on the new moon directly tied to the calling of the assembly, and specifically for the calling and declaration of the King. 

These most appropriately mark ‘the beginnings of months’ (Num 28:11). 

For it is a universal principle in the Old Testament, that ‘the first’ always stands for the whole—the first fruits for the whole harvest, the firstborn and the firstlings for all the rest; and that ‘if the first fruit be holy, the lump is also holy.’ And so, the burnt-offerings and the sin-offerings at ‘the beginning’ of each month consecrated the whole. 

The proclamation of the Council—’It is sanctified!’—and not the actual appearance of the new moon, determined the commencement of the feast 

These prior three observations are among the most critical of them all.  What we see here is nothing less than earth shattering.  What we will say next will figure prominently into how the FOT and “no man knows” are tied together beyond the simple two-day window that we will discuss in more detail shortly. 

For now, what we have here is this. 

It is the new moon that sanctifies the entire month, which includes the sanctification of every day within that month.  Likewise, we see that the new moon sanctifies every month without exception.  In a nutshell, the new moon is what sanctifies every day of every month, throughout every year!  It is the new moon that opens up every day of the month to the purposes of God, and every day of the year to His purposes as well. 

With that, let’s look at the defining characteristics of the burnt and sin offerings: 

These festive sacrifices consisted of two young bullocks, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year for a burnt-offering, with their appropriate meat- and drink-offerings, and also of ‘one kid of the goats for a sin-offering unto Jehovah.’ 

literally rendered ‘whole burnt-offering). —The derivation of the term Olah, as wholly ‘ascending’ unto God 

It symbolized the entire surrender unto God, whether of the individual or of the congregation 

it could not be offered ‘without shedding of blood. 

The burnt offering was the only sacrifice which non-Israelites were allowed to bring. 

It made atonement for the person of the offender 

Hence sin-offerings were brought on festive occasions for the whole people, but never trespass-offerings 

while the sin-offering symbolized general redemption. Both sacrifices applied only to sins ‘through ignorance,’ 

The sin offering denotes the nature of a desire not to sin.  It defines the day as of those for people who are looking not to sin.  The trespass offering was only for specific offenses, and never as a part of the new moon sacrifices.  As such, the new moon festival was never about the individual mistakes that the people would make.  Rather, it was about sin as a whole.  It was about the willing nature of sin, and where sin sat in your heart.  It was about the intention and desires of the human heart. 

It was about a washed and sanctified heart! 

The death of Christ wiped away all sin.  Yet, none of that matters if the heart itself does not desire that forgiveness.  Christ cannot force salvation on an unwilling heart.  Christ cannot force you to accept – or keep – His gift.  This is a premise that gets lost in the discussion on OSAS and eternal security.  No man can take your salvation from you.  However, so many folks out there seem to forget that there more scriptures than we can count which make clear that, ultimately, salvation rests upon a single, willingly made choice: 

Do we, or do we not, accept the gift of salvation from Christ. 

There is a tremendous difference between having something “taken”, and “giving it back”.  That is the nature of a gift.  It can never be forced. 

You cannot be forced to take it. 

You cannot be forced to keep it. 

That is the very definition of perfect justice and perfect free will.  If either of these two provisions are violated by God, then He no longer has willing servants. 

He has robots. 

That said, it takes much more than a simple declaration to give back the gift of salvation.  As its acceptance was a condition of the heart and intent, so too are the requirements to renounce that gift.  Stated differently, it’s only when the human heart truly, with real intent and genuine understanding, renounces salvation that you can actually give back that gift.  You cannot give away salvation simply because you are having a bad day.  For that matter, it takes more than a bad week, month, year, or even years.  It takes a truly profound moment in a human life, where they reach an indescribable moment, which such a revocation is possible. 

Such a moment as this would never be the same for all of us.  It would be as varied and different as each of us are from one another.  It would be as varied and different as our individual life experiences. 

With that, let’s head back to our excerpts above, and bring down just the defining elements of the new moon festival and see what they tell us collectively: 

The solemn proclamation of the day, by the verbal call and shout—’It is sanctified,’ 

Blowing of the priests’ trumpets 

Would summon 

The Lord’s host to offer their tribute – their hearts desire against sin and to serve. 

Unto their exalted King, 

Thus, bring themselves into ‘remembrance’ before Him.” 

New Moon trumpet should summon ‘all flesh to worship before Jehovah 

The closed eastern gate to the inner court of the new Temple be opened once more to believing Israel 

Only these two things are enjoined in the observance of the ‘New Moon 

Blowing of trumpets 

Special festive sacrifices 

For a memorial,’ that they might ‘be remembered before Jehovah 

The host of God assembled, waiting for their Leader 

The people of God united to proclaim their King.” 

Besides the ‘blowing of trumpets,’ certain festive sacrifices were ordered to be offered on the New Moon 

These most appropriately mark ‘the beginnings of months 

For it is a universal principle in the Old Testament, that ‘the first’ always stands for the whole 

The first fruits for the whole harvest 

The firstborn and the firstlings for all the rest 

And that ‘if the first fruits be holy, the lump is also holy 

And so the burnt-offerings and the sin-offerings at ‘the beginning’ of each month consecrated the whole. 

The proclamation of the Council—’It is sanctified!’—and not the actual appearance of the new moon, determined the commencement of the feast. 

Immediately afterwards, the priests blew the trumpets which marked the feast 

“These festive sacrifices consisted of two young bullocks, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year for a burnt-offering, with their appropriate meat- and drink-offerings, and also of ‘one kid of the goats for a sin-offering unto Jehovah.’” 

The burnt-offering 

Literally rendered ‘whole burnt-offering 

Wholly ‘ascending’ unto God 

Indicates alike the mode of the sacrifice and its meaning 

It symbolized the entire surrender unto God, whether of the individual or of the congregation, and His acceptance thereof. 

It could not be offered ‘without shedding of blood 

It has rightly been called the sacrificium latreuticum, or sacrifice of devotion and service. 

“Thus day by day it formed the regular morning and evening service in the Temple, while on Sabbaths, new moons, and festivals additional burnt offerings followed the ordinary worship.” 

The burnt offering was the only sacrifice which non-Israelites were allowed to bring 

The sin-offering 

This is the most important of all sacrifices. 

It made atonement for the person of the offender, 

Hence sin-offerings were brought on festive occasions for the whole people, but never trespass-offerings 

While the sin-offering symbolized general redemption. Both sacrifices applied only to sins ‘through ignorance 

In opposition to those done ‘presumptuously’ (or ‘with a high hand’). For the latter the law provided no atonement, but held out ‘a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation. 

Hopefully as you read through the condensed list of definitions you are starting to see a picture and pattern emerge with regards to the new moon and its associated festival – and why the new moon merited a festival in the first place. 

‘Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath: which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.’—Colossians 2:16, 17. 

With everything that we have covered to this point, we are ready to bring the definitions and principles of the new moon forward as a reference with regards to the rapture and the fulfillment of the FOT.  Here are the defining principles of the new moon that are part of, and are fulfilled by the rapture: 

The new moon sanctifies every day of every month, allowing each day to be used for the purposes of God. 

There must be a blowing of trumpets. 

These trumpets would summon the Lord’s host to offer their tribute unto their exalted King, thus bring themselves into ‘remembrance’ before Him. 

New Moon trumpet should summon ALL flesh to worship before Jehovah. 

The eastern gate is once again opened to Israel. 

There are two core requirements for the new moon – blowing of trumpets and special festive sacrifices. 

The trumpets are blown for a memorial, that God’s people might be remembered before Him. 

The host of God will be assembled, waiting for their Leader. 

The people of God will be united to proclaim their King. 

Besides the ‘blowing of trumpets,’ certain festive sacrifices were ordered to be offered on the new moon. 

These most appropriately mark the beginnings of months. 

It is a universal principle in the Old Testament, that ‘the first’ always stands for the whole – the first fruits for the whole harvest, the firstborn and the firstlings for all the rest, and that ‘if the first fruits be holy, the lump is also holy. 

The burnt-offerings and the sin-offerings at ‘the beginning of each month consecrated the whole. 

There must be a declaration, and not the new moon itself, that determines that actual start of the required events.  That declaration must be that everything is now sanctified, hence it is now ready. 

After the declaration is made the trumpets are blown. 

“These festive sacrifices consisted of two young bullocks, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year for a burnt-offering, with their appropriate meat- and drink-offerings, and also of ‘one kid of the goats for a sin-offering unto Jehovah.’” 

The burnt offering required an ascension to God, of the “whole” offering.  The burnt-offering was literally rendered ‘whole burnt-offering, wholly ‘ascending’ unto God. 

The burnt offering required the entire surrender unto God, whether of the individual or of the congregation, and His acceptance thereof. It could not be offered ‘without shedding of blood. 

It has rightly been called the sacrificium latreuticum, or sacrifice of devotion and service. 

The burnt offering is fulfilled by Jew and Gentile alike. 

The sin offering is the atonement for the person of the offender themselves.  It is made for the whole person, and for the whole congregation.  It is fulfilled by the complete atonement for sin and requires each member of the called congregation to have the full atonement for sin upon them. 

This atonement cannot be applied for those that willfully reject it.  It must be accepted, or it is simply not on the life of the rejecter. 

The meat and drink offering were both public and private, linking First fruits, Pentecost, and the Sabbath together, and enjoining them to the private and daily lives of the individual and the congregation. 

They are the body and blood of Christ. 

Now that we understand the elements and definitions of the FOT and new moon festival we are ready to move forward.  However, before we do, let’s examine one more piece of the puzzle.  Let’s bring back excerpts on hour and day and touch on another point that needs understood:

Strong’s Concordance
hóra: a time or period, an hour
Original Word: ὥρα, ας, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: hóra
Phonetic Spelling: (ho’-rah)
Short Definition: an hour, season
Definition: (a) a definite space of time, a season, (b) an hour, (c) the particular time for anything. 

HELPS Word-studies
5610 hṓra – properly, an hour; (figuratively) a finite “season”; limited time or opportunity to reach a goal (fulfill a purpose); a divinely pre-set time-period; a limited period to accomplish the Lord’s specific purpose, i.e. “the hour” in which specific characteristics prevail exactly like that for a limited time.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
a prim. word
Definition
a time or period, an hour 

NASB Translation
hour (84), hours (3), late* (2), moment (3), once* (3), short* (1), time (6), while (4). 

Thayer’s Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 5610: ὥρα

ὥρα, ὥρας, ἡ, from Homer down, the Sept. for עֵת and in Daniel for שָׁעָה;
1. a certain definite time or season fixed by natural law and returning with the revolving year; of the seasons of the year, spring, summer, autumn, winter, as ὥρα τοῦ θέρους, πρώϊμος καί ὄψιμος, χειμερια, etc.; often in the Greek writings (cf. Liddell and Scott, under A. I. 1 c., and on the inherent force of the word especially Schmidt, chapter 44 § 6f).

2. the daytime (bounded by the rising and the setting of the sun), a day: ὥρα παρῆλθεν, Matthew 14:15; ἤδη ὥρας πολλῆς γενομένης (or γινομένης) (A. V. when the day was now far spent), Mark 6:35 (see πολύς, c. (but note that in the example from Polybius there cited πολλῆς ὥρας means early)); ὀψίας (ὀψέ T Tr marginal reading WH text) ἤδη οὔσης τῆς ὥρας (WH marginal reading brackets τῆς ὥρας), Mark 11:11 (ὀψέ τῆς ὥρας, Polybius 3, 83, 7; τῆς ὥρας ἐγιγνετο ὀψέ, Demosthenes, p. 541, 28).

3. a twelfth part of the daytime, an hour (the twelve hours of the day are reckoned from the rising to the setting of the sun, John 11:9 (cf. BB. DD., under the word Hour; Riehm’s HWB, under the word Uhr)): Matthew 24:36; Matthew 25:13; Mark 13:32; Mark 15:25, 33; Luke 22:59; Luke 23:44; John 1:39(40); ; with τῆς ἡμέρας added, Acts 2:15; of the hours of the night, Luke 12:39; Luke 22:59; with τῆς νυκτός added, Acts 16:33; Acts 23:23; dative ὥρα, in stating the time when (Winers Grammar, § 31, 9; Buttmann, § 133, 26): Matthew 24:44; Mark 15:34; Luke 12:39f; preceded by ἐν, Matthew 24:50; John 4:52; Acts 16:33; accusative to specify when (Winers Grammar, § 32, 6; Buttmann, § 131, 11): John 4:52; Acts 10:3; 1 Corinthians 15:30; Revelation 3:3; also to express duration (Winers Grammar, and Buttmann’s Grammar, at the passages cited): Matthew 20:12 (cf. ποιέω, I. 1 a. at the end); ; Mark 14:37; preceded by prepositions: ἀπό, Matthew 27:45; Acts 23:23; ἕως, Matthew 27:45; μέχρι, Acts 10:30; περί with the accusative Acts 10:9, improperly used for a very short time: μία ὥρα, Revelation 18:10 (Rec. ἐν, WH marginal reading accusative), 17 (16), 19; πρός ὥραν (A. V. for a season), John 5:35; 2 Corinthians 7:8; Galatians 2:5 (here A. V. for an hour); Philemon 1:15; πρός καιρόν ὥρας (for a short season), 1 Thessalonians 2:17. 

Strong’s Concordance
hémera: day
Original Word: ἡμέρα, ας, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: hémera
Phonetic Spelling: (hay-mer’-ah)
Short Definition: a day
Definition: a day, the period from sunrise to sunset. 

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
a prim. word
Definition
day 

NASB Translation
always* (1), court (1), daily* (10), day (207), day’s (1), day…another (1), daybreak (1), days (148), daytime (2), midday* (1), time (12), years (4). 

Thayer’s Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 2250: ἡμέρα

ἡμέρα, ἡμέρας, ἡ (from ἥμερος, ἡμορον, properly, ἡμέρα ὥρα the mild time, cf. Lob. Paral., p. 359; (but cf. Curtius, p. 594f; Vanicek, p. 943)); Hebrew יום; day; used 

1. of the natural day, or the interval between sunrise and sunset, as distinguished from and contrasted with night;  a. properly, ἡμέρας, by day, in the daytime (cf. colloquial English of a day; Winers Grammar, § 30, 11; Buttmann, § 132, 26), Revelation 21:25; ἡμέρας καί νυκτός, day and night (cf. Winer’s Grammar, 552 (513f); Lob. Paralip., p. 62f; Ellicott on 1 Timothy 5:5), Mark 5:5; Luke 18:7; Acts 9:24; 1 Thessalonians 2:9; 1 Thessalonians 3:10; (2 Thessalonians 3:8 L text T Tr WH); 1 Timothy 5:5; 2 Timothy 1:3; Revelation 4:8; Revelation 7:15; Revelation 12:10; Revelation 14:11; Revelation 20:10; ἡμέρας μέσης, at midday, Acts 26:13; νύκτα καί ἡμέραν (Winers Grammar, 230 (216); Buttmann, § 131, 11), Mark 4:27; Acts 20:31; 2 Thessalonians 3:8 R G; hyperbolically equivalent to without intermission, λατρεύειν, Luke 2:37; Acts 26:7; ἡμέρας ὁδός, a day’s journey, Luke 2:44 (Genesis 31:23 (μιᾶς ἡμέρας ὁδόν, Josephus, contra Apion 2, 2, 9; cf. Winers Grammar, 188 (177); B. D. American edition, under the phrase, Day’s Journey)); τάς ἡμέρας, accusative of time (Winers Grammar, and Buttmanns Grammar, as above), during the days, Luke 21:37; ἐκείνην τήν ἡμέραν, John 1:39 (40); πᾶσαν ἡμέραν, daily, Acts 5:42; ἐκ δηναρίου τήν ἡμέραν, so sometimes we say, for a shilling the day, Matthew 20:2; δώδεκα σισιν ὧραι τῆς ἡμέρας, John 20:9; to the number of days are added as many nights, Matthew 4:2; Matthew 12:40; γίνεται ἡμέρα, day dawns, it grows light, Luke 4:42; Luke 6:13; Luke 22:66; Acts 12:18; Acts 16:35; Acts 23:12; Acts 27:29, 33, 39 (Xenophon, an. 2, 2, 13; 7, 2, 34); περιπατεῖν ἐν τήν ἡμέρα, John 11:9; ἡ ἡμέρα φαίνει, Revelation 8:12; ἡ ἡμέρα κλινεῖ, the day declines, it is toward evening, Luke 9:12; Luke 24:29. 

1. of the civil day, or the space of twenty-four hours (thus including the night): Matthew 6:34; Mark 6:21; Luke 13:14, etc.; opposed to an hour, Matthew 25:13; to hours, months, years, Revelation 9:15; Galatians 4:10; ἡ ἐν ἡμέρα τρυφή, the revelling of a day, i. e. ephemeral, very brief, 2 Peter 2:13 (others refer this to 1 b. above); ἑπτάκις τῆς ἡμέρας seven times in the (space of a) day, Luke 17:4; the dative ἡμέρα of the day on (in) which (cf. Winers Grammar, § 31, 9; Buttmann, § 133 (26)): as τρίτῃ ἡμέρα, Matthew 16:21; Mark 9:31 (Rec.); Luke 17:29; Acts 2:41, etc.; ἡμέρα καί ἡμέρα, day by day, every day, 2 Corinthians 4:16 (after the Hebrew וָיום יום Esther 3:4, where the Sept. καθ’ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν, and יום יום Psalm 67:20 (), where the Sept. ἡμέραν καθ’ ἡμέραν; (cf. Winer’s Grammar, 463 (432))); ἡμέραν ἐξ ἡμέρας (see ἐκ, IV. 2), 2 Peter 2:8; as an accusative of time (Winers Grammar, 230 (215f); Buttmann, § 131, 11): ὅλην τήν ἡμέραν, Romans 8:36; Romans 10:21; μίαν ἡμέραν, Acts 21:7; and in the plural, John 2:12; John 4:40; John 11:6; Acts 9:19; Acts 10:48; Acts 16:12; Acts 20:6; Acts 21:4, 10; Acts 25:6, 14; Acts 28:7, 12 (L dative), 14; Galatians 1:18; Revelation 11:3, 9. joined with prepositions: ἀπό with the genitive from … forth, from … on, Matthew 22:46; John 11:53; Acts 10:30; Acts 20:18; Philippians 1:5; ἄχρι with the genitive until, up to, Matthew 24:38; Luke 1:20; Luke 17:27; Acts 1:2 ( Tdf.); ; ἄχρι πέντε ἡμερῶν, until five days had passed, i. e. after five days, Acts 20:6; μέχρι with the genitive until, Matthew 28:15 (L Tr, WH in brackets); ἕως with the genitive until, Matthew 27:64; Acts 1:22 (T ἄχρι); Romans 11:8; διά with the genitive, see διά, A. II.; πρό with the genitive before, John 12:1 (on which see πρό, b.); ἐν with the dative singular, Matthew 24:50; Luke 1:59; John 5:9; 1 Corinthians 10:8 (L T Tr WH text omit ἐν); Hebrews 4:4, etc.; ἐν with the dative plural, Matthew 27:40; Mark 15:29 (L T Tr omit; WH brackets ἐν); John 2:19 (Tr WH brackets ἐν), 20, etc.; εἰς, unto (against), John 12:7; Revelation 9:15; ἐπί with the accusative for, (German auf …hin), Acts 13:31 (for many days successively); ; Hebrews 11:30; καθ’ ἡμέραν, daily (Winer’s Grammar, 401 (374f)), Matthew 26:55; Mark 14:49; Luke 16:19; Luke 22:53; Acts 2:46; Acts 3:2; Acts 16:5; Acts 19:9; 1 Corinthians 15:31; 2 Corinthians 11:28; Hebrews 7:27; Hebrews 10:11; also τό καθ’ ἡμέραν, Luke 11:3; Luke 19:47; Acts 17:11 (L T Tr text omit; WH brackets τό), (Polybius 4, 18, 2; cf. Matthiae, ii., p. 734; (Jelf, § 456); Bernhardy (1829), p. 329; Buttmann, 96 (84)); καθ’ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν, every day, Hebrews 3:13 (Xenophon, mem. 4, 2, 12); also κατά πᾶσαν ἡμέραν, Acts 17:17; μετά, after, Matthew 17:1; Matthew 26:2; Matthew 27:63; Mark 8:31; Luke 1:24; John 4:43; John 20:26; Acts 1:5; Acts 15:36, etc. οὐ πλείους εἰσιν ἐμοί ἡμέραι ἀφ’ ἧς, namely, ἡμέρας, Acts 24:11. A specification of the number of days is thrust into the discourse in the nominative, as it were adverbially and without any grammatical connection (cf. Fritzsche on Mark, p. 310f; Winers Grammar, 518 (481) and § 62, 2; (Buttmann, 139 (122))): ἤδη ἡμέραι (Rec. ἡμέρας, by correction) τρεῖς, Matthew 15:32; Mark 8:2; ὡσεί ἡμέραι ὀκτώ, Luke 9:28. ἡμερῶν διαγενομένων τινων, certain days having intervened, Acts 25:13. ἡμέρα and ἡμέραι are used with the genitive of a noun denoting a festival or some solemnity usually celebrated on a fixed day: τῶν ἀζύμων, Acts 12:3; τῆς πεντεκοστης, Acts 2:1; Acts 20:16; τοῦ σαββάτου, Luke 13:14, 16; John 19:31; ἡ κυριακῇ ἡμέρα, the Lord’s day, i. e. the day on which Christ returned to life, Sunday therefore, Revelation 1:10; the following phrases also have reference to sacred or festival days: κρίνειν ἡμέραν παῥ ἡμέραν, to exalt one day above another, and κρίνειν πᾶσαν ἡμέραν, to esteem every day sacred, Romans 14:5; φρονεῖν τήν ἡμέραν, to regard a particular day that is selected for religious services, Romans 14:6; ἡμέρας παρατηρεῖσθαι, to observe days, Galatians 4:10. After the Hebrew usage, which in reference to a definite period of time now elapsed speaks of a certain number of days as fulfilled or completed (see Gesenius under the word מָלֵא), we have the phrases ἐπλήσθησαν αἱ ἡμέραι τῆς λειτουργίας, the days spent in priestly service, Luke 1:23 (when he had been employed in sacred duties for the appointed time); τοῦ περιτεμεῖν αὐτόν, for him to be circumcised, Luke 2:21; τοῦ καθαρισμοῦ αὐτῶν, Luke 2:22; συντελεσθεισῶν ἡμερῶν, Luke 4:2; τελειωσάντων τάς ἡμέρας, when they had spent there the time appointed, Luke 2:43; ἐν τῷ συμπληροῦσθαι τάς ἡμέρας τῆς ἀναλήψεως αὐτοῦ, when the number of days was now being completed which the reception of Jesus into heaven required, i. e. before which that reception could not occur, Luke 9:51; ἡ ἐκπλήρωσις τῶν ἡμερῶν τοῦ ἁγνισμοῦ, the fulfilment of the days required for the purification, Acts 21:26; συντελοῦνται αἱ ἡμέραι, Acts 21:27; ἐν τῷ συμπληροῦσθαι τήν ἡμέραν τῆς Πεντεκοστης, when the measure of time needed for the day of Pentecost was being completed, i. e. on the very day of Pentecost, Acts 2:1. As in some of the examples just adduced ἡμέρα is joined to the genitive of a thing to be done or to happen on a certain day, so also in ἡμέραν τοῦ ἐνταφιασμοῦ, John 12:7; ἀναδείξεως, Luke 1:80. with the genitive of person, ἐν τῇ ἡμέρα σου (but L T Tr WH omit σου) in the day favorable for thee, the day on which salvation is offered thee and can be obtained, Luke 19:42 (Polybius 18, 5, 8 μή παρῇς τόν καιρόν … σῇ νῦν ἐστιν ἡμέρα, σός ὁ καιρός; meus dies est, tempore accepto utimur Seneca, Med. 1017). 

Here is what we need to understand from the evidence.  This speaks specifically to ANY hour within the 12 hours commonly understood as the daytime hours, as well as the 24 hours of the civil day.  Why is this important? It reveals a fundamental flaw in premise that the rapture can occur only during the two-day window of the new moon.  Understand that the two-day window of the new moon sets the start of the month to a known hour!  Depending on the time of year that hour shifts from about 6:00pm to about 9:00pm and back again.  You will know which hour based on the season.  For example, the summer months bring the first silver sliver of the new moon between about 8:30 to 9:00pm.  In the winter it’s closer to a 6:00 to 6:30pm window.

The point is that you already know the hour when you need to look for the silver sliver of the moon!

Matt 24:36-44 – “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left.

Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.

Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

All 24 hours of any and every day must be on the table in order for the rapture to occur chronologically when the FOT begins.  Absent that reality the scriptures above are lies.

If we have the exact hour of the sounding of the trumpets for the Feast of Trumpets (we have both the modern timing, and the ancient timing in the days of the Temple), the four spring feasts were likewise fulfilled at the exact hours given in the Law of Moses, how then does the Bible declare that we cannot know the hour – yet the rapture is the fulfillment of the Feast of Trumpets?

I’m glad you asked!

Putting it all Together

We have covered a lot of ground to this point.  Ironically, the answer isn’t all that complicated.  However, without laying down the framework most folks that look seriously at this subject would likely dismiss what I’m going to share out of hand.  Any work worthy of scholarship must include that scholarship and evidence in its presentation.  Hence the seven days travel around Jericho, and now we have finally reached the point where we are ready to sound the trumpets, shout and then charge. 

I’ve talked about the double fulfillments of different feast days and the FOT being the only feast day that starts on the new moon.  All of the other feast days start at the full moon, with the exception of Pentecost which has a set start date based on a certain number of days from the prior feast day, making it independent of the phases of the moon altogether. 

The question that started all of this for me was “why”? 

We have all heard the scripture declaring that God never changes.  Yet, on both FOT and Pentecost He appears to change His timing formula.  We go into the detail and reasons for the timing of Pentecost on the project dealing with the counting of the omer.   Yet of the two feast days in question Pentecost was the least problematic.  It had a count associated with it that automatically set it apart as more than just a feast day.  Indeed, that would turn out to be true.  That left us with just one – FOT. 

For me, this all started roughly ten years ago with a simple question – why did the Lord choose the new moon for the FOT? 

I understand why the new moon was the start of the new month.  That made sense given it is the only celestial body that operates on a “monthly cycle”, and a 12-month calendar does seem to make practical sense given the four seasons of the year.  A 12-month calendar allows you to fairly accurately predict the seasons, and as a direct consequence your harvest cycles.  I also understood the mystery in predicting the exact day of the new moon as a feature of the naturally occurring lunar cycle. 

But why have the FOT on the new moon as well?  This perplexed me for quite some time.  However, I also recognize that when this happens it means the Lord is going to reveal something to me.  Afterall, there are no accidents with the Lord.  He also does nothing “just because”.  There is a straightforward reason for everything He does, and those reasons will always make common sense.  Translation – the Lord set the FOT to the new moon for a reason, and rest assured it was not going to be a small or trivial matter.  I had no idea just how important this would turn out to be. 

Like many of you I declared this a settled matter when I heard the evidence for the two-day window of the new moon, and the ancient Jewish idiom as this two-day window as the time where no man knows “the day nor the hour”.  For that matter, there are many nuggets that can be gleaned from this understanding.  As it would turn out it is critical the TDBU learning and discovering the deeper mysteries concerning the timing of the rapture.  We have a number of projects here on Trib Rising where the Lord opened up deeper truths based on this understanding.  However, as with many TR projects the best was yet to come.  That is how we ended up here! 

Yet, as we detailed at the start of this project there was always an uneasy acceptance of this explanation.  Likewise, those that were “stuck” on “no man knows” shared the same unease when faced with the mountains of evidence regarding the FOT as the fulfillment of the rapture.  Something had to give. 

After all, when you take that step back you realize that the new moon doesn’t actually fulfill the “hour” requirement of “no man knows”.  Yet, it can be said rather loosely that if you don’t know the day then you cannot know the hour.  However, as we have seen already, the original Greek takes this off the table as the literal fulfillment requirement possibility.  Yet, it is not actually factually wrong to say that if you don’t know the day then you cannot know the hour. 

Then there was another element that popped up.  It wasn’t actually the sighting of the first silver sliver, but the shouting of the declaration “it is sanctified!” that would signal the blowing of the trumpets and the start of the month or the FOT.  So, the exact hour might not be known completely.  Although, you would have a fairly solid idea of when it would be sighted based on the seasons.  You could almost set a clock to this expectation.  Then it was learned that the sighting of the first silver sliver could be delayed by weather.  If you have several days of rain over all the land and the moon wasn’t visible, then you can’t declare the start of the new moon.  Remember, the witnesses (two were always required) would have to present themselves before the Sanhedrin and give testimony to what they saw, and they would point it out on a lunar chart showing the different stages of the moon. 

If you were caught lying you were subject to some fairly stiff penalties – especially after the return from Babylon.  You may have never noticed that the Bible doesn’t speak at all of the same idolatry in Israel that was present prior to both kingdoms being carried off into exile.  To the contrary, when the Jews returned from Babylon they had a written Bible, the written traditions of their fathers, and a whole new appreciation for the Laws of Moses.  The “new” Israel was determined that the mistakes of the past would not be repeated.  The people would know the law and the prophets.  There would be no more idolatry! 

As an aside, this is where the political and legal classes were born.  The old nobility from among the twelve tribes was for the most part gone.  Instead, the renewed emphasis on making sure every Jew was taught the Torah and the prophets gave rise to what we would recognize as the political and legal classes in modern societies.  The Pharisees came into existence to read and teach the Law and the prophets to the people on a weekly and daily basis.  They developed their interpretations of the law and the prophets.  Likewise, the Sadducees also developed around the same time.  They, however, held several critical interpretational differences from the Pharisees.  They effectively became Israel’s version of the political right and left.  I say political as the law and the prophets were the system of government for Israel.  So, being the authorities on both also gave them the political power. 

This is also where the scribes came in.  They were responsible for writing each new Jewish Bible.  They were held to exacting standards.  Likewise, this gave them an unparalleled knowledge of the actual scriptures.  You have likely read Bibles that used the word “lawyers” before.  These “lawyers” were in fact the Scribes.  If you were accused of a violation of the law and needed counsel or a defense, who better to get than someone who knew every last letter of the law! You could be hauled before the courts of elders which would consist of Pharisees, Sadducees, or both.  They would be responsible for knowing the interpretation of the law.  However, you might not want to trust their memory of the exact laws in question – or of other laws that might just exonerate you from a potential guilty verdict.  Remember, they handed out capital punishment like candy in those days. 

However, you do not need a physical idol to be guilty of idolatry.  Sometimes, religion becomes your idol.  That is what happened with the Scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees.  Absolute power corrupts absolutely.  When you get used to holding all of the political power then it becomes difficult to let it go.  Likewise, your interpretation of that power will start to skew based on what is politically expedient for your power and positions.  This is the genesis of all of the challenges, arguments and exchanges between Jesus and the different members of these particular groups.  What made it worse was when members of the priestly class also were members of these political classes.  I realize it’s hard to imagine members of the executive branch of a government having a political ideology that dictates their enforcement of the law, but hey – it used to happen! 

Insert sarcasm here. 

With that said, I was still left with the question of why?  Why have this one feast day on the new moon when the rest happened at the full moon (approximately, given the particular month – it was always right about the full moon regardless).  It was at this point the Lord gave me the next piece. 

I was listening to a Perry Stone message on the two-day window for the FOT when he said something that just kind of clicked with me.  He referred to the FOT as “the mystery feast”.  He called it the mystery feast in that there were only two verses in the entire bible describing this feast.  It actually comes out to three scriptures, with one of those being a rehash of part of the other two.  Here are the scriptures we have on the FOT: 

The Feast of Trumpets 

Lev23:23 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 24“Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation. 25You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall present a food offering to the LORD.” 

Offerings for the Feast of Trumpets 

Num 29:1 “On the first day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a day for you to blow the trumpets, 

We are basically given a date, an action for a memorial, a holy convocation, and a rest from ordinary work or a sabbath rest and make an offering.  That’s it, nothing more.  After Numbers 29:1 it describes the particular offering, but that is standard procedure anytime the Lord calls for an offering.  Perry referred to this as the mystery feast because it really is that – a mystery.  You blow trumpets and go to church (in our parlance).  That’s it.  No reason why is given – nothing.  Out of the blue, on the first day of the seventh month you blow trumpets and go to church.  Unlike the rest of the feast days, we don’t know the purpose.  We actually don’t even know the exact date we are to do these things. 

What we know is that on some mystery day every year – remember that while it is usually a two-day window, weather can turn it into a three- or four-day window – we had to go out and blow trumpets!  Not only that, but from time to time the moon itself can give you a three-day window!  That comes down to the lunar cycle being 29.5 days.  There is inevitably a leap year type situation where every so often you end up with a third day in your new moon cycle.  What’s more is that every fourth year (I think it’s every fourth if memory serves) Israel had to introduce a 13th month, or Adar II to adjust the calendar back to its correct harvest season cycle.  You can’t have a spring harvest in the middle of winter.  Your crops typically will not cooperate with that type of schedule. 

The only other thing we know – although not from the declaration of this particular feast day – is that it starts a 15-day count where the Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles are celebrated.  We know why these days are celebrated.  We even have a name for the ten days from Trumpets to Atonement (the ten days of awe). 

We just don’t have anything on the FOT.  Nothing.  Nada. Zilch. 

This really stuck with me.  Why would the Lord commit to the yearly feast calendar this unknown mystery feast that you both can and cannot set your clocks to?  Why?  Obviously, there is a reason for this feast day.  Every feast day has a reason, and the Lord does nothing “just because”.  Yet, why not tell us?  Why keep this day shrouded in mystery?   

It goes without saying that if you are reading this project, you are likely already familiar with the rapture being encoded in the FOT, aside from what has been discussed in this project.  Stated differently, the FOT is the prophetic picture of the rapture.  It shows us that the next major event on God’s prophetic calendar is the rapture.  We can see the representation of the 2,000-year church age demonstrated in the long season between Pentecost and Trumpets.  We can see it in the start of the two different yearly harvests – wheat at Pentecost and grapes (the fruit harvest in general is always represented by grapes) at Trumpets.  This is a subject that is covered ad nauseum on Trib Rising, and on many other ministry websites.  I won’t rehash the entire FOT-rapture connection except in one specific respect. 

The discovery of the Jewish idiom connected to the FOT was a bombshell!  When biblical scholars began to unearth the connection of the words of Christ to this feast day it opened everything up! 

Matt 24:36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. 

Mark 13:32 “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 

When the connection was made, and it was realized that Christ was referencing the FOT it unlocked a mystery as to the meaning and especially the timing of the rapture.  It provided the link between the mysterious timing for the FOT and the same mysterious timing for the rapture. 

It merits bringing back the point from earlier that the very fact that this is one of the seven feast days makes it an event that ranks among the seven most important in the Bible.  For those that are unsure of what I mean it goes like this.  There are a lot of prophecies and events that occur in the Bible which merit special recognition.  The fall of Jericho is one such example.  This first truly supernatural victory of the Lord for the Israelites once they crossed the Jordan river seems like a really big deal. Of course it is.  It would turn out to be a prophetic picture of the tribulation.  However, for as miraculous and momentous as it is it does not merit a feast day.  There are many events that fit this template.  How many of the miracles of Christ would seem to be worthy of a feast day to celebrate them? 

Yet, when we look at the feast days themselves, we see a pattern emerge as to their narrative.  Here is a recap on what we have on the seven feast days: 

Passover – death of Christ. 

Unleavened Bread – the burial of Christ – get the righteous from Abraham’s Bossom. 

First fruits – the resurrection and presentation of Christ as the first fruits of the living. 

Pentecost – the coming of the Holy Spirit and the birth the church. 

Trumpets – the rapture and the end of the church age. 

Atonement – the Second Coming and judgement of nations. 

Tabernacles – the millennial reign of Christ.  

What theme do we see emerge here?  It is the redemptive work of Christ and His completion of the pre-eternity plan for mankind.  All of the other events that we could think of are simply steps or blocks in these seven core events of human history.  Given what the rapture represents it’s easier to see why it has its own feast day.  If the opening of the church age and the age of grace is worth a feast day, then certainly so should the closing of this period be.  Even the tribulation does not actually have its own feast day.  It is popular to attribute the DOA as the representation of the tribulation, but when you dig into the events of the DOA you find that they quite literally encode the ending of the tribulation and the judgements that coming immediately following the return of Christ.  Instead, we find the meaning and encoding of the tribulation in the days of awe between Trumpets and the DOA. 

Here is a small nugget that will be shared in greater detail on the project regarding the Day of Atonement. The DOA is actually the earthly representation of the testimony and trial of the redemptive work of Christ. The seven feast days are the seven pillars of the defense that at the final judgement of God – the Great White Throne Judgment – where the remaining righteous and unrighteous dead who have not been judged yet will be judged. Yes, there will be some righteous judged at the GWT. This gets lost in the much larger premise of the event – the judgment of the unrighteous dead. However, the GWT is never actually defined as a judgment for a single purpose. It is really nothing more than the last judgment before eternity begins and the last remaining pieces of business are concluded. Unfortunately, the vast majority of that business just happens to be those bound for the lake of fire. Even the angels are judged at this time! 

The process on the DOA is a long and exhausting one that required seven days of isolated preparation by the High Priest. This feast day and the four trips into the Holy of Holies (yes, four) encode the events, meaning and elements contained in all seven feast days. Even the placement of the DOA on the feast calendar is specific. You would think that the final judgement feast day would take place after Tabernacles if it were the day that represents final judgement before eternity. However, that is also the key to its placement – Tabernacles is ALSO an earthly trial representation of eternity. Afterall, whether you are talking about the millennial reign or eternity you cannot have either period begin without judging all unrighteousness present at that time. For the reign of Christ, the Second Coming finishes the judgement of all unrighteousness on the earth where He will reside. The GWT judgment will finish the remaining unrighteous on both heaven and earth as eternity involves both existing together. 

The thing that kept hanging me up was the recurring nature of the feast days, especially the FOT. More specifically, the fact that the FOT represented a day which was by its very nature a mystery and largely unknown in its key aspects. We knew what the 1, 2, 3 description of the rapture is. Yet, it is the “why” that has remained unclear for so many centuries – well, ever since Paul first revealed it in the New Testament. Thankfully as it draws closer the Lord has revealed more of the end times mysteries He buried in the Bible, so now we understand things such as the great assembly, the calling of the priesthood, and the events that occur during the unsealing of the seven sealed scroll. Yet, here were, a mysterious unknown event, with an unknown fulfillment date that was ascribed to a yearly feast that occurred on the first day of the seventh month. 

Certainly, we could look at this from a purely pragmatic standpoint and say that the weight of the rapture simply demanded that it have its own feast day. Likewise, it could have a little mystery built in to represent the mystery nature of the feast. However, as we have already covered, the feast days have been fulfilled on their actual calendar celebrations up to this point. And as we are all well aware, unless the Lord writes in a specific exception to a pattern in the Bible that pattern does not change. He is the Lord and He changes not! There is no escaping this. 

That leaves us with the issue on the other side of this topic – the literal calendar fulfillments of the feast days, and a feast day that appears by plain language to defy this pattern.  That’s what made the Jewish idiom of “no man knows” so critical.  It gave us a concrete reference point in which we could assess the meaning of the Bible when it came to the timing of the rapture.  Technically, the plain reading of the scripture did not counter this assertion either.  the idiom literally answered both questions.  Yet, somehow, we all knew something was missing, even if all the points were correct. 

There was, however, another wrinkle in this debate – the Jewish wedding.  Most of us are familiar with the ancient Jewish wedding and how it matches up perfectly to the scriptures in the Bible regarding weddings.  It also matches up perfectly to the scriptures regarding the rapture and the mystery timing and nature of the rapture.  The ancient Jewish wedding makes one thing abundantly clear – only the Father knows when it will be time for the Bridegroom to collect His Bride.  What’s more, the original Greek language makes it clear that the words “no man knows the day, nor hour” are quite literal.  They leave no wiggle room form half fulfillments, or fulfillments based on a technicality – even if said technicality was, well, technically correct.  As it would turn out, I was about to get the biggest shock of my ministry life to this point.  When it came it was perhaps the biggest “DUHHHH” moment I had experienced to this point as well.  It had been there the whole time, just waiting for one of us to just stop and open our eyes up just a little bit more.  Really, when you read this, it’s going to be the biggest facepalm moment of your lives.  We’ve all had the answer this entire time – or at least since the Lord took the veil off our eyes with regards to the ancient Jewish idiom of no man knows.  No new scripture required, no new original language studies required – literally nothing more than an “if the Lord says this here, shows us that there, and takes our attention here, then this is what we have” moment.  Ready? 

When Jesus states “no man knows” he is pointing back to the FOT.  He is telling us that the FOT is in fact the rapture.  Not only that, but that the rapture will occur chronologically within the timing and definitions of the that particular feast day – just as every other feast day has been and will be fulfilled. 

The trick, it seems, is that pesky new moon feature of the FOT.  It is built into the definitions of the FOT and by default its chronology.  That means you cannot escape the unknown aspect of the FOT, and thereby cannot escape the unknown aspect of the rapture – the day that the FOT points to and showcases.  Still confused?  Don’t worry, you’ll get it here is just a minute… 

Follow me for just a second or two.  Let’s lay out several points and see if it clicks yet: 

The new moon, and thereby the start of the month and the FOT occur on an unknown day.  So, you have to watch and be ready – yet you know right about when it will happen.  You can watch the literal signs and seasons to know the new moon is nigh, even at the door.  Yet there are still a couple surprises built into the new moon that makes it a bit more uncertain, yet still it remains close. 

The rapture is the close of the church age and the age of grace.  Just as the opening of these two phases of God’s redemptive plan required a feast day as one of the seven pillars of defense that will be presented at the final GWT judgment, the final day or close of these two phases must likewise have a feast day. 

However, for reasons beyond the scope of this project (the various reasons can be found in many of the other projects concerning the rapture here on Trib Rising), the rapture must be a mystery day.  Its occurrence cannot be known by anyone other than the Father.  The simplest explanation for those looking for something right now is that only the Father alone is capable of knowing when all things are ready and not jumping the prophetic schedule out of compassion.  Christ died for us.  It is not farfetched to say that he would have already ended the suffering if He had been permitted.  We know that He has His own will as this was referenced multiple times in the Gospels, and especially in the Garden of Gethsemane.  

As a feast day, the rapture must be represented on the yearly calendar for a remembrance to the people.  It must be celebrated as a testimony as to what will be one day.  Yet, by its very definitions the rapture is an unknown day.  However, it must be placed on a known, yearly calendar. 

For some of you the lightbulbs just came on! 

The reason that the FOT starts on the new moon is so that the Lord can encode and unknown day and hour into this feast, yet have it represented on the yearly calendar and feast cycle! 

The new moon is literally the only way to get an unknown day and hour into a yearly scheduled feast! 

Christ wasn’t pointing back to the FOT with “no man knows” simply to declare His return would happen on the FOT.  He was referencing the fact that the feast day in which “no man knows” literally encodes in its definitions that the rapture can happen any day, of any hour of any year! 

The FOT is literally the only feast day where its chronological fulfillment literally requires that there is NO chronological fulfillment! Can the rapture happen on the FOT? Absolutely! There is still a good case to be made that it will fall on the FOT. Several of my own projects here on Trib Rising make an extremely compelling case. In fact, there is additional evidence found elsewhere in the Bible that makes this extremely likely – so much so they qualify as full projects. However, this is ONLY possible if every other day of the year is ALSO a candidate for the rapture! 

If this hasn’t blown your mind, then nothing will. 

In the name of our Most Blessed Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.