MODERN PROPHETS

There have been many "prophets" in recent times predicting the time of the Rapture of the Church; the Tribulation, with the identity of the Antichrist and the meaning of the "mark of the beast (666)"; and the Second Coming of Christ. We are inundated with dates, talk of the Mayan calendar, and we are surrounded by those who believe every earthquake is the "big one" described in the Word. For some strange reason, today's Christians seem to think they have the biblical prophecies all figured out. Somehow, we believe we are wiser than the ancient Hebrews who had to see prophecies fulfilled before they could understand them. It seems to me that Christians who are dogmatic when it comes to God's prophetic timetable are, for all practical purposes, claiming to be prophets. Where is the humility? Where is the proof? Where are "the stones" needed for when they are wrong? There are times when I wish we were still under the Mosaic Law; I am sure the threat of being stoned to death would cut down on the number of "experts."

However, Christians do have one advantage over their Hebrew brothers; we have the knowledge, based upon the fulfilled prophecies of the Old Testament, that God literally accomplishes what He declares ahead of time through His prophets. Every prophecy fulfilled by Christ was fulfilled literally! The First Coming of Christ was clearly pictured in the first three Feasts of Israel: Jesus is our Passover (1 Cor. 5:7); Jesus, the Bread of life (Jn. 6:35); died and was buried (the Unleavened Bread represented the sinless Savior - Heb. 4:15); and Jesus rose from the dead, the "First Fruits from the grave" (1 Cor. 15:20).

As a result, most students of the Bible believe that Jesus will literally fulfill the last three Feasts of Israel at His Second Coming: Jesus will gather Israel (the Feast of Trumpets); Israel will experience God's chastisement during the Tribulation (the Feast of the Atonement); and Jesus will rule with Israel during His Millennial Kingdom (the Feast of Tabernacles). The problem is, we do not know when these events will occur.

Perhaps the key to God's future timetable will be an event represented by the fourth Feast of Israel, the Feast of the Wave Loaves (Lev. 23;17). It is celebrated on the fiftieth day after the first three feasts, and Christians understand it to represent the birth of the Church. The two loaves, made with leaven (always a picture of sin), represent the Church composed of sinners from both the Jews and the Gentiles. The birth of the Church was on the same day that Israel celebrated the feast: Pentecost (Acts 2:1-47).

Because the first three feasts and the last three feasts clearly represent Christ's First and Second Coming, and because the two groupings of feasts are separated by the feast representing the Church, we believe that the Church will be removed, via the Rapture (Jn. 14:1-3; 1 Thes. 4:13-18), prior to the gathering of Israel which will mark the beginning of the Tribulation. The Tribulation is to be a seven year covenant between the Antichrist and Israel (Dan. 9:24-27; Rev. 6 - 18); the Church is not mentioned in those chapters. So, until the Rapture of the Church takes place, the Tribulation cannot begin. Therefore, to try to set dates for the future events prophesied in the Bible when we do not know when the Rapture will occur, is simply foolish and arrogant. Humbling, isn't it?!