Chapter Eight                                                    The Shadow and the Fulness      The Word of God testifies that the holydays, the Sabbath, and all the law are a shadow of good things to come (Hebrews 10:1, Col 2:16-17), but the body is of Christ. The Old Testament ceremonies were all symbolic and prophetic of those things in which Christ would fulfill. In the spiritual darkness before our Lord’s coming, the Old Testament shined as a bright light foreshadowing our Savior who can now be seen in the light of the New Testament. In Matthew 3:15, Jesus replied unto John that it was proper “to fulfil all righteousness” and He was thus baptized. Although Jesus fulfilled every prophecy regarding His first coming, those Old Testament prophecies relating to His second coming remain for their time of fulfillment (examples: Zech. 14:1-4, Daniel 8:25, Isaiah11: 1-9). For believers in our age, we have the distinct advantage of standing at the door of His second coming while at the same time looking back at all the prophecies that were fulfilled at His first coming. The inevitable question often arises as to “how close are we?” Numerous books on end times prophecy points to His coming after two thousand years, yet what scriptural proofs are there that states without any doubt that we are living in the generation that shall see His second coming? In this chapter we will explore the scriptural proof of His second coming after two thousand years.      There are many that teach that the church has no time lines set for the fulfillment of church age prophecies. They state that Paul and the apostles expected their Lord and Savior to appear at any moment. They further teach that the rapture is an event that has no signs preceding it. In fact they go further in teaching that the rapture is “imminent” or threatening to occur at any moment. However, they further “reason” that since the rapture is a “signless” and “imminent” event threatening to occur, they thus teach that any apparent sign that shows we are close would destroy the doctrine of imminence. There are several difficulties with their teachings. First, the premises that there are no signs before the rapture will occur are not true. In II Thessalonians, Paul comforts the brethren who believed they had already missed the day of Christ. He tells us that day shall not come, “except there come a falling away first” (II Thess 2:3). This is a specific sign that has to be fulfilled before the rapture can occur. In our generation, we see the falling away of righteousness, we see the falling away of truth and the love of many growing cold because iniquity abounds (Matt 24:12). In Daniel 12:4, our Lord gives us a further sign that identifies our generation as the time of the end:      “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.”      Can any man deny that our generation is the generation that, more so than any previous generation, runs to and fro and where knowledge is increasing at such an alarming rate that the “high tech” knowledge of today is obsolete within one or two years? This is a specific sign that we are close and at the time of the end. We are commanded to watch and be sober so that the day would not overtake us as a thief in the night (I Thess 5:1-6). We must all be on the lookout now more so than ever before as we “see the day approaching” (Heb 10:25). The Lord has given road markers to those that have ears to hear and eyes to see, by the specific signs that he is fulfilling in our generation alone.      Likewise, not only has the Lord set specific signs before us, but He has also provided several scriptural time lines that provide a prophetic roadmap leading directly to the time of His second coming. One example of this that we have previously discussed in detail is how the image in Daniel chapter two is a time line of the four kingdoms that shall rule during the times of the Gentiles. The fourth kingdom is represented by two legs of iron, two feet of iron and clay and ten toes of iron and clay. As we previously detailed in chapter two, the two feet of iron and clay symbolically represent the Roman empire ruling jointly with common men: “. . . they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men” (Daniel 2:43). We can thereby take account that we are now in the feet of iron and clay of Daniel’s image and know that we are close.      A second example is given in Revelation Chapters two and three in reference to the seven churches that John was commanded to write to. He was first commanded to write the things which he had “seen,” and the things which “are,” and the things which “shall be hereafter” (Rev 1:19). The things which he had “seen,” he wrote down in chapter one, the things which “are” in chapters two and three, and the things which “shall be hereafter” starting at Revelation 4:1. In fact, following the chronological sequences through the book of Revelation, we find a clear, concise, logical progression throughout. Many students of the Book of Revelation fail to see its chronological sequences by not recognizing the “commercial breaks” that the storyline takes in describing the different characters of this prophecy. When watching on television a marathon race in the Olympics, the viewer is not confused on the chronology of the race if a momentary pause is taken to detail the biography of the leader or his pursuers. Likewise, the Book of Revelation has the chronological succession of seven seals, seven trumpets, seven vials and seven thunders during the time of great tribulation upon the earth. This is followed by the chronologic detail of the millennium, the great white throne judgement and the new heaven and earth. Interspersed in this time line is the detail on several characters such as the two witnesses of chapter eleven; the woman, dragon, and manchild in chapter twelve; the beast from the earth in chapter thirteen; and the woman atop the scarlet colored beast in chapters seventeen and eighteen. The chronology of these individual characters does not change the underlying chronology of the seven seals, trumpets, vials and thunders, in the same manner that the story of the leader of the race does not change the chronology of the race itself.       We must further take the example of the chronologic progression of chapters four through twenty-two as a pattern that is also found in the first three chapters of the book of Revelation as well. Therefore, the reader of the book of Revelation must not fail to recognize the prophetic importance of the seven successive church ages in chapters two and three as represented by the seven individual churches: Ephesus                                The time of the apostles Smyrna                                  The time of persecution Pergamus                              The marriage with the pagan world Thyatira                                The adulterous church Sardis                                    The dead church Philadelphia                          The keeper of the Word Laodicians                            The lukewarm church      In Ephesus, the only time that this church age could have been was at the time the apostles were still living. This is true since a true apostle is only one of those men that were disciples of Christ in person, with Paul discipled spiritually by Christ Himself. This was followed by the persecuted church in Smyrna. The accounts of the millions of faithful believers who gave their lives for Christ are legendary even to the lost peoples of this world. The church in Pergamus continues to lay the foundation that these seven geographic locations also represent specific prophetic church ages that come in succession of each other. In Revelation 2:13 we read:      “I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is . . . ”      Please refer to our previous discussion in chapter four that identified where Satan’s seat is in Rome. Therefore, the church in Pergamus has to not only be a literal church that John wrote to, but also a prophetic church age that did not come to pass until Constantine seduced Christians into a false peace through the doctrine of Balaam. (Rev. 2:14). In chapter seven, we will explore further the prophetic fulfillment of the church of Pergamus and the church of Philadelphia by the testimony of two kings. Through all of this, we can be assured that the things that “are,” refers prophetically to the seven church ages between our Lord’s first and second comings. To recognize our current church age as the time of lukewarm devotion to our Lord, tolerating unrighteousness in our churches as the age of the church in Laodicia is to know that we are “close.” In fact our Lord tells us:      “Behold, I stand at the door . . .” (Rev. 3:20, Matt. 24:33).      These are seven signs, seven landmarks on the prophetic road map leading to our Lord’s second coming. In the chronology of the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ (Rev. 1:1), the very next verse given after the things that “are” is Revelation 4:1, where a door was opened in heaven and John was called up to see the things which must be “hereafter.” In the latter part of this chapter we will show how this verse is the conclusive prophetic second witness that the rapture is at the end of the church age and before the start of the seven seals.      Therefore, the so-called doctrine of Imminence is not correct in stating that the rapture is a signless event, for all these “signs” or prophecies above have to occur before the rapture can be fulfilled. In fact, not only does the Bible declare the time lines of several different events, it also declares, with multiple witnesses, the time line for all of mankind’s existence on this earth. There is a much maligned and disputed theological doctrine referred to as the doctrine of “Septa- millenialism.” This doctrine declares that God’s time line from the Garden of Eden to the great white throne judgement will be a total of seven thousand years. This is an old doctrine originally attributed to rabbinical studies from the Old Testament. One of the obvious reasons it is now largely ignored, let alone maligned, is that it would indicate that our Lord will return after two thousand years to gather in His church. This would follow the first four thousand years from the first Adam to the last Adam who bore our sins on the cross (I Cor. 15:45) nearly two thousand years ago. Therefore if nearly six thousand years has already been completed, we have to be very close to the start of the last one thousand-year rule of Christ here on earth. In fact, we are separated only by the seven years of the seventieth week,  from the standpoint of Bible prophecies, for our Lord Himself to stand atop the mount of Olives and begin His earthly rule over His kingdom ( Zech. 14:4 & 16 ). This is true since every sign that must be completed before the rapture occurs is being fulfilled right now, in this generation alone. In the remainder of this chapter, we will explore three separate and independent sets of scriptures that establish the return of our Lord after two thousand years and the completion of all His work on earth in seven thousand years.      First, we turn to II Peter 3:8 to understand the prophetic importance of a “day.” Here in chapter three, Peter is admonishing all men to be mindful of the words spoken by the holy prophets and the commandments of the apostles (II Peter 3:2) In other words, Peter is urging the church brethren to read God’s Word and remember the prophecies in connection to the subject of chapter three, the Lord’s second coming (II Peter 3:10-12). Therefore, let us now take a closer look at II Peter 3:8:      “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”      In the Bible, there are few places where we are commanded “to be not ignorant.” In fact, Peter states with emphasis to be not ignorant of this one thing, that a thousand years is as one day with the Lord and one day as a thousand years. Some commentators on this verse allegorize this statement to mean that the Lord is outside of our limited space-time restrictions. However, this is to miss the full context of chapter three which is placing this space-time limitation not to our Savior, who has no space-time limitations, but instead to the contextual relationships of the Word of God and the prophecies concerning His second coming. Therefore, this statement does not limit God to any finite restrictions concerning time, but instead defines the time lines in the Word of God on His second coming to a day as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day. Moses likewise witnessed the same time constraint of a thousand years in “. . . thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past,” ( Psalm 90:4 ) Interestingly, this is also in connection with the coming of the Lord when Moses later in the same Psalm poses the question “Return, O Lord, how long?” (Psalm 90:13). Therefore, please “be not ignorant of this one thing,” and search the Word of God for those verses in the Bible that tell us how long it will be before He returns and know and understand that it is so.      The first scriptural reference begins with the seven days of creation and the Sabbath. In Genesis 2:1-3 the Lord established His day of rest on the seventh day and “sanctified” it or literally, set it aside for the worship of God. Again in Exodus 20:8-11, the fourth commandment repeats the creation story in establishing the Sabbath as His Holy day of rest:      “For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.”      Therefore, it is not simply that there is one day of rest, but that there was one day of rest after six days of labor (Exodus 20:9). We now turn to the prophetic application of the seven days of the creation story, the Sabbath and His rest, in connection with a day as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day ( II Peter 3:8 ). In Colossians 2:16-17, Paul illustrates that the holy days, the Sabbath and the new moon are a shadow of things to come, but the body is of Christ:      “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:      Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.”      In Hebrews 10:1, we again learn that the law itself has a shadow of good things to come. In other words, the law, the new moon, the meats, the holydays and the Sabbath foreshadow or are prophetic of the good things to come through the fulfillment of Christ. Therefore, let us look at what is the prophetic fulfillment of the Sabbath and what rest will the Lord bring to His believers. Interestingly, Peter turns us to the writings of Paul to become diligent in our search for the answers to such questions (II Peter 3:14-16); this again is in the context of our Lord’s second coming and the words which were spoken by the holy prophets and the apostles (II Peter 3:2). Therefore, by the witness of Peter, Paul and Moses, the Sabbath foreshadows a thousand-year period of rest by our Lord Himself. This is not in anyway a new doctrinal statement for John tells us that we shall live and reign with Christ for a thousand years (Rev. 1:6; Rev. 2:26-27; Rev. 20:6). For a thousand years the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard with the kid, the calf and the lion and the young child shall lead them. They shall not hurt or destroy on His Holy mountain for the earth shall know the Lord (Isaiah 11:6-9). Satan shall be bound for a thousand years (Rev. 20:1-2) and we will rest from resisting the devil (James 4:7) for he will deceive the nations no more for a thousand years (Rev. 20:3).      The question by Moses arises again of how long before the Lord will return (Psalm 90:13). It must also be in the same context of His rest after six days of work, or after six thousand years. Therefore, with the time of Adam in the Garden nearly six thousand years ago, our Lord must be coming soon for those who are watching and ready (Matt 24:42-44).      The second set of Scriptures establishing His return after two thousand years is found in Hosea 6:1-3. In Hosea, chapters one through five, the Lord tells of the fall of Israel and Judah and how they shall be without a king, an ephod, and a sacrifice but will return and seek the Lord their God and His goodness in the latter days ( Hosea 3:4-5 ). Then in Hosea 6:2, the Lord states that He will revive the children of Israel and live in their sight. There are many that teach this verse is prophetic of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. Yet, before ascribing this interpretation, we must look at Hosea 6:1& 2 in context with Hosea 6:3 which establishes that the Lord will come unto the children of Israel as “the latter and former rain unto the earth.” Interestingly, James 5:7-8 establishes the early (or former) and latter rain with His second coming:      “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.      Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.”      Therefore, the context of Hosea 6:2 is with the Lord’s second coming, when the Deliverer shall take away their sins and turn Jacob ( Israel ) from ungodliness ( Romans 11:26-27, Zechariah 12:4-10, Zechariah 13:6-9 ). Therefore, the only interpretation of Hosea 6:2 is that the two days are literally two thousand years and in the third day refers, literally, to Christ’ s millennial reign in the sight of His people for a thousand years, thereby establishing prophetically  the last “three days” of the mankind’s earthly existence.      The New Testament witness that compliments Hosea 6:2 and completes the first four “days” of the septa-millennium is found in John chapter eleven. Again, II Peter 3:1-2 urges believers to bring to remembrance both the works of the holy prophets (Old Testament) and of the commandment of the apostles (New Testament). Hosea 6:1-3 testifies from the Old Testament of the last three thousand years from the time of His first coming and John chapter eleven testifies from the New Testament, by allegory, of the first four thousand years since creation, which together complete the full seven thousand years in God’s plan for the redemption of men. First, in John 11:39, Lazarus was raised from the grave after he was dead for four days. Symbolically, the Lord was from the fourth tribe of Israel, in the fourth generation from Abraham and came four thousand years after the creation. The decree that started the seventy weeks (Daniel 9:24-27) was the fourth decree after the Babylonian captivity in the year 444 B.C. The Lord raising Lazarus on the fourth day is of even more prophetic importance when we realize that Jesus   abode for two days where he was and then purposefully arrived at the graveside four days after learning of his illness ( John 11:6 ).       The purpose of the resurrection of Lazarus was twofold. First, Jesus demonstrated that He is the resurrection and the life in the public raising of Lazarus from the grave. The creator of the heavens and the earth has the power over life and death. At His hands, he raised Lazarus   from the grave after the fourth day just as one week later, he raised us all from the depths of hell and the grave when He died for us on the cross, making our sin debt of no account four thousand years after hearing of the “illness” of His friend Adam. Secondly, in John 11:4, Jesus tells us that the sickness of His friend Lazarus was not unto death, but instead that the Son of God might be glorified thereby (John 17:1-10, I Cor. 15:42-43). Likewise, the Lord abode “two days” in the same place where he was during the time of the patriarchs, and after two thousand years, He began His walk with His disciples, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the children of Israel “back unto Judea again”( John 11:7 ). Therefore, just as Hosea 6:2 starts at the cross and looks forward, John chapter eleven looks backwards over the first four thousand years. Together, the two witnesses from the “holy prophets” and the commandment of the “apostles” testify that all of mankind’s habitation on this earth will be seven thousand years.      The third set of scriptures that establishes the Septa-millennial doctrine as a true doctrine from God comes from an in- depth study of Israel’s seven holydays, or the feasts of the Lord described extensively in Leviticus chapter twenty three. In Colossians 2:16-17, Paul tells us that the feast days are a shadow of things to come. Therefore, each separate holyday has its own prophetic fulfillment by Christ Himself. For example, the Passover was on the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month. Here, the Passover lamb which had no blemish was killed by the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel outside of the gates (Exodus 12:5-6; Deut. 16: 5-6). Only those that took the blood of the lamb upon the door posts of their households were spared from the plague of death against the firstborn of Egypt. This ceremony was the shadow for the day that Christ gave His life on the cross as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29&36). In Genesis 22:8, the Lord told Abraham that He will provide “himself a lamb” for a burnt offering. This is reemphasized by Paul in I Cor. 5:7b when he tells us: “For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us:” The shadow of the Passover ceremony was therefore fulfilled by the Lamb of God who gave Himself for us on the cross.      Likewise, we can examine each of the remaining holy days and see the fulfillment that has been completed for the first four feast days, but has not yet been fulfilled by Christ in person for the last three. An intriguing pattern develops when we see that Christ fulfilled the Passover, the feast of unleavened bread, the feast of first fruits and the feast of weeks at His first coming. After four thousand years, He fulfilled four feast days. This we can readily see by Christ’s resurrection on the morrow after the Passover Sabbath (Lev. 23:9-14, Numbers 28:26), when He became the “firstfruits” of them that slept with every man in his own order (I Cor.15:20-23). Again, fifty days from the morrow after the Passover Sabbath, the feast of weeks foreshadowed the new meat offering unto the Lord which was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost. On this day, the Father sent the Comforter, the Holy Ghost (John 14:16-18&26) in the name of Christ to indwell all believers (Acts 2:1-4, Acts 10:44-48). And lastly, the feast of unleavened bread was fulfilled by Christ when the last covenant made with His shed blood was completed on the cross. For the Bible says that without the shedding of blood, there is no remission (Heb 9:22). Here by the blood of Jesus He made a new covenant, and offered one sacrifice for sins forever and sat down  at the right hand of God ( Heb 10:12-18, Jeremiah 31:31-34 ). Therefore, through the feast of unleavened bread, the Lord sanctified and fulfilled the last covenant with His church first (I Cor. 5:8). We will explore in more detail, the parallel prophetic significance of the feast of unleavened bread for the church and the feast of tabernacles for Israel, which in themselves provide another testimony confirming the Septamillenial doctrine.                                    In review, after four thousand years, Christ fulfilled four feast days. In short order, we will study how Christ will fulfill two more feast days after two thousand years and the last feast day will be fulfilled during the millennium “in the third day” ( Hosea 6:2 ). Here is the master time line revealed: after six thousand years, two more feast days will be fulfilled, and in “the third day,” the last feast day will then be fulfilled by Christ Himself. It is the Master countdown to eternity in heaven when time will be no more, and the Lord will create a new heaven and a new earth (Rev. 21:1).      In continuation, the pattern established at the first coming will remain in the fulfillment of the last three feast days. Likewise, as we look at the day of the trumpets and the day of atonement, the Bible does not show any time when these feast days have already been completed by Christ Himself. Yet, the Bible is not silent on their prophetic fulfillment at the time of His second coming. First, the day of Trumpets is mentioned in only two places in the Bible (Lev. 23:23-25, Numbers 29: 1-6). By chronological order, this feast day foreshadows the next major event waiting to occur in Bible Prophecy, the rapture. This is confirmed by the detail of these Old Testament scriptures and several from the New Testament. In the rapture, Paul tells us that the Lord shall come and the dead in Christ shall rise first, then we which are alive shall be caught up together to meet them in the air and forever more be with the Lord ( I Thess. 4:13-18 ) This order is again foreshadowed in Leviticus 23:24 when the day of trumpets is for a memorial first, representing a day for the dead, and then secondly as a day of blowing the trumpets onto the living later in Numbers 29:1: The dead first and then the living. Further, the number of trumpets that were blown on this feast day was only two (Numbers 10:1-2). Likewise in I Thessalonians 4:16, the rapture is announced by first, the voice of an archangel and second, by the trump of God. In Revelation 4:1, we read that the first voice was as it were “of a trumpet talking” to John. In the book of Revelation this is chronologically after the seven church ages and is at the start of the things which must be “hereafter.” This is the second witness to I Thessalonians 4:16 for the voice of the archangel as a trumpet. This is the first trumpet of the rapture. Again, in Thessalonians 4:16, Paul talks of the trump of God. In Revelation 1:10, the voice of God was a great voice, as of a trumpet which is confirmed again in I Corinthians 15:52 that reads: “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”                                                    Here in these verses we have the first trumpet and the last trumpet. We have the dead first and then the living. May I again remind all of the statement in Hebrews 10:1 that the law “having a shadow of good things to come,” is actually another confirming witness that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. Since there were only two trumpets in the camp that were both blown on the first day of the seventh month, we know that the New Testament fulfillment must likewise have two trumpets only. Herein, the day of trumpets foreshadows the rapture on the day that Christ comes for the church first. It will be after two thousand years and it will be before any of the seven seals are opened at the start of the tribulation. There can be no other private interpretation of the time of the rapture outside of an understanding of the prophetic significance of this holyday, the day of trumpets.                                                                   Chart 6-1                               The Shadow                                               The Fulness I) The First Coming:                              1) Passover                                                 The Lamb of God                                     (Exodus 12:1-10)                                     (John 1:29 & 36)                                     (Lev. 23:5)                                               (Gen. 22:8)(I Cor. 5:7)                              2) Feast of Unleavened Bread                  Christ Fulfills the Last Covenant First                                      (Exodus 12:14-20)                                  (Jeremiah 31:31-34)                                      (Leviticus 23:6-8)                                   (I Cor. 5:8)(Heb. 10:12-18)                              3) Feast of First Fruits                               The Risen Savior                                      (Leviticus 23:9-14)                                 (I Cor. 15:20-23)                                      (Numbers 28:26)                                    (Romans 11:16)                              4) Feast of Weeks                                      Christ Fills men with the Holy Ghost                                     (Leviticus 23:15-21)                                (Acts 2:1-4)                                     (Deut. 16:9-12)                                        (Acts 10:44-48) II) The Second Coming:                              5) Day of Trumpets                                    Christ comes for the Church                                      (Lev. 23:23-25)                                      (I Thess. 4:13-18)                                      (Numbers 29:1-11)                                (I Cor. 15:51-58)                                                                                                             (Rev. 4:1)                              6) Day of Atonement                                  Christ comes for Israel                                      (Lev. 23:26-32)                                      (Zech. 12:9-14, 13:6-9)                                      (Numbers 29:7-11)                                (Romans 11:25-31)                              7) Feast of Tabernacles                             Christ Fulfills the First Covenant Last                                      (Lev. 23:33-44)                                       (Zech. 14:16-21)                                      (Numbers 29:12-40)                               (Ezekiel 37:20-28)                                                                                                      (Romans 11:27-36)                                                                                                      (John 11:24)      The next holyday chronologically to be fulfilled is at the end of the tribulation when Christ shall come for Israel (Romans 11:25-26). In Zechariah chapter twelve, thirteen and fourteen, the Lord shows in detail the day that the children of Israel shall “look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, . . .” (Zech. 12:10). They shall ask “What are these wounds in thine hands?” (Zech. 13:6) and on this day they shall call upon his name and he will hear them (Zech. 13:9). The shadow is the ceremony on the tenth day of the seventh month, the fulfillment is the day that the Lord comes for Israel.      In addition to the chronologic order of the seven holydays are two subtle timelines by the nature of the individual days and feasts themselves. First, there are three individual days (Passover, day of trumpets, and day of atonement) and four feasts (feast of unleavened bread, feast of firstfruits, feast of weeks, and feast of tabernacles). The “days” and the “feasts” also have individual chronologies, again confirming the septamillennial doctrine. These are three days which the Bible notes that at the time of Pentecost, the signs from this event declared they were in the “last days” (Acts 2:17). In John 11:24, Martha tells Jesus that she knows Lazarus will rise again in the resurrection at the “last day.” Yet we know from Revelation 20:11-15, the last “day” will be the day of the great white throne judgement where the unbelievers and those that have rejected Christ will experience the second death and not “the resurrection.” The saved are raised from the dead at the beginning of the millennium, not at the end. Therefore, the “last day” and the “last days” are also correctly understood to be the last three thousand years. Therefore, the Passover is at the start of the first of the “last days” and the rapture is at the end of the second of the “last days” and the day of atonement is at the start of the “last day” (John 11:24) when the dead shall rise in the first resurrection (Rev 20:5, Ezekiel 37:12-14). Therefore, these three feast days are in themselves a countdown of “the last days,” each of a thousand years duration (2 Peter 3:8).      The last topic that we will discuss is the “feast days” and how they also provide another, independent verification of the seven thousand year master time line. In Luke 13:30 and Matthew 19:30, Jesus told his followers that “many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.” In both instances, He is speaking of His Kingdom and for those that have followed Him. In these two scriptures, it is applied to those individuals who follow Him but it is also referring to the two covenants that He has made first with the children of Israel, and the last with the children of light, His church. It is the last covenant that He fulfills first. The feast of unleavened bread is the feast that Paul commands us to keep (I Cor. 5:8). Interestingly, the feast is seven days long and has a sabbath, or rest, on the first day and the seventh day. For the church, when the Lord comes for us at the rapture, He will give us our glorified bodies and we shall have no more death. But the children of Israel, who are commanded to keep the feast of tabernacles during the millennium (Zech. 14:16-21), will still experience death (Isaiah 65: 20).  It is not until the millennium is completed that there will be no more death (Rev 21:4). This is not until after the great white throne judgement is completed, and then the Lord will cast death and hell into the lake of fire. Therefore, the feast of tabernacles is a seven-day feast where the children of Israel dwell in “booths” or temporary dwellings and on the eighth day enjoy a sabbath. The first covenant is fulfilled last and the “first” will not see the end of death until after the end of the millennium. On the other hand the last covenant has already been fulfilled first and we will no longer experience death from the time of the rapture and we will rest from death on the “seventh day” (I Cor. 15:53- 55). Therefore we who are “last” shall be first, and many of those which were “first” shall be last.      In summary, the scriptures are clear that we will see the day of Christ approaching      (Heb 10:25, I Thess. 5:4) and we must watch and be ready. There are many signs and many timelines that must be completed before the rapture will occur and in truth, we are sitting on the verge of its fulfillment. Yet there is one more sign that will come to the church before the rapture that has not yet reached its fulness. In Revelation 3:17-18, the Lord tells those in the church of Laodiceans who think they are rich and in need of nothing to buy of Jesus gold tried in the fire. In Isaiah 55:1, he told everyone that thirsteth to “buy” wine and milk without money and without price. Likewise, the Lord is not talking of buying gold tried in the fire with money or even sacrifice, but by seeking the Lord while He may be found and while He is near (Isaiah 55:6). The gold that is “tried in the fire” is also mentioned similarly for the children of Israel as He comes for them on the great and terrible Day of the Lord. The true price of this gold is displayed in Zechariah 13:8-9 where we read:      “And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third part shall be left therein.      And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.”      Are we prepared for the trials and the persecutions that the Lord may use to refine and purify? Do we serve the Lord with all our hearts, with all our souls and with all our minds? Do we bear the sufferings and burdens of others daily? Are we ready? The answer to each of these questions should be a resounding “Yes.” The Lord will cleanse and purge and purify His church. Be strengthened and encouraged that Jesus Himself keeps us from falling, even though we may stumble (Jude 24, Psalm 37:23-24). May the grace of God increase upon us as we watch for His coming and the fulness of the glorious day of the rapture fulfilled through Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.                                                                            Return to Home Page                                                                      (www.kjv1611revealed.com)