THE SEVENTH DAY
Genesis 2:1-3
“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.”
The last 3 of the 7 Feasts of God, the Fall Feasts, reveal the End Times of this present day. Hints to the timing and events of these End Times follows.
THE SEVENTH THOUSAND-YEAR PERIOD
In prophetical terms, the first 6 days of creation correlate to the first 6,000 years of Biblical history from Creation until now. The last 1,000 years, or the 7th thousand-year period on earth will be a period of rest.
At the close of the fourth thousand-year period, Jesus was born, but with special distinction. His birth was so remarkable we set our calendars to zero at his birth. There were four thousand years before his birth, two thousand years have passed since his birth; therefore, we have now entered the seventh thousand-year period.
“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. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:8-9
It is also written, “After two days he will revive us; in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. Then we shall know, if we follow on to know the Lord; his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come to us as the rain, as the latter and former rain to the earth.” Hosea 6:2-3
Hosea’s prophecy couldn’t apply to Christ rising from the grave on the third day, because it says he will “raise us up”, not Jesus. But if we combine 2 Peter 3:8-9 and Hosea 6:2-3, we can say that two thousand years after his birth he will revive us; in the third thousandth year he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight (the 7 thousandth year) – if we follow and know the Lord.
But does that match God’s 7-day prophecy in Genesis? YES. With the calendar beginning at zero when Jesus was born, two thousand years after Christ was born would begin our year 2000, according to our calendar. According to Hosea, in the third day (3,000 years after Christ was born) we would be raised up. There were 4,000 years before Christ was born and 2,000 years have passed since he was born. Therefore, 6,000 years have passed according to Biblical history. Matching the Genesis prophecy, the first 6 days have passed and we’re already twenty-four years into the seventh day, which according to Biblical prophecy begins the 7th thousand-year period of rest on this earth.
While the current year may not look like rest, it is certain something is about to change. Every Old Testament prophet (except Jonah) had something amazing to say about the last 1,000 years on earth. God’s promise, his word, is that this current generation will see the coming of Christ. It would appear that prior to this special millennium (7 thousandth-year) will be a worldwide preaching of God’s word so that all nations will hear it. “But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:14. This would be followed by the rapture of God’s people, which will usher in a 7-year period of severe tribulation such as the world has never seen. Note: Some have suggested that Christ’s ministry did not last three years, but only one. There is an accounting of Christ attending one each of the 7 Festivals (7 Feasts of God), not three separate years of 7 feasts. Therefore, and for other unknown reasons, the following accounting may be a little off, but still very close.
We serve a unique and intentional God who has not abandoned us but has given specific instructions regarding our future.
During the fourth thousand-year period, the desire of God’s heart was revealed with great clarity. God wanted to be the king of his people. But they didn’t want him. They wanted a king like all the other nations. Finally, during the Millenium, God will be our king. In Jerusalem, Christ will be on the throne.
TIMING
The period from Adam to Abraham was 1948 years. God called Abram out of his country to go to a land he had promised, a land flowing with milk and honey that would become the birth of God’s nation, Israel. Through God’s strategic plan, the 12 tribes were exiled from their country to Babylon and Assyria until May 14, 1948, when Israel signed it’s declaration of Independence. Was it a coincidence that the year was 1948 when, for the second time (the rebirth of Israel) God brought his people into the nation he promised Abraham? Coincidence? Not a coincidence? You decide.
“Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit.” Isaiah 27:6
“Now, learn a parable of the fig tree: When its branch is yet tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So likewise, when you shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Truly I say to you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” Matthew 24:32-35. God is clear. The generation born in 1948 will not pass until all these things (described in Matthew 24) are fulfilled.
Jesus, the Christ, Yeshua Hamashiach, has fulfilled the Spring Feasts. It is now late summer on the Feast calendar. When you understand the 7 Feasts of God, you know that “summer” occurs just prior to the 3 Fall Feasts. The first of the 3 Fall Feasts is the Feast of Trumpets, which is the call to come to the Temple of God to celebrate the harvest.
God is clear. Israel is the fig tree. The generation born in 1948, the rebirth of Israel, will not pass until all these things are fulfilled.
So, how long is a generation? The Bible says, “The days of our years are threescore and ten (70); and, if, by reason of strength, they be fourscore (80) years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.” Psalm 90:10
1948 = This generation shall see Christ
+ 80 = A generation – Psalm 90:10
2028
– 7 = Years of Tribulation
2021
As you can see, using the data from Matthew 24:32-35 along with the ‘proposed’ guess of a generation being 80 years from Psalm 90, we’re very close to the Rapture and Great Tribulation.
God’s promise, his word, is that this generation will see the coming of Christ. According to scripture, the 7,000th year, just like the 7th day, will be a period of rest.
END TIMES BREAKDOWN
Watching God’s Story Unfold
The severity of the End Times we’re facing is because we have forgotten God and his commandments and his judgment is upon us. This isn’t the first time.
“And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.” Genesis 6:5-6. Then came the world-wide flood that destroyed all people with the exception of Noah and his family. We have come full-circle. Once again, God will save his people and take care of business.
“The Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. By swearing and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery they break out, and blood touches blood.” Hosea 4:1-2
“The earth suffers for the sins of its people, for they have twisted God’s instructions, violated his laws, and broken his everlasting covenant.” Isaiah 24:5
“The rich men are full of violence, and the inhabitants have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth. Therefore also will I make you sick in smiting you; in making you desolate because of your sins.” Micah 6:12-13
“Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Son of man, eat your bread with quaking, and drink your water with trembling and with carefulness; and say unto the people of the land, Thus said the Lord God of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and of the land of Israel; They shall eat their bread with anxiety, and drink their water with consternation, that her land may be desolate from all that is therein, because of the violence of all them that dwell in it.” Ezekiel 12:17
“Therefore, the Lord has rejected his people, the house of Jacob [Israel], because they are filled with customs from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers.” Isaiah 2:6
“And at that time, shall Michael stand up, the great prince who stands for the children of your people, and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time; and at that time your people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.” Daniel 12:1
There will be a 7-year period of tribulation, such as the world has never known. God will transform the world as it is now into a spiritually peaceful kingdom here on earth for the next 1,000 years. However, this time he has provided many warnings along with the timing of this difficult process. Again, the last three of the 7 Fall Feasts reveal God’s prophecy for this generation.
5th Feast of God – TRUMPETS
1st Rapture
The first of the 3 Fall Feasts is the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) and represents redemption. It is a two-day feast. This memorial of blowing trumpets occurred at the end of the fall harvest. At the sound of the trumpets, farmers dropped what they were doing and came from the fields to the temple to praise God for his abundant provisions. The Feast of Trumpets is also a prophetic type and refers to the coming harvest of God’s people, called the Rapture. The great interval between the feasts of Pentecost and Trumpets represents time allowed for the work of the Holy Spirit.
God’s people will be plucked up, apparently into God’s house. We’re not given the exact location of God’s home, his holy mountain, but we are given a snippet of information in Ezekiel from his conversation with Lucifer before he was “let go”.
“You are the anointed cherub that covers; and I have set you so: you were upon the holy mountain of God; you have walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. You were perfect in your ways from the day that you were created, till iniquity was found in you. By the multitude of your merchandise they have filled the midst of you with violence, and you have sinned: therefore I will cast you as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.” Ezekiel 28:14-16. Regardless of any description of God’s house we can imagine, we know it’s beyond our comprehension.
“In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:2-3.
Before the Tribulation battle begins, God will rescue his children and hide them in an amazing place he has prepared.
“Go home, my people, and lock your doors! Hide yourselves for a little while until the Lord’s anger has passed. Look! The Lord is coming from heaven to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will no longer hide those who have been killed. They will be brought out for all to see.” Isaiah 26:20-21.
“Thus said the Lord God; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves anymore; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them. As a shepherd seeks out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.” Ezekiel 34:10,12
This rescue appears to be the first Rapture, which seems most likely to fall on the 5th Feast of God, Rosh Hashanah, the Feast of Trumpets, or Harvest. Therefore, those who are alive at the 1st Rapture will live in a safe (awesome) place in God’s house during the 7 years’ tribulation, and then return to earth with Christ for the final 1,000 years, the Millennium.
“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” Revelation 20:4
“This is the first resurrection. (The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years had ended.) Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. For them the second death holds no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him a thousand years.” Revelation 20:5-6.
Wow! That means if you’re alive at time of the 1st Rapture and have a relationship with God through your acceptance of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, as your Lord and Savior, you will be raptured to a special place he’s prepared for you for 7 years, and then return with him to Jerusalem, and live to be as old as trees during the Millennium.
6th Feast of God – ATONEMENT
One Day
The 6th Feast of God is the Feast of “Yom Kippur, or the ‘Day of Atonement’ is the holiest day of the Jewish year, and provides prophetic insight regarding the Second Coming of the Messiah, the restoration of national Israel, and the final judgment of the world”.
“Be careful to celebrate the Day of Atonement… You must observe it as an official day for holy assembly, a day to deny yourselves and present special gifts to the Lord. Do no work during that entire day because it is the Day of Atonement, when offerings of purification are made for you, making you right with the Lord your God. All who do not deny themselves that day will be cut off from God’s people. And I will destroy anyone among you who does any work on that day. You must not do any work at all! This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed from generation to generation wherever you live.” From Leviticus 23:27-32.
“Gather together—yes, gather together, you shameless nation. Gather before judgment begins, before your time to repent is blown away like chaff. Act now, before the fierce fury of the Lord falls and the terrible day of the Lord’s anger begins. Seek the Lord, all who are humble, and follow his commands. Seek to do what is right and to live humbly. Perhaps even yet the Lord will protect you—protect you from his anger on that day of destruction.” Zephaniah 2:1-3. “Though the people of Israel are as numerous as the sand of the seashore, only a remnant will be saved. For the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth quickly and with finality.” Romans 9:28
This 6th Feast of God, the Day of Atonement, appears to be combined with the Feast of Trumpets, the 5th Feast of God, somehow. Perhaps it will be the outpouring of people clinging to God, coming to Christ, during a major revival. Whether it follows a specific order, or not, it appears to be God’s way of saying, This is your chance to come clean before God and follow him. The rapture of God’s people will kick off the upcoming tribulation.
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Tribulation
“An appalling and horrible thing is committed in the land; The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will you do in the end thereof?” Jeremiah 5:30
Following the Day of Atonement will be a 7-year spiritual battle for souls between Satan and God. The purpose for this last 7-year battle is for all Jews to return to God. The transition, however, will be far greater than a little tricky, or bumpy. There is an exhaustive amount of detail regarding the Tribulation in the Bible. For a brief synopsis of the reasons, click Because. The battle will end as Jesus, the Christ, the visible image of the invisible God, steps in and by his word, the sword of the Spirit, ends Satan’s reign on earth.
2nd Rapture
“And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people who shall be left…”. Isaiah 11:11.
Just prior to the end of the 7-years of the Great Tribulation there appears to be a second Rapture as written in Isaiah 11:11. Consider the verse from 1 Thessalonians 4:16: “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
7th Feast of God – TABERNACLES
7-Day (7-Year) Feast
The Feast of Tabernacles is the 7th Feast of God and is referred to as the “Coming Home” Feast. It began when God led the Israelites out of Egypt and demonstrated his ability to protect them in the desert and within his Tabernacle. In the End Times, God will again provide for and protect his people as he brings both the House of Israel and the House of Judah home again to a restored Jerusalem.
“Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the Lord. On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.” Leviticus 23:34-36
As the Tribulation period ends, it is written, “And he (Jesus, the Christ) was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” Revelation 19:13-16
Tribulation Over. Conversation Done!
And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
“Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as before…” 2 Samuel 7:10
The Millennium
Every prophet in the Old Testament, with the exception of Jonah, described at least some part of the millennium prophecy. There are way too many portions to publish but following are some great examples. For the sake of understanding, please know that End Time references to Judah refer to the Jews and references to Israel refer to the Christians. See Restoring the Two Houses of Israel by Edie Chumney. Ezekiel 37:15-17
“Thus said the Lord God; When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen, then shall they dwell in their land that I have given to my servant Jacob. And they shall dwell safely therein, and shall build houses, and plant vineyards; yes, they shall dwell with confidence, when I have executed judgments upon all those that despise them round about them; and they shall know that I am the Lord their God.” Ezekiel 28:25-26
“And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.” Daniel 2:44
“At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart. In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers.” Jeremiah 3:17-18
During the Millennium God will transform the world as we know it now into a spiritually peaceful kingdom here on the earth. The 3rd temple in Jerusalem will be rebuilt and Jesus will sit on the throne for all to come and see. He will be our king; he will be our government for 1,000 years. “Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years.” Revelation 20:4. “But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.” Revelation 20:5.
“This is what the Lord said; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the Lord of hosts the holy mountain. Thus said the Lord of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof. Thus said the Lord of hosts; If it be marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvelous in my eyes? said the Lord of hosts. Thus said the Lord of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness. Thus said the Lord of hosts; Let your hands be strong, you that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, which were in the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built. For before these days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in because of the affliction: for I set all men every one against his neighbor. But now I will not be unto the residue of this people as in the former days, said the Lord of hosts. For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.” Zechariah 8:3-12
“I will make a covenant of peace with my people and drive away the dangerous animals from the land. Then they will be able to camp safely in the wildest places and sleep in the woods without fear. I will bless my people and their homes around my holy hill. And in the proper season I will send the showers they need. There will be showers of blessing. The orchards and fields of my people will yield bumper crops, and everyone will live in safety. When I have broken their chains of slavery and rescued them from those who enslaved them, then they will know that I am the Lord. They will no longer be prey for other nations, and wild animals will no longer devour them. They will live in safety, and no one will frighten them. “And I will make their land famous for its crops, so my people will never again suffer from famines or the insults of foreign nations. In this way, they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them. And they will know that they, the people of Israel, are my people, says the Sovereign Lord. You are my flock, the sheep of my pasture. You are my people, and I am your God. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!” Ezekiel 34:25-31
“Behold! I am creating new heavens and a new earth, and no one will even think about the old ones anymore. Be glad; rejoice forever in my creation! And look! I will create Jerusalem as a place of happiness. Her people will be a source of joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and delight in my people. And the sound of weeping and crying will be heard in it no more. “No longer will babies die when only a few days old. No longer will adults die before they have lived a full life. No longer will people be considered old at one hundred! Only the cursed will die that young! In those days people will live in the houses they build and eat the fruit of their own vineyards. Unlike the past, invaders will not take their houses and confiscate their vineyards. For my people will live as long as trees, and my chosen ones will have time to enjoy their hard-won gains. They will not work in vain, and their children will not be doomed to misfortune. For they are people blessed by the Lord, and their children, too, will be blessed. I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers! The wolf and the lamb will feed together. The lion will eat hay like a cow. But the snakes will eat dust. In those days no one will be hurt or destroyed on my holy mountain. I, the Lord, have spoken!” Isaiah 65:17-25
See Also: Jeremiah 23:3-8; Jeremiah 30:18-24; Jeremiah 31; Jeremiah 33:13-26; Joel 3:18-21; Amos 9:11-15; Nehemiah 9:26-32; Micah 4:1-8; Obadiah 19-21; Zechariah 14:8-21; Isaiah 1:24-28, Isaiah 61:2 (2 purposes: then and now).
Final Judgment
At the end of the 7,000th year is the Final Judgment. Those who die before or during the final Tribulation battle – without trusting God – will sleep through the 1,000 years of rest to be raised at the Final Judgment.
“And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” Revelation 20:10
“And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hades delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:12-15
Eternity
After the Final Judgment at the end of the Millennium, a new Jerusalem will descend from heaven, and Eternity will begin for those who trust and follow God. “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea. And, I, John, saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.” Revelation 21: 1-3
“And this is life eternal, that they might know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” John 17:3
“Behold, I come quickly. Blessed is he that keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
Revelation 22:7
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
“Let go my soul and trust in him; the wind and waves still know his name.”
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