The Date of the Rapture?

For thousands of years people have been guessing when the rapture will be. Paul thought it would be in his time. Just read his words in Rom 16:20: “And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet SHORTLY. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.” The apostle John also thought it would happen during his lifetime. For in Rev 1:1 we read, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which MUST SHORTLY COME TO PASS; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John.” Both Paul and John thought Jesus was coming quickly. But they were wrong. Almost two thousand years wrong! Date setting for Christ's return didn’t stop with the apostles. The Catholic Church expected the Lord’s return in the year 1000 A.D. They were way off! Miller set the date in the 1800’s, and boy was he wrong! And then you have Charles T. Russell (the founder of the Jehovah Witnesses) setting the return of the Lord in 1914, or, um, was it 1917, um, I mean 1918? Oh, that’s right, he was wrong on all the many different dates he set, as well as those who came after him setting dates in the 1940’s, and 1970’s. And then there’s the book: “88 Reasons why Jesus Must Come in 1988?” It sold very well, until 1988 was over! Then the author decided he’d try to sell “89 Reasons why Jesus Must Come in 1989!” Obviously sales weren’t as good as expected. I remember my old Pastor boldly proclaiming 1993 as the year of the rapture, as that would leave 7 years exactly for the tribulation, and then Jesus could come at Armageddon in the year 2000. But Jesus didn’t come. The reason being is the book of Daniel tells us that the two thousand years of the church age starts when the Messiah was “cut off” (i.e. crucified), and not when he was born. 1998 was the new date set by many because the number 1998 is the sum of 666 x 3. Again they were wrong. When 2000 rolled around, quite a few Christians looked at the new millennium as a great time for Christ’s return. But nothing happened. And then we heard nothing of the rapture, or a date for years. That is until I hypothesized the year 2010 in a small gospel tract. Was I wrong? I think so. I’m leaning more now to 2011, 2012, or even 2033. But some are saying I’m not wrong about 2010, and that the rapture must come in the Fall of 2010, around September. But this is not what I’ve been taught. I’ve always heard from scholars, preachers, and Bible teachers that the rapture must come in the Spring. And I’m going to give you a few reasons why below. First of all, there are the three feasts in Israel in which all men had to appear before the Lord. These were: 1. Feast of Passover 2. Feast of Pentecost 3. Feast of Tabernacles The first, Passover, takes place first during the year, and corresponds with when Jesus died on the cross. The Bible clearly calls Him: Christ, the Passover (1 Cor. 5:7) Second is the feast of Pentecost which takes place 50 days after the Passover. It was during Pentecost that Jesus rose up into heaven in front of his apostles in the book of Acts chapter 1. Verse eleven tells us these important words: “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” Many take this verse to say that Jesus went up at Pentecost, and thus he must come back (at the rapture) on the feast of Pentecost. This would make the rapture around March or April on our calendar. Then there is the feast of Tabernacles. It was a feast in which the people of Israel built “booths.” (See Lev. 23:41-43 and Neh. 8:14). Now, why is it important to mention the booths. Well, if you look at the following verses, you’ll see Peter mentioning building booths… 1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, 2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. 3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. 4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. (Mat 17:1-4) Here is a type of the Second Advent, or Armageddon. Jesus sees Moses and Elijah (the two witnesses in the tribulation), and he is transfigured in front of them. Peter then wants to build tabernacles for all three of them. Why? I believe he’s thinking about the feast of tabernacles, and he wants to build them something nicer than just booths. The interesting thing is the first four words in verse one: “And after six days…” If you take 2 Peter 3:8 that one day is one thousand years and one thousand years is like one day, you would get 6000 years in the verse. That is to say in type after 6000 years, Jesus is transfigured. This would make it even more applying to the Second Advent. In Levi. 23:34-35 we read more of the feast of tabernacles: “34 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. 35 On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.” Notice the feast of tabernacles is spoken of as a feast of seven days (the seven thousandth year of history, known as the millennium?), and is a holy feast in which men are not to work. Sounds like a type of the millennial rest to me! Each of the three feasts correspond with the life of Jesus in order. Passover with his crucifixion. Pentecost with his return to heaven. Thus, would not Tabernacles correspond with his return at Armageddon to rule and reign in the millennium, when he tabernacles among men? I believe it does, and this is why I don’t believe the feast of tabernacles, which usually falls on or around September in our calendar, can be the date of the rapture. Another reason why the rapture must come in the Spring is found in the book of Song of Solomon. In 2:10-13 we read the following: “10 My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. 11 For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; 12 The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; 13 The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.” Song of Solomon is a great type of Christ and the church. Thus, the above passages would speak of Christ’s return for his bride at the rapture. Notice it pin points the season in which the rapture comes, by saying the winter is past, and the flowers appear. Further, it’s a time of singing of birds, and the voice of the turtle. And, it’s when the fig tree gives figs and when the tender grape gives a good smell. All this points to one season—SPRING TIME! This is what I’ve been taught, and why I personally believe that the rapture will be in the Spring during Pentecost. I hope I’m wrong! I hope he’ll come in September of 2010 or even sooner! But I think Jesus is coming in the Spring Time in the next few years, and no later than 2033! Got anymore reasons why the rapture must come in Spring? If so, I’d like to hear them.