Tanak Foundations-Concepts on the Natzal (Rapture)-Part 7

In Part 6 we gave examples (pictures) of the number four and six. These numbers are all in relation to the number seven, so let’s take a look at pictures of the number seven. We have the seventh day Sabbath and Jacob works for seven years to obtain a bride. Leah has seven children, six sons (6000 years) and then a girl (a picture of the bride/judge in the Sabbath of God). There is a seven year drama involving Absalom in 1 Sam 13 through 18. Seven talmidim go fishing in John 21 and there is a wedding in Cana on the seventh day (“third day” after the fourth day of John 1.43). Moses makes seven trips up Mount Sinai and Enoch was the seventh from Adam (Jude 14).

Isa 4.1 says that “seven women shall take hold of one man saying, ‘We shall eat our own food and wear our own clothes; only let us be called by your name to take away our reproach.'” This is an allusion to the complete bride (seven) in marriage to the Messiah who takes away their reproach. Dinah was the seventh child of Leah and her name means “to judge.” In the Messianic Kingdom the bride (female) will be with Yeshua and will be judges along with him.

Hos 6.1-3 says, “Come, let us return to the Lord; for he has torn, but he will heal us; he has stricken, but he will bind us up; after two days (2000 years or days five and six) he will revive us; on the third day (day seven) he will raise us up.; that we may live before him. Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord. His going forth is established as the morning; and he (Messiah) will come to us like the rain, the latter and former rain unto the earth.” Now, when were the Jewish people dispersed out of the land the last time? It was 2000 years ago when Rome came and destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple. So they left 4000 years after creation, and four plus two equals six, right? So the “third” day from the fourth day is actually the seventh day in this verse.

This concept also applies to John 1.19 through 2.1. We have already established that there were six days and then a wedding in Cana. The four days begin in John 1.19, with the second day in John 1.29. The third day is in John 1.35 and the fourth day is in John 1.43. Then John 2.1 says “on the third day” and this is in relation to the fourth day in John 1.43. The third day after day four (1.43) is the seventh day (2.1).

Eschatologically, there will be 6000 years (six days) and then a wedding at the beginning of the seventh day (1000 years) called the Messianic Kingdom, the Day of the Lord, the Atid Lavo and the Sabbath of God. We see Phillip becomes a believer on the fourth day when Yeshua says, “I saw you under the fig tree (John 1.48) and Phillip acknowledges Yeshua as the Messiah (John 1.49). Being under the fig tree is an idiom for the Messianic Kingdom (1 Kings 4.25; Mic 4.1-4; Zech 3.10) and that is why Phillip called him king in the next verse. He was saying he saw Phillip as a righteous man in the kingdom. Not only do we need to understand the concept of Jewish time and eschatology, we need to understand Jewish expressions, terms, idioms and phrases. If we fail to do this, we won’t understand the true context of what is being communicated. This is necessary to understand the concept of the Natzal (Rapture) in it Jewish context found in the Scriptures.

We have another picture in Matt 17.1-4 where it says, “After six days (6000 years) Yeshua took Peter, James and John his brother, and brought them up to a high mountain (alludes to higher insight and this took place on Mount Hermon, the place where God cut the Covenant between the Halves with Abraham in Gen 15) and he transfigured (like Moses in Exo 34) and his face shown like the sun (type of his former glory) and his garments became white as light. And Moses and Elijah (the two witnesses of the Torah and the Prophets) appeared to them, talking to him. And Peter answered and said to Yeshua, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here, if you wish, I will make three sukkahs (Lev 23.44-45) here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.'” Now Sukkahs are made at Sukkot and Sukkot is a festival that teaches the coming of the Messiah and the Messianic Kingdom after the 6000 years, or on the seventh day. Peter is making a clear connection to what he was seeing with the festival of Sukkot.

In Luke 9.28-33 we have a similar account and what seems to be a contradictory passage, but it really isn’t when you understand Jewish eschatology and time. In our passage in Matthew it says “six days” and in our passage in Luke it says, “about eight days.” In the Matthew passage we have six days, a picture of the 6000 year Olam Ha Zeh. In the Luke passage the “eight days” is alluding to the eighth day of God (after the 7000 years) called the Olam Haba (World to Come) when there is no more time. This day is rehearsed at the festival of Sukkot and it is the eighth day of the festival called Shemini Atzeret (eighth day conclusion-Lev 23.36). When using the numbers and concepts God gave to the Jewish people God communicates messages to us. Now we are going to look at the four calendars used in the Scriptures. This concept is essential in understanding the Natzal (Rapture) at its timing during the year.

How biblical are the four calendars? Exo 12.1-2 says, “This month shall be the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.” This is the month of Aviv (Nisan) and this occurs in the spring. Some believe that this is the only calendar used in the Bible but we will establish that this is not true. We will need to go back to the Tanak and Jewish understandings to see how all of this works.

Exo 12 establishes what is known as the Religious Calendar (how the festivals are set). The twelve months of the religious year are Nisan (Aviv), Iyar (Zif), Sivan, Tammuz, Av, Elul, Tishri (Ethanim), Chesvan (Bul), Kislev, Tevet, Shevat and Adar. In the Mishnah, Rosh Ha Shanah 1.1 it says, “There are four ‘New Year’ days: on the first of Nisan is the New Year for kings and feasts; on the first of Elul is the New Year for the Tithe of cattle (R.Eleazar and R. Simeon say the first of Tishri); on the first of Tishri is the New Year for the reckoning of years of foreign kings, of the years of release and Jubilee years, for the planting of trees and for vegetables; and the first of Shevat is the New Year for fruit trees (so the School of Shammai; and the School of Hillel say on the fifteenth thereof).”

So, in this passage from the Mishnah we learn that there is a Civil Calendar beginning of Tishri 1. The twelve months of the Civil Calendar are Tishri (Ethanim), Chesvan (Bul), Kislev, Tevet, Shevat, Adar, Nisan (Aviv), Iyar (Zif), Sivan, Tammuz, Av and Elul. To calculate time in the Bible, from Gen 1.1 to Exo 11.10, the Civil Calendar would need to be used. From Exo 12.1 onward you would use the Religious Calendar (the one that starts in Nisan or Aviv).

In Part 8 we will begin by giving you an example of the Civil and Religious calendar being used in the same passage and then move on to discuss the biblical calendars in more detail. Keep in mind that we are just laying foundational teaching for the Natzal and knowing these calendars will relate to what biblical festival the Naztal (Rapture) will occur on, and what time of year, and to understanding the dates of the Birth-pains and significant prophetic events during that period.

Posted in All Teachings, Articles, Idioms, Phrases and Concepts, Prophecy/Eschatology, The Festivals of the Lord, The Tanak, Tying into the New Testament

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*