God has a Master Calendar that reveals His plan for the world. We should know and understand it so that we are ready for His coming.
But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. (1 Thessalonians 5:1,2)
There are two Greek words used for times and seasons. The first, chronos speaks of a timeline and the latter, kairos speaks of specific moments or appointments along that timeline. It is speaking of a calendar, God’s calendar to be specific. Did God put His calendar in the Bible revealing what He was going to do in the earth? Absolutely!
The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts. (Leviticus 23:2)
God’s feasts are a timeline of appointments that were to be rehearsals of Messiah’s work in the life of Israel. Three times a year the men of Israel were to appear at Jerusalem for an encounter with the Most High God. These occurred on the feasts of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. There were a total of seven feasts, four in the Spring (Passover, Unleavened Bread, First-fruits, Pentecost) and three in the fall (Trumpets, Atonement, Tabernacles). They reveal the first and second coming of Christ to the earth to accomplish the plan of God.
Jesus fulfilled the Spring feasts when He came to redeem man from sin through His death, burial, and resurrection. Jesus will come again to the earth to redeem the nation of Israel and establish His Kingdom from Jerusalem. This will fulfill the fall feasts. The fall feasts begin with the feast of trumpets which signaled the completion of the harvest and preparations for the great Day of Atonement and Tabernacles. At Christ’s return with the Church to Jerusalem, there will be a great trumpet sounded to gather his elect upon the earth which signals the day of Israel’s atonement and the beginning of tabernacles. Tabernacles is a picture of the Lord dwelling amongst His people bringing in a 1000 year period of peace and prosperity the world has never known.
However, before Christ returns there will be a seven year period of tribulation leading up to the return of Christ. This time is described by the Jewish prophets as a dark hour of destruction for Gentile Nations.
Wail, for the day of the LORD is at hand! It will come as destruction from the Almighty. Behold, the day of the LORD comes, Cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate; and He will destroy its sinners from it. (Isaiah 13:6,9)
Zechariah 12-14 makes it clear that Jerusalem will be the center of controversy drawing the Nations in battle against her.
For on that day I will begin to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on the people of Jerusalem. They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who has died.—Zechariah 12:9-10 NLT
Daniel 12:1 calls it the greatest time of trouble ever to take place in human history.
And at that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who shall be found written in the book.—Daniel 12:1 MEV
Jesus quoted Daniel and called it a time of great tribulation.
So when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), For then will be great tribulation, such as has not happened since the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever shall be.—Matthew 24:15,21 MEV
Keep your eyes on Israel and Jerusalem it is a sign that the day of the Lord is near! The good news is that the church will be delivered from this horrible time of judgment.
But don’t forget this important fact, we will be raptured before the tribulation period of 7 years. The destiny of the church is salvation not judgment because we have accepted the work of the cross and have put our trust in the shed blood of Jesus Christ. The world will not escape what is coming.
For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.
But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night.
But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.—1 Thessalonians 5:2-9
The illustration of a breastplate and helmet instruct us to do three things in light of Christ’s return…
1. Live by faith and not by sight!
2. Live by the royal commandment of love!
3. Live with the expectation that Christ could come today!
Finish Strong! 