Hello Ola, John and Doves,
I'd like to comment on Ola's last letter to Doves on 29 July 2018.
Thank you Ola for this excellent letter on Pentecost. And thank you for showing the count to Pentecostthis year. Pentecost, Tuesday, the 21st of August.
I believe that this count is the correct way to determine Pentecost (or at least very close :)). It puts Pentecost in August instead of the accepted month of May. If we accept the translations of what Peter said (about new wine) then May is too early for 'new wine' as the grape harvest doesn't start in Israel until the 5th month of the Jewish calendar - the month of Av, which is our Julyish time. https://www.bible-history.com/geography/seasons_months_israel.html
"5 July (Av, grapes, figs and olives are ripe). During this month the intense summer heat is cooled by the westerlybreezes and commoners are buy on their threshing floors.6 August (Elul, vintage begins). This is the hottest month of the year, and even on the coast it is 90 degrees in the shade, and much hotter inland. During this month the grapes, figs, peaches, apples, and pears ripen."
And Peter refutes the crowd at Pentecost: "Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine." http://biblehub.com/asv/acts/2-13.htm
New wine is made after the grape harvest starting in July. May is too early for 'new wine'.
The prophet Micah (Micah 7 http://biblehub.com/niv/micah/7.htm) writes about a time where all the good men/'the faithful' have vanished from the earth. And no upright person remains. All the people that are left hunt each other - seeking blood; their hands are skilled in doing evil; judges, and rules take bribes and can't be trusted; they conspire among themselves.
He goes on and writes that the day G-d visits you has come;the day of your watchmen has come - they have sounded the alarm. There is confusion about what has happened.
This sounds like a description of the Rapture - Jesus has come, the watchmen have sounded the alarm, the faithful have vanished/been raptured and those that are left are confused by this disappearance. ("now is the time of their confusion"/"now shall be their perplexity")
He writes, trust no one - not friend, not neighbor, son, wife - a man's enemies are his own family members.
This sounds like a description of what is happening among people in the Tribulation - neighbor against neighbor, son against father. Micah says 'Woe is me!'
Also, Micah may be giving us a hint as to when this will take place; he writes that he is 'like one who gathers summer fruit' but finds no grapes to eat and no early figs. This would be in the time of July/August.
And in Act 2, when Peter is talking and tells the crowd that his people are not drunk, he goes on and says "No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel" http://biblehub.com/niv/acts/2.htm. Peter goes on and talks about sons and daughters prophesying, young men seeing visions, old men having dreams. G-d showing wonders in the heavens and signs in the earth - blood, fire, smoke; the sun turned to darkness, the moon to blood before the Day of the Lord.
But this IS NOT what happened on Peter's Pentecost - no visions, no dreams, no signs in the heaven/earth, no sun darkened, no moon turned to blood. Peter's people were speaking in various languages "declaring the wonders of G-d in various tongues" - that's what was going on on Peter's Pentecost. They weren't prophesying or speaking of visions, the moon wasn't turned to blood, etc.. So was Peter confused? No Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit! I believe he was describing a future Pentecost! What will happen on Pentecost in some future year - before the 'great and glorious day of the Lord comes'.
IF all of what Joel prophesied comes to pass on a future Pentecost, people can easily see this in Acts 2 - exactly as Peter said. Then they will know it was all prophesied. G-d's word is true - He had warned them.
Micah 7:7But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord,
I wait for God my Savior;
my God will hear me.
Marantha!
Chance