A Bitter Winter! A Prelude to ...

A Glorious Spring!

By Pastor F. M. Riley
January 11, 2018

"The voice of My beloved! behold, He cometh leaping upon the
mountains, skipping upon the hills.

My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, He standeth
behind our wall, He looketh forth at the windows, showing Himself
through the lattice.

My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, My love. Myfair one.
and come away.

For, 10, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;

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.

The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the
tender grape give a good smell. Arise, My love, Myfair one, and come
away." Song of Solomon 2:8-13.

Introduction

When I awoke from sleep this morning the temperature was 11
degrees. Yes, I did say eleven degrees. According to the weather
forecast, we here in Missouri are in for six more days of below freezing
temperatures. Yesterday, after some two to three weeks of bitter cold
weather, the temperature actually got up to 60 degrees. but then about
noon the wind shifted, and began blowing from the North, and the
temperature began to drop. By 5 p.m. it was already down into the 20's,
and it kept right on going down through the night.

This has been one of the most bitter cold winters here in Missouri,
that we have experienced in many years. This winter is a perfect
prelude to the "glory" that will suddenly come upon us this Spring. Ifwe
believe what King Solomon had to say about the return of the Lord, then
our precious Lord is coming for His children this Spring! Glory to God!
Thank you Lord Jesus for "the blessed hope" of your soon coming!

The Song of Solomon

This inspired book was written by King Solomon, who according to
the inspired Scriptures, was one of the wisest men who has ever lived

on the earth in all of human history. Therefore, our readers would

show wisdom themselves by paying attention to what Solomon had to

say about the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Coming with a Sound

King Solomon said that God's people would hear "the voice" of the
Lord as He returns to take His people "home" to glory. The old
patriarch Job, basically said the same thing in Job 14:15, "Thou shalt
call, and I will answer Thee: Thou wilt have a desire to the work of
Thine hands." Centuries later the Apostle Paul said the same thing.
Read 1 Thessalonians 4:16. The inspired Word says that every word
shall be established in the mouth of "two or three witnesses," and the
Lord God practices-what He- preaches, Deu-teronomy-19:15;-Matthew
18:16; 2 Corinthians 13:1. In these Scriptures we find three inspired
"witnesses" who all agreee, that when the Lord returns, His return will
be heard by His people as He calls us to Himself, "Rise up, My love, My
fair one, and come away," Songs 2:10; 2:13; John 14:3.

The Timing

King Solomon then proceeded to set forth the timing of the Lord's
return in these Scriptures used for a text for this study. Solomon

explicitly stated .

"For.To, the winter is past ... " 2:11. This states quite dearly that the
winter season will have ended. On our Gentile calendar in use today,
the winter season ends, and Spring begins on March 20th. This is
exactly 12 days before the Jewish Passover on March 31st. Could there
be a connection?

Notice that Solomon also said that " ... the rain is over and gone,"
2:11. This refers to the "latter rain" that comes on the land of Israel in
the Spring of the year.The "former rain" comes on the land of Israel in
the fall of the preceding year. Both rains are typical of the two comings
of the Lord. See Joel 2:23, carefully noticing Joel's reference to "the
first month." The first month on the Jewish calendar which the Lord
God gave to Israel in Exodus 12 is the month of Abib [Nisan], which this
year, on our Gentile calendar, begins on March 18th.

, Then Solomon also said, "The flowers appear on the earth ... ," 2:12.
Every reader knows that the flowers begin pushing up through the soil
in the Spring of the year.

And then, " ... the time of the singing of birds is come ... ," 2:12. Those
readers who are observant have likely noticed that birds are fairly quiet

in the summer, and during the winter months. It is only in the Spring of
the year that birds really burst forth into song, likely for the purpose of
attracting a mate. For example, Solomon also said,

" ... and the voice of the turtle [dove] is heard in our land ... ." 2:12.

Any reader who has spent much time outdoors, knows that the turtle
doves begin their "cooing" in the Spring of the year. They are definitely
"cooing" for a mate in order to produce little ones, and their "cooing"
fills the air in the Spring. One of the most lovely sounds made by birds!
When I was a young man, I enjoyed hunting for "wild game." I went
"dove hunting" a few times, but soon gave it up. Turtle doves are just
too lovely, peaceful, and harmless for this preacher to kill and eat. Read

Matthew 3:1-6, Mark 1:10_, Luke 3:22_, 'and John '1:32.' . . .

The Spring of the year is also the time when "The fig tree putteth
forth her green figs"'I" 2:13. This is a truth of nature; a fig tree does
begin producing figs in the Spring of the year.However, there may also
be a spiritual truth to this statement of Solomon. Will this Spring be the
time when many of the Jewish people [perhaps 144,000] turn to the
Lord Jesus Christ as their Messiah and Savior? We will soon know, for
Spring is coming!

Solomon also added, " ... and the vines with the tender grape give a
good smell," 2:13. If our readers have ever been in a vineyard during
the Spring of the year, or even close to grape vines planted in someone's
yard, they know the truth of Solomon's statement. When the vines
begin putting on grapes in the Spring of the year, they exude such a
sweet, pleasing, wonderful smell.

The Lord's Call

Then for a second time, Solomon was inspired of the Lord God to
issue the Lord's call to the His Church and people, "Arise, My love, My
fair one, and come away," 2:13.

Don't fail to notice that in this call, repeated twice in this text, the
Lord is expressing His love for His Bride and people, "My love," and His
regard for His Bride and people, "My fair one." It is obviously because
He loves us, and has such a high regard for us, that He is calling us to
"come away" from out of " ... this present evil world, ... " Galatians 1:4.

Every true believer will hear His call, and will be "caught up" to
glory, "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for
the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible,

and we shall be changed," 1 Corinthians 15:52. Glory to God!

Hallelujah! Praise the Lord Jesus! What a glorious "blessed hope" is
reserved for all who have truly received Christ Jesus as their Savior and
Lord, Titus 2:13-15.

Conclusion

King Solomon, one of the wisest men who has ever lived in human
history, wrote by Divine Inspiration, that the Lord Jesus Christ will
return for His believing saints in the Spring of the year. I personally
choose to believe what he has said!

And due to the many "signs" the Lord has given to His people in His
Word, that we were to watch for, many of which have already come to
pass, I choose to believe that our Savior and Lord will come for us this
Spring. No, I do not know the "date," and am not setting a "date." But
Solomon, by inspiration of God, set the time of the year, and I believe
this will be the most "qlorious Spring" for God's people that we will
have ever experienced. Are you ready? John 3:36 and Ephesians 2:8-
10 are still in the Bible!

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Permission is granted to any true believer or Bible believing Christian
ministry to reproduce this study to share with others. Please do!

I truly thank every reader for their prayers for me and for this Bible
Study ministry which, by the grace of God, I gratefully continue to carry
on for our Lord and His people. I truly need your prayers. Thank you!

Please address all comments, questions, and correspondence to me
at: Pastor F. M. Riley, 14275 County Road 8120_, Rolla, Missouri 65401.Any reader desiring to speak with me personally, should call me at: 573-202-6493. This is my new phone number, and it works great. I am usually at home all during the week, except for Sunday. And yes, you
may feel free to call in the evening or night.God bless every reader, is my prayer. Please meet me in glory!
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