January 6, 2018


I am speculating that the end game for watching Christians (Philadelphian Church per Revelation 3:7ff) may be discerned as being at hand now.


Many thought and a few wrote that the rapture of the ready believers would be in 2017. A couple of watchers even said they had been so informed by dream, vision, and/or words from the Lord. And a Five Doves watcher named Charles declared a few years ago that he was told that the rapture event would be on a Thursday, but which Thursday he did not know.


So, here we are in 2018, on the last Christmas as celebrated by the world's oldest churches, the Greek and Eastern Orthodox. For them January 6, 2018 is Christmas day and that is today as I write this. However, for those of us who are observing the Gregorian calendar, the date of Christmas was on December 25, 2017. The so-called twelve days of Christmas separate these two dates, December 24/25 and January 5/6 every year.


I believe that Jesus Christ was indeed born on December 24/25, that is after sunset in the beginning darkness of December 25. I believe this can be proven by using the numbers of His name. That is, in both Greek and Hebrew, the number for Jesus is 888 and His second name “Savior” is numbered 14 (Matt 1:21). He did not come as Messiah or ruler then, but His mission was to seek and save that which was lost of the house of Israel. Thus His name was rightly Jesus Savior.


Multiply 888 x 14 and the product is 12,432 days from His conception to His death on the cross. Remove the 14 days of conception to fertilization and then the 266 days of gestation leading to birth, which together totals 280 days and the end product is 12,432 – 280 = 12,152 days from birth to death. Then find the Passover date of His death which in year 33 was April 3, and count back from Passover 12,152 days. The product of the count is December 25, 00.


Gabriel's announcement to Mary and the overshadowing event by the Holy Spirit thereby concepting the baby was on the Spring equinox, March 20, 00, exactly 280 days earlier. I conclude that December 25 is the correct date of His physical birth. (By the way, I was in Israel in January, 1967 and it was comfortably warm then and shepherds would have had no problem tending sheep in the field).


Darkness fell over the earth when the Shepherd of our souls died for our sins on that cruel and terrible instrument of torture and death, the cross. There was no living Jesus Savior for three days and nights until Sunday, April 7, 33 when He rose from the dead. (Matt 12:40). Those three days were the darkest days possible for the disciples, who had hidden themselves for fear of both the Jews and the Romans. Spiritually speaking, for them the world was one long nightmare. Next, for the world, it may be one long nightmare once again.


As stated at the beginning, this is my speculation of where we are now relative to the rapture event.


Dec 25, 2017 was our 7 days time of alert just as Noah had a 7 days time of alert. It ran through Dec 31, 2017. On that day the rapture was to happen, EXCEPT, there was and is a delay of 21 days, the very same as which occurred in Daniel's day when the Israelis were to be released from Babylonian captivity. Why? God said that it was then and is now because of the WAR in heaven (Dan 10:13). Satan tried hard to prevent the release of the captives then and he is trying extra hard now to prevent his own ouster. For it is now time for Satan to be cast to earth along with the fallen angels. Thus a mighty war is underway to try to prevent the casting out. Satan will lose after 21 days, just as he did in Daniel's day.


Our home-going was to have been December 31/January 1 using sunset to sunset as is done in Israel. But it has been delayed by the war in heaven. Satan and his horde of fallen angels must be coming down to earth January 21/22. This will cause a time of darkness (such as occurred when Jesus lay in the tomb, when spiritual darkness covered the earth). These three additional days will end January 24/25. Our leaving should be here, after the days of darkness, during which, perhaps the dead in Christ will rise and we will be transformed as well. (I Thess 4:16 ff and I Cor 15:51ff). (And, bro Charles, this will let you know that January 24 will be on a Thursday).


There remains only 18 days to the count down to 0. During this time, I believe that God will be testing the souls and hearts of men and women as to their fitness to enter into His Kingdom. Please, we must not turn back into the world. Pray and stay separated unto the Lord. Read the book of 1 John and abide in Him who loves you and me more than we can ever know. Claim 1 John 1:9 and live in love and forgiveness.


To sum up, I speculate that the end has come upon us now. I cannot say for certain because God has claimed the knowledge of the day and hour to Himself, but I think the time may be at or near January 21-24. There are 24 time zones and 2 days on earth all the time, so only God could know the actual hour and day.


Maranatha


Gerry Almond