July 16, 2016

According to Mother Earth News, the grape growing season is right now, in late July at the point where the tender grapes are at their highest fragrance time. The smell can be sensed all around the countryside, say the growers. These grapes are the same as those in Israel with respect to the seasonal growth. And right now, late July on the Gregorian calendar is the time of the Song of Songs chapter 2, verse 13a.

All the agrisigns of the Song are now present since the Spring equinox on March 20/21, 2016. We have gone through the passing of winter; the spring flowers; the singing of the birds; the voice of the turtledoves; the fig tree's green figs; and finally the tender grapes with fragrance. Now is the time; now is the hour for part b of the Song of Songs chapter 2, verse 13.

It is time for the Philadelphia Church age Christians to be raptured along with the dead in Christ. All of the signs and agrisigns are present. It is evidently time for “Arise my fair one and come away” (Song of Solomon 2:13b).

It is time for something else as well. According to 1 Thessalonians 5:2, 3a. “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say peace and safety, then cometh Sudden Destruction ....”This destruction is upon the Laodicea Church age Christians left behind and, of course the world too. And verse 4 says that the Philadelphia Church age Christians are in the light, not to taken by surprise. This event may occur July 21/22, 2016 on the Feast of Tu B Av. It appears to be a very appropriate and proper time for it.

THE FEAST OF TU B AV

Tu B'Av occurs on the 15th of Av each year It is the most loved of days in the Israeli experience as it marked the end of the awful Tisha B'Av “desert” curse. That was when the generation that God said would die without entering the promised land would dig graves, lie down in them and a portion would die in the night. In the year the dying ceased, the Jews declared Tu B'Av to be a day of celebration.

Of interest to this article is the Benjamite experience. The tribe of Benjamin declared civil war on the other tribes. After the bloodshed, only 600 warriors remained alive and these were banished by the Jewish authority to the land of Edom, across the Jordan River. In order to prevent the tribe of Benjamin from extinction, the Jews allowed these 600 warriors to marry “daughters from Shiloh”. (Judges 21:16-24). Shiloh was the first capital of Israel. Because of intense dislike of the Benjamites for their war on other Israelites, it was pledged that no one would willingly give his daughter to a Benjamite, but the decision was made to “look the other way” should a Benjamite run off with a girl who was dancing on the day of Tu B'Av. So, those willing to dance in the moonlight in the vineyards of Shiloh did so, and if a Benjamite captured them (shades of Sadie Hawkins day from L'il Abner) they could keep them.

Over the years this feast became a wonderful celebration of love and marriage. It resembled a sort of Valentine's day as we have it in modern America. Flowers, dates, proposals, love promises and weddings were the norm and are today in Israel.

So popular has it become, that it is the most popular day of the year, besides Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, which ranks beside it in popularity. It has become a day of summer dancing and a courtship celebration. The girls would all dress in the same white dress so that their wealth or lack thereof could not be discerned. Today, in Israel, the girls actually dance in the same vineyards as then, while classic artists provide the music for them to dance by. Isn't it romantic? Just like the Song of Solomon with its high romance.

It is interesting to note, relating to the prophetic nature of the Song of Solomon, that the grape harvest begins on Tu B'Av and ends on Yom Kippur. The final agrisign of Song 2:10ff is the tender grapevines giving off a wonderful smell.

Finally, this the last Jewish holiday of the year. It is easy to see that it marks a time of happiness and joy that prophetically heralds the marriage supper of the Lamb. That's us dear Christians. That is us!  It also speaks to the actual marriage of the Lamb. (Rev 19:6-9).

Is it time now for us, who have obeyed our Lord and Savior, who have lived our lives for Him to be blessed with unspeakable joy of marrying Him, is it not?  I believe so.

Maranatha

Gerry Almond