Second Passover seems to me to be the least understood of all the spring feasts, yet it is clearly the feast about the bride and groom.  It originates in Numbers 9, a number which represents immortal or incorruptible man. Bear with me and I will show you why, as well as some important information contained in this feast which applies to the rapture events (yes, plural).

 

Leviticus 23 describes the spring and fall feasts as they were originated by God. These feasts were holy convocations, even as the seventh day was a holy convocation in which no work should be done.  The Lord starts first with Passover, followed by the 7 day Feast of Unleavened Bread.  In verse 15 we find that the period from Passover to Pentecost is marked by counting 7 Sabbaths, with Pentecost falling on the day after the 7th Sabbath (the 50th day in the count). This 7 week period is called the Feast of Weeks.  In verse 17, we see that Pentecost is a day when 2 leavened loaves (made with fine meal and oil) are presented as firstfruits unto the Lord.  Note:  the meal is not desigated as any particular kind...but the bread is leavened.  

 

So we see here that the spring feasts are about firstfruits....even as the bride of Revelations 14:1-5 is called firstfruits unto God.  Actually, there are 3 such groups of firstfruits, all who will serve (reign) with Jesus Christ during His millenial reign.  These will rule and judge along side Jesus as depicted in scripture as early as the 4th day of creation.  The first group was the many (not all) OT saints who were resurrected and ascended with Jesus.  They were the winter/early spring crop.  The next 2 groups, the bride and the tribulation saints, are the work of the Holy Spirit, sent by Jesus after His ascension.  The bride is the barley, a mid to late spring crop and the tribulation saints are the wheat, an early summer crop. These latter 2 are the object of the 2 loaves presented before the Lord at Pentecost.  They enter into heaven via the 2 doors of Matthew 24:33.  These doors are 7 years apart....separated by the first 7 years of the Seals of Revelations (Seal 1 to the 4th Trumpet). 

 

In Leviticus 23:24, God begins discussing the fall feasts which begin in the 7th month (God's calendar, not man's).  In verse 39, we see that God mentions the gathering in of the Fruit of the Land.....but He does not mention firstfruits.  Firstfruits are the subject of the spring feasts.  Personally, I believe the fall feasts are about Jesus' triumpful return with the saints to set up His millenial reign....as well later about the last days resurrection and white throne judgment.  Throughout the Hebrew history, the fall was a time of coronation of Kings and the beginning of government rule.

 

All this said, I watch each day for the groom.  Why?  Because Jesus told us to.....said there might be a surprise.  I am especially watchful during all the feasts, but of all the feasts, none excites me like Second Passover.  It is tailor made for the rapture of the bride.

 

The origination of Second Passover:  When the Israelite children had been wandering but a year from their deliverance, they began to prepare for a Passover celebration.  However,  there were those who were defiled by the touching of the dead who could not participate for they were unclean.  To not participate in the required Passover celebration was cause to be kicked out of the congregation.  It was a serious offense.  These went to Moses for guidance. 

 

Moses commands them....."Stand Still"....and I will hear what the Lord has to say.  To "Stand Still or Be Still" is a requirement to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit, a meek and quiet voice.  The Lord spake unto Moses....."If any man of you or your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be on a journey afar off, yet shall he keep the passover unto the Lord.  The fourteenth day of the Second Month at even they shall keep it, and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.  They shall leave none of it unto the morning, nor break any bone of it: according to all the ordinances of the passover they shall keep it."

 

Let's take note of a few things here.  First, the Lord was not asked about a man on a far journey......the Lord just up and added that.  My friend, that was for Him, the groom.  When He ascended, He went on a far journey to get Himself a Kingdom.  Secondly, the feast of Second Passover was to be held exactly on the 14th day (at evening) of the Second Month.  This is exactly 30 days after First Passover....but what it does is change the day of the week by 2 days.  Lastly, Second Passover was to be conducted by all the ordinances of First Passover....an exact duplicate.

 

Keep in mind, Passover preparation required a lamb to be brought into the home on the 10th day of the First month (see Exodus 12:3).  For Second Passover a lamb would be brought into the home on the 10th day of the Second Month.  Where have we seen this day before?  Check out the story of Noah....he began to load the ark on this day.  No.....God has never changed His calendar.  In fact, God tells us it is His enemy Satan who seeks to change times and laws.  What happened in Exodus 12 was the Hebrew children had been in bondage so long, they had forgotten their calendar and adopted the Egyptian calendar.  God was just getting them back on track. 

 

What about those defiled by the touching of the dead?  First Passover is stated by God to be about the deliverance of the people from bondage.  Surely, the lamb represented the coming Messiah and His death for our salvation.  But, the story continues when Jesus finally arrives and this story is completed on the night before His death.

 

As he celebrated the Passover with his disciples....the unfolding of the meal becomes center stage.  The story is told in Matthew, Mark and Luke, each with a few different details.  In essence, Jesus took the bread and commanded His disciples to eat....saying this is my body given for you.  Then Jesus took the cup of wine and commanded His disciples to drink ye all of it.....saying this is my blood, shed for the remission of sins....it is the blood of the New Testament Covenant.   Note the past tense nature of Jesus' speech as He speaks of events to come.  Jesus did not say this bread and wine were symbolic or represented His body and blood....but said...this is my body and blood shed (died/dead).....eat.... drink ye all of it. 

 

What we have here is the beginning of the New Testament Covenant sealed by His blood......and the followers were commanded to eat and drink the blood of Jesus.....a dead man.  To the Jewish way of thinking.....one could not get more defiled than to eat of a dead body and drink the blood....it would be sacriledge.   Yet, here we have Jesus telling the disciples.....if you (my followers) will not do this.....you have nothing to do with me.  It becomes a right of passage for believers even as baptism.  Like baptism....it is a symbolic act of....from death unto life.

 

This Passover meal was changed for the believers into the Lord's Supper.  We are charged to perform it as often as we wish....in remembrance of Him.  Further, it not only began the New Testament Covenant....but brought an end to the Old Testament Covenant.  So we not only go from death unto life.....but we end the "law" which led to death and gp to grace which gives life.

 

Lastly, why Second Passover is about the rapture of the bride.  Leviticus 23:15 mentioned a specific count of days for the spring feasts....counted from Sabbath to Sabbath....called counting the omer.  This count is set so that all the key events in the spring feasts fall on specific days (not only in the count, but specific days of the week).  The lamb was to be brought into the home on a Sabbath, the 10th day.  The lamb was to be killed on a Wednesday afternoon, the 4th day of the week.  It was to be eaten after sunset (technically, Thursday, the 5th day).  Jesus was to be resurrected and presented before the Father on Sunday.  The time period between involved Jesus being in the earth 3 fully complete nights and 3 fully complete days.....partials did not count...as was Wednesday before He was placed in the grave and Saturday night when he arose somewhere around midnight.  Martha came to the grave while it was still dark....and Jesus was not there....the angel said he had already arose.

 

From Genesis chapter one....the day of the week is important to God.  He did not give the days of the weeks names, but only numbered them.  The name of the days is the work of Satan and men to draw man's attention away from some important numerical pictures God wants us to see.  While man's calendar has changed several times, most notably with the Julian and Gregorian calendars...and man has surely lost track of the days....man has never lost track of the day of the week.  Jesus recognized the Sabbath when He came in the flesh.

 

Let's continue on with this Sabbath Omer count.  Jesus arose on a Sunday, 3 days from Passover, but 4 days from His actual death.  He was presented before the Father, a wave sheath offering.  We continue the count and note He ascended 40 days after His resurrection (inclusive count).  This ascension was then on a Thursday, the 5th day of the week...40 days from resurrection and 44 days from His death on the cross (again, inclusive count).....and 43 days from Passover.  Keep in mind, the original Passover in which the angel passed over taking the lives of the Egyptian firstborn....took place on a Wednesday evening around midnight (technically by God's reckoning a Thursday).  I'm confident...God has never missed on any of these details...and won't in the near future either.

 

We see there is a specific count of days all way to Pentecost.....7 Sabbaths (49 days) plus the next day, a Sunday Pentecost, when the 2 loaves are presented to the Lord as firstfruits.  All this is tied to specific days of the week.  I think this is where men have been wrong about our Passover celebrations where our religious guides have kept it strictly by the full moon.  The full moon is important, but the day of the week is even moreso.  Ecclesiasties 1:9 says the things which have been shall be....what has been done shall be done....there is nothing new under the sun.  Personally, I think God is meticulous and will stick to the details.....it proclaims His glory. 

 

Now, just where does Second Passover fit in this perfect set of 50 days.  Well, it occurs 30 days after First Passover....and if First Passover fell on a Wednesday evening/Thursday....then Second Passover falls on a Friday evening/Saturday.....a Sabbath day.  It falls on a double holy convocation....a high holy feast day (Second Passover) and a Sabbath.  Remember to keep the Sabbath holy?  Job 11:6 says the Secrets of Wisdom are double to that which is......and Passover is the only feast (along with its accompanied Feast of Unleavened Bread) which is double celebrated.

 

If you are counting days and comparing days of the week.....you should now see that Second Passover falls on the 4th Sabbath Omer of the 7 week Feast of Weeks.  Now go read Revelations 1: 12-13 & 20.....where John sees the 7 candles before the throne....and Jesus standing in the midst of them (i.e. the middle or #4 position).  We see in verse 20, these 7 candles represent the 7 churches and there is a mystery to them.  Now, go read Exodus 25: 31-40....the 7 candle candlestick which God told Moses to make to light the inner tabernacle.  The scripture says....God showed Moses the pattern....and it is no doubt the same as the 7 candles before the throne.  It is 6 candles joined in pairs to a center (#4 position) candle.  This center #4 candle also contained 4 almond shaped bowls which were to hold the oil to light the lamps. 

 

If you got this far.....now go read Genesis 1:14-18....God's creation on the 4th day.  It says He created the sun, moon and stars (elements of physical light)....and they were to be used as signs and to mark the days and years, i.e. a celestial calendar.  He made the sun to rule over the day and the moon to rule over the night.  Back on day one, God had made light, but instead of giving light total rule, he divided day and night, each to rule a portion of the day.  Now, on day 4, the sun (light) still rules over the day, but darkness has now a new ruler, the moon.  Mentioned throughout these 4 verses......is a battle over right to rule and divide (judge).  Clearly, the sun represents the Son of God....and the moon represents the bride of Christ.  Both are given the right to rule and divide (judge).  The stars afar off are the holy angels which watch these earthly events.

 

By now....you should be able to clearly see a figure of 7 in these symbolic designs of God....and you should clearly see that the 4 is preeminent in this design.  The 7 represents the 7000 year plan in which God deals with Satan and the rebellion.  The 4 represents the chosen winner in the right to rule and divide.  Jesus came to earth at the end of the 4th millenium and He died at the end of the 4th day of the week.

 

We see in Revelations (a series of 7's) that this battle continues between light and darkness.  The 2 beasts come to power at the end of the 4th Seal, following the 4th horse (Revelations 6:8).  By deduction, I can tell you that the second beast (Satan embodied false prophet) comes to power at the end of the 4th trumpet.  By spiritual insight, I can tell you that the 2 witnesses die on a Wednesday afternoon (as did Jesus), lay in the grave 3.5 days (as did Jesus) (Revelations 11:9) and arise from the grave along with the tribulation saints on a Pentecost Sunday.  This completes the work of the Holy Spirit on this earth...and is why the 2 loaves are presented on a Pentecost Sunday.  The Holy Spirit will then rest...as did God after completion of the creation.   But, the rapture of the bride is associated with the end of the 4, i.e. the end of the 4th Sabbath Omer of the 7 Week Feast of Weeks....and with Second Passover.

 

If Second Passover is not about the bride and groom, therefore about the rapture of the bride.....I will be glad to kiss your grits and apologize, ha.  Yet, tagging a date, though seemingly simple....is not so easy.  The problem is not figuring out the date for Second Passover.....it is figuring out the date for First Passover.  We see that the Jewish leaders and Christian leaders all have different opions.  If you can't get First Passover correct.....then the count all way to Pentecost is thrown off.  A full moon is a given.....in ancient days, the months began with a new moon.....didn't need calendars, just look up.  But, there is a requirement for the barley crop to be at a certain degree of ripeness.  Well, when we have a late Passover, it seems sort of given that the crops meet the standard....less so when we have an early celebration.  But.....the great unknown is.....for the rapture of the bride event....God is speaking about His spiritual harvest....and only He knows the answer to that one.  Many verses though seemingly point to this event being in late spring, maybe all way up to summer solstice.

 

Lastly, but most important, are the keys to how  the rapture events will occur.  If it turns out to be a sudden disappearance....what I'm going to show  you here will not matter.  But, if not, this is real important stuff....and I find that this is what scripture actually depicts. 

 

Second Passover is mentioned in scripture only one time other than its origination in Numbers 9.  It is Hezekiah's Second Passover found in 1 Chronicles 30.  A close reading shows me 3 events over 14 days.....separated by 7 days and 7 days.  I find that it is a perfect match for the events found in the parable of the 10 virgins.  It too depicts 3 events all separated by time....time in which the virgins have time to talk with each other.  We see in Hezekiah's Second Passover that there are those clean and unclean (unsanctified).....as in the parable of 10 virgins, we see those wise and unwise.

 

To cut to the chase, the 3 events are:

 

1.  The midnight cry resurrection and ascension of the dead in Christ.  This is the event which alerts the virgins (the body of Christ).  It is a reverse (mirror image) of the First Passover when the angel passed over and killed the firstborn dead of Egypt.  Here, the angel of the Lord passes over and raises from the dead the firstborn (worthy) of Christ's body of believers.  The dead may immediately ascend, because they are raised incorruptible (immortal).  Many shall see this ascension, even as many saw Jesus and the worthy OT saints ascend....as well we note in Revelations 11:12-13 that many see the ascension of the 2 witnesses and tribulation saints.  All the ascensions are seen by many....and the saints return with Jesus are seen by all in Revelations chapter one.

 

2.  Following this event will be a period of 7 days.  It should be celebrated as the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  No, it is not bread or flour we are concerned with here....it is what this feast means concerning our sin.  This 7 days is a holy convocation in which no work should be done...but it should also be a period of spiritual cleansing, i.e. one of confession and repentance, abstenance from sin, one of praying, singing and praising.  I think this may be critical to those wishing to be "changed".

 

3.  At the end of this 7 days....will be the changing of the living wise to incorruptible (immortal).  This is found in 1 Corinthians 15: 51-53.  It is this event which occurs in the twinkling of an eye.  If one is not changed...they cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven....they will not ascend.

 

4.  Lastly, after another 7 days will be the ascension of the living wise bride.  Many will see this....even as there was Elijsha and another 50 afar off who saw Elijah translate up.  The counting of the days here involves a little inclusive counting and the recognition that God changes days at sunset each day (not our midnight).  I believe this ascension will occur on a Thursday evening right after sunset, but still twilight.  Thursday is the day that Jesus ascended.....though technically after sunset is the next day, a Friday.  We see God using this analogy in describing Passover as Wednesday at evening (after sunset)....but Passover is counted as a Thursday event.  I get this from the Isaac and Rebekah meeting in Genesis 24:63.  Issac went out to meditate at even tide and saw  Rebekah coming on the camels. 

 

5.  There is one more event that should be mentioned here, though it not technically associated with Second Passover, i.e. the events of the parable of 10 virgins nor Hezekiah's Second Passover.  But, it is hugely important to those left behind.  There will be a Holy Spirit outpouring on the left behind 10 days after the ascension of the living wise bride.  This 10 days was portrayed in the Rebeka bethroval in Genesis 24:55 and had its first fulfillment in the Holy Spirit outpouring on the early believers 10 days after Jesus' ascension....on a Pentecost Sunday.  Like Ecclesiasties 1:9 says.....it just keeps on happening in the same circular pattern.  This outpouring will happen on a Pentecost Sunday as well.  It happened for Elisha....who asked Elijah for it.  Luke 5: 5-13 makes the same emphatic promise to those left behind.  Note vs 13 tells us the bread here is the Holy Spirit.  For those left behind....it is important to prepare oneself for this and to ask for it.

 

By the way....the time period from Second Passover to Pentecost.....perfectly allows for a period of 7 days plus 7 days plus 10 days.  Further, when Second Passover is set for a Friday evening/Saturday Sabbath day.....everything will work out for a Thursday evening (after sunset) ascension of the living wise bride and a Sunday Pentecost outpouring on the left behind. 

 

There are some scriptures which may indicate that this period may get extended by up to 21 days.  The events of Daniel chapter 10 is such.  It details a period of intense spiritual and angelic warfare.  We see here that Daniel is under much stress....and is in a period of intense fasting and praying....much like the living will be after the resurrection and ascension of the dead.  I don't know exactly how  this story may fit....or if for sure it does.  But, I am confident it is not just a story to take up space in God's word....it has prophetic purposes. 

 

Personally, I think as soon as this midnight cry event takes place.....Satan and his wordly leaders will launch an incredible delusion involving UFO'a and aliens.  We have been prepped for such on the History and Discovery channels for some time.  Many will fall for this...and miss out.  They will think that because they did not go along with the dead (the highly preached sudden disappearance), that they missed their chance.  Keep in mind, we may have to sweat it out for not only 7 + 7 days...but possibly 21 or even 35 days.  It will be about faith and hope.....perserverance.... and above all trust in our Lord and Savior. 

 

My best guess is this rapture event will not be this spring....but we will have to wait one more year.  I will go into why that may be so later....it has to do with fully complete and the end of the 4 thing.  While I was impressed with Raul D's comments about eating the fruit of the land in the 4th year......I still consider that the 40th stripe of the sign of the Fig Tree did not become fully complete until the 41st stripe....therefore the 4th year from that point is one more year away.  I got to the same conclusion by noting that faith and hope are related to the number 44.  There is nothing more central to the true Christian than faith and hope.  Yet, I still think it will have to be at the end of the 4.....everything else concerning this 4 in scripture follows this pattern.

 

BUT.....let's be watchful and pray...and by all means hope for this spring....and if necessary every day all way to this time next year.  

 

Love the Doves....you are mind kind of people.

 

Steve