I was disappointed this past weekend when we saw the days from May 18-22 come and go. It was a high watch time for me, especially since Pentecost on the popular Jewish calendar dovetailed with the 7th day of Unleavened Bread on the biblical calendar. The 7th day of Unleavened Bread was the day Israel crossed the Red Sea and witnessed their enemies being finally cut off behind them. I saw this as a strong possible type/shadow of us going home.
Adding to above, we were still in the spring with respect to the possible timing clue in Song of Solomon 2:10-13. Adding also that the 70th anniversary of Israel per the biblical calendar actually fell on that weekend as well. So, myself and a number of other watchful folks, for specific "flirting" clues God was revealing to each, sincerely believed we were finally at the cusp of going home and finally seeing Jesus face to face.
So much of watching for Jesus is a difficult "learn as you go" process, and at times is, frankly, painful.
Does the passage in Song of Solomon dictate/demand a spring rapture? No. Am I desiring that to be the case? Yes, yet I am not confident that the passage automatically precludes an early "summer" home-going. I do not beleve that Israel during the days of Solomon precisely demarcated the spring to summer season as we do on June 21st. That is what caused my thinking to go out of the proverbial box and consider the 18th day of the 3rd month on July 15th. Am I certain that I have finally nailed the timing? No, I am not. I have been watching for too long for me to unwisely assume that I definitely "know the day and hour".
What about what Jesus expressed to His disciples in Matthew 24:32-33 where He said that when they see all of the signs He described, that they were to recognize that He was at the door, and compared this state of anticipation and awareness to observing the trees putting forth their leaves before summer? Does this dictate/demand that the rapture occur before June 21st some year? this year? Again, no.
Why not? I am not saying it is not possible. Personally, I want it to be so verses the July 15th date, which feels like "too far away" right now. However, I observe in the Matthew passage that Jesus is talking to His disciples about His second coming. The rapture event was later revealed by Jesus to Paul after His ascension. So, Jesus describing to His disciples about Him being "at the door" was first of all meant for the chosen remnant within Israel/Judah who will eventually flee to the wilderness (to Petra?) and have to wait until Jesus comes back to earth, when He will finally destroy those forces in allegiance with the Evil One's false prophet and the false messiah.
Might the above reference to summer being "nigh" also apply to the body of Christ waiting for Jesus at the rapture? It could, but the context in Matthew is first of all focused on Israel. It is a personal interpretation to embrace it as also applying to the body of Christ. This interpretation, though popular in the "watching" community, might not be valid. It could be, but it is possible it might not be. This is another reason why I am comfortable, and can maintain my integrity, in seriously considering July 15th.
This coming weekend, as I expressed prior, is the day of Pentecost on May 27th, as some Jews and Christians sincerely believe. Might we go home then? I long for that to happen. God could use the traditions of the jews during that feast-time and provoke them to jealousy by removing us. And, I am also thinking, however, I might still have to wait a bit.
Seeing the 70 years of the "end of the church age" Babylon as being 4th of July "anniversary years" was a significant insight for me. In Jeremiah 29:10 God tells the jews in exile that after 70 years were completed for Babylon, that He would then visit them and fulfill His good word to them. I observe that it was Babylon who was given the 70 years as a referenced timeframe, and that God would fulfill His word to Israel "after" Babylon's 70 years were done. So, the focus was not on Israel's 70th year exactly, but Babylon's. This is why I am OK now with seeing Israel's recent 70th year anniversary come and go. The key is, "When exactly does Babylon's 70 year window come to a close?" It will be after that date that God shifts to His dispensation of focusing exclusively on the chosen remnant within Israel/Judah, and initially the 144,000 in particular. I believe God will be precise in this and not give Babylon even one extra day. This is why I am anticipating judgement on Babylon to possibly start on this coming July 4th. Might this be our celebratory "feast" that God turns into mourning?
In the mean time? For myself, the one thing God keeps patiently and consistently encouraging my heart to rest in is our REALITY of being in union with Jesus. It is so easy for me to forget this as I plow through each day. I can go through my whole work day and not even think of Jesus one time.
However, the truth is that Jesus, in this very moment, is looking at my Samsung Tab 4 through my eyes, and is also experiencing, through me, my "henpecking" each letter on the screen. He mind-blowingly loves me, all of my sins have been forgiven, and I have become His very righteousness because of our union. I am holy, blameless and without fault in my core inner man because of Him, and I am never alone. The Father loves me as much as He loves His Son, and delights to have completely fulfilled Their plan wherein I am before Him in absolute and total Grace. Each of us are in the group hug of the Godhead. Through my union with Jesus, I am absolutely dead to this empty, vacuous, life-sucking world system, and now seated with Jesus in heavenly places. I am complete in Him, lacking nothing that would prevent me from experiencing Jesus as my life, regardless of circumstances.
Jesus is our REALITY. Fact.
The only thing we are waiting for are new bodies.
If you need frequent reminders of God's Grace, I have truly benefited from watching a Youtuber named Ralph Harris.
Jesus is our Living Bread and our Water of Life. He alone is our heart's deepest longing. He is our Refuge, our Shelter, and our High Tower as we wait to finally go home. We have Him today, while we wait to actually "feel" His arms around us.
(I will quickly move towards some serious psychosis if I try to center myself on anything or anyone else.)
It is a lie to concieve of ourselves as being alone, not in total union with Jesus now.
For what it is worth.
Douglas Henney