Here is wisdom ...
{Pro 22:7 KJV} The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower [is] servant to the lender.
I recently read how most American adults are in debt to the tune of $20,000, and most Canadian adults are in debt to the tune of $17,000. Whether or not you realize this ... you are a slave, a SERVANT, to the companies you owe money to. Because you've lived beyond your means, in that you bought things on credit rather than by cash alone (as had we), you are now suffering the consequences. Here’s how we got out of our $25,000 debt within about six months. Yes, just six months, we were shocked too!
Line up all your monthly bills. Look to see which one requires the most payment and put them in order of highest payment to least payment. Take the highest payment due and put every penny you can spare on it, do NOT just pay the minimum, always pay MORE than the minimum for this highest bill. Put every cent you can on that highest bill. If you can sell a secondary car for instance, slap all that money onto the credit card bill that you are currently working to pay off. For all your other bills you will just pay their minimums and no more.
Once that highest debt is paid off ... GIVE YOURSELF A PAT ON THE BACK ... then move on to the next highest bill and put all the payments you were making on the first one (now paid off) onto the second one and pay as much as you can on that one while paying only the minimum on all the others. You will begin to see the *snowball effect* (see Dave Ramsey links at the bottom of this page) after the first bill is fully paid off. Continue doing that until you get the second one paid off and then take all the first two bills worth of payments and put those onto the third highest bill and so forth. As you pay off the highest ones you take all the money you were paying into for those and put that (now extra) money into the next bill. Do NOT use said extra monies for anything but to pay off the next highest bill!
In the beginning, the hardest bill to pay down will be the highest one. But by the same token the highest bill is likely also taking the biggest chunk out of your bank on a monthly basis. To pay that down you will have to scrimp and save. Learn to do with less, live modestly in every way you can. The more you don’t spend on stuff you don’t need the more you will have to put towards that highest bill. You will have to limit your spending on such things as going out to eat ...or... buying jewelry ...or... that extra super cute pair of shoes ...or... that kewl toolbox *because* ...or... other things you don’t really need. Only buy necessities and nothing more! And do NOT use your credit cards, as a matter of fact ... CUT THEM UP! Sell stuff you don’t use often and put that money towards the bill you are working to pay off. Bills you may owe on a monthly basis that qualify for this *debt reduction* are: Home Loan; Property Taxes; Boat, RV, or Vehicle Loan; Student Loan; Credit Cards; monthly bills such as utilities; or anything else for which you've racked up a yearly or monthly payment due.
Look at what your normal monthly bills are such as power, TV or internet, etc ... see where you can cut down on those, like: turning off lights when not needed (you'd be surprised how much is wasted in power), calling your TV provider to see what their lowest plan is, cutting down on your internet usage, etc. For example, we were paying $120/month for satellite internet and although it crimped our surfing somewhat we went down to the next lowest plan of $80/month, and if it would have been necessary we'd of gone to the lowest of $50/month or eliminated it altogether for the duration. Remember, such reductions should be only temporary until you get those debts paid off. If you really want to be out of debt then some sacrificing will be worth it to you in the end when you become liberated from this world's modern financial ways.
By the way, it may take you longer to pay all your credit cards off, depending on how much you owe. We had two major bills: one was our RV loan totaling around $15,000 and the other was a credit card bill of around $10,000 ... once the first one (loan) was paid off we saw the *snowball effect* (see Dave Ramsey links below) when we put all the first bill's payments towards the second bill ... so it didn’t take as long as we had anticipated to become DEBT FREE! We were hunkered down and prepared for the process to take two years so we were pleasantly surprised to get it done in a 1/4 of the time! We scrimped, pinched, and went without on other things to get the extra dollars onto our highest bill. We even sold some things and put that money towards paying it down. It may take you as long as two years to pay off your debt but let me assure you there is nothing as liberating as being debt free. Make up your mind to do this and then DO IT! Get on the path to freedom and don't look back.
***BEGINS RANT***
Don't believe ads, commercials or other financial hype, that you can do life with credit, that's a lie from the pit of hell! It's a trick to enslave you to making monthly payments to companies that make a living off being your "provider". Remember the opening scripture of this article! Now, if you don't mind being a servant (slave) to the lender then by all means continue living in poverty.
***ENDS RANT***
Once you’ve paid off all your debts then do take yourself out for a nice celebration BUT THEN continue to live frugally (you really don’t need all that excess anyway). Live within your means ... only buy what you can afford to pay cash for ... you know ... like the *old days*. Don’t fall into the debt scam, especially the "buy now, pay later" trick. Be wise. Be free. Just like any other addiction (yes, I consider debt an addiction) it's easy to get in to it but not so easy to get out of ... unless you are willing to commit to getting out of it and set your eyes on the prize of freedom. In other words, if you can’t afford to pay cash for something then work to save up until you have enough, or go without.
Dave Ramsey's website was monumentally helpful in our search for financial freedom and although we don't have much these days in the line of monthly income (we're living on a meager retirement) we are no longer in debt. Freedom from debt is a liberation worthy of your time and effort to accomplish ;o}
Check out Dave's website ...
http://www.daveramsey.com/blog/get-out-of-debt-with-the-debt-snowball-plan/
http://www.daveramsey.com/baby-steps/
Thanks for reading and may the Lord walk with you as you learn to ...
{Rev 18:4 KJV} And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. {"her" = satanic worldly ways}
{Curly bracket comments are mine.}
06/22/16 ~ Spirit -vs- flesh ...
These scriptures tell us how to live in the Spirit {Holy Spirit, heavenly} -verses- living in the flesh {satan, worldly}. These show the exact same thing that we see from the story of Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden whereby they had choice from their first day, as have each and every one of their descendants:
Choice #1: The tree of life (walking in the Spirit, God's heavenly ways)
Choice #2: The tree of the knowledge of good and evil (walking in the flesh, satan's worldly ways)
{Gen 2:9 KJV}
And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
{Gen 2:15-17 KJV}
And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
God even *warned* Adam NOT to eat from the wrong tree. Do you see where we've always had at least two choices? Because Adam & Eve made the wrong choice and ate from the wrong tree (the one God warned them NOT to eat from) God had to remove them from the Garden of Eden to keep them from eating from the tree of life and be forever sealed in sin.
{Gen 3:22-23 KJV}
And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
This is why mankind dies, so that our fleshly body ... the vehicle from which we act out our sins ... is eliminated. Our spirit man lives on, but where our spirit goes after the body dies is another matter. {Perhaps I'll do another article about that if the Spirit leads me to go there.}
{Rom 6:23 KJV}
For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Adam did indeed die "in the day" that he ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He was 930 years old at his death and we know from the following scripture that a day with God is as a thousand years for man.
{2Pe 3:8 KJV}
But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day [is] with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
This is the promise made to us from ancient days. This is why you should pick Choice #1, to "choose life", and to be *born again* in Jesus.
{Eze 36:26-27 KJV}
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do [them].
Believers ... do you truly have God's Holy Spirit within you? If not, submit your hearts, repent of your sins, turn to Him with your whole heart and He will forgive you and give you the gift of His Spirit to dwell with you and teach you His ways.
And now let's get back to the scriptures regarding the Spirit -vs- the flesh ...
{Jhn 3:6 KJV}
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. -Jesus/Yeshua {THIS is why we must be *born again*, into the Spirit.}
{Jhn 6:63 KJV}
It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] are spirit, and [they] are life. -Jesus/Yeshua
{Rom 8:5 KJV}
For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
{Rom 8:9 KJV}
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. {"But ye are not in the flesh ..." is speaking of believers in Jesus, those of us that are *born again* in the Spirit. You do NOT belong to God's kingdom until you repent of your sins against Him, give your life to Jesus who died to pay your sin debt in order to set you free from your sins, and thereby receive His Spirit to live with you and teach you of His ways. You cannot understand God's ways without His Holy Spirit in you.}
{Rom 8:13 KJV}
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. {"do mortify the deeds of the body" means to put away, or die to, the old self, the fleshly/worldly man.}
{Gal 3:3 KJV}
{Christians ... } Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
{Gal 5:16-17 KJV}
[This] I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
{Gal 6:8 KJV}
For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
I pray that God blesses you with understanding through His Holy Spirit, amen.
Thanks for reading ;o}
{Curly bracket &/or italicized comments are mine. Scripture is KJV. Red letter text is Jesus/Yeshua speaking.}
Choice #1: The tree of life (walking in the Spirit, God's heavenly ways)
Choice #2: The tree of the knowledge of good and evil (walking in the flesh, satan's worldly ways)
{Gen 2:9 KJV}
And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
{Gen 2:15-17 KJV}
And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
God even *warned* Adam NOT to eat from the wrong tree. Do you see where we've always had at least two choices? Because Adam & Eve made the wrong choice and ate from the wrong tree (the one God warned them NOT to eat from) God had to remove them from the Garden of Eden to keep them from eating from the tree of life and be forever sealed in sin.
{Gen 3:22-23 KJV}
And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
This is why mankind dies, so that our fleshly body ... the vehicle from which we act out our sins ... is eliminated. Our spirit man lives on, but where our spirit goes after the body dies is another matter. {Perhaps I'll do another article about that if the Spirit leads me to go there.}
{Rom 6:23 KJV}
For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Adam did indeed die "in the day" that he ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He was 930 years old at his death and we know from the following scripture that a day with God is as a thousand years for man.
{2Pe 3:8 KJV}
But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day [is] with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
This is the promise made to us from ancient days. This is why you should pick Choice #1, to "choose life", and to be *born again* in Jesus.
{Eze 36:26-27 KJV}
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do [them].
Believers ... do you truly have God's Holy Spirit within you? If not, submit your hearts, repent of your sins, turn to Him with your whole heart and He will forgive you and give you the gift of His Spirit to dwell with you and teach you His ways.
And now let's get back to the scriptures regarding the Spirit -vs- the flesh ...
{Jhn 3:6 KJV}
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. -Jesus/Yeshua {THIS is why we must be *born again*, into the Spirit.}
{Jhn 6:63 KJV}
It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] are spirit, and [they] are life. -Jesus/Yeshua
{Rom 8:5 KJV}
For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
{Rom 8:9 KJV}
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. {"But ye are not in the flesh ..." is speaking of believers in Jesus, those of us that are *born again* in the Spirit. You do NOT belong to God's kingdom until you repent of your sins against Him, give your life to Jesus who died to pay your sin debt in order to set you free from your sins, and thereby receive His Spirit to live with you and teach you of His ways. You cannot understand God's ways without His Holy Spirit in you.}
{Rom 8:13 KJV}
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. {"do mortify the deeds of the body" means to put away, or die to, the old self, the fleshly/worldly man.}
{Gal 3:3 KJV}
{Christians ... } Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
{Gal 5:16-17 KJV}
[This] I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
{Gal 6:8 KJV}
For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
I pray that God blesses you with understanding through His Holy Spirit, amen.
Thanks for reading ;o}
{Curly bracket &/or italicized comments are mine. Scripture is KJV. Red letter text is Jesus/Yeshua speaking.}
06/10/16 ~ Behold, the Bridegroom cometh!
According to the parable of the ten virgins, HALF of the believers in Jesus (Yeshua), will not be ready when He comes for His bride, in fact, there are many who say He won't come at all! But Peter says,
{2Pe 3:3-4 KJV}
Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as [they were] from the beginning of the creation.
Here are the scriptures that convinced me that there are phases to the upcoming resurrection of the saints (just/righteous believers in Jesus). In the past, I have held two positions on the "rapture" (catching away, resurrection) until recently, they were: 1) pre-trib, and then 2) pre-wrath (both views are correct, but as I now understand it, in their proper order. See my -related articles- linked below). I am learning more as the day of the Lord approaches!
{Psa 107:43 KJV}
Whoso [is] wise, and will observe these [things], even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the LORD.
Jesus warns His bride (church, virgins) in Matthew 25 ...
{Mat 25:1-13 KJV}
Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five [were] foolish. They that [were] foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. {*}And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, [Not so]; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
{*}There is danger in believing what others tell you, that being, attempting to have others fill your lamps or give you of their oil supply. This is WHY the wise virgins told the foolish to go and *buy* their oil from those that *sell* it ... because their sources were not the true Oil, the Holy Spirit, who gives freely to any who ask of Him. The ONLY place you will find truth is in your bible, not by others (even if they are sincere to the utmost, they can be wrong). Is it any surprise then that the Bridegroom came while those foolish virgins were off to *buy* their oil from those that *sold* it? Moral of the story: The Lord expects you to study for yourselves and to search Him out on your own and to be ready well in advance of the events to come. Many people truly think that what they believe is the truth and they teach others so ... yet there can only be ONE truth. Let me make myself perfectly clear ... I am NOT asking you to believe me ... I am asking you to pursue Him from His word (the bible) and NOT from anyone or anywhere else.
{Mat 5:19 KJV}
Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach [them], the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. {Jesus is speaking of the TEN "commandments" here (not the nine commandments), including to keep the Sabbath day holy. See? There are degrees of rewards in the heavenly kingdom: there are the "least" and the "great". Following the teachings of others can lead to you "fall into the ditch" or (as an example) miss His coming for the church/bride! You really don't *need* to believe what I say, God forbid, but please ... just be ready ... in case I am right ;o}}
{Mat 15:9 KJV}
But in vain they do worship me, teaching [for] doctrines the commandments of men.
{Mat 15:14 KJV}
Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
{Mar 7:7 KJV}
Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching [for] doctrines the commandments of men.
{Luk 6:39 KJV}
And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?
And then there are these folks ...
{2Ti 4:3-4 KJV}
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away [their] ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. {Sound doctrine is found only in the bible, interpreted only by the Holy Spirit's guidance.}
Now back to the parable of the ten virgins, notice how there is a little more information in Luke 12, to ...
{Luk 12:35-38 KJV}
Let your loins be girded about, and [your] lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed [are] those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find [them] so, blessed are those servants.
The *point* of this article? Don't be among the foolish, be ready, and watch ...
{Luk 12:39 KJV}
And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.
{Rev 3:3 KJV}
Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. {Notice ... IF you will NOT watch, He will come upon YOU as a thief. He will NOT come upon us (that are watching) as a thief; for we that are ready & watching, He will appear as our Bridegroom, catching us up into the air to be with Him for ever! See 1Th 4:16-18 and Jhn 14:2-3 ... The Bridegroom (Jesus/Yeshua) has gone to prepare a place for His bride (ready, wise virgins/church) and will return for her soon, sooner than most believe.}
{Mar 13:37 KJV}
And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.
I have often asked the Lord to reveal the truth to me, I want to be among the wise and I study diligently to show myself approved; He has graciously granted me that request in many ways! Please, study for yourselves ... be Bereans like those in Acts 17:10-12 ;o}
{Dan 12:10 KJV}
Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.
See my more recent -related articles- on this blog ...
http://thelambswife.blogspot.com/2016/06/060816-left-behind.html
http://thelambswife.blogspot.com/2016/06/060116-three-harvests-resurrections.html (a work in progress)
{*Asterisks & curly brackets comments are mine. Jesus words are in red.}
{2Pe 3:3-4 KJV}
Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as [they were] from the beginning of the creation.
Here are the scriptures that convinced me that there are phases to the upcoming resurrection of the saints (just/righteous believers in Jesus). In the past, I have held two positions on the "rapture" (catching away, resurrection) until recently, they were: 1) pre-trib, and then 2) pre-wrath (both views are correct, but as I now understand it, in their proper order. See my -related articles- linked below). I am learning more as the day of the Lord approaches!
{Psa 107:43 KJV}
Whoso [is] wise, and will observe these [things], even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the LORD.
Jesus warns His bride (church, virgins) in Matthew 25 ...
{Mat 25:1-13 KJV}
Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five [were] foolish. They that [were] foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. {*}And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, [Not so]; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
{*}There is danger in believing what others tell you, that being, attempting to have others fill your lamps or give you of their oil supply. This is WHY the wise virgins told the foolish to go and *buy* their oil from those that *sell* it ... because their sources were not the true Oil, the Holy Spirit, who gives freely to any who ask of Him. The ONLY place you will find truth is in your bible, not by others (even if they are sincere to the utmost, they can be wrong). Is it any surprise then that the Bridegroom came while those foolish virgins were off to *buy* their oil from those that *sold* it? Moral of the story: The Lord expects you to study for yourselves and to search Him out on your own and to be ready well in advance of the events to come. Many people truly think that what they believe is the truth and they teach others so ... yet there can only be ONE truth. Let me make myself perfectly clear ... I am NOT asking you to believe me ... I am asking you to pursue Him from His word (the bible) and NOT from anyone or anywhere else.
{Mat 5:19 KJV}
Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach [them], the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. {Jesus is speaking of the TEN "commandments" here (not the nine commandments), including to keep the Sabbath day holy. See? There are degrees of rewards in the heavenly kingdom: there are the "least" and the "great". Following the teachings of others can lead to you "fall into the ditch" or (as an example) miss His coming for the church/bride! You really don't *need* to believe what I say, God forbid, but please ... just be ready ... in case I am right ;o}}
{Mat 15:9 KJV}
But in vain they do worship me, teaching [for] doctrines the commandments of men.
{Mat 15:14 KJV}
Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
{Mar 7:7 KJV}
Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching [for] doctrines the commandments of men.
{Luk 6:39 KJV}
And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?
And then there are these folks ...
{2Ti 4:3-4 KJV}
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away [their] ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. {Sound doctrine is found only in the bible, interpreted only by the Holy Spirit's guidance.}
Now back to the parable of the ten virgins, notice how there is a little more information in Luke 12, to ...
- be ready (Let your loins be girded about), and
- have their lamps lit (lights burning >>> again), and warns that
- when He returns "FROM THE WEDDING" (see above, Mat 25), that
- when he "cometh and knocketh" (this time),
- *they* may OPEN UNTO HIM IMMEDIATELY (indicating they had not done so previously)
{Luk 12:35-38 KJV}
Let your loins be girded about, and [your] lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed [are] those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find [them] so, blessed are those servants.
The *point* of this article? Don't be among the foolish, be ready, and watch ...
{Luk 12:39 KJV}
And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.
{Rev 3:3 KJV}
Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. {Notice ... IF you will NOT watch, He will come upon YOU as a thief. He will NOT come upon us (that are watching) as a thief; for we that are ready & watching, He will appear as our Bridegroom, catching us up into the air to be with Him for ever! See 1Th 4:16-18 and Jhn 14:2-3 ... The Bridegroom (Jesus/Yeshua) has gone to prepare a place for His bride (ready, wise virgins/church) and will return for her soon, sooner than most believe.}
{Mar 13:37 KJV}
And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.
I have often asked the Lord to reveal the truth to me, I want to be among the wise and I study diligently to show myself approved; He has graciously granted me that request in many ways! Please, study for yourselves ... be Bereans like those in Acts 17:10-12 ;o}
{Dan 12:10 KJV}
Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.
See my more recent -related articles- on this blog ...
http://thelambswife.blogspot.com/2016/06/060816-left-behind.html
http://thelambswife.blogspot.com/2016/06/060116-three-harvests-resurrections.html (a work in progress)
{*Asterisks & curly brackets comments are mine. Jesus words are in red.}
06/08/16 ~ Left Behind?
My walk with the Lord has been quite a journey and as time goes on my understanding of many things is becoming clearer and more settled in my mind & heart. One such understanding has been to try to figure out when and how the resurrection (yes, that's singular) will come. I went from believing what I was taught, that being a "pre-trib rapture", to studying my bible (several years worth of studying now) and then changing my mind to a pre-wrath belief.
I defended both views during the times I believed them with much scripture quoting and passion, until recently. Now I believe differently, BOTH views and pretty much all in between are true. My article, http://thelambswife.blogspot.com/2016/06/060116-three-harvests-resurrections.html, which is still a work in progress (WIP), explains my position on that. I now believe that the resurrections (yes I said it plural) of the saints is in more than one phase ... all part of ONE resurrection but in three phases or timings that align perfectly with Israel's holy feasts, or more correctly their three main harvests. Since I've already done an article on that concept I'll not repeat it here.
God clearly loves the number three (3): of His One Being, He is three parts (Father, Son, Holy Spirit); we are also three parts in one (spirit, body, soul) being made in the image and likeness of God; and He does things in threes when they represent something of the Spirit, such as the three main harvest seasons in Israel {Spring=Barley, Summer=Pentecost, Fall=Grapes & gleanings of the corners}. Those harvests are a type and shadow from ancient time that were foretelling of things to come in the future. In relation to the resurrection of the just (righteous) and it's three phases, one has already been fulfilled (barley harvest/resurrection), two are yet to be fulfilled (the summer wheat harvest at Pentecost, and then the fall grapes -n- gleanings harvest of the four corners at the Feast of Trumpets). You can read more about those from my article link above.
The idea of this present article is to challenge those that don't understand three harvests = three resurrections (aka: raptures, catching away). I don't believe we'll simply be "caught away" (raptured), I don't feel that adequately describes what will actually happen, it's only part of what occurs. Yes, many believers will be caught up to be with the Lord forever more, and where ever He is we shall be also ... but we must remember that our blessed hope also includes a new body. This is what resurrection truly is, not the raising of the dead in their current physical body only to die again at some point, or just our spirits go with Him but our bodies stay/die here on earth ... no ... resurrection is about us receiving our new body! We aren't simply caught up in the Spirit ... we are CHANGED, we receive our new resurrected bodies at the time of our departure off this earth.
Well, this article isn't about that either. Rather, it's a challenge to all the pre-trib, mid-trib, post-trib, pre-wrath, pan-trib (it'll all pan out in the end), no-trib, preterists, and amillennials, etc, to FIRST read my article above; and THEN consider these scriptures carefully. These are the scriptures that put me on the path to understand that there will be three harvests in their exact seasonal timings. The church is going up in the air to be with the Lord forevermore, in a new resurrected, glorified body like Jesus' body.
But, now for the stark warning ... some (possibly half or more of the church) will not make it in the next resurrection because they're not ready (their lamps are not lit, they have no oil)! Read and understand what Jesus Himself is saying to His people! Yes, some will be *left behind*, Matthew 25's "parable of the 10 virgins" spoken of by Jesus makes it clear that they'll be left; perhaps they'll be ready by the time of the Grape Harvest in a future fall season ...
{Mat 24:40-42 KJV} Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two [women shall be] grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. {The ones taken are the Lord's ready bride, the ones left are the foolish.}
{Mat 24:48-51 KJV} But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite [his] fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for [him], and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint [him] his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. {Those foolishly not watching will be appointed their portion with the hypocrites and there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth for those *left behind* because they will have to go through the coming wrath of their fellow man and satan.}
{Luk 12:45-48 KJV} But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for [him], and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not [himself], neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many [stripes]. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few [stripes]. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. {Notice the servant that is not actively watching for the Lord will be "appointed his portion with the unbelievers" (left behind). Notice also what the following terms mean: "beaten with few stripes" ends with the summer harvest, "beaten with many stripes" ends at the grape harvest.}
{Mat 25:1-13 KJV} Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five [were] foolish. They that [were] foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. {The bridegroom here is Jesus, the virgins are the waiting brides.}
And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, [Not so]; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. {the door? what door??? the door in heaven where Christ the bridegroom takes His bride the ready church/believers for the marriage!}
Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. {Jesus often used the term: "the Son of man" as referring to Himself. Jesus IS the "Son of man" (born of the virgin Mary) AND the Son of God through the Holy Spirit, and also the Bridegroom for His waiting (wise virgins) church.}
{Luk 12:35-40 KJV} Let your loins be girded about, and [your] lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. {Notice here we get a little more info. At Jesus' 2nd coming when He actually comes to the earth (not just in the air) to rule and reign ... He is returning from a heavenly wedding ... and when He comes and knocks the next time (grapes & gleaning fall harvest) it is His wish that those at that time will open up to Him immediately ... in other words, by that time those that weren't ready at Pentecost summer wheat harvest (ready wise virgins) should be ready by the Trumpets/Tabernacles fall grapes/gleaning harvest (foolish should by then become wise).}
Blessed [are] those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find [them] so, blessed are those servants. And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
I'm hoping you get the idea now. Some (ready virgins/bride) are taken to be with the Lord and enjoy a marriage supper, while others (foolish virgins) are left to suffer what's coming on this earth (some people call them "tribulation saints" ... time will tell whether they then pursue the Lord with their whole heart or leave Him altogether).
{Luk 21:36 KJV} Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
If you are not a believer in Jesus ... that He is the Son of God, He was born of a virgin (Mary) and lived a sinless life and died for YOUR sins (an atonement for your offenses against God), and resurrected on the third day after His death and is now seated at the right hand of God in heaven awaiting His Father's command for Him to come and get His bride ... consider giving your heart & life to Him, in faith. He is coming! Be a part of this next great summer harvest. Whether this summer, or next, or the next, He is coming, He has so promised. Don't put off until tomorrow what you should do today because where you will spend eternity is at stake.
{Jhn 14:2-3 KJV} In my Father's house are many mansions: if [it were] not [so], I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also.
If you have strayed away from the Lord please come back now, while there's still time. It's not that He has forsaken you, but you that forsook Him, He is still with you and waiting ...
Trust me when I say, you DON'T want to miss the upcoming Pentecost summer harvest of wheat (ready & wise bride).
Maranatha Lord Jesus! I'm ready & watching!!!
{Curly bracket comments are mine. Red text is Jesus speaking.}
Keywords: pre-trib, mid-trib, post-trib, pre-wrath, pan-trib, no-trib, preterists, and amillennials, barley, wheat, grapes, gleaning, four corners, harvest, season, seasons, resurrection, resurrections, rapture, Jesus, Yeshua, Adonai, Elohim, YHWH
I defended both views during the times I believed them with much scripture quoting and passion, until recently. Now I believe differently, BOTH views and pretty much all in between are true. My article, http://thelambswife.blogspot.com/2016/06/060116-three-harvests-resurrections.html, which is still a work in progress (WIP), explains my position on that. I now believe that the resurrections (yes I said it plural) of the saints is in more than one phase ... all part of ONE resurrection but in three phases or timings that align perfectly with Israel's holy feasts, or more correctly their three main harvests. Since I've already done an article on that concept I'll not repeat it here.
God clearly loves the number three (3): of His One Being, He is three parts (Father, Son, Holy Spirit); we are also three parts in one (spirit, body, soul) being made in the image and likeness of God; and He does things in threes when they represent something of the Spirit, such as the three main harvest seasons in Israel {Spring=Barley, Summer=Pentecost, Fall=Grapes & gleanings of the corners}. Those harvests are a type and shadow from ancient time that were foretelling of things to come in the future. In relation to the resurrection of the just (righteous) and it's three phases, one has already been fulfilled (barley harvest/resurrection), two are yet to be fulfilled (the summer wheat harvest at Pentecost, and then the fall grapes -n- gleanings harvest of the four corners at the Feast of Trumpets). You can read more about those from my article link above.
The idea of this present article is to challenge those that don't understand three harvests = three resurrections (aka: raptures, catching away). I don't believe we'll simply be "caught away" (raptured), I don't feel that adequately describes what will actually happen, it's only part of what occurs. Yes, many believers will be caught up to be with the Lord forever more, and where ever He is we shall be also ... but we must remember that our blessed hope also includes a new body. This is what resurrection truly is, not the raising of the dead in their current physical body only to die again at some point, or just our spirits go with Him but our bodies stay/die here on earth ... no ... resurrection is about us receiving our new body! We aren't simply caught up in the Spirit ... we are CHANGED, we receive our new resurrected bodies at the time of our departure off this earth.
Well, this article isn't about that either. Rather, it's a challenge to all the pre-trib, mid-trib, post-trib, pre-wrath, pan-trib (it'll all pan out in the end), no-trib, preterists, and amillennials, etc, to FIRST read my article above; and THEN consider these scriptures carefully. These are the scriptures that put me on the path to understand that there will be three harvests in their exact seasonal timings. The church is going up in the air to be with the Lord forevermore, in a new resurrected, glorified body like Jesus' body.
But, now for the stark warning ... some (possibly half or more of the church) will not make it in the next resurrection because they're not ready (their lamps are not lit, they have no oil)! Read and understand what Jesus Himself is saying to His people! Yes, some will be *left behind*, Matthew 25's "parable of the 10 virgins" spoken of by Jesus makes it clear that they'll be left; perhaps they'll be ready by the time of the Grape Harvest in a future fall season ...
{Mat 24:40-42 KJV} Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two [women shall be] grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. {The ones taken are the Lord's ready bride, the ones left are the foolish.}
{Mat 24:48-51 KJV} But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite [his] fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for [him], and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint [him] his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. {Those foolishly not watching will be appointed their portion with the hypocrites and there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth for those *left behind* because they will have to go through the coming wrath of their fellow man and satan.}
{Luk 12:45-48 KJV} But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for [him], and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not [himself], neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many [stripes]. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few [stripes]. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. {Notice the servant that is not actively watching for the Lord will be "appointed his portion with the unbelievers" (left behind). Notice also what the following terms mean: "beaten with few stripes" ends with the summer harvest, "beaten with many stripes" ends at the grape harvest.}
{Mat 25:1-13 KJV} Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five [were] foolish. They that [were] foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. {The bridegroom here is Jesus, the virgins are the waiting brides.}
And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, [Not so]; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. {the door? what door??? the door in heaven where Christ the bridegroom takes His bride the ready church/believers for the marriage!}
Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. {Jesus often used the term: "the Son of man" as referring to Himself. Jesus IS the "Son of man" (born of the virgin Mary) AND the Son of God through the Holy Spirit, and also the Bridegroom for His waiting (wise virgins) church.}
{Luk 12:35-40 KJV} Let your loins be girded about, and [your] lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. {Notice here we get a little more info. At Jesus' 2nd coming when He actually comes to the earth (not just in the air) to rule and reign ... He is returning from a heavenly wedding ... and when He comes and knocks the next time (grapes & gleaning fall harvest) it is His wish that those at that time will open up to Him immediately ... in other words, by that time those that weren't ready at Pentecost summer wheat harvest (ready wise virgins) should be ready by the Trumpets/Tabernacles fall grapes/gleaning harvest (foolish should by then become wise).}
Blessed [are] those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find [them] so, blessed are those servants. And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
I'm hoping you get the idea now. Some (ready virgins/bride) are taken to be with the Lord and enjoy a marriage supper, while others (foolish virgins) are left to suffer what's coming on this earth (some people call them "tribulation saints" ... time will tell whether they then pursue the Lord with their whole heart or leave Him altogether).
{Luk 21:36 KJV} Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
If you are not a believer in Jesus ... that He is the Son of God, He was born of a virgin (Mary) and lived a sinless life and died for YOUR sins (an atonement for your offenses against God), and resurrected on the third day after His death and is now seated at the right hand of God in heaven awaiting His Father's command for Him to come and get His bride ... consider giving your heart & life to Him, in faith. He is coming! Be a part of this next great summer harvest. Whether this summer, or next, or the next, He is coming, He has so promised. Don't put off until tomorrow what you should do today because where you will spend eternity is at stake.
{Jhn 14:2-3 KJV} In my Father's house are many mansions: if [it were] not [so], I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also.
If you have strayed away from the Lord please come back now, while there's still time. It's not that He has forsaken you, but you that forsook Him, He is still with you and waiting ...
Trust me when I say, you DON'T want to miss the upcoming Pentecost summer harvest of wheat (ready & wise bride).
Maranatha Lord Jesus! I'm ready & watching!!!
{Curly bracket comments are mine. Red text is Jesus speaking.}
Keywords: pre-trib, mid-trib, post-trib, pre-wrath, pan-trib, no-trib, preterists, and amillennials, barley, wheat, grapes, gleaning, four corners, harvest, season, seasons, resurrection, resurrections, rapture, Jesus, Yeshua, Adonai, Elohim, YHWH
06/01/16 ~ Three Harvests, Resurrections
*** THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS, PLEASE CHECK BACK OFTEN ***
^^^>>> these lines will *disappear* when the article is completed but I want to share this with you as I progress because TIME IS SHORT! <<<
Whether you are pre-trib, mid-trib, post-trib or pre-wrath ... this article should be of interest to you. It is *possible* that ALL of us are correct to some degree, having some pieces of the puzzle but not all. Consider the three main Hebrew feasts (still observed by much of Israel today). Could it be that each harvest or feast period (spring, summer, and fall) represents three phases of one resurrection? Just as, for the Hebrews, there are three harvests in one year, so three resurrections are represented by those three harvests. Although I'm not the first to discover this idea, it surely sounds plausible! So I add my *voice* to the others before me. In my spin on this topic, I separate the potential (rapture) resurrections by the feast harvest season I believe they belong to.
If there is a *threefold resurrection*, and there may well be, then they likely correlate with the three feasts that all Israeli men of 20 years old and up were expected to be in Jerusalem for.
{Exo 23:14-17 KJV} Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year. Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:) And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, [which is] in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field. Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord GOD.
{Exo 34:18 KJV} The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt. ... {Exo 34:22-23 KJV} And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year's end. Thrice in the year shall all your men children appear before the Lord GOD, the God of Israel.
{Deu 16:16-17 KJV} Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty: Every man [shall give] as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee.
In fact, we see three things happening in the spring: Passover, (7) Days of Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits (barley), these are all part of the first harvest that begins with the Passover meal and ends with the firstfruits harvest (wherein is the offering of the unleavened wave sheaf of barley). This entire festival represents Jesus' first coming (fulfilled in rapid succession) whereby He is the Passover Lamb, unleavened (without sin), and the firstfruit of them that slept. He is followed in resurrection by believing saints that lived before He died & resurrected (the wave sheaf offering). So, following His resurrection {which occurred on the third day (day one crucified, day two in the grave, day three resurrected) of the Feast of Unleavened Bread}, were those that He went into the bowels of the earth to redeem (Mat 27:51-53 quoted below under SPRING, and see also the parable of Lazarus and the rich man told by Jesus in Luk 16:19-31) who were also resurrected and were seen in the streets of Jerusalem briefly.
{Eph 4:8-10 KJV} Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
Another interesting thing to consider is the Menorah, the seven branched candlestick that is the symbol of Israel. The first three branches represent the Spring's Feast of Firstfruits (unleavened bread wave offering); the middle "servant branch" {Jesus was Judah ben Joseph} represents the Summer's Feast of Weeks-Pentecost Harvest (two leavened loaves wave offering); and finally the last three branches represent the Fall's Feast of Trumpets through the Feast of Tabernacles (the final harvest of the year). So, without further ado, here are my thoughts on the harvests & resurrections by their seasons ...
.:: SPRING ::.
- PASSOVER (PASACH)
https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfm?Criteria=passover*&t=KJV#s=s_primary_0_1
- DAYS OF UNLEAVENED BREAD
https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfm?Criteria=unleavened+bread&t=KJV#s=s_primary_0_1
- FEAST OF FIRSTFRUITS
https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfm?Criteria=firstfruit*&t=KJV#s=s_primary_0_1
Barley Harvest ~ barley is winnowed: thrown up in the air where the wind separates the barley from it's protective covering.
{1Co 15:20 KJV} But now is Christ risen from the dead, [and] become the firstfruits of them that slept.
{Mat 27:51-53 KJV} And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
{Luk 23:39-43 KJV} And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
{Rev 6:9-11 KJV} And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they [were], should be fulfilled. {Could "a little season" refer to the -times of the Gentiles- which is the time counted between the Feast of Firstfruits on through to Pentecost?}
??? FIRSTFRUITS ???
Yes, notice that's PLURAL, as in ... more than one!!! In at least two phases: the first phase consisted of 1) Jesus death & resurrection; immediately followed by 2) the unleavened wave loaf offering (of the barley harvest). The second phase consists of the two leavened loaves (of the wheat harvest). These firstfruit harvests are separated by 50 days and, I believe, are in fact one and the same harvest to God since He joins them with a counting of days (omer). These *wave offerings* are the firstfruits among all of the righteous that will be resurrected, being the firstfruits of the barley harvest and then the firstfruits of the wheat harvest.
.:: SUMMER ::.
- COUNTING OF THE OMER
(50 days count from the FirstFruits offering after Passover)
https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/lev/23/9/s_113009
> which also coincides with a Jubilee (50 years count) <
https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/lev/25/1/s_115001
- FEAST OF WEEKS/PENTECOST (SHAVUOT)
https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfm?Criteria=feast+of+weeks&t=KJV#s=s_primary_0_1
Wheat Harvest ~ trampled over with a *tribulum* to separate the wheat from it's hard outer shell by much harsh grinding & grating under a board that had stones in the bottom: symbolic of much tribulation that every believer during the "times of the Gentiles" goes through.
2nd phase of the first resurrection: This harvest has yet to happen. It represents the awake/ready church/bride made up of both Jews & Gentiles that are saved during the "times of the Gentiles" (two leavened loaves).
The Spring & Summer feasts are ONE FEAST joined by a 50 day count (omer count) but otherwise represent the start and end of the "times of the Gentiles".
{Mat 13:30 KJV} Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. -Jesus/Yeshua {See also: the Parable of the 10 virgins in Mat 25, Mat 24, Mar 13, Luk 21, and parts of Luk 17, as space doesn't permit me to list those in their entirety and how they relate here. The "reapers" are His angels. The "tares" are the children of the wicked one (unrighteous) and they will be gathered together for war and God's wrath. But the "wheat" (the ready, righteous believers / bride / church) are gathered into heaven (His barn) by His holy angels (reapers).}
{Rom 8:23 KJV} And not only [they], but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, [to wit], the redemption of our body.
{1Th 4:13-18 KJV} But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. {See also, 2Th 2 as space doesn't permit me to quote the whole chapter here.}
Now some might think the above scriptures are troublesome to a 2nd phase of the first resurrection but I remind you that not every believer will be meeting the Lord in the air at this time. Rather, Mat 25's parable of the 10 virgins is clear that only those that are *ready* when the bridegroom comes will get to "go in" with Him, and He will then "shut the doors", and then not long after those that weren't ready will come banging on the door to be let in and He'll say for them to "depart" because "He never knew them". The sad reality of this parable is that a good half of the church will not be ready when He comes. The good news is that for those that are ready, they will be resurrected as stated in other wheat harvest passages I've listed. Remember, only two leavened loaves are waved at this time, which will indeed be a great many people, but this is NOT the time of the full harvest (that's the 3rd phase). Please, heed the following warning and make sure you are among this summer harvest!
{Luk 21:36 KJV} Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. -Jesus/Yeshua
{Rev 7:9-17 KJV} After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and [about] the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, [be] unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
.:: FALL ::.
- FEAST OF TRUMPETS
https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/lev/23/24/s_113024
- DAY OF ATONEMENT
https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfm?Criteria=day+atonement&t=KJV#s=s_primary_0_1
- FEAST OF TABERNACLES/TENTS/BOOTHS (SUKKOT)
https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfm?Criteria=booth*&t=KJV#s=s_primary_0_1
Grape Harvest ~ grapes are thrown into a vat (large tub) where they are literally crushed & trampled to extract the precious juice, which correlates with wars and the wrath of man against man as well as satan (who uses willing mankind as pawns against each other), and finally God's wrath when He cleanses the earth of all iniquity and unrighteousness. These are they that are resurrected -just prior- to the 1,000 years reign of Jesus at His second coming.
3rd phase of the first resurrection: These are not among "the firstfruits" but they are among those yet to be resurrected. I believe that at the close of the "church age" (aka: "times of the Gentiles") there will be a "time of tribulation" (man caused), also known as "Jacob's trouble", in particular where God turns His attention back to Israel to deal with their idolatrous, stiffnecked, rebellious hearts regarding Jesus their Messiah. He will also be dealing with the unrepentant of all the earth, those who persist in their sins & unbelief.
{Luk 12:35-40 KJV} Let your loins be girded about, and [your] lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed [are] those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find [them] so, blessed are those servants. And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not. -Jesus/Yeshua {This "when he will return from the wedding: that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately" implies that some believers {virgins} were not ready at a previous time {wheat harvest}, possibly referring back to the parable of the 10 virgins of Mat 25 whereby some missed His coming because they didn't have enough oil for their lamps. They are advised to be ready by the grape harvest {fall}! Read the whole chapter.}
{Rev 14:14-20 KJV} And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud [one] sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast [it] into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand [and] six hundred furlongs.
Who are the firstfruits redeemed by Christ?
{Jas 1:18 KJV} Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
{1Co 15:23 KJV} But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. {This could mean His coming in the clouds where we meet Him in the air, or it could mean His 2nd coming, or both.}
One other mention of "firstfruits" that are sealed in their foreheads are the 144,000 spoken of in Rev 7 & Rev 14 but I'm not sure if they are sealed in their mortal bodies or if they're among one of the phases of the resurrected. I'll leave that for another study perhaps. Here's that scripture for reference sake ...
{Rev 14:4 KJV} These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, [being] the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
.:: Jesus 2nd coming ::.
The Fall (Grape) Harvest goes hand in hand with Jesus' second coming. I separate out the scripture below to emphasize His coming but I believe any people shown as resurrected in this section are part of the section (above) ... that harvest will happen just prior to His return. His second coming is His establishment of the Kingdom of God whereby He rules and reigns as King of kings and Lord of lords for 1,000 years. When He comes it will be to *rescue* Israel at the end of "Jacob's Trouble" when Israel finally is brought to her knees and calls on Him to come. We have two NT witnesses to this statement:
{Mat 23:39 KJV} For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed [is] he that cometh in the name of the Lord. -Jesus/Yeshua
{Luk 13:35 KJV} Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until [the time] come when ye shall say, Blessed [is] he that cometh in the name of the Lord. -Jesus/Yeshua
At Jesus' second coming, satan is bound in the bottomless pit (abyss). Jesus will usher in a time of peace and tranquility on earth, as God intended from the beginning! At this time, the Lord returns with ALL of His resurrected saints including any of the resurrected listed in this section, who will help Him govern the peoples of the world that yet remain.
{Zec 14:5 KJV} And ye shall flee [to] the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, [and] all the saints with thee.
{Jhn 5:28-29 KJV} Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. -Jesus/Yeshua {The resurrection of damnation is the second death of the unrighteous.}
{Act 24:15 KJV} And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.
{Rev 1:5-7 KJV} And from Jesus Christ, [who is] the faithful witness, [and] the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him [be] glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they [also] which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
{Rev 5:9-10 KJV} And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. {Something to keep in mind, one must break ALL the seals before one can read the contents of the scroll!}
{Rev 20:4-6 KJV} And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received [his] mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This [is] the first resurrection. Blessed and holy [is] he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
.:: The Second Death ::.
{Rev 20:11-15 KJV} And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is [the book] of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. {The first death is the one every human has suffered since the time of Adam & Eve, due to their rebellion and fall that has affected each and every one of us ever since. The "dead" spoken of here are not the righteous but rather the unrighteous, those that chose not to believe in Jesus and died in their sins.}
Until recently, I was a staunchly convinced *pre-wrath* kinda gal. I by no means am claiming to have all the answers but I do find the possibility of three phases of one resurrection to be intriguing! As I find time, and energy, I will continue to add scriptures where I feel they fit, as well as links to other articles I've discovered over these past couple of months. I hope I have inspired you (as others have done for me) to look into this fascinating potential. Do your own research, study to show yourselves approved.
Perhaps we'll meet in the air, maybe sooner than later, during an upcoming Pentecost (Shavuot - wheat)? Perhaps this year!? I am watching intently for a potential resurrection for this upcoming Pentecost (Shavuot) from June 11-13, 2016 but if it doesn't happen then I'll continue waiting until the Fall feasts/harvest, and if necessary on to next year! ;o}
You might be interested in another article I did ...
http://thelambswife.blogspot.com/2016/01/011116-will-jesus-come-for-his-bride.html
Maranatha Lord!
{Curly bracket comments are mine. Red letter text is Jesus speaking. Article started on June 1, 2016 and is in WIP stage.}
^^^>>> these lines will *disappear* when the article is completed but I want to share this with you as I progress because TIME IS SHORT! <<<
Whether you are pre-trib, mid-trib, post-trib or pre-wrath ... this article should be of interest to you. It is *possible* that ALL of us are correct to some degree, having some pieces of the puzzle but not all. Consider the three main Hebrew feasts (still observed by much of Israel today). Could it be that each harvest or feast period (spring, summer, and fall) represents three phases of one resurrection? Just as, for the Hebrews, there are three harvests in one year, so three resurrections are represented by those three harvests. Although I'm not the first to discover this idea, it surely sounds plausible! So I add my *voice* to the others before me. In my spin on this topic, I separate the potential (rapture) resurrections by the feast harvest season I believe they belong to.
If there is a *threefold resurrection*, and there may well be, then they likely correlate with the three feasts that all Israeli men of 20 years old and up were expected to be in Jerusalem for.
{Exo 23:14-17 KJV} Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year. Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:) And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, [which is] in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field. Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord GOD.
{Exo 34:18 KJV} The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt. ... {Exo 34:22-23 KJV} And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year's end. Thrice in the year shall all your men children appear before the Lord GOD, the God of Israel.
{Deu 16:16-17 KJV} Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty: Every man [shall give] as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee.
In fact, we see three things happening in the spring: Passover, (7) Days of Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits (barley), these are all part of the first harvest that begins with the Passover meal and ends with the firstfruits harvest (wherein is the offering of the unleavened wave sheaf of barley). This entire festival represents Jesus' first coming (fulfilled in rapid succession) whereby He is the Passover Lamb, unleavened (without sin), and the firstfruit of them that slept. He is followed in resurrection by believing saints that lived before He died & resurrected (the wave sheaf offering). So, following His resurrection {which occurred on the third day (day one crucified, day two in the grave, day three resurrected) of the Feast of Unleavened Bread}, were those that He went into the bowels of the earth to redeem (Mat 27:51-53 quoted below under SPRING, and see also the parable of Lazarus and the rich man told by Jesus in Luk 16:19-31) who were also resurrected and were seen in the streets of Jerusalem briefly.
{Eph 4:8-10 KJV} Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
Another interesting thing to consider is the Menorah, the seven branched candlestick that is the symbol of Israel. The first three branches represent the Spring's Feast of Firstfruits (unleavened bread wave offering); the middle "servant branch" {Jesus was Judah ben Joseph} represents the Summer's Feast of Weeks-Pentecost Harvest (two leavened loaves wave offering); and finally the last three branches represent the Fall's Feast of Trumpets through the Feast of Tabernacles (the final harvest of the year). So, without further ado, here are my thoughts on the harvests & resurrections by their seasons ...
.:: SPRING ::.
- PASSOVER (PASACH)
https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfm?Criteria=passover*&t=KJV#s=s_primary_0_1
- DAYS OF UNLEAVENED BREAD
https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfm?Criteria=unleavened+bread&t=KJV#s=s_primary_0_1
- FEAST OF FIRSTFRUITS
https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfm?Criteria=firstfruit*&t=KJV#s=s_primary_0_1
Barley Harvest ~ barley is winnowed: thrown up in the air where the wind separates the barley from it's protective covering.
- Jesus is the firstfruits of many, and then
- Those that came out of the opened graves after His resurrection (unleavened wave sheaf offering)
{1Co 15:20 KJV} But now is Christ risen from the dead, [and] become the firstfruits of them that slept.
{Mat 27:51-53 KJV} And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
{Luk 23:39-43 KJV} And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
{Rev 6:9-11 KJV} And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they [were], should be fulfilled. {Could "a little season" refer to the -times of the Gentiles- which is the time counted between the Feast of Firstfruits on through to Pentecost?}
??? FIRSTFRUITS ???
Yes, notice that's PLURAL, as in ... more than one!!! In at least two phases: the first phase consisted of 1) Jesus death & resurrection; immediately followed by 2) the unleavened wave loaf offering (of the barley harvest). The second phase consists of the two leavened loaves (of the wheat harvest). These firstfruit harvests are separated by 50 days and, I believe, are in fact one and the same harvest to God since He joins them with a counting of days (omer). These *wave offerings* are the firstfruits among all of the righteous that will be resurrected, being the firstfruits of the barley harvest and then the firstfruits of the wheat harvest.
.:: SUMMER ::.
- COUNTING OF THE OMER
(50 days count from the FirstFruits offering after Passover)
https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/lev/23/9/s_113009
> which also coincides with a Jubilee (50 years count) <
https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/lev/25/1/s_115001
- FEAST OF WEEKS/PENTECOST (SHAVUOT)
https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfm?Criteria=feast+of+weeks&t=KJV#s=s_primary_0_1
Wheat Harvest ~ trampled over with a *tribulum* to separate the wheat from it's hard outer shell by much harsh grinding & grating under a board that had stones in the bottom: symbolic of much tribulation that every believer during the "times of the Gentiles" goes through.
2nd phase of the first resurrection: This harvest has yet to happen. It represents the awake/ready church/bride made up of both Jews & Gentiles that are saved during the "times of the Gentiles" (two leavened loaves).
The Spring & Summer feasts are ONE FEAST joined by a 50 day count (omer count) but otherwise represent the start and end of the "times of the Gentiles".
{Mat 13:30 KJV} Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. -Jesus/Yeshua {See also: the Parable of the 10 virgins in Mat 25, Mat 24, Mar 13, Luk 21, and parts of Luk 17, as space doesn't permit me to list those in their entirety and how they relate here. The "reapers" are His angels. The "tares" are the children of the wicked one (unrighteous) and they will be gathered together for war and God's wrath. But the "wheat" (the ready, righteous believers / bride / church) are gathered into heaven (His barn) by His holy angels (reapers).}
{Rom 8:23 KJV} And not only [they], but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, [to wit], the redemption of our body.
{1Th 4:13-18 KJV} But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. {See also, 2Th 2 as space doesn't permit me to quote the whole chapter here.}
Now some might think the above scriptures are troublesome to a 2nd phase of the first resurrection but I remind you that not every believer will be meeting the Lord in the air at this time. Rather, Mat 25's parable of the 10 virgins is clear that only those that are *ready* when the bridegroom comes will get to "go in" with Him, and He will then "shut the doors", and then not long after those that weren't ready will come banging on the door to be let in and He'll say for them to "depart" because "He never knew them". The sad reality of this parable is that a good half of the church will not be ready when He comes. The good news is that for those that are ready, they will be resurrected as stated in other wheat harvest passages I've listed. Remember, only two leavened loaves are waved at this time, which will indeed be a great many people, but this is NOT the time of the full harvest (that's the 3rd phase). Please, heed the following warning and make sure you are among this summer harvest!
{Luk 21:36 KJV} Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. -Jesus/Yeshua
{Rev 7:9-17 KJV} After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and [about] the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, [be] unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
.:: FALL ::.
- FEAST OF TRUMPETS
https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/lev/23/24/s_113024
- DAY OF ATONEMENT
https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfm?Criteria=day+atonement&t=KJV#s=s_primary_0_1
- FEAST OF TABERNACLES/TENTS/BOOTHS (SUKKOT)
https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfm?Criteria=booth*&t=KJV#s=s_primary_0_1
Grape Harvest ~ grapes are thrown into a vat (large tub) where they are literally crushed & trampled to extract the precious juice, which correlates with wars and the wrath of man against man as well as satan (who uses willing mankind as pawns against each other), and finally God's wrath when He cleanses the earth of all iniquity and unrighteousness. These are they that are resurrected -just prior- to the 1,000 years reign of Jesus at His second coming.
3rd phase of the first resurrection: These are not among "the firstfruits" but they are among those yet to be resurrected. I believe that at the close of the "church age" (aka: "times of the Gentiles") there will be a "time of tribulation" (man caused), also known as "Jacob's trouble", in particular where God turns His attention back to Israel to deal with their idolatrous, stiffnecked, rebellious hearts regarding Jesus their Messiah. He will also be dealing with the unrepentant of all the earth, those who persist in their sins & unbelief.
{Luk 12:35-40 KJV} Let your loins be girded about, and [your] lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed [are] those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find [them] so, blessed are those servants. And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not. -Jesus/Yeshua {This "when he will return from the wedding: that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately" implies that some believers {virgins} were not ready at a previous time {wheat harvest}, possibly referring back to the parable of the 10 virgins of Mat 25 whereby some missed His coming because they didn't have enough oil for their lamps. They are advised to be ready by the grape harvest {fall}! Read the whole chapter.}
{Rev 14:14-20 KJV} And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud [one] sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast [it] into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand [and] six hundred furlongs.
Who are the firstfruits redeemed by Christ?
{Jas 1:18 KJV} Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
{1Co 15:23 KJV} But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. {This could mean His coming in the clouds where we meet Him in the air, or it could mean His 2nd coming, or both.}
One other mention of "firstfruits" that are sealed in their foreheads are the 144,000 spoken of in Rev 7 & Rev 14 but I'm not sure if they are sealed in their mortal bodies or if they're among one of the phases of the resurrected. I'll leave that for another study perhaps. Here's that scripture for reference sake ...
{Rev 14:4 KJV} These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, [being] the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
.:: Jesus 2nd coming ::.
The Fall (Grape) Harvest goes hand in hand with Jesus' second coming. I separate out the scripture below to emphasize His coming but I believe any people shown as resurrected in this section are part of the section (above) ... that harvest will happen just prior to His return. His second coming is His establishment of the Kingdom of God whereby He rules and reigns as King of kings and Lord of lords for 1,000 years. When He comes it will be to *rescue* Israel at the end of "Jacob's Trouble" when Israel finally is brought to her knees and calls on Him to come. We have two NT witnesses to this statement:
{Mat 23:39 KJV} For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed [is] he that cometh in the name of the Lord. -Jesus/Yeshua
{Luk 13:35 KJV} Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until [the time] come when ye shall say, Blessed [is] he that cometh in the name of the Lord. -Jesus/Yeshua
At Jesus' second coming, satan is bound in the bottomless pit (abyss). Jesus will usher in a time of peace and tranquility on earth, as God intended from the beginning! At this time, the Lord returns with ALL of His resurrected saints including any of the resurrected listed in this section, who will help Him govern the peoples of the world that yet remain.
{Zec 14:5 KJV} And ye shall flee [to] the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, [and] all the saints with thee.
{Jhn 5:28-29 KJV} Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. -Jesus/Yeshua {The resurrection of damnation is the second death of the unrighteous.}
{Act 24:15 KJV} And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.
{Rev 1:5-7 KJV} And from Jesus Christ, [who is] the faithful witness, [and] the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him [be] glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they [also] which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
{Rev 5:9-10 KJV} And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. {Something to keep in mind, one must break ALL the seals before one can read the contents of the scroll!}
{Rev 20:4-6 KJV} And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received [his] mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This [is] the first resurrection. Blessed and holy [is] he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
.:: The Second Death ::.
{Rev 20:11-15 KJV} And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is [the book] of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. {The first death is the one every human has suffered since the time of Adam & Eve, due to their rebellion and fall that has affected each and every one of us ever since. The "dead" spoken of here are not the righteous but rather the unrighteous, those that chose not to believe in Jesus and died in their sins.}
Until recently, I was a staunchly convinced *pre-wrath* kinda gal. I by no means am claiming to have all the answers but I do find the possibility of three phases of one resurrection to be intriguing! As I find time, and energy, I will continue to add scriptures where I feel they fit, as well as links to other articles I've discovered over these past couple of months. I hope I have inspired you (as others have done for me) to look into this fascinating potential. Do your own research, study to show yourselves approved.
Perhaps we'll meet in the air, maybe sooner than later, during an upcoming Pentecost (Shavuot - wheat)? Perhaps this year!? I am watching intently for a potential resurrection for this upcoming Pentecost (Shavuot) from June 11-13, 2016 but if it doesn't happen then I'll continue waiting until the Fall feasts/harvest, and if necessary on to next year! ;o}
You might be interested in another article I did ...
http://thelambswife.blogspot.com/2016/01/011116-will-jesus-come-for-his-bride.html
Maranatha Lord!
{Curly bracket comments are mine. Red letter text is Jesus speaking. Article started on June 1, 2016 and is in WIP stage.}
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