Bible Study Seattle

Noah’s days on the ark include two periods of forty days:

“Then the flood came upon the earth for forty days, and the water increased and lifted up the ark, so that it rose above the earth.” Genesis 7:17

“Then it came about at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made; and he sent out a raven, and it flew here and there until the water was dried up from the earth.” Genesis 8:6-7

A forty day period starts the flood, and a forty day period starts at day 224. Why such detail? Most likely, this foreshadows events at the return of Jesus. The first period is most likely forty years leading up to WWI. The second period we don’t know since it is still future. But why did Noah release a Raven? Ravens are very intelligent scavengers. Furthermore, verse 7 says it flew around until the water was dried up. Does this indicate a cleanup process? WWI created a lot of death. Perhaps this second forty day period winds up with a large war? Armageddon comes to mind, but who knows?

“Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. Even so, you too, when you see these things happening, recognize that He is near, right at the door. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” Mark 13:28-32

These events are likely quite future to us. The word translated ‘generation’ can also be rendered race. Could it mean that none die a second death until they see the Son of Man coming with the clouds? Many get hung up on the word ‘generation’. Some said 40 years after Israel was reestablished would be the second coming (1988). Some now say the second coming is 70-80 years after (2018-2028). 2028 is likely an important date, but it will disappoint as the second coming. Because of these prophetic failures, some will begin to mock, “saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” 2 Peter 3:4

No one will know the day or hour so that none can draw attention to themselves, that they ‘figured it out’. God wants to use prophecy to draw attention to himself, and no other. Many prophecies aren’t exactly clear to keep us humble, and also to catch Satan unawares. God loves those that diligently seek after him and his plans. “Keep Asking, and it will be given to you; keep seeking, and you will find; keep knocking, and it will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7

But certain details are withheld from us for our own good. Like the hour and day of our death.

Scriptures state that the saints are to reign with Jesus a thousand years. But we also have to remember that the Jubilee starts just past half way through the Sabbath year. Thus the Sabbath reign of Jesus expands into the Jubilee thousand year at Yom Kippur, the tenth of the seventh month. Thus you could say that the thousand year reign of Christ is actually at least 1500 years! This is the key to understanding certain portions. For instance, when Jesus answers the Sadducees about the resurrection, he is most likely talking about the Jubilee. He says,

“but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; for they cannot even die anymore, because they are like angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.” Luke 20:35-36

‘That Age’ is referring to the Jubilee. This is at least 528 years into the Sabbath thousand year reign. He avoids talking about the first part of the Millennium, because babies will still be born in that time.

Does Firstfruits come after the high Sabbath or after the weekly Sabbath? That answer affects when Shavaot falls. Is this confusion on purpose? To keep us and Satan on our toes? If you hunt around, you will find people saying anything from Nisan 16 to Nisan 22 for Firstfruits. How about this:

“Now the Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, “This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you. Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a lamb for themselves, according to their fathers’ households, a lamb for each household. Now if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his neighbor nearest to his house are to take one according to the number of persons in them; according to what each man should eat, you are to divide the lamb. Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats.” Exodus 12:1-5

A lamb or goat?? But what about:

“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.” Matthew 25:31-33

These goats are cursed and burned with the devil and his angels! Perhaps these are different goats than the Passover goats? Or how about this:

“Then the Lord said to Noah, “Enter the ark, you and all your household, for you alone I have seen to be righteous before Me in this time. You shall take with you of every clean animal by sevens, a male and his female; and of the animals that are not clean two, a male and his female; also of the birds of the sky, by sevens, male and female, to keep offspring alive on the face of all the earth. For after seven more days, I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights; and I will blot out from the face of the land every living thing that I have made.” Genesis 7:1-4

“Then Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him entered the ark because of the water of the flood.” Genesis 7:7

“It came about after the seven days, that the water of the flood came upon the earth.” Genesis 7:10

“So they went into the ark to Noah, by twos of all flesh in which was the breath of life. Those that entered, male and female of all flesh, entered as God had commanded him; and the Lord closed it behind him. Then the flood came upon the earth for forty days, and the water increased and lifted up the ark, so that it rose above the earth.” Genesis 7:15-17

Did the flood start immediately when Noah went into the ark, or after seven days? It’s a little vague. Perhaps there’s meaning to this, as Jesus was baptized, then died three and a half years later, then Cornelius (a Gentile) was baptized three and a half years later.

There are two primary ways to view the Millennium. The first:

“But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.” 2 Peter 3:8

The other way is a little more circuitous:

“The Lord then spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you come into the land which I shall give you, then the land shall have a sabbath to the Lord. Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its crop, but during the seventh year the land shall have a sabbath rest, a sabbath to the Lord; you shall not sow your field nor prune your vineyard. Your harvest’s aftergrowth you shall not reap, and your grapes of untrimmed vines you shall not gather; the land shall have a sabbatical year. All of you shall have the sabbath products of the land for food; yourself, and your male and female slaves, and your hired man and your foreign resident, those who live as aliens with you. Even your cattle and the animals that are in your land shall have all its crops to eat.

‘You are also to count off seven sabbaths of years for yourself, seven times seven years, so that you have the time of the seven sabbaths of years, namely, forty-nine years. You shall then sound a ram’s horn abroad on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the day of atonement you shall sound a horn all through your land. You shall thus consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim a release through the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, and each of you shall return to his own property, and each of you shall return to his family. You shall have the fiftieth year as a jubilee; you shall not sow, nor reap its aftergrowth, nor gather in from its untrimmed vines. For it is a jubilee; it shall be holy to you. You shall eat its crops out of the field.” Leviticus 25:1-12

Just as there is a weekly Sabbath, there is also a seven-year Sabbath. Therefore if a Sabbath day is as a thousand years, then also a Sabbath year is as a thousand years.

The ninth of Av (fifth month) is a day of disaster for the Hebrews. It was on this day that the spies gave the bad report to Moses. It was also on this day that the first and second temples were destroyed. Also, they was a huge slaughter of Jews on this date in AD 132 by the Romans. The Jews were kicked out of England on this day in 1290. The Jews were kicked out of Spain in 1492 on this day. Hitler rounded up many Jews for elimination on this day. What’s also interesting is that this day is 129 out of 360, or the 358th year of the Millennium. This corresponds almost exactly to the end of the Pit chronologically in the Great Pyramid. Whether this has any significance we shall see. That is still quite future to us.