Why #Pentecost #Rapture


Submitted by Tom Gaston for those Saints who are watching for our blessed hope.  Reason why Pentecost makes such perfect sense.
Begin quote:

                                                                  "   Why Pentecost?

Acts 2:1, 2, 14, 22,....."And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

.....( v. 14 )..."But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them ( Israel );  "Men of Judea, and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give heed to my words.

....( v. 22 )......"Men of Israel, listen to these words;   Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst; just as you yourselves know."

....( v. 32 - 36 )......"This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses.  Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of GOd, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.  For it was not Davided who ascended into heaven, but he himself says:......"The Lord said to My Lord, Sit at My right hand, Until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet."

....."Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ - this Jesus whom you crucified."

On the day of Pentecost, God, through the mouth of Peter, was addressing specifically the nation of Israel.  As a result Scripture states that there were about 3000 souls saved on that day ( Acts 2:41 ). Nevertheless the nation of Israel was still not saved as a whole on that day.  Therefore the "national redemption" of Israel is still yet future, and it will come following the "fullness of the Gentiles" which is the completion of the body of Christ and the time of the Resurrection / Rapture of the Church ( Rom. 11:25 - 27 ).

  Do you all realize that Christ "returned " and descended on the day of  Pentecost!   What!   I know, it sounds ludicrous doesn't it!   But think about it!   Who indwells every believer?   The Holy Spirit!  And who is the Holy Spirit?  He is the Spirit of Christ.  The apostle Paul states the following:

Colossians 1:27...."to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Ephesians 3:16 - 17....."That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Holy Spirit in the inner man,  so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.......etc...etc."

So, When the Holy Spirit descended on the day of Pentecost to indwell believers, and to commence the "Church / Church age",  then He "returned ", didn't He!   No, not in "bodily form", but in "Spirit."  And He did so in order to "build His Church" whom He purchased at the cross.  And when Christ has completed His Church, and its "fullness" has come,  then He will come "bodily / physically" in the air in order to remove His Church, and take it unto Himself.  And I believe that the very day of Pentecost future is a strong candidate time for the Lord to complete His body and return for His Church, His bride.

On the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2 Israel was not saved "nationally."  God through Peter spoke to His people and addressed the nation of Israel concerning Jesus whom they had crucified.  God had a "message" for His people on that day which He wanted the nation to hear. 

I believe that Pentecost is a perfect time for the Church to come to "fullness."  The festival of Pentecost and the work of the Holy Spirit has been operating in the world as God has been adding to His Church daily ever since Acts chapter two unfolded.  It makes perfect sense to me that God would bring to and END the Church age on the same day that the Church had its inception and beginning.  It would be a "reversal " of Pentecost, in which the Holy Spirit who indwells the body of Christ and His restraining power would be removed.  And so Pentecost is like "Bookends."  This festival sits between "Passsover season" and the "Fall Festivals." It therefore is a "parenthetical " feast day where the Church had its beginning, and of which I believe the Church could very well have its conclusion.  Therefore the day of Pentecost in the first century has NOT closed yet!

The Jewish prophets of the Old Testament did not see nor prophesy concerning the "Church / Church age."  The Church at that time was a "mystery" which was hidden and secret as the apostle Paul teaches in His epistles.  The Jewish prophets of old only prophesied of the first coming of Christ, the coming tribulation period, the second advent of Christ, the 1000 year reign of Christ, and the new heavens and the new earth.

  For example, when the Jewish prophets prophesied It was like looking over a "mountain top" to the next "mountain top" which comes after the first one.  You don't see the "valley" in between the Mountains.  Therefore the Church was hidden away from the eyes of the Jewish prophets in between the two mountain tops so to speak.  The Church , and the process of revealing it, was not made known until the book of Acts unfolded, beginning with the very day of Pentecost.

The Church was born on Pentecost, and God spoke specifically and directly to the nation of Israel concerning "Jesus" through the mouth of Peter. Some Jews received Peter's message and believed, and were saved, but the nation as a "whole" was not saved at that time.

Now stop and think with me here for a minute!  Is it possible then that God is going to Rapture the Church on the day of Pentecost and bring it to "fullness" on the very day in which it began, and therefore address the nation of Israel once again concerning "Jesus" whom they have rejected and crucified,  just like God did in Acts chapter two through the mouth of Peter?   Is God going to repeat Himself and speak to the nation of Israel once again on the very day of Pentecost following the Rapture of the Church which perhaps will take place and brought to"fullness" on that very day? 

What a perfect time for God to "remove the scales" from the "spiritual eyes" of Israel by removing His Church on the very day of Pentecost, and then address the nation once again just like He did in Acts chapter two, and explain to them what has just taken place!   Do you now see the prophetic "Bookends" process here folks with the Church beginning on Pentecost, and the Church coming to fullness and completion on Pentecost!

Wow!  Meditate and think about what I just stated!    God does repeat Himself folks!

At Mount Sinai God bethrothed Israel and gave to her His Law.   Then as time passed Israel sinned and rebelled against the Lord and played the "harlot" and divorced Him.  Then more time passes and finally Jesus comes onto the scene and presents Himself to Israel as their long awaited Messiah.  Israel rejects Christ as their long awaited Messiah and has Him put to death on a cross at the hands of the Romans.  Christ then is raised from the dead and presents Himself alive to His disiciples and to over 500 people ( 1 Cor. 15:6 ). 

  Over a period of 40 days Jesus is appearing to His disciples, teaching them and preparing them for the great commission which He has ordained for them to carry out. He commands them to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Holy Spirit ( Acts chp. 1 ).  Pentecost fully comes and the nation is gathered together, at which time God once again speaks to the Jewish nation a second time just like He spoke to Israel at Mount Sinai.  Yet the nation of Israel is not saved as a whole on the day of Pentecost, and her national redemption therefore is put put on hold until the Church age is completed, which is yet future.

Now the future has come, and Christ returns and descends "bodily" in order to remove His Church on the very day of Pentecost just like He descended and came to indwell the believer by way of His "Spirit " on that day when the Church was born.  Israel is now in total SHOCK!   All those "Christians" who were her only "true friends" have now vanished from the earth.  These are the people of God who carried the message of the hope of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the message whom Israel has long rejected and denied.  It is at THIS TIME then that God will cause the "spiritual scales" to fall from the eyes of Israel, at which time God, for the"third time" since Mount Sinai, will once again speak to the nation of Israel ( through the mouth of the two witnesses ) concerning Jesus who has just returned and taken His bride.  From this day of Pentecost onward the "redemption process" of  national Israel now begins.

1. The first time, or first Pentecost took place at Mount Sinai, God betrothed Israel.  The children of Israel were gathered and stood at the foot Mount Sinai under the "canopy" of God's glory cloud which covered the top of the whole mountain, and God addressed the nation, and Israel heard the voice of God.

2. Israel later divorces God and plays the Harlot.

3. God then for a "second time" speaks to national Israel on that day of Pentecost in Acts two, the day when His Church was born.  God addresses the nation of Israel through the mouth of Peter.  Yet still Israel does not hear and respond nationally, and therefore her national redemption is put on hold until a future time.

4. The future has come, and now the  Rapture of the Church takes place on Pentecost, and the "spiritual scales" fall from the eyes of the nation of Israel, as God for the third time addresses the nation of Israel once again concerning Jesus whom they have rejected, And who has just came and took His Church bride back to heaven.  At this time the nation of Israel will respond, and therefore her national redemption process will then begin on the very day of Pentecost, the day in which Jesus came and took His bride home to glory.

Here is what I see in all of this!  There will be three major "appointments" ( appointed times ) for Israel on the very day of Pentecost.  The first appointment was on Pentecost at Mount Sinai.  The second appointment was on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter two ( the birth of the Church ).  And the third appointment will be on the day of Pentecost ( future ) when the Church will come to "fullness" and "completion" with the Rapture of the Church taking place.  From this point onward God will begin the "national redemption process" for the nation of Israel.

Israel nationally has rejected the "message" and the "messenger" of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  The unsaved Jews and religious Jews today view the New Testment as an "historical record " only, as they do not believe that the New Testament is the inspired word of God. Therefore God has blinded their "spiritual eyes" so that they cannot see who Yeshua is "until the appointed time" when God will remove their "scales" from their eyes.  And I believe that the appropriate time for this to take place would be on the very day of Pentecost.

When the Church goes,  then so does the"scales" over Israel's eyes!  And Pentecost is the perfect time for God to once again "speak to the house Israel" concerning Jesus whom they have for so long rejected,  and who has just came and taken His Church home.

The Holy Spirit descended on Pentecost, and the Holy Spirit ascends with the Church on Pentecost!  This is Perfect timing as far as I am concerned!  And so we
have therefore The "bookends" festival coming to completion on the day it began.

Until He comes!

In Christ, Tom Gaston Rapturetj@comcast.net

                                                                     Why Pentecost?

Acts 2:1, 2, 14, 22,....."And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

.....( v. 14 )..."But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them ( Israel );  "Men of Judea, and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give heed to my words.

....( v. 22 )......"Men of Israel, listen to these words;   Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst; just as you yourselves know."

....( v. 32 - 36 )......"This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses.  Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of GOd, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.  For it was not Davided who ascended into heaven, but he himself says:......"The Lord said to My Lord, Sit at My right hand, Until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet."

....."Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ - this Jesus whom you crucified."

On the day of Pentecost, God, through the mouth of Peter, was addressing specifically the nation of Israel.  As a result Scripture states that there were about 3000 souls saved on that day ( Acts 2:41 ). Nevertheless the nation of Israel was still not saved as a whole on that day.  Therefore the "national redemption" of Israel is still yet future, and it will come following the "fullness of the Gentiles" which is the completion of the body of Christ and the time of the Resurrection / Rapture of the Church ( Rom. 11:25 - 27 ).

  Do you all realize that Christ "returned " and descended on the day of  Pentecost!   What!   I know, it sounds ludicrous doesn't it!   But think about it!   Who indwells every believer?   The Holy Spirit!  And who is the Holy Spirit?  He is the Spirit of Christ.  The apostle Paul states the following:

Colossians 1:27...."to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Ephesians 3:16 - 17....."That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Holy Spirit in the inner man,  so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.......etc...etc."

So, When the Holy Spirit descended on the day of Pentecost to indwell believers, and to commence the "Church / Church age",  then He "returned ", didn't He!   No, not in "bodily form", but in "Spirit."  And He did so in order to "build His Church" whom He purchased at the cross.  And when Christ has completed His Church, and its "fullness" has come,  then He will come "bodily / physically" in the air in order to remove His Church, and take it unto Himself.  And I believe that the very day of Pentecost future is a strong candidate time for the Lord to complete His body and return for His Church, His bride.

On the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2 Israel was not saved "nationally."  God through Peter spoke to His people and addressed the nation of Israel concerning Jesus whom they had crucified.  God had a "message" for His people on that day which He wanted the nation to hear. 

I believe that Pentecost is a perfect time for the Church to come to "fullness."  The festival of Pentecost and the work of the Holy Spirit has been operating in the world as God has been adding to His Church daily ever since Acts chapter two unfolded.  It makes perfect sense to me that God would bring to and END the Church age on the same day that the Church had its inception and beginning.  It would be a "reversal " of Pentecost, in which the Holy Spirit who indwells the body of Christ and His restraining power would be removed.  And so Pentecost is like "Bookends."  This festival sits between "Passsover season" and the "Fall Festivals." It therefore is a "parenthetical " feast day where the Church had its beginning, and of which I believe the Church could very well have its conclusion.  Therefore the day of Pentecost in the first century has NOT closed yet!

The Jewish prophets of the Old Testament did not see nor prophesy concerning the "Church / Church age."  The Church at that time was a "mystery" which was hidden and secret as the apostle Paul teaches in His epistles.  The Jewish prophets of old only prophesied of the first coming of Christ, the coming tribulation period, the second advent of Christ, the 1000 year reign of Christ, and the new heavens and the new earth.

  For example, when the Jewish prophets prophesied It was like looking over a "mountain top" to the next "mountain top" which comes after the first one.  You don't see the "valley" in between the Mountains.  Therefore the Church was hidden away from the eyes of the Jewish prophets in between the two mountain tops so to speak.  The Church , and the process of revealing it, was not made known until the book of Acts unfolded, beginning with the very day of Pentecost.

The Church was born on Pentecost, and God spoke specifically and directly to the nation of Israel concerning "Jesus" through the mouth of Peter. Some Jews received Peter's message and believed, and were saved, but the nation as a "whole" was not saved at that time.

Now stop and think with me here for a minute!  Is it possible then that God is going to Rapture the Church on the day of Pentecost and bring it to "fullness" on the very day in which it began, and therefore address the nation of Israel once again concerning "Jesus" whom they have rejected and crucified,  just like God did in Acts chapter two through the mouth of Peter?   Is God going to repeat Himself and speak to the nation of Israel once again on the very day of Pentecost following the Rapture of the Church which perhaps will take place and brought to"fullness" on that very day? 

What a perfect time for God to "remove the scales" from the "spiritual eyes" of Israel by removing His Church on the very day of Pentecost, and then address the nation once again just like He did in Acts chapter two, and explain to them what has just taken place!   Do you now see the prophetic "Bookends" process here folks with the Church beginning on Pentecost, and the Church coming to fullness and completion on Pentecost!

Wow!  Meditate and think about what I just stated!    God does repeat Himself folks!

At Mount Sinai God bethrothed Israel and gave to her His Law.   Then as time passed Israel sinned and rebelled against the Lord and played the "harlot" and divorced Him.  Then more time passes and finally Jesus comes onto the scene and presents Himself to Israel as their long awaited Messiah.  Israel rejects Christ as their long awaited Messiah and has Him put to death on a cross at the hands of the Romans.  Christ then is raised from the dead and presents Himself alive to His disiciples and to over 500 people ( 1 Cor. 15:6 ). 

  Over a period of 40 days Jesus is appearing to His disciples, teaching them and preparing them for the great commission which He has ordained for them to carry out. He commands them to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Holy Spirit ( Acts chp. 1 ).  Pentecost fully comes and the nation is gathered together, at which time God once again speaks to the Jewish nation a second time just like He spoke to Israel at Mount Sinai.  Yet the nation of Israel is not saved as a whole on the day of Pentecost, and her national redemption therefore is put put on hold until the Church age is completed, which is yet future.

Now the future has come, and Christ returns and descends "bodily" in order to remove His Church on the very day of Pentecost just like He descended and came to indwell the believer by way of His "Spirit " on that day when the Church was born.  Israel is now in total SHOCK!   All those "Christians" who were her only "true friends" have now vanished from the earth.  These are the people of God who carried the message of the hope of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the message whom Israel has long rejected and denied.  It is at THIS TIME then that God will cause the "spiritual scales" to fall from the eyes of Israel, at which time God, for the"third time" since Mount Sinai, will once again speak to the nation of Israel ( through the mouth of the two witnesses ) concerning Jesus who has just returned and taken His bride.  From this day of Pentecost onward the "redemption process" of  national Israel now begins.

1. The first time, or first Pentecost took place at Mount Sinai, God betrothed Israel.  The children of Israel were gathered and stood at the foot Mount Sinai under the "canopy" of God's glory cloud which covered the top of the whole mountain, and God addressed the nation, and Israel heard the voice of God.

2. Israel later divorces God and plays the Harlot.

3. God then for a "second time" speaks to national Israel on that day of Pentecost in Acts two, the day when His Church was born.  God addresses the nation of Israel through the mouth of Peter.  Yet still Israel does not hear and respond nationally, and therefore her national redemption is put on hold until a future time.

4. The future has come, and now the  Rapture of the Church takes place on Pentecost, and the "spiritual scales" fall from the eyes of the nation of Israel, as God for the third time addresses the nation of Israel once again concerning Jesus whom they have rejected, And who has just came and took His Church bride back to heaven.  At this time the nation of Israel will respond, and therefore her national redemption process will then begin on the very day of Pentecost, the day in which Jesus came and took His bride home to glory.

Here is what I see in all of this!  There will be three major "appointments" ( appointed times ) for Israel on the very day of Pentecost.  The first appointment was on Pentecost at Mount Sinai.  The second appointment was on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter two ( the birth of the Church ).  And the third appointment will be on the day of Pentecost ( future ) when the Church will come to "fullness" and "completion" with the Rapture of the Church taking place.  From this point onward God will begin the "national redemption process" for the nation of Israel.

Israel nationally has rejected the "message" and the "messenger" of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  The unsaved Jews and religious Jews today view the New Testment as an "historical record " only, as they do not believe that the New Testament is the inspired word of God. Therefore God has blinded their "spiritual eyes" so that they cannot see who Yeshua is "until the appointed time" when God will remove their "scales" from their eyes.  And I believe that the appropriate time for this to take place would be on the very day of Pentecost.

When the Church goes,  then so does the"scales" over Israel's eyes!  And Pentecost is the perfect time for God to once again "speak to the house Israel" concerning Jesus whom they have for so long rejected,  and who has just came and taken His Church home.

The Holy Spirit descended on Pentecost, and the Holy Spirit ascends with the Church on Pentecost!  This is Perfect timing as far as I am concerned!  And so we
have therefore The "bookends" festival coming to completion on the day it began.

Until He comes!

In Christ, Tom Gaston
Rapturetj@comcast.net

 



















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