Firstly, in the scripture He reminds us that He definitely is Coming and that His Return will not Tarry (which is the Greek word χρονίζω, from which we get Chronos Time or Delay, which is so appropriate to all that we are considering right now and the Pine Cone symbolizes God's intentional timing built into His creation:

The Pine Cone as a Symbol of Dormant Potential

Pine cones are the reproductive structures of conifer trees, but they don’t release their seeds immediately. Many species—especially serotinous cones—require specific conditions to open:

• Heat or fire: Some cones only release seeds after exposure to intense heat, such as a forest fire or prophetically when the signs of Tribulation manifest. 

• The fire that opens the pine cone also parallels the tongues of fire at Pentecost. So what seemed destructive (judgment at Babel) becomes purifying and releasing at Pentecost.

• The Spirit’s arrival is like the heat that finally opens the cone—new life bursts forth, not randomly, but right on time.
• Time and maturity: Others remain closed for months or years until the environment is right.

This delay isn’t accidental—it’s intentional design. The cone holds life in suspension, waiting for the appointed time when conditions align for growth.

Theological Parallels: Delayed Fulfillment

This all mirrors biblical themes of waiting, promise, and appointed time:

• Habakkuk 2:3: “For the vision is yet for an appointed time… though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come.”

• Pentecost itself was a fulfillment delayed—Jesus promised the Spirit, but the disciples had to wait in Jerusalem until the appointed moment.

• Seed imagery is common in Scripture: Jesus spoke of the seed falling into the ground and dying before bearing fruit (John 12:24).

Additionally, I could not help but note the numbers, given the Lord’s constant use of them within patterns that reveal His hidden timing secrets.

In this regard, we have three numbers 10; 37; and 38. As standalone numbers they have significant meaning as follows:

10 – the Law (ten commandments) that Jesus came to fulfil to Redeem us

37 – God’s personal seal – see further information later in this article or click here.

38 – (19 x 2) as a multiple of 19, it relates to God hiding His people and is connected to an instance of when God will do this in the Ezekiel 38 war – see further information on the number 19 here.

Then in combination we can combine the Chapter Number with both Verse Numbers and get:

47 (10 + 37) – This is all about God’s promises, noting that it was exactly 470 years from the promises given to Abraham until God’s people Israel entered the Promised Land. This consists of the 430 years to the day from the promises to the Exodus:

⁴⁰ Now the sojourn of the children of Israel who lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. ⁴¹ And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years—on that very same day—it came to pass that all the armies of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt. Exodus 12:40-41

And the 40 years of Wandering in the Wilderness

¹⁶ Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ. ¹⁷ And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. Galatians 3:16-17

So then you add the 40 years of Wilderness wandering and you have 430 + 40 = 470

Additionally, the UN passed resolution 181 for Israel to become a modern nation again in the 47^th year of the 19^th century. Essentially, they had been hidden with Christ for 19 centuries, such that in spite of the enemy’s persecution and attacks that culminated with the Holocaust, God preserved a Remnant who all knew their Jewish identity even though they had not lived as a nation for nearly 2000 years.

48 (10 + 38) – This is the about God’s Presence, which is the ultimate fulfilment of His Promises. This is seen in the 480 (48 x 10)  years  from the Exodus until when Solomon began to build the Temple where God’s presence would dwell.

​¹ And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD. 1 Kings 6:1

The Holy of Holies that housed the Ark of the Covenant above which God’s Glory and Presence dwelt was made from 48 boards

The 48^th year of the 19^th Century also saw the birth of Israel as a modern nation on 14^th May 1948 in fulfilment of the UN Vote in 1947 – the delay had resulted from attacks by the Arabs who refused to recognise the UN Partition Plan. While this initial Arab war lasted until 1949, Israel ultimately declared themselves a nation in 1948, in an amazing prophetic fulfilment of the original promise of a nation to Abraham, who the bible genealogies show was born 1,948 years after Adam, mirroring the event.

So in this one Scripture verse in the book of Hebrews, in which the Lord is promising that it will only be a little while now before He comes; and He exhorts us to not draw back; and to live by faith; we see all the numbers that relate to Jesus fulfilling the Law for our Redemption and hiding us in Him until He Comes in the Rapture fulfilling His Promises in John 14:1-3 to come again so that where He is, we will be also (forever in His presence) - while noting, as I have shown in other articles, that this could occur in connection with the Ezekiel 38 Gog / Magog War.

³⁷ “For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry. ³⁸ Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.” Hebrews 10:37-38

Signs and Watching – what the Lord wants us to Know

Essentially, all the signs that we see pointing to 2025 could be just that, signs that the LORD’s return is imminent.  Even if it does not happen this year, this is what the signs like the Fig Tree Prophecy are definitely telling us, the Summer or Season of our LORD’s Return is near, which in any honest and fair assessment of today’s world, in conjunction with other biblical signs, seems undeniable.

While many seem to want to mock this idea, and others are not even wanting to consider the Rapture itself as Biblical, this of course is a sign in and of itself.

³ knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, ⁴ 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 creation.” 2 Peter 3:3-4

 In contrast, those that long to be with the Lord will continue to Watch and Look for His Return, based upon Jesus’ commands to do so, such as in Matthew 24:42 that was part of the Olivet Discourse:

⁴² Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. Matthew 24:42

This verse follows the disciples' comments about the Temple's beauty, but notably, there are major differences between Bible versions in this passage, which cast doubt upon what is truly being revealed here and suggests caution against making absolute claims, such as we cannot know the 'day'.

So given this and the fact that prophetically Watching for Jesus' Return has now become such a contentious issue, that causes so much division, regarding what we can or cannot know, it is worth examining these differences.

To this end, I have included 24 versions of Matthew 24:42 below that have been generated from the Logos Bible Software to show how their texts vary primarily between saying either 'you do not know what “day” (in Greek - ἡμέρα)', or 'you do not know what “hour” (in Greek - ὥρᾳ)' our Lord is returning.

The Scriptures | Mt 24:42 “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Master is coming.

NKJV | Mt 24:42 “‌Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord‌ is coming.  9.7% difference

ESV | Mt 24:42 “Therefore, stay awake‌, for you do not know ‌on‌ what ‌day‌ your Lord‌ is coming.  35.3% difference

NASB 2020 | Mt 24:42 “Therefore be on the alert‌, for you do not know ‌which day‌ your Lord‌ is coming.  37.1% difference

ASV | Mt 24:42 “‌Watch therefore,‌ for ye know‌ not ‌on‌ what ‌day‌ your ‌Lord cometh‌.  53.3% difference

CSB | Mt 24:42 “‌Therefore be alert‌, ‌since‌ you ‌don’t‌ know what ‌day‌ your ‌Lord‌ is coming.  48.4% difference

AV 1873 | Mt 24:42 “‌Watch therefore,‌:‌ for you ‌ye know‌ not ‌what hour your ‌Lord doth come‌.  46.7% difference

CJB | Mt 24:42 “‌So stay alert‌, ‌because‌ you ‌don’t‌ know ‌on‌ what ‌day‌ your ‌Lord will come‌.  62.5% difference

ERV | Mt 24:42 “‌Watch therefore,‌:‌ for ye know‌ not what ‌day‌ your ‌Lord cometh‌.  53.3% difference

CEV | Mt 24:42 “‌So be on your guard! You don’t‌ know what ‌when‌ your ‌Lord will come‌.  80.6% difference

GB | Mt 24:42 “‌Wake‌ therefore,‌:‌ for you knowe‌ not what ‌houre‌ your ‌master wil come‌.  60% difference

GNT | Mt 24:42 “‌Watch ‌out, then‌, because‌ you do not know what ‌day‌ your ‌Lord will come‌.  45.5% difference

KJV | Mt 24:42 “‌Watch therefore,‌:‌ for ye know‌ not what hour your ‌Lord doth come‌.  46.7% difference

KJV 1900 | Mt 24:42 “‌Watch therefore,‌:‌ for ye know‌ not what hour your ‌Lord doth come‌.  46.7% difference

LEB | Mt 24:42 “‌Therefore be on the alert‌, ‌because‌ you do not know what ‌day‌ your ‌Lord‌ is coming.‌!  47.1% difference

NLT | Mt 24:42 “So you, too‌, ‌must keep watch! For‌ you ‌don’t‌ know what ‌day‌ your ‌Lord‌ is coming.  51.4% difference

NIV | Mt 24:42 “Therefore keep watch‌, because‌ you do not know ‌on‌ what ‌day‌ your ‌Lord will come‌.  47.1% difference

NEB | Mt 24:42 “Keep awake‌, ‌then;‌ for you do not know ‌on‌ what day‌ your ‌Lord‌ is ‌to come‌.  44.4% difference

NASB | Mt 24:42 “‌Therefore be on the alert‌, for you do not know ‌which day‌ your ‌Lord‌ is coming.  37.1% difference

NABRE | Mt 24:42 “‌Therefore‌, ‌stay awake! For‌ you do not know ‌on which day‌ your ‌Lord will come‌.  58.8% difference

WMB | Mt 24:42 “‌Watch therefore, for you do not‌‌ know ‌in‌ what hour your Master is coming‌Lord comes‌.  33.3% difference

Word Come Alive New Testament Paraphrase | Mt 24:42 “‌Be on your guard‌ therefore‌; remain alert‌, ‌because‌ you don’t‌ know ‌on‌ what ‌day‌ your Lord will come!  67.6% difference

RSV | Mt 24:42 “‌Watch therefore, for you do not know ‌on‌ what ‌day‌ your ‌Lord‌ is coming.  18.8% difference

The Living Bible, Paraphrased | Mt 24:42 “‌So be prepared‌, for you ‌don’t‌ know what ‌day‌ your ‌Lord‌ is coming.  37.5% difference

 Exported from Logos Bible Study, 12:51 PM 6 October 2025.

To say that this difference is important is an understatement because contextually, if one is saying only that you do not know which hour our Lord is coming, then by implication it is allowing for at least the possibility of knowing the day, just not the hour, which would make the Watch window significantly smaller. This is perhaps part of why so many were looking at the Feast of Trumpets.

 Then in the next two verses, in the NKJV,  it states:

⁴³ But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. ⁴⁴ Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Matthew 24:43-44

Here the Watch window is again affirmed as an ”hour” not a “day” and significantly when comparing all the same versions, as above, they all say in verse 43  either “hour”; “part of the night”;  “time of the night”; “watch”; or “time”, and virtually all affirm the “hour” in the next verse 44, even those that had previously said ‘day” in verse 42.

So clearly if believers knew the season and possibly the day, they would definitely be watching for the LORD and would therefore be on high alert, such that this knowing would encourage them to ensure that they are living Holy and Godly lives; so that when Jesus comes, they will be found to be without spot and blameless, as it says in 2 Peter 3:11 and 2 Peter 3:14

In contrast, the other translations that are stating you cannot know the day, in verse 42, they would seem to be making the "hour" of little consequence because as 2 Peter 3:3-4 also suggests, not knowing when Jesus is returning can feed the idea that since it’s been nearly 2,000 years since Jesus went to be with the Father, then everything is just continuing on as it has been, and Jesus Return is not imminent. Therefore, there is no sense of urgency to watch or to address any hidden sins in their life, and many may continue to believe that their church attendance and service to the Lord is evidence that they are right with the Lord:

³ knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, ⁴ 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 creation.” 2 Peter 3:3-4

Other passages, such as Matthew 24:48-51, also suggests that there is a danger if one is not watching (because they do not believe in His imminent return), that can actually result in Sin that is not hidden. Here, Jesus Himself illustrates how a false sense of security regarding His return can lead to unrighteous behavior, noting that He is talking about Believers:

⁸ But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ ⁴⁹ and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, ⁵⁰ the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, ⁵¹ and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 24:48-51

So, in summary, the translation you choose can change everything in relation to what you believe God is revealing in Matthew 24:42-44 passage.

The Authorised versions based upon the KJV and the Majority Text (that have been God’s witness to the English speaking world for over four centuries) all clearly say here that you do not know the Hour, while the newer modern versions (such as NIV; ESV etc) are based upon the Critical Texts that say you cannot know the Day.  However, both cannot be right and sadly many rely on these contentious modern texts that are primarily based upon 2 arguably corrupted Greek texts (Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus).

Importantly, the modern translations, though often easier to read, can cause many to also downplay the urgency in other passages that also command us to be vigilant and Keep Watch, Stay Alert and Be Ready in relation to the Return of Jesus, such as:

• Matthew 25:13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.” — Conclusion of the Parable of the Ten Virgins, emphasizing preparedness.

• Mark 13:33–37 “Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come… What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’” — Jesus uses the metaphor of a man going away and commanding his servants to stay alert.
• Luke 12:35–40 “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning… You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” — A call to readiness and faithful service.
• Revelation 16:15 “Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed…” — A final reminder from Jesus in the book of Revelation.

These verses reflect Jesus’ consistent message that His Return will be sudden and unexpected, so believers must live in a state of spiritual alertness and readiness. However, for those who are looking for the Day, or at least the Season, of Jesus’ Return, we must now consider some other factors that can play into God’s end-time calendar.

Evaluation of Feast of Trumpets Rapture Theory

In line with the idea that Revelation is Progressive and the fact that the Feast of Trumpets (that was hoped by many to be connected with the Rapture) has passed, it appears to be time to evaluate that theory to see what else God may be revealing.

Significantly, the Feast of Trumpets this year was being considered as a real possibility by many Prophecy Watchers because it fitted an understanding that the Rapture could occur on this particular Feast Day some year; and this year saw a plethora of signs pointing to it.

This connection is based upon the idea that since Jesus’ First Coming fulfilled the first four Feasts of the LORD, it seems likely that He will fulfil the next four (noting many say 3); and because the Rapture is the next event involving Him personally and the Feast of Trumpets is the next Feast to be fulfilled sequentially, then this year was considered as possible.

Most, including myself, were hoping that this would be the case, even though I had major doubts because I also believe that the Rapture would be contiguous with the Ezekiel 38 invasion, and I could not see this as happening by the 23^rd of September. So, I wrote about this in the article titled "The 3rd Day Gathering – the Rapture of the Saints" in the section “The Order of the Events” - See further information on this via this link here.

Nevertheless, the date passed without incident and this very fact sheds considerable light on this idea and provides context for evaluating it.

The Daniel Connection

Firstly, one of the proofs that was used to link the Rapture with the Feast of Trumpets this year involved Daniel’s 2550 days, which comprises two halves to the Tribulation (1260 +1290 days).  

The First Half

This is the 1260 days of the first half of the Tribulation. The following verses refer to this number as follows:

1. Daniel 7:25:

²⁵ He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, Shall persecute the saints of the Most High, And shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand For a time and times and half a time. Daniel 7:25

This verse refers to a period of oppression where the "saints" will be given into the hands of a ruler for "a time, times, and half a time", which is often interpreted as 1,260 days because the Jewish Calendar was 360 days long and ‘a time’ was 1 year, or 360 days; and ‘times’ was 2 years, or 720 (360 x 2) days; and ‘half a time’ was 180 days (360/2) or half a year.

So, 360 +720 + 180 =1260

2. Daniel 12:7:

⁷ Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished. Daniel 12:7

Similar to Daniel 7, this verse also mentions a time, times, and half a time, indicating a period of 1,260 days.

3. Revelation 11:2-3:

² But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. ³ And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” Revelation 11:2-3

In this passage, John describes the holy city being trampled for 42 months and the two witnesses prophesying for 1,260 days.

4. Revelation 12:6:

⁶ Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days. Revelation 12:6

This verse states that the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, and she would be nourished for 1,260 days.

5. Revelation 12:14:

¹⁴ But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. Revelation 12:14

Here, it mentions that the woman is given two wings of a great eagle to fly into the wilderness for a time, times, and half a time.

6. Revelation 13:5:

⁵ And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Revelation 13:5

This verse refers to a beast that was given authority to act for 42 months, which is equivalent to 1,260 days.

The Second Half

The Second is the 1290 days of the second half of the Tribulation. It comes from Daniel 12:11 that refers to 1290 days from the middle of the Tribulation until the end:

¹¹ “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days. Daniel 12:11

Together the total days for the Tribulation period become the 1260 days plus the 1290 days, which equals the 2550 days.

The 2550 days

Then it was noted that from Feast of Trumpets 2025 until the Day of Atonement 2032 there were exactly 2550 days, which fitted having a 7-year Tribulation period of 1260 + 1290 days beautifully.

However, if this theory connecting the Rapture with the Feast of Trumpets is truly valid and the window has passed this year, then despite some saying that it will not happen again for a long time, it should be noted that this is not the case because it will happen again in 2027 – 2034 by noting the following dates:

Feast of Trumpets for Hebrew Year 5788 begins at sundown on Friday, 1 October 2027 and ends at nightfall on Sunday, 3 October 2027

Yom Kippur (Day of Atonment) for Hebrew Year 5795 begins at sundown on Friday, 22 September 2034 and ends at nightfall on Saturday, 23 September 2034.

As the following Screen-Shot shows, these dates encapsulate a 7-year period that begins with the Feast of Trumpets 2027 and ends 2550 days later on the Day of Atonement 2034, so technically these dates would meet the requirements of this theory.

Importantly, there are also a lot of other possible dates that arise because of the nature of the 19-year Metonic Cycle that the Hebrew Calendar is based upon. I have written on this in the article “7 Clues to the TIMING OF the TRIBULATION” and further information can be accessed via the link here.

However, I do not believe that all the signs that many people, including myself, have been detailing are pointing to a Rapture that is 2 years or more away because as I have said in other articles, some of the signs such as the ‘On the Third Day’ prophecy of Hosea 6:2 will no longer be valid, as it looks for Jesus to return at the beginning of the third day (1,000 year day) after His crucifixion, not at some time later:

² After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight Hosea 6:2

This is based upon 2 Peter 3:8, where God says that to Him a thousand years is as a day. So, the 2 days or 2,000 years since Jesus’ death is at the latest estimate, by serious scholars, 2033 - if He died in 33 AD, not 2034, which would require a crucifixion date of 34 AD.

However, contrary to this, the most popular date accepted by academics remains 32 AD, which brings us back to 2032 for the Second Coming and 2025 for the Rapture.

Therefore, if the Rapture is still to occur this year, due to the proliferation of signs that support this, then how can the idea of the Rapture being aligned with the Feast of Trumpets be reconciled?

The fact is that it cannot, and I believe that this is part of the progressive revelation of God’s Word and Prophecy that shows its role may be different to what has been assumed for a long time and in the next section, I intend to expound on why this could be so.

Israels Connections to the Feasts of the LORD

Firstly, since Leviticus 23 describes them as the Feasts of the LORD , and not specifically Jewish Feasts , I now believe that well-meaning Christians have largely hijacked them and claimed them as our own, essentially disconnecting them from their original context, where the LORD gave them directly to His chosen nation Israel, after they had met with Him at Mount Sinai.

For nearly, 1,500 years, before Jesus came to earth, the LORD expected His people to keep 8 Feasts, as a memorial of all He was going to do in the national life of His people, in relation to their Redemption. Then, through them, the message of Salvation would be taken to the nations. They are as listed below:

Passover (14^th Nisan)

Unleavened Bread (15^th Nisan – 21^st Nisan)

Feast of Firstfruits (16^th Nisan)

Feast of Weeks (Shavuot) or Pentecost (6^th Sivan)

Feast of Trumpets (1^st-2^nd Tishrei)

Day of Atonment (10^th Tishrei)

Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) (15^th – 21^st Tishrei)

8^th Day Gathering (Shmini Atzeret) (22^nd Tishrei)

Certainly, as I have outlined in other articles (see link here), there are spiritual meanings to each of these, that apply to all believers regardless of their heritage and that remain valid to Christians, but I now believe that there are aspects of their Jewish origins that are being ignored that may have led in particular to the Feast of Trumpets being assigned a meaning that it was never intended to have.

Please note: this does not change the understanding that Jesus fulfilled the first 4 Feasts to the day and so will fulfil the last 4 to the day, but it is important to consider the context in which they were given, being Feasts that the Nation of Israel were to celebrate.

² Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these -- are my feasts. Leviticus 23:2

Prophecies for ISRAEL

With this context and understanding, we can also see that Daniel’s 70 Weeks prophecy, which is the 490 years from which we as Christians derive the final 7 years of the Tribulation, was really a declaration by God of how He was prophetically going to deal with His people ISRAEL.

This is seen by noting verse 24 of Daniel 9 that states it is Seventy weeks (or 70 x 7 = 490) that are determined upon thy people (Daniel’s people), which is Israel, and upon the Holy City, which is Jerusalem:

²⁴ Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Daniel 9:24

Clearly the promises that are connected to this prophecy point to the end-times, when Sin will be no more, and as such they are not just restricted to being promises for Israel, but it is important to remember how these promises are attained outside of their original context, so that they are applied to gentile believers as well.

Essentially, the New Testament in Romans 11 shows us that as believers of Jesus Christ we are all grafted into Israel and as such become inheritors of the promises, but first and foremost, we must remember that the promises contained in the prophecy were given to the nation of Israel. Nobody can deny that the Church had absolutely nothing to do with the first 483 years of the 490-year prophecy, and in fact did not even exist until after these years were completed.

Similarly, what Christians call the ‘Tribulation’ is properly referred to as ‘The Time of Jacob’s Trouble” in Jeremiah 30:7

⁷ Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. Jeremiah 30:7

As the Time of Jacob’s Trouble, it is a time for the LORD to deal directly with His chosen nation Israel, remembering that Jacob was renamed Israel after he had successfully striven and wrestled with the LORD and had prevailed. Importantly, this period will begin when, as scripture states, the Times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. Luke 21 uniquely describes this time as starting with the destruction of Jerusalem that occurred in 70 AD:

²⁴ And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. Luke 21:24

Notably though, this time will finish when God turns His attention back to His people in Israel, which as the following verses show will be when the ‘Time of Jacob’s Trouble’ (aka Tribulation)  begins, following these keys signs, that point to the imminency of the Rapture:

²⁵ And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; ²⁶ Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. ²⁷ And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. ²⁸ And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Luke 21:25-28

I will discuss how we know this particular passage relates to the Rapture and not the Second Coming in a section called the ‘Significance of Luke 21’ later in this article.

Proper Context for the Feast of Trumpets

So significantly, if the Feasts of the LORD are in the first instance directed toward Israel, as a nation, then we need to consider what the Feast of Trumpets is really representing, as consistently it cannot really be the Church, which never existed during all the centuries it was celebrated prior to the Day of Pentecost following Jesus’ Death; Burial; Resurrection; and Ascension.

Noting also, that the first 4 Feasts (Passover; Feast of Unleavened Bread; First Fruits; and Feast of Weeks or Shavuot) were all meant to be pointers for ISRAEL to their Messiah. This does not invalidate the Christian meaning as discussed in other articles, rather it highlights that Salvation is to the Jews First and then to the Gentiles, as indicated in Romans 1:16:

¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16

It is no wonder that Jesus wept when he presented Himself to His people in fulfilment to Daniel’s 70 Week Prophecy, that predicted when the Messiah would be cut off. He did this on what is commonly referred to as Palm Sunday, which was the lamb selection day when He rode into Jerusalem, in the lead up to the first Feast which was Passover; when He would become the Lamb of God sacrificed for the forgiveness for Sins.

Essentially, they did not know or recognise the ‘time of their visitation’:

⁴¹ And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, ⁴² Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. ⁴³ For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, ⁴⁴ And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. Luke 19:41-44

So, in this vein, while the Feast of the Trumpets has been seen as reflecting Jesus’ returning for His Bride in the Rapture, I now believe through God’s progressive revelation that its primary meaning is one that like the first four feasts actually reflects another time in Israel’s History, as a nation.

This was when Israel, 45 days after the Exodus, gathered at the base of Mount Sinai to meet their God. Two days after arriving (47 days after the Exodus) Moses had been up and down the mountain to speak with God and after confirming with the People that they agreed with the terms of the Covenant being offered by God and wanted Him to become their God, Moses went up the Mountain again (48 days after the Exodus) to tell God the response of the people.

God then stated that they needed to sanctify themselves ready to meet Him ‘on the Third Day’, which would be 50 days since leaving Egypt (the first Pentecost), when God would also give Moses the 10 Commandments.

The people complied with the instruction to sanctify themselves, which involved such things as cleaning their clothes and abstaining from sexual activity, and as agreed God came down onto Mount Sinai that was covered with a thick cloud and presented Himself with the sound of a loud Trumpet and the people were gathered to meet Him:

¹⁶ And it came to pass on the third day -- in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. ¹⁷ And Moses brought forth -- the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. Exodus 19:16-17

Sadly, after God gave the 10 Commandments, because He had descended in Fire and there was also Smoke; Thunder and Lightning and the mountain itself shook, the people became afraid and asked Moses to act as their intermediary, instead of letting God speak to them directly, as the following shows:

¹⁸ And all the people saw -- the thunderings, and -- the lightnings, and -- the noise of the trumpet, and -- the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. ¹⁹ And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. ²⁰ And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove -- you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. ²¹ And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was. Exodus 20:18-21

So, the people lost the opportunity to directly hear God for themselves. As a nation, this remained the status until Jesus presented Himself in the Flesh, and after the nation’s rejection of Him again, in the time of their visitation, He said that they would not see Him again until they say “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord”:

³⁹ 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. Matthew 23:39

Therefore, I am now convinced that since the Feast of Trumpets takes its meaning from the nation of Israel’s first Gathering unto their God, before fear separated them from Him, it will find its ultimate fulfilment when Jesus returns to His people, as He promised in Matthew 23, to rescue His people from Satan and the Antichrist, when they cry out.

At that time, nearing the end of the second half of the Tribulation, while God is pouring out His wrath upon the world, they will be in Petra (which means rock, symbolic of Jesus) being protected from their enemy, just like their ancestors were protected in Egypt (a picture of the world), while God poured out the plagues upon the Egyptians. The only real difference is that once God rescues them at the end of the Tribulation, they will never be separated from Him again.

So, I contend that the Feast of Trumpets is still about God’s people meeting with Him, but in its proper context, it is ISRAEL, as a nation at His Second Coming, not the Church at the Rapture.

IMPORTANT – it should also be noted here that in spite of being disconnected from the Feast of Trumpets, the RAPTURE also retains its primary associations previously attributed to it, such as being the fulfilment of the Jewish Wedding, when God the Father will tell His Son to go and gather His Bride. In this way, it restores the true imminency the event because it is not set to a fixed date each year.  

Nature of the Feast of Trumpets and Rapture unchanged

Now while this would seem to invalidate much of what has previously been said about the nature of the Feast of Trumpets, including it being the “Unknown Day”, in contrast to the Second Coming at the end of the Tribulation, that has often been said to be predictable because it is scheduled to occur exactly at the end of the 1260 plus 1290 days of the second-half, scriptures such as Revelation 16: 1-16 suggest otherwise:

¹⁵ Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. ¹⁶ And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. Revelation 16:15-16

Essentially, if the day of Jesus’ Second Coming was so certain, then there would be no need for God to still say, in the second-half of the Tribulation, that He is coming as a thief and for His people to watch unless they be put to shame.

Also it should be noted that Jesus is actually coming back prior to the end of the Tribulation because Satan and the Antichrist are given full authority during the period referred to in scripture as a ‘Time’; ‘Times’; and ‘half a Time’, which is 3.5 years or 1260 (3.5 x 360) days and that does not end until they are thrown into the ‘Lake of Fire’, at the end of the Battle of Armageddon, as the following shows:

¹⁹ And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. ²⁰ And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshiped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. ²¹ And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. Revelation 19:19-21

The Battle of Armageddon is likely to be very short, as Jesus wipes them out with the Sword of the Spirit, which is His eternal Word;

¹⁵ And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. Revelation 19:15

and since the Feast of Trumpets can still be one of two days, the “Unknown Day” that is associated with it then becomes the day of the Second Coming, which Zechariah 14 suggests will be completed in one day:

³ Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. ⁴ And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. ⁵ 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. ⁶ And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: ⁷ But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light. ⁸ And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be. ⁹ And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one. Zechariah 14:3-9

With this all said, it seems that the only disconnect with previous thinking in relation to the Feast of Trumpets seems to be its association with the Rapture, which can still occur at the ‘Sound of the Trumpet’, noting that while 1 Corinthians 15’s reference to it as the Last Trump has resulted in the Rapture being associated by many with the last long blast called “Tekiah Gedolah” on the Feast of Trumpets:

⁵² In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 1 Corinthians 15:52

1 Thess 4 just calls it the “trump of God”, suggesting it is purely a Trumpet sound with Heavenly origins, that does not need to occur in conjunction with an earthly equivalent to give it context:

¹⁶ 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: 1 Thessalonians 4:16

In this way, some theologians argue that the "Last Trump" is not tied to any Jewish feast but is simply the final trumpet sound marking the ‘end of the age’ and the return of Christ for His Church. This view emphasizes its eschatological function, rather than its ritualistic origin that perhaps saw Christians wrongly associate it with the Feasts that the Lord gave to Moses for the Nation of Israel to celebrate annually.

This was long before Jesus came to die for the Sins of Man; and long before the Day of Pentecost, that would birth the church that scripture calls Jesus’ Body, so maybe its fulfillment remains with the Jewish People, not the Church. Even though the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot) or Pentecost seems to set the precedent for the Feasts, from that day on applying to the Church, it could still be that this is not its primary purpose because firstly it was through the preaching and ministry of Jesus’ disciples, as children of Israel, that Pentecost occurred - it was not initially through Gentiles.

Also since God is the God who reverses the curse, and He had previously said that He would not always strive with sinful man, yet his years would be 120, Pentecost becomes a point of God’s reversal. Essentially, when the Israelites worshipped the Golden Calf, in a judgement of their sin 3,000 people were killed. However, at Pentecost, there were 120 disciples of Jesus gathered in the Upper Room to receive the Spirit of God and that day, under the power of the Holy Spirit, 3,000 souls from all of the nations were saved through the preaching of the disciples, who were all descended from the tribes of Israel.

This was a fulfilment of God’s intentions for His people, as recorded in Exodus 19, that says Israel was meant to be a Kingdom of Priests, representing God to the Nations:

⁵ Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep -- my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: ⁶ And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. Exodus 19:5-6

It was also, according to Michael Heiser, who was the Scholar-in-Residence at Logos Bible Software until he went home to be with the Lord, the reversal of the Tower of Babel and both the scattering of the nations and the confusion of their languages because the book of Acts shows that all the nations listed in the Table of Nations were represented when the disciples delivered their Pentecost message in all of the languages, through the supernatural miracle of speaking in Tongues.

Therefore, in spite of the nation of Israel itself becoming the first persecutors of the early Church, the Church was never meant to replace Israel in its national role and so the Feasts, like all of the tenets of Replacement Theology, are not meant to be purloined as part of Christian History, no matter how well intentioned the arguments for doing so may sound.

Understanding that God has not given up on His plans; purposes and promises for His chosen nation, helps to explain why, after the Rapture occurs, we see the Two Witnesses and the 144,000 Servants of God, that Revelation 7 states are taken from every Tribe of Israel:

² And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, ³ Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. ⁴ And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed a hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. ⁵ Of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. ⁶ Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Naphtali were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand. ⁷ Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. ⁸ Of the tribe of Zebulun were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand. Revelation 7:2-8

Since the 144,000 were not taken in the Rapture, It seems clear that these are people that come to faith very quickly through the preaching of the Two Witnesses, in fulfilment of Exodus 19, they become witnesses to the nations, throughout most of the first-half of the Tribulation. Ultimately, this results in another harvest of souls as described in Revelation 14:

¹⁴ 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. ¹⁵ 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. ¹⁶ And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. Revelation 14:14-16

This occurs just prior to the mid-Tribulation events that see the Antichrist sit in the Temple and declare that he is God and demand to be worshiped.

As such, this all leaves the Feast of Trumpets to find its final fulfilment in connection with Jesus’ Return to His chosen people Israel, at the Second Coming. In every way, this seems to fit its origins of calling Israel to come and meet their God and there is no doubt that the Trumpet being blown on that very first occasion was nothing other than the Heavenly Trumpet of God:

¹⁶ And it came to pass on the third day -- in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. Exodus 19:16

Therefore, if the Feast of Trumpets is not really to be associated with the Rapture, then this opens up some very interesting timing considerations that I believe fully support the Rapture still occurring in 2025, as so many of the signs seem to indicate.

Before I get to these, I think it’s of interest to note the unique nature of Luke 21’s eschatological summary as given by Jesus.

Significance of Luke 21

Interestingly, God has many hidden numeric patterns and so I do not think it is just random chance that Luke 21 has 38 verses, with the number 38 being the number associated with the next major event in the Bible’s Prophetic Time-Line, being Ezekiel 38 – Gog / Magog War.

That aside, Luke’s eschatological summary in chapter 21 is particularly interesting because while the more commonly referred to passage in Matthew 24 deals with more aspects of the end-time, based up its wider treatment of the question(s) asked by the disciples (that related to the Temple; Jesus Second Coming and the End of the World), as follows:

³ And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? Matthew 24:3

Luke 21 is primarily focused on their question about the destruction of the Temple:

⁵ And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said, ⁶ As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. ⁷ And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass? Luke 21:5-7

In answering this specific question in verses 20 to 24, Jesus concludes with the prophecy that “… Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." Luke 21:24 then switches to the signs of His Return in the Rapture.

²⁵ And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; ²⁶ Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. ²⁷ And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. ²⁸ And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Luke 21:25-28

Rapture and not the Second Coming

We can know that the passage above is the Rapture and not the Second Coming for a few reasons:

Firstly, it speaks of the distress of nations – Revelation 19, which is a clear description of the Second Coming, shows no sign of this distress, rather there is a bold and unified purpose by the nations that sees them gathered together to make war with Jesus and His armies from Heaven (that are the returning Saints), as prophesied of in Jude 1:14:

¹⁹ And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. Revelation 19:19

And

¹⁴ And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, Jude 1:14

Secondly, Luke 21:24 speaks about Men’s Hearts failing them for Fear in relation to those things coming to pass on the earth – again Revelation 19, regarding the Second Coming does not show this, as Men gather to fight Jesus at the Battle of Armageddon. Rather, the Fear Luke is speaking about occurs in passages related to the Rapture, such as the 6^th Seal in Revelation (see the link here for more information) that shows men hiding in Caves in the Earth, due to the events that happen at the time of the Rapture that ultimately trigger the Day of the LORD (aka Tribulation), which is also the day of God’s wrath:

¹⁴ And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. ¹⁵ And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; ¹⁶ And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: ¹⁷ For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? Revelation 6:14-17

Similarly, Ezekiel 38, which I believe is contiguous with the Rapture, shows both the mountains being moved and men shaking in Fear at God’s Presence, as occurred in the 6^th Seal:

²⁰ So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. Ezekiel 38:20

Thirdly, the Rapture event is uniquely associated with Jesus coming with the Clouds, unlike the Second Coming that makes no reference to clouds, just Jesus coming on a white horse with the armies of heaven following. So, Luke 21:24 matches this aspect, that is also described in 1 Thessalonians:

¹⁷ 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. 1 Thessalonians 4:17

Ultimately, ‘coming in the clouds’ is a fulfilment of the promise to Jesus’ disciples in Acts 1: 9-11

⁹ And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. ¹⁰ And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men -- stood by them in white apparel; ¹¹ Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. Acts 1:9-11

Luke 21s Rapture Signs

With that said, it is now important to see that Luke 21 has perhaps the clearest list of signs in all of the Gospels, in relation to the Rapture, as outlined in verse 25, which may be another hidden clue to 2025, given again God’s consistence use of patterns and numbers:

²⁵ And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

Here there are 3 specific categories of signs that the LORD says are so significant that when you see them begin to happen we should be looking up because our redemption is drawing near:

²⁸ And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh Luke 21:28

A brief look at these 3 signs alone constitutes valid reasoning for all the excitement in the Watchman community that, like Paul said in Titus 2:13, are looking for the Blessed Hope:

¹³ looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ Titus 2:13

1) Signs in the Sun, and in the Moon, and in the Stars

There is no doubt that we have had a plethora of Solar Eclipses and Blood Moons that since 1948, 1967, 2014/2015 and this year, seem extremely prophetic.  It is not my purpose to list them all here, rather just to highlight a few in recent years that were considered prophetic:

Solar Eclipses

1 ) August 21, 2017: – “Great American Eclipse”

A total solar eclipse, often referred to as the "Great American Eclipse," crossed the continental United States from coast to coast. It began what is known as the “X Over America” Phenomenon - This is where two total solar eclipses that crossed the continental U.S. 7 years apart intersected near southern Illinois, forming a giant “X” shape that both highlighted 7 towns named Salem (meaning) Peace and pointed to a place known as Little Egypt, which all suggests that together these were a Rapture sign that was pointing to another Exodus of God’s People soon to come.

2) April 8, 2024 – Second of the “Great American Eclipse”

• Total eclipse from Texas to Maine.

• Intersected the 2017 path forming the "X" near Carbondale, Illinois, nicknamed “Little Egypt” by locals.

3) March 29, 2025 – Partial Solar Eclipse

• Visibility: Parts of North America, Europe, and Asia.

• Prophetic Interest: While not total, some commentators noted its proximity to Passover season and ongoing global unrest as symbolic of spiritual warnings.

• Themes: Echoes of Luke 21:25–28, where Jesus speaks of signs in the sun and moon as precursors to His return.

4) September 21, 2025 – Partial Solar Eclipse

• Visibility: South America, Africa, and parts of the Atlantic.

• Prophetic Connection:

• Occurred near the Fall Feasts on the Jewish calendar.

• Coincided with a Blood Moon on September 7–8, 2025, which prophecy watchers linked to Revelation’s “3 Days of Darkness” and the drying of the Euphrates River.

• Some interpreted this eclipse as a harbinger of judgment, especially in light of global instability and spiritual decline.

Blood Moons

2014–2015 Tetrad - These were 4 Blood Moons in a row that fell on Jewish feast days over two years and were therefore seen by many as being prophetically significant:

• April 15, 2014 – Passover

• October 8, 2014 – Feast of Tabernacles

• April 4, 2015 – Passover

• September 28, 2015 – Feast of Tabernacles - The fourth Blood Moon, completing the tetrad, was also a Supermoon – which is a full or a new moon that coincides closely with the Moon's closest point to Earth, so appears quite large.

September 7–8, 2025 – Total Lunar Eclipse (Blood Moon)

• This was the only true blood moon of 2025.

• The Moon turned a deep red for 82 minutes, making it the longest total lunar eclipse since 2022.

• Visible across Australia, Asia, Africa, and Europe, with over 85% of the world’s population able to witness it. Prophecy watchers noted its timing near the Jewish High Holy Days, along with the fact that it lasted so long and was visible to most of the world, as potentially significant.

Then there were the alignments in the constellations spoken of by many believers in recent times, such as the Revelation 12 sign etc. It is not my purpose to enumerate them all here, rather to show that all of these events inarguably meet the Luke 21’s criteria to be a Sign.

Revelation 12 Sign

September 23, 2017: A significant celestial alignment occurred, which many interpreted as the Revelation 12 sign. This involved:

• A woman clothed with the sun (Virgo).

• The moon at her feet.

• A crown of 12 stars (the constellation Leo).

• This alignment was seen as a prophetic sign of the end times with Revelation 12:5-6 describing a ‘Catching Away’ (‘caught up’ – in Greek - harpazō ἁρπάζω – which is the word for Rapture) of the Child, which contextually here represented the body of Christ.

⁵ She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne. ⁶ Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days. Revelation 12:5-6

Other Notable Celestial Events

• Meteor Showers: Various meteor showers, such as the Perseid and Geminid showers, have been highlighted as signs, especially when they coincide with significant dates in the biblical calendar.

• Solar Flares: Increased solar activity, including solar flares

2) upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity

The reference in Luke 21:25 to the distress of nations, with perplexity is also possibly the most perfect way to try and describe all the geopolitical alliances; wars and strife that has been occurring. There has never been so much written about this topic that is an attempt to understand and describe what is actually occurring in an attempt to also predict where it might end – Just a few between 2014 and 2025 are:

Russia vs. Ukraine

• Conflict: Russo-Ukrainian War

• Start: 2014 (Crimea annexation and Donbas conflict)

• Escalation: Full-scale invasion in February 2022

• Status: Ongoing

Saudi Arabia & Coalition vs. Yemen

• Conflict: Saudi-led intervention in Yemen

• Start: 2015

• Involves: UAE, Egypt, Sudan, Bahrain, and others vs. Houthi rebels (supported by Iran)

• Status: Ceasefires and peace talks have occurred, but hostilities continue intermittently

 Armenia vs. Azerbaijan

• Conflict: Nagorno-Karabakh Wars

• Major Flare-ups:

• 2016: Four-day war

• 2020: Full-scale war

• 2023: Azerbaijan launched a military offensive

• Status: Azerbaijan regained control of Nagorno-Karabakh; tensions remain

 India vs. Pakistan

• Conflict: Kashmir skirmishes and border clashes

• Notable Incidents:

• 2016: Surgical strikes

• 2019: Balakot airstrikes and aerial dogfight

• 2025: Brief conflict in May reported between nuclear powers

• Status: Periodic clashes; no full-scale war declared

Israel vs. 🇵🇸 Hamas (Gaza)

• Conflict: Gaza Wars

• Major Escalations:

• 2014: Operation Protective Edge

• 2021: 11-day war

2• 023–2025: Ongoing war with high casualties and destruction

• Status: Active conflict

Sudan vs. South Sudan (and internal factions)

• Conflict: Border disputes and civil war spillovers

• Start: Post-2011 independence, escalated in various years

• Recent: 2023–2025 Sudan civil war with regional implications

Ethiopia vs. South Sudan & Eritrea (border tensions)

• Conflict: Tensions and skirmishes over border and rebel support

• Status: Not full-scale war but notable interstate clashes

Libya: Proxy Rivalry Between Turkey and Russia

Background

• Since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has been fractured between rival governments and militias.

• The main divide:

• Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli (UN-backed, supported by Turkey)

• Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Khalifa Haftar in the east (supported by Russia, UAE, Egypt)

Turkey's Role

• Backed the GNA with drones, military advisors, and Syrian mercenaries.

• Signed a maritime deal in 2019 to expand its influence in the Eastern Mediterranean.

• Maintains a military presence in western Libya.

Russia's Role

• Supported Haftar via the Wagner Group (now rebranded as Africa Corps).

• Established a foothold in eastern Libya, including strategic airbases.

• Shifted focus from Syria to Libya after Assad’s fall in 2024.

Current Status

• Libya remains divided with foreign troops entrenched.

• Oil production has surged, but armed groups control key institutions.

• Peace efforts are stalled due to external interference.

Syria: A Complex Web of Factions and Foreign Powers

 Background

• Civil war began in 2011 as a popular uprising against Bashar al-Assad.

• Evolved into a multi-sided conflict involving:

• Assad regime (backed by Russia and Iran)

• Rebel groups (some backed by Turkey and Gulf states)

• Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF, backed by the U.S.)

• ISIS (defeated territorially but still active)

• Turkish-backed Syrian militias

Russia's Role

• Provided decisive air and ground support to Assad.

• Maintained bases in Khmeimim and Tartus.

• Withdrew forces in 2024 after Assad’s fall, pivoting to Libya.

Turkey's Role

• Opposes Kurdish autonomy near its border.

• Conducted multiple incursions into northern Syria (e.g., Afrin, Ras al-Ayn).

• Supports Syrian opposition groups and seeks influence via economic and political deals.

Kurdish Factions

• SDF controls large swaths of northeast Syria.

• Played a key role in defeating ISIS.

• Face threats from Turkey and uncertainty after U.S. troop drawdowns.

Current Status

• Assad has fallen; new government forming.

• Turkey is negotiating maritime and economic deals with Syria.

• Kurdish regions remain autonomous but vulnerable.

3) the sea and the waves roaring

There has certainly been an increase in Earthquakes, some of which have in recent times also produced Tsunami Warnings. See the table below for a summary of some of the most significant ones, in recent times:

So, without even looking at the Biblical Text for the numerous prophecies that clearly point to the End Times, Jesus stated that when we see these signs alone, it is sufficient to be looking up.

As such, I believe that since the wider church is generally not supportive of watching for the Rapture, rather it remains committed to building the church for generations to come, it means that many remain asleep, as to the Return of Jesus. This will fulfil the scripture verse that was quoted and discussed above, that states the following:

⁴³ But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Matthew 24:43

Here Jesus is talking to believers and warning that many of them will be caught out having his house broken up because they were not watching.

Then coincidentally, or not, in another verse 25 connected to end-times is the warning in Hebrews 10:25

²⁵ Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. Hebrews 10:25

Clearly, God is expecting His Spirit filled Church to be gathering with and exhorting each other even more than before because they see the ‘day approaching’, when Jesus will return. However, again since many are not watching and don’t necessarily think that He is near or that the day is approaching, then clearly they cannot be exhorting “so much the more”, which means they are losing the urgency that God was calling for in these last of the last-days.

The Great Escape

Often the Watchman community is accused of just looking for an escape. This is said to them in a derogatory way as though they need to be corrected from having a wrong attitude, but in doing so those delivering the admonition are seemingly missing the fact that Jesus Himself calls it an escape:

³⁶ 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. Luke 21:36

It is meant to be an escape when it happens, but in the meantime, we are meant to remain conscious of the nature of the Day of the Lord, such that while we are here, it becomes a call to holiness:

¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. ¹¹ Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, ¹² Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? ¹³ Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. ¹⁴ Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. 2 Peter 3:10-14

Clearly, if we never talk about it, then we can lose the urgency to ensure that we are living holy lives. Many just see the spreading of the gospel as the sign that they are on track with the LORD, but Jesus says many will come to Him and say they have done many things in His name, but He will tell them to depart from His presence because He never knew them:

²¹ Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. ²² Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? ²³ And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Matthew 7:21-23

Clearly, not everyone who professes faith in Him will enter the kingdom of heaven. This emphasises the importance of genuine obedience over mere words. Orthodox beliefs and even seemingly supernatural acts are not sufficient for salvation if they are not accompanied by a life that reflects God's Will. Therefore, since God’s Will includes an expectation that we will be looking for Jesus’ Return, which He says should cause a diligence within us to ensure that we are found without spot and blameless, how can we be fully doing His Will if we are living as though He is not returning in our lifetime.

In fact, Jesus Himself gave a warning about this again in Luke 21 saying there was a danger that believers could become consumed with the cares of this life such that the Day of His Return could come upon them unexpectedly:

³⁴ “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. Luke 21:34

It was actually in the context of this warning, that Jesus admonished believers to PRAY ALWAYS that they may be accounted worthy to escape. So clearly, Jesus believes that when we are not watching or believing His Return is near, we will not be praying always that we will be considered worthy to escape the things that are soon to be coming upon this world. As such, Jesus is saying that there is a very real risk that believers could be drawn away by both the pleasures and the cares of life.

³⁶ 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. Luke 21:36

This is not to say that every Christian that is not looking for His Return will not be taken in the Rapture, but it is a warning to many who outwardly look good to others, but inwardly have undealt with Iniquity, that has not been given over to the Lord, thinking that they are covered by Grace. Essentially, they are in danger of not addressing these things because they are not cognisant of the fact that the LORD’s return is imminent. As such, they could hear these horrifying words from the Lord - I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

So finally, it is interesting to note that the overall message of Luke 21, which is a call to holy living because Jesus is Returning soon and is a call for us all to watch (for the signs) and pray that we will be  accounted worthy to stand before Him, is all reflected in the structure of this chapter, that sandwiches the signs of Jesus’ Return in between these two calls:

The Widow’s Two Mites Luke 21:1ff

Jesus Predicts the Destruction of the Temple Luke 21:5

The Signs of the Times and the End of the Age Luke 21:7

The Destruction of Jerusalem Luke 21:20

The Coming of the Son of Man Luke 21:25

The Parable of the Fig Tree Luke 21:29

The Importance of Watching Luke 21:34ff

Call 1

Essentially, the call for Holy Living is reflected in the text about the Widow giving the two Mites, which was everything she had. This act reflected her true love and devotion for God; clearly trusting that God would continue to provide for all of her needs; and in living a devoted dedicated life she gave everything that she had to further the work of His Kingdom.

Call 2

Then the call to watch and pray emphasises the dangers if we don’t live a holy devoted life. It contrasts the life-style of those that could be drawn away from God simply because they are not watching for Jesus’ Return to that of the Widow, whose story opened the chapter. In this way, the Importance of Watching for Jesus Return, contrary to what Scoffers may be saying, is shown to be a message from God, not a cry from a tired and weary bride (of Christ) who only wants to escape without concern for those that might be lost.

The Intervening Signs

There are 5 categories (noting that 5 is the number of Grace) of Intervening Signs, that are all provided by God’s Grace so that we will know how close we are to Jesus’ Return. Since He wants us to be living Holy Lives and to be both Watchful and Praying for His return, He is not trying to catch anyone out. He wishes all to be saved and so gives us numerous signs that will help us to know how soon He will be returning and will thereby help to create a greater sense of urgency to be like the Widow, who gave everything she had for God and His Kingdom, completely Trusting Him to take care of her, until the day she went to be with Him.

37 God’s Personal Seal

Chapter 21 is also numerically 3 x 7, which is a hidden pointer to Jesus Christ in that in Greek Gematria Jesus (Ἰησοῦς ) has the value 888 and Christ (Χριστός ) has the value 1480 and if you add the numbers all together you get the numbers 3 and 7 as follows:

8+8+8+1+4+8+0 = 37

3 - is all about the Godhead, the Divine Nature of the Trinity.

7 - the word for 7 and for Oath are basically the same, showing that when God does something in a pattern of 7s, He is literally giving His oath to fulfill it – it is His promise. Notably, the word for Sabbath is also related to these two words, sharing two out of three of the root word consonants (Shin ש and Beth ב):

שַׁבָּת  – Shabbat, or Sabbath.

שְׁבַ֥ע  – Sheva, or Seven

שָׁבַע  – Shava, or Oath

So, 37 is all about God’s Oath to Fulfil all of His Promises to Save and Sanctify a people for Himself, who will become the Bride of Christ. It is His personal Seal because He is 3 Persons in 1 (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and His Spirit has a 7-fold nature, as revealed in Isaiah 11:2, and other scriptures, such as Revelation 4 and 5.

As such, in this Chapter 21 (3x7) we see it is all about Jesus, the promised Messiah (anointed one) or Christ and the Signs of His Return, given to provide Hope, Purpose and Understanding to those who are hidden with Christ; and to ultimately fulfil all of His promises that one day He will dwell or tabernacle with Man again.

Possible Rapture Timeline

With all the preceding as support for the idea that the Rapture is not connected to the Feast of Trumpets and my contention that it remains imminent, possibly to still occur in 2025, the following is just speculation of another possible timeline, given that Jesus also said:

⁴⁴ Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Matthew 24:44

Perhaps the fact that God defined the key markers, related to the Tribulation, in terms of numbers (1260; 2520; 1290; 2550; and 1335) and not in relation to the key Jewish Holidays, except possibly for the ‘Unknown Day’ - the Feast of Trumpets, helps to retain the possibilities of Jesus coming back at a time that we do not expect.

Firstly, allowing for the idea that the Feast of Trumpets is connected to Israel as a nation and that it could be related to them as a nation calling upon Jesus near the end of the Tribulation, when they say “Blessed is He who comes in His name”:

³⁹ 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 Matthew 23:39

Then the Feast of Trumpets could be connected with the Second Coming as follows:

2520 days

Unlike the 2550 days previously discussed, the 2520 days simply comes from Daniel’s 70 week prophecy, being the final 7 years comprised of 360 days each year for a total of 7 x 360 = 2520

So, for the moment, if we ignore the 2550 days that included an extra month of 30 days on top of Daniel’s final 7 years, we get two possible dates beginning in 2025 and ending in 2032, that could cover the Tribulation period of 2520 days.

This would be comprised of 1260 days for the first 3.5 years and another 1260 days for the second half, noting that scripture just refers to it as a “Time, Times and Half a Time”, which is 3.5 years.

Importantly, the starting and end points could be as follows:

8^th Day Gathering (Shmini Atzeret) - Oct 14^th 2025 – possible Rapture

Feast of Trumpets - Sept 6-7  2032 – possible Second Coming

In this scenario, while the suggestion still connects a Feast of the Lord to the Rapture, as will be seen there are broader aspects to this Day that suggest it goes beyond just the Nation of Israel, as was suggested is the context for the other 7 Feasts normally spoken about, that included the Feast of Trumpets.

With that in mind, it is notable that it is exactly 2,520 from the 8^th Day Gathering (Shmini שְׁמִינִי Atzeret  עֲצֶ֣רֶת) in 2025 until the Feast of Trumpets 2032. 

Shmini Atzeret is really the 8^th Feast of the LORD, but is often not listed in articles about the Feasts of the LORD because people do not fully understand the reference to it in Leviticus 23, where all the Feast מוֹעֵד môʿēḏ (which in Hebrew is all about the appointed times) are detailed. To help clarify this, I will look at Leviticus 23:34-37, which is a portion of the text on the Feasts that includes a reference to Shmini שְׁמִינִי  Atzeret עֲצֶ֣רֶת - the 8^th Day Gathering and give an overview of it below.

Overview of 8^th Day Gathering (Shmini Atzeret)

 Leviticus 23:34-37

 ³⁴ Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD.
³⁵ On the first day shall be a holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
³⁶ Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be a holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.
³⁷ These are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day: Leviticus 23:34-37

Essentially this passage is primarily dealing with the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), but importantly you will see in verse 34 (see passage below) that this Feast is for precisely 7 days.  Verse 36 concludes the instruction for this 7-day Feast, saying that on each of the 7 days they are required to offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord. Then, in the middle of the 36^th verse, the instructions regarding the Feast of Tabernacles ends, and God switches to an instruction about an eighth day that follows the end of the 7-day Feast of Tabernacles.

To highlight this, I have reproduced the passage again below, but split it in the middle of the 36^th verse and labelled it below as ending at 36a; and then I have the next portion of the text as continuing at 36b, but in reality, the reference to the Eighth Day actually occurs in the same verse as the end of the Feast of Tabernacles and this is a large part of why people get confused:

Feast of Tabernacles – from verse 34 to 36a

³⁴ Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD. ³⁵ On the first day shall be a holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. ³⁶ Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: Leviticus 23:34-36a

 Eighth Day  - Shmini Atzeeret – continuing verse 36b to 37

 ³⁶….on the eighth day shall be a holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein. ³⁷ These are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day: Leviticus 23:36b-37

 Many people seem to think it is part of the Feast of Tabernacle, if they notice it at all, and so they don’t include it as a separate Feast of the LORD, even though God’s Declaration that “…these are the Feasts of the LORD” comes after its brief listing of the Eighth Day that simply, but importantly, says it is to be a holy convocation (which is sacred assembly or gathering) and a day on which they will not be doing any servile work:

³⁶….on the eighth day shall be a holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.”Leviticus 23:36

Another reason it gets missed is that in modern Israel, while many do celebrate it, it largely gets lost due to another holiday called Simchat Torah that gets celebrated the same day. The following link shows these two holidays listed for the same day: https://www.hebcal.com/holidays/2025 and the following screenshot shows the listing of the holiday on that site:

As it states on this site – “Shemini Atzeret (שמיני עצרת - “the Eighth [day] of Assembly”) is a Jewish holiday. It is celebrated on the 22nd day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei (first month of the Civil Calendar). In the Diaspora, an additional day is celebrated, the second day being separately referred to as Simchat Torah. In Israel and Reform Judaism, the holidays of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah are combined into a single day and the names are used interchangeably.”

Importantly, the portion that I have underlined above highlights how the significance of this day has been lost by many. Even though the first 7 of the Feasts of the LORD are all celebrated correctly by Jewish people, many of them have lost or forgotten about the commands related to the Eighth Day, to the point that some actually celebrate that day as Simchat Torah (which is a celebration of God giving them the Torah).

Sadly in 2023, this confusion, which I believe has been started by the enemy (Satan), resulted in virtually all media sources saying that the attack of Hamas on October 7^th occurred on Simchat Torah, completely missing or hiding the fact that biblically this attack had actually occurred on a Biblical Feast Day – the Eighth Day (Shemini Atzeret) on the 22nd of Tishrei in the Hebrew Year 5784. However, I believe that in doing this, God, who always brings good out of evil for those that Love Him, revealed that this was truly the ‘beginning of the End’ for Satan.

So, what is it about this day that the enemy is wanting to hide?

To answer this, it needs to be understood that this is literally the one day that ALL of BIBLE PROPHECY points to. It is the day that SATAN fears the most. It is the day in which he will be forever cast into the Lake of Fire, never to hurt God, or His people again.

Furthermore, it is the Eighth Day that follows the Seventh Day of the Millennium, the 1,000 years during which Jesus will rule from Jerusalem. Precisely at the beginning of the Eighth Day, Satan will be released from the bottomless pit to deceive the nations ONE LAST TIME.  It will be but a brief moment that allows all those born and still alive in the Millennium to be tested by SATAN, to either choose or reject Jesus as their Saviour, determining their eternal destiny. Then on the Eighth Day, which SATAN has tried so hard to hide from people, he will be cast into the Lake of Fire where he will be forever tormented for the evil he perpetuated within God’s creation.  

⁷ And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, ⁸ And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, -- Gog and -- Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.⁹ And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. ¹⁰ And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever Revelation 20:7-10

As such, it is the Day that Satan fears the most, but for those who love the LORD it is the greatest of ALL Days because it is the Day that represents Eternity. Time will be no more and there will be no more Fear because Death and Hell will also be cast into the Lake of Fire:

¹⁴ And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. Revelation 20:14

On this greatest of all days, as Revelation 21: 4 (another chapter 21 that speaks of the fulfilment of God’s purposes) states:

⁴ And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Revelation 21:4

It is also the Day of the new Heaven and Earth where God in His fullness will dwell with those that love Him:

³ And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. Revelation 21:3

Wow, what an awesome day, it is no wonder Satan has tried so hard to hide it

God’s Preview of the Eighth Day

Amazingly, this day has a preview in Scripture that again most are not aware of. It appropriately is seen in John Chapter 8, but again in a reflection of the 7^th (Millennium) and 8^th (Eternity) days of human history, it begins in Chapter 7. Not only that, but it more specifically starts in verse 37, which is a number that I spoke of previously as being the personal Seal of God and effectively representing His oath to fulfil all of His promises in relation to Salvation and Sanctification.

Here Jesus, on what is called the Last Great Day of the Feast of Tabernacles (7^th day of the Feast that points to the Millennium), that is also known as Hoshana Rabbah (the Great Salvation), Jesus stood up and declared Himself to be the source of Living Water ( a type of the Holy Spirit) and that if anyone was thirsty to come to Him:

³⁷ -- In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. ³⁸ He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. ³⁹ (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) John 7:37-39

Significantly, He did this while the Priests were performing what was called the Water Libation ceremony, which was performed each day during the Feast of Tabernacles. For seven days, a priest would draw water from the Pool of Siloam in Jerusalem and pour it into a basin at the Temple altar, alongside a wine offering. The water symbolised divine blessing and the hope for rain in the coming agricultural season. It was also linked to the verse from Isaiah 12:3 - “With joy shall you draw water out of the wells of salvation.”  As such, it was symbolic of drawing from the Fountain of Living Water, spoken of in Jeremiah, which was a picture of the Holy Spirit and because of its significance it was accompanied by music, dancing, and torch-lit festivities.

However, the declaration that Jesus was ultimately the source of Living Water caused division among the people (because scripture calls Jesus the stumbling block 1 Corinthians 1:23 et.al.) and importantly the Jewish Leaders rejected Him. This all laid the foundation for what would happen the next day which was the Eighth Day (Shemini Atzeret), which began when Jesus, after spending the night on the Mount of Olives, returned to the Temple and was confronted with the Jewish Leaders who presented Him with a woman they had caught in Adultery. As they knew of His compassion and mercy, their idea was to trip Him up on a point of the Law that clearly stated that she should be stoned. However, Jesus stooped down and wrote something in the dust on the ground, as if He had not heard them:

⁶ This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. John 8:6

So they questioned him again, at which point He raised Himself up (symbolic of His divine authority) and not denying the nature of the offence or the requirement of the Law regarding it, He said for the one without Sin to cast the first stone before He stooped down again and continued writing on the ground:

⁷ So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” ⁸ And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. John 8:7-8

At this point, conviction began to set in and one by one all the Accusers left:

⁹ And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. John 8:6-9

Using the Bible to interpret the Bible we know from Jeremiah 17:13 that because the Jewish Leaders had rejected Jesus the day before, on the last Day of the Feast of Tabernacles, then here on the Eighth Day He was literally writing their names down in the Dust on the Ground in a display of God’s Judgement against them:

¹³ LORD, you are the hope of Israel; all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the LORD,
the spring of living water. Jeremiah 17:13

Then Jesus raised Himself up again and seeing no one, but the woman, asked her where her accusers were and had no one accused her. She confirmed that no one had and Jesus said that neither did He and for her to go and Sin no more:

¹⁰ When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” ¹¹ She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” John 8:10-11

The significance of this all occurring on the Eighth Day is that on the very day, following the 7 days when Priests had been pouring “Living Water” onto the altar in the Temple, on a day that was yet to come, when Sin would be no more; and the condemnation of Sin would be no more; and Satan would be no more;  Jesus released the woman, who can be seen as symbolic of Israel from all condemnation, saying Her accusers (symbolic of Satan) were no longer here to condemn her. It was a picture of all of those sealed and filled with the Holy Spirit (Living Water) who would dwell with the Tabernacle of God (Jesus) for all of Eternity, in the new Heaven and Earth.

The absence of her accusers on that Eighth day was symbolic of Satan being judged (represented by the writing in the dust) and being cast into the Lake of Fire because of his rejection of God, the Fountain of Living Water. The woman is then free to go and Sin no more that parallels the freedom all who Love and Trust Jesus will have on the Eighth Day.

Jesus, still on the Eighth Day spoke about Himself being the Light of the World:

¹² Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:10-12

Again, this was symbolic that in the Eighth Day of Eternity, there would be no more darkness. In fact, as it says in Revelation 22, there would be no need for even the Sun as Jesus, the LORD God, would be the light for His people forever.

⁵ There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever. Revelation 22:5

So, with all of that said, it is my contention here that it is a least possible, not a certainty that the Rapture, which will be the beginning of Eternity for all believers, at that time, could occur on the Eighth Day (Shemini Atzeret) that this year will be on the 14^th of October, 2025.

What an appropriate Day for the LORD to come and gather His Bride so that they can start a new day on the Eighth Day that is ultimately celebrating the new beginning for all of Creation. If it did occur then Daniel’s final 7 years, which is 360 days x 7 years = 2,520 days would literally end on the Feast of Trumpets 2032.

This would see the Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles both become associated with the events of the Second Coming that does involve a Judgement Day, where the Antichrist (Beast) and the False Prophet are thrown into the Lake of Fire, as spoken of in Revelation 19, following the Battle of Armageddon:

 ¹⁹ And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. ²⁰ Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. ²¹ And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh. Revelation 19:19-21

Summary of proposed timeline

So, if the Tribulation were to start on Shmini Atzeret  - the Eighth Day Gathering on 14^th October 2025 and finish on the Feast of Trumpets on September 6^th 2032 (2,520 days later) then we just need to consider:

1) what date the 1260 days or middle of the Tribulation would be when, as Jesus stated, the Abomination of Desolation spoken of by Daniel would be set up

2) what date the 1290 days of Daniel 12 ends at.

3) What date the 1335 days of Daniel 12 ends at.

1) 1260 days – from the beginning of the Tribulation until the middle:

From the Eighth Day - Shmini Atzeret on Oct 14^th 2025 – until the middle of the Tribulation, 1260 days later, it would be the 26th March 2029

 Notably on the Hebrew Calendar, this is the 10^th Nisan 5789, which is literally the Lamb Selection Day spoken of in Exodus 12:3 where the Passover Lamb is inspected for perfection and then selected to be sacrificed 4 days later.

³ Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for a house Exodus 12:3

This day corresponds with the Day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a Donkey (often referred to as Palm Sunday) and presented Himself as the Perfect Spotless Lamb of God, 4 days before He was crucified on Passover the 14^th Nisan, as both the perfect sacrifice for Sin, and the Messiah, the true King of Israel

As such, the significance of this date potentially being the middle of the Tribulation,  when the Antichrist will sit in the Temple and declare that he is God and demand to be worshipped is huge because it totally contrasts the true God (Jehovah / Yahweh) and King of Kings with Satan’s fake substitute, who died for no one and can save no one. Satan and the Antichrist, who at this time according to Revelation 11:7 and Revelation 9:7 is possessed by Apollyon (in the Greek) or Abbaddon (in Hebrew), simply want to be worshipped:

⁴ Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. 2 Thessalonians 2:4

In doing so the Antichrist completely misses the point that to be worshipped you need to be worthy and as Revelation 5 shows, there is a connection with being slain for others and being worthy or receiving glory and honour and worship:

¹² Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. ¹³ And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever. ¹⁴ And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth forever and ever. Revelation 5:12-14

 See confirmation of the day count that takes us from Oct 14th 2025 to 26th March 2029 below in a screen shot taken from the Days Between Calculator on the 'timeanddate.com'  Website - Date Duration Calculator: Days Between Dates:

Then see the conversion of 26th March 2029 to 10th Nisan showing that it is the Lamb Selection Day below:

2) 1290 Days – from the middle of the Tribulation until some end-time event

From the middle of the Tribulation on the 26th March 2029 – until some unnamed end-time event on the 5th Oct 2032, 1290 days later.

This is not a Jewish holiday, but it fits the timeline and would ultimately take its significance from the unknown event at that time. Essentially, all that Daniel 12:11 actually shows us is that there are 1290 days from the day that the daily sacrifice is taken away and the abomination that make desolate is set up until SOMETHING HAPPENS – it does not say what, only that there is a period of 1290 days between events.

As such, while it has always been interpreted as involving an extra 30 days at the end of the second half of the Tribulation for a total of 2550 days to link the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement, 7 years apart, that is just an assumption. The only certainty is that the period begins with the Setup of the 'abomination of desolation' as follows:

¹¹ And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Daniel 12:11

3) 1335 Days - from the middle of the Tribulation until some end-time event

From the middle of the Tribulation on the 26th March 2029 – until some unnamed end-time event on the 19^th November 2032, 1335 days later.

This is also not a Jewish holiday, but again it fits the timeline and would ultimately take its significance from the unknown event at that time.