Page 134 - Advanced Apologetics and World Views Revised
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The Rapture is initiated by the sounding of Trumpets.

               In both the I Thess. 4:16 and I Cor. 15:52 the Bible states clearly that trumpets will sound to initiate the
               event of the Rapture.  The sound of trumpets announces Christ’s coming in the clouds to all believers.

               Leviticus 23 is the single chapter in the Scriptures that sums up everything. God’s eternal plan from
               chaos to eternity is ingeniously revealed through the nature and timing of the Seven annual Feasts of
               the Lord.

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               Leviticus 23:1-2 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,  Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto
               them, The set feasts of Jehovah, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my set
               feasts.

               It was on Mount Sinai that God gave Moses the dates and observances for the seven major feasts for the
               Jewish people to observe.

               The Hebrew word for feast is miqra (mik-raw) and it means “something called out, that is, a public
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               meeting; a rehearsal for what is to come; an assembly, calling, convocation, reading…

               The word rehearsal means to practice in preparation for a public performance.  Evidently these feasts
               were a way Israel could practice the significance of each feast until GOD performed the truth of the
               feast in reality.  Each feast can be associated with something God has done historically or is going to do
               in the future.

               Seven Annual Feasts
               The Spring Feasts – fulfilled in the Past TO THE DAY in Christ’s first coming.

                  1.  Passover (Pesach) – Nisan 14:  a picture of Jesus’s Death on the Cross.  He died at the same hour
                  that the Passover lambs were killed to celebrate the Passover meal that evening.
                  2.  Unleavened Bread (Chag hamotzi) Nisan 15-22: a picture of the burial of Jesus.  He was buried on
                  the same day as the Feast of Unleavened Bread indicating that the leaven of sin had been paid in
                  total.
                  3.  First Fruits (Yom habikkurim) – Nisan 16:  a picture of the resurrection of Jesus.  He raised to life
                  on the third day after His death, on the exact day that the Feast of First Fruits was celebrated.
                  4.  Pentecost (Shavu’ot) – Silvan 6:  the coming of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church occurred
                  on the same day as the Feast of Pentecost.

               The Fall Feasts – prophetic in nature and may be fulfilled TO THE DAY in Christ’s second coming.

                  5.  Trumpets (Yom Teru’ah) – Tishri 1: a rehearsal for the Rapture of the Church
                  6.  Atonement (Yom Kippur) – Tishri 10: a rehearsal for the Second coming of Jesus Christ and the
                  probable time of his FIRST coming to earth (see Appendix A).
                  7.  Tabernacles (Sukkot) – Tishri 15: a rehearsal for the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ
                  will tabernacle (dwell) with us on earth as King of kings, and Lord of lords.

               It is also interesting that God commanded Israel to rehearse a future event by celebrating Feasts.  As we
               see, seven Feasts were commanded by God to be rehearsed.  Five of those Feasts have significant


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