Judge of the Universe

Judge of the Universe

September 15, 2007

At various times in my life I feel like YHWH has used real life experiences as “visions” for me to write about and share. Nothing is more heartfelt for me than watching, waiting and looking for the Rapture. I enjoy reading, sharing and posting on fivedoves because of the common bond that this “Church” shares in these same desires.

At the risk of sounding narcissistic in any way I believe I have a prophetic personal experience that may be helpful in looking for the Rapture. Many persons relate to God and hear from Him in different ways. I am a novice in astronomy, gematria and many other areas, but I have much insight God has allowed me from personal testimony and also some scriptural insight.

My wife and I were married this year and I believe there may be some prophetic parallels. We did receive some miraculous confirmation that this may be the case and you may read about this testimony under the story “Kellie & Tony’s Prophetic Wedding Ring” at www.tony4yhwh.com. Also, I have some additional documentation at the end of this story.

If I can start off by covering something personal that God has taught me in how things work in the order of His Kingdom. God very much utilizes some of the things we are familiar with. The specific things I am referring to for the purposes of this story are court, judges, decrees and orders.

Because my children’s lives have been in danger I have dealt with the legal system with regularity. I have a significant amount of testimony where God has deeply refined me in this area and taught me some deep truths. What is relevant is that always a Judge issues a decision and then attorneys write up the decree and send it to the Judge for his final approval. I have seen this in practice many times. The order is no good until the Judge’s final signature is on the final order.

This is not only true in confrontational type cases, but also marriages. Kellie and I were married this year on May 12th. Ten days later on May 22nd the marriage decree was sealed and signed by the court. The marriage was announced on the 12th and was when we had our ceremony. The marriage became legal when it was signed on the 22nd. The 22nd this past year happened to be the Jewish feast of Shavuot.

I believe that Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur have a similar type of relationship. Rosh Hashanah is the Feast of Trumpets or the announcement if you will. The ten days in between the two dates are referred to as the Days of Awe. The Feast of Trumpets is the day when we are woke up and brought to attention that YHWH has opened the Book of Life. The ten days are a time for repentance. At the end of the ten days the fate is sealed for everyone for the upcoming year and the Heavenly Gates are closed.

Rosh Hashanah is the start of the trial, the ten days of awe the trial itself and Yom Kippur the final decision, decree and signed document. There was a very good post in fivedoves about this recently: http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/sep2007/taylor915.htm. This post talks about how Revelation is laid out in this manner. There are seven letters to the Churches most importantly the last three: Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. Sardis, is told that it has a reputation for being alive, but is dead and is told they are asleep on watch. Philadelphia of course is the church any person would want to be and is given the Rapture promise of an open door. Laodicea is basically given a tongue lashing by Jesus.

These are the rendering of judgments to the Churches. Notice in Revelation 1:10 it precedes all the messages with a Trumpet blast. “…I heard behind me a voice like the sound of a trumpet…” The Trumpet blast relates to Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of court or the pronouncement of the decrees. John is told to record these messages, like a court reporter.

The Philadelphians are promised an Open Door. If these are judgments rendered then why are the commendations, rebukes or advice still open ended but not definite? Because of the ten days of awe between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Even the Philadelphians are told to hold fast to what they have so that they will not lose their crowns.

Once you have the mindset of a courtroom and judge I believe you will see that all the letters to the Churches read like legal decrees. Once John is called (Raptured) to Heaven look at the scene and see if it does not look like a courtroom. The first thing he sees is the Almighty on the throne. Around this throne are twenty four other thrones. This judge and jury consist of the Almighty and His twenty four elders.

As intimidating as any courtroom can be for someone on trial there is none more intimidating than this one. There flashes of lightning, peals of thunder and many wild creatures.

I’m just going to quote the next verse in Revelation as we see the legal document:

Revelation 5

1 I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. 2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the book and break its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it. 4 Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it; 5 and one of the elders said to me, “Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.”

6 And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. 7 And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. 8 When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense which are prayers of the saints.

Many people have speculated about this book. What is clear is that it is a legal instrument and knowing what I have already mentioned in terms of characteristics of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur it directly correlates Revelation with these two Fall Feasts. The Book of Life is to be determined in finality on Yom Kippur, also it is a Jewish belief that on Yom Kippur Moses came down the second time with the Ten Commandments which would be Israel’s legal documents.

Right after this legal document is claimed by Jesus then he breaks “one of the seven seals”. The rider on the white horse who goes out to conquer is released. Many believe this to be the Antichrist. This would make sense and I believe this to be true. The Rapture has taken place and now the restrainer is removed, which may in fact be the legal document. The legal document has to do with the Church, Rapture and Holy Spirit so this is not in conflict with any of these ideas.

Some ideas in regards to the timing of the Rapture

I believe we need to watch through the rest of the Fall Feasts including Tabernacles, but if I were to guess Yom Kippur has to be watched with extreme interest. I know that it is widely believed that the Feast of Trumpets would be the Rapture feast and I still believe it holds significant importance in the announcement of the whole proceeding. Here are some thoughts to ponder:

A clue that Yom Kippur needs to be included with Trumpets is the 40 days from Elul 1 to Yom Kippur. It is 40 days from Elul 1, the days of repentance that run through the Feast of Trumpets, the Ten days of Awe and into finality at the “Last Trumpet” on Yom Kippur. It is believed that the Rapture will lead to Jewish repentance and their understanding that Jesus is the true Messiah. Jonah is read on Yom Kippur. As directed by YHWH, Jonah gave Nineveh 40 days to repent. In which time they did repent. It was Jesus that said:

Matthew 12 (blue my comments)
The Desire for Signs
38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You."
39But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet;
40for just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
41"The men of Nineveh (Gentiles) will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah (Jews); and behold something greater than Jonah is here.
The first fruits Rapture are a test of faith without seeing. The model is the first disciples who ran to the tomb, the disciples in the closed room and finally doubting Thomas who puts his finger in the holes.

My wedding gave me lots of clues and I believe YHWH does that for us all and ministers to us in a personal way. The two-step legal process I have discussed was one clue. Kellie & I were married on May 12th and ten days later it was legal and signed by the Judge on May 22nd (Feast of Shavuot a.ka. Pentecost). Four months later we have September 12th as Rosh Hashanah (Feast of Trumpets eve) and September 22nd as Yom Kippur. The distance between the dates is 4 months or 123 days. Both figures have meaning. I won’t go into the 123 number of Hebrew gematria. Knowing not everyone wants the numbers I have some of this information at the end of this testimony as an appendix. The 4 months is easy as it was Jesus who said “do you not say it is 4 months to the harvest…”

Here was another clue YHWH gave me at my wedding. Kellie and I used a 7 candle Menorah for our unity candle lighting. We have been focusing on looking for the Rapture and simply looking at the Feast of Trumpets. There is good reason for this because it is what starts the whole process. However, like the fulfillment of the first 3 feasts it is a process.

Let’s review. The first 3 feasts are: Passover, Unleavened Bread and Firstfruits. To make it simple, Jesus fulfilled all of these in his death and resurrection.

Now the 4th feast is Pentecost. Remember the flames above the disciple’s heads in Acts? In Revelation 1 the angel tells John about the candlesticks and the meaning:

Revelation 1

20 “…the seven lampstands are the seven churches…”

The fourth feast is Pentecost and is the flame above the disciples head and is also the middle candlestick.

What is left? Again to be simple, the last 3 step process. The Trumpet for the announcement or decree(Feast of Trumpets/Rosh Hashanah), the signed order (Yom Kippur) and then for us to live with Jesus (Feast of Tabernacles) – Jesus’ Father has many, many rooms or mansions right? Let’s go tabernacle with Him!!!


Here is some more personal testimony that is pertinent. I have had an unusually hard time finding employment lately. I have been looking and had to make a decision between a corporate job that paid significantly more and a job at a local Gospel Rescue Mission called the “Open Door Mission”. This was a very hard decision as the corporate job would give me the income I need to provide for my family, while the job at Open Door Mission does not. I struggled for weeks with this decision. Finally I had to make a choice and the timeline I was given was to make a choice by September 12th which was Rosh Hashanah eve. God did give me some help in making the decision but it gets into Hebrew gematria and is listed below under that section. In short, I did take the job at Open Door Mission and start Monday. Many things pointed me to my decision, but there was much insight that helped me make my decision in regards to the Gematria.

Gematria

You can read my story at my website about “Kellie and Tony’s Prophetic Wedding Ring” which has a witness in the way of Gematria. It is also a great testimony as a stand alone outside of the Gematria. God is so awesome to confirm things in so many ways. You can read about it here: www.tony4yhwh.com

The Saturday night before I had to make my decision about my job at Open Door Mission God woke me up in the middle of the night at 4:34 a.m. I had just had a dream about my earthly father and I having a discussion about a river. At first I was disappointed as many persons had written in about the significance of the sequence of numbers 444. I decided to look it up anyway. I was amazed by what I found.

It relates to the Throne of God, Judgment and the Open Door of Revelation 4. Haven’t’ we just been talking about all these things? What a great confirmation that I could have never guessed. Also, “to keep watch” is mentioned. Is there anything else a person with the dream of being Raptured would do??? Here is the link:

http://biblewheel.com/GR/GR_434.asp

Above I had mentioned that it is 123 days between May 12th/May 22nd and September 12th/22nd. The meaning of 123 has to do with the Holy Spirit and Camels. What is that you say? I get the Holy Spirit, but what do camels have to do with all this? Much!!!

One of the very best models of the Rapture and the Bride of Christ is in Genesis with Isaac and Rebecca. Abraham, who stands for our Heavenly Father, sends his servant who stands for the Holy Spirit to get a bride for his son Isaac who stands for Jesus. When the servant gets there he tests the potential bride to be how??? By seeing if when he asks for a drink of water if she will not only offer to give him a drink but also water his camels. And indeed Rebeka does – “I will also draw water for your camels until they have finished drinking…” Also, Laban asks to hold over Rebeka for 10 days. Potentially a clue about Yom Kippur. It is after the mention of the 10 days that Rebeka has to make a final and life altering decision to go with the servant she does not know, to a land she does not know and to a husband she does not know. When Issac, who stands for Jesus sees her coming the scripture reads: “…he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold camels were coming.”

Camels are indeed important. They were also used for bearing treasure and I’ll let you read the rest yourself:

http://biblewheel.com/GR/GR_123.asp

Blessings,

Tony