This isnt mine but I think its very interesting Ascension Day- a small study.
Why did Jesus ascend 10 days before The Church Age began?
Let’s first look at Ascension Thursday…
Acts 1:9-11
9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, 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 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
The word “manner” is “tropos” which means “mode, style, character, means, or way.
So He’s coming back the SAME WAY… (and a cloud received Him out of their sight).
What does the bible say about how Jesus will return for the Rapture?
1 Thes 4:16-17
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
The words “Clouds” in both verses (1 Thes 4:17 & Acts 1:9) is the same Greek word, so it seems that His departure and return WILL be the SAME.
The question is if Jesus returns the same WAY, will He return on the same DAY.
Here are more Bible verses to consider.
1Cor 15:21-23- For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: CHRIST THE FIRSTFRUITS, (First Ascension Day) AFTERWARD THOSE WHO ARE CHRIST’S AT HIS COMING. (Second Ascension Day).
Could the order stated in verse 23 be the two Ascension Days as I showed?
PENTECOST
Why did Jesus ascend 10 days before the dispensation changed on Pentecost?
The Age of Law started on Pentecost when Moses received the Ten Commandments and the Age of Grace started on Pentecost with the arrival of the Holy Spirit and many believe, as do I, the Age of Law will start again on Pentecost.
What I don’t believe is that the Rapture will happen on Pentecost. There was a reason that Jesus left on Ascension Thursday 10 days before Pentecost. What happened in these 10 days as the apostles stayed in prayer in the upper room until the Holy Spirit came upon them? What did they do? Well, they picked the new Apostle, Matthias, who would testify of the Resurrection.
It was God who picked this 12th Apostle as we see in Acts 1:24 which says “And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knows the hearts of all men, show whether of these two thou hast chosen”. Did they need a week to do this? I wouldn’t think so. So why then did Jesus leave 10 days in advance of Pentecost? I believe it was because10 days will be needed now, after Jesus ascends a second time on Ascension Thursday this May when He leaves with the Bride. Why will these 10 days be needed? The time will be needed for God to choose and seal the 144,000, who will be used after Pentecost testifying of the Resurrection the same way He chose the 12th Apostle after the first Ascension Day for the same purpose.
On Ascension Thursday, Jesus, who is the Jew’s Messiah, will take the Bride with Him and will leave the Jews behind. Ten days later, however, they will realize, by the appearance of the two witnesses and the sealed 144,000 that God has not left them and will be there for them during the 70th week.
Has anyone ever noticed that Romans 11:11 has never been fulfilled?
Romans 11:11
I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
Has our salvation ever ONCE provoked the Jews to jealousy? NO, Never! When we are RAPTURED, leaving with their Messiah, especially on His original Ascension Day, will they be jealous?…I think so..! Or if our disappearance is explained as alien abductions, when the 2 witnesses and the 144,000 preach of Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, His Resurrection, and the Rapture, I’m sure that if jealousy wasn’t evident at our Rapture, it will be then. God’s word does not come back void and Gentile salvation MUST provoke the Jews to jealousy.
Let’s take a look at May 17th, Ascension Thursday.
The 17th, fits the 5, 6, 7 Jesus, of Charity. (15, 16, 17)
It fits a Gentile Holiday and not a Jewish one, which fits a word someone posted a year or two ago.
It’s a sliver moon like many people have seen in their rapture dreams and a few days later it’s the new moon.
Ascension Day is near the end of the barley harvest (Omer count) as the wheat harvest begins on Pentecost. Many people believe the Church is the barley which unlike wheat, which has to be crushed (tribulation) to separate it, it is just waved in the air on the days following first fruits.
It’s also in the spring.
How does this affect overall dates?
Yes, I do believe that the 70th week has not yet begun and that the full 7 years are left for the 70th week. I also believe that the 70th week will end on Rosh Hashanah – Sept 21, 2017 (the jubilee year) which is 50yrs after 1967 when Jerusalem was re-united with Israel and 100 yrs after 1917 when Israel left Ottoman rule. (Google - Rabbi Judah Ben Samuel’s prophecy)
How can this happen?....The shortening of the days by 1/3rd of course (Rev 8:12 & Mark 13:20). If the beginning of the 70th week is May 27th 2012 and it ends on Sept 21, 2017, it will only be 1943 days which means on July 25, 2014 a catastrophic event will happen (meteor strike, etc.) that will shorten our days to 18 hours and cause 2520 days to fit into 1943 days. Simply done by an excel program.
Well that’s the end of my study…..and of course, I’m not picking a date, just showing a possibility…!
Any way you look at it, He coming very, very soon!
