Tag Archives: darkening of the sun

discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Finding the End of the World, Uncategorized

The Future: Jesus in the Feast of Atonement

Leave a comment

The fall feasts of God celebrate and look forward to rescue and rest. They occur in September or October, depending on the near-total darkness of the sun and moon over Israel and begin with the Feast of Trumpets, which marks the new year and is called the ‘in-gathering.’ In the future, it will announce the rescue of God’s people before His judgment, which will fulfill the Feast of Atonement.

Atonement happens ten days after Trumpets. The time between the two is called the ‘ten days of awe’ used for repentance. On the annual Day of Atonement, the priest entered the innermost part of the Temple to atone for Israel’s sins (temporarily cover the debt to God, so to speak, with the blood of animal sacrifices). Significantly, the Jews believed that God’s final judgment would happen on the Day of Atonement in the future. It makes sense considering that all the other intentional feast days by God were, or will be, fulfilled.

Indeed, Jesus told His disciples in about 26AD and showed the apostle John in a vision in roughly 90AD about this judgment following the future ingathering and subsequent resurrection of all humans:

“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats” (Matthew 25:31-32)

“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.” (Revelation 20:11-12)

So, how did or does Jesus fulfill this feast? By willingly dying on a horrible instrument of Roman torture and death 2,000 years ago. It’s important to understand that atonement means ‘reparation’ or to make right. In a sense, it’s to repay a debt or settle the books. Jesus began this atoning work by being the one perfect sacrifice to satisfy humanity’s debt to the Creator, who will complete it through His judgment preceding the new age. More on that next week when we dive into the final God-ordained feast and the one we genuinely look forward to, Tabernacles.

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley

Finding the End of the World

When the Lights Go Out . . .

Leave a comment

In the 9th century BC, before the Assyrian conflicts with Israel began, the prophet Joel foretold of a future end-times removal of religious sacrifice and the destruction of the world by God. This will come at a complete darkening of our sun, moon, and stars and just before a kingdom of eternal peace. Israel heard good news of the future at a time of division between the 12 tribes.

The 8th century BC brought similar apocalyptic oracles in the middle of near-term warnings about impending punishment from the Assyrians. God spoke these oracles through prophets Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, and Micah. Seventh and sixth-century prophets Zephaniah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel issued identical near/far prophecies about impending punishment from the Babylonians and future retribution by God and then perpetual peace.

Four centuries of prophets foretold a last-days destruction of the nations and most of the earth by God in what they called the “Day of the Lord” wrath. The recurring theme: total darkness, then the Day of the Lord destruction, then God’s eternal kingdom. This theme was reiterated by Zechariah at the end of the 6th century and by Malachi in the 5th century.

Fast forward roughly 600 years, and you can read about the same future epoch from Jesus, Paul, and John ‘the Revelator’. Jesus revealed to His disciples and then later to John that His followers would be gathered at that complete darkness foretold by the prophets of old. He also reiterated that a terrible destruction by God of the remaining earth and its inhabitants would occur immediately afterward as prophesied by the likes of Isaiah, Zephaniah, Zechariah, and Malachi. Paul and John had a lot to say on the subject and gave incredible insight into the future and how to navigate it.

So, when the lights go out, Jesus followers will be gathered and the destructive Day of the Lord wrath will ensue. Darkness, then rescue for some and destruction for others . . .

Where will you be when the lights go out?