A sister in Christ sent me the link to an interesting teaching the other day. The video discusses God’s decree that at the end of each 7-year Shemitah period, the Israelites were to forgive their fellow Jews all their debts and let their land lie fallow. You know from reading the Old Testament that Israel failed badly to obey the Lord in this regard. This had consequences.

One of the points the teacher made in his message – that you can see at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtvLKayBiXQ&t=10s – is that the Jewish year of 5782, which is known on our western calendar as 2021-2022, is the seventh year of the Shemitah cycle, i.e., we’re currently in a Shemitah year. (According to Mark Blitz in the video, Shemitah years on the Jewish calendar are evenly divisible by seven.). The date correlates with what Jonathan Cahn wrote in his 2014 book The Mystery of the Shemitah.

When Cahn’s book was published, the Jewish year of 5775 equated to the 2014-2015 period on our calendar.

Carrying the cycle forward, the next Shemitah will be in 5789, or as we know it, in 2028-2029. Also, the last year in the 7-year cycle from our western perspective always includes the following year. Thus currently, 2022 teams with 2023 as the first year in the next sequence of years, and the new Shemitah cycle after that will begin in 2029-2030. To make this a little clearer, this abbreviated Shemitah chart may help:

1st Year                                7th Year

—                                           2014-2015 (5775)

2015-2016 (5776)              2021-2022 (5782)

2022-2033 (5783)              2028-2029 (5789)

2029-2030 (5790)              2035-2036 (5796)

2036-2037 (5797)              —

Another key aspect of these 7-year cycles is that every fifty years, i.e., after seven of these 7-year periods, is the year of Jubilee. This fiftieth year was a Sabbath of the Sabbaths where everything and everyone in the land were redeemed. Leviticus 25:19 declares how God will bless Israel for keeping the Jubilee:

“The land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill and dwell in it securely.”

Israel didn’t obey the Lord with His command about the Jubilee, and He ultimately imposed His own 50-year Sabbaths on the land by casting the people of Israel out of it for a time. Because Israel failed to keep the Jubilee calendar, its current date is uncertain.

Was it after the previous Jewish year following 5775? Is it after this year of 5782? Or is it still to come subsequent to 5789 or even 5796?

This is all well and good, but the key point to these date periods is that Daniel’s Seventieth Week (Daniel 9:27) is a 7-year timeframe that has not yet happened. Now, I’m not a learned scholar of Jewish laws by any means, but my understanding is that, based on historical timing, Daniel’s seven years will likely correspond to a Shemitah cycle as God brings fullness to His promises, declarations, and judgments to Israel. The possibility also exists that Daniel’s Seventieth Week could also correspond to the final Shemitah prior to the Jubilee. If this is the case, it may be that we can determine with a high degree of accuracy when the Tribulation – Jacob’s Trouble – will begin. In fact, the subsequent Jubilee could correlate with the beginning of the Millennial Reign of Christ.

Three possibilities present themselves in this relationship of Shemitah cycles and the 7-year Tribulation.

They are:

1. Beginning in the 2022-2023 period
2. Beginning in the 2029-2030 period
3. Beginning some fifty years into the future as the next Jubilee

Based on what many of us who study and teach Bible prophecy have concluded, all the signs of the coming Tribulation have converged. As Pastor JD Farag says, these prophetic signs have a shelf life. With all the factors that make a prophecy relevant today, it is unlikely they will remain static and be applicable – say – in ten years.

We can also liken Bible prophecy to the stretching of a rubber band. It can only stretch so far before it breaks. Something has to happen. Given this reality, a 50-year hiatus until the next potential for the Tribulation and subsequent Jubilee with similar converging events seems improbable. As a result, I think we can rule out Option #3.

What about Option #1?

I know that many people believe we are on the absolute cusp of the beginning of the Tribulation. Some even – incorrectly – believe we’re already in it.

The idea of thinking the Tribulation may begin momentarily runs into a roadblock when we consider Ezekiel’s War, i.e., the War of Gog of Magog described in Ezekiel 38-39. In the almost-Tribulation scenario, you have to believe that Ezekiel’s War occurs within the defined 7-year period. I dispute that based on several issues, but the one of greatest importance is the 7-year clean-up that Israel conducts following the war (Daniel 39:9).

If you place this war within the 7-year Trib period, you have to believe that even after the Antichrist desecrates the newly-built Third Temple at the mid-point and begins persecuting the Jews, they will continue to go about their land clean-up duties as if life remains normal for them. That’s simply a fantasy. It is primarily for this reason that I believe Ezekiel’s War must begin at least 3 1/2 years prior to the official beginning of the Tribulation as defined by the Daniel 9:27 covenant agreement that Israel embraces.

Since none of the Ezekiel events have happened, it is impossible for the Tribulation to begin in this current timeframe of 2022-2023.

Lastly, let’s consider Option #2. This makes a lot of sense from my perspective because it also connects the dots of what we’re seeing in the world. What is the major emphasis coming at us today? It’s that we must Build Back Better through climate initiatives, financial restructuring, and transhumanist ideals pushed by the World Economic Forum.

What is the target date? It aligns with the United Nations and their Agenda 2030, i.e., the end of this decade – roughly 7 1/2 years from now in 2030.

And, guess what? The year 2030 correlates to the next beginning Shemitah 7-year cycle! From this dating, we can see that if the Tribulation and the next Shemitah cycle are one and the same, then the push by the globalists will intensify greatly in the coming few years. From this, we can also do some other calculations.

If Ezekiel’s War must occur at least 3 1/2 years prior to the Tribulation, then at the latest, it should happen in 2026 or sooner. I happen to believe there will be a Psalm 83 War prior to Ezekiel. That being the case, in order for this war’s consequences to play out, it has to erupt probably at least a couple of years earlier, around 2024.

Summarizing these major events, we have these potential dates:

• ~2024 – Psalm 83 War
• ~2026 – Ezekiel’s War
• ~2030 – Tribulation begins (per the Daniel 9:27 covenant agreement signing)
• ~2037 – Millennial Kingdom starts (corresponding to Jubilee)

I happen to like the Alternative View that Bill Salus postulates for the opening of the first five Seals. In this scenario, the Rapture occurs, and there is a Post Rapture / pre-Tribulation gap period of indeterminate length. There is nothing textual that specifically links the opening of the Seals with the signing of the covenant agreement that officially begins the 7-year Tribulation. Because of that, the possibility exists that these several Seals could be initiated earlier in the gap period after the Rapture. From our dating above, it’s conceivable that the Psalm 83 War and Ezekiel’s War could occur in this gap as part of the opening of the 2nd Seal with the rider on the red horse of war.

As a fervent proponent of the pre-Tribulation Rapture, I look at all these dots and wonder how they can connect. The most important dot of all, from my perspective, is the Rapture itself. I’m not a date-setter in any respect. What I have done in the past, and am doing now, is speculate that based on the way the world is devolving and all the signs of the times are converging, it seems difficult to conceive of the Rapture occurring any later than 2025. It’s just based on Berean and Issacharian Biblical understanding. Is there a red sky? Is it morning or evening? In Matthew 16:2-3, Jesus said:

…“When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.”

Do we heed the Lord’s Words and try to assess these things, or do we ignore them?

With the information I’ve presented in this article, it may even push up the Blessed Hope prior to 2024.

The Rapture is something we hold to be imminent, i.e., it could happen at any time because there are no preconditions.

Again, as Pastor JD Farag says, the Rapture is sooner than any of us can believe. The Bible tells us this, and the world is confirming it.

The dots have connected. Soon and very soon, we’ll be with Jesus.

—

Gary Ritter website: books & blog

http://garyritter.com/

Kindle Vella story: Tribulation Rising

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B099Z462WD

 

 

John 10:1-16, Psalm 23, Ephesians 2:18, John 14:6, Acts 4:12, Hebrews 7:25

Summary: Of the numerous images of Jesus painted by John in his Gospel, probably the most descriptive is that of the Good Shepherd (John 10). Like a shepherd, Jesus is concerned with the welfare and care of His flock, showing His never-changing love and compassion.

Several decades ago, the late English actor Charles Laughton (1899-1962) had been called on to recite to a group the Twenty-third Psalm from memory. Also in the room was an aged minister who had come to listen to the great actor present his recitation. Mr. Laughton repeated the Psalm in a powerful manner, gaining applause from the audience. The minister, who admired what had just happened, humbly asked if he might quote the Psalm for the audience as well. Mr. Laughton graciously invited the old man to come to the stage and present his rendition. The minister, whose voice had been made raspy and weak over decades of preaching, quoted the Psalm and then sat down to reverent silence from the audience. Mr. Laughton quietly arose from his chair onstage and said, “What you heard from me and this man of God was that while I know the Psalm, he knows the Shepherd.”

If this story is true, I can only hope that Mr. Laughton got the opportunity to know the Shepherd as well before he took his final breath (Luke 12:13-21; Hebrews 9:27; James 4:13-15).

The Lord Jesus Christ, the Author of the Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:15-16; 1 Peter 1:19-21), which includes the aforementioned 23rd Psalm, is the prophesied Shepherd of His people Israel and of all who come to Him in faith (Jeremiah 50:6, 17; Ezekiel 34:6; Matthew 10:6, 11:28-30, 15:24, 18:25; John 6:37; 1 Peter 2:25). It is He and He alone who possesses all the necessary traits to be the perfect Shepherd. He has all the right credentials, and this chapter supplies us with the details.

In John 10:1-3, Jesus refers to Himself as “the Door” by which His flocks enter and are kept safe under His watch. He uses the term “sheepfold” as a word picture to describe the circular wall around ten feet high with a single opening that served as a door. Nothing could get into or out of there without having to go through the door. He told His audience that only thieves and robbers will use another means besides the door. The shepherd always comes through the right way.

Jesus came into the world in the right manner in order to fulfill the role of the Good Shepherd. He had been virgin-born (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:21-23). He had been born in Bethlehem according to prophecy (Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:4-8; Luke 2:1-20). He had come at the right time in history (Galatians 4:4). He had been brought out of Egypt (Hosea 11:1; Matthew 2:14-25), and His arrival had provoked the rage of His enemies (Jeremiah 31:15; Matthew 2:16-18).

The false shepherds of Satan had been on high alert for this time (Genesis 3:15) and were determined to thwart the mission of Jesus, to no avail (1 Corinthians 2:7-9). Jesus Himself declared that He was the One of whom Isaiah spoke (Isaiah 61:1-2; Luke 4:18-19) and of whom John the Baptist confirmed, declaring His identity (John 1:29). As the Good Shepherd, Jesus knows how to give the proper commands to His flock (vv.4-5). When He calls His sheep, they instinctively know Him and follow Him. He never has to drive them or be harsh when they stray. A truly redeemed person will follow the direction of Jesus and desire to obey and serve Him (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Jesus possesses the right character to be the Good Shepherd by means of His personality (vv.6-8). In these verses, He reveals Himself as the Door, the only means by which the flock or any wandering stray can enter the sheepfold. If anyone desires entrance into the fold of God, it is only through Jesus (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; 1 John 5:12). Jesus is the ONLY way to the Father, and anything else leads to death and damnation (Matthew 7:13-14, 21-23).

While modern society sees this as “narrow-minded” and “out of step,” that is of no concern to the LORD, for His word never changes (Romans 3:4; 1 Timothy 2:5). He plainly tells His listeners that He alone is the door into God’s eternal salvation (v.9). His promise to those who enter is that they will be saved. That is, rescued from the wrath of God and will experience the fulness of His perfect salvation (John 5:24; Romans 5:9). His promise to protect us is illustrated by the efforts of the thief who attempts to enter into the fold to use the sheep for his own gain, not caring about them. As the Good Shepherd, it is Jesus who gives His flock the new and better life He offers in Himself (9b-10). Everything changes when a person meets Jesus. When He enters into a life, it is never the same again (Ephesians 2:1-4) – (“But GOD!).

Jesus possesses the right concern as the prophesied Good Shepherd (vv.11-13) by His sacrifice. He is the concerned shepherd as opposed to the hireling who is there only for the pay. When trouble comes, he will run away and leave the flock to be devoured by the wolves. The shepherd owns the sheep and will go to any lengths to defend and save them from the wolves or other predators, even if it means giving his life for them. Jesus saw the danger we were in and did not run away. He did everything in His power to save us because we are wayward in sin (Isaiah 53:6) and need His intervention through means of the cross in order that we may be brought into His fold for all time, free from sin and the coming judgment that will send many to hell (John 3:18, 36; Romans 6:23).

Some may ask why the death of Jesus is so important to our salvation. According to Scripture, it is the shedding of blood that is required to redeem the soul from sin (Hebrews 9:22). When Jesus died, He shed His blood, and later after His resurrection, He ascended into heaven with the blood and offered a perfect sacrifice on the mercy seat there (Hebrews 9:12, 24-28, 10:12). It is the perfect, sinless, incorruptible blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that is the sinner’s only plea (1 Peter 1:18-19; Revelation 1:5, 5:9). He had to die in order that we might live.

He knows us personally and intimately because of what He has done for us as our Shepherd, Protector, and Provider. He is never distant (Hebrews 13:5), and He is always with us to see us through difficult times and will use His staff to correct us when we do stray. He will always care for us and will never leave His post (1 Peter 5:7). He is returning for us (John 14:1-3), and we will meet Him and our loved ones in the air at the event known as the Rapture of the Church (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), which I believe is closer than a lot of us expect in terms of what is happening in the world.

Is Jesus your Shepherd, or are you relying on yourself or someone else to give you the grace, mercy, and truth that so many people long to find. Come to Him today and be part of the flock that is safely within the fold.

———–

Donald was born and reared in the authentic “Cajun Country” of southern Louisiana. He is a graduate of Louisiana College (B.A. in History Education/ Biblical Studies, 1984), New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div. In Christian Education, 1994), and Andersonville Baptist Seminary (Doctor of Ministry, Biblical Exposition, 2000). He has been in the Gospel ministry since 1986, serving as an evangelist, interim and supply pastor, hospital and rescue mission chaplain, high school and college teacher, and pastor in churches in Louisiana and Oklahoma.

In 2018 he began to devote his time to the rich field of internet and social media evangelism and outreach. In 2021 he became a member of the Oklahoma Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists, using his skills as a writer to contribute articles and sermons to websites such as Rapture Ready, Sermon Central, and Inspirational Christian Blogs. He also writes Bible studies and curricula for churches in southeast and central Asia and Africa, the locations of which are anonymous. He can be contacted at: donaldwhitchard@gmail.com for inquiries, information, and speaking/preaching engagements. His website is: www.realitycityreverend.com . A copy of his resume is also available upon request.