Is the Rapture Going to Happen on September 23, 2015?

There has been much hoopla the past couple years about the Blood Moons, and now people are targeting this September, specifically the twenty-third, as the date of a pre-tribulation rapture. There is, out there in internet-land, articles listing about twenty-seven (at last count) events in that week of September which are supposed to signify that the rapture is imminent. Things such as the pope's visit to America, a supposed asteroid hit on earth, Jade Helm ending, and the list goes on and on. Let's forget for a moment that we are not supposed to know the day or hour. Is it possible that there will be a rapture in a couple weeks on the twenty-third? No, emphatically not. Not a real rapture by Jesus Christ, anyhow. Does Satan have a fake one planned? Well that I couldn't say. He certainly has spent a long time setting up that deception by getting the Church to accept the false doctrine of a pre-trib rapture. (If you want to know why the rapture is not pre-trib, check out my archives for Feb and Mar, 2012; April and May 2013; Jan and July 2014 for articles addressing the end times. Also my extensive end times Bible study at http://endtimesstudies.blogspot.com/.)

As the rapture occurs at the last trump, when Christ returns at the end of the 70^th week, and we are not even in the 70^th week yet, there is zero probability of a rapture occurring on the twenty-third. Does that preclude an economic collapse, or martial law orchestrated by our POTUS? No. Most anything could happen anywhere in the world. The world is a powder keg and there are always things happening. Could there even be a tremendous hoax orchestrated to make people believe the rapture has occurred or possibly an “alien” invasion? Yes, there is even a theory that this has been planned by the Illuminati. It is called Project Blue Beam. As Satan spent such a long time setting up this false rapture scenario and infiltrating it into the church doctrines of the major fundamental and evangelical churches, I have to believe that there is some probability that a hoax will be perpetrated at some point in time. But those who have studied, those who know the truth, will not be deceived. If a hoax occurs, it will be up to these people to try to help those who have believed falsely, who are now having their faith tested, because they will either understand that they have been taught lies, and will not know what to believe is the truth, or they will simply walk away from the faith altogether, thinking that if they missed it, they must not be saved anyhow.

Pre-trib rapture aside, is it possible that the 70^th week could begin? I look at every autumn as it arrives to see if we are going to go into the 70^th week, for I believe it could probably happen any year. We know the 70^th week must end at the Fall Feasts of Israel, so it must also begin then. There is much debate as to the covenant that will be confirmed. I am not necessarily of the opinion that this must be a public treaty between nations. In fact more and more I am coming to believe that the covenant that is reconfirmed, for this covenant is already in existence when it is confirmed, is the Holy covenant between God and Israel. It is the continuation of the seventy weeks which he has promised them. He confirms that promise by giving them the last seven years. This may be a wrong interpretation, but the only covenants that are mentioned previously are the ones God made with Israel. So to reference a covenant that is in existence would seem to be referencing something that we should be able to find in the Bible as having been made. If a covenant is being set in motion again, it would seem we should look to see what covenants or promises have been mentioned that have not been completed. There is a promise mentioned only verses earlier where God promised Israel 70 weeks or 490 years, but did not finish fulfilling that promise. So it might be that this is the covenant being referred to, which was stopped, but is now being reconfirmed. This covenant would have no sign other than the one mentioned in the context of the text.

The one thing we know from the verses about this time, is that there will be a temple rebuilt, as there will again be sacrifices. So for the 70^th week to begin, things must be ready for that temple to go into action, for it says that the sacrifices and oblations will be halted at the midpoint of the seven years. Can that happen at the moment? Well, the Temple Institute does seem to have all the furniture and utensils ready to go. The priests are in training, and their garments have been made. There was an altar built which they intend to transport to the Mount. (I am not sure that this altar, which appears very small compared to what one would expect at the temple, fulfills Scripture's directions, but it is what they intend to use, I guess.) They have a cornerstone which is ready to be laid. The one thing that they have been desperately trying to do, and have failed to date, is to have a red heifer born from which they can get the ashes to purify the priests. There have been several candidates, but each time a flaw is found before it reaches the required age of sacrifice. Unless the original ashes are found (which might be a possibility) or until there is a three year old red heifer, (for they believe it has to be three years old before it can be sacrificed), they cannot begin sacrifices. They can rebuild the temple, but without the sacrifices, prophecy cannot be fulfilled. So while people watch the Blood Moons (which have no scriptural significance, nor actual historical significance prophetically, having happened after the events which the theory's proponents are using as the confirmation that the Blood Moons are significant portents of things to come - see my article on the Blood Moons in the archives - Feb. 2014), and the pope's visit, and the military's training sessions, and the dozens of other things people are watching, the real thing they should be watching is whether or not a temple will be going up in Israel, and whether they have a red heifer to get the ashes to allow them to start making sacrifices. Those two things are the real signs that the end is upon us. Not to mention that God said that the gospel would go out to the entire world, and I do not know that this has happened yet, in spite of the internet.

So, if you are divesting yourself of things in anticipation of leaving this world shortly, you might want to put that on hold. Harold Camping's followers did that back in May of 2011, and found themselves somewhat the worse off after he failed to deliver. Some people took it so hard, they killed themselves. This is why the Lord said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” Hosea 4:6. If people studied, not just read, but studied God's Word, they would not be so easily deceived. Christ said multiple times in His Olivet Discourse to not be deceived, and that many would try to deceive us. He told us in Matthew 24:42-44 “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” Christ gave us the signs for a reason, so that we could watch. If you don't know the signs, then you should get busy and study, so that your house is not broken up. I think the reason He said that He would come in such an hour as some think not, was that there would be so many false theories on when He would be returning to gather His elect. There is only one right time, and Paul was clear as to exactly when it would be. As was John in relating what He was told in Revelation. They both agree as to that time, but few people believe that they were telling them the truth, for they dismiss the simplicity of it. They choose to think it must be much harder to figure out than that, so choose to believe the many lies that are being presented. I suggest that if you don't know what watch to expect Christ, that you get busy and study.