Advance Notices Are The Norm
Personal Advance Notices
Will there be a personal ‘Advance Notice’ on The Rapture for the Bride of Yeshua? Surely you jest. Didn’t Yeshua say of that “day and hour no one knows”? Yeshua did, indeed, say that, but in other scriptures, a definite pattern showing ‘Advance Notice’ of rapture-like events can be noticed.
Enoch
Enoch 81:6 – “One year you will have with your son, Methuselah, until you give your last commands, teach and testify them to your children, and record these commands for them. In the second year, you will be taken from amidst their presence.”
Enoch walked with Yahweh 300 more years after Methuselah was born, then was taken. Did Enoch, perhaps, have ‘Advance Notice’ of when he would be taken? Scripture doesn’t specifically tell us. But the Book of Enoch does. Enoch had one full year of ‘Advance Notice’.
Methuselah
Scholars interpret Methuselah’s name to mean his death brings, specifically his death would bring the flood that would destroy the world. This definitely sounds like ‘Advance Notice’.
Noah
Throughout his life prior to the flood Methuselah was alive. Seven days after his death, the flood began. Could his death be considered ‘Advance Notice’ to Noah and those living at that time? Certainly the shutting of the door to the ark seven days before the flood would have been ‘Advance Notice’ to Noah and his family inside the ark!
Lot
Lot is removed to the town of Zoar, a place of safety while Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed. Could the angel’s warnings to him the eve before his departure to the mountain town of Zoar be considered ‘Advance Notice’? I say they do indeed and Lot had only hours of ‘Advance Notice’.
Elijah
Twice, scripture tells us that the day of Elijah’s departure, or rapture, was known to the sons of the prophets (2 Kings 2, verses 3 and 5). This definitely sounds like ‘Advance Notice’.
Yeshua
While Yeshua and his disciples were discussing the restoration of the kingdom, Yeshua was taken up into the clouds. In those days, there was no Facebook, Twitter, nor cell phone service! Is it possible that Yeshua knew when he would be taken up, and timed it so that his disciples would be there with him at the time?
Perhaps Yeshua had some ‘Advance Notice’ of this event. Scripture hints that this may be so. Both Moses and Elijah spoke about his “exodus” which he was to accomplish from Yerushalayim (Luke 9:30-31). Traditionally, this exodus has been interpreted to mean his death.
Luke 9:51 tells us: “When the days were approaching for his ascension, he was determined to go to Yerushalayim.” Perhaps this ascension [analempsis G354] is the greater exodus being discussed. Again, this definitely sounds like ‘Advance Notice’.
The Bride
Paul, after discussing the resurrection of the dead and subsequent rapture of the living states very clearly: “You, brothers, are not in the dark, so that the Day should take you by surprise . . .” (1 Thessalonians 5:4). This also definitely sounds like ‘Advance Notice’ will be given.
Event Oriented Advance Notices
Birth Pangs
From the moment a woman conceives a nine month ‘Advance Notice’ is given that she is going to have a baby. Some women go months and not even realize they are pregnant, and in rare cases, not even until the baby is coming out!!! Some babies are born early without much warning, and in other cases are “overdue”.
No matter when the actual day and hour of the birth, all know the “season”. Yeshua links his next coming with birth pangs, and since the birth pangs appear to be increasing in both frequency and intensity, consider yourself, without doubt, to have been given ‘Advance Notice’ that the event is imminent — we are no longer in the initial phases!
The Exodus Out Of Egypt
Prior to their going to Egypt, Abraham was told that his descendants would spend four hundred years in bondage in Egypt (Genesis 14:13). At the end of those years, Moses appears, performs the ten plagues, then informs the Hebrew slaves that they will be taken out of Egypt in fourteen days (Exodus 12:1-13).
The Three Days
Numerous times before a gathering together, the people are commanded to cleanse themselves and prepare for the gathering. Two notable instances of ‘Advance Notice’ occur in Older Covenant Scripture. In Exodus 19, the gathering at the mountain is definitely a picture of The Rapture – the parallels between this passage and 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 are quite clear.
In Joshua, prior to the people being brought into the promised land, a picture of The Rapture when the Bride of Yeshua is taken in their promised land, Heaven, the people must first prepare for three days. Notice that after the preparation, the people follow the Ark of the Covenant at about 2000 cubits.
We are now about 2000 years behind our ark, Yeshua, returning to his father’s side in Heaven! Hosea 6:1-3 tells us that he will raise us up in the third day, and we will live in his sight.
Yom Teruah
Yom Teruah, also called The Feast of Trumpets, Rosh Hashanah, or the Feast of the New Moon, celebrates the Resurrection of the Righteous, Kingship of the Lord, and Marriage of the Lamb.
Only when two witnesses see the edge of the moon, can the festival start. They had a two day period in which they knew it would happen, but not the exact day or time. Hence, the expression Yeshua used: “You do not know the day or the hour.”
The Wedding
In a Jewish Wedding, after agreeing on the bride-price, the groom would then go back to his father’s home and build an addition for himself and his bride, promising to return for his betrothed. This was a very planned out event and was watched by both family, neighbors, and townsfolk.
Finally, the father gives his approval, saying that the building is complete, and then gives his son permission to go get his bride. The son then puts the actual wedding party in high gear: the friend of the groom would go to the bride’s home to announce that the groom was on his way to lift up his bride and carry her to the new home. In effect, the bride and her bridesmaids were given a very minimal ‘Advance Notice’ that the wedding was about to begin.
The Rapture
Paul, after discussing the resurrection of the dead and subsequent rapture of the living states very clearly: “You, brothers, are not in the dark, so that the Day should take you by surprise . . .” This also definitely sounds like ‘Advance Notice’ will be given.
Conclusions
‘Advance Notice’ is the scriptural norm. In every case the person being raptured knows he will be:
• Enoch had a full year of advance notice (Enoch 81:5-6).
• Elijah and two schools of prophets knew the day of his departure (2 Kings 2:3-5).
• Yeshua knew about his departure prior to going to Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) to be crucified (Luke 9:30-31).
While some of the above examples may be stretching the idea of an ‘Advance Notice’ a bit, a definite pattern showing advance notice of rapture-like events can be noticed and the possibility that an ‘Advance Notice’ may be given. Will it be a hundred year notice? Will it be a week’s notice? Will it be a three day notice? Will it be just a few hours or minutes? Scripture doesn’t give us a definite answer to this question.
However, two examples (Yom Teruah and The Wedding) were well known to Yeshua’s Disciples, and when he said: “You do not know the day or the hour” they would have immediately thought of one or both and understood that he wasn’t saying they would be caught totally blind as to the timing, and would more than likely have some advance notice.
Paul may very well be confirming this possibility in 1 Thessalonians 5:4 when he says: “But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief.”
Yahweh’s Promise of Advance Notice
Amos 3:7 – “Yahweh Elohim does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.”
How Yahweh chooses to give us an ‘Advance Notice’ for the rapture is not detailed in scripture. The patterns indicate that he might, but more importantly his promise in Amos 3:7 states very clearly that he will. Yahweh guarantees that the rapture, like many other events, will not happen without him first giving some form of advance notice.
Final Thought
We are always to be ready for Yeshua to return. Are you ready? If not, then get ready. Exercise whatever time you have to repent and trust Yeshua for your eternal salvation. Do not test Yahweh’s patience and wait too long – the dress rehearsals will not continue much longer. May Yom Teruah this year be fulfilled in the resurrection of the dead and the rapture of Yeshua’s Bride.
Rapture Party 