Idioms and Cultural Sayings
When we look at scripture, we readily affirm that idioms and cultural sayings are frequently used and can even have prophetical significance. For instance, the fig tree starting to bloom is an idiom for Israel and the Jews returning to the land. In that day looks prophetically forward to when Messiah comes. Idioms and their prophetical nature become very important when we try to determine what scripture has to say to us about the Imminent Return of Yeshua.
Establishing Facts
Deuteronomy 19:15 – “A fact must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”
2 Corinthians 13:1 – “Every fact must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”
No doubt you have heard it said by many Pastors, Teachers, and Biblical Scholars that, “Yeshua can come at any time” often in conjunction with “even while we are speaking, listening, etc.” and that “Imminent means immediately and instantly”. This paradigm is not at all accurate. I am going to upset a lot of people by declaring “Yeshua can not come at any ol’ time”, and “Imminent does not mean at any time, immediately, or instantly.” To establish this declaration as a fact we will be looking at both scripture and the usage of idioms.
Imminent Is / Is Not
Romans 8:23 – “We groan inwardly as we eagerly await our adoption, the redemption of our bodies.”
Imminency, as it relates to Bible prophecy, simply means that the return of Yeshua Ha’Mashiach for his bride is anticipated and approaching. Imminent does not mean it will happen at any time, immediately, or instantly. The word imminent isn’t even used in the entire Bible, except as a synonym for near or coming soon. I say the modern imminent paradigm is nothing more than a concept forced upon scripture by those whose instant gratification expectations have run amok!
Let’s examine the scriptures and see what they say about Yeshua’s Imminent Return and if it is an event that occurs at a set Day and Hour.
The Day and Hour – An Idiom
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When the disciples asked Yeshua “What will be the sign that you are coming, and the end of the age?, he replied “Neither I nor the angels will make known or declare that day, only my father in Heaven will reveal or declare it . . . therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour” (Matthew 24:36, 24:42, 25:13; Mark 13:33; Luke 12:40).
Day and Hour was a well known phrase, or idiom in that time. Several possibilities would have immediately come to mind:
1. Is Yeshua talking about a specific Day and Hour, such as a specific Rosh Chodesh – a specific new moon?
And the answer is yes!
2. Is Yeshua talking about a specific Yom Teruah, known as the Day and Hour that no one knows?
And the answer is yes!
3. Is Yeshua talking about a wedding ceremony, in which the Father determines the time when the bridegroom is given permission to go get his bride?
Maybe, but not as a definition of imminent . . .
In essence, what Yeshua said to his disciples was: “Y’all will not know which day I will return, but here’s a hint – I will return on a Rosh Chodesh!” Yeshua alludes to a coming at Rosh Chodesh, a new moon whose date he will not reveal, as only the Father has the authority to do so, and Paul tells us which new moon is being referenced – the new moon known as the Last Trump, again without revealing exactly which Yom Teruah it will be! (1 Corinthians 15:52).
The scriptures are very clear, precise, and definitive that this will only take place on some yet future Yom Teruah, which happens on Rosh Chodesh – the new moon. This alone succinctly negates the paradigm that “Yeshua can come at any time”, as well as the paradigm that “Imminent means at any time“, but the Bible has a lot more to say about this.
Let’s examine the scriptures and see what they say about the Imminent Return – can it indeed happen at any time, or is it is an event that occurs at a Set Time and Season.
Set Times and Seasons – An Idiom
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Leviticus 23:2 – “These are the appointed times of Yahweh that you shall proclaim as holy convocations; they are my divine appointments.”
Acts 1:7 – “Yeshua said ‘You don’t need to know the times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority’.”
1 Thessalonians 5:1 – “You have no need to have anything written to you, brothers, about the times and seasons when this will happen.”
The word seasons, used by both Yeshua and Paul, is the Greek word kairos [G2540 καιρός] which means a set time or occasion. In Hebrew, that word would be zman [H2166] which also means an appointed occasion. Some translations use the word “dates” in place of the word times, which gives a more accurate sense of the terms being used.
Set times and seasons in scripture, like day and hour, is an idiom! And scripture succinctly tells us that the set, appointed times are the Moedim [H4150]!!! he Imminent Return has everything to do with the Moedim, the set Times and Seasons, and nothing to do with events that happen at any time or instantly.
The set Times and Seasons, the Moedim, are dress rehearsals for the real event – prophecies in the making, just waiting for the curtain to rise and the play to begin. When the time is fully come for the rehearsal to become the play, then the curtain rises on the show and the events that the moedim prophecy take place.
• Pesach always takes place on the 14th of Nissan.
• Chag Ha’Matzoh always takes place the next day, and
• Reishit Katzir always takes place on the following Sabbath.
• Shavuot follows exactly 50 days after Chag Ha’Matzoh.
• Yom Teruah always takes place on the 1st Day of 7th Month, at Rosh Chodesh
• Yom Kippurim always takes place on the 10th Day of 7th Month, and
• Sukkot always starts on the 15th Day of 7th Month.
The seven Moedim have embedded prophecies of coming events. The pattern to the prophecies represented by the Moedim is: the death, burial, and resurrection of Yeshua, the giving of the spirit, the resurrection of the dead in Yeshua and the rapture, the judgment, and the millennial reign. The first four prophecies embedded in the Moedim have already been completed, or as some say, fulfilled.
The next Moed, Yom Teruah, prophesies the day of the resurrection of the righteous dead, the taking up of the living righteous, and the day of hiding and concealment – before the time of tribulation.
Some may imply that Yom Teruah is random, since it can only be declared when two witnesses see the edge of the moon, hence, the expression Yeshua used: “You do not know the day or the hour” (Matthew 24:36). But this two day period does not indicate a random any ol’ time event – not in the least.
Let’s examine the scriptures further and see what they say about the Imminent Return and Redemption.
Redemption – An Idiom
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Matthew 24:32-33 – “Learn a lesson from the fig tree: When its branches become green and soft and new leaves appear, you know summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these things happening, you will know that the time is near, ready to come.”
Luke 21:28 – “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near!”
When asked about the signs pointing to his return, Yeshua spoke of many things to watch for: the destruction of the temple, Israel back in the land, many coming in his name, famines, pestilences, wars and rumors of wars, signs in the heavens, and great earthquakes in various places. But these warnings came with a caveat: “but the end will not follow immediately,” and “don’t be deceived.”
Yeshua spoke of the time of redemption, which would happen when all those signs began to appear (Luke 21:28).
Romans 8:23 – “We groan inwardly as we eagerly await our adoption, the redemption of our bodies.”
Paul specifically states that this time of redemption is the redemption of our bodies.
Hello!
That is the resurrection and change from mortal to immortal which happens at the last trump – in other words at Yom Teruah. Expecting Yeshua to come at any time, was not anticipated by the people of that day. What they did expect was that he would return in their lifetime to fulfill the next moed, Yom Teruah.
This, of course, did not happen, as too many signs had to be evident, and at that time they were not. But today, those many signs are not only evident, but are converging. Neither then, nor now “Yeshua can come at any time” is not at all accurate.
Finally, let’s examine the scriptures and see what they say about the Imminent Return and the Day of the Lord – yet another idiom – Day of the Lord – in other words, the Tribulation Period.
Day of the Lord – An Idiom
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1 Thessalonians 4:13 – “Now, brothers, we want you to know the truth about those who have died.”
1 Thessalonians 4:16 – “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a rousing cry, with a call from one of the ruling angels, and with God’s shofar; those who died united with the Messiah will be the first to rise; then together we who are still alive will be caught up with them.”
A question arose about those who had died, as well as those who were still living. People were asking Paul if they had already missed the Resurrection and the Rapture: and were now in the Day of the Lord, the Tribulation Period.
The Apostle Paul assured them that the Tribulation Period had not yet begun; the dead must rise first before the living are raptured and the Tribulation Period begins. For more on this, see the article: “You Have Heard it Said”
1 Thessalonians 5:1 – “You have no need to have anything written to you . . .when this will happen.”
The Apostle Paul continued and reminded them that he had already taught them about the prophecies embedded in the Moedim. He taught that the first four had been completed, and assured them that the coming moed of Yom Teruah represents the day of the resurrection of the righteous dead, the taking up of the living righteous, and the day of hiding and concealment before the time of tribulation. He taught that the next moed to be fulfilled, Yom Teruah, was still a future, imminent event.
Did you catch that? A future, imminent event!
An event that they were to watch for and anticipate experiencing!
2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 – “We ask you not to be easily shaken in your thinking or anxious because of a spirit or a spoken message or a letter supposedly from us claiming that the Day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way. For the Day will not come unless the departure comes first.”
Somebody must have been in a real hurry to see the final three moedim fulfilled, as the Thessalonians had received a letter from someone claiming that the Day of the Lord had already come – in other words, Yom Teruah had already happened, you guys missed the boat, and now you are in the time of Yom Kippur, the Tribulation Period.
Paul was having nothing to do with that nonsense, saying: “Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way. For the Day will not come until after the departure” – in other words, not until the apostasia (apostasy) was in process and Yom Teruah had been fulfilled. The day of the resurrection of the dead had not yet happened, nor had the rapture.
Their imminent expectations were not fulfilled and they were still waiting! “Yeshua could come at any time” was not at all accurate, according to Paul.
The Days of Yeshua and The Apostles
Two thousand years ago the people living in the days of Yeshua and the Apostles had just witnessed the completion, or as some would say, fulfillment, of the first four Moedim. The prophecies fulfilled were the death, burial, and resurrection of Yeshua, and the giving of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh (Holy Spirit).
Finally, they reasoned, the fulfillment of the last three moedim must be imminent. We’ve waited thousands of years to see this happen, and now it is beginning. Can’t wait to see it all take place. Finally the promises to Abraham will be fulfilled in their entirety. Finally, we will see the resurrection of the dead and rapture of the bride, the tribulation period, and the one thousand year reign of our Mashiach, Yeshua.
The people living in the days of Yeshua and the Apostles had great expectations tied to the fulfillment of the final three moedim. They knew imminent did not mean at any time or immediately, even while they were talking or reading, unless it happened on the day and hour of the next Yom Teruah moed.
Unfortunately, their imminent expectations were not fulfilled and they are still waiting! So are we. “Yeshua can come at any time” is not at all accurate.
Imminent Today
The same holds true for us today. We do not know which Yom Teruah will be THE Yom Teruah to be completed: it could be five years, next year, or even this year on the Biblical Calendar, hence an “imminent” event! An event that we are to watch for and anticipate experiencing. Still, today “Imminent means at any time, immediately, or instantly” is not at all accurate.
Waiting for Yeshua to Imminently Appear
Zechariah 12:3 – “I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth are gathered together against it.”
Acts 1:7 – “Yeshua said ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority’.”
Today we are one day closer to the return of Yeshua than we were yesterday. Tomorrow we will be even one more day closer. The fig tree, Israel, has bloomed. The earthquakes have been increasing exponentially since 1948. Wars and rumors of wars are a daily item in the news. Famines and pestilences have been endemic during the last decade. Jerusalem is certainly a burdensome stone for all living today who do not love Israel and Yeshua. The signs are all converging.
Conclusions
Deuteronomy 19:15 – “A fact must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”
The Bible only asks for two witnesses to establish a fact! We have more than two!
Imminency, as it relates to Bible prophecy, simply means that the return of Yeshua Ha’Mashiach for his bride is anticipated and approaching. Imminent does not mean it will happen at any time, immediately, or instantly.
Yeshua declares that he will only return on a specific Day and Hour – in other words on a specific Rosh Chodesh, a new moon whose date he will not reveal and Paul tells us which new moon is being referenced – the new moon of the Last Trump – in other words ,Yom Teruah.
Yeshua himself proclaims that he can only come at the set Time and Season that the Father “has set by his own authority” – in other words, at the time of a moed, specifically the Yom Teruah Moed, at the Last Trump as Paul describes it.
Yeshua himself proclaims that we are to look up when we see our “redemption is near” – in other words, when we see signs that we are in the season of the final Yom Teruah. Yeshua will come at the time of Redemption – at Yom Teruah – before the Day of the Lord, the time of the Tribulation. Only at that set time and season will the prophecies about the Imminent Return be fulfilled.
Paul tells the people of his day that the Day of the Lord had not yet come, that the letter they had received was in error and not a letter he sent. The Day of the Lord speaks about the Tribulation Period, which cannot happen until the Dead in Yeshua have been raised, the Rapture has occurred, and the apostasia is in full swing.
The Imminent Return has everything to do with the Moedim, the set dates and seasons. The Imminent Return we should also be looking for today is the Resurrection of the Dead in Yeshua and the fulfillment of Yom Teruah.
The statement that “Yeshua can come at any time” is not accurate – but Yeshua can not come at any ol’ time is a fact according to the scriptures – He will come at the set time and season. Paul reminds us – “Do not be deceived, Yahweh will not be made a fool” (Galatians 6:7). Scripture commands us – “Listen to Yeshua” (Matthew 17:5, Mark 9:7, Luke 9:35), and Yeshua commands us – “Listen to me” (Mark 7:14) and states that “Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to me” (John 18:37). Listen to Yeshua, not inaccurate paradigms.
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Rapture Parallels, Patterns, Pictures, and Types 