Biblical Logos Blog

I’ve studied the Feasts of the Lord quite extensively over the years. I have concluded that they were meant for the Jewish people, and they foreshadowed prophetic events related to them. Many scholars and online Bible prophecy buffs still believe that the Church is pictured in one of these feasts. Many believe the Feast of Trumpets is a certainty. They refer to 1 Corinthians 15:52. This passage describes the Rapture of the Church. It states that they will be taken “at the last trump.” They argue this is a reference to the Feast of Trumpets. Many also contend that Pentecost marks the timing of the Rapture. As Pentecost was when the Holy Spirit was given, and they argue it will be when the Church leaves. There are reasons I don’t believe either of these Feasts picture the Church. You can read about my summary of the Feasts in a prior post.

I have taught about these Feasts at church for many years. Often, people pushed me to guess at the timing of the Rapture. The best Biblically supported guess I could make comes in these passages:

Son 2:10-13  My beloved speaks and says to me: “Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away, for behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree ripens its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away. 

The Bridegroom’s call to ‘come away’ is accompanied by specific ecological markers that pinpoint a very narrow window of time:

“The winter is past, the rain is over and gone”: In Israel, the rainy season ends in March/April. This marks the transition to the dry, warm season of the Spring Feasts.

“The flowers appear on the earth”: This refers to the brief but vibrant blooming period in the Judean wilderness that occurs immediately after the latter rains.

“The voice of the turtledove”: Turtledoves are migratory birds that return to Israel specifically in the spring (Jeremiah 8:7).

“The fig tree… and the vines”: These are the agricultural markers of the first month of the religious calendar. The “early figs” (bikurah) appear in spring, and the grapevines begin to blossom, filling the air with fragrance.

As you can see, the timing for this picture of the Rapture points to Springtime. More specifically, “the vines are in blossom” points to the first month on the Jewish calendar, Nisan.

Now let’s look at something else that seems to point to the same season and timeframe:

Jos 4:19  The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped at Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. 

Jos 4:20  And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. 

Jos 5:2-8  At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.” So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth.  And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the males of the people who came out of Egypt, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way after they had come out of Egypt.  Though all the people who came out had been circumcised, yet all the people who were born on the way in the wilderness after they had come out of Egypt had not been circumcised.  For the people of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished, because they did not obey the voice of the LORD; the LORD swore to them that he would not let them see the land that the LORD had sworn to their fathers to give to us, a land flowing with milk and honey.  So it was their children, whom he raised up in their place, that Joshua circumcised. For they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way.  When the circumcising of the whole nation was finished, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed.

Jos 5:10-14  While the people of Israel were encamped at Gilgal, they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening on the plains of Jericho.  And the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain.  And the manna ceased the day after they ate of the produce of the land. And there was no longer manna for the people of Israel, but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year. When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” 

Gibeath-haaraloth the “Hill of the Foreskins,” a significant biblical place where the Israelites, after crossing the Jordan River, circumcised all the males born in the wilderness (Joshua 5:3-9). The name marks the removal of their shame and identity as slaves from Egypt, leading to the place being renamed Gilgal (“rolling away”). 

Symbols and metaphors in the Bible can be powerful examples of God’s foreknowledge. They demonstrate orchestration of events. However, they need to be treated with caution. These symbols may not really be intended. They might be the thoughts of the interpreter and not God.

Let’s look as some interesting symbols and possible metaphors.

1. The name Joshua (Yehoshua) is the Hebrew original of the Greek name Jesus (Iesous), both meaning ‘The LORD is Salvation.’ This makes Joshua a literal ‘namesake’ type of Christ.
2. Gilgal in Hebrew means to roll away. Interpreters say the name seems to represent the reproach or sin of Israel. It was rolled away by their crossing over to the Promised Land in obedience.
3. The twelve stones were to represent all 12 tribes / the entire group. 1 Peter 2 says the Church are living stones. 1 Peter 2:4–5 (ESV): “As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
4. In Revelation 4+5 the Elders before the throne are interpreted by many as representative of the Church in Heaven. Rev 5:8-10  And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” 
5. The Rapture introduces the consummation of the Marriage Covenant in Heaven. The Church is often referenced as the Bride of Christ and Jesus is referenced as the Bridegroom. The covenant is sealed with a price (Christ’s blood shed on the cross). The Israelites were circumcised after crossing over. Circumcision was the OT symbol for a covenant with God.
6. The Israelites had rejected God’s command to follow him into the Promised Land 40 years earlier. That rejection led to the 40-year wilderness wandering, until that generation had died off. This is their descendants that Joshua is leading. They are a group of uncircumcised followers who believe the Lord and the words that Joshua commands.
7. 40 is a number that represents “a trial” (Genesis 7:12, Exodus 24:18, Deuteronomy 9:18, Numbers 13:25 etc..). These Israelites had spent 40 years following the Lord. This journey brought them to this place of crossing over the Jordan.
8. The crossing of the Jordan is famously a symbol of crossing from Death to life. It is the second crossing. The first crossing was the Red Sea. Scholars note that the Red Sea crossing is a symbol of Baptism. The Jordan crossing is a “second crossing” into a life surrendered to the Holy Spirit and claiming spiritual inheritance.

Maybe just looking at the symbol references above you can see what I am seeing. I want to add one last comparison:

Jos 5:13-14  When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” 
And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” 

Rev 19:11 – 15  Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself.  He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.  And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 

Joshua ran into the pre-incarnate Jesus, commander of the Lord’s Army, who then led them into judgment against Jericho. Jesus will lead the redeemed Church into His judgment on the world at His second coming.

Let’s put it all together

• Joshua / Jesus, is about to lead his uncircumcised followers into the Promised Land / Heaven.
• Twelve leaders of the Tribes / Twelve Elders pictured coming to Heaven are carrying twelve “living stones”.
• After crossing over, they consummated their covenant with God. This was done by circumcision. (Romans 2:28–29 NT belief is called circumcision of the heart).
• The Israelites had spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness because they didn’t believe God’s promise. Joshua had a good report, and they rejected him. That generation experienced God’s divine judgment, setting Israel aside until they died in the wilderness. It was their descendants, followers of Joshua, who would enter the Promised Land.
• After crossing over into the Promised Land, the uncircumcised Israelites came into covenant again, symbolized by circumcision (of their heart). They represent a ‘Gentile-like’ state—physically descended from Abraham but lacking the outward sign of the covenant. Similar to the Church, their connection with the Leader (Joshua/Jesus) relies on faith and obedience. It is not based on a previously established physical mark.)
• After a period of time, while they healed, Joshua met the Lord of the Heavenly Armies (pre-incarnate Jesus). He has a sword and is going to fight the inhabitants of Canaan (pagan, non-believers). He leads them (like Jesus will lead the Church on his white horse) to surround and defeat Jericho.
• After Jericho has fallen, one family is led out into the Promised Land. It is Rahab’s family, who believed and trusted in the Lord. They become part of Israel and are eventually included in the lineage of Christ. As a picture, they survive the Jericho tribulation and enter the Kingdom.

My last comment is on timing. The Israelites crossed over on Nisan 10.

Exodus 12:3-6 “Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household… Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight.”

Nisan 10, is the day the Lamb is selected in the Passover celebration. Many believe it was Nisan 10 when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. This is now known as Palm Sunday. This is the day that the Jewish people corporately rejected him.

Luke 19:39-42

And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.

This is also the day the Israelites actually trusted Joshua and crossed over into the Promised Land, unlike their ancestors. Passover was then celebrated in the Promised Land, and the manna (God’s provision) is no longer needed. They are eating from the fruit of the Promised Land. Just like the Church is promised to eat from the Tree of Life in New Jerusalem.

Will the Rapture happen at some point on Nisan 10? Just one more thing to think about……..