eBible Fellowship

Today, we are going to take a detour, probably just for this one study. If we do not have enough time to cover everything, then maybe during the question and answer time a little later I will try to finish up. But this is not really a detour. This has everything to do with what we are learning in the book of Esther, as we have seen that God has put His finger on the 17^th day of the 2^nd month in the book of Esther, which identifies with May 21.

If this had been just some historical reference and if nothing of significance had taken place on that date within the book, we would not know what to do with it. But it just so happens that this date was within very major events that took place on that day in the book of Esther as we have discussed.

Also, if this had been the end of the story in the book of Esther, we would not know what to do with it. But it just so happens that God puts His finger on that particular day, the 17^th day of the 2^nd month, within an historical account that actually has a timeline to a day of destruction.

Is this not interesting? Who put this together? God did this. When we have seen and uncovered that Esther’s second banquet was on the 17^th day of the 2^nd month, it does not just go on to the 13^th year and the 14^th year. The story does not unfold for many years to come with various kinds of things happening, but it is in the midst of a timeline that had already begun on a date that was chosen by lot in which the Jews were to be killed – a day of destruction. Then we know, of course, that no Jews were killed on that day. It was only the enemies of the Jews who were ultimately slain on that day.

What does this describe? This fits perfectly with Judgment Day when none of God’s elect will be killed, but when all of God’s enemies will be killed on that day. So we have been very interested in this timeline, because it goes from May 21 to the Feast of Purim in 2012. We are in 2012 and this is basically just a few weeks away.

But there have been questions that have come up about the five months. Some have asked, “Why have we gone beyond the five months,” and this is a good question, “since there was to only be five months of torment?”

We know that it says of those, “In those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it”; and so we correctly understood that God shut the door on May 21. Then Judgment Day came and He described this as five months of torment. But we are beyond this. So does the torment continue? For those who “seek death,” does this continue?

Let us turn to Revelation 9. We are going to look at this during this time and we are going to find these things: that May 21, 2011 was Judgment Day and that there was a five-month period of torment.

So we had the correct day of 5/21 and we had it correct that there was a period of five months, but we are also going to find something new. From those five months, we are going to find a time path to the Feast of Purim. We are going to see a link between May 21, the five months, and the Feast of Purim, in which I think that God is just further confirming that we are on the right path in understanding these things.

But we are also going to make a correction regarding the five months. It is after we make the correction that we will then be able to see what God has done and that this correction was necessary.

Let us read in Revelation 9:1-2:

And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

The star who fell and had the key was the Lord Jesus. We were correct in understanding this. He opened up the bottomless pit and He released the locusts. At the same time, “the sun and the air were darkened.”

All of this was identifying with May 21 when all of God’s elect were freed from their spiritual prisons. There are no more captives. At the same time, spiritually, immediately after the tribulation, the light of the Gospel – the sun, the moon, and the stars – were put out. This is how we have understood this and there has been no change.

Then it goes on to say in Revelation 9:3-6:

And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power [authority], as the scorpions of the earth have power [authority]. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.

People are still committing suicide. That has never stopped, and that is not what God is talking about. He is talking about seeking death in Christ, for those wanting to identify with Christ’s death. Anyone seeking this since May 21 will not find it because the door has shut; that was the judgment on the world.

Look at the historical example of the flood. God said to Noah, “For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth.” What happened after seven days? Noah, his family, and all of the animals went into the ark. Who shut the door? Did Noah shut the door? No; Noah did not shut the door. It was God who “shut him in.”

What was the parallel to this? The parallel was “one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” There were 7,000 years from the flood that fell on May 21, 2011, because the underlying date in the Hebrew calendar was the 17^th day of the 2^nd month, the very day that God shut the door in Genesis 7.

So after 7,000 years following the historical parable of the flood, what happened? The door shut. This is what we told the world. The whole world heard this. They heard, “You have up until this point in order to find refuge in Christ, to find salvation.” Who then shut the door? Did we as the doorkeepers shut the door? As doorkeepers, yes, we open and we close; but we do this only as we are ordered.

During the great tribulation and the latter rain, the door was swung open wide for that great multitude. We were telling everybody, “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found” and that “it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger.” There was a great multitude being saved and we pleaded, “Go to the Lord; go to the Lord.”

Is it not funny that at that time people were saying, “Oh, no; you have that door too wide open. God is not saving a great multitude”? We had to answer this accusation again and again and again.

People do not like God’s will, whatever His will is. When He flings the door wide open, some people do not like it. Then when God shuts it, some people do not like it. This is because it is the will of God that they really do not like.

It is the nature of man to rebel against the will of God, whatever that will is. When the Israelites came out of Egypt and God told them to “send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan,” the Promised Land, they fought against this saying, “We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.” Then God judged them and, of course, it was then that those Israelites wanted to go into the Promised Land, “Lo, we be here, and will go up unto the place which the LORD hath promised.” But it was too late; the judgment had come.

Mankind is contrary to the Word of God, to the will of God. That is man’s nature, and so it is not surprising that people are fighting against the door being shut. We should actually expect this because this is the nature of man.

So God shut the door on the 17^th day of the 2^nd month. He is the One who made a point of telling the whole world beforehand that He was going to do this. He told the whole world. This was not done in a corner. He told the whole world, “I am going to shut the door,” and that is exactly what He did.

We correctly understood that there was going to be a period of five months. This is what we thought and we were actually correct about this. There were five months of torment, but then we thought that that would be the end. We were wrong about that. But we also thought that the five-month period was May 21 through October 21, and we were wrong about the end-date for the five months. We should not have concluded that it was October 21 because that was incorrect.

So we are going to have to discuss some of the history of how the date of October 21 was arrived at. This goes back a few years, because Mr. Camping wrote the book Time Has an End and I think that this was published in 2005. In that book, he presented the information of the 7,000 years from the flood, and the year 2011 was focused on as the expected end of the world and the return of Christ.

That was one thing: 2011 was the year. Then he went on to ask whether or not there was a way that we could know more information as to when in 2011 that Christ would come. From there, the three main feasts that the Jews had to go to Jerusalem to worship were pointed out. These feasts were the Passover, Pentecost or Firstfruits, and Tabernacles that was held in conjunction with Ingathering.

The first two feasts had a spiritual fulfillment. Passover was spiritually fulfilled when Jesus went to the cross as the Lamb of God. That is what happened during the Passover as that was when the lamb was slain. Pentecost or Firstfruits was spiritually fulfilled on the day of Pentecost in 33 A.D. when the Holy Spirit was poured out. The third feast, though, was never spiritually fulfilled – the Feast of Tabernacles.

Then Mr. Camping got into a discussion on the “last day.” In the Bible, that phrase is found eight times. It is found once in the Old Testament and seven times in the New Testament. This phrase identifies with the end, and this phrase is used twice in conjunction with the Feast of Tabernacles.

So it was assumed that 2011 would be the year because that would be the 7,000 years from the flood, that the end would come during the Feast of Tabernacles, and that it would be the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles due to the language that we read concerning this. This book was written in 2005, so there were probably no exclamation points on these dates at that time.

At that time, I think it was October 20^th that was put forth as the possible date. Then it was learned later about an additional travel day that was allowed during this feast that moved the last day over from October 20^th to October 21^st.

So October 21^st was selected because it was the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, and that phrase “last day” identified with the end of the world; but this day came and went and the world was still here.

This meant that that assumption was incorrect. The last day of the Feast of Tabernacles was not the last day of the end of the world. This has to cause us to think a little bit. Since it was not the last day of the end of the world, maybe there is another way of looking at this.

As a result of this, though, when the date for the probable end of the world was selected, over time, maybe 2006 and 2007, people continued to study and they saw, especially when October 20^th was moved to October 21^st, that May 21 was a very significant day. It was the last day of a 23-year great tribulation. It was also 722,500 days from the cross to May 21.

If you remember, Family Radio had a little pamphlet entitled, “God Gives Another Infallible Proof...” In this pamphlet, it was pointed out that this time span broke down to 5x10x17 x 5x10x17 and this time span landed on May 21, 2011. It did not land on October 21, 2011; it landed on May 21, 2011. Then we also saw, and this is a third major tie-in, that the underlying day was the 17^th day of the 2^nd month.

So God locked in May 21. He did not lock in October 21. We were working on the assumption that the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles would be the last day of the end of the world and that May 21 through October 21 was the five months that was referred to in the Bible. This is what we assumed; but as we look at this, we will see that there is actually a more Biblical way of looking at the five months. Once we make this correction, then we will see a tie-in to the Feast of Purim.

Let us go to Genesis 7. It says in Genesis 7:10-17:

And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth. In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights. In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark; They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort. And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life. And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and JEHOVAH shut him in. And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth.

So here the flood begins. We know the date because it has been drilled into us that this date identifies with May 21. That was the landing point of the 7,000 years.

Then we saw in Genesis 7:24:

And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days.

When we divided this 150 by 30, we came up with five 30-day months. This seemed to fit so perfectly. We believed that this was the five months and that May 21 was the beginning of the five months or the 150 days.

Remember that the actual time or duration from May 21 to October 21 was how many days? It was actually 153 days. It was not 150 days. I even remember saying to myself, “Yes, but God is just allowing us to use our own calendar; because as we look at May 21 to October 21, we can see a space of five months.”

Yet God began this on the 17^th day of the 2^nd month and He locked it in once we learned that May 21 was the 17^th day of the 2^nd Hebrew month. But then we went from God locking this into the Hebrew calendar and we switched over to our Gregorian calendar. But why did we not continue to follow the Hebrew calendar? This is what God does.

Look at Genesis 8. It says in Genesis 8:3-4:

And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated. And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month…

On 2/17, it began in the calendar of Noah’s day. 7/17 was five months later and that was also using the calendar of Noah’s day.

Since we used this underlying calendar to prove that May 21 was the day, why would we then revert to our calendar? Why did we not just go five months in the Hebrew calendar? This actually would have been more Biblical, because we would have been following the dates that God had given us in Genesis 7 and Genesis 8.

When we switched to the Gregorian calendar, we were not following the Bible at that point. We just said that it must be the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, because we had the assumption that that would be the end of the world; but it was not.

So that assumption was incorrect and this was what led us off the path. Now, since we know that it was incorrect because the world did not end on October 21, let us just go back and follow the guidelines that God gave us. He locked in May 21 because it was 2/17. What if we go five months later to 7/17? Maybe He is locking this in as the Biblical period of five months.

We know that the Feast of Tabernacles began on the 15^th day of the 7^th month. It would go for eight days, but then we learned that there was a travel day, the ninth day. So when we were looking at October 21, we were looking at the 23^rd day of the 7^th month. If we go back to the 17^th, we just go back six days. That would be October 21^st back to October 15^th. That would be the 17^th day of the 7^th Hebrew month, and that would be a legitimate five-month period from the 17^th day of the 2^nd month.

Someone might be saying, “Okay, but what difference does this make? Nothing happened on the 17^th day of the 7^th month, either!” Well, actually, something did happen; but, again, it was spiritual in nature.

I do not think that this is going to be too complicated. Let us turn to Exodus 22. Here, the Lord is giving some laws in the book of Exodus, but the whole Bible is a Law Book; but here, very specifically, these are laws. This is God’s justice and He is saying that if someone breaks this law or that law, this is the payment that needs to be made.

So it says in Exodus 22:1-4:

If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him. If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him; for he should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall restore double.

God is speaking of a double payment.

Look at Exodus 22:7:

If a man shall deliver unto his neighbour money or stuff to keep, and it be stolen out of the man's house; if the thief be found, let him pay double.

Also, Exodus 22:9:

For all manner of trespass, whether it be for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment, or for any manner of lost thing, which another challengeth to be his, the cause of both parties shall come before the judges; and whom the judges shall condemn, he shall pay double unto his neighbour.

So this is a law that God has established. There is payment for sin, and God always determines what that is.

Some people do not like the idea of annihilation. They bring up certain evil men and say, “You are telling me that if that wicked man dies, he is annihilated; but then if a young child also dies unsaved and they are annihilated that this is justice?”

We have to watch out because God is the One who determines justice. It is His Word, the Bible, that determines what is a just weight and balance and what is a right payment for sin. If God is satisfied when He says that the wages of sin is death and that in the day that a sinner dies he ceases to exist and that finally at the end, he utterly destroys their remains and annihilates them, this is not for us to argue. We are not the judge. We are not the one sitting there and meting out the justice; God is. If His Law is satisfied, then that is all that is necessary. It must be just because He is a God of justice; and yet God, in some cases, is not satisfied with a single payment but He requires double. You pay once and then you pay again.

So a double payment is within the Law of God. It is part of His Law. He gave the Law and He is making the requirement that in some instances – we do not find this in every case – but in some cases, when a sinner is caught and found guilty, he must make double retribution or double payment.

Let us go to the book of Revelation. We read in Revelation 18:1-2:

And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen…

Is this not interesting? How often do we read this in the Bible where God says that twice? Does He not say this phrase twice a few times, especially in relation to Babylon? We do not read, “Egypt is fallen, is fallen.”

It also says this in Isaiah 21:9:

…Babylon is fallen, is fallen…

If we go to Revelation 14:8, it says:

And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

So He repeats this, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen.”

We know, historically, that this took place in 539 B.C. after 70 years that the book of Jeremiah spoke of. After that 70-year period of awful tribulation for Judah, God finally released the captives and the Jews were able to return home; and then that 70-year period ended. That 70-year period typified the 23-year great tribulation.

So, in other words, the phrase, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen,” identifies with the end of the great tribulation, which was May 21, 2011. It was the end of the 70 years historically. Spiritually, we can carry this over because this is basically a spiritual synonym for the end of the great tribulation and it identifies with May 21.

Then it goes on to say in Revelation 18:2-5:

…and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

Now, let us pay attention to Revelation 18:6:

Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.

We read three times here of double payment to Babylon, to the Babylon who “is fallen, is fallen.” God even doubles that. And what “cup” is He referring to? It is the cup of God’s wrath.

Go back to Revelation 14 where we read, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen,” and look at Revelation 14:10:

The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

This is speaking of the cup of God’s wrath and it is describing torment.

If we return to Revelation 18, look at Revelation 18:7:

How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously [referring to Babylon], so much torment and sorrow give her…

Do you see what God is saying? This word for “torment” is the same word that we find in Revelation 9 where we read of five months of torment.

Was this not the payment that we thought was the penalty for sin? We thought that the judgment of God was five months – period – where He would bring awful torment on the world. We initially thought that this would be physically related to an earthquake, but then we learned that this was spiritual. It was an awful time when there was no salvation available.

So God speaks of the cup of His wrath and He says in Revelation 14 that it is torment. Then He associates it here also in Revelation 18:6-7 where He says:

…in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double…so much torment and sorrow give her…

He is speaking of double torment, which would be five months plus five months; then we get ten months.

When we go back to the Biblical five-month period of 2/17 to 7/17, which was October 15^th in our Gregorian calendar, that works out to 147 days. It was not 150 days, just like 153 was not 150; but it is more Biblical than October 21 because that was arrived from an assumption and this is just following the dates that God gives us.

We are on the same date. We cannot make this 150 days in the Hebrew calendar; because if we try to make it 150 days, we would no longer be on 7/17; we would be on 7/20. With the Hebrew calendar based on the lunar calendar, sometimes the number of days can fluctuate. Also, with the 150 days, it could have been that Noah even had a different calendar than the Hebrew calendar that is based on the lunar cycle. But God did lock in May 21 with the Hebrew calendar.

We follow the Hebrew calendar. When we do, five months later it is 7/17. It is 147 days, which is 3x7x7. From here, we are on our date of October 15. From October 15, we go to the Feast of Purim, March 9^th, and it is 147 days. It is doubled. It is 147 and 147. Again, it is 3x7x7. It is indicating God’s purpose (3) and His perfection (7).

So we see a very interesting thing once we make this correction. Now we find that the book of Esther identifies with May 21, with the 17^th day of the 2^nd month, and now we also have a tie-in from May 21 – five months – to the last day of the Feast of Purim.

What is that last day? The last day is the day of rest for everyone in all of the provinces. This is because on the 14^th day, the Jews in Shushan were not resting. On the 13^th day, no one was resting because that was a day of slaying the enemies. On the 15^th day, all of the slaying of the enemies of the Jews was accomplished, or we could say that the ten months will be finished and that it will be the time to rest. This is another confirmation that we can see from the Bible that identifies the Feast of Purim with Christ’s return and the end of all things.

I think that I pretty much covered everything that I wanted to cover. So we will stop here and then come back for questions and answers.