THE MIDNIGHT HOUR
"And
at midnight there was a cry made,
Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him"
Matthew 25: 6
This is a study of the word "hour" as it is used in the
Bible, referring to the Rapture and to End Times.
There are two Raptures yet to take place as described in www.cybertime.net/~ajgood/ch5sheaves.html
If one looks in a Concordance ( a book listing the number of
times a word is used in the Bible), one will see that the word
"hour" is used quite frequently in regards to the End
Times. Therefore it must be an important word.
The word "hour" is used two different ways in the New
Testament. It is used specifically to mean an exact
hour (throughout the book of Acts). It is also used in a larger
sense of time ( meaning a general time ) as in the Book of John
(John 2:4; John 4:21, 23; John 5:25, 28; John 7:30; 8:20;)
Applying the concept of hour to a general
time, there are four Hours, or "Watches", in the New
Testament: Evening, Midnight, Cockcrowing and Morning. Mark 13: 35
The Midnight Watch ( general) or the Midnight hour (specific) can
BOTH be applied to the concept of the Rapture, we feel.
The
Midnight Watch ( a general meaning )
In Matthew 25: 1--10 , Our Lord is referred to as The Bridegroom who
comes for His bride at Midnight.
There are ten virgins in this parable: five are wise and five are
foolish.
At Midnight, a cry went out alerting all 10 virgins to the coming
of the Bridegroom.
What is the "cry" ( or event ) at midnight that alerts
the Church ?
We feel that "the cry at midnight" is when the man of
sin sits in the temple as God.
We know from 2 Thessalonians 2: 3, 4 that that particular event has to happen first
before we can be raptured.
( That is Scriptural).
When that happens, then we would know that our Bridegroom is
coming soon for His bride. That would be a GENERAL period of time
to anticipate the Midnight Rapture.
The 5 wise virgins knew specifically when the Bridegroom was
coming, and were ready. The 5 foolish virgins were only slightly
anticipating, and were not actually ready ( not walking in the
Spirit ) . They must now await "the Son of Man" Who
comes during the Great Tribulation. Jesus Christ is no longer
called "the Bridegroom", after the Midnight Rapture
takes place.
In Matthew
25:13 the five foolish virgins who missed the Midnight
Rapture, and who did not have the oil of the Holy Spirit burning
brightly in their lamps, were told that they would not
know when the Son of Man would be returning.
They missed the Bridegroom, and now they must look for "the
Son of Man".
How do we have our lamps trimmed with oil ? By being led of the
Spirit and walking in the Spirit. ( obedience)
Romans 8.
We are to be exemplifying Jesus in a righteous lifestyle (having
our lamps burning brightly with oil).
We will be bearing witness to the Fruits of the Holy Spirit, Galatians 5: 22 having :
"Love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith,
meekness, self-control."
These oils help to lubricate our lives within our daily
activities, as we are led of the Holy Ghost.
Those left behind will have a chance for the Cockcrowing Rapture
by becoming more Spirit led, Spirit controlled and walking in the
Spirit. Cockcrowing Rapture.
So then, we have discussed the general meaning of the word
"Midnight". Now we will look at a more specific
meaning to that word.
MIDNIGHT and MERIDIANS ;
Longitudes and Latitudes
( Longitude = place; Latitude = time )
lines of longitude. Back ground information http://www.hammondmap.com/sites/hammond/geography/latlong1.html
http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/meridian and http://www.geometrie.tuwien.ac.at/havlicek/karten.html
The following is only a suggestion, or
possibility. It is by no means doctrinal to the belief in the
Rapture.
It is well within the interpretation of Scripture.
We
glean from 2 Kings Chapter Two, that the concept of the
rapture involves various locations, and that the incidences are
not simultaneous . In all of the different locations, the rapture
is referred to. The Scriptural phrase used here in this context
is to "take away". Elijah moves from place to place.
Another highly significant word used in this passage is the word
"tarry" --- implying a consecutive, rather than a
simultaneous event. Again, this is a possible interpretation, and
by no means is it written in stone.
We must "prove all things" 1 Thessalonians 5:21.
"The Seventh Trumpet" explains this in more detail: www.cybertime.net/~ajgood/trumpet.html
They All Slumbered and
Slept -- Matthew 25: 5
It is obvious from Matthew
25: 1-10 that the
five wise virgins knew the day and
the hour. The hour was
MIDNIGHT. We believe that this is a literal
translation. In other words, we believe that our Lord is coming
at the Midnight Rapture exactly at Midnight. Which Midnight ?
All of the midnights around the globe.
Let me ask you a question. How many New Year's Eves are there ?
That's right, there are 24 of them. Here in the United States we
count four of them. We live on the West Coast in California. We
know that it is New Years in New York when our clock says 9:00 pm
December 31st. At 10:00 pm Dec. 31 it is New Years in Minnesota.
At 11:00 pm Dec. 31st it is New Year's in Wyoming. And finally at
Midnight it is New Year's January 1 here in California. And it is
that way all over the globe.
Remember watching the Millennium ( the year 2000 ) ring-in all
around the globe? Well there were 24
turnings-of-the-century taking place. They were not simultaneous.
The television showcased the glorious New Years in Hong Kong,
Paris, London, the US ( Hawaii) and every other major place on
the globe in a day long event. It was an awesome scene with
firecrackers and spectaculars outdoing one another, as we all
"tarried" through the early afternoon and evening and
through the night glued to the Televised wonders.
We all experienced the fact that "midnight" comes 24
different times.
That is because there are twenty-four Longitudes around the
globe, dividing our world into 24 different time zones, or
segments.
Russia
alone has 11 time zones.
During the summer,
Russia's clocks are two hours ahead of standard time. During the
winter, all 11 of the Russian time zones are an hour ahead of
standard time. During the summer months, Russian clocks are
advanced another hour ahead. With their high latitude, the two
hours of Daylight Saving Time really helps to save daylight.
http://geography.miningco.com/library/weekly/aa040697.htm
So there are 24 Midnights around the globe each night. What's the
point? The point is that someday Our Lord will come for us at
Midnight, and that each time zone will have its own exit-call
within the Rapture
Processional.
Please see www.cybertime.net/~ajgood/trumpet.html for
a further explanation of this point.
That is why none of us knows the day nor the hour at
this time (right now today), for none of us
knows where we will be exactly on that day
("the Day of Christ " ( our Rapture ) 2 Thessalonians
2:2 ). But when that time and season arrives, we
will know that day
( just like they knew the day in 2 Kings 2, and just like it says
in 1 Thessalonians 5:4 "that day" ).
We will know that our specific hour will be at Midnight, wherever
we might be.
Each New Year's Eve there is such an expectation in the air as
New Year's comes to each time zone. And when the Millenium year
2000 came, the celebrations tried very hard to out-do each other.
But how they all pale in comparison with the Rapture-Processional
... "each man in his own order"( 1 Corinthians 15:23).
In the mind's eye, it is totally awesome and breathtaking !
Yes, really and truly , we WILL KNOW the day and the HOUR that
our Bridegroom comes ! !
How we want to be in that number, when the saints go marching in
!
Example
from Purim prayers 2005 -- Arutz Sheva March 21, 2005
"The prayers are scheduled for Thursday
morning, at 10:30 AM local time in each
region, thus that the prayers will be heard
all day long. "
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=78784
CONCLUSION
We believe that God is not the author of confusion, but of a
right and proper way of doing things. So it would make sense that
He would not want people falling out of crashing airplanes,
or cars crashing on streets etc. during regular day time
activities/ To us, that would be overly-dramatic.
We think that God will quietly and very peaceably have us rise ..
"each in his own order " 1 Corinthians 15:13
at precisely Midnight.
From the above study we come to realize that the word
"hour" is used in a specific manner when applied to the
Midnight Rapture. The way we see it, the Midnight Rapture is a 24
hour processional, occurring with 24 hours after the
dead in Christ rise.
The two days that could possibly involve the rapture --the
resurrection of the departed saints, and the Midnight rapture of
the living saints--would thus constitute one long day, which in
Hebrew is called a "yoma arichta"--- a day lasting 48
hours.
And just as the Hebrew term "yoma arichta" includes the
long blast of the Tekiah Gedolah, we too will have a long trumpet
sound, arising the departed and uplifting the living in Christ.
Thus we would all arrive in the Presence of our Lord and our
Bridegroom by the third day.
As we stated before, a more detailed explanation can be found in "The Seventh Trumpet".
This stands in comparison to the Cockcrowing Rapture wherein the
time of translation is not known. The Cockcrowing Rapture seems
to be a simultaneous event around the globe...all candidates
ascending at the same time, as can be gleaned from Luke 17: 34-36 and Matthew 24:40, 41.
The main point in this study is to Watch. Our hearts and spirits
must be watching by keeping our eyes on Jesus and living
righteously. We Watch by being obedient to the voice of the Holy
Spirit each day and each hour.
If we Watch, then we will know in which WATCH our Lord doth
come"
"What I say unto you I say unto all, Watch". Mark 13:37
Lee Williams
and the Spiritual QCs : THE MIDNIGHT HOUR ( This is Good !!! ) YOU TUBE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rtv8jMEBAzE
http://www.truveo.com/Late-In-The-Midnight-Hour-
It Came
Upon a Midnight Clear by the late Terry McMillan ( YOU TUBE )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4ZHIT9s2zY&feature=related
Some
people feel that because the Scriptures talk about "one
being taken and the other left "
(in the fields, in bed and at the grinding mill)
that the Rapture is a simultaneous event world-wide. However
those Scriptures refer to the "Son of man" coming, and
not to the Bridegroom. Could it be that those Scriptures are
referring to the Cockcrowing Rapture, and not to the Midnight
Rapture ? Could be.
Luke
17:30-37 "in that night"...the night of the Great
Tribulation. ( yet day and night represented)
Matthew 24:39-42 -- the "Son of man" ( not the Bridegroom )
Rapture
found in Song of Solomon -- David and Susie Parker
http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/june2007/susiep629.htm
Space
of time -- Ellen Gonzales -- May 8, 2007
http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/may2007/elleng58-2.htm
We
can know the day and the Hour -- Mark Copfer
http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/mar2005/markc323.htm
War
is also "midnight"... will our Rapture be at the same
time as a world war ? Possibly
http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/june2007/denish615.htm Denis Hart
A
Watch in the Nightime
http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/june2007/waynep616.htm Wayne Philbeck
Articles on the
Rapture: ( complete list of 11 articles on the
Rapture )
Enoch and Elijah ...raptures
proven in Scripture
Sheaves ...."
evening, midnight, cockcrowing and morning" .... Mark 13:35
The Seventh
Trumpet ... the Midnight Rapture ....one long
day
The Blessed Hope ...false
doctrine of immanency
Coming to Terms .... explaining
the words that concern the raptures
2 Thessalonians
2 .... man of sin sitting in temple first,
before the rapture
The Midnight
Hour ..... precisely at midnight
The Cockcrowing
Rapture ......" one will be taken and the
other left "
Ye Shall Have
Tribulation 10 Days .... the liturgical calendar
for events
. The Maiden on the
Shore
by
J A Seiss ..." I come quickly"
Salvation www.cybertime.net/~ajgood/sal.htm
Bible www.blueletterbible.org