I just read this post by T.W. Tramm and wanted to share it with you. Beautifully written it immediately brighted my spirits.
…….
MARCH 19 marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere.
From this day forward, the longer and warmer days will have a transforming effect on Nature: Grass will sprout and thicken; trees and shrubs will bud and send forth new growth; birds will lay their eggs; mammals will give birth; animals will shed winter coats; and caterpillars will transform into butterflies.
The world around us, which had seemed “dead” during the long cold winter, will come to life!
Knowing that God, the Author of Nature, is consistent and works to patterns, it’s not surprising that spring is a time of new beginnings in Scripture as well.
Biblically, spring is when—
• The New Year begins (Ex. 12: 1, 2).
• The harvest season begins (Lev. 23:9-14).
• Principal figures such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and King David are born.
• God’s people are liberated from captivity (Ex. 12; Ez. 7; Neh. 2).
• God’s people are married or betrothed (Ex. 19; Ruth; Acts 2).
• Decrees are issued (Ez. 7; Neh. 2).
• Kings go forth to battle (2 Sam. 11:1).
• The fig tree puts forth leaves (Matt. 24:32).
• The Nation of Israel is born and reborn (Exodus/1948).
• The trumpet of God is sounded (Ex. 19: 16, 19, 20).
• Resurrection and ascension occur (Matt. 27:51-53).
• Dispensational change (Law/Grace) occurs (Ex. 20; Acts 2).
Last but not least, spring is when the shepherd comes to gather and spirit away his beloved Shulammite maid in the Song of Solomon:
“The winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come … Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away!” (Song 2:11-13).
And so, in both Nature and Scripture, spring is a time of new beginnings, birth, rebirth, marriage, redemption, and transformation.
What do these themes have in common?
They each describe the awesome and much anticipated event we call the Rapture:
• The Rapture is a “new beginning” as we will acquire new incorruptible bodies (1 Cor. 15:53).
• The Rapture is like a “birth” as we will be born into the Kingdom of Heaven (1 John 3:2).
• The Rapture is a “wedding” between the Church and God (Matt. 25).
• The Rapture is a time of “redemption” for our physical bodies (Rom. 8:23; Eph. 1:13, 14).
• The Rapture is a “transformation” that occurs in the twinkling of an eye (1 Cor. 15:52).
One of God’s main attributes is that He is consistent and works to patterns (Heb. 13:8; Ecc. 1:9). Seeing how spring embodies the types and themes we associate with the Rapture, it’s reasonable to speculate that the catching away could occur during the spring of some year.
Could 2020 be the year?
Only God knows.
Nonetheless, as the hopeful bride, we’re expected to—
• Know the signs (Luke 12:55, 56; 21:25-32).
• Discern the general timeframe (Heb. 10:25; 1 Thess. 5:1-5).
• Be watching when He appears (Matt. 24:42, 46; Luke 21:28).
Regardless of the season, the dramatic ramping up of “birth pains” is a sign that Jesus’ return is near, “right at the door” (Matt. 24:8, 33).
Therefore, let us not sleep as others do, but let us watch.
. . .
NOTES:
*Biblical definition of the seasons:
While calendars customarily divide the year into four seasons—spring, summer, fall, and winter—the Bible mentions only two main seasons, summer and winter: “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease” (Gen. 8:22). “It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter” (Ps. 74:17). Biblically, summer begins at the vernal equinox in March (19-21) and ends at the autumnal equinox in September (21-24). Winter runs the opposite, beginning in September and ending in March. Therefore, to be precise, spring is not a distinct season but, rather, the first part of the summer. Likewise, autumn is not a distinct season but, rather, the first part of winter. The June and December solstices, marking the beginning of summer and winter on our calendars, actually represent the midpoint of the respective seasons.
*In 2020, spring begins March 19 and ends June 20. Summer begins June 20 and ends September 22.
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem they shall prosper who love thee” Psalm 122:6
Watching and waiting with you for the soon return of Jesus! Cindy
Heaven Bound 