Most watchmen (including myself!), felt fairly certain about this date last year. It is tempting to bury this prediction and pretend it did not happen. After all, no one likes to admit they were wrong. I now believe there was a purpose for it, though. First, it brought worldwide attention to the upcoming event and caused many to consider their eternal state. It also served as a bit of a 'wheat from the chaff' moment. When it passed, people that were just on the bandwagon because it was popular, jumped off. Moreover, it fulfilled prophecy, by bringing out the 'mockers and scoffers' predicted in the last days.
The Lord tarries, so we did not absolutely 'know' the hour or the day. More predictions came and went. Some were looking at the 7th day of Hanukkah, December 21st, 2025... some were looking at Passover or Pentecost 2026... some thought it would happen before Israel turned 78 (May 14, 2026)... some think Feast of New Wine (July 23, 2026)... and some are thinking Trumpets this year (September 11, 2026). We are told that we will know the season, so we are all just watching the signs and trying to match them to Biblical prophecy.
The one thing that we do all agree on... we are getting close and we would sooner speak up early. Perhaps we end up looking foolish, but most agree that is a lot better than missing the signs completely and not warning anyone. No one has claimed to be a prophet and none of this reflects on the Lord's perfect timing, just our imperfect understanding of it.
Lest anyone conflate this calling with last December's events in Ghana... no, it is not even close. First of all, God promised never to flood the earth again, that's His rainbow promise. (Anyone with even a cursory knowledge of the Bible should have seen through that one.) Second of all, we don't want your money. No one is telling you to sell all your possessions or board our ark. We do not know when these events will happen exactly. Our only aim is to make sure people are ready. Ready in that they are right with God and realizing the only thing that they can take with them is other people. It's a call to be prepared and to share the Gospel!
I, for one, am thankful for what happened (or what didn't happen!), last September. It gave me that increased sense of urgency and kept me motivated to share the Gospel with anyone that was interested. As a person who routinely did his homework late the night before it was due, my inherent procrastination needed the nudge!
If you are interested in some of the reasons that led us to this prediction, read on. (Some of this rationale holds for Trumpets this year.) If not, check out the links below and make sure your worldview stacks up logically. I still believe that what YOU believe will become very important, very soon. Besides that, no one is guaranteed tomorrow, so today is the day of salvation.
To start with, Galilean wedding typology is used extensively regarding Jesus and His bride. (That’s us, if we have accepted His proposal.) Rosh Hashanah (the Feast of Trumpets), is known as ‘the preparation of the bride’. (Maybe that should have been an important clue as well for us in 2025, the 'preparation' rather than the wedding?) This is the only appointed time that is on a new moon, making it necessary to have 'watchers' to proclaim the day. Jewish days start in the evening at sundown. For this day, the watchers would look to see the first sign of the sliver of the new moon which, depending on weather conditions, may have been difficult to determine. Since that first sliver signified the start of Rosh Hashanah, no one knew the day exactly.(We thought perhaps Jesus was giving us a clue there, with 'no man knows the day or the hour'. In retrospect, maybe we should have paid attention to the parable of the ten virgins: The bridegroom 'tarried', he was later than expected...)
We looked at events on the Jewish calendar to see their prophetic typology. All of the Old Testament points to Jesus. These ‘Feasts’ are actually referred to as ‘The Moedim’, or ‘Seven Appointed Times’. These are God’s appointed days. To this stage in history, He has honoured his timetable. Significant events consistently happen on these appointed times. Yes, God is sovereign and the rapture can happen at any time. However, prophecy is pattern. As a God of order, as a God who reveals the ‘end from the beginning’, why would He break His pattern now? God only knows and we are vain if we think we can fully understand His ways. (That is why the September 23rd experience was also humbling for us.)
We do understand that these appointments are not just for the Jewish people, they are for all mankind. Remember, Jesus died as the Passover lamb, on Passover, for the whole world, not just the Jews. Jesus went into the grave on the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Jesus rose from the grave on the Feast of First Fruits. He gave us the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. God does important things on His appointed days.
Could Trumpets be the Rapture or Harpazo?
The Day of Atonement - The Second Coming of Jesus Christ?
Tabernacles - The Kingdom Age and Eternity Future?
- On September 23, 2017, a once-in-history celestial alignment appeared in the sky - exactly matching Revelation 12:1-2. Feast of Trumpets 2025 celebrated eight years later. In biblical numerology, eight represents new beginnings. (Looking forward, Trumpets 2026 would be nine years, representing judgement or finality.)
- World leaders met (during the Feast of Trumpets and the Days of Awe), under the theme “Peace and Security.” 1 Thessalonians 5:3: “When they say ‘Peace and Security,’ then sudden destruction comes upon them”. The United Nations had declared 2025 the 'International Year of Peace and Trust'. Part of the agenda of this meeting was splitting up the land that God gave to Israel. Trump has now created a new international oversight body called the 'Board of Peace', headed by Trump. The upcoming strengthening of Abrahamic Accords, could well be the 'covenant with many' prophesied in Daniel 9:27.
I still believe that this was an important day. It caught the world's attention and raised awareness of the rapture. Even if they did not believe at the time, people that were paying attention now have that knowledge. When the alternate 'delusion' is given, whether it involves so-called aliens (or however the lie is crafted), they will at least understand that there is another explanation.
Whenever the rapture comes, it will be a bittersweet time for the world. It is good news for the bride of Christ as Jesus appears in the clouds to claim her, but not such good news for unbelieving Israel and the rest of the world, who now face ‘Jacob’s trouble’, aka the Tribulation.