Do you believe that the rapture will happen on Rosh Hashana?

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Although it is popular in Messianic circles to associate Rosh Hashana (The Feast of Trumpets) with the "Rapture" spoken of in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, it must be understood that this idea is merely part of an illustration of God¡¦s overall plan for the ages and not an actual doctrine of Scripture. We know that the Final Sacrifice of the Messiah took place at Passover, and that seems very fitting. Similarly, the next major event, the birth of the Church, took place at the next holiday on the calendar ¡V Shavuot, the Feast of Firstfruits. The next major event believers are waiting for is the Rapture of the Church . It is easy to think that event should somehow be connected to Rosh Hashanah, (also known as the Feast of Trumpets) as that is the next major holy day on the Jewish calendar. The trumpet imagery common to both makes it especially easy to make this association.

I believe it is all well and good to use the occasion of Rosh Hashanah as a reminder of the our Messiah's promise to come for his bride. However, the New Testament itself never actually states or even implies that this event should necessarily occur on that date. What it does say is that we can not know the date or the hour. Thessalonians 5:1 reminds us that he will come "like a thief in the night." Yeshua himself said, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." (Matthew 24:36) Yes, it could be 1 Tishri of the coming year, but it could just as easily be tomorrow, or tonight or 500 years from next Tuesday. He is likely to come when least expected. If we could count on a Rosh Hashanah appearance, some would be tempted to let down their guard, once the holy days were past. We are called to be continually on the alert, as the Trumpet could sound at any time.

"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."-- Matthew 24:42-44