“Ye have been rebellious against the LORD from the day that I knew you. Thus I fell down before the LORD forty days and forty nights, as I fell down at the first; because the Lord had said he would destroy you.”

Deuteronomy 9:24-25

Throughout the Bible we are often reminded of the prophetic significance of the number forty and how it ultimately applies to punishment for the sins of the unrepentant. Remember, in Genesis 7:4, God brought rain for forty days and forty nights in order to eliminate all of sinful mankind except Noah and his family; how the Jews were forced to wander in the wilderness for forty years because of their disbelief (Deuteronomy 1:26) in the Promise God made to Moses to bring them back to their land of Canaan (Israel); or, how Moses spent 40 days on Mount Sinai (Exodus 24:18) getting the second set of commandments? There are many, many more examples but basically, forty days is often referred to as the precursor of something bad or some soon-to-be finalized punishment.

So, what does this have to do with us today? Knowing that it is not for to any of us to know the day or time of the return of the Lord, we are still warned to WATCH for signs that point to His soon return. What are those signs? As I mentioned in a previous post, Look Up & Watch!!! God is talking to YOU! there are many signs in the heavens that should cause us to pause and ask, “Is this really God talking to me, or is it merely coincidental?” If I may, let me give you some dates recently that MAY very well point to us being in a specific 40 day time where we need to be seriously seeking redemption for our sins before it is too late!

Many of us had the privilege on 8/21/17 of watching the first total solar eclipse to cross the entire United States in almost 100 years. Did you know that at the exact moment the eclipse started in the northwest U.S. it was sunset in Israel, which then started a new day and, coincidentally (?) a new month on the Jewish calendar? As I explained in my post on the The 9th of Av; History or Prophecy? the Jewish calendar, used throughout the Bible, is very different than the Gregorian calendar we use today. They use a lunar month. We use a solar month. On their calendar, a new day starts at sundown and a new month starts with a full moon. So, on 8/21/17 at sunset in Israel started the beginning of the Jewish month of Elul, also referred to as Rosh Chudesh Elul.

A few very important things to remember here:

1. It was on the first day of the month of Elul that Moses went up onto the mountain and spent the next FORTY days (he came down 40 days later on Yom Kippur) asking for forgiveness for his people, for their sins and getting the second set of commandments from God (remember, he smashed the original Ten Commandment tablets when descending the mountain and seeing his people in sin worshipping the golden calf).
2. The full 30 day month of Elul is regarded by the Jews as a specific time to repent in earnest in preparation for the two coming most important Jewish holidays, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. In preparation for them, the month of Elul is regarded as THE time to seek forgiveness and redemption from God for one’s sins.
3. Thirty days after the beginning of the month of Elul is the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah. This year it falls on 9/21-22/17. Rosh Hashanah, also referred to as the Feast of Trumpets, is their New Year. It is also considered a day of judgement! According to Wikipedia, “The Mishnah (Jewish interpretation of the Torah) contains the second known reference to Rosh Hashanah as the “day of judgment”. In the Talmud tractate on Rosh Hashanah, it states that three books of account are opened on Rosh Hashanah, wherein the fate of the wicked, the righteous, and those of an intermediate class are recorded. The names of the righteous are immediately inscribed in the book of life and they are sealed “to live.” The intermediate class are allowed a respite of ten days, until Yom Kippur, to reflect, repent and become righteous; the wicked are “blotted out of the book of the living forever.”
4. 9/21/17 also begins the New Year in the Hebrew calendar, marking their year 5778. Remarkably, it also marks the start of the 70th year since modern day Israel declared their national independence on May 14, 1948. As Jesus Himself said in Matthew 24:32-34:

“Now learn the parable from the fig tree (Israel): When its branch has already become tender and put forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. Truly, I say to you, this generation (remember, Biblically a generation is considered by most to be 70 years long) will not pass away until all these things take place.”

I find it VERY interesting also that on 9/23/17 a celestial alignment will occur in the heavens that has NEVER happened before in the history of the world  and matches EXACTLY what was foretold almost 2,000 years ago in Revelation 12:1-2. Take a read of my post Look Up & Watch!!! God is talking to YOU! to see more on its relevance to what is happening in this particular time period. The mere fact that this event occurs the very night after the last day of Rosh Hashanah ( the Day of Judgement) has got to be more than just coincidence!

But wait! There is even more! On 9/30/17 Yom Kippur begins, 40 days after the solar eclipse (not on the Gregorian/modern calendar but 40 days on the Jewish calendar). Yom Kippur is the Jewish Highest of Holies holiday, also known as the Day of Atonement. This concludes the 40 days known as the Season of Repentance. This means for ALL of us (not just the Jews) that God is giving us 40 days to seek forgiveness of our sins and ask for redemption. During that 40 day time period (which begins on the first day of the month of Elul) we can expect numerous signs from God of His power and forewarning. Perhaps Hurricane Harvey (and the coming even more powerful Hurricane Irma); the potential negative economic impact on the U.S. with 25% of our oil production affected by the storm; the problems with North Korea; the societal infighting between various groups that are trying to impose their own agenda on all of us; etc. We live in tumultuous times that will only get worse!

“Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand but those who are wise will understand.”

Daniel 12:10

In summary, as a Christian I believe God selected the Jews as His chosen people in order for us to use them as a testament to ALL the promises He made to Abraham. As such, He helped them develop a culture and holidays that Do have an impact on all of us today. If you believe that then let’s review the above:

• August 21, 2017 – A once in a lifetime solar eclipse, a God-made “…sign in the heavens” crosses the entire U.S., the biggest supporter of Israel and the Jews in history, but a country currently mired in moral decay and rejection of His Word.
• August 21, 2017 – Beginning of the Jewish month of Elul which starts the 40 day period of redemption.
• August 21, 2017 – Formation of a low pressure area that later becomes Hurricane Harvey, one of the most destructive storm events in the history of the U.S. It begins its path towards the U.S. at the exact time the month of Elul starts in Israel.
• September 21-22, 2017 – The start of Rosh Hashanah, also known to the Jews as the “…day of judgement.”
• September 21, 2017 – Begins the year 5778 in the Jewish calendar, thereby marking the 70th year of Israel’s existence since their refounding on May 14, 1948. Seventy marks the length of a generation.
• September 23, 2017 – For the first time in history, the stars will align themselves in a way that EXACTLY matches the description of Revelation 12. For a better description, watch the video A 20 minute video that may change your life FOREVER!!! I posted that explains in less than 20 minutes this Scripture and how it may apply to what is happening today!.
• September 29-30, 2017 – Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) is the holiest day of the year for the Jews, the day that God forgave them for their sin of the golden calf.

Guess what? From August 21 to September 30 is 40 days! At the time of this post, we are now 10 days into a 40 day period where we should be seriously asking God for forgiveness of our sins. Do I know for sure that those things prophesied to occur in Revelation 12 will occur by September 30th of 2017? Absolutely not! Do I believe that everything God does is coincidental? Definitely, absolutely NOT!!! As stated above, “…the wise will understand.” I pray that God gives me the wisdom to not only better understand His purpose for me but to allow me to help share His Words with others. As a good friend of mine shared with me a verse recently from 2 Corinthians 1:3-4:

“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted by God.”

We are all instructed to “…therefore comfort one another with these words.” I pray that you share this post with your friends and family, on Facebook and/or LinkedIn and more importantly, seek forgiveness from God for your sins. May God Bless you!