There’s something about this Passover to Pentecost season that has alerted my spiritual senses like never before. I have been praying more, in the Word more, I study more, and I am seeking God for His presence in my life like never before. I have been through some tough stuff in the past, but what I am feeling now has more to do with what’s coming, not so much for the Church at large, or even for myself, but for the world. Quite frankly I feel bad for the future left-behinders. I want to save them all. I pray for the students on my bus route, I pray for the drivers, and with them when they allow it. I am very concerned for the global effect the Rapture and ensuing seven-year Tribulation is going to have on this planet.
I am occupying as best I can while doing the work that I am to be doing, and being the person that I am to be. I continue to pursue a full-time Chaplaincy with a local hospice or any organization who is looking for a good chaplain. Even as I intentionally attempt to procure this line of employment as such, I have a sense of bated breath as I wait on the Lord, serve Him, and see all of the crazy happening around us. I need God’s presence like never before; and so do you. We all need His peace, His power, His protection, and other ‘P’ words that relate to our neediness and the graciousness of our heavenly Father.
I realize, now more than ever, that I can’t do this life without the Master being in the center of it; I never could, but I really understand that now. We are so close to the Lord’s return and I am working harder and planning longer than ever. I expect to be raptured with my tool belt on (literally) or better yet, from a bathroom stall in a local QT store knowing my luck.
Passover to Pentecost 2025 is a season that begins with Passover on 4/12/25 this year. As many of you know, Pentecost is the last of the Spring feasts of the Lord (Leviticus 23) and the only feast of the seven where the Lord commanded us to do a countdown for.
‘And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. 16 Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord.” – Leviticus 23:15,16
- Here we see how God commanded His people to count 50 days from the day after the Sabbath of First fruits; which represents the resurrection of Jesus. We call it Easter, but in the OT, it was Firstfruits. That calculates out to be exactly seven Sabbaths (7 weeks = 49 days) and then the next day is the 50th day which is Pentecost (Greek: pentecoste). NOTE: Pentecost always lands on a Sunday.
“You shall bring from your dwellings two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven. They are the firstfruits to the Lord.” – (vs.17)
- The priest would bless the two wave loaves of leavened bread. This occurs at the end of the 50 day count; again, it always lands on a Sunday, the first day of the week, the Lord’s day (NT). It’s believed by many that the two loaves prophetically represent the Jews and the NT Church.
The feast of Pentecost is the fourth and last feast of the Spring feasts. Traditionally, the Feast of Pentecost occurs exactly 50 days after the Feast of Firstfruits, our Easter. This year, (2025) Passover occurs one week prior to Easter. For the OT Jews, the feast of Pentecost occurred near the end of the Spring, a celebration of the completed grain harvest. As we enter into this Passover to Pentecost season, we can see that is a Spring season of resurrection and hope. As we venture this window between Passover to Pentecost, we should be looking cautiously optimistic toward Summer, which officially begins on June 21st, the Summer solstice.
NOTE: While there is some debate as to when Pentecost actually occurs, what is certain is that this feast is very special to the Lord and occurs in the late Spring. This year, (2025) Pentecost Sunday lands on June 8th on the Gregorian calendar; that’s the 2nd Sunday in June.
Many watchers are posting various vlogs regarding the Passover to Pentecost season, and why this could be the season of our Lord’s return for His Church. Whatever your view, we know that we’re entering a special season.
Jesus said it this way, “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it (or He) is near—at the doors!”
– Matthew 24:32
- While this passage is a set up to the Figtree Generation topic, in this blog I wanted to focus on the season that Jesus was identifying here; toward the end of Spring.
For the Jews, Passover is a very sacred feast. For NT believers, Pentecost represents the giving of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the NT Church. Pentecost is a big day for the body of Christ. Pentecost is also known as ‘Shavuot,’ the Hebrew word for ‘weeks.’ Sometimes the feast of Pentecost is referred to as the Feast of Weeks. Some believe that Shavuot has more to do with Christ’ ascension and is a different day than Pentecost; but for the sake of this blog, I should like to say that this Pentecost (June 8th) is a very special one. The days leading up to it from Passover is equally special. We’re in a resurrection season window.
There were 120 faithful followers of Jesus who were gathered in the upper room, the site of the last supper. Jewish law required that 10 people from a given tribe be present for that tribe to be formally recognized and represented within a kosher meeting. This is known as a ‘minyan,’ the representation of 10 people for a tribe.
“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” – Acts 2:1-4
- The phrase, ‘the day of Pentecost had fully come’ meant that the 50th day count from First Fruits was complete. It signaled the end of a count from First fruits to Pentecost; from Christ’ resurrection to the giving of the Holy Spirit in the upper room in Jerusalem.
It is believed by some scholars that the apostles stayed up all night on the eve of Pentecost, studying and praying, anticipating what God might do. Jesus told them to tarry in Jerusalem until the promise of the Father had come. Today, Orthodox Jews stay up all night on Sivan 6, the eve of the 50th day, the eve of Pentecost, studying Torah and reading the OT.
NOTE: Jewish legend teaches that sometime during that night (Sivan 6), as the Jews are studying Torah and praying, nobody knows when; they believe that the sky would open and God would briefly appear for a split second and bless, in some way, those who were awake and watching at that moment.
This belief or tradition of anticipating the heavens to open for a brief second and God to render a blessing is called ‘decorating the bride.’ The discipline of faithful Jews staying up all night reading Torah and praying is called ‘te-kun-lay el sha-vu-ote’ which translates, ‘readings for the night of the feast of weeks’ (aka Pentecost). The origin of this discipline stems from the Jews ‘falling asleep’ when Moses went up on Mt. Sinai in the wilderness to get the Ten Commandments from God. To compensate for this, they don’t want to be asleep at Pentecost in fear they will miss their blessing from God.
Suffice it to say, this has the Rapture of the Church inferred all over it. Once a believer can see the correlation of what God was doing with the Jews in the Passover to Pentecost season countdown, they can appreciate what He is doing with His Church now. Many watchers are anticipating the Lord’s return during this season, This anticipation and excitement tends to inspire them to live a more convicted life, especially for those who really love the Lord and long for His return; yet who still struggle with their day to day flesh tendencies.
Some Bible scholars believe that the Rapture of the church will occur on or near a Jewish feast day. Some believe it may be on or around the season of Pentecost, others say it may occur on one of the two days of Rosh Hashanah. The premise for this, among other reasons, is the Rosh Hashanah Rapture theory, which more to do with ‘trumpets’ blasting and the Lord descending and such.
The premise for the Pentecost Rapture theory has more to do with the idea that the same season the Holy Spirit descended, so He will ascend, with the Church, in the Rapture. In other words, wouldn’t it be nice for the Lord to Rapture His Church on the same day that He sent the Holy Spirit in the upper room in Jerusalem?
Then there’s the doctrine of immanence, and for the record, the Assemblies of God believes in the doctrine of immanency regarding the Rapture. This means that Jesus could return for His Church at any time. While this doctrine has served us well over the years in keeping our people in a constant state of readiness; the closer we get to the return of the Lord, the more sense it makes for the Lord to return on or near a Jewish feast day. While this has been, and continues to be, debated among scholars, we won’t know for sure until it happens. The real message for us all is that we need to live ready and purposeful as we witness for the Lord.
If a Pentecost season Rapture does occur, then the speculation is that the signing of the treaty between Israel and the antichrist will occur on the following Rosh Hashanah. This will give the world a chance to calm down as the proverbial dusts settles after the effects of the Rapture. There will no doubt be other global and cosmic events that will occur simultaneously with the Rapture; which will leave in it’s wake, a lot of missing people and much death and carnage; most likely with the use of WMD’s and such.
The signing of a treaty between Israel and the antichrist is what kickstarts the seven-year tribulation. This treaty is believed to be a modification (confirming or strengthening) of the current Abraham Accords, which has already been presented during the first Trump administration, but has been stalled. The signing of this treaty would start the clock on the 2,520 day tribulation (7 years of 360 days), Daniel’s 70th week.
This theory would be consistent with a Passover to Pentecost season Rapture event and a Feast of Trumpets season tribulation kickoff. Many people who knew about the Rapture, but who were not saved, would be more introspective and repentive regarding their faith in Jesus. They would be placed in a desperate situation where they would seek the Lord, come to true faith in Him, and most likely die as a martyr for Christ. Talk about doing it the hard way. These will be the trib-saints of the tribulation, who, upon death, will be ushered into heaven and sequestered under the altar of the Lord for the duration of the tribulation.
The Feast of Trumpets falls near the end of a special 40-day Jewish season called Teshuva – (Hebrew for ‘return or repent’). In the Jewish calendar, the interval between Pentecost and Rosh Hashanah is known, among certain Jewish scholars, as ‘the dark time.’ This begins on the first day of Elul (around the middle to late August). The 40-day period ends on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, which takes place 10 days after the Feast of Trumpets.
NOTE: The number 40 refers to judgment, global judgment.
- The message for the Jewish people is clear, repent before the Feast of Trumpets; don’t wait until that day to make it right with others and with God.
- The message for the Church today is also clear; repent before the Rapture, don’t wait until that day to make it right with others and with God.
Now whether the Rapture occurs in a Passover to Pentecost season or during the Feast of Trumpets season, or whenever; the idea conveyed here is that these feasts invoke a deeper introspection to the timing of the Rapture event and the Tribulation kickoff. Many believe that the feasts have no begin on the Rapture.
NOTE: If the Rapture occurs in a Passover to Pentecost season and the tribulation begins in a Feast of Trumpets season, than the time between the Rapture and the beginning of the tribulation will be as horrific as it is terrifying, but it’s only the start.
The effects of an instantaneous global disappearance of righteous men and women, coupled with all children, toddlers, infants, and even the unborn will have a devastating impact on the entire world economies and overall stability. This will trigger a major war where WMD’s will be used, decimating nations and causing global chaos.
There will be a great deception involving a great distraction which will project alleged UFO sightings and alien contacts, but these are really demons who are masquerading as aliens and such. No doubt the Rapture will occur simultaneously with these other phenomena that will distract from the true origin of this global disappearance event; Jesus Christ returned for His Church.
One of the reasons people believe in the possibility of a Passover to Pentecost season Rapture is that the next feast on the seven feast line up is the Feast of Trumpets, which occurs at the end of summer. This means that the global chaos left in the wake of the Rapture will have most likely subsided and a new normal will manifest as a certain world leader will rise to power and establish a ten nation federation that he will rule. Since the world will be in such disarray, people will be willing to assimilate into any global system of government (aka New World Order) which involves the use of a global currency (financial reset) and tracking system (the mark of the beast). When this happens, the world we knew before will be gone, but so will we.
At Rosh Hashanah, the Feast of Trumpets, the trumpet blast is designed to strike fear into the heart of the listener. It marks the beginning of the ten day period (‘days of awe’) between RH and YK. There are 100 blasts from the shophar at Rosh Hashanah which announce judgment. However, the Passover to Pentecost season is not so much about God’s judgment, rather, it’s about the coming of something new and different.
The post-Rapture world will usher in the rise of the antichrist and God’s prophetic plan to establish His millennial kingdom. If the signing of the peace treaty occurs on Rosh Hashanah, then this will begin God’s judgment on Israel and the world. The world will already be devastated due to the effect of the Rapture and many military strikes; but what is to come will be far worse. I say all this because if we experience a Passover to Pentecost season Rapture this year, this will line the world up for a 2032 Second Coming of Jesus, most likely during the Feast of Atonement, but that’s another blog.
Either way, we need to be ready, be it a Passover to Pentecost season Rapture or a Rosh Hashanah season Rapture, or an ‘anytime God feels like it’ (immanence) Rapture. Being ready is being confident in our faith in God through Jesus and living that out every day. We need to increase that measure of holiness that God has afforded us by reaching out to those in our stead and sharing our faith with them like it was our last chance; because our time is really short. We need to be living out our ‘A’ game and serving the Lord faithfully. I get we’re battle weary, but we’re still here, and as long as we are, we can make a difference.
Maranatha!
Encouragemen is a blog written by Pastor Rob Lee, recently relocated to Northwest Missouri. He lives with his wife of 35-years, near their three adult children, their spouses, and children (their grandchildren). Pastor Rob is an Ordained Assemblies of God minister, a Lead Pastor (30 years), police chaplain, and community advocate. He continues to serve, consult, and disciple men of God, including those who are in the ministry.
Encourage Men 