A Message of Hope for the Watchful Bride

Living as a Sacrifice: The Romans 12 Life

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:1-2)

This is the foundation of everything that follows.

We are called to be living sacrifices—not dead ones, but alive in Christ, crucified with Him, yet living by His life within us. There is no SELF in this equation. No room for pride, no space for personal ambition, no place for the flesh to boast.

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

Picking Up Our Cross Daily

Jesus made the terms clear:

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)

Deny self. Pick up the cross. Follow Jesus into:

His baptism (identifying with His death)
His resurrection (walking in newness of life)
His glory (being transformed from glory to glory)

This is not a life of passive waiting. This is active surrender. Daily death to self. Daily resurrection in Him. Daily transformation by the renewing of our minds.

And in this transformed state, we discover something stunning:

“For who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:16)

We have the mind of Christ. Not our own wisdom. Not our own understanding. His mind. His thoughts. His perspective on time, eternity, and His Father’s appointed plans.

The Shepherd and His Sheep

Jesus, the Good Shepherd, holds all authority:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Matthew 28:18)

He holds the deed to Heaven and Earth. In Revelation 5, we see Him—the Lamb who was slain—as the only one worthy to take the scroll and open its seals. This scroll contains all of time, all of history, all of God’s redemptive plan written before the foundation of the world.

“Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.” (Revelation 5:9)

He is the Alpha and the Omega (Revelation 22:13), the beginning and the end. He is the Author and Perfector of our faith (Hebrews 12:2)—the One who began the story and will bring it to completion.

And here is the beautiful, unshakable promise:

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” (John 10:27-29)

He will not lose one sheep. Not one. His sheep know only His voice. They follow Him, not strangers. They are held in His hand and the Father’s hand—doubly secure, eternally safe.

God’s Moadim: His Appointed Times

When we live this Romans 12 life—transformed minds, living sacrifices, hearing only His voice—we begin to see what has been written in Scripture all along:

God’s Moadim—His appointed times, His divine appointments, His feast days.

“These are the appointed feasts of the LORD, the holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at the time appointed for them.” (Leviticus 23:4)

The Hebrew word “moed” (plural: moadim) means:

Appointed time
Divine appointment
Rehearsal
Feast

These are not suggestions. They are God’s calendar—predetermined dates set by Him before time began, where Heaven and Earth intersect, where the eternal breaks into the temporal.

The Feasts as Prophetic Blueprint

God gave Israel seven annual feasts, and Jesus has already fulfilled four of them with stunning precision:

Spring Feasts (Already Fulfilled)

Passover Jesus was crucified as the Lamb of God on Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7)

Unleavened Bread Jesus, sinless and pure, was buried during this feast (John 19:31)

Firstfruits Jesus rose from the dead on Firstfruits, the firstfruits of the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20)

Pentecost (Shavuot) The Holy Spirit was poured out exactly 50 days after Firstfruits (Acts 2:1-4)

Jesus fulfilled these feasts to the day, to the hour—not approximately, not symbolically, but exactly on God’s appointed times.

Fall Feasts (Awaiting Fulfillment)

Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah/Yom Teruah) The feast of the “last trump,” the awakening blast, the coronation of the King

Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) Israel’s national repentance and reconciliation

Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) God dwelling with man, the Marriage Supper, the reign of Christ

If Jesus fulfilled the first four feasts with perfect precision on their exact dates, why would He fulfill the final three any differently?

The Author Who Knows His Own Story

Consider this: If you wrote a novel, would you forget when the climax occurs? Would you be surprised by your own plot?

Jesus is the Author and Perfector of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). He wrote this story before time began. He holds the scroll. He knows every chapter, every verse, every appointed time.

The Father has set these dates—these moadim—as divine appointments written into the fabric of creation itself. They are not hidden mysteries meant to remain forever unknown. They are rehearsals, pointing us toward their ultimate fulfillment.

Living Between the Already and the Not Yet

We live in the time between:

The already of His first coming (spring feasts fulfilled)
The not yet of His return (fall feasts awaiting fulfillment)

And in this time, we are called to:

Present our bodies as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1)
Be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2)
Deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him (Luke 9:23)
Have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16)
Hear only His voice (John 10:27)
Watch and be ready (Matthew 24:42)
Discern the times and seasons (1 Thessalonians 5:1)

This is not a life of self-interest. This is a life crucified with Christ, yet alive in Him—watching, waiting, longing for the Bridegroom with the heart of a Bride who loves Him.

We watch not because we are afraid. We watch not to escape. We watch because He is worthy, because He is coming, and because His sheep know His voice.

The question is not whether God has appointed times. He has.

The question is whether we, as His sheep, with the mind of Christ, living as sacrifices, will listen for His voice and watch for His appearing.

The Question That Changes Everything

If I told you that Christmas would fall on December 25th, 2025, would I be prophesying? Would I be “date setting”?

Of course not. I would simply be acknowledging a predetermined date that someone else established long ago—a date set on the Gregorian Calendar, waiting to arrive at its appointed time.

So here is the profound question: Would I be date setting for wanting to know the predetermined date of the Harpazo? Would I be wrong to study, to seek, to knock, and to find—as the Bible commands me to do? Would the Father and Son be angry if people were so in love with Jesus that they watched with great joy for His return?

The answer to these questions unlocks the most beautiful love story ever told.

The Tension in Scripture (That Isn’t Really a Tension)

What Jesus Said

“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.” (Matthew 24:36)

“It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.” (Acts 1:7)

These verses are factual and correct for that audience. But to claim they are an eternal message—an eternal mystery that can never be understood—would be to twist Scripture into a false doctrine that contradicts the very heart of God’s Word.

Understanding the Context

Matthew 24:36 was spoken to disciples living before:

The crucifixion
The resurrection
The giving of the Holy Spirit
The birth of the Church
The writing of the New Testament

Acts 1:7 was spoken at a specific moment in redemptive history—before Pentecost, before the Church age fully began, before progressive revelation was complete.

To claim these statements function as an “eternal lockdown” on knowledge contradicts:

Daniel 12:4, 9 Daniel was told to “seal up” the words “until the time of the end” when “knowledge shall increase”

Revelation 1:1 Given specifically to “show his servants what must soon take place”

Amos 3:7 “Surely the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets”

1 Thessalonians 5:4 “But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief”

The Jewish Wedding: The Key to Understanding

“No One Knows the Day or Hour” A Jewish Idiom

In Jewish wedding tradition:

The groom would go to prepare a place (John 14:2-3)

Only the father determined when preparations were complete

Only the father gave permission for the son to retrieve his bride

The bride didn’t know the “day or hour” but was expected to be ready, watching, with her lamp full of oil

When the father approved, the groom came “like a thief”—suddenly, unexpectedly to those not watching

In this cultural context, “no one knows the day or hour” was an idiom meaning “the father hasn’t given approval yet”—not “it’s permanently unknowable.”

The Feast of Trumpets Connection

The Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah/Yom Teruah) was uniquely known as “the feast that no man knows the day or hour” because:

It’s the only feast that begins on a new moon (requiring two witnesses to sight the crescent)

It occurred over a 48-hour window of uncertainty

This was a known Jewish idiom specifically for this feast

When Jesus used this phrase, He may have been indicating which feast the Harpazo would fulfill—not imposing permanent ignorance on His Bride.

Consider the trumpet imagery:

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God.”

1 Corinthians 15:52 “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.”

What Scripture Actually Commands

God REBUKES:

Presumption and false prophecy Speaking what God hasn’t spoken (Deuteronomy 18:20-22)

Mocking delay “Where is the promise of His coming?” (2 Peter 3:3-4)

Apathy and sleepiness Not watching, being drunk, unprepared (Matthew 24:48-51)

Ignoring the signs Not discerning the times (Matthew 16:3, Luke 12:56)

God does NOT rebuke:

Simeon Waiting for the consolation of Israel, told by the Spirit he wouldn’t die before seeing the Messiah (Luke 2:25-26)

Anna Who spoke about Jesus “to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem” (Luke 2:38)

The Magi Who studied the stars and times and traveled to find the King (Matthew 2:1-12)

Daniel Who studied Jeremiah’s prophecy and calculated the 70 years (Daniel 9:2)

What Jesus Actually Said

“Watch therefore” (Matthew 24:42)

“When you see these things, know that it is near, at the very gates” (Mark 13:29)

“Look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28)

“Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning” (Luke 12:35)

Jesus didn’t say “Stop trying to figure it out.” He said “WATCH.”

The rebuke in Scripture is consistently toward those who are asleep, unprepared, or mocking—not toward those watching with joyful anticipation.

The Bride Analogy That Changes Everything

Imagine a father preparing a wedding for his beloved son. His son’s bride is waiting, watching, longing for the day he returns for her.

Would the father be ANGRY if the bride was:

Constantly watching for the bridegroom?
Studying everything he told her about his return?
Counting down with joyful anticipation?
Preparing herself with eager expectation?
Telling others “I think he’s coming soon!”?

Or would the father be GRIEVED by a bride who:

Stopped watching altogether?
Said “he could come anytime in the next thousand years, so why bother looking?”
Was caught off guard, unprepared, with her lamp empty?
Mocked others for their eager expectation?

The answer is obvious. A loving father would never be angry at devotion.

The Heart of the Matter: It’s Not About Us

The Harpazo Is NOT:

An “escape” for our comfort
About avoiding tribulation for our sake
A reward we’ve earned
Something we deserve
For SELF or any form of sinful flesh

The Harpazo IS:

The Father’s gift to His Son A Bride for the Lamb

The completion of the marriage covenant Consummated in Heaven before returning to Earth

For His glory Displaying His goodness, faithfulness, and love

The Father honoring the Son Giving Him the Bride He died for

About the King, the King’s wedding, and the King’s return in glory

Our Position: Like the Thief on the Cross

We bring nothing:

No merit
No works
No righteousness of our own
No ability to save ourselves

We are profoundly humbled, flawed, weak—totally lost, brokenhearted, complete failures in this world.

We simply cry out, like the thief beside Jesus: “Remember me when You come into Your kingdom” (Luke 23:42)

And Jesus responds with pure grace: “Today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

We contribute as much as that thief. We must be converted like an infant in order to enter, see, and dwell in the Kingdom of God.

“Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3)

A child contributes nothing to:

Their birth
Their adoption
Their family position

They simply:

Trust
Receive
Love their Father
Long to be with Him

The Two Motivations

WRONG Motivation (Centered on Self)

“I want to escape trouble”

“I deserve this blessing”

“I’m ready because of what I’ve done”

Prideful date-setting: “I have special knowledge others don’t”

Building a following around YOUR calculations

Causing division, fear, or disillusionment

RIGHT Motivation (Centered on Christ)

“The Bridegroom is coming for His Bride!”

“The Father is about to glorify His Son with a wedding!”

“I get to witness and participate in the greatest expression of covenant love in all eternity!”

“How can I NOT watch eagerly for THIS?”

Loving anticipation: “I’m studying everything He said because I love Him”

Encouraging others to watch and be ready

Holding interpretations humbly while maintaining eager expectancy

What the Harpazo Demonstrates About God

The Harpazo/Wedding reveals:

His faithfulness He keeps covenant

His love “Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end” (John 13:1)

His grace Choosing a Bride who was once hostile, dead in sin

His power Transforming us into the glorified Bride worthy of His Son

His glory When we return with Him to reign, the world will see what His love accomplishes

This glorifies the absolute goodness of God and His absolute love for us, His children.

The Marriage Supper and Return

Revelation 19:7-9 places the focus exactly where it belongs:

“Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure—for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’”

Notice: The Bride “has made herself ready”—but it was “granted her” to be clothed. Even our readiness is His work, His grace.

Then immediately (v.11-14):

“Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True… And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses.”

The King returns WITH His Bride to judge and reign. The wedding happens in Heaven. The return to Earth happens together, in glorified bodies, to reign and rule Heaven and Earth—thus glorifying God completely.

The Doctrine That Benefits the Enemy

To twist Scripture and build a doctrine that “no one will ever know the day or hour” would suggest that Satan would be the one to benefit most from spreading a doctrine that:

Nullifies Jesus’ wedding banquet

Makes the Church passively ignorant instead of actively watchful

Contradicts commands to watch, discern seasons, and not be in darkness

Promotes apathy or mockery

Disconnects the Harpazo from its Jewish/biblical feast framework

If your heart is “I love Him so much I can’t wait to see Him,” that sounds far more like the bride in Song of Solomon crying “Make haste, my beloved!” (8:14) than anything deserving rebuke.

Would a loving Father be angry at that kind of devotion?

The Question We Must Ask

Is it Biblically wrong to seek times and seasons and epochs?

The answer is found in how God Himself operates:

God the Father shares all things with the Son

They are ONE eternally, forever without beginning or end

God knows the day and the hour, like we know Christmas 2025 is on December 25th

The Bible declares and commands us to seek, knock, and find

We are commanded to be on constant alert, looking up to Christ

We are told to be always looking, always watching

We are warned not to fall asleep

The answer is clear: Study. Watch. Seek. Knock. Look up.

Not with pride. Not for personal gain. Not to build a following.

But with the heart of a Bride who loves her Bridegroom and longs to see His face.

The Beautiful Truth

Any theology of the Harpazo that centers on US rather than CHRIST has missed the point entirely.

This isn’t about escaping—it’s about union with Him

This isn’t about our comfort—it’s about His glory

This isn’t reward—it’s pure grace

This isn’t for self—it’s for the King, His wedding, and His return in glory

And if we understand THAT, how could we not watch eagerly—not for our sake, but for His?

The Bride doesn’t watch the horizon for her own benefit.

She watches because she loves the Bridegroom and longs to see His face.

The Good News of the Gospel

Here is the Gospel—the Good News:

You are lost. Broken. Flawed. Weak. A complete failure by the world’s standards.

And God loves you anyway.

Not because of anything you’ve done. Not because you’re worthy. Not because you’ve earned it.

But because God IS love (1 John 4:8).

The Father loved you enough to send His Son

The Son loved you enough to die in your place

The Holy Spirit loves you enough to convict, transform, and seal you

All you must do is what the thief on the cross did:

“Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

And He will respond: “Today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

This is grace. This is love. This is the Gospel.

Encouraging One Another

“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

“But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” (Hebrews 3:13)

“Therefore encourage one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:18)

Brothers and sisters, the Bridegroom is coming.

Not maybe. Not possibly. He is coming.

The Father has prepared the wedding. The Son has prepared a place. The Bride is being made ready—not by her own effort, but by His grace.

So watch. Wait. Look up. Keep your lamps full of oil.

Not because you’re afraid.

Not because you’re trying to earn something.

But because you love Him, and you long to see His face.

The Final Word

This is not about date-setting with pride.

This is not about building a doctrine around speculation.

This is about the most beautiful love story ever told:

God, who is love—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—choosing to bring His children home to the wedding feast of the Lamb.

If that doesn’t make you watch the horizon with tears of joy…

If that doesn’t make you study His Word with eager anticipation…

If that doesn’t make you cry out “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20)…

Then perhaps you’ve forgotten what this is all about.

It’s not about us.

It’s about Him.

And He is faithful and true.

The King is coming for His Bride.

Maranatha. Come, Lord Jesus.

“He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.” (Revelation 22:20-21)

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