The Rapture Puzzle

and fasted and prayed for God to have mercy onAmerica. And mercy is what they received. This wasthe end of the 40 days of probation and was theappointed time for God to bring desolation to America,as well as the entire world. But just as God did notbring the desolation against Ninevah after the 40 daysbecause they repented and asked for mercy, so He didnot bring the desolation against America or the worldafter the 40 days because they repented and asked formercy. These 2 stories, Esther and Jonah, wereforeshadows from the Old Testament of how God was going to show mercy to the world. Jonah tells usthat the Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love and he relents fromsending calamity. It was always in His plan to do this, which is why we have so many versesthroughout the Old and New Testaments pointing us to the Day of Atonement in 2015 as the start ofthe Day of the Lord on the 7 th and final day of Daniel’s 70 th week, which begins the Sabbath rest forthe Bride of Christ and the year of recompense for the cause of Zion. It’s the Year of Jubilee after the49 prophetic years from when Israel was given back her land, and the opening of the 6 th seal ofRevelation that begins after the sun is darkened and moon turns to blood. The Lord has delayed Hisjudgment on the world and shortened the days of the Great Tribulation from 3 ½ years to just over ayear in length.On April 24 th 2013, a 3-day fast was called by the leaders of the church around the world and at least28 nations participated in this fast. This 3 days of fasting and prayer started on April 30 th , and lasteduntil May 2 nd , 2013. Millions of prayers were offered up to God during these 3 days, begging formercy on America and asking that He withhold His judgment. When Ninevah repented, the entirenation, from the king on down, put on sackcloth and asked the Lord for mercy. In America, thecongress kneeled down before the Lord on the National Day of Prayer and asked God for forgiveness.Even President Obama issued a statement calling on all Americans to pray for America on this day.Here are just two of the millions of prayers offered to God around the world that were prayed on May2, 2013, at the National Day of Prayer:On this National Day of Prayer in 2013, may we continue to offer this prayer and hope that it becomes―America’s Prayer of Repentance.‖O God, we know that your Word says, “Woe to those who call evil good,” but that’s exactly whatwe’ve done.We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and inverted our values.We confess that we have ridiculed the absolute truth of your Word and called it moral pluralism.We have worshipped other gods and called it multiculturalism and New Age spirituality.We have committed adultery and called it an affair.We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle.We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.We have neglected the needy and called it frugality.We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.We have killed our unborn children and called it choice.We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem.46