I recently returned from my son’s wedding in Telluride, Colorado. Technically it was his second wedding ceremony because the first one happened in the midst of many Covid-19 restrictions in August of 2020. Because of this, there were a limited number of guests who could attend the first wedding. After restrictions eased up a bit, my son was able to have his “dream wedding” in Telluride. Nonetheless, both were beautiful and each one carries rich meaning in my heart.

Today I want to describe both of them–not so you can say, “Wow, that was amazing” or “What an awesome wedding!” Instead, I want you to focus on the symbolism within both weddings. I don’t mean this in a weird, mystical way. The Holy Spirit speaks to us on a daily basis and of course the Lord can encourage and remind us of his promises through both everyday occurrences, or through grand events. He can also give us warnings about what’s to come. The Lord does this with me often. I’d say he does this with many people, but maybe we don’t always take the time to pay attention. 

So, let’s dive into THE TWO WEDDINGS and see what symbolism can be found.

My son first married his beautiful bride last year on August 8, 2020 in Charleston, South Carolina. At that time, we were more than six months into the world-wide Covid-19 pandemic. The wedding had been moved from Telluride, Colorado because that area had been shut down due to Covid restrictions. Charleston, with its southern charm and rich history, ended up being a wonderful place to have a wedding.

Perhaps this location wouldn’t be very symbolic for many people. But for me, it stood out in significant ways. Firstly, years back I had written a book called What are the Chances. In this book, I warned about a coming “civil war” that would split our nation like the Titanic. At the time, I didn’t know exactly what it would look like. I just knew the division would be so deep, it could lead to the sinking of our nation. In the book (as well as my second book Blink: A Story about the Rapture) I wrote about the Great American Solar Eclipse that bisected our nation on August 21, 2017. This eclipse was quite significant as it only touched our land–the United States of America. For more details, click on this link. At the time, I knew the solar eclipse was tied to national repentance. It hit our land at the biblical month of Elul. It is during this month on the biblical calendar that the shofar (trumpet) is blown every day in the synagogue (except on the Sabbath). These trumpet blasts are meant to bring believers to repentance, and draw them closer to God. Many biblical scholars believe the prophet Jonah went into Nineveh on the first day of Elul because it was the time of national repentance on the biblical calendar. His job was to urge the nation to repent, or be destroyed. Thankfully, they repented. 

Interestingly enough, at the time of this eclipse (August 21, 2017) we had a president in office whose name means to wake up and repent- TRUMP. The trumpet (shofar) blasts are meant to be wake up calls–almost like an alarm clock ringing and ringing. A person who is sleeping will hear the sound, open their eyes and wake up! The years that Donald Trump was in office were a time of national repentance–a time to look upon our national sins and turn from them. This eclipse happened during this appointed time for turning back to God’s laws and commandments.

As I studied the path of the 2017 total solar eclipse, I realized one of the last places the shadow of the eclipse touched was in Charleston, South Carolina. This is quite a historical site! Why? Because this is where the first shot of the Civil War was fired. At 4:30 a.m. on April 12, 1861, Confederate troops fired on Fort Sumter, located in Charleston’s harbor. The Civil War officially began here.  The time of 4:30 a.m. made me think of a date- 4-30 (April 30). It was on April 30, 1789 that our first President, George Washington, took the oath of office in New York City. After taking this oath, he went to St. Paul’s Chapel to pray for our nation with the newly formed government. His prayers echoed the message that if our country followed God and his laws, we would be blessed. Of course, at this point in our nation’s history, I think George would be speechless if he were to time travel to our day and survey the horrible moral condition of the United States of America. When I was in Charleston, I kept thinking of the moral divide we are seeing all around us, and how the land of the free is in danger of losing its blessings

I actually went on a road trip with my friend to watch the eclipse. It was amazing, but I also had a strong warning through the Holy Spirit that our nation was headed into icy waters. The division had already begun, but it would get larger over time.

After the eclipse, my friend and I drove back home. I was sitting in the passenger’s seat, about to doze off, when something unusual got my attention. I even took pictures at the time because it seemed so significant. I saw several World War 2 vehicles being carried on trailers.  See the pictures below.

They were part of a traveling memorabilia collection called World War 2 Armor (ww2armor.org).  At the time when I saw these vehicles (tanks), I had the sense that a great war or conflict was coming and it would carry the undertones of the World War 2 era.  Fast forward to now and all this made a lot of sense once the Covid-19 pandemic hit. I saw the shadows of the Nazi government make their way into daily life around the world.  From draconian lock downs, to comprehensive censorship, I could see the underpinnings of what people endured during World War 2.  Not only this, the “shunning” of the unvaccinated reminded me of the yellow stars they placed on the Jewish people. These stars singled the Jews out within the population. Like the WW2 period, heavy propaganda was used to convince people to follow what the government says.

I don’t know if people realize this, but some of the propaganda used against the Jews during WW2 included lies that they were diseased, or carried sickness. In addition, travel was restricted and everyone had to carry their “papers” in order to travel from place to place. All this is similar to what’s happening now, where the media spreads falsehoods that the unvaccinated are causing Covid to spread. In addition, many countries have strict travel restrictions and require vaccine passports to enter certain venues. Even here in the United States we have a president trying to force everyone to get a vaccine and strong-arming businesses to require their workers to receive one, or be fired. He is also pushing vaccine passports for travel. In the end, it’s about tracking and tracing everyone. 

Meanwhile, the CDC has already publicly admitted the vaccines do not prevent transmission and they do not keep you from getting Covid. They have added boosters as an extra requirement even though they are made with the same formulation and ingredients. Anyone who tries to share information that does not line up with the current vaccine narrative is censored and shamed. The Nazis did the same thing during WW2. Sadly, most people gave into these fear tactics in those days and we are seeing the same thing happening NOW. 

When my son’s wedding ended up in Charleston, South Carolina, I felt it was so symbolic of what the Lord had already laid on my heart–the great division–the coming iceberg–and the civil war in our nation and around the world. But it also reminded me of something grand and hopeful– THE WEDDING WITH OUR LORD AND SAVIOR–JESUS.  After all, as we see all these things falling into place, we realize the return of our groom must be so much nearer than it was before!

There were some amazing reminders of this grand day tucked into what I saw in my son’s Charleston wedding. Firstly, the wedding took place at The Restoration Hotel. The name brought to mind our future restoration in Jesus. The world seems to be spinning out of control, but one day, Jesus will return and restore everything, bringing justice and redemption to a fallen earth. 

When I first walked up to the Restoration Hotel, I noticed they had a coffee shop called The Rise. My thoughts went to the Rapture of the Church (the resurrection of the dead). I pictured the Bride, rising up to unite with Jesus in the air. From there, they would go to heaven to be part of the Wedding Ceremony. 

My son’s wedding ceremony took place on the roof of the Restoration Hotel and I thought this was very symbolic. Biblically, a roof symbolizes being in the “high places” with the Lord. In those days it was a custom to go to the roof of one’s house to pray. The rooftop was closer (in proximity) to heaven–similar to going to a mountaintop. It was a place of refuge from the world below. As I watched the wedding ceremony from this rooftop refuge, I had the overwhelming feeling that a flood would be coming soon. I did not picture an actual flood with water, but rather a dramatic event that could cause great panic and fear. The Bride of Christ would need to get on the rooftop with Jesus in order to remain safe and secure. From the roof of the hotel I could see many birds flying and I was reminded that the Bride of Christ must stay under the wings of her groom as the days ahead became darker and more difficult to navigate. Just as the Ark became a refuge for Noah and his family, the wings of Jesus would be our protection in times of trouble. The words of Psalm 91:4 came to mind which say, “He will cover me with his feathers, and under his wings I will find refuge.”  Even as a flood nears our doorstep, we have a strong anchor to fasten ourselves to. Above all, I knew we could not let fear overtake us like a flood. 

The Restoration Hotel wasn’t too far from Meeting Street (actually the hotel I stayed at was on this street). Meeting Street has an interesting history as it is home to some of Charleston’s oldest churches. The term “Meeting” Street came from that fact that church members met or gathered together on this street long ago. Charleston actually features some of the oldest churches in the United States and has been referred to as the Holy City because of its reputation for allowing religious freedom. To this day, there are over 400 churches in Charleston.  This reminded me that one day all believers in the churches who love Jesus will meet each other in the air. I’m not saying only one denomination will be raptured. Within all the churches who preach and teach salvation through Jesus Christ, there are believers who have truly accepted and received Jesus as their Lord and Savior. This is who we call the Bride of Christ.  By the way, “church” means a gathering of believers so that means you could meet in buildings, homes or even the jungle! You could be part of a large gathering, or a tiny one!  Believers in Jesus are spread out all over the earth within the “Churches-gatherings.” Until that amazing meeting day ( Rapture), the Church must support one another, speak the truth in love and spread the gospel. They must also stand against the forces of darkness, and understand the signs of the times.

The Charleston wedding would end, but another would come. Like I said in the beginning, this is the tale of two weddings.

My son’s much bigger, grander wedding would take place just over a year later on September 20, 2021. This time it would be in the beautiful mountains of Tellluride, Colorado. I was so excited because the wedding would happen just before sundown, on the eve of the biblical Feast of Tabernacles. Actually, the reception (the party) took place as Tabernacles began. This was quite appropriate because this biblical holiday is all about celebrating. In fact, it’s a time when God commands that you celebrate and be joyful.

Why was there a command to celebrate? Well, Tabernacles points to a future time when Jesus will dwell on the earth as King. All the earth will rejoice! The people, the land and the animals will be under the rule of Jesus, and this is a great reason to celebrate! For more details about the Feast of Tabernacles, click on this link.

The Jewish people have been celebrating this special holiday (festival/feast) for over a thousand years, but in essence it’s a dress rehearsal for when the real thing happens. We know that at some point Jesus will come to fetch his Bride and take her to heaven at the Rapture (the wedding ceremony).  The seven-year Tribulation will begin on earth while the Bride is hidden in the giant “chuppah” of heaven (wedding canopy). At the end of the 7 years, the Bride will return to earth with her groom Jesus. After this, the Feast of Tabernacles will be celebrated. I can only imagine the amazing party that will happen. It will be like a grand wedding reception, and all those who love Jesus will be there to celebrate! 

The wedding ceremony for my son’s wedding in Telluride took place on a mountaintop known as the San Sofia Overlook. The whole scene was breathtaking because you could see the majestic mountains as the ceremony was going on. Staring at the mountains, I could only think of Jesus, who is our strong rock of salvation– our mountain who cannot be moved. I thought of all the great Bible stories that took place on or near mountains. But I also thought of the prophecy from Daniel which refers to the time when Jesus will become “the mountain that fills the whole earth.” Having the ceremony with the mountain backdrop was a reminder that our groom Jesus is going to come back one day and take us to a strong mountain refuge in heaven, where we will be hidden from the dark days of the seven year tribulation. I thought of Psalm 27:5 which says, “For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent, and set me high upon a rock.”

It’s interesting to note that Telluride is a skiing town, so that means there are lots of places to ride the slopes. I realized that there was a popular skiing area nearby known as Revelation Bowl. That got my mind spinning as I thought about all the shadows of Revelation we are seeing around us right now, such as draconian mask and vaccine mandates. Revelation 13 warns us that one day you won’t be able to buy or sell without a mark. Right now, in many areas of the world you can’t “buy or sell” without your mask or vaccine. No, this is not the mark of the beast yet, but you can see conditioning going on. We see the shadows of the future mark in front of our very eyes.

The site of the reception held some great meaning to me as well because I found out that the location where it was held– (Gorrono Ranch)– used to be a sheep farm. At this time in history, many are becoming sheep to the world, instead of sheep to the right shepherd–Jesus. Now more than ever we have to get people to Jesus so they can be ready for the grand wedding that’s on its way. They need a strong shepherd to lead them to righteousness and eternal life.

As I stared at the big full moon at my son’s reception, I couldn’t help but long for the Feast of Tabernacles to be fulfilled. I can’t wait for Jesus to return and set up his kingdom.

This grand wedding happened during the Shemitah year, which began September 7, 2021. If you are not familiar with the Shemitah year, you might want to read this blog. Keep in mind this is an older blog, but the information will still help you understand the basics and detailed aspects of the Shemitah.

Many of our nation’s financial ups and downs have happened in Shemitah years. There is often a rise or fall of leaders, as well as kingdoms. Just for background, 2001 (the year of 9-11) was a Shemitah year. The 2008 economic collapse happened in a Shemitah year. 2015 was also a Shemitah year and that’s when we saw the rise of a new leader who announced he was running for election. That leader was Donald Trump, who would go on to win the 2016 election. Just for more background, 1973 was also a a Shemitah year and this is when Roe vs. Wade was passed and a global recession ensued. There was also a huge oil crisis. The end of WW2 happened in a Shemitah year (1945) and this signaled the demise of the German empire, but it also brought about the rise of America as a global superpower. As you can see, the Shemitah years often signal a rise or fall of monetary systems, kingdoms or power.

Years ago, I prayed to Jesus about the best way to cover ourselves and our leaders with prayers, and if there were any specific prayers that were very powerful. The next day I was surprised when I found a bag of books on my front doorstep. I did not know where they came from, but I eagerly opened the bag. I randomly pulled out one book. It was called Life Lessons from the Hiding Place and it was about Corrie ten Boom. As I opened the book, I found a yellow piece of paper. On this paper someone had written out the words of Psalm 91. I realized God had answered my request because this was a powerful psalm and prayer! Then I noticed a date written at the top of the paper– SEPTEMBER 7 (written as 9-7).  It actually had 9-7-2008 as the date, which was interesting because 2008 was a Shemitah year–but my focus was on the 9-7- (September 7 part of the date.) It didn’t seem significant at the time, but with a little research, I realized it was the date of the upcoming Shemitah (Sabbath) year in 2021.

I’ve already told you how the Shemitah can be tied to rises and falls in our economy and kingdoms, but now I want to explain the biblical concept behind it. The Shemitah is known as the year of rest. In biblical times, this was also called the 7^th year, or the Sabbath year. This year was to be kept seperate and distinct from the six years that came before it. It was considered a holy year that would be devoted to God. During this seventh year (Shemitah) there was to be no working of the land. All sowing, reaping, plowing, planting, gathering and harvesting had to be competed by the end of the sixth year.

Exodus 23:10-11 says, “Six years you shall sow your land and gather in its produce, but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow.” Leviticus 25 also gives details about the Shemitah year.

The land was given a TIME TO REST. The fields would rest, as well as the vineyards and groves. In this way, the land was observing its own Sabbath unto the Lord.

During the Shemitah year, the land would be left fallow, but it was also left open for the poor to come in and take whatever was left behind, or whatever grew on its own. Exodus 23:11 says: “Then the poor among you may eat, and what they leave, the beasts of the field may eat. In like manner you shall do with your vineyard and olive grove.”

In addition, something quite interesting happened at the end of the Shemitah year (7th year). Deutoronomy 15:1-2 says, “At the end of every seven years, you shall grant a release of debts. And this is the form of the release: Every creditor who has lent anything to his neighbor shall release it; he shall not require it of his neighbor or his brother, because it is called The Lord’s Release.”

So on the last day of the Shemitah year, anyone who owed a debt was released from that debt. Imagine how this affected the financial realm! On this last day (Elul 29 on the biblical calendar) debt was wiped away. This meant credit was wiped away too because anyone who was owed money (creditor) could no longer ask for the money back.

Honoring the Shemitah wasn’t always easy to do. One had to completely trust God. But if this concept was honored and followed, the people would experience great harvests and blessings. If they didn’t, things might not go so well. 

Some may wonder, how could the farmer just let the land rest? How would he feed and support himself, as well as his family? Well, this is where the farmer had to TRUST GOD. If he followed what God commanded, he would have more than enough crops leftover from the harvest in the 6^th year, and he could expect the harvest after the Shemitah year to be great as well. During the shemitah year, one had to release all their wealth to God because in essence all debts had to be wiped away. The land had to rest and the farmer and his workers had to put it completely in God’s hands. One could not rely on working the land to produce money, food and security. Instead, you had to rest in God’s provision, his mercy and his grace.

When I saw the September 7^th date on the handwritten copy of Psalm 91, the Holy Spirit reminded me that when the Shemitah year arrived on September 7, 2021, it would be a “Psalm 91” year– in other words, it would be a time to stay close to Jesus­–resting under his mighty wings of refuge.  By resting, I don’t mean just lying around and doing nothing. I mean that we trust him completely and follow him fully. Essentially, we must stay close to the Lord by listening to Jesus and resting in the truth of his word no matter what comes our way. We cannot rely on the workings of our hands, but instead we should cling to the faithfulness of Jesus. We must also not become consumed with the idea of wealth or material things because it is possible this area of life could be shaken. We may see the economy begin to teeter and totter like a see-saw. Nonetheless Jesus will provide and care for his followers, so there is nothing to fear.

The Shemitah year will last from September 7, 2021 through September 25, 2022. By the way, the shemitah year does not always arrive on September 7- it is based on the biblical calendar and will vary every seven years. For instance, in the 2014/ 2015 cycle, it arrived on September 24. In the 2007/2008 cycle it arrived on September 13.

When September 7, 2021 finally arrived, I knew the time had come. Just two days after, Joe Biden made a speech that caused most Christians to cringe as he announced stricter vaccine mandates and complained about how he was losing patience with the unvaccinated. A new time of persecution began as many businesses started instituting policies that singled out the unvaccinated from the vaccinated.  Also, stories began surfacing about supply chain problems around the nation due to shipping disruptions. In addition, prices at the grocery stores were increasing steadily.

 I went to my son’s wedding in Telluride just 11 days after the speech that I call “Biden’s Communist Manifesto.”  I knew it was the 11^th hour and the Lord was saying to “Buckle up!” But he was also saying to hold tight to HIM, not the world.  It was time to cling to the rock of refuge on the mountaintop.

Telluride (the location of the wedding) was a gold mining town back in its younger days. It was also one of the first towns in the world to have alternating current power. Because of this it was the first city in the world to have electric streetlights, earning its title as the City of Lights.  These things just reminded me that as the Bride of Christ we have to be the light until Jesus comes. In biblical times, the menorah was made of pure gold and this was the main source of light in the Temple and Tabernacle. Jesus is a picture of the menorah and the Churches are the seven lampstands (menorahs) mentioned in Revelation 1:20. In this way, we must remember that the Bride of Christ must shine the light of Jesus, up to the day she is raptured. 

When I returned from this second wedding ceremony, I was filled with hope and anticipation. Of course, I do not know the day of Jesus’ return at the Rapture (or the Second Coming), but I felt a quickening in my spirit when I attended both weddings. Truly, as the Bride, we should always be looking forward to his return. As we see evil agendas, we may fret but, in a way, we should be celebrating because it means his return is nearer than it was before. Actually, if you have time I HIGHLY RECOMMEND READING THIS BLOG POST on the BRIDE OF CHRIST and the ANCIENT JEWISH WEDDING. I have blogged about this before, but this post is one of the best I’ve read and it’s done in such an organized way. It is amazing how ancient Jewish wedding traditions foreshadow how Jesus will come and rapture his bride!

Before I end this blog post I want to share something new I learned about Jesus’ wedding promise to us. Some of this I already knew, but there was one piece that I’d never heard called The Law of the Bridegrooms (from Jonathan Cahn’s Sapphire Devotions).

In ancient Israel, a Jewish groom had to prepare a place for his bride at his father’s property. When the special place was ready, the groom would come to the bride’s home and snatch her away quickly. She didn’t know the day or the hour he would come.  When the time was right, he would steal her away and take her to the new place he had built on his father’s property. But there was a special law he followed called the Law of the Bridegrooms. 

Here is the law: a bridegroom could never take his bride out of a house that was better than the house he was taking her to. The place he prepared had to be better than where she lived before.  

Jesus is our Jewish groom and we can be sure that the place he’s prepared for us, HIS BRIDE, is much better than our home here on planet earth. Even if you live in a million-dollar mansion, the place Jesus is taking you to in heaven is leaps and bounds beyond your wildest dreams. 

Even though our world seems to be shrouded in darkness, we know we have a grand hope on the horizon! We can look up knowing the return of our groom is near! When you feel hopeless, go outside and look at the clouds and remember he WILL RETURN ON THEM ONE DAY–first at the Rapture, and then at the Second Coming. Hallelujah!

Don’t forget to read THE PEACEFUL WIFE BLOG- you’ll be glad you did!!!! See link below:

THE PEACEFUL WIFE BLOG