It’s Time to Get Into the Lifeboat

For this blogpost I will be including an article I wrote in 2021 that was published on IFA (Intercessors for America). I believe it’s the perfect message to take to heart, as we remember the biblical holiday known as Tisha B Av- also known as the 9th of Av. This will be shared after I cover the history of Tisha B Av- towards the end of the post. If you already know the history of Tisha B Av, you can scroll down to the story: It’s Time to Get Into the Lifeboat.

Tisha B Av just passed, beginning at sundown on July 26 and ending at sundown on July 27, 2023.

On the Hebrew biblical calendar, Av is the 5th month, and it’s tied to mourning and fasting. This is because it was on the 9^th of Av that the Holy Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed–actually both temples were destroyed on this date, but in different years. The first Temple was destroyed in 586 BC and the second Temple in 70 AD. Because both temples were destroyed on this date, the 9^th of Av (also known as Tisha B Av) is considered the saddest day on the biblical calendar.

This solemn day of weeping and fasting has a history that goes way back–all the way back to the biblical Promised Land. According to Jewish tradition, it was on the 9^th of Av that the first generation of Israelites (those who were over the age of 20 and were freed from the bondage of Egypt) were denied the right to enter the Promised Land.

Why? Because they believed the bad report of the ten spies, rather than being obedient to God and clinging to his promises. As a result, God declared they would wander the desert for forty years.

Other tragic events would fall on or near the 9th of Av, adding to the list of reasons to mourn.

On the 9^th of Av in 135 A.D., the Jewish Bar Kokhba revolt against the Romans was crushed under the leadership of the cruel Emperor Hadrian. Hundreds of thousands of Jews were slaughtered. On the same date, the temple area and its surroundings were plowed under by the Roman general Turnus Rufus. Afterward Jerusalem would be rebuilt, but as a pagan city that was renamed Aelia Capitolina.

The above events are sad enough, but there’s even more to explore. History shows that not only is the 9^th of Av tied to destruction and tragedy, but it also leaves a mark of persecution, pain, and even murder.

One such example happened on the 9^th of Av in 1190. On this day the entire Jewish population of York, England was massacred due to anti-Jewish pogroms where Jews were accused of “blood libel.” From this point on, times of great persecution would continue throughout England. Eventually the Jewish people were banished on the 9^th of Av by King Edward in 1290. The country of Spain would follow in England’s footsteps in 1492 by expelling the Jews from Spain during the Spanish Inquisition. Jews were given the choice of exile or baptism. Sadly, the 9^th of Av became the final day for all Jews who had not converted to leave Spain or face certain death.

While many people may not be familiar with the Inquisitions and pogroms, they are likely aware of the Holocaust, which resulted in the deaths of over six million Jews. The cruelty and inhumanity that was unleashed upon the Jewish population is difficult to understand. Yet, it was during this time that the 9^th of Av cast a long shadow that would live in the memories of Holocaust survivors and their families. On August 2, 1941 (9^th of Av) SS Commander Heinrich Himmler formerly received approval from the Nazi Party for the Final Solution. In 1942, the Nazis began mass deportations of Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto to the Treblinka extermination camp on the 9^th of Av.

Interestingly enough, the world’s largest wars have a connection to the 9^th of Av. For example, Germany entered WW1 on August 1-2, 1914, which fell on this fateful day of the Jewish calendar. Though bloody and destructive, WW1 led to the formation of the modern state of Israel because the British gained control of the lands of the Ottoman Empire. Some of this land would be divided up and set aside for the Jewish people. In 1917, the Balfour Declaration would be signed and the plans for a future Jewish home would be set into motion. These plans, of course, would not come to full fruition until after World War 2 and the aftermath of the Holocaust.

At present time Israel is still in the crosshairs of tragedy and persecution. In fact, on August 15, 2005 (one day after the 9^th of Av), the disengagement of the Gaza Strip began. Over 8,000 Jewish people were forced to leave their homes as their land was given to the Palestinians.

Whether it’s a rocket from a neighboring nation, or rhetoric against Israel’s God-given right to the biblical land, this tiny country is the target of the same spirit that fueled the pogroms and death marches. As centuries of persecution and hate have fallen at the doorsteps of our Jewish brethren, many may wonder, who was there to stand in the gap for God’s beloved chosen people? Heroes like Corrie ten Boom, OskarSchindler, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer come to mind, but of course, ALL CHRISTIANS HAVE BEEN CALLED to not only love and care for the Jewish people, but also to pray for their protection and healing.

As Christians we should always be praying for the salvation of the Jewish people– for them to know their Messiah, Jesus Christ. The 9th of Av is a time when Jews remember the destruction of their Temples, but the truth is that Jesus is the Living, breathing Temple. In the future, he will return and establish his kingdom on earth. The Bible says in Zechariah 8:19 that one day the Jews will no longer have to fast and mourn about their fallen Temples or times of tragedy. Instead those days will be transformed into celebrations and joyous occasions as they live in peace with Messiah Jesus! Hallelujah!

Until that time, we are still living in this broken world. The most important thing we can do in these last days is to GET PEOPLE ON THE LIFEBOAT before its too late. The Titanic is sinking and there are many unsaved souls out on the water. Just like the Temples that were destroyed, this world is being destroyed day by day. As the stage is set for the Antichrist kingdom, believers need to be ready for the Rapture of all those who follow Jesus Christ. Once the ship goes down and sinks into the ocean, it will be too late. The frigid times of the Tribulation will begin and seven years of “Hell on earth” will ensue. Right now, it’s not too late to get into the lifeboat with Jesus before he returns to rapture his Bride! Thus, the message below is crucial……….

IT’S TIME TO GET INTO THE LIFEBOAT: posted to IFA in April 2021

“I cannot imagine any condition which would cause a ship to founder. I cannot conceive of any vital disaster happening to this vessel. Modern shipbuilding has gone beyond that.”

These famous words were spoken by Edward Smith, Captain of the RMS Titanic. At the time of the quote, he was referring to another ship he commanded, known as the RMS Adriatic. But the bold words he spoke would come back to haunt him years later when he captained a brand-new ship that many believed was unsinkable. On April 14, 1912 at 11:40 p.m., the RMS Titanic would strike an iceberg. In less than three hours, it would split apart, plunging into the sea on April 15. Over 1,500 lives would be lost in a tragedy that was inconceivable, but preventable.

Every day that passes, it feels like the message tied to this infamous ship is more relevant than ever. The icebergs are in the water and our nation is surrounded. The warnings have gone out, but who is listening? Who has binoculars to see what’s ahead? Does anyone know how to access the lifeboats?

Most of us are very aware that our nation is surrounded by icebergs. The danger looms day by day as we see the Biden administration deliberately tear our border security apart. Religious freedom is targeted, as well as churches, communities and businesses who stand on the principles of God’s Word. Protections for unborn babies, such as the Hyde Amendment, are on the chopping block as well. If that weren’t enough, our very identities are in danger as we see this administration pushing to create vaccine passports, which would affect our personal privacy in ways never seen before in history. Central bank digital currencies are on the rise and global organizations like the United Nations and the World Health Organization are setting up the infrastructure for a global ID system.

In 2014 the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart through the story of the Titanic. The main message I perceived was that our nation was moving into a time where a great divide would occur. Like the Titanic which split in two, the divide would threaten to tear our nation apart. Shortly afterward, I began researching all the details about what led to the sinking of the ship. In the midst of my study, I realized there was a tetrad of four total lunar eclipses (also known as blood moons) occurring in 2014 and 2015 that were visible from the United States. Two of these eclipses occurred on Passover (April 15, 2014, April 4, 2015), while the other two fell on the Feast of Tabernacles (October 8, 2014, September 28, 2015). I thought this was amazing because Passover and Tabernacles are also known as moedim, or appointments with God on the biblical calendar. The first total lunar eclipse on Passover just happened to fall on April 15, 2014, which was the 102-year anniversary of Titanic’s sinking. It was also the 149th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination and death on April 14/15, 1865. The dates lining up reminded me of the great divide that Abraham Lincoln navigated our country through. He had a front row seat to the Civil War, which almost sank our nation like the Titanic. As I watched the entire eclipse from start to finish that night, I was left with the lingering feeling that our country needed to get on board with Jesus in order to endure what was coming. The other message that pierced my heart was one that echoed from 2 Corinthians 6:2 which says, “Indeed, the right time is NOW. Today is the day of salvation.”

During my research about Titanic, there was a story I came across that seemed so applicable to our times. It’s the story of John Harper, a godly Pastor from Scotland, who perished when Titanic sank. Harper was on his way to preach at the Moody Church in Chicago and traveling with his young daughter. While on board Titanic, he made it a habit to seek out lost sheep so he could witness to their troubled souls, and offer them a way to salvation through Jesus.

When the ship struck the iceberg that fateful, moonless night, Harper realized the situation was dire. He wrapped his daughter in a blanket and made sure she was placed on a lifeboat. Next, he set about locating the unsaved. He ran throughout the ship, pleading with people to turn to Jesus. One survivor heard him shout, “Women, children and the unsaved into the lifeboats!” Harper knew the souls of the unsaved were not ready to face death, whereas believers were eternally prepared to lose their lives.

Harper continued in his quest to help the unsaved. On the deck of the ship, he prayed with passengers, leading them to salvation by praying to receive Christ. As the ship broke apart and plunged into the sea, he jumped into the icy waters. Immediately he searched for more lost souls. Witnesses say they could hear him preaching the gospel to all those who were slipping into death. He continued on his mission until he sank beneath the water with his last breath.

A young Scotsman testified about John Harper and his unfailing quest to help the lost. Here is what he had to say.

“I am a survivor of the Titanic. When I was drifting along on a spar that awful night, the tide brought Mr. John Harper of Glasgow, also on a piece of wreck, near me.

‘Man,’ he said, ‘Are you saved?’

‘No,’ I said, ‘I am not.’

He replied, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.’

The waves bore him away; but, strange to say brought him back a little later, and he said, ‘Are you saved now?’

‘No,’ I said, ‘I cannot honestly say that I am.’

He said again, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved,’ and shortly after he went down; and there, alone in the night, and with two miles of water under me, I believed. I am John Harper’s last convert.”

Harper knew the ship was going down, yet he wasn’t concerned about himself, but rather the souls of the lost. Matthew 16:25 says, “If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.” John Harper wasn’t afraid of losing his life because he knew he would gain eternity. He even gave his life jacket to a fellow passenger, knowing he wouldn’t need it where he was going.

His brother later wrote,

“My beloved brother was a mighty man of prayer. He was a master of this holy art. I have been with him in prayer again and again and his whole frame shook like an aspen leaf, so earnest was he in his pleadings with God for a perishing world. Little wonder hard hearts were broken and stubborn wills subdued under his ministry.”

The message of Harper’s story is clear–reach out to the lost before it’s too late. Share the message that Jesus Christ saves. Speaking of messages, many people think the RMS Titanic was just a passenger ship, but that’s not true. Actually, the RMS stands for Royal Mail Ship which means the vessel was a floating post office. In fact, when it sank, between six and nine million pieces of mail were lost. Titanic had five mail clerks who worked up to the very last moment to save the mail, but in doing so they forfeited any chance of escaping the doomed ship. They went down with the mail.

As I picture all the mail going down with the ship, I can’t help but think about how important it is that we get the message to others that Jesus is Lord and he’s coming back. With all the turmoil and strife in our nation, people need this hope more than ever. Like John Harper, who ran along the decks of Titanic screaming, “Jesus saves,” we must let our voices shout above the fear and the lies that pervade our society. Like the mail clerks, who used every precious second to save the mail, we too must work all the way up to the 11^th hour. By the way, did I mention that John Harper put his young daughter in Lifeboat 11?

There are many messages we can glean from the sinking of the Titanic. But perhaps the biggest take away is that nothing is unsinkable in this sinful world. Many lives could have been spared if iceberg warnings were heeded. In addition, there weren’t enough lifeboats to save all the people on board. The same is true today. The Bible says this world is sinking, but we have a lifeboat waiting and his name is Jesus Christ. He will never leave or forsake us. Right now, he’s in the lifeboat, urging us to get in. All we must do is step out onto the water in faith, knowing he will joyfully receive us as his own.