Ascension Day of Jesus is June 10

T.W. Tramm ASCENSION DAY, the anniversary of Jesus’ ascent into heaven, is June 10 this year. Interestingly, Ascension Day lands on the biblical date Iyyar 28 in 2021, the anniversary of the 1967 recapture of East Jerusalem by Israeli forces. So Ascension Day is also Jerusalem Day in 2021! A theme of Jerusalem Day, based on Psalm 122, is the building up of the Holy City: “Jerusalem is built like a city that is closely compacted together” (Ps. 122:3). In Scripture, built-up Jerusalem is a sign that the Lord is about to appear: “When the LORD shall build up Zion [Jerusalem], he shall appear in his glory” (Ps. 102:16). Adjoining verses in Psalm 122, which was originally entitled “A Song of Ascents” by its author, King David, depict the people going up to Jerusalem to appear before the Lord at the harvest festivals, Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, and Tabernacles: “Let us go to the house of the LORD …That is where the tribes go up—the tribes of the LORD—to praise the name of the LORD according to the statute given to Israel. There stand the thrones for judgment” (Ps. 122:1, 4, 5). A gathering before the Lord at harvest time is a picture of the rapture–resurrection (Rev. 7:9–14; 14:15; 2 Thess. 2:1). Furthermore, at the harvest gatherings everyone was required to bring an offering proportionate to the blessings God had bestowed on them, a picture of the bema judgment at the end of the age (2 Cor. 5:10; Matt. 25:14–30; Luke 12:48). A SIGN In addition to Ascension Day coinciding with Jerusalem Day in 2021, it also coincides with an awesome sign in the heavens. On June 10, Ascension Day and Jerusalem Day, an annular solar eclipse, a phenomenon in which the outer edge of the Sun remains visible as a bright ring around the Moon, will cut a path across the northernmost point of the globe, making it the only eclipse of its type this century. Due to the path of the eclipse, the “ring” effect will occur mainly above unpopulated regions, including the North Pole, an area not owned by any nation. Because the ring appears mostly at the top of the globe, the point where the longitudinal lines connecting every landmass on earth converge, it could be interpreted as a sign for the whole world. What could be the message of the sign? Ascension Day reminds us that Jesus ascended into the clouds, and that those who belong to Him, the Bride of Christ, will one day meet Him there (1 Thess. 4:16, 17). Jerusalem Day is about the building or restoration of Israel, which in itself is a sign of the Lord’s appearing (Ps. 102:16; Dan. 9:25). A ring is the universal symbol of betrothal and God’s faithfulness. It reminds us of the Lord’s wedding covenant with Israel and the Church, both of which were sealed on Pentecost. Pentecost, which coincides with the first day of summer in 2021, is associated with the wheat harvest, the Church, and weddings (Ex. 34:22; Matt. 13; 24:32-34; Acts 2; Ruth). Thus, a spectacular ring of light at the top of the globe on Ascension Day, which is also Jerusalem Day, ten days before Pentecost and the beginning of summer, is a sign of profound eschatological significance, pointing to the gathering of the Church–Bride at Jesus’ return. It gets more interesting. Exactly one year before Pentecost and the first day of summer in 2021, another rare ring-eclipse occurred. On June 20, 2020, an annular eclipse occurred above Sub-Saharan Africa, India, China, and the Philippines, areas with the largest Christian populations in the Eastern Hemisphere. This means that on the first day of summer in 2020, exactly one year before Pentecost 2021, a dazzling ring of gold, the universal symbol of betrothal and God’s faithfulness, adorned the sky above the Eastern Christian world. The symbolism is again extraordinary as Pentecost is the Church’s betrothal day and, per Jewish tradition, the bridegroom comes to gather the bride on the one-year anniversary of the betrothing. The amazing Ascension-Day concurrence in 2021 reminds us that Jesus will one day return in the clouds: “This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go” (Acts 1:11). If we are interpreting the signs correctly, it may be sooner rather than later. . . . NOTES: 1. Jesus was resurrected on the Day of Firstfruits and remained on earth 40 days before ascending into heaven, 10 days before Pentecost (Lev. 23:15, 16; John 20:17; 1 Cor. 15:20; Acts 1:3). 2. Ascension Day 2021 calculation: The first new moon after the spring equinox, Nisan 1, was sighted April 13. Passover began two weeks later on the evening of April 26. Since the firstfruits offering is to be made the “day after the Sabbath” following Passover, the Day of firstfruits is the following Sunday, May 2. Counting 40 days from Sunday, May 2, we arrive at June 10 for Ascension Day. Ten days later, June 20, is Pentecost. For more on the biblical calendar and festival dates for 2021, see the chapter entitled “Calendar Confusion” in my book Summer Is Near: https://storage.googleapis.com/.../Calendar%20Confusion... %20Summer%20Is%20Near%20-%20TW%20Tramm.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3tx5eE7V-UHJnWS1I6Mk4J2h1eUHGwFPlL3hJlDCYovKE8xz7BjmCLcs 3. Jerusalem Day: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/.../yom-yerushalayim.../ 4. Psalm 122 is one of four “Songs of Ascent” written by King David to be sung at the time of the goings up to the harvest festivals at Jerusalem. It is the third in the series, and was apparently intended to be sung when the people entered the gates, and their feet stood within the Holy City: https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/psalm-122/ 5. The three harvest festivals correspond to the “order” of resurrections mentioned by Paul (1 Cor. 15:23; Deut. 16:16). The first harvest festival, Unleavened Bread, was fulfilled by Jesus’ resurrection (1 Cor. 15:20). The third harvest festival, Tabernacles, will presumably be fulfilled by a resurrection at the Second Coming (Rev. 20:4–6). This leaves the middle harvest festival, Pentecost, to possibly be fulfilled by the Church’s resurrection–rapture. 6. June 10 annular eclipse: https://earthsky.org/?p=358463 7. Both ring eclipses—June 20, 2020, and June 10, 2021—occur while the Sun is in Taurus, the constellation sign depicting Jesus’ return to judge the world. The Bull symbolizes Christ, the coming Judge and Ruler, rushing forward in wrath, His horns set to pierce through and destroy His enemies. Significantly, the Sun, which is likened to a “bridegroom” in Psalm 19, is in Taurus from May 14 (Israel’s birthday) until the first day of summer (June 20) every year. (Dates are exact per Starry Night astronomy software.) 8. Christianity by country (Eastern Christian World): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestantism_by_country https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_by_country https://cartomission.com/.../christian-population-by.../ 9. The Jewish wedding tradition consists of two stages. The first stage is the betrothal, or erusin, at which time the bride and groom are considered legally married but do not dwell together. The second stage is the consummation, or nisu’in, when the groom comes to take the bride to his house and nuptials are finalized. According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, the betrothal period is traditionally 12 months: http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/3229-betrothal . . . *For more on why 2021 could be a pivotal year in Bible prophecy, see T.W. Tramm’s latest book, “Summer Is Near”: https://www.amazon.com/Summer.../dp/1716163781/ref=sr_1_2...