Dear friends:

Many were hoping for the rapture before the end of the year 2000, partly based on Scripture and partly based on personal revelations, such as David Gant's underwater Tennessee river cave experience in 1992 when, near death, he cried out to the Lord to save his soul. The Lord immediately visited him in the cave, saved him, filled him with joy and peace and, David says, gave him a message to "Go tell the whole world that I am coming back for my children before the year 2000." David then received a detailed vision of his rescue hours later, for which he waited in great peace, and the rescue finally happened precisely as in the vision. The whole thing was truly a "God experience." (For full story, click here.)

Many, including myself, were puzzled on January 1, wondering about David's message. On that day I felt led to call and encourage David, and he was also puzzled. One fellow said to me that David had heard a "deceiving spirit." Another person hurled a predicted and hateful "fiery dart" at me, which my shield of faith quickly and easily repelled and my delete key quickly dispatched back into the cyber-darkness from whence it came.

Knowing David and the full context of his experience, I concluded that the message was not from the devil. It is not the devil's job description to save, give joy and peace, nor get people excited about the return of Jesus. Nor do I believe it was just from David's mind, as such a thought or message was totally foreign to him at the time.

Then on the night of January 1-2, the following unlikely series of events began:

1. As I laid in bed puzzling over this in the wee hours of the night, I remembered the wonderful promise of James 1:5-7, ""If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord."

I prayed, "Okay, Lord, I am going to take you up on this promise. I need wisdom about the meaning of the word I believe David Gant heard from you. I ask you for wisdom and understanding. And I am going to believe what you tell me. In Jesus name. Amen."

The very moment the prayer got out of my mouth, a thought flashed through my mind. The suddenness and clarity surprised me. I began to bear witnesss to it as an answer. The thought concerned the confusion factor in our calendar, and what does "the year 2000" really mean. I continued to meditate upon this after getting up and then through church and early afternoon. I began to realize that the period Anno Domini, A.D., began on 1 A.D., as there was no zero year. When 2 A.D. arrived, only one year had passed. In fact, until 3 A.D., only one full calendar year had passed. Follow this on to the present, this means that technically the 1,999th calendar year will be the last full calendar year to pass until 1/1/01.

Further, this means that 2,000 actual years will not have passed until 1/1/01, and we are still in the 1,999th year. The thought suddenly leapt in my spirit that the proper interpretation of David's message should be "before 2,000 years."

For those who would immediately argue that this is not the precise wording David reported, I would agree but point out that God's words, such as through Old Testament prophecy, are typically vague and with meaning often veiled. As has been pointed out, Daniel did not understand his own prophecies, nor Jeremiah's. Plus, Jesus spoke in parables. God's words are often not clear and always are only for "those who have ears to hear."

Judge it for yourself, but this is what I believe the Lord showed me. But consider the FOUR confirmations below that came within hours in what seemed like miraculous timing.

2. That afternoon I called Randy Bullock to discuss this with him. I greatly respect Randy's insights, especially on calendar matters. Randy agreed with this interpretation, but we were reminded that earlier in 1999 he had expressed the same opinion that this was the proper interpretation of David Gant's message, long before 1/1/00. His opinion was not born out of disappointment but had come months earlier, based on his calendar understanding.

3. As soon as I hung up with Randy, I logged on and checked my e-mail. To my shock, there were two e-mails from people who had the same interpretation. So far -- three confirmations within only minutes.

4. Later that day I called David Gant to inform him, as an encouragement. David said that the previous night, the SAME night I prayed and asked for wisdom, he had done the same thing -- and got the same answer!!! I found all this absolutely amazing. It seemed to me that God was speaking THE SAME MESSAGE through four brothers ON THE SAME DAY.

5. On that day I also remembered testimony from a fellow who said the Holy Ghost had clearly spoken to him 2-3 times last year and said, "I am coming before the end of the century," and the fellow believed the interpretation was before the year 2001, not 2000.

6. If technically we are still in the 1,999th year, this means the messages of little boys Scottie and Kevin are still valid.

This also underscores the previously pointed-out importance of the current Jewish year 5760.

Again, judge and choose for yourself, but as for me, based on my prayer according to James 1:5-7 and the various confirmations the same day, this is my belief on which I stand, because I asked "in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord" (James 1:6-7).

Be encouraged, and guard your hearts. As we wait, no doubt God is testing us and revealing and exposing hearts. Some of the dross coming to the surface is very ugly and needs to be dealt with before Jesus comes. Thank God His grace has been extended. His ways and timing are always perfect. Let us be found faithful, loving and encouraging, and not condeming one another, nor blaming God for our own lack of understanding.

God bless you,

Jim