Hi Jim,

I'm writing this knowing just as if it were coming from my mouth, anything and everything will be shown on that day at the judgment seat of Christ. I'm rather comfortable sharing things with you since we seem to have kindred spirits. On the other hand, I'm sort of the 'Ensign Pulver' of my church. The less people see of or notice me, the better....

I'm not a doctor or a professional or anybody special, but I do have a cousin, Janet _______ who is a close friend of ________that can verify I did have a vision on Oct 23, 1998.  Janet is the only one I immediately notified. Lately, I've had confirmations that have led me to share it with the assistant pastor at our church. Much to my surprise, he said it confirmed what he has been feeling lately about the SOON coming of our Lord.

This morning, I was mulling over the 144,000 and how they fit in to the rapture picture, along with wondering if I should even bother writing to you about my vision. I had to get a new pair of glasses today and went to lenscrafters to get them. They have about four hundred individual trays that are used for individuals getting glasses, to be run through their assembly line. My tray number just happened to be #144. So I felt it was another sign to share this vision I had.

On Oct 23, 1998, I was glued to CNN watching the progress of the talks. Looking back, I remember how quickly Netanyahu and Arafat were rushed to Washington the previous few days for this to be put together and signed. As CNN went to commercial break, I got up to go to the kitchen. As I got up, the screen showed billowing black clouds with golden linings. These clouds were unique because most clouds with a light source behind them are dark in the middle, and get lighter as you look toward the outer edge. These were solid black with a pencil thin gold outline. The way the clouds went upward, I felt they were coming up from the horizon. Then a chorus started singing. I'm sure there were other verses to the song, but what stood out was "This is the final countdown"

As I walked past the TV, I figured this must be an ad for the upcoming launch of the Shuttle with John Glenn aboard, since the clouds reminded me of a shuttle launch. I had my back to the TV for maybe two seconds, still listening to the chorus and waiting for a 'voice-over', I turned to look for some writing on the screen to identify the 'commercial', but nothing showed. The music faded and other commercials came on. For the next few weeks, I kept checking CNN for that 'commercial', but never saw it again. I e-mailed Janet about the 'final countdown commercial', and stored the memory away. The next spring, I got a letter from Ron Reese talking about how he thought the Oct 23 date marked the beginning of the tribulation.

Like most pre-tribbers, I sort of pooh-poohed that idea since I felt we have to be gone at LEAST seven years. Then, soon after Ehud Barak took power, he made a speech to assure the Palestinians he would continue the 'peace' process......calling the confirmed covenant of Oct 23 "The Final Countdown". I got an immediate e-mail from Janet, to put it shortly, she said WOW! But I wasn't completely convinced it was a vision, partly because I was too timid to share it with others in my church, fearing what they might say, and partly because I was trained to think a certain way how the Tribulation will unfold. Over the months, I dug into the scriptures objectively, and now can see that the Tribulation, or time of sorrows just might be upon us.

I've been looking for those 'clouds' on TV ever since. I finally found them last week. As I said, they were very unique clouds, and I thought I'd never see them again. It was at the end of a PBS program. The camera panned over to the sunset. On the screen were some black clouds overhead but they tapered off like most clouds. Right on the horizon (This wasn't a vision) were those exact same clouds. Pure black, with pencil thin edges. The PBS program was about the Dead Sea and the search for Sodom and Gomorrah. The camera was pointed west, over the Dead Sea and looking at the horizon of Israel! Maybe that program will show in your neck of the woods soon. It was sort of like God telling me to get the word out.( Ez 3:17).

I suppose you can tell that I now agree with Ron Reese. My last reservation was Zola Levit's picture of the Jewish wedding where the bride goes into the groom's chamber for seven days. A couple days ago, I was listening to a radio program (Brian Broderson of Calvary Chapel in Southern Calif). He wasn't teaching anything about the rapture, but was teaching on Jesus' first miracle. He said the Jewish wedding feast lasted 2-7 days.   This finally made sense of 'On the third day'. What was John counting from? He just says; On the third day there was a wedding. It was obviously the third day of the wedding feast, and they had ran out of wine. So Jesus appeared on the third of the seven days....  

Anyway, we may be out of here by next week. As an old Air Force vet involved with top secret flights, I know the floating nature of a 'countdown'. A countdown can be stopped at any moment, then started again. A launch is targeted for a 'window' of opportunity. So I don't think we can put a finger on any one, or two days. I think we're definitely in that 'window'....

About the 144,000. Jesus had six (number of man) vessels filled. These vessels, I would guess, were filled with wine when the wedding feast began. Over the first two days (2000 years?) they were used up (The church raptured?). Jesus appears to instantaneously turn these vessels of water (A picture of man without the Holy Spirit) to vessels filled with new wine (Man filled with the Holy Spirit) Perhaps this is a picture of the rapture, and the appointment of the 144,000 not only on the 'Third Day' of the 2000 years, but the 'Third Day' of the wedding feast.