So my poor senior aged cat (17 years) suddenly developed seizures, which the vet thinks has been caused by a brain tumor. This is very bad for kitty because she gets severe neurological damage from the seizures. She is on sedatives to control, and after several days, she achieved a good level of recovery from the damage that occurred. Thank you, Jesus.

I was at the grocery store a few weeks back and I thought, "While I am here, why don't I just refill her meds?" At that time I learned it was on the controlled list, so I would have to stick to a strict refill schedule. So I asked the pharmacist to write down the date it would be OK to refill so as not to forget.

Today was refill day, and again I asked the pharmacist to write the refill date on the new bottle. She exclaimed "It's July 26! That's my birthday!" I answered, "Oh really? That's the day some Christians are saying is going to be the rapture!" She seemed quite pleased about that.

So what is so special about 7/26? For one thing, that date this year is the Jewish feast of new wine. Now it just happens that the feast of new wine is the day that the Holy Spirit was given to the disciples:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+2&version=AKJV

The disciples, filled with the Holy Spirit, rushed out into the street and began praising God in various languages. The men in the street said, "These men [the disciples] are full of new wine." But Peter answered and said, "Ye men of Judæa, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: 15 for these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day."

The third hour would have been 9 am. This was the hour when the high priest would have been pouring out the offering of new wine, which was made from the first grape harvest. No one was allowed to drink this new wine until after this ritual was performed. So the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the Church at the same time as the high priest was pouring out the new wine, similarly to how Christ was being sacrificed at the same time the people were slaughtering their Passover lamb. The new wine in connection with the giving of the Holy Spirit is not a well known teaching.

So now we get to 7/26 of 2023. 726 in Strong's Concordance means "rapture." There are prophecy students who are convinced the resurrection/rapture will take place this year, and they are watching July 26.

Now I am not personally completely convinced this date this year will be the appearing of Christ in the clouds, but I do look up quite a bit hoping it will be soon. In fact, some months ago I had a chat with a man at the store register, and we expressed some disappointment that Trump had not yet come to rescue us, and he said, "We'll just have to wait for Jesus in the sky," to which I nodded.

Will the date come and go without drama? We'll just have to wait and see. If Christ does appear, I won't be crying.

"I tell you, I will never again drink this wine until the day I drink the new wine with you in my Father's Kingdom." Matthew 26:29