God's Annual Holy Days were set
up to be associated with the
Spring and Fall harvests in the Middle East. God used the crop harvest to help people better understand His plan of salvation, which is literally a plan to harvest human beings into the Kingdom of God.
God used the spring and summer harvests to help explain His plan as it pictures the latter day salvation of human kind. Revelation 20 plainly shows that there will be at least two resurrections just as there are two harvests (spring and fall harvests).
(Revelation 20:4-6) "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. THIS IS THE FIRST RESURRECTION. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."
The final harvest of human beings, which is equated to the Fall harvest, is symbolized by those who are in the RESURRECTION AFTER THE MILLENNIUM, as pictured in Revelation 20:6. When we compare the scriptures of Revelation 20 with Ezekiel 37, 38 & 39, we get a picture of a huge resurrection of human beings which will occur after the 1000 years of the Millennium. (Revelation 20:6-15)
This particular article deals with the resurrection of the FIRSTFRUITS, which is the ultimate meaning for the Holy Day known as PENTECOST, or the Feast of Firstfruits.
According to Leviticus 23, God assigns a specific day of the month to each of the Holy Days, with the exception of Pentecost. God instructs His people to "COUNT 50," which is what Pentecost means, DAYS from the day that the WAVE SHEAF OFFERING is made.
(Leviticus 23:15-16) "And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD."
Plainly, it shows that you must first count seven Sabbaths after the time of the Wave Sheaf, which would be 49 days, and the very next day after the seventh Sabbath, which is Sunday, is the 50th day. Clearly, the Day of Pentecost, according to verse 16, is the DAY AFTER THE SEVENTH SABBATH. The only Sabbath after the Days of Unleavened Bread and at the beginning of summer, is a WEEKLY SABBATH; therefore, the only day after the weekly Sabbath has to be the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK. This also proves that the Wave Sheaf Offering is also made on the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK following a weekly Sabbath.
When was the Wave Sheaf Offering? Of course, it will be around the time of the Days of Unleavened Bread, but it could follow shortly after the Days of Unleavened Bread. The count begins on the Wave Sheaf, but we have another clue as to when to start the count found in Deuteronomy 16:9,
"Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee; begin to number the seven weeks from such time as thou beginnest to put the sickle to the corn."
You know they would not have cut the grain (WORK) on a Holy Day. So, if the first Day of Unleavened Bread falls on a Sunday, then you cannot start the count until the next Sunday as is the case this year. This year, the Wave Sheaf was on April 27th and Firstfruits/Pentecost will be on June 15th.
Putting aside the argument as to how to count to Pentecost, we will turn our attention to the much more important aspect of Pentecost, which is its REAL MEANING.
ETERNAL LIFE
FIRST GIVEN According to Christ's instructions, His disciples were to remain in Jerusalem until the Day of Pentecost.
(Acts 1:4-5), "And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence."
Christ plainly indicated that God would place His Holy Spirit within all the disciples soon after He was taken up into the heavens to reclaim his seat at the right hand of God.
RECEIVING GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT is tantamount to giving a truly, converted person ETERNAL LIFE. A person who possesses God's Holy Spirit possesses, within himself, God's power which gives him eternal life. Granted, we have only a portion of God's Spirit at this time, but notice that God chose Pentecost to extend His Holy Spirit to all human beings who qualify (placing it IN THEM, not just WITH THEM), which gives power over ETERNAL DEATH and the right to be called CHILDREN OF GOD. To indicate Christ's disciples had the Holy Spirit, we read in Acts 2:1-4,
"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting… And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit…"
THE DOWN PAYMENT Receiving a small portion of God's Holy Spirit in this physical life is like receiving a down payment, or a token payment, as proof that ultimately we will receive the WHOLE PAYMENT of God's Spirit at the time of our resurrection. I Corinthians 15 describes for us the pattern by which God intends to change us from corruptible, mortal human beings to incorruptible, God-like spirit beings at the resurrection.
(Verses 20-23, 42-46) "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming." (Verses 42-46, "So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual."
You can plainly see, from these scriptures, that Paul is showing us how Christ set the pattern for our CHANGE by His resurrection from the dead. In I Thessalonians 4, Paul encourages us not to be overwrought at the death of a person who has a measure of God's Spirit.
(Verse 13-17) "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent [PRECEDE] them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."
These scriptures show that we, who have God's Holy Spirit, recognize that physical death is nothing more than putting off the mortal, corruptible flesh in preparation for the time when we will be resurrected to our glorified, God-like, spirit bodies at a specified time in our future.
GATHERING THE FIRSTFRUITS
Just as the late spring and early summer harvest is a time of gathering the firstfruits of the year, so does Pentecost also picture a gathering of God's FIRSTFRUITS — those who have been impregnated with God's Spirit and are awaiting to become like Christ, the firstfruits of the FIRST RESURRECTION mentioned in Revelation 20. The ceremony performed by the high priest on the Day of Pentecost has very significant meaning for us and we should understand how it applies to us. You will notice, in the picture, the high priest is holding two baked loaves of LEAVENED bread above his head. Bible commentaries indicate that he waved these loaves above his head to and fro toward the heavens. These TWO LOAVES OF BREAD represent human beings who have God's Spirit and, on the resurrection day, are presented to God. Originally, this act of offering the wave sheaf indicated that Christ would be presented to God after His resurrection, just as we will at our resurrection.
John 20 shows this in verses 16-17, "Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God."
In this case, Christ told Mary Magdalene that He would be presented to the Father as the very FIRST of the FIRSTFRUITS to be RESURRECTED FROM THE DEAD, as mentioned by Paul in I Corinthians 15:23,
"But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming."
Christ symbolically set the PATTERN when He, as the Wave Sheaf was offered to God as the first of the firstfruits; we are represented symbolically as the two leavened loaves of bread offered up to God as a finished product (the resurrected saints at the end of this age). These loaves represent the human beings God has chosen to receive ETERNAL LIFE.
THE MARRIAGE OF THE LAMB
Traditional Christianity teaches that the reward of the saved is eternal life in heaven. Nowhere does the Bible teach that the reward of the saved is heaven. The proponents of the RAPTURE believe that God's people will be taken into the heavens to be protected from the ravages of the Great Tribulation. This, too, is a false teaching which cannot be supported by clear and concise Biblical scripture. The concept of God's people being raptured off the planet to escape the Great Tribulation disagrees with the teaching in Psalm 91:5-7,
"Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked." Also, in Matthew 24:21-22, "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened."
However, the Bible DOES TEACH that Christians will RECEIVE A REWARD which will be PRESENTED to the FIRSTFRUITS, while they are IN HEAVEN for a period of time!! BELIEVE IT OR NOT, the action of the high priest waving the two loaves of bread toward the heavens on the Day of Pentecost/the Feast of Firstfruits helps us to understand the significance of this Holy Day and the PATTERN by which God will inaugurate us as kings and priests in His new government.
When you compare the symbolism of what the high priest did, by waving the two loaves of bread, with what is specifically indicated in Exodus 34:26, you notice that God says the firstfruits shall be BROUGHT to HIM in His HOUSE.
"The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring unto the house of the LORD thy God."
Since God's temple is now in heaven, God was showing us, through the symbology of waving the loaves of bread to the heavens, that we too will be brought up into the heavens at His throne immediately after our resurrection.
(I Thessalonians 4:17) "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." WHEN IS THE FIRST RESURRECTION?
The Book of Revelation is full of catastrophic events through which humankind will be suffering during the SEVEN YEARS of the Beast Power and ultimately the 3-1/2 years (last half of the seven years) which Christ refers to in Matthew 24:21 as the Great Tribulation,
"For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be."
This Great Tribulation time period will correspond to the same period mentioned in Revelation 11:2.
"But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months."
Notice, a time period of 42 months is equal to 3-1/2 years or 1260 days (prophetic). This is the time when the Gentile, Beast Government extends its rule ALL OVER THE WORLD to bring about a horrible time which Christ called "The Great Tribulation."
It is also the time when God raises up His TWO WITNESSES to testify against the evils of the Babylonian-style governments.
(Revelation 11:3), "And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth."
NOTICE, this is the same as 42 MONTHS or THREE and ONE-HALF YEARS.
At the end of their mission, (verse 7) they will be killed and their bodies will be left in the street THREE and ONE-HALF DAYS (verse 11). At that time, (verse 12) they will be RESURRECTED, not to physical life, but to the spiritual life. THIS IS THE FIRST RESURRECTION! Notice what God says to these two witnesses in verse 12,
"COME UP HITHER... And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud and their enemies beheld them."
Verse 14 indicates that this is the ENDING of the SECOND WOE and now the THIRD WOE BEGINS, which is the LAST TRUMPET (ANGEL) to sound. These two witnesses are not resurrected before the rest of the dead, BUT AT THE SAME TIME AS THE OTHER DEAD SAINTS; and slightly before those true Christians still living who are changed from physical to spiritual and will ascend together with the resurrected dead. (I Thessalonians 4:15) Verse 17 indicates that we will rise in the air, through the clouds, JUST AS CHRIST DID, when He was brought up to heaven, just before Pentecost of Acts 2. And, as these two witnesses rise at their resurrection, it is the RESURRECTION OF ALL THE FIRSTFRUITS — God's True People!
The next logical question is, "Why are these people resurrected and brought up to heaven?" The answer is found in the first miracle that Christ worked to begin His ministry and several of His parables, as well as Revelation 19.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF WEDDING FEASTS The traditional Jewish marriage, during the time of Christ, helps us to understand the pattern by which God intends to bring the FIRSTFRUITS into the Kingdom. When a marriage was agreed upon, the groom began to prepare a home in which to bring his new bride. Sometimes, this could take months or years in preparation. Once the house was prepared, the groom would travel to the house of the BRIDE, WHERE HE would proclaim his joy as he was about to receive the BRIDE from the bride's parents. Then, the ENTIRE PARTY would TRAVEL BACK TO THE HOUSE OF THE GROOM to begin a great marriage feast. The party would include the groom's friends (groomsmen) and the friends of the bride (bridesmaids) who had been preparing the bride for this great event. This was the case when Christ and His mother attended the Marriage Feast at Cana (John 2:1). Later on, Christ likened our coming into the Kingdom of God unto a marriage feast.
(Matthew 22:2-14), "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son…"
The parable of the Foolish Virgins is also dealing with the Marriage ceremony.
(Matthew 25:1-13), "Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish…"
Once again, it shows that the GROOM BRINGS the BRIDE to HIS DWELLING PLACE FOR THE CEREMONY, rather than the groom going to the bride's house for the ceremony. Now, when you consider these illustrations in these parables showing us that the BRIDE WILL JOURNEY TO THE LOCATION OF THE GROOM FOR THE MARRIAGE SUPPER, this gives meaning to Revelation 19.
As you read this chapter, notice that it is devoted to GLORIFYING GOD and His great Work of REDEEMING THE FIRSTFRUITS from the grips of MORTALITY and making them IMMORTAL at the Marriage of the Lamb to the Bride before the VERY THRONE OF GOD, in HEAVEN. The first verse indicates that many people making up the firstfruits will be there to attend the WEDDING FEAST when God's CHURCH marries Jesus Christ, the LAMB OF GOD.
(Verses 7-9), "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God."
This Marriage Feast, which will take place in HEAVEN, differs from the marriage between a male and female. In this case, we are all the SONS OF GOD and the consummation is the reward that God gives us for our faithful service and obedience to Him.
Unlike the marriage between human beings, this EVENT requires that all attendees are BORN AGAIN into the FAMILY OF GOD, as the Sons of God, just as Jesus Christ is a Son of God. (See Matthew 22:11-13) The wedding garment He refers to is God's Holy Spirit. Unless you have God's Holy Spirit, you cannot qualify to be BORN AGAIN and enter into CHRIST'S WEDDING FEAST.
After the ceremony has been completed and during the time of the SEVEN LAST PLAGUES of the SEVENTH TRUMPET, we will receive our FINAL INSTRUCTIONS and the necessary information to RETURN WITH JESUS CHRIST as the conquering armies mentioned in Revelation 19:14.
The Day of Pentecost/The Feast of Firstfruits clearly represents the Resurrection of the Firstfruits and those TWO LOAVES OF BREAD that the high priest waved over his head represent God's People being presented to God in FINE LINEN ROBES, CLEAN AND WHITE; the fine linen is the "righteousness of the saints" made possible through the BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST. Christ set the pattern, as pictured by the Wave Sheaf, which was the first day of the 50 DAY COUNTDOWN to the DAY OF PENTECOST.
The Day of Pentecost represents the fact that God makes His Holy Spirit available to those whom He is calling and choosing and, through His Spirit, extending ETERNAL LIFE. Those who have God's Spirit indwelling, even though they may die a mortal death, have a GUARANTEE of ETERNAL LIFE as they will be part of the first resurrection. They will be presented to Jesus Christ and God the Father at the Marriage Supper and the REWARDS OF THE KINGDOM will be bestowed on them as the Bride of Christ.
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God's Annual Holy Days for Christians, You may order it on our web page. |