In studying the Feast of Pentecost, one of God’s Appointed Times (Mo’ed), it is becoming increasingly clear to me that this feast ties together so many loose ends for the church. What has started out as a single post is evolving into a series, through which I hope to bring you along on a fascinating journey of discovery! Pentecost – perhaps our “highest watch date”! This journey is still under construction, but with less than three days to go to Pentecost 2019, I thought I would share what I have so far with you.
If you will remember, the Feasts of God tell the redemption story of mankind. The Jewish men were required to make three pilgrimages per year to Jerusalem, to honor these feasts:
1. Early Spring Feasts (Passover / Firstfruits)
2. Late Spring Feast (Pentecost)
3. Fall Feasts (Tabernacles)
Interestingly, the first resurrection (for believers) also has 3 stages:
1. Firstfruits – Jesus and the “many saints”
2. (main resurrection / rapture event)
3. Tabernacles – the tribulation martyrs resurrected to rule during the millennial kingdom
Are you seeing the pattern I am?
While studying the Feast of Pentecost, I have been praying very earnestly for God to connect threads of scripture together for me. I believe He gave me Joel 2 and Hebrews 12 as two key passages. Through my studies, I believe that Pentecost can be scripturally connected with all of the following:
- The Rapture of the Church and the Resurrection of the Dead in Christ
- Dispensation Changes
- Covenant Confirmations
- The Removal of the Restrainer
- The Trump of God
- The Last Trump
- The Last Day
- The Start of the Day of the Lord
- The Gog/Magog Battle of Ezekiel 38-39
- The Beginning of Birth Pains (the Time of Jacob’s Trouble)
- The Blood Moon Sign
You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the Lord. You shall bring from your dwelling places two loaves of bread to be waved, made of two tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour, and they shall be baked with leaven, as firstfruits to the Lord. And you shall present with the bread seven lambs a year old without blemish, and one bull from the herd and two rams. They shall be a burnt offering to the Lord, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord. And you shall offer one male goat for a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old as a sacrifice of peace offerings. And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before the Lord, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the Lord for the priest. And you shall make a proclamation on the same day. You shall hold a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a statute forever in all your dwelling places throughout your generations.“And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.
The Late-Spring (sometimes called Summer) Feast – Pentecost – establishes the body of Christ on the earth through the coming of the Holy Spirit. Through Him we receive power and sealing until the day of our redemption. The Israelite males are required to come to Jerusalem for this appointed time.
The late Spring feast stands alone, in between the three (early) spring feasts and the three Fall feasts.
Calculation: Seven full weeks from the day after the weekly Sabbath following Passover (i.e., 7 full weeks from Firstfruits, a Sunday)
Shadow fulfillment: The giving of the Torah (law) at Sinai. This involved great displays of God’s power through thunderings, lightnings, clouds, and His reverberating voice.
Shadow fulfillment #2?: The giving of the Spirit of the Law – the Holy Spirit coming down at Pentecost to dwell within and seal the body of Christ.
The question is – has this feast been completely fulfilled? We noted that the shadow always points to the substance – who is Jesus Christ. Jesus sent His Spirit to the church for this age, and that has been looked at as the definitive fulfillment. However, Greg at A Little Strength has noted that the Holy Spirit isn’t actually Christ Himself (Sweet Hour of Prayer). Could it be that Jesus snatching his church on the day of Pentecost will be the ultimate fulfillment of this feast? I cannot say I have a prophetic answer for this, but this interpretation is worth considering.
Note how Pentecost/Shavuot seems to introduce new dispensations – first, the Dispensation of Law (Mosaic covenant), then the Dispensation of Grace (Spirit of the Law). Will it also introduce the interim dispensation of wrath (the Day of the Lord, commonly called the “Tribulation”, which seems to involve both Law and Grace)?
Let's continue our study of Pentecost more in depth.
Pentecost, also known as Shavuot or the Feast of Weeks, is one of God’s appointed times. These feast days clearly point to God’s redemption plan for humanity. We are currently in the “Summer Gap” between the Early Spring Feasts (Jesus’ Death and Resurrection – Suffering Servant) and the Fall Feasts (Jesus Second Coming in Power and Great Glory – King of Kings and Lord of Lords).
The first Pentecost, Shavuot, marked the giving of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai. In this way, it can be considered the “birthday” of Judaism. On the first celebration of this feast day after Jesus’ resurrection, the Holy Spirit was given to the body of Christ in power and as a seal for the coming day of redemption. Thus, Pentecost is also associated with the “birthday” of the Church.
The coming of the Holy Spirit upon all believers is unique to the church age. Whereas in the Old Covenant (Age of Law), the Holy Spirit came upon specific individuals such as the kings, prophets, and judges, the Holy Spirit in the New Covenant (Age of Grace) comes upon all believers at the moment of salvation to Seal them for the Day of Redemption.
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Hebrew4Christians describes the festival of Shavuot as “the culmination of the redemption, sometimes called Atzeret Pesach, or 'The Gathering of Passover'.” Culmination of redemption, and the gathering, hey? Brings to mind these verses:
Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him…
For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
It’s looking like Pentecost just may be the feast that marks the culmination of our redemption.
As we said, Shavuot is considered the day on which Judaism was born (the Age of Law). Pentecost is considered the day on which the Church was born (the Age of Grace). In this way, Pentecost has already marked the beginning and ending of several dispensations.
Will a future Pentecost mark another dispensation change?
God’s revelation and dealings with humanity can be broadly separated into “ages”. It is progressive in nature, as each “dispensation”, or “age”, unfolds into the next. This is the basis for Dispensational Theology. It’s not perfect, but it helps us grasp how God has progressively revealed Himself and His redemption plan to humanity.
Pentecost was the day on which the dispensation of Law began…and ended. Pentecost was the day on which the dispensation of Grace began…and will end??? Remember that when the church age ends, a new 7 year “dispensation” will begin that seems to involve both Law AND Grace (per Matthew 25, sheep and goats judgment). The tribulation saints will be responsible for remaining faithful without the sealing of the Holy Spirit in their hearts.
Enoch, a type for the gentile rapture, was reportedly “raptured” on his birthday at 365 years old. In the extra-biblical books (the Book of Enoch) it states that his birthday was on Pentecost. Will we be “raptured” on our birthday as well?
I have been fascinated by the way Peter quoted Joel 2 in Acts 2:16-21 – on the first Pentecost of the Church Age. Through this passage, I believe he defines the beginning and end of the church age for us. Peter affirms that the Holy Spirit coming at Pentecost was a partial fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy:
But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:
[start of church age]
“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
[church age]
And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
[end of church age]
Verses 17-18 mark the beginning of the church age. There is a “pregnant pause”, so to speak, between Verses 18 and 19. Verses 19-21 mark the end of the church age. It is clear why Peter quotes Joel 2:28-29 on Pentecost as fulfilling that part of Joel’s prophecy. The end of the Holy Spirit’s sealing ministry in the church will be marked by wonders in the heavens, signs on the earth, blood, fire, vapor of smoke, darkened sun, and a blood red moon. These events clearly did not occur on the first Pentecost, so why would Peter mention them in his sermon – on Pentecost? Could it be that he is announcing the future fulfillment of the remainder of Joel’s prophecy on some future Pentecost?
I believe that what Peter did NOT quote is just as important to study as what he DID quote, and for that we turn to Joel 2.
And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams,and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servantsin those days I will pour out my Spirit.
And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.
I believe Peter is clearly defining the ending of the church age for us, on Pentecost. That’s why he included verses 30-32a in his sermon, on Pentecost. I can think of no other reason why he would bother including verses 30-32a and leaving off 32b. He did NOT include verse 32b, because that part will be fulfilled at the second coming, during the Fall Feasts.
In the old testament, under the Old Covenant, God’s Holy Spirit dwelt among His people in the Holy of Holies first in the Tabernacle, then in the First Temple. I am not sure when God’s presence left, perhaps it was when the Temple was destroyed or when the Ark of the Covenant left? Regardless, His presence never did dwell in the Second Temple and neither did the Ark of the Covenant. I would suggest a connection between this Ark of the Covenant – a symbol of the Mosaic Covenant – and the Holy Spirit’s dwelling, but would have to research further.
When Jesus came to the earth, the fullness of God dwelt in Him (Colossians 2:9). When Jesus died for the sins of the world as the Lamb of God, the veil in the temple was torn in two. Jesus Himself became our high priest. No longer would the Spirit of God reside in the Holy of Holies in a building built by human hands. He would now come to reside within the hearts of individual believers, and this takes us once again to Pentecost.
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
The sealing of the Holy Spirit is the mark of being part of the New Covenant, at least in the church age. This time of special sealing is coming to an end, though, as the day of our redemption through the resurrection/rapture event draws near. The Holy Spirit will depart from the hearts of individual believers when the Restrainer is removed and the church is taken up into heaven in what we refer to as the “rapture”. There is only one possible identity of the Restrainer: The Holy Spirit residing within the true body of Christ.
There will then be a push to finally build that Third Temple.
Shavuot is the last of the Spring feasts. It concludes the Feast of Weeks, which begins at Firstfruits. This is kind of confusing, so here’s a diagram:
In Deuteronomy, the Israelites are told to “count the seven weeks from the time the sickle is first put to the standing grain” (Deut 16:9 ESV). Pentecost came exactly 7 weeks after the first harvest of barley. Hebrew4Christians states “The 49 day countdown to the holiday is called the “Sefirat Omer” – Counting of the Omer. Every day of the countdown a special blessing was recited naming exactly how many more days were left before the climactic 50th day – a Jubilee of days!”
Since the Feast of Firstfruits can vary by several days on the Hebrew calendar, Pentecost can also vary by several days. Firstfruits is determined by “the day after the Sabbath following Passover”. Seven full weeks later is Pentecost. Thus, the day of Pentecost is not easily determined until after Firstfruits has been established for that year. As we will see below, there is some variation in how the word “Sabbath” is applied in these day counts.
Interestingly, the Sadducees, Pharisees, and Karaites all had different methods of calculating the date on which Pentecost was to fall. If you have been following the discussions about whether or not the “Barley Was Abib”, then you have already been introduced to the Karaite version. Thus, it seems that Pentecost is also a contender, along with the Feast of Trumpets, for the “Feast of Unknown Day/Hour”. (When is Pentecost this year? Please see Chasing Pentecost 2019).
As we discussed previously, Shavuot is the feast that marks the giving of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai. This Law is regarded as the “Old Covenant”, or the “Mosaic Covenant”. It was given by God, agreed to by the Hebrew people, and was ratified by the blood of sacrifices as well as a covenant meal. Moses literally sprinkled the blood of the sacrifices upon the people to “cover them”.
When Jesus came, He fulfilled the Law and the Prophets and made a New Covenant in His blood.
“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah”. Jeremiah 31:31 ESV
When Jesus came, He made a new covenant, a better covenant, in His blood. Jesus fulfilled Jeremiah’s new covenant prophecy through His death and resurrection. It was given by God, agreed to by individual believers, and ratified by the blood of the ultimate sacrifice – Jesus Christ. Under the new covenant, we are covered by the blood of the Lamb – the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!
Jesus is the fulfillment of both the Law (the covenant of Moses) and the Prophets (the dispensation of the Law). A new covenant and dispensation (Grace/Church Age) began at His death and resurrection. The covenant meal that reminds us of this sacrifice is referred to as communion. Communion points us to when Jesus will return and complete the redemption of our bodies. It points to the consummation of our redemption, our wedding supper with Him!
For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Communion is meant to remind us that JESUS IS COMING BACK FOR US!!!!!!! Partake in communion joyfully, saints!
And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Again, Christ will appear a second time TO SAVE THOSE WHO ARE EAGERLY WAITING FOR HIM!
But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
Wow, just wow, guys. Mind blown. Read that last passage again and tell me if you see a clear picture of the rapture. We just read that the new covenant in Jesus’ blood will be completely fulfilled when we celebrate it with Him in heaven. The taking of communion – remembering Christ’s blood shed and body broken for us – is to remind us that He is coming back for us!!! He will appear a second time to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him!!! And now in Hebrews 12 we have a clear connection of this event to Pentecost.
My dear watchmen, how have we not seen this??? Is this not clearly a rapture passage? When is it that we will come to the heavenly Mount Zion and the city of the living God? When do we enter our chambers, the ones that Jesus has been preparing for us in the Heavenly Jerusalem? When will we attend a festal gathering? When will the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven assemble? Surely this is describing the rapture!
Ok, you are saying, I can see the rapture here, with our assembling together in heaven at the redemption of our bodies. But where does Pentecost fit in? For this we turn to the entire passage to ascertain context:
For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. For they could not endure the order that was given, 'If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.' Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, 'I tremble with fear.'
The passage starts out describing the giving of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai on what day? PENTECOST. It continues with no interruption:
But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
This is the rapture connection we have discussed above. And what follows? Keep going…
See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, 'Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.' This phrase, 'Yet once more,' indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.
Did you note the connection which confirms that the author is connecting the escaping at Mount Sinai and the escaping what is to come next? The author then describes a shaking of the heavens and the earth, to remove the powers from them in order to establish Jesus’ Kingdom that will never be shaken! We know that at the rapture there is an escape route, followed by a time of wrath on earth.
But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.
The giving of the Law on Mount Sinai was a somber and dramatic occasion, ON PENTECOST, which the author of Hebrews ties together with a future festal gathering in heaven as an escape, followed by a shaking of the heavens and the earth. Could this be a clue that this gathering will also occur on a future PENTECOST, followed by a time of tribulation on earth?
Just as God marked His arrival on Mount Sinai with a time of darkness upon the mountain, the Day of the Lord will be a time of great darkness over the whole earth. While the Day of the Lord and the Giving of the Law at Sinai obviously have very different intents and purposes, I want you to notice how God’s interactions with humanity invoke fear and terror in the hearts of man.
When praying for understanding the connections between Pentecost and the Day of the Lord several nights ago, the Lord brought to mind a song from when I was a kid in church:
I believe a key passage to understanding the connections between Pentecost, the Day of the Lord, the Ezekiel 38-39 war, and the rapture of the church is found in Joel Chapter 2.
Notice that a trumpet sounds in Zion before the Day of the Lord begins (Joel 2:1-2). The Day of the Lord follows, accompanied by darkness, clouds, gloom, and thick darkness. Note the assembly of the people, the bridegroom and the bride leaving their chambers. The bridegroom would leave His chamber, heaven, at the time of the opening of the skies to reveal Him. The bride would leave her earthly chambers to come join Him in the heavenly ones that He has prepared for her. We will speak more on this wedding in a future post!
Next, however, we need to examine this trumpet that is blown in Zion!
We want to examine which trumpet is blown in Zion in Joel 2:1-2. To examine this, first we’re going to back up a little bit and discuss another trumpet, and see if we can connect them. There has been a lot of confusion and controversy surrounding three little words – “The Last Trump”.
…in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
Is this “Last Trump” the last of the 7 Trumpet Judgments? Is this “Last Trump” the last trumpet sounded on the Feast of Trumpets? Is it the “Last Trump” of a Jubilee year on Yom Kippur? Is it the “Last Trump” sounded in a feast year on the mysterious Eighth Day after the Feast of Tabernacles? Or is the “Last Trump” something else? Could the “Last Trump” be the trumpet blast that is sounded in Mount Zion right before the Day of the Lord??? We will examine all these in this post.
A key passage is found in Numbers 10, which informs us that trumpets are involved in ALL the Feasts of God:
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Make two silver trumpets. Of hammered work you shall make them, and you shall use them for summoning the congregation and for breaking camp… On the day of your gladness also, and at your appointed feasts and at the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets [chatsotsrah, H2689] over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings. They shall be a reminder of you before your God: I am the Lord your God.
What we really want to know is which type of trumpet is the Last Trump???? Is the Last Trump a chatsotrsrah, that will sound on a Feast Day?
For this, we need to find out what kind of trumpet the First Trump was, and when it was sounded. I do not believe that the First and Last Trump will both be sounded at the rapture, because I believe the First Trump has already sounded – on Pentecost!
The very first mention in the Bible of a trumpet blast is found in Exodus chapter 19. You should be familiar with this chapter by now, as it records the very first Pentecost, when God came down to meet with Moses on Mount Sinai to give the 10 Commandments. More specifically, God instituted the Mosaic Covenant and the Dispensation of Law on this day. And He did so with the First Trump in scripture.
The First Trump was one long blast which summoned the entire congregation before Mount Sinai. It also sounded the very first Pentecost. So now let’s look, what kind of trumpet and blast is the Last Trump?
…in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet [salpigx, G4536]. For the trumpet [salpigx, G4536] will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet [salpigx, G4536] of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
We have to connect the Greek (New Testament) with the Hebrew (Old Testament). We know the Last Trump is a Salpigx:
Last Trump: G4536, salpigx (1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16)
How do we connect the salpigx to the Hebrew? Fortunately, Hebrews 12 gives us the answer:
For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet [salpingos, G4536] and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. For they could not endure the order that was given, 'If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.' Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, 'I tremble with fear.'
We now know that the Sinai Trump, the First Trump, is equivalent in meaning to the Last Trump. They are of the same kind:
Sinai Trump: G4536, salpingos (Hebrews 12:19)
So what exactly does the concordance have to say about a salpigx?
From HELPS Word-studies:
4536 sálpigks – “properly, a war-trumpet” (WS, 797) that boldly announces God’s victory (the vanquishing of His enemies).
In the OT, trumpets were used to called God’s people to war, and to announce victory wrought by Him. That is, a military clarion that proclaimed the Lord inspired and empowered the victory on behalf of His people.
The “Last Trump”, while also calling us to assembly on the Heavenly Mount Zion as we have studied in Hebrews 12 (the rapture), seems to primarily be a call to war.
Do you remember what Numbers 10 told us was one of the purposes of the silver trumpets, which seem to be used interchangeably with the ram’s horn shophar?
And when you go to war in your land against the adversary who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, that you may be remembered before the Lord your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies.
The sounding of the trumpets, when used in war, was to cause Israel to be remembered before the Lord their God in order that He should save them from their enemies. Does this sound shockingly familiar???
The sounding of the trumpets, when used in war, was to cause Israel to be remembered before the Lord their God in order that He should save them from their enemies. From Parts 9 & 10 of our study, it seems that the “Last Trump” that sounds at the time of the rapture is likely this battle cry of remembrance – for God to rise up and save Israel from destruction.
God has seemed conspicuously silent towards Israel for the last several thousand years, but in the near future God will break His silence in a specific war detailed in Ezekiel 38-39.
It’s impossible to overemphasize the significance that God Himself is arranging this war exactly according to His schedule. He will use Gog / Magog as a set-up for both Israel and the nations. It will be deliberately presented so that it can be interpreted by Israel as the final war (Battle of Armageddon). When God intervenes, Israel will look for the Messiah to inaugurate the Messianic Kingdom. A “messiah” will most certainly appear.
Will Israel accept or reject the ultimate false messianic figure?
As on earth, it is in heaven… I believe that the Last Trump will also initiate the greatest heavenly battle of all time. I believe that THIS is the “heavenly dragon sign” we have been watching for. I believe it will occur in conjunction with the rapture… as we go up, the angelic hosts go to war.
The Last Trump will not be sounded by humans. No matter what it is associated with – Feast of God, Battle Cry, Call to Assembly, or all of the above, the Last Trump is clearly sounded by God Himself. The “Last Trump” that will call us up to heaven is the trumpet voice of God Himself, issuing forth from the Heavenly Mount Zion just as it did at the First Trump on the earthly Mount Sinai. It will be a call for the body of Christ to assemble, a call for the angels to go to war, and a call for God to intervene on behalf of His people for the sake of His Holy Name.
(Under Construction: Pentecost Part 12 - Covenants Confirmed, Covenants Proclaimed)
We understand that the future resurrection/rapture event will occur prior to what is commonly known as the “7 Year Tribulation”, or the Time of Jacob’s Trouble. How could this possibly be considered the “Last Day”? Isn’t the “Last Day” of existence right before the eternal state, when the heavens and the earth are destroyed in preparation for the Great White Throne Judgment? It’s a great question!
The only references to the “Last Day” are found in the book of John. From these passages it is clear that the Last Day has to do with a resurrection to eternal life. This resurrection is specifically for believers. Each time Jesus mentions the “Last Day” it is sandwiched in between statements of eternal life. It is also strongly connected to Him being the bread of life – that whoever comes to Him shall not hunger and whoever believes in Him shall never thirst.
The “Last Day” is the Resurrection/Rapture event for believers. It marks the main harvest of the First Resurrection. Unbelievers won’t be resurrected until the end of the Millennial Kingdom, for the Great White Throne Judgment. So why does Jesus call it a “Last Day”? Why use such a confusing term? Well… There is a specific Day that the scriptures talk about hundreds of times. This Great Day will mark the end of humanity’s reign on earth, so one might refer to it as the Last Day of an era – The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord.
The resurrection/rapture on the Last Day marks the start of the Day of the Lord. The “Last Day” is the last possible day to get in on the major resurrection/rapture event, before the wrath of God is unleashed upon the earth and the world as we know it comes to a screeching halt.
(Under Construction - Pentecost Part 14 - The Harvest of the Church Pictured on Pentecost (Amos 8))
I’m a sola scriptura kind of gal, so I try not to include extrabiblical texts in my studies. I do peek into Jewish expectation at times, as I believe that end times prophecy revolves around Israel and the Hebrew people. Their expectations will play into how they respond to God’s call. For that reason, we are going to briefly peek into a Kabbalistic Jewish custom today regarding the Feast of Pentecost.
The custom is known as the Tikkun Leil Shavuot. The kabbalistic Jews stay up all night studying the Torah in preparation for the celebration of Shavuot (Pentecost). Included in this tradition is the belief that the skies open up for a brief moment during the night. Now, why do I include this mystical tradition in our study? I include it because we actually are anticipating the skies rolling back as a scroll!
When seal 6 is opened, the sky vanishes like a scroll that is being rolled up. This is the human perception of what is happening in the earth’s atmosphere and the universe. It seems that what is occurring here is that the Third Heaven (supernatural) is becoming visible and colliding with the First and Second Heavens (natural realm of atmosphere and space). The entire sky appears opened, allowing visibility into heaven – people on earth try to hide from what they see, which presumably is God on His throne (or some bright and terrifying supernatural scene). Note, it’s not a doorway or window that opens, it’s the entire sky – no pushing and shoving necessary, there will be plenty of room for everyone if this is the rapture. (Note my personal belief is that all 7 seals open at once, and then play out into the 70th week of Daniel. Thus, we are snatched "pre-tribulation" as great anguish is being poured upon the Earth.)
When studying Biblical teaching, I believe it is always important to read the source for yourself. Not just a verse or two, but the entire relevant passage. This will sharpen your discernment skills, as you examine the scriptures for yourself to see if these things are so. Because we are going to be discussing Pentecost in great detail over the next few posts, I encourage you to read through the following at least once. So with no further delay, here are the relevant passages describing the celebration of the Feast of Pentecost (Weeks):
On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai.
Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine;6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”7 So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. 8 All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.”
The Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments 11 and be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. 12 And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death. 13 No hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot; whether beast or man, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.” 14 So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people; and they washed their garments. 15 And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; do not go near a woman.”
16 On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. 17 Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. 18 Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. 19 And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. 20 The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
[10 Commandments Given]
18 Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off 19 and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” 20 Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” 21 The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.
[Additional commandments Given – the Law]
3 Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do.” 6 And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against the altar. 7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” 8 And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”
15 Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain.16 The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. 17 Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. 18 Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
“You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the Lord. You shall bring from your dwelling places two loaves of bread to be waved, made of two tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour, and they shall be baked with leaven, as firstfruits to the Lord. And you shall present with the bread seven lambs a year old without blemish, and one bull from the herd and two rams. They shall be a burnt offering to the Lord, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord. And you shall offer one male goat for a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old as a sacrifice of peace offerings. And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before the Lord, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the Lord for the priest. And you shall make a proclamation on the same day. You shall hold a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a statute forever in all your dwelling places throughout your generations. “And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.”
26 “On the day of the firstfruits, when you offer a grain offering of new grain to the Lord at your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, 27 but offer a burnt offering, with a pleasing aroma to the Lord: two bulls from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old; 28 also their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for each bull, two tenths for one ram, 29 a tenth for each of the seven lambs; 30 with one male goat, to make atonement for you. 31 Besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, you shall offer them and their drink offering. See that they are without blemish.
“You shall count seven weeks. Begin to count the seven weeks from the time the sickle is first put to the standing grain. 10 Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to the Lord your God with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as the Lord your God blesses you. 11 And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite who is within your towns, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are among you, at the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name dwell there. 12 You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt; and you shall be careful to observe these statutes.In studying the Feast of Pentecost, one of God’s Appointed Times (Mo’ed), it is becoming increasingly clear to me that this feast ties together so many loose ends for the church. What has started out as a single post is evolving into a series, through which I hope to bring you along on a fascinating journey of discovery! Pentecost – perhaps our “highest watch date”! This journey is still under construction, but with less than three days to go to Pentecost 2019, I thought I would share what I have so far with you.
If you will remember, the Feasts of God tell the redemption story of mankind. The Jewish men were required to make three pilgrimages per year to Jerusalem, to honor these feasts:
1. Early Spring Feasts (Passover / Firstfruits)
2. Late Spring Feast (Pentecost)
3. Fall Feasts (Tabernacles)
Interestingly, the first resurrection (for believers) also has 3 stages:
1. Firstfruits – Jesus and the “many saints”
2. (main resurrection / rapture event)
3. Tabernacles – the tribulation martyrs resurrected to rule during the millennial kingdom
Are you seeing the pattern I am?
While studying the Feast of Pentecost, I have been praying very earnestly for God to connect threads of scripture together for me. I believe He gave me Joel 2 and Hebrews 12 as two key passages. Through my studies, I believe that Pentecost can be scripturally connected with all of the following:
- The Rapture of the Church and the Resurrection of the Dead in Christ
- Dispensation Changes
- Covenant Confirmations
- The Removal of the Restrainer
- The Trump of God
- The Last Trump
- The Last Day
- The Start of the Day of the Lord
- The Gog/Magog Battle of Ezekiel 38-39
- The Beginning of Birth Pains (the Time of Jacob’s Trouble)
- The Blood Moon Sign
You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the Lord. You shall bring from your dwelling places two loaves of bread to be waved, made of two tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour, and they shall be baked with leaven, as firstfruits to the Lord. And you shall present with the bread seven lambs a year old without blemish, and one bull from the herd and two rams. They shall be a burnt offering to the Lord, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord. And you shall offer one male goat for a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old as a sacrifice of peace offerings. And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before the Lord, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the Lord for the priest. And you shall make a proclamation on the same day. You shall hold a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a statute forever in all your dwelling places throughout your generations.“And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.
The Late-Spring (sometimes called Summer) Feast – Pentecost – establishes the body of Christ on the earth through the coming of the Holy Spirit. Through Him we receive power and sealing until the day of our redemption. The Israelite males are required to come to Jerusalem for this appointed time.
The late Spring feast stands alone, in between the three (early) spring feasts and the three Fall feasts.
Calculation: Seven full weeks from the day after the weekly Sabbath following Passover (i.e., 7 full weeks from Firstfruits, a Sunday)
Shadow fulfillment: The giving of the Torah (law) at Sinai. This involved great displays of God’s power through thunderings, lightnings, clouds, and His reverberating voice.
Shadow fulfillment #2?: The giving of the Spirit of the Law – the Holy Spirit coming down at Pentecost to dwell within and seal the body of Christ.
The question is – has this feast been completely fulfilled? We noted that the shadow always points to the substance – who is Jesus Christ. Jesus sent His Spirit to the church for this age, and that has been looked at as the definitive fulfillment. However, Greg at A Little Strength has noted that the Holy Spirit isn’t actually Christ Himself (Sweet Hour of Prayer). Could it be that Jesus snatching his church on the day of Pentecost will be the ultimate fulfillment of this feast? I cannot say I have a prophetic answer for this, but this interpretation is worth considering.
Note how Pentecost/Shavuot seems to introduce new dispensations – first, the Dispensation of Law (Mosaic covenant), then the Dispensation of Grace (Spirit of the Law). Will it also introduce the interim dispensation of wrath (the Day of the Lord, commonly called the “Tribulation”, which seems to involve both Law and Grace)?
Let's continue our study of Pentecost more in depth.
Pentecost, also known as Shavuot or the Feast of Weeks, is one of God’s appointed times. These feast days clearly point to God’s redemption plan for humanity. We are currently in the “Summer Gap” between the Early Spring Feasts (Jesus’ Death and Resurrection – Suffering Servant) and the Fall Feasts (Jesus Second Coming in Power and Great Glory – King of Kings and Lord of Lords).
The first Pentecost, Shavuot, marked the giving of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai. In this way, it can be considered the “birthday” of Judaism. On the first celebration of this feast day after Jesus’ resurrection, the Holy Spirit was given to the body of Christ in power and as a seal for the coming day of redemption. Thus, Pentecost is also associated with the “birthday” of the Church.
The coming of the Holy Spirit upon all believers is unique to the church age. Whereas in the Old Covenant (Age of Law), the Holy Spirit came upon specific individuals such as the kings, prophets, and judges, the Holy Spirit in the New Covenant (Age of Grace) comes upon all believers at the moment of salvation to Seal them for the Day of Redemption.
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Hebrew4Christians describes the festival of Shavuot as “the culmination of the redemption, sometimes called Atzeret Pesach, or 'The Gathering of Passover'.” Culmination of redemption, and the gathering, hey? Brings to mind these verses:
Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him…
For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
It’s looking like Pentecost just may be the feast that marks the culmination of our redemption.
As we said, Shavuot is considered the day on which Judaism was born (the Age of Law). Pentecost is considered the day on which the Church was born (the Age of Grace). In this way, Pentecost has already marked the beginning and ending of several dispensations.
Will a future Pentecost mark another dispensation change?
God’s revelation and dealings with humanity can be broadly separated into “ages”. It is progressive in nature, as each “dispensation”, or “age”, unfolds into the next. This is the basis for Dispensational Theology. It’s not perfect, but it helps us grasp how God has progressively revealed Himself and His redemption plan to humanity.
Pentecost was the day on which the dispensation of Law began…and ended. Pentecost was the day on which the dispensation of Grace began…and will end??? Remember that when the church age ends, a new 7 year “dispensation” will begin that seems to involve both Law AND Grace (per Matthew 25, sheep and goats judgment). The tribulation saints will be responsible for remaining faithful without the sealing of the Holy Spirit in their hearts.
Enoch, a type for the gentile rapture, was reportedly “raptured” on his birthday at 365 years old. In the extra-biblical books (the Book of Enoch) it states that his birthday was on Pentecost. Will we be “raptured” on our birthday as well?
I have been fascinated by the way Peter quoted Joel 2 in Acts 2:16-21 – on the first Pentecost of the Church Age. Through this passage, I believe he defines the beginning and end of the church age for us. Peter affirms that the Holy Spirit coming at Pentecost was a partial fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy:
But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:
[start of church age]
“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
[church age]
And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
[end of church age]
Verses 17-18 mark the beginning of the church age. There is a “pregnant pause”, so to speak, between Verses 18 and 19. Verses 19-21 mark the end of the church age. It is clear why Peter quotes Joel 2:28-29 on Pentecost as fulfilling that part of Joel’s prophecy. The end of the Holy Spirit’s sealing ministry in the church will be marked by wonders in the heavens, signs on the earth, blood, fire, vapor of smoke, darkened sun, and a blood red moon. These events clearly did not occur on the first Pentecost, so why would Peter mention them in his sermon – on Pentecost? Could it be that he is announcing the future fulfillment of the remainder of Joel’s prophecy on some future Pentecost?
I believe that what Peter did NOT quote is just as important to study as what he DID quote, and for that we turn to Joel 2.
And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams,and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servantsin those days I will pour out my Spirit.
And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.
I believe Peter is clearly defining the ending of the church age for us, on Pentecost. That’s why he included verses 30-32a in his sermon, on Pentecost. I can think of no other reason why he would bother including verses 30-32a and leaving off 32b. He did NOT include verse 32b, because that part will be fulfilled at the second coming, during the Fall Feasts.
In the old testament, under the Old Covenant, God’s Holy Spirit dwelt among His people in the Holy of Holies first in the Tabernacle, then in the First Temple. I am not sure when God’s presence left, perhaps it was when the Temple was destroyed or when the Ark of the Covenant left? Regardless, His presence never did dwell in the Second Temple and neither did the Ark of the Covenant. I would suggest a connection between this Ark of the Covenant – a symbol of the Mosaic Covenant – and the Holy Spirit’s dwelling, but would have to research further.
When Jesus came to the earth, the fullness of God dwelt in Him (Colossians 2:9). When Jesus died for the sins of the world as the Lamb of God, the veil in the temple was torn in two. Jesus Himself became our high priest. No longer would the Spirit of God reside in the Holy of Holies in a building built by human hands. He would now come to reside within the hearts of individual believers, and this takes us once again to Pentecost.
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
The sealing of the Holy Spirit is the mark of being part of the New Covenant, at least in the church age. This time of special sealing is coming to an end, though, as the day of our redemption through the resurrection/rapture event draws near. The Holy Spirit will depart from the hearts of individual believers when the Restrainer is removed and the church is taken up into heaven in what we refer to as the “rapture”. There is only one possible identity of the Restrainer: The Holy Spirit residing within the true body of Christ.
There will then be a push to finally build that Third Temple.
Shavuot is the last of the Spring feasts. It concludes the Feast of Weeks, which begins at Firstfruits. This is kind of confusing, so here’s a diagram:
In Deuteronomy, the Israelites are told to “count the seven weeks from the time the sickle is first put to the standing grain” (Deut 16:9 ESV). Pentecost came exactly 7 weeks after the first harvest of barley. Hebrew4Christians states “The 49 day countdown to the holiday is called the “Sefirat Omer” – Counting of the Omer. Every day of the countdown a special blessing was recited naming exactly how many more days were left before the climactic 50th day – a Jubilee of days!”
Since the Feast of Firstfruits can vary by several days on the Hebrew calendar, Pentecost can also vary by several days. Firstfruits is determined by “the day after the Sabbath following Passover”. Seven full weeks later is Pentecost. Thus, the day of Pentecost is not easily determined until after Firstfruits has been established for that year. As we will see below, there is some variation in how the word “Sabbath” is applied in these day counts.
Interestingly, the Sadducees, Pharisees, and Karaites all had different methods of calculating the date on which Pentecost was to fall. If you have been following the discussions about whether or not the “Barley Was Abib”, then you have already been introduced to the Karaite version. Thus, it seems that Pentecost is also a contender, along with the Feast of Trumpets, for the “Feast of Unknown Day/Hour”. (When is Pentecost this year? Please see Chasing Pentecost 2019).
As we discussed previously, Shavuot is the feast that marks the giving of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai. This Law is regarded as the “Old Covenant”, or the “Mosaic Covenant”. It was given by God, agreed to by the Hebrew people, and was ratified by the blood of sacrifices as well as a covenant meal. Moses literally sprinkled the blood of the sacrifices upon the people to “cover them”.
When Jesus came, He fulfilled the Law and the Prophets and made a New Covenant in His blood.
“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah”. Jeremiah 31:31 ESV
When Jesus came, He made a new covenant, a better covenant, in His blood. Jesus fulfilled Jeremiah’s new covenant prophecy through His death and resurrection. It was given by God, agreed to by individual believers, and ratified by the blood of the ultimate sacrifice – Jesus Christ. Under the new covenant, we are covered by the blood of the Lamb – the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!
Jesus is the fulfillment of both the Law (the covenant of Moses) and the Prophets (the dispensation of the Law). A new covenant and dispensation (Grace/Church Age) began at His death and resurrection. The covenant meal that reminds us of this sacrifice is referred to as communion. Communion points us to when Jesus will return and complete the redemption of our bodies. It points to the consummation of our redemption, our wedding supper with Him!
For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Communion is meant to remind us that JESUS IS COMING BACK FOR US!!!!!!! Partake in communion joyfully, saints!
And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Again, Christ will appear a second time TO SAVE THOSE WHO ARE EAGERLY WAITING FOR HIM!
But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
Wow, just wow, guys. Mind blown. Read that last passage again and tell me if you see a clear picture of the rapture. We just read that the new covenant in Jesus’ blood will be completely fulfilled when we celebrate it with Him in heaven. The taking of communion – remembering Christ’s blood shed and body broken for us – is to remind us that He is coming back for us!!! He will appear a second time to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him!!! And now in Hebrews 12 we have a clear connection of this event to Pentecost.
My dear watchmen, how have we not seen this??? Is this not clearly a rapture passage? When is it that we will come to the heavenly Mount Zion and the city of the living God? When do we enter our chambers, the ones that Jesus has been preparing for us in the Heavenly Jerusalem? When will we attend a festal gathering? When will the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven assemble? Surely this is describing the rapture!
Ok, you are saying, I can see the rapture here, with our assembling together in heaven at the redemption of our bodies. But where does Pentecost fit in? For this we turn to the entire passage to ascertain context:
For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. For they could not endure the order that was given, 'If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.' Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, 'I tremble with fear.'
The passage starts out describing the giving of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai on what day? PENTECOST. It continues with no interruption:
But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
This is the rapture connection we have discussed above. And what follows? Keep going…
See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, 'Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.' This phrase, 'Yet once more,' indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.
Did you note the connection which confirms that the author is connecting the escaping at Mount Sinai and the escaping what is to come next? The author then describes a shaking of the heavens and the earth, to remove the powers from them in order to establish Jesus’ Kingdom that will never be shaken! We know that at the rapture there is an escape route, followed by a time of wrath on earth.
But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.
The giving of the Law on Mount Sinai was a somber and dramatic occasion, ON PENTECOST, which the author of Hebrews ties together with a future festal gathering in heaven as an escape, followed by a shaking of the heavens and the earth. Could this be a clue that this gathering will also occur on a future PENTECOST, followed by a time of tribulation on earth?
Just as God marked His arrival on Mount Sinai with a time of darkness upon the mountain, the Day of the Lord will be a time of great darkness over the whole earth. While the Day of the Lord and the Giving of the Law at Sinai obviously have very different intents and purposes, I want you to notice how God’s interactions with humanity invoke fear and terror in the hearts of man.
When praying for understanding the connections between Pentecost and the Day of the Lord several nights ago, the Lord brought to mind a song from when I was a kid in church:
I believe a key passage to understanding the connections between Pentecost, the Day of the Lord, the Ezekiel 38-39 war, and the rapture of the church is found in Joel Chapter 2.
Notice that a trumpet sounds in Zion before the Day of the Lord begins (Joel 2:1-2). The Day of the Lord follows, accompanied by darkness, clouds, gloom, and thick darkness. Note the assembly of the people, the bridegroom and the bride leaving their chambers. The bridegroom would leave His chamber, heaven, at the time of the opening of the skies to reveal Him. The bride would leave her earthly chambers to come join Him in the heavenly ones that He has prepared for her. We will speak more on this wedding in a future post!
Next, however, we need to examine this trumpet that is blown in Zion!
We want to examine which trumpet is blown in Zion in Joel 2:1-2. To examine this, first we’re going to back up a little bit and discuss another trumpet, and see if we can connect them. There has been a lot of confusion and controversy surrounding three little words – “The Last Trump”.
…in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
Is this “Last Trump” the last of the 7 Trumpet Judgments? Is this “Last Trump” the last trumpet sounded on the Feast of Trumpets? Is it the “Last Trump” of a Jubilee year on Yom Kippur? Is it the “Last Trump” sounded in a feast year on the mysterious Eighth Day after the Feast of Tabernacles? Or is the “Last Trump” something else? Could the “Last Trump” be the trumpet blast that is sounded in Mount Zion right before the Day of the Lord??? We will examine all these in this post.
A key passage is found in Numbers 10, which informs us that trumpets are involved in ALL the Feasts of God:
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Make two silver trumpets. Of hammered work you shall make them, and you shall use them for summoning the congregation and for breaking camp… On the day of your gladness also, and at your appointed feasts and at the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets [chatsotsrah, H2689] over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings. They shall be a reminder of you before your God: I am the Lord your God.
What we really want to know is which type of trumpet is the Last Trump???? Is the Last Trump a chatsotrsrah, that will sound on a Feast Day?
For this, we need to find out what kind of trumpet the First Trump was, and when it was sounded. I do not believe that the First and Last Trump will both be sounded at the rapture, because I believe the First Trump has already sounded – on Pentecost!
The very first mention in the Bible of a trumpet blast is found in Exodus chapter 19. You should be familiar with this chapter by now, as it records the very first Pentecost, when God came down to meet with Moses on Mount Sinai to give the 10 Commandments. More specifically, God instituted the Mosaic Covenant and the Dispensation of Law on this day. And He did so with the First Trump in scripture.
The First Trump was one long blast which summoned the entire congregation before Mount Sinai. It also sounded the very first Pentecost. So now let’s look, what kind of trumpet and blast is the Last Trump?
…in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet [salpigx, G4536]. For the trumpet [salpigx, G4536] will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet [salpigx, G4536] of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
We have to connect the Greek (New Testament) with the Hebrew (Old Testament). We know the Last Trump is a Salpigx:
Last Trump: G4536, salpigx (1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16)
How do we connect the salpigx to the Hebrew? Fortunately, Hebrews 12 gives us the answer:
For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet [salpingos, G4536] and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. For they could not endure the order that was given, 'If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.' Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, 'I tremble with fear.'
We now know that the Sinai Trump, the First Trump, is equivalent in meaning to the Last Trump. They are of the same kind:
Sinai Trump: G4536, salpingos (Hebrews 12:19)
So what exactly does the concordance have to say about a salpigx?
From HELPS Word-studies:
4536 sálpigks – “properly, a war-trumpet” (WS, 797) that boldly announces God’s victory (the vanquishing of His enemies).
In the OT, trumpets were used to called God’s people to war, and to announce victory wrought by Him. That is, a military clarion that proclaimed the Lord inspired and empowered the victory on behalf of His people.
The “Last Trump”, while also calling us to assembly on the Heavenly Mount Zion as we have studied in Hebrews 12 (the rapture), seems to primarily be a call to war.
Do you remember what Numbers 10 told us was one of the purposes of the silver trumpets, which seem to be used interchangeably with the ram’s horn shophar?
And when you go to war in your land against the adversary who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, that you may be remembered before the Lord your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies.
The sounding of the trumpets, when used in war, was to cause Israel to be remembered before the Lord their God in order that He should save them from their enemies. Does this sound shockingly familiar???
The sounding of the trumpets, when used in war, was to cause Israel to be remembered before the Lord their God in order that He should save them from their enemies. From Parts 9 & 10 of our study, it seems that the “Last Trump” that sounds at the time of the rapture is likely this battle cry of remembrance – for God to rise up and save Israel from destruction.
God has seemed conspicuously silent towards Israel for the last several thousand years, but in the near future God will break His silence in a specific war detailed in Ezekiel 38-39.
It’s impossible to overemphasize the significance that God Himself is arranging this war exactly according to His schedule. He will use Gog / Magog as a set-up for both Israel and the nations. It will be deliberately presented so that it can be interpreted by Israel as the final war (Battle of Armageddon). When God intervenes, Israel will look for the Messiah to inaugurate the Messianic Kingdom. A “messiah” will most certainly appear.
Will Israel accept or reject the ultimate false messianic figure?
As on earth, it is in heaven… I believe that the Last Trump will also initiate the greatest heavenly battle of all time. I believe that THIS is the “heavenly dragon sign” we have been watching for. I believe it will occur in conjunction with the rapture… as we go up, the angelic hosts go to war.
The Last Trump will not be sounded by humans. No matter what it is associated with – Feast of God, Battle Cry, Call to Assembly, or all of the above, the Last Trump is clearly sounded by God Himself. The “Last Trump” that will call us up to heaven is the trumpet voice of God Himself, issuing forth from the Heavenly Mount Zion just as it did at the First Trump on the earthly Mount Sinai. It will be a call for the body of Christ to assemble, a call for the angels to go to war, and a call for God to intervene on behalf of His people for the sake of His Holy Name.
(Under Construction: Pentecost Part 12 - Covenants Confirmed, Covenants Proclaimed)
We understand that the future resurrection/rapture event will occur prior to what is commonly known as the “7 Year Tribulation”, or the Time of Jacob’s Trouble. How could this possibly be considered the “Last Day”? Isn’t the “Last Day” of existence right before the eternal state, when the heavens and the earth are destroyed in preparation for the Great White Throne Judgment? It’s a great question!
The only references to the “Last Day” are found in the book of John. From these passages it is clear that the Last Day has to do with a resurrection to eternal life. This resurrection is specifically for believers. Each time Jesus mentions the “Last Day” it is sandwiched in between statements of eternal life. It is also strongly connected to Him being the bread of life – that whoever comes to Him shall not hunger and whoever believes in Him shall never thirst.
The “Last Day” is the Resurrection/Rapture event for believers. It marks the main harvest of the First Resurrection. Unbelievers won’t be resurrected until the end of the Millennial Kingdom, for the Great White Throne Judgment. So why does Jesus call it a “Last Day”? Why use such a confusing term? Well… There is a specific Day that the scriptures talk about hundreds of times. This Great Day will mark the end of humanity’s reign on earth, so one might refer to it as the Last Day of an era – The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord.
The resurrection/rapture on the Last Day marks the start of the Day of the Lord. The “Last Day” is the last possible day to get in on the major resurrection/rapture event, before the wrath of God is unleashed upon the earth and the world as we know it comes to a screeching halt.
(Under Construction - Pentecost Part 14 - The Harvest of the Church Pictured on Pentecost (Amos 8))
I’m a sola scriptura kind of gal, so I try not to include extrabiblical texts in my studies. I do peek into Jewish expectation at times, as I believe that end times prophecy revolves around Israel and the Hebrew people. Their expectations will play into how they respond to God’s call. For that reason, we are going to briefly peek into a Kabbalistic Jewish custom today regarding the Feast of Pentecost.
The custom is known as the Tikkun Leil Shavuot. The kabbalistic Jews stay up all night studying the Torah in preparation for the celebration of Shavuot (Pentecost). Included in this tradition is the belief that the skies open up for a brief moment during the night. Now, why do I include this mystical tradition in our study? I include it because we actually are anticipating the skies rolling back as a scroll!
When seal 6 is opened, the sky vanishes like a scroll that is being rolled up. This is the human perception of what is happening in the earth’s atmosphere and the universe. It seems that what is occurring here is that the Third Heaven (supernatural) is becoming visible and colliding with the First and Second Heavens (natural realm of atmosphere and space). The entire sky appears opened, allowing visibility into heaven – people on earth try to hide from what they see, which presumably is God on His throne (or some bright and terrifying supernatural scene). Note, it’s not a doorway or window that opens, it’s the entire sky – no pushing and shoving necessary, there will be plenty of room for everyone if this is the rapture. (Note my personal belief is that all 7 seals open at once, and then play out into the 70th week of Daniel. Thus, we are snatched "pre-tribulation" as great anguish is being poured upon the Earth.)
When studying Biblical teaching, I believe it is always important to read the source for yourself. Not just a verse or two, but the entire relevant passage. This will sharpen your discernment skills, as you examine the scriptures for yourself to see if these things are so. Because we are going to be discussing Pentecost in great detail over the next few posts, I encourage you to read through the following at least once. So with no further delay, here are the relevant passages describing the celebration of the Feast of Pentecost (Weeks):
On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai.
Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine;6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”7 So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. 8 All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.”
The Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments 11 and be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. 12 And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death. 13 No hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot; whether beast or man, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.” 14 So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people; and they washed their garments. 15 And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; do not go near a woman.”
16 On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. 17 Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. 18 Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. 19 And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. 20 The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
[10 Commandments Given]
18 Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off 19 and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” 20 Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” 21 The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.
[Additional commandments Given – the Law]
3 Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do.” 6 And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against the altar. 7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” 8 And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”
15 Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain.16 The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. 17 Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. 18 Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
“You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the Lord. You shall bring from your dwelling places two loaves of bread to be waved, made of two tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour, and they shall be baked with leaven, as firstfruits to the Lord. And you shall present with the bread seven lambs a year old without blemish, and one bull from the herd and two rams. They shall be a burnt offering to the Lord, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord. And you shall offer one male goat for a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old as a sacrifice of peace offerings. And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before the Lord, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the Lord for the priest. And you shall make a proclamation on the same day. You shall hold a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a statute forever in all your dwelling places throughout your generations. “And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.”
26 “On the day of the firstfruits, when you offer a grain offering of new grain to the Lord at your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, 27 but offer a burnt offering, with a pleasing aroma to the Lord: two bulls from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old; 28 also their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for each bull, two tenths for one ram, 29 a tenth for each of the seven lambs; 30 with one male goat, to make atonement for you. 31 Besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, you shall offer them and their drink offering. See that they are without blemish.
“You shall count seven weeks. Begin to count the seven weeks from the time the sickle is first put to the standing grain. 10 Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to the Lord your God with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as the Lord your God blesses you. 11 And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite who is within your towns, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are among you, at the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name dwell there. 12 You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt; and you shall be careful to observe these statutes.
The most urgent prophecies in the Bible are directed at God’s Spirit-begotten people. Why? Because eternal life is on the line. If they rebel and fail to repent of their sin, they will lose the opportunity to live forever in God’s Family.
A few have asked, “What is so bad about being dead for all eternity?” Looking at it physically, it isn’t that bad at all. But if you look at it spiritually, it’s catastrophic! It’s like turning away from a pile of precious jewels to a pile of dung. But even that comparison is inadequate to explain the firstfruits being called to marry Christ and then obscenely rejecting that invitation!
I hope to help you see just how utterly fantastic the firstfruits’ calling really is.
“Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations” (Ezekiel 16:1-2). God says the Ezekiel watchman must cause Jerusalem to know her abominations. In the end time, there is a work warning physical and spiritual Israel.
Jerusalem is a type of national Israel. But there is also a Jerusalem above, “the mother of us all,” which is the Church (see Galatians 4:26). In Ezekiel 16, God’s primary focus is on Jerusalem above—the end-time Church of God. God’s Church receives truth from Jerusalem above. This is probably one of the most inspiring chapters in the Bible! Of course it also applies generally to national Israel. However, the main focus is on a wife who has broken her marriage vows.
Ezekiel 16 is discussing two marriages: first, an Old Covenant marriage with ancient Israel; second, a New Covenant marriage with God’s Church today. The main focus is on the New Covenant marriage. There are two Israels—physical and spiritual. The ancient Israelites should have kept the letter of God’s law, but failed. They didn’t have God’s Holy Spirit, as spiritual Israel, God’s Church, does today, so they could not have kept God’s law spiritually. However, God’s Church today should keep the spirit of God’s law.
“Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou becamest mine” (Ezekiel 16:8). The expression “spread my skirt over thee” is a sign of marriage.
The best explanation of that expression is in Ruth 3:8-11. Ruth met Boaz at the time of the firstfruit harvest in Israel, and that meeting culminated in a marriage on the day of Pentecost. That day of Pentecost pictures Christ marrying His wife—who is to help Him rule the world. The marriage of Boaz and Ruth was a type of Christ’s marriage to the Church. “I spread my skirt over thee” also means that God protects His wife as any good husband should, if His wife is loyal.
God’s loyal people who are in this marriage relationship are protected by Christ from the Great Tribulation—in His “skirts”! Remember Ezekiel 5, where, in the midst of the threefold destruction of Israel, God will take a few and bind them in His skirts (verses 1-3). God will protect His loyal Philadelphians. Those who aren’t protected (verse 4) will be cast into the fire. The Laodiceans are not bound in God’s skirts. They have rebelled against God and must also be punished in the Great Tribulation to get them to repent.
To be bound in God’s skirts is God’s coded way of saying the Philadelphians grasp the marriage covenant with God and the Laodiceans don’t! The Laodicean Church has lost sight of this mind-staggering future as Christ’s wife.
In Ezekiel 16:8, God says you became mine—you became my wife. That happened to only two groups: ancient Israel, and the firstfruits called before Christ returns. Both groups became Christ’s wife by entering into a marriage covenant. However, the book of Ezekiel was written after God’s marriage to ancient Israel.
“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” (Revelation 19:7). Christ’s wife must be ready when He returns. We are now to be preparing for that fabulous marriage—which Christ looks upon as already being consummated! That’s why we are called His “wife”—not His fiancée. We must think about this marriage as our Husband does! It is extremely urgent that we get ready to be Christ’s wife for all eternity! This is the most exalted reward ever offered to any human being at any time!
At baptism, the firstfruits make a marriage covenant to obey God and be born again as Christ’s wife. This far transcends the marriage covenant He made with the physical nation of Israel! Ours is a special marriage covenant available only to the firstfruits.
Fine Linen
“Then washed I thee with water; yea, I thoroughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil” (Ezekiel 16:9). Water and oil are types of God’s Holy Spirit, which applies only to His marriage to the firstfruits. Ancient Israel and the nations of Israel today never received God’s Holy Spirit.
“I clothed thee also with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers’ skin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk” (verse 10). Fine linen is an inspiring expression. Exodus 39:27 shows that Aaron and his sons—the highest level of priests in the tabernacle—were the ones who wore fine linen. Of course, national Israel failed as a kingdom of priests for God.
The highest level of priests for God in the World Tomorrow will be Christ’s wife! His wife has the responsibility to be king-priests forever—for all eternity! That is our calling today. This is why we must be tried and tested. This is the highest calling God has to offer! We can’t stumble into this responsibility. “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 saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. …” (Revelation 19:7-9).
Since this is an end-time prophecy, the “fine linen” applies to our righteousness today. God is clothing His Bride with the fine linen of righteousness!
Our biggest challenge is to let God’s Holy Spirit expand our minds to comprehend this magnificent calling!
Christ’s Bride is now making herself ready. This is the ultimate calling God will ever give to any human being! How can we become lukewarm about such a majestic opportunity?
The Bride’s Beauty
“I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck. And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head” (Ezekiel 16:11-12). A crown was put upon her head. The crown indicates she is a queen—Christ’s own royal wife! She has all the finery of the bridal adornment! This lady is going to rule with Christ!
“Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom” (verse 13). This is history and prophecy. Ancient Israel prospered into a kingdom, but still failed God. The Church of God today and all of the firstfruits are the Kingdom of God in embryo—to be born again as the Kingdom of God! Rejecting this incredible firstfruit calling is the real tragedy of turning away from God, not merely dying for all eternity. It’s the missed opportunity that is so terribly sad.
Some Laodiceans think God will give them this mind-splitting reward if they just stay in a church! A church is not our husband—Christ is! We must learn to follow Him wherever He goes.
“And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord God” (verse 14). This applies far more to Christ’s spiritual Bride. God’s perfect comeliness, or character, comes through His Holy Spirit—through letting Christ live in us (Philippians 2:5). Conversion is thinking like God and becoming godly—ultimately to be born into His Family! That comes only through God’s righteousness in us.
There is a serious problem though. God sets a very high standard to prepare us for this fabulous future. The sad part is, many of God’s people fail to live up to His standard.
Christ’s Bride Today
“But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by …” (Ezekiel 16:15). The word fornications should be translated adultery! This is a higher level of sin. Ancient Israel was married to God. True Christians are married to Christ today. If we turn away from God to another god—as the end-time Laodiceans have done—it is adultery!
Remember, this is prophecy for today. Only God’s firstfruits can commit adultery in this end time, because only they are married to Christ.
Bible translators don’t understand about God’s marriage and God’s Family. That’s why they use the word fornications instead of adultery.
We are not officially married to Christ until He returns. We must prove ourselves before Christ marries us, under the New Covenant. (That was not the case under the Old Covenant.) However, God already looks upon the Church today as His wife. Revelation 19:7 says “his wife hath made herself ready.” It doesn’t read “His bride-to-be has made herself ready.” The time frame here is just before our marriage to Christ. This verse alone reveals Christ’s thinking. This lady was His wife while she was getting ready for the marriage. This is what God’s Word says. We must believe it. That is how we walk by faith. God still looks upon us as Christ’s wife, and if we do as He says, that is our destiny. He sees our covenant and marriage to Him as already consummated—even when that technically is not true. But God’s part of the covenant is absolute and is as good as consummated because He is God.
Of course, God’s part of the covenant is absolutely assured. But we must be tested first.
“… God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were” (Romans 4:17). That is why Christ calls us His wife—even though the marriage itself will not actually be official until the marriage supper is celebrated (Revelation 19:7-9). John 6:47 states that he who believes on Christ “hath everlasting life.” Do you have eternal life now? Technically no. But God still looks upon His people as already having eternal life. That’s because we do—if we uphold our part of the covenant. At the same time, many other scriptures indicate that we don’t now have salvation.
The sin in Ezekiel 16:15 is called adultery in the Hebrew. Why? As I have said, ancient Israel had already been in captivity for over 100 years when Ezekiel prophesied to the Jews. Yet the book of Ezekiel is to Israel. So it has to be to an end-time Israel. Many scriptures say this message is to the end-time nations of Israel. Yet end-time physical Israel has never been married to Christ. Only the Church is—as Christ views it. The primary meaning in this verse could only apply to God’s Church.
God views the marriage as already consummated. That is why He labels our turning away from Him as adultery.
Revelation 19:7 and Ezekiel 16:15 reveal how God views our calling now. This is why we can view this marriage as already consummated and yet to be consummated. All too often, we view this marriage humanly. We need to view it through God’s Holy Spirit. God views the marriage through perfect character. God made a covenant. It is as good as done. By labeling His people as His wife, God is teaching us to build His character and think as He does. When God says He will do something, it is always done. He never breaks a covenant. So when we are engaged to Christ, it’s the same as a marriage. A covenant to be married is the same as a marriage—the way God views it. With God’s Spirit we should view it the same way.
However, there is the human element. We can fail and never be a part of that wedding. The lesson God is trying to teach is that a covenant is a promise to keep your word. And our word should be fulfilled, if we manifest the character of God. Our word should never be broken. So God judges us on the basis of our promise, or our covenant. At baptism we said we would marry Christ and meet all the covenant conditions. So God judges us on the basis of our word, or covenant, to become His wife. Once we actually become His wife, we cannot commit adultery, because we’ll be God—members of the God Family—and God cannot sin. Viewing it spiritually, we can commit adultery only during the engagement period.
Carnal-minded men can’t grasp the magnitude of our reward. It takes the Holy Spirit of God to grasp what God is offering His firstfruits! The Laodiceans have lost this marriage and Family of God concept because they are spiritually blind. This is the greatest mistake they or anyone on Earth can make today! God says this adulterous sin is no “small matter” (Ezekiel 16:20). We know that many of them will wake up before or during the Tribulation. But why must they be so rebellious that they allow Satan to turn them away from their most noble, majestic crown?
We must not forget who we are! Christ is our Husband. The firstfruits are His Bride—forever! Satan wants to blur or destroy that wonderful, most inspiring vision! We must not let him do so.
INTRODUCTION: Weddings can be a spectacular affair. Thousands of dollars are spent trying to produce a perfect moment in time that will join a couple together in marital bliss. The bride is dressed in her pure white wedding dress, the groom stands nervously at the front of the church. It is a special moment in the lives of those two individuals and for the people who know and love them. Weddings, here on earth, are a special thing! It is sad that a spectacular wedding does not assure a successful marriage. I have preformed some really nice weddings and within a few years the couple is divorced.
Most couples are looking for a marriage that will last and make the couple happy! It is referred to as a "marriage made in heaven." Well, I just want you to know that while some marriages may have been made in heaven, they still have to be lived out here on earth. That, in itself, makes them all less than perfect.
There is a marriage that is always 100% successful. It is an eternal marriage, made not between a man and a woman, but between the one would believers and receives Jesus Christ as their Savior. Matthew 12:25 tells us that there is no marriage in heaven and believers are like the angels who have no marriage relationship. But there will be a bride in heaven and that bride will be believers who by faith were saved by the grace of God and who the Bible says are the Bride and Body of Jesus Christ.
Today, we come to an event in the future when Jesus will receive His bride. It will happen after the BEMA judgment and it will involve all of God's children who have been saved since Acts 2 and the Day of Pentecost. This event is commonly referred to as The Marriage Super Of The Lamb. It will be a time of great joy for all the redeemed people of God! You see, for those saved in this the Church Age, the end times shape up like this:
In the Rapture, we will be Caught Up; at the BEMA Judgment Seat of Christ, we will be rewarded; and at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, we will be Given the special place God has for us!
My desire in preaching this sermon is to help those who are saved understand that there are some blessed days ahead for the people of God. Sometimes we get so caught up in the events of today....we forget the future God has for us.
I also want those who do not know the Lord to know that they need to get ready to meet the Lord. He is coming and He will take His people to Heaven and we will forever be with Him.
But, He will only take His people! The rest will be left behind to endure the Tribulation and face terrible time when God will pour His wrath out upon the earth. I would like to say that we will deal with the Tribulation in some detail in a later message, but we want you to know...that God's purpose in the Tribulation is two fold....One to bring millions of people to be saved and the second to purge the earth of sinner who refuse to receive Him as their Savior.
To understand this we must understand the marriage customs of the Jews in Jesus' day.
I. The Four Stages of a Jewish Wedding.
- A. The Betrothal
- The betrothal was binding and could only be undone by a divorce with proper grounds, such as the bride being found not to be pure, (see Joseph and Mary - Matt 1 v18-19 ) The young man prepared a Ketubah, (Kit to bah) or marriage contract (or covenant) which he presented to the intended bride and her father. Included in this was the " Bride Price ", which was appropriate in that society to compensate the young woman's parents for the cost of raising her, as well as being an expression of his love for her.
- To see if the proposal was accepted, the young man would pour a cup of wine for his beloved and wait to see if she drank it. This cup represents a blood covenant. If she drank the cup she would have accepted the proposal and they would be betrothed. The young man would then give gifts to his beloved, and then take his leave. The young woman would have to wait for him to return and collect her.
- Before leaving the young man would announce, " I am going to prepare a place for you ", and "I will return for you when it is ready". The usual practice was for the young man to return to his father's house and build a honeymoon room there. This is what is symbolized by the Chuppah or canopy which is characteristic of Jewish weddings. He was not allowed to skimp on the work and had to get his father's approval before he could consider it ready for his bride. If asked the date of his wedding he would have to reply, "Only my father knows." Typically it would be a year before he came for his bride.
Meanwhile the bride would be making herself ready so that she would be pure and beautiful for her bridegroom. During this time she would wear a veil when she went, out to show she was spoken for (she has been bought with a price)
- When the wedding chamber was ready the bridegroom could collect his bride. He could do this at any time so the bride would make special arrangements. It was the custom for a bride to keep a lamp, her veil and her other things beside her bed. Her bridesmaids were also waiting and had to have oil ready for their lamps.
When the groom and his friends got close to the bride's house they would give a shout and blow a shofar to let her know to be ready.
When the wedding party arrived at father's house the newly weds went into the wedding chamber for a seven day honeymoon and the groom's best friend stood outside waiting for the groom to tell him that the marriage had been consummated
Then all the friends really started celebrating for the seven days that the couple were honeymooning. When the couple emerged there would be much congratulation and the Marriage Supper could begin.
- A. Betrothal pictures salvation. Like the Jewish marriage custom the betrothal begins with a contract presented by the Bridegroom.
- 1. Jesus Christ is the Bridegroom and He presents to all men His contract of salvation and He pays the price. The price for the redemption of bride was His suffering and sacrifice on the Cross.
- 1 John 2:2 "And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." Propitiation means full payment.
Matt. 26:28 "For this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." This covenant was not the one He made with Israel, but a new covenant made with those who would believe in Him in this age.
Hebrews 8:6 explains this covenant. " But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises."
2. To Israel God promised the coming of the Messiah and the Messiah's kingdom where Israel would be a peace and prosper. He promised them they would finally have the land that he gave to Abraham that extends from the Nile river in the south to the Euphrates in the north.
3. To believers saved in the Church Age Jesus has promised something much better.
4. The Gospel is God's proclamation of the this new covenant. Jesus further revealed this New Testament or covenant when He gave us the Lord's Supper:
- 1 Corinthians 11:25 "After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me."
- 1. We are saved just like people in the Old Testament which was by faith in God's revealed promises. They looked in faith to the coming of the Messiah Jesus Christ and we look back on the finished work of Christ and the cross where Jesus paid the sins of the world....past, present and future.
2. The New Testament is not a new way to be saved, but a new promise in what our salvation would bring. We become the body and Bride of Christ. We have a special close relationship with Him now and in eternity. There is no relationship closer than that of a husband and wife.
- 1 Corinthians 12:12-14 explains this saying "For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many."
Ephesians 4:12 also states this: "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ."
- 1. Galatians 3:22 tells us: "But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe."
2. Writing to the Ephesians Paul tells them and us of this promise. Here he says we are sealed...with the holy Spirit of promise. Ephesians 1:13-14 "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
- A. There would be no wedding if the bride did not respond to the offer of marriage. The bride would be offered a cup of red wine.
- 1. The young man would pour a cup of wine for his perspective bride. This clearly symbolizes Jesus' blood that He poured out for our sins. Once again we go to the Lord's Supper to see this truth.
- Jesus said as recorded by Matthew 26:28 "For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."
Luke makes it even clearer, " Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you." (Luke 22:20)
In other words all the bride has to do is accept the proposal of marriage.
- John 1:12 "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name."
When a person by faith receives Jesus Christ as their Savior it is a picture of the bride accepting the proposal of the Bridegroom.
- 1. John 14:1-3 record the very words spoken by the Bridegroom to His bride.
- John 14:1-3 "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."
3. Notice that He promises to come again and receive her unto Himself, that where the Bridegroom is so will be the bride.
4. The proposal of marriage is made to the Father, the bride accepts the proposal and officially the couple is betrothed. The bride is now "sanctified" or set apart to her husband. The only way to break the covenant was divorce and the only grounds for divorce was that the bride, had deceived the bridegroom and was not pure.
- We see the example of this when Joseph found out that Mary was with child. Matthew 1:19 says, " Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily." To "put her away" meant to divorce here.
Yet, in the marriage of a believer to Jesus Christ there can be no divorce, because the only grounds of divorce, which is impurity....is completely removed by Jesus Christ. The believer is forgiven of all their sins and given eternal life.
- Today the Chuppah is a canopy placed at the Father's house under which the couple stand and the marriage vows are stated. In Bible times it was the home that the bridegroom prepared for his bride in his father's home.
If someone would ask the Bridegroom when was the day of the wedding he would reply "Only Father knows."
- A. At the proper time appointed by the bridegroom's father a messenger would be sent to announce the bridegroom's coming and the bridegroom taking his wife.
B. The bride not knowing when the bridegroom would come was to keep herself ready at all times.
- 1. In Matthew 25 Jesus gave the parable of the ten virgins who were called to a marriage supper. These virgins when the heard the Bridegroom was coming would go to meet him and light the way with their lamps.
- The groom, best man and other male escorts would leave the groom's father's house and conduct a torch light procession to the home of the bride.
The groom's arrival would be preceded by a shout. This shout would forewarn the bride to be prepared for the coming of the groom. The guests would be invited to the wedding. In the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, Israel is the invited guest to the ceremony and feast.
The bride would be adorned in her "wedding garments."
3. Shortly after arrival the bride and groom would be escorted by the other members of the wedding party to the bridal chamber (chuppah). Prior to entering the chamber the bride remained veiled so that no one could see her face. While the grooms men and bridesmaids would wait outside, the bride and groom would enter the bridal chamber alone.
- The marriage takes place in heaven when Jesus takes believers to be with Him in the Rapture.
The marriage supper takes place after the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus and the invited guests are Old Testament and the Tribulation saints. The marriage supper takes place in the Millennium, the one thousand year reign of the Lord Jesus on the earth.
It will be a glorious time for those who have believed and accepted the Bridegroom the Lord Jesus Christ.
What a wonderful thing it will be to have this special relationship and place of service to the Lord throughout eternity.
Like the biblical marriage the wife is to be the help meet of her husband. In her special relationship she has the privilege to serve Him. The bride is a joy to the bridegroom and she is an honor to him.
Could I ask you a question? Will you be there...will you accept the Lord's proposal of salvation and thereby assure you place in heaven and experience for all eternity the blessings and inheritance of the Lord Jesus.
Will you allow Him to wash you white as snow, forgiving your sins and giving you eternal life.
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment