Greetings in Christ, John, (namesake of the beloved apostle),Attached are my thoughts on the Lord's coming: Pentecost or Feast of Trumpets?
I am hoping I can get some more ideas relating to this from those beautiful souls who populate the Doves site.......
YSIC Arlene
RE: PENTECOST? OR ROSH HASHANA?There are so many good posts at Five Doves; I find it a place of meat rather than milk, (although I still love that milk….) and here I find so many who are diligently seeking out “His coming….” in the way Daniel became aware of the time of Israel’s soon release, and his diligence in seeking out the times of his people. And look what the Lord above gave to him ! So, keep up the good work all of you.
I like to spur you all on to thought so that I might learn much myself in your responses. I believe that our Lord will return on one of the feast days, just like He fulfilled Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, and Pentecost---to the day, hour and minute set forth by God as “set times”, that is, appointments, or “rehearsals”.
A good review of the feasts is: URL. http://www.fortunecity.com/meltingpot/nicaragua/1105/biblestudy.html
also: scroll to end for additional chapters:
http://www.shalom-crmi.org/html/seven1.html
Should the Lord return in the year 2005, then we should look at the two feasts approaching us as possibilities. I believe that only the Lord Himself could have fulfilled Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits, and that the church does not qualify to fulfill these. That leaves Pentecost (summer) or the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) (fall) , as relating to either the church, or Israel. I am open-minded to either of these, but starting with Yom Kippur and Feast of Tabernacles (fall), I see too much of Israel in these, as Yom Kippur (Feast of Attonement), is when they (the Jews) “look upon Him and mourn (attone)”.
So today, I will set down my thoughts about the first of these (Pentecost), and try to rattle out of my popcorn brain, those things which may apply to Pentecost, that is, I believe this year to be somewhere around June 13-14, as relating to us (the church).
Starting with THE SEASON:
1. In the Days of Noah, they were buying/selling/planting/building right up UNTIL THE DAY, that Noah entered the ark thereby being spared the flood that surprised those who “knew not”…………OK, planting is done in the spring/summer, and marrying is done in the spring/summer, and building is most advantageously done in the spring/summer. Had Noah entered the ark in the autumn, He may have said “harvesting the fruit”, etc., as the fruit of Israel is harvested in the autumn.
2. Jesus said about the fig tree: “when you see the tender branch putting forth leaves, you know that SUMMER is near”. We have seen that this application can refer to the 38 years of Israel’s refusal to take the temple mount in l967. But we might also look at the very year that the Lord may come, and apply it there also. It has been in the news of late that a Sanhedrin has been established, and now in the news there is talk of building the temple. Could this be the “early spring” tender branches of Israel putting forth the leaves of coming spiritual fruitfulness? If we see these things in early spring, then we should look for SUMMER for Him to be at the door, not autumn……
3. The Jews read the book of Ruth at Pentecost. This is the story of the daughter-in-law of Naomi, who was redeemed by her kinsman redeemer, Boaz, (a type of Christ); he then married her. (type of the bride of Christ). The setting is “after the barley harvest”, and in fact during the harvest of the wheat, for Boaz was asleep on the “threshing floor” when Ruth laid at his feet. Ruth had been gleaning in Boaz’s field and he took affectionate note of her. We (the church), glean also in the field of Christ i.e.(“the field is the world”). Boaz went to the gate and in front of “witnesses” was found worthy to redeem Ruth’s land and take her as his bride. In the same way, Christ appears before the 24 elders in heaven (book of Revelation), and is found “worthy” to open the scroll, the scroll (title deed) of judgment and redemption, which will also include a bride for Him, the bride of Christ.
John the baptizer said of Christ:
Matthew 3:12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thorughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
The first spring crop is barley. This is the firstfruits of the planting season, which were offered up to God at the festival of Firstfruits. (Christ’s resurrection). The next crop is wheat. The church is the wheat. We are a “kind” of firstfruits according to James:
Jas 1:18 -
Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Pentecost is a festival of thankfulness of the wheat crop, and looks forward to the autumn harvest of fruit. As can be seen:
Ex 34:22 -
And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks (Pentecost), of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year's end.
Above we can see that Pentecost celebrates the wheat harvest, and the year’s end harvest represents the ingathering of the fruit. This is why there is so much relative to “fruit” as regards Israel (figs, grapes, winepress, etc.,), in the book of Revelation after the church is taken out, that is, the wheat. Therefore, Israel = fruit. The church = wheat. Jesus said, “see it is but four months to the harvest – the fields are white…..” This is referring to the wheat fields. Perhaps some of you who are good at working out numbers/times could look into this. Jesus referred to His body as “bread broken for us”, and this bread is made of wheat. We are “the body of Christ”, therefore we are “part of the bread, or wheat loaves.” The deciples recognized Him after He broke bread with them. We also recognize Him when we break bread with Him. In fact, if we do not recognize the body of Christ when we take communion we will become sick, and weak…., and may even die.
1 Corinthians 11:27-34
27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation F39 to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. 33 Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. 34 And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. F40 And the rest will I set in order when I come.
4. Next type of the rapture is the Song of Solomon. “Come my love and RISE UP and fly away with me…..” This love song is written suggesting the spring/summer season. The turtle dove is back in the land, the grapes are just beginning to show their fruit…..this whole love song is about the love and expectancy of the church waiting to be freed into His love, into His arms, and also His love for us. There are some aspects of Israel in the Song of Solomon, but it is a very difficult scripture to figure out, despite the many commentaries.
Moving right along,,,
5. Paul himself “hasted” that he might be in Jerusalem for Pentecost. Why does Paul only mention this particular feast?
Ac 20:16 -
For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost.
6. The man with the infirmity of 38 years was healed on Pentecost. People would not have been laying around the pool at Bethesda in the “autumn”. Most commentators put this event at the Pentecost feast. that Enoch, who was raptured, was born at the time which would have been the later Pentecost, and that he also was raptured at the this time also. Enoch is a type of church, who started on Pentecost, and will be raptured.
8. “Voices” and trumpets are tied to Pentecost at Mt.Sinai. God Himself came down on the mount. 1st Cor. tells us “Christ HIMSELF will descend with a shout, and VOICE (voices….), and the TRUMPET of God.” Yes, there are trumpets at the autumn Feast of Trumpets, but I think those trumpets have to do with “Blow the trumpet in Zion”, having to do with coming war / judement etc. But the trumpet at Sinai was a “voice” exceedingly loud…as:
Exodus 19:16-25
16 And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.
9. Pentecost is traditionally associated with “marriage”, that of God to Israel at Sinai, and that of Christ to His bride at His coming…..
10. Notice above that the trumpet was a “voice”. In the book of Revelation, John is caught up, “come up hither”, when he hears a “voice that was, as it were, like a trumpet”……….
11. Sinai occurred on the third day, in the morning. The people were to wash themselves and their clothes for “two days”. Then appear in the “morning”. The church has washed ourselves in the water of His Word, and made our robes white by His sacrifice, and will appear “before Him” on the morning of the 3rd day. This morning was shown by type as the first Pentecost when the deciples received the Holy Spirit. (the third hour, see Acts:2. At 9:00 a.m.(the actual hour of His coming). But we know that we only so far have the “earnest of the Spirit” (down payment), for when He comes we will get the whole nine yards. Makes sense that if we got the down payment on Pentecost the first, we may receive the promise of His coming on Pentecost second.
12. The gatherings. At Sinai, Moses brought the people together, and they were of “one mind”:
Exodus:19 17 And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.
and,
Acts 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
thirdly,
Not forsaking the as sembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
at the end of the age, we are to gather together and exhort one another, and “so much the more” as we see the day coming. The deciples gathered together at the first Pentecost, and as we see the day coming we are also to gather together. “As the manner of some is”……..the end-of-age church, most of whom are clueless to the relevance to the feast s of the Lord, and do not gather together for them……(as they did in the early church…)
Anyway, perhaps the above can be considered by you all, and argued for or against my views (I don’t mind, I just want to learn). I feel the autumn feasts are feasts that will pertain to Israel / judgment / attonement / and when God comes to “tabernacle” with man………..I will not expound upon the Feast of Trumpets here, as I have probably worn out your patience……but please, add in your thoughts, number patterns, verses, etc., to this, and shed more light. I will appreciate any of your thoughts / comments.
In the Name above all Names under the highest heavens….YSIC Arlene