THOUGHTS ASCENSION DAY VS PENTECOST

From: Your sister in Christ Arlene May 9, 2005

My son and I spent many hours Saturday taking apart some scriptures relating to Ascension Day and Pentecost, and also the fall feasts as they may relate to the return of our Lord. These thoughts I will try to weave into this letter in hopes of prompting other Doves to fill in and expound upon.

First for a larger overview of the spring / fall feasts. Our Lord’s ministry began in the fall, at the feast of Attonement. This we can know because of His baptism by John. John was from the family of Aaron, and was a Nazarite-vow candidate since before even being born, so John the Baptist was qualified to act as “high priest” when he baptized Jesus. The high priest on the day of attonement would lay his hands upon the “scapegoat”, representing all of the sins of the Israelites, and then send the second live goat out to the wilderness, led by “a fit man” for the purpose.

Leviticus 16:20-28

20 And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat: 21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: 22 And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.

Immediately after being baptized, Jesus was “led into the wilderness by the Spirit”. So, that starts the ministry of our Lord at the Day of Attonement (the fall). We know that His ministry ended in the spring; that is, he was “cut off, but not for Himself”. Therefore He was allotted 3 ½ years for His ministry. The antichrist will also be allotted this amount of time to prove himself (yeah right)…. This would seem to me to indicate that the fall feasts would be less likely to see His coming, than the spring feasts, when the time clock actually did stop.

The time-clock then would seem to have been stopped at the end of our Lord’s ministry. Wouldn’t it seem logical that the time-clock would start up for the judgment years to come, where it stopped?

We have been through many reasons why He may return at Ascension Day, like He was taken up. But also the “earnest” or down-payment of the gifts to the bride, was given at Pentecost. Between our Lord’s ascension, and the giving of His Spirit on Pentecost, is ten days. During these ten days the deciples had neither Jesus present with them, nor the Holy Spirit as a comforter and teacher, so this represents a void, an uncomfortable time. The church of Smyrna is indicated for a period of “ten days” of tribulation. Need help on this one……

One of the main functions of the Holy Spirit is as a comforter, but Paul also indicates “He” must be “removed” before the antichrist may be revealed. As for 2000 years the spirit of a/c has been developing, the fullness may not come in until this hinderer is removed. So, the hinderer, actually began hindering, on Pentecost. Would this hindering of the Holy Spirit, then, be “removed” on the same day as He was given to us? Certainly makes sense that Pentecost could possibly be the day that happens. But, as nothing is un-important in the scriptures, what is the significance of these ten days?

My son and I read Exodus 19 about the first Pentecost at Mt. Sinai. It is copied below for you to study, ALONG WITH OTHER SCRIPTURE REFERENCES FOR YOU TO STUDY.

First of all, God told Moses some days prior to the actual Pentecost experience that He would “come to him in a thick cloud”, and indeed He did that (HE ALSO LEFT US ON ASCENSION DAY IN A CLOUD AND “WILL COME AGAIN IN THE SAME MANNER”) and gave Moses instruction to “prepare” the people, for His appearance to them, that preparation taking place over a two-day period:

Likewise we have been “preparing” for two days (2000 years), washing our garments, etc.

Exodus 19:8	And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.
9	And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD.
10	And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,
11	And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.
12	And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death:
13	There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.
14	And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.
15	And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.
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.
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.

Notice in the above that the people said, “all that you say, we will do”,,,this brings to mind Ruth’s response to Naomi when Naomi had told Ruth the things she must do to “prepare” to meet Boaz at midnight:

Ruth 3:5

And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me I will do.

Also God told Moses to sanctify the people “today and tomorrow”….and indeed our Savior has been at this work for “two days” – 2000 years. He then told Moses to have the people “be ready against the third day” (the morning after the two days’ preparation.)

On the morning of the third day, the action began, :

Exodus 19:16 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

We see that there were thunders and lightnings, and that the trumpet sounded and that the trumpet had a “voice”. And furthermore this trumpet “sounded long”. Is this the trumpet of God (His voice) that we will hear on the day of the rapture?

Now, going over to the book of Revelation, let’s check in on John and what he saw and heard. First of all he was in the isle of Patmos on “the Lord’s Day”

Rev 1:10

I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

and he hears this trumpet with a “voice” just like the trumpet at Mt. Sinai. He says “great voice” as the trumpet at Sinai was “exceeding loud”. What in this verse does “the Lord’s Day” mean? A feast day? A Sabbath day? Or, the beginning of the “day of the Lord”? Need help here…………Anyway, here he is somewhere, where the voice of the trumpet was “behind him”. Then he “turned”

Rev 1:12

And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;

Where could he have been if seven candlesticks were “behind” him, and he had to turn to see them and the trumpet-voice that spoke to him?

The candlestick in the tabernacle (represents the church) was on one side of the holy place, and on the other side directly across from it was the table of shew-bread, so he could have been at the table of shew-bread. I can’t remember the other thing that was in the holy place, but I think there was a third thing in there……but the fact that John had to “turn” “behind him” to see the candlesticks I think would place him in the holy place, just before the entrance to the Holy of Holies. Is there a feast-day relevance here? We see following this that Christ began to judge the churches in the next couple chapters. (“For judgment begins at the House of the Lord”.) Also, it occurs to me that at Mt. Sinai, God actually came down in the sight of the people, which would represent His “presence”, or a glimpse at the Holy of Holies Himself. Perhaps some of you could see something here………there is an interesting incident over in 1^st Samuel about David in some distress, and having to approach the priest to get the hallowed bread:

1 Samuel 21:1-9

1 Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech ^F116 the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee? 2 And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place. 3 Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present. ^F117 4 And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women. 5 And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified ^F118 this day in the vessel. 6 So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.

Now, notice that the priest couldn’t give David the showbread if the men had been with “women” in the past three days. This WAS AN ORDINANCE FOR MT. SINAI PENTECOST !

Exodus 19:15

And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.

Apparently, God didn’t really want people to be having sexual relations prior to His appearance to them, for the three-day preparation and appearance. (take note, Doves…….)

I can’t go any further with this because now I am lost, except that John may have been at the table of shewbread that “Lord’s Day”, and it would be a “Sabbath” because the bread was exchanged for new bread every Sabbath, so this “Sabbath” day would also have been “the Lord’s Day”. (feast day?) Would that be Pentecost?

But before this side-trip I was going on about the trumpet with the “voice”. This trumpet with a voice was heard growing louder and louder to those gathered at Mt. Sinai. And the mountain was all smoke and “fire”….this represents the tongues of fire that descended upon the gathered deciples at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit. This trumpet with a “voice” was also heard by John, when he turned to see what was going on…..He is given the vision of the judgment of the churches,,,,and then, (that same day), he hears another trumpet with a voice saying ‘COME UP HITHER”.

Rev 4:1

After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

So here is this talking trumpet again, the trumpet with a voice at Mt. Sinai; furthermore, it is the second time John hears this talking trumpet…….Perhaps we will hear a “first trump”, and a “last trump”, calling up the dead in Christ first, then we who are alive and remain?

Exodus 19:13 when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.

Remember this verse above, and if I don’t get too mixed up here, I’m coming back to it……..but more already on this trumpet…I checked both the O.T. and N.T. references for trumpets and in particular any trumpet with a voice, and we only see the talking trumpet at Mt. Sinai, and also John in the first four chapters of Revelation. There is a reference to a trumpet which apparently God Himself blows, here:

Zec 9:14 -

And the LORD shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the Lord GOD shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south.

And that verse does sound like a rapture verse, as Jesus said He would come like the “lightning” going across the sky. And the whirlwinds are of the south, whereas in Matthew 24:31, Jesus said He would send His “angels” who would gather His elect from the “four winds”. Above, it is God Himself seen over the raptured ones. (For the Lord HIMSELF shall descend from heaven, with a shout, and the voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God). This trumpet of God is seen in the above Zecharia verse.

But the trumpet verses elsewhere have to do with a call to war or warnings or watchmen etc., and for the gathering of the elders and people in the Israeli encampment.

Another item which my son and I noticed about Pentecost, both O.T. and N.T., is that God commanded Moses to “assemble” the people at the foot of the mount. And in the book of Acts, we see that the deciples were “gathered together, assembled”, continuing daily in prayer and supplication, in the days prior to Pentecost. Is there another feast day where we see this “gathering” together? I suppose the people gathered together at every feast day, like at the tabernacle on the Day of Attonement,,,,but this gathering together for Pentecost seems to be highlighted for some reason. And, we have the admonition in Hebrews:

Heb 10:25 -

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

We are told we will “see the day approaching”. How? Well, perhaps the clue is in what feast do we (the church) gather together?

Well, Paul “hasted” to be in Jerusalem if at all possible, meaning this particular feast was very important to him:

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.

Also, above in Hebrews it is said that “the manner of some” is not to assemble. I think this might refer to the last days, when the church is lukewarm about the feasts of our Lord, having not studied them, not knowing their significance, and in fact the early church at the time of Paul probably had already left off to observe these feasts, for the Lord said to Ephesians (“for you have left your first love…..”)

I know this is getting long here, but hold on if you can. At Mt. Sinai there were “thunderings and lightnings”. And smoke and fire, and the earth trembling. What did John see when he got up to the heavenly throne of God? He saw the elders and the “beasts” (which by the way had the four “faces” of the banners of the Israelite encampment, one eagle, one ox (calf), one man and one lion….same as Ezekiel’s vision of the same beasts, except they had four wings instead of six….someone else can go into this anomaly………) Then, he sees:

Rev 4:5	And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices

Compare the above with:

Exodus 19:16

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.

So, we have the trumpet that talks, the lightnings and thunders, the people assembled, having washed themselves for two days, and are ready the third day in the morning. And, no doubt, have stayed away from their wives………….

Is it not interesting that it was the THIRD HOUR when the deciples proclaimed the Holy Spirit to have come? The third hour is 9:00 a.m. that is MORNING.

COULD IT BE? That we, also should begin a preparation two days prior to the morning of Pentecost? (Actually we should prepare ourselves every day huh?)

Don’t go away ! There is more !

Remember that verse above?

Exodus 19:13 when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.

We’re now going to go to the book of Hebrews, which we quoted above about the “assembling ourselves together”. And further: we have what I would have to say is a rapture description by Paul in Hebrews chapter 12, which sounds ever so much like Paul (and ourselves) is actually experiencing this event when he wrote it: take the time to read this account very carefully, for it is written as if the event had JUST OCCURRED, and Paul is telling us what just happened:

Hebrews 12:18	For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,
19	And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:
20	(For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: Exod 19:13
21	And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)
22	But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
23	To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
24	And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things that that of Abel.
25	See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:
26	Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.
27	And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
28	Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
29	For our God is a consuming fire.

First of all, about all those angels he says we will be with: “an innumerable company of angels”……what does John see in heaven?

Rev 5:11

And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;

Yep, there they are…………..”many” angels, innumerable, where the count is thousands upon thousands, so many were they…..

Also, note that “our God is a consuming fire”….the fearful fire that was seen at Mt. Sinai.

Notice that we are NOT COME UNTO A MOUNT, a fearful mount like at Mt. Sinai, where the people would NOT hear the voice of God, but YE ARE COME to the New Jerusalem. This is most definitely the rapture, and this event would appear to have happened ON PENTECOST. Then Paul goes on to something very important – read this very carefully: VERY VERY IMPORTANT

Hebrews 12:25

See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:

It is made clear here that we are going to hear the voice of God (trumpet / voice). At the first Pentecost, the people shrank away, told Moses (and God) that they didn’t want to hear His voice, and that they would let just Moses hear Him, for them, on their behalf. We are told by Paul, that when we hear this voice / trumpet, perhaps on Pentecost, when we are gathered together for this event, that we SHOULD NOT TURN AWAY. There will be people, apparently, that develop a great fear and turn away, when this event (rapture call) occurs. When John heard the voice of the trumpet in Revelation it said, “come up hither”, so perhaps we will hear that also….

In the verses prior to this rapture description, which if it is not on Pentecost, then I will eat my keyboard, (done that before too), Paul (like Moses) “prepares” us for the event….read these verses carefully, (below, in red) and “be ready against the third day”: notice there are admonitions to clean ourselves up, and I love the part where we are “compassed about with so great a CLOUD of witnesses (for He will come in a “cloud” like He went away). Notice also that Jesus will finish what He started with us.

Notice also the veiled notice to the church of Laodecia: whom He loveth He chasteneth (those I love I rebuke and chasten), which words were among there very last words addressed to the last church, before the “come up hither” happens. We see here that many of us will be “chastened” by our Lord just prior to His coming….and that we are to refrain from the things of the flesh, the warning given about Esau, who gave up his inheritance for a pot of stew…..I don’t see the “stay away from your wives” thing here, but maybe we’re old enough to figure that out. He also speaks about how if we undergo this chastening, that we are to see “joy” in it, that God cares enough for us to chasten us under His hand……all of the things which Paul discusses are those things which we must do to “wash our clothes” (garments), prior to our Lord’s coming. Of this garment, in the book of Jude:

Jude 1:23 -

And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

and,,,:

Rev 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

Hebrews 12:1	Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2	Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3	For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
4	Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
5	And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
6	For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
7	If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
8	But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
9	Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
10	For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
11	Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
12	Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
13	And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
14	Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
15	Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
16	Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
17	For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

Exodus 19:9	And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD.
10	And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,
11	And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.
12	And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death:
13	There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.
14	And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.
15	And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.
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.
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.
18	And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.
19	And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.
20	And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.
21	And the LORD said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish.
22	And let the priests also, which come near to the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them.
23	And Moses said unto the LORD, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargedst us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it.
24	And the LORD said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the LORD, lest he break forth upon them.
25	So Moses went down unto the people, and spake unto them.

Exodus 19:8

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