Greg Wilson (29 April 20190
Re: Jean Stepnoski: Pentecost
(Shavuot Bride & Ecclesia
Jean:
Torah Calendar dates Pentecost 2019
commencing at sunset Saturday, May 11 through Sunset Sunday
May 12. I realize that otheres are considering other
dates for a 2019 Pentecost. Personally, I
am favorably disposed to Pentecost on this weekend for a
couple of reasons:
(1) May 11, 2019 is exactly 70 years
from May 11, 1949. On May 11, 1949 nation of
Israel was admitted to the United Nations in full
recognition of its sovereignty as a Jewish nation.
(1) Israel became "a nation born at once". (Isaiah
66:8)
(2) God caused this nation to be regathered and restored
from its second exile, the Diaspora exile. (Isaiah 11:11)
(3) Ezekiel notes the same event, the regathering of the
Jewish people. (Ezekiel 20:34, 37:1-27
(2) The Fig Tree parables are very
much a sign for Israel. The fig tree is
surely the nation of Israel in the gospels because of a
parable found in Luke 13:6-9.
6 He spake also this
parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his
vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found
none.
7 Then said he unto the
dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come
seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down;
why cumbereth it the ground?
8 And he answering said
unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall
dig about it, and dung it:
9 And if it bear fruit,
well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.
The "certain man" [the Lord Jesus] had a
fig tree in his vineyard [land of Israel]. The Lord
sought fruit on the fig tree and found none. Then "the
certain man" Jesus said to the "dresser of the vineyard"
[the Father] behold, I have come seeking fruit on this fig
tree for three years [Jesus' ministry to the nation of
Israel] and find no fruit [recognition of Jesus as Israel's
Messiah]. Jesus suggests to the Father to
cut the fig tree down. Following the third year, Jesus
continued his work suggesting to fertilize the tree
and if it did not produce fruit, then to cut it down.
The Fig Tree was cut down following Israel's rejection of
Messiah in 70 A.D.
(3) The Fig Tree parable found in
Luke 21:29-32 is a sign to Israel that Daniel's 70th week
is near. The Luke 13 Fig Tree parable is
the proof beginning of our analysis. The first
verse is just incredible as a sign of the times.
29 And he spake to them a
parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;
30 When they now shoot
forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now
nigh at hand.
31 So likewise ye, when
ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom
of God is nigh at hand.
32 Verily I say unto you,
This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.
If the nation of Israel is the "fig
tree", then "all the trees" must represent the United
Nations. The United Nations was formed in 1945
and it was responsible for authorizing the partition of
Palestine on November 29, 1947 and after Israel's
Declaration of Independence and victorious war of
possession, admitted Israel to the U.N. on May 11, 1949.
Jesus said "learn the parable" of the fig
tree in Matthew's counterpart to the same parable. (Matthew
24:32) That means we can learn its truth. Mark
4:11 clearly states that Christ's own will understand the
truth of the parables.
(4) There are three pilgrimage
feasts in the seven festivals of the Lord. (Leviticus
23; Exodus 34:22-23) Paul teaches that there are
three orders to the first resurrection, the resurrection of
righteousness in Christ. (1 Corinthians
15:20-28) The first order of the resurrection
was Christ. Christ was raised on the festival of first
fruits during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The
second order of the resurrection will be "Christ's own at
his appearing", a Pentecostal event. Why at
Pentecost? The temple priests were offering up the
symbolism of the "wave sheaf offering" of first fruit grain
on First Fruits. As they did this on the
resurrection day, Christ was ascending to the Father
completing the redemption in the heavenly temple.
Remember he said that a grain must fall to the ground and
die to produce the harvest. (John 12:24) Jesus was
symbolized in the "wave sheaf offering". At the
first Pentecost the Holy Spirit was sent down to begin
preparation for the harvest anticipated by the "wave sheaf
offering". The Holy Spirit represented the "deposit"
against the "redemption of the body" at the
harvest. The resurrection/rapture event will
symbolize the priestly actions at Pentecost. At
Pentecost, the priests were commanded to take the harvest
and make two loaves of bread and offer up the two loaves at
Pentecost. This is the "two loaf wave
offering". This symbolism represents the harvest
and each loaf a group of believers. One loaf
represents the resurrection of the dead in Christ and the
other the translation and catching out of the living in
Christ. The rapture will be a Pentecostal event
based on these symbols.
(5) Next, I believe that it is very
reasonable to assume that God will use his 70-year
pattern in association with the Jews and Daniel's 70th
week. It is a hypothesis and a good one with
much biblical support.
(6) How might God count 70
years? With the passage of 2017 and 2018
with no resurrection/rapture event, I will postulate.
(a) God may commence His 70-year count from May 11,
1949, or there about. May 11, 2019 is the
completion of a 70-year period exactly as the "fig tree and
all the trees". Personally, I believe this is the 70
years of Zechariah 1:12-16. Additionally, in a
generational context (Luke 21:32; Matthew 24:34) seventy
years, or eighty if by strength is and accurate estimation
of age for this generation in our day. (Psalm 90:10)
(b) The following may be the triggering pattern for a
1949 count commencing.
(i) Declaration of Sovereignty by written
instrument: a nation born at once;
(ii) Defense of Sovereignty by war: the second
conquest of Canaan;
(iii) Recognition of Sovereignty: by admission, the latter
days wonder; the Fig tree shoots forth.
(c) These three events, the declaration followed by
defense and recognition appear to support the concepts
embedded in the Fig Tree parable sign from Jesus.
(7) As the Lord God of Israel said through
Hosea, "I saw your fathers as the first ripe in the
fig tree at her first time", so looking forward in the
understanding of the doctrine of the restoration of
Israel, the parable says, the LORD GOD will see the
fathers' remnant children as the "second ripe in the fig
tree at her second time".
I do not know which day is Pentecost in 2019,
but if God is using a 70-year count from 1949 as the
measure of time to begin Daniel's 70th week and if we have
understood the true meaning of the Fig Tree parable, then
we may "be encouraged" (1 Thessalonians 4:18) that the
time is very near, even at the door.
In Christ.....Greg
For additional references see: http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/mar2019/gregw317.htm
or: https://9-11-2017.com/
or: https://www.amazon.com/Day-Thy-Visitation-Jacobs-Trouble/dp/1981076387