Pentecost: Is Christ at the center of this feast?
In the Old Testament, the Feast of Pentecost is called the Feast of Weeks (Exodus 34:22). This is because Leviticus 23:15-16 mentions counting seven weeks (or Sabbaths) or "fifty days" from the day the wave sheaf was offered during the Days of Unleavened Bread. Thus the feast acquired the name of "fiftieth," which is what Pentecost means in the Greek language of the New Testament.
In the New Testament, 50 days after Christ had been resurrected, the first Christians were celebrating Pentecost, one of the feasts of the Lord. And, as recorded in Acts 2, what a day that was! On it they received the Holy Spirit from God. Suddenly the Old Testament Feast of Weeks had taken on a new meaning for them. The shadow of this feast had now become a reality! Pentecost would become the Church's anniversary of the receiving of God's Spirit.
Jesus Christ revealed the significance of this feast by sending the Holy Spirit to His brethren in the faith. He had told them, "Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high" (Luke 24:49; compare John 16:7).
God's Spirit plays a crucial role in the life of Christians today as it did then. When a person receives God's Spirit upon repentance and baptism, that Spirit begins a process of spiritual transformation in the person's life, a transformation the Bible calls conversion (to learn more, request or download the free booklet Transforming Your Life: The Process of Conversion).
Through this process, we shed our own way of thinking and living and allow Jesus Christ's attitude and way of life to guide everything we do. Paul described this life-transforming change in Galatians 2:20:
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me" (King James Version).
Thus we see that Jesus is at the center of the Feast of Pentecost as well. Yet the ultimate fulfillment will only be realized after He returns to earth to establish God's Kingdom, when all will have access to God's Spirit. So this feast should still be kept as a memorial and a shadow until its purpose is completely accomplished.
Do we find the first-century Church continuing to keep Pentecost? In the book of Acts, we read of the apostle Paul hurrying to be in Jerusalem to keep this feast with the brethren. "For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day of Pentecost" (Acts 20:16).
Even in one of Paul's epistles in which he writes so much about the gospel message, he refers to his plans to remain in Ephesus to observe Pentecost with the Church members there before traveling to Corinth.
He writes: "I do not want to see you now just in passing, for I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost" (1 Corinthians 16:7-8, New Revised Standard Version).
- excerpt from
The Biblical Festivals That Teach Us About Jesus Christ
Showing posts with label pentecost. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pentecost. Show all posts
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
The Biblical Festivals That Teach Us About Jesus Christ
Few people are aware of the seven festivals God reveals in the Bible. Even fewer are aware that they center around and teach us a great deal about Jesus Christ and His role in God's plan for all mankind.
by Mario Seiglie
"The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts" (Leviticus 23:2). Sounds impressive, doesn't it? God Almighty saying in Scripture, "These are My Feasts."
Yet for most of traditional Christianity, these "feasts of the LORD" are thought to have been kept only by the Jews and are deemed meaningless for Christians. New religious holidays have been substituted that supposedly center on Jesus Christ.
How did all this come to be? What is the true meaning of these "feasts of the LORD"? Do they have anything to do with Jesus Christ, or is their symbolism limited only to long-ago events? If we truly want to find the answers in the manner God instructs us, then we should follow the advice He inspired: "Test all things; hold fast what is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21).
The Bible gives us a good example of how to examine a belief to see if it is correct. When the apostle Paul traveled to Berea, he taught the Bereans certain things that must have been surprising to them. But they didn't close their minds or reject them. Instead, they were willing to give them a fair hearing by carefully examining the Scriptures. What was the result? We read in Acts 17:11-12 that these men and women "were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed ..."
So in examining the feasts of the Bible, will we give them a fair hearing as well? Do the Scriptures reveal whether these feasts teach us important truths about Jesus Christ?
The Passover: A Christ-centered feast?
The Passover is the first of God's annual feast days mentioned in Scripture. It commemorates the greatest event in the people of Israel's history—their miraculous liberation from Egypt. The second book of the Bible, Exodus, is dedicated to narrating this history. Observant Jews have been celebrating this feast for more than 3,400 years.
But is this feast only to celebrate the Israelites' departure from Egypt? Does the New Testament have anything to say about the occasion?
When John the Baptist saw Jesus Christ coming to the Jordan River to be baptized, he exclaimed, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29).
In the Bible the lamb is a symbol of the Passover because a lamb was slain at the beginning of the Passover and eaten that night. The Israelites knew the blood of the lamb had protected them from the death of their firstborn on that first Passover night they kept in Egypt (Exodus 12:12-13).
In the New Testament, the Gospels record that Christ kept the Passover with His disciples several times. On the night before His death, Jesus knew He was fulfilling the symbolism of the Passover lamb in voluntarily giving His life for the sins of the entire world.
Notice Luke 22:14-16: "When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. Then He said to them, ‘With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.'"
Jesus then instituted the new symbols that represented not the sacrifice of a lamb, but His far greater sacrifice. The Passover symbols would now represent Christ's complete sacrifice—the unleavened bread representing His sinless body that was beaten for us, and a sip of wine signifying the lifeblood He would shed to wash away our sins.
From then on, this feast took on a much greater new meaning to the Church. Instead of being abolished, this feast now revealed its true, ultimate meaning. The disciples now realized the Passover lamb was only the physical forerunner of that perfect sacrifice which was Jesus Christ. Now they would keep this feast with far greater significance and comprehension.
Paul explains the Christian Passover
Some 25 years after Christ's death, the apostle Paul instructed the Corinthian congregation—composed of believing Jews and gentiles alike—about the Passover: "Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians 5:7, emphasis added throughout).
Paul understood this ancient feast of the Passover had now revealed its true meaning with Christ's sacrifice. It was part of God's plan for all of mankind that Jesus would come and sacrifice Himself for the sins of the world—and the Passover anticipated it.
So, far from being obsolete, the Passover was revealed to have a vastly important meaning for Christians, with Jesus Christ being at its very center.
The apostle Paul explained this new understanding of the Passover to the Corinthian brethren when he instructed them on how to observe it: "For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed [Passover night] took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.'
"In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.' For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes" (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
So in the New Testament, the Passover becomes an annual reminder and symbol of Christ's sacrifice for all of us.
God's feasts reveal the future
The apostle Paul clearly understood that these biblical feasts were harbingers of what was to come in God's master plan of salvation. In a passage frequently misunderstood by many, Paul shows these feasts of the Lord were "shadows" of things to come—not of things that have already happened.
He warned the brethren not to be intimidated by some who were questioning their manner of keeping God's feasts, as well as the Sabbaths, new moons, and eating and drinking. He said, "So let no one judge [criticize or condemn] you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come . . . Let no one cheat you of your reward ..." (Colossians 2:16-18).
Paul was combating a group of ascetics who were introducing several strange doctrines, including worshiping angels (verse 18) and abstaining from wholesome food and drink (verse 21). He told the brethren to ignore them and continue observing what he had taught (and he certainly taught keeping the Passover, as we have seen). Regrettably, the Colossian brethren had been cowed by these self-righteous intruders and were starting to shy away from observing these feasts.
So Paul mentions how important they are, as foreshadowing coming events in God's plan for mankind. These events have not been completely accomplished so far, and many are still in the future.
Even the Passover's symbolism was not completely fulfilled with Christ's sacrificial death. Jesus Himself said He will again take the Passover with all the believers in God's Kingdom (Mark 14:24-25; Luke 22:15-16)—an act that represents the ultimate triumph of His sacrifice when all believers join Him in His Kingdom.
The Days of Unleavened Bread: Is Christ at the center?
What about the Days of Unleavened Bread? Are they obsolete, solely an Old Testament symbol? Or are they also glorious shadows of things to come?
In the Old Testament, the Days of Unleavened Bread were understood to be a memorial of what occurred after the Passover night, when all the Egyptian firstborn died.
The next morning the Israelites packed their belongings and traveled to a nearby gathering place, ready for departure. That evening, they left Egypt by night. "It is a night of solemn observance to the LORD for bringing them out of the land of Egypt" (Exodus 12:42).
Before that evening, one last thing occurred: "And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they had brought out of Egypt; for it was not leavened, because they were driven out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared provisions for themselves" (verse 39).
This feast of the Lord is clearly spelled out in Leviticus 23:6: "And on the fifteenth day of the same month [as Passover] is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; seven days you must eat unleavened bread."
What does this feast have to do with Christ? What does it teach us about Him?
Unleavened bread—bread made without leaven—is mentioned in the Bible as something pure and unpolluted. All the grain sacrifices to be burned were to be made without leaven. "No grain offering which you bring to the LORD shall be made with leaven, for you shall burn no leaven nor any honey in any offering to the LORD made by fire" (Leviticus 2:11).
In the New Testament, the apostle Paul explains the spiritual symbolism of unleavened bread. Rebuking the Church members in Corinth for their acceptance of sin, he tells them: "Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians 5:6-7).
Yes, as Paul states, it is the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that removes our sins, and so we become "unleavened" in a spiritual sense. So, again, Jesus Christ is the focus of this feast of the Lord. The shadow of this feast points to what Jesus would do for all of us in cleansing us of sin and helping us to live sin-free lives.
Paul told the Corinthian brethren that they should continue to keep this feast that followed the Passover. "Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth" (verse 8).
We see, then, that the spiritual meaning of the Days of Unleavened Bread was revealed. Its deeper significance wasn't ultimately found in what had occurred in the Old Testament, but in Jesus Christ, the sinless one, who purged our sins and gave us a chance to be spiritually "unleavened" before God. As the apostle Jude noted, Jesus "is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy" (Jude 24).
So Jesus Christ is at the center of this second feast of the Lord, too. He makes it possible for us to be spiritually "unleavened" before God.
Pentecost: Is Christ at the center of this feast?
In the Old Testament, the Feast of Pentecost is called the Feast of Weeks (Exodus 34:22). This is because Leviticus 23:15-16 mentions counting seven weeks (or Sabbaths) or "fifty days" from the day the wave sheaf was offered during the Days of Unleavened Bread. Thus the feast acquired the name of "fiftieth," which is what Pentecost means in the Greek language of the New Testament.
In the New Testament, 50 days after Christ had been resurrected, the first Christians were celebrating Pentecost, one of the feasts of the Lord. And, as recorded in Acts 2, what a day that was! On it they received the Holy Spirit from God. Suddenly the Old Testament Feast of Weeks had taken on a new meaning for them. The shadow of this feast had now become a reality! Pentecost would become the Church's anniversary of the receiving of God's Spirit.
Jesus Christ revealed the significance of this feast by sending the Holy Spirit to His brethren in the faith. He had told them, "Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high" (Luke 24:49; compare John 16:7).
God's Spirit plays a crucial role in the life of Christians today as it did then. When a person receives God's Spirit upon repentance and baptism, that Spirit begins a process of spiritual transformation in the person's life, a transformation the Bible calls conversion (to learn more, request or download the free booklet Transforming Your Life: The Process of Conversion).
Through this process, we shed our own way of thinking and living and allow Jesus Christ's attitude and way of life to guide everything we do. Paul described this life-transforming change in Galatians 2:20:
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me" (King James Version).
Thus we see that Jesus is at the center of the Feast of Pentecost as well. Yet the ultimate fulfillment will only be realized after He returns to earth to establish God's Kingdom, when all will have access to God's Spirit. So this feast should still be kept as a memorial and a shadow until its purpose is completely accomplished.
Do we find the first-century Church continuing to keep Pentecost? In the book of Acts, we read of the apostle Paul hurrying to be in Jerusalem to keep this feast with the brethren. "For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day of Pentecost" (Acts 20:16).
Even in one of Paul's epistles in which he writes so much about the gospel message, he refers to his plans to remain in Ephesus to observe Pentecost with the Church members there before traveling to Corinth.
He writes: "I do not want to see you now just in passing, for I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost" (1 Corinthians 16:7-8, New Revised Standard Version).
The Feast of Trumpets: Is this a Christ-centered feast?
The next biblical feast is referred to in the Bible as the Feast of Trumpets. It is "a holy convocation commemorated with trumpet blasts" (Leviticus 23:24, NRSV). God said when the trumpets were blown, "you will be remembered before the LORD your God, and you will be saved from your enemies" (Numbers 10:9).
Is the Feast of Trumpets also a shadow of Jesus Christ and His role in things to come?
In the New Testament, the symbolism of the trumpet is mentioned by Jesus. "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other" (Matthew 24:30-31).
Often in the New Testament the sound of trumpets is tied to Christ's coming. Notice Paul's description of the resurrection of the dead at the time a great trumpet announces Christ's return: "Behold, I tell you a mystery:
We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).
We find this again described in 1 Thessalonians 4:16: "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first."
So Christ will ultimately fulfill the symbolism behind the Feast of Trumpets. He is the center of this foreshadowing feast too. At His second coming, the trumpet shall sound, announcing the arrival of the King of Kings. Loud voices proclaim, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" (Revelation 11:15).
But until the sound of the trumpet is heard, this feast is still pointing to the future, and its meaning is still to be fulfilled—with Jesus at its center.
The Day of Atonement: Is Christ involved in its meaning?
Perhaps the most unusual of the biblical feasts is the Day of Atonement. In Old Testament times, it included an elaborate ritual described in Leviticus 16. The high priest was to present two male goats, the first of which was sacrificed for the nation's sins (verse 15). Then, after the sins of the nation were symbolically placed on the other goat, it was expelled into the desert to a life of wandering (verses 21-22).
What does the Day of Atonement reveal about Jesus Christ's roles? Is He also at the center of this feast?
The Bible is full of rich symbolism, and the New Testament Church quickly realized Christ in His first coming was at the center of the feasts of the Lord. Just as He was described as being "our Passover" and "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (Revelation 13:8), so they came to understand that He was at the center of the Day of Atonement. How? He fulfilled the role of the male goat slain for the sins of Israel and carried outside the camp (Leviticus 16:27).
We read in Hebrews 13 about the Day of Atonement, and Christ being symbolic of the male goat and other animals slain on that day as sin offerings. "For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate [of the city of Jerusalem]" (verses 11-12).
We should consider that while Christ has already been sacrificed, the atonement His sacrifice provides has not yet been applied to all of Israel. That will happen upon Israel's repentance at Christ's second coming.
Not only does the Day of Atonement depict Christ's sacrifice for sin and a true spiritual reconciling of the people with God, but Christ is directly involved in the symbolism of the other male goat that was cast out into the desert by a strong man (Leviticus 16:21).
The second goat, over which the sins of the Israelites were confessed, represented the instigator of those sins—none other than Satan the devil.
At Christ's second coming, He will instruct a powerful angel to bind Satan and cast him into a place of restraint for 1,000 years, exiling him from mankind just as the live goat was exiled from the Israelite camp on the Day of Atonement. "Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years" (Revelation 20:1-2).
So Christ plays a dual role in the symbolism of the Day of Atonement. He is sacrificed as the first goat for the sins of the people, the atonement of which is yet to be applied to all Israel upon the nation's repentance at His return. And He will also be involved, as King of Kings, in banishing Satan at that time to establish the Kingdom of God on earth.
The Feast of Tabernacles: How is Christ the center of this feast?
Next is the sixth biblical feast, the Feast of Tabernacles. In the Old Testament, it was kept to remind the Israelites of all of God's miraculous interventions during the 40-year period in the wilderness. "All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt" (Leviticus 23:42-43).
What does the Feast of Tabernacles have to do with Jesus Christ? Jesus is recorded to have kept this feast in John 7:2-36. The symbol of the tabernacle in the New Testament is rich with meaning.
During Christ's earthly ministry, the apostle John mentions that "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14). The Greek term for "dwelt" here actually means that He "tabernacled" among us. Just as Jesus Christ as the Creator God of the Old Testament (John 1:1-3, 10; Hebrews 1:2; Colossians 1:16) "tabernacled" with the Israelites in the wilderness, He now did so with His people in His physical life many centuries later.
The apostle Paul says that the Israelites in the wilderness all "drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ" (1 Corinthians 10:4, New International Version).
At Christ's second coming, He will again "tabernacle" with those who are saved. He will dwell with His people for a thousand years, and this 1,000-year rule of Jesus Christ over the earth is the ultimate fulfillment of this feast. "Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years" (Revelation 20:6).
So Christ is definitely at the center of this feast too—as the ruler who "tabernacles" with His people for a thousand years.
The Last Great Day
The Feast of Tabernacles lasted seven days. Then, on the eighth day, there followed another, separate feast day, the last of the biblical feasts (Leviticus 23:36). What does this day have to do with Jesus Christ?
In John 7, an account of Jesus Christ's last Feast of Tabernacles on earth, we find Jesus declaring the significance of its conclusion. "On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water" (John 7:37-38).
He was talking about His return to earth, when He will freely offer the Holy Spirit to those who will believe in Him. Jesus died for all of mankind, but only a fraction have ever had the opportunity to know about Him and accept His offer of receiving the Holy Spirit.
Yet during Christ's 1,000-year reign, all of mankind will be offered God's Spirit. And beyond that, the Bible reveals there will come a future time when Christ will offer it to those who rise up in a resurrection of the dead from all past ages. In Revelation 20, we read what happens after the Millennium (pictured by the Feast of Tabernacles) is completed:
"Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away ... And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books" (Revelation 20:11-12).
This period is also called the White Throne Judgment, and it is Christ who has been appointed to judge all of mankind (John 5:26-27; Romans 14:10). This does not mean immediate condemnation but a judgment period, since the Book of Life is opened—meaning an opportunity is opened to receive God's Spirit and have one's name written into it. The apostle Paul writes in Philippians 4:3 of those "who labored with me in the gospel ... and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life."
So Christ will also carry out the central role of this final feast, that of lovingly and mercifully offering the multitudes of the uninformed and the deceived an opportunity for conversion and salvation and to have their names inscribed in the Book of Life.
Thus, the seven feasts of the Lord are "a shadow of things to come," and Jesus Christ is at the center of all of them. Yet He has not brought them to ultimate fulfillment; that will only occur in the coming Kingdom of God.
Yes, Christ is our Passover, He is the Unleavened Bread that purifies us, the Giver of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the coming King whose arrival is announced by the blast of the trumpets, the one who banishes Satan for a thousand years, and who tabernacles with man as King of kings. Finally, He is to judge mankind and offer the great majority an opportunity to have their names written in the Book of Life.
This is why God's Church kept these feasts as shown in the New Testament (see "‘The Feasts of the Lord' in the Book of Acts" on page 25). This is why these holy feasts are still to be kept—to remind us of the central role Jesus Christ has in carrying out in the plan of God. Isn't it about time you started keeping them yourself? GN
Archived at The Biblical Festivals That Teach Us About Jesus Christ
by Mario Seiglie
"The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts" (Leviticus 23:2). Sounds impressive, doesn't it? God Almighty saying in Scripture, "These are My Feasts."
Yet for most of traditional Christianity, these "feasts of the LORD" are thought to have been kept only by the Jews and are deemed meaningless for Christians. New religious holidays have been substituted that supposedly center on Jesus Christ.
How did all this come to be? What is the true meaning of these "feasts of the LORD"? Do they have anything to do with Jesus Christ, or is their symbolism limited only to long-ago events? If we truly want to find the answers in the manner God instructs us, then we should follow the advice He inspired: "Test all things; hold fast what is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21).
The Bible gives us a good example of how to examine a belief to see if it is correct. When the apostle Paul traveled to Berea, he taught the Bereans certain things that must have been surprising to them. But they didn't close their minds or reject them. Instead, they were willing to give them a fair hearing by carefully examining the Scriptures. What was the result? We read in Acts 17:11-12 that these men and women "were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed ..."
So in examining the feasts of the Bible, will we give them a fair hearing as well? Do the Scriptures reveal whether these feasts teach us important truths about Jesus Christ?
The Passover: A Christ-centered feast?
The Passover is the first of God's annual feast days mentioned in Scripture. It commemorates the greatest event in the people of Israel's history—their miraculous liberation from Egypt. The second book of the Bible, Exodus, is dedicated to narrating this history. Observant Jews have been celebrating this feast for more than 3,400 years.
But is this feast only to celebrate the Israelites' departure from Egypt? Does the New Testament have anything to say about the occasion?
When John the Baptist saw Jesus Christ coming to the Jordan River to be baptized, he exclaimed, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29).
In the Bible the lamb is a symbol of the Passover because a lamb was slain at the beginning of the Passover and eaten that night. The Israelites knew the blood of the lamb had protected them from the death of their firstborn on that first Passover night they kept in Egypt (Exodus 12:12-13).
In the New Testament, the Gospels record that Christ kept the Passover with His disciples several times. On the night before His death, Jesus knew He was fulfilling the symbolism of the Passover lamb in voluntarily giving His life for the sins of the entire world.
Notice Luke 22:14-16: "When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. Then He said to them, ‘With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.'"
Jesus then instituted the new symbols that represented not the sacrifice of a lamb, but His far greater sacrifice. The Passover symbols would now represent Christ's complete sacrifice—the unleavened bread representing His sinless body that was beaten for us, and a sip of wine signifying the lifeblood He would shed to wash away our sins.
From then on, this feast took on a much greater new meaning to the Church. Instead of being abolished, this feast now revealed its true, ultimate meaning. The disciples now realized the Passover lamb was only the physical forerunner of that perfect sacrifice which was Jesus Christ. Now they would keep this feast with far greater significance and comprehension.
Paul explains the Christian Passover
Some 25 years after Christ's death, the apostle Paul instructed the Corinthian congregation—composed of believing Jews and gentiles alike—about the Passover: "Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians 5:7, emphasis added throughout).
Paul understood this ancient feast of the Passover had now revealed its true meaning with Christ's sacrifice. It was part of God's plan for all of mankind that Jesus would come and sacrifice Himself for the sins of the world—and the Passover anticipated it.
So, far from being obsolete, the Passover was revealed to have a vastly important meaning for Christians, with Jesus Christ being at its very center.
The apostle Paul explained this new understanding of the Passover to the Corinthian brethren when he instructed them on how to observe it: "For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed [Passover night] took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.'
"In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.' For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes" (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
So in the New Testament, the Passover becomes an annual reminder and symbol of Christ's sacrifice for all of us.
God's feasts reveal the future
The apostle Paul clearly understood that these biblical feasts were harbingers of what was to come in God's master plan of salvation. In a passage frequently misunderstood by many, Paul shows these feasts of the Lord were "shadows" of things to come—not of things that have already happened.
He warned the brethren not to be intimidated by some who were questioning their manner of keeping God's feasts, as well as the Sabbaths, new moons, and eating and drinking. He said, "So let no one judge [criticize or condemn] you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come . . . Let no one cheat you of your reward ..." (Colossians 2:16-18).
Paul was combating a group of ascetics who were introducing several strange doctrines, including worshiping angels (verse 18) and abstaining from wholesome food and drink (verse 21). He told the brethren to ignore them and continue observing what he had taught (and he certainly taught keeping the Passover, as we have seen). Regrettably, the Colossian brethren had been cowed by these self-righteous intruders and were starting to shy away from observing these feasts.
So Paul mentions how important they are, as foreshadowing coming events in God's plan for mankind. These events have not been completely accomplished so far, and many are still in the future.
Even the Passover's symbolism was not completely fulfilled with Christ's sacrificial death. Jesus Himself said He will again take the Passover with all the believers in God's Kingdom (Mark 14:24-25; Luke 22:15-16)—an act that represents the ultimate triumph of His sacrifice when all believers join Him in His Kingdom.
The Days of Unleavened Bread: Is Christ at the center?
What about the Days of Unleavened Bread? Are they obsolete, solely an Old Testament symbol? Or are they also glorious shadows of things to come?
In the Old Testament, the Days of Unleavened Bread were understood to be a memorial of what occurred after the Passover night, when all the Egyptian firstborn died.
The next morning the Israelites packed their belongings and traveled to a nearby gathering place, ready for departure. That evening, they left Egypt by night. "It is a night of solemn observance to the LORD for bringing them out of the land of Egypt" (Exodus 12:42).
Before that evening, one last thing occurred: "And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they had brought out of Egypt; for it was not leavened, because they were driven out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared provisions for themselves" (verse 39).
This feast of the Lord is clearly spelled out in Leviticus 23:6: "And on the fifteenth day of the same month [as Passover] is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; seven days you must eat unleavened bread."
What does this feast have to do with Christ? What does it teach us about Him?
Unleavened bread—bread made without leaven—is mentioned in the Bible as something pure and unpolluted. All the grain sacrifices to be burned were to be made without leaven. "No grain offering which you bring to the LORD shall be made with leaven, for you shall burn no leaven nor any honey in any offering to the LORD made by fire" (Leviticus 2:11).
In the New Testament, the apostle Paul explains the spiritual symbolism of unleavened bread. Rebuking the Church members in Corinth for their acceptance of sin, he tells them: "Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians 5:6-7).
Yes, as Paul states, it is the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that removes our sins, and so we become "unleavened" in a spiritual sense. So, again, Jesus Christ is the focus of this feast of the Lord. The shadow of this feast points to what Jesus would do for all of us in cleansing us of sin and helping us to live sin-free lives.
Paul told the Corinthian brethren that they should continue to keep this feast that followed the Passover. "Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth" (verse 8).
We see, then, that the spiritual meaning of the Days of Unleavened Bread was revealed. Its deeper significance wasn't ultimately found in what had occurred in the Old Testament, but in Jesus Christ, the sinless one, who purged our sins and gave us a chance to be spiritually "unleavened" before God. As the apostle Jude noted, Jesus "is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy" (Jude 24).
So Jesus Christ is at the center of this second feast of the Lord, too. He makes it possible for us to be spiritually "unleavened" before God.
Pentecost: Is Christ at the center of this feast?
In the Old Testament, the Feast of Pentecost is called the Feast of Weeks (Exodus 34:22). This is because Leviticus 23:15-16 mentions counting seven weeks (or Sabbaths) or "fifty days" from the day the wave sheaf was offered during the Days of Unleavened Bread. Thus the feast acquired the name of "fiftieth," which is what Pentecost means in the Greek language of the New Testament.
In the New Testament, 50 days after Christ had been resurrected, the first Christians were celebrating Pentecost, one of the feasts of the Lord. And, as recorded in Acts 2, what a day that was! On it they received the Holy Spirit from God. Suddenly the Old Testament Feast of Weeks had taken on a new meaning for them. The shadow of this feast had now become a reality! Pentecost would become the Church's anniversary of the receiving of God's Spirit.
Jesus Christ revealed the significance of this feast by sending the Holy Spirit to His brethren in the faith. He had told them, "Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high" (Luke 24:49; compare John 16:7).
God's Spirit plays a crucial role in the life of Christians today as it did then. When a person receives God's Spirit upon repentance and baptism, that Spirit begins a process of spiritual transformation in the person's life, a transformation the Bible calls conversion (to learn more, request or download the free booklet Transforming Your Life: The Process of Conversion).
Through this process, we shed our own way of thinking and living and allow Jesus Christ's attitude and way of life to guide everything we do. Paul described this life-transforming change in Galatians 2:20:
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me" (King James Version).
Thus we see that Jesus is at the center of the Feast of Pentecost as well. Yet the ultimate fulfillment will only be realized after He returns to earth to establish God's Kingdom, when all will have access to God's Spirit. So this feast should still be kept as a memorial and a shadow until its purpose is completely accomplished.
Do we find the first-century Church continuing to keep Pentecost? In the book of Acts, we read of the apostle Paul hurrying to be in Jerusalem to keep this feast with the brethren. "For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day of Pentecost" (Acts 20:16).
Even in one of Paul's epistles in which he writes so much about the gospel message, he refers to his plans to remain in Ephesus to observe Pentecost with the Church members there before traveling to Corinth.
He writes: "I do not want to see you now just in passing, for I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost" (1 Corinthians 16:7-8, New Revised Standard Version).
The Feast of Trumpets: Is this a Christ-centered feast?
The next biblical feast is referred to in the Bible as the Feast of Trumpets. It is "a holy convocation commemorated with trumpet blasts" (Leviticus 23:24, NRSV). God said when the trumpets were blown, "you will be remembered before the LORD your God, and you will be saved from your enemies" (Numbers 10:9).
Is the Feast of Trumpets also a shadow of Jesus Christ and His role in things to come?
In the New Testament, the symbolism of the trumpet is mentioned by Jesus. "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other" (Matthew 24:30-31).
Often in the New Testament the sound of trumpets is tied to Christ's coming. Notice Paul's description of the resurrection of the dead at the time a great trumpet announces Christ's return: "Behold, I tell you a mystery:
We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).
We find this again described in 1 Thessalonians 4:16: "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first."
So Christ will ultimately fulfill the symbolism behind the Feast of Trumpets. He is the center of this foreshadowing feast too. At His second coming, the trumpet shall sound, announcing the arrival of the King of Kings. Loud voices proclaim, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" (Revelation 11:15).
But until the sound of the trumpet is heard, this feast is still pointing to the future, and its meaning is still to be fulfilled—with Jesus at its center.
The Day of Atonement: Is Christ involved in its meaning?
Perhaps the most unusual of the biblical feasts is the Day of Atonement. In Old Testament times, it included an elaborate ritual described in Leviticus 16. The high priest was to present two male goats, the first of which was sacrificed for the nation's sins (verse 15). Then, after the sins of the nation were symbolically placed on the other goat, it was expelled into the desert to a life of wandering (verses 21-22).
What does the Day of Atonement reveal about Jesus Christ's roles? Is He also at the center of this feast?
The Bible is full of rich symbolism, and the New Testament Church quickly realized Christ in His first coming was at the center of the feasts of the Lord. Just as He was described as being "our Passover" and "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (Revelation 13:8), so they came to understand that He was at the center of the Day of Atonement. How? He fulfilled the role of the male goat slain for the sins of Israel and carried outside the camp (Leviticus 16:27).
We read in Hebrews 13 about the Day of Atonement, and Christ being symbolic of the male goat and other animals slain on that day as sin offerings. "For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate [of the city of Jerusalem]" (verses 11-12).
We should consider that while Christ has already been sacrificed, the atonement His sacrifice provides has not yet been applied to all of Israel. That will happen upon Israel's repentance at Christ's second coming.
Not only does the Day of Atonement depict Christ's sacrifice for sin and a true spiritual reconciling of the people with God, but Christ is directly involved in the symbolism of the other male goat that was cast out into the desert by a strong man (Leviticus 16:21).
The second goat, over which the sins of the Israelites were confessed, represented the instigator of those sins—none other than Satan the devil.
At Christ's second coming, He will instruct a powerful angel to bind Satan and cast him into a place of restraint for 1,000 years, exiling him from mankind just as the live goat was exiled from the Israelite camp on the Day of Atonement. "Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years" (Revelation 20:1-2).
So Christ plays a dual role in the symbolism of the Day of Atonement. He is sacrificed as the first goat for the sins of the people, the atonement of which is yet to be applied to all Israel upon the nation's repentance at His return. And He will also be involved, as King of Kings, in banishing Satan at that time to establish the Kingdom of God on earth.
The Feast of Tabernacles: How is Christ the center of this feast?
Next is the sixth biblical feast, the Feast of Tabernacles. In the Old Testament, it was kept to remind the Israelites of all of God's miraculous interventions during the 40-year period in the wilderness. "All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt" (Leviticus 23:42-43).
What does the Feast of Tabernacles have to do with Jesus Christ? Jesus is recorded to have kept this feast in John 7:2-36. The symbol of the tabernacle in the New Testament is rich with meaning.
During Christ's earthly ministry, the apostle John mentions that "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14). The Greek term for "dwelt" here actually means that He "tabernacled" among us. Just as Jesus Christ as the Creator God of the Old Testament (John 1:1-3, 10; Hebrews 1:2; Colossians 1:16) "tabernacled" with the Israelites in the wilderness, He now did so with His people in His physical life many centuries later.
The apostle Paul says that the Israelites in the wilderness all "drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ" (1 Corinthians 10:4, New International Version).
At Christ's second coming, He will again "tabernacle" with those who are saved. He will dwell with His people for a thousand years, and this 1,000-year rule of Jesus Christ over the earth is the ultimate fulfillment of this feast. "Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years" (Revelation 20:6).
So Christ is definitely at the center of this feast too—as the ruler who "tabernacles" with His people for a thousand years.
The Last Great Day
The Feast of Tabernacles lasted seven days. Then, on the eighth day, there followed another, separate feast day, the last of the biblical feasts (Leviticus 23:36). What does this day have to do with Jesus Christ?
In John 7, an account of Jesus Christ's last Feast of Tabernacles on earth, we find Jesus declaring the significance of its conclusion. "On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water" (John 7:37-38).
He was talking about His return to earth, when He will freely offer the Holy Spirit to those who will believe in Him. Jesus died for all of mankind, but only a fraction have ever had the opportunity to know about Him and accept His offer of receiving the Holy Spirit.
Yet during Christ's 1,000-year reign, all of mankind will be offered God's Spirit. And beyond that, the Bible reveals there will come a future time when Christ will offer it to those who rise up in a resurrection of the dead from all past ages. In Revelation 20, we read what happens after the Millennium (pictured by the Feast of Tabernacles) is completed:
"Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away ... And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books" (Revelation 20:11-12).
This period is also called the White Throne Judgment, and it is Christ who has been appointed to judge all of mankind (John 5:26-27; Romans 14:10). This does not mean immediate condemnation but a judgment period, since the Book of Life is opened—meaning an opportunity is opened to receive God's Spirit and have one's name written into it. The apostle Paul writes in Philippians 4:3 of those "who labored with me in the gospel ... and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life."
So Christ will also carry out the central role of this final feast, that of lovingly and mercifully offering the multitudes of the uninformed and the deceived an opportunity for conversion and salvation and to have their names inscribed in the Book of Life.
Thus, the seven feasts of the Lord are "a shadow of things to come," and Jesus Christ is at the center of all of them. Yet He has not brought them to ultimate fulfillment; that will only occur in the coming Kingdom of God.
Yes, Christ is our Passover, He is the Unleavened Bread that purifies us, the Giver of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the coming King whose arrival is announced by the blast of the trumpets, the one who banishes Satan for a thousand years, and who tabernacles with man as King of kings. Finally, He is to judge mankind and offer the great majority an opportunity to have their names written in the Book of Life.
This is why God's Church kept these feasts as shown in the New Testament (see "‘The Feasts of the Lord' in the Book of Acts" on page 25). This is why these holy feasts are still to be kept—to remind us of the central role Jesus Christ has in carrying out in the plan of God. Isn't it about time you started keeping them yourself? GN
Recommended Reading
Traditional Christianity has substituted its own days of worship for the biblical feast days that teach us so much about Jesus Christ and the future God has in store for the entire world. if you'd like to learn more, request or download your free copy of God's Holy Day Plan: The Promise of Hope for All Mankind. To Learn about the surprising origins of our most popular holidays, request Holidays or Holy Days: Does It Really Matter Which Days We Observe?Archived at The Biblical Festivals That Teach Us About Jesus Christ
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Passover and Pentecost Differences Settled!
Why do we differ on Passover and Pentecost? Is it because our Father God left us in the dark? Has the God of law and order left us in chaos and confusion? Are we unable to "prove all things" from the Scriptures - as we're commanded - because we're unable to prove beyond a reasonable doubt the correct dates to observe God's holy days? DOES THAT MAKE SENSE?
Since there are many questions on this holy subject, we must start from the premise that God's Word is true, consistent and does not contradict itself (John 10:35) We must look for those basic Scriptures that are black and white and build our biblical case upon them. Such supportive Scriptures are actually abundantly available and the biblical evidence is overwhelming! Let us shine the Light of God's Word on our prayerful study with open minds, hearts and Bibles (Isa. 8:20; John 3:19-21; Acts 17:11).
The apostle Paul was inspired to write for the record that "the oracles of God" were committed to the Jews. The sacred calendar is clearly a part of "the oracles of God" (Ex. 12:2; Lev. 23:4). The purpose of the sacred calendar is for the Jews to determine and declare when the holy days of God are to be observed.
Jesus clearly revealed which Jews were responsible for these holy matters. Jesus declared that "the scribes and the PHARISEES sit in Moses' seat" of AUTHORITY (Matt. 23:2). God has ordained that the Jews preserve His Word on the Law, Prophets and Writings - despite themselves (Rom. 3:2-3). God will not renege on giving Judah this special calling and precious gift (Gen. 49:10, Rom. 11:29).
God has also ordained that Church officials can make binding decisions based upon biblical legal precedents, affecting Church issues (such as discussed in Acts 15 at the Jerusalem council of elders), that do not undermine the foundation of the Church - the Law and the Prophets (Rom. 11;18; Eph. 2:20). God has not given Church leaders a license to "kill" the brethren by destroying them doctrinally, uprooting and overturning foundational truths, or "playing God" by stealing divine prerogatives! (Matt. 5:17, 19; 2 Thess. 2:3-4).
The correct dates to observe God's holy days should not be a Church issue, having been settled by God thousands of years ago and preserved throughout the ages by faithful Jews.
So why do we differ on Passover and Pentecost? Because some have refused, rejected, denied and attempted to dismiss the biblical testimony! (Rom. 1:18; 3 John 9-10). We don't differ because God's forgotten or neglected to properly instruct His children in His ways (Deut. 6:7). We don't differ because we're unable to prove from the Scriptures, beyond a reasonable doubt, what's right and what's wrong.
"Come now and let us reason together, saith the LORD" (Isa. 1:18), "for the LORD has a controversy with His people, and He will plead with Israel" (Micah 6:2).
We differ because some have questioned God's right to choose the Jews to preserve the Bible and doubt God's ability to see that they fulfill their serious responsibility (Ex. 4:11; Isa. 45:9).
We differ because some won't submit to the biblical fact that Jesus clearly decreed that the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat and attempt to usurp that authority by forcibly installing the Sadducees in that position instead. God destroyed the power-base of the Sadducees when the Temple was destroyed but preserved the Pharisees. The Sadducees are history! We must make sure that we support God's chosen and not find ourselves in the enemy camp. (I Kgs. 2:27,35; Acts 5:39).
God's Church, as a general rule, has stubbornly followed the blind Sadducean dates for Passover and Pentecost. That is to our shame! We must reject the rebellious traditions of men for the commandments of God, otherwise God will reject us as His Priest-King (Mark 7:7-9; 1 Sam. 15:23). It's that serious!
Some, knowing better, continue to enjoy bitter strife and envying, getting caught up in proud personality clashes rather than humbling themselves before the Word of God ( 2 Tim. 2:23-26; Jas. 3:13-18). Truth is truth. It shouldn't be a matter of "I'm right and you're wrong," but what does God's Word say? God is truth. None of us owns the truth, only God does. Any truth that we might have God's revealed it to us (1 Cor. 4:6-7). We're not to take credit for it - all credit goes to God (2 Cor. 4:7).
Thankfully, a growing number of the brethren are beginning to see that the Bible does prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, which holy dates God would have us to observe. Therefore, may we celebrate God's holy days as He would have us to - "in spirit and in truth" - and praise Him for restoring this truth to His Church!
Since there are many questions on this holy subject, we must start from the premise that God's Word is true, consistent and does not contradict itself (John 10:35) We must look for those basic Scriptures that are black and white and build our biblical case upon them. Such supportive Scriptures are actually abundantly available and the biblical evidence is overwhelming! Let us shine the Light of God's Word on our prayerful study with open minds, hearts and Bibles (Isa. 8:20; John 3:19-21; Acts 17:11).
The apostle Paul was inspired to write for the record that "the oracles of God" were committed to the Jews. The sacred calendar is clearly a part of "the oracles of God" (Ex. 12:2; Lev. 23:4). The purpose of the sacred calendar is for the Jews to determine and declare when the holy days of God are to be observed.
Jesus clearly revealed which Jews were responsible for these holy matters. Jesus declared that "the scribes and the PHARISEES sit in Moses' seat" of AUTHORITY (Matt. 23:2). God has ordained that the Jews preserve His Word on the Law, Prophets and Writings - despite themselves (Rom. 3:2-3). God will not renege on giving Judah this special calling and precious gift (Gen. 49:10, Rom. 11:29).
God has also ordained that Church officials can make binding decisions based upon biblical legal precedents, affecting Church issues (such as discussed in Acts 15 at the Jerusalem council of elders), that do not undermine the foundation of the Church - the Law and the Prophets (Rom. 11;18; Eph. 2:20). God has not given Church leaders a license to "kill" the brethren by destroying them doctrinally, uprooting and overturning foundational truths, or "playing God" by stealing divine prerogatives! (Matt. 5:17, 19; 2 Thess. 2:3-4).
The correct dates to observe God's holy days should not be a Church issue, having been settled by God thousands of years ago and preserved throughout the ages by faithful Jews.
So why do we differ on Passover and Pentecost? Because some have refused, rejected, denied and attempted to dismiss the biblical testimony! (Rom. 1:18; 3 John 9-10). We don't differ because God's forgotten or neglected to properly instruct His children in His ways (Deut. 6:7). We don't differ because we're unable to prove from the Scriptures, beyond a reasonable doubt, what's right and what's wrong.
"Come now and let us reason together, saith the LORD" (Isa. 1:18), "for the LORD has a controversy with His people, and He will plead with Israel" (Micah 6:2).
We differ because some have questioned God's right to choose the Jews to preserve the Bible and doubt God's ability to see that they fulfill their serious responsibility (Ex. 4:11; Isa. 45:9).
We differ because some won't submit to the biblical fact that Jesus clearly decreed that the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat and attempt to usurp that authority by forcibly installing the Sadducees in that position instead. God destroyed the power-base of the Sadducees when the Temple was destroyed but preserved the Pharisees. The Sadducees are history! We must make sure that we support God's chosen and not find ourselves in the enemy camp. (I Kgs. 2:27,35; Acts 5:39).
God's Church, as a general rule, has stubbornly followed the blind Sadducean dates for Passover and Pentecost. That is to our shame! We must reject the rebellious traditions of men for the commandments of God, otherwise God will reject us as His Priest-King (Mark 7:7-9; 1 Sam. 15:23). It's that serious!
Some, knowing better, continue to enjoy bitter strife and envying, getting caught up in proud personality clashes rather than humbling themselves before the Word of God ( 2 Tim. 2:23-26; Jas. 3:13-18). Truth is truth. It shouldn't be a matter of "I'm right and you're wrong," but what does God's Word say? God is truth. None of us owns the truth, only God does. Any truth that we might have God's revealed it to us (1 Cor. 4:6-7). We're not to take credit for it - all credit goes to God (2 Cor. 4:7).
Thankfully, a growing number of the brethren are beginning to see that the Bible does prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, which holy dates God would have us to observe. Therefore, may we celebrate God's holy days as He would have us to - "in spirit and in truth" - and praise Him for restoring this truth to His Church!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Pentecost, Shavuot, Pharisees
Passover and Pentecost Differences Settled!
The correct dates to observe God's holy days should not be a Church of God issue, having been settled by God thousands of years ago and preserved throughout the ages by faithful Jews.
The Oracles of God
God's empowered the Jews - despite themselves - to preserve His Word. They are the only people on Earth that God has blessed and ordained to fulfill such a calling! God will not retract His Word or renege on this gift and responsibility that He's graciously bestowed upon Judah.
The Pharisees
Who isn't aware of the sins of the Pharisees? Especially the Accuser of the Brethren? But does that mean the truths they teach, even if they don't live them, are no longer true?
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Jews hold scepter until Shiloh comes
Re: Obey Christ and the Pharisees!
I've properly presented plenty of Scriptures that don't only "suggest" but prove the God-given authority of the Pharisees is established until Shiloh comes - the return of the King of the Jews - who will reign from Jerusalem.
Jesus declared that "the scribes and the PHARISEES sit in Moses' seat" of AUTHORITY (Matt. 23:2). God has ordained that the Jews preserve His Word on the Law, Prophets and Writings - despite themselves (Rom. 3:2-3).
Matthew 23
1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.
And I've always stressed they have that God-given authority over us at least in regard to proclaiming and determining the proper holy dates/days.
And note well this important fact: Paul wrote that God has given it to the Jews to preserve "the oracles of God" (God's Word, sacred calendar, holy days) even after Jesus had given authority to His disciples. He didn't say, "Now God's Church has seized control of everything." That's a Catholic doctrine of demons; part of its accursed replacement theology and attempt to change the times and the seasons. Furthermore, Yeshua commanded His disciples/apostles to teach others what He had commanded them and that includes the recognition of the God-given authority of the Pharisees.
Romans 3
1What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?
2Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.
Genesis 49
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes
This clearly proves to those not wearing traditional blinders that the JEWS are responsible for these matters, and Yeshua and Paul clarified which Jews by acknowledging the God-given authority of the Pharisees. Two witnesses against those who would shamefully teach otherwise.
God is true and those who oppose His Word and Will are liars, because God will not renege on giving Judah this special calling and precious gift that some covet and others seek to steal (Gen. 49:10, Rom. 11:29).
Romans 11
28 Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
God has clearly stated He has empowered the Jews, specifically the Pharisees, to preserve His oracles and proclaim and determine His holy dates/days until Shiloh comes, until the return of the King of the JEWS. How plain and simple and consistent for those with eyes to see.
The Oracles of God
The Pharisees
Passover and Pentecost Differences Settled!
With regards to the 'authority of the Pharisees,' I have yet to be presented with any scripture which suggests in the least that their authority extended beyond that particular time period when Christ spoke in this regard
I've properly presented plenty of Scriptures that don't only "suggest" but prove the God-given authority of the Pharisees is established until Shiloh comes - the return of the King of the Jews - who will reign from Jerusalem.
Jesus declared that "the scribes and the PHARISEES sit in Moses' seat" of AUTHORITY (Matt. 23:2). God has ordained that the Jews preserve His Word on the Law, Prophets and Writings - despite themselves (Rom. 3:2-3).
Matthew 23
1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.
And I've always stressed they have that God-given authority over us at least in regard to proclaiming and determining the proper holy dates/days.
And note well this important fact: Paul wrote that God has given it to the Jews to preserve "the oracles of God" (God's Word, sacred calendar, holy days) even after Jesus had given authority to His disciples. He didn't say, "Now God's Church has seized control of everything." That's a Catholic doctrine of demons; part of its accursed replacement theology and attempt to change the times and the seasons. Furthermore, Yeshua commanded His disciples/apostles to teach others what He had commanded them and that includes the recognition of the God-given authority of the Pharisees.
Romans 3
1What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?
2Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.
Genesis 49
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes
This clearly proves to those not wearing traditional blinders that the JEWS are responsible for these matters, and Yeshua and Paul clarified which Jews by acknowledging the God-given authority of the Pharisees. Two witnesses against those who would shamefully teach otherwise.
God is true and those who oppose His Word and Will are liars, because God will not renege on giving Judah this special calling and precious gift that some covet and others seek to steal (Gen. 49:10, Rom. 11:29).
Romans 11
28 Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
God has clearly stated He has empowered the Jews, specifically the Pharisees, to preserve His oracles and proclaim and determine His holy dates/days until Shiloh comes, until the return of the King of the JEWS. How plain and simple and consistent for those with eyes to see.
The Oracles of God
The Pharisees
Passover and Pentecost Differences Settled!
Friday, March 20, 2009
Obey Christ and the Pharisees!
Excerpts from a Sabbath-keeping Church of God forum:
If you want to obey Christ, then follow Christ's command to DO as the Pharisees said to do and respect their God-given authority.
Yeshua clearly said the Pharisees - however imperfect- sit in Moses' Seat (even though He was aware they rejected Him at that time). Yeshua clearly said DO AS THEY - the Pharisees - SAY.
shall we obey everything the Pharisees have to say? even when they place burdens upon others which are part of their own tradition and not the law of God? certainly not!
The Pharisees alone have the right to proclaim and determine the holy days/dates from Moses' Seat. He didn't disagree with them on their observances of Passover/Shavuot, and where He did disagree was made evident. He clearly disagreed with the Sadducees (who too many in the Church still follow), since the Pharisees strongly disagree with their observance of Shavuot. Yeshua sided, like Paul did, with the Pharisees - all things considered.
The Pharisees
Who isn't aware of the sins of the Pharisees? Especially the Accuser of the Brethren? But does that mean the truths they teach, even if they don't live them, are no longer true?
You speak of the "Jews" as though they are still sitting in Moses' seat. Aren't the "Jews" the ones who deny Messiah came in the flesh?
The Jews - specifically rabbinic Judaism, the continuation of the Pharisess - do still sit in Moses' Seat and will continue to do so UNTIL Shiloh comes, the King of the Jews, and regathers all 12 tribes and reigns. The Scriptures are plain and clear.
Did the general Jewish rejection of Yeshua catch Christ by surprise? Or the Father? Did God make a mistake in Genesis where He said the scepter will not depart from Judah until Shiloh comes and regathers the people? Yeshua is not on King David's throne yet, He has not regathered the people, and is not yet reigning as King of the Jews, the King of Israel.
Do you think the Pharisees accepted Yeshua at the time He acknowledged their God-given authority? Did that stop Him from upholding God's Word that the scepter would remain among JEWS? No. Like Paul, He knew it all had a purpose, was part of the plan being worked out.
I have more than answered every objection, every argument, every twist and turn possible since some appear driven to shamefully wrest authority from the Jews on these matters (specifically proclaiming the holy days/dates) rather than submit to the Word of God, the government of God that has ordained the Jews responsible for these matters.
Passover and Pentecost Differences Settled!
The Oracles of God
God's empowered the Jews - despite themselves - to preserve His Word. They are the only people on Earth that God has blessed and ordained to fulfill such a calling! God will not retract His Word or renege on this gift and responsibility that He's graciously bestowed upon Judah.
The apostle Paul was inspired to write for the record - after Yeshua's death and resurrection - that "the oracles of God" were committed to the Jews. The sacred calendar is clearly a part of "the oracles of God" (Ex. 12:2; Lev. 23:4). The purpose of the sacred calendar is for the Jews to determine and declare when the holy days of God are to be observed.
Jesus clearly revealed which Jews were responsible for these holy matters. Jesus declared that "the scribes and the PHARISEES sit in Moses' seat" of AUTHORITY (Matt. 23:2). God has ordained that the Jews preserve His Word on the Law, Prophets and Writings - despite themselves (Rom. 3:2-3). God will not renege on giving Judah this special calling and precious gift (Gen. 49:10, Rom. 11:29).
1John 4:
4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,
3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
What if the Jews, specifically the Pharisees whom God has chosen, are less than perfect? Does it make God's purpose for them null and void? Paul answers: "GOD FORBID!"
Romans 3
1What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?
2Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.
3For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?
4God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
Romans 11
28 Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
Who is currently sitting in Moses' seat? I've never given this issue much thought, but it occurs to me that followers of Christ are currently sitting there -- anyone who follows after Christ. We have the authority because Christ gave us this authority.
The Jews are currently sitting in Moses' Seat - just as God has ordained and Christ confirmed. I have given this much prayerful thought and study and the Scriptures are clear and consistent on it. God has not given any authority to fickle Church of God groups to proclaim or determine the holy days/dates - He gave that responsibility to the Jews, even though God knew, as Yeshua and Paul knew, many of them would be temporarily enemies of the gospel.
no human, or organization of humans (including the "Jews") have authority over us. Christ is our intercessor to the Father, and no other.
Acts 15 reveals there is a proper Church of God authority, and the Bible clearly reveals the Jews have GOD-GIVEN authority over us to bless us with the proper days/dates for the holy days. God has ordained it. Those who love and obey God submit to this fact and don't have a problem with it. Of course Yeshua is our intercessor, that is non sequitor and nobody has said otherwise.
The biblical record reveals God has only authorized the Pharisees to chair "Moses' seat" and judge with his authority on these matters.
Psalm 60
Judah is My lawgiver.
Psalm 108
Judah is My lawgiver.
Those who would attempt to usurp their God-given position would do well to remember Gamaliel's advice about fighting against God. God has clearly given certain responsibilities to His Jewish servants to fulfill and that's what they'll continue to do until the King of the Jews reigns in Jerusalem with these honors.
Genesis 49
10The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Passover and Pentecost Differences Settled!
Passover and Pentecost Differences Settled!
By David Ben-Ariel
Why do we differ on Passover and Pentecost? Is it because our Father God left us in the dark? Has the God of law and order left us in chaos and confusion? Are we unable to "prove all things" from the Scriptures - as we're commanded - because we're unable to prove beyond a reasonable doubt the correct dates to observe God's holy days? DOES THAT MAKE SENSE?
By David Ben-Ariel
Why do we differ on Passover and Pentecost? Is it because our Father God left us in the dark? Has the God of law and order left us in chaos and confusion? Are we unable to "prove all things" from the Scriptures - as we're commanded - because we're unable to prove beyond a reasonable doubt the correct dates to observe God's holy days? DOES THAT MAKE SENSE?
Since there are many questions on this holy subject, we must start from the premise that God's Word is true, consistent and does not contradict itself (John 10:35). We must look for those basic Scriptures that are black and white and build our biblical case upon them.
Such supportive Scriptures are actually abundantly available and the biblical evidence is overwhelming! Let us shine the Light of God's Word on our prayerful study with open minds, hearts and Bibles (Isa. 8:20; John 3:19-21; Acts 17:11).
The apostle Paul was inspired to write for the record that "the oracles of God" were committed to the Jews. The sacred calendar is clearly a part of "the oracles of God" (Ex. 12:2; Lev. 23:4). The purpose of the sacred calendar is for the Jews to determine and declare when the holy days of God are to be observed.
Jesus clearly revealed which Jews were responsible for these holy matters. Jesus declared that "the scribes and the PHARISEES sit in Moses' seat" of AUTHORITY (Matt. 23:2). God has ordained that the Jews preserve His Word on the Law, Prophets and Writings - despite themselves (Rom. 3:2-3). God will not renege on giving Judah this special calling and precious gift (Gen. 49:10, Rom. 11:29).
God has also ordained that Church officials can make binding decisions based upon biblical legal precedents, affecting Church issues (such as discussed in Acts 15 at the Jerusalem council of elders), that do not undermine the foundation of the Church - the Law and the Prophets (Rom. 11;18; Eph. 2:20).
God has not given Church leaders a license to "kill" the brethren by destroying them doctrinally, uprooting and overturning foundational truths, or "playing God" by stealing divine prerogatives (Matt. 5:17, 19; 2 Thess. 2:3-4).
The correct dates to observe God's holy days should not be a Church of God issue, having been settled by God thousands of years ago and preserved throughout the ages by faithful Jews.
So why do we differ on Passover and Pentecost? Because some have refused, rejected, denied and attempted to dismiss the biblical testimony (Rom. 1:18; 3 John 9-10).
We don't differ because God's forgotten or neglected to properly instruct His children in His ways (Deut. 6:7).
We don't differ because we're unable to prove from the Scriptures, beyond a reasonable doubt, what's right and what's wrong.
"Come now and let us reason together, saith the LORD" (Isa. 1:18), "for the LORD has a controversy with His people, and He will plead with Israel" (Micah 6:2).
We differ because some have questioned God's right to choose the Jews to preserve the Bible and doubt God's ability to see that they fulfill their serious responsibility (Ex. 4:11; Isa. 45:9).
We differ because some won't submit to the biblical fact that Jesus clearly decreed that the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat and attempt to usurp that authority by forcibly installing the Sadducees in that position instead. God destroyed the power-base of the Sadducees when the Temple was destroyed but preserved the Pharisees. The Sadducees are history! We must make sure that we support God's chosen and not find ourselves in the enemy camp. (1 Kgs. 2:27,35; Acts 5:39).
God's Church, as a general rule, has stubbornly followed the blind Sadducean dates for Passover and Pentecost. That is to our shame! We must reject the rebellious traditions of men for the commandments of God, otherwise God will reject us as His Priest-King (Mark 7:7-9; 1 Sam. 15:23). It's that serious!
Some, knowing better, continue to enjoy bitter strife and envying, getting caught up in proud personality clashes rather than humbling themselves before the Word of God ( 2 Tim. 2:23-26; Jas. 3:13-18). Truth is truth. It shouldn't be a matter of "I'm right and you're wrong," but what does God's Word say? God is truth. None of us owns the truth, only God does. Any truth that we might have God's revealed it to us (1 Cor. 4:6-7). We're not to take credit for it - all credit goes to God (2 Cor. 4:7).
Thankfully, a growing number of the brethren are beginning to see that the Bible does prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, which holy dates God would have us to observe. Therefore, may we celebrate God's holy days as He would have us to - "in spirit and in truth" - and praise Him for restoring this truth to His Church!
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