The Feast of Pentecost
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THE FEAST OF PENTECOST
By
Jerome Gerbasi
excerpted by permission from his book:
"The Prophetic Harmony of the Lamp of God"
Technical Note: You can expand the text-font size for easier reading by clicking on the PDF button in the above right corner - but it only works if you have PDF capability on your computer. Using PDF enables you to change the text font size if you're having trouble seeing the words and need a bigger size of lettering.
Editors Note: Some of the views in this article are not shared by this publication or its publisher. It is being presented to provide our readers a better under-standing of alternate views concerning the length of the Tribulation Period.
"Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." (Jer. 33:3)
In this next Section we'll study the connection between the harvest of Christians or "rapture" on the "Day of the Lord," and the early summer feast of Pentecost. For those that may not have looked into the prophetic significance of the 7 Hebrew Feast days, I'll offer an overview of their general themes in Section 3: THE SEVEN FEAST DAYS AND THE SEVEN SPIRITS OF GOD. All of the sacrificial ordinances that the Lord prescribed in the Old Testament law were "a shadow of good things to come" in Jesus Christ:
"For the law having a shadow of GOOD THINGS TO COME, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect." (Heb. 10:1)
This also holds true for the festivals of the law:
"Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a SHADOW OF THINGS TO COME; but the body is of Christ." (Col. 2:16-17)
When God gave the sacrificial ordinances and the 7 feasts in the Old Testament law, their ancient rituals and observances were only intended to be "a shadow of good things to come." Their true purpose has been, is, and shall be, in the redemptive plan of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Just as the 6 days of labor followed by a seventh day Sabbath is a figure for prophecy, (It portrays a 6000-year span of time for labor followed by a thousand year "day" of rest) so too are the 7 Hebrew feasts. The importance of the agricultural life of ancient Hebrews is not fully appreciated by us living today in a society that is largely removed from that way of life. To the Hebrews who lived according to the Torah, the seasons of planting and harvesting were far more than just their way of life and culture, it was also their religious system. God, who ordained the holy festivals and observances, arranged them to coincide with the agricultural seasons of the land that he created. Therein are found his abundant blessings to his people as well as punishments for their evil. It was the Lord who commanded the Israelites to bring their offerings of harvest before him in their respective times, and he repeatedly told them that these Feast days were to be "a statute for ever throughout your generations." Their whole system of worship incorporated and gravitated around these Feasts. They are not just inseparable from the religious system of the Old Testament, they establish the very times in which they were to approach God in service and worship. They are in fact the religious schedule for the law of the Torah. And according to Jesus Christ, this schedule of the law will be fulfilled to the very jot and tittle. (Matt. 5:18) This system, which used grain and produce offerings and sacrifices, typified the eternal redemptive plan of God through Jesus Christ. That is the ultimate end to which it foreshadowed. And, as said before, these times of offerings and sacrifices were intimately interwoven into the seasonal festivals of harvest. The importance of them in relation to God's plan of redemption cannot be overstated. In many cases throughout God's word, the very language that he uses to describe the harvest Feast days is the same language he uses to describe redemption and salvation for his people, and that parallel runs throughout the Old and New Testament Scriptures. As he fulfilled the first 3 Feast days, in their exact order, in their exact times, and according to their specified themes, so will he fulfill the remaining. He was crucified on the Feast of Passover, entombed during Unleavened Bread, resurrected on Firstfruits, and sent the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, which began the new dispensation of the Church, "the time of the Gentiles," or the age of spiritual rebirth into the New Covenant. And it is the conclusion of this study that the Church age will most likely close on this same Feast day, and the last 3 Feast days (Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles) will be fulfilled at the end of the "great tribulation" upon the physical nation of Israel. In essence, the Church is in the age of wheat harvest, which we will now explore.
Note to the ‘scoffers':
I'd like to first address an attitude held by many that basically negates the importance of intently studying the prophetic Word of God FOR UNDERSTANDING OF IT, and for watching for the Lord's coming as he commanded we do. That attitude asserts that ‘no man will ever know the day of Christ's coming because it cannot be known, so all of this research and speculation is a waste of time.' Firstly, it cannot be found in any of the statements of the bible that ‘no man WILL EVER KNOW' the day or the time of his coming. The statements Jesus made plainly say that no man presently, at that time or prior to the signs he gave being fulfilled, "knows" the day or the hour. (Mark 13:32) Only the Father in heaven sees the end from the beginning and knows exactly when that day will be. Jesus is the Word of God, and in the beginning the Word was with God, and the Word was God, and all things were made by him. However, when Jesus humbled himself to become human, the bible says that he emptied himself of being in the form of God (Phil. 2:7) and took upon him the form of a man. And while growing up and maturing it says that he "increased in wisdom" (Luke 2:52), showing that he was no longer omniscient after he had "made himself of no reputation," and as a man was granted by the Father such things as he should know. The Greek word used for the English phrase, "made himself of no reputation," is Strong's #2758 and it literally mean: "to make empty, to abase, neutralize." It comes from the root word Strong's # 2756, which means: "empty." This is what the Son of God actually did for us. So it was an absolute truth when Jesus said that neither he himself at that time, nor the angels knew the day or the hour of his coming. (Mark 13:32) But after he ascended, and was ‘glorified with the glory that he had with the Father before the world was,' he is now exalted and praised "with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing." (Rev. 5:12) He not only received the glory that he once had before the world was, but also the "wisdom." So that which could not be known by Christ while he was upon earth, is known by him now. And likewise, that which could not be known by past generations before the time of the end, CAN be known by people living in the last days, who will personally witness the fulfilling of all the prophetic signs he gave. God grants wisdom to his people on a ‘need to know' basis. All of the statements he made about not knowing were in the present tense and apply to everyone that has not witnessed the fulfillment of key prophetic signs as revealed in the Scriptures.
"But of that day and that hour knoweth (presently) no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father (presently). Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not (presently) when the time is." (Mark 13:32-33)
Jesus wasn't saying that his Father in heaven WOULD know the day and hour, but that he presently knew. And conversely, he indicated that presently no man knew. This has been, and will remain the case, until the signs he gave come to pass and are witnessed by those that have taken heed, and diligently studied, and prayed, and have watched for the events to unfold. And when they see these things come to pass, they KNOW, because that is the only way man can know.
"...when ye see these things come to pass, KNOW YE that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand." (Luke 21:31)
Knowing that the kingdom of God is near is contingent upon ‘seeing these things come to pass.' But if people are not aware of the specific signs, or misunderstand them, and are not watching for them, then they will not observe their fulfillment, and will not know when the Lord is coming:
"Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee." (Rev. 3:2-3)
That statement to be watchful is actually a command of the Lord. So if we are very watchful, as he orders, does that mean that we will still never know the day of his coming? That would completely contradict what he warned the Church in this statement. People who teach that would have us to believe that Jesus says the following:
"If therefore thou shalt not watch, or even if thou do keep my saying and watch, I will still come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee."
Is that what Jesus teaches? Why would he even bother to give so many signs in the first place, if no man WILL EVER know when his coming will be? There would be absolutely no purpose to it. And one thing I DO know, is that everything God gives to us is for a very good reason and purpose. All of the teachings he gave contradict the notion that no man will ever know. He says we are NOT to have that day overtake us as a thief. The only way that can be the case is if we KNOW in advance what to watch for.
"But ye brethren are not in darkness that that day should overtake YOU as a thief." (1 Thes. 5:4)
In the parable that Jesus gave in Matt. 25, all of the virgins KNOW when the Bridegroom is soon coming:
"And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him." (Matt. 25:6)
Something happens which alerts them to his soon arrival. Prior to that time, they all slumbered and slept and did not know. Jesus said:
"And this know, that if the goodman of the house had KNOWN what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye (presently) think not." (Luke 12:39-40)
It was not intended for the Apostles or the early Christians to know the times and the seasons of his coming because they would not be alive to witness any of it, as Jesus fully knew. So when they came to him and asked him: "wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" He responded to them personally showing that it was not for THEM to know:
"And he said unto them, It is not for YOU to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But YE shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and YE shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." (Acts 1:7-8)
Their mission did not in any way involve witnessing the fulfillment of the signs he gave about his coming. Their mission was to take the gospel message to the uttermost parts of the earth. So why would Jesus give them prophetic information that would be of no use to them personally? Obviously, the signs were intended to be observed by people living during their fulfillment. The same thing was said to Daniel when he inquired about the mysterious prophecies given to him pertaining to a distant time in the future:
"And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end." (Dan. 12:8-9)
It was not intended for Daniel to personally understand the mysteries given him to record about days far in the future. But it WAS intended for him to understand, BY STUDYING, the fulfillment of prophecy within his own lifetime:
"In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans; In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:" (Dan. 9:1-3)
The Angel speaking to Daniel also made it clear that it WAS intended for people living in the last days to understand when those things written by Daniel would come about:
"But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." (Dan. 12:4)
That statement itself is an important prophecy that shows that the understanding of these things given to him would be unsealed during the time of the end and many would increase in KNOWLEDGE. It is the last generation of God's people in the end times that ARE to witness the fulfillment of the signs, and ARE to know that he is coming, and not to be overtaken as a thief as the rest of the ignorant world will be. Otherwise the very specific prophetic signs, as well as the numerous spans of days given that tell us of when events will happen, are meaningless and not intended to give us any understanding. Did God just put all of these things in the bible, and command us to study to show ourselves approved for our entertainment? Or is it so we may incline our ears unto wisdom and apply our hearts to understanding? Nearly half of the entire bible is orientated around PROPHECY, showing that it is of extreme importance to the ONE that wrote it and gave it to us to study. The wise will take heed and do so, and be given a blessing as the book of Revelation promises. (Rev. 22:7)
THE SEASON OF CHANGE
What you want to look for when you're studying any doctrine is a consistency and a harmony of scripture both from the Old Testament to the New. And when you have put "line upon line, and precept upon precept, here a little, and there a little," and can see a very clear portrait emerging, then you can be confident that God is showing you the incredible wisdom and unfailing accuracy of his Word. So let's see if we can do that here. What we'll first look into is the season and month of the year that holds a strong connection to the "Day of the Lord."
"Woe to the land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia: (Babylon?) That sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters, saying, Go, ye swift messengers, to a nation scattered and peeled, to a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden down, whose land the rivers have spoiled! (Israel) All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains (compare to: Isa. 13:2, Jer. 50:2); and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye, For so the Lord said unto me, I will take my rest, and I will consider in my dwelling place like a clear heat, and like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest (summer harvest). For afore the harvest (the fall harvest), when the bud is perfect, and the sour grape is ripening in the flower, he shall both cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks, and take away and cut down the branches (removal of the wicked). They shall be left together unto the fowls of the mountains, and to the beasts of the earth: and the fowls shall summer upon them, and all the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them. (This is the world thru the great tribulation). In that time (after the great trib.) shall the present be brought unto the Lord of hosts of a people (Israel) scattered and peeled, and from a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden under foot whose land the rivers have spoiled, to the place of the name of the Lord of hosts, the mount Zion." (Isaiah.18:1-7)
I think this is a reference to the time of the end when the judgment of the Church and the trial of Israel begins. Notice that it says God blows a trumpet during this time. The removal of the "sprigs" and the cut branches being left behind for the summer refers to the removal of the "tares" among God's people when they are harvested at the rapture. And also notice it's during "the heat of harvest" or early summer when the sour grapes are still ripening, which comes before the fall harvest. At this time God will be "like a clear heat" upon the world, but will be "like a cloud of dew" for his people. Many are also left behind for the great tribulation period. It is after this that a "present," or offering, is to be brought before the Lord out of Israel. Let's look at another possible reference to this:
"Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey (the Day of the Lord): for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms (WW3), to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy. For THEN will I turn to the people (Israel) a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent. From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia (Isa. 18:1- Woe to the land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia) my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed (Israel), shall bring mine offering." (Zeph. 3:8-10)
It is at the time of the destruction of latter day Babylon that the dispersed of Israel go seeking for the Lord:
"For out of the north there cometh up a nation against her, which shall make her land (Babylon) desolate, and none shall dwell therein: they shall remove, they shall depart, both man and beast. In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the LORD their God. They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the LORD in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten." (Jer. 50:3-5)
It is also the time when his "fierce anger" is released just as Zephaniah 3 referred to:
"Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land (of Babylon) desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it." (Isaiah 13:9)
The statement in Isaiah, "Woe to the land shadowing with wings" seems to mean that during this summer harvest, this land that sends ambassadors, "swift messengers", to Israel is going to see a harsh judgment. We will later examine prophecies that indicate this time, when God pours out his indignation and fierce anger upon the world, and specifically Babylon the Great, to also be the very day when the Christian Church is harvested. It is after this that the Lord's attention turns back to the dispersed of Israel and they seek him. The season of this is said to be at the beginning of summer. The Songs of Solomon agrees:
"My beloved (Jesus Christ) spake, and said unto me (his bride the few), Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain, is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; The fig tree putteth forth her green (unripe) figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away." (Sol. 2:10-13)
Jesus is describing the time of the year very specifically when he comes to take his bride back with him. He comes and calls to her saying "Rise up my love, my fair one, and come away." This is when the figs are unripe and when the grape vines are just about to be harvested. The main fig harvest of Israel occurred during the feast of Ingathering in the month of Tishri, or late September on the Gregorian calendar. So this has to be sometime before this, just before the grape harvest. According to harvest calendars of the bible, the first grapes appear in the 4th Jewish month of Tammuz or late June. So just before this in early summer, say in late May or early June, is where we're drawing into, which would be the third month on the Jewish calendar. The book of Job also uses the same symbolism of this very season for when the wicked are judged by fire:
"He shall not depart out of darkness; THE FLAME SHALL DRY UP HIS BRANCHES, and by the breath of his mouth shall he go away. Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity: for vanity shall be his recompence. It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be green. He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive. For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and FIRE SHALL CONSUME the tabernacles of bribery." (Job 15:30-34)
It is during "the Day of the Lord" that God's wrath comes in fire. Recall that in Isaiah 18 God says, "For afore the harvest (the fall harvest), when the bud is perfect, and the sour grape is ripening in the flower, he shall both cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks, and take away and cut down the branches (removal of the wicked)." Here again, the Word of God links this judgment of fire to the time when the grapes and figs are ripening and when the olives are only in blossom. It was around the beginning of May that olives began to flower in Israel, and produced their fruit in the Fall, along with the figs. Therefore, this is no indication of a judgment of fire coming in Autumn, but rather in early summer. Another interesting thing about this is that this is the time of the year when most marriages take place, in early summer. Is this when our Bridegroom will come for us?
(Note: Throughout this book we will identify latter day Babylon the Great to be the United States of America. The fact that the USA is the kingdom of Babylon and "that great city" is New York City, is scripturally indisputable. It goes beyond "interpretational differences" or points of view. The Word of God taken as it is written leaves no other valid or sound conclusion on the matter. There are many in-depth research studies and documentaries available that one can study to be enlightened about this, which this book doesn't delve into thoroughly. But the proper identification of latter day Babylon and its destruction is crucial to understanding the timing of the rapture. I have included in the Appendix section at the end of the book a partial study listing dozens of biblical proofs that identify the United States as Babylon the Great, and more sources of great information for readers to research this further.)
As we will further explore in later Sections, the timing of the destruction of America-Babylon is very telling as to when the deliverance of God's true people occurs. As some scholars have rightly observed, this destruction comes in two phases during the "great tribulation." There is first a destruction of Babylon by fire on the Day of the Lord, the day when God's wrath begins at the opening of the 6th Seal. The land of Babylon is reduced to a desert wasteland and remains so until the second phase of destruction comes at the very end of the "great tribulation." This second phase of destruction involves water washing over the landmass, and this occurs about 3 ½ years later. Let's look at the prophecies that indicate these two phases:
"And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her DOUBLE. How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:" (Rev. 18:4-11)
There are many elements of discussion to this prophecy here. The Lord's judgment of Babylon is said to be "double." The word used here is Strong's # 1362 and it literally means: "double, two-fold more." It comes from the root word Strong's # 1364 which means: "twice, again." God is literally going to issue a destructive judgment upon Babylon "twice." We'll briefly look into these two phases of Judgment, paying close attention to the seasonal timing of the first. The above prophecy pertains to the first phase of this bitter destruction involving fire. This comes suddenly at a time of normalcy when the economies of the world are at least stable and active. This is shown by the fact that this first destruction by fire causes "the merchants of the earth" to be stunned and greatly upset about the overthrow of this city of world trading by the sea. The trading network through this mighty economic seaport city has come to a screeching halt, and "no man buyeth their merchandise any more." As this mighty city of Babylon the Great is destroyed, so is the entire nation in which it resides. This is seen by the fact that it causes widespread "famine." If this was only the destruction of this one city in the kingdom of Babylon, immediate emergency actions would be applied and resources from outside the city would be directed into it, preventing any widespread famine. The fact that this does not happen shows that the entire country of Babylon has simultaneously suffered the same fate as this mighty city. The entire infrastructure of the whole kingdom is rendered inactive when this first destruction by fire suddenly takes place. This is verified in the prophecies of the Old Testament about this same event:
"The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see. Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles. I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness. The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the LORD of hosts mustereth the host of the battle. They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the LORD, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land. Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt: And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames. Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine (6th Seal). AND I will punish the world for their evil (through the "great tribulation"), and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir. Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger. (6th Seal)" (Isaiah 13:1-13)
This destruction on the Day of the Lord is said to "destroy the whole land" of the country of Babylon. This begins the time when God "punishes the world for their evil." This is the beginning of God's wrath upon the world as shown in the opening of the 6th Seal. (Rev. 6:12) The prophecy continues:
"And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there. But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there. And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces: and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged." (Isaiah 13:19-22)
This further confirms that it is a fiery destruction from the Lord and that it leaves the land of Babylon in a desert wasteland condition for a period of time. Jeremiah says the same thing:
"For, lo, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the north country: and they shall set themselves in array against her; from thence she shall be taken: their arrows shall be as of a mighty expert man; none shall return in vain. And Chaldea shall be a spoil: all that spoil her shall be satisfied, saith the LORD. Because ye were glad, because ye rejoiced, O ye destroyers of mine heritage, because ye are grown fat as the heifer at grass, and bellow as bulls; Your mother shall be sore confounded; she that bare you shall be ashamed: behold, the hindermost of the nations shall be a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert. Because of the wrath of the LORD it shall not be inhabited, but it shall be wholly desolate: every one that goeth by Babylon shall be astonished, and hiss at all her plagues." (Jer. 50:9-13)
"Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will plead thy cause, and take vengeance for thee; and I will dry up her sea, and make her springs dry. And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwellingplace for dragons, an astonishment, and an hissing, without an inhabitant." (Jer. 51:36-37)
This is even confirmed in the book of Enoch, and is accompanied by many celestial changes:
"The moon shall change its laws, and not be seen at its proper period. But in those days shall heaven be seen; and barrenness shall take place in the borders of the great chariots in the west..." (Enoch 79:6)
As we saw before, this first judgment comes as a complete surprise to the sea merchants that trade in the great city of Babylon. This is the case because it's the very beginning day of God's wrath, which would be the opening of the 6th Seal. This is further shown by the fact that a third part of all ships in the sea are destroyed, along with the death of a third of all creatures, when the 2nd Trumpet Judgment comes after this. (Rev. 8:8-9) And when the 2nd Vial of wrath is poured out, it turns all seas to blood, and "every living soul dies in the sea." (Rev. 16:3) The first destruction of Babylon cannot come after these Judgments, because they will render all trade by sea an impossibility. Not to mention the fact that all merchants would be far more dismayed over these things happening than they would be over just one city being destroyed. The reason that the merchants and traders by sea are so shocked when the great city Babylon, along with its whole nation, is destroyed is because it's the first day of wrath upon the world, which comes very suddenly "as a snare." This is the first "Day of the Lord." It is during the last 7th Vial of wrath that God gives the fullness of his "two-fold" Judgment upon Babylon, in which there is a massive polar shift and the oceans flood over many lands.
"And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city (Jerusalem) was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found." (Rev. 16:17-20)
"The great city" mentioned here is not to be confused with "that great city," which is Babylon the Great. The great city that is divided during this earthquake is the same that had a tenth part of it fall during a pervious earthquake during the 6th Trumpet:
"And their dead bodies (the 2 Witnesses) shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified (Jerusalem)...And after three days and an half the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven." (Rev. 11:8-13)
Jerusalem has never, nor will it ever, suffer the fate as ordained for "that great city" of Babylon, which shall be utterly destroyed forever. Quite the contrary, Jerusalem shall be exalted and raised in great glory during the Millennium, when the King of kings and Lord of lords reigns upon this earth from there. Prior to that glorious time, no city on earth other than New York City, is the center for world trade, world commerce and finance, is a seaport city that resides in the strongest and wealthiest nation on earth, and has the seat and headquarters of the United Nations. It is these very specific descriptions that God gives which identify what great city and nation is Mystery, Babylon the Great. (See Appendix for list of descriptive parameters identifying Babylon.)
We know that the first portion of God's wrath came before this judgment spoken of in Rev.16 because prior to the 7th Vial, an angel warns those on earth about what had already befallen Babylon because of her sins, and that she had tasted of the wrath of God Almighty:
"And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, BECAUSE she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." (Rev. 14:6-8)
The final phase of wrath against Babylon is when there is the largest earthquake ever to occur and a polar shift in which "every island fled away, and the mountains were not found." There is a massive displacement of seas and land features, where many lands are inundated, especially the land of Babylon. This happens after her land and cities already lay in ruin from the first Judgment by fire on the Day of the Lord:
"The sea is come up upon Babylon: she is covered with the multitude of the waves thereof. Her cities are a desolation, a dry land, and a wilderness, a land wherein no man dwelleth, neither doth any son of man pass thereby." (Jer. 51:42-43)
This second judgment, which causes much of the land to disappear, is confirmed in Rev. 18:
"And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all." (Rev. 18:21)
This first destruction of Babylon by fire happens on the Day of the Lord, which is the Day Christ gathers his people. It is compared to when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, delivering just Lot (see Isaiah 13:19, and Luke 18:28-36). This destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah happened while the weather was hot, most likely during the summer. We know this because the day just before it occurred Abraham "sat in the tent door in the HEAT of the day" when God visited him. (Gen. 18:1) The following morning came the judgment of God. This will also be the case when God issues this same type Judgment upon Babylon:
"And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwellingplace for dragons, an astonishment, and an hissing, without an inhabitant. They shall roar together like lions: they shall yell as lions' whelps. In their heat I will make their feasts, and I will make them drunken, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the LORD. I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams with he goats. How is Sheshach taken! and how is the praise of the whole earth surprised! how is Babylon become an astonishment among the nations!" (Jer. 51:37-41)
In the United States, the month of June has been designated to be Gay and Lesbian Pride Month, or we could say, ‘Sodomite Pride Month.' This is the time when the nation more openly honors Sodomites in the U.S. and when they figuratively raise their fists at God's morals and spit in his face. So it would be extremely fitting for God to deliver the same type of Judgment upon this latter day equivalent of Sodom and Gomorrah just as the people in Babylon-America are ‘declaring their sin as Sodom and hiding it not,' in this very season of early summer. The prophecies against America state very plainly that God is going to deliver the same Judgment upon this nation as a whole as he did to Sodom. If he is just and judged Sodom in this manner, as an example for others that grieve him in this way (Jude 7), how could He NOT render the same judgment now, as he says he will? These statements give more of a clue as to when this same type of Judgment will come once more. Indeed, He has openly showed this to the nation as a warning during this very time in June of 1998. Here is an excerpt from the June McAlvany Intelligence Advisor from several years ago, GOD'S FINAL WARNING TO AMERICA: ():
"On May 30, 1998, Operation Rescue began a week-long prayer vigil and intercession in Orlando. They prayed in front of the city's abortion centers; they exposed child pornography being sold at Barnes and Noble Bookstores; and they prayed in front of Disney World as the homosexuals entered. The City of Orlando flew the homosexual flag (the rainbow) on the flag poles around City Hall. The flags remained up for the entire month of June. The Christians went to City Hall and warned that the month-long flying of the homosexual flag would offend and anger God. They were ignored. In fact, Operations Rescue received very little support from the churches in Florida. Operation Rescue ended the prayer vigil on June 6 at approximately 2:30 p.m.
At approximately 2:30 p.m. on June 6, fires erupted northeast, east and southeast of Orlando and burned eastward, away from the city. There had been wildfires burning since May 25 (one week before Gay Month in Florida). These fires had been controlled and didn't receive national attention. At the very time Operation Rescue closed in prayer on June 6, the fires began to burn out of control and did so for the rest of Florida's Gay Month. For the rest of June, fires burned all over Florida, but especially northeast of Orlando. In total, there were over 2,100 fires and 500,000 acres burned. With all the fires only 300 houses were destroyed with no loss of life. The fires and draught caused over $1 billion damage in crop loss.
Gay Days ended at Disney World on June 7 with a Gospel Brunch. On June 7, Florida Governor Lawton Chiles declared a state of emergency because of the fires and mobilized the National Guard. The fires were burning totally out of control, the very day that Gay Days ended. President Clinton issued a letter of congratulations to the homosexuals for Gay Days and then just 12 days after it ended, he declared Florida a disaster area for the release of federal assistance. What irony!... What an awesome warning to the State of Florida and the entire nation. Operation Rescue warned Orlando and Disney World of the dangers of open homosexuality and killing babies in the womb. They were rejected by Orlando. They were ignored by the entire state, but they warned of the possible judgment to come. Operation Rescue closed in prayer, and thus began the worst fires in the state's history. People that were too busy or did not care about the 100,000 homosexuals gathering in Orlando, and the City flying the Gay flag were now, a few days later, pleading with God for rain. They were fleeing their homes in panic as the fires threatened entire cities. This all occurred during Gay Month and while the homosexual flag was flying over one of the state's largest cities...The fires seem to have been a strong warning to Florida and the nation of the coming judgment for open and bold homosexuality and the killing of children in the womb."
God gave a very clear warning to Florida and the nation as a whole during this time of the year; June, the Gay and Lesbian Pride month in the U.S. He sent fires burning across the state of Florida, as a portrayal of the future judgment of fire that is to befall America-Babylon, who has become as Sodom and Gomorrah.
The prophecy in Jeremiah 51 shows that this judgment comes when the people of Babylon are "in their heat." The word "heat" here is the same Hebrew word used in Gen. 18:1 when Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed by fire. The word is Strong's # 2527 and it means: "heat, to be hot (warm)." There is a similar clue to the season in question given by Jesus in his prophecy concerning the beginning of the great tribulation:
"But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judea flee to the mountains: And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house: And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment." (Mark 13:14-16)
So when the great tribulation is about to begin, Jesus says there will be laborers in the fields, and they have taken off their garment to work, indicating they are shirtless. This is probably because the temperature outside is warm; giving yet another clue that it is early summer, and most likely during the wheat harvest. This same clue is repeated in a verse about the rapture itself. Concerning the day that Christ comes to gather his people, he says: "Then shall two be in the field, the one shall be taken (gathered), and the other left." (Matt. 24:40) It again shows that there will be laborers in the field during that time of "heat." This corresponds precisely with what Jesus said about this:
"Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his (Israel's) branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewiseye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors." Once again, Jesus refers to the beginning of summer in connection with his return, which agrees with what we have seen in Job 15, Isaiah 18, Jeremiah 51, the Songs of Solomon 2, and in the next verse as well, about the Day of the Lord: (Matt. 24:32-33)
"And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely (unripe) figs when she is shaken of a mighty wind." (Rev. 6:13)
This is the 6th Seal when the wrath of God actually begins and the Church is harvested. (We will go into this in much greater depth in later Sections) But there is a symbolic reference to figs being "untimely" or unripe at this time. They aren't being harvested at this time. That comes four months later during the month of Tishri. Could that be why Jesus said this?:
"Say not ye , There are yet four months and then cometh harvest? Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white (with Wheat) already to harvest." (John 4:35)
Here Jesus is contrasting what his people are saying to what He himself says. They are looking for a harvest in four months time, the Fall Harvest. But He says; ‘not so...I say unto you, it is now.' So the harvest of God's people won't occur when many of them think it will, on the feast of Trumpets during the month of Tishri; it will happen during the feast day just before this, four months earlier, at the beginning of summer, when the fields are white with wheat. Where have we heard that before?
THE WHEAT HARVEST
Matt. 13:30
"Let both (wheat and tares) grow together until the (wheat) harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather (rapture) the wheat into my barn."
Matt 3:12
"Whose (Christ's) fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor (kingdom), and gather his wheat into the garner: but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
1Cor. 15:37
"And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, (at the resurrection), or some other grain."
Jer. 51:33
"For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; the daughter of Babylon (America) is like a threshingfloor (for wheat), it is time to thresh her: yet a little while, and the time of her harvest shall come."
Jer. 50:16
"Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest..."
Isaiah 21:9-10
"...Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground. O my threshing, and the corn of my floor: that which I have heard of the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you."
Zeph. 2:1-3
"Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired (Gentiles); Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff (of wheat harvest), before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD's anger come upon you. Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD's anger."
What feast day is the wheat harvest? Isn't it the feast of Weeks, or called in the New Testament, the feast of Pentecost?
Ex. 34:22
"And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks (Pentecost), of the firstfruits of wheat harvest,..."
THE FEAST OF PENTECOST IS IN EARLY SUMMER IN THE THIRD MONTH OF THE JEWISH CALENDAR, WHEN THE WHEAT IS HARVESTED.
Here's how the feast day is described in another place:
Ex. 23:16
"And the feast of harvest (Pentecost), the firstfruits of thy labors, which thou hast sown in the field (wheat):"
And here's how Jesus described his labor during the Church age.
Matt. 13:24
"Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed (wheat) in his field...(vs.37) He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed (wheat) is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares (false wheat) are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world (age); the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world (age)."
As we have gone into before, it's important to realize that the word "world" here, when Jesus says "end of the world" is Strong's #165 and it means "an age, specifically a Messianic period." Jesus is saying that the end of this present Church age will culminate in THE WHEAT HARVEST, which is precisely when it began. ‘The wheat harvest is the end of this age.' This is a direct reference to Pentecost. This same thing is found in the preaching of John the Baptist who speaks of the beginning and the ending of the Church age. We've quoted a similar passage partially before, but there are many deep insights given in this prophecy which now unfold:
Luke 3:16-17
"John answered , saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh (Jesus), the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire (on Pentecost-the beginning of the Church age): Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather (rapture) THE WHEAT into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable."
Both the beginning and the ending of the Church age are connected here with Pentecost; it being the day of the baptism of the Holy Spirit which began the Church age, and the day of the wheat harvest and of fire when Jesus' gathers his true people. In one breath John speaks of these two events, the beginning and ending, back to back, linking them together with Pentecost. This wheat harvest involves a separation between God's people, when Jesus thoroughly purges HIS floor. This is exactly what he says happens during this wheat harvest:
"Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares (false wheat) among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn...As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world (age). The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather OUT OF HIS KINGDOM all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear." (Matt. 13:24-30,40-43)
Keep in mind who Jesus is speaking this parable to. It is the "sheep of the house of Israel." Remember that Jesus and his disciples were all, with few exceptions, Torah observant Jews whose religious culture centered on the agricultural Feasts of the Lord. These are the ears he is preaching to. For them to hear parables and sayings of Jesus specifically about harvesting and gathering, they must have automatically associated them with the specific seasonal harvests that their very lives were built around. It is my firm conviction that this association was absolutely intended by the Lord when spoke to them these parables about harvesting. In fact, for these people to hear these sayings and not directly associate them with the harvest cycles from the Feasts of the Lord would require them to basically forget the very foundation of their lives, which was the Law of Moses. Even if they didn't fully understand the meanings to the mysterious parables, they certainly would have drawn connections to what they were familiar with.
The wheat harvest at the end of this Church age will be when Christ thoroughly purges HIS floor and gathers the tares out of HIS KINGDOM, who are "them which do iniquity". This is exactly what he warned would come to all that do not obey his gospel:
"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." ("them which do iniquity") (Matt: 7:21-23)
It is very clear in all the texts that this is the same event taking place during the harvest of wheat, and it happens at the close of this present age of the Church. Let's look at some more verses that mysteriously connect marriage, and the return of the Lord, with the wheat harvest:
Judges 15:1
"but it came to pass within a while after, in the time of wheat harvest, that Samson (type of Christ) VISITED HIS WIFE with a kid; and said, I will go in to my wife into the chamber..."
Sam. 6:13
"And they of Beth-Shemesh WERE REAPING THEIR WHEAT HARVEST in the valley: AND THEY LIFTED UP THEIR EYES, AND SAW THE ARK (JESUS), AND REJOICED TO SEE IT."
What an amazing verse that is! It's reminiscent of what Jesus said about his very coming:
Luke 21:28
"And when these things (the endtime prophecies) begin to come to pass, THEN LOOK UP, AND LIFT UP YOUR HEADS; for your redemption draweth nigh."
Here these people of Beth-Shemesh (which means house of the sun/Christ) were in the valley during the wheat harvest, when all of a sudden they lifted up their eyes to behold the glorious coming of the ark of God, which of course represents Jesus Christ himself in the spirit, and they rejoiced. Coincidence? Notice that these people reaping their wheat harvest were "in the valley." A valley is used symbolically throughout the bible to represent a place of heavy trial or hardship, such as "the valley of the shadow of death." And a time of hardship is exactly what Christians will be in right before their wheat harvest comes, a time of persecution during the 5th Seal, which will be discussed later in this book.
The book of Ruth, as you probably know, is a beautiful story of the marriage between the near kinsman Boaz, who is a type or figure of Jesus, to his gentile bride Ruth (who represents the Church). This is no doubt the main focus and climax to the whole story of Ruth. But what time of the year did this marriage take place? IT WAS DURING THE WHEAT HARVEST. Check it out! I this yet another coincidence?...not at all. When we find a specific theme such as this repeated numerous times and in different ways throughout God's Word, this is not chance or coincidence. It is a discovery of the wisdom of the Lord and the perfect harmony of his plan. This was the time of the year when this gentile bride was accepted into the house of Israel. This was a foreshadow and theme for the present Church age of Pentecost in which gentiles are now offered "the blessings of Abraham" and are no longer "aliens from the commonwealth of Israel." This theme of Pentecost is confirmed even further by the celestial gospel that God put in the star constellations themselves, particularly the constellation of Virgo (Bethulah). Robert Wadsworth illustrates this in his June 2004 Biblical Astronomy newsletter (http://www.atlbible.org/astronomy/astronomy1.htm): which we'll now quote from:
BETHULAH AND PENTECOST
"This will most likely not reach most readers until after this coming Shavuot (Pentecost) on May 30th, but it would not suffice to wait another year before I share this particular insight on how the sign and constellation Bethulah relates to the feast of Shavuot. This is something that just came to my thoughts and attention a few days ago. The main theme for the sign Bethulah (Virgo) is The Promised Seed of the woman. This is also the main theme of the Holy Scriptures from Genesis 3:15 to Revelation 22:21. Chart 362 shows the picture of Bethulah who is holding a sheaf of wheat in her left hand. In this sheaf is the brightest and main star of Bethulah, which in Arabic is called Al Zimach, which means the branch. The Hebrew name of this star is Tsemech, which also means the Branch. There are twenty Hebrew words translated "Branch," but only one of them (Tsemech) is used exclusively of the Messiah, and this word only four times. It is from this Branch that we get the Bread of Life
As I was thinking of this picture of Bethulah holding the sheaf of wheat, it brought to mind the story of Ruth. To make a story of four chapters short (I suggest you read the story again in the Book of Ruth to get the full impact of this article), Naomi along with her husband and sons moved from Bethlehem, Israel to the land of the Moab during a famine at the time of the Judges. During their stay in the foreign land, the two sons took Moabite (gentile) wives, one being Ruth. Naomi's husband and two sons died in the land of Moab within ten years. The wife of one of her sons went back to her household and to her gods, while Ruth insisted on staying with Naomi who was returning to Bethlehem.
When Ruth returned to Bethlehem with Naomi, Naomi sent her to go glean in the fields to perhaps find favor with a near kinsman redeemer (Boaz). This was at the beginning of the barley harvest, which begins at or near the feast of Unleavened Bread. She continued to glean the fields to the beginning and end of the wheat harvest, which was around Shavuot or Pentecost. At that time, Boaz redeemed Ruth, who was a gentile, to be his wife and brought her into the household of Israel. Ruth is a direct ancestress to the Messiah, Yahoshua.
The book of Ruth is read every Shavuot in Jewish and Messianic congregations throughout the world. It is interesting that the provision for the gleaning of the fields was given in Leviticus 23:22 immediately after the commandments on how go keep the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot or Pentecost). It is also an interesting fact that from late May to early June, during the season of this particular feast, that Bethulah is at its highest point in the early evening sky just after twilight. The woman holding the sheaf of wheat from the harvest is where every eye can easily see her at this time.
Now this was a picture of things to come, and it is now the Messiah himself who is the Redeemer of His bride who includes all of Israel, believing gentiles and those of the 10 Tribes who became gentiles but are now redeemed back to the Household of Israel in the Messiah. There is much more to this, but I will let the reader have some fun searching and contemplating the treasures therein."
Indeed, we should contemplate all these hidden treasures therein. God truly did create a gospel in the stars that the ancient people understood and observed nightly. This is not at all to be confused with Astrology, which is a perversion and distortion of the true meaning to the names of the stars which God himself gave them. "He telleth the number of the stars, He calleth them all by their names." (Psalm 147:4) The names He gave to them all show the plan of Redemption through the Lord Jesus Christ, so it's obvious why Satan and his forces have thoroughly perverted this. God mentions his creation of the Mazzaroth in the book of Job, which refers to the 12 signs of the Zodiac. (Job 38:32) There is infinite wisdom behind all of what God does, and what we do know of is such a small, small amount of that; like taking a cup of pure water from an infinitely long river. In the book of Revelation, which we have already quoted from, there is a reference to this constellation of Virgo (who holds the sheaf of wheat) just as the day of the Lord arrives at the beginning of the great tribulation:
"And there appeared a great wonder (sign) in heaven; a woman (Virgo- Bethulah) clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days (the great tribulation). And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time." (Rev. 12:1-12)
This "woman" represents the nation of Israel (which we will discuss in Section 5 - ISRAEL IN THE WILDERNESS) but this also describes the constellation of Bethulah or Virgo seen as a star sign in heaven aligned with the sun, and the moon beneath her feet. This star constellation, which has some connection with Pentecost, is given as a wonder or sign just as the great tribulation, and the salvation of God's true people is beginning. It says; "Now is come salvation... and the power of Christ." And we know from our previous examination who these people are...Those that overcame "by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore (because they overcame) rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them."
DISPENSATIONAL CHANGE
It can be strongly supported that there will be another change in dispensation on "the day of the Lord." It will be the ending of one age and the beginning of another, as Jesus said: "The harvest is the end of the age." This will be when the present Church age, "the times of the Gentiles," or "age of Grace," comes to a close and God re-institutes the 70 Weeks determined for Israel and their holy city. As we previously examined, the last 3 ½ years of the 70th Week yet remains for them to receive the promises. The opening of the 6th seal in the 6th chapter of Revelation begins this change on "the day of the Lord":
Rev. 6:17
"For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"
But immediately afterward God begins to deal directly with the nation of Israel once again:
Rev. 7:3-4
"...Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed a hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel."
This is confirmed in chapter 14, when it says this about those that were sealed during the 6th Seal:
Rev. 14:4
"...These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb."The Church age HAD to have come to a completion in order for these Israelites to be new "firstfruits," because the firstfruits of the Church age were the first Christians, long, long ago. They were considered "the firstfruits" (James 1:18). This is describing when "the fullness of the Gentiles" is finished, and God begins to work on Israel of the flesh. The important thing we want to look at concerning this is the fact that there is only one Jewish month in all of history in which dispensational changes have occurred: IT'S THE THIRD MONTH - SIVAN: THE MONTH OF PENTECOST. This was when God directly instituted the covenant of law to Moses on mount Sinai, and when the age of the New Covenant for the Church began on Pentecost. This was when God gave his marriage contract to Israel. Although the exact calendar day is not given in the bible, Jewish scholars have maintained for a very long time that it happened on the very day of Pentecost, and it has been celebrated as such for centuries. Here is what Wikipedia; the Free Encyclopedia has to say about this day of Shavuot (Pentecost) during the ancient Sinai experience:
"Shavuot is mystically referred to as the day the matchmaker (Moses) brought the bride (the Jewish people) to the chuppah (Mount Sinai) to marry the bridegroom (God); the kesubah (marriage contract) was the Torah."
Let's take a look at what happened at Sinai during this important time of the year to see if it portrays the events that are to come at the next change in dispensation, which is the day of the Lord, the day of our harvest and marriage:
Ex. 19:1,16-18
"In the third month (Sivan), when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai...[16] and it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightenings, and THE VOICE OF THE TRUMPET EXCEEDING LOUD; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. And Moses (type of Christ) BROUGHT FORTH THE PEOPLE OUT OF THE CAMP TO MEET WITH GOD; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. 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."
These monumental events that took place on Sinai long ago, during the very time of Pentecost, bear a striking resemblance to the events that are to take place on "the day of the Lord," which according to Thess. 4:16-5:2, is the same day as the rapture or harvest:
Zeph. 1:14-15
"THE GREAT DAY OF THE LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath (for the world and Israel), a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness, A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers."
There's no question that the description is extremely similar. At the Sinai event during Pentecost, God descended in fire with the voice of a trumpet exceeding loud, and there was a great shaking with lightenings and thunderings and smoke. The mediator (Moses) then brought forth the people to meet with God in marriage. And bearing that in mind, let's take a look at the twelfth chapter of Hebrews where it talks about this event on Sinai, but offers a startling future fulfillment as well. If you begin reading at Heb. 12:18, it's clear that the writer is talking about the mount Sinai experience, but then continue on to verse 25 where we'll pick up now:
Heb. 12:25-27
"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: Whose voice then (on Sinai during Pentecost) shook the earth: but now he hath promised , saying, YET ONCE MORE I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more (dual fulfillment), signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that were made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain."
And this is further confirmed in the book of Haggai, who was actually being quoted from in this verse we just read in Hebrews:
Hag. 2:5-6
"According to the word that I covenanted with you (at Sinai) when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not. For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once (more), it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land."
That's an interesting comment don't you think? " Yet once more" God is going to do what he did at Sinai, and more. Let's look closely at what he actually did then:
Deut. 33:2
"And he said, The Lord came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints (angels): from his right hand went a fiery law for them (the OT law began)."
Isn't that the exact same thing that Christ does when he comes?
Jude 14-15
"And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam prophesied of these (false Christians), saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all..."
And we know that Jesus came during that Sinai advent:
Psalm 68:7-9, 17
"O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah: The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel. Thou, O God didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance when it was weary...(17) The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord (Jesus) is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place."
So we find that the events on mount Sinai, which occurred during the time of Pentecost, are used to foreshadow the future Day of the Lord. God will "yet once more" do what he did at that time.
Even the book of Jubilees makes mention of this feast of Pentecost being from the very beginning, and that it has a "double nature." The Feast day itself carries a jubilee theme in that it takes place 50 days from the feast of Firstfruits. A Jubilee was the 50th year after 49 Sabbatical years. "Seven Sabbaths shall be complete." Although the book of Jubilees is extra-biblical, and I do not view it as being anywhere near authoritative as the Holy Scriptures, the comments it makes are of interest merely for the fact that someone wrote these things down, be they totally accurate or not:
"And He gave to Noah and his sons a sign that there should not again be a flood on the earth. He set His bow in the cloud for a sign of the eternal covenant that there should not again be a flood on the earth to destroy it all the days of the earth. For this reason it is ordained and written on the heavenly tablets, that they should celebrate the feast of weeks in this (3rd) month once a year, to renew the covenant every year.
And this whole festival was celebrated in heaven from the day of creation till the days of Noah -twenty-six jubilees and five weeks of years [1309-1659 A.M.]: and Noah and his sons observed it for seven jubilees and one week of years, till the day of Noah's death, and from the day of Noah's death his sons did away with (it) until the days of Abraham, and they eat blood. But Abraham observed it, and Isaac and Jacob and his children observed it up to thy days, and in thy days the children of Israel forgot it until ye celebrated it anew on this mountain. And do thou command the children of Israel to observe this festival in all their generations for a commandment unto them: one day in the year in this month they shall celebrate the festival.
For it is the feast of weeks and the feast of first fruits: this feast is twofold and of a double nature: according to what is written and engraven concerning it, celebrate it. For I have written in the book of the first law, in that which I have written for thee, that thou shouldst celebrate it in its season, one day in the year, and I explained to thee its sacrifices that the children of Israel should remember and should celebrate it throughout their generations in this month, one day in every year." (Jubilees 6:15-22)
According to this same book, God appeared to Abraham also on this feast day when he made a covenant with him:
"And on that day we made a covenant with Abram, according as we had covenanted with Noah in this month and Abram renewed the festival and ordinance for himself for ever. (14:20)
[Chapter 15]
And in the fifth year of the fourth week of this jubilee, [1979 A.M.] in the third month, in the middle of the month, Abram celebrated the feast of the firstfruits of the grain harvest. And he offered new offerings on the altar, the firstfruits of the produce, unto the Lord, an heifer and a goat and a sheep on the altar as a burnt sacrifice unto the Lord; their fruit offerings and their drink offerings he offered upon the altar with frankincense. And the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him: 'I am God Almighty; approve thyself before me and be thou perfect. And I will make My covenant between Me and thee, and I will multiply thee exceedingly." (Jubilees 15:1-4)
It goes on to claim that Isaac, the child of the promise, was even born on Pentecost:
"And in the middle of the sixth month the Lord visited Sarah and did unto her as He had spoken and she conceived. And she bare a son in the third month, and in the middle of the month, at the time of which the Lord had spoken to Abraham, on the festival of the first fruits of the harvest (Pentecost), Isaac was born." (Jubilees 16:12-13)
Even if these accounts are not historically accurate, it is very interesting that the writer of this book placed so much emphasis and importance on the feast of Pentecost. But to return to Scripture, there's an even more interesting comment that Peter makes on the day of Pentecost when the age of the Church actually began. He shows that the day of Pentecost will have a dual fulfillment:
Acts. 2:15-21
"For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel (1st fulfillment of Pentecost); It shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: and on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: AND (2nd fulfillment of Pentecost) I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor (pillars) of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood (6th. seal of Rev.), before that great and notable day of the lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
Here Peter is quoting from the prophet Joel, showing that his prophecy was fulfilled on that day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out. But then he continues to quote his prophecy concerning the 6th Seal and the day of the Lord, applying it to Pentecost as well. Why would he do that? Well the answer is so beautifully simple: This prophecy in Joel is about the beginning and the ending of the Church age on Pentecost. Amazing isn't it?
So to recap and summarize what we've found so far, Pentecost throughout history seems to represent the following:
- Dispensational change (Old Covenant vs. New Covenant)
- God descending in fire
- The heavenly voice of a trumpet
- Jesus coming 'with ten thousands of saints'-
- People meeting with God; marriage-
- Gentiles accepted into the house of Israel-
- Wheat harvest
THE LAMP OF GOD
What we're going to look into now is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful mysteries in the scriptures; and that is the seven lamp golden candlestick, and more specifically, the main central lamp. The Menorah Lamp, as shown on the next page, consisted of one main shaft and lamp in the middle with six lamps that branched off of the shaft and mirrored each other. Everything that God makes has extreme significance, and we're going to find out that the configuration of this candlestick is definitely no exception. The middle lamp was called "Ner Elohim," which means: "The Lamp of God." It is thought by Jews to represent the Messiah. It was also called "Shamash" or "The Servant Lamp," and it was used to light all the other lamps. The true "Servant" of God is, of course, Jesus Christ. (Isaiah 49:6, 52:13) This "Lamp of God" or "Servant lamp" is the central focal point of the entire Menorah and it bisects the Lamp into two perfectly symmetrical halves. J.R. Church, in his book: The Mystery of the Menorah, (which I highly recommend), says on page 20:
"Some rabbinic sources say the three eastern lamps faced west- toward the center lamp and the three western lamps faced east- toward the center lamp."
This would indicate that the central lamp, "the Lamp of God," held the most prominent position of the candlestick, as the design and structure of it also plainly displays. Now what we want to do is to take the pattern of the seven lamps, and compare it to the pattern of the seven feast days to see if there is the same configuration. And more specifically, which feast day holds this central, prominent position.
Passover Unleavend Bread Firstfruits Pentecost Trumpets Atonement Tabernacle
The first three feast days are in the month of Nisan in the spring; the last three feast days are in the month of Tishri in the fall; And IN THE MIDST of them is none other than Pentecost. Showing that it holds a very prominent position in relation to the other feasts. The middle Feast day of the 7 applies to the Church age just as the middle of the 70th Week applies to it. They both harmonize and bear witness to a pattern. And we can see from the following verse in Ephesians 4, that this is exactly where the Lord resides as well:
Eph. 4:4-6
"There is one body(1), and one Spirit(2), even as ye are called in one hope of your calling(3), ONE LORD(4), one faith(5), one baptism(6), one Godand Father of all(7)..." THIS HOLDS THE EXACT SAME PATTERN WITH JESUS IN THE CENTRAL POSITION.
1 body 1 Spirit 1 Hope 1 Lord 1 Faith 1 Bapt 1Father
Is this mere coincidence, or are we being shown something very important about this feast of Pentecost, being in the same position as our Lord of the Harvest? I think the following verses will lend an answer:
Rev. 1:10-13
"I (John) was in the spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, AS OF A TRUMPET, saying, I am Alpha and Omega, THE FIRST AND THE LAST: And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw SEVEN GOLDEN CANDLESTICKS; And in THE MIDST OF THE SEVEN CANDLESTICKS ONE LIKE UNTO THE SON OF MAN,...(14)And his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was AS THE SUN shineth in his strength."
Rev. 1:20 shows that a candlestick represents a church. And if Christ is "the beginning and the ending, the first and the last," and he is in the midst, or middle position of these candlesticks, Then we might say that the middle lamp represents THE BEGINNING AND THE ENDING OF THE CHURCH. And what might that reveal to us about Pentecost?
This 4th and middle position within the 7 carries themes that are repeated throughout scripture. It is interesting to note that on the "day of the Lord," when God's wrath begins and America-Babylon is destroyed first by fire, that: "...the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine." (Isaiah 13:10) It was during the fourth day of the creation week that God created the sun, moon, and stars, and caused them to shine in heaven. And thus, it will be in the fourth feast day of the seven that He will cause their shining to cease for a time on the day of the Lord. You will find this theme repeated in the bible; that the sun, moon, and stars are affected during the fourth stage of a 7-stage sequence. For example, the fourth Trumpet judgment:
"And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise." (Rev. 8:12)
And the Fourth Vial judgment:
"And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire." (Rev. 16:8)
And recall that when John saw Jesus standing "in the midst of the seven candlesticks" he said, "his countenance was AS THE SUN shineth in his strength." Jesus is also referred to as "the Day star" (2 Pet. 1:19) and "the SUN of righteousness." (Mal. 4:2) The creation of the sun, moon, and stars on the fourth day of the week was when the Lord set them there "to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness." (Gen. 1:18) And so it will be, that during the Wheat Harvest on the fourth feast day of Pentecost, that the tares (‘children of the wicked one', ‘children of the night') are divided from the wheat (‘children of the kingdom', ‘children of the day'); and when these "righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father." (Matt. 13:30, 38, 43)
It is very clear in scripture that the fourth day in the midst of the week represents the shining forth of the sun (which symbolizes Jesus) and the dividing of the Light from the Darkness (signifying the Spiritual wheat harvest of the Church). This same day will be a day of fire, similar to that of the 4th Vial judgment being one of fire. This is the Feast Day in the midst of the 7, which is reserved for the Church in the midst of the 70th Week.
The center lamp of the Menorah is special in many ways. All of the other six lamps each had three bowls of oil in their branches. But the 4th Lamp in the very center had four bowls of oil:
"And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft (in the center), and his branches (6), his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same. And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side: Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick. And in the candlestick (the shaft) shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers." (Ex. 25:31-34)
So of all 7 lamps that burned, the central shaft had the most oil; it being the 4th lamp having 4 bowls of oil. The numeric significance of this further shows that this central lamp depicts "the light of the world" being offered to all mankind during the Church age. It is the time when all the world may personally receive the Light of God in Christ. The number 4 in Scripture represents the world, as seen by the fact that the world has:
- - Four regions: North, South, East, West
- - Four elements: earth, air, fire, water
- - Four seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter
- - Four winds, from 4 directions of the earth. (Rev. 7:1)
- - Four divisions of the day: evening, night, morning, noon
- - Four phases of the moon: 1st Quarter, New Moon, Last Quarter, Full Moon
- - Four Gospel books that bring the testimony of Jesus and message of salvation to all the world
We will continue to see this same pattern for Pentecost further unfold in the following Sections. What's been presented in this study, I'll let you judge for yourself as to the veracity of it. But having been strongly led by the Holy Spirit through this, from book to book, and from verse to verse, and seeing such an incredible harmony of scripture emerge from both the Old and the New Testaments, I personally have shed all doubt as to it's meaning.