Myths and Realities about Easter

[john832]

Taking the bible to mean what it says is good practice.

Imposing scholarly constraints on God's word should be done cautiously if at all.

Let's consider the implications of entombment before sundown Wednesday.
Wednesday night- Thursday is 1 night and 1 day
Thursday night-Friday is 2nights and 2 days
Friday night-Saturday is 3nights and 3 days
If Jesus arose on the third day then the resurrection was on the Sabbath and not on Firstfruits.

The doctrine of Jesus being the Firsttruits of the resurrection from the dead is lost.

Exactly! The Wave Sheaf was not the picture of His resurrection...

Lev 23:9 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
Lev 23:10 "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest.
Lev 23:11 He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.

This is the Wave Sheaf, the type of Christ presenting Himself to the Father as the perfect sacrifice for sin.

Joh 20:17 Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.' "

Here we see that Christ had not yet ascended to the Father and presented Himself as the Wave Sheaf, yet later that day we see that He had...

Joh 20:19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you."

The Wave Sheaf was offered at/about 9:00AM and it is very likely that Christ ascended to the Father at the same time. The passage in John doesn't say this per se but the timing fits.

The resurrection is not pictured by any of the Feast Days. What is pictured is the Passover, the death of Christ in our stead and the presentation of His perfect Sacrifice to the Father.

 

[prove-all]

Taking the bible to mean what it says is good practice.

yes that is very good wise advice, and see what is truth or not, not listen to man.

Imposing scholarly constraints on God's word should be done cautiously if at all.

Imposing a pagon roman festival , enforced on his kingdom, and still proclaimed as truth consider
Let's consider the implications

Let's consider the implications of entombment before sundown Wednesday.

Wednesday night- Thursday is 1 night and 1 day
Thursday night-Friday is 2nights and 2 days
Friday night-Saturday is 3nights and 3 days

If Jesus arose on the third day then the resurrection was on the Sabbath and not on Firstfruits.

do you know you have to count off 50 days to get to firstfruits celebration, good holyday truth.
do you know they had to count , to determine start of year and other events, like in 3 days and nights
do you know if the only sign was not fulfilled right, all of us would be lost with no hope for future.

see the romans got tired of counting like God gave us , in his oracles for us to know his truth.
It messed up there solor worship, so they changed it there way and the world still does today.

and not [keep it a feast] like God said, and still unable to count and apply the proper times and seasons.

The doctrine of Jesus being the Firsttruits of the resurrection from the dead is lost.lost

celebration of resurrection from the dead ?, verse to do this celebration ?

they where shacking in fear of there lives on first day, doors locked,
thinking hes dead too, never to return.

Jesus rested all the Sabbath, just like his father does, and did in the beginning, and Hollowed.
Jesus doctrine has been lost,not roman mass doctrine founded before Jesus was born,they admit theydo

end of passover, between dark to dusk stone sealed,

start of a High holy day , commanded forever, to keep this feast [a feast].

3 days 3 nights

and end of weekly sabbath,between dark to dusk, free and gone.
no need to remove rock , he went throught it, the angel just did it to show, he arose

The doctrine of his day is lost

 

[MarcR]

yes that is very good wise advice, and see what is truth or not, not listen to man.






do you know you have to count off 50 days to get to firstfruits celebration, good holyday truth.
do you know they had to count , to determine start of year and other events, like in 3 days and nights
do you know if the only sign was not fulfilled right, all of us would be lost with no hope for future.

see the romans got tired of counting like God gave us , in his oracles for us to know his truth.
It messed up there solor worship, so they changed it there way and the world still does today.

and not [keep it a feast] like God said, and still unable to count and apply the proper times and seasons.

I was NOT referring to Shavouot/ The feast of weeks\ Pentecost. I was referring to the wave offering of the firstfruits of the barley on the day following the Sabbath of the feast of unleavened bread. Which was the first day of the week

I have demonstrated understanding of the appointed times and ability to count to 50.

If you learn to read in context more consistently, you will be less inclined to hurl insults.

 

[john832]

yes that is very good wise advice, and see what is truth or not, not listen to man.






do you know you have to count off 50 days to get to firstfruits celebration, good holyday truth.
do you know they had to count , to determine start of year and other events, like in 3 days and nights
do you know if the only sign was not fulfilled right, all of us would be lost with no hope for future.

see the romans got tired of counting like God gave us , in his oracles for us to know his truth.
It messed up there solor worship, so they changed it there way and the world still does today.

and not [keep it a feast] like God said, and still unable to count and apply the proper times and seasons.

I was NOT referring to Shavouot/ The feast of weeks\ Pentecost. I was referring to the wave offering of the firstfruits of the barley on the day following the Sabbath of the feast of unleavened bread. Which was the first day of the week

I have demonstrated understanding of the appointed times and ability to count to 50.

If you learn to read in context more consistently, you will be less inclined to hurl insults.

What reading in context changes three days and three nights into two nights and one day?

 

[MarcR]

What reading in context changes three days and three nights into two nights and one day?

John,

Did you read my post in answer to prove-all?

I didn't think I was addressing three days and three nights in that post. I thought I was discussing the distinctions between Firstfruits and Pentecost in my usage of the word Firstfruits.

I am quite willing to discuss three days and three nights with you; and have been doing that. I think it is unreasonable for you to expect me to refrain from discussing anything else.

 

[prove-all]

I was NOT referring to Shavouot/ The feast of weeks\ Pentecost.
I was referring to the wave offering of the firstfruits of the barley on the day following the Sabbath
of the feast of unleavened bread. Which was the first day of the week

no problem, but said Firstfruits, i applied to the feast of Firstfruits when celebrated,
wave shelf is different holy day, that God did accept the lamb, not us accepting him.

ULB started on 15th, a day that [changed] every year, to remove sin for us to do

just like pentacost, a changing day yearly, romes callander locks it, not Gods way to do.

I have demonstrated understanding of the appointed times and ability to count to 50.
If you learn to read in context more consistently, you will be less inclined to hurl insults.

yes i believe you can count to 50 sorry i did not mean to insult you in any way, all brothers in Christ,

but at the whole world following the beasts ways, not that you as person can't count.

now back to the only sign he gave us.

 

[MarcR]

What reading in context changes three days and three nights into two nights and one day?

John,

Before we continue this, please respond to my post #216 on this thread

 

[john832]

Originally Posted by MarcR

Taking the bible to mean what it says is good practice.
yes that is very good wise advice, and see what is truth or not, not listen to man.

Originally Posted by MarcR

Imposing scholarly constraints on God's word should be done cautiously if at all.




Imposing a pagon roman festival , enforced on his kingdom, and still proclaimed as truth consider
Let's consider the implications

Originally Posted by MarcR

Let's consider the implications of entombment before sundown Wednesday.

Wednesday night- Thursday is 1 night and 1 day
Thursday night-Friday is 2nights and 2 days
Friday night-Saturday is 3nights and 3 days

If Jesus arose on the third day then the resurrection was on the Sabbath and not on Firstfruits.




do you know you have to count off 50 days to get to firstfruits celebration, good holyday truth.
do you know they had to count , to determine start of year and other events, like in 3 days and nights
do you know if the only sign was not fulfilled right, all of us would be lost with no hope for future.

see the romans got tired of counting like God gave us , in his oracles for us to know his truth.
It messed up there solor worship, so they changed it there way and the world still does today.

and not [keep it a feast] like God said, and still unable to count and apply the proper times and seasons.

Originally Posted by MarcR

The doctrine of Jesus being the Firsttruits of the resurrection from the dead is lost.lost



celebration of resurrection from the dead ?, verse to do this celebration ?

they where shacking in fear of there lives on first day, doors locked,
thinking hes dead too, never to return.

Jesus rested all the Sabbath, just like his father does, and did in the beginning, and Hollowed.
Jesus doctrine has been lost,not roman mass doctrine founded before Jesus was born,they admit theydo

end of passover, between dark to dusk stone sealed,

start of a High holy day , commanded forever, to keep this feast [a feast].

3 days 3 nights

and end of weekly sabbath,between dark to dusk, free and gone.
no need to remove rock , he went throught it, the angel just did it to show, he arose

The doctrine of his day is lost

The discourse, notice the highlighted portion. There was no Sunday morning resurrection. What I was referring to is that when counted correctly, there is no Sunday morning resurrection.

You keep hammering that there was, there was not.

 

[MarcR]

The discourse, notice the highlighted portion. There was no Sunday morning resurrection. What I was referring to is that when counted correctly, there is no Sunday morning resurrection.

You keep hammering that there was, there was not.

At this point we must agree to disagree and leave it there; because I am persuaded that at least 15 different scriptures only make sense if Jesus arose on the first day of the week.

 

[prove-all]

He was (seen) on the 1st day, but (nobody) saw him rise, he was gone allready.

so we have to look at (the only)sign given

 

[MarcR]

He was (seen) on the 1st day, but (nobody) saw him rise, he was gone allready.

so we have to look at (the only)sign given

1 Co 15:20
20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
KJV

1 Co 15:23
23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
KJV


To me, These verses suggest a strong association between the appointed time of firstfruits and the resurrection

Mk 16:9
9 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.
KJV

This verse also seems to associate the resurrection with the first day of the week. There are others but these seem the most obvious.

 

[john832]

1 Co 15:20
20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
KJV

1 Co 15:23
23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
KJV


To me, These verses suggest a strong association between the appointed time of firstfruits and the resurrection

Mk 16:9
9 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.
KJV

This verse also seems to associate the resurrection with the first day of the week. There are others but these seem the most obvious.

It is not definitive because we can find other verses that refer to brethren as the firstfruits...

Rom 16:5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia to Christ.

1Co 16:15 I urge you, brethren—you know the household of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the ministry of the saints—

Jas 1:18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

Rev 14:4 These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.

 

[john832]

At this point we must agree to disagree and leave it there; because I am persuaded that at least 15 different scriptures only make sense if Jesus arose on the first day of the week.

Agreeing to disagree may be the best course here. I am convinced there is no scripture that shows a Sunday morning resurrection. We shall leave this one as undecided between us.

 

[MarcR]

no problem, but said Firstfruits, i applied to the feast of Firstfruits when celebrated,
wave shelf is different holy day, that God did accept the lamb, not us accepting him.

ULB started on 15th, a day that [changed] every year, to remove sin for us to do

just like pentacost, a changing day yearly, romes callander locks it, not Gods way to do.


yes i believe you can count to 50 sorry i did not mean to insult you in any way, all brothers in Christ,

but at the whole world following the beasts ways, not that you as person can't count.

now back to the only sign he gave us.

In the Synagogue in which I grew up, and in every Synagogue I have ever attended, the 16th of Abib is called Firstfruits unless it falls on a Sabbath. the appointed time occurring 50 days after Firstfruits is called Shavouot (Feast of Weeks).

The figure of Jesus as the Firstfruits of the resurrection is far more meaningful if associated with Firstfruits.

 

[john832]

In the Synagogue in which I grew up, and in every Synagogue I have ever attended, the 16th of Abib is called Firstfruits unless it falls on a Sabbath. the appointed time occurring 50 days after Firstfruits is called Shavouot (Feast of Weeks).

The figure of Jesus as the Firstfruits of the resurrection is far more meaningful if associated with Firstfruits.

Perhaps a dual meaning.

 

[prove-all]

Pentecost
Is this the only “day of salvation”? Most churches generally teach that all who die “unsaved,” or do not “get saved” before the Second Coming of Christ, can never receive salvation.The New Testament Church of God was founded on a Sunday. It started on the annual sabbath day called “Pentecost,” or “feast of firstfruits.” Also called the “feast of weeks.”continued, year after year, to keep this annual sabbath.

God gave this festival to His people in order to reveal, and to keep them continually informed, that the present dispensation is only the first, preliminary “harvest of souls.”

God took the yearly material harvest seasons in ancient Israel as the picture of the spiritual harvests of souls.

In the Holy Land there are two annual harvests. First, is the spring grain harvest. Second, comes the fall harvest.
God intended His holy days to picture to His Church repeatedly year by year the fact that only those He Himself calls during this age can become His begotten children now! And we are merely the firstfruits of the great spiritual harvest!

The New Testament Church of God was founded on a Sunday. It started on the annual sabbath day called “Pentecost,” or “feast of firstfruits.” Also called the “feast of weeks.”

God intended His holy days to picture to His Church repeatedly year by year the fact that only those He Himself calls during this age can become His begotten children now! And we are merely the firstfruits of the great spiritual harvest!

Leviticus 23 all of God’s festivals proclaimed holy convocations,in the one chapter annual festivals, also commanded assemblies, “which ye shall proclaim in their seasons

Beginning verse 9, we find instructions for the wave-sheaf offering. The Israelites were not allowed to harvest any of the early grain crop until this day.Then, on the day following the weekly Sabbath, in a solemn ceremony of the Levitical priesthood,The sheaf was then brought to the priest. The priest solemnly waved it before the Eternal to be accepted for them.
This event always occurred during the Days of Unleavened Bread (see Joshua 5).

This pictures the resurrected Christ ascending to heaven to be accepted by His Father as the very first human to be actually born of God—the firstfruit of the first harvest of souls!

By comparing John 20:17 with Matthew 28:9, you will see that
Christ presented Himself before the Father on the morning after His resurrection the previous evening (1 Corinthians 15:20, 23; Romans 8:29; Colossians 1:15, 18). This fulfillment of the wavesheaf offering actually occurred on Sunday, the morrow after the Sabbath during the Days of Unleavened Bread.

The word Pentecost is a Greek word, used
in the New Testament, but not in the Old. It signifies “fiftieth (day).” In the Old Testament this feast is called “feast of firstfruits,” and “feast of weeks.”

Notice the properly translated plain instruction beginning
Leviticus 23:15: “And ye shall count unto you from [on, or beginning with] the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days …” (verses 15-16). And that 50th day is Pentecost!
“And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you:ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations” (verse 21).
All other holy days or festivals come on definite days of definite months. But this one annual sabbath must be determined by counting.

This day, and this only, is made holy by the Eternal Creator.
Suppose at the same time the Church of God was founded, the apostles had miscounted. And “when the day of Pentecost was fully come” (Acts 2:1) they, instead of being all with one accord in one place, were in discord, some having observed the day preceding, and some waiting until the following day!

The Boethusians always counted beginning with the morrow after the weekly Sabbath, the day we call Saturday, which fell within the Days of Unleavened Bread. This historical information has been preserved for us in the Mishna, which was set in writing about a.d. 200: “The Boethusians say: ‘The cutting of the sheaf does not take place at the end of the day of the feast [the first of the seven Days of Unleavened Bread], but only at the end of the next regular Sabbath’” (Menahoth, 10, 3).

Starting then to count from the offering of the wave sheaf, with that Sunday as day number one, we will always come out on another Sunday—but not always on the same day of the month. It is something which must be “counted” each and every year.

This makes very clear the meaning of the last part of Leviticus 23:15 and the beginning of verse 16: “even sabbaths shall be complete: Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days

A second and perhaps for some a simpler instruction for counting to Pentecost is found in Deuteronomy 16:9-10: “Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee: begin to number the seven weeks from such time as thou beginnest to put the sickle to the corn. And thou shalt keep the feast of weeks [Pentecost]

This means of counting is also referred to in Numbers 28:26: “Also in the day of the firstfruits [Pentecost], when ye bring a new meat offering unto the Lord, after your weeks be out, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work.” Because seven weeks were counted, the festival of Pentecost was also known as the “feast of weeks” (Deuteronomy 16:10).

as a warning to the Gentile Christians at Colosse to protect them from false teachers—teachers who were subtly perverting the message Paul taught. Notice what Paul wrote: “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink [margin—for eating or drinking], or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days” (Colossians 2:16).

There is no mention of the abolition of God’s law or His holy days. Nothing is done away in these verses. In fact, it is just the opposite. The very criticism the Colossians were receiving about their observance of these days proves they were keeping them. How could they be criticized “with regard to” days they were not keeping?
Paul is warning them not to return to or be influenced by their old pagan ways—the ways of those who hated God’s laws and His festivals.

Pentecost pictures the first part of the spiritual harvest— the calling out of the Church—the called-out ones—which, for the New Testament dispensation, began on Sunday—Pentecost, June 17, a.d. 31. On that day the Holy Spirit came to dwell within flesh, as prophesied by Joel.
On the 50th day (Pentecost) in Old Testament times, two “wave loaves” (Leviticus 23:17, 20) were brought out of the habitations of the congregation as the firstfruits unto the Lord. Just so the New Testament Church was gathered out of this world as the firstfruits of His salvation, in fulfillment of the meaning of the wave loaves.

 

[prove-all]

Gods plan for redemption shown in his holy days

The Passover and days of unleved bread

Most churches teach that Christ finished the plan of redemption when He was crucified. But the very first event in God’s great plan for man’s regeneration was the death of Christ

Prior to the Law of Moses We find the operation of this great sacrifice beginning in Eden, when God killed a lamb or goat, in order to cover the nakedness (type of sin)of Adam and Eve with skins.

We find it operating when Abel sacrificed a substitute lamb. And so the Passover is the first of these events picturing to God’s children year by year His great plan.

annual sabbaths were not part of the law of Moses, but were observed before the ritualistic ordinances contained in the law of Moses were given.

the early true Church did, for more than 400 long years at least—perhaps much longer—after Christ’s resurrection, continue to keep and observe these annual holy days given by God!

23rd chapter of Leviticus we find a summary of these annual holy days, or set feasts.

To be observed year by year and forever. These days,were given to keep God’s children in the true memory and worship of God by keeping us constantly in the understanding of God’s great plan of redemption. For these annual days picture the different epochs in the plan of spiritual creation—mark the dispensations, and picture their meaning.And, as the beginning of our salvation was wrought by Christ’s death on the cross,

so God said, “This month [in the spring] shall be unto you the beginning of months …” (Exodus 12:2).

 

[john832]

prove-all my friend, we are on exactly the same page.

 

[prove-all]

On the 10th day of this first month the Israelites were instructed to take a lamb without blemish. They kept it until— not after—the 14th day of the same first month. At even, at dusk as the Jewish translation has it—between the two evenings, or between sunset and dark—the Passover lamb was killed.

They shed the blood of the lamb, picturing Christ’s sacrifice to come. They ate the flesh in that night. At midnight the death angel came, but passed over every house where the blood had been sprinkled.

and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.

At midnight (the 14th) the Lord smote the firstborn of Egypt.Pharaoh rose up in the night. This was of course after the death angel passed at midnight, and therefore after midnight.

He called for Moses and Aaron.the Egyptian people were urgent to get rid of the Israelites.the Israelites borrowed of the Egyptians silver and gold and clothing, and spoiled the Egyptians.
spoiling and borrowing took place through the day time of the 14th day.
the Israelites did not go out from the land of Egypt until that night—the 15th of Abib!
Exodus 40-42 “[E]ven the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. It is a night to be much observed unto the Lord for bringing them out from the land of Egypt:

this is that night of the Lord to be observed,The night they came out of Egypt.

Feast of unleaved bread represents putting away sin(transgression of Gods law)
God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night.”

Numbers 33:3: “And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the morrow after the passover the children of Israel went out with an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians.”

Numbers 28:16-17. “n the fourteenth day [not after it] … is the passover of the Lord. And in the fifteenth day [not before it] of this month is the feast: seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten.”

Leviticus 23:5-6 say the same thing. Notice the Passover is not the 15th, but the 14th.
but the feast day is the 15th. The seven-day period begins the 15th.

The 15th is the first of the seven Days of Unleavened Bread.

The 14th day is the Passover. It is the first of God’s festivals.In the 15th day is the feast.

Exodus 12:14 “And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread. And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation …” (verses 14-16).

What day is established as a memorial—not a shadow, a memorial—a feast—to be kept forever? Notice, it is the day that is the feast—“[Y]e shall keep it a feast.” It is the day that is the feast day—the 15th Abib, not the 14th—not the Passover!

A “convocation” is an assembly of the people where their presence is commanded, under power and authority. A “holy convocation” is a religious assembly, for purposes of worship. The weekly Sabbath is a holy convocation. So is Abib 15th. Our presence is commanded, under God’s power and authority.

“And in the first day [of the seven, 15th of Abib] there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day [21st of Abib] there shall be an holy convocation to you.And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread;for in this selfsame day [the
15th Abib] have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day [the 15th, not the 14th] in your generations by an ordinance for ever”(verses 16-17).

This day is a memorial, not a shadow of the cross. A memorial of deliverance from Egypt,
which pictures to us deliverance from sin!

Observe that the Days of Unleavened Bread are a period, having two high-day sabbaths. And this period is established forever— while the Israelites were still in Egypt—before one word of the ceremonial law of Moses had been given or written—before God even proposed the Old Covenant!

What the law of Moses or the Old Covenant did not bring or institute, they cannot take away!
Exodus 13:3 “And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt.” This was the 15th of Abib. Verses 6, 8-10: “Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast
to the [Eternal memorial)—“And it shall be for a sign”—that is, having also a future meaning—“unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes”—having to do with both works and will—why?—“that the Lord’s law may be in thy mouth …. Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance ….”

The Passover only pictures the death of Christ for the remission of sins that are past (Romans 3:25). The accepting of His blood does not forgive sins we may later commit; it does not give license to continue in sin. Therefore when we accept it, our sins are forgiven only up to that time—past sins.

But shall we stop there with only past sins forgiven?

To what extent shall we put away sin? Not partially, but completely! And, as leaven is also a type of sin (1 Corinthians 5:8)— leaven puffs up, and so does sin—and, as seven is God’s number symbolizing completeness, we are to follow the Passover with seven Days of Unleavened Bread! Shall we leave Christ symbolically hanging on the cross? The seven Days of Unleavened Bread following Passover picture to us the complete putting away of sin, the keeping of the commandments— after past sins are forgiven.

To observe the Passover alone, and then fail to observe the seven Days of Unleavened Bread, means, in the symbolism, to accept Christ’s blood, and then to continue in sin—to erroneously say the law is done away, that we are under grace alone, meaning license, to continue in sin!

a memorial picturing deliverance from sin, in our right hand and forehead, as God’s sign, in order that we shall keep His commandments. And since the forehead is the seat of the intellect, and symbolizes acceptance, and the right hand symbolizes work, we have this sign of God there by accepting this truth about the holy days and Days of Unleavened Bread, and by not working on these holy days! Not only is the weekly Sabbath God’s sign (Exodus 31:12-17) but annual sabbaths are signs as well!as we must, willingly, of our own accord, start out of sin as soon as we accept the blood of Christ. They (israelits) started out on their own power—and we must make the start ourselves.

But they did not get far until Pharaoh pursued after them (Exodus 14:5-7). If Egypt is a type of sin, then surely Pharaoh must picture Satan; the army of Egypt, Satan’s demons.

And, as the Israelites went out with a high hand (Numbers 33:3), in great exultation and elation over their deliverance from bondage, so does the newly begotten Christian start out his Christian life

The devil and sin immediately pursue after the newly begotten son of God.as soon as the Israelites saw this great army pursuing them, they lost their courage. Fear came over them. They began to grumble and complain. They saw it was impossible for them to get away from Pharaoh and his army, because he was too powerful for them. And they were helpless. S

so it is with us. notice the message of God to them through Moses: “Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the [Eternal]for the Egyptians … ye shall see them again no more for ever. The [Eternal] shall fight for you”

Helpless, we are told to stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord. He shall fight for us. We cannot conquer Satan and sin, but He can. It is the risen Christ—our High Priest—who will cleanse us—sanctify us—deliver us—who said He would never leave us nor forsake us!

The angel that had gone before, showing the Israelites the way, now went behind them, getting between them and their enemy, protecting them. And then God parted the waters of the Red Sea. “[A]nd the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left”

In Isaiah 55:1 and John 7:37-39, the waters are a symbol of the Holy Spirit.
The living waters of God are a wall to us, on our right hand and on our left, guiding us in the true path, making the path, protecting us in it.

Thus we see the feast of Unleavened Bread, as well as the Passover, was ordained and established forever, prior to the Old Covenant. Let us be consistent about this. Opponents tell us these are in the law of Moses. We reply they existed before the law of Moses, are carried over in the New Testament, and therefore are binding today.

Notice especially, that originally there were no sacrifices— no meat and drink ordinances—held on these days. See Jeremiah 7:22-23. These days were not instituted for the purpose of the sacrifices as some have wrongly supposed. These holy days are memorials, and twice plainly called such. Where do we find such plain language calling the Sabbath a memorial? (See also Leviticus 23:24.)

 

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Feast of Trumpets

“And the Lord spake saying,In the seventh month,in the first day of the month,shall ye have a sabbath,a memorial [not a shadow] of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. Ye shall do no servile work therein …”Leviticus 23:23-25).

Here is pictured to us that next blessed event in God’s redemptive plan, when Christ shall come again, in clouds, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17). It shall be “at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible,and we shall [all] be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:52).

Unless Christ returns to resurrect the dead, we would never gain eternal life—if there is no resurrection
“[t]hen they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished” (verse 18).

Christ directly intervenes in world affairs at the seventh, or the last, trump (Revelation 11:15-19).
A trumpet is a symbol of war. He comes in a time of worldwide war—when the nations are angry!

As soon as the work of gathering in the firstfruits (pictured by Pentecost) is completed at the end of this present age, then Christ will begin to set up again the tabernacle of David (Acts 15:16)—to set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people (Isaiah 11:11)—to search out and to find His lost sheep that the ministers of the churches have failed to search out and save during this period (Ezekiel 34:1-14).

“And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they [Israel] shall come which were ready to perish … and shall worship the [Eternal] in the holy mount at Jerusalem” (Isaiah 27:13).

When will Israel be regathered? At the sound of the trump— at the Second Coming of Christ. Because the churches have forgotten the festival of Trumpets, many think that the return of a part of the Jews to the Holy Land and the setting up of a nation called Israel now is the fulfillment of this prophecy!

And perhaps the glorious Second Coming shall occur,in whatever year it may be, on this very day of the Feast ofTrumpets—who knows? While we cannot say for certain, yet cannot we see this possibility?

The crucifixion was upon the Passover day—the very day! The Holy Spirit came, beginning the selecting of the firstfruits of salvation, on the very day of Pentecost. Had not those 120 disciples been observing this annual sabbath—had they not been assembled there in holy convocation— could they have received that blessing of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit?

Repeatedly Jesus warned us to watch, regarding His Second Coming! Could it be possible that, unless we are observing the Feast of Trumpets, as the first-century Church of God was observing Pentecost, that we shall not be ready, or caught up to meet Him?

The festival of Trumpets is a day of rejoicing—and, as the weekly Sabbath, holy unto the Lord (Nehemiah 8:2, 9-12).