Archive for church

Shavuot/Pentecost/Feast of Weeks, 5783/2023

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Pentecost/Shavuot/Feast of Weeks, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 23, 2023 by paulthepoke

Leviticus 23:15-16 ‘You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day when you brought in the sheaf of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete Sabbaths. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to the Lord.

On a Gregorian calendar, we are in the year of 2023, the holiday of Shavuot/Feast of Weeks/Pentecost begins at sunset on Thursday, May 25th. The God Appointed holiday ends at sunset Saturday, May 27th. The Feast takes place in the month of Sivan on the 6th and 7th of a Hebrew calendar. This is the Hebrew year 5783.

Provisions for the holiday include two loaves of bread, sacrificial lambs, a bull, two rams, a goat, and a drink offering of wine. The holiday is also a day of rest with no work (Leviticus 23:17-21).

In the Old Testament and in the Hebrew, this holiday is referred to as Shavuot. The word means: weeks.

Shavuot is one of the three holidays where Jewish men are required to come to Jerusalem (Exodus 23:14-17). The men were to make their presentation and sacrifice before God at the Temple.

As stated in the Leviticus passage, it is seven weeks after Passover. It is a celebration of the completed grain harvest. The holiday is also a celebration of God giving the Torah (instruction or law) to nation Israel. Because of this, Shavuot is considered as the beginning or birth of Judaism.

~

The Law was given on Mount Sinai roughly 1,500 years before Christ. Nation Israel honored this holiday every year. Eating and drinking dairy products are part of the celebration of Shavuot. Many think the custom of dairy products is in reference to Bible verses referring to a promised land flowing with milk and honey.

Exodus 3:8a “So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey…

http://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/why-dairy-on-shavuot/

~

Fast forward to 33 AD. Nation Israel is celebrating and living the holiday. 

Acts 2:1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they (apostles) were all together in one place. 

In the Greek New Testament, Shavuot (Hebrew) is translated as Pentekoste (Greek). Per Strong’s Concordance, it means: the fiftieth day; the second of the three great Jewish feasts, celebrated at Jerusalem yearly, the seventh week after the Passover, in grateful recognition of the completed wheat harvest. We have transliterated the word to Pentecost (English).

~

Pentecost or Shavuot is the day promised by Jesus of the giving of the Holy Spirit. 

John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

~

Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. 

It is seven weeks after the death of the sacrificial lamb, Jesus. Shavuot or Pentecost is also the day God the Father gave the Holy Spirit. Because of this, Pentecost is considered the beginning or the birth of the church (believers in Jesus Christ).

http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Spring_Holidays/Shavuot/shavuot.html

Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit…”

https://www.amazon.com/Paul-Lehr/e/B09W8FB77N

God Protects

Posted in #PaulthePoke with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 18, 2023 by paulthepoke

How many hairs do you think are on your head? Well, if you have red hair, you have about 90,000. If you have black hair, there are about 103,000. On the other hand, if you have brown hair, there are more than 109,000 hairs on your head. If you are a blond, you probably have 140,000 hairs.

Each of you has many, many hairs on your head, and I am sure that if you started to count them you would tire very quickly. But do you know that God knows how many hairs are on your head? Listen to this verse:

Matthew 10:30 “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.”

This verse shows us the loving care of God, who numbered all the hairs of our heads. If God knows how many hairs are on your head, don’t you think He also knows every detail in your life? There’s no problem in your life that He cannot solve, and there’s no need that He cannot meet. He certainly knows when you need strength to overcome temptation, or when you need help in telling someone else about the Lord Jesus.

Remember this little lesson, boys and girls. Every time you comb your hair, for instance, remember just how much your heavenly Father cares for you. But also remember that this is true only if you have believed in the Lord Jesus.

Object Lesson provided by Charles Ryrie, Easy Object Lessons, p.64.

Key Theme: God protects His people.

God’s provision and protection are indicated from the outset of time. God chose the family line of Abram to demonstrate His protection. These are the people of promise.

Genesis 12:2-3 “And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great, And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse you. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

God states that Israel is “the apple of His eye.” The “apple” of the eye is the pupil. It is the part of the eye that regulates light and the part we instinctively protect. God protects His people like we instinctively protect our eyes. God means business when He states that He will protect Israel.

Zechariah 2:8 For thus says the Lord of hosts, “After glory He has sent me against the nations which plunder you, for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye.”

There are multiple occasions throughout history where God protects His people. The two stories being studied are examples. Paul is protected in his travels on the sea.

Judgment was brought against Egypt with the plague of hail. Israel was in exile in Egypt during this hail storm yet they were spared.

Exodus 9:26 “Only in the land of Goshen, where the sons of Israel were, there was no hail.”

Although God is never directly mentioned in the Book of Esther, His hand of protection is noted throughout the book. The Jewish people are protected from the plots of Haman’s evil intentions. It was Haman’s intent to exterminate the Jews. As the story goes, Persian King Ahasuerus chooses a Jewish girl, Esther, to be his queen. Mordecai, Esther’s uncle, works behind the scenes to protect his people. In the final analysis, Haman’s plot is foiled and he ends up dead. The Jewish people are spared from extinction.

In the future, Jesus will “snatch” His bride the church from a troubled world. That event is the rapture of the church.                   

1 Thessalonians 5:9 “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The church will be spared from the coming judgment against the world in the seven year tribulation. Again, God will protect His people.

https://www.amazon.com/Paul-Lehr/e/B09W8FB77N

Feast of Trumpets 2022, The Appointed Time of the Rapture??? T.W. Tramm

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Fall Feasts, Prophecy, Rapture, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 23, 2022 by paulthepoke

SCRIPTURE teaches that there is an appointed date for the Rapture. Acts 17:31 …because He has set a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all people by raising Him from the dead.

While only God knows the exact date, many prophecy watchers believe it could be the Feast of Trumpets.

Here are 10 reasons why:

1. TRUMPET THEMES

The fundamental theme of the Feast of Trumpets is the sounding of trumpets (Lev. 23:24). In the Bible, trumpet blasts are associated with . . .

• Resurrection (1 Thess. 4:13–18).

• The opening of a door to heaven (Rev. 4:1).

• A gathering of the people (Isa. 27:13).

• The coronation of a king (1 Kings 1:39; Ps. 47:5; 98:6) .

• Approaching danger (Ez. 33:4; Jer. 4:19–21).

• A battle cry (Jer. 4:19–21).

• A time of wrath and judgment (Joel 2; Zeph. 1:14–16).

All of these themes are denotive of the Rapture and arrival of Judgment Day.

Furthermore, the Hebrew word translated “trumpet blasts” in Leviticus 23, teruah, may also refer to a “shout” (Strong’s 8643). The Rapture is when the Lord descends with a “shout” and a trumpet blast (1 Thess. 4:16).

2. JEWISH TRADITION

According to Jewish belief, the Feast of Trumpets is when . . .

• The resurrection of the dead occurs.

• The wedding of Messiah occurs.

• The time of Judgment begins.

These themes are denotive of the Rapture and arrival of Judgment Day.

3. INVISIBLE MOON

The Feast of Trumpets begins on the first day of the biblical month, when the moon is in its ‘New,’ or invisible, phase (Lev. 23:24). The Rapture is when the Church—symbolized by the moon—disappears, or is hidden from sight (Mic. 7:1, 2 NLT; Isa. 26:20).

4. DAY AND HOUR UNKNOWN

The Feast of Trumpets begins at the first sighting of the New-Moon crescent. Since no one knows exactly when the crescent will be sighted, “no one knows the day or hour” that the festival begins (Matt. 24:36).

5. HEAVEN’S GATE OPENED

The Feast of Trumpets, or New Moon, is when the eastern gate of Jerusalem is opened: “The gate of the inner court facing east is to be shut on the six working days, but on the … day of the New Moon it is to be opened” (Ezek. 46:1). The Rapture is when, after “six (thousand-year) days,” God’s people enter through the gate into heavenly Jerusalem: “Behold, I am coming quickly …. Blessed are those who … enter through the gates into the [holy] city (Rev. 22:12, 14).

6. SIGN OF THE WOMAN

The Feast of Trumpets coincides with an annual astronomical alignment in which the constellation Virgo is “clothed with the Sun with the Moon under her feet.” This alignment, called the “Sign of the Woman” in Revelation 12, marks the beginning of Israel’s Tribulation period and, some believe, the Rapture that precedes it.

7. PEACE AND SAFETY

The Feast of Trumpets coincides with the annual assembly of the UN, the organization established 77 years ago with the mission of “maintaining international peace and security.” This is significant because Scripture says the Rapture will occur while people are saying “peace and security” (1 Thess. 5:3).

Coincidentally, the UN’s 77th assembly this year ends on September 27—the Feast of Trumpets.

8. WHEAT GATHERING

The Feast of Trumpets occurs around summer’s end, when the wheat harvest is gathered into barns or granaries (Deut. 16:13). The gathering of wheat into a barn is a picture of the gathering of believers into the Father’s house at the Rapture (2 Thess. 2:1; Matt. 3:12).

9. APPLES AND GRAPES

The Feast of Trumpets is traditionally associated with apples and grapes, fruits that are harvested around this time. Some Jews even deny themselves apples and grapes until the Feast of Trumpets, so that they may eat them with increased enjoyment at the festival. This is significant because apples and grapes are the fruits mentioned in Song of Solomon’s rapture-allegory where the Gentile maid is in the presence of her beloved shepherd, a picture of the Church in the presence of the Good Shepherd, Jesus (Song 2:3, 5, 13, 15).

10. WEDDING REMINDER

The Feast of Trumpets is called a “memorial” blowing of trumpets (Lev. 23:24). While Leviticus does not specify what the trumpet blasts memorialize, the context suggests it is the trumpet blast at Sinai when God gave Israel the Law as a ‘wedding contract’ on the Day of Pentecost (Ex. 19).

Thus, the Feast of Trumpets is a day to remember Israel’s wedding and, by association, the Church’s betrothal that occurred on the same day, centuries later (Acts 2).

Since the Feast of Trumpets is a day to remember past weddings and betrothals, it is a fitting time for the ultimate wedding, the Rapture.

With the above 10 reasons in view, the Feast of Trumpets is a plausible time for the Rapture.

~

But there is more. Five major factors make this year’s Trumpets festival particularly auspicious:

1. STAGE SETTING

The current year, 2022, has seen an escalation of end-times “birth pains” like no other: wars and threats of war, new and resurgent viruses, extreme weather, earthquakes, famine and shortages (Matt. 24:6, 7). Yet, for most people, life carries on more or less as normal.

That a façade of normalcy exists, even as the world teeters on the brink, is significant as this is how Jesus said it would be at His return:

“As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed” (Luke 17:26–30).

2. SABBATICAL SIGNS

The God of the Bible is known for giving a seven-day or seven-year warning before bringing judgment (Gen. 7:1–4; Josh. 6:1–5; Gen. 41). Moreover, the Lord orchestrates prophetic events according to His seven-year Sabbatical cycle (Dan. 9:24–27).

With these two facts in mind, it appears God has been issuing ‘trumpet’ warnings for the last three Sabbatical cycles:

In 2001, we saw the 9/11 attacks, followed by a record stock market crash on the Feast of Trumpets.

In 2008, we saw the Global Financial Crisis and another record market crash—a 777-point drop when Congress failed to pass a $700 billion bailout plan—on the Feast of Trumpets.

In 2015, we saw no financial crash but, instead, an extraordinary display of “signs in the sun, moon, and stars”—the signs that portend the Day of the Lord (Luke 21:25; Joel 2:31). Significantly, the final sign, a blood moon eclipse visible above Jerusalem, occurred on September 28, exactly seven years prior to the Feast of Trumpets in 2022.

3. WEDDING SIGN

On June 24 this year, all seven planets in the Solar System lined up in their correct order on the same side of the Sun, to form an ultra-rare “planetary procession.”

Seven days later, the Sun and Moon, which symbolize the Bridegroom and Bride in Scripture, came together in the constellation Gemini, the sign depicting the marriage union between a man and woman.

Notably, this ‘celestial wedding’ occurred on the biblical date Tammuz 1, exactly three months prior to the Feast of Trumpets on Tishrei 1. This is significant because a rabbinic law called Havchana requires a three-month waiting period before a Gentile bride can marry a Jew. (The purpose of the law is to ensure that the bride is not already pregnant before marrying, thereby avoiding any confusion concerning the lineage of the child.)

With the traditional three-month waiting period in view, it is possible that the wedding sign on Tammuz 1 was pointing to the ultimate Gentile–Jewish wedding, the wedding of the Church to Messiah, three months later at the Feast of Trumpets.

4. JUPITER NEAR APPROACH

On the Feast of Trumpets this year, Jupiter will make its closest approach to Earth in 70 years. This is noteworthy for a few reasons.

First, Jupiter, the planet with the red spot on its side, is a symbol of Messiah, wounded for our transgressions (Isa. 53).

Second, because it is the largest planet, Jupiter is called the King Planet. This is significant as Jewish tradition holds that the biblical month of Elul, which ends at the Feast of Trumpets, is when the “King is in the field,” i.e., nearest his subjects. It is thus striking that the King Planet is at its nearest point to Earth in 70 years as Elul ends and the Feast of Trumpets begins.

Third, in Scripture, the number 70 denotes a generation-timespan, a period of judgment, and/or liberation for God’s people (Ps. 90:10; Jer. 29:10).

With the above in view, Jupiter’s near approach on Feast of Trumpets signifies . . .

• A visit by Messiah–King.

• The end of a generation.

• A time of liberation.

5. TIMELINE CONVERGENCE

www.theseasonofreturn.com

The number one reason Feast of Trumpets 2022 is particularly auspicious is a convergence of prophetic timelines. For details on this convergence, please see the article, video, or chart linked below.

Article: https://storage.googleapis.com/…/Ten%20Reasons%20Nisan…

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgDenJ3a7NE&t=141s

Chart: https://storage.googleapis.com/…/BIBLICAL%20TIMELINE…

The most important timeline pointing to 2022 relates to the Year of Jubilee. While numerous attempts have been made to pinpoint the Jubilee based on historical events or patterns, I believe that Daniel’s Weeks Prophecy provides the simple formula needed to calculate the year of redemption:

“From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the prince comes, there will be seven weeks” (Dan. 9:25).

Daniel says Messiah will appear “seven weeks,” or one jubilee period, after a restoration of Jerusalem.

The only modern restoration of Jerusalem occurred in June 1967, when the Jews took possession of the Holy City for the first time in nearly 2,000 years.

Counting seven weeks from the start of the first Sabbatical week following the restoration of Jerusalem, which is 1973, the Jubilee begins in 2022.

It is awe-inspiring to consider that 2,000 years ago, Jesus stood up at the synagogue to declare His role as Messiah and fulfiller of the Jubilee:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18, 19).

Today, if our reading of Daniel’s prophecy and the Sabbatical cycle are correct, “the Year of the Lord’s favor” is upon us.

~

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

Scripture teaches that there is an appointed date for the Rapture (Acts 17:31). We are told to watch for this day, and that we will see it approaching (Mark 13:37; Heb. 10:25).

The themes of the Feast of Trumpets are denotive of the Rapture. Furthermore, a convergence of signs and timelines suggests that 2022 may be a climactic year.

Will the trumpet blast that changes the world be heard at the impending Feast of Trumpets? Only God knows. But the prospect is utterly thrilling.

. . .

NOTES:

1. Feast of Trumpets timing:

The modern (precalculated) Jewish calendar has Feast of Trumpets beginning the evening of September 25. https://www.hebcal.com/converter?gd=25&gm=9&gy=2022&gs=on…

Torah Calendar, which bases festival timing on the projected sighting of the New-Moon crescent, has the Feast of Trumpets beginning the evening of September 27: https://torahcalendar.com/Calendar.asp?YM=Y2022M6

2. In the Bible, the Sun symbolizes Jesus the Bridegroom (Ps. 19:5; 84:11). The Moon, the Sun’s heavenly counterpart, represents the Bride, or Church. The Moon is emblematic of the Church as it has no light of its own, relying entirely upon the Sun for its light (Ps. 19:4, 5; 84:11). Likewise, man has no light of his own. We were created in the image of God to reflect His brilliance and glory (Gen. 1:27). When we turn to face the majesty of God, when we surrender to Him and seek Him with all our hearts, we reflect His glory, just like the Moon reflects the glory of the Sun (Matt. 5:14)

3. The UN was established 11 Sabbatical cycles ago on October 24, 1945, corresponding to the Jewish calendar date of the biblical Flood: Cheshvan 17.

4. More on why the Feast of Trumpets in late summer or early fall could be the time of the Rapture:

https://storage.googleapis.com/…/Seven%20Reasons%20Late…

5. An indication that the Feast of Trumpets is a remembrance of the giving of the Law (Sinai) is the fact that Ezra read the Law to the Israelites, newly returned from exile in Babylon, on the Feast of Trumpets in Nehemiah chapter 8.

6. More on how the Feast of Trumpets relates to Pentecost:

https://storage.googleapis.com/…/From%20Pentecost%20to…

7. More on how the world stage is presently set for the Rapture:

https://storage.googleapis.com/…/The%20Prophetic…

8. Signs of 2015 as a seven-year warning:

https://storage.googleapis.com/…/DAY%20OF%20THE%20LORD…

9. Planetary parade and wedding sign of 2022:

https://storage.googleapis.com/…/June%20Planetary…

10. Jupiter near approach on Feast of Trumpets:

Article: https://www.business-standard.com/…/don-t-miss-jupiter…

Miscellaneous:

*Jupiter, the planet with the red spot on its side, has 53 named moons. Coincidentally, Isaiah chapter 53 talks about the sin-bearing Messiah who was wounded for our transgressions.

*It was a Jupiter–Venus conjunction that produced the Bethlehem-Star sign at Jesus’ birth. Significantly the Bethlehem Star conjunction recently reoccurred on June 30, 2015, exactly seven years before the ‘wedding sign’ on June 30 (Tammuz 1), 2022.

11. Jubilee calculation:

The jubilee count begins at 1973 because Daniel says to count “weeks,” which are fixed periods on God’s calendar. Since the modern restoration of Jerusalem occurred in June 1967, after a portion of the current Sabbatical week had already passed, a count of seven full weeks could not begin until the start of the next Sabbatical week, which is 1973.

~

Jubilee Q and A: Is the Year of Redemption Upon Us?

https://storage.googleapis.com/…/Jubilee%20Q%20and%20A…

~

Calculating Daniel’s Jubilee:

https://storage.googleapis.com/…/Calculating%20Daniels…

. . .

*Visit the author’s website: www.theseasonofreturn.com

*YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVxcqsgEKvYtscqyYJpTxbQ

IMPORTANT MESSAGE: No one knows the day or hour of Jesus’ return (Matt. 24:36). However, a convergence of biblical signs and timelines suggests it is near. To escape the judgment reserved for a God-rejecting world, one must be in a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. If you have not yet done so, call on His name and believe that He is the Son of God who died for your sins and was raised from the dead (Romans 10:13).

Do it today. Time is running out.

30 WAYS PENTECOST FORESHADOWS THE RAPTURE by T.W. Tramm

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Pentecost/Shavuot/Feast of Weeks, Prophecy, Rapture, Resurrection with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 1, 2022 by paulthepoke

Author and Bible-researcher T.W. Tramm is the founder of Season of Return Ministries, an organization whose mission is to equip the reader with critical knowledge related to the unfolding of Bible prophecy in our time. Tramm’s books, articles, and commentary can be found on numerous eschatological-themed websites. The author makes his home in Washington State.

T.W. Tramm’s materials can be reviewed on the following: 

https://www.facebook.com/twtramm 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVxcqsgEKvYtscqyYJpTxbQ/videos 

https://www.theseasonofreturn.com/

~

NO MAN KNOWS the day of the Rapture (Matthew 24:36–44).

There is, however, a day on God’s calendar that strikingly foreshadows this event.

The following is a summary of 30 correlations between the biblical festival Pentecost and the catching away of the Church.

. . .

30 WAYS PENTECOST FORESHADOWS THE RAPTURE

1. A HARVEST FESTIVAL

The most telling feature of Pentecost is that it is one of three harvest festivals, during which all Israelite males are required to appear before the Lord:

“Three times a year you are to celebrate a festival to me. ‘Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread … the Festival of Harvest [Pentecost] … and the Festival of Ingathering [Tabernacles] … Three times a year all your males are to appear before the Lord God’” (Exodus 23:14–17).

A harvest and gathering before God denote a resurrection or rapture (Matthew 13:30, 39; 2 Thessalonians 2:1; Revelation 7:9–14).

Furthermore, the three harvest festivals correspond to the “order” of resurrections mentioned by Paul: “But each [will be resurrected] in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:23).

The harvest at Unleavened Bread corresponds to Jesus’ resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20).

The harvest at Pentecost corresponds to the Church’s resurrection–rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:13–17).

The harvest at Tabernacles corresponds to the resurrection of tribulation saints at the Second Coming (Revelation 20:4–6).

2. A GREAT MULTITUDE

Of the three harvest festivals, Pentecost typically saw the largest crowds. This is because the other harvest festivals occurred in the early spring and fall when adverse weather could interfere with travel from distant lands. A large crowd gathered in Jerusalem on Pentecost corresponds to the great multitude gathered before God’s throne at the Rapture (Revelation 7:9).

3. FIRSTFRUITS OF THE WHEAT

Pentecost celebrates the firstfruits of the wheat harvest (Exodus 34:22). The Rapture is when the first of the “wheat,” symbolic of believers, is harvested and gathered into God’s “barn” (Matthew 13).

4. A GATHERING FROM EVERY NATION

At the Church’s first Pentecost, devout people from every nation, tribe, and language were gathered in Jerusalem (Acts 2:5, 6). At the Rapture, devout people from every nation, tribe, and language will be gathered in heavenly Jerusalem (Revelation 7:9).

5. GATHERED IN ONE PLACE

On the Church’s first Pentecost, all the believers were gathered in one place (Acts 2:1). The next time all believers will be gathered in one place is at the Rapture (Revelation 7:9).

6. A TIME OF REJOICING

Pentecost is a time to rejoice before the Lord: “Celebrate the Festival of Weeks [Pentecost] … and rejoice before the LORD your God” (Deuteronomy. 16: 10, 11.) The ultimate time of rejoicing before the Lord will be immediately after the Rapture (Revelation 7:9–12; 1 Thessalonians 2:19).

7. THE WAVE OFFERING

The wave offering of the grain-sheaf during Unleavened Bread is a picture of Jesus’ resurrection (Leviticus 23:10; 1 Corinthians 15:20). Thus, the subsequent wave offering of baked loaves on Pentecost is a picture of the Church’s resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:23). The ripening of grain during the seven weeks between Passover and Pentecost symbolizes the growth and maturation of the Body of Christ during the Church Age. The grain transformed into bread on Pentecost represents the Church in a state of fullness, or completion, at the Rapture.

8. A TIME OF ACCOUNTABILITY

When the Israelites appeared before the Lord on Pentecost, they were required to bring an offering proportionate to the blessings God had bestowed upon them (Deuteronomy 16:16, 17). The requirement to bring a proportionate offering recalls how one’s fruits will be judged at the end of the age: “From everyone who has been given much, much will be required” (Matthew 25:14–30; Luke 12:48).

9. SEVEN WEEKS PRECEDE MESSIAH

Pentecost is the festival preceded by a count of “seven weeks” (Leviticus 23:15, 16). In Daniel 9, a count of “seven weeks” precedes an appearance of Messiah the Prince: “From the going forth of the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, shall be seven weeks” (Daniel 9:25).

10. PAYDAY FOR REDEMPTION

The sending of the Holy Spirit on the Church’s first Pentecost is called the “down payment” on our redemption (Ephesians 1:14). Since the down payment for redemption occurred on Pentecost, it is logical for the final payment, the redemption of our physical bodies at the Rapture, to occur on Pentecost (Romans 8:23).

11. A TIME OF SEALING

Pentecost is the day on which the Church was first sealed by the Holy Spirit (Acts 2). At the Rapture, the first fruits of Israel will be sealed by the Holy Spirit (Revelation 7:3, 4). If the sealing of the Church on Pentecost was the model, the sealing of Israel at the Rapture may occur on Pentecost as well.

12. THE THIRD DAY

Moses ascended Sinai to receive the Commandments on the “third day,” corresponding to Pentecost (Exodus 19). In John chapter 2, Jesus attends a wedding on the third day and alludes to the fact that He will be resurrected on the third day (vv. 1, 19–21). Thus, Pentecost is symbolically a “third day,” a day associated with weddings and resurrections.

13. THE 50th DAY

The Greek word translated Pentecost, Pentēkostē, means “fiftieth.” Fifty is the number of redemption, pertaining to the Jubilee (Leviticus 25:9, 10). Also, wherever the number 50 appears in Scripture it denotes fullness and completion, pointing to the fullness of the Gentiles at the Rapture.

14. A WEDDING DAY

The wedding between God and Israel occurred on Pentecost (Exodus 19).

Similarly, the betrothal of the Church to God occurred on Pentecost (Acts 2; Ephesians 4:30). This is significant because, according to the ancient wedding tradition, the bridegroom comes for the bride around the anniversary of the betrothal.

15. RUTH

In the Book of Ruth, the wedding of the Jewish redeemer to the Gentile bride—a picture of the Wedding of Messiah at the Rapture—occurred around Pentecost (Ruth 4:9–10).

16. RAPTURE ALLEGORY IN SONG OF SOLOMON

In Song of Solomon, the shepherd comes to gather and spirit away His beloved Gentile maid—a picture of the Rapture—in late spring, around the time of Pentecost (Song of Solomon 2).

17. ENOCH’S RAPTURE

According to Jewish tradition, Pentecost is when Enoch, a prophetic type of the Church, was taken up, or raptured, to be with God (Genesis 5:24; Hebrews 11:5).

18. POSITIONALLY, PENTECOST DENOTES THE CHURCH AGE

Pentecost’s parenthetical placement between the first and last harvest festivals, Unleavened Bread and Tabernacles, is suggestive of the Church Age.

19. INFERENCE VIA FESTIVAL ATTENDANCE

Scripture mentions Jesus going to Jerusalem for the harvests at Unleavened Bread and Tabernacles but not Pentecost (John 2:23; 5:1; 7; Luke 2:41–43). Conversely, Scripture mentions Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, going to Jerusalem for Pentecost but not the other harvests (Acts 20:1–6). Jesus’ nonappearance at Pentecost may foreshadow His appearing only in the clouds at this festival’s fulfillment. Similarly, Paul’s attendance at Pentecost may point to the Church being in heavenly Jerusalem on this day.

20. THE SHORT AND ABRUPT HARVEST FESTIVAL

The first and last harvest festivals, Unleavened Bread and Tabernacles, both last for seven days (Leviticus 23). In contrast, Pentecost is a one-day harvest festival, comparatively short and abrupt like the Rapture of the Church.

21. THE FESTIVAL WITH NO SET DATE

Pentecost is the only harvest festival with no assigned date in Scripture; it is instead calculated by counting seven weeks from the “day after the Sabbath” (Leviticus 23:15). That Pentecost has no assigned date means “no one knows the day” (Matthew 24:36).

22. AN HOUR WE THINK NOT

Jesus tells His followers that He is coming at an hour they “think not” (Matthew 24:44). Because there is disagreement around which Sabbath to count the seven weeks from, the correct date of Pentecost is in question. It is thus possible that God’s true Pentecost is on a day most would “think not.”

23. THE FESTIVAL OF GOD’S TRUMP

The first time God’s trumpet was sounded was on Pentecost, when He descended in a cloud on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19). If the model holds, the next time God’s trumpet is sounded, at the Rapture, may be on Pentecost as well.

24. PETER PROCLAIMS THE DAY OF THE LORD ON PENTECOST

On the Church’s first Pentecost, Peter stood up and quoted a prophecy from Joel:

”Then Peter stood up … raised his voice and addressed the crowd: ‘Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you… this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people …. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord’” (Acts 2).

It makes sense that Peter would quote the part of Joel about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as this is what was occurring that day. However, the question arises: why would Peter, at that time, quote the part of Joel about the coming Day of the Lord? Peter’s quoting of a prophecy about the onset of the Day of the Lord on Pentecost suggests the two are connected.

25. JUDGMNET DAY FOR TREES

In Judaism, it is taught that Pentecost (Shavuot) is when fruit trees are judged. In Scripture, fruit trees represent people (Psalm 1:3). The trees that do not produce “good fruit” by way of a relationship with Jesus are “cut down” and thrown into the “fire” of Tribulation (Matthew 3:10–12; 7:17–23; 25:11–13).

26. ANCIENT SCRIPTURE READINGS

Since ancient times, the Jewish scripture readings associated with Pentecost describe the Lord judging the earth (Ezekiel 1:1–28; 3:12; Habakkuk 2:20–3:19). If Pentecost is mainly about the giving of the Commandments or the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as commonly taught, why do the passages read on this day depict the Lord coming in judgment?

27. THE FESTIVAL PRECEDING SUMMER

Pentecost is the harvest festival that occurs in late spring, just before summer begins. In Matthew 24, summer is a metaphor for the end of the age (Matthew 24:32).

Moreover, in the Old Testament, summer is when . . .

• The “godly people” are said to have “vanished” from the earth (Micah 7:1, 2 NLT).

• The Jews lament not being saved at the harvest (Jeremiah 8:20).

• Israel is deemed ripe for judgment (Amos 8:1, 2).

28. THE TIME OF RIPENING FIGS

Pentecost, occurring in late spring, is when early figs ripen. With this in mind, it is interesting to note that . . .

• Figs represent Jews (Amos 8:1, 2).

• Figs that ripen early are said to be very good, or desirable (Hosea 9:10).

• Early ripe figs, because they are desirable, are quickly “snatched up” (Isaiah 28:4 NLT).

Could the figs that ripen early, around Pentecost, be symbolic of believing Jews “snatched up” at the Rapture?

29. THE FESTIVAL PRECEDING THE GRAPE HARVEST

In Scripture, the harvesting and crushing of grapes symbolizes the judgment of nonbelievers at the Day of the Lord (Revelation 14:14–20). In ancient Israel, grapes were the first major crop to ripen after Pentecost.

30. THE FESTIVAL OF NEW BEGINNINGS

Pentecost marks the beginning of new dispensations in Scripture, namely the Age of Law and the Church Age (Exodus 19; Acts 2). If the pattern holds, Pentecost may mark the beginning of the next dispensation, the Day of the Lord.

With the above summary in view, it is fair to say that Pentecost, better than any other festival, embodies the types and themes of the Rapture: harvest, fullness, completion, redemption, resurrection, a wedding, a gathering, a new beginning, an unknown date, and the sounding of God’s trumpet.

The fundamental theme of Pentecost is, again, the harvest. There are three main harvest festivals and three main resurrections in God’s plan of redemption, suggestive of the following scenario:

• Unleavened Bread (First Coming)

• Pentecost (Rapture)

• Tabernacles (Second Coming)

Pentecost clearly foreshadows the harvest of the Church. What is less clear is whether the harvest will occur on the day marked Pentecost on our calendars.

~

A DAY NO ONE KNOWS

While the preliminary fulfillment of Pentecost, the sending of the Holy Spirit, occurred on the day the festival was observed by the early Church (Acts 2), one cannot be as certain about the ultimate fulfillment, the Rapture, as the day of this event is said to be unknown (Matthew 24:36). That the day is unknown is why Jesus implores us to “keep watch” and not assume He is delaying if He fails to appear at an expected time (Matthew 24:42–51; 25:1–13).

Paul emphasizes that the day is unknown in a letter to the Church at Thessalonica:

“Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:1, 2).

According to Paul, there is no need to discuss dates because it is already understood that Jesus is coming like a thief. Question: on which day does a thief show up? Answer: no one knows. One might know generally when a thief may show up—e.g., late at night or when nobody is home. However, to try and pinpoint the day or hour would seem futile. So if our reading of 1 Thessalonians is correct, the Lord could appear on a day not expected.

To reconcile the notion of an unexpected day with an appointed time such as Pentecost, I have considered two possible scenarios.

The first possibility is that Pentecost, the harvest festival with no fixed date, is not about a date at all but rather points symbolically to a time of fullness or ripeness. Recall that Pentecost is the 50th day, and the number 50 symbolizes fullness or completion. In this scenario, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Church’s first Pentecost represents the planting of a ‘field,’ the Church-field, which has been growing and maturing for almost 2,000 years. No one knows when exactly the last believer will be sealed by the Holy Spirit and the Church-field deemed ripe for harvest in accordance with God’s timetable.

The other scenario I have considered to reconcile an unexpected day with an appointed time is that the Rapture will indeed occur at Pentecost. However, due to confusion around the correct reckoning of the festival, the day marked Pentecost on our calendars may not represent God’s true Pentecost.

For the above reasons, it is wise to think of Pentecost as a ‘season,’ rather than a mere 24-hour period.

Better yet, be ready always!

Jesus is coming soon.

. . .

*Visit the author’s website: www.theseasonofreturn.com

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVxcqsgEKvYtscqyYJpTxbQ

IMPORTANT MESSAGE: No one knows the day or hour of Jesus’ return (Matthew 24:36). However, a convergence of biblical signs and timelines suggests it is near. To escape the judgment reserved for a God-rejecting world, one must be in a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. If you have not yet done so, call on His name and believe that He is the Son of God who died for your sins and was raised from the dead (Romans 10:13). Do it today. Time is running out.

For PDF of post, click on the link below.

https://storage.googleapis.com/wzukusers/user-35306783/documents/afcd3014bc7d43b3aa7d11e4b89e264a/Pentecost%20and%20the%20Rapture%20rev%20a.pdf?fbclid=IwAR17pgspJCBAFvTdRtIEZHYtvcWRdqMNLcn__z7RXWGnUAZpvGl2b8yAxsg

Shavuot/Pentecost/Feast of Weeks, 5782/2022

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Pentecost/Shavuot/Feast of Weeks, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on May 29, 2022 by paulthepoke

Leviticus 23:15-16 ‘You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day when you brought in the sheaf of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete Sabbaths. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to the Lord.

On a Gregorian calendar in the year of 2022, the holiday of Shavuot/Feast of Weeks/Pentecost begins at sunset on Saturday, June 4. The God Appointed holiday ends at sunset Monday, June 6. The Feast takes place in the month of Sivan on the 6th and 7th of a Hebrew calendar. This is the Hebrew year 5782.

Exodus 23:14-17 “Three times in the year you shall keep a feast to me. You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. As I commanded you, you shall eat unleavened bread for seven days at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. None shall appear before me empty-handed. You shall keep the Feast of Harvest, of the first fruits of your labor, of what you sow in the field. You shall keep the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in from the field the fruit of your labor. Three times in the year shall all your males appear before the Lord GOD.

Shavuot is one of the three holidays where Jewish men are required to come to Jerusalem. The men were to make their presentation and sacrifice before God at the Temple. This holiday is one of seven holidays appointed by God.

Two loaves of bread are made from the new wheat harvest. The loaves are made with leaven. The Biblical symbol for sin is leaven. The two loaves of bread at Shavuot are the only sacraments made with leaven.

Some believe that one loaf represents the Jewish people and the other loaf represents the Gentiles. The loaves represent the church which is comprised of Jews and Gentiles. Sinful people, Jews and Gentiles, are formed with the first fruits of the wheat harvest. (And yes, the church was and is still sinful despite being saved by the grace of God.) The loaves are brought and waived by the Son, the High Priest, before the Father.

http://www.messiah3.org/pentecostfeast.htm

Ephesians 2:11-22 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands, remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that He might create in Himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through Him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In Him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Together, sinful Jews and sinful Gentiles sealed with God the Spirit worshiping God the Father through the sinless God the Son.

Which begs the question…

How long before the two loaves of bread, the church, are waived by our High Priest before the Lord in Heaven?

https://www.amazon.com/Paul-Lehr/e/B09W8FB77N

Jubilee Q&A, Is the Year of Redemption Upon Us??? T.W. Tramm

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Jubilee, Prophecy, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 21, 2022 by paulthepoke

T.W. Tramm offers some thought provoking material as we approach God’s designated New Year on Nisan 1 (Hebrew calendar), 5872 or April 1-2 (western Gregorian calendar), 2022.

Author and Bible-researcher T.W. Tramm is the founder of Season of Return Ministries, an organization whose mission is to equip the reader with critical knowledge related to the unfolding of Bible prophecy in our time. Tramm’s books, articles, and commentary can be found on numerous eschatological-themed websites. The author makes his home in Washington State.

T.W. Tramm’s materials can be reviewed on the following: https://www.facebook.com/twtramm , https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVxcqsgEKvYtscqyYJpTxbQ/videos , https://www.theseasonofreturn.com/

Link provided for message below. https://storage.googleapis.com/wzukusers/user-35306783/documents/a0ea26efd60c45ec83fce69a4d6e75cc/Jubilee%20Q%20and%20A%20-%20Is%20the%20Year%20of%20Redemption%20Upon%20Us%20-%20rev%20a.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0nNvIsH4e64Y6O-cD4aCmvAs4a1YTRMGJIZOaYs4QpNU4t-UpCUXVhK-E

THE BIBLICAL Year of Jubilee has profound implications for every person living today.

The following is a Q and A intended to shed light on this vital element of God’s calendar.

Q: What is the Jubilee?

A: To understand the Jubilee, one must first understand its fundamental component, the Sabbath year.

Roughly 3,500 years ago, as God was preparing the children of Israel to enter the Promised Land, He instructed them that when they enter the land they were to start counting years. Every seventh year was to be a Sabbath during which they would cease planting and harvesting crops and eat only what the land produced (Lev. 25: 2–7). The idea was that by living only on what the land produced, the people would learn to trust in God’s provision.

In addition to the pause on farming activity, the Lord commanded the Israelites to forgive all debts at the end of the seven years (Deut. 15:1, 2; 31:10). The cancelling of debt was aimed at preventing financial oppression and excessive materialism among the people. Just as importantly, it imparted a vital lesson about mercy and forgiveness.

Thus, the Sabbatical year was a time of rest and renewal for the Israelites as well as an acknowledgment of God’s sovereignty over their land and lives. It was also an act of faith. It required the people’s total trust in God’s faithfulness to provide for their needs as they ceased farming and forgave the debts owed them.

But there is more. Beyond the practical and spiritual aspects of the Sabbatical year, there is a profound prophetic significance. Fundamentally, the six years of labor followed by a seventh year of rest foreshadow God’s plan to restore the fallen Creation after 6,000 years. At the same time, the seven-year cycle represents the unit of measure—the Sabbatical “week”—by which God’s plan of redemption would be implemented (more on this later).

~

JUBILEE

Along with the seventh-year Sabbath, God commanded that every seventh Sabbath, or forty-ninth year, a trumpet should be sounded on the Day of Atonement:

“‘Count off seven sabbath years—seven times seven years—so that the seven sabbath years amount to a period of forty-nine years. Then have the trumpet sounded everywhere on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement sound the trumpet throughout your land. Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you” (Lev. 25:8–10).

The sounding of the trumpet in the forty-ninth year announced the impending fiftieth year called the Jubilee.

Like the Sabbatical year, the Jubilee was to be a year of rest for the land (Lev. 25:11). However, some additional ordinances came into play during the Jubilee. First, any person who had been sold into slavery was granted freedom and allowed to return home to his family (v. 10). Second, property which had been lost due to sale or misfortune was returned to its original owner (vv. 13; 25–28).

The Jubilee was thus a type of ‘super Sabbath,’ during which one’s freedom and possessions were restored. Owing to the jubilee statute, even the poorest servant had a hope for the future: that one day he would regain all he had lost.

~

Q: What is the prophetic significance of the Jubilee?

A: The prophetic significance of the Jubilee is rooted in a biblical statute called the law of redemption. According to this law, if a person or piece of property had been sold to cover a debt, a near relative, or kinsman, of the debtor could “redeem” that person or property by buying them back (Lev. 25:15, 16, 23–34, 47–55).

If a person sold into slavery had no kinsman to redeem him, however, and therefore went unredeemed, the law required that he be released, regardless, at the Year of Jubilee. So for slaves not previously redeemed, the Jubilee became the “year of redemption” (Lev. 25:54).

Prophetically, the law of redemption illustrates God’s plan to liberate humanity from the slavery of mortal existence brought about by Adam and Eve’s sin. Consider the parallels: When Adam sinned, he was ‘sold,’ along with his estate, the Creation, into bondage. We, as his children and inheritors of the fallen world, are likewise in bondage. According to the law of redemption, a near kinsman can purchase our freedom. However, because no sinful man can pay the cost of what Adam sold, the role of humanity’s kinsman redeemer belongs solely to our ‘blood relative’ Jesus Christ, who came in the flesh, assumed our debt, and paid it with His life.

Thus, God’s plan to redeem humanity is spelled out in the law of redemption as it pertains to the Jubilee. The Jubilee, as the ultimate time of restoration, represents the consummation of our redemption, the time when Jesus will transform our bodies from perishable to imperishable and restore what was lost at Eden.

When will the bodily redemption take place? According to Scripture, it will occur at the resurrection–rapture. When the Lord descends in the clouds at the sound of a trumpet, all the living and dead in Christ throughout the ages will receive incorruptible bodies and be slaves to death no more:

“Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory” (1 Cor. 15:51–54).

Thus, the ultimate Jubilee will mark three major milestones: the end of the Church Age; the end of 6,000 years under Satan’s influence; and the beginning of the Day of the Lord. At this time, the “ruler of this age,” the devil, will be cast down from the heavens to take up residence in a man, the “lawless one” (Rev. 12:7–9; 2 Cor. 4:4; 2 Thess. 2:4). Simultaneously, earth will be restored to its original Owner, God, who will then complete the redemption process for Israel and others by allowing a period of tribulation designed to bring them to faith (Lev. 25:23; Jer. 30:7; Zech. 13:9).

~

The following Scripture references confirm the linkage between the Rapture and Jubilee:

• The Jubilee is when one’s possessions are restored (Lev. 25:13). The Church is God’s “special possession,” (1 Pet. 2:9; Eph. 1:14).

• The Jubilee, or fiftieth year, is patterned after Pentecost, the fiftieth day (Lev. 23:15, 15; 25:8–10). Since Pentecost points to the harvest of the Church, so, logically, does the Jubilee.

• The Church is raptured before God’s wrath (1 Thess. 4:13–18; 5:1–9). Correspondingly, the Jubilee precedes God’s wrath (Isa. 61:1, 2; 63:4).

• The Jubilee is when spiritual blindness is lifted (Luke 4:18). Israel’s blindness concerning Messiah–Jesus will begin to be lifted when the full number of Gentiles comes in at the Rapture (Rom. 11:25; Rev. 7:1–8).

~

Additionally, seeing that the Jubilee is the year of “liberty” and “redemption,” it is significant that…

• Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, speaks of the “liberty” and “bodily redemption” of the Church at the Lord’s coming (Rom. 8:19–23).

• Jesus tells the Church that when they see the signs of His coming, to look up because their “redemption” is near (Luke 21:28).

• Christians are said to be sealed by the Holy Spirit unto the day of “redemption” (Eph. 4:30).

• In the Book of Ruth, a Gentile maid, a type of the Church, is “redeemed” by marriage to a Jewish Kinsman, a type of Jesus (Ruth 4).

~

Q: When is the next Jubilee?

A: Since no historical document exists to confirm any past Jubilee, no one knows precisely when the next Jubilee is. There are only theories.

The problem with most of these theories is that they rely heavily on assumptions and/or ancient calendar reckonings. Seeing that God is not the author of confusion and that He actually wants His people to know when He is coming, it seems unlikely that He would leave us relying on assumptions and questionable ancient dating to determine something as crucial as the Jubilee.

For this reason, I believe, the Lord has provided a simple formula to calculate the year of redemption. It is found in Daniel’s Weeks Prophecy:

“From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the prince comes, there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks” (Dan. 9:25).

Most scholars understand verse 25 to be fulfilled at Jesus’ first coming. They add the seven and sixty-two weeks, representing Sabbatical periods, and count from Artaxerxes’ 457 BC decree allowing the Jews to rebuild Jerusalem to arrive at 27 AD, the year Jesus began His ministry.

So by a reckoning of Sabbatical weeks, the seven-year cycles underpinning God’s calendar, Daniel predicts the year of the Lord’s first appearance.

Amazing!

~

But here is something to think about: There is no logical or biblical reason to assume Daniel’s Weeks Prophecy predicts only the timing of the First Coming. In fact, given that the prophecy encompasses God’s whole plan of redemption, which entails two appearances of Messiah, it is reasonable to expect that the timing of both appearances would be given. This is why, common sense tells us, the seven and sixty two weeks are mentioned separately, to allow for the calculation of both the First and the Second Advent.

Which set of weeks relates to the Second Advent?

Since seven weeks denote a Jubilee, and the Jubilee points ultimately to the redemption and restoration at the end of the age, it is the seven weeks. Besides, we know it is not the sixty-two weeks because Daniel links them specifically to Jesus’ first advent: “After the sixty-two weeks Messiah will be put to death” (Dan. 9:26).

With that explanation in view, back to Daniel’s formula for calculating the Jubilee:

“From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the prince comes, there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks” (Dan. 9:25).

Owing to Daniel’s formula, only two easily verifiable dates are required to calculate the Jubilee:

1) The date of the latter-days restoration of Jerusalem.

2) The start date of the Sabbatical week immediately following the restoration of Jerusalem.

The date of the latter-days restoration of Jerusalem is easily confirmed to be June 7, 1967.

The start date of the Sabbatical week following the restoration of Jerusalem is likewise easily confirmed because, unlike Jubilee years, Sabbatical years have been recorded since the days of the Second Temple. According to the ancient reckoning observed in modern Israel and validated by major scholarly studies, the Sabbatical week following the June 1967 restoration begins at 1973.

The Jubilee is thus easily calculated:

1973 + 7 weeks = 2022

Click here for a chart illustrating this reckoning: https://bit.ly/37riHsV

~

Why do we count from 1973 instead of 1967? It is because Daniel says to count “weeks,” which are fixed periods on God’s calendar. Since the modern restoration of Jerusalem occurred in June 1967, after a portion of the current Sabbatical week had already passed, a count of seven full weeks could not begin until the start of the next Sabbatical week, which is 1973.

It is important to understand that by this reckoning we are not ‘stretching’ the prophecy to fit a preconceived 2022 endpoint; we are actually following it precisely. The Lord knew that the restoration of Jerusalem would not occur in a Jubilee year. This is why He tells us to count seven weeks after the restoration.

~

Having calculated the Jubilee per Daniel’s formula, let’s consider some additional reasons this reckoning makes sense:

SCRIPTURE CONFIRMS SCRIPTURE

The notion that Jesus’ Second Advent, not only the First, is linked to a restoration of Jerusalem is confirmed in the psalms: “When the Lord rebuilds Jerusalem, He will appear in His glory …. Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the LORD” (Ps. 102:16, 18).

THE LONE JUBILEE

The “seven weeks” of Daniel represent the only jubilee period mentioned in Scripture, begging the question: Why? If the jubilee period in Daniel is not pointing to the ultimate year of redemption, why is it found in the prophecy that maps out God’s whole plan of redemption from beginning to end?

The truth is that apart from highlighting the ultimate Jubilee, there is no good explanation for the seven weeks being separate from the sixty-two weeks. Some commentators suggest the seven weeks are separated to mark the time it took to rebuild Jerusalem following the return from Babylon. However, because there is no Scripture or record to confirm this, they admit it is only a guess: “The city walls and internal buildings of Jerusalem may have taken fifty years to erect—we simply cannot tell” (Pulpit Commentary, Dan. 9:25).

SIMPLICITY IS THE MARK OF TRUTH

A basic principle of logic is that the explanation requiring the fewest assumptions is most likely to be correct. While most jubilee calculations rely on a series of assumptions, the reckoning based on Daniel involves only two:

1) Daniel’s seven weeks refer to the ultimate Jubilee.

2) 1972–73 is a Sabbatical year.

If these two assumptions are correct, the final Jubilee begins in 2022.

1973 START POINT

The 1973 start point for the ultimate jubilee period is bolstered by two compelling coincidences.

First, the 1973 Yom Kippur War—a conflict initiated by countries aiming to repossess major portions of Israel’s land—began on the Day of Atonement, the day on which the Jubilee is declared by a trumpet blast.

Second, 1973 is when the Sabbatical (Shemitah) financial crashes highlighted by Jonathan Cahn began to intensify. Cahn writes in his 2014 book, The Mystery of the Shemitah:

“Beginning in 1973, every single one of the five greatest financial and economic peaks and collapses have converged, clustered, and taken place according to the set time of the Shemitah year” (p. 109).

“It is worthy of note that the connection between the Year of the Shemitah and the collapses in America’s financial and economic realms appears to grow more intense and consistent in the cycles immediately following the critical year 1973 than in those preceding it” (p. 209).

DANIEL’S WEEKS CORROBORATION

An alternate reckoning of Daniel’s weeks corroborates the 1973–2022 jubilee reckoning.

Notice that Daniel mentions Jerusalem’s wall being rebuilt:

“From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the prince comes, there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall” (Dan. 9:25).

Jerusalem’s wall was ordered to be rebuilt by Islamic ruler Suleiman in 1536–37 AD. Adding the seven and sixty-two weeks and counting from the start of the Sabbatical week following Suleiman’s order to rebuild, 1539 AD, we arrive at 2022. Counting only the sixty-two weeks from 1539 AD, we arrive at 1973.

A GENIUS CONCURS

While one person’s view does not a fact make, it is significant that one of the greatest scientists and Bible scholars of all time, Isaac Newton, believed that Daniel’s seven weeks denote a jubilee period that will culminate in Jesus’ return. Newton wrote in his commentary on the Weeks Prophecy:

“The seven weeks are the compass of a Jubilee, and begin and end with actions proper for a Jubilee and of the highest nature for which a Jubilee can be kept.”

“The former part of the prophecy [sixty-two weeks] relates to the first coming of Christ … [the seven weeks], being dated to his coming as Prince or King, seem to relate to his second coming [when] … he that was anointed comes to be Prince and to reign.”

“Thus have we in this short Prophecy, a prediction of all the main periods relating to the coming of the Messiah; the time of his [first coming] … and the time of his second coming: and so the interpretation here is given more full and complete and adequate to the design, than if we should restrain it to his first coming only, as interpreters usually do.”

Read Newton’s full commentary on Daniel’s Weeks Prophecy here (pp. 45–48): http://www.ntslibrary.com/…/Observations%20on%20Daniel…

SEVEN-YEAR WARNING

God typically gives a seven-day or seven-year warning before bringing judgment (Gen. 7:1–4; Josh. 6:1–5; Gen. 41). Moreover, we are told that the Day of the Lord will be heralded by signs in the sun, moon, and stars (Joel 2:31; Luke 21:25).

With these facts in view, it is noteworthy that in 2015, seven years prior to our calculated Jubilee in 2022, we saw:

• An unprecedented total solar eclipse on the biblical New Year, Nisan 1.

• A once-in-two-millennia occurrence of the Bethlehem-Star conjunction around the beginning of summer.

• Consecutive blood-moons on God’s spring and fall harvest festivals, Passover and Tabernacles, the latter of which was a “super blood moon” visible above Jerusalem.

While there have been numerous significant eclipses and astronomical alignments in recent years, no other year has seen an equally profound, concentrated, and publicized display of heavenly signs. It is, therefore, conceivable that the signs of 2015 were a seven-year warning pointing to a Jubilee in 2022.

~

Q: Which month marks the beginning of the Jubilee?

A: The Jubilee is declared by a trumpet blast in the seventh month of the forty-ninth year (Lev. 25:8, 9). However, the fiftieth year, or Jubilee, begins at the month of Nisan per God’s command in Exodus:

“This month [Nisan] is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year” (Ex.12:2).

A simple proof that the Jubilee begins at Nisan is the fact that the trumpet blast declaring the Jubilee is said to be sounded in the “seventh” month, confirming Nisan to be the first month relative to the Jubilee.

It is fitting that the Jubilee is declared on the Day of Atonement as the themes and rituals of this holy day illustrate how Jesus’ shed blood paid the price of our redemption (Lev. 16).

It is also practical for the Jubilee to be declared on the Day of Atonement as it allows time to prepare for the release of property and servants beginning at the following Nisan.

Despite God’s clear command to count the years from Nisan, the deep-rooted rabbinic tradition of counting years from the seventh month, Tishrei, means the Jubilee is generally advertised as beginning in the fall. While it is true that the seventh month is pivotal, marking the end of the festival season, the time of debt forgiveness, and the early rains that prepare the ground for the impending “agricultural year,” it is the month of Nisan, according to the Creator of the calendar, which marks the start of the actual year.

Thus, Nisan 1, corresponding to April 1–2, marks the start of the calculated Jubilee in 2022.

~

SUMMARY AND FINAL THOUGHTS

The Year of Jubilee foreshadows the liberation from the curse of death, which has enslaved humanity for 6,000 years.

When Jesus descends from heaven with a shout and the trumpet of God, the dead and living in Christ will receive new imperishable bodies and meet Him in the clouds.

Those who do not know the Lord at that time will be left behind to face the antichrist and a series of divine judgments, as the earth is prepared for Jesus’ millennial reign.

If the reckoning based on Daniel’s Weeks Prophecy is correct, the ultimate Jubilee begins at Nisan 2022.

To be clear, only God knows if 2022 marks the year of redemption. Nevertheless, the fact that Scripture strongly supports the possibility is beyond awesome to consider.

. . .

NOTES:

1. The Hebrew word translated “end” in Deuteronomy, qets, actually means “after” or “later” (Strong’s 7093).Thus, Deuteronomy 31:10 may be more accurately translated, “And Moses charged them in that day, saying, after [the] seven years, in the time of the year of release, in the feast of tabernacles” (Brenton Septuagint Translation).

2. Because Pentecost is a “fiftieth” observed after “seven weeks,” it is sometimes called the little Jubilee (Lev. 23:15, 16; 25:8–10).

3. Some propose that Jesus’ reading of a Scripture that references the Jubilee at the start of His ministry is indicative that 27–28 AD was a Jubilee (see Luke 4:14–20; Isa. 61). It is this author’s view that, by reading the jubilee scripture, the Lord was simply declaring his messianic mission, and that He will fulfill the Jubilee at His return.

4. The notion that Daniel’s seven weeks refer to a separate coming of Messiah is supported by various Jewish and English translations:

“Know therefore and discern, that from the going forth of the word to restore and to build Jerusalem unto one anointed, a prince, shall be seven weeks; and for threescore and two weeks, it shall be built again, with broad place and moat, but in troublous time” (Dan. 9:25 JPS Tanakh 1917).

“Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time” (Dan. 9:25 ESV).

The pause after the seven weeks in the above translations corresponds to the masoretic text of Daniel 9:25, which places the atnach in this same location. The atnach is a Hebrew “punctuation mark” placed under the last word in the first half of a verse to function as the main pause, or break in a sentence.

5. One may include the 1970 master plan to rebuild Jerusalem as part of the prophetic restoration of the Holy City. However, this has no effect on the jubilee reckoning as the start of the nearest Sabbatical week is still 1973.

https://www.nytimes.com/…/jerusalem-is-hewing-to…

https://unispal.un.org/…/cad07c91cf05ebf985256437005be6…

6. Sabbatical years:

1916–17

1923–24

1930–31

1937–38

1944–45

1951–52

1958–59

1965–66

1972–73

1979–80

1986–87

1993–94

2000–01

2007–08

2014–15

2021–22

2028–29

7. More on Sabbatical Years:

http://www.pickle-publishing.com/papers/sabbatical-years.htm

http://www.pickle-publishing.com/…/sabbatical-years…

http://www.pickle-publishing.com/…/sabbatical-years…

8. Sabbatical-cycle corroboration: Counting backward seven-year periods from Sabbatical year 2021–22, we find that 26–27 AD and 458–57 BC were Sabbatical years. This is remarkable because 457 BC is when Daniel’s Weeks Prophecy began and the Jews resumed counting Sabbatical years, after the return from Babylonian exile. Thus, the Sabbatical cycle observed in Israel today, the one used in our jubilee calculation, corresponds to the popular interpretation of Daniel 9:25, which has the “seven” and “sixty-two” weeks beginning in 457 BC and ending in 27 AD at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.

9. The 1973 Yom Kippur War resulted in an oil embargo and worldwide energy crisis, perhaps foreshadowing the war-related embargos and burgeoning energy crisis of 2022.

10. Sabbatical–Shemitah financial crashes: Significantly, a close study of the fall–Tishrei financial crashes highlighted by Jonathan Cahn reveals they are often the consequence of a larger crisis that manifest in the spring around Nisan. For instance, in Sabbatical year 2007–08, the Global Financial Crisis marked by a record 777-point Dow crash in September–Tishrei actually began with the collapse of Bear Sterns the previous March, corresponding to Adar–Nisan.

11. The counting of Daniel’s weeks is initiated by the going forth of a command to rebuild Jerusalem (Dan. 9:25).

Suleiman’s order to rebuild the fountains, or sabils, of Jerusalem’s wall went forth in 1536–37 AD. The order to rebuild the walls and gates went forth in 1537–38 AD.* The Sabbatical week immediately following these orders begins at 1539 AD. Counting “seven” and “sixty-two” weeks (483 years) from 1539 AD, we arrive at 2022.

*Construction timeline for Jerusalem’s wall in the days of Suleiman:

http://www.pages.drexel.edu/…/Ottoman_Sabils_of…

12. Seven-year warning—signs of 2015:

The blood moons were part of a tetrad, a series of four, occurring on consecutive Passover and Tabernacles festivals in 2014–15. It was only the eighth such tetrad since the time of Christ.

The Bethlehem-Star conjunction of 2015 mirrored a similarly brilliant triple conjunction of the two planets around the time of Jesus’ birth, in 3–2 BC. Significantly, both conjunctions occurred in the constellation Leo, in the latter part of the month of June. Also, both conjunctions occurred in the first year of a Sabbatical cycle, which means they are separated by a span of exactly 288 weeks. Interestingly, according to those who study the numeric value of words in Scripture, 288 is the totient function of 888, the number associated with the manifestation of God in the flesh, Christ Jesus, to save humanity from its sins.

The Nisan 1 solar eclipse was arguably the rarest sign. In addition to occurring on the biblical New Year, the eclipse coincided with the spring equinox. The last time a total solar eclipse occurred on the spring equinox was about three-and-a-half centuries earlier in 1662. Adding to the rarity, the eclipse’s path crossed directly over the northernmost tip of the globe. A total solar eclipse at the North Pole on the first day of spring is said to occur only once every 100,000 years. However, since, according to Scripture, the earth was created only about 6,000 years ago, the eclipse was unprecedented.

https://www.haaretz.com/…/a-simple-eclipse-of-the-sun…

https://www.charismanews.com/…/48718-passover-blood…

https://www.universetoday.com/…/a-complete-guide-to…/

13. Sabbatical years likewise begin at Nisan. The Nisan-reckoning is evident in Scripture where the Lord instructs Israel to begin counting Sabbatical periods when they enter the Promised Land (Lev. 25:1–4). The Israelites entered the Land in the month of Nisan (Josh. 4:19).

14. On reckoning biblical years:

How Yom Teruah (Feast of Trumpets) came to be regarded as the New Year:

https://www.nehemiaswall.com/yom-teruah-day-shouting…

Why biblical years begin in the spring: https://storage.googleapis.com/…/WHY_GOD_COUNTS_YEARS…

15. If the 1973–2022 jubilee calculation is correct, it would appear that the latter-days return to Jerusalem was orchestrated (relative to the Sabbatical cycle) to allow the maximum time between the return to Jerusalem and subsequent Jubilee. The seven-weeks timeframe being stretched to the utmost boundary permitted by Scripture is in character with a God known for allowing the maximum time for repentance before bringing judgment.

. . .

*Visit the author’s website: www.theseasonofreturn.com

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVxcqsgEKvYtscqyYJpTxbQ

IMPORTANT MESSAGE: No one knows the day or hour of Jesus’ return (Matt. 24:36). However, a convergence of biblical signs and timelines suggests it is near. To escape the judgment reserved for a God-rejecting world, one must be in a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. If you have not yet done so, call on His name and believe that He is the Son of God who died for your sins and was raised from the dead (Rom. 10:13). Do it today. Time is running out.

Romans 10:13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Jubilee, Part 7, Jesus the Kinsman Redeemer

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Gospel, Jubilee, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 6, 2021 by paulthepoke

Leviticus 25:23-25 The land, moreover, shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are but aliens and sojourners with Me. Thus for every piece of your property, you are to provide for the redemption of the land. If a fellow countryman of yours becomes so poor he has to sell part of his property, then his nearest kinsman is to come and buy back what his relative has sold.

In the previous post it was discussed how Satan is currently in charge of the world. God has given him authority since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. The world is leased to Satan. God holds the title.

http://paulthepoke.com/2015/11/29/jubilee-part-6-satan-in-control-for-now/

Deuteronomy 10:14 The heavens, indeed the highest heavens, belong to the Lord your God, as does the earth and everything in it.

~

God has the papers of ownership when it comes to the Earth.

Revelation 5:1 I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals.

photo: Shutterstock

Leviticus 25:24 Thus for every piece of your property, you are to provide for the redemption of the land…

God the Father has His price for the land of Earth. Because of sin, the land is cursed and there is a cost. God wants His payment in the currency of sacrificed, innocent blood.

~

Leviticus 25:25 If a fellow countryman of yours becomes so poor he has to sell part of his property, then his nearest kinsman is to come and buy back what his relative has sold.

Adam lost the deed to the Earth because of sin. Adam was unable to pay the price with his guilty blood. No other person has been able to redeem the land since. All humanity is guilty and slaves to sin. We are unable to pay for the land. Humanity does not have access to the land deed until the scene in Heaven (Revelation 5). Jesus is fulfilling His role as a Kinsman-Redeemer. Jesus is related to Adam (Luke 3:23-38). Jesus is a kinsman to the man, Adam, who lost the land.

~

Revelation 5:7 And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. 

Jesus takes the book from God the Father. Jesus wants possession of the papers.

Revelation 5:9-10 And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.”

The scene in Heaven (Revelation 5) is consistent with the customs of a Kinsman-Redeemer (Ruth 4). Both are conducted before the court and elders as witnesses before God. With His death, Jesus purchased humanity, His bride, from the bondage of sin. He has access to the scroll. Christ is sinless and innocent.

See Jeremiah 32:6-15 for land purchasing and redemption document customs. The conditions for the redemption of the Earth are Tribulation; seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls…

Reference Material: God’s Final Jubilee, Dan Goodwin

~

Jesus, a man, and His bride, the church, will fulfill God’s command in the Garden of Eden. 

Genesis 1:28 God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Where Is the World Headed??? Bernie Dahl

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Prophecy, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 28, 2021 by paulthepoke

In this topsy turvy world we live in today, where is our world headed? The best source to find that answer is the Bible, God’s communication to future generations of man.

Throughout the Old Testament there are more than 100 prophecies that foretold of a savior coming to earth to redeem man. Yet, all these prophecies were ignored by God’s own people.

However, Magi from Babylon, who had the history of Daniel teaching them, came looking for the Messiah. They were sure had been born.

In our lifetime, at least mine, we have seen the Children of Israel returned to their land in 1948 after 1,900+ years of exile. During most of that time, the Promised Land where their ancestors had lived for several thousand years had become a barren wasteland. But today, it is very productive in unbelievable ways.

photo: Wikimedia, Damascus

Are there prophecies told to us in the Bible that are yet unfulfilled? Yes. Let me give you a few.

Currently, the city of Damascus is the oldest continuously populated city having been in existence for more than 3,000 years. Yet Isaiah 17:2 tells us it will be destroyed and never again inhabited. Could this happen in our lifetime? Very possibly Yes. What is in the news almost weekly in the Middle East? Iran is shipping weapons to the Damascus airport to be further transported to it’s proxy countries bordering Israel. What is Israel doing? The munitions barely arrive before Israel destroys them. Think. When, not if, Iran develops an atomic bomb and brings it to Damascus to use against Israel. What is going to happen? Bingo! See, the makings of the fulfillment of this prophecy are clearly possible in our lifetime.

~

Next, let me ask you what three Middle Eastern countries have troops in Syria on the border of Israel today? Russia, Iran and Turkey. You say yes. But, one is atheist; one is Sunni; and one is Shiite Muslim. So what do they have in common?

While once again what does our Bible, God’s word to mankind, tells us? In Ezekiel chapters 38 snd 39, we are told these three countries are going to come against Israel to take spoils and No nation will come to Israel’s aid.

Israel, besides it’s great agricultural products, has recently found abundant oil and natural gas reserves that are huge. Something that Russia dearly desire to have.

Until very recent times, you would say that of course America will come to Israel’s aid. However, it is very obvious that America’s current administration will never come to Israel’s aid.

So where does that put us? Once again, very clearly, this prophecy foretold by God to the prophets some 3,000 years ago has a very, very high potential of being fulfilled, not only in our lifetime, but virtually at any day now.

~

Will these things happen before the “Church” is taken home to be with God in the pre-Tribulation Rapture? We. Don’t know. The Rapture could happen first or these prophecies could be fulfilled first. BUT, one thing is almost certain. These events are not years and years away. Clearly, they are most likely going to happen within the lifetime of the majority of the people alive today.

The question you must ask yourself, “What is my standing with God?”

At the final judgment day, will God welcome you to Heaven?

Or will He say, “Depart from Me, I never knew you?”

There Shall Be Seven Weeks: Feasts (Pentecost, Solid Food)

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Angels, Pentecost/Shavuot/Feast of Weeks, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on July 19, 2021 by paulthepoke

Daniel 9:25b …there shall be seven weeks…

The context of this series of posts is the course of the Jewish people for the initial 49 years of the 483 year period communicated from the angel Gabriel to the prophet Daniel. The city of Jerusalem has been rebuilt post exile. These events are covered in Nehemiah 8-13. Israel is returning to God’s Law. The focus has shifted to God’s appointed holidays. This week, Pentecost remains in focus. This is the second of two posts on what is known as Shavuot in the Hebrew.

Hebrews 5:12-14 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

The author of Hebrews is addressing believers. God’s word is being equated with milk. Grow up! You are going in the wrong direction. Stop acting like a baby! Babies drink milk. They do not eat food. At this point as believers in Christ, there should be more maturity. These believers should be ready to eat real, solid food and should be getting off of the liquid diet. Moreover, they should be teaching others about Christ.

Hebrews 6:1-4 Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. And this we will do, if God permits. For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit…

According to the text, these are the fundamentals of Jesus Christ: repentance of dead works, faith toward God, instruction about washing and laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

There is also a reminder. At the time of the writing of Hebrews, Jewish men had been coming to the Jerusalem for over 1,500 years per God’s instruction for Shavuot (Exodus 23:14-17) since the time of Moses. God gave the instructions for Shavuot to Moses on Mount Sinai on this ordained holiday (Leviticus 23).

Shavuot and Pentecost are synonymous. Shavuot is often associated with God giving the Torah, the birth of Judaism. Pentecost is often associated with God giving the Holy Spirit, the birth of the church. Part of the celebration of the holiday includes eating and drinking milk products. The author of Hebrews is equating milk with the holiday as a reminder.

http://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/shavuot-101/

Today, the tradition of eating and drinking dairy products continues with Shavuot. In addition, the book of Ruth is read. There is a reminder to us as well. As believers in Jesus Christ, we have the Holy Spirit of God within us. We are sealed with the Spirit. 

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.

Spread the Word. It is time to get off the teat…

There Shall Be Seven Weeks: Feasts (Pentecost, Beginnings)

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Angels, Pentecost/Shavuot/Feast of Weeks, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 11, 2021 by paulthepoke

Daniel 9:25b …there shall be seven weeks…

The context of this series of posts is the course of the Jewish people for the initial 49 years of the 483 year period communicated from the angel Gabriel to the prophet Daniel. The city of Jerusalem has been rebuilt post exile. These events are covered in Nehemiah 8-13. Israel is returning to God’s Law. The focus has shifted to God’s appointed holidays. First Fruits was covered last week. This week, Pentecost is in focus. This is the first of two posts on what is known as Shavuot in the Hebrew.

SONY DSC

Leviticus 23:15-16 ‘You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day when you brought in the sheaf of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete Sabbaths. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to the Lord.

Other provisions for the holiday include two loaves of bread, sacrificial lambs, a bull, two rams, a goat, and a drink offering of wine. The holiday is also a day of rest with no work (Leviticus 23:17-21).

In the Old Testament and in the Hebrew, this holiday is referred to as Shavuot. The word means: weeks.

Shavuot is one of the three holidays where Jewish men are required to come to Jerusalem (Exodus 23:14-17). The men were to make their presentation and sacrifice before God at the Temple.

As stated in the Leviticus passage, it is seven weeks after the Sabbath. It is a celebration of the completed grain harvest. The holiday is also a celebration of God giving the Torah (instruction or law) to nation Israel. Because of this, Shavuot is considered as the beginning or birth of Judaism.

The Law was given on Mount Sinai roughly 1,500 years before Christ. Nation Israel honored this holiday every year. Eating and drinking dairy products are part of the celebration of Shavuot. Many think the custom of dairy products is in reference to Bible verses in Exodus referring to a promised land flowing with milk and honey.  

Exodus 3:8a “So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey…

http://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/why-dairy-on-shavuot/

~

Fast forward to 33 AD. Nation Israel is celebrating and living the holiday. Acts 2:1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they (apostles) were all together in one place. In the Greek New Testament, Shavuot (Hebrew) is translated as Pentekoste (Greek). Per Strong’s Concordance, it means: the fiftieth day; the second of the three great Jewish feasts, celebrated at Jerusalem yearly, the seventh week after the Passover, in grateful recognition of the completed harvest. We have transliterated the word to Pentecost (English).

~

This is the day promised by Jesus of the giving of the Holy Spirit. 

John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

~

Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. 

It is seven weeks after the death of the sacrificial lamb, Jesus. Shavuot or Pentecost is also the day God the Father gave the Holy Spirit. Because of this, Pentecost is considered the beginning or the birth of the church (believers in Jesus Christ).

http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Spring_Holidays/Shavuot/shavuot.html

Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit…”