The Significance of the Feasts
What Do They tell us About the End Time?
How Do We Interpret the Different Harvests?
Why Should We Bother to Understand These Things?
February 11, 2015
First we should understand that the Pentateteuch is the “guidebook” for a people just redeemed from captivity. They had some first or second or third hand knowledge about God but the Pentateteuch is the exact evidence of what He required. It is the very first “handbook” for “cooperating” with our Creator that was given to Israel. It is true that it applies ONLY to Israel and NO OTHER NATION! Nevertheless, these writings reveal the “EXTERNAL” dimensions of life which pleases God. The simple difference is that the New Covenant reveals the “INTERNAL” dimensions of the New Species of MAN that pleases God. The greatest majority of Christians have little or no knowledge of these Old Covenant truths. Even those who have some knowledge of this original “handbook” have no understanding of why any of this is in OUR CHRISTIAN BIBLE.
At least some of our knowledge concerning our “INTERNAL” dimensions comes from the types and shadows of the “EXTERNAL” dimensions revealed to Israel.
Romans 15:4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
1Corinthians 10:11 Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
The revealed fact, that was written for our instruction, is that God redeemed a people from Egypt in order to fulfill His Purpose to have a people who were to become a Kingdom of Priest. It is certainly true that Israel never fulfilled that calling of God simply because they were terrified of His Mighty Presence. For that reason they never responded to God’s Calling to ascend Mount Sinai and to meet God’s requirements to become a kingdom of priests.
What was written in these primal times was recorded in that “handbook” and was written for our instruction. However, we must realize that the result of their encounter with God at Mount Sinai was far less than God had purpose. They did NOT meet the requirements to become a Kingdom of Priests. Why? That is because they never went up the mountain into His Presence, hear His voice, keep His Covenant and obey. Everything that took place after that event, and recorded from Exodus 20 to Exodus 40, was written down for our instruction. What does that mean? It must mean that we must learn SOMETHING from whatever was written in Pentateuch! The history of Israel is also recorded as an example for us. Israel, as a nation, is a picture for us but now in the New Covenant “the Mountain of our encounter” with God has changed from Mount Sinai to Mountain Zion.
What we should recognize is that nothing recorded in the Pentateuch for this dispensation represented God’s original will or His purpose. At Mount Sinai the recorded experience of Israel and the addition of the Law that was given to Israel was just a substitute or replacement for God’s original Purpose! His purpose and His tremendous calling was for all of Israel to become a Kingdom of Priests. Israel failed God’s Ultimate offer and NEVER became a “Nation of priests!” As a substitute for that God appointed a few priests after the Order of Aaron to represent the “nation.” This also was written down for us! Why? That is so we can judge how God has called us to this higher order of becoming Priests after the Order of Melchizedek.
The application for us is this; Mount Sinai, then, is a type or picture for us of how God will establish a Kingdom of Priests to act in behalf of the “nations” at the end of the age. This Kingdom of Priests will teach the Laws of the Kingdom to the “nations” during the Millennial Reign of Christ. In the Eternal Kingdom, those who qualify as a Kingdom of Priests will rule over the nations of the New Earth.
The instruction and the warning we should learn from all this is that we must pay close attention to our calling. Why? We must NOT be like Israel at Mount Sinai when they never persevered and obeyed by ascending into God’s Purpose. Our calling is to ascend into Mount Zion, the New Covenant equivalent of Mount Sinai.
Why is this important? That is because our current calling remains the same as was revealed to Israel and is still to become a Kingdom of Priests! However, our higher calling is NOT directed to the “EXTERNAL” dimensions, like Israel, but to the “INTERNAL” dimensions of this New Creation Man. Why? That is because it is the New Creation Inner Man that IS Christian. The “external” was set within the Old Covenant while the “internal” was set within the New Covenant! Salvation, in Kingdom dimension, is assigned to the New Creation Inner Man.
What was written down for us is just a copy and shadow– only in partial light – but is still the key to our higher understanding of God’s Ultimate Purpose. It is these “External” and temporal dimensions that were written down for us and that is why we investigate the Old Testament accounts seeking for our own New Testament guidance.
These External accounts are designed to reveal these “INTERNAL” dimensions and our calling to ascend Mount Zion. This extreme dimension of Mount Zion is the Awesome Presence of our Mighty God and the location of His Throne. It is in our interpretation of how the “outer” dimension reveals the “inner” reality and that “interpretation” is the source of this present controversy. It is these misunderstanding that require this detailed explanation!
It is our “inner understanding” of these “hidden dimensions” which is entirely dependent upon our communication with the Holy Spirit. Why? Because the church age IS HIS DISPENSATION. It is HE who has come to lead us into ALL Truth. This assignment, to lead us into ALL Truth, was given to the Holy Spirit and was announced by Jesus before He Ascended to Mount Zion, the Throne of God, to God’s Right Hand!
One of the disappointments in these studies is the shallow understanding, that is nearly universal, about the role of the Holy Spirit in this Purpose of God. The Holy Spirit is the Eternal Priest of the Most High God. He is both the King of Peace and the King of Righteousness. When Jesus went away He sent to Holy Spirit to us but NOT just to dwell WITH US but to dwell IN US. He has not come as some passive influence but as the King of Peace and the King of Righteousness and as the Sovereign Priest of the Most High God. But, brother, why have you focused so much upon the Books of the Pentateuch, which are the most complicated books in the Bible? I am using these “books” to point out these eternal facts? At the present time we are looking at the Book of Leviticus. Why?
That is because the Book of Leviticus is based upon the nearly one year when Israel was camped at Mount Sinai and NOT after they started their journey into Canaan. There was NO MOVEMENT of Israel recorded in Leviticus. The original Hebrew title of this book was “AND HE CALLED.” In various times it was referred to as “The Law of the Priests” or”the Law of the Offerings” However, it is not the mechanics of the books we are concerned about but the “CONTENT OF THE BOOK” that interests us at this time. Why? These things were recorded for our instruction and are relevant “At the end of the ages.” Why is that important to us? That is because we live in THAT time when we are entering into the end of the ages and the harvest of the earth. Therefore, it is important that we pay close attention to these things.
Our search must begin with the most basic things recorded but the revelation is found in the more complex aspects of the total context. These seven Feasts are just one aspect of the complex understanding that is related to the “end time or the end of the ages.”
One of the seven Feasts we are concerned about is the Sixth Feast, the Day of Atonement! Therefore, let us begin with that basic research and understanding. Why? This Feast is directly related to the “end of the ages.” How do we know that? That is because the “harvest of the earth” is the “end of the age.” The Day of Atonement is the last feast of the harvest year and this Month of Tishre is the last month of the Harvest Year. We will first examine the overview of “Atonement.”
Lev 17:11 'For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.' 12 "Therefore I said to the sons of Israel, 'No person among you may eat blood, nor may any alien who sojourns among you eat blood.'
Well, brother, didn’t Jesus pay the full price of our Atonement? Yes! Then why should we be concerned about this “Day of Atonement Feast?” To be clear; None of these questions are ignorant questions and all require an intelligent answer. Why? That is because these Feasts, along with the other Old Covenant concepts, have been so severely neglected that MANY questions still remain unanswered. These questions are very valid because there are many popularly held doctrines that ignore the Feasts!
The “Feast of the DAY OF ATONEMENT” was and is the Most Holy Day for Israel in either of the two Hebrew calendars, which are the Feast Calendar and the Governmental Calendar! Why? That is because it was “this day,” and ONLY “this day,” when the High Priest was permitted to enter into the Most Holy Place to make atonement for Corporate sins of Israel. The point that we wish to continually point out is that the LAST month of the Harvest Year, Tishre, is also the FIRST month of the Governmental Year. My interpretation of this fact is that when the Final Harvest of the earth is complete the Kingdom “year” begins.
Lev 16:29 "And this shall be a permanent statute for you: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall humble your souls, and not do any work, whether the native, or the alien who sojourns among you; 30 for it is on this day that atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you; you shall be clean from all your sins before the LORD. 31 "It is to be a Sabbath of solemn rest for you, that you may humble your souls; it is a permanent statute.
It is true that when Christ Jesus carried His own blood into the Most Holy Place in heaven and sprinkled the Mercy seat that God declared “ATONEMENT” satisfied. However, this “wiping away of sins etc. takes place IN CHRIST.”
2Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Then has the whole world been saved? Absolutely not! But, didn’t God reconcile the whole world to Himself and wiped away our trespasses? Yes, He did all that but it is only experiential and effective IN CHRIST! Did Jesus fulfill the Day of Atonement? Certainly. How do we participate in what Jesus has accomplished? By being IN CHRIST! That means the doctrine of universal salvation (outside of Christ) is a big lie!
Lev 20:7 'You shall consecrate yourselves therefore and be holy, for I am the LORD your God. 8 'And you shall keep My statutes and practice them; I am the LORD who sanctifies you (makes Holy).
The Book of Leviticus reveals the progression from “redemption” to “atonement” to “sacrifice” to “laws, statutes and ordinances” to “consecration, sanctification and Holiness,” to “serving God” and on to the entering the “promise” which was Canaan. It would be difficult to present a clearer picture of our progressive salvation to the “emerging” Christian Church than that! Canaan is such a poor picture of the Kingdom Government of God for us because the response of Israel to God’s calling was so inadequate! Our obedience to His Purpose is the theme of these studies, which should be apparent. Why? Our study is to clarify all these preparations and provisions necessary to Fulfill His Ultimate Purpose.
Lev 23:9 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 10 "Speak to the sons of Israel, and say to them, 'When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest.
It is very important to note that these Feasts are directly related to Canaan AND the Harvests. These Feasts should NOT in any way be associated with a Mardi Gras celebration. These were solemn assemblies with a direct connections to the Feast day Sabbaths.
The understanding of the feasts revolves around these various harvests. The different harvests during the seven months of the harvest year were celebrated as Feasts to the Lord. Since there were different harvests of various grains at different times during the harvest year, there were different Feasts corresponding to these Harvests. The complete Harvest year was only counted as the seven months. The preparation, planting, plowing, and nurturing is NOT counted as Harvest. Only the bringing in of the mature crop is considered as Harvest. The first month of the Harvest Year was the Month Abib. This is the Month of Passover! The last month of the Harvest Year was the Month of Tishre which is the Seventh Month. Then there were five months for planting and growing but the Harvest Year does NOT begin until there is a mature crop.
This understanding, alone, is very important to those that relate “sowing seed” as equal to the “harvest of a mature crop.” It is that misunderstanding that has deceived the ministries into continually “sowing seed” but neglecting the Maturity of the believer. Of course “preparing the soil”, “sowing the Kingdom seed,” and nurturing the plants is all part of the preparation for “Harvest.” The terrible deception in the visible church is that “attending church and gaining a general knowledge of scripture is accepted as maturity!” This “maturity”is accepted even if there is NO new inner man that has been born of God.
Lev 23:4 'These are the appointed times of the LORD, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at the times appointed for them. 5 'In the first month (Abib) , on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight is the LORD'S Passover.
Lev 23:6 'Then on the fifteenth day of the same month there is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread.
Lev 23:10 "Speak to the sons of Israel, and say to them, 'When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. 11 'And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD for you to be accepted; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.
Lev 23:15 '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. 16 'You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to the LORD. 17 'You shall bring in from your dwelling places two loaves of bread for a wave offering, made of two-tenths of an ephah; they shall be of a fine flour, baked with leaven as first fruits to the LORD.
Lev 23:22 'When you reap the harvest of your land, moreover, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, nor gather the gleaning of your harvest; you are to leave them for the needy and the alien. I am the LORD your God.'"
Lev 23:23 Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 24 "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'In the seventh month on the first of the month, you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.
Lev 23:27 "On exactly the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall humble your souls and present an offering by fire to the LORD. 28 "Neither shall you do any work on this same day, for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement on your behalf before the LORD your God. 29 "If there is any person who will not humble himself on this same day, he shall be cut off from his people.
Lev 23:33 Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 34 "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'On the fifteenth of this seventh month is the Feast of Booths for seven days to the LORD. 35 'On the first day is a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work of any kind. 36 'For seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation and present an offering by fire to the LORD; it is an assembly. You shall do no laborious work.
Lev 23:37 'These are the appointed times of the LORD which you shall proclaim as holy convocations, to present offerings by fire to the LORD --burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and libations, each day's matter on its own day--
Lev 23:39 'On exactly the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the crops of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the LORD for seven days, with a rest on the first day and a rest on the eighth day. 40 'Now on the first day you shall take for yourselves the foliage of beautiful trees, palm branches and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days. 41 'You shall thus celebrate it as a feast to the LORD for seven days in the year. It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 'You shall live in booths (Tabernacle or Tent) for seven days; all the native-born in Israel shall live in booths, 43 so that your generations may know that I had the sons of Israel live in booths (Tabernacles or Tents) when I brought them out from the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.'" 44 So Moses declared to the sons of Israel the appointed times of the LORD.
It is clear that Israel lived in Tents when they came out of Egypt so the introduction of this word “booth” is a mystery unless it referred to the temporary shelters Israel lived in for seven days during the feast. Some translations calls this the Feast of Shelters!
1Chron 17:4 "Go and tell David My servant, 'Thus says the LORD, "You shall not build a house for Me to dwell in; 5 for I have not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought up Israel to this day, but I have gone from tent to tent and from one dwelling place to another.
For that reason we will use “the Feast of Tabernacles” to identify this Feast rather than “the Feast of Booths” of the “Feast of Shelters!”
Lev 23:40 'Now on the first day you shall take for yourselves the foliage of beautiful trees, palm branches and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days.
Since the “dwellings” Israel built were not regular “tents” but temporary structures built from branches and leaves, the word “booths” was used. However, during this feast, what Israel was to remember and celebrate was how they lived in TENTS when God brought them out of Egypt. This will be much clearer later in this study but the main reason is this; “booth” does not fit this concept of our living in tents!
2Cor 5:1 For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven; 3 inasmuch as we, having put it on, shall not be found naked. 4 For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, in order that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.
It other words, when we keep this final feast, someday, we will remember how we lived in these “earthly tents.”(which are our bodies)
While we have used a lot of Scripture in these last studies, the common theme has followed the scriptures dealing with the “Appointed Times of the Lord” which we have interpreted as “Our Required Appointments With the Lord.” The reason we feel comfortable doing that is because NONE of these Appointments or Times were optional. These were required Appointments. These “appointments” were directly connected to the times of “harvests.” These ”Harvests” are directly related to the “end of the age.”
Mat 13:29 "But he *said, 'No; lest while you are gathering up the tares, you may root up the wheat with them. 30 'Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn."'
Mat 13:37 And He answered and said, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, 38 and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one; 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels.
Mat 13:40 "Therefore just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. 41 "The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Here Jesus makes it VERY clear that the TARES are those who are stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness. This separation of the tares from the wheat is not based upon a religious concept of “saved” or “unsaved” but is related to stumbling blocks and lawlessness. It is because of the clarity of Matthew 13 and Jesus’ repeated reference to the “HARVEST” as the end of the age that we are connecting these two sets of scriptures. To me this is too clear to ignore the similitude.
It should be apparent by now that we are NOT focusing upon going to heaven when we die but upon this whole theme of a Mature Harvest. This adds depth and detail to “going to heaven” and reflects the different times of the Harvests and the different degrees of Maturity. Obviously, the visible church has totally ignored the Harvest at the end of the church age and summed it all up by this abstract term “going to heaven when you die.”
If we can prove with scriptural accuracy that “the Harvest of the Earth” and the various “Harvest Feasts” are real patterns and experiential Truth, then our Preparation and Maturity will become the focus of ministry and should become our first priority. The fact that the Harvest is at “the end of the age” is firmly established. At this “end of the age” ALL the “Mature Grain” (people) from all ages will be brought into His barns. At this same time, ALL the Tares from all ages will be burnt up. From this it should be obvious that making a distinction between the Tares and the Wheat is essential before the end of the age. The difference is in the seed sown. Since the “good seed” is the “Sons of the Kingdom” it is obvious that the Kingdom is involved in this growth and maturity.
Now this may be a long way around the “harvest feasts” to get to the conclusion but since this may be a new concept to some, we have found it is important to explain the details and HOW we came to this conclusion.
In both Passover and Pentecost the bringing in of the Harvest was an integral part of the Feast. It appears that focusing upon Passover or Pentecost but ignoring the “HARVEST” is rather strange. However, at the END of the Harvest Season, in the Seventh Month, all the remaining crops were first brought in and THEN the Feast began. The crops were all brought in by Tishre 8! This was in the beginning eight days of the seventh month. ALL this was preceded by the Blowing of Trumpets and a very loud “ALARM” or announcement!
Num 10:1 The LORD spoke further to Moses, saying, 2 "Make yourself two trumpets of silver, of hammered work you shall make them; and you shall use them for summoning the congregation and for having the camps set out. 3 "And when both are blown, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 4 "Yet if only one is blown, then the leaders, the heads of the divisions of Israel, shall assemble before you. 5 "But when you blow an alarm, the camps that are pitched on the east side shall set out. 6 "And when you blow an alarm the second time, the camps that are pitched on the south side shall set out; an alarm is to be blown for them to set out. 7 "When convening the assembly, however, you shall blow without sounding an alarm. 8 "The priestly sons of Aaron, moreover, shall blow the trumpets; and this shall be for you a perpetual statute throughout your generations. 9 "And when you go to war in your land against the adversary who attacks you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, that you may be remembered before the LORD your God, and be saved from your enemies. 10 "Also in the day of your gladness and in your appointed feasts, and on the first days of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be as a reminder of you before your God. I am the LORD your God."
Num_29:1 'Now in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall also have a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work. It will be to you a day for blowing trumpets.
Duet 16:13 "You shall celebrate the Feast of Booths [Tabernacles] seven days after you have gathered in from your threshing floor and your wine vat; [14] and you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter and your male and female servants and the Levite and the stranger and the orphan and the widow who are in your towns. [15] "Seven days you shall celebrate a feast to the LORD your God in the place which the LORD chooses, because the LORD your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you shall be altogether joyful. [16] "Three times in a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God in the place which He chooses, at the Feast of Unleavened Bread [Passover} and at the Feast of Weeks [Pentecost] and at the Feast of Booths [Tabernacles] , and they shall not appear before the LORD empty-handed. [17] "Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you.
Exodus 23:14 "Three times a year you shall celebrate a feast to Me. [15] "You shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days you are to eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the month Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. And none shall appear before Me empty-handed. [16] "Also you shall observe the Feast of the Harvest of the first fruits of your labors from what you sow in the field; also the Feast of the Ingathering at the end of the year when you gather in the fruit of your labors from the field. [17] "Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord GOD.
Here is the sequence of events of the Final Harvest in the Seventh Month. On the
First Day of the Seventh Month, Tishre, is the Blowing of Trumpets. On the Tenth Day of the Month is the Day of Atonement. On the Fifteenth Day of Month, Tishre, is the Feast of Tabernacles. This Feast lasts for Seven Days or until the Twenty First Day. The Twenty Second Day is a Sabbath day. They lived in Tents for those Seven Days and on the following Day they kept the Feast Day Sabbath (not the weekly Sabbath).
Duet 16:13 "You shall celebrate the Feast of Booths [Tabernacles] seven days after you have gathered in from your threshing floor and your wine vat;
The Feast of Tabernacles BEGAN Seven Days AFTER they brought in the final Harvest. Tabernacles began on the Fifteenth Day so The Final Harvest was concluded Seven Days before that or on the Eighth Day of the Month, Tishre. From the Blowing of Trumpets (Day one) until the Harvest was completed was Seven Days.
Since the HARVEST is the end of the age, it is the Blowing of Trumpets that signals the End of the Age. The blowing of Trumpets begins “SEVEN DAYS” before the End of the Age.
Joel 2:1 Blow a trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, For the day of the LORD is coming; Surely it is near, 2 A day of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness. As the dawn is spread over the mountains, So there is a great and mighty people; There has never been anything like it, Nor will there be again after it To the years of many generations. 3 A fire consumes before them, And behind them a flame burns. The land is like the garden of Eden before them, But a desolate wilderness behind them, And nothing at all escapes them. 4 Their appearance is like the appearance of horses; And like war horses, so they run. 5 With a noise as of chariots They leap on the tops of the mountains, Like the crackling of a flame of fire consuming the stubble, Like a mighty people arranged for battle. 6 Before them the people are in anguish; All faces turn pale. 7 They run like mighty men; They climb the wall like soldiers; And they each march in line, Nor do they deviate from their paths. 8 They do not crowd each other; They march everyone in his path. When they burst through the defenses, They do not break ranks. 9 They rush on the city, They run on the wall; They climb into the houses, They enter through the windows like a thief. 10 Before them the earth quakes, The heavens tremble, The sun and the moon grow dark, And the stars lose their brightness. 11 And the LORD utters His voice before His army; Surely His camp is very great, For strong is he who carries out His word. The day of the LORD is indeed great and very awesome, And who can endure it?
What is CLEAR in the Book of Joel, who prophesied accurately the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, is that now he is prophesying about the Bride AND the perfected church AND the overcomers. This is obviously NOT a group of casual church members but a mighty people made manifest in the last days of the church age!
It is because of scripture like these that I am convinced that Jesus will not come back for a baby bride or a defeated church or a half grown harvest! The casual church members MUST be warned. How? By the Blowing of Trumpets! By sounding an ALARM!
Now, we must begin with some speculation because we must interpret what all this means. From Revelation 19 we find the final recorded Feast of the Lord, which is the Wedding Feast. While there are so many souls in heaven that it is impossible to count them, there is just One Bridegroom and ONE Corporate Bride Company. All the other groups in this great multitude are invited Guests. The Bride Company is a MUCH smaller group. More like the “Sheaf of the First Fruits.”
Rev 19:1 After these things I heard, as it were, a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; 2 BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS BOND-SERVANTS ON HER." 3 And a second time they said,"Hallelujah! HER SMOKE RISES UP FOREVER AND EVER."
Now is the time for the TARES to receive their final judgement and be burned.
Rev 19:3 And a second time they said, "Hallelujah! HER SMOKE RISES UP FOREVER AND EVER." 4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, "Amen. Hallelujah!" 5 And a voice came from the throne, saying, "Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great." 6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude and as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. 7 "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready." 8 And it was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 9 And he *said to me, "Write, 'Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.'" And he *said to me, "These are true words of God."
Now, at this time, we must assume that the final Harvest is Complete, that means the “first Fruits”, then the “Main Harvest” and last, the “Gleanings,” are all in heaven. The “Main Harvest” and the “Gleanings” along with the Old Testament Saints make up the great multitude that no one can number. The “First Fruits, the “Overcomers,” the Bride, the “Kingdom of Priests” make up the group clothed with Fine Linen, Bright and Clean. These, which we call the Corporate Bride Company will follow Jesus when He returns to earth! His Name now is “the Word of God” and they follow Him on white horses for the Final Battle of the Great Tribulation. Remember, the final HARVESTS are already in heaven. This “coming of the Lord” is NOT about harvests. This coming is about judgement.
Rev 19:14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses.
Rev 19:19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies, assembled to make war against Him who sat upon the horse, and against His army. 20 And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.21 And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat upon the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.
The Beast, the Kings of the earth, the False Prophet and all those who received the mark of the best assembled for the final battle. The Beast and the false Prophet were thrown into the lake of fire and all the rest were killed with the sword. These bodies were eaten by the birds.
Now, Christ Jesus and His saints begin to rule over this present earth and maybe some part of the heavens for one thousand years. The Harvest of the Earth is complete, the Great Tribulation is over, the Devil is locked up for one thousand years.
Rev 20:10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. 11 And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.
Now is the time for EVERYONE who lived in the thousand year reign to stand before the Lord and before the Throne. Now, the various books were opened and everyone was judged from the things which were written in the books. We can assume that during this time the Angels will be judged for their disobedience by the Saints who have fulfilled their obedience.
After the One Thousand reign by Christ Jesus and His Saints (bride), the devil will be released for a short time and then the “last group of the dead” will be resurrected and the Great White Throne Judgement will begin.
Rev 20:15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Then the Tares ( not found in the Book of Life) will also be judged. As SOON as this “Judgement” was complete and all who were of the opposition were cast into the Lake of Fire, THEN God will Create a New Heaven and a New Earth ALONG with the New Jerusalem and the Eternal Kingdom will begin.
Before this time, when God makes all things will be made new, the total harvest of the earth will be complete. This is complete BEFORE the Great and Final Day of Atonement!
BEFORE the Coming of the Lord in Revelation 19, the Sheaf of the First Fruits will be gathered first. ( the kind of grain here is irrelevant) This refers to the snatching away of the Bride of Christ before the great tribulation.
The next part of the Harvest of the Earth will be the very best of the grain that has been VERY FINELY GROUND and then made into Bread that has been BAKED IN A HOT OVEN. This represents those of the Main Harvest who have been ground up in the first half of the Great Tribulation. These all will have been killed in the first 3 ½ years and this “harvest” will be a resurrection.
Then at the end of the seven years of Tribulation all the rest of the Harvest of the Earth will be gathered in as the Gleanings. The second half of the Tribulation will also be a very severe time of testing and all remaining believers will be killed. This will be the next resurrection just before Revelation 19 occurs. These also will be part of the great multitude of saints who are invited guests.
The Point I am making is this; after the Trumpet sounds, and SEVEN DAYS before The Day of Atonement, THE FINAL HARVEST WILL HAVE BEEN GATHERED IN. The Final HARVEST of the earth is complete! The Day of Atonement has past and the Feast of Tabernacles is in process. I am guessing that this occasion, most likely, will be the beginning of the events of Revelation 19 and the Marriage of the Lamb. Included in this FINAL FEAST will be the Blowing of Trumpets, the DAY OF ATONEMENT and the FEAST OF TABERNACLES.
Lev 23:27 "On exactly the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall humble your souls and present an offering by fire to the LORD. 28 "Neither shall you do any work on this same day, for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement on your behalf before the LORD your God. 29 "If there is any person who will not humble himself on this same day, he shall be cut off from his people. 30 "As for any person who does any work on this same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. 31 "You shall do no work at all. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. 32 "It is to be a Sabbath of complete rest to you, and you shall humble your souls; on the ninth of the month at evening, from evening until evening you shall keep your Sabbath."
Atonement >noun 1 amends for a wrong or injury. 2 (the Atonement) Christian Theology the reconciliation of God and mankind through the death of Jesus Christ.
Dan_9:24 "Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your
holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place.
It would be difficult to MISS the many Sabbaths or the times of total REST
connected to the Feasts. EVERY Feast has its requirements for Sabbath Rest.
Heb 4:4 For He has thus said somewhere concerning the seventh day, "AND GOD
RESTED ON THE SEVENTH DAY FROM ALL HIS WORKS"; 5 and again in this passage, "THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST." 6 Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience, 7 He again fixes a certain day, "Today," saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, "TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS."
Heb 4:8 For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. 9 There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God. 10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.
While this study is too short and shallow to show every detail of the end time, its purpose is just to show an overview and my poor attempt to combine the Harvest of the Earth with the Book of Revelation.
Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them.
Isa 65:17 "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. 18 "But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing, And her people for gladness. 19 "I will also rejoice in Jerusalem, and be glad in My people; And there will no longer be heard in her The voice of weeping and the sound of crying.
When God makes all things NEW, even our memory of the former things will be wiped clean. That means the Feast of Tabernacles will happen BEFORE Revelation 21. Why? That is because during this Feast we will REMEMBER how God made us live in these temporary tents (called bodies) during our stay on earth. After God makes all things NEW, we will remember nothing of this time. That will be a tremendous blessing to start over completely and not remember the trials, the deceptions, the lies, the un– Christian behavior, the betrayals, back biting, etc, etc . It would hardly be “HEAVEN” if we remembered all these things. Even those members of our family that ignored the warnings and perished with the Tares will not be remembered.
It is my opinion that the BLOWING OF TRUMPETS, that is inherently linked to the
Harvest of the Earth, has not yet occurred in any great degree. My hope is that it will begin VERY SOON. Why? That is because the MATURE HARVEST OF THE EARTH ( the perfected saints) requires so much time.
It is also my opinion that this Blowing of Trumpets connected to the “ALARM” about the Judgement that MUST fall on America has begun. However, this “alarm” is not about Harvest but about “PREPARATION.” (Some are advocating the storing of food, guns, ammo, water and survival dwellings) The VARIOUS TRUMPETS are for various “announcements” for various reasons at various times. Our primary focus is upon the HARVESTS.
The current controversy is connected to these THREE harvests. (1) Pre– Tribulation (2) Mid– Tribulation (3) Post– Tribulation. All these “three doctrines of the end time” have been in the church for hundreds of years. However, each doctrine only recognizes ONE Harvest where EVERYONE is resurrected as ONE GROUP at the same time. These THREE different resurrections is the CENTER of the controversy. Let each person be convinced in his own mind!