We have established that the one of the signs of the fulfillment of the Feast of Trumpets is that the “dead in Christ” will rise, those chosen to be a part of this FIRST resurrection to reign with Christ in the Millennium.  

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.  And the dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thes. 4:16).

The next scripture is key for the order of events for all those who are alive when this event happens which is what I want to share in this last blog on the Feast of Trumpets.

“THEN we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thes. 4:17).

So let’s take unpack this scripture, starting with the word first word, THEN.  Then indicates that the next event will happen after the dead in Christ are raised, but it is not clear WHEN.

Most Christians assume that after the dead in Christ resurrect that those who are alive are “caught up” with them immediately.  BUT, this is because most Christians aren’t familiar with the blueprint of the Feasts and how they are fulfillment of these scriptures that are about Christ’s return.

THEN indicates afterwards.  This coincides with the Fall Feast blueprint, because there is an appointed period of time of ten days that elapses between the Feast of Trumpets and the next Fall Feast, which is the Day of Atonement.  It is on the Day of Atonement that the Lord sifts out those believers who are alive to be His overcomers; for it is the day of reward/judgment of the Church.

The scripture does say, “we who are alive AND REMAIN.”  The word “remain” defines those saints whose hearts “abide” in the Lords, so this defines those who are “caught up.”

“He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruits; for without Me you can do nothing”(John 15:5).

Next, the purpose of the “dead in Christ” being raised from the grave is to inherit God’s promise of their “glorified body.” They need to first be above ground, “in the air,” where the Lord can breathe new life into them:

” So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army” (Ez. 37:10).

These will then join those “overcomers” who are “alive and remain” who are called to reign with Christ in the Millennium.  But this won’t happen until after the Day of Atonement.  They will also inherit the promise of their gloried body.

“..who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself”(Phil 3:21).

The two will come together with Christ and begin the glorification process during the Feast of Tabernacles, until the 8th day when they are ready to ascend to the throne and descend to the earth as Christ did.

Now let’s briefly take a look at the words “caught up” in 1 Thes. 4:17.  These words have produced the word “rapture” in the modern Christian theology.  The greek word for “caught up” means “harpazo” which is translated “caught away or seized.”

Indeed, all believers can be “caught up” in the Spirit with the Lord when His presence is amongst us and heaven’s reality seems to be larger than earth’s reality.  But we can also be “seized” by the Lord when the Holy Spirit is calling us forth (trumpet/voice) and we draw ourselves toward Him in our hearts.  Moses gave us that example at Mt. Sinai when He went up to be in the thick could-like presence of God (Ex. 19:18-20).

Whether we actually lift off the ground like Jesus did when He walked on water and was transported from the place He and the disciples  were in the boat to the land across the sea,

“Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum.  And i was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them.  Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing.  So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid.  But He said to them, ‘It is I; do not be afraid.’  Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going” (John 6:16-21).

or translated like the disciple Phillip,

“Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.  But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea (Acts 8:39,40).

or we get “caught up” sitting in our living rooms worshipping and the fire, wind, and rain of the Holy Spirit “seizes our hearts,”

“I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven” (2 Cor. 12:2),

I really can’t say for certain.

But I do know that the union with Christ is for the purpose of escorting the KING (Commander in Chief) to His kingdom here on the earth to reign….Not to go away with Him to stay in heaven.  

“Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse.  And He who sat on him was called Faithful and TrueNo, and in righteousness He judges and makes war…And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp work, that with it He should strike the nations.   And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron” (Rev. 19:11,13,14)

Many misinterpret this “caught up” or rapture idea thinking we are to escape and live in heaven eternally and miss the “days of tribulation.”  But this contradicts the Lord’s prayer, which IS THE BASIC BLUEPRINT OF GOD’S PLAN OF REDEMPTION (Matt. 6: 9-13).

“Thy kingdom COME, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven!”  

God’s heart is to bring His kingdom to earth to rule, redeem, and multiply His goodness, not destroy it.  Anyone who has embraced the Lord’s sanctification process has NOT been trained by it to run away from the Lord’s battle, or to hide from the battle we are going to win.  It has trained us to follow our Commander in Chief!

God is also NOT taking us away so He can destroy the earth.  The earth will go through tribulation due to God’s judgment in correcting the choices we have made to sin.  But this will lead creation through a process that produces healing, life, and His love! God and His army are coming so that the earth can be restored back to His glory through righteous leadership.  This is why the Bible says  that “creation early waits for the revealing of the sons of God”(Rom. 8:19).

Jesus informs us that the “last days,” before the Fall Feasts begin to go “live,” are going to be similar to the days of Noah.

“But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matt. 24:37).

Noah was never taken from the earth.  He was divinely protected through the flood of judgment.  Lot was removed from Sodom, and taken to another city on the earth so he would be spared from the Lord’s judgment.  In both instances, the WICKED were removed from the earth, not the righteous.  The Lord even tells us in the Beatitudes in Matt 5:17 that the meek (gentle) will be blessed and inherit the earth, not be removed from it.

“For as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took THEM away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left..(Matt. 24:37-40).

The “THEM” in the above scripture was the WICKED, not the righteous!

Jesus is coming back to judge the nations, and there will be consequences for those who oppose Him.  But God promises us protection, as He declared in Psalm 91, and showed us that same pattern of protection for His people in Egypt when the 10 plagues were released.

“And in that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there, in order that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the land.  I will make a difference between My people and your people.  Tomorrow this sign shall be” (Ex. 9:22-24).

Finally, let’s unpack the word “clouds” in 1 Thes. 4:17.  Clouds represent both literal and figurative in the Bible.  In the literal sense, God’s presence comes like a cloud at Mt. Sinai, and the cloud covered the children of Israel by day when they were in the wilderness.

“And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way”(Ex. 13:21). 

Clouds are also figuratively used in referring to the list of the “heroes of faith” in Hebrews 11 as the great cloud of witnesses.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses (Heb. 12:1).

Jesus speaks of the day He comes back “coming on the clouds of heaven with power and glory” (Matt. 26:64).  I think these clouds are again those “witnesses” who are a part of the Lord’s army escorting Him here to earth.

John also begins the book of Revelation with this statement in the first chapter of how Christ is coming with clouds (witnesses):

“Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen”(Rev. 1:7).

I believe the sign of the “dead in Christ” rising from the graves, and the sound and sign of Christ and His army coming will cause an alarm to ALL Christians who will then mourn.  This is because the “fear of the Lord” will be upon us, and we will understand our frailty in the presence of the Lord and recognize our need to repent. This is why the next ten days before the Day of Atonement are called the “Ten Days of Awe,” as Christians are in awe that the time is at hand for the Millennium reign to begin.

We will all be in a state of reflection:  Are we ready?  Will we be like the 5 wise Virgins in the Parable of the 10 Virgins, who had oil? Or will we be like the 5 foolish Virgins who didn’t have oil and the door was shut joining those in the First resurrection (Matt. 25:1-13)?  These Fall Feast “dress rehearsals” each year helps us examine our hearts so we are ready.

“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming” (Matt. 25:13).

In the next blog, I will write about the the Day of Atonement.

As the Feast of Trumpets is almost upon us, we can refer to the prophet Joel who said it best:

“Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in My holy mountain!  Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble;  For the day of the Lord is coming, For it is at hand” (Joel 2:1)

The Feast of Trumpets is a “blast of the horn” that signals an awakening of God’s people to remembrance and readiness:

“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold”(Psalm 18:2).

It is also an announcement that the King is coming to gather His army to wage war against the enemy and to establish His reign on earth:

“Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God”(Rev. 19:15).

These Fall Feasts are honored and celebrated as “dress rehearsals” so our hearts are in sync with the Lord’s redemption plan.  So what happens when the Feast of Trumpets goes “live” after the sound of the trumpet?

“For the Lord Himself will descend form heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.  And the dead in Christ will rise first (1 Thes. 4:16).

One of the most remarkable signs that will happen when this Feast is fulfilled is that the dead in Christ will rise from the grave.  Most Christians assume ALL those who are believers that have died will rise at this resurrection. But after studying scriptures, I see a different pattern to examine as we define the purpose of the two resurrections the Bible refers to:

“Blessed and holy is he who has a part in the FIRST resurrection.  Over such the SECOND death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years” (Rev. 20:6).

The fact that the scripture indicates there is a first resurrection mandates that there is a second.  God has a trumpet call for two occasions, and it is clear from Rev. 20 that the FIRST is for those who will reign with Him during the Millennium.

Let’s go back in the Bible and find the purpose of the blowing of the silver trumpets and see how it ties into these two resurrections.  In Numbers 10, God instructed Moses to make two trumpets from hammered silver: 

“Make two silver trumpets for yourself; you call make them of hammed work; you call use them for calling the congregation and for directing the movement of the camps.  When they blow both of these, all the congregation shall gather before you at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.  But if they blow only one, then the leaders, the heads of the divisions of Israel, shall gather to you”(Numbers 10:2-4).

Notice that when the Lord said to blow ONE trumpet, He was calling forth the HEADS (those chosen for rulership) to the door of the tabernacle of meeting. But when the two trumpets were blown, it was to gather ALL.

1 Cor. 15:51,52 shares scriptures that reveal some details of Christ’s return, and the unfolding events after the trumpet is sounded:

“In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.  For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

Notice it doesn’t say trumpets.  This is because the purpose of this first resurrection is to call forth those who have been chosen as “HEADS” to reign with Christ in the Millennium.   This is also confirmed in 1 Thes. 4:16.  Both scripture references say one trumpet is blown when the dead in Christ rise.  Therefore, all those who are dead in Christ won’t arise in this first resurrection.  Those who remain dead will rise and get their glorified bodies in the second resurrection.

The bible makes it clear that God has set aside a “remnant” of 144,000 who are chosen to reign with Him in the Millennium.  This number is not actual, but symbolic, and makes it clear that ALL aren’t chosen to reign with Him.

“Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads”(Rev. 14:1).

In John 5:28,29, Jesus did however talk about a general resurrection in which ALL who were dead, both good and evildoers, will be raised at the same time and hear His voice – NOT just those who are “dead in Christ” as the previous scriptures indicated.  

“Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which ALL who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth-those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation”(John 5:28,29).

The above scripture is a picture of the SECOND resurrection that includes both believers and unbelievers.

Looking at all these scriptures, it is safe to say that the FIRST resurrection is NOT the time for the resurrection of salvation. It is the time Jesus is coming back, with the 144,000, to rule over the nations and to secure and establish His governmental authority in the earth.  The issue of salvation is the purpose of the SECOND resurrection, which is explained in Rev. 20:

“And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened.  And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life.  And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books (The law).  

And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them.  And they were judged, each one according to his works.  

Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire.  This is the second death.  And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:12-15).

So again we can see that the sole purpose of the FIRST is to call forth those believers who are “rewarded” with the responsibility to reign with Christ for 1,000 years (Gen. 14:18-20; Heb. 7; Rev. 20:6).

When talking to the disciples about the rewards of leaving all to follow Him, Jesus said to the disciples that they would be repaid at the “resurrection of the just.” We can further conclude that Christ is referring to the FIRST resurrection since there is no reference of the second, and the “just” can ONLY signify believers since no one outside of faith in Christ alone are “just” (Rom. 5:1).

“And you (disciples who gave ALL) will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just (Luke 14:14).

This reward given at the FIRST resurrection that Christ was referring to doesn’t equate to be a more “powerful or important position” in the body of Christ.  That kind of thinking is what our world thinks, so it’s hard to grasp that this doesn’t mean a person chosen that is “special” or “better than” other Christians.

On the contrary, these who are rewarded are “bondservants of Christ” like our example of the Apostles Paul and Peter, who laid their lives down to serve Christ (Rom. 1:1). 

“For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake” (2Cor. 4:5).

In humility of heart, they followed His voice out of obedience to serve and faithfully steward the talents God had given them. “Bondservants” of Christ have allowed the sanctification process to crucify their flesh so that they think and act like Christ. Christ can then entrust them with His authority of rulership which is His reward:

“For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works” (Matt. 16:27).

In the letters to the 7 Churches in the Book of Revelation, God first praises and acknowledges each Church for the things they were doing well. But He goes on to  chastise each church in the areas they were in error or had veered off course.  In every letter the Lord addresses, He states that those who had an ear to hear would be rewarded when He returned for following His instruction.  These would be known as His  “Overcomers;” the one’s who embraced the sanctification process. Here is a list of rewards for those who OVERCOME:

1.  “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  To him who overcomes, I will give to eat from he tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God”(Rev. 2:7).
2. “He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death” (Rev. 20:2:11).
3. “He who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat.  And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it”(Rev. 2:17).
4. “And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations- He shall rule them with a rod of iron; they shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’- as I also have received from My Father; and I will give him the morning star”(Rev. 2:26-28).
5. “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels”(Rev. 3:5).
6. “He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more.  I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the NEW Jerusalem which comes down out of heaven from My God.  And I will write on him My new name”(Rev. 3:12).
7. “To him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne”(Rev. 3:21).

If you read the entire chapters of Rev. 2 and 3, the Lord makes a distinction between those Christians who will overcome, and those who don’t repent.  It is important to emphasize that becoming an “overcomer” has nothing to do with salvation, for the letters were addressed to ALL who were saved by grace.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is a gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast (Eph. 2:8,9).

But Christ does lay out the rewards for those who overcome through this sanctification process.  They enter into the FIRST resurrection, while the others continue on with the sanctification process until the SECOND resurrection.

In the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus shares how rewards, concerning the kingdom of heaven, have to do with rulership.  The man traveling to a far country in this parable is symbolic of Jesus.  He gives to each servant (Christians) talents according to their ability to steward them until He comes back.  What does He say to the servant who gained from the talents given:

“Well done good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you RULER over many things.  Enter into the joy of the Lord” (Matt. 25:21).

Rulership is a product of faith, obedience, and the sacrifice of self.  No one bi-passes this sanctification process.   Even Christ couldn’t bi-pass the process that led Him to the cross.  But there are a “firstfruits” remnant whose hearts will be ready first at the time of Christ’s return.

Think about the difference between King Saul and King David.  Both kings served the Lord.  Both weren’t perfect leaders, nor perfectly obeyed the Lord’s commandments.  But Saul never fully surrendered his heart to the Lord. Instead, he was led more by his own ambitions, needs, and pride. David however was on his knees asking for the Lord’s help. David was one in whom God could entrust with His anointing of rulership.

Kingship “rewards” are a product of our choices whether we lean into God’s voice as Moses did, in obedience to His commandments, or run away and do our own thing.  Those who have learned obedience by the things they suffer will find their reward as Christ did (Heb. 5:8).

“And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with Me, to give to every man according to his work” (Rev. 22:12).

In the final blog on the Feast of Trumpets, I will finish sharing about what transpires when the “dead in Christ” rise.

Hopefully from the previous blog, some of the confusion about the Hebrew “New Year” was cleared.   I also shared what trumpets meant as well, so now let’s build on that and discuss what happens on the Feast of Trumpets.

When the seventh month of the Hebrew year arrived, the ram’s horn was blown for Firstfruits when the sliver of the moon was spotted in the sky on the darkest night of the month. Afterwards, the silver trumpet was blown to signify it was the Feast of Trumpets, or also known as the “Day of Awakening.”

“Speak to the children of Israel, saying; ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month (Firstfruits), you shall have a Sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation” (Lev. 23:24; also found in Numbers 29:1-6).

On this “appointed” day, there were two separate types of horns signifying two events that were happening at the same time. One was made by the Lord from the horn of an animal, which is the shofar.  The other was made by man from silver – the trumpet. Both the man-made trumpets and the God-made shofar came together as ONE on this day of REMEMBRANCE, READINESS, and RESURRECTION.

The shofar was blown for Firstfruits as a reminder that God is the one who provides and honors His Covenant, inspiring a response of thankfulness to the Lord (Num 10:10).  This then became the sound of the beginning of “Firstfruits.” It was also a reminder to the children of Israel of the event when God stopped Abraham from offering up Isaac and supplied the ram in which the shofar was made of (Gen. 22:13,14).

“Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a ticket by its horns.  So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.  And Abraham called the name o the place, “The-Lord-Will-Provide; and it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided”(Gen. 22:13-14).

The silver trumpet was blown to awaken to a memorial.. of what?

The Lord instructed the children of Israel to always remember the sound of the trumpet as it related to events that transpired at Mt. Sinai.  What event was that?

To answer that question, we have to go back to Ex. 19:5, when God proposes to the children of Israel to be His “special treasure”above all other people.  The people responded in verse 8 and said “We do.”  God instructs Moses on how He wants the “marriage ceremony” to go and it happened like this:

“Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain, and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled (Ex. 19:16).  

Moses brought the people (bride) out to meet God (Ex. 19:17).

“Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire….And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice.  THEN the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai on the top of the mountain.  And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up” (Ex. 19:18-20).

Jesus shares a prophetic proclamation of the future event that will take place when He would return.  The same symbolism of the thunderings and lightnings are given; the thunder of HIs glory flashing from the east to the west as He comes to get His bride:

“For as the lightning comes form the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matt. 24:27).

God wanted His people to always remember the Covenant of Marriage then, so we will understand how the Covenant is redeemed up ahead through Christ.  As the children of Israel waited at the base of Mt. Sinai and the Lord descended and came down to the people in the form of a cloud, lightning, thundering, fire and VOICE, it was a moment of matrimony. I wish I could have been there!

When Moses went up the mountain by himself afterwards, it was symbolic of Christ ascending and presenting Himself as the “Firstfruits.” 

“But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep…..But each one in his own order:  Christ the first fruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming” (1Cor. 15:20,23).

We too anticipate the time when we will be able to follow Christ’s example and be able to go before the throne in heaven and come back to earth in a glorified body.  The Feast of Trumpets marks the beginning of the fulfillment of that promise of resurrection, followed by another “wedding ceremony” of the Bride (Church) with the Groom (Christ).

It is worth noting that in Deut. 4:25-40, we get an account of how the children of Israel responded to the voice of God.  They trembled out of fear, hid, and asked Moses to stand before them.

In Ex. 20:19-21 it says:

“Then they said to Moses, ‘You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.’  And Moses said to the people, ‘Do not fear, for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may no sin.’  So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was.”

Today, we have had Christ make a way for the Lord’s voice to be heard again through the Holy Spirit.  Believers are faced with the same choice now that the children of Israel had: to draw near to His voice as Moses did, or hide and have another stand in the gap and become the voice of God (religious leaders).

I am certainly not saying it’s not important to hear what religious leaders have to share.  But we should not lean on them first to hear the Lord for our own lives.

We also learn from this blueprint  in Exodus that believers who draw near to the Lord’s voice and His presence, as did Moses, will be caught up (rapture) to meet God in the “air” and come back with Him to reign in the Millennium.

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock.  If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him an dine with him and he with me.  To him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches”(Rev. 3:20-22).

The Trumpet signals to the Bride to awaken because the groom has determined it is time to for the ceremony of union to begin.  Those who hear and are ready will run towards the Lord.  Those who aren’t will want to hide.  The Day of Atonement that follows after the Feast of Trumpets sifts this all out.

In the next blog, I will begin sharing about the resurrection.

 

It is my heart to share about the Fall Feasts in the next few blogs.  These blogs will not give a full account of every detail concerning each Feast as it would be too much information, but to share the overall understanding of the blueprint and the purpose of these Feasts.

So what is the significance of the Feast of Trumpets?  The literal Hebrew translation is “a memorial of blasts.” In Hebrew, this Feast is called “Yom Teruah.”  Yom means day, but Teruah doesn’t mean trumpets.  It means a shout or blast of war, alarm or joy. So literally translated, this is a Feast that is a “Day of Blasting or Shouting.”

The Feast of Trumpets is the ONLY Feast that is celebrated on Firstfruits; tying it’s meaning with “firsts” and making this day the “grand daddy” of all Firstfruits celebrations. It is believed by biblical historians that Adam was born on this day, along with Jesus as well when He was born of the Virgin Mary.  It has also been known as the “Anniversary of Creation.”

The seventh Hebrew month of Tishri was originally the first month of the Hebrew calendar UNTIL God Himself changed it when speaking to Moses and Aaron in Ex. 12:2.

“This month (Nisan) shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first of the year to you” (Ex. 12:2).  God followed this commandment with His the instructions for Passover.  Afterwards, He declared, “So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations.  You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance”(Ex. 12:14).

Later on when the children of Israel arrived at Mt. Sinai, God gave instruction for all 7 Feasts after He sealed His Covenant with them and set them apart from all the other nations.  The month of Tishri was now changed to be the seventh month in the Hebrew calendar, and according to the Feasts schedule, the first day of the harvest (blessed) season and the month in which all the Fall Feasts were celebrated.

“Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon, At the full moon, on our solemn feast day”(Psalm 81:3).

There is much confusion today as to when the Hebrew calendar starts because the Jews today celebrate the beginning of their civil year in the month of Tishri, even though God changed the first month in Ex. 12.  Today, the Jews celebrate the first day of Tishri as Rosh Hashanah; translated as “the ‘head/first’ of the year.”   Why have they reverted to the old calendar?

To find the answers as to why this is, we can go back to biblical history when the twelve tribes of Israel were split into two kingdoms after King Solomon’s reign (1 Kings 11).  Subsequently, the Israelites were divided into the Southern Kingdom, also known as the House of Judah; and Northern Kingdom, also known as the House of Israel (1 Kings 11). The House of Judah consisted of the two tribes, one being the tribe of Judah where the Jews originated from.

After the Babylonian captivity, the House of Judah picked up the Jewish Civil (King) year again in the first and second century because of the writings that were compiled in what is known as the “Mishnah.” Sometime between the finality of the writing of the Torah by Ezra, and the creation and codification of the Mishnah, the autumn new year gained acceptance, and transformed into a major celebration, and the Nisan new year was left as a marker of the months and festivals in the calendar year.

The Northern Kingdom (House of Israel), made up of the remaining ten tribes, originally kept the Ecclesiastical (Priest) year that God commanded them to follow in Ex. 12 as well.  But when the House of Israel was captured by the Assyrians and scattered all over the nations, they lost their heritage, name, and blueprint of Covenant, including following the Hebrew calendar.  They weren’t even around when the Mishnah was created and it’s writings executed as ” Jewish tradition.”

Technically, both calendars are correct, because both calendars existed (An example today is that January is the New Year, but September is the new school year).  But the ecclesiastic (priestly) calendar God created in Ex. 12 is tied to the pattern, timing, and purpose of Christ redeeming the Covenant promise; which included Him coming FIRST to fulfill the requirements of becoming our High Priest.  This purpose required Christ to come as a servant, and to be the sacrificial lamb, and it had to PRECEDE the time Jesus would fulfill the pattern of becoming our King of kings.

Because the House of Judah had been inherently celebrating their Civil calendar, which is the calendar tied to the awaiting for the KING to come FIRST, they missed Christ’s first appearance.  However, when Christ does come back the second time, He will be coming to take His rightful position as King, and many Jews will recognize Him because they have set their hearts ready for His return.

When Christ comes back, it will indeed be “new beginnings” as the Millennium will begin with the fulfillment of these Fall Feasts, and Christ will reign as King which then falls in line with the heart of the Civil Jewish calendar.  It will take on the fulfillment of it’s intended meaning of being the “Head of the Year” as Christ is our HEAD, and His return will kick off His reign here on the earth as King.

God changed this calendar in Ex. 12 to “set apart” His Covenant promises of how Christ would become our High Priest FIRST, and also prophesied in this blueprint the silent period between the Spring Feasts and Fall Feasts as to the time it will take for His Church (the people in covenant with the Lord), to go through a sanctification process needed in order to reign with Christ as priests in the Millennium.

“You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; For You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and and priest priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth” (Rev. 4:9,10).

So in it’s simplicity, the purpose of the Feast of Trumpets is to awaken us with the sound of the trumpet.  What are we awaking to?

The trumpet has many significant meanings in the Bible.  

The trumpet was blown to signal war against the adversary (Josh. 6:5; Jer. 51:27; 1 Cor. 14:8)

“When you go to war in your land against the enemy who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the Lord your God, and you will be saved from your enemies (Numbers 10:9).

It was also used to announce the king (2 Kings 9:13; 11:14).

“Then Zadok the priest took a horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon.  And they blew the horn, and all the people said, “Long live King Solomon!” (1 Kings 1:39).

The trumpet was the sound to wake up the Church: (Rev. 1:10).

“I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet.”

All of these reasons (and there are many more) of why the trumpet is used are all united together on the Feast of Trumpets.  This “dress rehearsal” shares it’s purpose of becoming the signal (/sign/proclamation/alarm/shout) to awaken us, to announce war against the adversary, to announce the return of the King, and to summon God’s people who are IN covenant with Him.  And when this Feast goes “LIVE,” it will mark the beginning of the Millennium.

I will continue more on the Feast of Trumpets in the next blog.

 

 

 

The Fall Feasts are right around the corner, and given that I believe this feast season is extremely significant, I thought I would start blogging about their relevance.   So what’s the big deal about these Feasts?

God commanded the children of Israel to honor the Lord seven times a year through His “Feast Calendar”(Lev. 23). As a matter of fact, the Lord Himself referred to  these Feasts days as  “Convocations;” which when translated, means “dress rehearsals.” He called them “Holy” and gave specific instruction for each dress rehearsal.

The word “feast” in Hebrew is “moed,” which means “divine appointment.”

The importance of these “Feasts” dates that God established has NOT ceased, changed or become irrelevant, even though we now live in the Age of the New Covenant.  On the contrary, as believers, the invitation is actually more relevant to us now since we can see through the lens of the Old AND New Testament of how Jesus fulfills the blueprint. Honoring the Feasts aren’t a requirement for our salvation of course, but they do serve a kingdom purpose of a SIGN to the world of Christ as Savior and King.  In the years ahead, they will also be used as a measuring stick as to what nations are aligned with Christ in the Millennium:

“And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. ¹⁷ And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain. ¹⁸ If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. ¹⁹ This shall be the ^[a]punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles” (Zech. 14:16-19).

The purpose of any dress rehearsal is to put into practice a production/show in its entirety before the “live performance.”  The children of Israel (representing those IN COVENANT WITH GOD) were chosen to be a part of the cast of what I am going to coin, the Lord’s “Redemption Production.”  In this production, the manuscript was written by the “finger of God,” and given to the children of Israel at Mt. Sinai (Lev. 23).  Their role was to follow each Feast as instructed so that WHEN Christ came many years later, there was no doubt of who the Lord was.

We can read about the whole blueprint of the Spring Feasts going “LIVE” in the Gospels when Christ became the Passover lamb, died, rose from the dead, and sent the Holy Spirit as a promise of His return.  As the Spring Feasts come around each year now, believers can celebrate the memory of that “live performance,” and thank God for sending Christ to fulfill the script.

Today, believers have been given the privilege of participating in the cast of the second act of the “Redemption Production;”  preparing for the time when Christ will return as King.

The final three Feasts that we are waiting for the Lord to fulfill are celebrated in the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar, Tishri, and are known as the “Fall Feasts.” Given that ALL Christians have great hope and expectation of Christ’s return, it serves us well to study the manuscript so we understand our role and participate in the “dress rehearsal” so that our hearts are ready!

The Fall Feasts consist of the Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles.  The Feast of Trumpets this year will begin at sundown on September 9th and marks the beginning of the celebration of these Fall Feasts.  Ten days later on September 18th, is the Day of Atonement, followed by the Feast of Tabernacles five days later on the 23rd.  The Feast of Tabernacles is an 8 day celebration, in which the last day is a corporate celebration on the 30th.  September will be a month of celebration.

Next blog:  Feast of Trumpets!

 

This month, on Firstfruits (New Moon), we will have another partial solar eclipse, followed by one of the most intense annual meteor showers, known as “The Perseids.”   This metro shower will produce up to 60 shooting stars an hour at their peak.

During the Perseids’ peak this month, spectators should see about 60-70 meteors per hour. The meteor shower’s peak will be visible both the nights of Aug. 11th and 12th.

We have had plenty of signs in the sky these past few years. Since the Hebrew calendar is established according to the moon, the moon in particular will give us God’s signs of fulfilling His Covenant Promises.

“He appointed the moon for seasons” (Psalm 104:19).

Recall the “blood” moons that occurred two years in a row falling on Feast Days in 2014, 2015.  Then we had the epic 2017 Total Solar Eclipse when the sun, moon and earth line up with each other on the NEW MOON.  In January of 2018, we had a “Super Blue Moon.” Last month, we had another blood moon with Mars shining brightly.  The sky is speaking!

“The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord” (Acts.2:20).

This Hebrew Calendar month is linked to the characteristics of the tribe of GAD, whose name means “troop.”  In this season we are in right now, God is all about the preparation of His “troop”(remnant) to reign with Him in the Millennium.   The Hebrew month, ELUL, is associated with understanding the Father’s heart and joining in purpose and unity with those who are seeking the Father’s heart.

In a posture of humility, God’s heart is revealed.  As we recognize the signs God is giving us through the sun, moon, and stars, let’s all be prayerful to seek God’s heart.

 

If anyone hasn’t recognized the “blood moons” these past couple years, well, God in His mercy just gave us another “blood moon” SIGN so that our hearts are prepared for what is up ahead.

The longest total lunar eclipse of the 21st century happened Friday July 27th, 2018.  As the moon lined up with the earth and sun, the rising full moon darkened and changed from silver to blood red.  It was another “blood moon,” but this one was accompanied by Mars lined up in it’s path to shine brightly for us to see.

With so many of these signs occurring these past few years, ignoring their significance would be a bit silly at this point.  So what is God saying?

Genesis 1:14 says, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for SIGNS and SEASONS, and for days and years.”

Since the Hebrew calendar is based on the moon, whenever there is a significant moon event, we can safely say that it is usually a sign that is tied to the revealing or manifestation of God’s Covenant promises.  We are clearly getting many signals to be prepared for the Millennium, and it would serve us all well to stand at attention during these Fall Feasts up ahead in September.

The planet Mars (seen clearly because of this lunar eclipse), has been known in ancient past to be associated with war.  This could be mythology at it’s best, but there is something very coincidental happening that lines up with events ahead.  God is preparing an army, right?

“And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army (Rev. 19:19).

God’s army is His remnant whom He has been training for what is up ahead.  Remember, this year in the Hebrew calendar is about God revealing or releasing His remnant from the hidden places to positions of authority and influence.  But positioning and “having done all; STAND” (Eph. 6:10) will not come without a fight.

God will release His “firstfruits” corporate remnant at His SET TIME to step into their collective authority and purpose and assist King Jesus in establishing righteousness in the earth. God’s promise of protection, redemption, and glory will arise when “war” breaks out and the nations “roar.” (Psalm 2).

War isn’t defined as just killing, destroying  or dividing people and nations.  It can also be described as fighting against the natural elements we are presented with.   In the Bible, Joseph is a great example of one God used to raise up to war against the famine that was threatening to take lives and livelihood.  God positioned Joseph to become governor so that His people would prosper through his wisdom, leadership, and grace during the years of  famine.

Joseph managed to survive and thrive through great hardships throughout his life.  Through the years of bondage,  Joseph was in training to reign; gaining a great relationship with the Lord through the things he suffered.  Then Joseph was able to give what he gained and help the nation survive and thrive.

In Genesis 37:7-9, God gave Joseph a dream:

“There we were, binding sheaves in the field.  Then behold, my sheaf rose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.  And his brothers said to him, ‘Shall you indeed have dominion over us?  So they HATED HIM even more for his dreams and for his words.  

Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream.  And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.”

This dream revealed to Joseph the destiny God had ordained as being one God chose to bear the birthright responsibility of the Abrahamic Covenant.  This required Joseph to serve the Lord through obedience and humility.   Joseph was chosen to reign so that God could use Him to protect and bless His people (Gen. 48:48: 1 Chron. 5:2).

“yet Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came a ruler, although the birthright was Joseph’s.” 

This role in God’s plan came with  great responsibility that required an even greater sanctification process of removing ALL things that would hinder Joseph’s ability to carry out the higher call.  (Have we been tested lately and chosen to go through this process?)

Yet as hard as it was for Joseph, the greatest transformation needed during this sanctification process was to prepare his heart to love his enemies (which in his case was his own brothers who tried to kill him because of their jealously.)  

When the time came to save his family from the famine in Egypt, Joseph was able to put aside the things he suffered because of their actions and extend to them a helping hand:  

“But now, do not therefore be grieved or any with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.  For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting.  And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance” (Gen. 45:5-7).

God had a method to promote Joseph to this position of authority.  It wouldn’t be the one we would pick in our world.  In our world, we would start off and work our way up the ladder with honor, money, and position and see our progression steadily grow.  But Joseph’s process seemed to go backward by world standards.  He went from being his dad’s “favorite,” picked to take over the family business, to being made a slave and then thrown in prison.  Hmm…didn’t appear to many that Joseph was the “chosen” one.

Through time and testing, God gave Joseph the opportunity to present his gift to interpret dreams to the one in charge: Pharaoh.  And he humbly, yet with great faith, stepped into that opportunity that the Lord presented SUDDENLY, at GOD’S SET TIME, by interpreting Pharaoh’s dream.

Pharaoh’s dream really ended up revealing the national blueprint of events that would transpire up ahead.  But it also revealed the blueprint of how God was going to make a way to overcome the adversity when this “war” broke out because God ALWAYS makes a way for His people.

If you recall Pharaoh’s dream, Pharaoh saw 7 healthy cows and seven gaunt cows (Gen. 41).  The gaunt cows ate the 7 fat and healthy cows.  Then 7 heads of grain full and good came up, and 7 withered heads sprang up after them and devoured the good heads.  Joseph interpreted this dream:  That the two dreams were a double witness to what would transpire up ahead.  The land would have 7 good years, and then be followed by 7 years of famine.  After Joseph gave this interpretation, he was asked to execute and govern a plan to prepare for the battle of famine ahead.

At the beginning of 2012, God gave me a similar vision to prepare God’s remnant.  He  reminded me of the dream God gave Pharaoh and told me that our nation would have 7 good years, followed by 7 difficult years.  I saw in particular this would be triggered by an economic shift that would affect the peace of our nation and the nations around the world.  But God also shows us in Matthew 24:7 that this shift is accompanied with the natural elements that will shake the earth (wind, fire, rain, earthquakes, famine to name a few).

We are now in process for the great shift, so we must be ready.  God is preparing His army to get into positions to govern and execute His plan so that when the shift occurs, we step into our roles.

Each of us have a significant part to play in God’s plan.  We may think our life has little significance to the world standards, or to even our own standards when we tend to fall into the trap of comparing our live with others; even Christians.  BUT, God had a grand plan for Joseph, and He has a grand plan for us too!  It doesn’t matter what prison we have been in, who has come against us, what accusations we have been accused of, or even if we find ourselves strangely stuck cleaning toilets for a living.  God never gave up on His plan to use Joseph significantly.  And God has not given up on us too!  Joseph was a light in a dark time.  We will be too!  Our job is to stand on His faithfulness, keep our eyes SET upon Him alone, and to prepare our hearts for the SUDDENLY!

“SUDDENLY there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed” (Acts 16:26).

Today, I learned that the horse JUSTIFY, who just won the Triple Crown,  is taking a lap around the Del Mar Racetrack in California before the races begin.  This is happening the day after this SIGN in the sky, while the California fires are burning, so we should ask again; What God is saying?  It will be a bitter sweet moment for JUSTIFY:  an honor lap in remembrance of the recent Triple Crown victory, but also a final lap because the Triple Crown winner is retiring due to his ankle injury that isn’t healing.  Afterwards, SWITCHFOOT is playing.

I have written in previous blogs of God’s vision to me years ago about the Kentucky Derby, and seeing it realized through JUSTIFY.  The Lord revealed through these races another SIGN that it is His time for His remnant to arise and run their race.  This race was fought through the war of the elements (rain and terrain).

JUSTIFY retires, which produces a period at the end of her victory story.  Now, the feet running the race up ahead are switched to the remnant.  The FIRE of the Holy Spirit will ignite this race.  Watch and see!

YOU who are reading this have been enlisted in His great army to fight for our King’s cause.  You have been through a great sanctification process. This lunar eclipse is yet another SIGN to remember there is a reward to those who wait upon the Lord.   But we must prepare our hearts for the sound of the trumpet, so when the Commander in Chief summons, we are READY!

  “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his work” (Rev. 22:12).

 

 

 

 

 

Looking at the state of the Church today, we probably think it is impossible for God to draw the body of Christ together into ONE if we didn’t know it was God’s plan.  As we study what the Bible refers to as the “mysteries of Christ,” we will begin to get a glimpse of how He is going to do it.

The “mysteries of Christ” that the Bible speaks of can be simply explained when we have the full revelation that Christ is in ALL things.  This may sound so easy, but it requires the Lord taking off our blinders to really SEE it.

We know that Jesus was there “in the beginning” (Gen. 1:1; John 1:1-4), and it is written He is in the end, which really isn’t an end because it is the beginning again when God makes all things new:

“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away (Rev. 21:1).

The Bible also says that Jesus is the First and Last, the Alpha and Omega (Rev. 22:13).  Jesus is in ALL of creation. Paul had the revelation of this mystery, so it was his desire others would get the revelation as well:

“To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages, has been hidden in God who created all things through Christ Jesus” (Eph. 3:8,9).

It is interesting that so many Christians never think of Jesus being a part of the Old Testament, but He was there, because He was IN all things:

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.  All things were created through Him and for Him (Col. 1:15,16). 

“And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist”( Col. 1:17).

Therefore, if Jesus is in all things, then we cannot throw away the Old Testament, like many Christians do, and say it’s irrevelant today because Jesus was in it and set the pattern that He Himself would perfect as the Son of man.

“which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ” (Col. 2:17).

Everything about our Hebrew heritage in the Bible is a cyclical pattern, which lends itself to the whole concept of  eternal life because a circle has no beginning nor end.  Our world thinking conditions us to think differently, as we drive towards a one-way destination trying to create something new that we hope is valued.  Perhaps this mindset keeps the “mysteries of Christ” still mysteries.

This worldly thinking is not unfamiliar to the Bible as we read in Gen. 11 when the people decided to build the Tower of Babel.

“Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves” (Gen.11:4).

We know the outcome of that one.  It led to destruction and the dividing of people to the ends of the earth, who eventually, started all over again building “their towers.”

Thankfully, God has a better pattern; a blueprint that repeats itself each day, week, month, year, and AGE that produces life and multiplicity.  This blueprint NEVER loses it’s value!  We can look at the beginning of the Bible and see the same pattern repeated in a different Age, but with greater levels of redemption and glory, until ALL is restored through Christ.

Since Christ remains the same, we can count on the established pattern.

This pattern doesn’t have a hierarchy that qualifies our worth, for ALL are worthy.  It also frees us to rest in the knowledge that we can’t miss God; for with each cycle, we are given opportunities to draw closer to the knowledge of the Lord and His plan for us.  This pattern produces hope and mirrors God’s love for the world (John 3:16).

Recognizing the cyclical pattern helps solve the mystery of Christ, so that we see that the bible isn’t divided into two parts, Old and New, but is ONE story repeating its pattern now perfected through Christ.

Having a Hebrew mindset produces in us a reverence to honor and adopt the Old and New and discover the same blueprint in both that God created.  We can line up with it and multiply it’s purpose.

We are fortunate enough to be on this side of the cross so we can actually read about the fulfillment of the pattern with His glory:

……”the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations but now has been revealed to His saints” (1 Col. 1:15-18,26).

Ever since the time Jesus came as the Son of man, died on the cross and rose, man can SEE and experience the WORD through Christ. AND, through his example, we can understand the mind and heart of God’s law which is LOVE, not punishment.  We can also now see the purpose of the blueprint of the Feasts, which was to lay out the story of how God would redeem all things through Christ.

Jesus paid the price to be the substance of God’s love FIRST.  Those who have been saved have been chosen to multiply His light and love and become His HOLY NATION.  This description is used because a nation is made of many people in one land that function together through the unifying governing laws of the land.  When we choose to follow God’s blueprint, we submit ourselves to His kingship and become HIS HOLY NATION.

So before the New Testament, God’s people had NO concept of how Jesus would come in the flesh and perfect the Covenant promise except for the prophetic proclamations that had been made.  Even when Jesus began fulfilling these prophesies, many of God’s  people couldn’t see or understand.   However, when Christ fulfilled the “blueprint” and the “pattern” of what God instructed them in the Law, then Christ truly was a witness to Himself as being Lord.

Jesus Himself told us that the WORD, the pattern that had been established, must be fulfilled.

“Then He said to them, ‘These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me’” (Luke 24:44).

TIME AND LAW have been the two keys the enemy has strategized to change so he can remove the “sons of God” from God’s pattern.  Grace and mercy have covered the Church at large over the years while we have built denominations that have created their own LAWS and celebrations outside of God’s appointed TIMES.  But that grace is waning as Christ is shifting us to follow His appointed times and His way of being jointly fit together so we can emerge as His HOLY NATION.

God is removing the veil (mystery) of God’s blueprint to the Church at large so they can look and become the “HOLY NATION.”  As we sync into God’s timing, function, and purpose, it will open up a gate to unify corporately.  THEN the mystery of how this broken “body of Christ,” which today is so fragmented, will suddenly function together with other “body parts.” And the greatest miracle and mystery will be revealed as we then all knit together with the Head (Christ) and become the “HOLY NATION” that becomes known as His Bride.

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a HOLY NATION, HIs own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light”(1 Peter, 2:9).

 

 

Now that we have finished celebrating the four Spring Feasts, you might be wondering what is the next SET TIME in the Hebrew Calendar?  We have honored Christ these past few months in what He has already done in fulfilling the purpose of the Spring Feasts.  But up ahead, it’s all about what Christ is going to accomplish when He returns as our King.

The Fall Feasts are a blueprint of God’s SET TIMES when Jesus will establish His Dominion (Kingdom) here on the earth as it is in heaven (Matt 6:6-9).  This redemption plan will be executed through Christ and His remnant through the Millennium reign (Rev.5:9,10).  The nations accepting or rejecting the Kingship of Christ in the earth during the Millennium are differentiated in the Bible between the “sheep and the goats.”

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left”(Matt. 25:31-33).

The fulfillment of the Fall Feasts is a fulfillment of God’s plan and covenant promise that is corporate in nature.  God even uses the “Feasts of Tabernacles” as a SIGN to distinguish those nations in the Millennium that are with him and those who aren’t:

“And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.  And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain.  If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.  This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles” (Zech. 14:16-19).

Egypt in the Bible is symbolic of the world, or “anti-Christ” government and idolatry that opposes the Lord and His ways (Heb. 11:26).   When the Lord delivered the Israelites out of Egypt and brought them to Mt. Sinai, God offered the nation a “proposal of marriage” that they accepted (Ex. 19).  By honoring God’s Covenant, they were supposed to be SIGN to the other nations of the one true God, and to show them His ways.

“Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths (weekly and yearly Feasts “holy days”) you shall keep, for it is a SIGN between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you” (Ex. 31:13).

Honoring the FEASTS was a SIGN, but it also was a blueprint to unify the nation three times a year. 

“For I will cast out the nations before you and enlarge your borders; neither will any man covet your land when you go up to appear before the Lord your God three times in the year” (Ex. 34:24).

Unfortunately, the Israelites failed to keep their promise to God, and it didn’t take much time until they did not reflect God’s sign at all.  It would take God Himself to keep His promise to the nation regardless of their shortcomings.  And so….Christ came… fulfilled the Spring Feasts, redeemed the Covenant, and made way for the SEAL/SIGN once again.

Christ will comes again….fullfill the Fall Feasts, judge the nations with His remnant at His side, establish righteousness in the earth, and then the nations who are with Him will be HIS CORPORATE SEAL/SIGN.

Now you are probably asking, “Well, that is great to know for what is up ahead, but what about now?  And the answer comes with the understanding this “pregnant” period” between the Spring and Fall Feasts. These next three summertime months where there are no Feasts indicates the time it will take between the fulfillment of the Spring and Fall Feasts.

In order to understand the purpose of this “pregnant period,” let’s go back to history to the last Spring Feast Jesus fulfilled to gain some perspective.

Once the Holy Spirit (the SEAL/SIGN) filled the disciples with God’s power in the Upper Room at Pentecost, the disciples dispersed and multiplied the message of Christ our Savior to the nations.  The gospel has spread to the ends of the earth, and those who have faith that Jesus is Lord have been “justified in Christ.”

In the process of multiplying believers, God has determined the exact number of “body parts” He will use in forming the “body of Christ.”  

“For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ” (1 Cor. 12:12).

This process has taken so far about 2,000 years, and we are approaching it’s completion, marked by many earthly signs. One of the signs that will indicate the completion of this “pregnant period” will be the exposure and demise of the “Mystery of Babylon.”

“After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory.  And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, ‘Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every found spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!  For all the nations have drunk of her wine of wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have omitted fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich though the abundance of her luxury” (Rev. 18:1-3).

Another sign will be when the nations come against Jerusalem.

“For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; The city shall be taken, The houses rifled, And the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city” (Zech. 14:2).

A significant last sign will be the sound of the “trumpet,” which will announce the completion of this “pregnant period,” as well as welcome the coming King.

“And He will send HIs angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heaven to the other” (Matt. 24:31).

God said he would also give us signs through the sun, moon, and stars to indicate the end of this period (Gen. 1:14; Matt. 24:29).

“Immediately, after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven and the powers of the heavens will be shaken” (Matt. 24:29).

We have had plenty of signs in the sky these past few years.  Since the Hebrew calendar is established according to the moon, the moon in particular will give us God’s signs of fulfilling His Covenant Promises.

“He appointed the moon for seasons” (Psalm 104:19).

Recall the “blood” moons that occurred two years in a row falling on Feast Days in 2014, 2015.  Then we had the epic 2017 Total Solar Eclipse when the sun, moon and earth line up with each other on the NEW MOON.  In January of 2018, we had a “Super Blue Moon.” And this August, on Firstfruits (New Moon), we will have another partial solar eclipse, followed by one of the most intense annual meteor showers, known as “The Perseids.”   This metro shower will produce up to 60 shooting stars an hour at their peak.

This “pregnant period” between the Spring and Fall Feasts is the time God allotted for the “birthing of body parts” to find their identity, purpose, submission, and connection to the “HEAD.”  

During the “pregnant period,” we cannot SEE the bigger picture of how God will take these body parts and form them into ONE, just as we cannot SEE a mother’s baby in her womb.  The corporate birth will happen when the Lord returns.

“Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually” (1 Cor.12:27).

The Bible states that Jesus is the HEAD and we who have been saved by grace are HIS BODY.  But if you look around today, we have many so called “bodies of Christ” which are distinguished by denominations and doctrines, so we have obviously not connected together into ONE.  For many of us who have been to so many different denominations and have seen good and bad, this is somewhat of a relief.

“Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God”(Rom. 7:4).

The process the body of Christ is in right now is the Lord’s  “sanctification process.” Each “body part” of Christ is wrestling to conform to the image of Christ so it can follow the HEAD; CHRIST!  Our spirit is holy and “turned on” as believers, but our soul (mind, will and emotions) must go through a process of transformation to become like our “Father in heaven.” Jesus did only what the Father said and did.  We too must become like Christ.  This transformation comes with a wrestling with our old nature that gravitates toward sin and the desires of the flesh that crave control.

As I have mentioned in previous blogs, the “firstfruits” offering of Pentecost is the ONLY offering that allowed leaven (Lev. 23:17).  This was forbidden in all other offerings, as it represented sin.  But it was a blueprint that foreshadowed us as believers in this “pregnant period!”

God accepts us as righteous before Him through Christ, even though we are still wrestling with our sinful natures that still need crucifying.  It’s not until Jesus returns that we can abide fully in His nature in our new glorified bodies.   And so the Pentecost “firstfruits” offering shows us that we are acceptable to the Lord in this present state we are in because of His righteousness imputed upon us UNTIL Christ returns (Rom. 4:23,24).

Sanctification is the ONLY process that requires our partnership with the Lord.  Being justified in Christ comes free through His grace and what Christ already did.  Getting glorified bodies is also promised regardless of our obedience (1 Cor. 15:54).  But the sanctification process requires our willingness to humble ourselves and allow God to make us disciples, which is a complete surrender that will produce rewards.  The greatest of these rewards will be to reign with Christ in the Millennium.

“That each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor”(1 Thes. 4:4).

The summer months between the Spring and Fall Feasts are there to build our character, our faith, and our trust in the Lord.  The summer months reveal what is inside of us all in our sinful nature that needs to be sanctified.  The summer months are full of tests given to see if we are ready for the outflow of God’s blessing and promises.  Through the tests and trials of the sanctification process, the reward of increased “REST” in knowing who God is grows in our hearts.  This prepares our hearts for the fulfillment of the Fall Feasts up ahead.

In the book of Revelation, the writer John uses a bride and a wedding celebration to describe what it will be like to finally be “ONE” body/nation with the Lord at the fulfillment of the “Feast of Tabernacles,”

“Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.  And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints” (Rev. 19:7-9).

Christians today all have in them individually the hope of eternal life with the Lord.  We all are awaiting for our bodies to become gloried and somehow all become ONE with the LORD.  But we cannot attain that complete transformation until Jesus returns to fulfill the Fall Feasts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the 150th Belmont Stakes horse race, Justify became the 13th Triple Crown winner! If you have been following these three races and have read my blogs about them, you are someone God is encouraging right now as His remnant.  Hold on…..the triple crown of His glory is coming for those who have endured, been hidden, and have been trained to run His race and overcome!  DONT GIVE UP HOPE!

I am reminded through this story that everything significant in our destiny is in God’s timing.  And these races have been a sign that God is about to open up the gate for His remnant because it’s His timing.

“To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven”(Ecc. 3:1)

The jockey who rode Justify, Mike Smith, even commented of the perfect timing of this achievement to happen:

“I felt great, and that probably wouldn’t have happened 10 years ago or 20 years ago,” Smith said. “I’d have been probably running through a wall or something.”

The remnant today has had to endure warfare, and has probably heard from the enemy that they have missed God somehow or they are too old to fulfill their vision or dream.  But God even shows us through Mike Smith that a high school drop out can become a millionaire, and have a pinnacle achievement late in life.

“This horse ran a tremendous race,” said Smith, who at 52 is the oldest jockey to complete the rare sweep of America’s three most famous races. “He’s so gifted. He’s sent from heaven. He’s just amazing. I can’t describe the emotions going through my body right now.”

Finally, Mike Smith didn’t forget to do the greatest thing He had trained for: to acknowledge and honor the Lord for the victory and to praise Him for these achievements.

“I just want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for blessing us on this afternoon, and blessing us with this amazing horse.”

Ready for the Lord to open the gates?