God's Direct Intervention Into This World

(Feast of Pentecost)

Fred R. Coulter—June 16, 2024

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Greetings everyone. Welcome to Pentecost, and we're another year closer to the Kingdom of God coming to this earth!

• all of the brethren
• all of the elders
• all of those down through time and history that are mentioned in the Bible
• all of those from the time of Pentecost in Acts 2

are all waiting for the coming Kingdom of God! But the Kingdom is not going to come in one day!

• we'll see that and the importance of Pentecost
• we'll see Pentecost pictures the first resurrection
• we'll see why
• we'll see how important that that really, really is

Let's come to Lev. 23; we know that we have all of the Holy Days listed here according to the sequence of the Calculated Hebrew Calendar. However, the meaning of each of these days is found mostly in every other place in the Bible pertaining to whatever particular Feast day is coming up.

This is done in such a way so that those who are blinded and can't see will look at this, and they will discount Lev. 23 as 'ritual feasts that we don't have to be concerned about today, because it's for the Jews.' What happens? They stay in their blindness!

We've gone through Sabbath, Passover, first day of Unleavened Bread, last day of Unleavened Bread and we have counted seven weeks and we come to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Each week must end in a Sabbath; each week means the full seven-day week, no partial weeks.

Leviticus 23:9: "And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, "When you have come into the land…"'" (vs 9-10). This Feast was not kept this way until they came into the land where we find in Josh. 5!.

"…which I give to you, and shall reap the harvest of it, then you shall bring the premier sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest. And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD to be accepted for you. On the next day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it" (vs 10-11).

We've already covered that during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, but that is always the first day of the week during Unleavened Bread!

Sidebar: Whenever the Passover falls on a Sabbath—and that Sabbath is an unleavened bread day—then the first Holy Day is on the first day of the week! That is the day—in the years that the Passover falls on a Sabbath—of the Wave Sheaf Offering!

This is where the Jews get mixed up in counting because they use Josh. 5 as the basis for determining their Pentecost and it always comes out on a different day of the week, except once in seven years. So, this is why the Jews have their Pentecost on the 6th of Sevin.

Verse 12: "And you shall offer that day when you wave the sheaf, a male lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering to the LORD. And its grain offering…. And the drink offering…" (vs 12-13).

Remember that the children of Israel all during the time that they were in the wilderness had no bread. They had manna, and manna must have been unleavened so they could keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Verse 14: "And you shall eat neither bread, nor parched grain, nor green ears until the same day, until you have brought an offering to your God. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings."

Then it tells how to count to Pentecost; v 15: "And you shall count to you beginning with the next day after the Sabbath…"—that's the first day of the week! Every week runs from the first day through the seventh day, and there are to be seven weeks.

"…beginning with the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven Sabbaths shall be complete. Even unto the day after the seventh Sabbath you shall number fifty days…." (vs 15-16).

Stop and think for just a minute; when the Church kept it on a Monday can you show me any place in history that Monday followed a Sabbath. Never happened! Then it says what they were to bring; we'll cover that in just a bit.

Deuteronomy 16:16—here we have the command for taking up the offering: "Three times in a year shall all your males appear before the LORD your God in the place which He shall choose: in the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and in the Feast of Weeks… [which is Pentecost; we'll see that a little bit later in the New Testament] …and in the Feast of Tabernacles. And they shall not appear before the LORD empty, every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God, which He has given you" (vs 16-17).

So, we'll at this time take up an offering. Know that all of the offerings and all of the tithes go to producing:

• all the books
• all the booklets
• all the videos
• all of the websites
• for those who are working for the Church for their salaries

Everything goes to that and every year we send out a complete financial statement from our independent auditor Garino and Associates, giving an account for what we have done with the money.

We appreciate the blessing of the offering, and we appreciate your thought in giving whatever you are giving. We know that we are to give it from our heart, because we love God, and He has given us the promise of entering into His Kingdom!

(pause for the offering)

Let's come back to Lev. 23 and see something very unusual here. The reason it's very unusual is because during the Feast of Unleavened Bread leaven is a type of sin, and that's why the Passover Day is an Unleavened bread day, because of what God did on that day with the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Let's see what He brings out here because now we're going to see a different application of leaven that God commands to be done.

Leviticus 23:16: "Even unto the day after the seventh Sabbath you shall number fifty days. And you shall offer a new grain offering to the LORD. You shall bring out of your homes..." (vs 16-17).

That is everyone who comes to the Feast you bring out of your house. You make it in the house, you bake it in the house and you bring it out.

Verse 17: "You shall bring out of your homes two wave loaves of two tenth parts.… [specific size] …They shall be of fine flour…"—meaning it's been beaten really fine!

Of course, that's a type of all the trials and difficulties we go through.

"…They shall be baked with leaven…" (v 17).

Why bake it with leaven? Unleavened bread was baked without leaven, and that was to show that we need to get sin out of our lives!

Now here is a completely different application of leaven! (we will see this in just a minute).

"…they are the firstfruits to the LORD" (v 17).

When you have a lot of people coming to the Feast and each family is bringing two loaves to wave before the Lord…

Isn't that interesting that the premier sheaf that was offered on the first day of the week during Unleavened Bread was the ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven to be accepted by God the Father!

We have here that that sheaf was waved before the Lord. So, here we have it similar here: the two loaves were to be taken and waved before the Lord on the day after the seventh Sabbath!

The day after the first Sabbath pictures the ascension of Jesus Christ after being resurrected from the dead!

These wave loaves baked with leaven shows something very interesting. When you put leaven in bread and you let it raise, then you bake it it's permanently changed! Whereas, when they had the unleavened dough they could beat it down, and they could take whatever they need to bake. But once you bake it with leaven it is set!

As we will see, this is the type of all of us at the resurrection being accepted as the firstfruits! "…they are the firstfruits to the LORD" (v 17).

Then it says that you'll offer the lambs and the grain offerings and the other ones and those are all of the offerings at the temple

Verse 20: "And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits, a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs. They shall be Holy to the LORD for the priest. And you shall proclaim on the same day that it may be a Holy convocation to you…. [Pentecost is a Holy convocation] …You shall do no servile work therein. It shall be a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations" (vs 20-21).

Let's see something in Matt. 13. We will see another application of leaven that has nothing to do with leaven being a type of sin. Obviously, these loaves that were baked with leaven, you're not waving sin before God for God to accept sin!

Matthew 13:33—we also find this in the Gospel of Mark: "Another parable He spoke to them: 'The Kingdom of Heaven is compared to leaven…'"

The Kingdom of Heaven is going to be sinless! But this shows the action of leaven when it is baked, then it permanently changes the character of the dough into bread. That's a type of us being converted and then resurrected from the dead having been changed by the inner working and unseeing activity of the leavening that's in the flour!

"…'The Kingdom of Heaven is compared to leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour until all was leavened'" (v 33).

That shows—with the waving of the leavened loaves—a resurrection on Pentecost! (We'll see that again a little later in other things when we come to it.)

Let's look at some other Scriptures that we need to cover here with this. Let's see what happened on Pentecost in Exo. 20. Remember this: every Holy Day pictures the direct action of God into this world! Did He not do that with the children of Israel?

• bringing them out of Egypt, direct intervention
• killing the firstborn, direct intervention
• crossing the Red Sea, direct intervention
• giving the Ten Commandments, direct intervention

Remember, they were all prepared and came and met God at the base of the mountain, and then God came down in power and in glory to speak the Ten Commandments directly to all the people assembled below. God's direct Divine intervention in the world to carry out His Word and make it manifest to those who were there at the time!

Can you imagine what that was when they heard God speak and a mountain burned with fire? The smoke was going up and the wind was blowing and the people were all terrified! Then God spoke the Ten Commandments, and so awesome was it that the children of Israel, when it was all done, said, 'Oh Moses, you speak to us don't let God speak to us lest we die!'

That shows how human nature is toward spiritual things and God. It's hard for them to take, so God said of them, 'O I would that there were such a heart in them.' We'll see that! Let's see what God said; here's what Moses wrote:

Deuteronomy 5:27: "You go near and hear all that the LORD our God shall say. And you speak to us all that the LORD our God shall speak to you, and we will hear it, and do it."

That's what they said, 'We don't want to hear the voice of God, it scares us to death!

Verse 28—Moses speaking: "And the LORD heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me. And the LORD said to me, 'I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken to you. They have well said all that they have spoken.'"

In other words they were well intentioned, but they didn't really understand what they were doing. Now, isn't that the way it is with human beings always well intentioned, but not understanding how it's going to work out? Yes indeed!

So, this shows the long suffering of God through everything that He dealt with with the children of Israel! Why did He go through all of this? Even in the book of Isaiah He said to them, 'You, Israel, have made Me serve with your sins.'

Why did God put up with that for a certain length of time before He sent him off into captivity?

• because of His promise to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob
• because God kept His promise to Moses
• because when the children of Israel sinned with the golden calf (Exo. 32).

God told Moses, 'Leave Me alone and I'll kill all these people and I'll raise up people through you.'

Moses said, 'O Lord God, don't do that; be merciful and take my life instead. But if You won't, please let Your presence go with us.' God said, 'All right, I'll do that.'

We find here that with all of this and the carnality of the people—even though they're well intentioned—they always end up in sin; they always end up in trouble.

Verse 29—God said: "Oh, that there were such a heart in them that they would fear Me and keep all My commandments always…"

Why? Because all the commandments of God were made for our good out of love from God for us! So that we can have good lives, good families, understand things.

In the New Testament it goes a step beyond that. With the Holy Spirit of God we are begotten with the Holy Spirit when we repent and are baptized. We become the future children of God actually called. We are now children as Paul writes.

Notice what God says, that they "…keep all My commandments always so that it might be well with them and with their children forever!" (v 29). That's an amazing thing that God did!

Let's see something else that happened after the giving of the Ten Commandments. Then we have in Exo. 21-23 are a number of laws and precepts based upon the Ten Commandments, which were to be common law in the community of the children of Israel. That covers everything, including:

• murder
• accidental death
• thievery
• swearing

and all of the different sins!

Then here's what God said to Moses beginning in Exo. 24[transcriber's correction]; this becomes very interesting indeed, because here we're going to see something very, very important. Because the covenant that God made with Israel was a type of a marriage covenant! We find in Isa. 54 that God says that He was a husbandman to Israel, and that was made by covenant.

A covenant is very important. That's different than a testimony or a will, which can be changed at any time. A covenant cannot be changed! Everyone who enters into that covenant has to pledge his own death if he doesn't carry it out!

We find out originally with Abraham and God in the offering in Gen. 15. So, let's read it here and see what happened.

Exodus 24:1[transcriber's correction]: "And He said to Moses, 'Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship afar off.

This represents the witness to the covenant that God was entering into with the children of Israel. God gave His part; He gave all of His commandments; He gave all of His laws!

Verse 2: "'And Moses alone shall come near the LORD, but they shall not come near. Neither shall the people go up with him.' And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD… [everything in Exo. 21-23] …and all the judgments. And all the people answered with one voice and said, 'All the words which the LORD has said, we will do'" (vs 2-3).

That's their part of this covenantal marriage relationship between God and the children of Israel!

Now then, so there be no future misunderstanding—because whenever there is something that is given orally and passed down orally it is changed—God wants it in writing! Now we have that as a testimony for the whole Bible. You want to know what God says? It's written down! Furthermore, today in 3,500 different languages! Just like God—in the book of Revelation—told John, 'Write!' God wants it written down!

Verse 4: "And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and built an altar at the base of the mountain and twelve pillars according to the twelve tribes of Israel. And he sent young men of the children of Israel who offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of bullocks to the LORD. And Moses took half of the blood…" (vs 4-6)

Blood and the covenant is very important. In the New Covenant we are sanctified by the blood of Christ. When we are baptized we are placed right alongside and conjoined to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and His blood applies to each one of us individually! So, there's the Old Testament we're reading now, and that's what the New Testament tells us.

Verse 6: "And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basins, and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. And he took the Book of the Covenant, and read in the ears of the people…." (vs 6-7).

Not only did Moses tell them what he was going to bring to them, but he wrote it down and then he read it all to the people and here is their answer:

"…And they said, 'All that the LORD has said we will do, and be obedient'" (v 7). They didn't do it!

Verse 8—this becomes important: "And Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, 'Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD has made with you concerning all these words.'"

Let's see what happened here; let's see that this took place right after Pentecost the words were spoken on Pentecost! Then the covenant was made. Let's see what happened then, and we'll see the same thing in the New Testament with the marriage supper of the Lamb. That will be the new eternal covenant with all the resurrected saints!

Verse 9: "And Moses went up, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. And they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone…" (vs 9-10).

We're going to see that's like the Sea of Glass in Rev. 15. That has to do with us entering into the eternal covenant as resurrected saints of God.

Let's come back to here and see, because this is the Sea of Glass that is like:

"…sapphire stone and as it were the heavens in clearness. And upon the nobles of the children of Israel He did not lay his hands. Also, they saw God and ate and drank" (vs 10-11). That is the covenant meal!

• first of all, you have the covenant spoken
• then you have the covenant words written
• then you have the covenant sacrifice confirming it
• then you have the covenant meal

All of that's tied up in the covenant! We'll see that applies when we get to the New Testament, as well.

After that God spoke to Moses, and the first thing that He told him to do was to build a tabernacle. The tabernacle was to be built according to the specifications of God. God said in Exo. 25:8[transcriber's correction] concerning what He wanted to do. This becomes important, because when we're resurrected and we enter into that covenant we're going to be in covenant to dwell in New Jerusalem.

Exodus 25:8: "And let them make Me a sanctuary so that I may dwell among them."

That's what God wanted; He wanted to have in the Holy of Holies what is called the 'shanika' or the presence of God that would be there in the Holy of Holies.

Now let's see the events leading up to the resurrection and the second coming of Christ, and see what we need to learn and how it will apply to us.

How many of the things that we've seen in Exo. 20-25 that will be with it. Let's look at some other occurrences in the New Testament concerning Pentecost. First of all, Luke 4, because this is a special announcement by Jesus in the synagogue where He normally attended. We will see what He announced to them, and we will see that this was done on a Day of Pentecost.

Furthermore, it was also done in a Jubilee year, which is releasing people from all debt and giving the inheritance back to those who gave it up.

So, this is when Jesus came, in a Jubilee year. Also, it made it important that it was a Jubilee year, because a Jubilee year is a year of forgiveness. A Jubilee year is when a lot of people were not working, so that's why they had so many crowds following Him wherever He went.

After He was tempted by Satan the devil—and He had to pass that test first—we find this:

Luke 4:14: "Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee; and word about Him went out into the entire country around. And He taught in their synagogues, and was glorified by all" (vs 14-15).

He went from synagogue to synagogue, town to town, and He taught and He taught! So, all of you hardcore Protestants out there if you have a chance to listen to this message, think on this: He never once mentioned that He was going to change the Sabbath to Sunday!

Pentecost being on the first day of the week does not authorize weekly Sunday-keeping, because this first day of the week is a 50 Jubilee, in a Jubilee year!

Verse 16: "And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and according to His custom, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath Day…"

This is an interesting phrase and you will see the footnote in the bottom of the page (in The Holy Bible in Its Original Order, A Faithful Version). It is in the day of the Sabbaths. Technically speaking, that is the Day of Pentecost. This was the day that Jesus went into the synagogue "…and stood up to read" (v 16)

Let's read what Jesus says, because what He is really, really doing here. He is announcing that He is the Messiah. That He is the One spoken of in the Old Testament over and over again. This was astonishing to the people in Nazareth in the synagogue, because He came there as a child with the family with Joseph and Mary and the other children, and kept the Sabbath every week and all the all the Holy Days, etc., there in Nazareth.

Verse 17: "And there was given Him the book of the prophet Isaiah; and when He had unrolled the scroll, He found the place where it was written, 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me…'" (vs 17-18). I want to emphasize Me! He didn't say, 'all of you.'

"…for this reason, He has anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal those who are brokenhearted, to proclaim pardon to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth in deliverance those who have been crushed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord" (vs 18-19).

That is the announcement on the Day of Pentecost in the beginning of His ministry after the temptation of Satan the devil, to proclaim that He was the Messiah!

Let's see what the people did; v 20: "And after rolling up the scroll and delivering it to the attendant, He sat down; and the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on Him."

They were looking at Him, listening to what He said. Who is this? Notice what He said them:

Verse 21: "Then He began to say to them, 'Today… [not any other day] …this Scripture is being fulfilled in your ears.'"

In other words, He's telling them: 'You want to know who the Messiah is, I just read it to you, and that is Me, no one else.'

Verse 18: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me; for this reason, He has anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal those who are brokenhearted, to proclaim pardon to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth in deliverance those who have been crushed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord'" (vs 18-19)—an amazing thing!

Then let's see another fulfillment of Pentecost, which we're all familiar with in Acts 2, and then we'll look at something else where, again, Pentecost was the place where something began. Paul said in another place that he would stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, and in another place he said he needed to go to Jerusalem for Pentecost.

Let's see what happened here in Acts 2. In the Acts 1, after Jesus had spent 40 days and 40 nights with the disciples teaching them out of the Scriptures like we see in Luke 24 out of the Law, of the Prophets and the Psalms, the things concerning Him.

So, they learned a great deal during that 40 days. Now think on this, it's interesting indeed, and the parallel is really profound: When He began His ministry He had 40 days of temptation with Satan the devil. When He finished His ministry after His resurrection and returned back to the earth he was here for another 40 days. So, it began with 40 days and ended in 40 days.

The beginning was overcoming the things and sins that go clear back to Adam and Eve and in the ending of it on the Wave Sheaf Offering Day in the beginning of counting toward Pentecost.

Jesus told them [the disciples] to go to Jerusalem and stay there 'till you're endued with power'; so that's another 10 days after the 40. Here's what happened, and that turned out to be Pentecost.

Acts 2:1: "And when the Day of Pentecost, the fiftieth day, was being fulfilled… [that's the true, accurate translation and meaning of that day] …they were all with one accord in the same place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like the rushing of a powerful wind, and filled the whole house where they were sitting" (vs 1-2).

On the Day of Pentecost and giving the Ten Commandments they heard the power of God speaking the Ten Commandments. Now here they are on Pentecost all gathered together, and all of a sudden BOOM! here comes the Holy Spirit a direct intervention of God on His Holy Day for all the apostles. This was the beginning of the preaching of the Gospel beginning in Jerusalem at the temple.

It had to be there at the temple because if it would have been any place else it would not have been accepted. It wasn't accepted very well by the leaders of the of the Jews the religious leaders at that time.

Verse 3: "And there appeared to them divided tongues as of fire, and sat upon each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit; and they began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them the words to proclaim" (vs 3-4). This is another miracle!

Pentecost here is this: Even though it went out to every language of those who were there, it was a day in which God made His Word heard, that was going to go out to all nations beginning there in Jerusalem.

Then Peter got up and gave a very inspired message about the life and death, and crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. They were all out there stunned! They were amazed!

• How could this be?
• How could everyone hear in his own language in which he were born?

All of the nations were listed out there!

Then here's how Peter ended his message after telling him about all of these things, and the power of God:

Verse 36—this is the conclusion of Peter's message to them: "Therefore, let all the house of Israel know… [a prophecy not only to all those who were there at the temple, but out and beyond] …with full assurance that God has made this same Jesus, Whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ"—that is Lord and the Messiah! So, they knew what he was talking about.

Verse 37: "Now, after hearing this, they were cut to the heart… [because God gave them repentance] …and they said to Peter and the other apostles, 'Men and brethren, what shall we do?' Then Peter said to them, 'Repent and be baptized…'" (vs 37-38).

Here is the start for every one of us: repentance and baptism! We won't get into all the details of a baptism, but it's very profound!

"…each one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you yourselves shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you…" (vs 38-39).

God gave the promise first to Israel, and then later to the Gentiles,

"…and to your children, and to all those who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God may call" (v 39).

Now Peter shows that God does the calling; it's not who you are born by, whoever parents that were yours that were to the children of Israel. Now it goes out to all the world.

This shows us how God intervenes on His Holy Days. We'll see this with all the other Holy Days in the Bible:

• this is why it's so important
• this is why we keep them
• this is why God gives us understanding on these days

He is with us in His Spirit and His Power in ways that He's not with us on a daily basis in our lives, because these are special things to God, special things to us! Acknowledging:

• Who God is
• Who Christ is
• what all of these things are all about
• the preaching of the Gospel

(break@47:58)

We have seen what has happened now that Jesus announced that:

• He was the Messiah on Pentecost
• He gave the Holy Spirit after His death resurrection and ascension to God the Father
• He gave the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost to all those gathered at the temple

Now imagine how many were there! Can you imagine the stories that came back for all of the Jews who were scattered out in the Diaspora?

• all the nations that it listed that the Jews came from
• they heard about what was going on in Jerusalem and Who is this man Jesus
• then when Peter gave this tremendous message about being baptized
• they were just cut to the heart; their conscience really giving them an understanding of what it was all about
• then they were baptized and received the Holy Spirit

Now let's see something else about God's intervention in the world on Pentecost, because it's going to come and it's going to be an astounding thing that's going to take place. We will see that the coming of Christ comes as announced on a Pentecost, and then the sealing of the 144,000 and the great innumerable multitude. Isn't that a parallel with what went on at the temple, only on a vast scale?

Let's see what's going to happen. The Scriptures leading up to that are very interesting because as we're going to Rev. 6 we'll look at the timing of what we have here concerning the events that are going to take place. We are going to see just like God, in giving the Ten Commandments to the children of Israel on Pentecost, that on Pentecost during the Tribulation, Christ is going to reveal Himself in a very profound way! The whole world is going to see it! It's not like the children of Israel who saw the fire up on top of Mount Sinai and heard the voice of God.

This time they are going to see the action of God, and what God is going to do to make it known!

Let's look at it; we know that the first seal is bringing all the religions together; that's taking place right now. The second seal is when the one who is the Beast Power goes in to the Temple of God—which the Jews will build, and they're getting ready to build right now—and proclaim himself to be 'God'!

Now let's add a little more intrigue with this. Before he does that the two witnesses come on the scene (Rev. 11) dressed in sackcloth. They are pronouncing that God is going to come to this earth.

The one who is the Beast Power, possessed of Satan the devil, won't like that. So, there will be this back and forth they'll be trying to kill the two witnesses they'll finally be able to do it just before the resurrection.

Revelation 6:3: "And when He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, 'Come and see.'…. amajor event is going to happen] …And another horse went out that was red; and power was given to the one sitting on it to take peace from the earth…" (vs 3-4).

Doesn't it say of the beast in Rev. 13 that no one can make war against the beast; but he has the power and it says here:

"…takes peace from the earth, and to cause them to kill one another… [there's going to be a great deal of fighting] …and a great sword was given to him" (v 4).

Now, this is when the Tribulation begins, right there. This is when 'the man of sin, the son of perdition goes into the temple and declares that he is 'God.'

Let's see how Jesus defined this in Matt. 24, because He gives us the specific thing to watch for about the return of Christ and when the Tribulation would begin.

Now here's something that didn't take place when the temple was destroyed in 70A.D. There was no 'abomination of desolation.'

Mathew 24:15: "Therefore, when you see…"

That's real interesting! If this is going out to the whole world it means the whole world is going to see it, and this means that this prophecy is for the end-time when the ability for the whole world to see this at the same time he goes into the temple.

Think about that! Today don't we have instant communication if there's an earthquake somewhere far away from us, we know it right away right on the television. There was a big earthquake over here—7. earthquake—and it caused damage, and a lot of people died. It shows all the death and destruction right away. Now 200 years ago that could never happen. They would hear of the earthquake probably a year or two maybe three years later. They wouldn't be able to see it and that's what's important.

"'…when you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of by Daniel the Prophet, standing in the Holy place.'…." (v 15)

Now then, here's a very unusual statement in parentheses. Jesus did not speak these words; this is a parenthetical statement: "…(The one who reads, let him understand.)" (v 15). Why was that put there?

All the apostles, including John who wrote the book of Revelation, and helped canonize the final version of the New Testament with the help of Andrew, Philip and Mark; they knew that the temple had been destroyed, but there was no 'abomination of desolation'; yet, they understood the prophecy of 2-Thess. 2.

Verse 15: "'Therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of by Daniel the Prophet, standing in the Holy place.' (The one who reads, let him understand.)" When that happens:

Verse 21: "For then shall there be Great Tribulation…"

We know from Dan. 9 that the Great Tribulation is going to be three and a half years. So, this starts it and that's where the second seal begins with the war.

After he does this then he goes out to kill and destroy. Let's see what 'the abomination of desolation' is:

2-Thess. 2—we've gone over this before, but let's understand what is happening with this so that we realize how these events are going to unfold. We will understand in just a little bit when, in the three and a half year timeframe—this is going to occur. That will be based upon the sealing of the 144,000. That will tell us the time when we look at Hosea 6.

So, let's first of all come to: 2-Thessalonians 2:1 "Now, we beseech you, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ…"

The coming of Christ is going to be known and seen by everyone, and it's going to take place over a period of one year.

So, when Jesus said, 'WHEN you see the abomination of desolation standing in the Holy Place, THEN there will be Great Tribulation.'

Paul writes "…concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, that you not be quickly shaken in mind, nor be troubled—neither by spirit… [because there are many false prophets] …nor by word… [any communication that someone would speak to you about] …nor by epistle, as if from us…" (vs 1-2)—because:

• there were false apostles
• there were false epistles
• there were false teachers

and John called them antichrist (1-2 John).

Verse 3: "Do not let anyone deceive you by any means because that day will not come unless the apostasy shall come first…"

That is a great moving away from God completely, and we're seeing it and are coming against all forms of Christianity, even Sunday-keepers. Then it will get down to us; it will get down to the people of God!

"…and the man of sin shall be revealed—the son of perdition, the one who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God…" (vs 3-4).

There has never been a man on earth like that, but he is going to be totally possessed of Satan the devil, so this is actually the speaking of Satan through this man!

"…or that is an object of worship; so that he comes into the Temple of God…" (v 4)—because the temple was destroyed in 70A.D. and the abomination didn't take place!

That's why John put in there that 'the one who reads, let him understand.'

"…so that he comes into the Temple of God and sits down as God, proclaiming that he himself is God" (v 4).

Now then, Paul says not to listen to anything from anyone else!

Verse 7: "For the mystery of lawlessness is already working… [that is in his day, it was starting there] …only there is One Who is restraining at the present time until it arises out of the midst."

In other words, Christ is holding this back until the time of the prophecy of its fulfillment.

Verse 8: "And then the lawless one will be revealed… [How do we know this is the end of time?] …whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth, and will destroy with the brightness of His coming."

We find that in Rev. 19. He speaks the word and it happens!

Verse 9: "Even the one whose coming is according to the inner working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders."

He's going to deceive the whole world, and the whole world is going to follow him!

Verse 10: "And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in those who are perishing because…"

Notice what happens if people reject the Truth of God. Now that applies to anyone who's even in the Church!

• don't reject the Truth of God
• don't reject the Commandments of God

"…because they did not receive the love of the Truth, so that they might be saved" (v 10).

Notice what God does, v 11: "And for this cause God will send upon them a powerful deception that will cause them to believe the lie."

The lie was that this one proclaimed himself to be 'God'! This starts the Great Tribulation!

Then we find in Hos. 6 that the children of Israel after, being corrected by God, say that He will correct us for two years, and in the third year he will raise us up!

• What does that mean?
• Where will that be fulfilled? That will be fulfilled here in Rev. 7!

But let's see what brings us to that point of raising up the children of Israel during the time of the Great Tribulation beginning in the third year.

How long is the Great Tribulation? Three and a half years! So, if this is done after two years, and in the third year, that means that the children of Israel are given relief from the Tribulation will be at the beginning of the third year, how much time is left? A year and a half!

So, the Tribulation will be there and then come back here to Rev. 6; we see everything that follows after that; we see:

• starvation
• rationing
• other wars and death and the grave (Rev. 6:8)

Then he opened the fifth seal (Rev. 6:9) and we see the martyrdom of the saints. That's where they're going to go out and try and find everyone who really believes in God. They will be beheaded!

That's why we have to have the faith today! So that we don't give up; we don't give in!

Revelation 6:12: "And when He opened the sixth seal…"

This is going to be a tremendous event that's going to take place: the direct intervention of God, probably on Pentecost because of those children of Israel who are saved after this. Notice how Christ is going to reveal Himself and then we'll come back to Matt. 24 and see that Jesus talks about this very thing.

Verse 12: "And when He opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as the hair of sackcloth, and the moon became as blood; and the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its untimely figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. Then the heaven departed like a scroll…" (vs 12-14)

Everyone's looking up into heavens seeing all of these things take place! Then all of a sudden VOOM! the heavens opened up, and something that they have never imagined that they could see! Let's see how they respond to it:

Verse 14: "Then the heaven departed like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place."

That's the shaking of the heaven and the earth that Christ is going to do, and will do more than once! But here is the beginning of it. He's going to shake the heavens, shake the earth, and here's their reaction: At first they will believe that it is the coming of Christ, but it will be the foretelling of His coming, not the actual coming.

When this happens they will first believe that it is the coming of Christ, but Satan and the Beast Power will convince the people that this is not the coming of Christ, but this is the coming of the invasion of aliens from outer space!

Verse 15: "And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the powerful men, and every bondman, and every free man hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains; and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, 'Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him Who sits on the Throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, because the great day of His wrath has come… [announcing that it's coming] …and who has the power to stand?'" (vs 15-17).

Let's see that this fulfills what Jesus says, and this becomes important, because the rolling back of the of the heavens like a scroll will create something in the heavens that every eye will see, and every person will know that this is from God! It's called 'the sign of the Son of Man'

Matthew 24:26 "Therefore, if they say to you, 'Come and see! He is in the wilderness'; do not go forth. "Come and see! He is in the secret chambers'; do not believe it. For as the light of day…" (vs 26-27).

The Greek for light is 'astrape' which is the basis for star! What is our sun? A star!

Verse 27: "For as the light of day, which comes forth from the east and shines as far as the west…"

Isn't that what the sun does? Yes! So, the sign of the Son of man they see in heaven will look like what a sun! We'll see that verified in just a minute.

"…so also shall the coming of the Son of man be" (v 27).

Verse 29: "But immediately after the tribulation of those days… [that's the Tribulation against Israel] …the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light…" Is that not we read in Rev. 6? Yes!

"…and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken" (v 29). Isn't that what we read in Rev. 6? Yes!

Verse 30: "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven…"—which is the light of day that shines from the east to the west!

"…and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see… [that is shall last until the coming of Christ] …the Son of man coming upon the clouds of heaven with power and great glory" (v 30). Then v 31 is the resurrection!

Mal. 4—let's see how it is defined for us; this tells us that it is the sun. What they will see out there is a second sun and the sign of the Son of man is a second sun in the heavens will be visible for a year and a few months. We'll see the timeframe; this begins on Pentecost and here's this sun out there.

Malachi 4:1: "'For behold, the day is coming, burning like a consuming oven; and all the proud, and every doer of wickedness, shall be stubble. And the day that comes shall burn them up,' says the LORD of hosts, 'and will leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you who fear My name… [those are all of the saints] …the Sun of Righteousness shall arise…" (vs 1-2).

That's the sign of the Son of man that is coming, and it's going to be up there in the heavens shining.

"…and healing will be in His wings…." (v 2). Then it goes on in into the setting up of the Kingdom of God!

Let's see another key important thing that gives us a timeframe. When Israel is raised up at the beginning of the third year, right after Pentecost. So, we'll put this sign of the Son of man beginning on Pentecost!

The next Pentecost. as we will see, will be the resurrection. That will be up there for a whole year and everything else is going on the earth. But the first thing that God does with Israel is this: the 144,000 and the great innumerable multitude are sealed with the Holy Spirit of God (Rev. 7)

That is a great harvest of God! Think about this: Could this harvest of God, the last harvest of all, be greater than everything else that the Church has done down through history? I don't know, but that's something to really understand!

Then it listed 144,000 and a great innumerable multitude (Rev. 7:5-8). It says that these are the ones who came out of Great Tribulation (Rev. 7:14).

What does this also tell us? We'll see the in the things that take place, that God is interested in repentance, and we have all of these who repent! That's quite a wonderful thing to happen!

What happens after shaking the heavens and the earth and then the beginning of the sealing of the 144,000 and a great innumerable multitude. Here the whole earth is all out of shape, so we find in:

Rev. 8—the trumpet plagues begin. What day do you suppose that the trumpet plagues will begin on the Feast of Trumpets.

So, we have from Pentecost to the Feast of Trumpets where there is not any great battle going on at all. What is everybody else doing even though that the God is converted the 144,000 and a great innumerable multitude. They are cleaning up the mess, they're straightening it out. They have four months and a little more from Pentecost until Trumpets to get everything cleaned up and ready. So, when they clean it up what happens? The trumpet plagues begin; the first four!It goes through every one of them (Rev. 8)

Then in Rev. 9 we have the fifth angel sounds. Each one of the trumpet plagues that follow the first four are called 'WOE! WOE! WOE! right here in:

Revelation 8:13: "And I looked; and I heard an angel flying in the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, 'Woe, woe, woe to those who are dwelling on the earth, because of the voices of the remaining trumpets of the three angels who are about to sound their trumpets.'"

Then starts the greatest wars of all, the fifth trumpet is sounded and this is the war, the retaliation of the beast to try and hold off the armies from the east. This is spoken of in Dan. 11, that tidings out of the north and the east trouble the King of the North who is the Beast Power.

Then men are stung like they're stung with a scorpion, and it lasts for five months. After that comes the horde of 200-million in the sixth seal for the final battle that's going to come in Armageddon, with all the armies of the earth and those great armies from the east—armies of 200-million—and they're going to come.

Satan's going to stir them up, and they will come thinking that they have got to come and destroy this great thing that is coming on the earth. Then we come to Rev. 11 and we will see what happens here. This is something that takes place all during this time, the Beast Power is trying to kill the two witnesses, but can't kill them. Fire comes out of their mouth and devours the enemy!

Revelation 11:7: "And when they… [the two witnesses] …have completed their testimony, the beast who ascends out of the abyss will make war against them, and will overcome them, and will kill them…. [finally, we're making progress in this] …And their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. Then those of the peoples and tribes and languages and nations shall see their bodies three and a half days… (vs 7-9).

How they're going to see them? All of our digital communication is still going to be operational, they will see them!

Remember what Jesus said in Matt. 24, 'When you see…' So, here it is again:

"…for they will not allow their bodies to be put into tombs. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them… [They'll say 'Hooray! Finally we got the problem solved!'] …and will make merry, and will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets had tormented those who dwell on the earth.' Then after the three and a half days…" (vs 9-11).

Here we come now to the prelude to the first resurrection, which is when the 7th trump sounds. Remember it says there in 1-Thess. that the last trump the dead shall be raised. Well, the only place you find the last trump is right here in Revelation, which is the 7th trump.

Verse 11: "Then after the three and a half days, the spirit of life from God entered into them and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those who were watching them. And they heard a great voice from heaven, say, 'Come up here!'…." (vs 11-12).

Now, think about this: the last two martyred will be the first two resurrected. How's that 'the last shall be first'!

"…'Come up here!' And they ascended into heaven in a cloud; and their enemies saw them rise. And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; and seven thousand men were killed in the earthquake. And the rest were filled with fear, and gave glory to the God of heaven. The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming immediately" (vs 12-14).

What is the third woe? The 7th trumpet, which is the last trumpet! Now let's see what this tells us.

Verse 15: "Then the seventh angel sounded his trumpet; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, 'The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ, and He shall reign into the ages of eternity.' And the twenty-four elders, who sit before God on their thrones, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, 'We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come; for You have taken to Yourself Your great power, and have reigned. For the nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, and the time for the dead to be judged, and to give reward to Your servants the prophets…'" (vs 15-18).

This is the first resurrection! The first resurrection will be on Pentecost, because:

• we are the firstfruits
• we are the Church of the Firstborn

"'…to Your servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to all those who fear Your name, the small and the great; and to destroy those who destroy the earth'" (v 18).

Let's see another vision of this of the first resurrection. We will see where we will come and we will see that that ties in with what we saw in Exo. 24 with the Sea of Glass.

Revelation 14:14: "And I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and one like the Son of man sitting on the cloud, having a golden crown on His head; and in His hand was a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him Who was sitting on the cloud, 'Thrust in your sickle and reap, because the time has come for You to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.' And He Who was sitting on the cloud thrust forth His sickle upon the earth, and the earth was reaped" (vs 14-16). That's the first resurrection!

It tells us in 1-Thess. 4 that we are going in the air, and also it says in Matt. 24 that the angels will take us up to it! So, it has to be and we will see right here in Rev. 15 the Great Sea of Glass right over the Holy Land where all of the resurrected saints will come. Those who were alive at that point 'will be changed in a moment in a twinkling of an eye' the angels will carry them up to the Sea of Glass. Those who were who died in the faith will be resurrected first:

• all of the patriarchs will be resurrected
• all of the prophets will be resurrected
• all of the apostles will be resurrected
• all of the saints
• everyone who had the Spirit of God
• even those at the last minute of the 144,000 and the great innumerable multitude

Revelation 15:2: "And I saw a Sea of Glass mingled with fire, and those who had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, standing on the Sea of Glass, having the lyres of God. And they were singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, 'Great and awesome are Your works, Lord God Almighty; righteous and true are Your ways, King of the saints. Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You only are Holy; and all the nations shall come and worship before You, for Your judgments have been revealed'" (vs 2-4).

That is getting into what we're going to be doing.

• What are we going to do on the Sea of Glass?
• Why does God have to have that?

We'll be on the Sea of Glass from Pentecost until Trumpets.

• What are we going to do up there?

Think about this: all those in the first resurrection will come from:

• many different places
• many different languages
• many different people

What's the first thing that has to happen for us when we are there? God has to communicate with us! How is He going to communicate with us unless He gives us, first of all:

• a new language

so that we can understand what He's going to tell us!

Let's see some of the things that we have to have. Let's see what's going to be given to us when we are on the Sea of Glass

• a new name

Doesn't that require a new language? Yes!

• the saints will receive their rewards, whatever that will be

God will determine that and give them out!

• the saints will receive their assignment

We're going to know what we're going to do. We're going to take over the world; that's going to be a big project.

• Don't we have to be organized?
• Don't we have to know
  • what we're going to do
  • who we're going to work with
  • how we're going to take care of the things that God wants us to do

We'll have our assignments! After that, just like in Exo. 24 when the 70 of the elders of the children of Israel, and Moses, Nadab, Abihu, Aaron and Joshua all saw the Lord, and they ate a meal there.

• we're going to have the marriage of the Lamb

and after the marriage of the Lamb

• the marriage supper of the Lamb

That's going to be something; what is that going to be like? We're all on the Sea of Glass; how's that going to work out? I imagine they're going to be a whole host of angels waiting on us!

• I don't know what it's going to be like
• I don't know what kind of food we're going to eat
• I don't know how it's going to be

but it's probably going to be the best meal that we have ever had in our entire lives!

• we're going to witness the seven last plagues (Rev. 16)

That is brought upon those that remain, which fulfills a promise of God where He says 'vengeance is Mine'! So, everyone's going to see the vengeance of God.

• We'll be gathered together in God's army and we will fight with Christ and return to the earth to take over.

That completes everything up to that point!

That's quite a thing! Remember: every Holy Day is a direct intervention of God into this world and into the lives of those:

• who are His
• who have His Holy Spirit
• who have been called
• who have been faithful
• who have been chosen
• who are going to rule and reign with Christ as kings and priests and administrators
• who will carry out everything

to bring peace to this world so this is the meaning of the Feast of Pentecost!

Scriptural References:

• Leviticus 23:9-16
• Deuteronomy 15:16-17

• Leviticus 23:16-17, 20-21
• Matthew 13:33
• Deuteronomy 5:28-29
• Exodus 24:1-11
• Exodus 25:8
• Luke 4:14-21, 18-19
• Acts 2:1-4, 36-39
• Revelation 6:3-4
• Matthew 24:15, 21
• 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4, 7-11
• Revelation 6:12-17
• Matthew 24:26-27, 29-30
• Malachi 4:1-2
• Revelation 8:13
• Revelation 11:7-18
• Revelation 14:14-16
• Revelation 15:2-4

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Acts 2
• Joshua 5

• Exodus 32; 21-23
• Isaiah 54
• Genesis 15
• Acts 1
• Luke 24
• Revelation 13
• Daniel 9
• Hosea 6
• 1-2 John
• Revelation 19; 7; 6:8-9
• Matthew 24:31
• Revelation 7:5-8; 14; 9
• Daniel 11
• Revelation 9-10
• 1 Thessalonians 4
• Exodus 24
• Revelation 16

FRC:bo/po
Transcribed: 5/29/24

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