Annual Checkup and Examination Process
The Feast of Pentecost is also called the Feast of Weeks, and was originally called the Feast of Harvest. Pentecost follows the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
The Lord’s followers are to count 50 days from the day the wave sheaf was offered during the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the spring festivals. Pentecost means "fiftieth." By the Feast of Harvest, the spring wheat crops would be harvested.
We should recall the 50 year count to the Jubilee year of new beginnings. Also recall the 490 year countdown to prepare for the Messiah (70x7 = new beginning, Leviticus 25:8-12, Dan 9:24-26, NASB throughout).
The Lord's annual "appointed times" begin in the spring, following the miraculous deliverance out from Egypt by the Lord, Creator of the universe! First is Passover when death angel had passed over all dwelling places where the blood of the Lamb was applied (Exodus 12:42, 13:9, Leviticus 23:2-3).
By believing in Him (Christ our Passover) and following Him we are eating His unleavened bread, that is, His teachings and law exemplified and fulfilled by Jesus Himself.
As the world forgets its own spring holidays, Pentecost, the 4th of the Lord’s annual appointed times, is approaching (May 24, 2015) and begins to bring the overall purpose of the Lord’s 7 separate annual feasts into focus.
These Old Testament times are described by New Testament passages. See link at end for a study of "God's Plan of Salvation Seen In His 8 Festivals."
The New Testament identifies Pentecost as the time the Lord's disciples received the out pouring of the HOLY SPIRIT prophesied in the Old Testament (Joel2:28, Acts 2).
ANNUAL CHECK UP
It is common in society to get an annual physical examination to protect our health. The Lord also planned for us to have an annual "spiritual check-up" to protect the health of our soul.
It is common today in the treatments of some diseases to receive infusions of medications for several days - then wait for weeks to see the effects on your body.
The Lord also planned spiritual treatments for us if we want to be spiritually healthy.
We begin by "drinking in" His blood which was shed for us to avoid the death penalty (at Passover), and by eating the Unleavened Bread (which He instructed us to eat hastily during the Exodus out of bondage), and believe in Him as the First Fruits peace offering lifted up before God (the Wave Sheaf of His wheat harvest) in Mt13:24-30, 1 Cor 15:20-23.
EXAMINATION PROCESS
When we decide that God's people are blessed and we want to share those blessings, we will follow the Lord and His Laws to be found "in Him," (Ephesians 1).
We are to told to eat the Unleavened Bread of God's Word for 7 days (Ex 12:15, 13:6, Lev 23:4-8). This is an exercise in humility to replace the world's ways with God's Ways.
Jesus taught us He is the Unleavened Bread that came down out of heaven, and He is the Word of God, who gives life to the world, (John 1:14, 6:32-33).
"Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood you have no life in yourselves," John 6:53. 2
Also, during the 50 day countdown from the Wave Sheaf Offering to the Spring Harvest Festival (Pentecost) we are to spiritually examine ourselves.
We are to use the unleavened Word of God, and compare ourselves to the Wave Sheaf of first fruits, Jesus (1Cor11:28-31). Jesus is the perfect manifestation of the law (or the goal of the law – Jn1:14-17, Rom10:4 footnote).
A person should see that he comes up short of the holiness of God and seek reconciliation with God (Rom3:23, 2 Cor 5:18-21). Some churches say to observe a 40 day period in the spring but this is not what God's Word instructs us to do. We must seek His works which are the solution to our problem.
GOD'S PRESCRIPTION
In the fifty days before Pentecost our soul should give up its desire for pride (puffed up by leavening) and confess our sin to the Lord (1 John 1:9). We are to eat His Word exclusively for 7 days.
Then finish counting 7 weeks to see the effects on our soul. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all righteousness (1 John 1:9). He will accept us back and remember His covenant with us (Leviticus 26:14-39).
The Spring Festivals serve as the ministry of condemnation that Paul speaks about (Jn3:19, Rom5:16, and 2Cor3:7-9). The bad news of our condition drives us to respond to the good news of the plan of salvation,
JESUS has provided a way for us to be declared righteous (Rom4:22-25)!
The Great Physician is the only one who has a cure for sin disease. We must follow His prescription only.
The Word of God is the only prescription written by the Lord to tell us exactly how to remove the sin infection.
We must follow the right diagnosis procedures and the right prescription for the remedy.
The sequence of "the Lord's appointed times" teaches His remedy for sin instead of teaching worldly traditions as the worldly holidays in many churches.
SHAME AND GUILT
Scripture also uses the word "nakedness" (Strong’s #6172) to mean disgrace, shame, or uncleanness (Gen9:22). The beneficial truths such as shame, as part of the plan of festivals, are relevant today. Shame is recognized by a famous columnist;
Dr. Joyce Brothers, article in a Parade Magazine Article dated 27Feb05:
"Adam and Eve were ….ashamed of having gone against the will of God." "Certain types of shame can be beneficial. Good shame is an experience that is instructive. Positive shame occurs when we see ourselves as we really are." "Maybe it’s time to invite the useful aspects of shame back into our culture."
From "Jack: The Life of C. S. Lewis." p277, George Sayer, Crossway Books, 1941:
"Lewis wanted to talk about the law of nature, or objective right and wrong, because in modern England the New Testament assumption that people believed in natural law and knew that they had disobeyed it was no longer accurate. The first step….was to help people recover a sense of guilt."
God knows we still sin, therefore, He told us to present a leavened offering at the end of the Feast of Harvest (Lev23:17). An impure offering is all that we are able to give.
THE REASON why the gospel of Jesus Christ seems to be ignored today is because people don’t realize the bad news of their true condition.
CONFESSION
We are told specifically (in Lev 23:2 and 4) to declare all of the Lord's appointed times. In addition, in the description of the Feast of Harvest in Lev23:21, we are specifically told again to make another proclamation.
Why call out a special proclamation during this day and not the others?
This extra emphasis is needed for us to confess our condition.
This is not just another announcement of the individual appointed time. This is a confession after examining ourselves, after comparing our own condition to the perfect wave sheaf –the Son of God – our Unleavened Bread from heaven - our Standard of Righteousness, our Savior Jesus (Jn1:1, 6:32-58, Rom7:12).
If the Lord sees we are trying to follow His Directions to get healthier, He will have sympathy and compassion on us and speed our recovery from sin ( Deuteronomy 32:36-39, 2 kings 22:19, 2 chronicles 34:27-28). He looks for humility.
The Spring Festivals serve as the ministry of condemnation that Paul speaks about (Jn3:19, Rom5:16, and 2Cor3:7-9). The bad news of our condition drives us to respond to the good news of the plan of salvation (Josh 23:14-16).
JESUS has provided a way for us to be declared righteous (Rom4:22-25)!
THE CURE AND THE THERAPIST
In the New Covenant sealed by Jesus' blood, we must examine ourselves before eating His body or drinking His blood to proclaim His death (1Cor11:26-28).
Following the Lord's annual Feasts of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, our spiritual examination should help us see ourselves as the reason Jesus had to be sacrificed. After we declare ourselves to be sinners and call out to God for forgiveness –
Jesus declares us to be righteous, harvests us, gives us the seal of the Holy Spirit and we are adopted into God's family!
Jesus taught us; as we see our need of cleansing and call out to the Lord - we are told to ask, seek, and knock – "A.S.K." He will give us the Comforter – the Holy Spirit to guide us on our journey (Deuteronomy 32:36-39, Luke11:9-13, Jn16:7-15)
THE GOOD NEWS
We must come to realize we are sinners (law violators) in order to be harvested by Him.
In the New Testament, Paul tells us that when we try to keep God’s Law we realize this "bad news" of sin in our members (Rom6:19-23, 7:14-23, 1Tim1:15-16).
We see our "condemnation" by observing the Spring Festivals.
Like Paul, we hunger and thirst after some "GOOD NEWS" – THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST!
Jesus Christ came to save sinners 1 Timothy 1:15).
We must come to realize we are sinners (law violators) in order to be harvested by Him.
We must call out like Paul; "Wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this bondage of sin? Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus," (Rom 6 through Rom 8:4).
Our Lord was accepted as the first fruits of the spring harvest. We see the Good News that we can be accepted if we are in the wheat crop – not the tares (Mt13:24-30, 36-43).
This is the HOPE of the GOSPEL!
Jesus Christ came to save sinners.
This was true in the Old Testament stories and it is still true today;
"All these things happened to Israel as examples
for us," 1 Corinthians 11:10.
"All that was written in earlier times is for our instruction," Romans 15:4.
Don't listen to anyone who tries to tell you to replace the Lord's appointed holy times with worldly traditions of some particular church (Mt 7:15-23).
"If anyone sets aside the Law of Moses he dies on the testimony of two or three witnesses," Hebrews 10:28.
These worship times have been in God's Law for His people since it was given on Mt. Sinai to Moses to instruct God's people, Exodus 23:14-17, 24:12, Heb 9:1).
CONCLUSIONS
As the Lord gives the Holy Spirit to confessing sinners after the Feast of Harvest, or Pentecost (Acts 2:4), we should begin to produce fruits of the Spirit (Lev 23:19-21, Zeph 3:18, John 14:26, 15:1-8, Gal 5:22-24, 1 john 1:9).
After the summer season of growth, the Lord will look at us to see if we bear fruit to gather at the second harvest, or "Ingathering" in the fall (Ex23:16, Jn15:1-8).
The Holy Spirit fruits are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
The lead up to Pentecost is designed to evaluate our quiet inner relationship with our Lord and Savior.
We should yield more of our will and more of our life over to the Lord out of gratitude for all He has revealed to us about our relationship with Him, and for His delivering us from the bondage of sin, covering our debts, and guiding us through our cleansing journey, Hebrews 12:14-29).
As the world still talks about spring cleaning of the house to get winter dust out – our heart and mind need cleaning also.
The Lord's Feast of Pentecost is the end of the Spring Festival period which teaches us to make room in our heart for God's Word and His Holy spirit.
We can have a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of God (Ephesians 1:17).
The Holy Spirit will open the eyes of our heart, convict us and guide us into being a new creation in fellowship with Him, to bear the fruits of the Spirit (John 16:13-15, Ephesians 1:18).
One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is PEACE. Jesus gives this peace to His disciples. This is how we know that we have come to know Him, and that we are really following His Ways. We will have Peace.
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Read or download GOD'S PLAN OF
GOD'S PLAN OF SALVATION SEEN IN HIS FESTIVALS
