"The Holidays of God-A Prophetic Timetable?" Part 4

The prophetic stage has been set by God Himself and for thousands of years His chosen people, the Jews, obediently observed each Feast Day as directed. One by one, God completed the first four holy day pictures or "types" as He fulfilled the spiritual meaning of each and phase one of His two-part plan at Christ's first Advent. Leaving the final three feasts for fulfillment in the last days, God will surely complete phase two when at last all the "dress rehearsals" are replaced by the real thing.

The fall feasts begin with the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) and many expect the rapture of the church to be its fulfillment. Why? The Feast of Trumpets is when the "last trump" of 1Corinthians 15  is blown.

Known as the Wedding of Messiah, this feast is a picture of a Jewish wedding when the groom comes for his bride "like a thief in the night." Because this is the only feast that occurs on the new moon following exactly 29.5 days after the last one, this means it could come either twenty-nine or thirty days later. So when Christ said, "No one knows the day or the hour", it may have been a reference to this feast.

Next comes a ten-day period known as the "Days of Awe", which is a time of repentance. This is a time used to prepare oneself for the coming Day of Judgment or Atonement (Yom Kippur).

According to Hebrew prophets, in the last days there will be a great and awesome Day of the Lord. For all those who rejected Jesus the Messiah's offer of pardon from the penalty of sin (when He died on the cross in our place), there is a day of judgment coming. No one needs to face this final day of reckoning because Jesus has already paid the price for our sins! If you haven't yet done so, click on Not sure you'll go to heaven? click here... (located under the Blog Archive on the right) and secure your salvation today.

Five days after the Day of Atonement, the last of the fall feasts begins: The Feast of Tabernacles (Lev. 23:34). Historically, this is a holiday that celebrates the 40 years the Israelites spent wandering in the desert when God delivered them out of the bondage of Egypt, and is remembered by living in temporary shelters of 7 days.
In the future, the Feast of Tabernacles will be celebrated globally.

Zechariah 14:16 says, "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 (Jesus), the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles."

The ultimate fulfillment of Tabernacles will be when Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, is revealed as the Lion of Judah, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, returned again to earth in fulfillment of the Scripture.

Words to the Wise: 

Know Jesus, Know Peace
No Jesus, No Peace

News:

• International Monetary Fund chief urges UN member countries to double their financial commitments to the Fund
• New EU treaty, called the European Stability Mechanism, allows EU unfettered power over its member states (formerly known as "countries")
• Raytheon has filed a patent for a new crowd-control weapon that emits low frequency sound waves that interfere with the respiratory system and prevents breathing
• New light bulb standards begin on January 1
• Iran ready to expand military links with Iraq

The Holidays of God: A Prophetic Timetable? Part 3

Pentecost (Shavuot) falls seven Sabbaths after the Feast of Firstfruits. Observant Jews spend the fifty days preparing themselves spiritually and in great anticipation. Why? Because this time is like waiting for a special friend who is coming from a great distance with the best possible news imaginable. For the apostles, this meant spending those weeks with the freshly resurrected Messiah! Not only had their best friend and mentor been raised from the dead, but He was promising them an even more intimate and unique relationship with someone who would never leave them--the Holy Spirit!

Back in Moses' day, up on Mount Sinai amid great thunder, lightning and billowing smoke, God descended in awesome power in the form of fire. He gave His people the Law, the Ten Commandments (see Exodus 19:1-25). What day do you suppose it was? You guessed it--Pentecost!

Now, fast forward to the second chapter in Acts. Here we find the disciples waiting in the Upper Room. They've just come from the temple Shavuot service where every year the prophet Ezekiel was read: "I looked, and behold, a whirlwind was coming out of the north, a great cloud with raging fire engulfing itself; and brightness was all around it and radiating out of its midst like the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire" (Ezekiel 1:4).

Shockingly, the disciples hear what sounds like a freight train barrelling down on them!

"On the day of Pentecost, seven weeks after Jesus' resurrection, the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm in the skies above them, and it filled the house where they were meeting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability (Acts 2:1-4).

And so the Holy Spirit descended in awesome power in the form of fire, coming to abide in every person on the face of the planet who called on the name of the Lord. The day of Pentecost has been fulfilled.

Four down, three to go.

Words to the Wise: "Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.--Abraham Lincoln

News:

• IMF Chief: world economy at a "very dangerous juncture".
• U.S.Contractors sought to outfit FEMA camps for civilian detention centers
• Study shows 14,000+ deaths in U.S. linked to nuclear meltdown in Japan

The Holidays of God: A Prophetice Timetable? Part 2

When God told Moses to proclaim seven holy convocations, He referred to them as "My feasts" (Lev. 23:1-2). In English, that means "appointed times" or "dress rehearsals". In other words the God of Israel established an annual cycle of holidays to be practiced year after year as their prophetic "type" is fulfilled by the Messiah. Jews all over the globe continue the holiday cycle having little understanding of their prophetic significance because they do not recognize that their Messiah has come.

There are seven feast days divided by seasons linked to the agricultural cycle of Israel. Four come in Spring:

• Passover (Pesach)
• Unleavened Bread (Chag HaMatzot)
• Firstfruits (Ha Bikkurim)
• Pentecost (Shavout)

Three come in the fall:

• Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah)
• Atonement (Yom Kippur)
• Tabernacles (Sukkot)

These appointed times (or dress rehearsals) of the Lord provide a panorama of God's plan for mankind. They are an overview or outline of history that has amazing implications for every one of us.

According to Kevin Williams of RBC Ministries, "Many Jewish and Gentile believers in Jesus share the conviction that the first phase of Messiah's deliverance has been recorded on the center page of human history."

He goes on to explain that the plan of God was revealed during the holy days of Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, and Pentecost. "With a sudden turn of events, the first four feasts of Israel took on the personality of a miracle worker who bore the marks of God's Messiah. On Passover, Jesus became the sacrificial Lamb whose blood marked all who believe in Him for deliverance. During the Feast of Unleavened Bread, He died to take away our sin and to give us, in the place of our own efforts the "bread" (life-sustaining provision) of His eternal presence. On the Feast of Firstfruits, He arose from the dead to show that it was by God's power that He carried out our rescue. Then 50 days later on the Feast of Pentecost, Jesus sent His Spirit to show His presence with all who are willing to stake their lives on Him."

Next week, we'll elaborate a little on Pentecost and it's amazing spiritual and prophetic significance.

Words to the wise: "Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anyone expects of you." - Henry Ward Beecher

News:

• Iranian army to begin exercises to practice its ability to close the Strait of Hormuz
• 30 top U.S. corporations spent more on lobbying than taxes
• Israel P.M. Netanyahu to start Bible study in his home
• Vladimir Putin lashes out at U.S. for killing Gaddafi and backing protests

The Holidays of God: A Prophetic Timetable?

The seven holidays that make up the ancient festival cycle of Israel are an amazing look into God's plan for humankind. Like an outline of history, each feast day is a pattern that shadows a major prophetic event.

Observant Jews celebrate the cycle as a timeless treasure for remembering God's provision of His chosen people. Christians recognize the profound relationship between these Hebrew Holy Days and their prophetic fulfillment. Far more than mere Jewish tradition, these feast days offer a bird's-eye view into the very game-plan of God.

Those of us who believe the Jewish Messiah has already made an appearence, also believe in the fulfillment of the first four feasts. In other words, God has already sent His Son to complete the first phase of a two-part plan.

There are only three feast days remaining to be fulfilled.

In the following weeks, we will explore the staggering prophetic significance of these holidays and hopefully gain an understanding of just how in-control God really is. As we shall see, each Holiday of God paints a perfect picture of the work of a Messiah who is the source of all creation and the hope of the nations.

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts'" (Leviticus 23:1-2).

A wise woman once said: "Let us resolve: First, to attain the grace of silence; second, to deem all fault-finding that does no good a sin; third, to practice the grace and virtue of praise." - Harriet Beecher Stowe

News:

• S&P threatens to put 15 EuroZone nations on "negative credit" watch
• Markets nosedive over Euro fears
• Virginia Tech gunman kills two

The Hidden Agenda Behind the UFO Phenomenon

For over 40 years now, the message from Extraterrestrials, New Age gurus, and Native American shaman has proclaimed a common theme: there's a massive evacuation coming! Yes, you heard that right.

Starting in 1952, alleged extraterrestrials began channeling messages through various contactees. The message? There's a new age dawning, but first our friendly 'space brothers' need to 'save mankind from himself.'

New Age author, Thelma Terrell (aka Tuella), compiled in her book Project World Evacuation, the channeled messages of Ashtar (the space bro) who details an extraterrestrial evacuation of millions of people who are a threat to planet Earth. And that ain't all, folks. Hundreds of alleged UFO contactees claim the same thing!

So what on earth is going on? We believe the groundwork is being laid for the biggest deception ever orchestrated against mankind.

Remember, there's a war being waged, an invisible spiritual battle and you are one of its targets. This global, alien evacuation is clearly a counterfeit explanation for the Rapture of the Church. In a remarkably clever plan, Satan has managed to convince millions of people, enamored with the paranormal and disdainful of the Christian worldview, that a new day is coming. A new day (or Age) that begins in 3 phases:

1. A worldwide evacuation of adults who no longer fit in, whose 'thought patterns are of the past"
2. followed immediately/simultaneously with the removal of all the world's children because they are too young to have "personal responsibility"
3. and then comes a time of cataclysmic upheaval where 'mother earth' endeavors to 'cleanse herself '

So there you have it. Bizarre? Oh yeah. But keep in mind the Bible says our real battle is not with human cultists, false religionists, atheists, agnostics, or pseudo-Christians. What we're really fighting against is the demonic beings working through them.

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and stand in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:10-12).

Words to the wise: "There are two ways to live life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is." -- Albert Einstein

News:

• Israel considers Iranian strike only as a 'last resort'
• Pakistan says recent NATO air strike that killed 24 was deliberate; orders evacuation of CIA drone airbase
• Egypt begins voting; Muslim Brotherhood expected to win big
• President Obama seals "Fast and Furious" records