| [1] FIRST DAY OF UNLEAVENED BREAD.
Gods holy days are Sabbaths; just as permanent as the weekly Sabbath. The first holy day in Gods calendar is the 15th Nisan. This is the first day of unleavened bread. Lev 23:5 In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is
the LORD's passover.
God wants us to remember the day that he brought the Israelites out of Egypt. Exo 13:3 And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten. The Passover meal is eaten in this holy day. Mar 14:1 After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death. Lev 23:6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. By eating the Passover, we accept Christ’s sacrifice for our sins; and agree to live our life as Christ lived his. Joh 6:57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. The physical promise from God was: He would bring the Israelites out of Egypt, and take them to the Promised Land: a land of milk and honey. Exo 3:17 And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey. The ancient Israelites ate the Passover meal; dressed ready for departure from Egypt. They were protected from death, because of the blood of the lamb on their door lintels. They left Egypt with high spirits, and headed for the Promised Land. The spiritual application of the first day of unleavened bread is as follows. We eat the symbols of Christ’s body and blood; which shows that we accept Christ’s death for the remission of our sins. Rom 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission [forgiveness] of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; Heb 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. We agree to live our lives as Christ livedHis. Joh 6:57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. We are prepared for the journey to eternal life. Mat 10:38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. Mar 13:13 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. We leave the ways of this world. God must come first in our life from this time on. Mat 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Rom 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things
to come,
The first day of unleavened bread is the start of our spiritual journey, out of this physical world, toward the Kingdom of God. We must make a commitment to leave the ways of this world, and we must accept the blood of Jesus Christ, which pays the penalty for our sins. The Passover must be kept. Num 9:13 But the man that is clean, and is not in a journey,
and forbeareth to keep the passover, even the same soul shall be cut off
from among his people: because he brought not the offering of the LORD
in his appointed season, that man shall bear his sin.
LAST DAY OF UNLEAVENED BREAD
Lev 23:8 But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day is a holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. The last day of unleavened bread coincides with the day the Israelites were at Marah, where the water was bitter. Exo 15:23 And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. At Marah, the water was made sweet by a tree, God gave them statutes and ordinances; and God proved them. Exo 15:25 And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD showed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them, God proved [tested] the Israelites by promising that no diseases would come upon them if they obeyed his statutes and commandments. Exo 15:26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee. Israel will eventually be smitten with the diseases. They have not kept Gods Commandments, and will probably not repent until the time of Jacob’s trouble. Deu 28:60 Moreover he will bring upon thee all the diseases of Egypt, which thou wast afraid of; and they shall cleave unto thee. Jer 2:13 For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. Jer 17:13 O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters. The Israelites chose physical water over living water: By doing this, they rejected God. This is vastly different to the woman of Samaria who wanted living waters. Joh 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If
thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me
to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee
living water.
The woman of Samaria lost interest in physical water; she wanted living water. Joh 4:28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, The spiritual application of the last day of unleavened bread; is to
accept God the Father as the fountain of living waters; which springs up
to eternal life. It is our choice to make.
The days of unleavened bread are when we should be applying ourselves to get rid of the old leaven of sin {put off malice and wickedness} and aim toward being unleavened [sinless.] We achieve this by being sincere and honest in our lives. 1Co 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be
a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed
for us:
PENTECOST Pentecost is the only holy day that is not on a set date. It is counted from the wave sheaf, and is always on a Sunday. Lev 23:15 And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after
the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering;
seven sabbaths shall be complete:
Christ’s disciples received the holy spirit of life on the day of Pentecost. Act 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Act 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they
were all with one accord in one place.
This day is also called the feast of weeks. Exo 34:22 And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year's end. Two loaves had to be made for the day of Pentecost; which represented the first fruits. Lev 23:16 Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall
ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.
Jesus Christ is called a first fruit. 1Co 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. Christ is the bread of life. Joh 6:33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Joh 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. Salvation is only available by Christ. Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Act 4:10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of
Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified,
whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before
you whole.
The Pentecost bread is baked with leaven. Leaven does not necessarily mean sin. Mat 13:33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. One of the Pentecost loaves pictures Christ. Salvation is only available through obedience to Christ. Human beings with the spirit of power are also firstfruits. 1Co 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Rev 14:4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. Jam 1:18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. Gods elect are the firstfruits. 1Pe 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. Jam 1:18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. If not for Gods elect, God would destroy all flesh. Mat 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. Mar 13:20 And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days. The importance of the two Pentecost loaves becomes apparent. One loaf represents Christ the first of the firstfruits, and the other represents Gods elect, who are the human firstfruits. There is no way to salvation, but by Christ. There is also no way to salvation except for the human firstfruits. What a massive responsibility given to Gods elect. The fifty days from the wave sheaf has tremendous spiritual meaning. The Holy Spirit is promised fifty days before it is given. Joh 20:22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Luk 24:49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. Act 1:4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. Act 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. There is a good reason for the fifty days from the wave sheaf to Pentecost. During this time, the spirit of truth is with us. This is the time that God teaches us the knowledge of the truth. We already have the earnest of the spirit, and now the spirit of truth is with us. Joh 14:16 And I will pray the Father,
and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever;
Caleb had the spirit with him when he searched the Promised Land Num 14:24 But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it. There were twelve men sent into the Promised Land by Moses: one from each tribe. Num 13:2 Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them. They spent forty days searching the Promised Land. Num 13:25 And they returned from searching of the land after forty days. Jesus taught about the Promised Land for forty days. Act 1:3 To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: What a beautiful truth. The men spent forty days in the Promised Land, searching it out. Christ spent forty days telling His disciples about the Kingdom of god. Ten men brought an evil report of the Promised Land. Num 13:27 And they told him, and said, We came unto the land
whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and
this is the fruit of it.
Only Joshua and Caleb wanted the Promised Land. Num 14:6 And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh,
which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:
Only Joshua and Caleb eventually went into the Promised Land. We must want eternal life, or we will not get it. Num 14:30 Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I swore to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. The men who were fearful died by the plague. Num 14:37 Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the LORD. The disciples all wanted the Promised Land [eternal life] and spent ten days waiting for the spirit to come after being taught forty days about the kingdom. Act 1:3 To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion
by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking
of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
How beautiful is the meaning of the day of Pentecost, and the days leading up to this day. When God decides to offer us eternal life; He calls us out of this world, and when we are baptized we get the earnest of the spirit. He then puts the spirit of truth with us, so we can learn of the Kingdom of God. God then gives us time to reflect and pray about the kingdom, and then he gives us eternal life in the form of the Holy Spirit of life. God’s tremendous love and patience is shown at this time. If we refuse eternal life during the fifty days, we can go back to the world, and still have a chance for eternal life later on. By doing this we will not please God, and have thrown away our chance to be a firstfruit. We do not yet have the spirit of truth in us till the day of Pentecost, so we can’t blaspheme the spirit prior to receiving it. During the time of the exodus; God required the men to have physical courage to enter the Promised Land. Physical and spiritual courage is required to enter the Promised Land by Gods spiritual servants. [Eternal life in the form of the spirit of truth] Jos 1:6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I swore unto their fathers to give them. Rev 21:6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega,
the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the
fountain of the water of life freely.
Pentecost is a holy day, and no work is to be done. Lev 23:21 And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be a holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations. Gods beautiful plan of salvation in short. Humanity has always rebelled against Gods way of life. If God gave everyone eternal life in the form of the spirit of life; most would blaspheme the spirit, and die forever in the lake of fire. That is what happened in the original creation. God had a different plan when he renewed the earth, and created Adam and Eve. Humanity has not been given Gods spirit of power; so they cannot blaspheme it. Most humans will be given Gods spirit when they are resurrected from death back to physical life. God’s kingdom will be under way on the earth. People will be given a hundred years to choose eternal life or eternal death. There will be some people who will obey God before his kingdom is set up. These people will be firstfruits. The day of Pentecost pictures the receiving of eternal life. Gods plan is as follows. [1] God calls us out of this world, and we receive the earnest of Gods spirit at baptism. This enables us to begin to learn of the things of God. If we are hearers, and not doers of Gods word: we can leave, and go back to the ways of the world. We will not go into the lake of fire at this stage, but we have given up the chance to be firstfruits to God, and Christ. We could have persevered, and become firstfruits, otherwise God would not have called us. [2] God begins to give us the knowledge of eternal life. We keep the Passover in the holy day, and begin to keep the wave sheaf. This could be, and usually is: many years after baptism. God will decide when this occurs. It was about three and a half years for Christ’s disciples. It took forty years for the Israelites to enter the Promised Land. [3] Gods spirit of life is with us from the wave sheaf till the day of Pentecost. So we can get a glimpse of eternal life. This coincides with the time that we are learning the knowledge of the truth. The knowledge of the truth is totally new knowledge which we have not been able to understand until the time that God begins to reveal the knowledge of eternal life to us, this can only be given to us when we Love God, Believe God and Obey God.Even at this time we cannot blaspheme Gods spirit, because it is with us, not in us. It will be in us when God gives us the spirit of life{or power or truth.} [4] Eternal life is given at Pentecost in the form of the spirit of life. If we do not persevere to the end, and go back to the ways of the world, after receiving the spirit of life: we will go into the lake of fire, which is eternal death. The journey to eternal life shows just how much love, and patience God
has for His creation. If we blaspheme Gods spirit after receiving it, we
can blame no one but ourselves.
FEAST OF TRUMPETS
Notice carefully that the Feast of Trumpets is a memorial; it has already occurred, so it is not referring to the return of Jesus Christ. Lev 23:24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. Num 29:1 And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have a holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work: it is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you. The feast of Trumpets is the only holy day in the new moon. The feast of Trumpets is a memorial of the giving of the old covenant on Mt. Sinai: with the writing of the Ten Commandments in stone by the finger of God. Psa 81:3 Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed,
on our solemn feast day.
Exo 19:19 And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by a voice. The feast of Trumpets is a memorial of the giving of the old covenant. The Israelites agreed to the terms of the covenant, but they did not keep those terms. Christ has shed His blood to ratify the new covenant, and we have accepted His sacrifice by keeping the Passover: so we are now offered the new covenant. The Israelites were not capable of keeping the old covenant. In the new covenant, God will put His laws in our hearts and minds. Heb 8:6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry,
by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established
upon better promises.
The old covenant promised physical blessings for physical obedience to Gods laws and statutes; and physical death for disobedience. The new covenant promises eternal life for obedience to God: and eternal
death for disobedience.
THE DAY OF ATONEMENT
Lev 23:27 Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there
shall be a day of atonement: it shall be a holy convocation unto you; and
ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the
LORD.
Jesus’ death reconciled us to God; but it is by His life that we are saved. The atonement is the time God the Father accepts us for our salvation. Rom 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we
shall be saved from wrath through him.
The Day of Atonement pictures us being at one with God. This does not happen at our acceptance of Christ’s death: this happens when we accept Christ’s life. Christ ascended to the Father to be accepted for us. It is then that we have qualified to receive the Holy Spirit of life. Joh 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. Joh 20:22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: We must afflict our souls on the Day of Atonement, and realize the seriousness of sin. Jesus Christ was terribly flogged; He was twice crucified and died a death so cruel, that it is impossible to comprehend what He went through. Jesus Christ loved us while we were yet sinners. The wave sheaf pictures Christ ascending to the Father, after His resurrection, to be accepted on our behalf. The Day of Atonement pictures God the Father accepting us for eternal life. Sin is no longer a barrier between us, and God. We are now at one with God, and have been approved to receive the Holy Spirit of life; thanks to the perfect sacrifice of our savior, Jesus Christ. Compare the following scriptures. Wave sheaf fulfillment by Joshua upon entering the Promised Land. The Israelites stopped eating manna [the teaching we were given while we had the spirit of promise.] They then ate the food of the Promised Land which was different to manna. The food of the Promised Land is the knowledge of the truth, which is the knowledge of eternal life. Jos 5:11 And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day. Wave sheaf fulfillment by Christ after he had risen. Thanks to Christ; we now have access to eternal life. Christ ascended to the Father after His resurrection and after being raised from hades. His sacrifice is now complete, and God the Father accepts Christ on our behalf. Joh 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. Atonement fulfillment upon entering the Promised Land. [We have shown from other articles that the man with the drawn sword is Christ announcing that God the Father is in the midst of the Israelites.] Jos 5:13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that
he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against
him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said
unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?
Jesus Christ is telling the disciples that they are now approved by God the Father to receive the Holy Spirit. God the Father is now our God. Thanks to the perfect sacrifice of Christ, we now have atonement with the father Joh 20:22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: The following verses can now be understood. Rom 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we
shall be saved from wrath through him.
Christ was resurrected after living a sinless life; he paid the penalty
for our sins, and was accepted by the Father on our behalf. The Day of
Atonement pictures God approving us for eternal life because of Christ’s
sacrifice for us.
FIRST DAY OF THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES
Lev 23:34 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth
day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days
unto the LORD.
The first day of the Feast of Tabernacles is a Holy Day. The next two verses give the meaning of the feast. The Feast of Tabernacles is a memorial of the time the Israelites came out of Egypt, and dwelt in temporary dwellings. Lev 23:42 Ye shall dwell [sit] in booths seven days; all that
are Israelites born shall dwell in booths:
The time that the Israelites were in the wilderness: coincides with
the time that we have the down payment of Gods spirit called the earnst
of the spirit. We have to build a tabernacle, and sit in it every day of
the feast. This reminds us of how the Israelites lived during the 40 years
of wandering.
THE LAST GREAT DAY Lev 23:36 Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be a holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein. The feast of tabernacles lasts seven days; the eighth day is the Last Great Day. Joh 6:39 And this is the Father's will
which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing,
but should raise it up again at the last day.
Joh 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. Joh 6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. Joh 11:24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Joh 12:48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. Dan 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth
shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting
contempt.
The last great day pictures the resurrection of the dead. The Holy days picture God calling us out of this world. God then chooses his people, and gives them eternal life in the form of the spirit of life. We must then be faithful to God for the rest of our physical life, and subsequently for all eternity. Rev 17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. In every holy day: there is a promise of eternal life for being faithful to God: But there is also a promise of eternal death for those who don’t persevere to the end once the spirit of life has been received. 2Pe 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to
make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall
never fall:
The Holy Days in a nutshell. [1] First day of unleavened bread. [We accept Christ’s death for the remission of sins, and begin our spiritual journey toward eternal life.] [2] Last day of unleavened bread. [God proves us to see whether we will obey him, and offers us living waters, which spring up to eternal life.] [3] Pentecost [Receiving the spirit if life; this is when we now have eternal life inherent.] [4] Trumpets. [A memorial of the Old Covenant. the giving of the 10 commandments at Mt. Sinai} [5] Atonement. [Accepting God the Father’s offer of eternal life in the form of the holy spirit of life.] [6] First day of feast of tabernacles. [a memorial of the Israelites wandering in the wilderness.] [7] Last Great Day. [We are resurrected into the Kingdom of God.] The holy days will apply individually to every person born, regardless
of which resurrection they may be in.
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