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The Old Testament Church
"This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your
God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; Him shall you hear. This is He
[Christ], that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him
[Moses] in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give
unto us: To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust Him from them, and in their
hearts turned back again into Egypt' (Acts 7:37-39).
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The nation of Israel was both Church and State. As a Kingdom, it was for years ruled by Moses who was directed
by the God of the Old Testament [which we know as Jesus the Christ]. In the days of Moses it was called the
Church in the wilderness.
Later in the history Israel was ruled by Judges with Christ directing the judges. "And also all that
generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the
LORD, nor yet the works which He had done for Israel. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the
LORD, and served Baalim: And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land
of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves
unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger" (Judg 2:10-12).
When Israel dis-obey God, evil came upon them. Then they repented and followed God. But as soon as
they prospered, they dis-obeyed again. "And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth. And the
anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and He delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them,
and He sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before
their enemies. Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had
said, and as the LORD had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed. Nevertheless the LORD raised
up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them. And yet they would not hearken unto
their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly
out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; but they did not so"
(Judges 2:13-17).
Just as Israel of old would not follow and obey God, we see this whole world dis-obeying the laws,
statutes and judgments of God. These laws were given so that mankind could find the true peace and happiness
that God had ordained from the beginning. The sacrificial laws and rituals were added because of transgressions!
"The Holy Spirit thus signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first
tabernacle was yet standing: Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and
sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; Which stood only
in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.
But Christ being come an High Priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made
with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood
He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and
of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much
more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your
conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Heb 9:8-14).
Prior to the Law of Moses: When the children of Israel were still in Egyptian captivity, long before God's
law was given to Moses, prior to the time God made the Old Covenant with them, we find God's annual holy
days being observed. God instituted the Passover at the first month of the year. "And the LORD spake unto
Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall
be the first month of the year to you" (Exod 12:1-2). In Leviticus 23, Numbers 28 and 29, we find a register of
these annual Holy Day or set appointed times. When the children of Israel were in the wilderness, God said that
the Sabbaths was a covenant sign between Him and His people. "Speak thou also unto the children of Israel,
saying, Verily My Sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations; that
ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you. Ye shall keep the Sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto
you: every one that defiles it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever does any work therein, that soul shall
be cut off from among His people. Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy
to the LORD: whosoever does any work in the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Wherefore the
children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual
covenant. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and
earth, and on the seventh day He rested, and was refreshed" (Exod 31: 13-17). Also see Ezek 20:12, 20. God's
Sabbaths are a sign between God and His people!!
The Purpose of God's Holy Days! God set in motion His plan of salvation for His chosen ones. He gave
His church seven annual feasts, with seven annual Holy Day Sabbaths! The annual Holy Days were appointed
to keep us in remembrance of the understanding of God's great plan of redemption. These annual Holy Days
picture the different epochs in the plan of spiritual creation-marks the dispensations and pictures their meaning.
It is a fact of history that those who profane God's weekly Sabbath and His Holy Day Sabbaths have lost the true
meaning of what these days pictures. The story of spiritual regeneration is in these feasts days. It is only those
who keep God's true Sabbaths and Holy Days that are given the true meaning of these days! When man lose sight
of God's plan of reproducing Himself, they lose the meaning of the plan of salvation.
Because each feast day has a purpose for mankind, we should follow them according to God's will and
not the ideas of men. We have been brought into the knowledge of keeping these days Holy, so we must keep
them according to God's word. As we learn more of God's word, we must put it into practice in our life, or else
we will lose understanding of this knowledge.
Our job today is not to convert the world, but to teach that the Kingdom of God will soon be here and
we must make ourselves ready to be a part of that Kingdom. We are to preach that Christ is coming again to rule
as King of kings, and Lord of lords. This is the true gospel- the good news of the Kingdom!
God has ordained three harvest feast for His people Israel. "Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto Me
in the year. Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I
commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou came out from Egypt: and none shall
appear before Me empty:) And the feast of harvest, the first-fruits of thy labors, which thou hast sown in the
field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end [turn] of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours
out of the field. Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord GOD" (Exod 23: 14-17).
These three harvest show us that God has set three times for the first-fruits to be brought before the Lord!
Commanded Holy Day offerings are to be given three times in a year. The word of God does not say to bring
a Holy Day offering seven time as some Churches of God teach. The ancients of Israel brought their offering at
each harvest. The feast of Unleavened Bread was the barley harvest. Next was the wheat harvest where the first
fruit of wheat was brought and the third harvest was the fruit, nuts and vegetable harvest that came at the late
harvest or end of the growing season. "Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God
in the place which He shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, 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 thy God which he hath given thee" (Deut 16: 16-17).
The Feast of Weeks or Pentecost is the only feast that we are instructed to count! All other Holy Days
or festivals come on definite days of definite months. But this one annual Sabbath must be determined by
counting! There are conflicting ways of counting for Pentecost. If we start our count from the weekly Sabbath
during the Days of Unleavened Bread, even if the weekly Sabbath is Passover and the day after is the first Holy
Day of the Days of Unleavened Bread we still come out on a Sunday after seven perfect Sabbaths! Others will
say you cannot start your count because the weekly Sabbath was Passover, Not the Days of Unleavened Bread!
But, the Sunday during the Days of Unleavened Bread is the 1 st Holy Day. This follows God's plan. Passover,
Wave Sheaf offering [a sheaf of the first-fruits], which we know was on a 1 st day of the week, Sunday! We
cannot take the steps out of order.
The Old Testament speaks of counting weeks for the offering of the wheat harvest. "And thou shalt
observe the feast of weeks, of the first-fruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year's end" (Exo.
24:22). "Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee: begin to number the seven weeks from such time as thou
begin to put the sickle to the corn. And thou shalt keep the feast of weeks unto the LORD thy God with a tribute
of a freewill offering of thine hand, which thou shalt give unto the LORD thy God, according as the LORD thy
God hath blessed thee" (Deut l6:9-10).
Some Churches teach that the New Testament Church did not start until Pentecost! But, is that true?
Christ had followers before Pentecost of Acts 2: 1. Some had the Holy Spirit breathed on them earlier! "And
when He had said this, He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit" (John 20:22).
On this special Pentecost the true Christians were of one accord! "And when the day of Pentecost was
fully come, they were all with one accord in one place" (Acts 2:1). The true disciples were all meeting together
at this time. At this Pentecost service, the power of the Holy Spirit from above was given to the disciples and
they preached in other languages!
The feast of Pentecost opened the way for the 2nd harvest of first-fruits being called out of the world
during the New Testament dispensation that began with power of the Holy Spirit being given to the Apostles
and brethren meeting with them. "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and
ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part
of the earth" (Acts 1:8).
This power gave the Apostles and disciples the ability to preach the gospel into all the world for a witness
that Christ was the Son of God, His government was coming and that His plan and purpose for mankind was
being worked out here on earth .
God is not calling all mankind to know His truth at this time. Only those who God the Father calls can
know the true Christ. "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. And He said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto Me, except it were
given unto him of My Father" (John 6:44, 65).
The whole world has been blinded to God's truth until the end of this age. Every one will be called to
know God's truth in their own order. The Father has opened the way so all Israel can be saved! Not only Israel,
but the Gentiles that have been grafted into the body of Christ. "Simeon hath declared how God at the first did
visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for His name. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it
is written, After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will
build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the
Gentiles, upon whom My name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things" (Acts 15:14-17).
God at this time is calling two groups to be offered up to the Father as the first-fruits of the wheat harvest.
This is picturing the two witnesses and the two Churches with them in Revelation 11. These two groups have
to go through the first part of the tribulation. They will be witnessing to the world of God's truth and His plan
of salvation.
WHY, did they have to go through the three and one half years of tribulation? Because they were
practicing syncretism!!
Syncretism is the mixing of religions. Christ had told His disciples to beware of the doctrine of the
Pharisees and Sadducees! "Then understood they how that He bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but
of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees" (Matt 16:12). These two churches were following the
"Pharisees" Jewish Hebrew calendar that incorporates the postponing of God's true Holy Days. The brethren of
the wheat harvest of Revelation 12:17 were postponing the Passover and Satan went to make war with them. It
is proven that two churches must go through the three and one half years of tribulation-Rev. 11. Revelation 12:
11, - The brethren of the barley harvest were keeping the true Passover- no postponing!!! They are protected by
God for three and one half years.
All during His ministry, Christ has warned His followers not to follow the Judaism of the Pharisees! He
knew that they were teaching the doctrines and commandments of men. "Then came together unto Him [Christ]
the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem. And when they saw some of His disciples
eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashed, hands, they found fault. For the Pharisees, and all the Jews,
except they wash their hands often, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. And when they come from the
market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the
washing of cups, and pots, bras en vessels, and of tables. Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, Why walk
not Thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands? He answered and
said unto them, Well has Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth Me with
their lips, but their heart is far from Me. Howbeit in vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the
commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing
of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And He said unto them, Full well ye reject the
commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition"(Mark 7:1-9).
The two wave loaves of Pentecost wheat harvest is also pictured as the 144,000 and mixed multitude of
Revelation 7. These are the servants that have to go through the tribulation. "And one of the elders answered,
saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him,
Sir, thou know. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their
robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Rev 7:13-14). They finally realize that they had been
keeping God's Passover and Holy Days on the wrong appointed dates and days!! ☜
COGIT