TRUTH PROPHECY AND MYSTERIES
James Russell
God, in His seven step plan for mankind's salvation, shows us some truth through His Holy Days and mysteries of prophecies for the time ahead.
In our Bible study we are always to keep in mind 1 Thessalonians 5:21. "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." Without going back over the old understanding. One prophetic Holy Day like the Feast of Trumpets, not fully understood correctly can make for confusion in the plan of God. In addition to this, it is even necessary to place predicted events in their right relationship one with the other. However, it is only through pain taking research and study of the text and context that anyone can hope to be able to properly visualize the exact meaning of each Holy Day.
The Apostle Paul reminds us through his letter to Timothy, "Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15). When we are able to do this, the results is an amazing unfolding of God's planned events, which are destined to transpire.
It is noticed whenever we draw attention to truth and the facts of prophecy we are often met with doubt and skepticism, yet there is no subject more fascinating then truth and prophecy, particularly the forecasting of the future for God's people and world events.
There are four things about truth and prophecy we need to understand. One, prophecy in God's word has not been give to man to make them prophets. Two, prophecy in God's word, is for the purpose of confirming His word. Three, prophecy is to enable men who walk by faith to know and recognize the truth. Four, prophecy is an important part of God's revelation to His called people, His chosen first fruits.
It is because of prophecy, Paul could say, "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that day should overtake you as a thief. You are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober"(1 Thessalonians 5:1-6). This sounds like Paul is speaking of the 5 wise virgins of Matthew 25. It is only the children of light who will be fully informed of truth and prophesied events.
One other thing we need to keep in mind, there are three necessary factors that must be recognized in order to accurately date truth and prophetic fulfillment. These are: 1). Time 2). Place 3). And event. The time of occurrence is important, the place where it happens is important, to these two, must be added the predicted events! And this is to occur at the exact junction of time and place. If any one of these three factors is missing, the particular prophecy is not in the process of fulfillment.
When speaking of prophesied events like up coming Feast of Trumpets, we must keep in mind what Peter told us, "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:20-21). And we know from 1 Corinthians 13:8, "prophecy can fail."
In First Corinthians 5, which was written by Paul just before the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread, he starts in verse 6 by saying, "Your glorying is not good, know you not that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that you maybe a new lump, as you are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the Unleavened bread of sincerity and truth" (vs7-8). Paul is saying we are to purge out old leaven, old sins - old ways- and our old human reasoning and thinking. And put on God's ways and thinking and come under His words, His authority so we will be accepted as His first fruits, like we know Jesus Christ was!
God inspired Paul also to write in his first letter to the Corinthians, "Let all things be done decently and in order" (1 Corinthians 14:40). And in verse 33, "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints."
With that thought, note in the Old Testament Leviticus 23 where the table of Holy Days are found. This is where God's master plan is outlined in the form of seven annual festivals for the salvation of all mankind. It begins with Passover, the first of God's commanded annual festivals. Christ sacrificed His life's blood for our sins to be forgiven and for our redemption. We are also reminded by His stripes [repeatedly whipped] we are healed.
The second step is called the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This observance, impresses upon us that we must strive not to return to our sins which Christ paid for with His shed blood. God's third step, "Pentecost" called by different names in the Bible, the Feast of Harvest, [speaking of the late spring wheat harvest ], the Feast of Weeks. With these titles are there more to this Feast of First Fruits then we have been taught? The Feast of first Fruits begins with the wave sheaf offering of Christ, who is the first cut down from the barley field of God's first fruits. Christ was historically offered to God the Father and accepted as the first of the first fruits from the barley harvest on wave sheaf Sunday during the Days Of Unleavened Bread.
Fifty days following wave sheaf Sunday is Pentecost. Here also we read of a group called first fruits, this story start in verse 15 of Leviticus. 23. "And you shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven Sabbaths shall be complete: even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall you number fifty days; and you shall offer a new meat offering unto the Lord. You shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven; they are the first-fruits unto the Lord" (Leviticus 23:15-17). These two loaves made up of wheat have leavening in them. Continuing to read verses :20-21, that's still talking about Pentecost, "And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the First -fruits for 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 selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: you shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations." Verses10-21 confirms that Pentecost will always be on a Sunday.
What is the definition of first fruits? First the Old Testament definition from Strong's #1061 speaks only of physical fruit offered to God, like grain, fruit, nuts, etc. etc. On the Spiritual side first fruits in the Old Testament, is Strong's #7225/ 7218-1.) Chief first fruits; 2.) Highest part of Priest; 3.) The head; 4.) Ruler; 5.) Beginning of Kingdom; 6.) First earliest of Nations; 7.) First of fruits; 8.) Phase, step or element in course of events of a thing; 9.) First season-spring; 10.) Chief; 11.) Choicest part.
The New Testament definition of first fruits found in Strong's # 536/ 756, is 1.) Used of persons consecrated to God; leading the rest in time; 2.) used of persons superior in excellence to others of the same class; 3.) Those who have the first fruits of future blessings in the spirit; 4.) to be the first to do anything - to begin; 5.) To be chief, leader, or ruler. These definitions are taken from Thayer's Greek Lexicon and New Brown-Driver, Briggs, Hebrew, Lexicon Copyright 1993.
As God's spiritual Temple we must look at God's Word in a spiritual way and not a physical way. Metaphorically, God uses the early and late Spring harvest seasons, followed by the Fall agriculture harvest as symbolic types of His spiritual harvests.
WHEAT and BARLEY BARLEY FIRST FRUITS WHEAT FIRST FRUITS
The early barley harvest and two leaven wave loaves made from later spring wheat, represented two separate first-fruit groups of people. When reading verse 17 in Leviticus 23, it stated clearly they are the first fruits unto the Lord. This informs us we have been predestine to be first fruits and have been accepted as the Lords first fruits. The early barley harvest first fruits is unleavened. And the two later spring wheat loaves still have leaven in them because they represent human beings with a physical nature, yet in them. These represents two separate harvested groups of first fruits that belong to the Lord.
They are written about in Apostle John's end time vision in Revelation 12. There we read of two different made up groups of people like we have already experienced seeing. One group kept Passover at God's appointed time, like Numbers 9, verse 2 and 3 shows us to do. "Let the children of Israel also keep the Passover at His appointed season. [appointed time]. In the fourteenth day of this month, at even, you shall keep it in his appointed season: [appointed time] according to all the rites of it, and according to all the ceremonies thereof, shall you keep it." The second group of first fruits kept a postponed Passover, that's was not at its appointed time. 2 Chronicles chapter 30: gives us a hint on why many missed the first appointed spring Passover. "......For they could not keep it at [its appointed] time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently, neither had the people gathered themselves together ...." (2 Chronicles 30:2-3). This clear example shows us why the people today were absent at God's appointed time Passover and will cause them to not come under the protection of Christ's redeeming blood.
Back to John's vision of these two groups of first fruits. One predestined group goes to a place of protection, maybe to become the Bride of Christ while the other group goes through the first part of the Tribulation. We read of these two groups in Revelation 12. "And to the woman [that represents a church] were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the Wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth" (Revelation 12:14-16).
The next verse, verse 17 speaks of the second called group that keeps the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. "And the dragon was wroth with the woman, [ the early barley harvested group ] and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the Commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." Why were they not going to a place of protection? Because they did not keep God's appointed times, postponing them so they missed coming under the redeeming blood of Christ. Those who went to a place of protection, "Overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death" (Revelation 12:11).
Those that John calls the remnant in verse 17, are also recognized in Revelation 7, as the 144,000 and mixed multitude that God seals after the sixth seal and will go through Satan's wrath like the two witnesses will experience. As a side note, the first qualified first fruits of the barley harvest are taken to the place of protection after the 4th seal. This group will not go through the Great tribulation of Satan nor the angels 6th trumpet plagues. By the way, what said is not stamped in granite only God can do that!
We need to know the meaning of mystery that God uses throughout the Bible - His word! There is a mystery of the kingdom of heaven. There is a mystery of Israel's blindness during this age. A mystery of the translation of living saints at the end of this age. Also the mystery of the New Testament church. A mystery of the church as the bride of Christ and a mystery of God and Christ. What is a mystery in scripture? The mystery in God's word is a previously hidden truth now being divinely revealed. In the book of Revelation, the book of revealing, trumpets play a major role during God's three woes at the end of this age.
John tells us, "And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets" (Rev. 8:2). These seven trumpets given by God to the angels to blow during the time of God's wrath bring on the three woes. Strong' s # 4536 and 4537 gives us the meaning of theses seven trumpets. 1). Trumpets which sounds at God's command; 2). The trumpet which sounds at the last day; 3). Makes a great noise about to every bodies ears; 4). Do a thing with a flourish of trumpets. These definitions are taken from Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament by Baker. Let's look at a couple of verses that uses the term mystery. Remember the definition. This mystery in God's word is a previously hidden truth now being divinely revealed.
Christ told His disciples of another mystery in Matthew 13, "And the disciples came, and said unto Him, why speak You unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever has not, from him shall be taken away even that he has. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand" (Matthew 13:10-13).
Understanding was one of the things the 5 foolish virgins did not have, that is why they were told to go "Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding" (Proverbs 23 :23 ).
This word mystery is expressed again in 1 Corinthians 15:51, where in my Bible over this verse it says "mystery of the resurrection" "Behold, I shew you a mystery; [a hidden truth] we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality" (1 Corinthians 15:51-53).
Paul writes again in a letter on this subject to the church in Thessalonica. The heading over this section of scripture in my Bible reads "the revelation of the translation of the church." "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, [something is about to be revealed] concerning them which are asleep, that you sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: wherefore comfort one another with these words. And so shall we ever be with the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). These two sets of scripture I Corinthians 15 and 1 Thessalonians 4, are not the last trumpet of Revelation 11:15, that the seventh angel blows. In passing let's put this verse in our thoughts. "And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever" (Revelation 11:15). This trumpet designated the signal of the end of this age has come.
The two groups mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15 and 1 Thessalonians 4, are distinguished by the dead and the we. "The dead shall be raised incorruptible" and the we which are alive shall be changed." The term "dead" refer to those who have died in Christ. The term "we" refer to those who are still living at the time of this resurrection. Why is this trumpet found in 1 Corinthians 15 and 1 Thessalonians 4, not the 7th trumpet of Revelation 11:15? Read verse 16 of 1 Thessalonians 4 again, "For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: [with the trumpet of God] and the dead in Christ shall rise first" (1 Thessalonians 4:16). Notice: that only one trumpet will be sounded! This trumpet is the trumpet of God! Not the trumpets He gave to the seven angels to blow. We can find God's trumpet being discussed in Numbers 10. "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Make you two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt you make them: that you may use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps. And when they shall blow with them, all the assembly shall assemble themselves to you at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And if they blow but with one trumpet, then the princes, which are heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto you" (Num.10:1-4). Princes which are the heads is Strong's # 7218 means - 1). captain; 2). chief-est; 3). man; 4). first; 5). fore-front; 6). leader; 7). rulers; 8). priests. These titles describe God's first fruits!
We have already read the meaning of the 7 trumpets the angels blew. Now let's read the Hebrew definitions of the trumpet of God found in Strong's #2689 - meaning, 1). used by watchmen, priest and leaders; 2). to gather a congregation together; 3). To gather over a sacrifice; 4). to sound an alarm - esp - to gather at a festival; 5). for gathering in Christ; 6). description of ceremonies at festivals; 7). to express rejoicing. These definitions for the trumpet of God are from "The New Brown-Driver- Briggs-Gensenius Hebrew-English Lexicon of the Old Testament," by J.P. Green.
The 7th trumpet of God's wrath, blown by the angels does not express the trump of God used in 1 Corinthians 15 or in 1 Thessalonians 4. This trump of God solves the mystery of these verses!
Re-capping for your study: 1. The early barley harvest first fruits are the people who kept the Passover on the correct day, and will become the bride of Jesus Christ 2. The two wave loaves of bread are called first fruits and were accepted by the Lord on the day of Pentecost. They will be invited to the marriage supper. We find these two first fruits groups spoken of in a variety of ways in the New Testament. Five wise and five foolish virgins (Matthew 25). One group go to a place of safety and the other is left behind (Revelation 12:). One group is redeemed by the blood of Christ (Revelation 12:11), the other is called the remnant (Revelation 12:17). One 144,000 group are called first fruits (Revelation 14). The other 144,000 group are called servants (Revelation 7). The 144,000 group that are called first fruits in Revelation. 14:4 go to a place of safety [protection] after the white, red, black and pale horses that brings deception, war, famine and pestilence. The other mixed multitude and 144,000 called servants are sealed after going through the great tribulation and heavenly signs, Revelation 7:14. Then at the end of the sixth seal they are taken to the place of safety and joining up with those that have been in the place of protection for the past two and one half years of Satan's wrath. [See Isaiah 33:14-17,19; Isaiah 26:16-21].
Revelation 8:1, tells us "When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour." Could this be when the wedding takes place? Will this take place before the seventh angle sounds the 7th last trumpet, during God's fourth step Feast of Trumpets? will we come back to earth with Christ after that space of a half an hour, on the day of Trumpets that happens at the angels 7th trumpet blast. "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!" (Rev.17:14).
Remember, time, place and event! The time of occurrence is important, the place where it happens is important, and to these two, must be added the predicted event. And this is to occur at the exact junction of time and place. If any one of these three factors is missing the particular prophecy is not in the process of fulfillment.
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