Biblical Forensics©


“Deliverance before Judgment”

Part 26


In this segment, we will discuss the First of the Fall Feasts. It is the most significant day on the Hebrew calendar. The Feasts are described in Leviticus 23 and are considered Divine Appointments or Holy Convocations –(Leviticus 23:4). The Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled the Spring Feasts, not only to the day, but to the very hour and moment! This is a significant realization to appreciate when examining how fulfillment will occur for the fall feasts. Why is this important?

While preparations were being made not only on the day before but also on the days following the Jewish Feast of Passover, Jesus Himself was readying Himself to become the Passover Lamb. His death and the way He died fulfilled some 25 prophecies alone.(9) He was crucified at the time of the morning sacrifice and died at the time of the evening sacrifice. He was in the grave on the Feast of Unleavened Bread and He was resurrected on the Feast of First Fruits. First Fruits was a Feast the Jews had celebrated for over 1,000 years before Christ Jesus ever rose! Christians know the Feast of First Fruits as Easter. It was on the very day of the Feast of Pentecost that the Holy Spirit was poured out upon what was to become the beginning of the Church. Pentecost was celebrated for over 1,000 years before the book of Acts was ever written. The Jews were required by God to keep the Feast of First Fruits and the Feast of Pentecost back when the Torah was first written and given to them by Moses. (c. 1446-1406 B.C.)(1)

The Biblical word “Feast” does not mean food. The Hebrew word for Feast is “Moed” and it means an Appointment.(2) Divine Appointments of God intersect with history specifically to accomplish God’s will. They were called Holy “Convocations”, which in Hebrew is “Miqra”. This means an “assembly” but also implies a “Devine Rehearsal”.(3) In Exodus, Israel was redeemed and established as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation; and in Leviticus Israel is taught how to fulfill their priestly call. They have been led out from the land of bondage in Exodus and into the sanctuary of God in Leviticus. They move from redemption to service, from deliverance to dedication. Leviticus centers on the concept of the holiness of God, and how an unholy people can acceptably approach Him and then remain in continued fellowship. The way to God is only through blood sacrifice, and the walk with God is only through obedience to His Laws. The word “holy” occurs ninety (90X) times in Leviticus, and the word “sanctify,” seventeen (17X) times. Leviticus falls into two major sections:

The Jews had been assembling for the Spring Feasts as Divine “Dress Rehearsals” for over 1,000 years and were given these Laws of the Sanctified Feasts during the latter part of the Israelite encampment at Sinai.(1) These Feasts represented or typified shadows in preparation or anticipation for what was to come! -(Colossians 2:17; Hebrews 10:1). As such, they were performed only on the Divinely Appointed days to the exact hour, representing when God would intersect with history by sending His Son, Jesus so that all would know how to identify that He was the prophesied One!

Most people, particularly the Roman, Orthodox, and all but a few Protestant denominations “spiritualize” the Bible, and in so doing they do not treat the Bible as a literal document.(4) Additionally, they maintain the view that the Jews along with their promises, their mission, and their destiny were replaced by the Church. The term “Supersessionism” comes from two Latin words: super (“on” or “upon”) and sedere (“to sit”). Thus it carries the idea of one person sitting on another’s chair, displacing the latter. It appears that “Supersessionism” is based on two core beliefs:

Their stance results in what is known as “Supersessionism” or “Replacement Theology”, which teaches that God has washed His hands of the Jews.(5) This is a lie from the pit of Hell. Proponents of this belief reject a Pre-Tribulation Rapture largely because of their theological position. Unfortunately, they have become blinded by a veil of confusion. In Romans, chapters 9-11, the Apostle Paul tackles this issue. Generally speaking, as much as 80% of the larger Christian community presently do not fully grasp the doctrine of “Deliverance before Judgment”. They errantly misunderstand the Old Testament portion of the Bible, the Jewish faith, and what God’s purpose was in the first place for these Feasts or “Divine Appointments” or why they were instituted as outlined in Leviticus 23. Their errant theology will result in the forfeiture of the blessing of the Rapture. In a sequel series we examine the “Sin and Consequences of Unbelief”.

It seems almost as if these folks are reading an alternate Bible! More importantly, they are ill-prepared to teach others about what God’s Word really has to say concerning the Lord’s Second Coming, or the Pre-Tribulation Rapture which will occur seven years prior to His return. As a result of errant “Replacement Theology”, Satan and his minions have deceived the multitudes who believe in Supersessionism or “Replacement Theology” and they have fallen prey to complacency with regards to the imminent return of the Lord at the End of Days!

As noted at the beginning, Jesus Christ fulfilled the first four of God’s Divine Appointments identified in Leviticus 23. He not only fulfilled the first four “Moedim" or Divine Appointments to the day, but even more precisely to the hour and exact moment. This is all detailed in the particulars of the first four Spring Feasts.

The next Feast to be fulfilled by Jesus will be the Feast of Trumpets (also known as Rosh HaShanah among other Hebrew names). This feast occurs in the fall of the year, between early September and mid-October, on the Jewish calendar. Last year, the Feast of Trumpets occurred on September 15-16, 2015. Of the “seven” Feast Days, all but one occur on a full moon and that Feast is the Feast of Trumpets. It occurs on the beginning of the new moon, with at least 3-degrees of luminescence. It is known in the Bible as the “Unknown Day”, and is referred to as one long-day, or 48-hours. This is the day Jesus was referencing when he said: “But of that day and hour no one knows, no, not the angels of Heaven, but only My Father.” –(Matthew 24:36). Jesus’ response to the disciples is grossly misunderstood by most of the Christian world today because it is a Hebrew “idiomatic expression” specifically pointing to the Feast of Trumpets. This is the only holy day marked by the new moon and is set apart for that reason as being special. While it says one thing, Jesus used it to denote something different.

Yom Teruah (Feast of Trumpets or Rosh HaShanah) is the only festival that no man knows when exactly it will occur. This is related to the fact that it begins on the new moon. The new moon was sanctified when two witnesses see the new moon and attest to it before the Sanhedrin in the Temple. This sanctification could happen during either of two days, depending on when the witnesses arrive. Since no one knew when the witnesses would come, no one knew when the Feast of Trumpets would start.(6) Hence, the idiomatic expression: “no one knows the day or the hour.”

Eighty percent of the Christian community today totally misunderstands or overlooks this meaning completely. However, Jesus was clearly telling His followers what the precise “Feast Day” was and when to expect His return. At the time this segment was prepared, we could not know or tell when the Feast of Trumpets would occur because it is governed by certain agricultural details. Oddly, in this particular year (2016), the Jewish Feast of Passover is scheduled by the Jews on the Hebrew calendar to occur on April 23-24 after the Christian calendar date of Easter on March 27th. This is something that in theory cannot occur, because it violates the sequence of events and their intended meaning. The Jewish calendar shows the Feast of Trumpets for 2016 occurring on October 3-4, but it could occur as much as a full month earlier. It all depends on an event known as “the ripening of the barley”.

The Biblical reference to the barley being in ‘Abib’ is found in Exodus 13:4. Exodus 23:15 discusses this and what it means: “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 camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty.)”  The Biblical year begins with the first New Moon after the barley in Israel reaches the stage in its ripeness called Abib.(7) The period between one year and the next is either 12 or 13 lunar months. Because of this, it is important to check the state of the barley crops at the end of the 12th month. If the barley is Abib at that time, then the following New Moon is “Chodesh Ha Aviv” (“New Moon of the Abib”). If the barley is still immature, we wait another month, and then check the barley again at the end of the 13th month.

All of this may seem quite strange to Gentiles or even Christians, but it can be considered central to Jews and is based upon Exodus and Leviticus in the Old Testament Torah. Modern day Jewry deviates from the Biblical Feast Days and the requirements of the Bible. That does not in any way diminish the importance of the Feast dates. The point is that the ripeness of the barley determines the Biblical calendar and the sequential order of the Spring Feasts of the Lord as well as the Fall Feasts. The significance of this makes it twice as important especially now since Jesus fulfilled the Spring Feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, and Pentecost. I will have more on this as the barley season progresses toward its state of “Abib” ripeness for harvest and its established date.

The one thing to keep in mind is that God is the One who schedules His Divine Appointments with man. We don’t dictate to Him when the Feasts will or should fit into our schedule or when they are correct and accurate based upon our perceptions. Remember that we can have scheduled “Divine Appointments” with God because He has already put them in His Day-Timer, and He has revealed the days and times to all of us!

Jeremiah 8:7-9 says, “Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times, and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but My people know not the judgment of the LORD. The “Feast of Trumpets” goes by many different names, each one conveying a different aspect of this “Divine Appointment”. This will be covered in greater detail because the collective body of evidence suggests that the “Rapture of the Church” will take place on this feast. The “Feast of Trumpets” is also known as “Yom Teruah”, which literally means “Day of Blowing”. This is the only Feast Day when the shofar is blown 100 times during the service. It is blown in a specific set pattern of three different sounds, blown 3 times each for a total of 9 blasts. This series of patterns is repeated 11 times for a total of 99 blasts. The 100th blast is set apart and is the blast that is known as the “Last Trump”!(8)

Those who deny the doctrine of “Deliverance before Judgment” are oblivious to what this segment means. Since they do not believe in the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, the implication and significance of this, the first of the Fall Feasts, (known as the “Feast of Trumpets”) is missed and completely overlooked by most of the Christian community.

It has been said that, “The New Testament is in the Old concealed, and the Old Testament is in the New Testament revealed“. The theme of “Deliverance before Judgment” and the Pre-Tribulation Rapture is interconnected with the Old Testament teachings of the Lord. In a future segment, more will be revealed on the Fall Feast of Trumpets and its association with the Day of the Lord and the Pre-Tribulation Rapture. It is unfortunate that many internet websites attack this teaching despite the fact that they have minimal understanding of God’s Master Plan for Redemption. Because of this, they fail to grasp the difference between Israel and the Church. Without an understanding of this Biblical distinction, one can never hope to integrate all the nuanced details and specifics that confuse people and cause doubts concerning their own salvation.

After more than fifty years in ministry and having conducted a thorough study of Bible prophecy, I can say with confidence that God’s plan includes “Deliverance before Judgment”.



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The Feasts of the Lord(1)

The liturgical calendar also holds a significant place in the book of Leviticus. In ancient Israel there were seven annual religious festivals especially ordained by God:

  1. Passover (“pesah” in Hebrew.) -(Exodus 12:1-28, Exodus 12:43-49; Leviticus 23:5; Numbers 28:16; Deuteronomy 16:1-8).

  1. Feast of Unleavened Bread (“matsot” in Hebrew) -(Exodus 12:15-20; Exodus 13:3-10; Leviticus 23:6-8; Numbers 28:17-25; Deuteronomy 16:3-8).

  1. Day of Firstfruits (“Bikkurim” in Hebrews) -Leviticus 23:9-14

  1. Feast of Pentecost (or Weeks: “shabuot” in Hebrew) -Leviticus 23:15-22; Numbers 28:26-31; Deuteronomy 16:9-12

  1. Day of Trumpets (“Rosh Hashanah” in Hebrew) Lev 23:23-25; Numbers 10:10; Numbers 29:1-6

  1. Day of Atonement (“Yom Kippur” in Hebrew) Leviticus 16; Leviticus 23:26-32; Numbers 29:7-11

  1. Feast of Tabernacles (Booths or Ingathering; “Sukkot” in Hebrew) Leviticus 23:33-43; Numbers 29:12-38; Deuteronomy 16:13-17

Israel's Other Sacred Times(1)

Besides the Annual Feasts, Israel's time was marked by these other sacred events.



Pastor Bob


Notes:

  1. Nelson's Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts—Revised and Updated Edition

  2. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?strongs=h4150

  3. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?t=kjv&strongs=h4744

  4. http://www.garriss.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/interpretation_errors.pdf

  5. https://www.tms.edu/m/tmsj20d.pdf

  6. https://www.raptureready.com/soap/taylor82.html

  7. http://biblehub.com/topical/a/abib.htm

  8. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=452lzbKGteI&list=RDEjU7XW5zpRc&index=24

  9. https://bible.org/article/messianic-prophecies




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