Gap creationism (also known as Ruin-Restoration creationism, Restoration creationism, or "The Gap Theory"), is a form of Old Earth creationism that posits that the six-day creation, as described in the Book of Genesis, involved literal 24-hour days, but that there was a gap of time between two distinct creations in the first and the second verses of Genesis, explaining many scientific observations, including the age of the Earth.[1][2][3] In this it differs from Day-Age creationism, which posits that the 'days' of creation were much longer periods (of thousands or millions of years), and from Young Earth creationism, which although it agrees concerning the six literal 24-hour days of creation, does not posit any gap of time
Gap creationism became increasingly attractive near the end of the eighteenth century and first half of the nineteenth century, because the newly established science of geology had determined that the Earth was far older than a literal interpretation of Genesis and the Bible-based Flood geology would allow. Gap creation allowed religious geologists (who comprised the majority of the geological community at the time) to reconcile their faith in the Bible with the new authority of science. According to the doctrine of natural theology, science was in this period considered a second revelation, God's word in nature as well as in scripture, so the two could not contradict each other.[4]
Gap creationism was popularized by Thomas Chalmers, a divinity professor at the University of Edinburgh, founder of the Free Church of Scotland, and author of one of the Bridgewater Treatises, who attributed it to 17th century Dutch Arminian theologian Simon Episcopius. Other early proponents included Oxford University geology professor and fellow Bridgewater author William Buckland, Sharon Turner and Edward Hitchcock.[4]
It gained widespread attention when a "second creative act"[5] was discussed prominently in the reference notes for Genesis in the influential 1917 Scofield Reference Bible.[4]
In 1954, a few years before the re-emergence of Young Earth Flood geology eclipsed Gap creationism, influential evangelical theologian Bernard Ramm wrote in The Christian View of Science and Scripture:[4]
The gap theory has become the standard interpretation throughout hyper-orthodoxy, appearing in an endless stream of books, booklets, Bible studies, and periodical articles. In fact, it has become so sacrosanct with some that to question it is equivalent to tampering with Sacred Scripture or to manifest modernistic leanings.
This book by Ramm was influential in the formation of another alternative to gap creationism, that of progressive creationism, which found favour with more conservative members of the American Scientific Affiliation (a fellowship of scientists who are Christians), with the more modernist wing of that fellowship favouring theistic evolution.[6]
Proponents of this form of creationism have included Cyrus I. Scofield, Harry Rimmer, Jimmy Swaggart,[7] G. H. Pember, L. Allen Higley,[4] Arthur Pink, Donald Grey Barnhouse and Clarence Larkin.[8]
Canadian physiologist Arthur Custance has argued that the belief can be traced back to biblical times, citing the Targum of Onkelos (2nd c. BC), Akiba ben Joseph's Sefer Hazzohar (1st c. AD), Origen's De Principiis (3rd c. AD), and Caedmon (7th c. AD).[9]
Interpretation of Genesis
Gap creationists believe that science has proven beyond reasonable doubt that the Earth is far older than can be accounted for by, for instance, adding up the ages of Biblical patriarchs and comparing it with secular historical data, as James Ussher famously attempted in the 17th century when he developed the Ussher chronology.
To maintain that the Genesis creation account is inerrant in matters of scientific fact, Gap creationists suppose that certain facts about the past and the age of the Earth have been omitted from the Genesis account; specifically that there was a gap of time in the Biblical account that lasted an unknown number of years between a first creation in Genesis 1:1 and a second creation in Genesis 1:2-31. By positing such an event, various observations in a wide range of fields, including the age of the Earth, the age of the universe, dinosaurs, fossils, ice cores, ice ages, and geological formations are allowed by adherents[10][11][12][12] to have occurred as outlined by science without contradicting their literal belief in Genesis.
Biblical support
Because there is no specific information given in Genesis concerning the proposed gap of time, other scriptures are used to support and explain what may have occurred during this period and to explain the specific linguistic reasoning behind this interpretation of the Hebrew text. A short list of examples is given below:
The word "was" in Genesis 1:2 is more accurately translated "became". Such a word choice makes the gap interpretation quite easier to see in modern English.[9][11][13]
God is perfect and everything he does is perfect, so a newly created earth from the hand of God shouldn't have been without form and void and shrouded in darkness. Deuteronomy 32:4, Isaiah 45:18 1 John 1:5[10][11][13]
The Holy Spirit was "renewing" the face of the earth as he hovered over the face of the waters. Psalms 104:30[11][13][14][unreliable source?]
Angels already existed in a state of grace when God "laid the foundations of the Earth", so there had been at least one creative act of God before the six days of Genesis. Job 38:4-7[11][14]
Satan had fallen from grace "in the beginning" which, since the serpent tempted Adam and Eve, had to have occurred before the Fall of man. Isaiah 14:12-15, Ezekiel 28:11-19, John 8:44[10][11][14]
Space, time, water, and the rock which constitutes the main body of the earth, existed before the period of six days began in Genesis 1:3.[12]
Commonly called the "Gap Theory" or Ruin-Reconstruction interpretation, it is a theological interpretation much older than Darwin's Theory of Evolution. It is based on the Scriptural fact that in the second verse of Genesis, the Holy Bible simply and clearly states that the planet Earth was already here (but in a ruined state) before the Divine process described in those six days even begins. Understanding this Biblical mystery begins with the precise wording of this New Testament cross-reference:
"For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men."
(2 Pet 3:5-7 KJV)
Contrary to popular interpretation, the above passage is NOT a reference to Noah's flood. And the only other place in the Bible where the Earth was covered in waters is Genesis 1:2. The ramifications are obvious: The literal wording suggests that the "heavens and the earth, which are now" (made during the seven days) was not the first-time creation of all things as is traditionally assumed. The Word of God appears to be telling the reader there was a previous populated world on the face of this old Earth before God formed the present world of modern Man. This invalidates the popular Doctrine of Young Earth Creationism.
The Bible itself provides insight into a great mystery in Earth's natural history at what is known as the Pleistocene - Holocene boundary. Science remains at a loss to definitively explain the Ice Age and the anomaly of the mysterious mega fauna extinctions across the face of the Earth about 12,000 to 10,000 Radio Carbon years ago. Geologic evidence from that period indicates extraordinary global massive volcanism, gigantic tidal waves, seismic activity on a vast scale, and extreme temperature swings on the Earth over a geologically brief period of time. It is no coincidence that the Bible at Genesis 1:2 describes the Earth as flooded, desolate, and in darkness in the timeframe closely corresponding to these catastrophic events in the Earth's natural history. Clearly, these two mysteries are linked.
Why the old "world that then was" ended, and why God made a new world and modern Man, requires a study into the ancient origins of Satan and the Angels. The Earth has an ancient natural history that can be deciphered from the geologic record, but it also has an equally important ancient spiritual history that can only be deciphered from Rightly-Dividing the Holy Bible. Knowledge of both is required to correctly reconcile Geology and the Book of Genesis. We pray you will find this material useful in your study of God's Holy Word.
These are the generations [ ] of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,
(Genesis 2:4 KJV)
ap Creationism is an ancient idea. The first theologian who thought of such an idea was St. Justin Martyr. He was born in the year 100 and coverted to Christianity in the year 130 of our Lord. He was pesecuted for his faith and was beheaded in the year 165. St. Justin Martyr supposes an indefinte period between the Creation and the first ordering of all things. This puts the idea of gap creationism 1,700 years before the scientific data of geology gave it credibility.
Another great theologian and philosopher that believed in gap creationism was St. Augustine of Hippo. He was born in the year 354 and died in 430. He believend in a considerable interval between the Creation related in the first verse of Genesis and of an account given in the third and following verses.
There is a great space of time since gap creationism was taught in our history. The reason was that many false teachings of our Lord and Savior came into existence by falsely lead believers, and much time was spent straightening out such false doctrines. Also, the Dark Ages entered into the existence of the world, and education was frowned upon.
After the Dark Ages, the gap theory was traced to a man named Simon Episcopius who was born in 1583 and died in 1643, and who was a theologian and scholar of his time. In the works of Episcopius, the gap theory of creationism show up in more detail. Thus, the gap theory of the old-earth theory predates the present-day geology by 200 years.
The gap theory has been portrayed as an attempt to change the Word of God as a way to appease the scientific discoveries. Scientist have gotten its idea of an age-old universe from ministers of the Word of God years before geological evidence came into existence. How is it possible then to claim that the gap theory compromises the Word of God? Also, present-day evolution was not coined until after the writings of Charles Darwin. By the way, Charles Darwin was a minister of the Word of God who graduated in the top ten of his theology class. Some major changes were made to his work for approval by the unbelieving scientists of the time. Darwin believed in God as the creator of the universe.
Charles Darwin has been misunderstood by both religion and science. His teaching have been misrepresented by science and condemned by most believers in God when it ought not to be the case. The word evolution is not even in his writings, but some geologist insist that we come from apes. It is a historical fact that many modern-day geologist believe in evolution, but the early geologist were Christians, and they believed in a vast amount of years for the Creation to occur. Evolutionists have taken the geological evidence and twisted these facts to promote evolution of the species. No such evidence is seen in geological formations.
Rev. Thomas Chalmers (1780-1847), a mathematician and a respected minister, was a leader in the Free Church of Scotland. Thomas Chalmers became one of the most popular preacher of his time. He taught the gap theory, and it was accepted by many.
Rev. Thomas Chalmers, in a review of Cuvier's Theory of the Earth, taught that there was a vast period for the formation of the geological ages and the organic ages to have occurred after Genesis 1 when God created out of nothingness. Genesis 1:2 was a period, which life became void and formless; and the sun, the moon, and the stars were temporarily extingushed. Genesis 1:3 was to be preserved as the natural twenty-four-hour periods and the restoration of the old heavens and the earth.
Science in this author's opinion has made a terrible mistake. They have taken the fact of the geological ages, the fossils of vegetable and applied those fossils to the idea that man must have developed just the same way without any fossils of man evolving from apes. Man was made in the image of God so he could have not evolved from apes, your are implying that God himself has evolved, for man was made in his image. Man was far more superior to the plants or beasts of the field.
Dr. John Pye-Smith (1774-1851), who was a good acquaintance of Thomas Chalmers, had almost the same view as Rev. Chalmers. In the Congregational Lecture Sixth Series, Scripture and Geology in 1840, he gives a brilliant defense of the gap theory of creation and a scholarly offence for the promotion of that theory. This man's credibility was attacked by ignorant believers in God and also by geologists.He wrote more extensively on the subject of gap creationism than most others who believed in this gap theory.
Rev. Denis Crofton was another advocate for the gap theory of creation. In his book Genesis and Geology printed in 1853, he gives many scriptures on the gap theory and biblically defends the theory with boldness and brilliance. There were many other ministers that defended such a theory.
Yet many evangelical Christians tell us that they all changed their minds about the gap theory of creation, which simply is not true. This is a misrepresentation of the historical fact of the gap theory of creation.
Rev. William Buckland was the first to read rock formations and the first to find a lizard that was considered a dinosaur. He was the first to find a complete skeleton that predates Adam. He believed that it was the minister's duty to study what the creator has created and to learn more about God. In 1820, he published a book The Connection of Geology with Religion explained. William Buckland believed in a gap-theory catastrophe. In 1823, he published a book Observations on the Organic Remains Contained in Caves, Fissures, and diluvial Gravel and Other Geological Phenomena, Attesting the Action of a Universal Deluge. When you read this book, you can see the subtleties against the young-earth concept.
Other geologists agreed with the age-old theory of creation.
Hugh Miller in his 1857 book The Testimony of the Rocks states both sides of the issue of young-earth and old-earth theory of Creation. He personally makes a stand for the old-age earth theory though it is different than gap creationism, and it is stated in this book although we are told that he believed otherwise.
Also, reverend and professor of geology, Edward Hitchcock defends the concept of the old-age earth and gap creationism with scripture and geology. In his 1851 book Religion of Geology and Its Connected Sciences, he clearly states the gap of time between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. The list continues to grow while I do my research and buy rare book on the gap theory of creation. These are just a gew of the major players in the old-earth concept.
Why do we not teach this concept anymore and pretend that the great minds of Christians from the past are insignificant?
These are just a few prominent individuals that believed in the gap theory of creation. Creationists have labeled them as compromisers of the Word of God. Compromisers believe in scientific evidences in geology and say that the world is old, and the scriptures do support those ideas, Creationists believe in a literal six-day Creation and believe the universe is no older than 10,000 years and say the scriptures do not support the universe as being old. Therefore, creationists have given those that believe in the gap theory of creation a negative label to discourage others from believing in the same way as gap creationist.
Our best expositors of scripture, says Rev. David King of Glasgow, seem to be now pretty generally agreed, that the opening verse in Genesis has no connection with the verses that follow. They think it may be understood as making a separate and independent state ment regarding the creation proper, and that the phrase in the beginning may be expressive of an indefinitely remote antiquity. On this principle the Bible recognizes, in the first instance, the great age of the earth, and then tells us of the changes it underwent at a period long subsequent, in order to render it a fit abode for the family of man. The work of the six days was not, according to this view, a creation in the strict sense of the term, but a renovation, a remodeling of preexisting.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Seven pillars of the coming God's church of which all mankind will be members
1.Belief that bible(66 books) is the word of God.2.Worship in truth and spirit(pentecostal/charismatic).
3.Two rituals ordained by Jesus-confessional baptism and eucharist along with offerings-tithes,and animal sacrifices/grain offerings in the coming 3rd temple.
4.Women's regulation-women not allowed to teach or have authority over adult men,wearing modest dresses,covering head in public prayer and ministry.
5.Each local church led by a group of pastor(s) and deacons,with a group of overseers aka apostles who both lead and do evangelisation.
6.Christian calendar(http://360calendar.com/) with 12 festivals of god-8 feasts in leviticus 23,along with sabbath,1st of month,purim and local church anniversary.
7.Name of church will be God's church,Christ's church as revealed in the NT bible
We need to understand why Lord Jesus gave these regulations to women(no:4),because most of the church today doesn't follow these Godly regulation.They donot follow these God ordained regulations for the benefit of both women,men and church growth because of 2 reasons.
1.They are indoctrinated in feminist lie.Feminist lie claims women and men are equal in all respects and that there is no natural gender roles and that women have been/are being oppressed by men.God created mankind male and female,because man needed a companion/helper.That is what woman is-to assist and give companionship for men.
In 19th century Catholic-Jesuits invented this feminist lie inorder to destroy the protestant countries like US/UK/Germany/Netherlands/Canada etc because christianity-protestantism threatened the existense of their heretic satanic catholic sect.Jesuits spread this lie througout protestant lands with the help of their sub-organization freemasonry.As a result foolish protestant churches have today embraced female pastors/homosexuality and other sexual perversions leading to their decline.They donot know they have been misled by the feminist lie invented by catholic Jesuits to destroy christianity.
2.Christians don't know the exact reason for regulations for women in church,by Lord Jesus through his Apostle Paul.That is why many christians donot obey Lord Jesus and fall into feminist lies and sexual immorality.This is the teaching of Lord Jesus through Apostle Paul-1Thimothy2:9-15- (9)I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, (10)but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God. (11)A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. (12)I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. (13)For Adam was formed first, then Eve. (14)And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. (15)But women will be kept safe through childbirth, if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.
To understand the exact reason behind this regulation for women we must understand the meaning of what apostle Paul meant by Law in 1:Corinthians 14:34-"women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says.".Apostle Paul says "as the law also says" in this verse.So what is this Law?
Apostle Paul has called old testament scriptures as a whole as "law" in various other parts of new testament epistles which he has written.So we can conclude that the "Law"here also means the old testament scriptures.So were does the old testament scriptures say woman should not upsurp man's authority?-Although old testament doesn't directly say such a law,we can very well understand why old testament scriptures point that women should be in submission,which is what apostle Paul himself wrote in 1 Thimothy 2:9-13-15-(13)For Adam was formed first, then Eve. (14)And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. (15)But women will be kept safe through childbirth, if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.
It's also important that we understand that by the phrase "women should be silent" in churches,women are forbidden only from teaching or having authority over adult males and holding authority position over men in churches like senior pastor/overseer/bishop/apostle etc.Women are allowed to do all other public ministry in church like evangelization,giving testimony,music ministry,prophesying,teaching other women and childeren etc.But while doing these ministries they must cover their head to show that they are in submission to God.(1 Corinthians 11:2-16)
It's also important that we understand that by the phrase "women should be silent" in churches,women are forbidden only from teaching or having authority over adult males and holding authority position over men in churches like senior pastor/overseer/bishop/apostle etc.Women are allowed to do all other public ministry in church like evangelization,giving testimony,music ministry,prophesying,teaching other women and childeren etc.But while doing these ministries they must cover their head to show that they are in submission to God.(1 Corinthians 11:2-16)
Another important verse that we must understand isGenesis3:15.After Adam and Eve sinned,God cursed the serpent first in Genesis3:15- And I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring[a] and hers;
he will crush[b] your head,
and you will strike his heel.”
Why is this verse important?Because this verse encompass the divine plan of salvation of all mankind.Wrong interpretation of this verse will lead to destruction and wrong interpretation of this verse has led to rise of feminism and sexual immorality.The "Woman" in this verse apply only to Eve.And her offsprings are all those who are led by the spirit of God,as Eve is the mother of all who are alive(spiritually).Church has misinterpreted the verse saying "woman" in this verse applies to Israel/church or even all women etc.These misinterpretations have been guided by enemies of Jesus(like Jesuits),inorder to feminize christianity and make it impotent.When this verse is applied to Israel,church or to all women it gives the false impression that holy spirit(God's spirit) is some sort of feminizing spirit,and this will ultimately lead to sexual immorality, decline of church(protestantism) as it is now happening in churches that have embraced this wrong interpretation of genesis3:15.
Holy spirit is neither male or female.Holy spirit makes a man a better man and woman a better woman.If we consider God/Holy spirit to be male/female we will end up in a sexually degenerate society,because if men are filled with a feminine/feminizing spirit it will lead them to be sexual perverts/homosexuals etc.Same is the effect if women are led by a masculine/masculinizing spirit.God is neither male or female,he is above all,he is the one who created mankind as male/female.Such false interpretations are guided by evil spirits(which include Satan and 1/3rd fallen angels,who follow Satan), in order to lead christians to sexual perversions and thus cause decline/destruction of christianity.
Here(in genesis3:15) Eve is the Woman and Jesus is the offspring of Woman.Mary by the divine power of God gave birth to Jesus,not by sexual intercourse.Here we should not confuse Mary to be the "woman"."Woman" in this verse-genesis3:15,refers only to Eve,her offsprings include all those who are born of the spirit which include Abel,Mary all believers and ultimately Jesus Christ who is God himself.
Serpent's offspring is all those who are led by satan and the 1/3rd fallen angels with him and ultimately satan's offspring is antichrist/beast whose head was crushed by Jesus,when Jesus died on the cross about 2000 years ago.This will be revealed after the rapture of church when beast/antichrist will be revealed-Rev13:3-"One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast."
"Heel" of Jesus was stricken at the cross by Roman soldiers guided by Satan.
In Genesis 3:20 scriptures say-
Adam[c] named his wife Eve,[d] because she would become the mother of all the living.The "living" here implies spiritually alive.Jesus calls Abel(son of Adam unjustly killed by his brother Cain) the frst among the prophets(spiritually alive) in luke11:50-51- Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible for it all.-Jesus was speaking of the coming destruction of Jerusalem and scattering of Jews around the world which was fulfilled by Roman armies under emperor Titus in AD70.
In John 8:44 Jesus reveals who are the sons of Satan-You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.Notice that Jesus spoke that Satan was a murderer from the beginning.Jesus meant the murdering of Abel by Cain,the first murder in mankind.
Thus we see Abel was the son of Eve,so is everybody who is spiritually alive,led by the holy spirit.We also see Cain was the son of Satan as are all who are led by the satanic evil spirit(s).Cain may have repented later,but scriptures is silent about it.Scriptures clearly say Cain allowed Satanic spirits to control him when he killed his brother Abel.(1John3:12-Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous).
So now we can clearly understand the meaning of genesis 3:15 and thus exact reason for regulation on women by Lord Jesus through Apostle Paul-Eve and Satan will be enemies.So will be the offspring of Eve -the mother of all the living-those who are spiritually alive and the offspring of Satan-those who are spiritually dead will be enemies.This enemity culminated in the crucifixion of Jesus some 2000 years ago.By dying on the cross shedding his pure blood for the sins of all mankind Jesus crushed the head of Satan.In return Satan could only strike at the heel of Jesus which is represented by nails that pierced the heels of Jesus on the cross.So know there is salvation for all those who believe in the work of Jesus.
Jesus rose from the dead 3 days after he was crucified and is today seated at the right side of his father in heaven-God Almighty.This is the Good News/Gospel for salvation of all mankind.Those who reject this Good news will end up in eternal hell fire and those who accept this Good news will have eternal life(2Thessalonians 1:8-9- He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.1John3-14-15- Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him).
Origin of nations
All people on earth after the flood are descended from Noah.Three sons of Noah-Shem,Ham and Japheth symbolizes the modern scientific classification of human race into mongloid,negroid and cacausoid respectively.Lets look at the sons of Shem, Ham ,Japheth and their descendents and the geographical populations associated with them.(genesis 10,1 chronicles 1).
Shem-1.Elam-southern.iran,south.india(dravidian),polynesia
2.Asshur-assyria,nortern.iraq,syria laso germany(kir-men,khatti)
3.Arphaxad-a.Peleg-israelis,ismaelite arabs,southern.iraq,northern.arabia,jordan
b.Joktan(had 13 sons)-chinese,japenese,korean,indo-china,malay-indonesian,philippines,tibeto-burman,north-east india,west & northernindia,pakistan and afghanistan.
c.Jacob(Israel)-had 12 sons,descendents of 10 sons(aka 10 tribes) were scattered out ofisrael around 700BC by assyrians.They settled in afghan,north pakistan(b'nai israel-pashtun, afridi etc.),china,north east india,japan(shinto),east and southern africa.
4.Aram-syria,lebanon,south turkey ,south west arabia(oman) & northern arabia.
5.Lud-turkey,tunisia,northern and western african coastal areas,southern european mediteranean coasts,native latin.americans(mayans,aztec,incas etc.)
Japheth-1.Gomer-a.Ashkenaz-germans,scandinavians,poland and english(celts,goths)
b.Riphath-france,italy
c.Togarmah-armenia,georgia,turkey,azeri,central asia
2.Magog-hungary,russia,mongolia,north american natives,germany, england
3.Tubal-southern russia,ukraine,poland
4.Meshech-north and west russia,belarus,poland,ukraine.
5.Tiras-south,central and eastern europe(thracians)
6.Javans-greece,cyprus,crete,coastal italy, spain, portugal,sicily and native latin americans.
7.Madai-kurds(medes),northern iran,north pakistan, india, srilanka, afghanistan
Ham-1.Cush-sudan,central,south and east africa,arabia.
2.Mizraim-Egypt,north,central and west africa.
3.Put-libya,north and west africa
4.Canaan-palestinians,jordanians,lebanese,northern arabia,iraq.
Shem-1.Elam-southern.iran,south.india(dravidian),polynesia
2.Asshur-assyria,nortern.iraq,syria laso germany(kir-men,khatti)
3.Arphaxad-a.Peleg-israelis,ismaelite arabs,southern.iraq,northern.arabia,jordan
b.Joktan(had 13 sons)-chinese,japenese,korean,indo-china,malay-indonesian,philippines,tibeto-burman,north-east india,west & northernindia,pakistan and afghanistan.
c.Jacob(Israel)-had 12 sons,descendents of 10 sons(aka 10 tribes) were scattered out ofisrael around 700BC by assyrians.They settled in afghan,north pakistan(b'nai israel-pashtun, afridi etc.),china,north east india,japan(shinto),east and southern africa.
4.Aram-syria,lebanon,south turkey ,south west arabia(oman) & northern arabia.
5.Lud-turkey,tunisia,northern and western african coastal areas,southern european mediteranean coasts,native latin.americans(mayans,aztec,incas etc.)
Japheth-1.Gomer-a.Ashkenaz-germans,scandinavians,poland and english(celts,goths)
b.Riphath-france,italy
c.Togarmah-armenia,georgia,turkey,azeri,central asia
2.Magog-hungary,russia,mongolia,north american natives,germany, england
3.Tubal-southern russia,ukraine,poland
4.Meshech-north and west russia,belarus,poland,ukraine.
5.Tiras-south,central and eastern europe(thracians)
6.Javans-greece,cyprus,crete,coastal italy, spain, portugal,sicily and native latin americans.
7.Madai-kurds(medes),northern iran,north pakistan, india, srilanka, afghanistan
Ham-1.Cush-sudan,central,south and east africa,arabia.
2.Mizraim-Egypt,north,central and west africa.
3.Put-libya,north and west africa
4.Canaan-palestinians,jordanians,lebanese,northern arabia,iraq.
Catholic twisting of scriptures
In mathew12:38-42 Jesus says this-38 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.
12:39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 12:41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. 12:42 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here." (Matthew 12:38-42 KJV)...these are words of Jesus in gospel of mathew and if it is true Jesus should be died for 3 days and 3 nights(72 hours).But catholic church has twisted all this saying he died on a friday and rose on a sunday morning,which makes 42 hours at the most.
Besides this,in mathew 26:17 and certain other scriptures they omitted the word "before".Mathew 26:17 now reads "Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?".But when "before" is added as in the original manuscripts it should have read like this-Now before the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?"
In leviticus 23 it's clearly written that passover day comes before the 1st day of feast of unleavened bread.
Also catholicism and most churches claims jesus rose from the dead on 1st day after sabbath.but in gospel of Luke it says- The women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and saw the tomb, and how his body was laid; 56 then they returned, and prepared spices and ointments. On the sabbath they rested according to the commandment.So the women with Jesus had to rest on "high"sabbath day.
Also scriptures tells us they had to rest on another "normal" sabbath day.(Mark 16:1).After that sabbath day on the first day of the week which is also the day of 1st fruits,the women came to the tomb saw it was open and witnessed resurrected Jesus(Mark 16:2-9 & other gospels).This day symbolizes the coming great harvest on pentecost which comes 50 days after and on this day resurrected Jesus appeared to women and his disciples.50 days after that on pentecost day(alias harvest day) 120 disciples were assembled on the upper room and holy spirit came on them and thus the church was given birth and also the start of the great harvest.
Also in gospel of John it says- Since it was the day of Preparation, in order to prevent the bodies from remaining on the cross on the sabbath (for that sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Here "high sabbath" means 1st day of feast of unleavened bread.So from this verse it's clear that Jesus was crucified on the passover day which is also the preparation day before the 1st day of feast of unleavened bread.
So from all this it's clear that Jesus was crucified on passover day(9th hour that is 3pm) rose from the dead 72 hours later.That is on sabbath day 9th hour(3pm),and appeared to his followers on the following day morning-which was the day of 1st fruits.
Also its clear that catholic church omitted the 'before ' from the scripture mathew 26:17 which now reads "Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?" ,when it actually read in the original manuscript like this-when "before" is added as in the original manuscripts it should have read like this-Now before the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?"
In leviticus 23 it's clearly written that passover day comes before the 1st day of feast of unleavened bread.
Why did catholic 'church' do this?To make it in conformity with ancient pagan festival of ishtar(modern easter) so the majority pagans of roman empire can be converted easily to 'christianity' without any conversion.
12:39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 12:41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. 12:42 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here." (Matthew 12:38-42 KJV)...these are words of Jesus in gospel of mathew and if it is true Jesus should be died for 3 days and 3 nights(72 hours).But catholic church has twisted all this saying he died on a friday and rose on a sunday morning,which makes 42 hours at the most.
Besides this,in mathew 26:17 and certain other scriptures they omitted the word "before".Mathew 26:17 now reads "Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?".But when "before" is added as in the original manuscripts it should have read like this-Now before the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?"
In leviticus 23 it's clearly written that passover day comes before the 1st day of feast of unleavened bread.
Also catholicism and most churches claims jesus rose from the dead on 1st day after sabbath.but in gospel of Luke it says- The women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and saw the tomb, and how his body was laid; 56 then they returned, and prepared spices and ointments. On the sabbath they rested according to the commandment.So the women with Jesus had to rest on "high"sabbath day.
Also scriptures tells us they had to rest on another "normal" sabbath day.(Mark 16:1).After that sabbath day on the first day of the week which is also the day of 1st fruits,the women came to the tomb saw it was open and witnessed resurrected Jesus(Mark 16:2-9 & other gospels).This day symbolizes the coming great harvest on pentecost which comes 50 days after and on this day resurrected Jesus appeared to women and his disciples.50 days after that on pentecost day(alias harvest day) 120 disciples were assembled on the upper room and holy spirit came on them and thus the church was given birth and also the start of the great harvest.
Also in gospel of John it says- Since it was the day of Preparation, in order to prevent the bodies from remaining on the cross on the sabbath (for that sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Here "high sabbath" means 1st day of feast of unleavened bread.So from this verse it's clear that Jesus was crucified on the passover day which is also the preparation day before the 1st day of feast of unleavened bread.
So from all this it's clear that Jesus was crucified on passover day(9th hour that is 3pm) rose from the dead 72 hours later.That is on sabbath day 9th hour(3pm),and appeared to his followers on the following day morning-which was the day of 1st fruits.
Also its clear that catholic church omitted the 'before ' from the scripture mathew 26:17 which now reads "Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?" ,when it actually read in the original manuscript like this-when "before" is added as in the original manuscripts it should have read like this-Now before the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?"
In leviticus 23 it's clearly written that passover day comes before the 1st day of feast of unleavened bread.
Why did catholic 'church' do this?To make it in conformity with ancient pagan festival of ishtar(modern easter) so the majority pagans of roman empire can be converted easily to 'christianity' without any conversion.
Counter reformation and its defeat
Catholic response to reformation is known as counter-reformation.Since reformation was christian,counter reformation can only be anti-christian.After the reformation of 16th century catholics started Jesuit secret militia founded by Ignatious Layola to destroy christianity.Incidently the name of the society was "society of Jesus" aka Jesuits.From birth of catholicism(around AD350) it was the most potent antichristian organization in the world which did everything through the power of satan, to keep people from knowing the truth.They didn't allow common people to read bible and know the truth until about the 15th century reformation.
Before going into counter reformation activities of catholicism let's go back into history and check, why i said catholicism is anti christian.They did idolatry by changing names of old pagan idols to 'christian' sounding names and praying and worshiping using these idols(intercession of saints).They taught anyone who is a member of catholicism can do any grevious sin or evil and still enter heaven through purgatory.They taught sins are forgiven by attending eucharist,when christ Jesus and apostles taught only one who has repented of his sins and accepted Jesus as his saviour and has undergone water baptism after the repentence,should receive euvharist(lords supper,holy qurbana,holy communion).Even after repentence if a person backslide he must come back to god in repentence and be cleansed by the blood of Jesus to take part in eucharist.that is only those who are right with god can attend eucharist.If a person who does'nt satisfy above requirments takepart in eucharist,he is sinning against god and sickness and curse shall befall such a person.
Catholics massacred early christians saying they were dualistic(those who worshiped both God and satan) pagan heretics like followers of mani(3rd-15th century),early arab and north african christians like danatists,arian christians aka gothic christians3rd-6th century),paulicians,bogomils(6th-12th century,massacred by catholic crusaders en route to jerusalem by secret directive from vatican and perhaps the real aim of the crusades),waldensians(12th century-to present day),cathars(12th-14th century,massacred in albunesian/cathar crusade) and finally protestantS/reformed church(15th century-to present day).
Coming back to counter reformation activities of catholics,They started under the leadership of ignatious layolola,with the name of Jesus but working against him.they made another secret organization which will be under their total control inorder to have better infiltaration among protestants.Since intend of Jesuits was more public and most prots knew they were working against them,it was necessary to create another secret agency to infiltrate protestants and destroy their society and it was called freemasonry.This secret society is christian(protestant) superficialy by harping on the words like 'great architect of universe',but on inside it will be purely anti christian totally controlled by catholics.
Thus protestants will be attracted to this society,and those who become members will be trained by catholic Jesuits to destroy christianity,by teaching them feminism and secularism.
Thus most of the founding fathers of USA are freemasons,and today USA has only 50% christians compared to 99% in 1790AD.While the numder of pagans who fake as christians(catholics and orthodox) has risen to 25% from less than 1% in 1790.George Washington said in USA every child would be taught bible in scools,but everybody knows exactly opposite happened.Why?.George Washington along with most of the founding fathers were freemasons,who are/were a mere puppets in the hand of catholic counter reformation activists.Abraham lincoln although not a memeber of any church,was a believer.He said just before his death,that civil war and feminist movement was the work of catholic Jesuits,and few days after he said this he was assasinated by Jesuit catholics.
Catholics(Jesuits) taught freemasons and co-masons(womens wing of freemasonry) that women were opressed by men and Jesus came to release them from protection and control of males,so they can go out and work and do anything they want(feminism).Thus they became pioneering feminists(suffragists) oof protestant lands.When in reality Christ Jesus and apostles taught women to obey and respect their husbands as church obeys and worships Jesus.They also taught Men to be chivalrous and sacrifice themselves for their wives as christ sacrificed on the cross for all who would believe.
Thus within a few years protestant women stopped wearing head coverings,modest dresses and started disobeying their husbands and going out to work and teaching and having authority over men,thinking it is the 'christian' thing to do,when in reality slowly but steadily they were unknowingly destroy their own society through gender role reversal and therby spreading sexual immorality.The main reason for great depression of 2008 which started in USA was feminism which promoted a lifestyle of excessive spending,without any real savings.
I say all these things because counter reformation will not prevail because of the prophecy of Jesus-"i shall build my church(protestant) on this rock(the revelation given to apostle peter that Jesus is the only eternal son of almighty God,not the degrading dead body of peter buried under vatican as catholics claim/believe)and gates of hell(catholicism and oter false religions/ideologies) will not prevail over it".
Very soon in the near future WW3(gog magog war -ezekiel 38) will start.After the war only true religion of god(the gods church-true christianity-non feminist protestantism) will exist in earth.All other religions which didnot acknowledge their creator and kept mankind in dark(catholicism,islam,hinduism and all other fake religions) will be destroyed.After the war all people living on earth will be members of Gods church-true religion and it shall be a golden age(very prosperous) for all mankind till the coming of christ.
After the war The 3rd temple will be rebuilt in jerusalem and it shall be called "the house of prayer for people of all nations" exactly as Jesus predicted nearly 2000 years ago.Animal and other sacrifices will be offered there in the rememberance of the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross,just as it symbolized the coming sacrifice of christ in the old testament period.This will remain till coming of christ ( rapture) .
In rapture believers will be taken and hypocrites left behind to face great tribulation(such as never happened before or never will in the future) which will last for 7 years.In the half of this 7 year period antichrist will break his agreement with jews and put up the awful horror inthe holy temple.He will require all to have number 666 imprinted on them to buy or sell.Those who get this mark of 666 are damned for eternal hell.So anybody who happens to be in tribulation period,want salvation he/she has to die as martyrs or get the mark of christ(144,000 people).
Counter-reformation did'nt start in 17th century,but way back in 4th century at the birth of catholicism,just as the true reformed ,protestant church was in existense from new testament times(AD30-70) as the apostolic church.Take a look at how vatican vainly planned to destroy the God's church(non feminist protestantism) that almighty creator was/is building.
'A wealthy Arabian lady who was a faithful follower of the pope played a tremendous part in this
drama. She was a widow named Khadijah. She gave her wealth to the church and retired to a
convent, but was given an assignment. She was to find a brilliant young man who could be used
by the Vatican to create a new religion and become the messiah for the children of Ishmael.
Khadijah had a cousin named Waraquah,, who was also a very faithful Roman Catholic and the
Vatican placed him in a critical role as Muhammad's advisor. He had tremendous influence on
Muhammad.
'Teachers were sent to young Muhammad and he had intensive training. Muhammad studied the
works of St. Augustine which prepared him for his "great calling." The Vatican had Catholic
Arabs across North Africa spread the story of a great one who was about to rise up among the
people and be the chosen one of their God.
'While Muhammad was being prepared, he was told that his enemies were the Jews and that the
only true Christians were Roman Catholic. He was taught that others calling themselves
Christians were actually wicked impostors and should be destroyed. Many Muslims believe this.
'Muhammad began receiving "divine revelations" and his wife's Catholic cousin Waraquah
helped interpret them. From this came the Koran. In the fifth year of Muhammad's mission,
persecution came against his followers because they refused to worship the idols in the Kaaba.
'Muhammad instructed some of them to flee to Abysinnia where Negus, the Roman Catholic king
accepted them because Muhammad's views on the virgin Mary were so close to Roman Catholic
doctrine. These Muslims received protection from Catholic kings because of Muhammad's
revelations.
'Muhammad later conquered Mecca and the Kaaba was cleared of idols. History proves that
before Islam came into existence, the Sabeans in Arabia worshiped the moon-god who was
married to the sun-god. They gave birth to three goddesses who were worshipped throughout the
Arab world as "Daughters of Allah" An idol excavated at Hazor in Palestine in 1950's shows
Allah sitting on a throne with the crescent moon on his chest.
'Muhammad claimed he had a vision from Allah and was told, "You are the messenger of Allah."
This began his career as a prophet and he received many messages. By the time Muhammad died, the religion of Islam was exploding. The nomadic Arab tribes were joining forces in the
name of Allah and his prophet, Muhammad.
'Some of Muhammad's writings were placed in the Koran, others were never published. They are
now in the hands of high ranking holy men (Ayatollahs) in the Islamic faith.
Before going into counter reformation activities of catholicism let's go back into history and check, why i said catholicism is anti christian.They did idolatry by changing names of old pagan idols to 'christian' sounding names and praying and worshiping using these idols(intercession of saints).They taught anyone who is a member of catholicism can do any grevious sin or evil and still enter heaven through purgatory.They taught sins are forgiven by attending eucharist,when christ Jesus and apostles taught only one who has repented of his sins and accepted Jesus as his saviour and has undergone water baptism after the repentence,should receive euvharist(lords supper,holy qurbana,holy communion).Even after repentence if a person backslide he must come back to god in repentence and be cleansed by the blood of Jesus to take part in eucharist.that is only those who are right with god can attend eucharist.If a person who does'nt satisfy above requirments takepart in eucharist,he is sinning against god and sickness and curse shall befall such a person.
Catholics massacred early christians saying they were dualistic(those who worshiped both God and satan) pagan heretics like followers of mani(3rd-15th century),early arab and north african christians like danatists,arian christians aka gothic christians3rd-6th century),paulicians,bogomils(6th-12th century,massacred by catholic crusaders en route to jerusalem by secret directive from vatican and perhaps the real aim of the crusades),waldensians(12th century-to present day),cathars(12th-14th century,massacred in albunesian/cathar crusade) and finally protestantS/reformed church(15th century-to present day).
Coming back to counter reformation activities of catholics,They started under the leadership of ignatious layolola,with the name of Jesus but working against him.they made another secret organization which will be under their total control inorder to have better infiltaration among protestants.Since intend of Jesuits was more public and most prots knew they were working against them,it was necessary to create another secret agency to infiltrate protestants and destroy their society and it was called freemasonry.This secret society is christian(protestant) superficialy by harping on the words like 'great architect of universe',but on inside it will be purely anti christian totally controlled by catholics.
Thus protestants will be attracted to this society,and those who become members will be trained by catholic Jesuits to destroy christianity,by teaching them feminism and secularism.
Thus most of the founding fathers of USA are freemasons,and today USA has only 50% christians compared to 99% in 1790AD.While the numder of pagans who fake as christians(catholics and orthodox) has risen to 25% from less than 1% in 1790.George Washington said in USA every child would be taught bible in scools,but everybody knows exactly opposite happened.Why?.George Washington along with most of the founding fathers were freemasons,who are/were a mere puppets in the hand of catholic counter reformation activists.Abraham lincoln although not a memeber of any church,was a believer.He said just before his death,that civil war and feminist movement was the work of catholic Jesuits,and few days after he said this he was assasinated by Jesuit catholics.
Catholics(Jesuits) taught freemasons and co-masons(womens wing of freemasonry) that women were opressed by men and Jesus came to release them from protection and control of males,so they can go out and work and do anything they want(feminism).Thus they became pioneering feminists(suffragists) oof protestant lands.When in reality Christ Jesus and apostles taught women to obey and respect their husbands as church obeys and worships Jesus.They also taught Men to be chivalrous and sacrifice themselves for their wives as christ sacrificed on the cross for all who would believe.
Thus within a few years protestant women stopped wearing head coverings,modest dresses and started disobeying their husbands and going out to work and teaching and having authority over men,thinking it is the 'christian' thing to do,when in reality slowly but steadily they were unknowingly destroy their own society through gender role reversal and therby spreading sexual immorality.The main reason for great depression of 2008 which started in USA was feminism which promoted a lifestyle of excessive spending,without any real savings.
I say all these things because counter reformation will not prevail because of the prophecy of Jesus-"i shall build my church(protestant) on this rock(the revelation given to apostle peter that Jesus is the only eternal son of almighty God,not the degrading dead body of peter buried under vatican as catholics claim/believe)and gates of hell(catholicism and oter false religions/ideologies) will not prevail over it".
Very soon in the near future WW3(gog magog war -ezekiel 38) will start.After the war only true religion of god(the gods church-true christianity-non feminist protestantism) will exist in earth.All other religions which didnot acknowledge their creator and kept mankind in dark(catholicism,islam,hinduism and all other fake religions) will be destroyed.After the war all people living on earth will be members of Gods church-true religion and it shall be a golden age(very prosperous) for all mankind till the coming of christ.
After the war The 3rd temple will be rebuilt in jerusalem and it shall be called "the house of prayer for people of all nations" exactly as Jesus predicted nearly 2000 years ago.Animal and other sacrifices will be offered there in the rememberance of the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross,just as it symbolized the coming sacrifice of christ in the old testament period.This will remain till coming of christ ( rapture) .
In rapture believers will be taken and hypocrites left behind to face great tribulation(such as never happened before or never will in the future) which will last for 7 years.In the half of this 7 year period antichrist will break his agreement with jews and put up the awful horror inthe holy temple.He will require all to have number 666 imprinted on them to buy or sell.Those who get this mark of 666 are damned for eternal hell.So anybody who happens to be in tribulation period,want salvation he/she has to die as martyrs or get the mark of christ(144,000 people).
Counter-reformation did'nt start in 17th century,but way back in 4th century at the birth of catholicism,just as the true reformed ,protestant church was in existense from new testament times(AD30-70) as the apostolic church.Take a look at how vatican vainly planned to destroy the God's church(non feminist protestantism) that almighty creator was/is building.
'A wealthy Arabian lady who was a faithful follower of the pope played a tremendous part in this
drama. She was a widow named Khadijah. She gave her wealth to the church and retired to a
convent, but was given an assignment. She was to find a brilliant young man who could be used
by the Vatican to create a new religion and become the messiah for the children of Ishmael.
Khadijah had a cousin named Waraquah,, who was also a very faithful Roman Catholic and the
Vatican placed him in a critical role as Muhammad's advisor. He had tremendous influence on
Muhammad.
'Teachers were sent to young Muhammad and he had intensive training. Muhammad studied the
works of St. Augustine which prepared him for his "great calling." The Vatican had Catholic
Arabs across North Africa spread the story of a great one who was about to rise up among the
people and be the chosen one of their God.
'While Muhammad was being prepared, he was told that his enemies were the Jews and that the
only true Christians were Roman Catholic. He was taught that others calling themselves
Christians were actually wicked impostors and should be destroyed. Many Muslims believe this.
'Muhammad began receiving "divine revelations" and his wife's Catholic cousin Waraquah
helped interpret them. From this came the Koran. In the fifth year of Muhammad's mission,
persecution came against his followers because they refused to worship the idols in the Kaaba.
'Muhammad instructed some of them to flee to Abysinnia where Negus, the Roman Catholic king
accepted them because Muhammad's views on the virgin Mary were so close to Roman Catholic
doctrine. These Muslims received protection from Catholic kings because of Muhammad's
revelations.
'Muhammad later conquered Mecca and the Kaaba was cleared of idols. History proves that
before Islam came into existence, the Sabeans in Arabia worshiped the moon-god who was
married to the sun-god. They gave birth to three goddesses who were worshipped throughout the
Arab world as "Daughters of Allah" An idol excavated at Hazor in Palestine in 1950's shows
Allah sitting on a throne with the crescent moon on his chest.
'Muhammad claimed he had a vision from Allah and was told, "You are the messenger of Allah."
This began his career as a prophet and he received many messages. By the time Muhammad died, the religion of Islam was exploding. The nomadic Arab tribes were joining forces in the
name of Allah and his prophet, Muhammad.
'Some of Muhammad's writings were placed in the Koran, others were never published. They are
now in the hands of high ranking holy men (Ayatollahs) in the Islamic faith.
The real Christian calendar
Israel's First Captivity and Return On the 14th day of Nisan, Passover, the Lord made a covenant with Abraham for the Promised Land. God also prophesied that Abraham's descendants would be in affliction and bondage for precisely 430 years. "And he said unto Abraham, know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them, and they shall afflict them four hundred years" (Genesis 15:13).
This "affliction" began 30 years later with the hatred expressed to Isaac by Ishmael's mocking attitude (Genesis 21:8-10). This affliction of Abraham's seed in Canaan eventually ended in the bondage in Egypt. "Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years,even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt" (Exodus 12:40-41). OnPassover, 430 years later, the captivity ended. The Apostle Paul confirmed that the captivity lasted precisely 430 years (Galatians 3:17).
Israel's Second Captivity and Return When many of the kings of Judah began to rebel against God,numerous people turned to idol worship and pagan gods despiteGod's warnings through His prophets. The 10 northern tribes ofIsrael were conquered by the Assyrians in 721 B.C.E. (2 Kings17:6). Then, Jeremiah prophesied that the Kingdom of Judah would also be removed for precisely 70 years from the Promised Landbeginning in 606 B.C.E. because of their sins. "And this wholeland shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years" (Jeremiah25:11). Precisely 70 years later on the first day of Nisan, 536B.C.E. King Cyrus of Persia released the Jews, just as Jeremiah had prophesied. Despite the royal permission, only a small remnant of the Jews left Babylon and returned to Israel. The vast majority never returned, choosing rather to reside in the nationof their captivity.
The Third and Worldwide Captivity The Bible contains numerous prophecies of a final return of the exiles to the Promised Land in the "last days." In light of the precision of the prophecies about the duration of the earlier captivities, it seemed probable to me that the prophets must have revealed when the Jews would return from their final captivity to establish their nation.
The prophet Ezekiel was given a vision concerning the final return of his people. "This shall be a sign to the house of Israel. Lie thou also upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it:according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon itthou shalt bear their iniquity. For I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days,three hundred and ninety days: so shalt thou bear the iniquity ofthe house of Israel. And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for ayear" (Ezekiel 4:3-6).Ezekiel declared that each day represents one biblical year.Israel would be punished for 430 years (390 years and 40 years).
At the end of the 70 years of prophesied captivity in Babylon, inNisan 536 B.C.E., only a small remnant of the house of Judah returned to Jerusalem to fulfill the prophecy. The vast majority of the Jews remained in the Persian Empire as colonists.Therefore, when we deduct the 70 years in Babylon that ended inNisan 536 B.C.E. from Ezekiel's 430 years of punishment, Israel still had 360 years of further captivity due following the end ofthe Babylonian Captivity. Despite the precision of Ezekiel's prophecy there was no return to the land, either 430 years or 360 years after 536 B.C.E.
The solution to this mystery is found in Leviticus 26. The Lord established promises and punishments for Israel based on her obedience and her disobedience. God told Israel four times in this passage that if, after being punished for her sins, they still would not repent, the punishments previously specified would be multiplied by seven (the number of completion). "And ifye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punishyou seven times more for your sins" (Leviticus 26:18; alsoLeviticus 26:21, 23-24, 27-28). In other words, if the Israelites did not repent, the punishment previously promised (360 years)would be multiplied seven times (360 years x 7 = 2,520 biblicalyears) to reach a total of 2,520 years. Therefore, as of 536B.C.E., the final restoration to the Holy Land would occur onlyafter 2,520 biblical years.
The Biblical Year of 360 Days When we refer to biblical/prophetic years we refer to the ancient Jewish year of 360 days. While our modern calendar year contains365.25 days and the modern Hebrew calendar has 354 days, thebiblical year of ancient Israel was lunar-solar and containedonly 360 days. The solar calendar year of 365.25 days was not used by Israel. According to articles in the EncyclopediaBritannica and Smith's Bible Dictionary on chronology, Abraham used a year of 360 days consisting of 12 months of 30 days each.
The Bible's account of the flood confirms the ancient biblical year of 360 days describing a five-month period as consisting ofprecisely 150 days between the 17th day of the second month to the 17th day of the seventh month (5 x 30 days = 150 days). SirIsaac Newton declared that "all nations, before the just length of the solar year was known, reckoned months by the course of the moon, and years by the return of winter and summer, spring and autumn; and in making calendars for their festivals, they reckoned thirty days to a lunar month, and twelve lunar months to a year taking the nearest round numbers, whence came the division of the ecliptic into 360 degrees." The book of Esther (1:4) reveals this 360-day year in its description of a six-month-longfeast that lasts precisely 180 days.
The prophet Daniel also confirms this fact by describing one-half of the 70th week(Daniel 9:24-27) as containing exactly 1,260 days (3.5 x 360days). Sir Robert Anderson, the brilliant head of Scotland Yardin 1895, described the 360-day year in his book The Coming Prince. The Calculation The Babylonian captivity ended in the spring of 536 B.C.E., 1stNisan. This date is the starting point for our calculations. The period of worldwide captivity would last 2,520 biblical years x360 days = 907,200 days. Converting this figure into our calendaryear we divide the 907,200 days by 365.25 to reach a total of2,483.8 calendar years. (Remember that there is only one yearbetween 1 B.C.E. and 1 C.E.; there was no Year Zero).
The end ofIsrael's worldwide captivity would occur after a total of 2,483.8years had elapsed from the end of the Babylonian Captivity in thespring of 536 B.C.E.End of Babylonian Captivity: Spring 536 B.C.E. + the duration ofWorldwide Captivity: 2,483.8 Calendar Years = When the WorldwideCaptivity would end: Spring 1948. The Rebirth of Israel: May 14th 1948 On May 14, 1948, the Jewish people proclaimed the independence ofIsrael and the end of their worldwide captivity at the precise time prophesied by the prophet Ezekiel. On this very day a united Israel took its place as a sovereign, independent state among the nations.
The isreali calendar before AD 300(before the jewish calendar reformation) was a solar calendar,comprising of 12 months each of 30 days.this calendar is well elaborated in the site http://360calendar.com/ ,but the author of the site is under the false impression that prophetic calendar and original jewish calendar are 2 different ones,infact they are both same.there are innumerable historic and archeological evidences for this.try the following link http://www.angelfire.com/ga4/israelites/enochian_calendar_information.htm#where
Early christians observed shabbath,festivals(4 spring festivals already fullfilled by crucifixion,resurrection of Jesus and birth of church on day of pentecost-upper room and 4 fall festivals, all of which are mentioned in leviticus 23) and rosh chodesh(called by israelis as new moon after babylonian captivity-before captivity it was just 1st day of the month-rosh chodesh) and also temple sacrifices in the rememberance of ultimate and eternal sacrifice Jesus the messiah/christ on the cross at calvary.They used the 360 calendar( http://360calendar.com/) for observing these festivals.In the near future when true christianty will be restored and the temple rebuilt in Jerusalem,christians will once again observe the festivals,shabbath,rosh chodesh and temple sacrifices.the temple itself will be called "Prayer house for the people of all nations".The 360 calendar (http://360calendar.com/) will be restored worldwide.This will happen immediately after the soon coming WW3 and before the rapture.This restored church-the true religion aka the godschurch aka the final protestant church, wil have all people living on earth as it's members.But when Jesus comes back on the day of trumpets(rapture) believers will be taken and hypocrites left behind on earth to face the great tribulation.
Few people are aware of the seven festivals God reveals in the Bible. Even fewer are aware that they center around and teach us a great deal about Jesus Christ and His role in God’s plan for all mankind.
“The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts” (Leviticus 23:2). Sounds impressive, doesn’t it? God Almighty saying in Scripture, “These are My Feasts.”
Yet for most of traditional Christianity, these “feasts of the LORD” are thought to have been kept only by the Jews and are deemed meaningless for Christians. New religious holidays have been substituted that supposedly center on Jesus Christ.
How did all this come to be? What is the true meaning of these “feasts of the LORD”? Do they have anything to do with Jesus Christ, or is their symbolism limited only to long-ago events? If we truly want to find the answers in the manner God instructs us, then we should follow the advice He inspired: “Test all things; hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21).
The Bible gives us a good example of how to examine a belief to see if it is correct. When the apostle Paul traveled to Berea, he taught the Bereans certain things that must have been surprising to them. But they didn’t close their minds or reject them. Instead, they were willing to give them a fair hearing by carefully examining the Scriptures. What was the result? We read in Acts 17:11-12 that these men and women “were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed ...”
So in examining the feasts of the Bible, will we give them a fair hearing as well? Do the Scriptures reveal whether these feasts teach us important truths about Jesus Christ?
The Passover: A Christ-centered feast?
The Passover is the first of God’s annual feast days mentioned in Scripture. It commemorates the greatest event in the people of Israel’s history—their miraculous liberation from Egypt. The second book of the Bible, Exodus, is dedicated to narrating this history. Observant Jews have been celebrating this feast for more than 3,400 years.
But is this feast only to celebrate the Israelites’ departure from Egypt? Does the New Testament have anything to say about the occasion?
When John the Baptist saw Jesus Christ coming to the Jordan River to be baptized, he exclaimed, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).
In the Bible the lamb is a symbol of the Passover because a lamb was slain at the beginning of the Passover and eaten that night. The Israelites knew the blood of the lamb had protected them from the death of their firstborn on that first Passover night they kept in Egypt (Exodus 12:12-13).
In the New Testament, the Gospels record that Christ kept the Passover with His disciples several times. On the night before His death, Jesus knew He was fulfilling the symbolism of the Passover lamb in voluntarily giving His life for the sins of the entire world.
Notice Luke 22:14-16: “When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. Then He said to them, ‘With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’“
Jesus then instituted the new symbols that represented not the sacrifice of a lamb, but His far greater sacrifice (communion/qurbana/eucharist).Infact communion/qurbana/eucharist were started under the preistly order of Melchizedek,when Melchizedek blesses Abram by giving bread and wine after his war victory(genesis 14:17-20,psalms110:4)In hebrews chapter 7 preistly order of Melchizedek is clearly depicted,hebrews 7 is as follows-1This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, 2and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means "king of righteousness"; then also, "king of Salem" means "king of peace." 3Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever.
4Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! 5Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people—that is, their brothers—even though their brothers are descended from Abraham. 6This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7And without doubt the lesser person is blessed by the greater. 8In the one case, the tenth is collected by men who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living. 9One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, 10because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.
Jesus Like Melchizedek
11If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the law was given to the people), why was there still need for another priest to come—one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? 12For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law. 13He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. 14For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. 15And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, 16one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. 17For it is declared:
"You are a priest forever,
in the order of Melchizedek."[a]
18The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless 19(for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.
20And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, 21but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him:
"The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind:
'You are a priest forever.' "[b] 22Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.
23Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25Therefore he is able to save completely[c] those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
26Such a high priest meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. 27Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. 28For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.
The Passover symbols would now represent Christ’s complete sacrifice—the unleavened bread representing His sinless body that was beaten for us, and a sip of wine signifying the lifeblood He would shed to wash away our sins.
From then on, this feast took on a much greater new meaning to the Church. Instead of being abolished, this feast now revealed its true, ultimate meaning. The disciples now realized the Passover lamb was only the physical forerunner of that perfect sacrifice which was Jesus Christ. Now they would keep this feast with far greater significance and comprehension.
Paul explains the Christian Passover
Some 25 years after Christ’s death, the apostle Paul instructed the Corinthian congregation—composed of believing Jews and gentiles alike—about the Passover: “Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7).
Paul understood this ancient feast of the Passover had now revealed its true meaning with Christ’s sacrifice. It was part of God’s plan for all of mankind that Jesus would come and sacrifice Himself for the sins of the world—and the Passover anticipated it.
So, far from being obsolete, the Passover was revealed to have a vastly important meaning for Christians, with Jesus Christ being at its very center.
The apostle Paul explained this new understanding of the Passover to the Corinthian brethren when he instructed them on how to observe it: “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed [Passover night] took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’
“In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
So in the New Testament, the Passover becomes an annual reminder and symbol of Christ’s sacrifice for all of us.
God’s feasts reveal the future
The apostle Paul clearly understood that these biblical feasts were harbingers of what was to come in God’s master plan of salvation. In a passage frequently misunderstood by many, Paul shows these feasts of the Lord were “shadows” of things to come—not of things that have already happened.
He warned the brethren not to be intimidated by some who were questioning their manner of keeping God’s feasts, as well as the Sabbaths, new moons, and eating and drinking. He said, “So let no one judge [criticize or condemn] you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come . . . Let no one cheat you of your reward ...” (Colossians 2:16-18).
Paul was combating a group of ascetics who were introducing several strange doctrines, including worshiping angels (verse 18) and abstaining from wholesome food and drink (verse 21). He told the brethren to ignore them and continue observing what he had taught (and he certainly taught keeping the Passover, as we have seen). Regrettably, the Colossian brethren had been cowed by these self-righteous intruders and were starting to shy away from observing these feasts.
So Paul mentions how important they are, as foreshadowing coming events in God’s plan for mankind. These events have not been completely accomplished so far, and many are still in the future.
Even the Passover’s symbolism was not completely fulfilled with Christ’s sacrificial death. Jesus Himself said He will again take the Passover with all the believers in God’s Kingdom (Mark 14:24-25; Luke 22:15-16)—an act that represents the ultimate triumph of His sacrifice when all believers join Him in His Kingdom.
The Days of Unleavened Bread: Is Christ at the center?
What about the Days of Unleavened Bread? Are they obsolete, solely an Old Testament symbol? Or are they also glorious shadows of things to come?
In the Old Testament, the Days of Unleavened Bread were understood to be a memorial of what occurred after the Passover night, when all the Egyptian firstborn died.
The next morning the Israelites packed their belongings and traveled to a nearby gathering place, ready for departure. That evening, they left Egypt by night. “It is a night of solemn observance to the LORD for bringing them out of the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:42).
Before that evening, one last thing occurred: “And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they had brought out of Egypt; for it was not leavened, because they were driven out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared provisions for themselves” (verse 39).
This feast of the Lord is clearly spelled out in Leviticus 23:6: “And on the fifteenth day of the same month [as Passover] is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; seven days you must eat unleavened bread.”
What does this feast have to do with Christ? What does it teach us about Him?
Unleavened bread—bread made without leaven—is mentioned in the Bible as something pure and unpolluted. All the grain sacrifices to be burned were to be made without leaven. “No grain offering which you bring to the LORD shall be made with leaven, for you shall burn no leaven nor any honey in any offering to the LORD made by fire” (Leviticus 2:11).
In the New Testament, the apostle Paul explains the spiritual symbolism of unleavened bread. Rebuking the Church members in Corinth for their acceptance of sin, he tells them: “Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:6-7).
Yes, as Paul states, it is the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that removes our sins, and so we become “unleavened” in a spiritual sense. So, again, Jesus Christ is the focus of this feast of the Lord. The shadow of this feast points to what Jesus would do for all of us in cleansing us of sin and helping us to live sin-free lives.
Paul told the Corinthian brethren that they should continue to keep this feast that followed the Passover. “Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (verse 8).
We see, then, that the spiritual meaning of the Days of Unleavened Bread was revealed. Its deeper significance wasn’t ultimately found in what had occurred in the Old Testament, but in Jesus Christ, the sinless one, who purged our sins and gave us a chance to be spiritually “unleavened” before God. As the apostle Jude noted, Jesus “is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy” (Jude 24).
So Jesus Christ is at the center of this second feast of the Lord, too. He makes it possible for us to be spiritually “unleavened” before God.
Pentecost: Is Christ at the center of this feast?
In the Old Testament, the Feast of Pentecost is called the Feast of Weeks (Exodus 34:22). This is because Leviticus 23:15-16 mentions counting seven weeks (or Sabbaths) or “fifty days” from the day the wave sheaf was offered during the Days of Unleavened Bread. Thus the feast acquired the name of “fiftieth,” which is what Pentecost means in the Greek language of the New Testament.
In the New Testament, 50 days after Christ had been resurrected, the first Christians were celebrating Pentecost, one of the feasts of the Lord. And, as recorded in Acts 2, what a day that was! On it they received the Holy Spirit from God. Suddenly the Old Testament Feast of Weeks had taken on a new meaning for them. The shadow of this feast had now become a reality! Pentecost would become the Church’s anniversary of the receiving of God’s Spirit.
Jesus Christ revealed the significance of this feast by sending the Holy Spirit to His brethren in the faith. He had told them, “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49; compare John 16:7).
God’s Spirit plays a crucial role in the life of Christians today as it did then. When a person receives God’s Spirit upon repentance and baptism, that Spirit begins a process of spiritual transformation in the person’s life, a transformation the Bible calls conversion.
Through this process, we shed our own way of thinking and living and allow Jesus Christ’s attitude and way of life to guide everything we do. Paul described this life-transforming change in Galatians 2:20:
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (King James Version).
Thus we see that Jesus is at the center of the Feast of Pentecost as well. Yet the ultimate fulfillment will only be realized after He returns to earth to establish God’s Kingdom, when all will have access to God’s Spirit. So this feast should still be kept as a memorial and a shadow until its purpose is completely accomplished.
Do we find the first-century Church continuing to keep Pentecost? In the book of Acts, we read of the apostle Paul hurrying to be in Jerusalem to keep this feast with the brethren. “For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day of Pentecost” (Acts 20:16).
Even in one of Paul’s epistles in which he writes so much about the gospel message, he refers to his plans to remain in Ephesus to observe Pentecost with the Church members there before traveling to Corinth.
He writes: “I do not want to see you now just in passing, for I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost” (1 Corinthians 16:7-8, New Revised Standard Version).
The Feast of Trumpets: Is this a Christ-centered feast?
The next biblical feast is referred to in the Bible as the Feast of Trumpets. It is “a holy convocation commemorated with trumpet blasts” (Leviticus 23:24, NRSV). God said when the trumpets were blown, “you will be remembered before the LORD your God, and you will be saved from your enemies” (Numbers 10:9).
Is the Feast of Trumpets also a shadow of Jesus Christ and His role in things to come?
In the New Testament, the symbolism of the trumpet is mentioned by Jesus. “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:30-31).
Often in the New Testament the sound of trumpets is tied to Christ’s coming. Notice Paul’s description of the resurrection of the dead at the time a great trumpet announces Christ’s return: “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).
We find this again described in 1 Thessalonians 4:16: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.”
So Christ will ultimately fulfill the symbolism behind the Feast of Trumpets. He is the center of this foreshadowing feast too. At His second coming, the trumpet shall sound, announcing the arrival of the King of Kings. Loud voices proclaim, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” (Revelation 11:15).
But until the sound of the trumpet is heard, this feast is still pointing to the future, and its meaning is still to be fulfilled—with Jesus at its center.
The Day of Atonement: Is Christ involved in its meaning?
Perhaps the most unusual of the biblical feasts is the Day of Atonement. In Old Testament times, it included an elaborate ritual described in Leviticus 16. The high priest was to present two male goats, the first of which was sacrificed for the nation’s sins (verse 15). Then, after the sins of the nation were symbolically placed on the other goat, it was expelled into the desert to a life of wandering (verses 21-22).
What does the Day of Atonement reveal about Jesus Christ’s roles? Is He also at the center of this feast?
The Bible is full of rich symbolism, and the New Testament Church quickly realized Christ in His first coming was at the center of the feasts of the Lord. Just as He was described as being “our Passover” and “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8), so they came to understand that He was at the center of the Day of Atonement. How? He fulfilled the role of the male goat slain for the sins of Israel and carried outside the camp (Leviticus 16:27).
We read in Hebrews 13 about the Day of Atonement, and Christ being symbolic of the male goat and other animals slain on that day as sin offerings. “For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate [of the city of Jerusalem]” (verses 11-12).
We should consider that while Christ has already been sacrificed, the atonement His sacrifice provides has not yet been applied to all of Israel. That will happen upon Israel’s repentance at Christ’s second coming.
Not only does the Day of Atonement depict Christ’s sacrifice for sin and a true spiritual reconciling of the people with God, but Christ is directly involved in the symbolism of the other male goat that was cast out into the desert by a strong man (Leviticus 16:21).
The second goat, over which the sins of the Israelites were confessed, represented the instigator of those sins—none other than Satan the devil.
At Christ’s second coming, He will instruct a powerful angel to bind Satan and cast him into a place of restraint for 1,000 years, exiling him from mankind just as the live goat was exiled from the Israelite camp on the Day of Atonement. “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years” (Revelation 20:1-2).
So Christ plays a dual role in the symbolism of the Day of Atonement. He is sacrificed as the first goat for the sins of the people, the atonement of which is yet to be applied to all Israel upon the nation’s repentance at His return. And He will also be involved, as King of Kings, in banishing Satan at that time to establish the Kingdom of God on earth.
The Feast of Tabernacles: How is Christ the center of this feast?
Next is the sixth biblical feast, the Feast of Tabernacles. In the Old Testament, it was kept to remind the Israelites of all of God’s miraculous interventions during the 40-year period in the wilderness. “All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt” (Leviticus 23:42-43).
What does the Feast of Tabernacles have to do with Jesus Christ? Jesus is recorded to have kept this feast in John 7:2-36. The symbol of the tabernacle in the New Testament is rich with meaning.
During Christ’s earthly ministry, the apostle John mentions that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). The Greek term for “dwelt” here actually means that He “tabernacled” among us. Just as Jesus Christ as the Creator God of the Old Testament (John 1:1-3, 10; Hebrews 1:2; Colossians 1:16) “tabernacled” with the Israelites in the wilderness, He now did so with His people in His physical life many centuries later.
The apostle Paul says that the Israelites in the wilderness all “drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:4, New International Version).
At Christ’s second coming, He will again “tabernacle” with those who are saved. He will dwell with His people for a thousand years, and this 1,000-year rule of Jesus Christ over the earth is the ultimate fulfillment of this feast. “Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years” (Revelation 20:6).
So Christ is definitely at the center of this feast too—as the ruler who “tabernacles” with His people for a thousand years.
The Last Great Day
The Feast of Tabernacles lasted seven days. Then, on the eighth day, there followed another, separate feast day, the last of the biblical feasts (Leviticus 23:36). What does this day have to do with Jesus Christ?
In John 7, an account of Jesus Christ’s last Feast of Tabernacles on earth, we find Jesus declaring the significance of its conclusion. “On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:37-38).
He was talking about His return to earth, when He will freely offer the Holy Spirit to those who will believe in Him. Jesus died for all of mankind, but only a fraction have ever had the opportunity to know about Him and accept His offer of receiving the Holy Spirit.
Yet during Christ’s 1,000-year reign, all of mankind will be offered God’s Spirit. And beyond that, the Bible reveals there will come a future time when Christ will offer it to those who rise up in a resurrection of the dead from all past ages. In Revelation 20, we read what happens after the Millennium (pictured by the Feast of Tabernacles) is completed:
“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away ... And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books” (Revelation 20:11-12).
This period is also called the White Throne Judgment, and it is Christ who has been appointed to judge all of mankind (John 5:26-27; Romans 14:10). This does not mean immediate condemnation but a judgment period, since the Book of Life is opened—meaning an opportunity is opened to receive God’s Spirit and have one’s name written into it. The apostle Paul writes in Philippians 4:3 of those “who labored with me in the gospel ... and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.”
So Christ will also carry out the central role of this final feast, that of lovingly and mercifully offering the multitudes of the uninformed and the deceived an opportunity for conversion and salvation and to have their names inscribed in the Book of Life.
Thus, the seven feasts of the Lord are “a shadow of things to come,” and Jesus Christ is at the center of all of them. Yet He has not brought them to ultimate fulfillment; that will only occur in the coming Kingdom of God.
Yes, Christ is our Passover, He is the Unleavened Bread that purifies us, the Giver of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the coming King whose arrival is announced by the blast of the trumpets, the one who banishes Satan for a thousand years, and who tabernacles with man as King of kings. Finally, He is to judge mankind and offer the great majority an opportunity to have their names written in the Book of Life.
This is why God’s Church kept these feasts as shown in the New Testament. This is why these holy feasts are still to be kept—to remind us of the central role Jesus Christ has in carrying out in the plan of God. Isn’t it about time you started keeping them yourself?
This "affliction" began 30 years later with the hatred expressed to Isaac by Ishmael's mocking attitude (Genesis 21:8-10). This affliction of Abraham's seed in Canaan eventually ended in the bondage in Egypt. "Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years,even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt" (Exodus 12:40-41). OnPassover, 430 years later, the captivity ended. The Apostle Paul confirmed that the captivity lasted precisely 430 years (Galatians 3:17).
Israel's Second Captivity and Return When many of the kings of Judah began to rebel against God,numerous people turned to idol worship and pagan gods despiteGod's warnings through His prophets. The 10 northern tribes ofIsrael were conquered by the Assyrians in 721 B.C.E. (2 Kings17:6). Then, Jeremiah prophesied that the Kingdom of Judah would also be removed for precisely 70 years from the Promised Landbeginning in 606 B.C.E. because of their sins. "And this wholeland shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years" (Jeremiah25:11). Precisely 70 years later on the first day of Nisan, 536B.C.E. King Cyrus of Persia released the Jews, just as Jeremiah had prophesied. Despite the royal permission, only a small remnant of the Jews left Babylon and returned to Israel. The vast majority never returned, choosing rather to reside in the nationof their captivity.
The Third and Worldwide Captivity The Bible contains numerous prophecies of a final return of the exiles to the Promised Land in the "last days." In light of the precision of the prophecies about the duration of the earlier captivities, it seemed probable to me that the prophets must have revealed when the Jews would return from their final captivity to establish their nation.
The prophet Ezekiel was given a vision concerning the final return of his people. "This shall be a sign to the house of Israel. Lie thou also upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it:according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon itthou shalt bear their iniquity. For I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days,three hundred and ninety days: so shalt thou bear the iniquity ofthe house of Israel. And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for ayear" (Ezekiel 4:3-6).Ezekiel declared that each day represents one biblical year.Israel would be punished for 430 years (390 years and 40 years).
At the end of the 70 years of prophesied captivity in Babylon, inNisan 536 B.C.E., only a small remnant of the house of Judah returned to Jerusalem to fulfill the prophecy. The vast majority of the Jews remained in the Persian Empire as colonists.Therefore, when we deduct the 70 years in Babylon that ended inNisan 536 B.C.E. from Ezekiel's 430 years of punishment, Israel still had 360 years of further captivity due following the end ofthe Babylonian Captivity. Despite the precision of Ezekiel's prophecy there was no return to the land, either 430 years or 360 years after 536 B.C.E.
The solution to this mystery is found in Leviticus 26. The Lord established promises and punishments for Israel based on her obedience and her disobedience. God told Israel four times in this passage that if, after being punished for her sins, they still would not repent, the punishments previously specified would be multiplied by seven (the number of completion). "And ifye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punishyou seven times more for your sins" (Leviticus 26:18; alsoLeviticus 26:21, 23-24, 27-28). In other words, if the Israelites did not repent, the punishment previously promised (360 years)would be multiplied seven times (360 years x 7 = 2,520 biblicalyears) to reach a total of 2,520 years. Therefore, as of 536B.C.E., the final restoration to the Holy Land would occur onlyafter 2,520 biblical years.
The Biblical Year of 360 Days When we refer to biblical/prophetic years we refer to the ancient Jewish year of 360 days. While our modern calendar year contains365.25 days and the modern Hebrew calendar has 354 days, thebiblical year of ancient Israel was lunar-solar and containedonly 360 days. The solar calendar year of 365.25 days was not used by Israel. According to articles in the EncyclopediaBritannica and Smith's Bible Dictionary on chronology, Abraham used a year of 360 days consisting of 12 months of 30 days each.
The Bible's account of the flood confirms the ancient biblical year of 360 days describing a five-month period as consisting ofprecisely 150 days between the 17th day of the second month to the 17th day of the seventh month (5 x 30 days = 150 days). SirIsaac Newton declared that "all nations, before the just length of the solar year was known, reckoned months by the course of the moon, and years by the return of winter and summer, spring and autumn; and in making calendars for their festivals, they reckoned thirty days to a lunar month, and twelve lunar months to a year taking the nearest round numbers, whence came the division of the ecliptic into 360 degrees." The book of Esther (1:4) reveals this 360-day year in its description of a six-month-longfeast that lasts precisely 180 days.
The prophet Daniel also confirms this fact by describing one-half of the 70th week(Daniel 9:24-27) as containing exactly 1,260 days (3.5 x 360days). Sir Robert Anderson, the brilliant head of Scotland Yardin 1895, described the 360-day year in his book The Coming Prince. The Calculation The Babylonian captivity ended in the spring of 536 B.C.E., 1stNisan. This date is the starting point for our calculations. The period of worldwide captivity would last 2,520 biblical years x360 days = 907,200 days. Converting this figure into our calendaryear we divide the 907,200 days by 365.25 to reach a total of2,483.8 calendar years. (Remember that there is only one yearbetween 1 B.C.E. and 1 C.E.; there was no Year Zero).
The end ofIsrael's worldwide captivity would occur after a total of 2,483.8years had elapsed from the end of the Babylonian Captivity in thespring of 536 B.C.E.End of Babylonian Captivity: Spring 536 B.C.E. + the duration ofWorldwide Captivity: 2,483.8 Calendar Years = When the WorldwideCaptivity would end: Spring 1948. The Rebirth of Israel: May 14th 1948 On May 14, 1948, the Jewish people proclaimed the independence ofIsrael and the end of their worldwide captivity at the precise time prophesied by the prophet Ezekiel. On this very day a united Israel took its place as a sovereign, independent state among the nations.
The isreali calendar before AD 300(before the jewish calendar reformation) was a solar calendar,comprising of 12 months each of 30 days.this calendar is well elaborated in the site http://360calendar.com/ ,but the author of the site is under the false impression that prophetic calendar and original jewish calendar are 2 different ones,infact they are both same.there are innumerable historic and archeological evidences for this.try the following link http://www.angelfire.com/ga4/israelites/enochian_calendar_information.htm#where
Early christians observed shabbath,festivals(4 spring festivals already fullfilled by crucifixion,resurrection of Jesus and birth of church on day of pentecost-upper room and 4 fall festivals, all of which are mentioned in leviticus 23) and rosh chodesh(called by israelis as new moon after babylonian captivity-before captivity it was just 1st day of the month-rosh chodesh) and also temple sacrifices in the rememberance of ultimate and eternal sacrifice Jesus the messiah/christ on the cross at calvary.They used the 360 calendar( http://360calendar.com/) for observing these festivals.In the near future when true christianty will be restored and the temple rebuilt in Jerusalem,christians will once again observe the festivals,shabbath,rosh chodesh and temple sacrifices.the temple itself will be called "Prayer house for the people of all nations".The 360 calendar (http://360calendar.com/) will be restored worldwide.This will happen immediately after the soon coming WW3 and before the rapture.This restored church-the true religion aka the godschurch aka the final protestant church, wil have all people living on earth as it's members.But when Jesus comes back on the day of trumpets(rapture) believers will be taken and hypocrites left behind on earth to face the great tribulation.
Few people are aware of the seven festivals God reveals in the Bible. Even fewer are aware that they center around and teach us a great deal about Jesus Christ and His role in God’s plan for all mankind.
“The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts” (Leviticus 23:2). Sounds impressive, doesn’t it? God Almighty saying in Scripture, “These are My Feasts.”
Yet for most of traditional Christianity, these “feasts of the LORD” are thought to have been kept only by the Jews and are deemed meaningless for Christians. New religious holidays have been substituted that supposedly center on Jesus Christ.
How did all this come to be? What is the true meaning of these “feasts of the LORD”? Do they have anything to do with Jesus Christ, or is their symbolism limited only to long-ago events? If we truly want to find the answers in the manner God instructs us, then we should follow the advice He inspired: “Test all things; hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21).
The Bible gives us a good example of how to examine a belief to see if it is correct. When the apostle Paul traveled to Berea, he taught the Bereans certain things that must have been surprising to them. But they didn’t close their minds or reject them. Instead, they were willing to give them a fair hearing by carefully examining the Scriptures. What was the result? We read in Acts 17:11-12 that these men and women “were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed ...”
So in examining the feasts of the Bible, will we give them a fair hearing as well? Do the Scriptures reveal whether these feasts teach us important truths about Jesus Christ?
The Passover: A Christ-centered feast?
The Passover is the first of God’s annual feast days mentioned in Scripture. It commemorates the greatest event in the people of Israel’s history—their miraculous liberation from Egypt. The second book of the Bible, Exodus, is dedicated to narrating this history. Observant Jews have been celebrating this feast for more than 3,400 years.
But is this feast only to celebrate the Israelites’ departure from Egypt? Does the New Testament have anything to say about the occasion?
When John the Baptist saw Jesus Christ coming to the Jordan River to be baptized, he exclaimed, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).
In the Bible the lamb is a symbol of the Passover because a lamb was slain at the beginning of the Passover and eaten that night. The Israelites knew the blood of the lamb had protected them from the death of their firstborn on that first Passover night they kept in Egypt (Exodus 12:12-13).
In the New Testament, the Gospels record that Christ kept the Passover with His disciples several times. On the night before His death, Jesus knew He was fulfilling the symbolism of the Passover lamb in voluntarily giving His life for the sins of the entire world.
Notice Luke 22:14-16: “When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. Then He said to them, ‘With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’“
Jesus then instituted the new symbols that represented not the sacrifice of a lamb, but His far greater sacrifice (communion/qurbana/eucharist).Infact communion/qurbana/eucharist were started under the preistly order of Melchizedek,when Melchizedek blesses Abram by giving bread and wine after his war victory(genesis 14:17-20,psalms110:4)In hebrews chapter 7 preistly order of Melchizedek is clearly depicted,hebrews 7 is as follows-1This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, 2and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means "king of righteousness"; then also, "king of Salem" means "king of peace." 3Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever.
4Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! 5Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people—that is, their brothers—even though their brothers are descended from Abraham. 6This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7And without doubt the lesser person is blessed by the greater. 8In the one case, the tenth is collected by men who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living. 9One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, 10because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.
Jesus Like Melchizedek
11If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the law was given to the people), why was there still need for another priest to come—one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? 12For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law. 13He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. 14For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. 15And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, 16one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. 17For it is declared:
"You are a priest forever,
in the order of Melchizedek."[a]
18The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless 19(for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.
20And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, 21but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him:
"The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind:
'You are a priest forever.' "[b] 22Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.
23Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25Therefore he is able to save completely[c] those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
26Such a high priest meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. 27Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. 28For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.
The Passover symbols would now represent Christ’s complete sacrifice—the unleavened bread representing His sinless body that was beaten for us, and a sip of wine signifying the lifeblood He would shed to wash away our sins.
From then on, this feast took on a much greater new meaning to the Church. Instead of being abolished, this feast now revealed its true, ultimate meaning. The disciples now realized the Passover lamb was only the physical forerunner of that perfect sacrifice which was Jesus Christ. Now they would keep this feast with far greater significance and comprehension.
Paul explains the Christian Passover
Some 25 years after Christ’s death, the apostle Paul instructed the Corinthian congregation—composed of believing Jews and gentiles alike—about the Passover: “Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7).
Paul understood this ancient feast of the Passover had now revealed its true meaning with Christ’s sacrifice. It was part of God’s plan for all of mankind that Jesus would come and sacrifice Himself for the sins of the world—and the Passover anticipated it.
So, far from being obsolete, the Passover was revealed to have a vastly important meaning for Christians, with Jesus Christ being at its very center.
The apostle Paul explained this new understanding of the Passover to the Corinthian brethren when he instructed them on how to observe it: “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed [Passover night] took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’
“In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
So in the New Testament, the Passover becomes an annual reminder and symbol of Christ’s sacrifice for all of us.
God’s feasts reveal the future
The apostle Paul clearly understood that these biblical feasts were harbingers of what was to come in God’s master plan of salvation. In a passage frequently misunderstood by many, Paul shows these feasts of the Lord were “shadows” of things to come—not of things that have already happened.
He warned the brethren not to be intimidated by some who were questioning their manner of keeping God’s feasts, as well as the Sabbaths, new moons, and eating and drinking. He said, “So let no one judge [criticize or condemn] you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come . . . Let no one cheat you of your reward ...” (Colossians 2:16-18).
Paul was combating a group of ascetics who were introducing several strange doctrines, including worshiping angels (verse 18) and abstaining from wholesome food and drink (verse 21). He told the brethren to ignore them and continue observing what he had taught (and he certainly taught keeping the Passover, as we have seen). Regrettably, the Colossian brethren had been cowed by these self-righteous intruders and were starting to shy away from observing these feasts.
So Paul mentions how important they are, as foreshadowing coming events in God’s plan for mankind. These events have not been completely accomplished so far, and many are still in the future.
Even the Passover’s symbolism was not completely fulfilled with Christ’s sacrificial death. Jesus Himself said He will again take the Passover with all the believers in God’s Kingdom (Mark 14:24-25; Luke 22:15-16)—an act that represents the ultimate triumph of His sacrifice when all believers join Him in His Kingdom.
The Days of Unleavened Bread: Is Christ at the center?
What about the Days of Unleavened Bread? Are they obsolete, solely an Old Testament symbol? Or are they also glorious shadows of things to come?
In the Old Testament, the Days of Unleavened Bread were understood to be a memorial of what occurred after the Passover night, when all the Egyptian firstborn died.
The next morning the Israelites packed their belongings and traveled to a nearby gathering place, ready for departure. That evening, they left Egypt by night. “It is a night of solemn observance to the LORD for bringing them out of the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:42).
Before that evening, one last thing occurred: “And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they had brought out of Egypt; for it was not leavened, because they were driven out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared provisions for themselves” (verse 39).
This feast of the Lord is clearly spelled out in Leviticus 23:6: “And on the fifteenth day of the same month [as Passover] is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; seven days you must eat unleavened bread.”
What does this feast have to do with Christ? What does it teach us about Him?
Unleavened bread—bread made without leaven—is mentioned in the Bible as something pure and unpolluted. All the grain sacrifices to be burned were to be made without leaven. “No grain offering which you bring to the LORD shall be made with leaven, for you shall burn no leaven nor any honey in any offering to the LORD made by fire” (Leviticus 2:11).
In the New Testament, the apostle Paul explains the spiritual symbolism of unleavened bread. Rebuking the Church members in Corinth for their acceptance of sin, he tells them: “Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:6-7).
Yes, as Paul states, it is the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that removes our sins, and so we become “unleavened” in a spiritual sense. So, again, Jesus Christ is the focus of this feast of the Lord. The shadow of this feast points to what Jesus would do for all of us in cleansing us of sin and helping us to live sin-free lives.
Paul told the Corinthian brethren that they should continue to keep this feast that followed the Passover. “Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (verse 8).
We see, then, that the spiritual meaning of the Days of Unleavened Bread was revealed. Its deeper significance wasn’t ultimately found in what had occurred in the Old Testament, but in Jesus Christ, the sinless one, who purged our sins and gave us a chance to be spiritually “unleavened” before God. As the apostle Jude noted, Jesus “is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy” (Jude 24).
So Jesus Christ is at the center of this second feast of the Lord, too. He makes it possible for us to be spiritually “unleavened” before God.
Pentecost: Is Christ at the center of this feast?
In the Old Testament, the Feast of Pentecost is called the Feast of Weeks (Exodus 34:22). This is because Leviticus 23:15-16 mentions counting seven weeks (or Sabbaths) or “fifty days” from the day the wave sheaf was offered during the Days of Unleavened Bread. Thus the feast acquired the name of “fiftieth,” which is what Pentecost means in the Greek language of the New Testament.
In the New Testament, 50 days after Christ had been resurrected, the first Christians were celebrating Pentecost, one of the feasts of the Lord. And, as recorded in Acts 2, what a day that was! On it they received the Holy Spirit from God. Suddenly the Old Testament Feast of Weeks had taken on a new meaning for them. The shadow of this feast had now become a reality! Pentecost would become the Church’s anniversary of the receiving of God’s Spirit.
Jesus Christ revealed the significance of this feast by sending the Holy Spirit to His brethren in the faith. He had told them, “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49; compare John 16:7).
God’s Spirit plays a crucial role in the life of Christians today as it did then. When a person receives God’s Spirit upon repentance and baptism, that Spirit begins a process of spiritual transformation in the person’s life, a transformation the Bible calls conversion.
Through this process, we shed our own way of thinking and living and allow Jesus Christ’s attitude and way of life to guide everything we do. Paul described this life-transforming change in Galatians 2:20:
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (King James Version).
Thus we see that Jesus is at the center of the Feast of Pentecost as well. Yet the ultimate fulfillment will only be realized after He returns to earth to establish God’s Kingdom, when all will have access to God’s Spirit. So this feast should still be kept as a memorial and a shadow until its purpose is completely accomplished.
Do we find the first-century Church continuing to keep Pentecost? In the book of Acts, we read of the apostle Paul hurrying to be in Jerusalem to keep this feast with the brethren. “For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day of Pentecost” (Acts 20:16).
Even in one of Paul’s epistles in which he writes so much about the gospel message, he refers to his plans to remain in Ephesus to observe Pentecost with the Church members there before traveling to Corinth.
He writes: “I do not want to see you now just in passing, for I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost” (1 Corinthians 16:7-8, New Revised Standard Version).
The Feast of Trumpets: Is this a Christ-centered feast?
The next biblical feast is referred to in the Bible as the Feast of Trumpets. It is “a holy convocation commemorated with trumpet blasts” (Leviticus 23:24, NRSV). God said when the trumpets were blown, “you will be remembered before the LORD your God, and you will be saved from your enemies” (Numbers 10:9).
Is the Feast of Trumpets also a shadow of Jesus Christ and His role in things to come?
In the New Testament, the symbolism of the trumpet is mentioned by Jesus. “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:30-31).
Often in the New Testament the sound of trumpets is tied to Christ’s coming. Notice Paul’s description of the resurrection of the dead at the time a great trumpet announces Christ’s return: “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).
We find this again described in 1 Thessalonians 4:16: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.”
So Christ will ultimately fulfill the symbolism behind the Feast of Trumpets. He is the center of this foreshadowing feast too. At His second coming, the trumpet shall sound, announcing the arrival of the King of Kings. Loud voices proclaim, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” (Revelation 11:15).
But until the sound of the trumpet is heard, this feast is still pointing to the future, and its meaning is still to be fulfilled—with Jesus at its center.
The Day of Atonement: Is Christ involved in its meaning?
Perhaps the most unusual of the biblical feasts is the Day of Atonement. In Old Testament times, it included an elaborate ritual described in Leviticus 16. The high priest was to present two male goats, the first of which was sacrificed for the nation’s sins (verse 15). Then, after the sins of the nation were symbolically placed on the other goat, it was expelled into the desert to a life of wandering (verses 21-22).
What does the Day of Atonement reveal about Jesus Christ’s roles? Is He also at the center of this feast?
The Bible is full of rich symbolism, and the New Testament Church quickly realized Christ in His first coming was at the center of the feasts of the Lord. Just as He was described as being “our Passover” and “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8), so they came to understand that He was at the center of the Day of Atonement. How? He fulfilled the role of the male goat slain for the sins of Israel and carried outside the camp (Leviticus 16:27).
We read in Hebrews 13 about the Day of Atonement, and Christ being symbolic of the male goat and other animals slain on that day as sin offerings. “For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate [of the city of Jerusalem]” (verses 11-12).
We should consider that while Christ has already been sacrificed, the atonement His sacrifice provides has not yet been applied to all of Israel. That will happen upon Israel’s repentance at Christ’s second coming.
Not only does the Day of Atonement depict Christ’s sacrifice for sin and a true spiritual reconciling of the people with God, but Christ is directly involved in the symbolism of the other male goat that was cast out into the desert by a strong man (Leviticus 16:21).
The second goat, over which the sins of the Israelites were confessed, represented the instigator of those sins—none other than Satan the devil.
At Christ’s second coming, He will instruct a powerful angel to bind Satan and cast him into a place of restraint for 1,000 years, exiling him from mankind just as the live goat was exiled from the Israelite camp on the Day of Atonement. “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years” (Revelation 20:1-2).
So Christ plays a dual role in the symbolism of the Day of Atonement. He is sacrificed as the first goat for the sins of the people, the atonement of which is yet to be applied to all Israel upon the nation’s repentance at His return. And He will also be involved, as King of Kings, in banishing Satan at that time to establish the Kingdom of God on earth.
The Feast of Tabernacles: How is Christ the center of this feast?
Next is the sixth biblical feast, the Feast of Tabernacles. In the Old Testament, it was kept to remind the Israelites of all of God’s miraculous interventions during the 40-year period in the wilderness. “All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt” (Leviticus 23:42-43).
What does the Feast of Tabernacles have to do with Jesus Christ? Jesus is recorded to have kept this feast in John 7:2-36. The symbol of the tabernacle in the New Testament is rich with meaning.
During Christ’s earthly ministry, the apostle John mentions that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). The Greek term for “dwelt” here actually means that He “tabernacled” among us. Just as Jesus Christ as the Creator God of the Old Testament (John 1:1-3, 10; Hebrews 1:2; Colossians 1:16) “tabernacled” with the Israelites in the wilderness, He now did so with His people in His physical life many centuries later.
The apostle Paul says that the Israelites in the wilderness all “drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:4, New International Version).
At Christ’s second coming, He will again “tabernacle” with those who are saved. He will dwell with His people for a thousand years, and this 1,000-year rule of Jesus Christ over the earth is the ultimate fulfillment of this feast. “Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years” (Revelation 20:6).
So Christ is definitely at the center of this feast too—as the ruler who “tabernacles” with His people for a thousand years.
The Last Great Day
The Feast of Tabernacles lasted seven days. Then, on the eighth day, there followed another, separate feast day, the last of the biblical feasts (Leviticus 23:36). What does this day have to do with Jesus Christ?
In John 7, an account of Jesus Christ’s last Feast of Tabernacles on earth, we find Jesus declaring the significance of its conclusion. “On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:37-38).
He was talking about His return to earth, when He will freely offer the Holy Spirit to those who will believe in Him. Jesus died for all of mankind, but only a fraction have ever had the opportunity to know about Him and accept His offer of receiving the Holy Spirit.
Yet during Christ’s 1,000-year reign, all of mankind will be offered God’s Spirit. And beyond that, the Bible reveals there will come a future time when Christ will offer it to those who rise up in a resurrection of the dead from all past ages. In Revelation 20, we read what happens after the Millennium (pictured by the Feast of Tabernacles) is completed:
“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away ... And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books” (Revelation 20:11-12).
This period is also called the White Throne Judgment, and it is Christ who has been appointed to judge all of mankind (John 5:26-27; Romans 14:10). This does not mean immediate condemnation but a judgment period, since the Book of Life is opened—meaning an opportunity is opened to receive God’s Spirit and have one’s name written into it. The apostle Paul writes in Philippians 4:3 of those “who labored with me in the gospel ... and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.”
So Christ will also carry out the central role of this final feast, that of lovingly and mercifully offering the multitudes of the uninformed and the deceived an opportunity for conversion and salvation and to have their names inscribed in the Book of Life.
Thus, the seven feasts of the Lord are “a shadow of things to come,” and Jesus Christ is at the center of all of them. Yet He has not brought them to ultimate fulfillment; that will only occur in the coming Kingdom of God.
Yes, Christ is our Passover, He is the Unleavened Bread that purifies us, the Giver of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the coming King whose arrival is announced by the blast of the trumpets, the one who banishes Satan for a thousand years, and who tabernacles with man as King of kings. Finally, He is to judge mankind and offer the great majority an opportunity to have their names written in the Book of Life.
This is why God’s Church kept these feasts as shown in the New Testament. This is why these holy feasts are still to be kept—to remind us of the central role Jesus Christ has in carrying out in the plan of God. Isn’t it about time you started keeping them yourself?
Origin of Protestantism and Catholicism and the coming Golden Age
Origin of Protestantism and Catholicism and the coming Golden Age
Protestant revolution was not the origin of protestantism.The first protestant church was the apostolic church. (the church depicted in new testament do not pray to "saints" or use statues\images in prayer worship.) Thus it was protestant in essence.
Later in 4th century Constantine the then roman emperor gave Christianity a special status in his empire,inorder to consolidate the diminishing power of his goverment because of the fastly increasing christian minority that was spread throughout the Roman empire.Through the edict of milan, thessalonica and council of nicae what they did was not toleration for christianity,but to create a new fake religion in the name of Jesus,in which they integrated the ancient roman idolatry as the practice of intercession to saints.
Many christians at that time were against this.Some of them were donatists,early manichaens,paulicians,bogomils,cathars,waldensians,hussites and finally protestants.
When Constantine gave christianity a special status in his empire inorder to consolidate the diminishing power of his government because of the fastly increasing christian minority that was spreading throughout the Roman empire.But majority in his empire was still pagan and they found it hard to forgo of their old idolatrous practices. So the state changed the names of their old idols to "christian" names and continued to use them in prayer/worship . This came to be known as "intercession/veneration to saints" and is still practiced by catholic and orthodox 'christians'.
True christians like donatists(n.africa,s.europe),early manichaens(middle east,,central asia) opposed this practice,but catholics branded them heretics and massacred them.Iconoclastic movement of (7th-8th century) century was against this practice, later protestant revolution (15-16th century) was waged mainly against this practice.
Thus when constantine gave christianity special status in his empire,idolatry also entered along with it in the unsuspecting name of "intercession to saints".This soon spread to most of the church,because such was the influence of roman empire at that time.But few like donatists(north african christians) and followers of mani ~ Manichean's (mani was a 2nd century apostle of jesus whose followers spread from persia to balkans in the west and to china in the east,before falling into oblivion probably because of islamic conquest) remained true to the gospel of christ.
Later remenants of these christians spread to turkey and balkans where they were called paulicians and bogomils respectively.They were behind the iconoclastic movement of 7-8th century.Both these groups came under heavy persecution from catholics because they dared to expose the truth of christ to them.Finally they were wiped out by catholic crusaders,en route to capture Jerusalem by a secret directive from vatican in 12th century,perhaps the real intention of antichristians(catholics) for taking up crusades was to wipe out true christian like paulcians and bogomils who exposed their idolatry and lies.
But almost simultaneously,the spirit of God started 2 new christian movements in heart of catholicism itself~in italy and france . In italy they were called waldensians and in france they were called cathars .Cathars were wiped out in the 12th centutry by catholic crusaders~a mass murder popularly called as cathar/albinesian crusade (catholic church still take great pride in these crusades) .But italian waldensians continued inspite of severe catholic persecution and they remain to this day .
By 15th century printing was invented and bible became available to masses . They came to know about truth that catholic church was doing idolatry in the name of god . They revolted and it came to be known as protestant revolution and were led by many great leaders like jan hus,jan zizka,martin luther,ulrich zwigli,john calvin,john knox,john wesley and many others .Today protestants number more than 800 million .
In future (after the soon coming WW3) they(protestants/evangelicals) will unite as single God's church and all people living on earth will be it's members.The 3rd temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem and it shall be called "the house of prayer for people of all nations" exactly as Jesus predicted nearly 2000 years ago.Animal and other sacrifices will be offered there in the remembrance of the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross,just as it symbolized the coming sacrifice of Lord Jesus Christ in the old testament period.This will remain till coming of Lord Jesus Christ in mid heavens to take his church from this earth ( rapture) .
In rapture believers will be taken and hypocrites left behind to face great tribulation(such as never happened before or never will in the future) which will last for 7 years.The first half of this tribulation will be very prosperous, making people of earth deluded,it will be like a strong "wine' of delusion sent by god to people who rejected him.In the half of this 7 year period antichrist will break his agreement with Israeli's and when half this time is past,he will break the agreement and set himself up in Jerusalem Temple as God,and stop the temple sacrifices and offerings.He will require all to have number 666 imprinted on them to buy or sell.Those who get this mark of 666 are damned for eternal hell.So anybody who happens to be in tribulation period,want salvation he/she has to die as martyrs,or be a part of 144,000 who will be fed in wilderness.
I understand catholics will be angered by this, but their anger is in vain because this is the truth and truth will triumph.Also note that throughout the centuries catholics branded(and still branding) all these groups as dualistic pagans heretics who need to be wiped out from face of earth... such brandings(stereotypings) were less effective against prots,inorder to fulfill the prophecy of Jesus-"You are peter(petros-masculine noun in greek, meaning a small stone) and i shall build my church(non feminist Protestantism) on this rock(petra-feminine noun in Greek, meaning a large mass of rock,not the degrading dead body of peter buried under Vatican as catholics claim/believe)and gates of hell(Catholicism and other false religions/ideologies) will not prevail over it".
The Roman Catholic Church interprets Jesus here to say, "You are Peter, and upon you, Peter, I will build My church." Peter would be the rock upon which the Church would be built . He would be the "prince of all the apostles and visible head of the whole church."
There are several problems with this interpretation. The first is that someone reading Matthew’s Gospel in Greek, the original language of the New Testament, would not have immediately concluded that Peter was the rock. In the Gospel of Matthew, when Jesus said to Simon, "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church" (Matthew 16:18), His choice of words was significant. Though Peter’s name means rock (petros), Jesus did not say, "You are Peter (Petros), and upon this rock (petros-which accurately means a small unstable stone) I will build my church,instead he said you are peter(petros) and i shall build my church on this petra(meaning bedrock,or a large rock mass).
Peter’s name, Petros,is masculine in gender and refers to a boulder or a detached stone. Greek literature also uses it of a small stone that might be picked up and thrown.
What Jesus said to Peter could be translated, "You are Stone, and upon this bedrock I will build My church." His choice of words would indicate that the rock on which the church would be built was something other than Peter,which can only refer to the revelation given to Peter by the most high God,that is-Jesus is the Christ(messiah), the Son of the living God.
Later in 4th century Constantine the then roman emperor gave Christianity a special status in his empire,inorder to consolidate the diminishing power of his goverment because of the fastly increasing christian minority that was spread throughout the Roman empire.Through the edict of milan, thessalonica and council of nicae what they did was not toleration for christianity,but to create a new fake religion in the name of Jesus,in which they integrated the ancient roman idolatry as the practice of intercession to saints.
Many christians at that time were against this.Some of them were donatists,early manichaens,paulicians,bogomils,cathars,waldensians,hussites and finally protestants.
When Constantine gave christianity a special status in his empire inorder to consolidate the diminishing power of his government because of the fastly increasing christian minority that was spreading throughout the Roman empire.But majority in his empire was still pagan and they found it hard to forgo of their old idolatrous practices. So the state changed the names of their old idols to "christian" names and continued to use them in prayer/worship . This came to be known as "intercession/veneration to saints" and is still practiced by catholic and orthodox 'christians'.
True christians like donatists(n.africa,s.europe),early manichaens(middle east,,central asia) opposed this practice,but catholics branded them heretics and massacred them.Iconoclastic movement of (7th-8th century) century was against this practice, later protestant revolution (15-16th century) was waged mainly against this practice.
Thus when constantine gave christianity special status in his empire,idolatry also entered along with it in the unsuspecting name of "intercession to saints".This soon spread to most of the church,because such was the influence of roman empire at that time.But few like donatists(north african christians) and followers of mani ~ Manichean's (mani was a 2nd century apostle of jesus whose followers spread from persia to balkans in the west and to china in the east,before falling into oblivion probably because of islamic conquest) remained true to the gospel of christ.
Later remenants of these christians spread to turkey and balkans where they were called paulicians and bogomils respectively.They were behind the iconoclastic movement of 7-8th century.Both these groups came under heavy persecution from catholics because they dared to expose the truth of christ to them.Finally they were wiped out by catholic crusaders,en route to capture Jerusalem by a secret directive from vatican in 12th century,perhaps the real intention of antichristians(catholics) for taking up crusades was to wipe out true christian like paulcians and bogomils who exposed their idolatry and lies.
But almost simultaneously,the spirit of God started 2 new christian movements in heart of catholicism itself~in italy and france . In italy they were called waldensians and in france they were called cathars .Cathars were wiped out in the 12th centutry by catholic crusaders~a mass murder popularly called as cathar/albinesian crusade (catholic church still take great pride in these crusades) .But italian waldensians continued inspite of severe catholic persecution and they remain to this day .
By 15th century printing was invented and bible became available to masses . They came to know about truth that catholic church was doing idolatry in the name of god . They revolted and it came to be known as protestant revolution and were led by many great leaders like jan hus,jan zizka,martin luther,ulrich zwigli,john calvin,john knox,john wesley and many others .Today protestants number more than 800 million .
In future (after the soon coming WW3) they(protestants/evangelicals) will unite as single God's church and all people living on earth will be it's members.The 3rd temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem and it shall be called "the house of prayer for people of all nations" exactly as Jesus predicted nearly 2000 years ago.Animal and other sacrifices will be offered there in the remembrance of the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross,just as it symbolized the coming sacrifice of Lord Jesus Christ in the old testament period.This will remain till coming of Lord Jesus Christ in mid heavens to take his church from this earth ( rapture) .
In rapture believers will be taken and hypocrites left behind to face great tribulation(such as never happened before or never will in the future) which will last for 7 years.The first half of this tribulation will be very prosperous, making people of earth deluded,it will be like a strong "wine' of delusion sent by god to people who rejected him.In the half of this 7 year period antichrist will break his agreement with Israeli's and when half this time is past,he will break the agreement and set himself up in Jerusalem Temple as God,and stop the temple sacrifices and offerings.He will require all to have number 666 imprinted on them to buy or sell.Those who get this mark of 666 are damned for eternal hell.So anybody who happens to be in tribulation period,want salvation he/she has to die as martyrs,or be a part of 144,000 who will be fed in wilderness.
I understand catholics will be angered by this, but their anger is in vain because this is the truth and truth will triumph.Also note that throughout the centuries catholics branded(and still branding) all these groups as dualistic pagans heretics who need to be wiped out from face of earth... such brandings(stereotypings) were less effective against prots,inorder to fulfill the prophecy of Jesus-"You are peter(petros-masculine noun in greek, meaning a small stone) and i shall build my church(non feminist Protestantism) on this rock(petra-feminine noun in Greek, meaning a large mass of rock,not the degrading dead body of peter buried under Vatican as catholics claim/believe)and gates of hell(Catholicism and other false religions/ideologies) will not prevail over it".
The Roman Catholic Church interprets Jesus here to say, "You are Peter, and upon you, Peter, I will build My church." Peter would be the rock upon which the Church would be built . He would be the "prince of all the apostles and visible head of the whole church."
There are several problems with this interpretation. The first is that someone reading Matthew’s Gospel in Greek, the original language of the New Testament, would not have immediately concluded that Peter was the rock. In the Gospel of Matthew, when Jesus said to Simon, "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church" (Matthew 16:18), His choice of words was significant. Though Peter’s name means rock (petros), Jesus did not say, "You are Peter (Petros), and upon this rock (petros-which accurately means a small unstable stone) I will build my church,instead he said you are peter(petros) and i shall build my church on this petra(meaning bedrock,or a large rock mass).
Peter’s name, Petros,is masculine in gender and refers to a boulder or a detached stone. Greek literature also uses it of a small stone that might be picked up and thrown.
What Jesus said to Peter could be translated, "You are Stone, and upon this bedrock I will build My church." His choice of words would indicate that the rock on which the church would be built was something other than Peter,which can only refer to the revelation given to Peter by the most high God,that is-Jesus is the Christ(messiah), the Son of the living God.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)