Celebrate Pentecost!

Pentecost is a scriptural set apart day, a feast day.  The Assembly of Yahweh’s people shall feast upon the Word of Yahweh as we are commanded to do so.  And we shall feast together in a time of fellowship afterwards.

Each of Yahweh’s feast days show forth a picture of His plan for the salvation of the World.  In this teaching, we shall take a look at what this day Pentecost means in that plan of salvation.  As we shall see, Pentecost means much more than what today’s Church thinks that it means.  It even means far more than what those who even call themselves “Pentecostal” think that it means.

Now up until the early 1990’s, I didn’t really know that there was such a thing as Scriptural days of observance other than the weekly 7^th day Sabbath.  The Elohim brought brother Bob Rogers into my life shortly before his death to begin the revelation of these things.  Elohim will always bring someone into our lives at the appropriate time in the which He knows that He can work with us.  Elohim makes much preparations in order to eventually rescue you and I.

I had previously to that time of meeting with brother Rogers already repented of the non-biblical religious holidays of man that the Whore Church borrowed from paganism and then amalgamated into their religious observances.  Those non-biblical customs were then carried down into our time and are now accepted as the truth without question.  Still being observed by the harlot churches of our day and to an extent by the secular world as well.

But we, being in contact with the living El are to be receiving revelation knowledge of those things that are presently being hidden to the world and the worldly church.  So to each of us, Yahweh by His Spirit is giving us the revelation knowledge of His salvation plan, while the remainder of the world lay in darkness and blindness to these things.

Brethren, this is a special honor that we have been blessed with.  Let us always be mindful of this blessing and therefore give Elohim our thanks that He has and is calling us out of Babylon and it’s religious confusion and it’s darkness and has brought us into His marvelous light.

Why?  Because we are undeserving of this honor.  But Elohim saw something in you and I that He believes He can work with and thus He called us and if we remain faithful unto the very end, we shall be among the chosen ones who shall inherit the earth.

It is one thing for you and I to believe in Elohim.  But the greater question is this….Can Elohim believe in you and I?  He is trusting us with great knowledge that we would one day rule with Him in His kingdom.  We are presently being tested as to what kind of a ruler we shall be.

Yahweh will not have tyrants and cruel dictators ruling in His Kingdom.  He is looking for a people who will not compromise the Truth and do not fear to speak that truth and to warn the unruly, yet He is also looking for those who are merciful, caring and forgiving toward those who have yet to have these things revealed to them.

Leviticus 23 is the chapter of the Bible wherein all of the Holydays of God are discussed together. Leviticus 23:1 “And Yahweh spoke unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of Yahweh, which you shall proclaim to be set apart convocations, even these are my feasts.  Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest, a set apart convocation; you shall do no work therein: it is the Sabbath of Yahweh in all your dwellings.  These are the feasts of Yahweh, even set apart convocations, which you shall proclaim in their seasons.”

So Moses was told to speak to Yahweh’s people concerning the feasts of Yahweh.  He was to proclaim them to be set apart convocations.   You can look the word “convocations” up on your own, but in the Hebrew language it means a commanded assembly.  In other words we don’t have a choice in the matter.  We are commanded of Yahweh to observe His Feast days.

It is as though a summons to appear before Yahweh Elohim has been sent out, and you and I as His people are commanded to come together in observance of a Kodesh assembly.  Just like the 7^th day Sabbath, all of Yahweh’s feasts are commanded to be observed.  The weekly Sabbath is mentioned right here in Leviticus 23 as one of these commanded assemblies.  So just like the 7^th day Sabbath, there are also annual Sabbaths that we are commanded to keep as well.

Yahweh told Moses that these feasts are My feasts.  And you may already know this, I have brought it up in previous messages, but this is the being that became Yahshua the Messiah who was speaking here to Moses.  These are Yahshua’s feasts.  These are the feasts of Yahweh-Shua.  Not a feast exclusive to the Jews or the tribe of Judah, but these are Yahweh’s feast days and we are commanded to keep them as His people, the spiritual Israel of Yahweh.

These Feasts are to be proclaimed in their seasons.  So, each year we begin proclaiming the day of Pentecost as we are in the season.  When each of Yahweh’s people come together they are proclaiming the day by their obedience and their attendance to observe the day to be set apart from all other days.  Let’s see what this day meant and how it was observed by ancient Israel and how it now applies to us in our day. 

Leviticus 23:10-12 “Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:  And he shall wave the sheaf before Yahweh, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.  And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto Yahweh.”

During the days of unleavened bread there was a wave sheaf offering.  The ancient Israelites could not harvest to eat their spring crops until the wave sheaf was offered up.  As the weekly Sabbath that falls within the 7 days of unleavened bread was ending, this wave sheaf was offered up.  This sheaf was made up of a small amount of the grain that would be taken from the spring harvest. 

After the Sabbath had ended, the priest was to take this sheaf of grain and he would wave it before Yahweh to be accepted.  Afterwards, they were then allowed to eat the harvest of the grain from the fields.

In the of revealing His plan of salvation for the world, Yahweh formed His annual set apart days around the harvest seasons.  You will find that quite often Elohim uses agricultural terms and customs to teach the people of then and now great and mighty spiritual concepts.  Just as Israel harvested their crops around His festival seasons, the Yahweh’s Feast days show us how He is harvesting people for eternal life in the coming Kingdom.

Before moving on, we need to find out what this wave sheaf offering was symbolic of.  It was a physical act that Israel did that has a spiritual meaning for you and I today.

Colossians 1:18 “And He is the head of the body, the congregation: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.”

Speaking of Messiah, the apostle Shaul tells us that He is the head of the body, the congregation and that He was the beginning, the firstborn from the dead.  Since this was so of Yahshua, then He has the preeminence, which just means that He was to be the first in all things and in all ways.

The apostle Shaul is about to give us another clue about this wave sheaf offering.  We no longer take part in the ceremonies of ancient Israel, but those ceremonies were great clues as to what Yahweh was going to do.  They were showing us from their physical actions what He was going to do in the spiritual.

1^st Corinthians 15:20 “But now is Messiah risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.”

So here is this preeminence again.  Messiah was not the first to rise from the dead, but He was the first to rise from the dead and to come forth from that grave with an immortal body.  Here we see that Messiah became the firstfruits of the dead.  He was the firstfruits of a future spiritual harvest.

Revelation 20:1-3 “And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.  And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the devil, and the satan, and  bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled:  and after that he must be loosed a little season.”

To set the stage for what we are about to see, down at the time of the end of this age, the satan will be imprisoned for one thousand years, which is the time period when we shall reign with Messiah in the Kingdom.  The satan’s kingdom is coming down.  It is ending and will not rise again until after this period of one thousand years. 

Revelation 20:4 “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them:  and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Yahshua, and for the Word of Elohim, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Messiah a thousand years.”

Presently, these thrones are being sat upon by demonic entities.  There are spiritual thrones over each town, county, city, state capital, state, nation, national capitals of the world.  Under the kingdom of Satan there are demonic princes sitting upon these thrones or seats of authority, pulling the strings of government. These entities are even sitting over our government schools and education systems. But at the time that the satan is imprisoned, the immortal Set Apart Ones of Yahweh are going to kick those demonic princes off of those thrones and they are going to take those seats of authority as we rule with Messiah!

Revelation 20:5,6 “But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.  This is the first resurrection.  Blessed and set apart is he that hath part in the first resurrection:  on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of Yahweh and of Messiah and shall reign with Him a thousand years.”

Pentecost involves those who will be in this first resurrection.  Yahweh’s true people who have been set apart are the first fruits to be harvested.  Spiritually now, but literally later.  They will come forth in the first resurrection, the early harvest, the small harvest, symbolized in Pentecost. 

Everyone else will have to wait until after the thousand years in the later harvest, the bigger harvest.  Those that will come forth later, have already died once, but after their resurrection they will be given the opportunity for salvation.  Most will choose the ways of Yahweh rather than to suffer the second death.  They also will be granted eternal life. If they choose not to follow the plan of Yahweh, they will suffer the second death.  They will be cast into the lake of fire and die again, but this time without a hope for another resurrection.  They will be dead forever.  Some in the past and in our day have already gone into the grave rejecting the Truth of Yahweh after the blinders had been removed from their spiritual eyes.  In other words, they knew the Truth but turned their backs upon it and returned to the ways of the world or the harlot church. These will not have another opportunity; they have already had their day of salvation but rejected it.  They will be cast into the lake of fire and suffer the second death without ever having an opportunity for another resurrection.  

The main thing that needed to be seen in this text from Revelation chapter 20 is that the firstfruits will be a part of the 1^st or early harvest (resurrection from the dead or the changing of these mortal bodies to immortal) while everyone else will have to wait a thousand years before their harvest.

We are now going to go to a scripture that describes and encounter with the risen Master Messiah.  He came forth from that tomb as the Sabbath was ending and then was seen by Mary Magdalene as the 1^st day of the week had begun.

John 20:16-17 “Yahshua saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto Him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.  Yahshua saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to My Father: but go to My brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto My Father, and your Father; and to My Elohim, and your Elohim.”

Now Yahshua would not allow Mary to touch him.  Why?  Because He had yet ascended to the Father.  You see, Yahshua was just harvested.  He was just like that sheaf of grain that the ancient Israelites brought before Yahweh as the Sabbath was ending during the days of unleavened bread.  Later that same day after Mary had seen the Master, Yahshua appeared again. This time He allowed them to touch Him.

Matthew 28:9 “And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Yahshua met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held Him by the feet, and worshipped Him.”

Between the time Mary Magdalene saw Him and the time He allowed these women to touch Him, Messiah had ascended to the Father and had been accepted by Him.  As the Sabbath was ending and the 1^st day was beginning the priest would bring the sheaf of grain out and would wave it before Yahweh to be accepted of Him.

Messiah in the same way was symbolized by that sheaf of grain.  He came forth from the tomb as the Sabbath was ending and then ascended to the Father on the 1^st day of the week to be accepted of Him.

Now once that sheaf had been waved before Yahweh and was accepted, the Israelites were then allowed of Yahweh to go ahead and reap and eat the remainder of their early or spring harvest.  But that first bunch of grain had to be harvested first.  It was the firstfruits of the early harvest.  Messiah had the preeminence, He was the first born of the dead, He is the firstfruits of those that sleep.  He was that wave sheaf offering.  Since He was accepted of the Father, that made the way for the early harvest.  That is where we are quickly approaching.  That is partial picture of what Pentecost is about.

Let’s continue looking at the Feasts of Yahweh in this chapter.  We will continue on with a description of Israel’s observance of Pentecost.  Leviticus 23:15-16 “And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven Sabbaths shall be complete:  Even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall ye number fifty day.”

The word “Pentecost” is a Greek, not a Hebrew term.  It means to count 50.  In the Hebrew it was called the “Feast of Firstfruits” or the “Feast of Weeks.”  You can count backwards from the day of Pentecost 50 days and you’ll come to the weekly Sabbath that took place during the days of unleavened bread.  From that Sabbath we were to count 7 Sabbaths and then the day after would be Pentecost.  That is how you will know from this day forward how to figure when Pentecost would come on the calendar.

We know that the Passover represented the Messiah and His sacrifice for our sins of the past.  We know that the days of unleavened bread represents our pledge to remain free from sinful activities from that day forward.  But Pentecost is a feast pertaining to the harvest.  It represents the first portion of the great spiritual harvest to come.  That harvest has in some ways already began in that we are being called out of the world. Spiritually, Yahweh is already harvesting His people by calling them out of the world and the worldly Harlot Churches.  It is as though we are already being harvested out of the ways of this world. 

Now in the agricultural industry, the early harvest is smaller than the later harvest, yet that early harvest produces the best of the best of the fruits and vegetables that will come to fruition early on in the season.  Sometimes those crops are smaller, but they often taste the best.

James 1:18 “Of His own will begat He us with the Word of Truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.”

Brethren, this is speaking of the Congregation, the Assembly of Yahweh, the Set Apart and Kodesh Ones.  We are the firstfruits.  Messiah was the first of the firstfruits, He has the preeminence, He was the first to be harvested.  The day of Pentecost pictures the event in time in the which we are looking forward toward when we also shall be harvested from the earth and will at that time receive our new immortal bodies as the Messiah now has.

Brethren, I’m about to show unto you that if you and I are truly a part of that Assembly of the living Elohim, that we are already among those first fruits.  Yahweh has already put a down payment down upon that which He is purchasing.

2^nd Corinthians 5:5 “Now He that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is Elohim, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.”

Elohim has given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.  You can look the term “earnest” up in the Greek and it means a guarantee, or a part of a purchase-money or property given in advance as security for the rest. It is like a down payment.  It is like a deposit to hold a purchase until you finally stop back by to pay the rest and pick it up.  We are going to look at this term “earnest” in another scripture that will begin to bring this all together for our understanding.

Ephesians 1:13,14  “In Whom you also trusted, after that you heard the Word of Truth, the good message of your salvation: in Whom also after that you believed, you were sealed with that Kodesh Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His esteem.”

Brethren, after you believed, the next step is to be sealed with the Kodesh Set Apart Spirit of promise.  We are to believe, we are to repent, we are to be baptized and then we will receive the Kodesh Ruach. 

According to what we have just read there in Ephesians is that the Kodesh Ruach is the earnest of our inheritance until Messiah returns to redeem His possession, which is His Kodesh, Set Apart Ones.  It is as though, He put earnest money down upon you.  What He used as collateral was His life!

Now throughout the ages, very few were indwelt with Yah’s Spirit.  But something took place that changed this.  Oh, this gets real exciting to me and I hope that you also can gain that same excitement and more.

In the book of Acts, Messiah was on the verge of ascending back into the heavens and He gives advice to those who were gathered to see Him off.  Acts 1:4,5 “And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, said He, you have heard of Me.  For John truly baptized with water; but you shall be baptized with the Kodesh Ruach not many days hence.”

Now didn’t we just read back there in Ephesians chapter one that we would be sealed with the Spirit of Promise?  Here Messiah tells the early Assembly that they were to wait for the promise of being baptized in the Kodesh Spirit.  Brethren, this is speaking of the same great event.  That promise still continues down into our day. 

The disciples were staying together around Jerusalem awaiting this promise to arrive.  When the day of Pentecost came, they were gathered together as commanded.  It was a Set Apart Convocation.  It was a commanded assembly.  They knew what Leviticus chapter 23 said and that they knew that Yahshua was the Elohim that spoke to Moses and said that these Feasts are My Feasts.  The reason they were gathered together in one place was because they were obeying the commandment of keeping Pentecost as one of Yahweh’s Feasts. 

Acts 2:1 “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.”

I am sure joyful that these individuals had not abandoned these Feast days.  They were gathering together as commanded.  If they had stopped keeping Yahweh’s commanded days, they would not have been gathered together in one place on the day of Pentecost.

But they were and while together Yahweh Elohim continued showing us the meaning behind Pentecost.  He came upon them through His Spirit, His Kodesh Ruach.  He gave them the promise.  He was sealing them with His Spirit.  He was putting down His earnest money to hold His purchase until He would one day return to redeem them and us.

Those of the Pentecostal circles don’t know nor understand the full meaning of Pentecost.  All they seem to get out of it is receiving the spiritual gift of speaking in another tongue.  I believe in the spiritual gifts but that is not what the day of Pentecost is all about.

The Feasts that occur in the Spring of the year picture the great redemptive plan of Yahweh.  They begin at the beginning of the year.  Yahweh’s year begins in the Spring, not in the winter.  So just like these first set apart days are at the beginning of the year, they also then picture the beginnings of Yah’s plan for the saving of the world.

The set apart days that will come later on this coming fall, are a picture of what Yahweh will do at the time of the end.  Brethren, we must understand that the Elohim is not saving everyone out of every generation at this time.  That is just not biblical.  He is only calling out a few out of every generation to one day hold an office in His coming government.  We will be kings, priests and judges in that Kingdom. 

So presently and out of every generation that has already come and gone, the Elohim is calling people out of the world to one day take those offices in the coming Kingdom.  That is why we are called the Elect of Elohim.  We are being elected of Yahweh Elohim to hold an office.  

During this age that has yet to come to its conclusion, Yahweh Elohim is calling people, and if those that He is calling answer the call, then He seals them with the earnest of His Spirit.  We are being spiritually harvested early before the great harvest at the end of the age. Then we shall be literally harvested at the 7^th trump when Messiah returns.  Those who are asleep in the grave shall come forth in the 1^st resurrection.  They along with the living Set Apart Ones will be caught up together First, and everyone else will be harvested later.  We are to be the firstfruits.  We are to be the early harvest.  The best of the best of the harvest.  Everyone else will continue to grow in the spiritual field until the time of the end and then the later harvest will be concluded. 

Those of us, the Assembly of the living El, who are being gathered spiritually from the spiritual field since that great day of Pentecost when the Spirit of Promise came upon the early Assembly, we along with them are the firstfruits of Yahweh’s great plan of salvation.  The true Assembly of Yahweh are being harvested spiritually today to be the firstfruits of those who will be the ones to be saved when Messiah returns at His second coming.

After His return, we along with the Messiah will inherit all things and we shall reign with Yahweh-Shua in that great Kingdom.   Eventually the later harvest will come when the remainder of mankind will come forth from the graves. It will be the later and larger harvest to be reaped.

But during the Kingdom as we rule and reign with Messiah, our subjects will be the remainder of individuals who will have survived the great time of tribulation and wrath. We will rule by serving them.  They will have by that time endured such trouble and misery.  We will show them the way of salvation.  And at that time, the blinders will be removed from their spiritual eyes and they will then see and be made able to understand the things that we now already know of, because in our time the blinders are already being removed from our eyes.  But that is a message for the fall feasts days of Trumpets, Atonement, Tabernacles and The Last Great Day.  We shall wait until then to hear the ending of Yah’s plan for the saving of the entire world!  Yes, Yahweh is going to save the world!  Far less than what we have all been taught will one day end up in the Lake of Fire.  But for now, only a small number will make it into the Kingdom of Yahweh, while the remainder of mankind stays in blindness to the Truth.

Acts chapter 2:38,39 “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Yahshua the Messiah for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Kodesh Ruach.  For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as Yahweh Elohim shall call.”

That great promise was to those hearing Peter’s words.  It was also for their children.  And then Peter said that the promise was also unto those that are afar off.  Brethren that is you and I way down here in our time.  But this promise was also according to verse 39, was for as many as Yahweh shall call.  Again, this promise is not for those that He is not presently calling, but for those that He shall call. 

At this present time, we are simply at the beginning of the harvest for the Kingdom.  It began back there in Acts chapter 2, along with a few before from ancient Israel, but we are still at the beginning of the harvest of the Firstfruits. 

People of Yahweh, enjoy this day.  Meditate upon the Word spoken in this message.  Have joy in this spiritual harvest time.  Have joy that you are being numbered among the Firstfruits.  To Yahweh, you are the best of the harvest.  He is calling you early, before everyone else.

Be forever thankful that this is what He is doing in your life, and Celebrate Pentecost!