Book Excerpt - The Hijacked Elephant
Pentecost, The First Fruits and Christianity, The Hijacked Elephant
We have seen very clear evidence that the days observed by our forefathers of the House of Israel, under the law given by Moses to all Israel, have a duality to them. Christ was the Passover lamb taking us from under the bondage of the law and sin portrayed by Israel coming out of Egypt. The Biblical record is one complete book written to the same people. And as we know, Christ plainly said, “I am not sent except to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.”
Pentecost, as it is known in the New Testament, is a fulfilling of the Old Testament high holy day of convocation when the sheaf, or bundle of grain, was waved before the LORD. This annual high holy day of Pentecost had huge implications. It symbolically portrayed the day that would mark the beginning of Christianity, and the first resurrection, the harvest of the first fruits of Christ.
* * *
The actual historical event of waving the sheaf offering, the counting of fifty days, occurred every year that Israel was in the land given to them by promise. They were to take the first fruits of the harvest and offer them up to God. It was also a way of reminding Israel to keep their focus on God first, and by doing so, their harvests, and their lives would be full and blessed. It is this way with Pentecost today.
Let’s go back then to that Pentecost day, nearly 2000 years ago when the apostles and disciples were gathered together. [See Acts 2:36-39]. It marked the very first Pentecost of the new era, a day that remains until this day, the most significant day in Christianity, as it was the day Christianity began. No longer was the Old Testament sheaf offering in effect. And of the three times of the year in which there are annual holy days, Pentecost, the individal's calling, and granting of the Spirit of God, is the only time of the year with just one holy day. [See The Feature article, The Three Times In God's Plan].
Christ told the disciples: “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to you remembrance, whatsoever I have said to you.”
The spiritual fulfillment of Pentecost was about to take place nearly two thousand years ago. “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
I don’t wish to get into a discussion here about “speaking in tongues.” But suffice to say, this is explained in the context of the account. However, it is an outward sign of the event that had transpired. And it was occurring in front of educated people in Jerusalem, devout men and men of every nation of Israel. This certainly would be considered a credible audience, and therefore serve as a reliable witness of the event. As such, word of this event spread rather quickly drawing the crowds that gathered there.
“And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and they were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans? And how is it we hear every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?”
All this caused quite a stir for nothing before had ever been seen or heard like this in Jerusalem. Naturally, some were asking what this meant, and others thought they were all suffering from the effects of too much wine. However, Peter, who was there with the other apostles, stood up to speak.
“You men of Judaea, and all that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known to you, and listen to my words: for these are not drunken, as you suppose, seeing it is the third hour of the day [about 9 am]. But this is that which was spoken of by the prophet Joel ….”
Joel, a prophet, wrote his book about 790 BCE, which is the Assyrian period of the first seven of the books of the minor prophets in the Old Testament. It was the Assyrians, who, as you may recall from The Blind Man’s Elephant, took the House of Israel into captivity, upon the divorce from their covenant relationship with God, because of their ungodliness in following false gods they had hijacked. [See the Feature article, Damascus A Heap Of Ruins].
The Assyrians took the House of Israel captive first in the lands of Zebulon and Naphtali in Galilee. This, too, was the very area in which Christ began his ministry to redeem the lost sheep of the House of Israel. As Paul wrote, “And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said to them, You are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the God of the living.” Paul was quoting from a prophecy of Hosea. It is not a reference to the “gentiles of the world,” but rather to the divorced covenant condition of the House of Israel at the time of the Assyrian captivity.
And on that day of Pentecost nearly 2000 years ago, the fulfilling of Hosea’s prophecy came to be. It was the day the children of the House of Israel first received the Spirit of God as promised. We became the redeemed children of the God of the living.
The above is excerpted from chapter four, Pentecost, The First Fruits And Christianity, The Hijacked Elephant. A complimentary copy is available on the Home page. Reference to the Feature articles are not in the book.
© copyrighted material 2007-2023. www.redshoe.com All rights reserved.
Notice to readers. All redshoe generated articles may be hyperlinked or copied to PDF format for use as long as no editing or alteration of content is made. See Menu banner for other terms of use.
We have seen very clear evidence that the days observed by our forefathers of the House of Israel, under the law given by Moses to all Israel, have a duality to them. Christ was the Passover lamb taking us from under the bondage of the law and sin portrayed by Israel coming out of Egypt. The Biblical record is one complete book written to the same people. And as we know, Christ plainly said, “I am not sent except to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.”
Pentecost, as it is known in the New Testament, is a fulfilling of the Old Testament high holy day of convocation when the sheaf, or bundle of grain, was waved before the LORD. This annual high holy day of Pentecost had huge implications. It symbolically portrayed the day that would mark the beginning of Christianity, and the first resurrection, the harvest of the first fruits of Christ.
* * *
The actual historical event of waving the sheaf offering, the counting of fifty days, occurred every year that Israel was in the land given to them by promise. They were to take the first fruits of the harvest and offer them up to God. It was also a way of reminding Israel to keep their focus on God first, and by doing so, their harvests, and their lives would be full and blessed. It is this way with Pentecost today.
Let’s go back then to that Pentecost day, nearly 2000 years ago when the apostles and disciples were gathered together. [See Acts 2:36-39]. It marked the very first Pentecost of the new era, a day that remains until this day, the most significant day in Christianity, as it was the day Christianity began. No longer was the Old Testament sheaf offering in effect. And of the three times of the year in which there are annual holy days, Pentecost, the individal's calling, and granting of the Spirit of God, is the only time of the year with just one holy day. [See The Feature article, The Three Times In God's Plan].
Christ told the disciples: “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to you remembrance, whatsoever I have said to you.”
The spiritual fulfillment of Pentecost was about to take place nearly two thousand years ago. “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
I don’t wish to get into a discussion here about “speaking in tongues.” But suffice to say, this is explained in the context of the account. However, it is an outward sign of the event that had transpired. And it was occurring in front of educated people in Jerusalem, devout men and men of every nation of Israel. This certainly would be considered a credible audience, and therefore serve as a reliable witness of the event. As such, word of this event spread rather quickly drawing the crowds that gathered there.
“And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and they were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans? And how is it we hear every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?”
All this caused quite a stir for nothing before had ever been seen or heard like this in Jerusalem. Naturally, some were asking what this meant, and others thought they were all suffering from the effects of too much wine. However, Peter, who was there with the other apostles, stood up to speak.
“You men of Judaea, and all that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known to you, and listen to my words: for these are not drunken, as you suppose, seeing it is the third hour of the day [about 9 am]. But this is that which was spoken of by the prophet Joel ….”
Joel, a prophet, wrote his book about 790 BCE, which is the Assyrian period of the first seven of the books of the minor prophets in the Old Testament. It was the Assyrians, who, as you may recall from The Blind Man’s Elephant, took the House of Israel into captivity, upon the divorce from their covenant relationship with God, because of their ungodliness in following false gods they had hijacked. [See the Feature article, Damascus A Heap Of Ruins].
The Assyrians took the House of Israel captive first in the lands of Zebulon and Naphtali in Galilee. This, too, was the very area in which Christ began his ministry to redeem the lost sheep of the House of Israel. As Paul wrote, “And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said to them, You are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the God of the living.” Paul was quoting from a prophecy of Hosea. It is not a reference to the “gentiles of the world,” but rather to the divorced covenant condition of the House of Israel at the time of the Assyrian captivity.
And on that day of Pentecost nearly 2000 years ago, the fulfilling of Hosea’s prophecy came to be. It was the day the children of the House of Israel first received the Spirit of God as promised. We became the redeemed children of the God of the living.
The above is excerpted from chapter four, Pentecost, The First Fruits And Christianity, The Hijacked Elephant. A complimentary copy is available on the Home page. Reference to the Feature articles are not in the book.
© copyrighted material 2007-2023. www.redshoe.com All rights reserved.
Notice to readers. All redshoe generated articles may be hyperlinked or copied to PDF format for use as long as no editing or alteration of content is made. See Menu banner for other terms of use.