One of the most heart-wrenching discussions for Christians is
"Can Christians divorce or remarry?"

Particularly for those in an awful marriage.
Particularly for those already divorced.
Particularly for those who have already remarried!

I believe the church started -- out of the compassion of their hearts -- to try to find a way around the 'rules.' Here are some things I've been told from loving, well meaning Christians:

"God's grace covers it all."
"You are a 'new man' in Christ."
"You became new in Christ when you got saved so it is like you were never married the first time."
"God forgives all."
"If your spouse cheated on you, it's okay to divorce and remarry."
"If your unbelieving spouse left you, you are no longer bound."
"It is under the blood of Christ."
"How you come into the church is how you stay."

But what does the BIBLE, our authority, the Word of the Living God, have to say about it? Do the scriptures those well meaning friends use in their consoling words apply to divorce and remarriage? Does anyone really want to take what our compassionate brothers and sisters in the Lord say about marriage and adopt that as our standard? Or do we want to know what God has to say about it? Do we want to walk in the will of Almighty God or do we want to make our lives easy? Do we want to walk in the will of Almighty God or do we want to twist the scriptures into saying what we want them to say in our situation?

So here are the hard facts: There is no divorce for Christians. As Jesus said "From the beginning, this was not so." Since there is no divorce, there cannot be remarriage. The only way someone can marry a second time is if their spouse dies.

This is not easy to hear. Especially for those who are in relationships at this very moment. And our compassion MUST be extended to these individuals. They want to believe the easier teachings. Some will find teachers who say that there are exceptions --- but are they just finding someone to scratch their itchy ears? And those that are comfortable in their existing relationships: do they need to seek repentance from God?

Many feel that this too harsh. How can we expect people to go for the rest of their natural lives without the companionship of a spouse? What about love? But let's face it -- There are people right now who are giving up their actual lives for Christ. There are people who are sacrificing their jobs, their friends, their extended families, their comfort, their hobbies... what sacrifice is "too much"? Jesus Christ sacrificed His life for us. Can anyone really say that staying unmarried is too much of a sacrifice?

BUT WHAT ABOUT "EXCEPT FOR FORNICATION"?

Upon careful examination of the texts in Matthew 19 and Mark 10, we see "except for fornication" in only one of the discussions written for us.

And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read, that He which made them at the beginning, made them male and female. And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother and shall cleave to his wife and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder. " They said unto Him, "Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?" He said to them, "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, suffered you to put away [apoluo] your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away [apoluo] his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, commiteth adultery and whoso marrieth her which is put away [apoluo] doth commit adultery." -Matthew 19:4-9

And he saith unto them, "Whosoever shall put away [apoluo] his wife, and marry another, commits adultery against her. And if a woman shall put away [apoluo] her husband and be married to another, she commits adultery." --Mark 10:11,12

So did Jesus contradict Himself? Or in Matthew saying there was an exception to the rule of God? Perish the thoughts. In Matthew 19:9, Jesus is merely stating a fact. That if your spouse commits fornication (or sexual immorality), then they have ALREADY made each of you adulterers. Married people are one flesh. 1 Cor 6:16 states

"Or do you not know that he who is joined [kollao] a harlot is one body with her? For "the two," He says, "shall become one flesh."

Jesus is saying that if you divorce your spouse and marry another you will be an adulterer, UNLESS THAT SPOUSE HAS ALREADY MADE YOU BOTH ADULTERERS WITH THEIR INFIDELITY. Additionally, the poor person who marries the cheating spouse becomes an adulterer because that spouse is STILL MARRIED IN GOD'S EYES! ("Kollao" means "cleaved.")

It is very hard for us to believe that God would not allow divorce in the case of a wronged spouse. Our society bristles at the thought of the betrayal. How painful a situation to go through! Yet, God had Hosea marry a prostitute. And God has a thing for forgiveness. We are the Bride of Christ and look how many times He has forgiven us our sins! God would prefer that the married individuals work it out with forgiveness at the core. Who are we to say what God will use for good?

It is a hard teaching. And that is why the disciples bristled at it and commented that if that was the way it was going to be, it is better to never marry.

WHAT IF THE SPOUSE DIES?

Romans 7:1-3 states it very simply:

Do you not know, brothers -- for I am speaking to men who know the law -- that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives? For example, by law a married woman is bound [deo] to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released [katargeo] from the law of marriage. So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released [eleutheros] from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries another man.

If your spouse dies, you can remarry and you will not be an adulterer. "Until death do us part" is in every marriage vow. "Katargeo" means abolish, cease, loose. The remaining spouse is loosed from the law of marriage. "Eleutheros" also means free, exempt, not bound.

1 Corinthians 7:27,28 has more to say about this:

"Art thou bound [deo] to a wife? Seek not to be loosed [lusis]. Art thou loosed [lusis] from a wife? Seek not a wife. But and if thou marries, thou hast not sinned. And if a virgin marry, she has not sinned. Nevertheless, such shall have trouble in the flesh, but I spare you."

The apostle Paul was saying very simply that if you are bound, ("deo": tied, knitted) to a wife, do not seek to be untied ("lusis": divorced, released, loosed.) If you are untied (and how does that happen biblically? As we have already stated: only through death) you should not seek a wife. But if you DO marry, it is not a sin. And if you marry someone who previously was not married, you are not causing her to sin. But Paul states that you will have trouble in this union and his advice is merely to spare you from the trouble. What trouble he does not say--- perhaps just the strain the memory of a beloved deceased spouse can have on a marriage? But I do not wish to insert something into the text that is not there--- where the scriptures are silent, we are best to stay silent.

WHAT ABOUT IN CASES OF ABUSE?

Earlier, in the very same chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul discusses this. In 1 Cor 7:10-11 he states:

"And unto the married I command, YET NOT I, BUT THE LORD, Let not the wife depart [chorizo] from her husband: But and if she depart [chorizo], let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away [aphiemi] his wife." (emphasis mine)

Clearly, Paul is saying, under the authority from the Lord, that the wife is not to depart from her husband, but if (for what reasons we can only imagine) she does, she is to remain unmarried or seek reconciliation with her husband. Scripture here permits a wife to leave a marriage. Again, not to insert into Holy writ, but perhaps in the case of abuse? And the husband is not to divorce his wife if she leaves.

For clarification: The word used here "depart" in the Greek is "chorizo," which means "separate." Not divorce. The word "put away" in the Greek is "aphiemi," which means leave, send away, divorce. Previously discussed here in Mark and Matthew, the word for divorce was "apolou," meaning "depart, dismiss, divorce." Both apolou and aphiemi come from the same root word that is "apo" which, as a prefix, means a cessation, reversal, departure.

WHAT ABOUT UNBELIEVING SPOUSES?

Here it is very important to delve into the original language. I suggest ESword.com. You can download a remarkable FREE study source that has a great word-by-word dictionary and Strong's concordance.

I preface this to say that a professing Christian, a true-believing follower of Jesus Christ, must never marry an unbeliever. A Christian does not belong even dating an unbeliever. One could argue that a believer does not belong even being close friends with an unbeliever. Yes, we need to preach the Word to the lost but the Word of God is very strong in not being unevenly yoked. Yoking is when one is linked, joined, united or connected together. Very simply, like when animals are yoked together to plow a field. The yoke is a bar or frame of wood that is put over two animals' necks to keep them together. 2 Corinthians 6:14 is clear:

"Do not be unevenly yoked with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and lawlessness have in common? What fellowship has light with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?"

We need to be teaching our children this Biblical basic. There should be absolutely no compromise. If you saw your child slipping into any other sin, you would intervene. You would do everything you could to prevent them from taking a path into a sin-filled existence. Dating an unbeliever is just as dangerous as dabbling in any other sin. We need to make that clear to our children. We need to set unmovable standards for the protection of our children's future.

But what happens if a person comes to the Lord already married and their spouse does not? Should they divorce the unbelieving spouse?

First, let's note that the word "bound" in the last scripture's examples here is "deo" in the Greek. It means to bind, to tie, to knit. In some marriage ceremonies, the couple has their hands tied together to illustrate this concept. Pretty, right? I love the thought that I am knit together with my husband. Of course, something knit could be unraveled. Something tied could be untied. And the Bible states that the only way it is done is by death. Again, "until death do us part" is in every marriage vow.

But now, back to 1 Corinthians 7. After the discussion about a woman leaving a spouse, the apostle is now clear that leaving under the reasoning of the spouse's unbelief is not an option for a Christian.

But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother has a wife that believes not, and she is pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away [aphiemi]. And the woman which has a husband that believes not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him [aphiemi]. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband. Else were your children unclean; but now they are holy. (1 Corinthians 7:12-14)

Here Paul is saying that HIS advice to those with unbelieving spouses is that you should not leave or put away your spouse since because of God's involvement in the believer's life, the unbeliever will be affected positively toward sanctification-- as will your children! Both words translated "leave" and "put away" here are "aphiemi"--- leave, send away, "divorce." And since we do not know what will begin to lead an unbeliever to the throne of Christ, remember 1 Peter 3:1 :

Likewise, ye wives, be in Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands, so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.

So what if the unbeliever says they want out of the marriage? Tired of the "God stuff." Not wanting to be subjected to prayers at meals or bedtimes. Definitely not wanting to put up with going to church. In fact, probably trying to force the believer to stop with all the nonsense, for crying out loud! What then?

1 Corinthians 7:15 states: But if the unbelieving depart [chorizo], let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage [douloo] in such cases: but God has called us to peace.

If the unbeliever departs-- chorizo in the Greek: place room between or separate -- the believer is to allow it. They are not bound to force the unbeliever to stay. God has called us to peace.

The important distinction here is that the word "bound" is not the word previously used so beautifully in regards to a marriage. This word in the Greek is "douloo" which means bondage, enslaved, servant. It is to indicate that one make a slave of or reduce to bondage. Now, we can do this ourselves, willingly, as we believers do to Christ. But here Paul is showing that being married to an unbeliever is like being enslaved. You are bound as well as any other married person, but this time it is not pretty.

And it does not mean you are loosed from the marriage and able to remarry as one is when their spouse dies. It only means you are not subjected to the negative influence of your unbelieving spouse. God has called us to peace.

WHAT IF YOU WERE DIVORCED BEFORE YOU WERE SAVED?
CAN YOU REMARRY NOW?

Many people use the argument that you are a "new man" in Christ once you are saved, and that is very true. But in this case, you are a "new but previously divorced man." One does not escape the consequences of our past except in the realm of the eternal. If you are on death row for murdering someone and you get saved, you will still be put to death. God has forgiven you for the sin, the earthly consequences still remain. If one contracts HIV and now has advanced AIDS, yet gets saved, barring a healing miracle from the Lord this person will still most likely die. Salvation alters our eternal destination and begins a sanctification process but does not erase the consequences from our past. The divorced person is still divorced. If they repent of their sin of divorcing their spouse, they will be forgiven-- Hallelujah! But they are still divorced and cannot remarry.

WHAT IF YOU WERE DIVORCED and
REMARRIED BEFORE YOU WERE SAVED?

This is a delicate issue. Some denominations would have the couple separate. It is true that you cannot walk in darkness, willingly stay in a lifestyle of sin, and walk with God. 1 John 1:6 puts this very clearly:

If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.

However, being married is not a sin. Marriage is a covenant of God between a man and a wife. If a person has divorced-- this is a sin. If a person has remarried after a divorce-- this is a sin.

There must be realization of these transgressions and sincere repentance to God for these sins. Then God is just to forgive the sinner. The situation now would be a married person who was forgiven for previously divorcing and remarrying. The person has been forgiven for the transgressions and may walk in grace in the second marriage, since marriage itself is not a sin. Obviously, divorcing a second marriage would be yet another sin!

There are two passages of scripture that can give comfort to those in this situation. The first is Jesus speaking with the woman at the well in the fourth chapter of the Gospel of John. Jesus is at the well with the Samaritan woman and in verse 18 tells her that He knows the man she is currently living with cannot be called a husband. She is not married to him, yet she's been married five times previously. Jesus illustrates He knows the difference between living together and a marriage by saying this. The second is in all of the synoptic gospels (Mark 10, Luke 16, and Matthew 19): Jesus says if one divorces and marries another, it's adultery. But notice: Jesus says "marries." Jesus Himself calls it a marriage. You are now married -- a union between a man, a woman and God. After asking for forgiveness, walk in the beauty of marriage.

--------------------

In conclusion, we must remember that this life is but a fleeting moment in eternity. To tell someone that they must remain celibate is a hard teaching. But better to pluck out one's eye, than have two eyes in hell. To tell someone that they need to work on a terrible marriage and seek God for restoration when it would be easier to just erase the marriage and start over is a hard teaching. But there is nothing impossible for God. To allow God to work and show His glory through these circumstances is what the believer ought to be striving for. Not for easy justifications for the things we desire. Please pour out compassion on those caught in the worldly web. But also pour out truth.

A STUDY OF THE FEASTS OF ISRAEL

#1 of 7

My Pastor often remarks, "The Old Testament is the New Testament concealed. The New Testament is the Old Testament revealed." Serious Bible students have seen the pictures and typology that God uses in the Old Testament that are brought to realization in the events of the New Testament. Which is one of the reasons that God's word is so amazing--- the never-ending revelation of God's plan that was in operation from the beginning.

Another wondrous example would be the Feasts of Israel. God placed into the Hebrew calendar year seven feasts:
- Passover
- the Feast of the Unleavened Bread
- the Feasts of the Firstfruits
- Pentecost
- The Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah)
- the Feast of Atonement (Yom Kippur)
- and the Feast of Tabernacles (or Sukkot - "Booths")

In Leviticus chapter 23 all seven festivals are listed in chronological order, although they are mentioned throughout both Testaments. God instituted them, they belong to God, and man can only participate in them on God's terms. Many are timed according to cycles of seven--- which is the number of spiritual perfection according to biblical numerology. These are God's special, carefully appointed times that have been orchestrated to reveal something important to us. They were called "holy convocations," which mean sacred times of being "called out" where God meets with man for holy purposes.

Jesus Christ fulfilled the first four feasts in His first coming. We will discuss them one at a time.

PASSOVER
The first of these is PASSOVER. Also called Chag Ha-matzot or Pesach, it is a time for the Hebrew people to celebrate and recognize the One True God that rescued them from slavery and death. Almost 3500 years ago, each family was instructed to kill an unblemished male lamb and paint the wood around the door of their homes with the blood. This would cause the angel of death to passover their homes as it searched for the firstborn children--the tenth plague of Egypt. Then they were to eat the flesh of the sacrificial animal in a special ritual meal. If your family was small, you could share the lamb with another family. Every year since then, the Hebrew people were to observe this event on the 14th day of Nisan (first month of the ecclesiastical year and the 7th month of the civil year (eight on leap) on the Hebrew calendar), also known as Aviv in the Torah-- the same day that the actual Passover happened.

"Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."--John 1:29

The Passover lamb was a "mikrah," which is a rehearsal for the slaying of the ultimate Passover Lamb, Yeshuah haMashiach (Jesus the Christ). It was Jesus that kept the appointed time (the "mo'ed") to die. In Matthew 26:2 He told His disciples that the Son of Man would be handed over to be crucified two days later on the Passover. For believers everywhere, Jesus the Messiah, the genuine Passover Lamb, would deliver them from the bondage of sin and give salvation from the penalty of death.

It was during the Passover meal in 33AD that Christians call "the Last Supper," that Jesus proclaimed "this is my body which is given for you" and "this cup is the new covenant in my blood which is shed for you" (Luke 22). Interesting note: the cup that Jesus held and identified as the new covenant in His blood is called "the cup of redemption" (instituted in Exodus 6:6). It is the third cup of wine and it is drank after the Passover meal. Perhaps this is the cup that Jesus was referring to when later He prayed if it was possible for God to 'take this cup from me." The fourth and last cup of wine is called the Cup of Hallel which tells of God's promise to gather a people to Himself. Jesus never drank this last cup during the Passover meal because He stated in Luke 22:18 that He would not drink of the fruit of the vine until the Kingdom of God had come.

Jesus is known as the "lamb that was slain." On Passover He was arrested, tried, convicted and crucified. His blood was upon the wood of the cross. Because of this, He has freed His people from the slavery of sin.

"Christ, our passover, is sacrificed for us" --I Corinthians 5:7

"He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth." --Isaiah 53:7

"And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain,"--Revelation 5:6a

"... knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ." ...... ......... .....--1 Peter 1:18-19

FEAST OF THE UNLEAVENED BREAD

#2 of 7

Remember that these feasts God covenanted with His people were convocations-- a time for God to meet with His people. It is clear that in sending Jesus Christ, God was truly "meeting" with His people. Jesus is called Immanuel-- God with us.

The day after Passover (the 15th of Nisan) begins the Feast of the Unleavened Bread (Exodus 23:15 and Deuteronomy 16:16). The two convocations are so closely related as to become almost synonymous with each other. Unleavened bread reflected the fact that the Israelites had to leave Egypt in such a hurry that they could not take the time to bake bread with yeast (leaven) in it. It is also connected to the barley harvest (Lev 23:4-14). This first day was to be a Sabbath day (even though it fell on a Friday, High Sabbath days are not on the regular Sabbath Saturdays-- they are called Yom Tov). There would not be any working on this day-- just worshiping and daily offerings.

Leaven is associated biblically with sin. The Hebrews were instructed to sweep all traces of leaven out of their house and to only eat unleavened bread for seven days. This was a picture of the reality that God would one day wipe all sin from His people.

When leaven is present in dough it spreads quickly through it, sours it, ferments it, and puffs up the dough to many times its original size without changing its weight. It is a perfect picture of what sin does in our lives. The Lord God is serious about removing every last speck of sin from our lives.

Just as Passover depicts the substitutionary death of the Messiah, the Feast of the Unleavened Bread depicts the burial of the Messiah. Jesus is the Bread of Life (John 6:35) in whom there is no sin. Unleavened bread is considered pure-- as Jesus is pure. Because of His work, the people of the House of God has been swept clean of sin. The bread represents consecration-- to associate with the sacred (Exodus 29:2-23). As New Testament believers, we are to remove sin from our "houses" by faith in the work of Jesus Christ. The Old Testament picture God presents of His people eating unleavened bread and drinking wine for seven days is the New Testament's communion.

And Jesus answered them saying, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." --John 12:23-24

Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. --1 Corinthians 5:6-8

Timeline: Late on the afternoon of the 15th of Nisan, the end of the First Day of Unleavened Bread they placed Jesus in the tomb.

FEAST OF THE FIRST FRUITS

#3 of 7Mentioned in the last post, these Spring feasts corresponded with the barley harvest. Barley is the first winter crop to be planted and it is now ripe. The ceremony instituted by the Lord was that the first sheaves of barley (the first fruits) were to be cut and used for a wave offering before Him. His acceptance of the First fruits was a pledge of a full harvest to come.

In Jesus' day, the Sadducees who ran the temple offered the First Fruit on the Sunday after Sabbath as per their interpretation. Later, the Pharisee's tradition held that the First Fruits were done on Nisan 16. I will keep to the version used in Jesus' time.

This is the day Christ was resurrected. Sometime early Sunday morning Jesus rose from the dead. He is not the first to rise from the dead, but the others (Lazarus, for example) eventually died. He is the first that will never die ---but has eternal life. The parallel between Jesus' resurrection and the First fruits is unmistakable. Jesus is the First fruit of a new harvest. God pledges a full harvest to come! We are part of that harvest! Hallelujah!

"But now Christ has been rasied from the dead, the first fruits of those who are aleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. but each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that thos who are Christ's at His coming. " --1 Corinthians 15:20-23

FEAST OF WEEKS

#4 of 7Beginning with the first day after the regular Sabbath on Saturday during the Feast of the Unleavened bread (which is called the Feast of the First Fruits) and counting seven weeks brings us to the fiftieth day and the summer feast: The Feast of Weeks, Shavout or PENTECOST. This takes place in the Jewish ecclesiastical month of Sivan. The sons of Jacob were told:

"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 days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD. Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD." -- Lev 23:15-17

This date corresponded with the wheat harvest. On this day the Israelites, in addition to the burnt offerings, were not to bring the sheaves like they did with the barley, but to offer two loaves of baked bread using fine flour with leaven. The Priests in a "wave offering" were to wave them together, thus appearing to be one. They could not be placed on the altar due to the leaven (which represents sin) and they could not be eaten until after the ceremony. The burnt offerings consisted of two rams, two lambs and a bull. Afterward, everyone was invited to celebrate at the feast--- the poor, the strangers and the Levites.
According to both Jewish oral tradition and Rabinical scholars, it is believed it was on this day that God visited the Israelites in the wilderness and gave them the ten commandments. It is considered by some to be the birthday of the nation of Israel.

In the New Testament period, Jesus had spent forty days after His resurrection with the disciples. During this time He ministered to them as well as over 500 other people (1 Cor 15:6). Before He ascended into heaven, Jesus instructed them to wait in Jerusalem until He sent the Holy Spirit.

"To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God. Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, "Which," He said, "you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." --Acts 1:3-5
Ten days later, on the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost, in the upper room as they were praying, Jesus' final act of His first coming was accomplished. He sent the Holy Spirit to descend on the believers. Peter, now being filled with the Holy Spirit, preached to the men of Judea, and 3000 people believed, repented and were baptized (Acts 2:1, 4, 41).

The two equal leavened loaves of fine flour symbolize both the Jew and the Gentile that will now be God's people. Inviting all to attend the feast supports this--as this is the birthday of the church! Notice the leaven present in the loaves--- the church has yet to be glorified-- there is still sin within the church. Jesus was represented as unleavened, we as leavened.

Thus we see that the Lord God Almighty uses His covenanted feasts for SIGNIFICANT PURPOSES.

Jesus' FIRST COMING fulfilled the typography of the first four Feasts.

- -- -WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE SUMMER - - - --- A TIME OF LABOR IN THE FIELDS AND PREPARATION FOR THE FINAL HARVEST

."I tell you, lift up your eyes and see
how the fields are already white for harvest."
---John 4:35

QUICK REVIEW NOTE:

#5 of 7

If you have read the last posts regarding the first four feasts covenanted by God between He and His people, then you have probably noticed:

1. God is specific.
2. In each feast were elements that were brought to actuality in Jesus.
3. God uses His special days to do important things.

"Therefore, do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a new moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ." ----Colossians 2:16-17 (emphasis mine)

Most of us know that Passover and Jesus' crucifixion coincided. And most my life I didn't go much further into why. I mostly thought that the two religions were just competing for holiday time! We have Easter, they have Passover. We have Christmas, they have Hanukkah.

But glorious God had a plan, a picture, a shadow. One wonders if the ancient Hebrews were thinking "Why TWO loaves?" Was an ancient wife wondering just who was going to clean that blood off the door frame? Having the benefit of history to review, we get to see the marvelous reality. How blessed we are.

But there are still three more feasts to discuss. We have seen that we are in the summer -- a time of labor in the fields and preparation for the final harvest. This is the Church Age.


WHAT'S NEXT?

Obviously, what follows can only be speculation, educated guesses, and deductions. There are many "end times" philosophies.

"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness." ---------------------------------------- 2 Timothy 3:16

So let's look to scripture to teach us!

ROSH HASHANAH AND YOM KIPPUR

#6 of 7

Take a look at any calendar and apart from the numbers and names of the days and months, you will notice one more thing they all have in common: HOLIDAYS. Everyone has their favorite. Some years I feel like I go from holiday to holiday--- as soon as Thanksgiving is over it’s shopping and decorating for Christmas. As soon as we dispose of Christmas wrappings, we are planning a New Years Eve celebration. After all the decorations are taken down, here comes cupid! Almost every elementary school uses the holidays as themes--- hearts in February, four-leafed clovers in March…. We are trained early to know what “celebration” is.

And since we were made in His image, God obviously deems holidays important as well. Only His aren’t simply to exchange greeting cards and good wishes. God has His plan. Way back in Leviticus 23, God’s word lists all His covenanted feasts in chronological order. It was important to do the feasts the way God said to do them. Each had significance to the ancient Hebrew--- even if some of the actual symbolizations were most likely curious to them then. We know now that we can look back and see the picture taking on reality: Blood needed to be shed, sin must be excluded, there will be a harvest.

At this point we can look into our own future by looking back at the last three Feasts of Israel. Remember that God had commanded Israel to keep the covenanted annual feast days forever as a witness to all the nations that they were His people.

FIRST THINGS FIRST:

Whether one is

PRE-TRIB

POST-TRIB

MID-TRIB or

PRE-WRATH

---we are all believers,

justified sons and daughters of God Almighty,

and heaven-bound.

God purposely did not “nail this thing down.” But, as a loving Father, He has not left us without a pattern.

That said, here are some points:

It would be foolish of us to see the pattern emerging in the first four feasts and not look ahead to the last three to gain understanding. We know the Bible tells of end time events that have already been planned by God: the rapture, the second coming of Christ, the Judgment of the nations and the Millennial Kingdom. If we look at the feasts we will see that these things do not occur randomly, but on a specific schedule.

Let's take a look at the Christian end times calendar.

"Watchman, how far gone is the night? Watchman, how far gone is the night?" The watchman says, "Morning comes but also night. If you would inquire, inquire;" -- Isaiah 21:11b-12a

#1.

THE RAPTURE:

“Behold, I show 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 trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”---------- 1 Corinthians 15:51-52

“For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18

“Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left. Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming." ---Matthew 24:40-42

“Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,” ---2 Thessalonians 2:1

The word "rapture" is from the Latin word raptuo / rapturo / raeptius meaning caught up, to take away or to snatch out (as in "…then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together.."-- 1 Thess 4:17.) The Greek word is harpazo. Some will tell you the word “rapture” is not in the bible, but actually, the Latin form is in the 400 AD Latin Vulgate version by Jerome. The Latin Vulgate was the main Bible of the medieval Western Church until the Reformation and is still the primary Latin translation of the Roman Catholic Church. Some also say that it was only in the past 150 years that this idea was popularized by Darby. However, many bible scholars prior to 1800 (Edwards, Ward, Mede, Gill) referred to this event in the 1600 and 1700’s. In 373AD, Ephraem the Syrian, a major theologian of the early Byzantine Eastern Church, wrote in a commentary entitled On the Last Times, the Antichrist, and the End of the World: “For all the saints and Elect of God are gathered, prior to the Tribulation that is to come, and are taken to the Lord lest they see the confusion that is to overwhelm the world because of our sins.” Obviously, the rapture is not a recent doctrine.

The Rapture is a belief primarily of many Evangelicals and Protestants as part of Dispensational Premillennialism. “Dispensational” is from the belief that there is a chronologically successive series of dispensations that emphasize certain Biblical covenants. An example of the most minimal dispensation would be:

.................................PERIOD OF LAW

.....................PERIOD OF GRACE(or Church Age)

...........................MILLENNIAL KINGDOM

Premillennialism is the belief of a time where Christ will collect His bride (that would be believers, dead and alive) up in the air to be with Him forever sometime prior to His second coming and the establishment of His Millennial Kingdom. All Dispensational Premillennialists agree that there will be a period of intense tribulation prior to Christ’s second coming that is well noted Biblically. Whether the rapture will happen BEFORE the time of tribulation, somewhere mid-point DURING the tribulation or AFTER the tribulation but before the time of God’s wrath is debatable. This is what is referred to as ‘pre-trib,” “mid-trib,” “post-trib,” and “pre-wrath.” The assertion would be that these scriptures acknowledge a time separate from Christ’s second coming, where Christ’s loyal disciples will be spared from the horror of either all the tribulation, part of it, or at the very least, spared the pouring out of God’s wrath on humanity.

(Note: Amillenialists believe the kingdom of God is not a literal 1000 year kingdom but present now in the hearts of men. Postmillennialists believe Jesus will come after the Millennium. Both believe Christ will only make one single, very public event.)

I believe scripture is quite clear that believers will be “caught up” to be with the Lord prior to His appearing before all on earth.

2. FEASTS OF TRUMPETS:

This brings us to the fifth feast of Israel: the Feast of Trumpets. The first day of Tishrei, the seventh month of the religious Jewish calendar, is the Feast of Trumpets. This is also called “Rosh Hashanah, which means Head of the Year, since it is the first day of the civil Jewish Year, or the Jewish New Year’s Day. The Torah does not use the term "Rosh Hashanah," but calls this holiday Yom Teruah, The Day of the Sounding of the Shofar. This day begins a ten-day period called either Aseret Y’may T’shuvah, the Ten Days of Repentance, or Yamim Nora’im, the Days of Awe, ending in Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. These are the days where the Jews believe God is determining the fate of each human being.

During Rosh Hashanah, according to the Talmad, the wholly righteous are inscribed in the Book of Life. For everyone else, judgment is suspended until the tenth of Tishrei (Yom Kippur.) In the intervening days between, you have the opportunity to change your future fate by righting any wrongs you’ve done against your fellow man, doing good works and by extending charity to the community. Thus, as God would be writing the next year’s events in the Book of Life, one might change His mind to make the outcome more favorable.

One important aspect is that you must receive forgiveness from the person against whom you have sinned before confessing and seeking forgiveness from God. God will not forgive interpersonal sins unless the wronged party grants forgiveness as well. Additionally, emphasis is placed on the sincerity of your repentance. If sincerity is lacking and the confession is merely spoken but not felt in the heart, one has not fulfilled the commandment of confession and that is a serious sin. This must be a serious statement of regret and repentance.

3. YOM KIPPUR:

Yom Kippur, written in the Torah as Yom HaKippurim, or the Day of Atonement, is the tenth day of the Ten Days of Awe beginning on Rosh Hashanah. Yom Kippur, however, is dedicated to another type of reconciliation. Through prayer, fasting and meditation, the Jewish person is to right their relationship to God, repenting for the sins that effect no one other than themselves and God. At this point it’s too late to do anything about the sins committed against others--- God’s books have been closed. The decisions have been made. The verdict has been sealed.

4. CONNECTIONS TO THE RAPTURE:

1. Interestingly, the trumpet that closes the Feast of Trumpets is referred to as “the last trump” since there are several different blasts of the shofar that day, culminating in one special long blast called Teki’at Shofar signaling victory or good news. Trumpet calls were associated with calling a holy assembly, a warning of danger, or the arrival of a king.

“…at THE LAST TRUMP: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”---1 Corinthians 15:52

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the TRUMPET OF GOD, and the

dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” ---1 Thess 4:16-17

2. Rosh Hashanah is an unusual holy day, since it is actually two days. Rosh Hashanah is to be observed on the day of the new moon. Since the lunar cycle is 29 ½ days long, no one can be sure which day it will fall on. Only a small sliver of the crescent moon can be seen. Therefore, there would be two “witnesses” to look for the moon. The holy day was extended to two days to make sure they saw it. This holy day became known as ‘on a day or hour no one knows’ because they were never sure exactly when during the two days the witnesses would declare the new moon visible.

“Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.” ---Col 2:16-17 (italics mine)

“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only,” –Matthew 24:36

3 . The two days of Rosh Hashanah and the one day of Yom Kippur plus the seven days in-between make up the ten day period known as “Days of Awe” or “Days of Repentance.” The seven days in between could relate to the seven years of tribulation described in Daniel 9:22-27. In this portion of scripture,

Daniel 9:24 speaks of a time that God has given “to finish transgression, to put and end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most hold.” The time frame is “seventy sevens” which at that point, these things will be fulfilled. Most biblical scholars agree this is 70 sevens of years, or 490 years. God uses a period of seven years for many things, so it isn’t unusual to see it referred to this way. Looking back at history, the time of the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the temple to the death of the Messiah was 483 years. That leaves seven years. We are now in the “Church Age,” an unknown length of time for Gentiles to come to the Lord. There is still to come the seven years God spoke of where He will finish disciplining Israel and finalize His judgment of the unbelieving world. It is apparent that believers will be spared from the wrath to come:

And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. --1 Thess 1:10

For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? --1 Thess 2:19

For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, --1 Thess 5:9

And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.-- 1 Thess 5:23

”I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name....Because you have kept my word of patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial which is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell upon the earth.” --- Rev 3:8,10

“After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things." ---Rev 4:1

4. The days of tribulation are also known as the day of the LORD in scripture:

“Wail, for the day of the Lord is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty. Because of this, all hands will go limp, every man’s heart will melt. Terror will seize them, pain and anguish will grip them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look aghast” --- Isaiah 13:6-9

“Alas for that day! For the day of the Lord is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty.” – Joel 1:15

“…for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:2

5. Jesus often referred to His church as His bride. The bridegroom’s Father chooses the bride, the groom in most cases does no. He sends ta friend or a trusted servant to come to terms with the parents of the prospective bride and makes all the arrangements. Tradition in those ancient days was that the bride did not know on which night her groom would come for her. During this time the bride was to be set apart for the groom, to demonstrate her purity, prepare for His return and wait. If anyone asked the groom when the wedding was, he was to answer “only my father knows.” When the groom’s father approved of the Chuppah (canopy) the groom built for the bride, he would instruct the groom to go to the bride and take her from her father’s house. This is called “Nissuin.” The bride is to wait with her lamp, veil and any other things she needs beside her bed. The groom would come at night, and to alert the bride, he will blow the shofar. This will warn her that he is coming to claim her and that she must be ready to depart to her new home. The bride and groom are richly attired and at this point they pledge themselves for eternity. They then spend seven uninterrupted days alone. The wedding feast continues for these seven days, with a final wedding supper on the last day.

“..just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her; that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless.” – Ephesians 5:25-27

Jesus said, "But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone." ---Mark 13:32

Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."—John 14:1-3

“Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. But at midnight there was a shout, "Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him."--- Matthew 25:5-6

"Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready." And it was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. And he said to me, "Write, `Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.'" And he said to me , "These are the true words of God."—Revelations 19:7-9

#7 of 7
THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES

The last covenanted feast is The Feast of Tabernacles, an autumn harvest festival. The Feast of Tabernacles is also called the Feast of the Ingathering, Succoth (Sukkot), or the Feast of Booths. This was a feast that Josephus referred to as the holiest and greatest of the Hebrew feasts. It begins five days after Yom Kippur and the fifteenth of Tishri. This is a very joyous holiday---contrasting starkly with the last most solemn holiday. Leviticus 23:43 states "That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God." It was to last eight days.

This is the third pilgrimage to Jerusalem Jewish men were required to make.

Myrtle, willow and palm twigs from the Jerusalem are a were to be gathered for construction of a booth (Nehemiah 8:13-18). These were reminders of the temporary housing during the Exodus wanderings. It was a symbol of protection, preservation, and shelter. Samples of the fall crop were hung in each family's booth to acknowledge God's faithfulness in providing for His people.

There was a processional on the eighth and final day of the feast made up of priests and thousands of worshipers. The high priest of Israel would descend from the Temple Mount to pause briefly at the Pool of Siloam. A pitcher was filled with water, and the procession continued in a different route back to the Temple Mount. Here in a great ceremony, the high priest poured the water out of the pitcher onto the altar. This ceremony was intended to invoke God's blessing on the nation by providing life-giving water necessary for the early rains in October and November so that there would be a spring crop. Without the rains, there would be drought causing famine and death.

In Zechariah, the prophet says, "Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths. And it will be that whichever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them." (Zechariah 14:16-17).

In John 7:37-38, John wrote: "Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'" But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified." Jesus was saying that He is the source of life and blessing. He can meet every need of the human heart. He was clear that the water being poured represented the Holy Spirit that He was to send on Pentecost--and those that do not worship the King, the Lord of hosts, will have no rain on them.

During this festival, the Israelites were to remember God's provisions in the wilderness and their subsequent deliverance into the promised land. Likewise, we have been provided for in the wilderness we walk in. We are not yet in our "promised land." We are not yet living on the new earth.

This is the glorious day when Jesus will at last come again and set up His Millennial Kingdom. We will never again have a wilderness experience. God's people will safely live with their Lord forever. We will celebrate joyously the remembrance of our wandering wilderness time while being safely at home in our promised land!