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Christian Biblical Church of God
Post Office Box 1442
Hollister, California 95024-1442
(831)-637-1875
Fred R. Coulter
Minister
June 12, 2006
Dear Brethren,
Our new book,
Occult Holidays or God’s Holy Days—Which?, turned
out to be quite a tremendous work—and the response has
been overwhelmingly positive. Everyone should be
receiving their copy/copies very soon.
We hope that each of you had an inspiring Feast
of Pentecost—a sort of “mid-point” in God’s plan,
picturing (among other things) the coming marriage of
Christ and the Church.
When we understand the true scope of the meaning
regarding the holy days and feasts of God, we realize
that God has used these days to reveal Himself
to His people and to the world. In the Scriptures we
find that each feast and holy day is either 1) a
memorial or remembrance of activities and events that
God has already completed and/or is continuing
to fulfill, or 2) a prophecy of future events yet to be
fulfilled. Here is a quick overview of the memorials and
prophecies pictured by the Sabbath, Passover and holy
days.
The Weekly Sabbath:
From the beginning the Sabbath has been a memorial of
God’s creation of the heavens and earth. It is thus
continually being fulfilled, week by week, as we observe
the Sabbath—a day wherein God the Father and Jesus
Christ fellowship with us and teach us through
their Word and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. As a
prophecy, the Sabbath pictures the coming Kingdom of
God—“the rest of God.”
The Passover:
As the initial step in God’s plan, the Passover was
foreshadowed in Genesis fifteen—and is thus a memorial
of God’s covenant with Abraham, promising physical seed
through Isaac and spiritual seed through Jesus Christ
our Savior. It is a memorial of God’s sparing of
Israel’s firstborn and His judgment against all the gods
of Egypt (Ex. 12:12, 27). For Christians, Passover
commemorates the sacrifice of Jesus Christ (God
manifested in the flesh) as the Lamb of God—Who died, as
recorded in the gospel accounts, on the Passover day in
30 AD, as a propitiation for the sins of the world. It
is continually fulfilled each year when we partake of
the Passover and renew our Covenant of Eternal Life with
God the Father and Jesus Christ.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread:
The first day of Unleavened Bread (a holy day) is a
memorial of God’s promise to Abraham to bring the
children of Israel out from Egypt—on the “very same day”
after 430 years of captivity. Thus, this night is called
by God “a night to be much observed” (Ex 12:42). It
commemorates the beginning of the exodus of the children
of Israel as God personally directed Moses and Aaron to
lead them out of Egypt (Ex. 12:40-42). The last day (a
high day) is a memorial of God’s final deliverance of
the children of Israel—as they passed through the Red
Sea on dry ground and witnessed the destruction of
Pharaoh and his armies who drowned in the sea (Ex. 14
and 15). The Wave Sheaf Offering—held on the first day
of the week during the feast—was first performed when
the children of Israel entered the Promised Land (Lev.
23:9-14; Josh. 5:10-12). This day initiated the
barley/wheat harvest and was the first day in the count
toward Pentecost. Wave Sheaf was a prophecy of Jesus
Christ’s ascension into heaven to God the Father to be
accepted as the Savior of the world.
In the New Testament, the first holy day is a memorial
of Christ being put into the tomb. He remained there for
three days and three nights and was resurrected near the
end of the weekly Sabbath during the Feast of Unleavened
Bread. On the first day of the week, the Wave Sheaf
Offering day, Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of the wave
sheaf of Leviticus 23:10-11.
The entire seven-day feast pictures our deliverance from
Satan the Devil through the power of God, and our
deliverance from sin through the sacrifice and blood of
Jesus Christ. It is continually being fulfilled as we
come out of this world, grow in grace and knowledge, and
develop the character and mind of Jesus Christ—that we
might be
unleavened in Christ.
Pentecost: In the Old Testament, Pentecost is a
memorial of God audibly giving the Ten Commandments to
the children of Israel at Mount Sinai (Ex. 20 and Deut.
5). Later, in the land of Israel, Pentecost was also a
memorial of the firstfruit harvest of the barley/wheat
crops (Lev. 23:15-21). In the New Testament, God used
the day of Pentecost to send the Holy Spirit in power
and thus begin the Church—spiritual Israel—at the temple
in Jerusalem in 30 AD. It is a memorial of that
tremendous event recorded in Acts two. Most importantly,
Pentecost is a prophecy of the first resurrection—the
resurrection of the firstfruits to God the Father, also
called the Church of the Firstborn (I Cor. 15:22-23;
Heb. 12:22-24; Rev. 14:14-16).
Trumpets: For the children of Israel, the Feast
of Trumpets declared that God would fight their battles
if they obeyed Him. It is also a memorial of the day of
Trumpets in which God placed His presence into the
Temple Solomon built (II Chron. 5:12-14; 7:1). In the
New Testament, Trumpets pictures the direct intervention
of Christ via the trumpet plagues of Revelation 8-10.
Ultimately, Trumpets is a prophecy of the destruction of
Babylon the Great, and of the final, great battle which
will take place as Jesus and the saints return to the
earth from the Sea of Glass to stand on the Mount of
Olives (Zech. 14:1-9)—from which they will destroy the
armies of the nations led by the beast and the false
prophet.
Atonement: In the Old Testament, this high day
focused on God’s yearly atonement for the sins of the
priesthood and of the children of Israel. The removal of
the goat for Azazel (Lev. 16) is shown in the New
Testament to be a prophecy of the binding of Satan in
the abyss for a 1,000 years and of God’s final judgment
on Satan and the demons (Rev. 20:1-3; 10-11).
Tabernacles: This festival was initially a
memorial of the children of Israel’s dwelling in
tents/tabernacles when they came out of Egypt, after
which it commemorated the inheritance and rest God gave
Israel in the Promised Land. Primarily, Tabernacles was
a celebration of the great harvest of all crops at the
end of the year. In the New Testament, Tabernacles is a
memorial of Jesus having temporarily “tabernacled” with
men as God manifested in the flesh. It also pictures the
reality that true Christians are actually a
tabernacle/temple of God with the Spirit of God dwelling
in them. Prophetically, Tabernacles pictures the Kingdom
of God on earth under the rule of Jesus Christ and the
saints for a thousand years—at which time the great
spiritual harvest will begin to take place, with sons
and daughters born into the kingdom of God (Rev.
20:4-6). Finally, it is a prophecy of the time when God
the Father and Jesus Christ will dwell with all the
saints in the New Jerusalem—to which the nations that
are saved will come (Rev. 21 and 22).
The Last Great Day:
In the Old Testament, the Last Great Day was an
extension of the Feast of Tabernacles as a memorial of
all the blessings of God. In the New Testament, it
pictures the completion of the great spiritual harvest
through the second resurrection—wherein Israelites and
Gentiles alike are raised to life during the Great White
Throne judgment period to be given the Holy Spirit and
an opportunity for eternal life (Lev. 23:36, 39; Rev.
20:5, 11-12; Ezekiel 37:1-14; John 7:37-39).
This overview of the Sabbath and the feasts and holy
days of God helps us to understand why they are so
important—and necessary for us to keep. It is
through the keeping of these feasts and holy days that
God the Father and Jesus Christ continually reveal Their
will through the Scriptures and by the power of God’s
Holy Spirit to His Church and to His people.
Now you can see why Satan and the leaders of his pagan
religious systems hate these days. The forces of evil
and darkness do not want people to come to the knowledge
of the Sabbath, feasts and holy days of God—thus Satan
has deceived the religions of the world to promote his
occult holidays and attack God’s Sabbath and holy days.
The Elders’ Conference: In Cincinnati, Ohio, we
held our Elders’ Conference on May 12-14. Our meetings
dealt mostly with ministerial duties and
responsibilities, as well as on how to handle problems
and make righteous and merciful judgments. Such
judgments should be made only when necessary—and it is
always better to teach the brethren, to give them the
knowledge and encouragement to solve their own problems,
so they can better make decisions for themselves. This
way, all of the elders and brethren can grow in grace
and knowledge to develop the mind and character of Jesus
Christ.
This is accomplished by teaching the Word of God and
loving and serving the brethren, just as Jesus Christ
admonished the disciples: “But Jesus called them to
Him and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the
nations exercise lordship over them, and the great ones
exercise authority over them. However, it shall not be
this way among you; but whoever would become great among
you, let him be your servant; and whoever would be first
among you, let him be your slave; just as the Son of man
did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His
life as a ransom for many’ ” (Matt. 20:25-28).
On the other hand, Jesus did not mean that the elders
cannot use their authority in a firm and loving manner
when problems do arise. In situations that are most
difficult and require that people separate themselves
from our fellowship because of sins or private
doctrines, we always need to let them know that if there
is repentance, then the door is open for them to
return—as demonstrated in the parable of the prodigal
son returning to his father (Luke 15:11-32).
Paul also instructed Timothy on how to handle himself
and what to do with those who have extremely severe
problems and need to be corrected: “But flee youthful
lusts; and pursue righteousness, faith, love
and peace with those who are calling on the Lord out
of a pure heart. But foolish and ignorant speculations
reject, knowing that they engender arguments. Now it is
obligatory that a servant of the Lord not
be argumentative, but gentle toward all, competent to
teach, forbearing, in meekness correcting those who
set themselves in opposition; if perhaps God may grant
them repentance unto acknowledging of the truth,
and that
they may wake up and escape from the devil’s
snare, who have been taken captive by him to do
his will” (II Tim. 2:22-26).
We had an exceptionally inspiring Sabbath during the
conference with nearly 100 brethren in attendance. The
Elders’ Conference and Sabbath are best summarized by
the two sermon tapes that you have already received—Are
You God’s Policeman? and Our Relationship with
God. Both reflect the overall theme of the entire
conference. In addition to myself, the other elders in
attendance were: Anse Cates, Glenn Daniel, Wayne
Stenhouse, Marlin Fannin, Bob Hunnicutt, Roger Kendall
and Norbert Bohnert. Ken Gee, our elder in Australia,
was not able to attend this year, and neither was Carl
Franklin, who recently retired but will continue to do
some research.
The Parthenon Code:
This is a tremendous book written by Robert Bowie
Johnson, Jr. and published in 2004. I learned of the
book when one of the brethren sent me a copy of the
book’s copyright page and the section describing the
reemergence of the “Way of Cain” after the flood. This
prompted me to order the book. After receiving it and
seeing what a fantastic book it was, I had Ron Cary
e-mail the author to see if I could buy a case of them.
Much to my surprise Robert Johnson called our office and
left his number. I then called him and ordered a case
from him directly. Since then we have had several long
phone conversations about what he has written. It is
important to note that Johnson’s material adds what has
been a missing dimension—making it possible to truly
understand the origin of the Greek, pagan Zeus religion.
Johnson is an expert in ancient Greek mythological
religion as told in the sculptured stone idols of the
Greek gods and goddesses that decorated the temple of
Athena. His book shows stone figures of men, women and
animals that portray the story of the Garden of Eden,
the flood and the beginnings of post-flood
civilization—but all from Satan’s point of view.
The book reveals for the first time the “astonishing
truth that Greek myth/art chronicles the reestablishment
of the Way of Kain (Cain) after the flood. The meaning
of the seven sculptural themes on Athena’s Temple [are]
understood for the first time in more than 2,000 years.
“Adventurous believers of the truth of Genesis have
searched the mountains of Ararat in modern-day Turkey
for the remains of Noah’s ark, most recently using
satellite cameras to aid in their quest. Their idea is
that by finding what remains of Noah’s ark, they prove
that Noah existed, that the Book of Genesis is true, and
that the God of Genesis is the One, true God.
“Little did they realize that proof of Noah’s existence
has stood atop a much smaller mountain—the Akropolis of
Athens—in plain sight for nearly 2,500 years. The
sculpture of Athena’s great temple, the Parthenon,
celebrates the triumph of Zeus-religion over Noah and
His Yahweh-believing children. All seven of the
Parthenon’s sculptural themes (on the two pediments, on
the four sets of metopes, and on the frieze) relate to
Noah in some significant way. We may not have found the
ark yet in Turkey, but in ancient Greece we have found
Noah as painted on vase after vase, as sculpted on the
Altar of Zeus at Pergamum, and as the specifically
acknowledged but unseen background figure on the
Parthenon” (from the dust jacket of The
Parthenon Code).
I highly recommend this book, as one well worth the
money. You may order it directly from the author at
www.solvinglight.com (the cost is $19.95 plus
shipping). Or, you may order it from
Amazon.com (the ISBN number is 0-9705438-3-2). If
you know how to use Power Point on your computer, you
may prefer to order Johnson’s
Power Point presentation for $39.95, which includes
a free copy of the book. The Power Point presentation
contains over 400 color photos of the Parthenon sculpted
images and paintings on vases and containers.
The Da Vinci Code:
Last week Dolores and I went to see the movie The Da
Vinci Code. Technically, it was well done and served
its intended purpose, which primarily was to cause as
many as possible to reject the Bible and Jesus Christ as
the divine Son of God—as God manifested in the flesh.
While the attacks against the Catholic Church were well
founded, the movie attempted to reduce Jesus to a mere
human—who, of all things, had married Mary
Magadaline—making Him neither the Savior nor the Son of
God. It promulgated the lie that after Jesus died on the
cross, Mary Magadaline—pregnant with a child fathered by
Jesus—escaped to what is now southern France where she
had a baby girl. As also contained in the book Holy
Blood, Holy Grail, the movie then follows with the
claim that there exists within the royal bloodlines of
Europe the physical descendents of Jesus. At the end of
the movie the leading female star turned out to be one
of the last descendants of this supposed line of Jesus.
In the final scenes, Langston (the leading male star)
contemplates what he perceived was the reality of his
new discovery—that he had been with the woman who was
supposed to be the last descendant of Jesus’ physical
line through Mary Magdalene. The movie concludes with
Langston—after reading from a book titled The
Feminine Divine—going to a shrine in Paris to
worship over the supposed resting-place of Mary
Magadaline.
In many ways, the movie promoted the idea that it
doesn’t matter what the Bible says or what religions
have previously taught. The only thing that matters is
what you believe. And if you believe it in your
heart, then it is true—which is classic, Satanic,
post-modern deceptive thinking. Not one passage of
Scripture was used in the entire movie. But it well
serves Satan’s purpose in continuing to destroy the
knowledge of Jesus Christ—and in causing people to
believe in lies and to reject all forms of
Christianity.
The Da Vinci Code
is only another step designed by Satan to deceive the
world and prepare mankind for the acceptance the coming
Antichrist and Satan’s occult world religion and
government—all just before the true Jesus Christ returns
to the earth in power and glory. This is why in recent
years there has been so much that has come out
concerning so-called Gnostic “gospels.” Satan is
reviving such heretical teachings to completely
undermine any belief in the true Jesus Christ.
To help give you a better understanding of Gnostic
Christianity—truly a pagan Christianity—Alan Knight has
written an eight-page article about
The Gospel of Judas and Gnosticism’s challenge to
all forms of Christianity. We have enclosed his paper in
this mailing. His article is most insightful and helps
us to realize that all
of the various brands of worldly Christianity—to one
degree or another—incorporate occult and Gnostic ideas
into their beliefs.
We will have the
Feast of Tabernacles Letter out next week. We
are a little late because of finalizing some last minute
details at the various feast sites.
Brethren, in my next letter I will make a wonderful
announcement about how we are going to complete the
entire Bible in its original order. In the meantime, we
thank you for all your love, prayers and support through
your tithes and offerings. We all need to work while we
have the light. May God the Father and Jesus Christ
bless you with their love, grace, healing and
intervention in your life as we strive for the Kingdom
of God and eternal life.
With love in Christ Jesus,
Fred R. Coulter
FRC
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