PENTECOST - DAY 49

Fred Coulter - May 18, 2002

This is for the Sabbath before Pentecost, or day 49. And it’s very interesting when you stop and you think about why does Satan always go after Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Pentecost? There’s more confusion over those days than any other days. Now why? Well, the reason is, is because the Passover connects you with Christ, the true Passover. The true days of Unleavened Bread show that only through Christ can you have your sins forgiven and removed from your life. The Wave Sheaf offering day, during the days of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover’s in the middle of the week like this year, pictures the acceptance of Christ as the sin offering for the whole world. And then when we come to Pentecost, Pentecost pictures the firstfruits. So Satan has many devices, and many problems and difficulties beginning with wrong calendar, beginning with, like with the Jews, having a 15^th Passover instead of a 14^th. And then in counting toward Pentecost, we’ll see that there are also difficulties with this.

Now all of these things combine that if you follow these false doctrines, what’s going to happen is this: God says that these days are His appointed times. So therefore, if you’re not there when God says to be there, then you’re going to miss fellowshipping with God. And if you miss fellowshipping with God, you have missed the whole purpose of why you come together on a holy day. And so if you’re meeting on the wrong day for the Passover, because of the calendar, or on the 15^th, or on the afternoon of the 14^th, and if you don’t know how to count properly to Pentecost, then you’re going to be on the wrong day, and you are no different than Sunday-keepers when you do that. Do you understand that?

Now, let’s understand the days in which we are living. Let’s come to the book of Jude first. Very important for us to understand the days in which we are living, and what we need to really understand. Now, we live in an age where you have everything at your fingertips. We have high-tech, instant food, instant gratification, instant travel. Go anywhere, do anything, see anything. You have an abundance of food, abundance of things. In other words we’re living in a Laodicean age. While we live in a Laodicean age and everything is going smooth and calm, human nature tends to say, “Well, there’s no big urgency.” But the truth is, we are really in a fight for the faith that was once delivered to the saints.

Now let’s come to the book of Jude, and I’m going to read out of the new translation that’s coming out. Let’s begin in verse 3. “Beloved, when personally exerting my diligence to write to you concerning the common salvation, I was compelled to write you, exhorting you to fervently fight for the faith that was once delivered for all times to the saints. For certain men have stealthily crept in.” And we’ve seen this happen over a period of time in the various churches of God. Some with greater disaster than others. “These are the ones who a long time ago have been written about, condemning them to this judgment.” That is the judgment of God. Now we need to understand this. Whenever there is a deviation from the Bible, or from the scriptures, there’s going to be a judgment, one way or the other. And that fits right in with the whole theme of unleavened bread - a little leaven leavens the whole lump. And the extra leaven being sin, in this case during the days of unleavened bread, is the judgement and is the punishment that comes, see. Now let’s continue. “There are ungodly men who are perverting the grace of our God into licentiousness, and are denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 3-4, AT). Now when we look at Protestantism, we are looking at the most insipid emotional blither that you could possibly want to look at. And this began many, many decades ago, that we can thank Jim and Tammy Baker for reducing it to the level of tears, and emotions, and slobs, and snobs, and all of this kind of thing. And reducing Christ to just to a someone who’s going to come and help you and be fuzzy, and warm, and purr to you regardless of what you do. That’s the licentiousness that we’re dealing with in the world, and yes, even in the church.

And there’s another more subtle kind of thing that takes place. Let’s come to 2 Timothy please, and we’ll see what takes place. Now we need to understand concerning the word of God, why it’s so important. See, it’s not just another book. Though the alphabet that is used for the words and printing of it is no different than your daily newspaper. Yet the meaning and the spirit of the words, with the Holy Spirit of God, has a profound impact that God wants to have on you, on everyone that has the Holy Spirit so He can teach them. So see, not only are you taught by preaching, but unless you listen, unless you learn, unless you understand, unless you let the Holy Spirit and the word of God teach you, you gain nothing.

Now here’s what’s so important about the scriptures. 2 Timothy 3:15. Now we’ve had these scriptures gone over many, many times, but I tell you what, what’s most important to do and realize and understand is this: is that when the times are good and there’s no stress or duress, there’s no war upon you such as you see with all of the carnage going on in Israel today. You have to be zealous, you have to work hard, you have to apply yourself, not only to the things so that you can live and exist, but more importantly to your spiritual life, see.

He says to Timothy, “And that from a child thou hast know the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is God inspired, and is profitable for conviction…” And that’s where you have zeal. That’s what gives you stability. That’s what gives you faith. The conviction, you see. Because James said, “Now if you believe there’s one God, or if you believe there is a God, why you’ve done no better than the demons. They believe and tremble.” So to believe in God is no great merit. To believe God and what He says is the whole foundation of what God wants us to learn. “…Gives us conviction, correction, and instruction in righteousness.” That is how to live your life, how to keep the commandments of God, how to love God, how to love your neighbor, how to love the brethren, you see. That’s what the word of God is for. Now notice verse 17. “So that the man of God…” Can apply either to Timothy as a minister, or to any individual who is one who has the Holy Spirit of God, “…So that the man of God may be complete…” Now the King James says “perfect”. And the perfection there means “complete”. “…Fully equipped for every good word” (2 Tim. 3:15-17, AT).

And then chapter 4 in verse 1, God gives a command to every minister, teacher, or elder. Which is also something that everyone who is not a teacher, or minister, or elder should realize and know and understand. Now, 2 Timothy 4:1, “I charge you therefore in the sight of God, even the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is ready to judge the living and the dead at His appearing in His kingdom; preach the word” (2 Tim. 4:1-2, AT) Now that’s what any teacher is to do. Preach the word of God. Not pet doctrines, not deceitfully handling the word of God. Not going against the word of God. Not having any special ideas, or special doctrines, as we will see in relationship to counting to Pentecost, but preach the word.

Now, in chapter 2, verse 15 he says, “Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15, AT). And so there’s a proper way to do it. Now we are going to learn the proper way to count Pentecost. We are going to look at some of the false teachings. And false teachings must come, as Paul said. They are ordained to happen so that those who are approved among you may be manifest. That is, approved of God. And how are they approved of God? By what they teach. By how they use the word of God. All of that shows the approval of God.

Now notice, “Be urgent, in season [that is, whenever the holy days come along], out of season [in between the times from Sabbath to Sabbath]…” but notice, it is to be urgent. Don’t sit back. Don’t be complacent. Don’t be ho-hum. Don’t be like the farmer who had a tremendous crop and he said, “Ho, what am I going to do?” He says, “I know what I’m going to do. I’m going to tear down my barn, build new ones. Bigger ones, and I’m going to store it all up, and I’ll say to my soul, ‘Soul, have ease, for we have goods for many years.’” And Christ said, “You fool, tonight your life is required of you.” Now that’s a true statement. That is a true parable. So that’s why Paul is writing to Timothy to be urgent in season, out of season. “…Convict [give people resolve], rebuke [when there’s correction to be given], encourage [to edify and up-build], with all patience and doctrine” (2 Tim. 4:2, AT).

Now the reason is, is that if that is not done, and we have seen this happen, haven’t we? Over and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over again. It’s kind of like the cycle of history. When will human beings ever learn? You know, it’s the same thing with people in the church. When will we ever learn? When will we ever get it? When will we ever really understand and realize that Christ has not called us to a religion, but Christ has called us to eternal life, and a way of living today. And we have the whole Bible. We have all the word of God, and He expects us to know it. To have it written in our hearts and in our minds. That’s the whole purpose of why we’re here. And that’s the whole purpose as to why we have peace and security right now. Not so that we can sit back and be at ease, and lean back and just take things, you know, like sitting out on the porch with iced tea, and mint julep. And just sit there with a fan and just rock back and forth, and just let things come, let things go. See. It’s like the man that says, “Well, I gotta fix the roof, but it ain’t raining so I don’t need to fix it now.” So then lo and behold here comes a thunderstorm. Leaks all in the house. He says, “Well, that ol’ roof is leaking, but I can’t fix it now because it’s raining.” So you see, that’s just the way human nature is.

Now, this is what verse 3 is all about in 2 Timothy 4. “For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine…” No they won’t. So instead, they’re going to do this. “…But according to their own lusts…” Now that’s how all these false doctrines come. That’s how Satan is able to get in there and appeal to teachers to have their own pet doctrines. And for people to follow them because of lust. It’s like one minister said, “I had a dream. And I saw Petra over in the Middle East, superimposed upon the state of Utah. And lo and behold in the state of Utah there is Zion National Park. And there is a town called Moab. So therefore, because of this dream, that’s the place of safety.” And you know what? People sold their homes and moved out there. Now you see, in Jeremiah 23 God says, “He that has a dream, let him tell his dream. But he that has My word let him preach it faithfully.” You see. So they have their punishment, don’t they, already? They have their judgment already, don’t they? Yes, they do.

“…According to their lust they shall accumulate to themselves a great number of teachers, having itching ears to hear what satisfy their cravings. But they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and they shall be turned aside unto myths” (vs. 3-4). And we’ve seen that happen, haven’t we? And the whole religious world is filled with myths. That’s why they’re all part of mystery Babylon the great, which God hates.

Now let’s look at a couple of things here and understand something, ok? God says that He gives understanding. You’ll find this in Ezekiel 28. You can look it up later. For those who are drawn from the breast and are weaned, and he teaches line upon line, here a little, and there a little, and line upon line, and here a little, there a little, and precept upon precept. Now, if you are searching the scriptures daily, as did the Bereans, and if you are proving the things which are right and good and are holding fast to them, then God will give you the understanding of the scriptures. Now if you’re not, then that precept upon precept, and line upon line, and here a little, and there a little, is going to be a snare for you, and you’re going to be taken and go backward and fall.

Now let’s go to Leviticus 23 and let’s look at the instructions for counting Pentecost. And then we will look at a chart and we will see exactly how to count it when we have the Passover in the middle of the week, like we have this year. Now let’s understand some very important things concerning this. There are some people who say, “Well, now is this command to be for during Unleavened Bread or after Unleavened Bread?” Well, not having the spiritual understanding concerning what the Wave Sheaf Offering is, not understanding what the New Testament when Jesus ascended to be accepted of the Father. Some of them say, “Well, it’s after.” But remember you’re unleavened in Christ. So therefore it has to be during the days of Unleavened Bread. Not outside, not removed from it.

Now let’s pick it up here in verse 9. “YHWH [The LORD] spoke to [Moses] Moshe, saying: Speak to the Children of Israel, and say to them:…” Now I want you to listen to these words carefully. Now it’s almost the same in the King James, so there’s really no difference, ok? “…When you enter the land that I am giving you,…” Now when did they enter the land? We’re going to see that. When did they enter the land? And I will just insert here, not the year after you’re in the land. “…And you harvest its harvest,…” Now the King James says “you harvest the harvest thereof.” It’s harvest. Now that becomes important, see. When God gave the promised land to them - whatever was there when they took over the land, whether it be buildings, whether it be animals, whether it be crops, it became theirs. Ok, let’s continue. “…You are to bring the premier sheaf of your harvest…” Now the King James says “firstfruits”, but it is the one which means premier sheaf. And this has a direct prophetic reference to Christ. “…To the priest. He is to elevate [or, wave] the sheaf before the presence of YHWH [the LORD], for acceptance for you;” (Lev. 23:9-10, Schocken Bible). And that’s what Christ did when He ascended to be accepted of God the Father on the Wave Sheaf Offering Day, to be accepted for you as a sin offering to cover your sins.

Now, let’s understand something very important here. There was a minister who went to Exodus 23, so let’s turn there and we’ll read this in the King James because I want to come back to Leviticus 23 in the Schocken Bible here. It says in Exodus 23:14, “Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto Me in the year. Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I command thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before Me empty:) and the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labour, which thou hast sown in the field:…” (Ex. 23:14-15). “Aha!”, this minister reasons, “Since you did not sow the harvest that we find in Joshua 5, therefore, God will not accept the wave sheaf offering because it was planted by the Canaanites. And therefore their planting it makes it unholy and non-sanctified. Because God will only accept that which is holy, and which is sanctified.” Well now that seems reasonable, but that’s not what God said here in Leviticus 23:10, either in the Schocken Bible or in the King James Version.

Let’s come back to Leviticus 23. “…When you enter the land…” Not the year after. See, by this reasoning then the minister said, “Well, since that harvest was polluted, they had to wait till the second year. And that’s when Joshua 5 occurred.” And we’re going to see that’s a bunch of nonsense. And we’re going to see that’s twisting of the scriptures so that the minister can have his own idea exalted above God, and have his own idol. Remember, no one tells God what to do. And remember, Paul said that they won’t adhere to sound doctrine. So keep those things in mind.

“…When you enter the land [not the next year] that I am giving you, and you harvest it’s harvest [and that harvest then becomes theirs], you are to bring the premier sheaf of your harvest to the priest. He is to elevate the sheaf before the presence of [the LORD] YHWH, for acceptance for you; on the morrow of the Sabbath the priest is to elevate it” (Lev. 23:1-22, Schocken Bible).

Now let’s come down here and let’s read something very important. Come down to verse 14. Notice… and this is very key when we come to Joshua 15. “Now bread or parched-[corn] grain or groats,…” Now bread could be made from old grain. Parched corn are the green ears of the month Abib, which have not ripened hard, but you take the green ears and then you roast them or parch them and that dries them out, and it makes a very fine meal. Especially barley. And goats, that just means the cut grain. “Now bread or parched-grain or groats, you are not to eat, until that same day, until you have brought the near-offering [or, the wave sheaf offering] of your God -- (it is) a law for the ages, into your generations, throughout all your settlements” (vs. 14, Schocken Bible). In other words, every year when it would come time for the wave sheaf offering to be offered, they were not to eat of the new harvest until they had the wave sheaf offering.

However notice, they were not to eat anything until they came into the land. That is anything of bread, or grain, or groats, they were not to eat until the day that they entered into the land and they brought the sheaf to the priest, and he elevated it and waved it to the LORD.

Now then there is something very special that has to happen beginning with this day. “Now you are to number…” Now number means to count. “…From the morrow of the Sabbath,…” And that means, including that day. It is inclusive counting. Just like when you work from Monday through Friday, you count Monday, don’t you? Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. Five days, ok? Now those who believe in a Monday Pentecost rather than a Sunday Pentecost, say that you begin counting on Monday rather than Sunday. So therefore they end up with a Monday Pentecost. Well, you can answer the question very simply. If your boss gave you a check for the whole week, and you looked at it and you said, “Hey, this is a day short.” “Well, don’t worry about it. You work from Monday to Friday, so therefore I paid you for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, four days.” “Yea, but I worked five.” “Well, it’s from Monday through Friday, and so therefore I exclude Monday.” Now that’s how ridiculous that argument is. And it’s so fundamental that anyone ought to be able to see that that’s not what God intended. Beginning with the day, and we’ll see why here it’s very important, as we go through.

Now let’s go on. “…From the day that you bring the [wave] elevated sheaf, seven Sabbaths-of-days, whole (weeks) are they to be;…” Now that means very simply that it’s going to be from the first day of the week to the seventh day of the week. That is a whole week. You cannot have a deficient week. When you count excluding Sunday and begin with Monday then you have a deficient week, and it’s only six days. And then when you come to the 50^th day, you’re actually on the 51^st day, and you do not have seven complete weeks. So it’s a whole block of things. So that tells us exactly what it should be.

Now notice verse 16, “…until the morrow of the seventh Sabbath you are to number -- fifty days, then you are to bring-near a grain-gift of new-crops to [the LORD] YHWH.” And then verse 21 says, “And you are to make-proclamation on that same day, a proclamation of holiness…” Not the next day. There are many variations and odd-ball thinkings on how to count it. Some of them believe that, as we’ll see a little later, that because Acts 2:1 was translated by Archbishop Cramner, back in the 1600’s, that he translated it, “and after the day of Pentecost”, when we’ll explain that when we come to it, that the Greek can never support that. So they look at that, grab this mistranslation and say, “Aha, proved the point. It’s after the 50^th day. So, yes we’ll count from Sunday. We’ll include Sunday, and we will go to the 50^th day, and when that is ended that’s when we have Pentecost.” So you see, there is no end to this reasoning.

Now I’m going to show you a chart, and we will see exactly from this chart, and this is also in the Christian Passover book, how to count to Pentecost when the Passover is in the middle of the week. Now let’s look at this chart, “Count To Pentecost - 30 AD” That’s the same sequence that we have this year. Now let’s come and focus in, beginning with the Passover, which is in the middle of the week, right on the 14^th. Now, here’s the Passover, first day of Unleavened Bread, preparation day before the weekly Sabbath, the weekly Sabbath, the resurrection of Christ right toward the end of the Sabbath. Then we come to the first day of the week. Now this is the morrow after the Sabbath. And you are to number 50 days, you are to number seven Sabbaths of weeks, complete weeks. So a complete week is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Now as you come across, now let’s focus in on here and we’ll go right down…every Sabbath represents the end of a week. So here’s the end of the first week. You come down and here’s the end of the second week. You come down and here’s the end of the third week. Come down, here’s the end of the fourth week. Here’s the end of the fifth week. Here’s the end of the sixth week. And then we come down and here’s the end of the seventh week, which is the 49^th day. Then, the 50^th day, you have to come back over here to the first day of the week. That is how Pentecost falls.

Now, let’s come back up here to this section right up here at the top where we have beginning with the first day of the first week in counting for Pentecost. Now, I want to count it for you when the Passover is on a Sabbath. The morrow after the Sabbath must fall during the days of Unleavened Bread. So we have the first day of Unleavened Bread, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. There’s the seventh day of Unleavened Bread, and you count down and you have the same thing. We’ll see that on another chart, which I’ll show you a little bit later.

Now let’s go ahead and let’s come to the book of Joshua. Now the book of Joshua begins after Moses had died and there was mourning for 30 days on the plains of Moab. Then, after the death of Moses the Lord appeared to him. And here’s what He told him. Let’s begin in Joshua 1:5. “There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” Well, brethren, here’s a good lesson for us to understand, that God wants us to realized, which is this: He’s never going to fail us. He’s never going to forsake us. You go back and read Hebrews 13:5 that He will never, ever, not ever leave us or forsake us. That’s the same thing. This is New Testament doctrine here. But this is what we are to do the same as Joshua.

“Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law,…” Now we just read some of the law, didn’t we, back in Leviticus 23, that they weren’t to eat anything until the wave sheaf was waved. So we’ll have to conclude that Joshua did according to all the law. And we’ll see that in a little bit. “…All the law, which Moses My servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success” (vs. 6-8). So the opposite of that is this, if you don’t do that, you will not be prosperous and you will not have good success. And we’ll see what happened after Jericho fell when they didn’t do what God said. And they didn’t prosper.

Verse 9, “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” So that’s really a tremendous promise.

Then He gives them the instructions on what they were to do in crossing over the Jordan. Now this becomes important for us to understand. Now let’s begin here, let’s come clear over here to Joshua 4, and we have to put our thinking caps on, and we have to understand that we’re to put precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little, and there a little.

So let’s begin Joshua 4:10. “For the priests which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan, until every thing was finished [now this was when they crossed the Jordan] that the LORD commanded Joshua to speak unto the people,…” And it was at the time in the spring when the river Jordan was flooding. And so here, just like when the children of Israel crossed the Red Sea, here they are all along the bank of the Jordan River. And God causes the river to go up in a heap, clear up here, and it’s all dry. He commanded twelve men, one from each of the tribes to take one of the big stones that he could carry on his shoulder out of there, and make a memorial after they had crossed. And so when it dried up, as soon as the priests put their feet in there the water stood at a big heap, as it said, and then it dried up and the children of Israel went across as on dry ground. The men picked up the big stones and then when the priests touched back up on the shore the water came down again, and flooded just as it was before. “…And the people hasted and passed over.” So it was a very quick operation that took place.

Verse 11, “And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over, that the ark of the LORD passed over, and the priests, in the presence of the people. And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spake unto them: about forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the LORD unto battle, to the plains of Jericho.” Now that’s out of those three tribes. “On that day the LORD magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life. And the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying, Command the priests that bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of Jordan. Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come ye up out of Jordan. And it came to pass, when the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD were come up out of he midst of Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of Jordan returned unto their place, and flowed over all his banks, as they did before. And the people came up out of Jordan [now notice] on the tenth day of the first month,…” (vs. 11-18). Now that’s important. This gives us a guide post. Now nowhere does it say, “on the tenth day of the second year”

Now if you’ll recall when the tabernacle was reared up, it was reared up on the first day of the first month of the second year that they came out of the land of Egypt. So if this were the second year it would clearly say, the second year. So this follows right on. There is no one year gap. Let’s read on. And they took the twelve stones, and so forth.

Now let’s come over here to Joshua 5:2. “At that time [the tenth day of the first month] the LORD said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel, the second time.” Now the scriptures do not record the first time that they were circumcised, however, Josephus says that they were circumcised before they left the land of Egypt. And this is verified by the fact that it says the second time. So if there’s a second time they have to be circumcised the first time. Ok, now let’s keep this in mind because there are some very, how shall we say, funny twistings and turnings that come up to justify a second year, because of the circumcision of the men. So let’s read on.

“And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins. And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise [now here’s the reason]: All the people that came out of Egypt, that were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came out of Egypt. Now all the people that came out were circumcised [that is, when they originally left they were originally circumcised]: but all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt, them they had not circumcised. For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: unto whom the LORD sware that He would not shew them the land, which the LORD sware unto their fathers that He would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey” (Joshua 5:2-6).

Now continue verse 7. “And their children, whom He raised up in their stead, them Joshua circumcised: for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them by the way. And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole” (vs. 6-8). So it’s reasoned therefore, that they could not go out and march around Jericho, and they could not do it that year, because it takes anywhere from ten days to thirty days to recover from circumcision. And then they line up doctors statements and everything to give a verification of that.

Now let’s analyze something here, very carefully. We will see that there were some circumcised men who would be able to go on the march the first six days, while the rest of them healed so that all on the seventh day could come out.