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Day 49—The Seven Week
Harvest
Fred R. Coulter—May 30,
2009
Printer Version
And greetings,
brethren, welcome to day 49 of the count toward Pentecost, which is the 50th
day—tomorrow. And, as I’ve said before, I don’t think you can ever find the
day after the Sabbath falling on a Monday. That is unless you have the
calendar all mixed up. This day is a very special and important day for us
to understand what God is doing and how He’s doing it. So, you’ve already
been prepared for this because we are sending out on the CD (you’ve already
received it) The Seven Church Harvest and What God is Doing—because
there is a lot that God is doing between the time of the resurrection of
Jesus Christ and His ascension to heaven to be accepted as the first of the
firstfruits, and on down to the close of this age when Jesus returns and the
first resurrection takes place, which we will cover tomorrow.
Let’s see what God is
doing. Let’s come back here to Deuteronomy 16:9 and we will see how God
defines it here. “You shall count seven weeks to yourselves. Begin to count
the seven weeks from the time you first began to put the
sickle to the grain…. [Now, that first sickle to the grain is the
premiere sheaf talked of and written about in Lev. 23; and that premiere
sheaf is the very first one that is accepted by God the Father. And as we
know, that’s a type of Jesus Christ.] …And you shall keep the Feast of Weeks
to the LORD your God according to the sufficiency of a freewill offering
from your hand, which you shall give according as the LORD your God has
blessed you. And you shall rejoice before
the LORD your God…” (vs 9-11)—and so forth. So that’s what we are going to
do tomorrow.
But always remember: this is the harvest of the firstfruits;
and we’re going to see that there’s also an overlap of the firstborn: the
dedication of the firstborn and, also, the firstfruits go hand-in-hand. And,
as we will see, that refers first of all to Jesus Christ, and
then to the Church. But let’s look at what Jesus said
concerning the harvest of the firstfruits and why that is so important for
us to understand; because today marks the end of the
firstfruit harvest, and tomorrow is the resurrection when the
change comes.
So, let’s come back here to Exodus 23. Now the Feasts of God are so
important that He mentions them over and over and over again. And that’s why
anyone who studies the Bible, or anyone who attempts to understand the
Bible, if you do not understand about the Sabbath and the Passover and the
Holy Days, you’re not going to understand the Bible, you’re not going to
understand the plan of God and you’re certainly not going to qualify for
eternal life. That’s why the principle that we have during the Feast of
Unleavened Bread always applies—which is this: “A little leaven leavens the
whole lump.” So if there are false doctrines regardless of how small they
may begin, and are not corrected by the Word of God, through the Spirit of
God and the love of God, then more and more is going to come. So when you
look at the Bible and compare the Catholic religion and the Jehovah Witness
religion and the Protestant religion and whatever other religion there may
be, and you look and see what the Bible says, there is a vast difference.
And the vast difference is that God is the one Who does the calling, and God
is the one Who does the selecting. So we are going to see that we are the
firstfruits being prepared for the resurrection, which Pentecost pictures
tomorrow.
So
let’s come to Exodus 23:14: “You
shall keep a feast unto Me three times in the year.
You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened
Bread… [we’ve already kept that] …You shall eat unleavened bread seven days,
as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month of Abib, for
in it you came out of Egypt. And no one shall appear before Me empty.
Also the Feast of the Harvest of the Firstfruits of your labors, which you
have sown in the field. And the Feast of Ingathering, in the end of the
year, when you have gathered in your labors out of the field…. [Then he
reiterates] …Three times in the year all your males shall appear before the
Lord GOD” (vs 14-17).
Now let’s come to
Exodus 22—here’s something that’s important. Here is a principle. Remember,
we have a physical example, which illustrates a spiritual principle, then is
magnified and expounded upon in the New Testament. Exodus 22:29: “You shall
not delay to offer the first of your ripe fruits and of your
vintage….” So even after the grain harvest, they were to bring in the first
ripe of the wine; the first ripe of the grapes; then the raisins; the first
ripe of apples and pears and oranges and lemons, etc. etc. And all of those
then picture the later harvest that comes with the Feast of Tabernacles. But
what we are to do is, if we have land and if we have our own fruits and
vegetables—which would really be great if we were able to have it today, we
wouldn’t have all this commercialized, corporatized food that is foodless
food, causing many diseases and sickness among people, and even among those
in the Churches of God. So that would be good if we had that, but most of us
don’t have enough land.
Now notice what else he
says, because this ties the firstfruits with the firstborn. And we saw that
the firstborn was dedicated to God on the first day of the Feast of
Unleavened Bread. And the firstborn of males were redeemed on that day.
“You shall give the
firstborn of your sons to Me…. [and they will be redeemed] …Likewise you
shall do with your oxen and with your sheep; it shall be with its dam
seven days. On the eighth day you shall give it to Me” (vs 29-30). Very
interesting, isn’t it? When you count toward Pentecost, how many sequences
of seven days do we have? Seven! What is Pentecost in the last week?
Pentecost is the eighth day! Now isn’t it interesting that the first
resurrection takes place as pictured by Pentecost, and undoubtedly on the
day of Pentecost, is when all are resurrected and dedicated to God. And as
we’ll see a little later, we are called the Church of the Firstborn. So
there are many examples and many types that we’re going to see that fit in
with the harvest of God and that fit in with the seven weeks and the Feast
of Pentecost.
Now, let’s come over
here to Exodus 34:19 [corrected]. Exodus 34 is very interesting
from this point of view: Before we get there I want to bring to your
attention something very important, that Exodus 34 is now God re-stating for
the children of Israel all of His statutes and judgments after they had
rebelled with Aaron and built the golden calf and worshiped it. Exodus 34:19
“All that opens the womb is Mine… [because through the process of
procreation of animals and birds, as well as food for us, and human beings,
God is creating on a continuous basis through the process of pro-creation
for animals and for humans, and the process of seeds with plants. So this
becomes very important for us to understand.] (and notice): …all firstlings
of male livestock, of oxen or sheep…. [shall be Mine] …But the firstling of
a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb. And if you do not redeem it, then you
shall break its neck…. [In other words, no one is going to get around
offering the firstborn to God, because that’s His. And what this does for
us, when we understand this—though we don’t do it (everyone of us) today—is
that God is the One behind the whole process of producing new life; whether
it be plant life; whether it be animal life.] (Then He says): …All the
firstborn of your sons you shall redeem…. [Redeem with a lamb, which has to
be eight days or older.] …And none shall appear before Me empty” (vs 19-20).
So there it’s stated again and the importance of it we can see by the
repetition, as we have in the book of Exodus.
Now, let’s continue on
and come to Deuteronomy 26:1. Now, Deut. 26 is very interesting; very
important, too. “And it shall be when you come into the land which the LORD
your God gives you for an inheritance, and possess it, and live in it, you
shall take of the first of all the fruit of the earth which you shall bring
of your land that the LORD your God gives you, and you shall put it
in a basket, and shall go to the place which the LORD your God shall choose
to place His name there…. [Now obviously, some of them would have to be dry.
Others of them could be given to the Levites within the community because
where He placed them in the cities of the tribes of Israel was where He
placed His name for the Levites to live.] ...And you shall go to the priest
in those days, and say to him, ‘I profess today to the LORD your God that I
have come into the land which the LORD swore to our fathers to give us.’ And
the priest shall take the basket out of your hand and set it down before the
altar of the LORD your God” (vs 1-4). So isn’t that interesting, it comes
right before God.
Of course, that’s also
going to happen at the resurrection—is it not? “And you shall declare and
say before the LORD your God, ‘My father was a Syrian ready to
perish. And he went down to Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and
became there a nation, great, mighty, and many. And the Egyptians
ill-treated us, and afflicted us, and laid hard bondage on us. And when we
cried to the LORD God of our fathers, the LORD heard our voice and looked on
our afflictions and our labor and our oppression” (vs 5-7).
Now, here’s the
spiritual type. When we are out in the world, we are doing as the world, we
are a slave of the world, we are a slave of Satan the devil; because he’s
the ‘prince of the power of the world’; and ‘the god of this world’; and
he’s ‘deceiving the whole world’; and we see that even more and more in the
present political and economic climate that we see ourselves in today. So
there’s the spiritual analogy. God has called us out of this,
and we are to bring to Him the firstfruits and our tithes and our offerings
the way that God wants them to be—whether from the land or whether from the
fruit of our labors.
Verse 9: “And He [God]
has brought us into this place… [What has happened when He calls us:
He brings us to Him, for a relationship with Him through:
·
loving Him
·
obeying Him
·
with prayer
·
with study
·
with knowing God’s Word
·
and all of that combined
together.]
…and has given us this land, a land that flows with milk and honey.” Now
the truth of it is this: spiritually, in the Church, that’s what the
brethren are to be given; the truth of God’s Word, just like flowing with
milk and honey.
Verse 10: “And now,
behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land which You, O LORD, have
given me.’ And you shall set it before the LORD your God, and worship before
the LORD your God. And you shall rejoice in all the good which the
LORD your God has given to you, and to your house; you, and the Levite, and
the stranger in your midst” (vs 10-11). Now here’s another thing, too: What
is the greatest rejoicing that we are to do before God? Just the physical
things that He has given us or the spiritual things that He has given us:
·
His Holy Spirit
·
understanding His Word
·
living by the Truth
·
loving God with all your heart
and mind and soul and being.
So, you see, that’s the spiritual reality of what we’re reading here.
Verse 12: “When you
have made an end of tithing all the tithes of your increase the third year,
which is the year of tithing, and have given it to the Levite,
the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow (that they may eat inside your
gates and be filled)…” So the third tithe, talking about here, was the
welfare program that God had for the children of Israel. So today, what do
we have? In this nation, and most of the nations of modern-day Israel, we
have government welfare and assistance to people which actually costs us
more than ten percent anyway, in our taxes. So that’s why the Church does
not collect third tithe. However, there are those widows and those in need
so we help them. And those who still want to give third tithe, in their
third tithe year, the best way to work it out is this: Find a widow close to
you—and if there’s not one close to you, let me know; then we can send the
money directly to the widow and we will take care of that on your annual
receipt. That has worked very, very well. So we are following, in a
spiritual sense, what is commanded here.
But notice v 13: “Then
you shall say before the LORD your God, ‘I have brought away the holy things
out of my house, and also have given them to the Levite… [the Levites here
then are the retired Levites; because the other Levites receive the tithe
and they did not need it.] …and to the stranger, and to the fatherless, and
to the widow, according to all Your commandments which You have commanded
me. I have not broken Your commandments, neither have I forgotten them….
[Now sometimes that may be difficult to do. So we have this next verse]: …I
have not eaten of it in my mourning, neither have I put any of it
away for unclean use… [that is improper use] …nor have I given
of it for the dead…. [because that’s the way that the religions of this
world are. You give money to have the dead have their souls come out of
purgatory.] …I have hearkened to the voice of the LORD my God… [and of
course, that’s the whole sum of the Bible. God says, ‘obey My voice.’
That’s the sum of the whole Bible—Old and New Testament. So that’s what we
have to determine.] …and have done according to all that You have commanded
me’” (vs 13-14).
“‘Look down from Your
holy dwelling, from Heaven, and bless Your people
Israel… [Not just yourself, also
the people in the Church, the people in the world, and we can’t function
without God also blessing the people in the world, because our incomes are
related to what’s going on in the economy.] …and the land which You have
given us as You swore to our fathers, a land that flows with milk and
honey’” (v 15). And I’ll tell you one thing, in the United States of America
never could that be more true. However, we see all the problems and
difficulties that are taking place today, and they are taking place because
as a nation we have forgotten God. And as a Church we are Laodicean. So, we
all need to repent whether we are in the Church, or people in the land; so
that they could live by the letter of the law in the land, and we live by
the spirit of the law within the Church, with the love of God.
Verse 16: “Today the
LORD your God has commanded you to observe these laws and judgments. You
therefore shall keep and observe them with all your heart and with all your
soul.” Now, you see, here’s the thing: If you love God with all your heart,
mind, soul and being, how are you going to respond to God with the Sabbath
and the Holy Days, and tithes and offerings, and doing the things that you
need to do? You’re going to do it with all your heart and with all your
soul.
Verse 17: “You have
declared today that the LORD is your God… [So when you come before God on
the Sabbath and Holy Days, you are saying, ‘God in heaven and Jesus Christ
at His right hand are my God.’] …and that you would walk in His ways… [and
of course, there is the way we are to walk in the New Testament—aren’t we?
Yes! Jesus said we are to keep the laws in the spirit of the law.’]
…and keep His statutes and His commandments and His judgments, and obey His
voice.”
Verse 18: “And
the LORD has taken you today to be His specially treasured people…”
Now amplify that to the New Testament and see that we are called Holy;
see that we are called beloved. (We’ll see that a little
later). We are especially treasured by God! So here’s what’s
important: within the Church, that’s how we need to understand our
relationship with God and with each other. That’s why the Church and our
assembling together should be a joy rather than a burden. Just like
when God tells us to do things, He does it for our own good. And therefore
we should do it with a cheerful attitude and a joy because of what God has
done because He has called us to eternal life. Let’s understand that!
Now, v 19 finishes the chapter; and I
think it’s very important that we went through the whole chapter to see and
understand exactly what God has said, and apply this then, spiritually, to
our day today and what God is doing with us. “And to make you high above all
nations… [When we’re spirit beings will that not be so? And is not the
Church of God, as God sees it, greater than all the nations on the earth?
Yes, indeed!] …which he has made in praise and in name and in honor…
[Now apply this spiritually] …and that you may be a Holy people to the LORD
your God, even as He has spoken.” I want you to take these last two verses
and I want you to tie them to John 17, and especially the ones (and we’ll
see a little later) where God has personally chosen us.
Now let’s go on and
let’s see how much more we’re going to be able to learn here on this day of
the seven weeks—day 49. Let’s come to the General Epistle of James and let’s
see how the Church is likened to firstfruits. Then we will see how that
compares with what God is doing on the earth. And we will see that there is
a perfect parallel between the planting and the harvesting of grain, and the
calling and development of Christians and then how that relates to the first
resurrection.
James 1:17 (pg 1,126):
“Every good act of giving and every perfect gift is from above… [because God
has determined it. And what is the greatest and most perfect gift that we
receive which comes from above? The Holy Spirit of God! And as we’re
going to see tomorrow, there are three instances of Mt. Zion: in the Old
Testament, Acts 2 and Heb. 12; and I think you’ll find that very
interesting.] …coming down from the Father of lights… [Who has personally
called you.] …with Whom there is no variation… [I’m the ‘same yesterday,
today and forever.’] …nor shadow of turning…. [So God’s character is
perfect, and this is what He wants to develop in us.] (Now notice v 18; very
important because we’ll cover a little more of this a little later on): …According
to His own will… [God’s own will and desire] …He begat us by the
Word of truth… [by the Spirit of Truth] …that we might be a kind of
firstfruits of all His created beings.” The ‘created beings’ here are
referring to those who are born again in the resurrection at the return of
Christ. Because then you have been created in the image of Jesus, created
after the image of the Father, etc.
Let’s see how this
process begins; let’s come to Matthew 13:16, and here we have the parables
of the planting or the sewing of the seed. Now, what I’m going to do, rather
than read through the whole thing, I’m going to carry forward and see the
planting of the seed. Now in doing so, I want you to take a broader view. I
want you to think about all the experiences that you have gone through in
the Church of God and how you have observed how people have come and how
people have gone; and how people have grown in grace and knowledge; and how
some have fallen away and some have come back; and some have fallen away and
haven’t come back. And how sometimes, as it says here, that some people get
really excited when they hear about the Word of God, but they don’t have any
endurance. So, I want you to think about all of those things as I’m reading
this, and also think about where are they. And I also want you, in your
personal prayers, to pray for those people because remember this: As
long as there is life, there’s hope! And as long as there is hope,
and God can still deal with them, they can come back in repentance and be
able to be restored.
The Church of God is
not an executing squad of men with rifles to kill those they disagree with.
·
We are to teach
·
We are to help
·
We are to nurture
·
We are to help them grow in
grace and in knowledge
So, if something isn’t
according to the liking of the minister and he kicks someone out and he says
you’re forbidden to talk to anyone in any other Church of God, ask them:
Scripture and verse?! ‘Well, it says here…’ Ask them: Do you know
their heart and mind? Can you judge them? ‘So you can’t tell me I can’t talk
with my father and my mother, my own physical parents, because you say
you’re some great apostle in the Church and you’re going to tell me what to
do?’ My advice is: Get out of that church as fast as you can!
Matthew 13:16: “But
blessed are your eyes, because they see… [God has opened our eyes and
minds and hearts to see and understand] …and your ears, because they hear….
[Because you’re willing to listen to God. Now, v 17 is really something! And
I want you to understand the tremendous blessing of living in this age, that
we have a lot of troubles coming down upon us. We have the whole Word of
God. We have understanding of the Word of God. And God has revealed things
in the New Testament and through His Spirit and teachings that He has so
that it says right here] …For truly I say to you, many prophets and
righteous men have desired to see what you see, and have not seen;
and to hear what you hear, and have not heard” (vs 16-17).
Think about that!
Though Isaiah wrote all of
his prophecies, you understand more of it than he did. Likewise with
Jeremiah and Ezekiel; likewise with all the prophets; likewise with Daniel.
Daniel wanted to know; and what did God tell him: It’s ‘closed and sealed
till the time of the end.’ And at the time of the end the wise shall
understand, but none of the wicked shall understand. Now we need to be
thankful to God for this. And we need to realize that it is God’s work and
God’s part within us to do this.
Verse 18: “Therefore,
hear the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the Word of the kingdom and
does not understand it, the wicked one comes and snatches away that
which was sown in his heart. This is the one who was sown by the way…. [They
weren’t converted. They fell by the wayside.] …Now the one who was sown upon
the rocky places is the one who hears the Word and immediately receives it
with joy… [‘Oh, this is great!’] …But because he has no root in
himself, he does not endure; for when tribulation or persecution
arises because of the Word, he is quickly offended. And the one who was sown
among the thorns is the one who hears the Word, but the cares of this life
and the deceitfulness of riches choke the Word, and it becomes unfruitful” (vs
18-22). So they didn’t progress far enough beyond just the planting of the
seeds of the Word for them to understand. They did not progress far enough
to receive the seed of the Holy Spirit.
However, v 23 shows the
ones who did: “But the one who was sown on good ground, this is the one who
hears the Word and understands… [when you understand it, you’ll
repent—correct? Yes!] …who indeed brings forth fruit and produces—one
a hundredfold, another sixtyfold and another thirtyfold.”
Now, just as an aside,
all grains have an even number of the rows of seed; not an odd number. You
see, the Word of God and His creation all ties together, and we are the
pinnacle of His creation, because He is creating His sons and daughters,
made in His image, after the mind of Christ, after Their love and truth and
faith and everything else to be put in us.
Verse 24: “And He put
another parable before them, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is compared to a
man who was sowing good seed in his field; but while men were sleeping, his
enemy came… [because the enemy’s always going to come. We’re always going to
have difficult times. Don’t think that it’s going to be totally love, joy
and peace. No! We have joy when we overcome. We have peace when we
understand the Word of God. But remember, Jesus said, ‘In the world you will
have tribulation, but in Me you will have peace. Be courageous!’] …but while
men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went
away” (vs 24-25)—fake Christians; fake brethren; false
doctrine.
“Now when the blades
sprouted and produced fruit, then the tares also appeared…. [Because they
have no fruit. The blade in the grass looks just the same, and then when the
grain starts, you can tell that’s a wheat; but you can separate then the
tares by looking at them.] …And the servants came to the master of the house
and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? Then
where did these tares come from?’…. [How did this happen? Now think of that
in relationship to your experience within the Church. Have you ever said
that of false ministers and false teachers and false doctrines and false
brethren—how did that happen? Well, here it tells us. It’s going to. That’s
why Jesus told us how many times over again—and the apostles—‘let no
one deceive you by any means!’ regardless of who it is.] …And he
said to them, ‘A man who is an enemy has done this.’ Then the
servants said to him, ‘Do you want us to go out and gather them?’ But he
said, ‘No, lest while you are gathering the tares, you also uproot
the wheat with them” (vs 26-29)—because the truth of the matter is this: if
you love God and know the Truth and obey the Truth, it does not matter
what’s going on around you, because your relationship is with God and it’s
not with men. And you know the difference between right and between wrong,
between good and between evil. And you know how to live your life in those
circumstances—don’t you? And besides, in order to do that, He would have to
change His plan immediately. So He’s not going to do it!
So He says: “Allow both
to grow together until the harvest [Rev. 14] and at the time of the harvest,
I will say to the reapers, ‘Gather the tares first, and bind them into
bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my granary’” (v 30). Now the
granary is very interesting because when you understand the way a harvest
works… So you go back to the very first of the firstfruits, and there’s a
continuous wave of harvesting. Just like here in the United States: They
start harvesting the grain in the southern area (like in Texas) and then
they move north every week as the grain ripens as they go north. And when
they harvest it they put it into the granary. Now let’s understand that’s
even symbolic of when we produce the fruit and we are ripe and we’ve reached
old age and die, we’re put into the grave—is that not right? And the grave
is really the granary.
Just like a grain and a
body, Christians, when they die, are called sleeping. Grain, when it’s
harvested before it’s planted again—the grain that was planted is gone now,
just like our bodies are going to be gone, too—but the grain has all what is
necessary to produce new grain when it’s planted. So you can say the grain
is like a Christian who died and is sleeping in the grave. When it comes
time for the resurrection, there it will be!
Let’s come to Mark, the
fourth chapter, let’s see something that’s very interesting. Mark 4:26 (pg.
999)—let’s see the parallel here: “Then He said, ‘The Kingdom of God is
likened to this: It is as if a man should cast seed upon the earth,
And should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should sprout and
grow, but he does not know how’” (vs 26-27). Same thing today. They
do not know what makes the grain grow. They know they have the grain. They
can analyze what is in it. They can even distinguish the different genes
that are in the grain, the different parts of the grain. But you take a seed
and you put it in the ground. You water it. You can watch it grow. You can
get up day and night and look at it, but how does it grow? How does this
little grain have life in it? And why can you put it in the water and soil
and it grows? It’s the same way with spiritual character. We’re going to see
in just a little bit, we have the seed of God within us. And no one out in
the world knows that God is working with us in our mind for us to develop
the character and mind of God—do they? Now they might see our outward
behavior and understand that we’re good people. But they don’t know what’s
going on in here (the mind), just like when you plant a seed, you don’t know
how it’s growing. So no one can see and understand the character, the love
of God, the relationship with God that is going on within you! Exact same
thing.
Verse 28: “For the
earth brings forth fruit of itself, first a blade, then a head, then full
grain in the head. And when the grain is mature… [Interesting, isn’t it? You
have to be spiritually ripe and ready] …immediately he puts in the sickle… [Firstfruit,
right? It’s what we’re talking about.] …for the harvest has come” (vs
28-29).
All right, let’s come
back here to Matthew 13:33—let’s see some other things. So there are some
tremendous analogies that we are going to see here and how it works out
together. “Another parable He spoke to them: ‘The kingdom of heaven is
compared to leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour
until all was leavened.’” This is a good use of leaven. But how leaven works
within the dough is very similar to how does a grain grow. You don’t know.
You put it in there and it rises. We’ll talk a little bit more about this
tomorrow because this has great bearing on the offerings for the day of
Pentecost, the 50th day in Lev. 23.
“Jesus spoke all these
things to the multitudes in parables, and without a parable He did not speak
to them; so that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet,
saying, ‘I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from
the foundation of the world’” (vs 34-35). I want you to
understand that you are understanding things that have been hidden
even from angels, from the foundation of the world. Because Paul
said even angels ‘desire to look into the things that we know and
understand.’
(Go to track #2)
Let’s continue on and
see the spiritual seed and how that is within each one of us individually.
Remember where James said that God, according to His own will—in calling us,
in bringing us to repentance and converting us—begat us by the Word of Truth
that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all His created beings.
Now let’s come to the
general epistle of 1-John (pg. 1,138)—and here we’re going to see the
process; and we’re also going to see the contrast. The contrast is with the
way it is in the world. And the process is with God’s Spirit. Keep your mind
on this; remember the important thing in our lives and the key of growing
and overcoming is that we always keep our mind on the goal, on the purpose,
on the end result—and that will see you through every trial and tribulation
and difficulty that you go through. That will help you to love God even
more, draw close to Him in prayer and understanding—understanding His Word,
too.
1-John 3:1: “Behold!
What glorious love the Father has given to us, that we should be
called the children of God!…. [Now, that’s very interesting because there
are two words for ‘children.’
1.
‘huios’—which means son or child
2. this word here is the Greek
‘teknos’—meaning His very own begotten offspring.
Now, think on that for
a minute.] …that we should be called the children of God!” Now, we haven’t
attained to the resurrection, so let’s see what else it tells us here.
“For this very reason,
the world does not know us because it did not know Him…. [Just like they do
not know—nor does anyone know—how a seed grows. The world doesn’t know us,
other than the fact they might look upon us as nice people.] …Beloved, now
we are the children of God… [though the resurrection has not yet come and
we’re not yet full-fledged children of the resurrection.] …and it has not
yet been revealed what we shall be… [and of course, at this time, John
didn’t know when he wrote this] …but we know that when He is manifested…
[that is at the return of Jesus Christ] …we shall be like Him, because we
shall see Him exactly as He is…. [Now that’s going to be a great thing—isn’t
it? We’ll talk about that a little bit more tomorrow.] …And
everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself… [that is through
Christ, through repentance, through the Holy Spirit, through growing and
overcoming] …even as He is pure” (vs 2-3).
Now, here comes the
contrast, v 4: We know the King James says: ‘Whoever sins is
transgressing the law, for sin is the transgression of the law.’ Well, the
Greek is even broader than that. “Everyone who practices sin is also
practicing lawlessness… [or against law—the laws of God! But also
lawlessness has to do with this: the seemingly good intentions of human
beings to add to or take away from the Word of God. That’s called ‘the way
of Cain.’] …for sin is lawlessness…. [So it’s very broad; because Satan
loves do-gooders; do-gooders that will couch sin in the terms of doing good,
and entrap people into evil without them knowing it. You can think how this
works in every way, in many different fields.] …And you know that He
appeared in order that He might take away our sins; and in Him is no sin” (vs
4-5).
Now notice this—here’s
something that is very important: “Everyone who dwells in Him does not
practice sin… [because we’re talking about practicing evil vs
practicing sin. So the verb carries on down.] …anyone who practices
sin has not seen Him, nor has known Him” (v 6). Sin is the transgression of
the law, so if you’re practicing Sunday and Easter, the Eucharist and the
holidays of this world, all seemingly good Christian things to the world,
you are deceived and are practicing and living in sin under the guise of
doing good! Whereas God has the Sabbath, the Passover and the Holy Days—and
these are the three frameworks within the Bible on which everything that God
has given us hangs. They practice sin. They don’t know God. Though they
claim to know Him, they don’t know Him because that’s not the way you know
God.
Verse 7—here’s the
warning: “Little children, do not allow anyone to deceive you; the one who
practices righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous. The one who
practices sin… [living a life of sin] …is of the devil… [under his
influence, prince of the power of the air, following the ways of the
world—that’s all of the devil!] …because the devil has been sinning
from the beginning…. [and is a liar from the beginning.] …For this
purpose the Son of God appeared that He might destroy the works of the
devil” (vs 7-8). Not him, but the works; and annul it.
Here’s the key; notice
the contrast all the way down as we’re going—sin/righteousness; good/evil;
practicing righteousness/practicing sin. Verse 9 makes the division very
clear and shows us about the seed of begettal that is within us. So the
parables all come together, and then we become the firstfruit of God and are
harvested on Pentecost, which pictures the resurrection (we’ll see that
tomorrow), and it also shows how then God is going to do this and let the
tares be gathered after the resurrection occurs. Let’s see it:
Verse 9: “Everyone who
has been begotten by God does not practice sin … [now that’s
straight from the Greek. The King James says: ‘cannot sin.’ So
therefore, they’re deluded (the Protestants) who believe it’s impossible to
sin. They’re deluded into thinking that once they’ve been ‘born again’—the
way they define ‘born again’ (which is incorrect)—that they can’t sin. They
can do whatever they want to, but they can’t sin. Even if they’re lying,
cheating and stealing and committing adultery, they claim that when the call
comes for the ‘rapture’ they’re going to be raptured up because they cannot
sin. Now, that is speaking out of both sides of your mouth with a forked
tongue at the same time.] (Now here’s why he cannot practice sin):
…because His seed… [and the word for seed in Greek is ‘sperma’] …of
begettal is dwelling within him, and he is not able to practice
sin because he has been begotten by God.”
Now then, does that
mean we won’t sin at all? No, come over here to 1-John 5:16: “If
anyone sees his brother sinning a sin that is not unto death… [that
means one you can repent of] …he shall ask, and He [God] will give him life
for those who do not sin unto death…. [that’s why we confess our sins every
day.] …There is a sin unto death; concerning that sin, I do not say
that he should make any supplication to God. All
unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not unto death. We know that
anyone who is begotten by God does not practice sin; for the one who
has been begotten by God keeps himself by the power of God, and the
wicked one does not touch him” (vs 16-18). Because if you have the Spirit of
God—what is the Spirit of God going to do when you sin? It’s going to
convict you, prick your conscience so you can repent! So you can’t
practice sin. You can’t live in sin.
Now you see the
parallel between the planting of the seed, the harvesting of the firstfruit,
the Church, the receiving of the Holy Spirit of God by begettal so that we
can become a kind of firstfruits unto God. So you have, with God’s
Spirit, the seed of begettal! Now you must grow and change and
overcome
·
through your relationship with
God the Father,
·
through the Word of God,
·
through the way that you live,
·
through keeping His
commandments,
that you then can be
ready—qualified by God—to be resurrected at the first resurrection. That’s
the process.
Now come ahead here to
Ephesians, the first chapter, and let’s see how Paul wrote of this; because
this becomes very important for us to understand. It’s in the Bible. It’s in
the New Testament. We have the physical type in the Old Testament, and then
we have the anti-typical, or the spiritual type, in the New Testament—and
they fit like a hand-in-glove.
Ephesians 1:4—showing
again that God the Father is dealing in the lives of every one of us
directly and personally. This puts a responsibility on all of us. And it
also puts a responsibility on all those who are teachers and elders and
ministers, that they teach the Word of God—and to understand that using the
Word of God is a stewardship; preaching the Word of God is preaching the
Truth. Feeding the flock is all part of it and the brethren do not belong to
the minister nor to a corporate organization, but they have the begettal of
God the Father, the seed of eternal life within their minds, and they are
His. So our job is to teach, to encourage, to train and yes, when there’s
correction, to bring correction. And let’s understand something else, which
is very important, too, which is this: Anyone who is yielding to God
is going to be yielding to the correction of God on a daily basis.
And so, therefore, if you have a relationship with God, which He wants you
to have—that is close, that is personal, that is daily, through prayer and
study and living God’s way and keeping His commandments—God will do the
correcting to you individually; and you don’t need a minister to stand up in
the pulpit and beat you on the head and throw fear into your heart and mind
that hellfire and brimstone is coming down upon you. And if a minister has
to do that; and they are people who are in the Church—and they are His
flock—that says that he’s been delinquent in teaching the brethren; because
God is able to correct them through being led of the Holy Spirit of God.
Here’s why:
Ephesians 1:4:
“According as He has personally chosen us for Himself before the
foundation of the world… [that means: before the foundation of the
world God knew He would personally choose those for eternal life. This does
not mean we’re predestinated by birth to do so, but predestinated by plan,
provided we answer the call and repent and are baptized and receive the Holy
Spirit of God.] …in order that we might be Holy and blameless before Him in
love…” That’s why we are called Holy brethren.
“Having predestinated
us… [that’s the plan; that’s the result of the calling] …for sonship… [we
bear the name of God the Father, just like children (as we read) ‘we are the
children of God’—and where’s His name going to be? He’s going to give us
a new name—isn’t He? His name is going to be in our foreheads—isn’t
that what we’re told in Revelation? Yes, indeed!] …to Himself through
Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His own will…” (v 5). God
has done that according to His own will and desire. That’s why one day
you’re living your life and all of a sudden circumstances happen and you
wanted to know: Where is God? Who is God? And God begins dealing with you.
If you respond, His Spirit stays with you. If you don’t, it departs from
you. Let’s keep that in mind.
Verse 6: “To the
praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He has made us objects of
His grace in the Beloved Son…” Everything we have to do with
our relationship with God is through grace. Not only having our sins
forgiven, being able to receive the Holy Spirit, understanding the Word of
God, praying to God, changing, growing, overcoming, having access to the
throne of God in heaven above, and having God’s Spirit is the greatest grace
that we can receive. Now, we can’t receive that until we’ve already had the
grace applied to us, so we can have the forgiveness of our sins.
Verse 7: “In Whom we
have redemption through His blood, even the remission of sins,
according to the riches of His grace, which He has made to abound toward us
in all wisdom and intelligence. Having made known to us the mystery
[secret] of His own will… [How many people know that? Hardly any!
But all those who have the Holy Spirit of God have varying degrees of
knowledge of it. So this is why we need to grow in grace and in knowledge,
so we can know more of it; and know more how God is working and what He is
doing and how He is doing it.] …according to His good pleasure… [Because
when we’re resurrected, Psa. 16 says ‘and there are joys forever more with
God. And all the things we’ve gone through in this life, as far as trouble
and tribulation and difficulty, will be forgotten.] …which He purposed in
Himself… [His very own plan that He devised.] …That in the divine
plan for the fulfilling of the times, He might bring all things
together in Christ, both the things in the heavens… [to reconcile that] …and
the things upon the earth; Yes, in Him [Christ and God the Father],
in Whom we also have obtained an inheritance… [Now, did we not read in the
beginning what the children of Israel were to do when they went
into the promised land, which was their inheritance? Yes! What is our
inheritance? Not the promised land, but the Kingdom of God, which is
coming to this earth; and it is an inheritance—and inheritance means you
possess it and use it and it is yours—joint heirs with
Christ.] (Notice): …having been predestinated according to His purpose…
[I want you to think about this. This is why we’re never to get down and
discouraged and let it hang upon us like a pall or go around like ‘Joe
Dipstick’ with a big cloud waving over you all the time, because ‘He’s
called us according to His good pleasure, which He has purposed in Himself’;
in His plan; having an inheritance; having ‘predestinated us to His purpose’
of love, joy, peace and eternal life. Now anyone with truly the desire is
going to want that; because the longer you live and the more you understand,
the more that you realize that this life without God, as
Solomon said, is vanity! And that we are one breath away from
dying. Now, that’s not to be morbid. That is so that we can look at things
truly and be thankful to God that He has called us to eternal life.] …Who is
working out all things according to the counsel of His own will” (vs 7-11).
Now, v 12: “That we
might be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in the Christ;
in Whom you also trusted after hearing the Word of the Truth… [Now remember
what we read back there in Mat. 13: they hear the Word. But the ones who
hear and act upon it, that’s what He’s talking about here in v 13.] …the
gospel of your salvation; in Whom also, after believing… [and you continue
to believe, and continue to grow in faith; and to continue to love God; and
continue to serve Him. Why?] …you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of
promise…” (vs 12-13). So when the ‘seed of begettal’ comes in our
mind, it is an exactly an exact parallel between the begettal of a new human
life in the womb. When the seed from the Father—the ‘sperma’—penetrates the
egg from the mother, the egg seals so that nothing else can get in. So
there’s an exact parallel here. Our minds have been sealed with the Holy
Spirit, so that’s why in our growing and changing and overcoming in our
relationship with God, we are not going to become an abortion; and we’re not
going to become a premature birth. But we’re faithful to the end and are
resurrected.
Now notice: “…Spirit
of promise, which is the earnest… [that’s just the start, the
down payment] …of our inheritance until the redemption of the
purchased possession, to the praise of His glory” (v 14).
Now then, everything
from v 2 to v 14 in the Greek is one sentence. So for all of you English
buffs, the Greek does not follow the English rules of grammar. So that would
be classified as a gargantuan run-on sentence; that if you wrote something
like that in first-year journalism you would flunk. But it’s the Word of God
and it is the Truth!
Now, let’s come to
1-Corinthians 15 and let’s tie this together with Christ and with us, and
come up to the time of the resurrection and then we will conclude there
because tomorrow, the day of Pentecost, pictures the first resurrection—the
harvest of the firstfruits. So this is talking about now how the firstfruits
come to maturity, and we’re just like grain. When we’re ripe and die, we’re
put into the granary to await the Holy Spirit for the resurrection so that
we can enter into the Kingdom of God as spirit beings. Now, that’s a
fantastic plan that God has! And, brethren, the truth is we need to be
motivated, excited, happy, joyous, glad, serious, all of the things we need
to do in understanding God’s calling to make all of this happen. And God has
personally done it in our lives, and the lives of all the brethren wherever
they are. Now that is fantastic.
Let’s pick it up here
in 1-Corinthians 15:1 (pg. 1,172)—here’s what Paul writes; and what is
astounding about this is, that even within the Church of God at that time
there were people who were saying that there’s no resurrection, and the
resurrection has passed, and that only applied to Christ. Sound a little bit
like Protestantism today? Or Catholicism today? You read their insane,
double-mouthed doctrine on the resurrection of the body, and you will know
that they don’t understand a thing.
1-Corinthians 15:1:
“Now I am declaring to you, brethren, the same gospel that I
proclaimed to you, which you also received, and in which you are now
standing…
·
[standing in the Gospel,
·
receiving the Word of God,
·
receiving the grace of God,
·
receiving the Spirit of God]
…by which you are also
being saved… [so there are three steps to salvation:
1.
saved
from your sins and having those forgiven
2.
are being saved on a daily, progressive way as long as
you stand in the Gospel and walk in the way of God; and walk in the Spirit
of God.
3.
But you are being saved IF—notice the
two-letter word qualifier]:
…if you
are holding fast the words that I proclaimed to you… [and IF you are
not, you are not being saved.] …otherwise you have believed in vain” (vs
1-2). Those who believe in going to heaven believe in Jesus in vain.
Just like Jesus told the scribes and the Pharisees concerning their
traditions, that ‘in vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrine the
commandments of men.’ And that’s what Sunday-keeping is, Easter is, the
occult holidays are, and the doctrine of going to heaven are all the
traditions and doctrines of men!—which Jesus said, ‘and you full
well reject the commandments of God.’ Now, I can’t make it any plainer than
that. All right, you believe in vain!
“For in the first
place, I delivered to you what I also had received: that Christ died for our
sins, according to the Scriptures… [Old and New Testament] …and that He was
buried… [at the set time] …and that He was raised the third day, according
to the Scriptures; and that He appeared to Cephas, and then to the
twelve” (vs 3-5). So there were all of these witnesses, as we are going to
see, of His resurrection. And the first chapter of the book of Acts said
that He was ‘with them for forty days and forty nights, teaching them things
concerning the Kingdom of God, and was showing Himself alive. That’s why we
have the written Word of God, inspired by the Spirit of God, God breathed,
and it is the Truth of God so we can know that what we’re reading is true
and that it did take place.
“Then He appeared to
over five hundred brethren at one time… [and that was out at the mountain in
Galilee where He set to meet them.] …of whom the greater part are alive
until now, but some have fallen sleep…. [a little harvest of grain in the
granary] …Next He appeared to James… [who was His half-brother] …then to all
the apostles; and last of all He appeared to me also, as one who was born of
a miscarriage” (vs 6-8). He was called later. You know all about that and
how Paul wrote of it.
Now notice how Paul
looked upon himself: “For I am the least of the apostles, and am not
fit even to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Church of
God” (v 9). And you will find this; this is absolutely a truism, which never
fails. The more you understand about God; the more you understand about His
calling; the more you understand the preciousness of receiving the Holy
Spirit and the purpose of why we are here; the more humble you become,
because God is developing in you the character of God. And that’s exactly
what happened with Paul. And we find in Eph. 3 that he said, ‘I am less than
the least of all the saints.’ So Paul was no great, exalted, mucky-muck
apostle, leading the way with authority and hammers and sticks to beat
people into the Church and the Kingdom of God and make them do what they’re
supposed to be doing. No! He taught them; and he knew that unless
they yielded to God it’s up to God.
Now, let’s continue on:
“But by the grace of God [Paul wrote] I am what I am, and His grace
toward me has not been in vain; rather, I have labored more abundantly than
all of them… [Because he worked harder; knowing what he had done to
persecute the Church, he worked harder. And God blessed him in that, and
Paul is responsible for 14 epistles plus the book of Acts, which Luke
wrote—who was his right-hand man or secretary, plus the Gospel of Luke. When
you consider that that’s only sixty percent of the New Testament under the
aegis and the writing and the approval of the Apostle Paul. Now, do you
think he’s going to make a mistake? Do you think that this was written
centuries later? Nonsense! Never happen!] …I have labored more
abundantly than all of them; however, it was not I… [he didn’t do it
because of any great ability he had—no, because he was beaten, he was
scourged, he was stoned—so that he would know. No goodness came to him
except from God. And the ministry that he was given was because Christ had
counted him worthy to put into the ministry.] …but the grace of God with me”
(v 10).
Now then… [Paul says,
‘let’s get it all right’] …whether I or they, so we preach, and so
you have believed. But if Christ is being preached, that He rose from the
dead, how is it that some among you are saying that there is no
resurrection of the dead?…. [An incredible thing, isn’t it? Because
what is our hope? The hope of the resurrection! So he’s making it
clear. For all of those of you who believe, or have believed in the past, or
if you know nothing of the Bible and you think that everyone has souls and
they’re going to heaven or to hell or purgatory, listen up!] …For if
there is no resurrection from the dead, neither has Christ been
raised…. [Didn’t happen then.] …And if Christ has not been raised, then
our preaching is in vain, and your faith is also in vain” (vs
11-14). And of course, this is not in vain. But he continues to make the
point. How foolish and silly it is for people to believe that souls go to
heaven when Ezekiel says, ‘the soul that sins it shall die.’ Now what are
you going to do with that?
Verse 15: “And we are
also found to be false witnesses of God… [God is a God of Truth; His
Word is true; and if there’s no resurrection, you’re a false witness for
God; and if you believe and you preach that souls are going to heaven, you
are a false witness for God, you are not from God and have nothing to do
with God—and why don’t you quit using the name of Jesus Christ until you
repent?] …because we have testified of God that He raised Christ, Whom He
did not raise, if indeed the dead are not raised. For if the
dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised.
But if Christ has not been raised, your
faith is vain; you are still in your sins” (vs 15-17). So you think
about what you’re preaching.
Now, if you’re a Sunday-keeping minister and you preach about going to
heaven when you die, and you give a sermon about how Aunt Lucy is up in
heaven looking down here on us now, you better think again because you are
in your sins. And you better come to God, study the Bible, and repent!
You’re still in your sins.
“And those who have
fallen asleep in Christ have then perished.
If in this life only we have hope in
Christ, we are of all people most miserable…. [Now, he concludes that. That
is his argument against what people claim there is no resurrection. Now
then, he begins showing that there is a resurrection, and the purpose of the
resurrection.] …But now Christ
has been raised from the dead… [Paul said, ‘I saw Him. The
apostles saw Him. Five hundred other brethren saw Him.’ Paul said he was
taught separately, in the wastelands of
Arabia, to understand the Word of God; and he was taught for
three years by Christ, personally and through vision. Now, if you think he’s
lying, think on this: Who was Balaam? Balaam was a false prophet, and he
wanted to come and curse Israel—remember? So God allowed him to go. Is a
false prophet dedicated to his own purpose, wanting his money and
everything? Was he not hired to curse? And remember, Balak said to him seven
times: ‘I hired you to curse! And you’re blessing!’ Now, think on this: If
Balaam, who was unwilling to preach the Truth, was willing to sin and be
paid to curse, God instead made him preach the Truth, don’t you think that
God was able to inspire the apostles and the Apostle Paul to preach the
Truth? Were they not converted and yielded to Him? Yes, indeed!] …But
now Christ has been raised from the dead; He has become the
first-fruit of those who have fallen asleep”
(vs 18-20). He is the firstborn from the dead; and that’s what the Sabbath
during the Feast of Unleavened Bread pictures. And that’s why the Wave-sheaf
Offering Day falls on the day after the Sabbath.
“For since by man came death… [through Adam] …by man… [the second
Adam, Christ] …also came the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die, so also in
Christ shall all be made alive…. [Now then, it’s getting into what’s going
to happen to us.] …But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruit;
then, those who are Christ’s at His coming” (vs 21-23). And that’s why
Pentecost (as we will see tomorrow) pictures the first resurrection. And we
will see about the coming of Christ and how powerful and how moving and what
an absolutely fantastic event that is going to be. And brethren, we have
been called to be part of that. So, see you tomorrow.
Scriptural
References:
-
Deuteronomy 16:9-11
-
Exodus 23:14-17
-
Exodus 22:29-30
-
Exodus 34:19-20
-
Deuteronomy 26:1-19
-
James 1:17-18
-
Matthew 13:16-30
-
Mark 4:26-29
-
Matthew 13:33-35
-
1-John 3:1-9
-
1-John 5:16-18
-
Ephesians 1:4-14
-
1-Corinthians 15:1-23
Scriptures
referenced, not quoted:
·
Leviticus 23
·
John 17
·
Acts 2
·
Hebrews 12
·
Revelation 14
·
Psalm 16
·
Ephesians 3
Also referenced:
Sermon: The Seven
Church Harvest and What God is Doing
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