PENTECOST – 1996

Fred Coulter – May 26, 1996 

Let’s go to Leviticus 23 and continue on where we left off yesterday.  Now let’s examine this just a little bit more because we’re also going to answer a question here.  Let’s come to Leviticus 23:14.  It says, and I’m reading again from the Schocken Bible.  If you don’t have one, let me just hold it up so you can take a look and see what it looks like.  I think you’ll find that this is a very good and highly readable translation, and very accurate because it’s more literal than any of the other translations that I have seen.  And so let’s pick it up here in verse 14.

Now it says, “Now bread or parched-grain or groats, you are not to eat, until that same day [that is you go into the land and wave the wave sheaf offering], until you have brought the near-offering of your God…” (Lev. 23:14, Schocken).  Now let’s understand something.  The wave sheaf offering was cut before the wave sheaf offering day.  The wave sheaves that different people would bring in was cut before the wave sheaf offering day.  And then they would bring it.  And so someone asked, “Well, how can they cut it on the holy day?”  Well they don’t.  They wave it and then they use the grain, and they may have harvested some other things too, some more than just for the firstfruit, but then after the waving of the firstfruit they are able to eat the new grain.

And the question that came up was concerning Joshua 5, now how are they able on the holy day, to go out and harvest the grain.  Well they didn’t.  They harvested it before time.  It didn’t say not to harvest it before time but you’re to bring the premier sheaf of your harvest.  Now it would have to be harvested before time, without a doubt.  So the main thing is here, that you are not to eat parched grain or groats or new or old, when they went in to the land of crossing over the river Jordan, until the same day that they entered the land.

Now then we went through the counting and how it’s supposed to be.  Let’s drop down here to verse 15.  “Now you are to number for yourselves, from the morrow of the Sabbath [which is the regular Sabbath during the days of Unleavened Bread], from the day that you bring the elevated sheaf, seven Sabbaths-of-days, whole (weeks) are they to be; until the morrow of the seventh Sabbath you are to number—fifty days [we went through great detail how to understand that], then you are to bring-near a grain-gift of new-crops to [the LORD] YHWH” (vs. 15-16).

Now here’s what it was to be, verse 17, “From your [habitations, as it says in the King James, or] settlements you are to bring bread as an elevation-offering, two (loaves of) two tenth-measures of flour are they to be, leavened you are to bake them, as firstfruits to [the LORD] YHWH.”  Now this pictures us being the firstfruits.  Now notice there was a continuous harvest, and they were allowed to eat beginning from the day that the wave sheaf offering was waved, until they came clear down to the end of the harvest on the 50^th day, and then they were to take the grain and they were to make two loaves with leaven.  Now every other meal offering that God commanded to be offered were offered unleavened.

Now there’s a special reason why these are leavened.  That pictures those of us who are the firstfruits of the harvest of God in two major categories.  Number one: those who are going to be in the kingdom of God who were under the covenant beginning, actually with Able, and then on down to Noah and Abraham, and then Isaac and Jacob, and those kings and prophets that were those who qualified, or received the Spirit of God so they could be in the first resurrection.  Such as David and Jehosophat, and Hezekiah and different ones like that.  And I’m sure that all the prophets will be in the first resurrection too.  Now then, the reason that I believe that is so, and I think that holds out quite substantially, the reason that they put the leaven in there is because leaven is a type of sin.  And sin is always in our members, and they are going to be in our members until we die or resurrected or changed, whichever comes first.  And so this shows an acceptance of God the way that we are but with His Spirit.

Now let’s go to Hebrews 11 for just a minute and we will see that that tells us that they are going to be in the first resurrection with us.  Let’s go to the New Testament, Hebrews 11, and this is where it’s talking about all of those who went through the different trials and scourgings and everything that they went through.  Hebrews 11:39, “And these all, having obtained a good report through faith…”  Because it is by faith you are saved, through grace.  And they received the grace of God, and they had faith.  They “…received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect” (Heb. 11:39-40, KJV).  And so that’s why there are those two loaves, and that’s why they are there made with leaven.  Because remember as we learned during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, that even though we have the law of sin and death within us, this is not a condemnation to us, because God understands that.  That’s why we have His grace to cover our lives.  And as Paul said, it doesn’t give us an excuse to go out and sin, it doesn’t give us reason to go out and do away with the laws of God.  You cannot have grace without the laws of God and you cannot have the laws of God without grace, and so both of them go hand in hand.

Now let’s understand something else.  When you take grain and you thrash it, and then you gather together and you clean it and you winnow it, and you bring it in to make flour to grind it.  Now what happens when you grind the flour?  You completely change the grain, don’t you?  You change it from a kernel into flour.  Now then what do you do?  You take and add the ingredients to it.  You put in the oil and you put in the sweetening, if you want it sweet, which you should have a little bit in there.  And then you put in the salt, and then you put in the leavening, and then what happens?  You bake it.  Now when it’s baked, the grain has permanently been reformed, hasn’t it?  Now it’s the same way that God wants with us.  Grinding flour is like the trials and difficulties that we go through, and sometimes you may even feel like ground up flour.  And then adding the ingredients into it, the flour, the water or the milk, and all of those things, you can go add the sweetening and so forth.  You can actually make a case that this is a type of our lives that we go through in preparation for acceptance by God.  And also all of these trials are to add to us character.  And that character is to become permanent.  Just like when you make a loaf of bread, you put all the ingredients together, you mix them all up, and you knead it, and you form it, and you mold it, and you put it in the pan, and you bake it in the fire.  And baking it’s kind of like the fiery trial, isn’t it?  Yes it is.  So when the loaf is done you have something brand new.  Now that’s exactly what it’s going to be with us, we’re going to be something brand new.  Something that has never been done before.

Now, let’s come over here to Hebrews 12:18.  Now we’re going to draw a comparison between coming to the mountain on the day of Pentecost when the laws and commandments of God were given, as Paul draws that analogy here showing in verse 18.  “For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest [as it was there at Mt. Sinai when God descended on the top of the mountain], and the sound of the trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: And so terrible was the sight…” So it was an awesome event, the giving of the Ten Commandments and God coming down on top of Mt. Sinai.  What a tremendous thing this was.  “…that Moses said, I exceedingly fear an quake:)”  I guess so.  “But ye [that is “we”, brethren] are come unto mount Sion [that is mount Sion in heaven above, not the one on earth], and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn…”

Now Christ was the firstborn of God the Father.  We are going to be the firstborn from the rest of the human family that God is bringing into His Kingdom.  So that’s why we are called the church of the general assembly of the firstborn.  “…Which are written in heaven…” Our names are written in the book of life in heaven.  Jesus has His reward, which He is going to bring with Him, and I think that is very important for us to understand when we understand all the events that are going to take place on this day of Pentecost.  “…And to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant…” And that new covenant is a spiritual and everlasting covenant.  “…And to the blood of sprinkling…”  The very blood of Jesus Christ that opens the way for us into the holy of holies.  “…That speaketh better things than that of Abel.  See that ye refuse not him that speaketh” (Heb. 12:18-25).  Now we have covered, as we did very recently, how that anyone who is going to do any speaking, anyone who is going to hear anything that God has to say had better listen and do because God is going to require it.

Now what is a way to refuse him that speaks?  Well, first of all we have all the word of God.  And what a wonderful blessing it is indeed that we have it brethren.  And so we need to be very diligent to be about studying and knowing as much of the word of God as we can, without a doubt.  And that’s what we’re trying to do.  Every word here was spoken by God or inspired by God.  Now when you read the prophets what do you see all the time?  “And the word of the LORD came to me saying, Speak to the children of Israel and say, Thus says the LORD of hosts.”  Exactly the same thing that happened with Moses, correct?  God came to Moses and said, “Moses, I want you to tell the children of Israel thus and such.”  Now if we refuse him who speaks, what we are doing, we are refusing to listen.  We are refusing to hearken.  And that is done most particularly by those who say, “Well, you don’t need to keep the Commandments of God.”  That is refusing him who speaks.  “For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth [that is Moses], much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from Him that speaketh from heaven: Whose voice then shook the earth: but now He hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.  And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain” (vs. 25-27).  Now that’s why God is going to almost literally destroy the whole face of the earth.  Completely redo it to show that spiritual things cannot be measured by physical things.  That which really endures is the Spirit of God and the love, and the hope, and the faith that God gives us.  Now that can’t be shaken.  That’s what he’s talking about here.  We don’t want that shaken.  Brethren don’t let any, anything or person or idea or whatever it may be shake you or remove you from Christ.  Remember the warning that Jesus gave.  “Let no man take your crown.”  Remember that.

Now let’s come to verse 28 of Hebrews 12.  “Wherefore we [are] receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved [because it’s coming down from heaven above from God the Father], let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.”  And that’s what this day is all about, how we can understand and realize the tremendous plan that God has for us and to serve Him, and to love Him, and do so with godly fear.  Now verse 28, “For our God is a consuming fire.”  Now you think about that.  You don’t want to appear before God in the flesh.  You want to appear before God as a Spirit Being so that you will see Him face to face.  You will see Him as He is because you will be like Him.

Now let’s come over here to Acts 2, which pictures the very first Pentecost for the Church.  Now we covered a little bit of that when we were going over how to count to Pentecost, and showing that chapter 2, and verse 1 really means that when the 50^th day, or namely when the day, the 50^th day was being fulfilled, and that is during the accomplishing of these things.  Many things took place.  Now we know exactly what took place.  Now I’ve got them broken down in this way seeing that Pentecost fulfilled many different things for us.  Now you can go back and you can say, ok, on the first Pentecost they received the Ten Commandments.  Well, on the second Pentecost they received the Holy Spirit for the power of preaching and also 10 events took place.  Now these are not the Ten Commandments but these are 10 fulfillments of things that took place during the fulfilling or the accomplishing, or the completing of the day of Pentecost.

Now let’s read those, because they were all there in one place.  And then what happened?  The sound of a mighty rushing wind filled the house where they were all gathered together.  And we find in verse 2.  Then the second thing that happened was, there appeared as cloven tongues right upon their heads, of fire, which sat upon each one of them.  Number three, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, verse 4.  Let’s read that.  “And they were all filled with the Holy [Spirit] Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”  So this is a factor of a double miracle, that not only did they speak in other tongues or languages, which they did not know before, but also those who were hearing understood them but while the ones who were speaking were speaking, they were speaking in their tongue of their mind, otherwise they wouldn’t have understood what they were saying.  But it was coming out of their mouth as another language.  And it reached out to all of those Jews who were there to keep the day of Pentecost.

Now let’s go back and reflect just a minute as to why this was a special Pentecost,  in addition to the giving of the Holy Spirit.  Remember the week of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Passover, Jesus was crucified and died on the Passover day.  He was put in the tomb and was there three days and three nights.  He was resurrected at the end of the Sabbath.  He was seen of Mary Magdalene and the others on the first day of the week, He ascended into heaven and came back an appeared to the disciples.  Now, all the events that took place with the crucifixion – the darkness, the earthquake, the saints that were resurrected after Jesus was resurrected and went into the city and appeared to many.  And don’t you think that this was noised abroad?  Don’t you think that this went out to all of the Jewish community and the Israelite community, wherever they were between that time and the day of Pentecost?  And I just imagine there were a lot of them who came and said, “Boy, let’s go to Jerusalem, find out what’s going to happen this Pentecost.  Is something going to happen?  Let’s go up there and check out and make sure that this man was really resurrected, that the body was not taken someplace.”  You know what they’re doing today?  They’re actually saying, “Well, Jesus was not resurrected but dogs ate His body.”  That’s why Jesus said, when He comes to the earth will the Son of man find the faith.

Now let’s continue on.  So they were filled with the Holy Spirit, number 4 they began to speak in other tongues, meaning other languages.  Because it says right here in verse 8, “And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?”  Then it lists all the countries, every one of them with a different language.  And they said, verse 12, “…What meaneth this?”  Well, we’ll find out the meaning.

Number 5, when the multitude of devout Jews who gathered in Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost heard of this they rushed to see what was going on.  They were amazed and confounded each one of them, because they heard the apostles speaking in a language in which they were born.

And number 6, the multitude said, “What could this mean?”  And then other said, “Well there drunk.”  But it couldn’t have been because it was the third hour of the morning, or about 9 o’clock.

And Peter stood up at that time, that’s the 7^th thing that happened, and preached a very powerful sermon.  Now let’s look at some of the things concerning this.  So Peter, verse 14, “…standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words…”  Isn’t that interesting.  On the Pentecost when the Ten Commandments were given God said, “Hear My voice.”  On the Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was given Peter stood up and said, “Hear my voice, listen to my words.”  “For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.  But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel…” (Acts 2:14-16).

Now why bring this in?  The prophet Joel?  Well we need to understand, also on this day of Pentecost the trumpet was blown.  And I think being the third hour what we actually had was this: we had the morning offering as the daybreak began, and then that was being consumed.  We had other offerings, which were about to be offered, thank offerings, peace offerings.  We also had the two loaves, which everyone was bringing in to present to be waved.  We also have concerning this that the trumpet was blown.  The ceremonial trumpet, because it’s blown on every single holy day.

So Peter said, quoting Joel, “And it shall come to pass in the last days…”  Now I want to focus on this “the last days” because this is important.  As we will see a little later on, the term “the day of the Lord” has a narrow meaning and a broad meaning.  “The day of the Lord” includes all of the last 3 ½ years, and it also includes the Day of the Lord when He brings the seven last plagues.  It also includes the Day of the Lord from the opening of the sixth seal on to the return of Jesus Christ, including the resurrection.  So sometimes it is a broad term, and sometimes it is a narrow term.  Here it is, it’s used in a broader term “the last days”.

“…saith God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams” (vs. 17).  I think that is going to happen right when the 144,000 then are sealed.  This is a special work that God is going to do.  He did it here with all the disciples didn’t He, on that day?  One hundred twenty were sealed with the Holy Spirit.  And then we had, as we will see, the very last thing that happened that day was that 3,000 were baptized and added to the Church.

And continuing on he says, “And on My servants and on My handmaidens I will pour out in those days of My Spirit; and they shall prophesy: and I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke…” (vs. 18-19).  Now did that happen on this Pentecost that we’re reading of here in Acts 2?  No, it didn’t.  So not only is this being in prophecy that he’s talking about of the last days, but what it is also doing, it’s another projected prophecy showing that these things are going to take place on the day of Pentecost in the last days in the future before Christ returns.

“The sun shall be burned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come” (vs. 20).  Now notice we have last days, the great an notable day of the Lord.  So we have a definition even right here.  “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.  Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by Him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know.”  It’s like the apostle Paul said, this was not done in a corner.  They knew.  And then he said, you know He was delivered to Pilate, and so forth.  All the way through he began telling about it.  He referred it then back to David, because Jesus was of the seed of David.

And he said, “Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day” (vs. 29).  So we know that this was not referring to David.  They knew, they understood the prophecies up to that point.  But, verse 30, “Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, He would raise up Christ to sit on His throne: he seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that His soul was not left in hell, neither His flesh did see corruption” (vs. 29-31).  And all of these go right back to the prophecies to fulfill the scripture.

“This Jesus hath God raised up…” And I imagine he could speak that with power because he saw Him, he felt Him, he talked to Him, he ate with Him, he fished with Him.  And Jesus told him the very last there in John 21 about loving Him and feeding the sheep, so he knew.  Therefore, he says, “This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.  Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy [Spirit] Ghost, He hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.  For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, sit Thou on My right hand, until I make Thy foes Thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, Whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ”  (vs. 32-36).  And when he said those words they knew what he was talking about.  There was not a single doubt whatsoever.

“Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart…”  They were led to repentance.  The graciousness of God moved in their lives of the power of the Holy Spirit there over the whole area were they were preaching, and they were moved to repentance.  Deep in their heart, pricked to their hearts, that’s what it means.  “…And said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?”  Yes when you understand that you’re sins personally had their part in killing Jesus Christ, because He died for your sins and my sins, and the sins of the whole world, then that needs to really prick your heart and get deep within your very being.  And that is called repentance, which is not to be repented of.  “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (vs. 37).

“Then Peter said unto them…”, and then this was the ninth thing that was to be done after they…the eighth thing was after they heard the sermon they said, “What should we do”…the ninth thing was then, verse 38, Peter said to them, a verse you all ought to have memorized, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy [Spirit] Ghost.  For the promise is unto you…” Because the promise is what first to who?  The Jews.  And at this time they didn’t even know that they were going to go to the Gentiles.  They didn’t understand that until Acts 10, which is down about 10 – 12 years down the road.  “…Unto you and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.  And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward [or this wicked] generation” (vs .38-40).

Now the 10^th thing that happened was, “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day…”  Now I want you to tie the phrase in: and the same day.  I want you to go back and tie that in with verse 1, “And when the day [namely the 50^th day, or the Day of Pentecost was [being fulfilled]…”,  then all of those things took place.  The last thing being the baptism on that day.   “…the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls” (vs. 41).  So that was quite a harvest for that day, wasn’t it?

Now let’s look and see why the firstfruits, why what we are doing now is likened unto a harvest.  Let’s go to Matthew 13 where it talks about seven parables altogether.  And I think it’s interesting that there are seven parables, because we will see the number seven ties in very clearly with the Feast of Firstfruits or the Day of Pentecost.  We have, you just count the things that there are number 7, and there is also a 7 plus 1, which is added into this all the way along.  First of all we have the Passover, which is 1, then plus 7, which then equals 8.  Next we have 7 weeks, 7 Sabbaths unto the morrow after the 7^th Sabbath, so again we have a number 8 being the 50^th day or Pentecost.  Number 7 is complete, number 8 is a new beginning.  And so Pentecost really is picturing a new beginning.  So we’ll see that as we go along.

Now we’re not going to go through every one of these parables, but here there are seven different parables, each of them showing a different aspect of the Kingdom of God.  Now let’s come to verse 18 where it is the parable of the sower.  And let’s understand that as we read this we can see this happening in the world and the church today.

“Here ye therefore the parable of the sower.  When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart.”  Now we’ve seen that happen with some people, haven’t we?  Yes, they have lost the word of God, they have lost the truth, they have gone after Satan the devil.  “This is he which received seed by the way side.  But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it…” Oh they get all excited, “Ou, this is wonderful.”  “Yet hath he not root in himself, but [endures] for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word…” (Matt. 13:18-21).  Now Peter said if we’re corrected for our own mistakes, that’s one thing.  Don’t say you’ve done anything great with that, you’re just being corrected for what you did that was wrong, yourself.  But if you are persecuted for righteousness sake because of the word, he said count it all joy.  But not everyone does that.  Some of them count it as an offense and by and by they are offended.  They get madder and mad and bitter and go their way.

Now verse 22, “He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.”  You go back and you read concerning the seven churches and the one that this fits the most is Laodiceans.  Cares of this world, deceitfulness of riches.  Now let’s just summarize it very carefully here.  Physical blessings are no measure of spiritual attainment.  They just are not.  Spiritual attainment is measured by God.  Spiritual attainment is something that God Himself knows that is growing in grace in knowledge, and growing in the fruits of the Spirit of love, and joy, and peace, and faith, and longsuffering, and temperance, and goodness, and meekness against such there is no law.  So you see that’s how you measure.  You don’t look at your home and say, “Well, God blessed me with a home.”  Maybe He did but does that mean you’re righteous.  Don’t look at the money you may have and say, “Well, God has blessed me with all of this money therefore I’m righteous.”  Don’t trust in it because it’s the deceitful of riches.

Now verse 23, “but he that received seed into the good ground…” Now that’s where God wants it to be.  The good ground then is, “…he that heareth the word [to obey it], and understandeth it [God wants us to understand it], which [is] also beareth fruit and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”  And that’s what God wants us to do so that it all can be harvested on the day of Pentecost.

Now let’s come down here and let’s just look at the explanation of one other parable.  This is the parable of the wheat and the tares.  Now we’ve also experienced this also haven’t we?  To where within the Church there have come in the tares.  And at first you can’t tell the difference because a tare looks just like the wheat.  But when the wheat starts bringing forth fruit then you can tell the difference between the wheat and the tare because the tare doesn’t bring forth any fruit.

So Jesus said in explaining this to hear the parable of the tares.  “He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one…” Satan has his own children.  The ones that follow him, that worship him, that do his will, that do his bidding.  Therefore, it continues on, “…the enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world…” Now are we getting ready for the harvest?  Is that why all the upheaval within the Churches of God?  Could very well be.  “…And the reapers are the angels.  As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.  The Son of man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity [or lawlessness, reject the laws of God]; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (vs. 37-42).  So we see that the harvest comes right down to the time in when the harvest is made then there’s a separation of the wicked from the righteous.  And we’re going to see that’s exactly what will take place on the Feast of Pentecost.

Now let’s come to James 1 because we find in James 1 that we are called the firstfruits of His creation, as it should read.  James 1:17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with Whom is no variable ness, neither shadow of turning.  Of His own will…”  Now this is quite a verse of God the Father’s own will.  “…Begat…” Now we’re begotten again.  We’re not born again until the resurrection.  No one is born again now.  That is a misnomer, a complete false doctrine, it is not true.  They can twist and turn the words all they want but the scriptures clearly show that we are not born again until the resurrection.  Jesus was raised from the dead to be the first born, prototokos of those that are Christ’s.  Firstborn among many brethren.  “Of His own will begat He us with the word of truth…” By God’s Spirit, which of truth?  By the word of truth.  By Christ Who is the word and God’s own seed in us.  “…That we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.”  Now that really means of His creation.  We are the firstfruits of His creation.  And that’s why the Feast of Pentecost pictures the first resurrection.  Now we’re going to see this.

Let’s turn over to Revelation 2, please.  And we’re not going to go through each one, but what I want us to do is I want us to understand the flow of events as they come along.  In the first chapter, Revelation 1, let’s go there first before Revelation 2 and 3.  But let’s read this beginning in verse 18.  Here’s what Jesus said.  He said, “I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.  Write the things which thou hast seen [that is everything leading up to this point in chapter 1], and the things which are [beginning now], and the things which shall be hereafter…”  John was instructed to write.  So we find that there is a sequence of events and a time setting of things as they come along.  And it begins with the mystery of the secret, “…of the seven stars which thou sawest in My right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks.  The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches…” Now we have seven weeks to harvest, don’t we?  We have seven churches, do we not?  Yes we do.  So there is the sequence that we have.  Seven churches.  “…And the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches” (Rev 1:18-20).

Then He lists out the seven churches and these are in fact everything that has been said, which means that:

#1 – Seven literal churches at the time that John wrote.

#2 – Seven churches down through history as God views His Church.  Not as we view the Church.

Many people have tried to claim to be Philadelphians.  Hardly any have accepted the fact they may be Laodicean.  I have no one yet to claim that they are Thyatiran.  I have no one to say yet that they brag that they’re Pergamos, or anyone dare say that they’re Smyrna, because Smyrna, they were poor, suffered tribulation, throne in jail and killed.  Now we have some which would dare say that they have the spirit and attitude of the Ephesians.  However all of these things also show all the major doctrinal problems which shall assault the church.  All of the physical circumstances that we are going to go through as Christians, all of the spiritual problems that we will go through, and also is meant to inspire us to understand that in spite of all the difficulties that are done, Christ wants us to make it to the end for the resurrection and to be in the Kingdom of God.  He wants us to do that brethren.  And let’s really understand that.  That’s why it’s very important.

Now if you have the tapes, “The Assaults Against The Church”, there are four of them which we did.  You go back and re-listen to them again and I’m sure you will be amazed what you will find that we covered there.

Now also there’s one other thing that we need to understand.  In the book of Revelation we have this pattern.  We have the seven seals out of which come the seven trumpet plagues out of which come the seven last plagues.  So do we have the same pattern here?  Seven churches which were seven churches through history and at the end seven churches all together as God views His Churches.

Now let’s continue on right here in Revelation 2 and three.  And as you read this you will find that it flows in a time sequence.  That which you have now seen, that which shall be hereafter.  And that’s what we’re dealing with.  And let’s understand something, the reasons why that these are prophecies of the history of the Church, two simple reasons:

#1 – God also gave the history of Israel in all the nations of the world and then what He did, He gave a summary of that in the book of Daniel.  Now do you think that since the Church is the most important thing to God on the earth that He’s going to do any less with the Church?  That’s why the book of Revelation starts out this way.  To show us that yes, God is going to do what He’s going to do with the Church, and so He records this here.

Now let’s come to Revelation 5 for just a minute and let’s see something that I think that is very important, which shows us that this is undoubtedly true.  We’ll go back and pick up some in Revelation 4 here in just a minute.  Revelation 5:6, “And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four [living creatures] beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns…” Now what is a horn?  Now it’s in its head.  “…having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.”  Now why seven horns?  Normally a lamb would have two horns.  So we know that this Lamb is Jesus Christ.  And we know then that the seven horns… let’s ask the question… what do these mean?

Well we know the seven spirits are the seven angels to the seven churches, but what are the seven horns?  Seven horns…let’s look at it this way, let’s start by asking a question.  What is a horn in the book of Daniel?  Each one of the horns represents a king or a kingdom, does it not?  Yes.  Why then do we have seven horns on the head of the Lamb, if it is not to show us that the successive epics of the Church of God?  Now some people have gotten all carried away with eras and saying, “We are this era and we are that era, and we are the other era.”  Well no one really knows for sure, and no one has really been right in any of these prophecies.  But however this does tell us and give us the, I think, the Biblical interpretation that those seven churches do represent the Churches of God down through history.

Now let’s come over here to chapter 3 and let’s see how it ends, and let’s see what Jesus is saying.  Now let’s come here to Revelation 3:20, “Behold I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.  To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne.”