September 18, 2009 is highlighted not because it marks the certainty of divine intervention, but because it marks the appearance of the seventh new moon on the Hebrew calendar. This day shall be God’s New Year’s Day.
This is the day God told Moses to celebrate with the sound trumpets, for this day is the Feast of Trumpets. It is this day that “the last trumpet” sounds; it is this day that the apostle Paul referred to when he spoke of “the last trumpet,” and the gathering of the church into Heaven.
Every year, we as the church look to God’s New Year’s Day with great anticipation—for it is the time of our future salvation. (For an expanded presentation on the subject, click on “Prophecy: The Seven Holy Days” on the right bar of this homepage.)
Why is it that we as the church look to the Mosaic Law?
Christ’s prophecy:
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. (Matt. 5:17, 18)
The Law can only be fulfilled—never contradicted. This applies to the first and second coming of Christ.
In the first coming, Christ fulfilled the first four holy days: he was crucified on the Feast of Passover—which was the fourteenth day of the Hebrew month called Nisan; he was in the burial tomb on the Feast of Unleavened Bread—which was the fifteenth day of Nisan; he was resurrected from the dead on the Feast of Firstfruits—which was the eighteenth day of Nisan. Finally, Christ sent the Holy Spirit to his disciples on the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost)—which was fifty days after the Resurrection. These events occurred as appointed by God, prophesied in the Old Testament Law
The apostle Paul fully revealed these prophetic holy days his first letter to the Corinthians.
PAUL'S FIRST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS
If the princes of this world had understood what God revealed to us, "they would not have crucified the Lord of glory."
But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. (1 Cor. 2:7, 8)
What hidden "wisdom of God" is Paul talking about?
What did God ordain "before the world unto our glory"?
What exactly did God reveal in this letter to the church?
What is the hidden wisdom (revealed in Corinthians) that Satan failed to grasp?
1 CORINTHIANS: GOD'S HIDDEN WISDOM REVEALED TO THE CHURCH: FIVE HOLYS DAYS
PASSOVER
Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us. (1 Cor. 5:7)
THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD
For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. (1 Cor. 11:26)
THE FEAST OF FIRSTFRUITS
But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.The firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (1 Cor. 15:20-23)
THE FEAST OF WEEKS (PENTECOST)
For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. (1 Cor. 12:13)
I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying. (1 Cor. 14:5)
In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord. (1 Cor. 14:21)
THE FEAST OF TRUMPETS
Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. (1 Cor. 15:51-53)
The five holy days revealed by Paul speak of our rescue from Satan: they speak of an internal transformation and external transformation in this life, and a complete transformation in the next life. If the princes of this world had known all of this, "they would not have crucified the Lord of glory."
Ironically, Satan deceived himself. The fallen angel believed that he would blot out the light sent by Heaven by killing Jesus. In reality, the fallen angel participated in giving mankind the ultimate sacrifice for sin—the children of darkness slew God’s Lamb: “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Cor. 5:7).
This knowledge was hidden from Satan in Old Testament times, but fully revealed by our God in New Testament times.
What does this mean to you and me?
PETER'S RESURRECTION STORY: OUR STORY: THE POWER DELIVERED ON THE FEAST OF WEEKS
Didn't Peter walk in the Holy Land with the Messiah?
Didn't Peter see the transformation of the Christ?
Wasn't that enough for Peter?
What happened after the Crucifixion?
Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. (John 20:19)
Peter was filled with fear.
What was the first thing the risen Christ said to his disciples?
"Peace be unto you."
Later, Christ promised power.
And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. (Acts 1:4, 5)
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (Acts 1:8)
With his Resurrection, Christ fulfilled the first three holy days. And now, the fourth holy day was about to be fulfilled.
And when the day of Pentecost [the Feast of Weeks] was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:1-4)
What did Peter do after he was baptized with the Holy Spirit?
He spoke in tongues.
What did Peter do after he spoke in divine languages?
Peter boldly quoted Joel (Acts 2:14-21).
Where's the fear Peter had after the Crucifixion?
What changed Peter? Power. It's what separates Christianity from every other religion on the planet: power from the Holy Spirit. Peter was no longer filled with fear but was filled with the Holy Spirit. It's "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col. 1:27).
On the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), Peter became a living example of it means to cross the divine threshold. In a moment of time, Christ was the Peter's Passover Lamb (that cleanses sin); Christ was Peter's Bread of Life (divine revelation to transform the mind); Christ was Peter's firstfruits from the dead (rescued from the power of death), Christ was Peter's baptizer on Weeks (baptizing Peter with the Holy Spirit, empowering him to fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy), and Christ was Peter's future salvation (by the eternal spiritual seed (within) that would ultimately give birth to an eternal body).
Peter became a living example of what it means to witness prophecy personally fulfilled. The results speak for themselves. Peter crossed an mistakable divine threshold, witnessing an internal and external transformation. Peter knew the fulfillment of this prophecy:
And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh. (Joel 2:28) For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (2 Tim. 1:7)
...and he knew this prophecy:
For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing. (Isa. 28:11, 12)
If Christ is our Lord, then God is speaking to us. This is how Paul introduced his letter to the Corinthians:
Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours. (1 Cor. 1:1, 2)
God bless.
Dr. William Ayles
williamayles@thetimeline.org
