As Mary Magdalene, Mary and Salome approached the tomb on the morning after the Jewish sabbath to apply burial ointments to the body of Christ, they would have seen in the distance smoke coming out of the Jerusalem Temple.  What was that about and what does it have to do with the Church?

According to the Bible, Jesus died on the Cross at 3pm on Passover and after arrangements were made His body was buried hurriedly at sundown with the approach of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  This would have been Thursday evening on our calendar. Because Unleavened Bread is considered an “obligatory” sabbath that was followed by the regular sabbath, the women were unable to apply burial ointments for two days until the morning after the sabbath, which was not only Sunday morning, but also the day of the Feast of Firstfruits.

Instead, what they found was an empty tomb and an enormous covering stone rolled to the side.  The Feast of Firstfruits focuses on the first agricultural harvest but its theme is that of resurrection and new life.  Just as Jesus likened Himself to a “kernel of wheat” that had to be buried to produce a yield, likewise He was resurrected on the Feast of Firstfruits and is our “Firstfruits” of the Resurrection. (1^st Corinthians 15:20) 

Paul also reminds us that these holy days and feast dates are “a foreshadowing of events to come” (Colossians 2:16-17).  Not only are the feast dates predictive, but they are fulfilled on the date they are observed.  So what other Biblical events have occurred on the Feast of Firstfruits?

• Noah’s Ark rested on Mount Ararat after the Flood. “And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.” (Genesis 8:4) Almost all of the ancient nations began their year in the fall, but after the Exodus from Egypt God instructed Moses to rotate the calendar forward by 6 months so that the 7^th month (Nisan) would become the 1^st month of the year. (Exodus 12:1-2) The Feast of Firstfruits is celebrated on the 17^th of Nisan.  After floating for a year, Noah and his family must have wondered if they would ever see land again.  We can only imagine how they must have celebrated a new beginning of life on this day after the flood waters receded.
• Israel’s Miraculous crosses over the Red Sea. During the Exodus, the Hebrews first camped at Succoth and then Etham before arriving on the edge of the Wilderness and the Red Sea with rising dust of the Egyptian chariots visible behind them.  There was a murmuring of complaints to Moses and he then turned to the only sure help that exists for any of us.  “And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more for ever.  The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” (Exodus 14:13-14) Then, before their eyes, God parted the waters of the Red Sea and the multitude of Israelites crossed over into a new life as a resurrected nation on the Feast of Firstfruits, the 17^th of Nisan.
• Israel Eats the Firstfruits of the Promised Land. Throughout the 40 years that Israel wandered in the Wilderness, God provided supernatural food—manna—to feed the growing nation.  “The children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho.  And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the Passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day.  And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year. (Joshua 5:10-12).  After crossing the Jordan River they ate the Passover Supper on the 14^th of Nisan and the next day, the day after the Passover, they ate of the old corn of the land.  The next day, the 16^th of Nisan was the last day that God provided supernatural manna.  The day following was the 17^th day of Nisan or Feast of Firstfruits, and with no more manna available, the people began to eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan in that year, the firstfruits of the Land.
• By far the most important event that took place on this Feast date is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus celebrated this feast by conquering death Himself, then by offering the firstfruits to all future resurrections when “the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.” (Matthew 27:52-53) There are several early church fathers whose accounts of these Old Testament saints being resurrected give more vivid color to this remarkable event. As Jesus presented Himself as the “Firstfruits” of the Resurrection, Matthew’s account emphasizes even further evidence in that “many bodies of the (Old Testament) saints which slept..went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.”

The Feast of Firstfruits is far more than just an annual holiday, it was also part of a “dress rehearsal” as was discussed last week regarding the meaning behind “holy convocations.”  The Feasts of the Lord reveal pictures of God’s redemptive plan.

“Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:  And he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.  And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the Lord. (Leviticus 23:10-12)

As an agricultural feast this feast corresponds with the harvest of barley in the land of Israel. Barley was the first crop reaped from the winter sowing. The priests of the Temple would harvest the first sheaf and bring it into the Temple as an offering before the Lord; the nation was thanking the Lord in advance for the coming harvest.

When the three women were approaching the tomb they could have seen smoke coming from the Temple.  Why?  For on this morning the High Priest would wave a sheaf of barley before the Lord equivalent to five pints (an “omer” in Hebrew) mixed with olive oil and frankincense that was burned on the sacrificial altar.  What did the sheaf represent?  It was a symbol of the coming summer or main harvest.  In effect, the sheaf represents the firstfruits of a promised harvest just as the resurrection of Jesus Christ as our “Firstfruits” represents the promise of our resurrection.  Unbeknownst to the High Priest and the three women approaching the empty tomb, the sheaf he was waving was a symbol of the risen Christ and the promised Resurrection.

This also marked the first day of a 50-day countdown known as the “counting of the Omer” whereby each day an additional sheaf (omer) of barley was waved by the high priest before the Lord….and which would culminate in yet another feast that holds great meaning and symbolism.  Behind the details of the Bible, God often communicates through remarkable designs and patterns.

Sources:  Dr. Thomas Ice, Grant Jeffrey, Dr. Chuck Missler, Dr. Andy Woods, Jack Langford

Many Christians today have a basic understanding of the parallels between the Passover lamb of Exodus and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.  But most have virtually no understanding of the details surrounding His burial or its significance.  Was He actually buried on “Good Friday?”

When God declared the laws for His people, He established several appointed “feasts of the Lord” for Israel to observe at specific times of the year (Leviticus 23) and they were to be observed continuously throughout their generations.  These feasts were: Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles.

But these feasts were not just intended for temporary observance within each year.  It was far more than that.

“These are the feasts of the Lord, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.” (Leviticus 23:4 KJV)  In this passage, the word “feasts” is the Hebrew word “miqraw” which means a “calling together, or a rehearsal.”  And “convocation” is “mow’ed” which translates as “an appointed time or place, an appointed sign or signal.”  It implies preparation for the future or a future event.

In Colossians 2:16-17, Paul writes that these holy days are a “foreshadowing of events to come.”

In the Hermeneutics of Biblical prophecy there is the Greek or Western model that translates prophecy in this manner:

Prophecy = Prediction > Fulfillment

But in the Hebrew model of prophetic understanding it is translated in this manner:

Prophecy = Pattern

Jewish scholars saw that God often communicates without words, instead using patterns.

It is well known to Christians that Jesus Christ perfectly fulfilled all of the spring feasts of the Lord at His First Advent and it is anticipated that He will likewise fulfill the fall feasts at His Second Coming.  It is baffling for us that our Jewish friends cannot see how Christ fulfills so many Biblical patterns.

In the week that led to His crucifixion, Jesus perfectly punctuated the prophetic and ceremonial meaning of these feast dates.  His triumphal entry into Jerusalem perfectly fulfilled to the exact day Daniel’s prophecy found in Daniel 9:25-26, (and which is recounted in my blog dated January 23, 2019.)  In the Hebrew calendar, Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem was the 10^th of Nisan and it was on this day that each Jewish family would select an unblemished lamb to be their Passover lamb four days later.  Jesus Christ was crucified on the Passover, on the 14^th of Nisan.

To understand the significance of Jesus’ burial it is important to understand that the Jewish calendar is a lunar calendar (unlike our solar or Georgian calendar) and that their day begins at 6pm sundown (instead of our 12:01am) and ends the following day at 6pm.  As an example, our “Thursday” would begin at 6pm on Wednesday evening and end at 6pm on Thursday in the Jewish calendar.

The Bible tells us that Jesus was crucified at 9am on Passover and that darkness covered the land from noon until His death at 3pm.  In each of the four Gospel accounts we are told that Jesus was buried quickly due to the approach of sundown in advance of “Preparation day” or the Feast of Unleavened Bread which is declared in Leviticus 23:6-7, 10-11.

Although the Feast of Unleavened Bread is quite distinct from Passover it occurs at the same time and lasts seven days.  During this time Israel was to eat bread without leaven (leaven symbolized sin) in remembrance of their baking unleavened bread in their haste to escape Egypt during the Exodus.  The Matzoh (unleavened bread) that is eaten reminds Israel of that terrible but hopeful night when they ate the sacrificial lamb and unleavened bread in obedience to God’s command.

Thus, the Matzoh represents or symbolizes bread without sin.

Jesus described Himself, “I am the bread of life.” (John 6:35).  In fact, much of His life and ministry centered around the image of bread.  Even Bethlehem, where He was born, translates as “house of bread.”

On one occasion while talking to His disciples, He said, “The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.  Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit….Now is my soul troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.  Father, glorify thy name.  Then came a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.” (John 12:23-24, 27-28)

Jesus Christ, the kernel of wheat that is the basis for bread, did indeed have to die and be buried on the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  He was buried on that Thursday at sundown as the 15^th day of Nisan began in the Hebrew calendar.  He rose three days later on the Feast of Firstfruits (Sunday) to become the “first fruits” of our resurrection.

Jesus said that there would be “three days and three nights” between the Crucifixion and the Resurrection in Matthew 12:40, which in our calendar would be the nights of Thursday, Friday and Saturday and their following days before His empty tomb was discovered Sunday morning.  If He had been buried on Friday there would have only been two nights but because Friday began at 6pm Thursday night, this is the origin of the “Good Friday” observance.

In the Seder meal at Passover, the Matzoh is also known as the “bread of affliction” with reference to the Exodus.  And to this day the unleavened Matzoh bread is always presented in Jewish homes with stripes and punctures to it, and incredibly the Jews do not comprehend its significance.  There are other reasons always cited but the unleavened Matzoh bread, in fact, represents their promised Messiah who was afflicted and bore stripes:

“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.  He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:4-7)

In the Hebrew, the word for “stripes” is translated as “blow” (“chabburah’-Strongs 2250) and it comes from the same root word as “friend,” and therefore we can also read this as “in His friendship we are healed.”  Yeshua gave up His life for us so that we could become his friends.  As He later told us regarding His sacrifice, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

Maybe you have a friend or know of someone who is seeking God or trying to understand who Jesus Christ is to them.  Maybe you even have a Jewish friend who is seeking quietly.  Please forward this to them to lend further consideration of who Jesus really is, as you accompany them on this part of their spiritual journey.

Happy Resurrection Day!  He is risen indeed!

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In the midst of this ongoing drought in southern Africa we continue to ask for your donations to Sons of Thunder to help in food distributions to those in need, details can be found in last week’s blog posting.  We are grateful for your prayerful generosity.

Three weeks ago I shared with you how Sons of Thunder Farm in Zambia has enjoyed a wonderful harvest of diverse crops this year despite severe drought conditions that have negatively impacted the entire southern region of Africa.  Employing agricultural principles of Farming God’s Way© has proven consistently superior yields in normal conditions but becomes all the more apparent within drought conditions.

Giving praise and gratitude unto the Lord for this wonderful crop we are reminded of His promises:

“Blessed is the man who trust in the Lord.  And whose hope is in the Lord.  For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and it will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will it cease from yielding fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8)

The map insert above weighs heavily on us as it shows the severe impact of drought conditions upon Angola, Zambia, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and South Africa.

For at the same time we celebrate the bounty of God’s blessings, our heart goes out to those who are without and SOT gives generously to those in need.  Once you leave the Farm in any direction you will now see parched land and sickly crops that brings with it what the government indices refer as “food insecurity” or by definition, is the “state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food.”  More than any other continent, it is estimated that 250 million Africans suffer food insecurity annually.  What does that look like?

In Zambia there are many who are now seen drinking sugar flavored water to lessen hunger pains or as a substitute for food.

Two weeks ago, Zambia and Zimbabwe were forced to reduce hydropower output at the shared Kiriba Dam.  The Zambezi River Authority cut the amount of water allocated for power generation from 38 billion cubic meters to 36 billion.  This may seem insignificant, but the impact is huge as this translates to electricity supplies being reduced to 890 megawatts from 1,476 megawatts. Water is currently five meters above the minimum-operating level, it said.

When electricity is dramatically reduced it forces a greater demand for charcoal, which is a wood fuel harvested mainly from miombo and other trees.  Charcoal is used widely for inexpensive cooking and heating.  However, charcoal production in Zambia has caused widespread deforestation and which also diminishes the bee population who rely on these trees for hive making.  Drought conditions only accelerate the denuding of local woodlands.

The main food source in Zambia is nshema (pronounced “shema”) which is a thick porridge made from finely ground corn meal.  Recently there have been outcries in local Zambian districts where the cost for a 5kg or 25kg bag of what is known as “mealie” has doubled in price due to lack of supply and increased demand.  Many cannot afford these prices which makes food ever more scarce.

Earlier this year the Zambian government estimated that maize production may fall by as much as 50% due to the drought.  Maize crops in general account for nearly 65% of the region’s cereal production.  Southern Africa is highly dependent upon season rains which occur between November and March.  A meteorological drought during this season can also impact the next lean season.  This past year, a dry spell in mid-December led to crop wilting, forcing many to replant and will most likely produce a lean and delayed harvest.

During prolonged drought conditions it is not uncommon to see cholera outbreaks due to contaminated water.  There was a brief outbreak of cholera in Zambia last October that was quickly contained, but 110 died after having infected 5,000.  Thus far in 2019 there have been no cases of cholera reported.

Not only do these conditions emphasize to us the necessity of educating many people on Farming God’s Way agricultural techniques but it also promises a long and difficult year in which many will suffer and die due to starvation and malnutrition.  Many people have already come and will continue to come to Sons of Thunder for help, but we are limited in our ability to provide.

We are praying for a miracle of extra food provision through Sons of Thunder.  We are asking you to pray for and consider giving monies that might save a life in Zambia.  We are asking our ministry partners for help and to give extra to enable Sons of Thunder to make large scale purchases of “mealie” bags for distribution to those in need.

“He who is generous will be blessed, for he gives some of his food to the poor.” (Proverbs 22:9)

It is known today as “food insecurity.”  Can you help us bring relief?  We are grateful for you, your prayers and generous support.

In 571 B.C. an ancient prophet of the Bible foretold of a tower that would appear one day on a precise location on Earth.  But, for thousands of years this tower could never have existed in that location.  But, as of 1970 this tower now exists.  It is known as the “tower of Syene.”  Where is Syene and what is its significance?

The prophet Ezekiel was born in 622 B.C. and lived in the southern kingdom of Judah after the northern ten tribes had been taken captive by the Assyrians in 721 B.C.  According to the Bible, he and his wife were exiled by Nebuchadnezzar during the Babylonian Captivity to live on the banks of the Chebar River with other exiles from Judah.  Because he provides more precise dates than any other Old Testament prophet, we can pinpoint with relative accuracy his age and the dates of his prophecies.

In the book of Ezekiel, the prophet references the “tower of Syene” in both chapters 29 and 30 which contain the Lord’s grim judgment of the nation of Egypt. It is important to note that these two chapters contain what is known as “dual purpose” prophecies with both immediate and future fulfillments and which is seen elsewhere in the Bible.  For example, in these chapters you will see specific prophecies that not only name but were fulfilled by Nebuchadnezzar in the 6^th century B.C. and yet other prophecies in the same text that occur just prior to “the day of the Lord.”

Within this prophecy are promises to render Egypt desolate for a 40-year period after a great destruction stretching along the Nile River and asserts that during this time the nation of Egypt will be scattered among the nations.  The prophecy seems to center specifically on Egypt’s lifeline, the Nile River.  Without getting into the rest of the prophecy, this writing will focus on the “tower of Syene.”

“Speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself.” (Ezekiel 29:4 KJV)

Within this passage, it appears that Egypt denies God’s sovereignty and declares itself to be self-sufficient even to the point of having created its own river.  How is this possible?

The Nile River flows a little over 4,000 miles from south to north from Tanzania to the Nile Delta into the Mediterranean Sea.  The Nile is the main source of water for Egypt and they used the great river every day for water, food, transportation and soil for growing food.  For thousands of years the Nile used to flood every year during the inundation season, what the Egyptians called Akhet, between June and September.  It flooded the desert land because of rain and melting snow from the Ethiopian Mountains.  The annual flooding left thick rich mud (black silt) which proved to be perfectly rich soil for the planting of crops.

This all changed in 1970.  As part of a campaign to cultivate alliances with Arab nations, the Soviet Union provided Egypt with Russian engineers, equipment and monies to build the massive Aswan Dam in southern Egypt.  Begun in 1960, this massive Russian hydroelectric plant took 10 years to build and is amazing in scope.  The dam measures 360 feet in height, 10,200 feet (almost two miles) long, and 3,200 feet wide at the base.  Backed up behind it is 300-mile-long Lake Nasser of incalculable gallons of water, and the waters of the Nile pool all the way back into Ethiopia.  Whereas the Nile used to flood annually and provide natural fertilization, now it runs at a constant level necessitating the use of artificial fertilizers, and the fish that once used the annual flood for spawning no longer produce the large numbers they once did.  Using Russian technology and completing the dam, it is now understandable how the nation of Egypt might say, “My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself.”

What is noteworthy about Aswan?  It is remarkable to note that Syene is the old English rendering of an ancient Egyptian city  named “Seveneh.”  Its ruins lie below the present city of Aswan and it was subject to the annual flooding of the Nile.  The origins of the Hebrew word “seveneh” means “opening” or “key.”  It is said to be the ancient designation for the opening to Egypt, as one approaches from the south.  In the Greek Septuagint it was translated “Suhnh.”

“Behold, therefor I am against thee, and against thy rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt utterly waste and desolate, from the TOWER OF SYENE even unto the border of Ethiopia. No foot of man shall pass through it, nor foot of beast shall pass through it, neither shall it be inhabited forty years.  And I will make the land of Egypt desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate, and her cities among the cities that are laid waste shall be desolate forty years: and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries.” (Ezekiel 29:10-12)

As a result, this portion of chapter 29 no longer involves Nebuchadnezzar but is a contemporary prophecy, why?  Because when Ezekiel first wrote this prophecy, there was no “tower of Syene.”   No tower could be erected on this location next to the Nile because it would have easily collapsed into the strong currents of a great and flooding river that occurred annually.  No historical account of any obelisk, tower or large edifice ever existing in Syene can be found. That is, until 1970.

In addition, the next chapter clearly indicates the timing of its latter days fulfillment:

“Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord God; Howl ye, Woe worth the day! For the day is near, even the day of the Lord is near, a cloudy day; it shall be the time of the heathen….Thus saith the Lord; They also that uphold Egypt shall fall; and the pride of her power shall come down; from the TOWER OF SYENE shall they fall in it by the sword, saith the Lord God.”  (Ezekiel 30:2-3, 6)

The Aswan Dam is deemed by most to be virtually indestructible based on its sheer massive size.  The only thing that could possibly destroy it might be a massive earthquake or a nuclear weapon. Today, 95% of Egypt’s population lives downstream along the Nile.

Atop the Aswan Dam on the western corner is the 230-foot-tall Lotus Tower topped by five lotus petals.  This monument was built as a token of Arab-Russian friendship and is known as the “Egyptian-Russian Friendship Monument.” As far as it is historically known and now that the Nile River’s flow is managed, this is the first known tower to ever have been erected in the area of Aswan……or Syene.

Ezekiel provides us precise details about the Gog and Magog invasion of Israel found in chapters 38 & 39.  In Ezekiel 38:2-6 the prophet names the nations who will take part in this last days battle.  It is interesting to note that two of Israel’s traditional foes are both missing: Syria and Egypt.

I submit to you that the “tower of Syene” is now not only a physical marker on the earth, but a prophetic time marker as well.

“Behold, the former things have come to pass, now I declare new things; before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.” (Isaiah 42:9)