In churches today the two most widely celebrated holidays are Christmas and Easter Sunday. Sadly, it has now become routine that many Christians only attend church on those two days. But in the early Church, the two most emphasized holidays were Resurrection Day (Easter) and Pentecost.  Even in Israel today, “Shavuot” (Pentecost) is a major and much celebrated two-day holiday.  What is it about Pentecost that is overlooked by the Church today?  What is the hidden meaning of Pentecost that seems to have been lost?

Last week we saw how our resurrected Jesus Christ is depicted in the Feast of Firstfruits, which is the start of the 50-day countdown towards the day of Pentecost.  Scripture tells us that Pentecost is one of three feast dates that all Hebrew males were required to attend in Jerusalem.  Paul reminds us that these holy days and feast dates are “a foreshadowing of events to come” (Colossians 2:16-7).   Not only are the feast dates predictive, but they are fulfilled on the date they are observed. With that in mind, let’s consider the historical context.

The Bible tells us that, after leaving Egypt, the Jews completed 50 days of wandering from Ramses into the wilderness of Sinai and that on the third day of the month of Sivan they arrived at the base of Mount Sinai.  Here in approximately 1491 B.C., Israel waited for three days for Moses to return from conversing with God.  The Lord told the people, “Be ready against the third day: for the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon Mount Sinai.” (Exodus 19:11)  According to the Exodus account, it was on this day (the 6^th of Sivan) that having chosen Israel by His grace through Abraham, that the Lord now confirmed this covenant 430 years later, by presenting His Law on the Feast of Pentecost.  (430 years-Genesis 15:13 to Exodus 12:41)

It was on this day of Pentecost that God implemented the Dispensation of Law and which transformed all human moral law.  A new era was born of spiritual stewardship as a further revelation of the will of God.  The book, The Jewish Holidays-A Guide and Commentary, describes this feast this way: “Shavuot (Pentecost-Feast of Weeks) occurs on the sixth day of Sivan.  It celebrates the giving of the Torah, God’s gift to the Jewish people.”  Most observant Jews consider this date to depict the marriage of Israel to God.

Remarkably, it was on this same 6^th of Sivan around 32 A.D. that the Church was born.  Precisely fifty days after the Feast of Firstfruits, the day the Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead, that 120 disciples gathered “together in one place” to await the promise of Christ when He prophesied that they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit.  “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place” (Acts 2:1).  On the sixth day of Sivan the Holy Spirit manifested Himself and “they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (verse 4).

“It is no coincidence that, on the same day of Pentecost in which God appeared to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai and revealed to man a new relationship based upon His sacred Law, He again revealed to man a new relationship based on the Holy Spirit.  The mystical union of God and Israel that occurred on the Feast of Pentecost at the foot of Mount Sinai is exactly mirrored in the union of God’s Holy Spirit with Christ’s Bride, the Church, on Pentecost, fifty days after Christ rose from the dead.”

                              -Grant Jeffrey (1948-2012), former Canadian pastor, writer and Biblical archeologist

Thus, it was on this same day of Pentecost that God also implemented the Dispensation of Grace, that is the Age of Grace or Church age.

Ever since, Jews have adopted Pentecost and the giving of the Law, as taken from the Exodus 19 account, to commemorate the symbolism of the marriage between God, the Groom, and Israel, the bride.  They view Mt. Sinai as an enormous “ketubah”, or wedding canopy and see the two tablets that Moses brought down from the mountain to represent the marriage contract.  For most Christians, this is quite remarkable to discover as we know that the Church is the Bride of Christ.

Many observant Jews therefore stay up the night before Shavuot in their synagogue’s house of study, poring over “tikkun” which consists of small sections from each book of the Torah and the Talmud.  In view of how the Israelites of Sinai, according to tradition, slept late that morning, this practice of staying up all night in preparation is heightened by a mystical tradition that the skies open for a brief moment, and God will answer any prayer.  Therefore, this practice of staying up all night before Pentecost is known as “decorating the bride.”

And, according to Jewish tradition, David was born and died on the 6^th of Sivan and Enoch was born on this date.  Also, Moses was pulled up as a baby from the basket in the Nile by a daughter of Pharoah on this date.

Again, these Feasts of Moses are not only commemorative but prophetic.  The first three feasts in the month of Nisan (Passover, Unleavened Bread and Firstfruits) are predictive of the First Coming of Jesus Christ.  The last three (Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles) are associated with His Second Coming.  It is the one feast date in between, Pentecost, which is associated with the Church.

In agricultural terms it is also important to remember that the Old Testament has always revealed three distinct harvests: firstfruits, the main harvest, and the gleanings.  This translates prophetically as Jesus the Firstfruits, the Rapture of the Church as the main harvest, and the tribulation saints and the saved remnant of Israel as the gleanings.  Thus, Pentecost points directly to the main harvest, the Rapture of the Church.

In Judaism, the Book of Ruth, a beautiful love story, is always read during Shavuot.  It is the story of a “goel” or kinsmen redeemer named Boaz who returns land lost to Naomi by performing requirements for redemption.  He also takes himself a Gentile bride (Ruth) who we know is destined to appear in the family tree of David and of Jesus Christ.  In terms of Bible typology, the parallels are obvious: Naomi (typifying Israel) returning to the Land, Ruth (typifying the Bride of Christ) each established by the act of redemption by the kinsmen redeemer.  Just as the redemption of Ruth occurred in the middle of the night likewise, we know that the Rapture will come “like a thief in the night.”  And this aligns succinctly with the ancient rites of a Jewish wedding when traditionally, the groom accompanied by his groomsmen, would come down the streets in the middle of the night shouting for his bride and her bridesmaids to come out.

Finally, just as God descended upon Mount Sinai to confirm His covenant with Israel with a voice sounding like a trumpet (Exodus 19:19; 20:18-19), so to will Jesus descend to call up His bride with a shout, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1^st Thessalonians 4:16-17)(Revelation 1:10; 4:1)

Does this mean the Rapture occurs on Pentecost?  It could be on this date or any other, but no one knows the date, and history has proven it counterproductive to speculate.  The Levitical feast dates are a beautiful demonstration by God showing how He will gather all of His people together over a sequence of time.

Pentecost is observed by the Church this year on June 9^th.  In Israel, the two-day celebration of Shavuot is June 9-10 and is a national holiday.

“And every man who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” (1^st John 3:3)

When Christians today think of Pentecost, they generally don’t relate it to the Jewish holidays or the Old Testament at all, or if they do, primarily as a date for a harvest celebration.  Naturally, they think of the Book of Acts and the birth of the Church in its formative years.  But as a result, they miss the remarkable and grander meaning of the fourth and central feast among the seven Feasts of Israel, and which undeniably points to the Church and the conclusion of the Church age.

On that first Easter Sunday, the resurrection of Jesus Christ occurred on the Feast of Firstfruits, and that same morning at the Jerusalem Temple the high priest would customarily wave a sheaf of grain before the Lord to commemorate the first fruits of the coming harvest.  The sheaf was known as an “omer” and was generally a bundle of young barley, some of it may have been slightly green.   It was like a sample harvest of what is to come 50 days later at the mid-summer full harvest known as “Pentecost.”  Thus, began the “counting of the omer” until the day of Pentecost.

He referred to Himself as the “bread of life” and just prior to His crucifixion Jesus said, “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.” (John 12:24)  Just as the high priest waved a sample of the harvest to come, having been buried for three days Jesus likened His resurrection to that sheaf of barley as a representation of a promised greater harvest to come.  The Bible tells us that Jesus is the “first fruits of the resurrection” in 1^st Corinthians 15:23.  Likewise, Jesus is the guaranty of a harvest to come, the full harvest at the end of the Church age.

As the Dallas Theological Seminary describes it, the Firstfruits offering was like “a preliminary installment” of the final harvest to come much later.  Who or what is “much fruit?”  It is the Church.

Just as the high priest would not hold up just a single stem, he was instructed from Leviticus 23 to hold up a bundle to denote a sample of the harvest to come.  Likewise, Jesus was resurrected and appeared to many, but also the Bible tells us, “And 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).  At His resurrection, Jesus was then accompanied by a large number of Old Testament saints who had waited for His coming and they were emptied from the upper chamber of Hades, otherwise known as “Abraham’s bosom.”  Paul tells us in 1^st Corinthians 15:20 that Christ is “the firstfruits of them that slept.”

Beginning on Firstfruits, the high priest would begin the “counting of the omer” for the next 49 days waving a new sheaf offering each day.  This countdown would culminate after 50 days in the celebration of Pentecost or what the Jews call “Shavuot” which means “weeks.”  Originally, it was known in the Old Testament as the “harvest of firstfruits” and then later became known as the “feast of weeks.”

The Greek word is “pentekoste” which means “50 or fiftieth” but is also used symbolically as a “fulness or completion.”  Fifty is also the number of Jubilee in the Sabbatical/Jubilee system of years.

Ever since the Exodus, on the morning of Pentecost the Jewish high priest, according to Leviticus 23:17, would come out and wave two loaves of bread, “they shall be of fine flour….they shall be baked with leaven…they are the firstfruits unto the Lord.”  It was a celebration and an offering of thanksgiving to the Lord for the final and full harvest (Leviticus 7:13).  Yet no one seems to know precisely why “two” loaves are waved and why they are baked with leaven, which is always denoted as a symbol of sin elsewhere in the Bible.  Some have suggested the loaves are representative of a “double blessing” on all who call Christ their Savior.  Others say it may symbolize Christ the Bridegroom and His Bride, the Church.  Others (including myself) interpret the two loaves to denote the two houses seen in Revelation, the Church and spiritual Israel, that will live together for eternity.

“For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.” (1^st Corinthians 10:17)

It was about the same time that these two loaves were being waved by the high priest, it coincided with Acts 2 that a strong and loud wind swept through Jerusalem early one morning in the Temple area.  “And when the day of Pentecost 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 filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:1-4)  The disciples had been praying through the night “in one accord” and “fully come” means early morning.

Although often overlooked, the Church has a vital connection to this Feast of Pentecost, and it is a type* in so many ways of the Rapture of the Church.  In one moment a couple of hundred Jews were praying, in the next instant the Church of Jesus Christ was born and the Holy Spirit of God took residence in the hearts and minds of believers.  In this same manner, the Church will be raptured when the time of the final harvest has come.  But, this is not to predict or proclaim that the Rapture of the Church will occur on the day of Pentecost, for no one knows and it cannot be predicted.  “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” (Matthew 24:36)

As earlier mentioned, “pentekoste” means “50 or fiftieth” but also denotes symbolically a “fulness or completion.”   When putting the full harvest of the Church in prophetic perspective, one cannot but recall Paul’s words as to when the Church age would end.  “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.” (Romans 11:25)  In this verse also, we are reminded that the Church age is a planned but temporary interruption in Daniel’s “70 weeks of years” for Israel and that James also references as the “calling out of the Gentiles” that will be followed by the rebuilding of the tabernacle of David. (Acts 15:14-17)

Pentecost is beautifully packed with incredible Biblical truths and prophetic overtones that speak to the Church, there are so many more aspects of this Feast date that remain to be shared.  Why do some Jews stay up all night before Pentecost (Shavuot) to celebrate the “decorating of the bride?”  What other major event occurred on this day in the Hebrew calendar?  Why do so many observant Jews in Israel read the Book of Ruth the night before Pentecost?  Next week.

“Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (Matthew 9:38)

*Bible typology is a form of hermeneutic and a method of Biblical interpretation whereby an element found in the Old Testament is seen to prefigure one found in the New Testament.  The initial one is called the type and the fulfillment is designated the antitype.  Either type can be a person, thing, or event, and is often messianic or related to salvation.

The Apostle John tells us that Pilate wrote it personally.  He wrote it in Hebrew for the Jews, in Greek as the common language, and in Latin as the official language of Rome.  When he answered the chief priest he spoke in the perfect tense, “what I have written will always remain written.”

“Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It was written, “JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS.” Therefore many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Latin and in Greek. So the chief priests of the Jews were saying to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews’; but that He said, ‘I am King of the Jews.’” Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.” (John 19:19-22)

What Pilate wrote was: Yeshua HaNazarei v Melech HaYehudim, which is an acronym on YHWH!  If he had written it as he was requested, it would not have spelled out the Name of God.  It is the name Yahweh that the Lord revealed to Moses through four consonants YHWH (also known as the “tetragrammaton”) which means “the self-existent, eternal God.”  In the Bible wherever we see the name of the Lord in all capital letters LORD, it is literally “Yahweh.”  When Latin-speaking Christian scholars substituted Y (which does not exist in Latin) with J, “Yahweh” was translated (JeHoWaH) as Jehovah.

Within the Bible, the beautiful names of God are made known to us in the form of Compound Titles which reveal the nature of our heavenly Father towards us.  They include:

Jehovah T’sidkenu                           the Lord our righteousness                          Jeremiah 23:6

Jehovah Shammah                          the Lord ever present (there for you)            Ezekiel 48:35           

Jehovah Jireh                                   the Lord who provides                                  Genesis 22:8, 14

Jehovah Nissi                                   the Lord our banner of victory                      Exodus 17:8-16

Jehovah Rohi (or Raah)                   the Lord our shepherd                                  Psalm 23:1

Jehovah Rapha                                the Lord our healer                                       Exodus 15:26

Jehovah Shalom                              the Lord our peace                                        Judges 6:24

Grouped together, Psalms 22-24 are known as the “Shepherd Psalms.”  Psalm 22 is “the Suffering Savior” but is quite remarkable in that it doesn’t seem to correlate with any portion of David’s life.  In fact, this psalm is about a criminal being executed!  Jesus quoted the first and last verses from Psalm 22 while He hung on the cross (verse 31= “he hath done this” = “tetelestai” = “it is finished” or “paid in full.”)  Psalm 24 is the “Exalted Sovereign” and was sung the day after the Sabbath every Sunday in Herod’s Temple.  It would have been sung upon Jesus’ triumphal entry to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.

With only 6 verses Psalm 23 is one of the most well-known and often memorized psalms among Christians.  It is about the “living Shepherd” or the “Great Shepherd.”  As you read the psalm word for word in your Bible, follow along here and consider the titles being expressed:

• The Lord is my shepherd (Jehovah Rohi)
• I shall not want (I shall lack nothing) (Jehovah Jireh)
• He maketh me to lie down in green pastures (Jehovah Jireh)
• (I shall lack no provision)
• He leadeth me beside the still waters (Jehovah Shalom)
• (I shall not lack peace)
• He restoreth my soul (Jehovah Rapha)
• (I shall not lack restoration)
• He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness (Jehovah T’sidkenu)
• (I shall not lack guidance)
• Yea, thou I walk in the valley of the shadow
• of death, I will not fear no evil (Jehovah Shammah)
• They rod and thy staff, they comfort me
• (I shall not lack courage)
• Thou preparest a table before me in the
• Presence of mine enemies (Jehovah Nissi)
• (I shall not lack protection, preservation, honor)

Throughout the Bible we see the depiction of shepherds tending to their sheep.  Moses was sent to shepherd his father-in-law’s sheep and David was also a shepherd boy in his young years.  Jesus refers to Himself as “the Good Shepherd.”  And thus, we as believers are His sheep.

Sheep are defenseless animals, they are by nature prone to get lost and are in need of constant care.  A shepherd cannot drive sheep like cattle, they have to be led.  And remarkably, unlike cattle, the sheep are known to the shepherd by name (John 10:1-5).  Each Sunday the church is filled with His sheep who are no longer lost but need to be led nonetheless.  By His grace, we are gratefully led by the Holy Spirit who infills us.

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.  I and the Father are one.” (John 10:27-30)

But Jesus did not come just to minister to healthy, strong sheep.  He came to minister to the broken sheep.  In Ezekiel 34 the Lord chastises Israel’s shepherds (priests) who did not care for His flock.  “Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, the diseased you have not healed, the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you sought for the lost; but with force and with severity you have dominated them.” (Ezekiel 34:4)

When you look around the church today and beyond, there are young lambs that you wonder if will ever walk, there are sheep with crippled and bleeding hind legs because they were pulled from a lion’s mouth, some are naked or shorn because a shepherd fleeced them for deceitful purposes, some are bruised and in pain due to divorce, others are dirty and muddy from wandering away, some are diseased from drinking dirty water.  Do you see them?

“Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Hebrews 13:20-21)

Sources:  Dusty Kemp, Rev. David Wilkerson, Dr. Chuck Missler

In the two verses prior to one of the most famous passages in the Bible, we read where Jesus compares Himself to a serpent hanging on a pole.  Why would He say that?

We find this story unfolding earlier after the Exodus in Numbers 21, in a very strange event during the Israelites’ wandering in the Wilderness.  In this portion of the journey, the people of Israel were fatigued as they were forced to march around the land of Edom because they could not obtain direct passage.  The people began to murmur, complain and became rebellious towards Moses.  Despite the miracles and victories the Lord had wrought before the nation, the people fell into a state of unbelief.  Out of this unbelief, they complained bitterly about the food (manna) and scarcity of water and voiced speculation that they would perish in the wilderness.

“And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.” (Numbers 21:6) This was the same unbelieving generation that had also rejected the report of the twelve spies who had scouted the land of Canaan that God had promised them by refusing to go into the Land in faith.  In their pride, they held open contempt for the Lord and His mercies as well as Moses.  In His righteous judgment of their rebellion, the Lord removed His protective hand and sent venomous snakes (most likely asps) into their camps.  It was here the Israelites recognized the error of their ways.

“Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.  And Moses prayed for the people.” (verse 7)

In Biblical typology, a “type of Christ” is an Old Testament character who either points to Christ or whose behavior corresponds to the life of Jesus Christ.  As a type of Christ, Moses interceded for the people, asking for God’s blessings and protection on the very people who had cursed him.   God answers Moses’s prayer showing mercy upon the Israelites and bringing about their effectual relief, but not in the manner it was requested.

It is in the next two verses that we find the shortest of Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament:

“And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. 

And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.” (Numbers 21:8-9)

Brass (verse 9) is “nechosheth” in Hebrew which means “copper, bronze.”

So we have this very strange event, where Moses has a snake made of brass to be placed on a pole and lifted up so that anyone who has been bitten can look upon this brass snake on a pole and live.  The serpent reminded the people of their sin and the pole was placed in such a manner that any of the wandering Israelites could see it and be healed.   It is a most unusual remedy and one that is completely unexplained in the remainder of the Old Testament.

Consider the symbolism:

Serpent: is a figure of evil or sin.

Brass: a metal that can sustain fire, symbolic of judgment

It is interesting that from origins of this story, even Greek mythology shares the legend of the “rod of Aesculapius” which denotes a snake wrapped around a pole as a symbol of healing.  Today this symbol is commonly used to denote the medical profession.

Why do we have this story in the Old Testament?

“Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the end of the world are come.” (1^st Corinthians 10:11)

“Examples” in the Greek is “tupos” which means “a figure, image or pattern, a prefiguring” as in a “prototype”

We do not receive any explanation for this event anywhere in the Bible until we see Nicodemus approach Jesus Christ one evening in John 3.  Nicodemus was a ruling Pharisee on the Jewish Sanhedrin and sought Jesus for explanations and understanding behind the authority of His healing, miracles, and teachings.  After sharing that unless one “becomes born again” that they cannot enter the kingdom of God, Jesus goes on to provide explanation of the brass serpent:

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3: 14-15)

Jesus had just told Nicodemus that he was unacceptable to God and that if he wanted to enter the kingdom of God he must be “born again.”  In His response to Nicodemus, Jesus explains the meaning of the brass serpent, the pattern that it established, that He would one day fulfill by hanging on the cross.  In the next verse, He completes the thought in the most widely known John 3:16,

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (verse 16)

How do we interpret the symbolism of the serpent and Christ?  Just as the serpent represented sin and evil, Jesus became our sin as He hung on the cross for us.

“God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2^nd Corinthians 5:21)

Were there any other similarities?

• Both were raised up to save men from death.
• Both spoke of sin on a pole.
• Both spoke of judgment.
• Both provided immediate salvation.
• Both were easily available.
• Both were available to everyone.
• Both demanded faith

There was nothing more that could be done or added in either case.  There were no home remedies, no snake bite antidotes or help from others that would cure an Israelite, only that he or she would look upon the serpent on a pole.  It was by faith alone and obeying God’s instruction.   Likewise, there is nothing more that we can do to obtain salvation apart from what Christ has already done for us on the Cross.  There is no “Christ plus this work, plus that work.” His atonement for our sins is sufficient once and for all and our salvation is by faith alone.

“did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?  Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”  (Galatians 3:2-3)

The story of David and Goliath is one of the most well known stories of the Bible.   In fact, even if just accepting the account as cliché’, most people around the world today are familiar with the story.  Secular society may label it as another myth or fable, but even in the church today there are many who are unsure as to whether it is true.  Does the Bible provide any additional evidence to support the story?

During that time described in 1st Samuel 17, the Jews found themselves under the brutal domination of the Philistines and their great champion, Goliath.  King Saul and his army faced off against the Philistines but he could find no man of Israel willing to engage the giant in hand-to-hand combat.  Was he really a giant?  Is this a reliable account?

It is interesting how the Bible “fills in” the details.  Consider that we are told that this giant comes from the village of Gath.  “And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.” (1^st Samuel 17:4)   So first, how tall was that? A cubit was considered the length of a man’s arm from his elbow to the tip of his fingers.  What is the standard?  According to different cultures a cubit was between 17.5” and 21” but, in general, there is a “short cubit” of 18” and a “long cubit” of 20”.  And a “span?”  A span is the distance between the tip of the little finger and the thumb of an outstretched hand.  The commonly accepted distance is 9 inches.  Thus, Goliath stood somewhere between 9’9” and 10’9” tall.  His size was massive.  Is this why David drew out five smooth stones for his sling?

Apart from the measured height of Goliath, again it is important to note that he was from Gath and that this village is where the giant race of Anakim lived.  As you recall, the report of the twelve spies who upon entering the land of Canaan came back fearful of the giant races that lived there.  “And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, ‘the land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature.” (Numbers 13:32)

Why is this important?  In another passage in the book of Joshua, it tells us that Gath was one of the few places where the giant race of Anakim still survived.  “And at that time came Joshua, and cut off the Anakims from the mountains, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel: Joshua destroy them utterly with their cities.  There was none of the Anakims left in the land of the children of Israel: only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, there remained.” (Joshua 11:21-22) Thus, there were only three cities where the remnants of the giants lived and, it is more than coincidental that four hundred years after the conquest of Canaan, we find that Goliath was living in Gath and this stands as further confirmation of the story.  Three books of the Bible,  Numbers, Joshua, and Samuel confirm basic elements of the story.

So back to the question: why did David pick up “five smooth stones” to battle Goliath with his sling?  Was there an inkling of doubt in his mind of whether God would sustain him in battle against the giant? Was he allowing for the need of extra stones in case he missed?

If you will read 2^nd Samuel, chapter 21, you will discover that Goliath was not the only giant of his family.  What we find is that the father of Goliath had five sons, all of whom fought for the Philistines.  Further, that all four brothers of Goliath were giants as well and they all died in combat with the brave soldiers of David.  As the prophet Samuel records, “These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.” (2^nd Samuel 21:22) 

“Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.” (1^st Samuel 17:45)

When David picked up those five smooth stones out of the brook for his sling he was simply preparing for the contingency or real possibility that he might have to face the four brothers of Goliath after he slew him.  Not only was he certain that the Lord would deliver Goliath into his hand, but he was prepared to battle four giants of the same size and countenance in the aftermath.  Thus, he would need four additional stones for each of Goliath’s four brothers.  These four stones were not selected out of doubt, they were selected out of faith.

“And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands.” (verse 47)

We all face “goliaths” of some sort in our lives at one time or another.  Maybe you are facing something today that appears overwhelming.   Do you battle these “giants” alone, or do you seek the Lord?

David was a man, just as human as you or me.  He made mistakes just like we do, but God loved him just as He loves us.  No doubt, David had great faith in God.  How great is our faith?  If the Lord has spoken a word to you, does your faith in Him allow for making plans based on the circumstances of its fulfillment?

“Nevertheless when the Son of man comes, shall he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8)

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

Photo by Samuel Martin

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.

Photo by Y.S. Lee

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)

“The person who starts the race is not the same person who finishes the race.” Quote from spectator sign seen at a marathon event.

The Bible tells us that when we receive salvation from Jesus Christ that we are automatically thrust into a race of faith and life.  Instead of a short sprint, we are encouraged to run a race much like a marathon.  We learn at the end of this race we run, there is an opportunity to receive awards or crowns.  Just what are these crowns, how do we earn them and why?

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.” (Hebrews 12:1-3)

Just who is this “cloud of witnesses?”  The writer of Hebrews uses “therefore” in this verse which cast reflection upon the prior chapter 11 otherwise known as the “hall of faith” listing examples and commending men and women of the Old Testament who had great faith.  Imagine that.  You are surrounded by a “cloud of witnesses” that includes among others Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Moses, Joseph, Rahab, David and Samuel cheering us on!  Not only is our race important to run, but so are the results.

Paul goes on to describe the race and its conclusion this way:

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.” (1^st Corinthians 9:25)

“Bema” is a Greek term meaning “judgment seat” and in the city of Corinth, a stone platform was constructed to support the Bema seat (judgment seat) of the local officials.  The seat was used to give out awards to athletes based on their competitive performances.  Likewise, as Christian believers we will all one day stand before the Lord and give an accounting of our lives.

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” (2^nd Corinthians 5:10)

It is important to remember that the Judgment Seat of Christ does not determine salvation or worthiness to enter heaven.  That question was settled at the Cross.  Instead, the purpose of the bema judgment by Jesus Christ is to reward believers based on how faithfully they served Him.  Even so, the Bible tells us that this judgment will also deal with the loss of rewards.  The Greek word “bad” quoted above in Corinthians is “phaulos” which means “easy, slight, ordinary, mean, worthless, of no account.”

Even the minor prophet Malachi reminds us that there is a Book of Remembrance in which God has written down all the things that you have done for Him.  All those times you served Him, prayed for others, you may have forgotten about it.  But God says, “I have not forgotten.” (Malachi 3:16)

It is here at the Judgment Seat of Christ that believers are awarded crowns that are imperishable for eternity.  What are these crowns?

The Bible lists five crowns in the New Testament:

• Crown of Incorruptible or the Victor’s Crown–as Paul describes in 1^st Corinthians 9:25-27 this crown is awarded to “every man that strives for the mastery is temperate in all things.” This is the Christian who keeps under the body and brings it into subjection.  It is the conquering of the old nature, awarded for self-control and having victory over the flesh.  Those believers who do not yield to lusts of the flesh and separate themselves from the world can expect to be rewarded the Incorruptible Crown.
• Crown of Rejoicing-“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For ye are our glory and joy.” (1^st Thessalonians 2:19-20) This is the soul-winners crown, the winning of the saved to the kingdom. This crown is awarded to those who have been instrumental in leading others to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, to those who have personally led others to Christ, and those who have prayed for souls and have given financially to evangelistic ministries.  One of the first things a Christian should pray for and seek to cultivate is the desire, ability, and wisdom to help win lost souls to Jesus Christ.
• Crown of Life—this crown is reserved for those who have persevered, endured trials, and even faced death, yet remain faithful. These are believers who have given all their lives for the sake of the Gospel, those who have been martyred for their witness to Christ.  Though some of us may not receive the Crown of Life we will rejoice with those who refused to count the cost and died proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (James 1:12, Revelation 2:10)
• Crown of Glory—“Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.” (1^st Peter 5:2-4)  There are many who have been called and ordained by God to preach, teach and minister in His Word.  These are the under shepherds who care for the flock of God during the absence of the Chief Shepherd.
• Crown of Righteousness—near the end of his life the Apostle Paul wrote, “I fought the good fight, I finished the race, I’ve kept the faith, and now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous judge will award to me on that day; but not to me only, but to all those who have longed for His appearing.” (2^nd Timothy 4:8) There is a special crown given to those people who live with an eternal attitude, daily yearning for the return of Christ.

How do we aspire to being awarded crowns from our Lord?  In Matthew 6:1-4, Jesus is critical of those who practice righteousness in front of others to be seen by them.  Instead, He encouraged that we practice deeds of righteousness in secret, so “that your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”  The point He was making is that our good works should not be done for the praise of men.  Rather, we should do our good for the praise of Jesus.

Others might say, “I don’t really care about rewards and I’m not concerned about them.  I just want to make it to Heaven.”  Can you imagine this person standing face to face before the Lord?  He would be saying that he just wanted “Your salvation” but “I didn’t think You were worth living for.”

It is the motive of the heart that only matters.  These crowns are determined only by how we live and serve Him in this life.  One day, Revelation 4:10 tells us that in heaven, all believers will “cast their crowns” before the throne of God out of gratitude and acknowledgment that He was the source and inspiration of our crowns.  And is this a one- time event?  Verse 9 suggests otherwise with “when” or “whenever” depending on the translation.

How are you running your race?