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(Sabbath During Unleavened Bread)
Events leading up to and of the Wave Sheaf Offering Day
Fred R. Coulter—April 11, 2020
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Greetings, everyone! Welcome to Sabbath during the Feast of Unleavened Bread! Time marches on, doesn't it? Certainly does! Quite a thing!
This is a special day, and it's noted beginning in Lev. 23; we will see the instruction for this day and what it means. We know that the harvest of God spiritually is likened to a harvest of grain. So, we have the type, the physical in the Old Testament, and we have the anti-type or the fulfillment in the New Testament.
There's a special ceremony that was to be done on the day after the Sabbath during Unleavened Bread!
Another way to put it, because of the count, the waving of the Sheaf Offering had to be waved on the first day of the week during Unleavened Bread.
Leviticus 23:9: "And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, "When you have come into the land, which I give to you, and shall reap the harvest of it…"'" (vs 9-10).
God gave them the land and they entered in the spring time. Even though the inhabitants of the land planted the crop, that did not contaminate it because when the seed is put into the ground the seed disintegrates and develops a whole new stalk with many more seeds.
Some people erroneously say that it had to be the year after that they entered into the Holy Land, which is nonsense! It was their harvest because God gave it to them, even though they didn't plant it.
"…then you shall bring the premier sheaf of the firstfruits… [a special premier sheaf] …of your harvest to the priest. And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD to be accepted for you. On the next day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it" (vs 10-11).
This premier sheaf is picturing the resurrected Christ ascending to heaven!
Let's look at the chart in Appendix J: The Three Days and Three Nights in the Tomb and the Resurrection After the Three Days and Three Nights (pg 1280-1 in The Holy Bible in Its Original Order, A Faithful Version). This becomes very important. The only time that this could happen, so that it pictures the three days and three nights in the grave that Christ had to be there is when the Passover is in the middle of the week from Tuesday sunset to Wednesday sunset.
Whenever we have the Passover in the middle of the week— Wednesday, the fourth day—and God reckons time from sunset to sunset. They had the Passover, Christ was arrested at midnight, and that's a type of God not passing over Christ the Firstborn/
Sidebar: Christ was the Firstborn of Mary and also the Firstborn among the dead, and also the Firstborn of the Father. All of those apply to Christ directly.
We will see the timing that took place and we will look at the Scriptures and what happened after Jesus died on the cross. But I want you to look very carefully at this chart because the Passover Day ended at sunset and that began the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
Then you have three nights and three days in the grave. That's important. Sometimes the Passover occurs on a Friday and sometimes the Passover occurs on the Sabbath. But in those instances, when the Passover occurs then, you have more than three days and three nights between the beginning of the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Sabbath during Unleavened Bread.
Only in the years when the Passover falls on Wednesday, the fourth day of the week, let's see what happens. We have the Passover from sunset to sunset, which then begins the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, a Holy Day.
Then to the next sunset, you have the sixth day of the week, Nisan 16, and the second night, because all days are counted from sunset to sunset. This day is the preparation for the weekly Sabbath.
Go back to the Passover Day and that was the preparation day for the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. When it's finished, the next day is Friday, so we've got two whole days. Then we come from sunset Friday the Sabbath beginning at sunset and then the Sabbath Day.
As you look at the chart you have 3 nights and 3 days, and Jesus said that He would be in the tomb three days and three nights.
You can refer to this chart at anytime, and we also have it in The Christian Passover book, and The Day that Jesus the Christ Died.
So important is this that because this year, when the world has Easter Friday and then they say the resurrection is Sunday, that is a total myth! That is at lie! Not true! Besides, from Friday at sunset to Sunday morning, you do not have three full days and three full nights! It's an impossibility! That shows you how off the mark that Catholicism and Protestantism actually is!
Now we're going to see some of the things that took place on the Passover Day as Christ came to the end.
Matthew 27:46: "And about the ninth hour…"—about 3-pm!
Sidebar: The death of Christ happened in the afternoon of the Passover Day. It had to be a public and notorious thing that took place. That's why Christ was not killed at the beginning of the Passover Day when the sun went down, like the children of Israel did for the Passover.
Jesus kept that Passover and it ended the Old Testament Passover, and introduced the New Covenant Passover with the foot-washing and the bread and wine.
Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, 'Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?' That is, 'My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?'" (v 46). Prophesied in Psa. 22!
Verse 47: "And some of those who were standing there heard and said, 'This one is calling for Elijah.'" But it didn't happen!
Verse 54: "Then the centurion and those with him who had been keeping guard over Jesus, after seeing the earthquake…" When He died there was a great earthquake!
There was huge, very thick curtain covering the temple, and there were 12 sections to that, three sections of four. Each section represented one of the 12 tribes of Israel. This was knitted with linen and was very thick, probably 2-3 inches thick. When that was ripped, this signified, symbolically, that the way to God was open to the people.
Whereas before, the only one who had access to the Holy of Holies in the temple on earth was the high priest once year on the Day of Atonement. But now this symbolized that the way to God was opened to all whom God would call.
"… and the things that took place, were filled with fear, and said 'Truly this was the Son of God!'" (v 54). This was a tremendous and important thing, indeed, that we understand!
Let's see how John writes of this. This becomes important, too. Everything concerning the crucifixion of Christ becomes important. Every detail was prophesied ahead of time.
John 19:28: "After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had now been finished…"—for the crucifixion!
Remember that whenever there is a finish or an ending, there is a new beginning!
"…so that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, 'I thirst.' Now, a vessel full of vinegar was sitting there. And after filling a sponge with vinegar and putting it on a stick of hyssop, they put it up to His mouth. And so, when Jesus had received the vinegar, He said, 'It is finished.'…." (vs 28-30). Notice:
- finished
- fulfilled
- finished
How far back in time does the crucifixion go?
Revelation 13:8: "…the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." God had this all planned!
There is nothing here in all the Scriptures that is happenstance! It is all worked out in every detail, and you know for sure that the angels were there making sure that it was all done according to the will of God.
John 19:30: "…And bowing His head, He yielded up His spirit. The Jews, therefore, so that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the Sabbath, because it was apreparation day (for that Sabbath was a High Day)…" (vs 30-31). That Sabbath was the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread!
They had the time from about three in the afternoon until the sun went down approximately six o'clock, three hours to tend to the body of Christ.
You can read in The Christian Passover and The Day Jesus the Christ Died: 28 Prophecies Fulfilled in One Day, so that there can be no room for human error. God made sure that it was all done:
- according to the prophecies
- according to His plan
- according to the timing that He desired
Verse 32: "Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first one, and the legs of the other who was crucified with Him." There was one crucified on the right and one crucified on the left!
Verse 33: "But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs; but one of the soldiers had pierced His side with a spear…" (vs 33-34)—right up into and piercing His heart!
Why? So that every drop of blood that was sacrificed for the sin of the world would be poured out!
"…and immediately blood and water had come out. And he who saw this has testified, and his testimony is true… [that's John; he watched the whole thing] …and he knows that what he says is true, so that you may believe" (vs 34-35). That's written for us!
This is a fantastic thing that God did. Everything about Jesus, everything about His life was tremendous, indeed, and done out of love, truth, power and the things prophesied ahead of time so that there would be no excuse to say that this didn't happen.
Let's continue on and see that from the time that He died until the time that He was in the tomb.
Verse 38: "Now, after these things, Joseph (the one from Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but having concealed it for fear of the Jews) asked Pilate that he might take Jesus' body away; and Pilate gave him permission. Then he came and took away the body of Jesus. And Nicodemus, who had come to Jesus by night at the first, also came, bearing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. Then they took Jesus' body and wound it in linen cloths with the aromatics, as is the custom among the Jews to prepare for burial" (vs 38-40).
How was He buried? Remember that He was beaten, there was flesh and skin hanging down. What they were doing was they started at the feet and they would wrap this linen, generally about six inches wide, around the feet and legs, and then the body. They would put all of that flesh back in as they were going up to wrap His entire body.
The lie of the Catholics about the Shroud of Turin can never be true! That is a fantastic lie, because they were wrapped. The linen was wrapped; the shroud was just overlaid. How they made the shroud no one knows, but that's a total fake and total idolatry!
Then when they got to the head, they had a special 'napkin,' as they called, it that would cover the head. This is how Jesus was buried.
Verse 41: "Now, there was a garden in the place where He was crucified, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid."
Why do they say that? Tombs were not like they are today, especially in the rocky country of Judea. So, they had caves, or tombs like caves, carved into the rocks. They had ossuaries where they would put the bones. What they did first was to take the bodies, wrap them the way that Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus did, and then they would wait for all of the flesh to disintegrate, and several years afterward they would open the tomb and take the bones and put them in an ossuary.
Jesus had to be buried in a place where no one had ever been buried.
Now then, there was a great stone that was used to cover this tomb. They had the stone all cut out and ready to go, and they had a little stop to keep it from rolling down. So, when they put Jesus' body into the tomb, they took that stop out and rolled the big rock right over the entrance covering the tomb.
Verse 42: "Because of the preparation of the Jews… [for the first day of Unleavened Bread] …they laid Jesus there; for the tomb was near." That's how Jesus was buried!
Matthew 27:60: "And placed it… [the body of Jesus] …in his new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock; and after rolling a great stone to the door of the tomb, he went away. But sitting there opposite the sepulcher were Mary Magdalene and the other Mary" (vs 60-61).
The Jews went to Pilate, and let's see what they did; v 62: "Now, on the next day, which followed the preparation day… [for the Feast of Unleavened Bread] … the chief priests and the Pharisees came together to Pilate, saying, 'Sir, we remember that that deceiver said while He was living, "After three days I will rise." Therefore, command that the sepulcher be secured until the third day; lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, "He is risen from the dead"; and the last deception shall be worse than the first.' Then Pilate said to them, 'You have a guard. Go, make it as secure as you know how.' And they went and made the sepulcher secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard" (vs 62-66).
- What does it mean to seal the stone?
- What do you suppose that they did?
- How would you seal it?
You would make a little concrete and then you would put it all around the edge of where that great round stone was rolled down over the door of the tomb. It would dry, and it would make it even harder for anyone to try and open the tomb.
I'm sure that they put a lot of that concrete around there. Then they had guards standing there to make sure that the disciples would not come and steal the body of Jesus away.
Matthew 28:1: "Now, late on the Sabbath… [the weekly Sabbath] …as the first day of the weeks was drawing near…"
- Why is that translated this way? Because this day was the first day of the count to Pentecost!
- How many weeks are there to Pentecost? Seven, plus one day!
"…Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to observe the sepulcher" (v 1). They went down to see if anything took place, because Jesus said that He was going to be resurrected!
But they had no idea of the exact timing, so they went down right as the Sabbath was ready to begin to see what took place. Nothing had happened.
Mark 16:2: "And very early on the first day of the weeks, at the rising of the sun, they were coming to the tomb; and they were asking themselves, 'Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?'" (vs 2-3). Why? Because they had prepared more spices and more anointing oils and things like this!
Now we will see the sequence of the first one there was Mary Magdalene.
John 20:1[transcriber's correction]: "Now, on the first day of the weeks, while it was still dark… [so Mary got up before the rising of the sun] …Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb; and she saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb." This was before the sun came up!
The other women were coming and wanted to know who would open the tomb. Here's what Mary Magdalene did:
Verse 2: "Then she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved… [John] …and said to them, 'They have taken away the Lord from the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.'" She didn't know!
Verse 3: "As a result, Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. Now, the two ran together, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; and he stooped down and saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not enter. Then Simon Peter came following him, and he went into the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying, and the napkin that had been on His head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself" (vs 3-7).
Let's analyze what this is telling us. If the body had been stolen away, what would they have done? They would have taken the body with the burial cloths, the ones that were wrapped around Him!
But they looked into the tomb and saw where the body was lying and what did they see? They saw the cloths that had been wrapped around His body! We don't know for sure, but it's most probably that Jesus just rose right out of the cloths. Here they are still in their wrapped condition without the body.
Think about this, because this tells us something very important: The napkin that was on His head was folded up and put in another location! Have you ever known of a napkin to do that by itself? Any piece of cloth to do it by itself? A self-folding cloth? Of course not!
What did these two things tell you? Jesus had risen from the death and He took the napkin that was on His head, folded it up and put it in a different place!
It was the angels who had rolled away the stone. So, this was quite a thing!
Verse 8: "Then the other disciple, who had come to the tomb first, also went in and saw these things; and he believed."
That's interesting; Peter was questioning what happened! John believed that He was raised from the dead, because Jesus said that He would be!
Verse 9: "For they did not yet understand the Scripture, which decreed that He must rise from the dead. Then the disciples went away again to their home. But Mary stood outside the tombweeping; and as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the tomb…. [looking again] …And she saw two angels in white who were sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet where the body of Jesus had been laid" (vs 9-12).
How would you know where the head and feet were unless those were still in the wrapped configuration of Jesus' body? You wouldn't! It shows that He rose right through the cloths. Quite a fantastic thing, indeed!
What would you think if you were there and saw that? Mary was out there weeping and saw the two angels.
Verse 13: "And they said to her, 'Woman, why are you weeping?' She said to them, 'Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.'"
What did the angels tell them?
Mark 16:3: "And they were asking themselves, 'Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?' For it was a massive stone. But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away. And after entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right, clothed in a white robe; and they were very frightened. But he said to them, 'Do not be afraid. You are seeking Jesus the Nazarene, Who was crucified. He has risen…'" (vs 3-6).
Stop and think! He was put in right at sunset—Wednesday at sunset, beginning Thursday—and you go three days and three nights. He had to be raised at sunset on the Sabbath Day.
After being raised from the dead, Jesus was probably right inside the tomb praying and thanking God, rejoicing that all of this had been done. Everything had been complete. Everything had been finished in this phase of the plan of God, that the Lamb of God Who was with God and was God had completed the mission of being the Messiah to bring the Gospel to the disciples and prepare the way for the coming of the New Testament Church and eventually the salvation of the whole world!
Notice what else the angels said, "…'He is not here. Look, there is the place where they laid Him'" (v 6)—indicating that all the cloths were still in their wrapped condition, there was no need to cut them open. A spirit being can go through anything physical. So, they said:
Verse 7: "'But go, tell His disciples and Peter that He goes before you into Galilee; there you shall see Him, as He said to you.' And they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them; and they did not say anything to anyone because they were afraid. Now, after Jesus had risen,…"—coma!
The way the King James has it and other translations is 'after Jesus had risen early the first day of the week' NO! He was raised at sunset on the Sabbath Day, right as the first day of the week was beginning! This is the correct translation and the correct placement of the coma.
"…early the first day of the weeks He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons. She went and told it to those who had been with Him, who were grieving and weeping. And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe it. Now, after these things, He appeared in a different form to two of them as they were walking…" (vs 9-12).
John 20—Mary Magdalene was at the tomb and after saying she wanted to know where they took Him:
John 20:14: "And after saying these things, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, 'Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?' Thinking that He was the gardener, she said to Him, 'Sir, if you have carried Him off, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.' Jesus said to her, 'Mary.' Turning around, she said to Him, 'Rabboni'; that is to say, 'Teacher.' Jesus said to her, 'Do not touch Me, because I have not yet ascended to My Father. But go to My brethren and tell them that I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God'" (vs 14-17).
This was just before the time of the waving of the premier sheaf at the temple. Then Jesus ascended to the Father, which we will cover in a little bit. But this tells us something very important, that the sacrifice of God the Father for the sin of the world through Jesus Christ had to be accomplished in every way that God intended, and that all of the Scriptures would be fulfilled.
Verse 18: "Mary Magdalene came to the disciples, bringing word that she had seen the Lord, and that He had said these things to her."
Jesus ascended, and lets understand that we will see that there is no command for any meeting of any kind do celebrate the ascension of Jesus Christ to God the Father. There is no command for a special meeting because He had been raised from the dead.
(go to the next track)
Let's look at a couple of verses concerning Christ as the first resurrected, the Firstborn from the dead! The reason being is that pictures the Wave Sheaf Offering.
1-Corinthians 15:20: "But now Christ has been raised from the dead; He has become the Firstfruit of those who have fallen asleep."
Those who die in the faith are called sleeping; that's their death, because they are to be awakened at the resurrection.
Verse 21: "For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the Firstfruit… [the Premiere Sheaf of Lev. 23] …then those who are Christ's at His coming" (vs 21-23).
No one has gone to heaven! That's a fake thing, a lie! Only Christ has been raised from the dead. No one else has been raised to eternal life!
Let's see what it says of Jesus. We know that in Matt. 18 Jesus is called the firstborn of Mary. We'll see in Colossians that He is also called the Firstborn from among the dead and of God!
Revelation 1:5: "And from Jesus Christ, the faithful Witness, the Firstborn from the dead…"
- Firstborn of Mary
- Firstborn among the dead
Guess what that tells us? That's the key to understanding what it means to be 'born again.' The resurrection is being born again. This is the way it is:
- that which is born of the flesh is flesh
- that which has been born of the spirit is spirit
Jesus also said that you cannot see the Kingdom of God unless you have been born of water and of spirit! That water is your first physical birth. You lived in a watery environment within your mother's womb. You were born of water. That's how you got out of the womb. That's when you born. To be born again is from flesh to spirit, or from death to life!
Colossians 1:14—referring to Jesus: "In Whom we have redemption through His own blood, even the remission of sins; Who is the image of the invisible God, the Firstborn of all creation" (vs 14-15).
People look at that verse and say that He was born before the creation. NO! He's the firstborn of all the creation that God is doing through the resurrection of the dead. We are created in Christ Jesus! Christ is to be formed in us, as we have read! Jesus is the Firstborn of that creation. It didn't say the Firstborn of the creation of God!
Verse 16: "Because by Him were all things created, the things in heaven and the things on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether they be thrones, or lordships, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him and for Him. And He is before all, and by Him all things subsist" (vs 16-17).
Brethren, we need to understand what God has called us to. What a wonderful and tremendous and powerful thing that it is that God is doing with us.
- yes, we're physical
- yes, we go through trials
- yes, as we get along in time and age, we get weak and feeble
All of these things do happen to us! It even happened to Peter. What did Jesus say to Peter when Peter said, 'What's going to happen to John over there?' Jesus said, 'What is it to you if he remain until I come! When you're old, you're going to be led around by someone where you don't want to go!' That's just the nature of the weakness of the flesh! It happens to all, and:
- we all die in Christ
- we are all raised from the dead by Christ and God the Father
That's what to keep our minds on!
Verse 18: "And He is the Head of the Body, the Church; Who is the Beginning, the Firstborn from among the dead… [that's what it means of all creation] …so that in all things He Himself might hold the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell" (vs 18-19).
Why did Jesus do all of this?
Verse 20: "And having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things to Himself; by Him, whether the things on the earth, or the things in heaven. For you were once alienated and enemies in your minds by wicked works; but now He has reconciled you in the body of His flesh through death, to present you Holy and unblamable and unimpeachable before Him" (vs 20-22). That's why:
- God does the calling
- God grants the repentance
- God forgives the sin through Jesus Christ
- God the Father gives us of His Spirit so we can have direct connection with God the Father in heaven above
That's the whole purpose as to why Christ came:
- why He rose from the dead
- why He's the Firstborn of all this creation of God that He is creating through those whom He is calling
An amazing thing! Think of this whoever you are, wherever you are:
The God Who made everything that there is through Jesus Christ has opened the way so you can have direct access—through prayer and study—to God the Father, receive the Holy Spirit of God and then develop the character of God, which the Feast of Unleavened Bread pictures:
Putting out the sin of human nature and carnality, and putting in the righteousness of God through:
- His Holy Spirit
- His Word
- living in God's way
- prayer
- study
All of these things!
That's why we're here and that's why this Sabbath is such a very important day. What happened on the Wave Sheaf Offering Day, the day after that Sabbath? As a spirit being, Jesus can disguise Himself, so even those who knew Him, after He was resurrected they didn't understand it was Jesus until He made it possible for them to understand.
Luke 24:13: "And behold, on the same day, two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, which was about sixty furlongs from Jerusalem. And they were talking with one another about all the things that had taken place…. [everything that we have just covered] …And it came to pass, as they were talking and reasoning, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them; but their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him" (vs 13-16). Amazing thing!
Verse 17: "And He said to them, 'What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you walk, and why are you downcast in countenance?'" They were disappointed!
Verse 18: "Then the one named Cleopas answered and said to Him, 'Are You only traveling through Jerusalem, and have not known of the things that have happened in these days?' And He said to them, 'What things?' And they said to Him, 'The things concerning Jesus the Nazarean, a Man Who was a prophet, Who was mighty in deed and word before God and all the people; and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him up to the judgment of death, and crucified Him. And we were hoping that He was the One Who would redeem Israel….'" (vs 18-21).
Everybody has misunderstood about the redemption of Israel and the kingdom coming to Israel. Back then they thought that Jesus was going to bring the Kingdom real soon. They were disappointed when he died. But look how much time has gone since then, and how much bigger the plan of God is. The whole great magnitude of the plan of God is multiplied thousands of times greater than what has been thought.
The reason that the officials didn't accept Jesus was because Jesus didn't come and make a political alliance with them to overthrow the Romans. So, they rejected Him!
"…But besides all these things, as of today, the third day has already passed since these things took place" (v 21). Hey, we were waiting the three days! They didn't know that He was already resurrected.
Verse 22: "And also, certain women from among us astonished us, after they went to the tomb early; for when they did not find His body, they came to us, declaring that they had indeed seen a vision of angels, who said, 'He is living.' And some of those with us went to the tomb and found it exactly as the women had said, but they did not see Him" (vs 22-24). Here He is standing right there with them!
Verse 25: "Then He said to them, 'O foolish and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things, and to enter into His glory?'" (vs 25-26).
Here's what He did. You would think that this would have opened their eyes when He started this:
Verse 27: "And beginning with Moses, and from all the prophets, He interpreted to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. And as they approached the village where they were going, He appeared to be going on farther. But they constrained Him, saying, 'Stay with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is declining.' And He entered in as if to stay with them" (vs 27-29).
So, He went in that they still didn't know that it was Jesus.
Verse 30: "And it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it; and after breaking it, He gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they knew Him; and He disappeared from them" (vs 30-31)—POOF! He was gone!
Remember what Jesus said about someone being born from the dead: born of spirit they're like the wind; you don't know where it's coming from and you don't know where it's going! This is what happened to Jesus!
Verse 33: "And they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and those with them assembled together, saying, 'In truth, the Lord has risen! And He has appeared to Simon.' Then they related the things that had happened to them on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of the bread" (vs 33-35).
Now then, another surprise, because a spirit being is not constrained by physical things:
Verse 36: "Now, as they were telling these things, Jesus Himself stood in their midst and said to them, 'Peace be to you.'"
Luke 24:39[transcriber's correction]: "See My hands and My feet, that it is I. Touch Me and see for yourselves; for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see Me having." Notice that He didn't say 'flesh and blood.'
Apparently, a spirit being can appear as a human being, but that's just the way that He appears. We can appear, as we saw before in a different form, unrecognizable.
Verse 40: "And after saying this, He showed them His hands and His feet. But while they were still disbelieving and wondering for joy, He said to them, 'Do you have anything here to eat?' Then they gave Him part of a broiled fish and a piece of honeycomb. And He took these and ate in their presence" (vs 40-43). I've found that fish and honey is really good; try it sometime!
John 20—now, here we are eight days later. We know that He was with them for forty days and forty nights doing many fantastic things, and showing the things concerning the Kingdom of God to them. Let's see what happened:
John 20:26: "Now, after eight days… [on the next Sabbath, inclusive counting] …His disciples again were within, and Thomas with them. Jesus came after the doors were shut, and stood in the midst and said, 'Peace be to you.' Then He said to Thomas, 'Put forth your finger, and see My hands; and reach out your hand, and put it into My side; and be not unbelieving, but believing.'" (vs 26-27).
- How about for us?
- How many times may doubts come up in our mind?
or
- Are we convicted in the Truth at all times?
In every situation, regardless of what they may be!
- God is always right
- God is always true
- His promises are always good
- He will hear us
- He will help us
The time may come when we are going to become as sheep to the slaughter! We don't know exactly when and how it's going to come, but the atmosphere in the world is building up toward it.
It doesn't matter what the circumstances are out here that should affect our belief in our heart and mind. But that we should always believe! There may be some things that we don't understand, which is true. But if we seek for understanding, God will give that, also, IF we need to have it.
But don't let anything take away from the belief that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the world, resurrected from the dead, the Firstborn from the dead, because that is the central thing of salvation!
Now let's see what Thomas said, it's very interesting what He said, v 28: "And Thomas answered and said to Him, 'My Lord and My God.'"
Think about that for a minute! Where does this go back to? The beginning of the Gospel of John:
John 1:1: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Verse 14: "And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us…"
John 20:29: "Jesus said to him, 'Because you have seen Me, Thomas, you have believed; blessed are the ones who have not seen, but have believed.'"
That's amazing! That's what it has to be for us. God does not want us to have an empty belief. He wants us to have a belief based upon facts, Truth and belief! You've got to have the facts and you've got to have the Truth!
Verse 30: "Now then, Jesus did many other miracles in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book. But these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing, you may have life through His name" (vs 30-31)—no other way!
Now let's look at some prophecies concerning Jesus, concerning His resurrection, concerning how these things were in the book of the Psalms.
Psa. 108 shows the attitude of Jesus while He was in the flesh. Tremendous thing! Great example for us! We have brand new booklet by James Meister: The Prophecies of Jesus in the Old Testament. That's an amazing thing, because this is what the apostles started preaching with. Remember, they did not have the New Testament.
Psalm 108:1: "O God, my heart is fixed…" Think about yours! Is it fixed in belief of God and Christ in spite of every:
- difficulty
- obstacle
- blessing
- intervention
- trial
Whatever it may be!
"…I will sing and I will give praise, even with my glory. Awake, harp and lyre; I will awake early. I will praise You, O LORD, among the people…" (vs 1-3). Isn't that what Jesus did with His ministry? Yes, of course!
"…and I will sing praises to You among the nations" (v 3). Think about what that's going to be during the Millennium!
Verse 4: "For Your mercy is great above the heavens… [the great mercy of God in everything] …and Your Truth reaches unto the clouds."
The conviction of the Truth and knowledge of that conviction of the Truth is how you fix your heart, that there is no wavering!
Verse 5: "Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and Your glory above all the earth, so that Your beloved… [Christ] …may be delivered… [which He was] …save with Your right hand, and answer me. God has spoken in His Holiness…" (vs 5-7). Quite a thing, yes, indeed! That's something!
Remember that Psa. 22 is all about the crucifixion!
Psalm 16:5: "The LORD is the portion of my inheritance and of my cup; You shall uphold my lot. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; yea, I have a beautiful inheritance" (vs 5-6)—looking to that resurrection!
Verse 9: "Therefore, My heart is glad, and My glory rejoices; My flesh also shall rest in safety, for You will not abandon My soul to the grave; neither will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You will make known to Me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy. At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore" (vs 9-11)—looking for everything of the resurrection!
Psalm 17:15: "As for me, I will behold Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Your likeness." That applies directly to Jesus Christ and secondarily to all of us at the resurrection! That's quite a thing!
- Psa. 22 is the crucifixion
- Psa. 23 is the resurrection
Psalm 23:1: "The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not [be in] want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul… [through the resurrection] …He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death… [which is what He did with the crucifixion] …I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me…. [they did] …You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies…. [all coming to kill Him] …You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life… [on into eternity] …and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever" (vs 1-6).
These are some of the thoughts of Jesus when He was resurrected!
We can apply Psa. 63 to David praying to God, and apply this to Jesus at the time of the resurrection. Why was Jesus able to endure everything He went through, and yet, remained faithful because He kept His mind always on God, and the Spirit of God in Him.
Psalm 63:1: "O God, You are my God, earnestly I will seek You! My soul thirsts for You. My flesh longs for You, as in a dry and thirsty land where no water is, to see Your power and Your glory as I have seen You in the sanctuary. Because Your loving kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You" (vs 1-3).
Even while He was hanging on the cross, these may have been some of the thoughts that Jesus had. He had to have had some of the thoughts that were between Him and the Father. This may have been part of it, we don't know.
Verse 4: "Thus I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips when I remember You upon my bed and meditate on You in the night watches. Because You have been my help, therefore, in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice" (vs 4-7).
The protection of God was always hovering over Him,but He had to go through what He went through; then be resurrected from the dead!
Verse 8: "My soul follows hard after You; Your right hand upholds me." Then He talks about those who seek to destroy Him, who are going to take Him down!
A lot of these Psalms tell us so many different things that we need to know.
- Psa. 22 is the crucifixion
- Psa. 23 is when He was resurrected
- Psa. 24 is His ascension into heaven, or the first day of the Wave Sheaf Offering
Psalm 24:1: "The earth is the LORD'S, and the fullness of it, the world, and those who dwell in it, for He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who shall stand in His Holy place?" (vs 1-3). Christ was the first!
Verse 4: "He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to vanity and has not sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD and righteousness from the God of his salvation" (vs 4-5).
We can kind of picture this when Jesus is ascending into heaven, going to God the Father. Remember that through all the life that Jesus lived in the flesh, how they communicated and saw each other was not direct face-to-face. Here He's ascending into heaven—as we find in Acts 1—and here's what's happening in heaven above as He's coming up:
Verse 7: "Lift up your heads, O you gates; and be lifted up, O you everlasting doors; that the King of glory may come in…. [Jesus Christ] …Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you everlasting doors; that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah" (vs 7-10).
Let's see what it may have been like when Jesus came before the Throne of God. Everything in the plan of God goes forward from the point of view of when Jesus ascended to sit at the right hand of God! Then all the things of the prophecies
- concerning salvation for the Church
- concerning the Church
- concerning Jesus
- concerning His life
- concerning His death
- concerning His resurrection
All of those things have been fulfilled!
What did Jesus see as He was ascending to the Father to be accepted as the sacrifice for the sin of the world? Isn't it interesting that this vision was given to John, the one whom Jesus loved.
Revelation 4:2: "And immediately I was in the Spirit… [let's apply this to Jesus Christ directly] …and behold, a throne was set in heaven, and One was sitting on the throne…. [that's the Father] …And He Who was sitting was in appearance like a jasper stone and a sardius stone; and a rainbow was around the throne, like an emerald in its appearance" (vs 2-3).
What is going to be like to be a spirit being and see these things ourselves, as John saw it here, and as Jesus saw when He was returning to the Father as the First of the firstfruits, as the perfect sacrifice of God.
Verse 4: "And around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments; and they had on their heads golden crowns. And proceeding from the thronewere lightnings and thunders and voices; and seven lamps of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, were burning before the throne" (vs 4-5). What a sight that must have been!
Verse 6: "And before the throne was a sea of glass, like crystal. And around the throne and over the throne were four living creatures, full of eyes before and behind; and the first living creature was like a lion, and the second living creature was like a bull, and the third living creature had the face of a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle" (vs 6-7). Awesome, indeed! There's the Father sitting right under these!
Verse 8: "And each of the four living creatures had six wings respectively; and around and within they were full of eyes; and day and night they cease not saying, 'Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was, and Who is, and Who is to come.' And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanksgiving to Him Who sits on the throne, Who lives into the ages of eternity" (vs 8-9).
Absolutely amazing! Quite a stunning vision that John had received with this!
Verse 10: "The twenty-four elders fall down before Him Who sits on the throne; and they worship Him Who lives into the ages of eternity, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 'Worthy are You, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power because You did create all things, and for Your will they were created and exist'" (vs 10-11). The whole plan of God just rehearsed before the Throne of God!
Christ Who is now making it possible—through His death and resurrection—and on this Wave Sheaf Offering Day to fulfill the will of God.
Now, everything that's happening on earth in the plan of God comes from Jesus Christ through God the Father. That's something to realize and understand. Everything is on schedule according to God's schedule. We may know some of it, but we don't know all of it. We don't know how long it is until the end, the end that really comes, but it's coming! God the Father is going to give the word, and Christ is going to execute it!
Revelation 5:1: "And in the right hand of Him Who sits on the throne I saw a book, written within and on the back, which had been sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, 'Who is worthy to open the book and to loose its seals?' But no one in heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth was able to open the book, or to look inside it. And I was weeping greatly because no one was found worthy to open and to read the book, or to look into it. Then one of the elders said to me, 'Do not weep. Behold, the Lion Who is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome to open the book, and to loose its seven seals'" (vs 1-5).
Verse 6: "Then I saw, and behold, before the throne and the four living creatures and before the elders was standing a Lamb ashaving been slain… [Jesus Christ] …having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God that are sent into all the earth."
Who are the seven horns? They have to be none other than the seven churches of Rev. 2 & 3, and Christ is the Head of all of those seven churches! And being connected to Christ at the head are in one body, though they are seven.
Verse 7: "And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him Who sits on the throne. And when He took the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having harps and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints" (vs 7-8).
That's interesting! It shows that our prayers come right up to God the Father! Amazing!
Verse 9: "And they sang a new song…" This is the song we are going to sing; this is enacting what's going to happen when the resurrection takes place, of all the saints, as well!
"…saying, 'Worthy are You to take the book, and to open its seals because You were slain, and did redeem us to God by Your own blood, out of every tribe and language and people and nation, and did make us unto our God kings and priests; and we shall reign on the earth'" (vs 9-10). A summary of the whole plan of God!
This is on the Ascension Day that Jesus went up to be accepted of God the Father. A tremendous thing, indeed! This is a day that is just between God the Father and Jesus Christ! The saints do not participate in this. The saints have no designated meeting to recognize this. But we know it from the Word of God, and we recognize it on the day of the Sabbath during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because on that day toward the end of the day, He was resurrected from the dead.
Verse 11: "And I saw and I heard the voices of many angels around the throne… [I wonder what that's going to be like?] …and the voices of the living creatures and the elders, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, 'Worthy is the Lamb Who was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory and blessing.' And every creature that is in heaven…" (vs 11-13). Think about:
- how important the plan of God is
- how important that it is that we understand and realize it
- how important that we are to God
He's called us and given us of His Spirit, and Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church and everything comes to us from God the Father through Jesus Christ. Everything that we do back to God—in love, worship, service and everything—is all wrapped up in this.
"…and on the earth, and under the earth, and those that are on the sea, and all the things in them, I heard saying… [this is going to be such a glorious thing, that the whole creation literally cries out to God] …'To Him Who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing, and honor, and glory, and sovereignty into the ages of eternity.'" (v 13).
That is the Ascension Day! The acceptance of Christ for the sin of the whole world, that goes all the way back to Adam and Eve! Christ was slain before the foundation of the world and the Word of God has carried it out. His plan has gone forth and God has called us to be a part of it.
Brethren, let's rejoice in it during this Feast of Unleavened Bread, and thank God that we have this connection with Him and the understanding of His Word, and the glory of His majesty that we can realize in our little own lives. We come to God with thanksgiving, love and joy! Amen!
Scriptural References:
- Leviticus 23:9-11
- Matthew 27:46-47, 54
- John 19:28-30
- Revelation 13:8
- John 19:30-35, 38-42
- Matthew 27:60-66
- Matthew 28:1
- Mark 16:2
- John 20:1-13
- Mark 16:3-12
- John 20:14-18
- 1 Corinthians 15:20-23
- Revelation 1:5
- Colossians 1:14-22
- Luke 24:13-31, 33-36, 39-43
- John 20:26-28
- John 1:1, 17
- John 20:29-31
- Psalm 108:1-7
- Psalm 16:5-6, 9-11
- Psalm 17:15
- Psalm 23:1-6
- Psalm 63:1-8
- Psalm 24:1-5, 7-10
- Revelation 4:2-11
- Revelation 5:1-13
Scriptures referenced, not quoted:
- Psalm 22
- Matthew 18
- Acts 1
- Revelation 2; 3
Also referenced:
Appendix J: The Three Days and Three Nights in the Tomb and the Resurrection After the Three Days and Three Nights (pg 1280-1 in The Holy Bible in Its Original Order, A Faithful Version)
Books:
- The Christian Passover by Fred R. Coulter
- The Day that Jesus the Christ Died by Fred R. Coulter
Booklet: The Prophecies of Jesus in the Old Testament by James Meister
FRC:bo
Transcribed: 3/1/20
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