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This sermon is going to be the introduction [in Second Section] for the book, God’s Plan for Mankind Revealed by His Sabbath and HolyDays.
Now, this book will have 30 [now 37] sermons and they will all be put on three CDs, MP3. And we will also entitle this, The Beginning and the Ending. Because what we are going to cover needs to be for an introduction, but we’ll also need to understand that what this book is: This is for those who know the Sabbath, know the Holy Days; and this book is not for someone who is brand new, who has never read the Bible. However, if you’re what might be called “a neophyte” and you have some understanding of the Bible, it will be difficult for you to understand most of what we’re going to cover here, so I suggest that you do this: While you begin here, you go through all the rest of the sermons in the book, and when you get to the end, come back to the beginning, so that’s why we’re calling it The Beginning and the Ending.
And I also thought on this, because at the time of doing this, we’re just about ready to write the introduction, preface and things like that for the book, everything else is ready to go. And, I was wondering what I would do for the introduction. And different things came to me that is what needs to be to explained about the Holy Days, the way they fall and the meaning of them. And why it is, that only those who know the Word of God will understand this; and why those who don’t know the Word of God will not understand it.
Let’s come to Matthew 13. Let’s see what Jesus Himself said, which we have covered at different times. Now, let’s begin here in verse 10, Matthew 13: “And He spoke many things to them in parables… [verse 10 now, Matthew 13]: …And His disciples came to Him and asked, ‘Why do You speak to them in parables?’ And He answered and said to them, ‘Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven…” Now mysteries is secret—God’s secret. We’ll see that it is a secret being opened for the understanding of those that God calls. And is also a mystery and a secret that is closing the minds of those who will not obey. So, we’ll see what He has here, what He has to say. “…but to them it has not been given’ (Matt. 13:3, 10-11).
Verse 12: “ ‘For whoever has understanding, to him more shall be given, and he shall have an abundance…’ ” and that’s what this book, The Plan of God Revealed by His Sabbath and Holy Days does—it gives understanding to those who have understanding and more understanding as we go along, and you will see why I say that. “…but whoever [continuing now, verse 12] does not have understanding, even what he has shall be taken away from him. For this reason I speak to them in parables, because seeing, they see not; and hearing, they hear not; neither do they understand” (vs 12- 13).
They can have the Bible, they can have Sunday services, they can have Sunday, Sunday school classes, but they keep their Halloween and Christmas and Easter and all the occult holidays. And, while I’m speaking of that, let me mention this: That if you are new to the Sabbath and Holy Days as shown in the Bible, let me suggest that you get the book, Occult Holidays or God’s Holy Days, Which? You can e-mail us, you can write us or you can call the office and we’ll be happy to send you a copy of it because you need to have the knowledge that is in that book before you can understand what is in this book.
So, continuing now: “And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which says, ‘In hearing you shall hear, and in no way understand; and in seeing you shall see, and in no way perceive; For the heart of this people has grown fat [that is through sin], and their ears are dull of hearing [because they want to do their own thing], and their eyes they have closed…” Which we know they have done with the Word of God so they can justify the way that they teach it. Now, here’s what happens: they are cut off from salvation till a later date. “…lest they should see with their eyes, and should hear with their ears, and should understand with their hearts, and should be converted, and I should heal them’ (vs 13-15).
Now let’s see this in operation. Let’s come back here to Isaiah 29:9, and here is another prophecy concerning why people don’t understand the Bible. Verse 9: “Be stunned and amazed! Blind your eyes and be blind! They are drunken…” Put in your margin, there, Rev. 17:2—‘they are drunken by the wine of the fornication of Babylon the Great,’ “…but not with wine…” not physical wine, but false doctrine “…they stagger, but not with strong drink, for the LORD has poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes; He has covered the prophets and your rulers, and the seers. And the vision of all has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed, which they give to one who is learned saying, ‘Please read this,’ and he says, ‘I cannot; for it is sealed.’ And the book is delivered to him who is not learned, saying, ‘Please read this,’ and he says, ‘I am not learned.’ And the LORD said [Now here is a key: you must be serious in your commitment to God, not curious about what the Bible may or may not say,] ‘Because this people draws near Me with their mouth, and with their lips honor Me, but their worship of Me is made up of the traditions of men learned by rote, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandments of men; therefore, behold, I will proceed to do again a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder, for the wisdom of their wise ones shall perish, and the wisdom of their intelligent ones shall vanish’ ” (Isaiah 29:9-14).
Now, verse 15-16: “Woe to those who go deep to hide their purpose from the LORD! And their works are in the dark, and they say, ‘Who sees us? And who knows us?’ Surely, you have turned things upside down…” And that’s what the pagan ‘Christianity’ of this world has done—and the religions of the world, they have turned God’s way upside down, and they don’t understand. And the very thing they ought to keep they don’t keep, and the very things that God say you shall not keep, they do keep. “…Shall the potter be regarded as the potter’s clay; for shall the work say of him who made it, ‘He did not make me?’ Or shall the thing formed say to him who formed it, ‘He had no understanding?’ ”
So, what happens with that? They don’t understand.
Now, let’s come back here to II Thessalonians 2 and let’s see something else that happens, because what needs to be—if you’re dealing with the, with, with the Bible you need to understand something very important: The Bible is the Truth of God. Jesus said, “Your word is the truth.” In Psalm 119 it says, “All Your commandments are true. Your law is true. All your precepts are true from the beginning.” And so, we need to understand, unless you are willing to be honest with yourself and honest with the Word of God and apply yourself to it, as we’ll see the way God wants it to be done, you will never understand. You’ll be just like the one to whom the book was given and you will say, “It is sealed.”
Now, let’s come to 2 Thessalonians 2:9, because this is talking about the coming one-world ruler, the beast of Revelation 13, and he’s going to proclaim himself to be God on earth. And there’s going to be a false prophet who’s going to endorse him as a manifestation of God in the flesh. Verse 9: “Even the one whose coming is according to the inner working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders…” So, if you don’t know the truth, you’ll never know what’s happening. “…And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in those who are perishing because…” now, note this very carefully “…they did not receive the love of the truth, so that they might be saved….” You must love the truth. God is true, God cannot lie, and most preachers and minister, theologian scholars immediately accuse God of lying. “…And for this cause, God will send upon them a powerful deception that will cause them to believe the lie, So that all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but who took pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thess. 2:9-12). Now then, he commends the brethren for doing what is right.
Now, let’s come back to the Old Testament again, Isaiah 28, because here’s the way we put the Word of God together; and here’s the way that it is understood. Now, while you’re turning to Isaiah 28:9, let me quote another Scripture in the New Testament: [2 Tim. 2:15]. You must [be] “rightly dividing the Word of the Truth.” Let’s understand something else that is, that is readily apparent. The Bible that you have has exactly the same alphabet to print the Word of God for you, so you can read it and understand that all of the evil books of witchcraft and pornography and all of those things have to explain Satan’s side of it. So that’s why you have to rightly divide the Word of Truth.
Now, here’s the one to whom God gives understand, as Jesus said, “It’s given to you to understand.” Verse 9: “Whom shall He teach knowledge? And whom shall He make to understand doctrine? Those who are weaned from the milk…” So, that’s why I say, it’s not for someone brand new, because those who are brand new need the ‘milk’ of the Word. And Paul says we need the ‘meat’. What is in this book is going to be ‘meat’, and what is in the introduction here, The Beginning and the Ending, is strong ‘meat’ and is going to require that you apply yourself to it to understand it. “…and drawn from the breasts” (Isa. 28:9). And then, this ties in with 2 Timothy 2:15.
“For precept must be upon precept, [so you have] precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little” (Isa. 28:10). And that’s how you understand the Bible. You compare the Truth with the Truth.
Now, one thing that is going to be amazing with this new book. There is going to be only one bibliography. Where as if you compare the bibliography with the New Testament, it has six pages of bibliography, because of all the commentary that goes with it. And the one book that’s going to be the bibliography is the Holy Bible In Its Original Order.
Now, that same process by which we understand the Word of God, [let’s look at it] in reverse. Because everything that God has there are two sides to the coin. By this same process, those who don’t understand, if they don’t take this procedure, they’re never going to understand. And that’s why Isaiah 29 covers that particular thing.
Now, let’s come back here to Matthew 13 again. Let’s make sure we finish that up. Now, back to Matthew 13. Let’s come down here to verse 16 and we’ll see again what Christ is laying out for us and how important what we’re able to understand at the end of the age is. And what we’re going to understand, brethren: it isn’t because we’re anything, and it isn’t because we deserve it; it is that God reveals in the time He’s ready to reveal. And there’s also a prophecy, a proverb, that says it’s God’s “delight” to hide something in the kings honor to discover it. And so, everything that God wants us to know about Him is in the Bible. And the words that are here are spiritually understood. And everything you need to know about God is contained, in between 1,000-1,500 pages, depending on the size of type and pages of the Bible that you have. Now, you compare that with the Library of Congress, and I’ve been there once and I was overwhelmed when I saw it, that they try and get every book that is published in the world to be there and cataloged. And yet, they don’t have the knowledge of God. What a fantastic thing that God does it in one book. So, this is why you have to have “precept upon precept, line upon line” and put it together. And here’s what happens, verse 16, Matthew 13: “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. For truly I say to you, many prophets and righteous men have desired to see what you see, and have not seen; and to hear what you hear, and have not heard” (vs 13-14).
Now, we’re going to cover quite a few things which have not been heard. Now, every one of the things that I’m going to cover in the introduction here, I have covered in a different way in the body of the book and the transcripts for this book. But, this puts it all together so we can get a good overview of everything that we are doing.
Now, let’s come to John 13 [I mean John 16]. And let’s see the promise here that Jesus gave, so that in the end-time we would know. John 16 and let’s pick it up in verse 12. John 16:12. “I have yet many things to tell you, but you are not able to bear them now….” See, even the apostles, they didn’t understand until later when Christ revealed it to them and He said: “… However, when that one has come, even the Spirit of the truth…” and the Spirit of God is the power of God, the Spirit of Truth from the God Who is true, Who cannot lie, Who will not lie and His Word is the truth. “…the Spirit of the truth, it will lead you into all truth…” and that’s what we can claim. Not because we’re anything, but because there is a time when God wants it revealed—and woe to those who understand it who don’t preach it, and then claim it as some great thing because of who they are. It won’t work! “…because it shall not speak from itself, but whatever it shall hear, it shall speak. And it shall disclose to you the things to come” (John 16:12- 13).
And so, that’s what we are going to see. Now, back to the Old Testament, let’s come to Psalm 119 and let’s see an astounding verse— 119:18. And here’s what we’re going to do, we’re going to claim this promise. And I want you to understand how tremendous this is. “Open my eyes, so that I may behold wondrous things out of Your law” (Psa. 119:18). Now, if you read in the margin, it says: Hebrew for “open,” it says, reveal. God has to reveal these things. And it’s quite a thing!
Now, what is contained in the law? Where are the Sabbath and Holy Days listed? In the law! And all that we understand from it comes from the rest of God’s Word as related to the Holy Days; As related to the Sabbath. Because these are days that God has made Holy where He puts His presence. And these are days, through His Word, that are vehicles that He uses to give us understanding. Now, let’s see how this is brought out by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 1: “In Whom…” That is Christ, and He is the One Who does the revealing. He is the One Who inspired the apostles. “…we have redemption through His blood…” And everything focuses in on Jesus Christ, “…even the remission of sins, according to the riches of His grace, which He has made to abound toward us in all wisdom and intelligence…” (Eph. 1:7-8)”
Listen, God wants us to be wise, to be intelligent, to educate ourselves with His Word, and the Bible is not just something written for uneducated— as the elite establishment scholars and theologians would say for those “lower” people to understand, see. No! “We great intellects understand.” No, they’re blinded. They are blinded. The Bible, the Word of God, coupled with the Holy Spirit is a life-time, extended education program by God to prepare you for eternal life. Very important to understand, because He wants us to have all wisdom— not some, not part, but all wisdom; and intelligence to be able to think; to be able to make wise choices; to be able to make righteous judgment, as we covered recently.
“Having made known to us the mystery…” and it is revealed through His Sabbath and Holy Days. The “mystery” is the secret of God, which the world cannot know. “…of His own will, according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Himself; that in the divine plan for the fulfilling of the times…” which is revealed in the Sabbath and Holy Days, “…He might bring all things together in Christ, both the things in the heavens and the things upon the earth; Yes, in Him, in Whom we also have obtained an inheritance, having been predestinated according to His purpose…” and that’s why this book. It shows plain the plan, the purpose, the intent, the love of God, the law of God, the truth of God, the prophecies of God, the meaning of the Holy Days, what God is doing and how it’s laid out there. “…Who is working out all things according to the counsel of His own will” (vs 9-11).
Now, let’s come down to verse 15, after Paul talks about receiving the “earnest of their salvation” and so forth. I covered that in one of the transcripts in the book.
“For this cause, I also, after hearing of the faith in the Lord Jesus that is among you, and the love toward all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers…” Now, here’s what he prayed. Now this prayer is written here so that we know what God wants us to learn. Now notice how tremendous this is: “…That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him…” See, that’s why we’re to grow in grace and knowledge; grow in understanding; grow in the Word of God. “…And may the eyes of your mind be enlightened…” That is the spiritual understanding that comes from God because of the interaction of God’s Holy Spirit in your mind. “…in order that you may comprehend…” He wants us to know “… what is the hope of His calling, and what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the inner working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above every principality and authority and power and lordship, and every name that is named—not only in this age, but also in the age to come; for He has subordinated all things under His feet, and has given Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body—the fullness of Him Who fills all things in all” (vs 15-23).
Now, let’s understand something: no man is the head of the Church. Christ is! All teachers, ministers, pastors, evangelists, apostles are on the sidelines to teach the brethren—because Jesus is the great Teacher. And John 6:45 says we’ll all be “taught of the Father” and that’s by the power of the Holy Spirit. And Jesus is the great Teacher. So, when Jesus said, “It is sufficient for the disciple [that is the learner] that he become as his teacher” (Matt. 10:25). And so, all of this, this book and everything that we do is to help bring you and lift you through the power of God’s Holy Spirit to understand the Word of God. And never in the history of the whole world have we had the opportunity to do it, especially here in the western world where we have peace; where we have understanding; where we have the Word of God; where we freedom of the assembly; we have freedom of thought—and all of these things. And God expects us to be zealously in there doing, and learning, and growing and overcoming for greatest goal possible: to be spirit beings in the Kingdom of God.
Now let’s see another principle. Let’s come to I Corinthians 2:4: so that we understand. Now, realize this: this church at Corinth was the most carnal of all the churches, filled with sin, filled with carnal competition. Even Paul said, “I wanted to bring you strong meat but you weren’t able to take it and I had to give you milk and you were hardly able to endure that.” And Paul reminded in the book of Hebrews, Chapter 5, that now’s the time to have “strong meat” rather than “milk.”
And so, [that is] what this book is designed to do and especially the introduction. So I say again, if you find it hard to follow, go through the whole book and come back to it periodically as you’re going through it.
Now notice I Corinthians 2:4: “And my message and my preaching was not in persuasive words of human wisdom; rather, it was in demonstration of the Spirit and of power; so that your faith might not be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Now we speak wisdom among the spiritually mature.” Now, the King James says “perfect,” but remember, we’re to become “perfect as the Father in heaven is perfect (Matt. 5:48), but this means “spiritually mature.” You have to have a level of understanding. “…however, it is not the wisdom of this world…” That’s why in the bibliography you won’t find a lot of books listed—only the Bible. “… nor of the rulers of this world, who are coming to nothing. Rather, we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery…” A mystery to the world, a mystery to those who don’t know, “…even the hidden wisdom that God foreordained before the ages unto our glory” (1 Cor. 2:4-7).
- Now, think about what God has given us.
- Think about what God has opened our minds to.
- Think about how tremendous that is, that we are being given knowledge and understanding which was before the ages ever began. Before the world was created!
So, this is amazing, amazing understanding. Now, verse 8: “Which not one of the rulers of this world has known [secular or religious] (for if they had known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory); but according as it is written…” Now, compare this to what we read in Matthew 13: “…The eye has not seen, nor the ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (vs 8-9). And what is the love of God? “This is the love of God that we keep His commandments and His commandments are not burdensome.” Jesus said, “If you love Me you will keep My commandments.” He said, “The one who loves Me will be keeping My words, and the Words which I give are not Mine but the Father’s Who sent them.” And that’s all tied up in this verse here. Verse 10: “...But God has revealed them to us…” That is, the apostles, now written in the Word of God: “…by His Spirit…” which we saw there in John 16:13— will reveal all truth to us “…for the Spirit searches all things—even the deep things of God” (v 10).
And what we’re going to cover today are some of the deeper things of God, deeper understanding that has actually been there all the time and we preached on them but haven’t put it together in this particular manner.
Verse 11: “For who among men understands the things of man except by the spirit of man which is in him? In the same way also, the things of God no one understands except by the Spirit of God. [Now notice] Now we have not received the spirit of the world…” What is the spirit of the world? Sunday keeping, Christmas, Easter, Halloween, all of the occult holidays. “…but the Spirit that is of God, so that we might know the things graciously given to us by God…” So any understanding we have is through the grace of God. And He wants us to have it but He’s not going to give it to those who are not going to use it. That’s why Jesus said, “Don’t cast your pearls before swine,” because they’ll trample on it. Now notice: “… Which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Holy Spirit in order to communicate spiritual things by spiritual means” (vs 11-13).
Now, hold your place here and turn to John 6—we’ll come right back here—John 6. Now John 6:63. Now combine this together with everything that we have done, because what we are doing here in this sermon, in this study of the Bible, is we’re doing exactly what we started out as, “precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little there a little.” Now notice verse 63: “It is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you, they are spirit and they are life” (John 6:63). That’s why Paul says, we compare spiritual things with spiritual things to understand the Word of God.
Now let’s come back to I Corinthians 2:14. And as we come back here to 1 Corinthians 2:14 and 15, what we need to realize is this, verse 14— and this confirms exactly what we’ve been covering, said in a little bit different way. Those who have knowledge, it will be given, those who don’t, their eyes will be closed and they’re carnal minded. Verse 14: “But the natural man [the one who does not have the Spirit of God] does not receive the things of the Spirit of God…” Because you have to have the Spirit of God in you to receive them and to receive the words that Jesus taught and inspired the apostles because they are spirit and they are life; “…for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2:14).
Now, with all of that said, we are ready to take the two pages of the chart; [see pages 68 and 69] and for the sake of this sermon I have numbered them #1 and #2. The chart #1 is a calendar chart showing the first month of the calculated Hebrew calendar and then an abbreviated count to Pentecost, just to save space, and then the seventh month. Now the reason being is that all the Holy Days of God are confined to the first month and Pentecost and the seventh month. Now, we’re going to see certain parallels as we go through. Now I want you to look at the first month. You’ll see across the top I have the days numbered with the Sabbath being the seventh day. I want you to come to the first day of the month—I have the days of the month written in the middle of the square, printed in the middle of the square. And I have a little square around them. The reason I do is this: Because, now, I’m going to assume you know where these Scriptures are in the book of Exodus and so forth.
First day of the first month God said—in Exodus 12—to Moses: “This is the beginning of months.” So the first day of the first month is the “beginning of months.” Now, come down to the first day of the seventh month—which, by the way is the Feast of Trumpets—and it is the beginning of the calendar year for the calculated Hebrew calendar. So, it has to do also with the year, but in this case, for calculating the whole year.
All right, notice again, the Feast of Trumpets, the first day of the seventh month, that’s when Jesus was born. Now, you can read in the Harmony about that and how we came to understand that. And, the first day of the seventh month pictures when Jesus returns to literally put His feet on the earth and the saints with Him to take over the governments of this world. So this becomes a very important thing. Now, let’s come back and look at some other things here. Let’s come back to the first month. And let’s come to the second Sabbath, which then is the tenth day of the first month. And this is where Moses was told by God, “In the tenth day of this [first] month they [the children of Israel] shall take to them [select] each man... a lamb [from the flock—a kid or a goat.]” Very important!
As we will see, and you can look in the Harmony, in Chapter 12 of the Gospel of John, when the voice came from heaven that was when God the Father selected Jesus Christ on the tenth day of the first month to be the Lamb sacrificed to take away the sin of the world. So you have both. You’ve got Old Testament and New Testament.
Now remember, as we started out, God revealed to us, or opened to us, “marvelous things out of Your law.” This is all part of it.
Now, I want you to notice something else. We have there, notice, down in the lower left-hand corner of the tenth day of the first month where “Lamb Christ” is “selected” I have a number 1 circled. Now, follow the circled count, which is the Sabbath. One, two, three, four, five. And day five is the Passover day from when Jesus was selected.
Now then, what is the number of grace? Five—and it’s by the grace of God that we receive the blood of Jesus Christ for the remission of our sins to be under grace. Isn’t that interesting.
All right, let’s count six, seven, eight. Now, we’re going to find that the number eight is associated with the resurrection. Jesus was resurrected on the eighth day after He was selected. And He was resurrected at the end of the Sabbath and did not ascend until the next morning. So when He was resurrected, He stood up before God, and as I’ve covered in some of the sermons, He thanked God for raising Him from the dead and all of the different things that we have covered there. So remember day number eight—very important to understand.
Now, in these verses, not verses, but in these days I also have beginning on the eighth day of the first month, which you will find detailed in the Harmony of the Gospels, is six days before the Passover. So, in the upper left-hand corner—not circled or boxed—I have beginning on the eighth day of the first month: one, two, three, four, five, six and after that, at sunset, that’s when they kept the Passover, that’s why there’s that little slash line on day thirteen, showing that when the 13th day ended and the 14th day began, that’s when they kept the Passover.
Now, isn’t it interesting, all these things come together. Now, let’s understand something else. We’ll see some [other] things concerning day number eight. Write these down for day number eight. It has to do with circumcision.
Now, let’s see a parallel in the seventh month, in selecting of a sacrificial lamb again, a kid of the goats—on the seventh month, on the tenth day. You can put in your notes there: Leviticus 16.
Now notice, on page two, I have “7—10”: two goats selected, that’s on the Day of Atonement, the tenth day. So, you have the tenth day of the first month, the lamb was selected, a type of Christ; and we have the Passover on the fourteenth. Now here, what we’re dealing with in the first month is this: Number one, we’re dealing with the salvation of Israel being taking out of Egypt; and then when Christ comes, we’re dealing with the salvation of the individuals that God calls. Because God is not calling the world, at this time. He’s not saving the world, at this time. He’s only calling and saving those that He calls.
So, when Christ was selected, this is the Lamb to cover the sins of each one individually. God hasn’t provided it for the world yet. But when we come to the seventh month, the tenth day—the Day of Atonement—then God provides it. And in order to save the world there has to be something else that takes place. That’s why on the tenth day of the seventh month there were two goats selected: one for the Lord, one for Azazel because in order to get rid of sin to save the masses of the people, you must get rid of Satan! Because as long as he’s around there’s going to be sin.
That’s why those that are called now for the first resurrection, given the Holy Spirit, they have to fight against Satan, they have to overcome Satan, they have to overcome the temptations of the flesh, and that’s why the first resurrection is a “better” resurrection. However, before the millennium begins when the great harvest is going to take place, Satan is removed. Now, let’s look again on number eight. I said, we would look to number eight, because Christ was raised on the eighth day. Let’s look at some other things. What we’ll do is, I’ll just quote the Scriptures and we will talk about it:
Eighth day: Circumcision—that’s when the young boy is accepted into the community of God. Circumcision, eighth day: that was a covenant that God made with Abraham. So put down: Genesis 17:12; Genesis 21:4; Leviticus 12:3. Now, also put down there, Luke 2:21, because Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day.
Now, before we get any further, let’s look at some other things concerning the “eighth day.” This has to do with uncleanness for seven days and then on the eighth day. And what we’re going to see, the eighth day represents when we stand before God.
When Jesus was resurrected, did He stand before God? Yes!
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When Jesus was circumcised, was that before God? Yes!—accepted of God.
Okay, now, when you’re unclean—and we’re all unclean in our sins, correct? And the ultimate uncleanness is what? Corruption of the flesh in the grave, is it not? And the resurrection we’re going see in a little bit, will also be on an “eighth day,” and we’ll stand before God and be clean and pure and spiritual. Okay, cleansing: Leviticus 14:8- 10, on the eighth day, after they have bathed at the end of the seventh, then they come on eighth day and bring their offering before God. Leviticus 14:23: same thing. Leviticus 15:13-15 and Leviticus 15:28-30. Let me read those again: Leviticus 14:8-10; Leviticus 14:23; Leviticus 15:13-15 and Leviticus 15:28-30.
Now, also, also, we need to look at Pentecost. The resurrection of Jesus was on the eighth day, correct? after He was selected. Now, let’s come here and let’s count Pentecost, let’s count Pentecost. Wave Sheaf Offering Day: the eighteenth day of the first month. Now, we’ll come back and look at some of these other numbers here again—okay. The first week ends on the 24th, and I number the weeks with a triangle with a number in it. So, you’ll see on the twenty-fourth day of the first month there’s a number one in a triangle.
On the first day of the second month there’s a two with a triangle. Well, rather than just put in all the weeks, what I did: I put to the right of it a number six in a triangle. And that brings us to the seventh week. Let’s count the days of the seventh week beginning with day 43: 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49—7x7+1=50.
But, if you will notice, I also numbered them with a number in a circle, because the last week is seven days, right?: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7—on the seventh Sabbath. And on the morrow after the seventh Sabbath has to be the first day of the week, can never be Monday. And once you understand something very, very important concerning the Wave Sheaf Offering Day at the beginning up here on the day after the Sabbath. The Hebrew is absolutely clear, beyond any doubt, when it says, “on the next day after the Sabbath” the Hebrew for Sabbath is ha shab-bat—and that means “the Sabbath.” All Holy Days being Sabbaths are “a” Sabbath, never “the” Sabbath. So, that should end anything concerning a Monday Pentecost. Because you cannot have a Monday Pentecost and have the day of Pentecost on the fiftieth day after the seventh Sabbath— it’s an impossibility because Monday is the day after the first day which is the second day.
So, it doesn’t say on the second day after the seventh Sabbath. It says “on the day after the seventh Sabbath.”
Now, notice as you count the last week, Pentecost becomes the eighth day, doesn’t it? Yes! And eight is associated with what? The resurrection, a new beginning. And the Day of Pentecost is also another thing, it’s the first day of the eighth week, which is symbolic: the first day of the rest of eternity for those who are in the first resurrection. Now, go to the different sermons that we have in there concerning the resurrection.
Now, let’s look at some other things here. Let’s come to Matthew 27. This is very interesting— Matthew 27. And I think this is going to be really something. Matthew 27:50: “And after crying out again with a loud voice, Jesus yielded up His spirit [verse 51]. Then suddenly the veil of the temple was ripped in two from top to bottom, and the earth shook, and the rocks were split, so that the tombs were opened.” Now follow this carefully. “And many bodies of the saints who had died, were resurrected.” Now, these must have been those who recently died. “…After His resurrection…” when was He resurrected? At the end of the Sabbath, correct? When would they appear? On the Wave Sheaf Offering Day. So there were a lot of the things going on, on the Wave Sheaf Offering Day. “…they came out of the tombs. Then they entered into the holy city, and appeared to many” (vs 50-53).
Now, let’s look, let’s look at the count here. All right, you have in another little circle, above the circle that we covered. Let’s come to the fifteenth day of the first month—okay—because Jesus was put in the tomb right as the fourteenth ended and the fifteenth began. So, look at that number one in the little circle. We have one, two, three (on the Sabbath), that should read a three, and the Wave Sheaf Offering Day when they appeared to everyone was day four—half of a spiritual resurrection of eight, correct?
Now, question: How long was Lazarus dead before he was raised back to a physical life? Four days! Because Martha said, “Lord, he’s been dead four days.” So four is a resurrection number back to physical life. When God determines to bring someone back to life, in this case, it’s counted as four. So, that’s why Jesus did it. And He also brought them back to life in a physical life because you must qualify for salvation while you’re in the flesh. And these were those who were called but died, never had an opportunity for salvation because the Holy Spirit was not yet given, so they came back to life and appeared to many on the Wave Sheaf Offering Day.
Can you imagine what all the Jewish leaders were going through trying to put out all these fires. Now, the reason that these saints who were resurrected had to be contemporary and were called because of the preaching of Jesus, but died before the giving of the Holy Spirit, [the] reason it had to be them, because someone who was alive could come in and say, “I’m so-and-so and I was resurrected”— and you don’t know whether that’s so or not. But, if you know that you buried Aunt Martha or your buried Uncle Charlie or you buried your mother or father and they come back and appear to you—you know that’s who they are and that’s a tremendous witness.
People who died were called, were being called and died during the, the ministry of Jesus Christ. It would have to be those.
Now, let’s come to the seventh month again. Let’s come to the Feast of Tabernacles, the third Sabbath, the fifteenth day of the seventh month. Oh, as you’re coming down you go Trumpets. The first of the month, [then] you have the next Sabbath which is the eighth, and that’s when Jesus was circumcised. He was circumcised on the Sabbath day. All right, now you come to the fifteenth day of the seventh month, and notice, I again have numbers in the lower left-hand corner.
How many days is the Feast of Tabernacles?
Seven days
All right, remember how I have preached and we have learned that those who qualify for salvation during the millennium will not have to die and be buried and resurrected. There will be no resurrection of people during the millennium. They will, when they qualify for eternal life they will be in the same category as the saints who are alive when Jesus returns, who are changed in a moment, in an instant, in a “twinkling of an eye” and they will go from flesh to spirit and enter into the spiritual kingdom of God as they qualify through the sacrifice of Christ, through the grace of God, through loving God and living and proving that through God’s help and Spirit that they are worthy of eternal life. Those who do not qualify do what? They die and are buried and wait for the resurrection of the wicked.
Now notice, there is the eighth day. And isn’t it interesting, the last day—the eighth day— that’s the day of what? That’s the day of the second resurrection. See, Revelation 20 says, “(But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were completed.)” Eight, again, is associated with a resurrection. And in this case, back to physical life, so it’s two times four, which means a second opportunity of physical life, for a first opportunity for salvation.
Now the resurrection, to have an opportunity for salvation, is the first phase of the second resurrection. (The second phase of the second resurrection is the resurrection of all of those who committed the unpardonable sin down through time.) They will all be raised together, given a physical life—those who are called to salvation and have a chance for eternal life.
[However] the second phase of the second resurrection will take place at the end of the hundred- year period. All the wicked will be raised to their second life. All of those during the Great White Throne Judgment who live a hundred years and do not accept salvation will remain alive to stand along side all the incorrigible wicked who are raised and they will all together be cast into the lake of fire. Very interesting how all of that comes together.
Now, let’s look at this here. Let’s come back to page two. The resurrection:
- Jesus Christ was resurrected on the eighth day after His selection on the tenth. Ten to seventeen—now notice why it’s important to count, because if you merely subtract you only have seven days. That’s why you have to count inclusively. So that’s why you have to look at the calendar to do it. So, the resurrection of Jesus occurred on the 8th day after He was selected.
- Now come to Pentecost. All the saints in the first resurrection, which is the eighth day after the seventh Sabbath, which is the first day of the eighth week. So notice in the three seasons that, that we are to come before God, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day, there is a resurrection associated with each three. Christ, the saints and then:
- The Last Great Day, when those who are raised, receive and opportunity for eternal life and the wicked are raised to die the second death. In order to die twice, you have to live twice.
Now, let’s look at the symmetry of what God has done here. This is really something! We have the Passover plus the Days of Unleavened Bread is 1+7=8, correct? Yes.
We have Tabernacles, [it] is just the inverse: 7+1=8.
Now, let’s look at the Holy Days: Though there are eight feasts, because the Passover is a feast, there are only seven Holy Days. Two during Unleavened Bread, one for Pentecost, one for Trumpets, one for Atonement, one for Tabernacles and one for the Last Great Day.
See how all of those fit together. This is really quite, quite something, when you look at how God has set this. And look at the parallels between the first month and the seventh month. The first day of the first month is the beginning of months. The first day of the seventh month is the beginning of the year—calculated Hebrew calendar. It is the day that Jesus was born. It is the day that Jesus will return.
The first day of the tenth month Christ was selected as the Lamb of God for the sins of the world. In the seventh month on the tenth day of the seventh month, you have the selection of Christ again for the world and the removal of Satan the devil. So you have a parallel. Tenth day of the first month, tenth day of the seventh month.
Isn’t that interesting how that comes along. Notice, you have the fifteenth day of the first month begins the Feast of Unleavened Bread, correct? Yes. You have the fifteenth day of the seventh month begins the Feast of Tabernacles, correct? Yes.
Then of course, you have the Passover to start Unleavened Bread and then you’ve got the Last Great Day to end the Feast of Tabernacles. So, here we have a very interesting overview, which gives us more understanding concerning what God is doing, how God is doing it, the way that He is doing it, and what it means for us and how you can understand the Holy Days in this special book, God’s Plan for Mankind Revealed by His Sabbath and Holy Days.
And as you view these, you’re going to see why God uses the calculated Hebrew calendar. Let me just mention here: There’s evidence in the beginning that it was, the year was 12 months long, 30 days in a month, 360 days in a year. That’s why, have you ever wondered why in a circle they have 360 degrees? But the circle that the earth now circles the sun is not 360, and that’s because of the sins of man. And that’s because of the astronomical events that took place on the earth and also the promise that God gave to Hezekiah to move the sun back ten degrees on the sundial. Now, He didn’t stop the earth and bam! everything is all destroyed because you stopped the earth and you move it back. No!
It was calculated that the way that you get the extra 5-1/2, 5-1/4 days per years is that in order to go back ten degrees, you move the earth slightly out of its orbit by 1.4 percent. So that’s why we have 365-1/4 days today. That’s why the calendar must be calculated. And all of those who have their own visual calendar are not in sequence or in synchronization with the calculated Hebrew calendar and they’re either always early or they’re always late because they don’t believe God; and they don’t believe that the calculated Hebrew calendar is what God gave. They believe the propaganda and teachings of men.
So, with this overview, it shows you the comparison between the first month and the seventh month. And it shows in each one of the Feasts there is a resurrection involved. So, that’s something!
All right, well I hope you’re able to understand it. If not, take the chart, go back over it again and see what you can do. But this helps us understand God’s plan for mankind. And notice: Not one book or one thing that was read from any other book than the Bible. And it all begins with the law, “reveal to me wondrous things out of Your law.”
I hope that this book will illuminate you with the Word of God.
Scriptural References
- 1.) Matthew 13:10-15
- 2.) Isaiah 29:9-16
- 3.) Psalm 29:9-16
- 4.) II Thessalonians 2:9-10
- 5.) Isaiah 28:9-10
- 6.) Matthew 13:16
- 7.) John 16:12-13
- 8.) Psalm 110:18
- 9.) Ephesians 1:7-11, 15-23
- 10.) I Corinthians 2:4-13
- 11.) John 6:63
- 12.) I Corinthians 2:14
- 13.) Matthew 27:50-53
Referenced Scriptures not quoted:
- Revelation 17:2
- Psalm 119
- Revelation 13
- II Thess. 2:4 (Actually II Timothy 2:15)
- Isaiah 29
- John 6:45
- Hebrews 5
- Matthew 5:48
- Exodus 12
- John 12
- Leviticus 16
- Genesis 17:12, 21:4
- Leviticus 12:3
- Luke 2:21
- Leviticus 14:8-10. 23
- Leviticus 15:13-15, 28-30
- Revelation 20
Referenced Material:
- Occult Holidays or God’s Holy Days, Which?
- Three Festival Seasons Chart
- Harmony of the Gospels
