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Restoring Original Christianity—for Today!
Christian Biblical Church of God
Post Office Box 1442
Hollister, California 95024-1442
(831)-637-1875
Fred R. Coulter,
Minister
April 22, 2015
Dear Brethren,
Just look at the Middle East! It is in constant turmoil and war, with violence flowing from ISIS and Iran throughout the region. The situation is a reflection of the fact that the Obama Administration's foreign policy is one of complete incompetence. As a result of ineptness and weakness, our supposed allies do not trust us. In fact, we are treating them like enemies and treating our enemies, especially Iran, as our friends!
Meanwhile, ISIS and Iran are moving to take over the entire region. Indeed, Iran has almost taken all of Yemen. The mightiest military power on earth, the once proud USA, did not so much as lift a finger to stop the fall of Yemen. All U.S. personnel and military advisors suddenly left Yemen in utter defeat! They had to flee so quickly that they left all their weapons and vehicles, as well as vital intelligence information, when they were forced to abandon our embassy in Sanaa. Indeed, God is breaking the pride of our power (Lev. 26:19).
In the Islamic world, things are so bad that the League of Arab States, consisting of 22 nations, has had to ban together to fight against the Iranian backed Shiite Houthi Muslims who have taken over Yemen and are threatening Saudi Arabia. (The League includes Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.) It would be disastrous if they took the city of Mecca, the most important center of Muslim worship in the world. Saudi Arabia and Egypt have responded with air strikes against the Houthi to prevent attacks on Saudi Arabia and a move toward Mecca.
The predominantly Sunni Arab League likely arises from the ten nations that will be against modern Israel and the Jewish nation in the latter days. Psalm 83 predicts this: "Keep not silent, O God; do not be quiet, and do not be still, O God, for lo, Your enemies are in an uproar; and those who hate You have lifted up their head. They take crafty counsel against Your people, and plot together against Your hidden ones. They have said, 'Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, so that the name Israel may be remembered no more.' For with one heart they have plotted together; they have made a covenant against You—the tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagrites; Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the people of Tyre; and Assyria has joined with them; they have helped the children of Lot" (verses 1-8).
Iran is called Persia in the Bible. Their ultimate goal is to annihilate the Jews in Palestine and bring "Death to America!" However, the Iranian Imams and political leaders would do well to read the book of Esther. They would then realize that the true God will not allow such an event to take place. Notice this end-time prophecy concerning Jerusalem in the book of Zechariah: "Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people all around, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people. All who burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the nations of the earth be gathered together against it.
" 'In that day,' says the Lord, 'I will strike every horse with terror, and his rider with madness. And I will open My eyes upon the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the people with blindness. And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, "The people of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of hosts their God." In that day I will make the governors of Judah like a hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire among the sheaves. And they shall devour all the people all around, on the right hand and on the left hand…' " (Zech. 12:2-6).
When Jesus Christ returns, He will come with all the resurrected saints to destroy the wicked—their armies, the Beast, and the False Prophet. "Behold, the day of the Lord comes, and your spoil shall be divided in your midst: 'For I will gather all nations to battle against Jerusalem; and the city shall be taken, and the houses plundered, and the women raped. And half of the city shall go into exile, and the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city.'
And the Lord shall go out and fight against those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle. And His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall split in two, from the east and to the west, and make a very great valley. And half of the mountain shall move toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And you shall flee to the valley of My mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. And the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with You" (Zech. 14:1-5).
God will save the Jews first! "The Lord also shall save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the people of Jerusalem may not be magnified above Judah. In that day the Lord shall defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem…" (Zech. 12:7-8).
Today, Islamic terrorist organizations, affiliated with ISIS, are spreading to many other countries—killing hundreds of people in Tunisia, Libya, Nigeria and Kenya. They are mounting terrorist attacks in Europe as well. Their goal is to kill anyone who claims to be a "Christian." This may be an indication of what is coming for true Christians as well!
Jesus warned His disciples that these things would happen. In fact, such events started right after the Church began and has continued down to our time. Today, these scriptures read like the daily news: "And you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you do not let these things disturb you. For it is necessary that all these things take place, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines and pestilences and earthquakes in different places. Now all these things are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to affliction, and shall kill you; and you shall be hated by all nations for My name's sake" (Matt. 24:6-9).
It is exactly as Jesus prophesied it would be. Therefore, we need to put our trust in God the Father and Jesus Christ. We must look beyond the present troubles and keep our minds on the return of Christ, the first resurrection to eternal life, and our glorious future as the sons and daughters of God. As Jesus promised: "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation. But be courageous! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).
Fight the Good Fight of Faith Unto Perfection Through Jesus Christ
From the recent phone calls, e-mails and letters, it is evident that God has blessed us all with an outstanding Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread. The entire meaning of the Passover and the Feast can be summed up in this phrase: fight the good fight of faith unto perfection. In His last prayer, Jesus prayed for this perfection for us: "Even as You did send Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, so that they also may be sanctified in Your truth. I do not pray for these only, but also for those who shall believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, even as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, in order that the world may believe that You did send Me. And I have given them the glory that You gave to Me, in order that they may be one, in the same way that We are one: I in them, and You in Me, that they may be perfected into one; and that the world may know that You did send Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me" (John 17:18-23).
To attain this perfection through His love and grace, God has ordained that we learn by keeping His commandments (Psa. 111:10; John 14:14-21), which in turn reflects our love for God (I John 5:2-3). Through His annual festivals, God reveals His awesome plan of eternal life for us—and ultimately for all mankind. A great lesson of the Passover and Unleavened Bread is that God has called and chosen us. We answered His call through the repentance of our sins and He has forgiven all of our sins through our Lord and Savior—Jesus Christ. After baptism, with His Holy Spirit within us and by the continuous grace of God in which we stand, we have direct contact with God the Father. Paul writes: "But God, Who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, has made us alive together with Christ. (For you have been saved by grace.)… For through Him we both [Jew and Gentile] have direct access by one Spirit to the Father" (Eph. 2:4-5, 18).
Through the spiritual inner workings of God's Holy Spirit in us, He leads us and teaches us through our study of His Word (Rom. 8:14; John 6:45). Through prayer, we communicate with the Father and His Son daily. This is how God separates us from the world, even while we still live in the world. Notice the contrast between the wicked and the righteous: "The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is His delight. The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but He loves him who pursues righteousness" (Prov. 15:8-9).
We find the same admonition in the New Testament, as Paul wrote to Timothy: "But you, O man of God [put your name there], flee these things [the sins and pleasures of this world], and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and meekness. Fight the good fight of the faith! Take hold of eternal life to which you were also called…" (I Tim. 6:11-12).
The apostle John describes how we are to live our lives and use the Spirit of God in deed and in truth: "My little children, we should not love in word, nor with our tongues; rather, we should love in deed and in truth. And in this way we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him, that if our hearts condemn us [because of sin], God is greater than our hearts, and knows all things [and will forgive us when we repent].
"Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, then we have confidence toward God. And whatever we may ask we receive from Him because we keep His commandments and practice those things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is His commandment: that we believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and that we love one another, exactly as He gave commandment to us. And the one who keeps His commandments is dwelling in Him, and He in him; and by this we know that He is dwelling in us: by the Spirit which He has given to us" (I John 3:18-24).
This is how we are to live our lives and walk in the ways of God, using His Holy Spirit, coupled with His Word. One of the most powerful psalms to help us grow in grace and knowledge is Psalm 119. The psalm reveals marvelous insight into how God thinks. Many times I have thought that this entire psalm could be a prophecy of Jesus' thoughts concerning the ways of God—His commandments, laws, statutes, ordinances, testimonies, precepts and ways. We are to use these teachings in our daily lives: "Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they who keep His testimonies and who seek Him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity; they walk in His ways" (verses 1-3).
"Make me to understand the way of Your precepts, and so shall I speak of Your wonderful works. My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to Your word. Remove from me the way of lying, and grant me Your law graciously. I have chosen the way of truth; I have laid Your judgments before me. I cleave to Your testimonies; O Lord, do not put me to shame. I will run the way of Your commandments for You shall enlarge my heart" (verses 27-32)
"Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes, and I shall keep it unto the end. Give me understanding, that I may keep Your law and observe it with all my heart. Make me to walk in the path of Your commandments, for I delight in them" (verses 33-35).
Jesus summed it up this way: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6).
When we combine all of these factors in our daily lives, we are able to grow in grace and knowledge and develop the mind of Christ and the character of God. This is the process of going on to perfection as we overcome self, the sin within, the world, and Satan the devil. Notice how the apostle Paul explains it: "Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and lawlessness have in common? And what fellowship does light have with darkness? And what union does Christ have with Belial? Or what part does a believer have with an unbeliever? And what agreement is there between a temple of God and idols?
"For you are a temple of the living God, exactly as God said: 'I will dwell in them and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Therefore, come out from the midst of them and be separate,' says the Lord, 'and touch not the unclean, and I will receive you; and I shall be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters,' says the Lord Almighty. Now then, beloved, since we have these promises, we should purge ourselves from every defilement of the flesh and the spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (II Cor. 6:14-18; 7:1).
Jesus promised on the night of His last Passover that both He and the Father would dwell in us through the power of God's Holy Spirit: "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him" (John 14:23).
Now, as the spiritual children of God the Father through Christ, we look forward to the Feast of Pentecost. We are the firstfruits of God's spiritual creation (James 1:18). If we remain faithful to God, believe God, trust God, and love God with all our hearts, He will continue to perfect us through the power of His Holy Spirit.
As pictured by the Feast of Pentecost, we are destined to be raised from the dead; or, if we are alive at Christ's return, we will become spirit-born sons and daughters of God.
The Meaning of the Feast of Pentecost
Pentecost and Mount Sinai: After God led the children of Israel out of Egypt and they crossed the Red Sea, they came to Mount Sinai following a nearly seven-week journey. God then personally spoke the Ten Commandments to them. After writing the Commandments on tables of stone, He gave them to Moses. After that, Moses wrote down the rest of the ordinances and statutes that God gave to the children of Israel to form the complete covenant between Himself and Israel. Then the covenant was ratified in a special sacrificial ceremony: "And Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord, and all the judgments. And all the people answered with one voice and said, 'All the words which the Lord has said, we will do.'
"And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord, and rose up early in the morning, and built an altar at the base of the mountain and twelve pillars according to the twelve tribes of Israel. And he sent young men of the children of Israel who offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of bullocks to the Lord. And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basins, and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the ears of the people. And they said, 'All that the Lord has said we will do, and be obedient.' And Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, 'Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord has made with you concerning all these words' " (Ex. 24:3-8).
This ceremony finalized the proposal God gave to them after they first arrived at Sinai—that they would be a special kingdom and a holy nation: "And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, 'Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the children of Israel, "You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you unto Myself. Now therefore, if you will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel' " (Ex. 19:3-6). Thus, as God said, "Israel was holiness to the Lord, and the firstfruits of His increase…" (Jer. 2:3). Indeed, on this first "Feast of Pentecost" at Sinai, Israel became the firstfruits to God of the nations of the world.
Pentecost and Mount Sion: In the New Testament, Pentecost pictures God sending the Holy Spirit in great power, which was the actual beginning of the Church of God, built on the foundation of Jesus Christ and the apostles. Because God chose Jerusalem as the location of His Temple (built by King Solomon), the Church likewise began at the Temple of God. If God had poured out His Holy Spirit on the apostles and disciples in any other place, the Jews would not have believed that it was from God. However, as we will see, this was a tremendous event in God's great plan: "And when the day of Pentecost, the fiftieth day, was being fulfilled, they were all with one accord in the same place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like the rushing of a powerful wind, and filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them divided tongues as of fire, and sat upon each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit; and they began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them the words to proclaim" (Acts 2:1-4).
The way God poured out His Spirit—in the presence of multiple thousands of Jews assembled at the Temple observing Pentecost—left no doubt that this was a powerful act of God! By causing the apostles to speak in numerous other languages by the power of the Holy Spirit, God was clearly showing His personal, divine intervention. This was not the work of men, but of God. This amazing display of divine power also provided a spiritual seal of authority from God, confirming that the apostles were His called and chosen witnesses:
"Now there were many Jews who were sojourning in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. And when word of this went out, the multitude came together and were confounded, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. And they were all amazed, and marveled, saying to one another, 'Behold, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that we hear each one in our own language in which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and those who inhabit Mesopotamia, and Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, both Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya which are near Cyrene, and the Romans who are sojourning here, both Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians; we hear them speaking in our own languages the great things of God.' And they were all amazed and greatly perplexed, saying to one another, 'What does this mean?' " (Acts 2:5-12).
After silencing a few detractors, Peter stood up to preach a powerful message about the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ to the thousands gathered at the Temple. After convicting many of them in conscience, he called on them to repent to God for their sins and for their participation in and agreement with the crucifixion of Christ: " 'Therefore, let all the house of Israel know with full assurance that God has made this same Jesus, Whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.' Now after hearing this, they were cut to the heart; and they said to Peter and the other apostles, 'Men and brethren, what shall we do?' Then Peter said to them, 'Repent and be baptized each one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you yourselves shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'
" 'For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all those who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God may call.' And with many other words he earnestly testified and exhorted, saying, 'Be saved from this perverse generation' " (Acts 2:36-40). As a result, three thousand were baptized and added to the Church on that Pentecost. For those baptized who were actually involved in the crucifixion of Jesus, they received the forgiveness Jesus had asked of the Father when He was first nailed to the cross: "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34). This is how the Church began on the day of Pentecost in 30 AD.
Jesus Christ, the first raised from the dead, was the forerunner (Heb. 6:20). Also, in Leviticus 23:10-11, "the premier sheaf of the firstfruits" waved before God foreshadowed Jesus' ascension into heaven to be accepted by God as the "first of the firstfruits." In addition to being the first of the firstfruits, Jesus is also called "the firstborn from among the dead" (Col. 1:18; Rev. 1:5) and "the firstborn among many brethren" (Rom. 8:29).
God brought ancient Israel to Mount Sinai to receive the commandments of God and enter into a covenant with Him as His people. Likewise, at the first resurrection, the brethren of Christ will be brought by the angels to Mount Sion in heaven above to meet Jesus. At that time, we will see God the Father when Jesus presents us to Him: "Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me" (Heb. 2:13).
Our calling and destiny are wonderful indeed! Notice Paul's exhortation as he compares our calling to that of ancient Israel gathered at Mount Sinai: "Therefore, lift up the hands that are hanging down, and revive the weakened knees; and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned aside; but let it rather be healed. Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord; looking diligently, lest anyone fall from the grace of God....
"For you have not come to the mount [Sinai] that could be touched and that burned with fire, nor to gloominess, and fearful darkness, and the whirlwind; and to the sound of the trumpet, and to the voice of the words, which those who heard, begged that the word not be spoken directly to them. (For they could not endure what was being commanded: 'And if even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned, or shot through with an arrow.' And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, 'I am greatly afraid and trembling.')
"But you have come to Mount Sion, and to the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem; and to an innumerable company of angels; to the joyous festival gathering; and to the church of the firstborn, registered in the book of life in heaven; and to God, the Judge of all; and to the spirits of the just who have been perfected; and to Jesus, the Mediator of the New Covenant; and to sprinkling of the blood of ratification, proclaiming superior things than that of Abel" (Heb. 12:12-15, 18-24).
We are called the "church of the firstborn" (Heb. 12:23) and the firstfruits to God (James 1:18). This means that the remainder of the seven-week barley harvest pictures those who will be resurrected to eternal life in the first resurrection. The pattern of the "seven churches" in Revelation 2 and 3 parallels the 7 weeks of counting to Pentecost, with the 50th day picturing the first resurrection to eternal life.
Again, we find the same pattern—Jesus Christ the Firstfruit, then the rest of the harvest, the Church, at His coming: "But now Christ has been raised from the dead; He has become the Firstfruit of those who have fallen asleep [died in the faith]. 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; then, those who are Christ's at His coming" (I Cor. 15:20-23).
We have the greatest calling and destiny—to be the sons and daughters of God in the first resurrection! At that time, we will be glorified with a spiritual body and mind. Paul writes of this promise: "But for us, the commonwealth of God exists in the heavens, from where also we are waiting for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; Who will transform our vile bodies, that they may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the inner working of His own power, whereby He is able to subdue all things to Himself" (Phil. 3:20-21).
The apostle Peter also writes of this: "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, according as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him Who called us by His own glory and virtue; through which He has given to us the greatest and most precious promises, that through these you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust" (II Peter 1:2-4).
Today, with the world in the grip of satanic lawlessness and oppression, we need to be encouraged to keep our minds fixed on God's great purpose for us—the Kingdom of God, the resurrection, and the Family of God. God motivated the apostles through the power of the Holy Spirit to write of these awesome promises. John writes: "Behold! What glorious love the Father has given to us, that we should be called the children of God! For this very reason, the world does not know us because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are the children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be; but we know that when He is manifested, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him exactly as He is. And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, even as He is pure" (I John 3:1-3).
A Summary of Key Events Related to Pentecost: God's unique use of the Feast of Pentecost in the past has magnified and added to its meaning. Today, when we observe Pentecost, we may recall the lessons of this Feast in both the Old and New Testaments:
God gave the Ten Commandments to Israel (Ex. 20:1-17; Deut. 5:7-21).
Israel celebrated the completed wheat and barley harvest of the firstfruits (Ex. 23:16).
God sent the Holy Spirit to begin His Church.
After our repentance and conversion, with the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, God begins to write His laws and commandments in our hearts and minds (Heb. 10:16).
The apostles' miraculous preaching in many languages was a direct fulfillment of the prophecy that the Gospel was to be preached in all the world, to all nations (Matt. 28:18-20; Luke 24:44-47; Acts 1:8).
By sending the Holy Spirit, God signaled that He was going to reject and ultimately destroy the Temple and its system of worship (Isa. 66:1-4; Matt. 22:1-7; Acts 7:44-50).
All who desire to worship God the Father could now do so in spirit and in truth—from any location in the world, not just at the Temple in Jerusalem as God had commanded for Israel (John 4:20-24; Heb. 10:16-22).
Which Day is the "Last Day"? Some years ago, a man wrote a book claiming that the first resurrection would take place on the Last Great Day, the eighth day after the seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles (Lev. 23:34, 39). Thus, with this reasoning, the first resurrection would actually be the last thing in God's plan to take place. This makes no sense at all. He based his conclusion on Jesus' statement found in John chapter six, "[T]his is the will of the Father Who sent Me: that of all whom He has given Me, I should not lose any, but should raise them up in the last day" (verse 39).
If Jesus' statement does not mean the "Last Great Day" after the Feast of Tabernacles, what does it mean?
Since Jesus made several other references to "the last day" in John six, we will examine these scriptures and determine the overall context of His statements: "And this is the will of Him Who sent Me: that everyone who sees the Son, and believes in Him, may have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day…. No one can come to Me unless the Father, Who sent Me, draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day…. The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up in the last day" (verses 40, 44, 54).
It is apparent that Jesus is talking about those who would be called and converted in one's present lifetime and would be in the first resurrection. He is not talking about those who will be resurrected in the second resurrection to a second life in flesh in order to have their first opportunity for salvation. The second resurrection is pictured by the eighth day, the Last Great Day after the seven-day Feast of Tabernacles.
Consider this: Since the ones Jesus is referring to in John six will be in the first resurrection, why did He make the statement four times, "I will raise him up in/at the last day"? Since we know that the Feast of Pentecost pictures the first resurrection, why did Jesus say the saints would be raised to eternal life "in/at the last day"?
The answer is found in the structure of the Calculated Hebrew Calendar (CHC). The CHC is reckoned with the first day of the seventh month, the Feast of Trumpets, as the first day of the year. Therefore, when the holy days are counted beginning with Trumpets as the first holy day, we have the following sequence of holy days:
Trumpets
Atonement
Tabernacles
Last Great Day
Passover—not a holy day
First Day of Unleavened Bread
Last Day of Unleavened Bread
Pentecost
When the feasts of God are counted from Trumpets, Pentecost, picturing the first resurrection, is actually "the last day." This is why Jesus declared that those who are converted in this age will be raised up in "the last day"—which is Pentecost when counted from the beginning of the CHC, with the Feast of Trumpets as the first holy day of the year.
Notice that in the CHC sequence of counting the feasts, Pentecost is the 8th feast of God, as well as the last day. Moreover, the number 8 signifies a new beginning. The first resurrection is the new beginning of eternal life for all the saints. Furthermore, when counting the 50 days to Pentecost, the 50th day is the first day after the seventh week or seventh Sabbath, making it the first day of the 8th week. Finally, that day is the 8th first-day of the week from the beginning of the 50-day count.
When we understand what Jesus meant by declaring that He would "raise him up in/at the last day," we can see that the first resurrection does not occur on the Feast of Trumpets. The reason is this: Trumpets is the first day of the count, not the last day. On the other hand, when counting from the month of Nisan as the first month, the sequence of feasts is entirely different: Pentecost is the fourth feast and the third holy day, and Trumpets is the fifth feast and fourth holy day. In this sequence, neither day can be "the last day."
Jesus declared that He would raise those in the first resurrection to eternal life "at/in the last day." His statements can only be true by counting from the Feast of Trumpets as the first day of the year according to the CHC. This means Trumpets cannot picture the first resurrection. Furthermore, since the Feast of Trumpets is a memorial of the blowing of trumpets, another problem is presented: It is not possible to tell when the last trumpet would be blown to signal the first resurrection! What if the last trumpet to be blown on the Feast of Trumpets was sounded at sunset, ending the feast day—then Trumpets cannot picture the first resurrection under any circumstances!
The Scriptures reveal that the only sequence of the blowing of trumpets is found in the book of Revelation, chapters 7, 8 and 11—the 7 trumpets blown by the 7 angels. In chapter 11, the seventh trumpet, or last trumpet, is blown. Then the Word of God itself proclaims the first resurrection—which has to be on the day of Pentecost, as the Scriptures tell us. Notice:
"Then the seventh angel sounded his trumpet; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, 'The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ, and He shall reign into the ages of eternity' [the last day of man's rule under Satan the devil]. And the twenty-four elders, who sit before God on their thrones, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, 'We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come; for You have taken to Yourself Your great power, and have reigned.
"For the nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, and the time for the dead to be judged, and to give reward to Your servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to all those who fear Your name, the small and the great [the resurrection at the 7th trumpet—the last trumpet]; and to destroy those who destroy the earth.' And the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple; and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunders, and an earthquake and great hail" (Rev. 11:15-19).
When the first resurrection takes place, angels will carry the saints to a gigantic sea of glass in the clouds over Jerusalem to meet Christ. "And I saw a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they were singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, 'Great and awesome are Your works, Lord God Almighty; righteous and true are Your ways, King of the saints. Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You only are holy; and all the nations shall come and worship before You, for Your judgments have been revealed' " (Rev. 15:2-4).
Other things that will take place on the sea of glass before Christ and the saints return to the earth to establish the Kingdom of God:
The saints will receive their new names (Rev. 2:17).
The saints are given their rewards (I Cor. 3:8; Rev. 11:18; 22:12; II John 8).
The saints will receive their assignments as kings or priests (Rev. 20:6).
The marriage of the Lamb and His bride will take place (Rev. 19:6-8).
The marriage supper will take place (Rev. 19:9; Matt. 22:1-13).
The saints will witness the seven last plagues poured out—the vengeance of God (Rev. 15:5-8; 16:1-21; Psa. 149:4-9). The seventh plague will be the Battle of Armageddon.
The saints will be gathered into God's army and will fight with Christ as they return to the earth with Jesus to establish the Kingdom of God (Rev. 19:11-21; Zech. 14:1-9).
It will take time for all these things to transpire, undoubtedly extending from the day of Pentecost unto the Feast of Trumpets—about four months, thus fulfilling the events of Revelation chapters 15-16 and 18-19.
Thus, the Word of God reveals that just as God began the Church on Pentecost by sending the Holy Spirit, He will complete the harvest of His Church—the spiritual firstfruits—on Pentecost. On that day God will resurrect from the dead all the righteous saints—from Abel, the first martyr, to the two witnesses, the final martyrs. In the resurrection, we will all be changed in a twinkling of an eye and given glorious, immortal bodies as the spiritual sons and daughters of God the Father. "[W]e are waiting for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; Who will transform our vile bodies, that they may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the inner working of His own power, whereby He is able to subdue all things to Himself" (Phil. 3:20-21). As glorified spirit beings, we will shine as the stars of heaven (Dan. 12:1-3; Matt. 13:43). This is the meaning of the Feast of Pentecost—the harvest of the firstfruits. This year Pentecost is May 24, 2015.
In May, we will have our Elders' Conference in Florence, Kentucky, at the Airport Hilton. We will have Sabbath services on May 9, with morning and afternoon sessions.
We are reaching many brethren and new people through our Web sites. The first three months of 2015 we had over 458,000 distinct visitors. Be sure and visit our new Web site afaithfulversion.org. It has the complete digital text of The Holy Bible In Its Original Order, plus all the Commentaries and Appendices. The New Testament has the complete text and audio; the Old Testament has the complete text and the audio for the first division of the Bible, the Law—the first five books. You can use the text and audio on smart phones and other devices.
Brethren, thank you for your continued love and prayers. Please pray every day for all those brethren who need healing, encouragement, and strength—and for those who need jobs. We pray for you every day that God will be with you, help you, guide you, heal you, and protect you—especially as this world becomes more dangerous every day. Thank you for your tithes and offerings so we can continue together to feed the flock of God and preach the Gospel to the world. Remember, we stand in grace, walk in faith, believe in hope, and live in love! May God bless you in all things.
With love in Christ Jesus,
Fred R. Coulter
FRC
