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Now I want you to notice that this covenant was made on the day after Pentecost.  And we will see tomorrow that that is significant in relationship to the eternal covenant that God is going to make with the Church when the Church is resurrected. 

Now let’s continue on here in verse 9.  “Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu and seventy of the elders of Israel: and they saw the God of Israel: and there was under His feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in His clearness” (vs. 9-10).  This is called in the New Testament the sea of glass.  And so whenever God comes down and is in a particular place then if He’s there for any length of time then there is the sea of glass.  Now this sea of glass was also so that the people could not see up in toward God.  But the elders who were right up close could see up into it, but the people couldn’t.  Now this was to establish the fact for all the people who the seventy elders represented that they saw God and that this covenant was sure and that it was true.

Now let’s also notice something else that took place.  Verse 11, “And upon the nobles of the children of Israel He laid not His hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.”  Now what did they have?  They had a wedding feast.  And in this particular case, since God was dealing with carnal human beings He could not come down and eat with them directly.  This wedding feast then had the representatives of Israel being the seventy elders, and the representatives of the priesthood being Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and the representative of the high priest being Moses, who was a type of Christ, He was the One Who went to the Father.  He was the One now in this case, Who became Jesus Christ.

Now verse 12, “And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to Me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.  And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of God.  And he said unto the elders, Tarry ye here for us, until we come again unto you: and, behold, Aaron and Hur are with you: if any man have any matters to do, let him come unto them.  And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount.  And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day He called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud” (vs. 12-16).  So Moses had to wait seven days.  I’m sure after Nadab, Abihu, and Aaron and the seventy of elders had finished eating, they went back down to be with the rest of the children of Israel.  Moses went up into the mount.

“And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.  And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights” (vs. 17-18).  Well we won’t get into much of the rest of the story that took place there lest we get away from understanding about the day of Pentecost.  And I’m covering it in the Old Testament today on day 49 so that will lead us up to the New Testament tomorrow.

Now let’s look and see that this was a marriage.  Let’s come to Isaiah 54.  And this tells us very clearly that what happened there with the covenant that was made.  It was a marriage covenant on the day after Pentecost with the blood of the covenant that was sprinkled on the people, that was sprinkled on the altar.  And Moses read all the words that God commanded them to do.  And they said, “Yes we will do that.” 

Now here Isaiah 54 we find where it talks about Israel being the wife of the Lord.  Let’s pick it up here Isaiah 54:5.  “For thy Maker is thine husband…”  Now this not only is talking about Israel, because Israel was married to God, but in this particular case this is also a prophecy of the New Testament Church.  “…The LORD of hosts is His name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall He be called.  For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit [that is while they were down in Egypt], and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God” (Is. 54:5-6).  So Israel refused even though they said yes, their whole action said we refuse.  That’s why God had to divorce them.  That’s why God had to put them away.  That’s why God had to leave them and forsake them because they left God and forsake God for other gods and broke the covenant.  Now brethren we need to understand that concerning the covenant with Jesus Christ because it is His body which is broken for us.  And it is His blood which is shed for us, and that is the blood of the New Covenant. 

Now let’s understand the children of Israel, they broke the covenant.  They were punished for it.  But if we break the covenant, the covenant with Christ, the covenant unto eternal life then we have nothing to look forward to but eternal death.  Because you either will love God and keep His commandments, accept Jesus Christ, or you will be in the lake of fire.  Now some people may even get mad at me for saying that.  But let’s understand something.  When I bring the series in Hebrews you’re going to understand that’s exactly what Hebrews says.  You either follow Christ, obey Him, love God the Father, keep all of His commandments, or you have the lake of fire to look forward to.  Under Moses they were stoned.  But when you do despite to the Spirit of grace you are cast into the lake of fire and you are eternally dead.  There’s no resurrection from that.

Now let’s come to the New Testament.  Let’s come here to Matthew 13.  Now Matthew is a very important chapter because this shows that what Christ was working out from the time He came until the end of the age is likened unto a harvest.  That’s why Pentecost is the harvest of the firstfruits beginning with the first one, the wave sheaf offering or the premier sheaf was accepted of God.  Christ was the first.  The rest of it is what He is doing.  It is a harvest.  It is a planting.  And that’s what God is doing.

Now we need to understand these parables here.  Let’s just begin in verse 18.  Don’t have enough time to read through it all.  Let’s begin in verse 18 showing the harvest.  “Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.”  Now the sower was Christ.  “When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart.”  Now that is something we need to understand.  Brethren, don’t let Satan come and take that away which was sown in your heart.  Now we have seen some that that has happened to, and I’m afraid that there are going to be great problems.  “This is he which received seed by the way side.  But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and [immediately] anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but [endures] dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offeneded” (Matt. 13:18-21).  Now we can’t let that happen to us either.  And we’ve also seen that take place haven’t we?  That’s why all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.

Verse 22, “He also that received seed…”  So this is a planting.  We’ll see when the harvest takes place, because there’s another aspect of it that we have to understand here.  “…Among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.” 

Now then, remember the parable of the rich man who came to Christ and said “Lord what should I do to inherit eternal life?”  And He said, “Keep the commandments.”  And he said, “Which one?”  So He listed off all the commandments having to do with loving your neighbor.  Of course they were living in a land where they were keeping the Sabbath.  That was not the issue.  They were keeping the holy days.  That was not the issue.  They had the right God.  That was not the issue.  They had no idols there.  That was not the issue.  So that’s why Jesus didn’t mention the first four commandments in that account in Matthew 19. 

Now let’s come back here to Matthew 13.  “But he that received seed into the good ground…”, as compared to the others and the rich man,  you know, he went away very sorrowful because he had many riches.  Typical example of the one where the seed is sown among the thorns and the weeds, the cares of the world, deceitfulness of riches.  “But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty” (vs. 23-24).

So then He gave another parable and saying, “…The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.”  Then the tares and the wheat grew up together.  And then they came along and asked the Lord, “Well, who’s done this?  And enemy has done this.  How did this happen?”  Well you see, we’ve seen the same thing too.  We’ve lived through that haven’t we?  The enemy, Satan the devil, infiltrates the Church and what do we have?  We have tares.  We have false doctrine.  Right alongside those who are producing the good. 

So Christ said, “No, don’t tear them up.  But you wait until the harvest.”  And Pentecost is the harvest.  Let’s see that.  Let’s pick it up in verse 37.  “He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one…” (vs. 37-38).  And as we find in 1 John, they are the ones who are practicing lawlessness.  And I’m going to have a lot to say about the mystery of lawlessness as we go down here in the next few weeks, or maybe even before Pentecost.  I’ll just see how it works out.  But I tell you that is something, the mystery of lawlessness, or the mystery of iniquity is really an awesome thing indeed.

“The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the [age] world; and the reapers are the angels.”  Now we’ll see that all take place concerning the resurrection.  “As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world [or the end of the age]” (vs. 39-40).  Now we’re going to see when this age ends. 

Ok, let’s continue on here in Matthew 13. Now verse 41, “The Son of man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: and there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.  Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.  Who hath ears to hear, let him hear” (vs. 41-43).  And we’ll see that’s very important when we come to the harvest that God has.

Now then there are seven weeks to the harvest.  This Sabbath ended the seventh week to the harvest.  Then there was the 50th day offering that took place.  Now let’s come here to Revelation 2 and 3, which we’ve already covered, but I just want to cover it very quickly.  Well, we won’t go to Revelation 2 and 3, you’ve already had that.  We have seven churches and I think that the seven churches represent, not necessarily just in time sequence, but represent in type the seven weeks to the harvest.  And that is the Church age, and that is the Church harvest.  And they will be in the first resurrection.  Now there will be more in the first resurrection, which we will see, and we will cover that tomorrow because there is also the 50th day harvest which then is the harvest of God.  So the seven churches represent the 49 day harvest.

Now let’s come back to Matthew 22 because we’re going to ask the question, and we will try and answer it tomorrow, but we will ask the question:  Will everyone in the first resurrection be the bride of Christ?  Now we’ve thought in the past, yes that is so.  Let’s read the parable here in Matthew 22.  Let’s pick it up here right in verse 1.  There’s a lot for us to learn right here.  “And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son [now the king is God the Father, the son is Christ], and sent forth his servants [which then began with the apostles and whoever the true servants of God are] to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.”  Now these are the guests.  “Again sent forth his other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage” (Matt. 22:1-4).  Of course there was going to be a marriage supper.  Now we saw there was a marriage supper with the first covenant with Moses, and Aaron, and Nadab, and Abihu, and the 70 elders of Israel.  They did eat and drink.  That was the marriage supper.  So here’s the supper all ready to go.

Verse 5, “But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: and the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.  But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.”  Now this is exactly what Christ did to Jerusalem.  “Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready [so there’s going to be a time when the wedding is going to be ready], but they which were bidden were not worthy.  Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.  So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests” (vs. 5-10).  So there is going to be God the Father, Who is the King going to perform the ceremony.  There’s going to be Christ.  There is going to be the bride.  There are going to be guests.  And all of them will be there for this event.  Now is this telling us that not everyone in the first resurrection will be part of the bride of Christ?  Perhaps it is.

Now notice in this parable.  “And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: and he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment?  And he was speechless.  Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”  Well in this parable it can’t be shown about the resurrection because this is showing about the wedding.  In other words, no one is going to get there unless they have the wedding garments.  Now they won’t get there because they’ll have to be in the first resurrection.  And if they’re not in the first resurrection then they rejected the call, and they didn’t do what God wanted to do, then sure enough they will be cast out into outer darkness and there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. “For many are called, but few are chosen” (vs. 13-14).

Now let’s look at the parallel account back here in Luke 14, and I think this is quite profound when we put the whole chapter of Luke 14 together and see the things as they took place.  Let’s begin here in verse 15.  “And when one of them that sat at meat with Him heard these things, he said unto Him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.  Then said He unto him [that is Jesus said to him], A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: and sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.  And they all with one consent began to make excuse.  The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.  And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.  And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come” (Luke 14:15-20).  Now all of these are good and valid excuses, aren’t they?  I mean in the modern work-a-day place that we live in today.  But that has nothing to do with valid excuses for obeying God.  Now you’ve been given the invitation.  Are you going to come?  Well, we’ll see.

“So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things.  Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.”  And of course that’s all of us because we are spiritually poor and maimed, and halt and blind.  “And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.  And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.” So God is going to accomplish His work.  It’s going to be filled.  There is going to be the wedding.  There will be Christ, there will be the bride, there will be the guests.  “For I say unto you, that none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper” (vs. 21-24).

Now then notice, this ties in with the other parable where many are called but few are chosen, and here is why only few are chosen, because few repent.  And few repent with this kind of attitude.  So what you need to do when we read these scriptures, you apply them to yourself.  I’ll apply them to myself, because this is the qualification for the wedding invitation, right here. 

Notice what Jesus said, “And there were great multitudes with Him: and He turned, and said unto them, If any man come to Me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple” (vs. 25-26).  And you cannot be in the first resurrection, whether you’re called to be part of the bride or whether you’re called to be a guest.  Have we done that? Do we continue to do that?  Have we set our minds that we are going to always do that?   That we will be faithful.  That we will be loving.  That we will be obedient to God in all circumstances, and that we have this set before us.  That’s all a part of counting the cost.  That’s what we did when we were baptized, and that’s what we continually do when as we go down through the walk that we have with God in walking in the truth, and walking in the light, and serving God in the way that we do.

Now notice,  “And whosoever doth not bear his cross [whatever the difficulty may be], and come after Me, cannot be My disciple” (vs. 27).  And the Greek there is the very strongest.  It means oo dunatai.  That’s what the Greek is, and that translated means “it is impossible to be His disciple”.  And if you’re not His disciple, you won’t be in the first resurrection and you won’t be in the resurrection for guests, or as the bride either one. 

Now let’s carry this a little bit further.  Let’s come here to Hebrews 12, we’ll see a parallel between Mt. Sinai and Mt. Zion in heaven above, showing what is going to happen to those who will be, in what is called the Church of the Firstborn.  That is us.  We are the firstfruits.  Christ is the first of the firstfruits.  Christ is the firstborn of the firstborn.  We are going to be part of the Church of the Firstborn.  Now let’s read that here in Hebrews 12.  And notice how it starts out here in Hebrews 12.  How that it is Christ that we need to look to.  And brethren we need to really understand that.  We don’t know what the days are going to be.  We don’t know what the times are going to be.  We don’t know exactly when these things are going to come, but I’ll guarantee you according to the word of God that we are a whole closer to the end than when we first believed.  You can guarantee that. 

Now here’s a whole example.  Let’s begin right here in Hebrews 12:1. “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight…” And that’s what we need to do brethren.  Every care, every problem, every weight, everything that is dragging us down.  “…And the sin which doth so easily beset us…”  Yes we’re weak in the flesh, yes we have the law of sin and death in us, yes these things come upon us.  But they can be set aside through Christ.  “…And let us run with patience the race that is set before us…”  And today too many people have slowed down to a walk.  They aren’t even trotting.  And many of them are just sitting along the sidelines.  They aren’t even participating in anything.  They’ve just given up. 

Now the way that you continue in this way is this, verse 2.  “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher [or the beginner and finisher] of our faith…”  We always need to look to Christ because He’s the head of the Church.  He’s the One Who set us an example.  He is the One Who is our Savior.  He is the One Who is our sacrifice.  It is His blood that pays for our sins.  It is His sitting at the right hand of God that we are justified, that we have the grace of God given to us.

Now notice, “…Who for the joy that was set before Him [look how He counted the trial that He went through] endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.  For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.”  And I put a little note to myself in my Bible, “…and give up”.  Brethren we are not to give up.  We are not to let these things slip away from us.  We are not to let these things fall into disrepair because of neglect and disuse.  No, we have to do as it says here, verse 4.  “Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.”  No, you haven’t.  Yes we’re going to have correction.  Verse 6 says for whom the Lord receives He loves and receives, He chastens so that we can be better.  So that we can grow.  So that we can bring forth more fruit.

Now let’s come over here and see what all of this is going to do.  Let’s come over here.  Let’s pick it up here in verse 14.  “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: looking diligently lest any man [fall] fail of the grace of God…”  People can fall from the grace of God.  It is an absolute lie, “Once saved – always saved”, that once you have been saved you have eternal security and regardless of what you do you cannot fall away.  That is a blatant lie because it says right here, “…lest any man fail [or fall] from the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, thereby [and when that happens] many be defiled; lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.  For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears” (vs. 14-17).

Now verse 18, now notice what Paul does here.  He immediately shifts this right over into the spiritual reality of our existence in standing before Christ.  “For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words…”, which we read back there in Exodus 19 and 20.  Now we haven’t come to that mount, no.  “…Which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touched the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart [that is thrust through with a javelin]: And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)” (vs. 18-21). 

Now with this setting the tone, now then notice what Paul says.  Verse 22, “But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn...”  That’s where we have come to.  You are part of the Church of the Firstborn.  You are part of that general assembly, notice, “…which are written in heaven…”  You’re name is in the book of life, and only you can take it out.  “…And to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect…”  So this is quite a thing brethren, to be counted in this group, to be of this part.  To be of this harvest, to be there and be able to be on Mt. Zion with Christ.  “And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel” (vs. 22-24).  So I tell you it’s really quite a thing.

Then he gives a warning.  “See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh.  For if they escaped not who refused Him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from Him that speaketh from heaven:” (vs. 25).  I tell ya that’s something.  The resurrection is going to be something.  It is going to be a powerful thing that is going to take place. 

Notice. “Whose voice then shook the earth: but now He hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.”  And we find back in Hagai 3, and the sea and the dry land, and all of it.  So the return of Jesus Christ is going to be absolutely tremendous.  “And this word, yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.”  And that’s us.  “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire” (vs. 26-29).  And we are going to meet Him at the resurrection.

Now let’s answer the question here concerning the guests.  Let’s come to Revelation 19.  Now we’ll sort of get over into tomorrow by going to Revelation 19 but that’s ok, we’ll come back for tomorrow.  Now let’s read it here beginning in verse 1.  “And after these things [now this is after the resurrection and we’ll see this is after being on the sea of glass and so forth] I heard a great voice of much people in heaven…”  Now they’re in heaven – that is the first heaven where the sea of glass is, because we meet Christ in the air.  That’s not in the heaven of heavens where God’s throne is. That is in the heavens where those who are resurrected meet Christ in the air on the sea of glass. “…Much people…saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: For true and righteous are His judgments: for He hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of His servants at her hand.  And again they said, Alleluia.  And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.  And the four and twenty elders and the four [living creatures] beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia” (Rev. 19:1-4).

“And a voice came out of the throne, saying Praise our God, all ye His [saints] servants, and ye that fear Him, both small and great.  And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready.  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.  And He saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb” (vs. 5-9).  So all of those who are called to the marriage supper, all of those who are called to the wedding have a great and a fantastic blessing from God.  The bride and Christ, when they are married, they will be in a special relationship forever.  And we will see that tomorrow.  So as Paul Harvey says, tune in for the rest of the story.

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