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PENTECOST – 1996
Count To Pentecost #1
Fred Coulter – May 25, 1996
*Gavoor, the Hebrew word translated “old corn” simply
means produce or yield and has no reference to age.
**See Chapters 21 through 23 of The Christian Passover by Fred
R. Coulter for a detailed explanation of the significance of Abraham's
sacrifices.
This is a special video leading up to the Feast of Pentecost, so we’re
going to entitle this one, “How To Count Pentecost, And The Events Leading
Up To Pentecost, Past, Present, and Future, or The Beginning and the End.”
Now let’s understand something very important concerning the holy days of
God. They are all connected one with the other. One follows the
other in an automatic connection. And especially the Passover, the
Feast of Unleavened Bread, and Pentecost, there is a continuation all the
way through. And we will see that. I’m going to have some
special charts showing about the time of the Exodus up to the first
Pentecost. And then I’m also going to show some things in the New
Testament relating to how to count Pentecost, and what that means in
relationship to the day of keeping Pentecost.
So let’s begin by going, as we always should, to Leviticus 23. And
we’re going to connect every one of these as we are going along. First
of all it talks about the Sabbath, that the Sabbath is a holy convocation,
or appointed time of holiness, or a proclamation of holiness, every seventh
day. Then it says these are the feasts which you shall proclaim, or
proclamations of holiness, in their seasons. Then it talks about
Passover and the 14th day of the first month. And then it
talks about the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and then the
seventh day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And both of those are
holy convocations, or proclamations of holiness.
Then during the Feast of Unleavened Bread there is the special wave sheaf
offering ceremony, which is called the Wave Sheaf Offering Day. And
this becomes a very important day for us to understand. And we know
that as we went through it during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, that this
day pictures the acceptance of Jesus Christ by God the Father in heaven
above, after He was resurrected at the end of the Sabbath. So He
ascended on the first day of the week.
Now let’s come to Leviticus 23 and let’s begin in verse 10, and I’m going
to read from the Schocken Bible. This will help us to understand even
more concerning Pentecost on how to count. Now isn’t it interesting
that on all of the days, which are critical for salvation, Passover,
Unleavened Bread, and Pentecost, there are controversies over it. And
there is very little controversy at all with the other feast days, Trumpets,
Atonement and Tabernacles. However, these have to do with those of us
who are the firstfruits today, who are going to be in the first
resurrection, who are the first called of Christ at this time.
Therefore Satan the devil loves to disturb and cause problems with the
Passover, with the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and with Pentecost. As
we saw there were five days of Passover this year. Sunday, Monday,
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. And they can’t all be right. So
that means that there were five days of the first day of the Feast of
Unleavened Bread, and then five days of the last day of the Feast of
Unleavened Bread. Now you don’t find that in the Bible anywhere, and
that’s because you have people who have set themselves up to be calendar
experts and they really don’t have a clue as to what they are doing.
And they don’t really understand what they are saying. And yet they
think that they are very righteous with this little cause that they have.
So as I mentioned before, I’m very soon going to go ahead and do a complete
in-depth, and I’m going to do it on video because we’ll have to have things
to also see in the way of visual aids on the calendar.
Let’s come now to Leviticus 23:10, and I’m going to read from the Schocken
Bible. “Speak to the Children of Israel and say to them: When you
enter the land that I am giving you, and you harvest its harvest…” So this
was to take place when they entered the land. We’re going to see there
was the Pentecost that they kept when the law was given, and I’m sure that
they kept Pentecost every year while they were in the wilderness but not
with the wave sheaf offering because this did not take place until they went
into the land. So they had to wait until the 40 years. “…You are
to bring the premier sheaf of your harvest to the priest.” Now this
premier sheaf means that it was the primary special principal sheaf, which
was specially grown on a special plot of land, across east from the temple,
over above the valley of Kiddron on the Mount of Olives. And this was
the ceremonial sheaf of the firstfruits.
Verse 11, “He [that is the priest] is to elevate the sheaf…” He wasn’t to
just wave it like this, he was to elevate it and wave it. So this is
more likened unto a resurrection, as Jesus ascended the Ascension Day.
And that’s what this first day pictures and we will see. This is
the first day of counting toward Pentecost. “He is to elevate the
sheaf before the presence of [the LORD] YHWH, for acceptance for you; on the
morrow of the Sabbath…”, or on the day after the Sabbath, which is and can
only be the regular weekly Sabbath during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
It is “the” Sabbath. Very important to understand. It is not “a”
Sabbath, because some believe that you should begin counting Pentecost
always beginning with the day after the holy day. And that is not
correct, as we will see. This is “the” Sabbath, and in the Hebrew it
is ha shabbat, which means “the Sabbath”, not just shabbat,
which means “a Sabbath.”
“…On the morrow of the Sabbath [or the morrow after the Sabbath] the priest
is to elevate it. You are to perform-a-sacrifice on the day of your
elevating the sheaf: a sheep, wholly-sound, in its (first) year, as an
offering-up to [the LORD] YHWH, and its grain-gift: two tenth-measures of
flour mixed with oil, a fire-offering to [the LORD] YHWH, of soothing savor;
and it’s poured-offering of wine: a fourth of a hin.” (vs. 11-13).
Now the hin was a special little measurement.
Now listen carefully. “Now bread or parched-grain or groats, you are
not to eat, until that [self] same day…” Now that was the day that
they would get into the land. So they could not perform this until
they got into the land. And we will see when they did this in Joshua 5
when we get to it. “…until you have brought the near-offering of your
God—(it is) a law for the ages, into your generations, throughout all your
settlements” (vs. 14).
Verse 15, now here’s a key, key verse. Let’s understand that the
Schocken Bible is more literally translated from the Hebrew than any other
English translation. And it really conveys to us the proper
understanding on how to count Pentecost. Verse 15, “Now you are to
number for yourselves, from the morrow of the Sabbath [or after the Sabbath]
from the day that you bring the elevated sheaf, seven Sabbaths-of-days…”
Now there were to be seven Sabbaths altogether. “…whole (weeks) are
they to be…” Now that clarifies it, because as we will see on the
chart when we get to it, if you count from the morrow after the first holy
day during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, then you are going to end up with
part weeks, partial weeks, deficient weeks. These are whole weeks,
they are to be. There can be no question. It has to be a week of seven
days.
Now let’s notice here, “…until the morrow of the seventh Sabbath [not week,
Sabbath] you are to number—fifty days…” (vs. 16). Now this is what you
would call double entry bookkeeping, as it were if you are familiar with
accounting. You have two ways of counting. You have 50 days, and
then the second way is seven weeks, complete weeks until the morrow after
the seventh Sabbath. So we have double check to make sure that it’s
right. Then it tells what they were to do and all the things that they
were to bring.
And let’s come down here to verse 21. “And you are to
make-proclamation on that same day, a proclamation of holiness shall there
be for you, any-kind of servile work you re not to do – a law for the ages,
throughout your settlements, into your generations.” Now you are to
harvest the harvest of your land, and so forth. And it says you are to
leave the gleanings, and that ties in with the book of Ruth.
Now then let’s understand this from the book of Deuteronomy.
Deuteronomy 16 tells us just a little bit different way of understanding it
and it is incomplete. Anyone who goes to Deuteronomy 16 to prove on
how to count to Pentecost is deficient, because it is not complete.
You must have the full detail scripture as we read in Leviticus 23 on how to
count it, otherwise you’re going to come up short.
Now Deuteronomy 16:9 from the King James says, “Seven weeks shalt thou
number unto thee: begin to number the seven weeks from such time as
thou beginnest to put the sickle to the corn. And thou shalt
keep the feast of weeks…” Now first of all there is no specific day on
which to start. There is no specific day referring to the wave sheaf
offering. There is no numbered day of the month from which to begin.
And it furthermore doesn’t tell us whole weeks as it does in Leviticus 23.
So this is where they get off in counting Pentecost incorrectly.
Now let’s go to Exodus 16, and after we come to Exodus 16 then we’re going
to look at a chart and show the events, how they came all the way up to when
we come to Mount Sinai. Exodus 16, and here’s how we get a key date so
we know exactly. This is why we can be sure that the events laid out
on the chart, showing the calendar chart from the first month, the second
month, and the beginning of the third month in the year of the Exodus when
the children of Israel came out of Egypt with the first Passover, the first
day of Unleavened Bread, the last day of Unleavened Bread, the seven weeks
and coming to Mt. Sinai and all of those things. We’ll see it all laid
out.
Now Exodus 16:1, “and they took their journey from Elim, and all the
congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin,
which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second
month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.” Now how do we
know that this day is the Sabbath? Well when you read the rest of
Exodus 16 you find that there’s a Sabbath message that God brought, and that
was that He was going to send them flesh to eat and bread in the morning
because of their murmurings and their gripings and their complainings.
Now let’s read this out of the Schocken Bible so we can understand that we
do really get a setting, a key setting of the date and of the Sabbath and of
the week, so there becomes absolutely no question what so ever that the
fifteenth day of the second month was a regular weekly Sabbath. Now let’s
come to Exodus 16 here and I will being reading right here in verse 3. “The
Children of Israel said to them: Would that we had died by the hand of [The
LORD] YHWH in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, when we ate
bread till (we were) satisfied! For you have brought us into this
wilderness to bring death to this whole assembly by starvation! [The
LORD] YHWH said to [Moses] Moshe: Here, I will make rain down upon you bread
from the heavens, the people shall go out and glean, each day’s amount in
its day, in order that I may test them, whether they will walk according to
my Instruction or not. But it shall be on the sixth day...” The sixth
day from what? From when the manna would come, as we will see.
“…When they prepare what they have brought in, it shall be a double-portion
compared to what they glean day after day” (Ex. 16:3-5, Schocken).
“[Moses] Moshe and [Aaron] Aharon said to all the Children of Israel: At
sunset…” And the Hebrew there is ba erev, which means the end of the
day. The end of the Sabbath, as we will see. “…You will know
that it is [The LORD] YHWH who brought you out of the land of Egypt; at
daybreak you shall see the Glory of [The LORD] YHWH: when he hearkens to
your grumblings against {The LORD] YHWH: what are we, that you grumble
against us? [Moses] Moshe said: Since [The LORD] YHWH gives you flesh
to eat at sunset [He’s going to send it at sunset], and at daybreak [that is
after that sunset], bread to satisfy (yourselves); since [The LORD] YHWH
harkens to your grumblings which you grumble against him—what are we: not
against us are your grumblings, but against [The LORD] YHWH!” (vs. 6-8).
“[Moses] Moshe said to [Aaron] Aharon: Say to the entire community of the
Children of Israel: Come-near, in the presence of YHWH, for he has hearkened
to your grumblings! Now it was, when [Aaron] Aharon spoke to the
entire community of the Children of Israel, they faced the wilderness, and
here: the Glory of [The LORD] YHWH could be seen in the cloud. [The
LORD] YHWH spoke to [Moses] Moshe, saying I have hearkened to the grumblings
of the Children of Israel—speak to them, and say: Between the setting-times
[ben ha arbayim – between sunset and dark]…” Remember they would
receive the flesh at sunset, and you can’t eat something that hasn’t
arrived. And it could not come in the afternoon if it comes at sunset.
We’ll see. “…Between the setting-times you shall eat flesh, and at
daybreak you shall be satisfied with bread, and you shall know that I am
[The LORD] YHWH your God” (vs. 9-12).
“Now it was at sunset…” Now what does sunset do? What are the
commands concerning sunset in relationship to the Sabbath? The
commands are: Leviticus 23:32, from sunset to sunset you shall observe your
Sabbath. All Sabbath days begin when the sun sets and they end when
the sun sets. Now, since this was a Sabbath day, do you think that God
would work on His Sabbath day to desecrate it? Do you think that God
would work by sending the quail in the middle of the afternoon on the
Sabbath? Do you think that God would have them gather the quail and
cook them and eat them on the Sabbath? Well no because the very next
Sabbath, as we shall see, what happened? Some went out to find manna
and it wasn’t there. And God, “How long refuse you to keep My
commandments?” So we’re dealing with something that is really quite
important for us to understand. So “between the setting-times you
shall eat flesh, between sunset and dark. At daybreak you shall be
satisfied with bread and you shall know that I am [the LORD] YHWH your God”
(vs. 12, paraphrased). “Now it was at sunset a horde-of-quail came up
and covered the camp.” Covered the camp. The quail were not sent
outside the camp. They literally just fell right on the camp.
And they were very docile. All they had to do was get them, wring
their neck, skin them, clean them, and with the fire going you could
actually be eating in about a half hour all together. Now we have a
man, Skip Emerson, in our congregation in San Jose, who used to raise quail
and pheasant for his profession. And he said that you could cook
quail, when you cut them in half after skinning them, in about 15 minutes
they would be ready to eat.
Now then it says, “At daybreak there was a layer of dew around the camp;
and when the layer of dew went up, here, upon the surface of the wilderness,
something fine, scaly, fine as hoar-frost upon the land. When the
Children of Israel saw it they said each-man to his brother: Mahn hu/
what is it? For they did not know what it was. [Moses] Moshe
said to them: It is the bread that [The LORD] YHWH has given you for eating,
This is the word that [The LORD] YHWH has commanded: Glean from it, each-man
according to what he can eat, an omer
per [head] capita, according to the number of persons, each-man, for those in
his tent, you are to take. The Children of Israel did thus, they
gleaned, the-one-more and the-one-less, but when they measured by the
omer, no surplus [was left over]…” (vs. 13-18). There was…for any
of those.
Now verse 19, “[Moses] Moshe said to them: No man shall leave any of it
until morning.” But they didn’t listen to Moses. Now isn’t it
interesting, are we not doing the same thing today? How many people
are running on down the road doing their own thing? A lot of people.
They don’t want to listen to God. They don’t want to listen to His
word. Just like the children of Israel, they didn’t listen. So
they kept it over. “…And (several) men left some of it until morning;
and it became wormy with maggots and reeked [that is it stunk]. And
[Moses] Moshe became furious with them. They gleaned it in the
morning, (every) morning, each-man in accordance with what he could eat, but
when the sun heated up, it melted” (vs.19-21).
Now it was on the sixth day…” So you have the sunset the quail came.
That had to be the ending of the Sabbath, and they ate the quail that night,
then in the morning down came the manna, which was on the first day of the
week. “Now on the sixth day…two
omers for (each) one. All the exalted-leaders of the community
came and told it to [Moses] Moshe. He said to them: it is what [The
LORD] YHWH spoke about: tomorrow is a Sabbath/Ceasing, a Sabbath of Holiness
for [The LORD] YHWH. Whatever you wish to bake –bake, and whatever you
wish to boil—boil; and all the surplus, put aside for yourselves in
safekeeping until morning. They put it aside until morning, as [Moses]
Moshe had commanded, and it did not [stink] reek, neither were there any
maggots in it. [Moses] Moshe said: eat it today, for today is a
Sabbath for [the LORD] YHWH, today you will not find it in the field.
For six days you are to glean, but on the seventh day is Sabbath, there will
not be (any) on it” (Vs. 22-26).
“But it was on the seventh day that some of the people went out to glean,
and they did not find. [The LORD] YHWH said to [Moses] Moshe: Until
when [or how long] will you refuse to keep my commandments and my
instructions? (You) see that [The LORD] YHWH has given you the
Sabbath, therefore on the sixth day, he gives you bread for two days.
Stay each-man, in his spot [or in his place]; no man shall go out from his
place on the seventh day! So the people ceased on the seventh day”
(vs. 27-30). Now there you have it right there. Absolutely
proves that the 15th day of the second month was a weekly
Sabbath. Now with that then we can properly construct the chronology
going back to the time of the Passover of the Children of Israel in the land
on Egypt. Now what we are going to do is combine all of this together
now.
Let’s go to Exodus 19, before we do we need to cover one other thing so we
can get all the information that we need concerning coming up to the giving
of the Ten Commandments. Exodus 19:1, “On the third New-Moon after the
going-out of the Children of Israel from the land of Egypt, on that (very)
day they came to the Wilderness of Sinai.” Now on that very day, what
is the very day? What very day, or selfsame day or the same day is it
talking about? Well we will see that when we get to the chart.
We’ll get there in just a minute.
Now then, God made them the proposition, and they said, “All that the LORD
has said we will do.” Now verse 9, “[The LORD] YHWH said to [Moses]
Moshe: Here, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, so that the people may
hear when I speak with you, and also that they may have trust in you for
ever. And [Moses] Moshe told the words of the people to [The LORD]
YHWH. [The LORD] YHWH said to [Moses] Moshe: Go to the people, make them
holy, today and tomorrow, let them scrub their clothes, that they may be
ready for the third day, for on the third day [The LORD] YHWH will come down
before the eyes of all the people, upon Mount Sinai” (Exodus 19:9-11).
Now the borders, then he set it aside so they wouldn’t go up on it. So
they were to be ready the third day.
Now let’s put all of this together and let’s look at the chart, and I
provided one that you can have in our lap or on the table that you can
follow along with and go ahead with, so let’s look at it now. The
chart “Count Pentecost”, and all of you have a chart that you can see that’s
exactly like this. Now let’s come down and see how we construct this
chart from the second day, or the 15th
day of the second month. Let’s come all the way down here because this
gives us a very firm date. All right, 15th day of the
second month is a weekly Sabbath. Now let’s come back up to the time
of the Passover and beginning of the exodus, and as you will see up here,
here is the 14th day of the first month. This is sunset.
And right after sunset ben ha arbayim, between the two evenings was
when they killed the Passover lamb. Here is midnight when the
firstborn were killed. This is daybreak when they left their homes.
This is the beginning of the 15th at sunset when they began
leaving Egypt, and we’ll get back to that and see how that ties in very
clearly now, because this day is going to be important again. Now
notice this is the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, a holy day.
Now let’s look at the whole Feast of Unleavened Bread. The 14th
is the Passover. The 15th, the first day. And then
day two, the 16th. Day three the 17th. Day
four the 18th. Day five, day six, day seven. And they were
to eat unleavend bread until sunset of the 21st. So from
sunset of the 14th beginning the 15th, to sunset of
the 21st beginning the 22nd
they were to eat unleavened bread.
Now then, when we come, and we just read in Exodus 19 that they came into
the wilderness of Sinai right at the base of the mountain on the same day.
That has to do with the same day that they left the land of Egypt. So
let’s come down, straight down right here on this day all the way down in
the third month, the third month Sivan, and you have the fourth of Sivan
that they came into the wilderness of Sinai.
Now then, let’s come back up here again and let’s begin seeing how we count
for the wave sheaf offering on which day. Now let’s count it correctly
first all the way through so that we will know. Remember there are
seven weeks and there are 50 days. There are to be whole weeks.
Now let’s begin with the regular Sabbath during the Feast of Unleavened
Bread. That’s our starting point. This day however is not
counted. You count beginning with the next day. So let’s go on
over here to the 18th. This is the first day of the count
toward Pentecost. Notice then we have, in with this we have coming all the
way across seven days for a complete week.
Now what I’ve done is this. I’ve numbered each day. This is day
one, day two, day three, day four, day five, day six, day seven. So
that’s one way of counting. Now then I have numbered the week as whole
week one. Remember the command was, “You shall have seven Sabbaths of
days. Now let’s count the Sabbaths all the way down. One, two,
three, four, five, six, seven Sabbaths, shall you number to yourself until
the morrow after the seventh Sabbath. So let’s come down and see where
the day of Pentecost fits right here. So that is the day of Pentecost.
Now as we go through let’s come clear back up here again to the end of the
first week. So let’s count the days. Seven, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42,
49, 50. Now you understand the double way of counting. One is by
weeks: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven whole weeks, unto the morrow
after the seventh Sabbath. Now that’s important. Seventh
Sabbath, because I’m going to show you a problem right now in counting
incorrectly. Ok. The morrow after, which is a day after, which
then has to be here. So we find that Pentecost is always on the first
day of the week. Now let’s come straight up here, right up here, and
we will see that the beginning day of counting is also on the first day of
the week, or the morrow after the Sabbath, ha shabbat, the Sabbath.
Not a Sabbath.
Now let’s come back up over here and let’s look at the holy day.
Fifteenth day of the first month is a holy day. Now if, according to
the Pharisaical reckoning or calculation, they used the day after the holy
day as a day to begin their count on. And let’s see what happens.
Let’s see, all right? This becomes day one, day two. But notice
you have a partial week, do you not? And each week is a partial week.
Let’s count seven days. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.
Now then, we’re going to see that you cannot have seven Sabbaths in the
morrow after the seven Sabbaths. Because what they have is this: you
have one Sabbath, two-you see where you get off. Notice, their second
Sabbath is actually the first one. Three, four, five, six, and then
you come down here, which then ends the seventh week and you don’t have a
holy day. Or actually down here, you don’t have a holy day.
There’s no holy day. Friday here is not a holy day. Thursday
here is not a Sabbath. However you go straight up the line to the 15th
day of the first month, that is a holy day, but you come straight down the
line and the 4th of Sivan is not a holy day.
Now also let’s look at it too. Here’s something interesting.
Actually the 50th
day should be right here the way the Pharisees count it, which means that not
only is it not the day after the seventh Sabbath, but you’re also dealing
with a problem. It’s not the 6th of Sivan. It is the
5th. So the Pharisaic way of counting can’t be right.
Now then the Pharisees would say…let’s come over here, over to this point
here. Do you see this little number 1? The reason I have this
little number 1 here is because someone will surely say that the second
month only has 29 days. So therefore with 29 days then we can make
that day the 6th of Sivan by going one, two, three, four, five,
six. But then you have a problem. How can they arrive in Sinai
on the same day of the month, being a Thursday that they left Egypt, and you
have this day as Pentecost because you have to have three days preparation
before? So there is no way that Pentecost could have been in that year
on the 6th
of Sivan. Now there are some years when it is counted correctly that it
does fall on the 6th of Sivan. Now you understand that all
the way through?
Let’s just review. Let’s just come back up here and count the weeks
again. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven complete weeks unto the
morrow after the seventh Sabbath, there is the 50th day.
And this would be on the 7th
of Sivan. And if we had 29 days it would be on the 8th of
Sivan.
Now let’s come back up here for just a minute and let’s see. This is
the week that we’re talking about in Exodus 16. They would get manna
on the first day, on the second day, on the third day, fourth day, the fifth
day, and the sixth day they would have double manna. No manna on the
Sabbath.
Now I want you to take your chart and go over it very carefully again and
review all these things. Now then let’s come down here to the last
week again and let’s come over here to this day. This is the day that
they came into the wilderness of Sinai. And they had three days to get
ready. One, two, three. Or you could count it this way: one,
two, three. That’s the way I have it, because Moses went up in the
mountain and got the instruction, came back down and told the people.
They said, “We will do it”. He went back up on the mountain and God
said have them be ready the third day. So he came down and said, “Be
ready the third day.” Now on the preparation day is when they washed
their clothes and got ready. None of the men were to come to their
wives during any of this three-day period. So then they rested the
Sabbath day (day 2), and then the third day in the morning is when God came
down on Mt. Sinai, which is the day of Pentecost. The Ten Commandments
were given on the day of Pentecost. Now you see how all of this fits
together and you can tie it together very clearly if you follow all the word
of God and key in on the known days that we have.
Fifteenth day of the second month, come back up here. We know the 14th
day is Passover. We know the 15th day is the leaving from
Egypt, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And let’s come
back up here to the 10th day, right up here, that’s when the lamb
was selected, which was at the beginning of the Sabbath. Now we also
know, and we can draw the parallel, that’s the same day that Jesus was
selected as we find in John 12. So all of it fits together. Now
I’m glad that we can go ahead and do this and lay it out in chart form so
you can see it. Now I hope you can take your chart and go over it and
understand all that we have to do with the chart.
Now let’s cover something in Leviticus 23 from the King James, coupled with
Joshua 5, and then back to Genesis 15. We’re going to see something
very interesting. Actually we will have Leviticus 23, Joshua 5, Exodus
12, and Genesis 15. So let’s take it right here and we want to focus
in on this particular command, which is verse 14 of Leviticus 23.
“And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until
the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God…” Now when
was the first opportunity they had to bring an offering of the harvest unto
God? Well that was when they entered the land, because you go back up
here and it says in verse 10, Leviticus 23, “Speak unto the children of
Israel and say unto them, When ye be come [or you enter] into the land which
I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof…” Now let’s go to Joshua
5 and see where they entered into the land. And I want you to, if you
don’t have it, write for the booklet that was written by Dwight Blevins on
“God’s Command for the Wave Sheaf Offering.” And here in Joshua 5 is
when the first wave sheaf offering was waved. And it was done on the
15th day of the first month in the year that they crossed the
Jordan.
Now let’s read it. Let’s pick it up here in Joshua 5:9, “And the LORD
said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off
you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day.
And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the
fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho. And they
did eat of the old corn of the land…” See they weren’t to eat of any corn.
No bread, no grain, green or parched. But they did eat of the old corn
of the land. Some people say this means the new corn or the new grain.
Either way, doesn’t make any difference, because they had to have that new
wave sheaf offering waved before they could eat any grain whether it was new
or whether it was old. “… On the morrow after the Passover, unleavened
cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day” (Josh 5:9-11).
Now we just read “selfsame day” over here in Leviticus 23. Selfsame
day. Let’s tie this in, the “selfsame day”, by going back to Exodus
12. And we will see how that ties right in with the beginning of the
15th day of the first month, the beginning of the exodus.
And then we will go back to Genesis 15. I’ll just refer you there.
We covered that on some other lessons that we had, other Bible Studies.
But that was the day that the sacrifices were offered as we understand the
sacrifices that Abraham offered, and then the prophecy that they would be in
the land 400 years was given that night after the sacrifices, which then had
to be the 15th day of the month.
Now let’s read it, Exodus 12:40, “Now the sojourning of the children of
Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was
four hundred and thirty years. And it came to pass at the end of the
four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that
all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt. It is
a night to be much observed unto the LORD for bringing them out from the
land of Egypt…” (Ex. 12:40-42). So we have the beginning of the exodus
on the 15th day of the first month. The going into the land
and waving the wave sheaf offering, the beginning of eating of the new corn,
or the old corn, it really doesn’t make any difference because they were not
to eat any until they got into the land. See they had manna coming
everyday for 40 years up to that time. When they went into the land
and ate of the grain then the manna ceased on the next day. Now, this
shows how important that all of these days are and how they tie in and go
down through time and history with God’s plan.
Now what we are going to do is look into the New Testament concerning
Pentecost, right after we get done going through the giving of the Ten
Commandments at Mt. Sinai.
Part 2
Now let’s come back to Exodus 19, and let’s read what happened on that
third day, which was the day of Pentecost. Let’s understand something
and look at it very carefully because I want to lay a little groundwork for
understanding Pentecost that the trumpet is also blown on Pentecost.
Now many times in the past we’ve been taught that we are resurrected on the
day of Trumpets, plural. But when we get to the New Testament we’ll
see about that tomorrow, that the trumpet will sound, not trumpets.
Now let’s notice the same thing right here.
Exodus 19:16, “And it came to pass on the third day in the morning…”
Probably about the same time as Acts 2, as we will see a little later on.
“…That there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount,
and the voice of the trumpet…” So there is a trumpet blown on Pentecost.
Numbers 10 says, “On all of your solemn feasts the trumpet shall sound”,
which means there’s a trumpet blown on the first day of Unleavened Bread, on
the last day of Unleavened Bread, on Pentecost. On Trumpets then is a
memorial of trumpets, blowing of trumpets all day long. Then the
trumpet is blown on Atonement. And then also on Atonement every fifty
years there’s a special trumpet blown, which is the trumpet of jubilee, the
release, the year of liberty. Then the trumpet is blown on the first
day of the Feast of Tabernacles, and also on the Last Great Day. So we
have right here, I want you to tie in this setting and just picture this now
in your mind. Then when we come to Acts 2 we’re also going to look at
some things which are very important there.
“…The voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. And Moses brought forth the people out
of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the
mount. And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD
descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a
furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. And when the voice of the
trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God
answered him by a voice. And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on
the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the
mount; and Moses went up. And the LORD said unto Moses, “Go down…”
We’re going to see Moses did a lot of going up the mountain, coming down the
mountain. “…Charge the people, lest they break through unto the LORD
to gaze, and many of them perish. And let the priests also, which come
near to the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them”
(Ex. 19:16-22). So Moses went down and he told them.
Now here is the great account then of receiving of the Ten Commandments.
Now then brethren, how can anyone say that we don’t have to keep any of the
Ten Commandments when they were given on the day of Pentecost. Now we’re
going to see something very important. The Ten Commandments were given
on the day of Pentecost. Right here the very first Pentecost when they
were at Mt. Sinai. Now I won’t go through and read all the Ten
Commandments but it was an awesome sight. Let me ask you a question.
Can you recite the Ten Commandments by memory all the way through? Not
the short version, the long version. You might try that. I think
you’ll find it most interesting if you do. So then you know the rest
of the story. Then the people said we’ll do all that Moses said, we
will do.
Now let’s come back here to Acts 2 and let’s see something very important.
Here in Acts 2, I just want to cover a little bit right now because I’m
going to go back and cover it a little bit more in detail in just a little
bit. We want to cover a couple of things first so that we can get the
whole sequence of it. But here in Acts 2 we find something very
spectacular. We find even some of the same elements don’t we?
Only this time instead of God speaking, God inspired the speaking.
Instead of a literal fire, there were tongues of fire. But it was on
the day of Pentecost, and let’s read it right here, verse 2, and I’ll come
back to verse 1. We’ll cover that in just a bit.
“And suddenly there came a sound from heaven…” Just like God descending
from heaven on the first Pentecost that began with the children of Israel,
now on the first Pentecost that begins with the Church. They are at
the temple area. It is in the morning. The trumpet is blown on
Pentecost, and here’s what happened. “…Suddenly there came a sound
from heaven as of a rushing wind, and filled all the house where they were
sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire…”
(Acts 2:2-3). Just like fire came was on top of Mt. Sinai when God
came down on it. Now in this case it’s the Spirit of God, not the
literal presence of God. But we find then that God, instead of
speaking personally spoke through the apostles, and they spoke with other
languages. Now there are a lot of people who go through and try and
tell us that this happened on a Monday. No it did not happen on a
Monday. We’ll look at that in just a minute but let’s finish this
first.
So “…there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat
upon each of them [that is on all the apostles]. And they were all
filled with the Holy [Spirit] Ghost…” (vs. 3). Now what does the Holy
Spirit enable us to do? Now God didn’t give the Holy Spirit to the
children of Israel. But the Holy Spirit enables us to what? Have
the laws and commandments written in our heart and in our mind that we may
do them. And so the first Pentecost with the Church fulfills what was
missing from the first Pentecost with Israel. Now the Holy Spirit is
given and then it gives the account of all that took place.
Let’s go back and look at some things now that I want to cover concerning
how did they know when to count. Now let’s understand something very
important, that the week that Jesus was crucified had the same sequence of
days as we saw on the original chart for the original Passover leading up to
Pentecost. Exactly the same sequence of days.
Now let’s turn back here to Acts 1, and let’s show that there was somewhat
of a counting. Let’s read it. Acts 1:1, and it says, “The former
treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and
teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after that He through the
Holy [Spirit] Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom He had
chosen: to whom also He shewed Himself alive after His passion by many
infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days…” Now that becomes
important, doesn’t it? So we have 40 days. And what did Jesus
tell them on that 40th day? Let’s follow it through because
Jesus ascended into heaven on that 40th day, then there were 10 more days until Pentecost correct? Yes.
And if He ascended on the 40th day, that means that there is some
sort of counting going on here and we’ll look at some of this counting.
“…Forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
and, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they
should not depart form Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father,
which, saith He, ye have heard of Me. For John truly baptized with
water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy [Spirit] Ghost not many days
hence.” Ten days until Pentecost. “When they therefore were come
together, they asked of Him, saying, Lord, wilt Thou at this time restore
again the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:1-6). And everyone wants to
know, “Is this going to be it?” Well you know, knowing when Jesus is
going to return and the resurrection is pretty much like counting Pentecost
isn’t it? It is absolutely certain that it’s going to take place,
correct? But unless you have the right beginning and the right ending,
and the right count, and the right understanding you’re not going to know.
And so the counting of Pentecost teaches us that. That it’s going to
be sure, but exactly the day we don’t know.
Now let’s read on. “And He said unto them, It is not for you to know
the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own [authority]
power. But ye shall receive power [dunamis, that is the power
of the Holy Spirit], after that the Holy [Spirit] Ghost is come upon you:
and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and
in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (vs. 7-8). Now
that is a prophecy and it has not yet been fulfilled, so there’s a lot of
work to be done till that is done.
Verse 9, “and when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was
taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they
looked stedfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men…”, or that is
two angels, probably the same ones that were at the tomb when Mary went out
there on the day that He ascended to the Father. “…Stood by them in
white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up
into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall
so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven” (vs. 9-11).
So that was quite a message, wasn’t it? And everyone has wanted to
know from that day to this day, “Lord, when?” The answer is, the
Father has kept that in His power. Now we’ll see a little bit more
about that tomorrow.
Now let’s come over here to John 20, and let’s see something. John
20:19, this is the same day, the day that Jesus ascended into heaven to be
accepted of the Father, the wave sheaf offering day, and this is going back.
Now we’re going back in time 40 days. “Then the same day at evening,
being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for
fear of the Jews…” They weren’t there to hold a special meeting on the
first day of the week, please understand that. They were there because
they were afraid of the Jews. “…Came Jesus and stood in the midst, and
saith unto them [now Jesus all of a sudden, phsst, there He is, you can see
Him], Peace be unto you. And when He had so said, He shewed
unto them His hands and His side. Then were the disciples glad,
when they saw the Lord” (John 20:19-20). Now let’s come over here to
verse 26. “And after eight days…” So we have one day here, don’t we?
Yes we do. “And after eight days again His disciples were within, and
Thomas with them…” Then Jesus came, you know the rest of the account.
Now let’s go over here to Matthew 28 and let’s see another event that
occurred during those 40 days. Now after He was ascended, verse 16,
“Then the eleven disciples went away in to Galilee, into a mountain where
Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw Him, they worshipped Him:
but some doubted.”
Now Paul said that during that 40 days we also have something that’s very
important here in 1 Corinthians 15. 1 Corinthians 15 tells us some of
those things that those who saw Him. Now let’s pick it up here in
verse 3, “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received,
how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that He
was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the
scriptures…” Now I believe that verse 3, “according to the scriptures”, is
Old Testament scriptures, and verse 4 is New Testament scriptures with a
reference back to John. “And that He was seen of Cephas, then of the
twelve: after that, He was seen of about five hundred brethren at once; of
whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.”
And then “…He was seen of James, then of all the apostles.” And that
was where we saw right there in Acts 1. “And last of all He was seen
of me also, as of one born out of due [season] time. For I am the
least of the apostles…” (1 Cor. 15:3-9), and so forth, because he persecuted
the Church of God. So there we have a numbering of the days, don’t we?
Now let’s go back and see something very important. Let’s come to
Matthew 28, and we’re going to look at Matthew and then Mark and then Luke
and then I’m going to show you another chart. And then we will come
back to Acts 2 and lead in to the fulfilling of the day of Pentecost.
Now then, let’s read it in the King James, Matthew 28:1. “In the end
of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the
week…” Now we’re talking about counting, are we not? First day of the
week, which is what? The day when Jesus ascended to be accepted of the
Father as the wave sheaf offering. The wave sheaf offering symbolized
the premiere sheaf, the first of the harvest. That was Christ.
Now let’s go to Mark 16, and let’s see the same thing. Let’s begin
here in verse 1, “And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary
the mother of James, and Salome, had brought sweet spices, that they
might come and anoint Him. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.”
Now they weren’t going out for sunrise worship. It is, they were
trying to get out there as soon as they could. Now let’s look at the
account in the book of Luke, then I want to show you what the Greek is
really telling us in these verses.
Let’s go to Luke 24, and let’s see the account here and then we’ll look at
the chart and I think we’ll find something very interesting and profound.
Now if you have the Berry Interlinear you can get that out and look at it
and follow along if you like and you can see that what I’ve done on the
chart is to reproduce those things out of the Interlinear so we can see the
Greek, so we can understand something about how this relates to counting.
Now, Luke 24:1, “Now upon the first day of the week, very early in
the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they
had prepared, and certain others with them.” Now, why, or how do we know, and what is the significance of
this in the original Greek? Now we’re going to take a look at a couple
of charts that I have made up showing the Greek and the English in those
phrases, so that we’re going to understand exactly what it says and the
meaning to show that this is the beginning of the counting toward Pentecost,
and it is in fact day one. Now when we get done with all of this
you’re going to understand, there is no way that Pentecost can be as the way
the Pharisees count it from the day after the holy day, nor can it be as
some people do, they ignore the day after the Sabbath and they begin
counting Monday as day one and they end up with a Monday Pentecost.
Now the only one who ever came up with that was Herbert W. Armstrong, and
there are only two men who still believe it. And when it was on a
Monday it was an error. God allowed that. Now it didn’t have to
be that way, but because of certain stubbornness by certain people it stayed
that way for over 40 years. We finally got it corrected. Now
there are only two who still believe it. But the truth and the
preponderance of scripture shows that Pentecost cannot ever under any
circumstances be on a Monday.
Now let’s take a look at the chart and let’s see what these verses are
really telling us. Go ahead and take the chart that is the same as
this one. Notice what I have, the first day of the Sabbath, or the
first day of the Sabbaths (plural). Now why do I have Sabbaths plural?
I’ll show you in just a minute. Or the first day of the weeks.
Now first of all let’s read the King James again, Matthew 28:1. And it
says, “In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week…” Now here is the Greek. I want you to
compare Matthew 28:1 and Mark 16:1. Now let me read first of all
Matthew 28 and I’ll show you what we are looking for.
“Now late on [after the] Sabbath[s]…” Now why is it plural? It’s
plural in the Greek. Here’s the Greek word. You see these last
three letters I have underlined…those three letters are pronounced ton.
So the whole word is sabbaton. This is plural. Or it
should read sabbaths. “Now after the sabbaths…” Why plural here?
How many Sabbaths were there during the week that Jesus Christ was
crucified? The holy day on Thursday, and the weekly Sabbath on the
Sabbath, correct? “Now after the sabbaths [two of them] as it began to
dawn on [or toward] the first day of the weeks.” Now notice again it’s
plural, sabbaths. But this could also be weeks. So here’s the
proper translation. “Now after the sabbaths as it began to dawn on the
first day of the weeks.” What is the first day to begin counting the
seven weeks to Pentecost? But on the morrow after the weekly Sabbath,
correct? Yes. So there it is.
Now let’s look at Mark 16:1 (Berry) because we have the singular Sabbath
here. I want you to notice the difference in the spelling. “And
being past the sabbath…” or as it should read when in proper word order,
“When the sabbath was past…” Now I want you to notice the Greek. Here
is the word sabbatou, which then is singular Sabbath. Notice
the difference in the ending of the word, tou, sabbatou verses sabbaton. That becomes very important in the Greek. So here
we have Matthew showing the holy day Sabbath and the weekly Sabbath.
And Mark just showing the weekly Sabbath.
Now let’s look at continuing on in Mark 16:2 (Berry). “And very early
on the first of the week[s]…” Now I want you to look at this in the
Greek. And this is very early. This word is on the first of…this
is “first” and this is “of the weeks”. Again plural, sabbaton.
This word is mias, which means “first of the weeks”, and day is
implied which then is the beginning of counting toward Pentecost.
That’s what they are telling us.
Now let’s go to Luke 24:1 (Berry). “And on the first of the week[s]…”
Now notice it here, which is tyde mia ton sabbaton. Now
you see these three letters here, ton, correspond with the three
letters at the end of sabbaths, sabbaton. This is the plural
article, this is the plural ending. “And on the first of the weeks…”
Now that can only have reference in counting to Pentecost.
Now then let’s go to Luke 4:16 for just a minute. Let’s turn there,
and here we have something that we do not have translated in the King James.
But now then we have another expression similar to ton sabbaton, but
with a little bit different emphasis. Now Luke 4:16 (King James), “And
he came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up: and, as His custom was,
He went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.”
Now we’ll get back and we will read the rest of this and find out that this
is a day of Pentecost message.
Now let’s read it here, this one phrase, Luke 4:16 (Berry), “…on the day of
the [weeks]…” And that is a literal translation from the Greek.
Notice, en te hemera ton sabbaton. There it is the te ton
sabbaton, “in the day of the weeks” or Sabbaths.
Now we find the very same expression in Acts 16:13. Again you do not
get this in the English translation of the King James so let’s go back to
Acts 16:13 and let’s read it from the King James so we’ll have it all read
into the record and then we will go back and review Luke 4 for a few more
details here.
Acts 16:13, “And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side,
where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women
which resorted thither.” You would think this is just a regular
Sabbath. But this is not a regular Sabbath because the Greek for Acts
16:13 is right here, which is, “And on the day of the [weeks]”. Again
we have tyde hemera ton sabbaton. Now you can see, you don’t
have to know much Greek. It’s Greek to me, it’s Greek to you.
But you can see by looking at it this is the plural. The plural
article, the plural ending ton sabbaton, “the weeks”, “the day of the
weeks”. And the only day that could be is Pentecost. Same way
with Luke 4:16, ton sabbaton, “the day of the weeks”, or Pentecost.
Here we have “And on the first of the [week]…” So we have the beginning of
the counting, do we not, in Luke 24:1, in Mark 16:2, in Matthew 28:1.
We have the beginning of the counting which then ends as we come on down the
line here, which is, “and on the day of the weeks”, “and on the day of the
weeks”. Now we’re going to see that there is another expression for
these when we come to Pentecost and how on earth did we get the name
Pentecost for the Feast of Weeks?
Now let’s continue on in Luke 4. Let’s pick it up in verse 16 and
then let’s read the message that Jesus brought. And then we will read
in Isaiah 61 where it came from. And then we will go to Acts 2.
Verse 16, “And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up: and, as
His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the [day of the weeks]…”,
as it should read. The particular day. This is a Pentecost
service. “… And stood up for to read.” Now here is the message
of Pentecost. Let’s understand it, and let’s see how this ties in with
the first Pentecost, and then tomorrow we’re going to see how it ties in
with the last Pentecost. Again we have a beginning and an ending.
Now here verse 17, “And there was delivered unto Him the book of the
prophet Esaias. And when He had opened the book, He found the place
where it was written…” The proper place to be read on the day of the
weeks, the day of Pentecost, the 50th day. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed
Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the
brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of
sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the
acceptable year of the Lord.” Now He stopped right there in the middle
of a sentence, as we will see. “And He closed the book, and He gave it to the minister, and sat down.” (vs. 17-20). Now why did He stop there?
Why did He not continue reading?
Let’s go back to Isaiah 61 and let’s see it. Because this helps us
understand also the reason why Pentecost is going to be the day of the first
resurrection, not the Feast of Trumpets. Let’s go back and read it and
we’ll read that missing clause and you gotta come back tomorrow to get the
final answer for it.
Verse 1, “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD
hath anointed me to preach good tidings [the gospel] unto the meek; He hath
sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the
acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort
all that mourn…” (Is. 61:1-2). Now why did He stop at the day of
vengeance? Because that is to be fulfilled later. And as we will
see tomorrow God promised every one of the saints that they would see the
vengeance of God.
Now let’s go back to the book of Acts, chapter 2, and let’s understand what
this is telling us. Let’s understand there are a couple of things that
are very important. Now if you don’t have the booklet, “The True
Meaning of Acts 2:1”, or if you have it and haven’t read it recently or
reviewed it, go back and do so because there’s a lot of information in
there. Now I know that it’s a little bit technical, but you see we are
to understand every word of God as much as we can. And one of the ways
that we understand it is to realize that the underlying Greek text for the
New Testament and the underlying Hebrew text for the Old Testament becomes
the final authority for making any doctrine. Now some people falsely
say that they have a top ministers and a committee who determine doctrine.
Well now that will only work brethren, if they follow the scriptures.
And if they know that, and if they’re dealing with the original language.
And we’re going to see why that is so important because one of the greatest
mistakes ever made concerning counting Pentecost to a Monday is made by
misreading Acts 2:1, so let’s read it.
“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come…” Now we’re going to
understand precisely what this means, but you know there are some people who
believe that this means that after the 50th day had ended.
So therefore Pentecost is on the 51st day on a Monday. But
you have a problem with that because Monday is not the morrow after the
seventh Sabbath. It is not. Cannot be. Never has been.
Never will be. Because you see Monday is the second day after the
Sabbath. Sabbath, first day of the week, second day of the week.
Or if you want to put it in Roman terminology, Saturday, and then Sunday,
and then Monday. So you find that Monday is the second day of the week
and can never be the morrow after the seventh Sabbath. And you cannot
go back to Leviticus 23 and change ha shabbat to be shabua. Shabua means week. Shabbat means sabbath. So there you have it.
Now, notice what they were. “…They were all with one accord in one
place.” Now again, I want to look at a chart that I’ve made, taken
from the booklet, “The True Meaning of Acts 2:1” and we’re going to
understand exactly what this sentence means, “and when the day of Pentecost
was fully come”, and we will see that it does not mean “after the day, the
50th day had ended.”
Now let’s look at this chart, the Greek text, part of it from Acts 2:1 with
a literal English translation. Now it’s very important to understand
the Greek, brethren. You cannot understand truly the details of the
Bible unless you understand the original language. Now when I sent
this material, “The True Meaning of Acts 2:1” to those who believe in a
Monday Pentecost, they got all angry and all mad and didn’t want to read it.
One man even said, “Well you get into the Greek too much. What are you
doing getting into the Greek?” Well the Bible was not written in the
King James so if we are going to know the deeper things of the word of God
we’ve got to know from the original language.
So let me read it to you here. “The day, the 50th day…”,
which in the Greek is pronounced teen eemeran tees penteekostees ,
and that means 50th. Now you will notice there are two
articles: tees and teen. The day, the 50th.
Now that’s something in the Greek, which is very unusual. We don’t
have it in English. And there’s a reason for that. And the
reason for it is this: is that when you have the double article, it means
that there is a particular emphasis. When that particular emphasis is
there it should read: the day, namely the 50th day.
Now let’s come down to the next section, and I explain in detail in the
booklet, “The True Meaning of Acts 2:1” about the present tense articular
infinitive. Now that’s a mouthful, isn’t it? Present tense
articular infinitive. What does that mean? Well that’s telling
us since it’s present tense, that means that the 50th day hadn’t
ended. If it were past tense then it would. But the Greek is
telling us that it’s present tense. And so here is the actual literal
translation from the Greek for the first part of Acts 2:1, “And while was
being fulfilled the day, namely the 50th day.”
Now, in English word order it can read, “And while the day, namely the 50th day was being fulfilled.” Present passive, “being fulfilled.” So
we have the present tense articular infinitive, which is here, “was being.”
And it’s interesting, when you have that, that means that it is setting the
stage for everything to follow that is listed in Acts the second chapter
occurred during the fulfilling of the 50th day, or “while the day
namely the 50th day was being fulfilled.” Now you can
translate it just a little bit differently or, “and while the day, namely
the day of Pentecost [taking penteekostees and transliterating it
into the English word Pentecost] was being fulfilled.” So there can’t
be any past tense. It cannot be the day after the 50th day
being the 51st day, but during and upon and within we’re going to
see that all the events in Acts 2 were taking place while the 50th day was being [present tense] fulfilled. Now you can take that and
review it and please get the booklet “The True Meaning of Acts 2:1” and go
back and study it and go over it.
So we have seen from the word of God how the first Pentecost began by going
back and linking it with the first Passover, the first Feast of Unleavened
Bread, and by counting the seven weeks and the 50 days, and coming to the 50th day. And on the 50th day the Ten Commandments were given. Now in Acts 2 on the 50th day, or the day of Pentecost while it was being fulfilled.
Now tomorrow we’re going to go through Acts 2 in quite detail so that we
can understand everything that took place on that day. But let’s just
finish this one by ending where we’re going, nearly where we’re going to
begin in verse 41 of Acts 2.
“Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day…”
The Day of Pentecost. It can’t be any other day can it? “…The
same day was added unto them about three thousand souls.” And
so this shows us all the events leading up to it. We see how that
Matthew and Mark and Luke began the counting on the first day of the
Sabbaths. We saw how that on “the day of the Sabbaths”, or “the day of
the weeks” Jesus stood up and preached in Luke 4, and Acts 16:13 Paul and
Timothy and those with him went down by the river to observe the day of
Pentecost where prayer was known to be made on “the day of the weeks”.
And so brethren, when we get in and really understand the word of God and
apply it properly there is no reason why we cannot know the truth of God,
when to count to Pentecost, and understand the events that these days
picture and portray for us.
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