ISRAEL'S STRANGEST FEAST

Following Israel's miraculous exodus from Egypt, the Lord gave Moses instructions concerning the seven Feasts of the Lord (Lev. 23:1-44).  To Israel, the seven feasts had to do with the Lord wanting them to hold assemblies at seven specific times each year.  They did not see the feasts as prophecy, but as history, or religious tradition.  Just as the United States has holidays to remember and honor those who have gone on before us, the Jews were to remind their children of God's blessings on their nation. 

Of the seven Feasts of the Lord, one stands out as unique:  Pentecost (Lev. 23:15-22).  It stands alone on the Hebrew Calendar, fifty days after the Feast of First Fruits, the last of the Spring feasts (Lev. 23:1-14), and about five months before the beginning of the Fall feasts (Lev. 23:16-44).  It is also unique, in that, it is the only feast that is celebrated with leaven (a symbol throughout the Bible for sin and doctrinal corruption - for example, see Amos 4:4-5; Mt. 16:6, 11; 1 Cor. 5:6-9).

The Spring feasts, Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits, to the Christian, were clearly prophetic, and were literally fulfilled with the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus at His First Coming (1 Cor. 5:7; 15:3-4, 20).  Most Christians who hold to a literal interpretation of prophetic texts, view the Fall feasts, Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles, as having to do with the events involving Israel at Christ's Second Coming (the Tribulation - Dan. 9:24-27; Mt. 24:3-28; Rev. 6 - 18: and the Millennium - Rev. 20:1-15).

But Pentecost, standing alone between the "First Coming" and "Second Coming" prophetic feasts, has to represent something which takes place following Israel's Messiah being "cut off" (Dan. 9:26; Mt. 27:32-38; Mk. 15:21-28; Lk. 23:26-34; Jn. 19:17-24; etc.), and His "Second Coming."  It has been nearly 2000 years since the Crucifixion, and based upon the our nightly news programs, it is not going to be much longer until He returns (Mt. 24:4-8)! 

So what fulfills the Feast of Pentecost?  Well, the Church was birthed on the Feast of Pentecost (Acts 2:1)!  And although the Church is a mystery to the Jews (Eph. 5:32), the New Testament clearly explains that the Lord has temporarily put Israel on "the back burner" (Rom. 9 - 11), until "the times of the Gentiles" is complete (Lk. 21:24).  So Pentecost is a picture of the Church Age!  There were approximately 2000 years from Creation, until the choosing of Abraham's people (Israel); there were approximately 2000 years from the birth of Israel, until the birth of the Church, and there will be, in my humble opinion, 2000 years of God "tolerating" His "collection of sinning Jews and sinning Gentiles" known as the Church!

Today is Pentecost - a great time for the Rapture of the Church!