Sermon by Bill Goff
Well here we are brethren, at the end of another week, and as we are commanded, we are congregating on the Sabbath day But today brethren is not just another typical weekly Sabbath day, today is quite a unique day for the church of God, Our Creator has a very important reason for bringing us together at the end of this particular week as we keep these back-to-back Sabbaths.
In fact, today is So Significant & So Important that without the “physical fulfillment” of today, there will be no “spiritual fulfillment” tomorrow.
Without the physical fulfillment of today, “Day 49” of the count, there can be no spiritual fulfillment for us tomorrow, on the “Last Day”, “Our Day”, The day of Pentecost.
Now I hope that by the end of today’s message, we will better understand, what the fulfillment of today “Day 49” is all about.
Today, “Day 49, pictures a completion of something brethren, a completion of something that was started a long time ago.
And maybe the best way to begin to understand what today is all about, would be to go back in time and take a look at a very important statement that our Creator made a very long time ago.
I want to bring us on a little trip today over to Palestine; we’re going to head up the Jordan River to where our Creator made a very important statement.
(If your Bible happens to have a map in the back of it, you might want to take a look at it because a lot of the events that we will be discussing today took place at particular locations that are shown on those maps.)
We’re going up the Jordan River today, because many of the most significant events that transpired in the history of God’s people, happened around the Jordan. The Jordan River flows directly through the center of Palestine.
Now Palestine Geographically designates the Land of the Bible, particularly the land west of the Jordan that God allotted to Israel for an inheritance (Josh 13-19).
In Old Testament times the land of Palestine was known as “The Land Of Canaan” (Gen12:5) and was often referred to as “The Promised land” (Deut 9:28)
Now if you found the Jordan River on you map, let go up stream because I want to start today’s message right at the source of the Jordan River. That’s where our Creator made a very important statement that will help us begging to understand the meaning of today, “Day 49”
Now on our way up the Jordan River, we need to make a couple of quick stops and take note of a few important events that preceded that important statement that our Creator made.
Now we will not be turning to all the “familiar” Scriptures today for lack of time, but I will be quoting their chapter & verse so you can verify what I am saying.
Back in those days came John the Baptist, “Preaching in the wilderness of Judea.”
And Jerusalem and all of Judea, in fact the entire region round about the Jordan went out to see him, and were baptized in the Jordan, “Confessing their sins.”
For John was saying: “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Mt:3:2
Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee: “Preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God And saying The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, (Jesus said) and believe the gospel.” (Mark 1:15)
After that, Jesus’ first stop was along the Sea of Galilee, that’s where He saw Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fisherman.
And He said unto them: “Come ye after me, follow me, and I will make you “to become” fishers of men. And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.” Mk:1:17
Jesus called out to them that day and told them to follow Him. Yes, this is where Jesus began calling His disciples, the ones His Father was drawing.
Remember John 6:44: “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.”
Now as we go through today’s message brethren, lets us realize that what concerned His disciples back then, also concerns His disciples today.
He told them that He was going to make them “To Become” fishers of men. And they immediately left their nets, and followed Him.
Now lets head back up that Jordan River a little further, because we need to get to the beginning. Remember we’re looking for that very important statement that Jesus made a long time ago, that will help us begin to understand what today, “Day 49” is all about.
During the ministry of Jesus, as He traveled around, preaching about the Kingdom of God and Teaching His disciples, He entered the region of Caesarea Philippi, Now Caesarea Philippi is located in the upper Jordan Valley along the slopes of Mount Hermon.
If you look at that map, just follow the Jordan River right up to the very top, because that is where the Jordan River begins.
The City of “Caesarea Philippi” is near a spring, a spring that gushes out of a cave in the bluffs there, and that spring is one of the main sources of the Jordan River.
This area is the most lush and beautiful in all of Palestine, with groves of trees and grassy fields abounding.
Well it was here, that Jesus asked His disciples a very important question, and after they replied, He made that “very important statement.” The statement that we are in search of this morning. The statement that will help us begin to better understand what today “day 49” is all about.
Now the question that He asked His disciples, concerned His identity.
(Lets pick up the story in Mat 16:13)
What He asked His disciples was: “Who do people say I am?”
They answered: “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others say Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
But what about you, Jesus asked His disciples. Who do you say I am?
Peter, acting as the group’s spokesmen, replied, “You are the Christ, the son of the living God.”
Jesus replied: “Blessed are you Simon, And He told Simon, (Peter that is) that this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.
And then Jesus made that very important statement that we came all the way up the Jordan River this morning to find brethren. It’s in Mt:16:18.
It’s the statement that will help us begin to understand what today day 49 is all about:
You are Peter (little stone) and upon this Rock (Massive Stone) Jesus said: “I Will Build My Church” Brethren, that was 2,000 years ago when Jesus made that statement that He would “Build His Church.”
But there is something very important for all of us to realize concerning this building of His church brethren, And it has everything to do with today, Day 49 of the count.
We are not living in the time when Jesus began to build His church.
We are living in the time when that building project, will be completed
Today is a very significant day for the church of God brethren.
Because Today,“Day 49” represents: “The completion of the building of the church of God.”
Yes, the “Completion” of the building of the church.
The church age is coming to a close brethren, and this day, day 49 of the count, pictures that completion.
When one begins to build something brethren, it’s just a matter of time before they complete it.
Have you ever known a builder who started to build a house without planning to finish it?
Have you ever known a builder who started to build a house and didn’t have any idea of what the house was going to look like when it was completed? Or when the project would be finished?
No, A builder never starts building a house with out a plan that includes all of the above, And all the more in this particular case, because the builder of this house is God Himself.
Today brethren, on day 49 of the count to Pentecost, we need to stop and take a good look at the blue prints, Because the blueprints not only tell us when the building of the church of God began, but the blue prints also tells when the building of the church of God, will be completed.
And most important of all brethren, the blueprints also tell us exactly what the church of God will be like at its completion.
And let me tell you brethren, according to the prints we’re going to see a might fine house, perfect in every way, at its completion. (No confusion like there is in the churches of God today.)
Maybe we should take a quick look at that, it’s in Ephesians 5.
Eph:5:27: That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
The blue prints tell it all brethren.
And the prints tells us (as we’re going to see today) that the day of completion of the building of the church of God, is what today “Day 49” of the count to Pentecost is all about.
Tomorrow “Day 50” the “Last Day” is moving in day. But before anyone can go in and take possession of a new house, the house has to be finished first; the house has to be “complete.”
Now the planning stage for the building was completed before the foundations of the world. That’s well documented in Eph:1:4 & 1Pt:1:20. (Maybe we’ll go there and see that later)
The ground breaking of the project began on the Day of Pentecost, when The Powerful Holy Spirit of God came in like a “Rushing Mighty Wind, and it filled all the house where the disciples were sitting.” Acts:2:2
But it is the completion of the building of the house of God that is of utmost importance to us brethren, Because we are part of that house that Jesus is building, and His project is about to be fulfilled. And for it to be complete, we have to do our part; we have to be complete ourselves.
We have no time to loose or to procrastinate, “Time is of the essence here for us brethren” because we are part of the “First fruits” First fruits are planted first (planted at our calling) Grow first (Those that answer His calling that is, and live according to His ways) and are picked first (That picking is pictured by tomorrow, “The Last Day” when the “First fruits” will be “Raised up”.)
But before they can be “Raised up” on the “Last Day” they have to be ripe, they have to be ready, they have to be what the blue prints call “Complete.”
Now this word “complete” (as we’re going to see) sums up the condition of the entire church at the return of its builder Jesus Christ, from the church at Ephesus to the church at Laodicea. (All 7 of them)
Remember, God is no respecter of persons. He is concerned about building His Holy Righteous Character, in each and every one of us.
That’s what we learned from keeping the “Feast of Unleavened Bread” its all about repentance & change.
Getting the sin out, changing our nature changing our ways, turning our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh.
Now we know that He builds that character in us through the trials & tribulations that we go through from day to day But do we realize that unless that “Holy Righteous Character” of His is displayed in us by “Day 49” we will not be there on “Day 50”.
According to the prints, there is a deadline for this house of God, the church, to be completed, and we have to have our part completely finished and ready by that deadline.
Now this house that Jesus is building is a spiritual house, but to better understand the spiritual, we have to look at the physical.
So lets go to 1 Kings 6 please and take a look at how the physical Temple was made, because it shows exactly how the spiritual Temple is being made.
1Kgs:6:7: And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither.
Those stones are us brethren, and notice what it says: the stones were made ready “before” they were brought “thither”
Thither means “To the other side” That “Thither” happens tomorrow on “The Last Day” day 50.
When the church is “raised up” it will be on the other side “Tither”
Tither was pictured by the church in the wilderness when they crossed over the Jordan into “The Promised Land”
Well when Solomon’s temple was being built, the stones (us) were cut, grinded, chiseled, shaped and completed, down at the quarry. Yes, all the preparation for each & every stone was totally finished, totally completed at the quarry
NIV says: And the Temple, when it was being built, was built with stone, finished at the quarry.
Yes brethren finished first, and then when they were completely ready, even had their final buffing, they were brought over to the other side where they were put together and erected into that Magnificent Temple.
Now before we move on, lets read the rest of that verse here in 1 Kings 6:7 and note that “there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.”
We’ll comment more on that part of the verse a little later.
First, we need to understand exactly what Jesus meant when He said that He would “build” His church.
Because the adversary has caused much confusion amongst our brethren, confusion that needs to be cleared up, and put to rest.
Now back when we were first called, one of the first things we realized was that the church that Jesus was building, was not a physical building with a steeple on the top like we see on Maine Street in every town.
We learned back then that the “church” was the people themselves. (We all learned that)
We learned that the Greek for the word church was “Ecclesia” or “Called out ones.”
But today, let’s get even a better understand of what the building of this church, what the “building” of the “Called out ones” is all about.
We all may have learned back then that the church was not a physical building with a steeple on the top, but not every one learned that it’s not a physical organization neither.
We need to take a look at the word “build” that Jesus used back then when He made that statement that He would “build His church.”
Was He talking about building a physical organization? A man made organization, with some man at the top who He would work through by giving that man understanding and knowledge so that man could intern pass the info down to the rest of us?
The definition of the word “build” will shed much light on exactly what this project is that Jesus has been working on for 2,000 years.
The Greek word used in Mat 16:18 translated “build” is Strong’s 3618 (Now I’m no scholar, so I’m not going to attempt trying to pronounce the Greek, but I’ll spell it: “OIKO DESPOTES
OKIO means = a house or tower. And DESPOTES means = to build up, to edify, to embolden.
Edify means = To instruct, improve, enlighten, and to strengthen, especially in morals, the Greek definition states.
Embolden means = To make bold, Give courage to.
What Jesus meant when He said that He would build His church was that he would:
Build up His “Called out one” Edify them, Instruct them, Enlighten them, Strengthen and Improve them, especially in morals.
Jesus is not building a physical organization. The church is not a physical building or a physical corporation. The church is a spiritual organization.
This word “build” here comes from the root word OIKOS Strong’s # 3624 = strong’s definition is: A household, a family dwelling in a house.
This church, the house, that He is building, that He is edifying, that He is enlightening, that He is strengthening and improving (Especially in morals) is us, the household of God.
Well, how are we doing brethren? How’s Jesus’ church coming along in these “latter days”?
The days where men (Paul told Timothy) would be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: 2nd Tim 3.
This is the world we are living in brethren.
How are we doing brethren, in this untoward generation? How are “our” morals coming along?
Are we still friend to this world?
In today’s world brethren, the word “moral” is so obsolete; that I had to look it up in a1977 “Funk & Wagnels to get a decent definition.
Morals = Pertaining to character and behavior from the point of view of right and wrong, and obligation of duty; pertaining to rightness and duty in conduct. Conforming to right conduct.
(Maybe the best way to understand the word “moral” is to look at the words long list of synonyms.)
Synonyms = Dutiful, ethical, excellent, faithful, good, honest, honorable, incorruptible, just, pious, righteous, upright, virtuous, worthy.
Does this describe us brethren? It should.
Because according to the print, it describes the condition of the church of God, at its completion.
And God is going to bring His church to completion, with or without us.
Now for some in His church, they have already reached completion. Those who have been called in the past who have answered their calling, walked the walk, and remained faithful to their end, are now asleep, awaiting the “Last Day” when they will be raised up.
But how about us? Are we continuing to answer our calling brethren? Are we looking more & more like members of His Household?
Ya know as a house begins to near its completion, it should very much look like the original plan.
Let us not forget the “Height” of our calling brethren. Let us not forget what we have been called to become.
(Lets note how Paul addresses the members of the COG in Rome)
Rom:1:7: To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
(How about when he addressed the church at Corenth)
1Cor:1:2: Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
Do we realize that we are called to be the saints of God?
Let us not be fooled & tricked by Satan and his workers. Satan wants us to take our calling lightly, and he often works through men. Men up in the pulpits, preaching heresies.
Even men in the pulpits of the church of God. How often have we been told that we are the saints? Just by attending their organization.
We get ourselves baptized and then they begin telling us that we are the saints.
But the reality is that we are not necessarily “saints” at baptism. One has to change his ways to become a saint.
(Lets go to Rom 16) Here Paul wrote a letter to the church at Rome, and had it delivered by a sister who was very active in the work of God. He tells those in the church at Rome who were on the road to “becoming saints” to receive her well, and to assist her in any thing she needed.
Rom:16:2: That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you:
The Greek for that word “becometh” saints, means: “To Tower Up”
That’s what Jesus said He was going to do: “Build His church” “Tower up” His disciples.
That’s what He is trying to do with us. But, are we allowing Him, or resisting Him?
Are we saints yet?
Let us not forget the definition of the word saint. The blue prints do not lie, they only contain Truth.
In Strong’s we read the following defining saint = sacred, pure, blameless, most holy. Its fundamental ideas are separation, consecration, devotion to God, and sharing in God’s purity and abstaining from this earths defilement. Saints are pure, saints are blameless.
Well just how “pure” are we? Just how pure does God want us to be? Just how “blameless” and “separate” does He expect us to become while we are still physical human beings?
Is “Perfection” & “Holiness” something that we can achieve now, while we are still flesh? Or is it something that will be granted to us at our change? You know, like from some magic wand that God will wave over our heads?
Many in the church of God have been lead to believe that there is a magic wand at the end of the road.
Many have been lead to believe that they can just go on sinning without any consequences.
Isn’t that what we have been taught or lead to believe by ministers, even ministers in the church of God? That we will become pure after our change?
In Mt: 24:5: Jesus warned us that many shall come in my name, And shall deceive many.
Brethren, there was no magic wand in that tool shed back at the quarry. Remember the end of that verse that we read in 1 Kings 6:7?
I was going to bring it up later, but it seems to be jumping out at us right here. There was no magic wand in the tool shed, but there was an axe.
And the only thing that I know of that an axe is used for, is for destruction. That axe at the tool shed represents the lake of fire.
Brethren, we need to learn not to trust in men. Because the prints are full of warnings again trusting in any man. Remember the majority are lead by Satan, not by the spirit of God.
In 2Pt:2:1: Peter warned us “That there shall be false teachers among you, who privately shall bring in damnable heresies.”
That word “Damnable” means = spiritual or eternal ruin or loss.
Another thing we probably should note here is that there are heresies that are not damnable.
Heresies are not always bad. Heresy means a doctrinal belief at variance with the recognized tenets of a system, Church, or school.
The true church of God is at variance with many of the doctrines of the organized quote unquote “church”.
Lets take a quick look at something in acts 24 for a second because this is very important.
The Apostle Paul was accused of practicing heresy, but it was because he was following the instruction book.
Acts:24:14: But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets.
That’s why we have to be careful and take note, whenever man speaks, not only because he may be saying or doing something wrong, contrary to the Scriptures, but he may be doing something right, that is according to the Scriptures, but contrary to the majority.
Bottom line is: Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. If it’s Truth, it provable with the Bible. If it’s a fable, it’s not provable with the Bible.
Now lets move on. If we can remember where we were. O yah, we’re at the same place, Trust no man.
In Acts 20:29 Paul warned us that after his departing shall grievous wolves enter in among the flock.
Also of your own selves (Paul said) shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after themselves? (Telling us that we have to be in their group)
Brethren, I know these Scripture are nothing new to any of us. But do we comprehend that these false prophets and these false teacher have been among us for a long time, and HAVE ALREADY MANAGED TO DECEIVE MANY, AND HAVE IMPACTED ALL OF US?
In 2Tm: 4:3, Speaking about the times in which we are living today, Paul said:
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
I recently heard a high-ranking minister in the COG, one who is well respected and looked up to by many, make the following statement:
“Brethren, don’t worry about those every day sins that we all commit. You know (he went on to say) the ones we all commit every day! We’ll be committing those sins right up to our change.” (He told his followers.)
I wrote that minister a letter and told him that he should not be telling the brethren that. I told him that if we keep on practicing sin, we might not be changed. (Needless to say, he never replied to my letter)
Brethren, Do you know where the Scripture is that says that the sole that sinneth, Shall Not Die?
That is Scriptural ya know. It’s in Gen: 3:4. But that particular scripture is a quote that came out of the mouth of Satan, the arch deceiver, the one who was a liar from the beginning.
Don’t believe Satan, he is a liar. Believe God, God cannot lie. And God, our Creator tells us that the sole that sinneth “Shall Surely Die”
Brethren, we’re the church “The pillar & ground of the truth 1 Tim 3:15. We have no time for deception; the church age is coming to a close, and our time for being ready, our time for being pure, our time for abstaining from this earth’s defilement and being separate is now, and our time is running out.
Let’s go to 1Cor 6:9 please,
We have no time for fables, and we have no time for “smooth talking” we need sound teachings; we need to know the truth concerning these important matters. And truth comes from only one place” The Word of God. The blueprints tell it all brethren.
1Cor:6:9: Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind.
Brethren, what we are being told here is that “sinners” will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
Now we’ve all sinned, and God worked it out that someone else stepped in for us and paid the penalty for our sins. But that does not mean that we can go on sinning. The Scripture says that He cannot be crucified over & over.
We cannot continue to commit our everyday sins like that minister is telling us.
Sin is the transgression of the law. If we are still transgressing the law, we have to stop. We are commanded to stop.
The law says, “Do not steel” if we are thieves, we have to stop stealing. If we are lyres, we have to stop lying and be honest.
Gal:5:19: Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20: Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21: Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Now the world doesn’t comprehend this brethren. The world has no time for God; they’re too busy with their mundane things. But we’re the church, we’ve been blessed with a “High Calling” And if we want to fulfill our calling, we have to come out of the world, we have to separate ourselves from the worlds ways.
Do you know why when you look around at the behavior of the world and it seems like the sinning is getting worse, do you know why it seems that way? It’s because it is.
Do you know how much worse it’s getting?
Rv:18:5: For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
(Just like before the flood)
There is only one thing for a man of God to do in a world like this brethren. And you don’t have to go far in the print to find out what it is, its in verse 4.
Rv:18:4: And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Now don’t misunderstand, coming out of the world does not mean that we have to move to some remote forest somewhere. It means that we have to stop practicing the ways of the world, which are all these works of the flesh that we are reading here.
Eph: 5:3: (Please) We have to be different brethren.
Eph 5:3 but fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as “becometh” saints. (If we want to be saints, we have to stop sinning.)
1Cor: 15:34 says: Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.
Eph: 4:26 says: Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath.
In 1Pt 1:15 Peter says: “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conduct;
Then Peter quotes the Old Testament to tell us why we need to be holy (The blue prints tell us) “Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”
(Lets go to 1st John 2 please and hear what the Apostle John said concerning sinning)
1 John 2:1 my little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
2: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
3: And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
(Commandment keepers are saints, sinners are not)
(Brethren, when one is keeping His commandments, he is not sinning.)
4: He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5: But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
6: He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
The “He” that John is speaking of here is Jesus of course. Jesus, the one who never sinned, is the one who John is telling us to follow the example of and walk in the same way. What way? Upright.
Now with all this talk about coming out of sin, one might think that I have us back at the spring Feast of U.B.
Well, this still is the spring feast brethren. The spring feast didn’t end on the last day of U.B. The spring feast doesn’t end until tomorrow, on the “Last Day” of the count.
Spring feast started at Passover, where we renewed our commitment to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the one who sacrificed His life on the stake, so that you & I & the whole world for that matter, might live.
Then the week of U.B. is where we learned that we have to come out of sin.” Purge out the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump.”
That “Old Leaven” is our previous walk, our sinful walk, the way we walked in the past before our baptism & hands, when we were practicing sin, entertaining the lusts of the flesh & the lusts of the eyes, the pride of life.
But it takes time to “Purge out that old leaven”. It takes time to become a new lump.
The “New Lump” is our new walk. Keeping the commandments, becoming right with God.
And keeping the commandments consists of more than just the 10; we have to live by every word of God.
There are statutes & judgments also to add here.
It takes time to become a “New lump”. And it happens by “Minding the things of the Spirit Rom:8:6 ” “Drawing close to God so He in turn will draw close to us.”
In Jms:4:8: James says: Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
All this takes time brethren.
The physical Feast of U.B. lasted only one physical week. But that one-week represents the entire time from when we are 1st baptized & hands, until the time when we will be changed from mortal human beings into spiritual God beings.
We only had to stop eating physical leavened bread (which represented sin) for one physical week. After that week we could go back to eating physical leavened bread, but we can’t go back to practicing sin. We have to continue our walk of coming out of sin.
That’s why God has His church start counting to fifty during that week of U.B.
And it has to do with the whole church, all seven of them. Remember the church age is 2,000 years old now. There have been other first fruits who were called before us who had to make the same changes in their lives during their spiritual week of walking this earth from the time of their calling to the time of their death.
Other “firstfruits” have come before us, but God expects the same from all of us.
They also had their “week” to come out of sin and put on righteousness.
We need to understand what this count to 50 is all about. And we need to understand the importance of today, “Day 49”
Because without the physical fulfillment of today, “Day 49” of the count, there can be no spiritual fulfillment for us tomorrow, on the “Last Day” of the count, the day of Pentecost.
Now we’re going to focus in on the print to see that.
Lets go to the book of Lev now, because the blue prints there elaborates on this day 49, and shows how we have to completely come out of sin and be pure, before day 50.
Yes, these blue prints in the book of Lev. tell us what this house is suppose to look like at its completion,
Now remember, the Old Testament was written in Hebrew. So the terminology used, is sometimes a little different from that of the New Testament.
The feast that we will be observing tomorrow is called by a few different names.
In the New Testament it’s called “Pentecost” which means = “Count Fifty”
And as we already talked about, that count consists of the time that we have been allotted to come out of sin, changing from our old walk to our new walk.
It’s pictured by the physical weeklong feast of U.B. But that physical week represents the entire time from our calling (Baptism & Hands) till our being “raised up” on the last day.
Now in the Old Testament Pentecost is called the Feast of Weeks and was known as “Feast of Firstfruits.”
It’s called the feast of “weeks” because it was a harvest of firstfruits that took 7 weeks to complete.
That physical harvest of the firstfruits, pictured the spiritual harvest of the church. The whole church, all 7 of them. That harvest also takes 7 weeks. One week for each church.
The entire church from its conception has been given time to become ready, time to be prepared, time to be complete and ready to be raised up on “Last Day.”
Now the first fruits consisted of two crops, the “Barley” & The “Wheat” The Barley ripened first, it was harvested first and was glorified first, just before the Wheat began to be harvested.
Now we know that the Barley represents Christ. And on the “Wave Sheave offering day” the barley was raised and waved and accepted by the Father and Glorified.
It prepared the way for the rest of the firstfruits (The Wheat) to be harvested.
And that was when the rest of the “firstfruits” began the seven weeks of being harvested, the seven week count to Pentecost.
It represents the seven-week harvest of the church.
Those seven weeks represent the time when the wheat (Firstfruits) are being harvested. The wheat harvested lasts for 7 weeks.
That’s being fulfilled right now brethren, as we speak. Its been on going for 2,000 years now.
Like Stephen, the first Martyr. He’s already been harvested now, and placed in the barn awaiting the “Last Day” to be raised up.
All those who have died in Christ, have already been harvested, there in the grave now, awaiting the “last day” to be raised up.
Now we know that the Wheat represents the called of God.
God The Father Himself planted the Wheat. We know this from places like the parable of the wheat & the tares, and many other places.
And we know that the wheat was harvested over a period of time from the week beginning at “Wave Sheaf” offering day, and continued for seven weeks.
Those 7 weeks, brings us to today “Day 49” The day the Scripture tells us we have to be “Complete”
Then on day 50, the “Last Day” the wheat was baked into two “Wave Loaves” and raised up to be accepted by the Father, and glorified.
Just like the “Wave Sheaf” was raised up to be accepted on the first day of the count, the “Wave Loaves” were raised up on the “Last Day” of the count, Day 50, or Pentecost.
Now lets go to Lev 23:15 and take a look at the print.
This part of the print here is talking about the “wave-loaves”; the church at Pentecost, fifty days after the resurrection (or raising) of Jesus Christ.
Lev:23:15: And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete.
The Sabbath represents the end of a week, so what is being said here is “seven weeks” shall be complete.
Then verse 16 says: “Even unto tomorrow, after the seven Sabbaths (after seven weeks) shall you number 50 days.
But please notice that “Seven Sabbaths” “seven weeks” “seven churches is what it is talking about here, have to be complete first before day 50.
And brethren that word complete used here, is a very important word. It’s the part of the print that tells us exactly what the church is to look like on day 49 the day before Pentecost day 50.
The word “Complete” used here is used in a couple of other places in the Bible, and normally represents Jesus Christ. (One of those places is in Ex:12:5.)
Ex 12:5 Your lamb shall be “without blemish”, there’s the same exact word brethren, “Without blemish”
Another place that same exact word is used is in: Num:19:2:
Num. 19:2 This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke.
There’s that same exact word brethren used twice here “without spot” & “No blemish”
Now in both these verses Ex 12:5 and Num 19:2, the word is talking about Jesus Christ.
But in Lev 23:15, the same exact word is talking about the church, the rest of the first fruits on day 49.
You see, we are to become exactly like Christ, “without blemish” “without spot” exactly like Christ our chief corner stone, the One we are to conform to.
And please notice that we have to be “Complete” (Like Him) BEFORE the “Last Day” which is day 50, Pentecost.
The Barley ripens just prior to the Wheat. Once the Barley was harvested, then the wheat began to be harvested, and that harvest went on right up to the last week before Pentecost. It took 7 weeks to harvest all the Wheat, and it represented the seven-week harvest of the seven churches.
The church harvest is coming to an end brethren. The majority of the church or “Firstfruits”, have already been harvested, and are in the grave waiting for the fulfillment of tomorrow when they will be raised up.
How about us? Are we ready for harvest? Are we “Complete” “Unblemished” “Unspotted” & “Pure”? Ready to be raised up on the last day?
Being pure, being complete, being up right brethren, is a requirement, and a requirement that has to be achieved now, during our physical lives according to the print.
And it’s a good requirement, because once we meet it, once we are complete, we will be given the gift of eternal life in the Kingdom of God.
So today is an important day for us brethren, it pictures the completion of the building of the church of God.
It’s a day So Significant & So Important, that without the “physical fulfillment” of today, Day 49, there will be no “spiritual fulfillment” for us tomorrow on day 50.
And anyone with the hope of being raised up on the last day is busy doing something that is of utmost importance to all of us brethren. It’s in the blue print in 1 John 3:3 and I will like to turn & close there brethren.
1John 3:3 “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”
*Scriptures from the King James Version.