The end from the beginning. (Part 1)

(all quoted Scriptures are from NASB, unless otherwise noted. Many single verses are paraphrased by myself.)

I want to head toward a study of the Psalms of Ascent, and a foundation in the Feasts of Israel seemed a good way to start. Many thanks to Marvin Byers for the understanding of the relationship between Creation and the Feasts. This is contained in a book of His entitled "Six Days and a Day", available from Treasure House. ISBN # 1-56043-263-2, probably available here.

Disclaimer: I do not necessarily endorse any other materials from Mr. Byers, or any other associated ministries. This particular book, though, is quite good.
Day
Vs
Creation
Feast
Christ
Man
1
1-5
Light into darknessPassoverCrucifiedNew Birth
2
6-8
Heaven separates watersUnleavened BreadTruthPurified Doctrine
3
9-13
Land and fruit appearFirst FruitsRisenFruits of the Spirit
4
14-19
Lights in heavenPentecostHoly SpiritThe Lord Appears
5
20-23
Animals made aliveTrumpets His Word Fulfilled
6
24-31
Man created in His imageAtonementAdvocateChrist in Us
7
2:1-3
God restsTabernaclesHarvestThe Rest of God

Ge 1:1-13

 
Lev 23:1-14
1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  
1
The LORD spoke again to Moses, saying,
2
The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.  
2
"Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, "The LORD'S appointed times which you shall proclaim as holy convocations -- My appointed times are these:
3
Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.  
3
"For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest, a holy convocation. You shall not do any work; it is a sabbath to the LORD in all your dwellings.
4
God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.  
4
"These are the appointed times of the LORD, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at the times appointed for them.
5
God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.  
5
"In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight is the LORD'S Passover.

Passover

His light comes to our earth. His truth penetrates the darkness of our ignorance. Life comes into death, and by death, life is brought forth.
Marks the season of planting, celebrates the deliverance out of Egypt, points to Christ's crucifixion
1Co 5:7 - Christ our Passover

  • We are marked by the blood of Christ.
  • As with the Jewish Passover, we are called to remember what has been done for us until He returns.
  • At the Passover, Christ implanted the nature of Christian authority in His disciples.
  • This is one of the feasts Ezra reestablished when the Israelites returned from exile.
6
Then God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters."  
6
"Then on the fifteenth day of the same month there is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread.
7
God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so.  
7
"On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work.
8
God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.  
8
"But for seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work.'"

Unleavened Bread

The true doctrine must be determined by heaven, which divides the true from the false, the heavenly streams from earthly cisterns.

1Co 5:8 - Don't celebrate with the old leaven, but with the unleavened bread of truth and righteousness,
2Ti 2:15 - rightly dividing the word of truth.
Jn 14:6 - Christ is the way, the truth, and the life.

9

Then God said, "Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear"; and it was so.  
9
Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

10

God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good.  
10
"Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, "When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest.

11

Then God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them"; and it was so.  
11
"He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD for you to be accepted; on the day after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.

12

The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good.  
12
"Now on the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb one year old without defect for a burnt offering to the LORD.

13

There was evening and there was morning, a third day.  
13
"Its grain offering shall then be two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering by fire to the LORD for a soothing aroma, with its drink offering, a fourth of a hin of wine.
 
14
"Until this same day, until you have brought in the offering of your God, you shall eat neither bread nor roasted grain nor new growth. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places.

First Fruits

Dry land (the Word, exegesis) and water (the Spirit) are both needed in balance for producing of fruit

Dt 32:1 - Let the earth hear My words, My teaching dropping as rain, as showers on the herb.
Spiritless word:
Ro 2:23-24 - You boast in the Law, yet break it to God's dishonor, to the end that the non-believers blaspheme His Holy name to see your example.
1Co 13:2 - all the knowledge without love is made nothing.)
Wordless spirit:
How shall we judge its source? How shall we show it approved, without the Word?

  • The first fruits are intrinsically holy.
  • Israel is the first fruits of God.
  • Christ is the first fruits of new life (1Co 15:20).
  • We have the first fruits of the Spirit (Jas 1:18).
This is as far as the teaching went of the first night. I expect to continue from the fourth day at our next meeting.

  

©2001 - Jeffrey A. Wilcox