The end from the beginning. (part 2)

The end from the beginning. (Part 2)

(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 darkness	Passover	Crucified	New Birth
2	6-8	Heaven separates waters	Unleavened Bread	Truth	Purified Doctrine
3	9-13	Land and fruit appear	First Fruits	Risen	Fruits of the Spirit
4	14-19	Lights in heaven	Pentecost	Holy Spirit	The Lord Appears
5	20-23	Animals made alive	Trumpets		His Word Fulfilled
6	24-31	Man created in His image	Atonement	Advocate	Christ in Us
7	2:1-3	God rests	Tabernacles	Harvest	The Rest of God

Ge 1:14-2:3		Lev 23:15-37
14	Then God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years;	15	"You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the sabbath, from the day when you brought in the sheaf of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete sabbaths.
15	and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it was so.	16	"You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to the LORD.
16	God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also.	17	"You shall bring in from your dwelling places two loaves of bread for a wave offering, made of two-tenths of an ephah; they shall be of a fine flour, baked with leaven as first fruits to the LORD.
17	God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth,	18	"Along with the bread you shall present seven one year old male lambs without defect, and a bull of the herd and two rams; they are to be a burnt offering to the LORD, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD.
18	and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good.	19	"You shall also offer one male goat for a sin offering and two male lambs one year old for a sacrifice of peace offerings.
19	There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.	20	"The priest shall then wave them with the bread of the first fruits for a wave offering with two lambs before the LORD; they are to be holy to the LORD for the priest.
		21	"On this same day you shall make a proclamation as well; you are to have a holy convocation. You shall do no laborious work. It is to be a perpetual statute in all your dwelling places throughout your generations.
		22	"When you reap the harvest of your land, moreover, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field nor gather the gleaning of your harvest; you are to leave them for the needy and the alien. I am the LORD your God.'"
Pentecost *The light* that entered the darkness, and became light to all men, that light that came on the first day, provides for the new fruit, strengthening the watered word with the light of understanding. This feast was to be celebrated with dancing, as was that of Tabernacles. Mal 4:2 - The Sun of righteousness rises upon those who fear the LORD, with healing in its wings. You will go forth skipping about like calves. Ac 2:3 - tongues as of fire distributed themselves to reset on each one of them. 2Co 4:6 - His light begins to shine out of our darkness, as we begin to bear fruit.
20	Then God said, "Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens."	23	Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
21	God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good.	24	"Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, "In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.
22	God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth."	25	"You shall not do any laborious work, but you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD.'"
23	There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.	26	The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
Trumpets *God's Word becomes life to us.* This was the new year's day celebration, during which mourning was forbidden. How would one mourn, when life has come? God begins the fulfilling of all His promises to us, as we come into obedience to His will. We move from mere doctrine to doctrine fueled by experience, and so have a message to give. We are called into ministry to be the trumpet sound of warning to those who don't believe.
24	Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind"; and it was so.	27	"On exactly the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall humble your souls and present an offering by fire to the LORD.
25	God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good.	28	"You shall not do any work on this same day, for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement on your behalf before the LORD your God.
26	Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."	29	"If there is any person who will not humble himself on this same day, he shall be cut off from his people.
27	God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.	30	"As for any person who does any work on this same day, that person I will destroy from among his people.
28	God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth."	31	"You shall do no work at all. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places.
29	Then God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you;	32	"It is to be a sabbath of complete rest to you, and you shall humble your souls; on the ninth of the month at evening, from evening until evening you shall keep your sabbath."
30	and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food"; and it was so.
31	God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
Atonement As we respond, we come to the place of repentance, preparing ourselves for the coming Bridegroom. Man created in His likeness, Christ in Us. He is our atoning sacrifice, and He awaits the day of our redemption. Col 1:27 - Christ in us is the hope of glory.
2:1	Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts.	33	Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
2	By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.	34	"Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, "On the fifteenth of this seventh month is the Feast of Booths for seven days to the LORD.
3	Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.	35	"On the first day is a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work of any kind.
		36	"For seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation and present an offering by fire to the LORD; it is an assembly. You shall do no laborious work.
		37	"These are the appointed times of the LORD which you shall proclaim as holy convocations, to present offerings by fire to the LORD -- burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, each day's matter on its own day --
Tabernacles God enters His Rest, and His goal is that we should join Him in that rest. This marked the successful passage through the desert, full harvest being the sign of permanent inheritance. A day for celebration in the completed work of our Lord. Jn 7:11-14 - They sought Him at the feast [of Tabernacles], and found Him teaching in the midst of the temple. Mal 3:1 - The Lord whom you seek will come suddenly to His temple, the messenger of the covenant, He in whom you delight, He is coming. So many sevens Seven feasts Passover->Pentecost = 7 weeks. Passover & Tabernacles each 7 day events, (both occasions for dance) Day of atonement the first day of the 7th month. The feasts cover a period of seven months out of the year. (Nisan to Tisri) The Three 'Great' Feasts

Passover	Pentecost	Tabernacles
Planting	First of the Harvest	Fullness of the harvest (joyful thanksgiving)
Out of Egypt	Giving of the Law	into Canaan (completion - Solomon's temple completed in this celebration. So too the rebuilding of Jerusalem.)
Christ's Death	Christ's Letter on our hearts (2Co 3:3)	Christ's Eternal Kingdom (eternal salvation)
Attendance Required
These were times that all were required to be in Zion, to go up to the Holy City.
New Birth	The Holy Spirit	The Harvest
These are required of us, that we be there, if we wish to dwell with our God in heaven.
Christ Crucified	The Holy Spirit indwelling	The Lord of the Harvest reigning
Thus we must know our God and Savior.

Songs of Ascent (Ps 120-134)

Why Ascents (or Degrees)?

Reflecting the 15 steps of Hezekiah's stairs on which the shadow moved backwards, &/or of the 15 years added to his life. (and so associated with the pool of Siloam for healing.)
Reflecting the 15 stairs that led from the court of the men of Israel down to the court of the women, on which the Levites played instruments on the first day of the feast of Tabernacles, and named after those steps.
Reflecting the step-like progression of thought from one to the next, often reflected in the last word of one being the first of the next.
Songs the exiles sang while returning from Babylon.
Songs sung by pilgrims on their way to the three great festivals: sung while going up to Jerusalem.

The great preparation of the heart hungry after God, the precious oils and preparations by which the bride prepares herself for the groom.