Transformations: The Signature of God (part 10)

By Brenda Cathcart

Peter testified on the Feast of Weeks that the gift of the Holy Spirit was to all who believed.

Acts 2:38-39 NKJV 38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 "For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."

What are some aspects of this gift? (Elicit responses.)

Paul tells us that one of the roles of the Holy Spirit is to seal us for the day of redemption.

Eph 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (NKJV)

What is the seal? The seal has its origins in the priesthood described in Exodus.

Ex 28:36-38 "Make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal: HOLY TO THE LORD. 37 Fasten a blue cord to it to attach it to the turban; it is to be on the front of the turban. 38 It will be on Aaron's forehead, and he will bear the guilt involved in the sacred gifts the Israelites consecrate, whatever their gifts may be. It will be on Aaron's forehead continually so that they will be acceptable to the LORD. (NIV))

The word we translate seal is from Strong’s #2368.  חותם chowtham,  kho-thawm' or chotham {kho-thawm'}; from 2856; a signature-ring:--seal, signet.

A signet was used to seal correspondence. The document would be rolled up or folded, wax would be dripped onto the opening, then the signet would be pressed into the hot wax to seal the document. The only way to open the document was to break the seal. Also, the signet was used to “notarize” a signature on a document. The wax would be dripped onto the document and the signet would be pressed onto it to attest to the signature. As an alternate, blood would be dripped onto the document and the signet pressed into the blood. This is where we get the phrase “sealed in blood”.

The high priest wore the plate with the name “Holy to the LORD.” Holy means to be separate or to be set aside. The high priest was set aside to the LORD. In a sense, he has God’s signature on his forehead.

The plate was worn on the forehead. Everyone who looked at the high priest saw that he was “Holy to the LORD.”

After his ascension, Jesus presented Himself before God as our high priest. Since the earthly tabernacle, the vessels used in the tabernacle, and the garments of the priests are patterned after the heavenly ones, we know that Jesus wears the plate with the words Holy to the LORD on His forehead. What name then does Jesus wear? Yeshua, Emmanuel, Holy to the LORD. He will save, God with us, Holy to Yahweh.

The High priest was to wear the words Holy to the LORD, but what about the common people? God brought them out of Egypt to be a nation of priests and holy to the LORD. 

Ex 19:6 'And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel." (NKJV)

As such, God told them to wear the word of God on their foreheads as well as their hands.

De 6:6, 8 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. (NIV)

A tiny scroll with the words from passages with the commandment to bind the commandments on their foreheads and hands is placed in a small leather box and bound on the foreheads and left hand. The left hand is chosen because it is closer to the heart. By doing so, they are reminded that God’s commands should be on their minds (forehead) and that they should apply them in their lives (hand). An alternate explanation given by the sages is to tie them on the weaker hand showing that true strength comes from God.

We also are priests before God.

1Pe 2:5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

 (NKJV)

1Pe 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; (NKJV)

God’s name on our foreheads sets us aside for him. Paul tells us that we also are called to be holy, to be set aside for God. He paraphrases Isaiah and Ezekiel.

2Co 6:17 "Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you." {17 Isaiah 52:11; Ezek. 20:34,41} (NIV)

Like the high priest who wears the visible name of God on his forehead, everyone who looks at us should be able to see that we belong to God by our countenance and by our deeds.

John 13:35 NKJV 35 "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

At the time of the destruction of the first temple, God held off judgment until those who belonged to Him were marked on their foreheads.

Eze 9:3-6 Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer's inkhorn at his side; 4 and the LORD said to him, "Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it." 5 To the others He said in my hearing, "Go after him through the city and kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. 6 "Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary." So they began with the elders who were before the temple. (NKJV)

The mark placed on their foreheads was the letter tav, ת .  The Hebrew word for mark is literally tav spelled in Hebrew using the vav and the tav. Read right to left it is תו  meaning mark or the letter tav. In the Hebrew picture language we have the covenant secured. In Ezekiel’s day the shape of the tav was like a slanted cross, The covenant was secured by Jesus’ death on the cross.

The Holy Spirit, the finger of God, has placed God’s mark, God’s signature on our foreheads. We are marked Holy to the LORD, secured by the covenant.

Ephesians 1:13-14 NKJV 13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

I am so thankful that God has placed His name on me. We looked at the Aaronic blessing in an earlier section. There are two words of particular interest in this blessing. First, the word “you” is in the singular not the plural. God wants to bless each of you, each of us individually. Second, the word bless is barak meaning to kneel. The blessing is  a berakah meaning a gift. So, when the verse says, “May the LORD bless you,” God is coming on bended knee bringing you a gift, the gift of eternal life. What will you do with the gift God has offered to you?

God told Moses to tell Aaron, here is how I want you to bless my people and thus you shall place my name on them:

Numbers 6:24-26 "The LORD bless you and keep you; 25 The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; 26 The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace."'

שלום ברוך

Shalom and be blessed

Dan and Brenda Cathcart

Please visit our web site at www.moedministries.com

A Prophetic Voice from 1899!

I normally don’t post the writings of other authors on this blog, but in this case I made an exception since it was so profound.  What do you think this man would say about Islam today?

“How dreadful are the curses which Mohammedanism lays on its votaries! Besides the fanatical frenzy, which is as dangerous in a man as hydrophobia in a dog, there is this fearful fatalistic apathy. The effects are apparent in many countries. Improvident habits, slovenly systems of agriculture, sluggish methods of commerce, and insecurity of property exist wherever the followers of the Prophet rule or live.

A degraded sensualism deprives this life of its grace and refinement; the next of its dignity and sanctity. The fact that in Mohammedan law every woman must belong to some man as his absolute property, either as a child, a wife, or a concubine, must delay the final extinction of slavery until the faith of Islam has ceased to be a great power among men.

Individual Moslems may show splendid qualities, but the influence of the religion paralyzes the social development of those who follow it.

No stronger retrograde force exists in the world. Far from being moribund, Mohammedanism is a militant and proselytizing faith. It has already spread throughout Central Africa, raising fearless warriors at every step; and were it not that Christianity is sheltered in the strong arms of science, the science against which it had vainly struggled, the civilization of modern Europe might fall, as fell the civilization of ancient Rome.”

– Sir Winston Spencer Churchill (The River War, first edition, Vol. II, pages 248-50 (London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1899).


Shalom and Be Blessed
Dan and Brenda Cathcart

Visit our we site at www.moedministries.com

Transformations: The Feast of Weeks, Part 9

By Brenda Cathcart

At Mt. Sinai, God gave them the tablets of the Commandments written by the Holy Spirit. What form will this gift of the Holy Spirit take? The anticipation builds as the day approaches. Imagine the day before the feast; the disciples are once again, like they were every day, in the Temple praising God. As the services end, they join in the recitation of the counting of the Omer. “This is the 49^th day of the counting of the Omer.” I wonder if they got any sleep that night as they anticipated the Feast.

The next morning, the Feast of Weeks arrives.

Acts 2:1 NKJV 1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

Luke tells us that, like the Israelites at Mt. Sinai, the disciples were together in unity. Where are they together? Let’s see where they should be.

The Feast of Weeks is one of the Feasts that all males including the disciples were to appear before the LORD their God. Jerusalem would be filled with Jewish men from all over the Roman world bringing their offerings to God. On the Feast of Weeks, they were to bring a firstfruits offering and a wave offering before the LORD.

Leviticus 23:16 MKJV 16 To the next day after the seventh sabbath you shall number fifty days. And you shall offer a new food offering to the LORD.

The time of the morning sacrifices when all this begins is the third hour or 9:00 in the morning. All the people who came up for the Feast including the disciples should be at the temple at this time. Luke records Peter saying that the Holy Spirit falls on them at 9:00!

Acts 2:14-15 NKJV 14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. 15 "For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.

Luke also says that the Holy Spirit fills the house. The word house is oykos (#3624) meaning dwelling, house, temple. There are numerous places in the New Testament where God’s temple is referred to as oykos or house including Matthew 12:4, when Jesus refers to David entering the house of God and Matthew 21:13 where Jesus quotes Jeremiah saying that God’s house has become a den of thieves. Isaiah refers to the original holy mountain, Mt. Sinai, as well as to the temple mount, and the Temple as God’s house.

Isaiah 56:7 NKJV 7 Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices Will be accepted on My altar; For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations."

Is the rest of the account of the falling of the Holy Spirit consistent with the disciples being isolated in an upper room or with the disciples being in the temple? Let’s read the rest of the account.

Acts 2:2-15 NKJV 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.  5 And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. 7 Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, "Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? 8 "And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? 9 "Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 "Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 "Cretans and Arabs--we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God." 12 So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "Whatever could this mean?" 13 Others mocking said, "They are full of new wine." 14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. 15 "For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.

The men coming up to Jerusalem for the Feast of Weeks witness the tongues of fire and the voices as each disciple speaks praises to God. Those who heard were devout Jews; they would be at the temple at the hour of the morning sacrifices! Further there were thousands of them! There is only one place where there would be a gathering of thousands of devout Jews on the Feast of Weeks! This is like the opening ceremony of the Olympics! They didn’t come from all around the Roman world to miss the opening ceremonies!

As we focus on the events described in this passage, did you see some similarities between the events at Mt. Sinai and the events at the temple on this momentous Feast of Weeks? The word sound in verse two comes from a Greek word meaning “roar (#2279).” There is a roar from heaven! The roar fills the entire temple and the surrounding area since thousands of people heard the sound. The disciples spoke in a language that every one heard as being their own language. Even though they were all Jewish, they lived in other nations and spoke the native language as well as Hebrew.

Peter and all the disciples with him are ready to give witness again to the identity of Jesus, the Son of the Living God. Peter testifies to the coming of the New Covenant.

Acts 2:38-39 NKJV 38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 "For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."

Jeremiah said the New Covenant will be when God would “put His law in their minds and write it on their hearts.” This word translated law is the Hebrew word Torah. It means much more than “law.” It comes from the Hebrew ya-rah (#3384) meaning to flow as water, to aim or shoot, to point out, teach or instruct. The Torah properly refers to the first five books of the Bible, the books of Moses. They do include laws and commandments but they also include stories that reveal the nature of God and His redemption plan. The Torah used in its broad sense refers to all of scripture. The Jewish sages say that as water flows from high point to low, the word of God flows from the heavens to the earth. The Holy Spirit that wrote the Commandments on the Tablets of Stone now writes them on our hearts and gives us power to live according to God’s instructions.

I started stating that all scripture tells the gospel story. The word Torah tells the gospel story in the Hebrew picture language.

Torah is  תורה

Tav: ת Cross, covenant or sign of the covenant

Vav: ו Nail, tent peg, to secure

Resh: ר Person especially the highest person, head

Hey: ה Reveal. At the end of a word hey can mean what comes from or out of,

belonging to

Torah: The covenant is secured by the revelation of the highest person. Backward it reads Behold the highest person nailed to the cross. In both directions, Torah, the written Word of God, reveals Christ, the Living Word. The written Torah was given to the Israelites on the very first Feast of Weeks at Mt. Sinai fifty days after they were redeemed from slavery in Egypt. The Living Word was written on the hearts of the disciples at the first Feast of Weeks fifty days after the Resurrection which redeemed them from the slavery of sin.

Ezekiel 11:19-20 NIV 19 I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. 20 Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.

When you celebrate the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost in just a little over a month, remember that this gift from the Father is our gift, your gift, as well. The same Spirit that wrote the Commandments on Tablets of stone and the hearts of the disciples writes them on our hearts. Paul calls each of us a letter from Jesus written by the Holy Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3:3 NIV 3 You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

שלום ברוך

Shalom and Be Blessed

Dan & Brenda Cathcart

Visit our web site at www.moedministries.com

Transformations: The Feast of Weeks, Part 8

By Brenda Cathcart

Our name in this blog is a different kind of name. It is the name of an event. The disciples are anticipating the Feast of Weeks, but what is a Feast? We think of a feast as a huge meal! In our minds, one person can have a feast all by herself. Of course, feasts are usually more fun when shared with family and friends. On the American calendar, our biggest feast is Thanksgiving. Everyone eats way too much and then all the men fall asleep on the couch watching football. In Hebrew the word feast has an entirely different meaning.

Leviticus 23:1-2 NKJV 1 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts.

The word for feast is moed (#4150) meaning an appointment, a fixed time. God says that these events that Moses is to proclaim are His appointed times.  God’s words read like this, “The appointments of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are my appointments.” When you have a doctor’s appointment, you tend to make sure you keep that appointment. Sometimes doctors or dentists will charge you for the visit whether you show up or not making it important to keep your appointment. God has placed specific times on His calendar that He agrees to meet with His people. I think these appointments should be at least as important as your doctor’s appointment.

The disciples are eagerly awaiting this appointed time with God. On the fortieth day of the counting of the Omer, Jesus ascended into heaven in front of their eyes. And as they watched, they worshipped Him and God the Father.

Luke 24:52-53 NKJV 52 And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.

Our conventional picture of the disciples is that they were still frightened and discouraged hiding in the upper room. Luke tells us they spent those last ten days of the count up to the Feast in the temple praising God! In fact, they are getting ready to testify to Jesus’ resurrection even going so far as to appoint a man to replace Judas Iscariot.

Acts 1:21-22 NKJV 21 "Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 "beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection."

What are they anticipating on this day? Can we even imagine? If we look at the historical significance of this day, we can begin to see the coming of this Feast, this appointed time through their eyes. This day is for them like the Fourth of July is for us! This is the day they received the Covenant with God. God Himself came down and spoke all the words of the Covenant directly to them! On this day, they became more than a displaced bunch of people; they have a constitution, laws, and government. They became the nation of Israel. Like the United States, they still have much to accomplish before realizing the actual status of a nation but this is the day it began.

The Feasts of the LORD are all connected to events of the Exodus and the months immediately after. The Passover is when the Hebrews killed the lamb and put the blood on the doorposts and lintels of their houses as a sign of their allegiance to God. The firstborn of all the Egyptians died on this night. The Feast of Unleavened Bread remembers their flight from Egypt up through their ultimate deliverance through the Red Sea and the death of Pharaoh’s army in the sea. The Feast of Firstfruits is their exodus from Egypt itself taking with them the bones of Joseph leaving behind an empty tomb. The days are counted up to The Feast of Weeks which is the day the Israelites received the covenant at Mt. Sinai.

The Israelites arrive at Mt. Sinai on the first day of the third month, just days before the Feast of Weeks. Moses runs up and down the mountain relaying God’s words and the people’s replies back and forth. Poor Moses! He’s 80 years old running up and down a mountain!

Exodus 19:3-6 NKJV 3 And Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain, saying, "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: 4 'You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself. 5 'Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6 'And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel."

The people answered God in one voice. The Jewish sages write that they answered God in total unity like a single person with a single heart, “All that the LORD has spoken, we will do.”  In three days, God will come down and offer the covenant in person! Let’s look at a description of that day.

Exodus 19:16-19 NKJV 16 Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. 17 And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. 19 And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice.

The Midrash, which is a commentary on the Torah, gives further details of the events at Mt. Sinai. The Midrash says that tongues of fire circled and touched all the people gathered at Mt. Sinai. It says that there were thunderings and lightnings plural because God’s voice came in all 70 languages of the nations but only Israel answered and said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do.” After making sure that the people didn’t come too near the mountain, God spoke.

 Exodus 20:1-3 NKJV 1 And God spoke all these words, saying: 2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 "You shall have no other gods before Me.

What follows is the very voice of God speaking what we call the Ten Commandments. The Jewish people call them the ten words because the first sentence begins, “And God spoke all these WORDS…” These are the words of the Mosaic Covenant that would eventually by written by the finger of God on Tablets of Stone (Ex. 31:18). We discover that the finger of God is the Spirit of God by comparing two different accounts of the same incident in the New Testament.

Matthew 12:28 NKJV 28 "But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.

Luke 11:20 NKJV 20 "But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.

We will see how this is significant as we connect the events at Mt. Sinai with the events at the Feast of Weeks when the disciples receive the Holy Spirit.

The prophet Jeremiah wrote of the restoration of Israel and a New Covenant that God would make with the people of Judah and Israel.

Jeremiah 31:31-33 NKJV 31 "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah- 32 "not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD. 33 "But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law (Torah) in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

We can imagine what the disciples are thinking. The eleven were with Jesus on the night before His death at His last Passover Seder. Luke records it this way.

Luke 22:19-20 NKJV 19 And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." 20 Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.

Jesus told them the events that began at Passover were the beginning of the New Covenant written of by Jeremiah. The disciples are surely expecting some manifestation of God similar to that at Mt. Sinai. Perhaps they think that Jesus will return at this time and establish His kingdom. Thoughts of that were uppermost in their minds in the days before Jesus’ ascension when they ask Him about the restoration of Israel.

Acts 1:6-7 NKJV 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7 And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.

Will Jesus now come as the King who sits on David’s throne? They know that they are waiting for a gift from God because Jesus told them to wait.

Acts 1:4-5 NKJV 4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; 5 "for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

At Mt. Sinai, God gave them the tablets of the Commandments written by the Holy Spirit. What form will this gift of the Holy Spirit take? The anticipation builds as the day approaches. Imagine the day before the feast; the disciples are once again, like they were every day, in the Temple praising God. As the services end, they join in the recitation of the counting of the Omer. “This is the 49^th day of the counting of the Omer.” I wonder if they got any sleep that night as they anticipated the Feast.

שלום ברוך

Shalom and Be Blessed

Dan & Brenda Cathcart

Visit our web site at www.moedministries.com

Transformations: The Commissioning, Part 7

By Brenda Cathcart

After this, the disciples went down to the Sea of Gallilee. The Feast of Unleavened Bread has ended and all the pilgrims who came up for the Feast have returned to their homes. They will come up to Jerusalem again at the conclusion of the counting of the Omer for the Feast of Weeks. Like the Feast of Unleavened Bread, all male Israelites were to appear before God at His temple on the Feast of Weeks.

Deuteronomy 16:16 NKJV 16 "Three times a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles; and they shall not appear before the LORD empty-handed.

So John chapter 21 tells us the disciples return to Galilee. This is after all where many of them are from and the place where Jesus called home. Most of His teaching for the past three and a half years took place there by the Sea of Galilee.

I think the disciples may have been getting a little antsy. What is going to happen next? Just sitting around waiting is the hardest thing to do. Peter, who was known for being impetuous couldn’t stand it anymore. He declares, “I’m going fishing!” I can just hear the next sentence, “All this sitting around waiting is driving me crazy!” The other disciples jumped at the chance to do something, too. They reply, “We’ll go with you.”

Now, the fishing described takes place at night. They were probably using trammel nets which basically form a wall as they drag it along the sea floor. They fish at night so the fish don’t see the net coming. The net gets filled with silt and other debris along with the fish as it is dragged along the sea floor. As morning comes Jesus calls out to them.

John 21:4-6 NKJV 4 But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Then Jesus said to them, "Children, have you any food?" They answered Him, "No." 6 And He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.

There is no reason they should have followed this man’s instructions who is standing there on the shore. Number one, they didn’t have any success at night when the fish couldn’t see the net, it is now daylight and the fish will see the net coming and swim away! Why would they have success now? Number two, they have to clean the net first! But for some reason they decide to go ahead and try again. Maybe they didn’t like the thought of waiting around for one more day as they counted up to the Feast of Weeks. But they clean their nets and throw them down on the right side. When they begin to haul in the catch of fish, John recognizes Jesus and impetuous Peter jumps in the lake!

John 21:7-11 NKJV 7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish. 9 Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish which you have just caught." 11 Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken.

Not only does Peter bring some of the fish, he counts them! Why would the Bible tell us that they caught exactly 153 fish? It doesn’t tell us there were about 150 fish or just a lot of fish; John records that there were 153 fish. Now the Bible doesn’t contain irrelevant details so what is the significance of 153?

What clues do we have for the meaning of this number? First, notice that their efforts were unsuccessful before Jesus came on the scene. Remember Jacob and his struggles to attain the blessing? He was not very successful on his own either. It was only after he recognized that the blessing could only come from God that he prevailed and received his new name Israel; he struggled with God and man and prevailed. The disciples faced the same situation. They were unsuccessful in catching fish even in the best conditions without God’s help. With God’s help, they were hugely successful even in the worst of conditions.

In Luke, we see another incident when Peter, John and James were fishing and they didn’t catch any fish until Jesus came along. This incident ended in Jesus calling them to be fishers of men.

Luke 5:5-6 NKJV 5 But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net." 6 And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.

Luke 5:9-10 NKJV 9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men."

These are the disciples along with two others who are present this day on the Sea of Galilee. The fish that they caught then represent the men they are to reach with the testimony of Christ. But why 153? In Hebrew, each letter not only represents a letter and a picture, it represents a number.

Now John tells us that as many as believe become the sons of God.

John 1:12 KJV 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Again, we have the testimony of His name; that Jesus is the Christ the son of the Living God! Isn’t it amazing how that theme keeps coming into the story?

Job refers to the sons of God presenting themselves before God.

Job 2:1 KJV 1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.

During this encounter, Satan accuses Job of only worshipping God because God has blessed him. The name Satan means accuser (#7853). Zechariah reports on another occasion when a son of God stands before God with Satan as his accuser.

Zechariah 3:1 NKJV 1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose (satan) him.

When Jesus comes again, Satan, the accuser of the brethren will be cast down.

Revelation 12:10 NKJV 10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.

It just so happens that the phrase “sons of God” has the number 153!

From right to left: mem, yood, hey, lamed, aleph, hey, yood, nun, beit.

40+10+5+30+1+5+10+50+2=153

Jesus is telling them that in their own power, they will not be able to catch any men but with the power of God they will catch all the sons of God and will not lose any! Jesus, in His last recorded prayer to God, states that He has not lost any that God gave Him and He prays that God will keep all that come to Him now that He is no longer in the world.

John 17:11-12 NKJV 11 "Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. 12 "While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

Paul writes with confidence: Romans 8:38-39 NKJV 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Jesus is setting the stage. On the Feast of Weeks, the Holy Spirit would come on them with the power needed to reach the world with the gospel message.

Sometime after this, the disciples return to Jerusalem. Apparently Jesus continues to appear before them at times. He tells them not to leave Jerusalem again until the gift of the Father comes.

Acts 1:4-5 NKJV 4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; 5 "for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

Somehow, I think they know that this will happen on the Feast of Weeks.

We have one last appearance of Jesus before the Feast of Weeks. Part of the story is told in Luke and part in Acts. Jesus takes the disciples out to the Mt. of Olives the scene of so many earlier events.

Luke 24:50-53 NKJV 50 And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. 51 Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven.

The phrase “he lifted up His hands and blessed them” is a Hebrew idiom referring to the blessing that the priests recite at the conclusion of every service. This blessing is very specific;

Numbers 6:22-23 NKJV 22 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 23 "Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, 'This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them:

Only priests were to say this blessing but by using this phrase, Luke is telling us that Jesus said this blessing called the Aaronic blessing over His disciples. Jesus came as a prophet calling people to repentance, He died as our sacrifice for sin, He is resurrected as the Firstfruits, and now He ascends to heaven to begin His role as priest in the heavenly temple. His first act as priest was to speak the blessing over them.

Here are the words Jesus spoke:

Numbers 6:24-26 NKJV 24 "The LORD bless you and keep you; 25 The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; 26 The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace."'

God concluded His instructions to Moses with these words.

Numbers 6:27 NKJV 27 "So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them."

Jesus spoke the blessing over the disciples and by doing so, He placed God’s name on them. Imagine the disciples hearing those words from Jesus for the very first time!  The disciple then returned to Jerusalem where Luke tells us they were in the temple continually praising God. As the temple services ended that day, they would join in the counting of the Omer. “Today is the fortieth day of the counting of the Omer.”

We spoke Friday night about those who overcome receiving a new name. Not only do we receive a new name, but God puts His name on us.

Revelation 3:12 NKJV 12 "He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. And I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.

Let me close then by saying the Aaronic blessing over you. The word “you” in this verse is in the singular so the blessing is to each person individually. As I speak the blessing, envision hearing it with the disciples and knowing that God is placing His name on you.

"The LORD bless you and keep you; 25 The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; 26 The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace."'

שלום ברוך

Shalom and be blessed

Dan & Brenda Cathcart

Visit our web site at www.moedministries.com

Transformations: The Commissioning, Part 6

By Brenda Cathcart

In this blog we begin by looking at the name Peter since Peter plays a key role when Jesus’ appears to him and the disciples with him at the Sea of Gallilee. Peter’s given name was Simon and Jesus changed his name to Peter.

Matthew 16:15-18 NKJV 15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

In addressing Peter, Jesus uses Peter’s whole name, Simon Bar-Jonah. Simon comes from the Hebrew name Shimown which we know as Simeon. Shimown means hearing (#8085). Bar is not part of Peter’s name; it means son. The name Jonah is from the Hebrew for dove (3123). The dove is a symbol of the Spirit of God. At Jesus’ baptism the Holy Spirit falls on Jesus as a dove.

Matthew 3:16-17 NKJV 16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Again, at Jesus’ transfiguration, God’s voice testifies that Jesus is the Son of God giving further instructions to hear him.

Matthew 17:5 NKJV 5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!"

Simon’s original name means “Hearing is the ‘son’ of the Spirit of God,” that is hearing comes from the Spirit of God. Simon heard the testimony of the Spirit; Jesus said that the Father Himself revealed it to Simon. And Simon’s testimony is that Jesus is the “Christ, the Son of the Living God.” As a result of this testimony, Jesus changes his name to Peter. Many of you probably already know Peter means rock. It comes from the Greek word petros (#4074) meaning a piece of rock. The word translated rock for the rock Jesus will build his assembley on is a different Greek word petra (#4073) meaning a mass of rock. Matthew 16:18 can be read “you are a piece of rock, and on this mass of rock I will build My church.” Peter is not the mass of rock, he is merely a piece, an important piece but merely a piece. What is the mass of rock? Peter’s testimony is the foundation, “You are the Christ, the son of the Living God.”  Jesus is the rock. David calls Him the Rock of my salvation.

2 Samuel 22:47 KJV 47 The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation.

He is the Rock the builders rejected becoming the foundation stone.

Psalms 118:22 NKJV 22 The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone.

Finally, Paul calls him the Rock that provided the water for the Israelites in the wilderness.

1 Corinthians 10:1-4 NKJV 1 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.

Simon Bar-Jonah, the one who hears from the Spirit of God becomes Peter, a piece of rock that builds the Assembly of Christ on the foundation of Christ Himself. We also hear the Spirit of God and are pieces of rock being built into the Temple of God.

Ephesians 2:19-21 NKJV 19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,

Peter’s testimony here sets the stage for Jesus’ next appearance to the disciples after His resurrection. It is one week after His resurrection and the disciples are again together in the house where they were staying. This time Thomas is with them.

John 20:24-29 NKJV 24 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the Lord." So he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." 26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace to you!" 27 Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing." 28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" 29 Jesus said to him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

Blessed are those like Peter who believe and testify that Jesus is the Son of the Living God.  This happened on the eights day of the counting of the Omer.

שלום ברוך

Shalom and Be Blessed

Dan & Brenda Cathcart

Visit our web site at www.moedministries.com

Transformations: After the Resurrection Part 5

By Brenda Cathcart

In Part four, the disciples despair had turned to gladness when Jesus appeared in their midst on the evening of His resurrection. Leviticus chapter 23 goes on to instruct the Jewish people to count the days from the Feast of Firstfruits to the Feast of Pentecost

Leviticus 23:15-16 NKJV 15 'And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. 16 'Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the LORD.

The Feast is called the Feast of Weeks in Deuteronomy. The seventh Sabbath would be day 49 and the next day, the fiftieth day is the Feast Day.

Deuteronomy 16:9-10 NKJV 9 "You shall count seven weeks for yourself; begin to count the seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the grain. 10 "Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as the LORD your God blesses you.

In the New Testament, the Greek word Pentecost meaning fiftieth is used to describe the Feast. The countdown is actually a count up. The days from the Feast of Firstfruits are counted starting with one on the Feast of Firstfruits. The Jewish people call it the Counting of the Omer. The Hebrew word Omer means sheaf. Literally, we are talking about sheaves of grain. Metaphorically, we are talking about the harvest of people. In Genesis 37 Joseph has a dream in which the sheaves of his brothers bow down to his sheaf making the precedent of sheaves representing people. How many of you remember the old hymn “Bringing in the Sheaves” about winning souls for Christ?

Each day at the Temple during this fifty day period, the morning and evening prayers begin with the words, “This is the (blank) day of the counting of the Omer,” with the proper number of the count of that day recited. When I was growing up, the space program was at its heyday. We would watch the each of the launches on TV. When the launch count was down to 10 seconds, we would join in counting down those last seconds… 3, 2, 1. We have liftoff! Of course, we kids would just shout “Blast off!” Imagine the anticipation of the disciples as they counted each day. Jesus died on the LORD’s Passover; He rose from the dead on the LORD’s Feast of Firstfruits. They are now counting the days to the next feast. What would God do on this coming Feast of Weeks?

But first, we have the fifty days. What does scripture record that Jesus is doing during this time of counting the Omer? Luke gives us a summary of these events.

Acts 1:1-3 NIV 1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.

Luke records that He had three purposes:

            1. To prove His resurrection.

            2. To give instructions to His apostles.

            3. To speak about the kingdom of God.

We know much of the resurrection story. The day of Firstfruits, resurrection morning, was a confusion of events. Each of the gospels tells a slightly different story, each from a different point of view. How many of you have gotten together with family or friends and told a story of an event that happened days, weeks, months or even years ago? Have you ever been interrupted with the words, “No, this happened first,” or “No that wasn’t me that was my sister,” or similar words?  A probable sequence of events is that Mary Magdalene with the other women went to anoint Jesus’ body with the burial spices. When they discover the open tomb, Mary runs back and tells the disciples that His body is gone. Meanwhile, the other women go into the tomb and encounter the angels there. Then Peter and John go to the tomb with Mary Magdalene following. They find the empty tomb and leave, but Mary stays and has the encounter with Jesus that we read about earlier. After Mary’s encounter with Jesus, He ascends to Heaven to present Himself as the Firstfruits of the resurrection. Afterward, He appears to the other women and the two disciples on the road to Emmaus.

Luke 24:13-17 NKJV 13 Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened. 15 So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him. 17 And He said to them, "What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?"

The disciples explained the events of the previous days to this “man.” Then Jesus started to speak.

Luke 24:25-27 NKJV 25 Then He said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 "Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?" 27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

What scriptures was Jesus using? The gospels wouldn’t be written yet for decades to come. The letters of the disciples are years away. Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians also states that all these events happened according to the scriptures.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 NKJV 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,

My husband and I teach a Bible study twice a month. In those studies, we examine the Old Testament scriptures, the Torah, for those scriptures that speak of His first and second coming. We saw some of them last night in the names of the generations from Adam to Noah and in the creation of Eve. We have three volumes of studies out now with a fourth one in the editing stage. We haven’t run out of scripture that talks about Him yet!

Jesus and his disciples arrive at Emmaus and the disciples still don’t recognize Jesus. Jesus finagles an invitation to stay with them in Emmaus. When they sit down to eat, Jesus is given the honor of blessing the bread.

Luke 24:30-31 NKJV 30 Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.

Now, this is unleavened bread just like the Passover Bread. The Feast of Unleavened Bread begins as the evening of Passover ends and lasts for seven days. Picture the scene; Jesus stands and lifts the bread. He recites this blessing, “Blessed are you LORD our God, creator and king of the universe who brings forth bread from the earth.” Then he breaks the bread, gives it to them and their eyes are opened. That very day God had just brought forth Jesus, their bread of life, from the earth!

The two disciples hurried back to Jerusalem. They couldn’t wait to share their news. I wonder how long it took them to travel the seven miles! They rush into the room where the 11 apostles and followers are gathered.

Luke 24:35-39 NKJV 35 And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread. 36 Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, "Peace to you." 37 But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. 38 And He said to them, "Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 "Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have."

Time for another name! Jesus’ crucifixion is in the very name of God. At the creation of man, we read in our Bibles that the LORD God created man. The word translated LORD with all capitals in our Bibles is the Hebrew word we frequently pronounce as Jehovah. It’s first use in the creation of man and denotes the merciful character of God. The Hebrew letters are the yood, hay, vav and hay.  Hebrew letters are pictures with meaning of their own.  The yood is a hand, the hey means to reveal, the vav is a nail. In God’s name, we have the hand revealed, the nail revealed. In that room 4000 years after God revealed His name of Yahweh, Jesus reveals His nail scarred hands.  (See “The Name "Yahovah" in the Ancient Hebrew” in this blog site)

This happened on the first day of the counting of the Omer.

שלום ברוך

Shalom and be blessed,

Dan and Brenda Cathcart

Visit us at our website at www.moedministries.com

Transformations: After the Resurrection Part 4

By Brenda Cathcart

In keeping with our theme of names, Jesus’ name was given to Him before He was born. When the angel spoke to Joseph about the child Mary was carrying, the angel told Joseph what to name the child.

Matthew 1:21-23 NKJV 21 "And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." 22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us."

Did you catch it? Matthew said Jesus was to be given two names, Jesus and Immanuel. The divine nature of Jesus is revealed in these verses. In Hebrew, the name Jesus is Yeshua meaning He will save. Yeshua is a shortened form of the name Joshua, Yehoshua, which means God will save. He is also to be called Immanuel, God with us.  It is interesting that Jesus’ name was Yeshua not Yehoshua. He, Jesus, as Immanuel God with us, would be the one to bring salvation to all who believe.

God says through the prophet Isaiah:

Isaiah 44:6 NKJV 6 "Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God.

How did Jesus bring salvation to all who believed? He died for our sins on the cross at Passover and rose from the dead on the third day. The third day just happens to be a Feast day called the Feast of Firstfruits. After His resurrection, He appeared to the disciples and finally on the fortieth day, He ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of the father and pour out the gift of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost.

Acts 2:32-33 NKJV 32 "This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. 33 "Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.

This morning and this afternoon, we will follow Jesus from His resurrection on the Feast of Firstfruits to His ascension forty days later. This evening, we will examine the events of the Day of Pentecost which is also a feast day called the Feast of Weeks.

Luke tells about the morning of His resurrection.

Luke 24:1-2 NKJV 1 Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2 But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.

His resurrection is on the first day of the week, the day after the Sabbath. Leviticus tells us that this day is the Feast of Firstfruits that occurs in the midst of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Leviticus 23:4-11 NKJV 4 'These are the feasts of the LORD, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times. 5 'On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the LORD'S Passover. 6 'And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; seven days you must eat unleavened bread. 7 'On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it. 8 'But you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD for seven days. The seventh day shall be a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it.'" 9 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 10 "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest. 11 'He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.

There are a few points I want to highlight in this passage:

1. Passover is on the 14^th day of the first month called Nisan. This is the day Jesus was crucified.

2. The next day, the 15^th day of the first month is the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It is to be observed as a Sabbath even if it doesn’t fall on a Sabbath! It is called a High Sabbath.

3. The Feast of Firstfruits is to be observed on the first day of the week; that is the day after the weekly Sabbath.

In Jesus’ day, the priests would begin preparing for the Feast of Firstfruits early on the 14^th day of the first month. The priests would go to a barley field near Jerusalem and tie up a bundle of barley that would be harvested as soon as the High Sabbath of the 15^th was over at sundown. Or if the weekly Sabbath followed the High Sabbath, they would harvest it as soon as the Sabbath ended at sundown. That very night, they would thresh, roast and grind the grain into fine flour. They added frankincense and oil to make the bread to wave before the LORD in the ceremony of Firstfruits. As the first day of the week dawned, the ceremonies began. The people of Israel who had come to Jerusalem for this week of Feasts would bring their newly harvested sheaves of barley and their firstfruit offerings to the Temple. The priests would go out to meet them, take some of the sheaves, lift them into the air and wave them in all directions. They proceeded to the Temple with music, praise psalms, and dancing. The priests would offer up the bread made with the new barley along with a single lamb.

Now, correlate this with Jesus’ death and resurrection. On the day of His death, the priests tie the sheaf of barley and get it ready for harvest. On the days before His crucifixion, Jesus compared Himself to a kernel of grain.

John 12:23-24 NKJV 23 But Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. 24 "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.

Then further in the chapter, Jesus says:

John 12:32 NKJV 32 "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself."

Jesus died and rose again being lifted up like the sheaf of barley. Grain planted in the earth grows and produces more grain. Jesus being planted in the earth produced a bountiful harvest. This also applies to us; we need to die with Jesus and be resurrected to new life.

Romans 6:4 NKJV 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

After the priests lift up the sheaf, they offer the newly made grain on the altar. It symbolically rises to God in the smoke from the altar. It is an offering of Firstfruits. Jesus also went and presented Himself to God as the Firstfruits. Early in the morning of His resurrection, He appeared to Mary Magdalene but told her not to touch Him.

John 20:17 NKJV 17 Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.'"

Her message to the disciples was that Jesus was ascending to the Father! Paul calls Jesus the Firstfruits of the resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:20 NKJV 20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

 Jesus then returns and appears before the disciples encouraging them to touch Him and verify that He is Jesus returned in His glorified body.

John 20:19-20 NKJV 19 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, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you." 20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

Their discouragement and despair turns to gladness. No longer were they hiding and cowering in fear. And so begins the countdown to the Feast of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit would fall on the disciples.

שלום ברוך

Shalom and Be Blessed

Dan and Brenda Cathcart

Please visit our web site at www.moedministries.com