THE SEVEN FEASTS OF ISRAEL - Part 2
Lev 23:1-44
If the church continually focuses only on the literal forms of scriptural appearance, it will only settle for the secondary expression and not the primary intent. The symbolic code unveils the Most holy place as the ministry of the cherubim is at work to drive out intruders. The so called end times or Divine conclusion can not be located with three or four scriptures but to understand the divine theme of the entire Bible. How the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed and how the Old Testament is the New Testament concealed. Both testaments speak the same thing. They build up on one another. Divine confirmation must run through both. The divine intent are cased and concealed in the two so that they both agree and bring confirmation to hidden prophecy. The theme builds itself together through the intricate weaving of The Spirit progressively from the first Book Genesis until we arrive at the final book Revelation which contains the key to the final puzzle. No wonder it is the most difficult to understand. The whole divine project is to bring the restored man back to the garden to be filled completely with the glory earlier lost. We call it re-genesis that is bringing man back to the garden. Let’s bear in mind that the Cherubim was given the assignment to keep the fallen man away from the garden so as not to eat the tree of life in his fallen nature
Genesis 3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
This ministry is still at work till date. The veiling of scriptures is to drive away intruders with heavy, difficult-to-understand symbols. So only those who are able to decode the symbols can unveil the divine intent. This is given to disciples.
9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. (Matthew 13:9-17)
The feasts are as follows:
Feast of Passover – Lev 23: 5, Exodus 12: 3 – 14
Feast of Unleavened bread – Lev 23: 6 – 9
Feast of Firstfruits – Lev 23: 10 – 14
Feast of Pentecost or Weeks – Lev 23: 15 – 22
Feast of Trumpet – Lev 23: 23 – 25
The day of Atonement – Lev 23: 26 – 32
Feast of Tabernacles or The in-gathering – Lev 23: 33 – 44
Lev 23:1-44
If the church continually focuses only on the literal forms of scriptural appearance, it will only settle for the secondary expression and not the primary intent. The symbolic code unveils the Most holy place as the ministry of the cherubim is at work to drive out intruders. The so called end times or Divine conclusion can not be located with three or four scriptures but to understand the divine theme of the entire Bible. How the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed and how the Old Testament is the New Testament concealed. Both testaments speak the same thing. They build up on one another. Divine confirmation must run through both. The divine intent are cased and concealed in the two so that they both agree and bring confirmation to hidden prophecy. The theme builds itself together through the intricate weaving of The Spirit progressively from the first Book Genesis until we arrive at the final book Revelation which contains the key to the final puzzle. No wonder it is the most difficult to understand. The whole divine project is to bring the restored man back to the garden to be filled completely with the glory earlier lost. We call it re-genesis that is bringing man back to the garden. Let’s bear in mind that the Cherubim was given the assignment to keep the fallen man away from the garden so as not to eat the tree of life in his fallen nature
Genesis 3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
This ministry is still at work till date. The veiling of scriptures is to drive away intruders with heavy, difficult-to-understand symbols. So only those who are able to decode the symbols can unveil the divine intent. This is given to disciples.
9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. (Matthew 13:9-17)
The feasts are as follows:
Feast of Passover – Lev 23: 5, Exodus 12: 3 – 14
Feast of Unleavened bread – Lev 23: 6 – 9
Feast of Firstfruits – Lev 23: 10 – 14
Feast of Pentecost or Weeks – Lev 23: 15 – 22
Feast of Trumpet – Lev 23: 23 – 25
The day of Atonement – Lev 23: 26 – 32
Feast of Tabernacles or The in-gathering – Lev 23: 33 – 44
A STEP HIGHER - Part 3
There is division of labour in God’s kingdom; our duty is to seek His kingdom while His duty is to add those relevant needs to us. Therefore, we are doing God’s work when we focus our attention on addition, which is His duty. We should rather seek His kingdom passionately with all our heart and soul.
In the Tabernacle of Moses, the Outer Court has the Brazen Altar, where the animals are sacrificed. This typifies “meat” and the Brazen Laver, where the Priests wash themselves after performing the sacrifice also typifies “drink. Apostle Paul made it clear in Rom 14:17 “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” Outer Court ministry emphasizes the gospel of “meat and drink” or the “people’s need gospel” On the other hand, the Kingdom life is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost and this journey begins at the Holy Place.
THE THREE FOLD PATTERN
There is division of labour in God’s kingdom; our duty is to seek His kingdom while His duty is to add those relevant needs to us. Therefore, we are doing God’s work when we focus our attention on addition, which is His duty. We should rather seek His kingdom passionately with all our heart and soul.
In the Tabernacle of Moses, the Outer Court has the Brazen Altar, where the animals are sacrificed. This typifies “meat” and the Brazen Laver, where the Priests wash themselves after performing the sacrifice also typifies “drink. Apostle Paul made it clear in Rom 14:17 “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” Outer Court ministry emphasizes the gospel of “meat and drink” or the “people’s need gospel” On the other hand, the Kingdom life is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost and this journey begins at the Holy Place.
THE THREE FOLD PATTERN
Egypt
|
Wilderness
|
Canaan
|
Outer court
|
Holy place
|
Most holy
|
Carnal man
|
Spiritual man
|
Fullness of Christ man or
Divine man.
|
30fold
|
60fold
|
100 fold
|
Spirit
|
Soul
|
Body
|
Passover
|
Pentecost
|
Tabernacles
|
Meat and drink gospel is not at variance with the perfection of the saints and it indicates an Outer Court activity which can only produce carnal men. That is why today, the Church is riddled with carnal activity which carries no spiritual bent. Praise and worship has sunk to an all time low. The Spirit realm is barely triggered anymore. Some of our best singers are on the way to feature in one reality show or the other to gain worldly trophies. The world ingeniously has created trap points to lure unsuspecting gifted folks in the church through all these, the more you look, the less you see vanity shows. The Church is having problem handling the issues of sin. Immorality is at its behest. Until we change our gospel it can only get worse. The Lord is moving. The ministry of the Holy Place is where the journey towards divine fullness begins. This court is where the spiritual man will be produced. The Pentecostal church believers “ought” to be here. But when we enter into the popular, crowd pulling, CD / DVD selling, money producing meat and drink gospel, we bring them back to the Outer Court instead of continuous kingdom education that will eventually produce the man of fullness in the image of Christ, who receives his nature (divine) from the Father. This is the only answer to the issue of sin. Until we do this, we shall continually waste time going round the wilderness, sending many to death, while God awaits the Joshua-Caleb company that will enter into Canaan, a type of the Most Holy, a type of the man of fullness, complete with the divine nature, who conquers the nature of sin.
Israel, a type of the Church moved from Egypt to Canaan led by the cloud of glory. They moved from one point of glory to another. Their own physical journey is the equivalent of our own spiritual journey. We are moving from the Outer court to the Most Holy, from our Egypt (the world) to our Canaan (the fullness of Christ). This is what the Holy Spirit has come to do, to move us from one level of glory to another. Let us move away from this populist outer court ministration of meat and drink. Let us draw our light from the Golden Candlestick meaning complete revelation, feeding from the Table of Shewbread referred to as “the bread of His presence” and our lives becoming a sweet fragrance (Golden Altar) that ministers through the veil to God, the Father of light who dwells in the Most Holy. God is calling us. Let us jettison the popular consumerist gospel for the kingdom gospel. Let us stop measuring church by population, money, branches and building, for none of these are true divine measurement.
“And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. Rev 11:1
But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.” Rev 11:2
The court that is without temple is the Outer Court. It carries no reward. The Gospel of the kingdom is the only gospel that carries the true dynamics of transformation. The Gospel of the kingdom is not necessarily about the numerical increase of souls into the kingdom (although this is expected) but rather the life of Christ increasing within us. Remember the kingdom of God is within us. When the life of Christ grows steadily within, the kingdom expands. Those around us are aroused as the fragrance from this Christ like life automatically draws them to Christ.
We cannot change the world if we refuse to change. The world changes as we change. Genuine salvation is increasingly becoming difficult, because we are not genuine in this transformation pursuit. The hope of our salvation is the fullness of Christ. For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Eph 4:12
Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:” Eph 4:13
Our faith has a destination “Till we all come …” which is our internal transformation into Christ’s fullness, “unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:” Eph 4:13
As this kingdom life grows within us, it becomes visible to those around us as a sweet smelling Christ like character, which forces every knee to bow in worship. “Matt 5:16 let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Then we become epistles to men. 2 Cor 3:2 Ye are our epistle, written in our hearts, known and read of all men;” The Lord has His plumb line. Our work is being measured. Let us not labour in vain. Let us not bring forth for trouble. “They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; “(Isa 65:23)
The work that will be consumed by fire is this meat and drink construction. Let us live a surrendered life trusting in God to supply the relevant meat and drink that is needful for us and within the confine of His will for us. Let Him add to us what is needful for us. Not to waste time seeking what is not lost nor needful.
“When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” 1Co 13:11
Let us put away childish things. Let us do God's will no matter the cost to us. It is only the kingdom that can change lives, neighborhood and our nation. Jesus said the kingdom of God is within us. (Luke 17:20-21)It carries the nature and attribute of God. Change is first within before it assumes an external dimension. If the Outer Court will be given to the Gentiles, we cannot change anybody here. It is difficult to change a man on the same level with you, but from the Holy Place, it is far easier to change lives resident at the Outer Court.
As we consider the issue of this great, personal transition, it will become increasingly difficult to locate the true men of God in our midst. Outward appearance will no longer do, because the anti-Christs in our midst will have it aplenty. Church size, attractive ministry name, ministerial titles, educational qualification, material wealth, Television presence, dressing and other carnal yardstick will become increasingly deceptive. Only by the Spirit shall we be able to track the genuine in our midst, looking diligently for fruits than gifts.
“Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.” 2Co 5:16
“Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” Matt 7:20
Let us pay the price of transition no matter the cost this may bring. We may displease men, but we will please God. Study about the kingdom, pray for insights and ask God to link you with those who can assist in that process.
“He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.” Mat 26:42
“Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine be done.” Luk 22:42
“Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.” John 4:34
“Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.” Heb 10:5-7
In this world, we live purely for His will alone. “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” Mat 6:10
Wole Olakunle
(This is the concluding part of this message.)
Coming up
 |
| 4-7 SEMINAR, 2011 - The Gospel of the Kingdom Make plans to attend. |
I
No comments:
Post a Comment