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| Feast of Tabernacles Issue #139
August 2000 We
showed in our last issue the 50-Jubilee cycle from the building of Jerusalem's
wall in Nehemiah's day (445 B.C.) to the year 2006 A.D. We saw the importance
of this time period after the first 10 Jubilees (490 years), for it concluded
with the commissioning of the Apostle Paul on his first missionary journey
(Acts 13). It
was also 50 Jubilees (2,450 years) from Adam to the day the 12 spies gave
their report in Numbers 13 and 14. In other words, it took a Jubilee of
Jubilees for God to bring Israel to the place where they could return
to their inheritance--which is the stated purpose of a Jubilee. It now
appears that Daniel's 70 weeks (490 years) began a time count toward a
50-Jubilee climax, as well as a 10-Jubilee climax recorded in the New
Testament. The
first of the 50 Jubilee cycles extended from 458 B.C. to 1993 A.D. It
began with the Edict of Artaxerxes and concluded with the end of the Pentecostal
Church Age in 1993. The
second of the 50 Jubilee cycles extend from 445 B.C. to 2006 A.D. It began
with the rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem and will end in 2006. The 13-year difference between these two cycles seem to provide us with a transition from the dominance of the Pentecostal anointing to that of the Feast of Tabernacles. The Transition: 1993-2006
A.D. The
transition has been divided into two 7-year periods, in which the 7th
year overlaps with the first year of the second 7-year period. The year
2000 is that overlap year. It began with the Feast of Trumpets (Sept.
11, 1999), which is the Hebrew New Year, and ends Sept. 29, 2000. In
our way of applying biblical symbolism, we often say that King Saul died
May 30, 1993. This was Pentecost and the 40th Jubilee of the
Church since Acts 2. King Saul was a Pentecostal, crowned on the same
feast day 1,082 years earlier. Because Saul reigned 40 years, we believe
his reign was prophetic of the reign of Pentecost for a period of 40 Jubilees.
Hence, "Saul" died in 1993. The
transition of authority from Saul to David took 7 years and 6 months to
accomplish (2 Sam. 5:5, 6). From this, we believe that the same length
of transition could extend from May 30, 1993 to November 30, 2000. We
believe we have the Word of the Lord on this, because we have seen many
signs accompanying the Word in the past seven years. Even
so, because the year 2006 concludes the end of the Temple cycle and the
40-Jubilee cycle of the Apostle Paul's commissioning, we understand that
the Feast of Tabernacles will not be fulfilled in 2000 A.D. The 7-Year Tabernacles
Fulfillment: 1999-2006 This
revelation dates only back to last March. It is new, and so still requires
some time to monitor. Things should clarify after we have been able to
complete the first full year of this cycle the end of September 2000 A.D.
We believe that we have entered into a 7-year fulfillment of the Feast
of Tabernacles, ending at the Feast of Trumpets in 2006. The
8th day of the feast--in this way of looking at it--would begin,
then, in the autumn of 2006. This makes the autumn of 2006 a major watch
date for the fulfillment of the outpouring of the Spirit prophesied in
John 7:37-39.
However, we must still also consider the fact that Jesus came to the temple
in the MIDDLE of the feast of Tabernacles (John 7:14). He arrived "late"
after sending his disciples ahead of Him (John 7:8). Likewise, in John
6:19 Jesus sent the disciples ahead of him across the sea of Galilee,
and then came to them in the middle of the lake, walking on the water.
(A more complete teaching on this story is on our tape: "When Jesus
Kept Tabernacles.") When
Jesus came to the disciples in the storm-tossed boat in the middle of
the sea of Galilee, Peter went out to meet Him and to escort Him back
to the boat. As soon as they both got into the boat, the storm ceased
and they were immediately transported miraculously to Capernaum. This
name, Kippur-Nahum, literally means the "covering of the Comforter." We
know that this is a prophetic story that has to do with the pattern of
Christ's coming. It should be overlaid upon the story of Tabernacles in
John 7, where Jesus came in the midst of the feast. This
strongly suggests that we are to watch the middle of this coming 7-year
period--say, perhaps, the year 2002-2003. No doubt the events that occur
during that year will teach us much about how the 7-day feast of Tabernacles
will actually be fulfilled. Meanwhile, we are merely giving you watch
dates, so that you will be able to watch and pray in a more informed
manner. We are not making any claims as to the time of Christ's coming. The Seven Vials (Bowls)
of Tabernacles The
book of Revelation is literally entitled, The Unveiling of Jesus Christ
(Rev. 1:1). The flow of the book speaks of 7 Seals. In the 7th
Seal we find 7 Trumpets. In the 7th Trumpet we see 7 Vials,
or Bowls, of wine being poured out. This
sequence of events is portrayed in the Hebrew calendar in each rest-year
cycle of 7 years, which is like the 7 Seals. In
the 7th year (seal) are 7 months in the original feast days
given in the law. These are the 7 trumpets in the 7th year.
They used to blow the trumpet at the beginning of each month in ancient
times. The
7th Trumpet was the 7th month on the Hebrew calendar.
In this 7th month was the Feast of Tabernacles. For 7 days
the priest offered 70 bulls in sacrifice (Num. 29:7-32) on behalf of the
70 nations of the world. He also poured out a drink offering, which is
the 7 bowls, or vials, of new wine. For
some years we have taught that the 7 vials (bowls) in Revelation 16 are
a fulfillment of the biblical Feast of Tabernacles. These bowls of wine
have both a positive and a negative impact upon the world. The positive
side of it is the "new wine" (teaching) that will be done, which
will bring restoration to the earth and set creation free by means of
the Jubilee. The negative side of this, of course, is the fact that this
will only be accomplished by means of judgments and corrections. Most
of the Evangelical and Pentecostal world has over-focused upon the negative
side of judgment, without seeing also its positive side. The fact that
Jesus arrived at the boat in John 6 in the middle of a storm indicates
some sort of tribulation period. However, most have failed to see the
positive side of this. The NEW WINE is about to be poured out as well.
The earth is about to be covered with the blood of Jesus Christ, who represents
the 70 bulls sacrificed at Tabernacles. The
Church will not be removed from the earth during this time. Rather, they
will remain here to receive their portion of judgment and correction for
refusing to hear the Word of the Lord and the Gospel of the Kingdom. The
overcomers will also remain here, but they will find a new empowerment
to teach and preach the Word during this time. Those
who doubt that we will remain on the earth should read the story of Jesus
walking on the water to the disciples. It is found in John 6:16-24. Compare
this with Matthew 14:24-34. You will see that when Peter went out to meet
Him, Jesus did not whisk Peter away to the place from whence He had come.
Instead, Peter escorted Jesus to the boat where the disciples were. The
so-called "rapture," or harpazo
was the time-travel that occurred when Jesus got into the boat. They were
immediately transported to the land where they were going--Capernaum. This
prophesies of a time when we will receive the ability to move without
limitation in both the physical and the spiritual world, even as Jesus
after His resurrection. Like Christ, the overcomers will have authority
in both heaven and in earth. They will be the new priesthood of the Zadok
order (i.e., Melchisedec) prophesied in Ezekiel 44:15-19. They will be
able to "change garments" at will in order to minister to men
on earth in their woolens, or minister to the Father in heaven in their
linens. Grapes From God's Vineyard Most
of the year 2000 is the time of the growing of the grapes for the new
wine offering at Tabernacles of 2000. The grapes are now growing and ripening
for the first bowl of new wine to be poured out. We believe that the Father
has given us the revelation that we are to speak such a word, or decree,
during the Feast of Tabernacles this year. Precise details are yet unknown,
but we know that God will show us what to do when we need to know. We
seldom know such details this far ahead of time. As
we have shown in Part One of this series (June issue), we were led to
plant a seed for this vineyard in September of 1996. By the law of fruit-bearing
trees found in Leviticus 19:23-25, the fourth-year harvest was to be dedicated
fully to God. We are now in the fourth year, but the harvest of these
"grapes" has not yet taken place. We expect to see the signs
of ripened grapes by October. The Mark of the Beast In
Revelation 16:1 and 2 we read,
1 And I heard a loud voice from the temple, saying
to the seven angels," Go and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath
of God into the earth."
2 And
the first angel went and poured
out his bowl into the earth; and it became a loathsome and malignant
sore upon the men who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his
image. This
first bowl is directed against those who have the mark of the beast and
who worship his image. These are those who worship money and material
things as their god. It is essentially the same as the golden calf that
Israel tended to worship in Moses' day (Ex. 32:4) and in the days of Jeroboam
(1 Kings 12:28). The
mark of the beast is not a tattoo or a computer chip, nor is it the Social
Security card, or MasterCard. It is the love of money, which is the root
of all evil (1 Tim. 6:10).
It is a heart problem, not a computer problem. All of the external conveniences
of the world's money system are mere symptoms and manifestations of the
real mark of the beast. In Revelation 13:16, 17 we read of this same mark:
16 And he causes all, the small and the great, and
the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a
mark on their right hand, or on their forehead,
17 and
he provides that no one should
be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. This
says that you cannot buy or sell, except that you have this "mark"
(money). Even German currency today is called the German MARK. Money is
an imprinted image of wealth, used as a medium of exchange to buy or sell.
Currency in America is owned by the Federal Reserve System, which is a
private corporation of international bankers, who were given the right
to create money in 1914. (This was 2,520 years after the original Babylon
became an empire in 607 B.C.) This
SYSTEM and those controlling it are the heads of this beast that came
from the earth (Rev. 13:11). The
mark on the hand and forehead of men is not a physical mark. It is the
earthly counterpart to what we as God's people are instructed to do in
the divine law. We read of this in Deuteronomy 6:5-8,
5 And you shall love the LORD your God with all your
heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
6 And these words, which I am commanding you today,
shall be on your heart;
7 and
you shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when
you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down
and when you rise up. 8 And
you shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as
frontals on your forehead. In
ancient times the religious people used to take this very literally by
making little boxes and putting portions of Scripture in them. Then they
would tie them to their wrists or their foreheads in an effort to appear
righteous. In spite of their outward show of religiosity, many of them
had a heart that worshipped the golden calf. Jesus
did not follow this tradition, because He did not interpret this law so
literally. He taught us to have the Law written on our hearts where it
belongs. Those who love God with all their heart will not have the mark
of the beast upon their hands nor upon their hearts. The mark is upon
our hands when all our labor is to obtain money, regardless of the ethics
of divine law. The mark is upon our foreheads when all of our mental energy
is spent to obtain money, regardless of the ethical limitations of divine
law. Wealth
itself is neither good nor bad. It is the LOVE of money that makes men
destroy each other in order to obtain more and more wealth. Likewise,
a credit card is only a convenience within the world system by which we
can more easily buy or sell. It is no more a sin to own a credit card
than it is to own money. A
person may, of course, choose not to participate in the world's system
of monetary exchange. That is their choice, based upon whatever benefits
they feel are derived from that choice. Countless
sermons and books have been written about the mark of the beast. Some
feel that Christians will escape "the tribulation" in a rapture--in
which case they will not have to face the choice of obtaining this mark
or not. Others believe that Christians will go through this time of trouble
and will have to make this choice. Does it not seem a bit ridiculous that
the expected Antichrist would have all this power on earth, but would
then give men a CHOICE? It seems to me that the history of law enforcement
in the world shows that they would simply tranquilize Christians and insert
the computer chip into the hand or forehead without their consent. Revelation
3:16 says, "he causes all" to be given this mark. He does NOT say, "he
asks them to make a choice, please." If
we study the historicist view of Revelation, we see clearly how this book
has been fulfilled throughout Church history in the past 2000 years. This
was commonly known in Protestant circles in the past few hundred years.
The futurist view, where it is said that most of revelation has a future
fulfillment after the "rapture," is a relatively recent view
that has become popular only in the past century and a half. This view
totally ignores plain history and exists only because most Christians
have not been taught their own Church history. Of
course, one must understand that Revelation does not mean teach the existence
of dragons and strange beasts. These are symbolic language for nations
and empires, as the book of Daniel clearly shows. Revelation is a series
of visions that must be interpreted according to actual events and nations
in history. Chapters
6-8 deal primarily with the early Church and the overthrow of the Roman
Empire up to about the 7th century. Chapter 9 deals with the
rise of Islam, which God raised up to judge the idolatrous Church. This
chapter perfectly describes the Saracens as they swept through the Middle
East and set up their headquarters at Baghdad in the year 762 A.D. This
was precisely 150 years from when Mohammed began his mission in 612 A.D.
This 150-year period is prophesied in terms of a 5-month period in Rev.
9:5. (5 months x 30 days each = 150 prophetic days.) John described the
Saracens perfectly as having gold turbans ("crowns"), long hair,
iron armor, and on horseback. In
the last half of Rev. 9 we are given the second woe, that of the Ottoman
Turks. They crossed the Euphrates river in 1062 A.D. with 200,000 men.
The time period they were given to complete their mission was a year,
a month, a day, and an hour (9:15). This is, prophetically speaking, 360
+ 30 + 1 = 391 years, plus an hour, which is 1/24 of a year, or about
2 weeks. The
Ottoman Turks completed their mission with the conquest of Constantinople
in 1453 A.D., which was precisely 391 years after they crossed the Euphrates
in 1062. In that siege, they used cannons for the first time in the history
of warfare. The cannons were shaped to resemble lions, out of whose mouths
issued fire and brimstone. The soldiers sat upon them in order to use
the ramrod, and the tail was the fuse. John
described them perfectly in Revelation 9:17-19. Revelation
10 describes the Protestant Reformation, along with the key battles on
land and sea, which allowed this new movement to be established. Chapter
13 focuses upon the beast that came from the earth, but does so in the
context of the earlier beast that came from the sea. The sea beast had
dominion for 42 months, or 1,260 "days" (years). This prophesies
that the Roman Church was to have political power for 1,260 years. It
began when the emperor Justinian scrapped the entire Roman law system
and replaced it with Orthodox Church law in 529 A.D. It was called the
Codex Vetus. In
534 it was revised and replaced by the Codex Repeitae Praelectionis.
1,260
years later brings us to 1789-1794 A.D. These are the years of the French
Revolution, which began to overthrow one of the main strongholds of the
Roman Church. The revolution was financed and backed by a new coalition
of bankers and industrialists, led by the Rothschild family. This coalition
of families were the beginnings of the beast that rose up from the earth,
which began to eclipse the power of the previous beast system. Although
this new money power assisted the new Protestant movements, it was itself
just another beast prophesied by John. Its crowning achievement was the
formation of the Israeli state. To many Christians it appears to be the
Kingdom of God, for it looks like a lamb. But listen closely; it speaks
like a dragon (Rev. 13:11). The First Bowl of Wine As
we said earlier, the first bowl of wine is to be poured out upon the earth as judgment upon those who have the mark of the beast. The second
is to be poured out upon the sea. To understand the fulfillment of these
first two bowls of wine, one must know against whom they are directed. Revelation
13 helps us to define the terms in Rev. 16. It appears that the first
bowl of wine will primarily affect the banking and financial system of
the world. In America we have had an unprecedented 7 years of plenty,
even as in the days of Joseph. It is quite possible that we will see this
prosperity begin to come to an end by the end of the year 2000. If
so, keep in mind that this will not be a total collapse over night. The
effect of the first bowl will probably be seen throughout the next year,
2001. It also remains to be seen how this will affect the Israeli state.
Judging by the feverish pace of the current peace negotiations, along
with Arafat's stated intention to declare a Palestinian state on September
13, 2000, it is clear that this is a major turning point in history. The
leaders of both nations must do as their people demand. The people on
both sides prefer to have war than give up their claims upon Jerusalem. Yet
regardless of our views and interpretations, we do recognize that we do
not know for sure what God will do. All we know is that the angel is about
to pour out the first bowl of wine upon the earth, and that there will
be serious consequences. We have received this revelation, and we will
always agree with God, regardless of the outcome, for our faith is in
Him. Our understanding of Him and His plan is incomplete, but we are resolved
to say Amen to Him in all that He does.
God’s
Kingdom Ministries |
