Herbert W Armstrong

   But you know, brethren, Pentecost relates to the church in a very unique way. God's church began, when, well, it really had its beginnings when God led Israel out of Egypt. That was the beginning of God's church. Israel coming out of Egypt was the church in the wilderness. They are called the congregation of Israel or the church in the wilderness.

   Prior to the time that God used Moses to bring a group of people out of Egypt, God had only dealt with individuals. God had dealt with Adam, or with Enoch, or with Noah, or with Abraham, all of Isaac or Jacob or Joseph as individuals. Now God proposed to deal with a group of people, a congregation of people. God used Moses to bring a group of people, the descendants of Abraham to whom the promises had been made, to bring this group of people out of Egypt.

   They approach Mount Sinai. And it was there, as recorded in Exodus chapter 19, that God proposed the covenant to ancient Israel. God proposed a special covenant relationship to them. That proposal took place on the day of Pentecost. God delivered them from Egypt at the time of the Passover in the Days of Unleavened Bread. God led them as a group to Mount Sinai and there God proposed to them.

   Now it was a proposal that was based on something that he had promised Abraham way back when. God had told Abraham, as recorded in Genesis chapter 19... Or let's see, rather Genesis chapter 17 in verse 1 (Genesis 17:1): "When Abram was 99 years old, the Eternal appeared to Abraham and said unto him, 'I am the Almighty God, walk before me and be you perfect.'" In other words, walk wholeheartedly in my law. That's what he meant when he said "be you perfect," be you wholehearted. Walk before me in obedience to me in a wholehearted fashion. "And I will make my covenant between me and you and will multiply you exceedingly." And Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying, "As for me, behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. Neither shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham."

   So God proposed a covenant to Abraham that was based on Abraham obeying God. Now we find that the covenant was reconfirmed to Isaac in Genesis 26:5, God stating, "Because that Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws." So Abraham did what God told him to do, and because Abraham did what God told him to do, God confirmed the covenant with Abraham and the covenant was made. Certain promises were made.

   Now 430 years, as is made plain in the book of Exodus, uh, you can go back and compare it to Galatians 3. 430 years after God had proposed this covenant to Abraham when he was 99 years old, God brought the descendants of Abraham to the foot of Mount Sinai and there proposed to enter into a special covenant relationship with them, and it was to be a husband-wife relationship. Israel was in the role of a wife. They were to be faithful. They were to be obedient and they were to be faithful to God. God was in the role of the husband. He was to be the protector and the provider for Israel. So Israel was to be obedient and faithful and God was to protect and provide — a husband-wife relationship.

   And God proposed the terms of the covenant in Exodus 19. The people answered and said, "All that the Lord has said we will do." They agreed, they said, "Boy, that's great. That's just what we want to do." That was on the day of Pentecost.

   Now we can continue right on down and we will see that the day of Pentecost of course ties in very directly with the New Testament time period, but that is, of course, when God's Holy Spirit was given. If you read in Acts chapter 2:1, when they were all gathered together with one accord when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all gathered together with one accord in one place. And of course God's spirit came on them and filled them with power. Because they've been told to remain in Jerusalem until they were imbued with power from on high, and God poured out his spirit and began to initiate the new covenant again with a church, the church of God, a continuation.

   There is a continuation, two aspects, the Old Testament church and the New Testament Church, and yet just as the Old Testament Church was married to Israel, the New Testament was — the Old Testament church was married to God. So is the New Testament Israel, the New Testament church, the spouse bride of Jesus Christ. We have a continuation. When you go through Revelation chapter 12, it makes very plain, it focuses on a continuum. Picturing the church as a woman, starting in the Old Testament coming right on down to the New right on down to the time that the church goes into a place of protection.

   Now the things that happened to ancient Israel to the church in the wilderness were an example to us, and frankly their history was a parallel of ours. There are many aspects of that parallel, and there are many things that tie in with the symbolism of the day of Pentecost that again we've perhaps not fully focused on.

   Let's go back to the book of Leviticus chapter 23 and let's notice certain of these things. We find beginning in verse one (Leviticus 23:1), the Eternal spoke unto Moses saying, "Speak to the children of Israel and say unto them, concerning the feasts of the Eternal, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts. Six days shall work be done. The seventh is the Sabbath of rest, a holy convocation."

   Now verse 4, "These are the feasts of the Eternal holy convocations which you shall proclaim in their seasons. In the 14th day of the first month, the evening is the Eternal's Passover. On the 15th day of the same month is the feast of Unleavened Bread unto the Eternal. Seven days you must eat unleavened bread. The first day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no servile work. You shall offer an offering made by fire to the Eternal seven days, and the seventh day is a holy convocation. You shall do no servile work." So the first and the last day of the days of Unleavened Bread were holy convocations, holy days.

   Now, "The Eternal spoke unto Moses saying, speak to the children of Israel and say unto them, when you be come into the land which I give unto you and shall reap the harvest thereof, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest, and you shall wave the sheaf before the Eternal to be accepted for you on the morrow after the Sabbath. The priest shall wave it."

   Now while they were wandering in the desert, there were no harvests to reap. It was impossible to go through the ceremony of the wave sheaf offering while they were wandering in the desert. But they were instructed at this time within the first year after their exodus from Egypt. They were told if they were to observe the days of Unleavened Bread, they were given instructions and then they were told that when they entered into the land, there was something else they were to do that they would not have been doing for these 40 years. And what that consisted of was at the close of the Sabbath that came during the days of Unleavened Bread, they were to reap the sheaf of the firstfruits. And the sheaf of the firstfruits was to be taken and waved before God.

   Now they were told that "You shall offer that day when you wave the sheaf a lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering under the Eternal, and the meat offering or the meal offering is actually the proper rendering. The meal offering thereof shall be 2/10 deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire under the Eternal for a sweet savor, and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of a hin. You shall eat neither bread nor parched corn nor green ears until the same day that you have brought an offering unto your God. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations and all your dwellings, and you shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering. Seven Sabbaths shall be complete or seventh Sabbath shall be complete even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath. Shall you number 50 days and you shall offer a new meal offering under the Eternal."

   Now, there are two different offerings here and a lot of times we read over some of these things and we don't focus on it, but these particular offerings have very important symbolic meaning. The practice that the priest followed through was as the Sabbath ended during the days of Unleavened Bread. As the weekly Sabbath that fell during the days of Unleavened Bread drew to a close, the priests were there in the field with a sickle. And they had — the high priest had taken a swath of grain. And he waited and just at the precise instant that the sun dipped below the horizon just at the instant of sunset and they were there to observe, you know, and at the moment that they — the precise moment that they construed that it had set, the high priest took the sickle and he cut the grain, the one swath of grain free. And he took that and he waved it before God. He waved it up and down and he waved it from side to side.

   The swath of grain was taken back to the temple. The next morning the grain was taken from the — was taken off the, separated the grain from the chaff. And it was ground there in fine flour, and as we find here in verse 13 that it was mingled with oil and a cake of bread was made. There that next morning, that Sunday morning, uh, and then that particular cake of bread, that particular loaf of bread which consisted of solely fine flour and oil was presented before God was offered to God as a sacrifice, as a sweet savor. And once that had happened, then the harvest began and the farmers began to go into the field and began to harvest the grain crop.

   Now, when we come back to the New Testament, we find what happened on that particular day. What happened at the time of the — that the Sabbath during the days of Unleavened Bread drew to a close. During the time that Jesus Christ was on earth. What happened at the time of his crucifixion. Jesus Christ, of course, was crucified on the day of the Passover. He was buried right, which was found in 31 A.D. on a Wednesday. He was buried Wednesday evening right prior to sunset and the beginning of the first holy day of Unleavened Bread and annual Sabbath, uh, which came on a Thursday. Then he was in the tomb on Wednesday night, Thursday, Thursday night, and uh Friday, Friday night are coming down to the close of the Sabbath, 3 days and 3 nights, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

   At the close of the daylight portion of the Sabbath just as sunset approached, at the time when the high priest would have been ready to have harvested the grain, Jesus Christ was resurrected from the tomb. Jesus Christ came out of the tomb at that precise time. Exactly 3 days and 3 nights after his burial, he was buried right at the time of sunset. Therefore, he would have been resurrected right at the time of sunset, which would have been at the time of the harvest of the wave sheaf offering.

   Now early the next morning, if you remember the story, Mary Magdalene and others had come down to the tomb. Mary Magdalene was in the garden crying. And Christ appeared to her and at first she didn't recognize him, she thought it was the gardener, and then when she realized who it was, she said, you know, "Master," and reached out to embrace it, and what did he tell her? He said, "No, Mary, don't touch me, for I have not yet ascended unto my Father." Now at a later time during the day, Christ appeared to the disciples and he allowed them to embrace him and to touch him and later allowed Thomas to stick his hand into his side. Showing that on that day of the wave sheaf, that wave sheaf Sunday during the days of Unleavened Bread, Jesus Christ ascended to heaven that morning and returned back to the earth. He presented himself before God as the firstfruits.

   Now, if you will notice in I Corinthians chapter 15. Verse 20 (I Corinthians 15:20): "But now is Christ risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of them that slept," of them that slept. On down in verse 23, "but every man in his own order. Christ the firstfruits afterwards they that are Christ at His coming." We find that as we go back to Leviticus 23:9, that the harvest could not begin before the sheaf of the firstfruits of the harvest. The first of the firstfruits had to be cut first, presented to God, accepted by God, and once that happened, then the firstfruits harvest could begin, could begin.

   Now the first fruit's harvest began on that day, that wave sheaf day during the days of Unleavened Bread. Now we find that we are to go from that day of the wave sheaf, we are to come forward 7 weeks. And then at the conclusion of these 7 weeks, verse 17, "You shall bring out of your habitation two wave loaves of 2/10 of these. They shall be a fine flower, they shall be baken with leaven. They are the firstfruits under the Eternal. You shall offer them with them with the bread, 7 lambs without blemish." And it goes on verse 20, "The priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave offering before the Eternal. They shall be holy to the Eternal for the priest, and you shall proclaim on the selfsame day that it may be a holy convocation unto you. You shall do no servile work therein it shall be a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations."

   Now this is the day of Pentecost. Seven weeks later they were to come and they were to offer another offering at the conclusion of the firstfruit's harvest. Now this particular offering they were to offer at the conclusion of the firstfruit's harvest was 2 loaves of bread. Now this, these two loaves of bread also symbolize the firstfruits. This because the entire harvest was the firstfruits. It was the firstfruits harvest as opposed to the great fall harvest that culminated prior to the Feast of Tabernacles in the fall. This was the harvest of the winter grain crop. It was the firstfruits harvest in Palestine. But the wave sheaf was the first of the firstfruits.

   Now we see from I Corinthians 15 that Jesus Christ is the first fruits of them that sleep. And the resurrection first, the first resurrection was Jesus Christ, the firstfruits. Next, those that are Christ at his coming, which comprise the rest of the firstfruits.

   Now, it is interesting to note in terms of the offering that the bread that symbolized Jesus Christ consisted solely of flour and oil. If you will notice when we come down a little bit further and we find the bread that symbolizes the rest of the firstfruit's harvest. It was made from the rest of the firstfruits harvest that was offered on Pentecost, verse 17. "You shall bring two wave loaves of 2/10 deals. They shall be a fine flour. They shall be baken with leaven."

   Now there was no leaven used in the other one. It couldn't have been because it was during the days of Unleavened Bread. The loaf that symbolized Jesus Christ had no leaven in it, it that was made during the days of Unleavened Bread and that had no leaven in it. That symbolized Jesus Christ who was absolutely pure. Now the bread that symbolized the rest of the firstfruit's harvest. And there were 2 loaves of it.

   Now, the reason there were 2 loaves is because there are two aspects of the firstfruits harvest. There is the Old Testament church and the New Testament church. So there is the duality. So we have the 2 loaves, and both of the loaves were baked with leaven. Now what does that mean? Well, brethren, that's the difference between you and I and Jesus Christ. The loaf that symbolizes us has some leaven in it. The loaf that symbolized Jesus Christ was unleavened. You see, Jesus Christ was perfect, and we're not. There's a little bit of leaven still left in us, isn't there? Did you get all yours out of the days of Unleavened Bread and you're, you know, still, still running along smooth. You haven't had any problems since. You see why God had the two loaves that symbolize the rest of the firstfruit's harvest that was baked with leaven because that symbolizes us.

   Now we're told what this is in verse 17 that "You bring the two wave loaves and it be a fine flour baked with leaven. They are the firstfruits under the Eternal." That's what this is. This represents these two loaves that were presented in the temple by the priest on the day of Pentecost. Two loaves. These are the firstfruits under the Eternal.

   Now, who are the firstfruits under the Eternal? Well, that represents God's church. The two loaves signify the dual aspect of God's church, the firstfruits, the Old Testament aspect, and the New Testament aspect. Let's notice very quickly Jeremiah chapter 2. Jeremiah chapter 2:3. "Israel was holiness unto the Eternal and the firstfruits of his increase. All that devour him shall offend evil shall come upon them, says the Eternal." Israel was holiness under the Eternal and the firstfruits of all his increase. So we're told here that Israel was the firstfruit unto God. Israel was the firstfruits.

   Now let's notice over in the book of James. Let's notice something else. James 1:18. Speaking of us today. God's church in the New Testament time period of his own will begat he us with the word of truth that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. So we are today God's New Testament church, a firstfruit, the firstfruits of God's creatures.

   Ephesians chapter one brings it out. Ephesians 1:4, "According as he has chosen us in Him in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love." Now in verse 11, "In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who works all things after the council of his own will, that we should be to the praise of His glory who first trusted in Christ. In whom you also trusted after that you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also after that you believed you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance."

   Now we find that God's church represents the firstfruits. Israel was to represent, God says this represents the firstfruits of God's increase. Now, when you go back to the book of Isaiah, you find that of the increase of his government, there is no end. Israel did not represent all that God intended to do. Israel represented the beginning of what God intended to do. It was the firstfruits of God's increase. Because of the increase of his government, there's no end. It's going to spread out and out and out to encompass the universe. Israel represented the beginning, the firstfruit. God has called out a people here that represent the firstfruits.

   Now, the period of the firstfruits harvest was 7 weeks. As we read there in Leviticus 23. And it was a period of time that we were to count. Every other holy day is designated on a specific day of the month. It is the 14th day of the first month or the 15th day of the first month or you know, the 22nd day or 21st day of the first month. Uh, it would be the, uh, you know, the 1st day of the 7th month or the 10th day of the 7th month. Or the 15th day of the 7th month or the 22nd day of the 7th month, specific days of the month.

   When we get to the Feast of Pentecost, there is no specific day of the month given. It is a holy day you have to count. You count 7 weeks. Now 7 is God's number of completion and perfection. The 7 weeks were the time period of the firstfruit's harvest. The firstfruit's harvest began with Jesus Christ. It culminates with the church, which consists of God's Old Testament church and his New Testament church. You know, the dual aspect which parallel actually a continuation, but there are certain differences in terms of the old covenant and the new covenant.

   The basis of both covenants was the 10 Commandments. One simply was the 10 Commandments with a physical application to a physical people based on physical promises here and now. The other was the application of God's Commandments, the 10 Commandments to God's spiritual people. Based on spiritual promises with God's Holy Spirit, the spirit of the law with eternal inheritance promised forever.

   So here we have the time period that we are in the 7 weeks that elapsed between the day of the wave sheaf and the culmination of Pentecost. And that is the time period we are in, brethren, the time period during which God is making a covenant with the firstfruits. And we find ourselves pictured here by this, we find this aspect of God's church.

   So we see the Old Testament church pictured in Jeremiah 2:3 as holiness unto the Eternal, the firstfruits of God's increase we find in James 1:18 that we are today the firstfruits of God's increase. Let us notice the covenant that God proposed with his people when he called Israel of old out. In Exodus 19:3. Moses went up to God. God said, "Thus shall you say to the children of Israel, you have seen what I did under the Egyptians. And how I bore you on eagle's wings and brought you unto myself. Now, therefore, if you will obey my voice indeed and keep my covenant. Then you shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people for all the earth is mine, and you shall be unto me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak unto the children of Israel." So Israel was told that they were to be under God a kingdom of priests, a holy nation, a peculiar people.

   Now let's notice I Peter chapter 2. And let's compare what God says to us today. I Peter chapter 2 verse 8 or verse 9 (I Peter 2:9). "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people that you should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous life." That's the same promise, isn't it? A royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people. Israel and all had an opportunity to enter into that relationship with God. The Israel of God today, God's New Testament church, has the same opportunity.

   Pentecost is the day when the first covenant was made. The old covenant was made with ancient Israel, the congregation of Israel, the church in the wilderness. It is also the day on which the new covenant was made and God's church today, the New Testament church was begun.

   Now let's go back to the book of Hebrews and let's understand some things even a little further. Hebrews chapter 8. The apostle Paul goes through and expounds a number of things concerning the covenants tie in directly with Pentecost. "Now of the things which we have spoken, this is the sum. We have such a high priest who is set on the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens. A minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man. For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices. Wherefore, it is of necessity that this man has somewhat also to offer speaking of Christ. For if you were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that they, that are, that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law, who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle. Force, says he, that you make all things according to the pattern showed to you in the mountain."

   Moses made the tabernacle in the wilderness on a particular pattern. We're going to see a little bit of what that pattern was and why it was so important and the way in which it pictures God's church, well. The congregation of Israel and the Church of God today. "But now as he, Christ, obtained a more excellent ministry by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant." The new covenant is better than the old. Why? "Which was established upon better promises." So the new covenant is. [Tape Skips]

   God never found fault with himself. God found fault with the people. "We're finding fault with them. He said, behold the days come, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with a house of Israel and with the house of Jacob, 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, because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, says the Lord." So God here talks of a new covenant that he is going to make, that he is in the process of making.

   "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord. I will put my laws into their minds and write them in their hearts. And I shall be to them of God, and they shall be to me of people." When God gave His Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, God began the process of writing his laws in our minds and in our hearts to the power of His Spirit. Under the old covenant, the law of God was written with a finger of God on tables of stones. Under the new covenant, the law of God is written with the Spirit of God in the tables of our hearts and minds. God began a process of transforming us to think like he thinks of changing our minds. A conversion process.

   Down in verse in chapter 9, verse 1 (Hebrews 9:1), "Then truly the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service and a worldly sanctuary" or a physical sanctuary. "There were, there was a tabernacle made the first wherein with the candlestick and the table and the show bread which is called the sanctuary." So in the holy place of the tabernacle there was the candlestick and the table which had the show bread on it. "After the second vail tabernacle that is called the holiest of all, which had the golden censor and the Ark of the Covenant. Overlaid roundabout with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, Aaron's rod that budded in the tables of the Covenant."

   Now in the tabernacle in the holy place on the one hand, on the one side you had a table that had 12 loaves of show bread. The 12 loaves of show bread represented the organizational pattern of God's firstfruits, which is based on the 12 tribes of Israel. When you go back to the book of Revelation, you find the 144,000 in Revelation chapter 7 and in Revelation chapter 14 representing a firstfruits unto God, and they are characterized in 12 specific divisions. When you go to the new Jerusalem described in Revelation chapters, uh, right close Revelation, you find again, Revelation chapter 21, a city that has 12 foundations, a city that has 12 gates. The 12 gates are named for the 12 tribes of Israel, an organizational pattern that represented the firstfruits, the organized beginnings, the number 12 is used in that sense to represent organized beginnings. That is the organizational pattern on which God organized the firstfruits represented by the 12 tribes of Israel, because all of the Gentile peoples become spiritually a part of Israel.

   As we're told in the book of Galatians, "If you be Christ, then are you Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise." So we have the 12 loaves of show bread representing the 12 tribes of Israel, the basis of God's organization of the firstfruits. We find on the other side the candlestick, it is called in Hebrews chapter 9.

   Now if we look back in Exodus chapter 25, when the instructions are given as to how to build it, we find in Exodus 25:31, "You shall make a candlestick of pure gold. The beaten work shall the candlestick be made. His shafts and his branches, his bolts, his knobs, his flowers shall be of the same." Down in verse 37, "You shall make the seven lamps thereof, and they shall light the lamps thereof that they may give light over against it." And it talks about the tongs and the stuffed dishes shall be of pure gold, of the talent of pure gold, shall he make it with all these vessels and look that you make them after their pattern which was showed you in the mountain.

   Now in the tabernacle, the only source of light in the tabernacle, was a seven branched candelabra. It was one candlestick with one, you know, one large base that branched out. With the one main branch coming up and 3 on each side, which made 7 altogether. Now it burned olive oil. Olive oil was put in and this provided the fuel for the flame. This was the only source of light in an otherwise darkened room.

   Now we have a seven branched candlestick represented. When we go to the book of Revelation chapter one, we find another being described in many ways is very similar. Revelation chapter 1 and verse 12 (Revelation 1:12). "And I turned to see the voice which spoke to me, and being turned I saw 7 golden candlesticks, and in the midst of the 7 candlesticks, one likened to the Son of Man clothed with a garment down to the foot and gird about the paths with a golden girdle."

   Now let's skip on down to verse verse 20 (Revelation 1::20). "The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand and the seven golden candlesticks. The 7 stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the 7 candlesticks which you saw are the seven churches." Then we find a listing of seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3.

   We find a difference in Exodus 25, we have one candlestick, one base, and seven branches. In Revelation chapter 1, we have 7 different candlesticks. You still have 7 flames that represent the light to the world. But there is a difference. And it is a contrast between the Old Testament church and the New Testament church.

   In the Old Testament, God's church was characterized by 7 eras or 7 stages. This I think is something that has not been recognized to the same degree. God's church has been characterized by seven eras, the Old Testament aspect of the church was characterized by 7 branch candelabra, 7 stages, 7 eras that God's Old Testament church went through. The New Testament church was characterized by 7 candlesticks. Christ was represented in the midst of it. The whole thing represented the church.

   Now there is a difference. In the Old Testament, you had one people with one base, one geographical location, one people in one specific area of the world that had as their history a continuation of 7 different eras, 7 different stages in their history. Under the time of the New Testament, you do not have the same degree of continuity. You have different peoples in different areas of the world that are a continuation of the same faith. So we have the New Testament church represented by 7 different candlesticks. We have the Old Testament church represented by 1 candlestick and 7 different branches. The whole thing representing God's light to the world. And the source of that light was olive oil, that symbolized God's Holy Spirit.

   Now there is a very distinct parallel between the history of God's Old Testament church and the seven eras through which it passed. There is a very distinct parallel between that history and the history of God's New Testament church and the seven distinct eras through which it also will have passed.

   The first era of the Church of God, going back to the original congregation in the wilderness or the congregation of Israel, the church in the wilderness. The first era or the first stage of that congregation of Israel was the time period of Moses, Joshua and the elders. The time period of Moses, Joshua, and the elders. Moses was the one that God used to begin his congregation, the church in the wilderness. Joshua was there with Moses as his assistant and succeeded him, and there were certain elders that had been associated with Moses that had been associated with Joshua, some of whom outlived Joshua also, and we will focus in just a minute and we will see why they constitute an era.

   Now it's interesting to note, let's notice very briefly what God says in Revelation chapter 2 as he focuses on the first era of his New Testament church. Revelation 2:1 "To the angel of the Church of Ephesus, write, these things says he that holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. I know your work, your labor, your patience, how you can not bear them with your evil. You have tried them which say they are apostles and are not and have found them liars. You have for my name's sake labored and not fainted. Nevertheless, I have somewhat against you because you have left your first love. Remember from when you're fallen, repent, do the first works or I'll come unto you quickly remove your candlestick out of it’s place except you repent. This you have that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate."

   Now notice there were certain things characteristic of the Ephesian era of the church. This was the era, of course, of the early apostles continued on down till the death. After the death of John the last of the apostle, and within a period of time within a matter of 20 or 30 years after the death of John the Ephesian era came to an end as those who had been the immediate disciples of the apostles themselves were dead. Now perhaps you should see a parallel there.

   But let's notice a couple of things. Notice that the one of the main tests that characterized God's true people in the Ephesian era of the church were those were they that had tried those that had said they were apostles and were not and found them liars. There were many during that period of time, Simon Magus and his co-conspirators that claimed to be apostles of Jesus Christ that claimed to represent the government of God who were liars. And those who were God's true people in the first century had to discern who were through whom is God working.

   Now when you go back to the time of Moses, you find that there were various ones, whether it was Cora, Dayton, and Byram, whomever. There were various ones that came along that claimed to be those through whom God was working, and God's true people, those who were to be God's true people had to discern through whom God was working and through whom God was not working.

   Now the Nicolaitans were mentioned. Nicholas is the Greek form of the Hebrew word Balaam. Nicholas means conqueror of the people, ruler over the people or overlord of the people. Balaam — the word Bale means lord or overlord, um means people. So actually Balaam and Nico and Nicholas are just ones the Hebrew form one's the Greek form. Balaam of course was stamped during this period of time, time of numbers during the time of Moses, but I think the most interesting thing is to note in the book of Judges chapter 2. But understand what happened to this first era of the church in the wilderness.

   Judges 2:7, "And the people served the Eternal all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of the Eternal that he did for Israel." Down in verse 10. "And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers and there arose another generation after them which knew not the Eternal, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel and the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Eternal and served Baalim." The various idols "they forsook the Eternal God of their fathers which brought them out of the land of Egypt and followed other gods and the gods of the people that were around them and bowed themselves unto them and provoked the Eternal to anger."

   Now that brought to a close the first era. Those people lost their first love just as happened with the Ephesian era when the apostles died and those who had been their immediate disciples died. The people, many of the people lost sight of what God had done and they lost their first love they were no longer motivated by the things that had motivated them at the beginning. There is a very distinct parallel between the first stage of God's Old Testament church which drew to a close with the death of the elders that outlived Joshua and that generation. And the people lost their first love.

   Now the next era of the Old Testament church was the era of the judges. We find the era of the judges, which was an era that was characterized by poverty and persecution. Poverty and persecution. Notice in Judges 2:14. "The anger of the Eternal was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of the spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies. Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the Eternal was against them for evil, as the Eternal had said and as the Eternal has sworn unto them, and they were greatly distressed. Nevertheless, the Eternal raised up judges which delivered them out of the hands of those that spoiled them. Yet they would not hearken to the judges, but they went a whoring after other gods and bowed themselves unto them. They turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the Eternal, and they did not so. When the Eternal raised them up judges, then the Eternal was with the judge and delivered them out of the hands of their enemies all the days of the judge, it repented the Eternal because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them. It came to pass when the judge was dead, they returned and corrupted themselves more than their fathers and following other gods to serve them, to bow down onto them. They ceased not from their own doings nor from their stubborn ways."

   So we find a description here that they were oppressed, the people were oppressed they were persecuted they went through a time of impoverishment because of course of some of their own conduct. But the period of the judges, the era of the judges, was a time of poverty and tribulation. And God's people, those through those God was working with at that particular time, this was the situation that they were in.

   Now it's an interesting comparison if you notice the second era and mentioned in Revelation chapter 2 of God's church in the New Testament phase, which was the church at Smyrna. Verse 9 (Revelation 2:9), God says, "I know your work and tribulation and poverty." Though the church of Smyrna was characterized by persecution and by poverty. They went through a time of great trial. They went through a time of great persecution, a time period, basically about 135 A.D. to 650 A.D. in the New Testament phase. God's church was forced to actually flee from the areas there of Asia Minor on up to the area of Armenia. And there are a number of parallels with the phase of the judges, which was the 2nd era, the 2nd branch of the candlestick.

   The 3rd branch of the candlestick, the 3rd era of God's Old Testament Church was the time period of the united monarchy. The time of Saul, David, and Solomon. Now it is interesting, the third church that is mentioned in Revelation chapter 2 is the church in Pergamus. Pergamus means fortified. The people of God at the time of the Pergamus era were in the area of originally Armenia and later some of the mountainous areas there on up into the, well, uh, primarily there in the areas of Armenia. They were, uh, during much of that period of time they were fortified they were protected physically from the incursions of the society around them. They began to allow various problems to creep in and finally they were invaded and many of them were slaughtered and they were scattered by the sword. The fortifications came to naught.

   Now, when you look at the comparison, notice one of the things that God mentioned about the Pergamus era in Revelation 2:14. "I have a few things against you because you have there Pergamus them that hold the doctrine of Balaam who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel to eat things sacrifice for idols and to commit fornication," so they allowed something that was a stumbling block.

   Now let's go back to I Kings 11. Notice the parallel during the time of the united monarchy. I Kings chapter 11. In verse one (I Kings 11:1), "But Solomon loved many strange women together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zeidonians, and Hittites of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, 'You shall not go in to them. Neither shall they come in unto you.'" You were not to intermarry with those people. "For surely they will turn away your heart after their gods. Solomon clave unto these in love. He had 700 wives, princesses, and 300 concubines, and his wives turned away his heart. For it came to pass, and Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not perfect before the Eternal his God, as was the heart of David, his father, and he went after Ashtaroth, the goddess of the Zeidonians, and after Milcom, the abomination of the Ammonites, and Solomon did evil in the side of the Lord and went not fully after the Eternal, as did David, his father."

   So we find that Solomon wound up putting a stumbling block in front of all the people that he was entangled in fornication and in idolatry just as was mentioned in terms of the Pergamus era of the church, something that was allowed that served as a stumbling block. The result of that is we noticed from Revelation chapter 2. We're back there again. Revelation 2:16, God told the Pergamus church, "Repent, or else I will come on you quickly and will fight against you with the sword of my mouth." You know, "I'm going to scatter and devastate you if you don't repent of that."

   Now notice the comparison as we go back to I Kings 11:14. "The Eternal stirred up an adversary against Solomon. Hadad the Edomite." Now as we come on down verse 23, "God stirred up another adversary Rezon, the son of Eliadah which fled from his lord, Hadadezer king of Zobah." Down in verse 31, uh, so we have here that he, in verse 25, "he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon."

   Then we have Jeroboam who was a servant of Solomon's, and a prophecy was made to Jeroboam in verse 31. Uh, after a garment had been ripped into 12 pieces, Jeroboam was told, "Take 10 pieces, for thus says the Eternal, the God of Israel, behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give 10 tribes to you."

   So what happened? Because of Solomon's sins, because of the fornication and the idolatry, God fought against his people. He allowed adversaries to be stirred up and the kingdom rend away. It was torn asunder just as God prophesied that he would deal with the Pergamus era of the church. Those who thought that they were fortified, they were in a physical sense. They allowed their spiritual fortifications to fall down. The same happened in the parallel the era represented the third branch or that was represented by the third branch of the candelabra, the united monarchy of the congregation of Israel.

   The next phase, the 4th branch of the congregation of Israel was represented by the divided monarchy, the time period from the death of Solomon on down until the time of the restoration under Zerubbabel, a very lengthy time period.

   Now, the parallel to that in terms of the New Testament church is in Revelation chapter 2 in verse 18 (Revelation 2:18-19). "Unto the angel of the church in Thyatira, write." Verse 19, "I know your work, your charity and service and faith, your patience, your works, the last to be more than the first, notwithstanding, I have a few things against you because you allow that woman Jezebel, which calls herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, to eat things, sacrifice and idols."

   Now the Thyatira Church, which was the Church of God during the Middle Ages, allowed a certain entanglement with the Catholic religion which dominated Europe that caused grave problems and for which God had to chasten them. The original Jezebel on whom the analogy is drawn, of course, was extant as the wife of King Ahab during the time period of the divided monarchy during the time period of this fourth stage of the Old Testament congregation of Israel, the 4th candle, the 4th branch of the candlestick, Jezebel of old was extant and was using her influence during that time period. There was a parallel to her that was drawn during the 4th era of the Church of God, the Thyatira Church.

   Now it is also interesting to note that most of God's prophets and most of the work that God did during this time period of the divided monarchy was clustered at a time beginning about 50 years before the captivity of Israel. Continuing on down most of the, most of God's prophets, in fact, there were 7 of them clustered in that time period of the last 50 years of the history of northern Israel and then there were a number of others clustered right at the conclusion of the time of Judah before Judah went into captivity, the work that God did was far greater at the end of this era than at the beginning, just as was true during the Thyatira period of time, the Thyatira era of the New Testament church.

   The 5th branch of the candlestick of the congregation of Israel was represented the period of time from the restoration under Zerubbabel down to the time of the Maccabean period down to the time of the Maccabean revolt, which would be from about 534 B.C. to 164 B.C.

   There is a parallel between this particular era and the 5th era of the Church of God, which is the Sardis Church mentioned here in Revelation 3:1 of the Church of Sardis. We're told in verse one, "You have a name that you live and are dead be watchful and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die for I've not found your work perfect before God. Remember, therefore how you've received and heard, hold fast and repent. If therefore you shall not watch, I'll come upon you as a thief. You shall not know what hour I will come upon you."

   This of course characterized the era of God's church began back in the 1400s in England, continued on down. Uh, this was the group with whom Mr. Herbert Armstrong came in contact in Oregon back in the 1930s, and the description of them that is given in Revelation 3 focuses on the conclusion of this era rather than the beginning of it. Started out strong, but it ended up with only a name that it was still alive and yet spiritually speaking it was all but dead.

   Now there is a very interesting parallel when you parallel the fifth branch of the candlestick of ancient Israel, the time of the restoration of the Maccabean period, because while things started out under Zerubbabel and Joshua, later under Ezra and Nehemiah, things started out strong by the time after the death of Ezra and Nehemiah, coming on down after the time of the high priest Simon the Just who was the last high priest that had been personally acquainted with Ezra who died down around the time of Alexander the Great.

   We have the Hellenistic philosophy that came to pervade what the Jews were doing. Jews became imbued with the philosophy of the Greek world while they continued to pay lip service to being the people of God, they became dead. They began to lay aside the customs of and the laws of God. I want to read some excerpts from a historical work is the book of Maccabees, Book of Maccabees is not part of the Bible was never intended to be, but there are, it does contain some historical information because it was written during this particular time period.

   Now, the statement is made concerning this period of time during the latter portion of this 5th stage, the time period we would call the time between the testaments, time period of the Greek influence. "In those days when there out of Israel wicked men who persuaded many, saying, let us go and make a covenant with the heathen that are round about us. For since we departed from them, we've had much sorrow. So this device pleased them well. Then certain of the people were so forward herein that they went to the king who gave them license to go after the ordinances of the heathen. Whereupon they built a place of exercise in Jerusalem according to the customs of the heathen and made themselves uncircumcised and forsook the holy covenant and joined themselves to the heathen and were sold to do mischief."

   The people of God, the people there in Israel or in the Jews began wholeheartedly departing from much of God's way of life they clung to the pretense that they were the people of God they continued to go through the temple service they continued the succession of high priests they continued the outward show of representing God of paying lip service to the Bible, but they came to be practicing something entirely different. They came to a stage where they were spiritually dead.

   Now if we trace the history down in the book of Daniel chapter 11, which gives a history of the several 100 years that occurred during the close of the during the time period after the close of the Old Testament canon and prior to the new. We focus in on this time period which is characterized by the 6th era or the 6th stage, the 6th branch of the candelabra, which represents the time period in ancient Israel from the time of the revolt of the Maccabees, the Maccabean revolt down to the time of Queen Salome, which was a period of 164 B.C. to 76 B.C.

   Now in Daniel 11:31, speaking here of Antiochus Epiphanes, who was a type of the one that will perpetrate the abomination that makes desolate: "Arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that makes desolate. And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall be corrupt by flattery." Those were the people that supposedly were a part of God's people and yet became corrupted by flattery, "but the people that do know their God shall be strong and do exploits. And they that understand among the people shall instruct many yet they shall fall by the sword and by the flame by captivity by spoil many days."

   Now the statement that "those that know their God shall be strong and do exploits" in the historical sequence this refers to the revolt of the Maccabees and in terms of parallel to today, the period of the Maccabees, the 6th stage, the 6th branch of the candlestick would have would be comparable with the sixth era of God's church, which is of course the Philadelphia era characterized here as you could say from Daniel 11:31 or Daniel 11:32 that "the people that do know their God should be strong and do exploits."

   Now you want a little bit of the background of what transpired during this and want to continue to read here from Maccabees. "Moreover, King Antiochus," this is the one who tried to wipe out God's religion. "Moreover, King Antiochus wrote to his whole kingdom that all should be one people, and everyone should leave his laws, so all that heathen agreed according to the commandment of the king. Yea, many also of the Israelites consented to his religion and sacrificed unto idols and profaned the Sabbath. For the king sent letters by messengers unto Jerusalem and the cities of Judah that they should follow the strange laws of the land and forbid burnt offerings and sacrifice and drink offerings in the temple, and that they should profane the Sabbath and the holy in the festival days and pollute the sanctuary and the holy people, set up altars and groves and chapels of idols and sacrifice swine's flesh and unclean beasts. That they should leave their children uncircumcised and make their souls abominable with all manner of uncleanness, and profanation. To the end that they might forget the law and change all the ordinances, and whosoever would not do according to the commandment of the king, he said he should die."

   So this is what transpired at the end of the 5th stage, the end of the conclusion of the 5th branch of the candlestick and right prior to the 6th time period or the 6th era of the congregation of Israel.

   Now, we find that "in the selfsame manner wrote he to his whole kingdom and appointed overseers over all the people demanding the cities of Judah to sacrifice city by city. And many of the people were gathered unto him, everyone that forsook the law and so they committed evil in the land." Now "wheresoever was found with any of the book of the testament or if any consented to the law, the king's commandment was that they should be put to death."

   "Now, in those days, arose Matthias, the son of John, the son of Simeon, a priest of the sons of Joarib from Jerusalem and dwelt in Modin. In the meanwhile, the king's officers, such as compelled the people to revolt, came into the city of Modin to make them to sacrifice. And when many of Israel came unto them, Matthias also and his sons came together. Then answered the king's officers and said to Matthias on this wise, 'You are a ruler and an honorable and great man in the city and strengthened with sons and brethren. Now therefore you come first and fulfill the king's commandment like as all the heathen has done, yea, and the men of Judah also and such as remain in Jerusalem. So shall you and your house be in the number of the king's friends, and you and your children shall be honored with silver and gold and many rewards.'"

   "And Matthias answered and spoke with a loud voice. 'Though all the nations that are under the king's dominion obey him and fall away everyone from the religion of their fathers and give consent to his commandments, yet will I and my sons and my brethren walk in the covenant of our fathers. God forbid that we should forsake the law and the ordinances, we will not hearken to the king's words to go from our religion either on the right hand or to the left.'"

   "Now when he had left speaking these words, there came one of the Jews in the sight of all to sacrifice on the altar, which was at Modin according to the king's commandment, which thing when Matthias saw he was inflamed with zeal and his reins trembled, neither could he forbear to show his anger according to judgment. Wherefore he ran and slew him upon the altar. Also, the king's commissioner who compelled men to sacrifice, he killed at that time in the altar he pulled down. Thus dealt he zealously for the law of God like as Phineas did. And Matthias cried throughout the city with a loud voice saying, 'Whosoever is zealous of the law and maintains the covenant, let him follow me.' So he and his sons fled into the mountains and left all that ever they had in the city. Then many that sought after justice and judgment went down into the wilderness to dwell with them, to dwell there, both they and their children, their wives, their cattle because afflictions increased sore upon them."

   Now this was the beginning of what is called the Maccabean revolt. Judas Maccabeus was the son of Matthias, the priest, and Josephus, the Jewish historian, described that of the result of this, "when, therefore the generals of Antiochus's army had been beaten so often, Judas Maccabeus assembled the people together and told them that after these many victories which God had given them, they ought to go up to Jerusalem and purify the temple and offer the appointed sacrifices. But as soon as he with the whole multitude would come to Jerusalem and found the temple deserted and its gates burned down and plants growing in the temple of their own accord on account of its desertion, he and those that were with him began to lament. And were quite confounded at the sight of the temple, so he chose out some of his soldiers and gave them order to fight against those guards that were in the citadel until he should have purified the temple. When therefore he carefully purged it and brought in new vessels, the candlestick, the table, the show bread, the altar of incense which were made of gold, he hung up the veils at the gates and added doors to them. He took down the altar of burnt offerings and made a new one of stones that he gathered together and not of such as were hewn with iron tools."

   "So on the 25th day of the month, Kislev, they lighted the lamps that were on the candlesticks and offered incense upon the altar of incense and laid the loaves upon the table of show bread and offered burnt offerings upon the new altar of burnt offering. Judah celebrated the festival of the restoration of the sacrifice of the temple for 8 days."

   Now you will find back in the book of John a mention here of Jesus going up to Jerusalem at the time of the Feast of Dedication as it was called yes in John 10:22, "It was at Jerusalem, the Feast of Dedication, and it was winter." It's not a holy day of God, but it is the day, it is the time that the Jews commemorated at the time of the restoration of the temple, the purging and cleansing of the temple by Judas Maccabius called today Hanukkah by the Jews.

   Now notice here what transpired. The Maccabean revolt was a revolt to purge out influences of the Greeks. It was to restore the law of God in Judah. They had as their job to clean up and to purge and to purify the temple of God. There is a very distinct parallel between this period of time, the period of the Maccabees, and the period of the Philadelphia church, the 6th era.

   Now the 7th era of the church in the wilderness, the 7th branch, the 7th branch of the candlestick would be the time period. The Queen Salome began to reign in 76 B.C. on down to the destruction of Jerusalem. That was the final phase of those people we find from Josephus's account. "The Queen Salome, when she had taken the fortress, spoke to the Pharisees and put all things in their power."

   Now Queen Salome was the one who raised the Pharisees to the position of dominating the religious life of the Jews, one of the earlier Maccabees. John Hyrcanus, who is called by the Jews, interestingly enough, the last righteous high priest, he abolished the decrees that the Pharisees had imposed upon the people, uh, did away with that. Uh, he said that the Pharisees delivered to the people a great many observances which are not written in the book of the law of Moses, and so he held that, uh, he abolished the decrees that the Pharisees imposed upon the people and relied, insisted that they rely solely upon the written law period of time, about 30-40 years later, the successor Queen Salome delivered the kingdom to the Pharisees, and the Pharisees were set, were put on top from that time on they were the ones who were the religious leadership.

   Now this was the final phase which we can compare with the Laodicean era that is described in Revelation chapter 3, an era that is characterized by spiritual blindness by thinking that they're rich and increased with goods and yet being in need of everything, total lack of proper spiritual self-evaluation.

   Now let's notice Matthew 23. Because Christ came into dealing and contact with this final and 7th era of the congregation of Israel, the church and the wilderness, and let's notice. Matthew 23:2. "Saying the scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses's seat." Now it was Queen Salome, who had sat from there. And they had occupied that position since that time. So Christ recognized that they were the successors that was the final stage. They were sitting in Moses' seat down in verse 13, "Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. You shut up the kingdom of heaven against men for you yourselves, neither go in or allow them that are entering." Going on down in verse 16, "Woe unto you, you blind guides. Would say whosoever shall swear by the temple, it's nothing, whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple. He's the debtor. You fools and blind." Verse 19, "You fools and blind, for which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift." Verse 24, "You blind guides which strain at a gnat and swallow a camel. Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites." Down in verse 26, "You blind Pharisees, cleanse first that which is within the cup and the platter that the outside may be clean also. Woe unto you scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites, you're like white sepulchers. You appear good, even so you also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within you're full of hypocrisy and iniquity." Down in verse 35 "Upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, the son of Barachias, whom you slew between the temple and the altar." Of course this final phase came to an end of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

   So we have a succession. If we have one candlestick in the holy place, one candlestick with 7 branches symbolizing a continuity of God's people from the time of Moses, Joshua, and the elders, time when the people lost their first love, the second stage characterized by the period of the judges, period then of the divided monarchy or of the united monarchy, then the period of the divided monarchy, then a period of the restoration on down until the just to the point where they had a name that they were alive but spiritually were dead, the 5th stage and the revival under the Maccabees, which was the 6th stage, finally, culminating in the seventh stage, the final branch of the candlestick which was characterized by the Pharisees and their spiritual blindness.

   There is certainly a parallel between the history of God's church and the Old Testament and the history of God's church and the New Testament. Pentecost is the day of the firstfruits, the day of the harvest of the firstfruit. There were two loaves offered on Pentecost symbolizing the dual aspects of God's church in the Old Testament and in the New Testament church. God's church, Old Testament, New Testament, continuation of the seven of the same church of the firstfruit that God had called out symbolized by the two loaves baked with leaven. Because God's people with all their problems, you know, God has still called us out and used us as the firstfruit. You know, just as the flower. [Tape Skips]

   And we're going to be gathering together tomorrow to observe the Feast of Pentecost. When the sun sets this evening, Pentecost will begin.

   Let's close in Romans chapter 8. In verse 16 (Romans 8:16), "The spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. And if children then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation waits for the manifestation of the sons of God. The creation was made subject to vanity, to passing away. Not willingly, but by reason of Him who subjected the same in hope."

   Verse 22, "For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now. And not only they but ourselves also we have the firstfruits of the spirit. Even we ourselves groan within ourselves waiting for the sonship, to wit the redemption of our bodies."

   God has called us out as the firstfruits. God began calling out a church at the time of Moses, calling out a firstfruits. And the firstfruits harvest, 7 weeks, that took place between the time of the wave sheaf and the time of the final offering of the firstfruits, those 7 weeks picture the time period of God calling out of the firstfruits. We brethren represent that firstfruit, that bride of Christ, being prepared to meet Jesus Christ, to marry Jesus Christ, and to fulfill the role of the firstfruits for all eternity.