Passover Dictionary

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Last Update: 2 June-08

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Original Growing Season for Ancient Israel

 

God clearly states in Deut 16:13 that wheat was being harvested in July-August,: “…‘You shall observe the Feast of Tabernacles seven days, when you have gathered from your threshing floor and from your winepress.’…” [NKJV]. The early harvesting of wheat was done in May and shortly thereafter the festival of firstfruits was celebrated (Pentecost), but the major part of the harvest (the latter wheat harvest) was not completed until after Pentecost, thus extending to the harvest season of grapes and other fruits – this is known by God's reference to both the "threshingfloor" and "winepress" in Deut 16:13. Also, in Lev 26:3-5 it is stated, “…'If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, 4 I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees of the field their fruit. 5 Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land.’…” [NIV].

 

Israel was to be an example, to all other nations, of blessings due to right living and in so doing was to typify Millennial conditions – such conditions being a restoration of certain ideal conditions which had previously existed. This amazing growing season was one such ideal condition which will be restored during the Millennium –

Acts 3:20-21 (Speaking of Christ and what will happen at his return)

"...For he must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through his prophets..." [NLT].

Amos 9:13 (Speaking of perfect seasons being restored during the Millennium)

"...The time is surely coming, says the LORD, when the one who plows shall overtake the one who reaps,..." [NRSV].
 

Originally the Israelites were obedient to God, therefore we can know with certainty that after initial entry into the land of Canaan the wheat harvest continued until well after Pentecost  and from Scripture it appears to have extended past Pentecost for about three (3) months, or about mid-late August. The importance of these Scriptures cannot be emphasized enough, because they show the seasons as they should be, as intended by God, not as they appear now or even 2,000-3,000 years ago. The period of obedience relating to Lev 26:5 and mentioned more specifically in Judges 2:7 continued for about fifty (50) years according to Barnes' commentary on verse 7. Because of Israel's disobedience after that time God lifted His protection of the nation and from this it is reasonable to conclude that the seasons also changed, the rains did not fall in due season and the land did not yield its abundance. As a result, a large body of commentary relating to the Biblical harvest seasons is at best misleading. Only God's Word can be relied upon to give an accurate account of the seasons, as God intended them to be understood and relate correctly to His annual Holy Days.

 

An important point to bear in mind is that the wheat harvest is actually a single harvest depicting the harvesting or ascension of humanity into the family of God. With the ideal conditions under the Old Covenant (which Millennial-like conditions only lasted for about 50 years) it appears the wheat harvest season actually spanned a period of four (4) months. Pentecost is the festival to celebrate the first part, or beginning, of the harvest and the Last Great Day is the festival to celebrate the completion of the remaining part of the harvest. As the remainder, or "second" harvest, it is always going to be much larger than the "first" harvest, which only comprises the beginning part of the overall harvest.

 

The grain harvests were comprised of three major elements, being reaping, threshing and winnowing, all of which were done in quick succession in the grain field itself. Accordingly, where one of these three elements is mentioned we can know that the reference is to harvesting as a whole. There are many studies on the matter that support this position, but to name just a couple for quick reference purposes  there is An Ethnoarchaeological Study of Prehistoric Agriculture in the Ethiopian Highlands  and a succinct paper on Canaan and Ancient Israel.

 

 

God’s plan of creation

 

The plan of creation is God’s plan to create spirit beings in His image (Gen 1:26 and 1John 3:2) – beings with holy righteous character – and this plan has no end (Isa 9:7). The beings can be created, but the character cannot and therefore must be developed, by God, in each individual being.

 

God’s plan of salvation

 

The plan of salvation is necessary, because during the development of holy righteous character sin often occurs. Since the penalty of sin is death (Rom 6:23) redemption from that penalty is necessary. Redemption from the penalty of sin is possible only through the death of an innocent Jesus paying that penalty instead of the actual sinners (1Peter 3:18).

 

The plan of salvation also includes spirit beings – the fallen angels (Col 1:20). However, while spirit beings are included in this plan, their involvement is seen only in the second of what is a two-stage plan.

 

This plan of salvation is shown by God’s annual Holy Days and His commanded assemblies (see Holy Day Chart). The first stage of the plan (shown by Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread and Pentecost) involves the saints of God, who will be resurrected and ascended into the family of God as spirit beings at the return of Jesus to Earth. The first-stage equivalent of the Day of Acclamation was God the Father teaching His way to the Word (John 8:28) and the Word having adopted that way became the chief corner stone of the foundation of the Kingdom of God (Isai 28:16). However, that took place separately from either of the plans of creation or salvation and is therefore not included in either plan. The second stage of the plan (shown by the Day of Acclamation [Trumpets], the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day) involves the fallen angels and the remainder of humanity, most of whom will be resurrected to physical life in the second resurrection after the thousand years is completed following the return of Christ (Rev 20:5).

 

While mankind will occupy an age in time of 7,000 years, the plan of salvation for mankind commences upon individual acceptance of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ paying the penalty for our individual sins and is completed upon ascension into the family of God as spirit beings. Although the fallen angels will have occupied a much longer age in time, the plan of salvation for them will be almost exactly the same as for the humans in the second stage of the plan. That is to say, it commences upon individual acceptance of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ paying the penalty for their individual sins and is completed upon being accepted, by God, back among the ranks of the Holy angels.

 

The opportunity for the fallen angels to prove they really want to live God’s way of life, not Satan’s way, will be available to them during the Great White Throne judgement period after the second resurrection (a physical resurrection for human beings) (2Pet 2:4 and Jude 1:6). They will be given a period of assessment of 100 years, the same as humans at that time, after which they will be either accepted back into the ranks of the Holy Angels or will be destroyed (Matt 10:28) in the third resurrection of mankind at the end of the 100 years (see the section entitled "Hope for the Fallen Angels" for further details).

 

Hell

 

In Matt 10:28 the Greek word translated "hell" is Gehenna, which was actually a rubbish dump in the Valley of Hinnom where all the refuse was burned up. In this rubbish dump we only have ordinary fire that consumes anything of a combustible nature. Since ordinary flames cannot consume spirit, it follows that in this verse "Gehenna" is merely symbolic – what is really being spoken of here is the ultimate fire at the end of the Great White Throne Judgement (2Pet 3:7). At that time God will treat the entire Earth as a rubbish dump in which everything corruptible, both physical and spiritual, will be burned up allowing for the creation of a new heaven and a new Earth (2Pet 3:10-13).

 

References to the more common versions of hell are clarified in the article entitled There is a Real Hell.

 

 

 

 

Covenant (Barnes' Notes)

 

The word "covenant" denotes properly "a compact or agreement between two or more persons," usually attended with seals, pledges, or sanctions. In Gen 17:7, and elsewhere, it is said that God would establish his "covenant" with Abraham; that is, he made him certain definite promises, attended with pledges and seals, etc. The idea of a strict "compact" or "agreement" between God and man, as between "equal parties"; is not found in the Bible. The word is commonly used, as here, to denote "a promise on the part of God," attended with pledges, and demanding, on the part of man, in order to avail himself of its benefits, a specified course of conduct. The "covenant" is therefore another name for denoting two things on the part of God:

 

(1) A "command," which man is not at liberty to reject, as he would be if it were a literal covenant; and,

 

(2) A "promise," which is to be fulfilled only on the condition of obedience. The covenant with Abraham was simply a "promise" to give him the land, and to make him a great nation, etc. It was NEVER proposed to Abraham with the supposition that he was at liberty to REJECT it, or to REFUSE to comply with its conditions. Circumcision was appointed as the MARK or INDICATION that Abraham and those thus designated were the persons included in the gracious purpose and promise. It served to SEPARATE them as a special people; a people whose unique characteristic it was that they obeyed and served the God who had made the promise to Abraham. The phrase "covenant of circumcision" means, therefore, the covenant or promise which God made to Abraham, of which circumcision was the distinguishing "mark" or "sign."

 

 

Old Covenant

 

The agreement, marriage covenant (Jer 3:14), God made with ancient Israel at Sinai. The people of Israel agreed to obey God and all His commands in return for God's protection and physical blessings (Exodus chapters 23 & 24).

 

Although made shortly after leaving Egypt, the covenant did not see full effect until 40 years later when Israel entered the promised land. However, Israel broke the covenant after they entered the promised land The period of obedience relating to Lev 26:5 and mentioned more specifically in Judges 2:7 continued for about fifty (50) years according to Barnes' commentary on verse 7. Because of Israel's disobedience after that time God lifted His protection of the nation and from this it is reasonable to conclude that the seasons also changed, the rains did not fall in due season and the land did not yield its abundance. As a result, a large body of commentary relating to the Biblical harvest seasons is at best misleading. Only God's Word can be relied upon to give an accurate account of the seasons, as God intended them to be understood and relate correctly to His annual Holy Days.

 

 

New Covenant

 

The agreement (marriage covenant – 2Cor 11:2 & Rev 19:7) God makes with each individual spiritual Israelite (Christian) upon baptism with the Holy Spirit. It is an agreement that the resurrected spiritual church will marry Christ at his return to Earth. Prior to that marriage taking place, all those baptized with the Holy Spirit must show by faith and works at this time (while alive as human beings) that they accept Christ as their personal saviour, having sacrificed his life as payment for the penalty of our sins and that they are suitable to be the collective wife of the Christ, Word of God. The bride/wife is now known as the church – the body of Christ, which is likened to a woman in the marriage relationship between a man and his wife.

 

The new Covenant is illustrated very simply by our well-known contract law:–

  1. The OFFER is made, which is symbolized by the Passover ceremony – Christ pays the penalty for our sins (symbolized by the emblems of the bread and wine), which sacrifice we are commanded to remember every time we partake of these Passover emblems; and our part in the agreement is to live God's way of life, symbolized by the foot washing ceremony;

  2. ACCEPTANCE of the offer is made at baptism (symbolized by the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread) and we are given a "down-payment" (earnest) of the Holy Spirit;

  3. The whole of the seven days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread symbolizes living God's way of life for our entire lives (performing our part of the contract);

  4. Pentecost symbolizes full payment of the Holy Spirit – the people of God are ascended into the God family as spirit beings with eternal life;   and

  5. The Feast of Acclamation (Trumpets) symbolizes the ultimate fulfilment of the covenant – marriage of the Church to Christ, the Lamb of God.

 

 

North African Archaeobot. Proc

 

Ethnoarchaeological Approaches to the Study of Prehistoric Agriculture in the Ethiopian Highlands by: A.C. D'Andrea D.E. Lyons Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. Mitiku Haile Mekelle University College, Mekelle, Ethiopia. E.A. Butler Institute of Archaeology, University College, London, UK. This paper can be found in The Exploitation of Plant Resources in Ancient Africa, edited by Van der Veen. Kluwer Academic: Plenum Publishers, N ... 

 

Canaan & Ancient Israel @ University of Pennsylvania Museum of ...

 

one month of barley harvesting. one month of harvesting and measuring (wheat) two months of cutting ... on threshing ... ANCIENT AND MODERN

 

 

Key Words:

 

 

 I.S.B.E. WebBible Encyclopaedia Smith's Bible Dictionary

Reaping

 In April, if the hot east winds have not blasted the grain the barley begins to ripen. The wheat follows from a week to six weeks later, depending upon the altitude. Toward the end of May or the first week in June, which marks the beginning of the dry season, reaping begins. Whole families move out from their village homes to spend the time in the fields until the harvest is over. Men and women join in the work of cutting the grain. A handful of grain is gathered together by means of a sickle held in the right hand. The stalks thus gathered in a bunch are then grasped by the left hand and at the same time a pull is given which cuts off some of the stalks a few inches above ground and pulls the rest up by the roots. These handfuls are laid behind the reapers and are gathered up by the helpers, usually the children, and made into piles for transporting to the threshing-floor. The reaping of the grain was performed either by pulling it up by the roots, or cutting it with a type of sickle, according to circumstances. The grain when cut was generally put up in sheaves (Gen. 37:7; Lev. 23:10-15; Ruth 2:7, 15; Job 24:10; Jer. 9:22; Micah 4:12), which were afterwards gathered to the threshing-floor or stored in barns (Matt. 6:26). The wheat etc., was reaped by the sickle or pulled by the roots. It was bound in sheaves.  

Threshing

 The threshing-floors are constructed in the fields, preferably in an exposed position in order to get the full benefit of the winds. If there is a danger of marauders they are clustered together close to the village. The floor is a level, circular area 25 to 40 ft. in diameter, prepared by first picking out the stones, and then wetting the ground, tamping or rolling it, and finally sweeping it. A border of stones usually surrounds the floor to keep in the grain. The sheaves of grain which have been brought on the backs of men, donkeys, camels, or oxen, are heaped on this area, and the process of tramping out begins. In some localities several animals, commonly oxen or donkeys, are tied abreast and driven round and round the floor. In other places two oxen are yoked together to a drag, the bottom of which is studded with pieces of basaltic stone. This drag, on which the driver, and perhaps his family, sits or stands, is driven in a circular path over the grain. In still other districts an instrument resembling a wheel harrow is used, the antiquity of which is confirmed by the Egyptian records. The supply of unthreshed grain is kept in the centre of the floor. Some of this is pulled down from time to time into the path of the animals. All the while the partly threshed grain is being turned over with a fork. The stalks gradually become broken into short pieces and the husks about the grain are torn off. This mixture of chaff and grain must now be winnowed. The process of threshing was performed generally by spreading the sheaves on the threshing-floor and causing oxen and cattle to walk repeatedly over them (Deut. 25:4; Isa. 28:28). On occasions flails or sticks were used for this purpose (Ruth 2:17; Isa. 28:27). There was also a "threshing instrument" (Isa. 41:15; Amos 1:3) which was drawn over the grain. The Hebrews called this moreg, a threshing roller or sledge (2 Sam. 24:22; 1 Chr. 21:23; Isa. 3:15). It was somewhat like the Roman tribulum, or threshing tool. The sheaves or heaps were carted, Amos 2:13 to the floor—a circular spot of hard ground, probably, as now, from 50 to 80 or 100 feet in diameter. Gen 1:10, 11; 2 Sam 24:16, 18 On these the oxen, etc., forbidden to be muzzled, Deut 25:4 trampled out the grain. At a later time the Jews used a threshing sledge called morag, Isai 41:15; 2 Sam 24:22; 1Chr 21:23 probably resembling the noreg, still employed in Egypt—a stage with three rollers ridged with iron, which, aided by the driver's weight crushed out, often injuring, the grain, as well as cut or tore the straw, which thus became fit for fodder. Lighter grains were beaten out with a stick. Isai 28:27 The use of animal manure was frequent. Psa 83:10; 2 Kin 9:37; Jer 8:2 etc.

Winnowing

 This is done by tossing it into the air so that the wind may blow away the chaff. When the chaff is gone then the grain is tossed in a wooden tray to separate from it the stones and lumps of soil which clung to the roots when the grain was reaped. The difference in weight between the stones and grain makes separation by this process possible. The grain is now poled in heaps and in many localities is also sealed. This process consists in pressing a large wooden seal against the pile. When the instrument is removed it leaves an impression which would be destroyed should any of the grain be taken away. This allows the government offers to keep account of the tithes and enables the owner to detect any theft of grain. Until the wheat is transferred to bags some one sleeps by the pries on the threshing-floor. If the wheat is to be stored for home consumption it is often first washed with water and spread out on goats' hair mats to dry before it is stored in the wall compartments found in every house. Formerly the wheat was ground only as needed. This was then a household task which was accomplished with the hand-mill or mortar. When the grain was threshed, it was winnowed by being thrown up against the wind (Jer. 4:11), and afterwards tossed with wooden scoops (Isa. 30:24). The shovel and the fan for winnowing are mentioned in Ps. 35:5, Job 21:18, Isa. 17:13. The refuse of straw and chaff was burned (Isa. 5:24). Freed from impurities, the grain was then stored in granaries till used (Deut. 28:8; Prov. 3:10; Matt. 6:26; 13:30; Luke 12:18). The shovel and fan, Isai 30:24 indicate the process of winnowing—a conspicuous part of ancient husbandry. Psa 35:5; Job 21:18; Isai 17:13 Evening was the favorite time, Ruth 3:2 when there was mostly a breeze. The fan, Matt 3:12 was perhaps a broad shovel which threw the grain up against the wind. The last process was the shaking in a sieve to separate dirt and refuse. Amos 9:9 Fields and floors were not commonly enclosed; vineyard mostly were, with a tower and other buildings. Num 22:24; Psa 80:13; Isai 5:5; Matt 21:33 comp. Jud 6:11 The gardens also and orchards were enclosed, frequently by banks of mud from ditches.

 

 

 

 

List of Scriptures:

 

Gen 1:26      "...And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:..." [KJV].

 

1John 3:2     “…Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is..”. [NKJV].

 

Isa 9:7         “… Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end,…” [NKJV].

 

Rom 6:23      “…For the wages of sin is death,…” [NKJV].

 

1Peter 3:18   “…For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit,…” [NRSV].

 

Col 1:20         “…And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven…” [KJV].

 

John 8:28     “…‘So’ Jesus said, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am [the one I claim to be] and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.’…” [NIV].

 

Isa 28:16     “…So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: ‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;’…”  [NIV].

 

Rev 20:5      “…But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished…” [NKJV].

  

2Pet 2:4       “…For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;…” [NKJV].

 

Jude 1:6      “…And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day;…” [NKJV].

 

Matt 10:28     "...But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul [Psuche – life force] and body in hell..." [NKJV].
(Greek included by Web author)

 

2Pet 3:7        "...By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men..." [NIV].

 

2Pet 3:10-13 "...The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. 11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness..." [NIV].
 

Gen 17:7      "...And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you..." [NKJV]
 

Jer 3:14           "...'Return, O backsliding children," says the LORD; "for I am married to you.'..." [NKJV]
 

2Cor 11:2        “…For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ…” [NKJV]

 

Rev 19:7          “…Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready…” [KJV]

 

 

Rom 7:12-23   "...12 But still, you see, the law itself was wholly right and good.
13 But how can that be? Didn't the law cause my doom? How then can it be good? No, it was sin, devilish stuff that it is, that used what was good to bring about my condemnation. So you can see how cunning and deadly and damnable it is. For it uses God's good laws for its own evil purposes.
14 The law is good, then, and the trouble is not there but with me because I am sold into slavery with Sin as my owner.
15 I don't understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I can't. I do what I don't want to-what I hate. 16 I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong, and my bad conscience proves that I agree with these laws I am breaking. 17 But I can't help myself because I'm no longer doing it. It is sin inside me that is stronger than I am that makes me do these evil things.
18 I know I am rotten through and through so far as my old sinful nature [the OLD man] is concerned. No matter which way I turn I can't make myself do right. I want to but I can't.

19 When I want to do good, I don't; and when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway. 20 Now if I am doing what I don't want to, it is plain where the trouble is: sin still has me in its evil grasp.
21 It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love to do God's will so far as my new nature [the NEW man] is concerned;

23 but there is something else deep within me, in my lower nature, that is at war with my mind and wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. In my mind I want to be God's willing servant, but instead I find myself still enslaved to sin.
So you see how it is: my new life tells me to do right, but the old nature that is still inside me loves to sin. Oh, what a terrible predicament I'm in! Who will free me from my slavery to this deadly lower nature? Thank God! It has been done by Jesus Christ our Lord. He has set me free..." [TLB]
 

 

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 God’s annual Holy Days, showing the plan of salvation.

[Return to text]

 

First (early) wheat season

 Feast of ACCLAMATION (Trumpets) Second (late) wheat season

Passover

Promise of reconciliation to God, waiting for us to receive following our repentance, baptism and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

A memorial of the foundation of God’s plan of creation - that foundation being His way of life (Psa 111:10).

 

Beginning with the Word (Jesus), God taught His way of life (John 8:28) and made him the chief cornerstone – the foundation block of the foundation (Isaiah 28:16).

 

Being a living foundation (a way of life to be embraced by all), it grew to include the prophets and apostles (Eph 2:20).

 

After the first resurrection, the foundation will include all of the firstfruits. At this time, expansion of the foundation shall be accomplished through the marriage of the church to the Lamb of God, Jesus (Rom 7:4 and Gen 2:24). This marriage brings with it the promise of enlarging the foundation by bringing more children into the family of God (Gen 1:28). These children are the remainder of humanity who take part in the second harvest season.

 

 

 

Day of Atonement

Promise of reconciliation to God, waiting for us to receive following our repentance, baptism and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

1.Jesus died so that the world may,  upon repentance and baptism, be reconciled to the Father (Col 1:21-22) - symbolized by partaking of the Passover emblems (Matt 26:26-28). It Symbolizes the OFFER of redemption spelling out what Christ has done for us and how we are always to REMEMBER his sacrifice.

2.Passover shows us, through the foot washing ceremony, the requirement for us to live God's way of life, the way of service to others.

3.Symbolic promise of banishment of Satan from our lives and thereby being freed from the death penalty (Rom 8:1-3).

1. Jesus died so that the world may, upon repentance and baptism, be reconciled to the Father – symbolized by the goat sacrifice (Lev 15:16). It Symbolizes the OFFER of redemption spelling out what Christ has done for us.

2. Symbolic promise of banishment of Satan to the bottomless pit (Rev 20:1-3) – depicted by expulsion of the Azazel goat into the wilderness (Lev 16:10). The literal rest from Satan and direct rule of God is symbolized in making the day a Sabbath.

3. Symbolizes our willingness to live God’s way of life by afflicting the soul (now accepted as physical fasting).

Feast of Unleavened Bread

Growing Season for first harvest

Feast of Tabernacles

Growing season for second harvest

1.Symbolizes the period when judgement is on the house of God (1Pet 4:17) and lasts for the physical lives of the ones called of God. Receiving the Holy Spirit through repentance and baptism marks the beginning of this period.

2.Symbolizes the Saints trying to live God's way of life as much as possible while still human.  It is depicted by eating unleavened bread on all seven days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (1Cor 5:7-8).

3.Symbolizes living under the rule of God through the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:9-16) while still being in, but not of, the world.

4.Symbolizes our lives as Christians, which can be likened to Abraham’s wanderings. Like him, we are to remember that this life is only a temporary existence prior to permanent rest in the Kingdom of God (Heb 11:13-16)

1. Symbolizes the time known as the great white throne judgement – a period of 100 years (Isa 65:20) after the second resurrection.  Receiving the Holy Spirit  through repentance and baptism marks the beginning of this period.

2. Symbolizes the remainder of humanity trying to live God’s way of life as much as possible while still human (Ex 24:7). This was depicted by God’s provision of manna during Israel’s total time of 40 years of dwelling in booths (Ex 16:35).

3. Symbolizes all of humanity living under the government of God, both through the Holy Spirit and under the direct rule of Christ.

4. Remembering that this life is a temporary existence prior to permanent rest in the Kingdom of God - symbolized by the time of Israel's wilderness wanderings and dwelling in booths (Lev 23:43).

Pentecost

Last Great Day

1.Pictures the first harvest season (the reaping period), which is ascension of the firstfruits into the God family as spirit beings in the first resurrection (Jam 1:18).

1. Pictures the second harvest season (the reaping period), which is ascension into the God family as spirit beings for all those who choose wisely (John 7:37) during the 100 year long great white throne judgement day (Rev 20:11-12).

 

 

 

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