The Timing of our Age is Realized in Israel’s Harvest Festivals
Our studies began with posts concerning creation. We would describe the specific topics chosen as “Creation Themes”. These studies are the first leg of God’s eschatological stool, with the first creation serving as a representation of the final creation.
We then proceeded to temple posts where we sought to show that the Genesis 1 creation narrative was written as a temple text. Creation is the erection of a cosmic temple. We would describe these studies as “Creation Space”. They describe the theater of operations for God’s redemptive plan. These studies are the second leg of God’s eschatological stool.
We have now completed studies concerning the timing of God’s eschatological plan. These studies we would call “Creation Time”, describing the timing of the end. They are the third leg of God’s eschatological “stool”. Creation themes have allowed us to understand how God envisions redemption, creation space allows us to understand how God views the totality of His redemptive efforts and Creation Time provides the timeline.
For many, the timing of God’s eschatological plan is perhaps most difficult. Though challenging, in applying the timing sequence of the first creation to the last creation, an outline of God’s time plan takes shape. Importantly, the outline appears orderly and sensible. While it is not possible to flesh in all details, the model does allow one to anticipate generally what can be expected, and relatively speaking, when these things are likely to happen. We can also rest assured that the completion of God’s creative-redemptive plan brings true sabbatical rest.
The First Creation is a Model for the Last Creation
In proposing the first creation as a model, a cadence of seven emerges as the base for God’s eschatological plan. It can be further sub-divided into three, three, and one where the first “three” introduces three phases of forming and separating, followed by a second “three” bringing three phases of filling of the prior three formed spaces. With the completion of these two sets of threes, God’s last creation is completed and marked by “one”, set apart as sabbatical and eternal in keeping with the first creation.
This in fact tracks as expected, with a fully cleansed creation filled with a fully cleansed and holy community of Christ-like spiritual people. They have been redeemed through the work of Christ, the firstborn spiritual Man, Himself without flaw or fault. At the completion of the last creation, all the redeemed have been transformed from impure and unholy sinners into the image of Christ, holy and pure.
In realizing this cadence, the “days” of the new creation have been reinterpreted from the first creation’s physical days to spiritual “days”. These “days” are not of specific duration. Rather their coming provides signs of the spiritual state of the eschatological times in which we live.
Israel’s Seven Feast Days are Eschatological Markers for Christ’s Parousia
Israel’s feast days become markers on the eschatological highway from the first to final appearing of Christ. In selecting Israel’s annual seven festival days as the basis of the “seven” of the last creation, the progression of God’s redemptive plan can be followed and its purposes seen.
Passover Marks the Start of the First Day
It begins with Passover, in which the true “lamb of God” is sacrificed for sin and sinners, allowing the “angel of death” to pass over those who by faith, have applied the blood of Christ to the doorposts of their hearts. They have declared their faith and allegiance to Christ. Passover is the first of the great separating acts of God, in which He separates His people from the world, putting a bound between them and the world. The bound is His covenantal law.
As the waters of the Red Sea separated the Israelites from their Egyptian oppressors, the Spirit, often envisioned as water, indwells each believer, producing a river of living water that also seems to mark, seal and separate them from the oppression of sin and death. [1] While in the Egyptian exodus the separation and destruction of Israel’s enemies were envisioned to happen in a relatively short period of time, the spiritual exodus of the new creation transpires throughout our age as men and women come to a saving knowledge of God. This process is viewed as a spiritual harvest season of extended length in order that God may fill the earth with believers who will show forth His glory.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread Marks the Start of the Second Day
Following Passover comes the Feast of Unleavened Bread, a second separating and bounding act of God in which believers are urged to live unleavened lives of sincerity apart from the leaven of the world. We are to do this as Christ did, living a life devoid of the leaven of sin. That the Feast lasts a full seven days suggests that believers are to live lives free from the leaven of sin throughout our lives and throughout the harvest age of the new creation.
It contrasts with the first creation in which the seven ‘days’ were strictly sequential and non-overlapping. In the new creation, their sequencing suggests an order of redemptive events that are introduced according to a cadence, where these events so dramatically change the eschatological landscape as to have continuing impact throughout the age. It thus provides the rationale for these seven feasts to simply mark a progression of events leading to the end of the age.
The Feast of the Firstfruits Marks the Start of the Third Day
The third great separating act is the firstfruits, marking Christ’s resurrection from the dead. He is the firstfruits of God’s great harvest of souls and His resurrection provides surety of our resurrection to follow. That we will be resurrected to eternal life, in contrast to those evildoers who will be resurrected to judgment and eternal death shows an unmistakable separation and bound that cannot be crossed.
In these first three, Christ as our High Priest has gone before us, accomplishing these marvelous separating and bounding acts in anticipation that a great harvest of souls would fill the new creation. This filling with the faithful follows Christ’s great sacrificial death. One sees the great foresight of Christ, withstanding the suffering and death for the joy of the great harvest that would follow for all eternity.
The Feast of Weeks Marks the Start of the Fourth Day
With the completion of the first three, God’s redemptive plan progresses to the second three with the Feast of Weeks, the first of three great acts of filling. With the descent and infilling of the disciples of Christ, the new eschatological temple is consecrated for service. [2] Those who were separated at Passover, are now filled with the Spirit of truth, revelation and life, empowered to boldly testify of Christ’s marvelous works to the world. Their mission to win converts has the objective to fill the earth with spiritual men and women – those born again.
These first four eschatological dayson God’s eschatological highway have already been realized. New Testament writers all acknowledged the critical role of these four feast days in God’s redemptive plan. That the timing of these first four feasts followed the exact number of days prescribed in the Old Testament in no way disqualifies a more symbolic, nonliteral timing of the remaining three feast days. The exact timing of these first four feast days testifies unmistakably to their eschatological fulfillment in Christ.
With high confidence established in the testimony of Christ and His eschatological plan (confirmed in the first four feast days), we now have the confidence to believe by faith that the timing of the remaining three feasts are to be understood symbolically and fulfilled not according to physical measures or criteria, but according to spiritual measures and criteria. [3] This is critical in light of the extended harvest-time God has prepared for His creation.
With confidence established through the application of the first four feast days, we can anticipate that the remainder of God’s creative-redemptive plan will be fulfilled in accordance with the remaining three feasts. That these feasts all occur in the seventh month, points toward their occurrence at the close of God’s creative-redemptive plan (in contrast to the first four which occur at the opening of God’s harvest cycle).
God Redemptive Plan is Already Seen Fulfilled in the First Four Days
But before passing to the remaining feasts, it is important to highlight that the first four feasts layout God’s program for the age. He has, and is redeeming men, urging them to live holy and pure lives, reminding them that they are new creations given eternal life and holding to the hope of bodily resurrection.
These beliefs form the basis of our faith, yet God is not done with us. He is equipping the Saints and empowering them to build His church, spreading the gospel until His glory, resident in believers all throughout the world fills the earth. This has always been God’s objective – that His glory is not confined to heaven, or to a ten by ten by ten cubit space in the tabernacle. Rather, that He would be able to dwell together with His creation, showing forth His glory through all creation. Showing forth His glory requires believers to image God, accomplished as they are transformed into the image of Christ.
The Feast of Trumpets Marks the End of the Harvest with the Start of the Fifth Day
Armed with this objective, we are now prepared to consider the remaining feasts as markers of the timing of God’s eschatological plan. That the Feast of Trumpets occurs at the seventh month points toward the coming completion of God’s plan to evangelize the world. When the gospel has been preached to the entire world, then comes the end, with the Feast of Trumpets serving notice of the latter harvest.
It signals the end of the long harvest season. The earth has been filled with God’s glory, marking the second great act of filling, with the congregation of believers now spiritually summoned that the end of the harvest is imminent. The summons spiritually gathers the congregation together, again pointing toward a filling or ingathering of all believers. The summons not only flags the completion of the harvest, but also the Lord’s imminent Parousia. [4]
The Fast of Atonement Marks A Time of Affliction with the Start of the Sixth Day
Congregational readiness is signaled for the next eschatological event – also imminent, the Fast of Atonement. The Fast of Atonement is the last of the three filling days. It signals the point at which all believers are called to deny themselves, to consider their failures, to afflict their souls and to seek atonement for the corporate sins and failures of the congregation. It is a critical time for the body to be spiritually pure and holy, separated from the world and ready to be received by their Master.
It is unclear if this time represents Christ’s Parousia, and the associated resurrection of all believers. If resurrection occurs here, then we see the filling of creation with all of God’s Saints through all the ages. Creation would be brought to spiritual rest, God’s enemies subdued and Christ taking dominion.
But the Fast of Atonement is an eschatological event where God’s temple-congregation is purified, set apart and made holy. It represents the final presentation and consecration of God’s living temple. For this reason, it is more likely the fast marks the final great martyrdom of the saints – that is, when they are given over to the authority of the beast. The forced ultimatum to worship the beast or remain true to Christ and face death would represent the Fast as a time of affliction (Revelation 13:7; cf. 2:10).
The Feast of Tabernacles Marks Eternal Sabbath with the Start of the Seventh Day
Then follows the Feast of Tabernacles, symbolic of redemption consummated. God can now tabernacle with His purified creation, ushering in an eternal Sabbath of rest, with the completion of His cosmic temple, the community of the New Jerusalem. This timeless end to the redemptive plan also signals that this “day” is set apart and made sacred, a time when all creation can rest eternally. There is no more threat of sin, death or rebellion. God’s plan is complete and final.
The pinnacle of His new creation, the church, has been purified and bodily resurrected. The old creation has been completely destroyed, it has past away and all that remains is His new spiritual creation. [5] This is the end for which all believers by faith wait. The time when our labors are over, our suffering and trials subside and we spend eternity together with our Lord in a spiritual paradise.
The Hebrew Festive Calendar Provides Insights to Daniel & Revelation
A Hebrew Festive Calendar also Fits with Daniel’s Seventieth Seven
This appears to be the rough outline of the timing of the critical eschatological events leading up to the end of our age. While not all questions of timing can be answered with certainty, believers can perceive where within God’s plan and purposes they fit. Further, the timing plan of our age with the cadence of “seven” can also apply to Daniel’s seventieth “seven”.
While significant reinterpretation of the seventieth “seven” is present, it is consistent with reinterpretations already made between the old and new world order. Even when one considers the first sixty-nine “sevens” as 483 literal years, reinterpreting the last “seven” with spiritual symbolism is consistent with earlier reinterpretations where Old Testament focus was upon physical phenomena but New Testament reinterpretation is focused upon spiritual symbolism. That reinterpretation yields a timing plan in Daniel that is consistent with principles considered here.
The Hebrew Festive Calendar Sheds Light on John’s Apocalypse
A creation-time parallel with Daniel’s seventy weeks is not the only eschatological parallel, as it has also been shown how John’s apocalypse can be understood as a progression of Israel’s annual feast days. While application of the feast days to Revelation does not allow the timing of all events to be determined with certainty, it provides a sensible progression of events that are critical for all believers throughout our age.
This is particularly in evidence given the expectation of the blowing of the New Year’s Feast of Trumpets, where the implication is one of wakefulness and readiness for repentance through afflicting one’s soul in anticipation of coming eschatological events envisioned by John as the Fast of Atonement.
Spiritual wakefulness for Christ’s imminent Parousia is a relevant message for all believers throughout our age. Encouragement can be found in the seven bowl judgments if they apply to events of the Fast of Atonement as they bring Saints to purity while also judging God’s enemies, completing His temple activities by sprinkling the altar of the outer court, purifying the last and outermost compartment of God’s new eschatological temple. It is a reminder of purity that should be a feature in the lives of all believers throughout our age.
A Unified Plan is Seen in The Day of the Lord & its Parallel, the Day the Lord Created the Earth and the Heavens
Further, the entire last creation timing plan can be viewed as one plan, a plan succinctly described as “the Day of the Lord” much like the first creation was succinctly described as “the day the Lord created the earth and the heavens”. When viewed this way, the Day of the Lord begins with the darkness of the Lord’s absence, ending with the darkness of judgment upon sinners before the marvelous Parousia brings Christ’s direct intervention again into history, breaking forth as the morning, with the light of Christ transcending our world.
It provides a marvelous picture in miniature of God’s overall eschatological plan. [6] That picture is easily summarized as God forming His new people in a new temple-cosmos with one compartment in which His glory truly fills all creation through redemption.
Relevance for Christians Today
What results is an integrated and sensible timing plan spanning from first advent to final Parousia. Most important, the timing plan integrates the actions of the church together with Israel, rather than artificially separating the programs of these two groups. [7]
The command to “go” and evangelize the world was given to Jewish believers. This command to go is striking when one considers that the expectation of the Jews was that their Messiah would restore the Diaspora to the land of Israel and immediately establish God’s righteous rule. [8]
Clearly Christ’s redemptive plan differed from the simple view that He would regather the Diaspora and restore Israel. With this command, Christ began fulfillment of the age when all nations would worship Yahweh in Jerusalem – not Jerusalem-that-is-below, but a new Jerusalem-that-is-above. With the inauguration of the new world order, physical Jerusalem (that-is-below) lost any continuing cultic relevance. It was replaced by spiritual Jerusalem (that-descends-from-above) as the new center of the cult and kingdom of God.
In describing the inter-Parousia age as seven “days”, it now becomes clear why the Apostles described our age as the last days. Our entire eschatological age can be understood as the final days of the old world order and the seven new days of God’s emergent Kingdom and creation. The overlap between the passing and emergent creations is best understood through the application of inaugurated eschatology: All God’s promises and prophecies have already been fulfilled in Christ – in their inauguration in His first coming, but not yet in their consummation, which awaits His final Parousia (See Figure 1).
The prophesied momentous events of the passing old world order and the emergent new world order were fulfilled in Christ’s work on the cross. Earthquakes, darkness, moon turned to blood, all accompanied the crucifixion of Christ on the cross, marvelously allowing Peter to proclaim the fulfillment of Joel’s eschatological prophecy. The old world order has judicially been declared “passed away”, and is now in the process of passing away even as the new world order, inaugurated in Christ, is emergent and advancing toward its consummation in Christ’s Parousia. Christ, who was present at the first creation, is the agent and power of the final creation. It is through Christ, and Christ alone, that the new creation has come. He is Alpha and Omega.
While it is the hope of every believer to be a part of the new creation, there are warnings in the timing plan that no believer can afford to miss. If the events of Titus’ destruction of Jerusalem mark the point in Daniel’s testimony known as “in the midst of the seven”, then one can safely surmise we have passed the mid-point of God’s eschatological plan.
Given that the timing is not truly linear, and the next eschatological event is the Feast of Trumpets, readiness for the Lord’s imminent return must be in the forefront of every believer’s mind and heart. With His imminent return, there is no second chance at readiness. The timing of His coming is unexpected.
What God’s creation-time plan preeminently reveals is that now is the time for repentance. Now is the time to hold fast to the Lord and turn from all wickedness. Now is the time to wake from spiritual slumber, afflict our souls through critical self-evaluation, acknowledging our failings, repenting and pressing on to the high calling of Christ. Now is the time to separate ourselves from the old world order and fix our eyes on the kingdom of God.
While this may seem obvious, the end of the age will be marked by the complete destruction of the old creation. Everything in our physical world will spiral into chaos, even those things considered most reliable. Our entire physical universe will begin to collapse. It is during these turbulent times that faith will be required. When everything we see around us is failing, faith is the only thing that will enable us to realize that simultaneously, God is completing creation of His unseen spiritual cosmos.
This is the prize. If we fix our eyes upon Christ, we will not be moved by the collapse of our physical cosmos. But if our eyes are fixed upon this old world, we will certainly spiritually faint. Our love must be for our unseen Lord and His unseen kingdom, not upon what we see with our physical eyes.
[1] That Christ said rivers of living water would flow from His followers recalls Eden’s one river while pointing to its restoration. That the river of living water flows now, shows Eden’s restoration as inaugurated, yet awaiting consummation.
[2] That the temple is consecrated points toward the great victory of Christ over His enemies, at least in its inauguration, as the temple is always “built” when enemies have been subdued and all is at rest. It shows that Christ could rest in heaven with the completion of the redemptive plan executed at Calvary. That the temple is being built or prepared, living stone by living stone, with each stone cut, as it were while in the field of the world, not only allows immediate final assembly at the end of the age (the Parousia), but without stone cutting tool on site, suggestive that at the Parousia, the true final temple can be immediately assembled and displayed before all creation in its true glory at the consummation of Yahweh’s victory over His enemies. That the temple is complete in its inauguration but not its consummation, is paralleled in the progression of events in God’s final creation, in which much is seen in inauguration, awaiting consummation. Consummation thus means bodily resurrection.
[3] The destruction of the temple and Jerusalem after the start of the fourth “day” ended sacrifice and oblation, marking the end of traditional Judaism. It is possible this event serves as the transition point from the strictly literal (the first four “days”) fulfillment of the feast-days to the spiritual fulfillment of the remaining three feast-days, given the completion of the transition from traditional old-world-order Judaism to new-world-order Christianity.
[4] It is possible that the Feast of Trumpets symbolizes the Parousia, potentially also including bodily resurrection with the Fast of Atonement to follow, revealing the failures corporately of God’s people during the Fast. More likely, the Feast of Trumpets signals the final onslaught of the Antichrist against the Lord’s people, with the trumpet signaling the start of the final ingathering. That ingathering would be the martyrdom of the church, the latter harvest of souls at the end of the age by the Antichrist.
[5] It is possible that the passing away of the old world is symbolized in the Day of Atonement, a day when many will mourn the passing of the old world order and mourn that they did not serve Christ.
[6] Noteworthy, Christ’s time on the cross can be viewed as occurring after sunset but before darkness of evening of the Day of the Lord.
[7] That the church age was “inserted” into God’s program for Israel between the sixty-nineth and seventieth week because of Israel’s rejection of the Messiah (see Matthew 23:37-39) makes little sense when one considers the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, an outpouring on a Jewish audience. Judaism was also the focus of much of the evangelism of the Apostles in the years following Christ’s ascension. If the program for Israel was halted after the Messiah’s rejection, why would the Lord continue the testimony to physical Israel? Why wouldn’t God impart that blessing to the Gentile church only? That He continued His witness to Israel testifies to His integrated redemptive plan for one church comprised of both Jew and Gentiles throughout our entire age.
[8] This seeming contradiction will be explained when the garden narrative is studied.