George:
Pastor Jerry, I’ve read all your posts and they’re very inspiring. I personally enjoyed reading about wisdom and revelation and the baptism of fire. But quite frankly I’m a bit confused. Are you saying that these are both the same experience. I’ve been saved for a number of years and I don’t believe the Bible teaches that I need anything more than faith in Jesus Christ. My faith in Christ is sufficient. But you seem to be advocating for more experiences. You’re very convincing but it sounds like works to me.
Pastor Jerry:
I agree with you about the sufficiency of Christ alone. The Bible says believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. These two experiences that I have written about, wisdom and revelation and the baptism of fire are not the same experience. Are these necessary? It depends on what you want from God. How much of Him do you want. I believe the Bible is clear in that it reveals to us that there are many experiences in God designed to bring us into closer communion with him. For example the Bible says about things in the Old Testament that they were written as types and shadows of things to come. A specific example of this might be the experiences that the children of Israel had as they left Egypt and ultimately entered the promised land.
George:
I believe in types and shadows too. I think Paul makes mention of that in the New Testament. But I see the types and shadows as an examples of prophecies about the coming Messiah 2000 years ago or about the second coming.
Pastor Jerry:
Agree. But Jesus said not one jot or tittle of my word will pass away until ALL these things be fulfilled. So if it’s still in Scripture it’s complete fulfillment yet awaits us. Even messianic prophecies have another meaning, which is yet to be fulfilled, otherwise it wouldn’t still be there in Scripture according to Jesus.
George:
So how do you see the journey of the children of Israel from Egypt to Cannan as being relevant to us? To me their journey speaks about warnings and lessons to be learned in my walk with Christ.
Pastor Jerry:
Throughout their journey to the promised land the children of Israel celebrated 7 feasts which were instituted by God. Each feast correlates to a specific experience in the Christian walk. The first three feasts were celebrated at the same time in the spring. These include Passover, Unleavened bread and First-fruits. Basically, they correlate with the salvation experience. Jesus had to die on Passover because God was offering up His lamb. Recall that John the Baptist said, “behold the Lamb of God taketh away the sins of the world.” In the same way the Hebrews took the blood of the lamb and put it on the door posts and lentils of the door frame so that the Death Angel would pass over, so too was Christ nailed to a cross, wooden horizontal and vertical beams, and He became the door between heaven and earth for whosoever will. Likewise, by accepting his shed blood as the payment for my sin the sentence of death passes over me and I become an heir of eternal life. His death is a perfect picture of the feast of Passover in type and shadow. When the Israelites got to the Red Sea they didn’t have time to let their bread rise so they ate their bread in haste without leaven or yeast because the Egyptians were in hot pursuit. Jesus said a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. Cast out therefore the leaven. He was speaking here of sin. So when a person is saved by the blood of Jesus they also repent of their sins. We cast out the leaven by confessing to Jesus alone that we are sinners and we ask Him to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Again a perfect type or shadow. The third feast, First-fruits, was celebrated after they crossed the Red Sea. Paul even declared that their crossing the Red Sea was a type and shadow of water baptism. After the Egyptians were drowned they offered up their first fruits as an offering to God for saving them from their former slave owners. To the Israelites the first-fruits included such things as produce, money and even their firstborn – who were dedicated to the Lord to become priests. Likewise once a person accepts Christ as Savior we read Paul’s exhortation, “I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” In other words, we dedicate the rest of our life to live for Him. So we see these first 3 feasts celebrated in the springtime perfectly expresses the work of salvation or what most Christians call the “born-again” experience. That is the blood of Jesus cleanses me from all sin, I repent, I publicly announce or submit to water baptism my commitment to live the rest of my life for Him. Now I am saved. My heart no longer belongs to this world and it’s worldly ways (spiritually Egypt) where I was a slave to sin.
George:
Ok. I get that. I’ve been taught those same similarities since I was a child. But I’ve never heard of any other feasts. And besides, I’ve always considered that the promised land is when you die and go to heaven.
Pastor Jerry:
After their Red Sea experience God leads them south, strangely away from the promised land to Mount Sinai. There, 50 days after Passover, they celebrate the feast of Pentecost, which is the Greek word for 50 days later. This is a celebration of the giving of the 10 Commandments. This was an incredible feast because God was giving his written word. However, it was also here at Mount Sinai that they built and worshiped a golden calf. Later the earth opened up and swallowed 3000 of them. The correlation here is of course the baptism of the Holy Ghost which occurred on the day of Pentecost to New Testament believers 50 days after Christ was crucified. Following this experience we read 3000 souls were not swallowed up by the earth but were converted or saved and added to the newborn church. This is further confirmation of the correlation between what happened on Mount Sinai in the natural and what happened to the 120 believers on the day of Pentecost in the spiritual. The old gave way to a new and better covenant. And in Acts we read “they were filled with the Holy Ghost and spoke in tongues… and that this promise (of the Holy Ghost) is unto you and to your children’s children and to as many as are a far off and believe.” This was the beginning the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, “I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh… In that day I will no longer write my words on tablets of stone but on your hearts…your sons and daughters shall prophesy… With the stammering lip and a new tongue will I speak unto them.” Indeed, even Jesus predicted this event. “Out of your belly shall flow rivers of living water…He spake this concerning the Holy Ghost which had not yet been given.” And just as there was a great falling away at Mount Sinai we should not be surprised today when we see many Pentecostal individuals fall. But because we see many who have received this baptism fall into pride or the worship of prosperity and popularity, the experience itself is valid and scriptural. Just like the 10 Commandments which were the written word of God, the believer is now able to speak the very oracles of God. And why do we need to speak the oracles of God? Paul says, “I speak in tongues more than ye all… If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let him ask God for the interpretation… Howbeit, he speaks mysteries in the spirit.” And why do you need to know mysteries in the spirit? Because you are called to the promised land in this lifetime and you need to know how to get there. Jesus said “I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh unto the father but by me. Now that we know Jesus-the way, he wants to show us the truth that will bring us to eternal life in this lifetime.
George:
Are you saying that God wants us to be immortal? Never taste death? The Bible says it is appointed unto every man once to die and then the judgment. Right? If I think I understand you correctly, you’re saying that God will give people eternal life right now. Is that what you’re saying?
Pastor Jerry:
Yes. But don’t take my word for it. Listen to Jesus:”I am the resurrection and the life. He that believes in me though he were dead yet shall he live. (Martha who was weeping over her brother in the grave for four days wasn’t impressed with that either. She told Jesus she already believed in the resurrection.) But now listen to his shocking words: “AND whosoever lives and believes in me shall NEVER DIE. Do you believe THIS Martha?” In fact, we are told by Paul that “at the last Trump the dead in Christ shall rise first and we which are alive and remain shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. But having said all of that, eternal life now is not the prize. The prize is “Christ in you the hope of glory.” Being fully possessed by Jesus is the prize. It’s not about me. It’s all about Him.
George:
Well, that’s true. I believe there will be Christians who will not taste death. That’s what the rapture is all about.
Pastor Jerry:
I understand what you mean by a rapture. But that’s not what God has revealed to me.
But I have to go now. If you want I can explain further about the last 3 feasts or harvest feasts. These include the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. This is where “Wisdom and Revelation” come in (to answer your first question). Incidentally, two other feasts were also added. The feast of Purim (in Ester) which is related to Christ’s work of intercession (sometimes through us) and the feast of the Dedication of the Temple. This feast is related to your initial comment about the baptism of fire. Remember fire fell and consumed the sacrifices made by Solomon when the temple was first built.
George:
Well I have to admit I’m curious. A lot of what you said about the baptism of the Holy Ghost clears things up for me. I’ve never really heard it put into Old Testament context like you did. I know you’ve got to go, just one more question. So then in total there’s 9 feasts?
Pastor Jerry:
Well not exactly. There are three other holy days of convocation. These include the Sabbath, The Sabbatical and Year of Jubilees. These relate to the REST of the LORD, as in “there remaineth therefore a rest for the people of God.” But each one is for a different type of rest in a different season in your walk with Him. God bless you. Hope to talk to you again soon.
Brother Jerry