Preparing for the Harvest Part 6 A New feast is on the horizon

Preparing for the Harvest Part 6

A New feast is on the horizon

As I write this reports are coming in of outpourings of the Holy Spirit in various parts of the world; that which we have been talking about over the last 2 years is beginning to unfold we are yet in the infancy of it but the signs are there. The days ahead will be a great challenge to us as many of our preconceived ideas of what this next move of God may look like undergo revision. Remember a receding wave will hinder a new incoming wave, let us guard our hearts and seek to see all things from Blessings

Neville Johnson
Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Gods perspective.

In Leviticus 23 Israel were commanded to keep 3 major feasts.

1)All of Israel’s worship and spiritual observance centred around these feasts.

2)These feasts were fulfilled in the life and ministry of Jesus and need to be experience by all believers.

3)These feasts are a profound prophetic statement to this generation the end-time church. They contain prophetic insight on what God has reserved for this generation.

1 Corinthians 2:9	But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
10	But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

So many things have been reserved for this generation

Deuteronomy 16:16

Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:

Israel was commanded to keep three major feasts each year, Passover, Pentecost and the feast of tabernacles. The significance of these feasts is important to our understanding of where we are in the timing and purposes of God for the church. These feasts were literally kept by Israel, they were fulfilled in the life and ministry of Jesus, and they are meant to be experienced by the believer.

Passover       Speaks of the New Birth experience. Jesus was our Passover lamb.

Pentecost:     Speaks of our experience of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Tabernacles  Is yet to be experienced by the believer and has been reserved for   this generation       

The feast of Pentecost was also called the feast of first-fruits, this signified that the early church would receive a Pentecost which was just the first fruits of what was to come.

Leviticus 23:17

Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the Lord.

It was also called the Feast Harvest Exodus 23 :16 indicating that the early church would experience a great harvest, however this harvest was only the firsts-fruits, the main harvest was yet to be gathered in.

The feast of Pentecost was kept with leaven: This is ominous

Leviticus 23:17

Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD.

Leaven type of Sin, Hypocrisy, and False Doctrine and we have seen much of this in the Pentecostal movements over the years.

The Feast of Tabernacles

The feast that followed Pentecost was the feast of Tabernacles; however this feast was preceded by the Day of Atonement. The Day of Atonement was designed to get the leaven out of Pentecost in preparation for the next great feast that of Tabernacles. These feasts are to be experienced by the believer today. Most Christians have kept or experienced at least one of these feasts, however Israel were commanded to keep all of them

Now the spirit filled church has generally felt that they have it all, they have felt that having experienced salvation and the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, what else is there to experience? Having kept the feast of Passover and Pentecost what more is there? These were life changing experiences and so often the attitude that we have experienced all that God has for us prevails.

WHAT ABOUT THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES?

The Feast Tabernacles is reserved for this generation and is to be experienced by all believers; the Feast of Tabernacles releases the fullness of Passover and Pentecost. The early church received only the first-fruits of Salvation and Pentecost, this generation will receive the fullness of these experiences which will result in the greatest harvest that has ever been seen.

The feast of Tabernacles was kept in the seventh month of the year.

Leviticus 23:39

Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath.

It was at this time that the fruit of the land (the harvest) was gathered in, it is Pentecost in its fullness. The harvest that the early church reaped was wonderful, but it was only a foretaste of what was to come, this generation will see the fullness in all its Glory and power.

Exodus 23:15	Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread (Passover) (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:)
16	And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits  (Pentecost) of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, (Tabernacles) when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.

However: There is no feast of tabernacles without the Day of Atonement

Leviticus 23:27

Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

The Day of Atonement was a day when the sin of Israel was dealt with, a day of mourning, a day of affliction, a day of repentance, a day of cleansing by fire.

Isaiah 4:4	When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.
5	And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence.

Removing the leaven from Pentecost

The church has been in a Day of Atonement from the mid eighties until now. When the charismatic move of God which started in the late sixties went into decline a Day of Atonement began, a period of years when the Lord began to remove the leaven from the church. This has been a painful experience as God used many ways to remove the leaven from our lives, however THE SEASON IS CHANGING the Feast of Tabernacles is upon us along with all that which is promised in this feast.

Holiness and purity of heart

Leviticus 23:29

For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.

The implications of this verse are clear; if we don’t go through the Day of Atonement we cannot enter the new day and move on into the next wave of Gods Spirit.

Blessings
Neville Johnson Tuesday, April 29, 2008