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Caption transcript for The Holy Days of Our Lord (2012): “First Fruits” (4/11)

• 00:02 IT IS WRITTEN IN THE SCRIPTURES
• 00:04 THAT WE SHOULD JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM THREE TIMES A YEAR.
• 00:07 WE ARE GOING UP TO THE CITY OF GOD...
• 00:10 TO JERUSALEM TO CELEBRATE.
• 00:17 THE LORD TOLD THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL TO HONOR SEVEN HOLY CELEBRATIONS EACH YEAR
• 00:22 INVOLVING THREE JOURNEYS TO JERUSALEM.
• 00:24 EACH FESTIVAL WOULD BE UNIQUELY FULFILLED IN THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH.
• 00:43 SHALOM AND WELCOME
• 00:45 TO ZOLA LEVITT PRESENTS.
• 00:46 I'M MYLES.
• 00:47 THIS IS KATHARINE.
• 00:48 AND WE ARE CONTINUING IN OUR SERIES
• 00:49 "THE HOLY DAYS OF OUR LORD".
• 00:52 ZOLA DID A WONDERFUL THING BEFORE HE WENT TO HEAVEN.
• 00:55 HE MADE THIS SERIES ON ALL THE FEASTS OF THE LORD
• 00:58 AND IT REALLY GIVES US AN IDEA OF GOD'S CALENDAR.
• 01:00 LAST WEEK WE LEARNED ABOUT THE "FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD"
• 01:04 AND WHAT FOLLOWS IS THE "FEAST OF FIRST FRUITS"
• 01:07 AND THAT'S WHAT WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT TODAY.
• 01:08 AND I GREW UP CELEBRATING EASTER
• 01:11 AND I HAD NO IDEA THAT IT WAS ACTUALLY "FIRST FRUITS"
• 01:14 IS WHAT GOD CALLS IT IN HIS CALENDAR...
• 01:16 NOT "ISHTAR" AFTER A PAGAN GOD.
• 01:19 YES AND SO ZOLA'S GOING TO DO A WONDERFUL JOB
• 01:22 OF EXPLAINING TO US HOW "FIRST FRUITS"
• 01:24 IS ACTUALLY "RESURRECTION SUNDAY"
• 01:26 AND LEADS TO THE BIRTH OF THE CHURCH 50 DAYS LATER.
• 01:30 SO LET'S JOIN ZOLA ON LOCATION
• 01:32 AS HE TELLS US ABOUT THE "FEAST OF FIRST FRUITS".
• 01:37 THE LORD SAID TO MOSES,
• 01:39 "SPEAK TO THE ISRAELITES AND SAY TO THEM,"
• 01:42 "WHEN YOU ENTER THE LAND I AM GOING TO GIVE YOU AND YOU REAP THE HARVEST,"
• 01:46 "BRING TO THE PRIEST A SHEAF OF THE FIRST GRAIN YOU HARVEST,"
• 01:50 "THE FIRST FRUITS OF YOUR LABORS WHICH YOU HAVE SOWN IN THE FIELD."
• 01:54 "BRING THE WHOLE TITHE INTO THE STOREHOUSE."
• 01:57 "TEST ME IN THIS AND SEE IF I WILL NOT THROW OPEN THE FLOOD GATES OF HEAVEN"
• 02:02 "AND POUR OUT SO MUCH BLESSING THAT YOU WILL NOT HAVE ROOM ENOUGH FOR IT."
• 02:07 "THEN ALL THE NATIONS WILL CALL YOU BLESSED"
• 02:10 "FOR YOURS WILL BE A DELIGHTFUL LAND," SAYS THE LORD.
• 02:16 SHALOM, HELLO AGAIN.
• 02:18 WELL WHY ARE WE IN A GRAVEYARD?
• 02:19 WELL, WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT RESURRECTION TODAY.
• 02:21 THERE IS A FEAST,
• 02:23 ONE OF THE SEVEN DEDICATED SPECIFICALLY TO RESURRECTION.
• 02:26 BEHIND ME YOU SEE TWO OF THE HOLY LAND CHURCHES.
• 02:29 THAT'S THE MOUNT OF OLIVES.
• 02:31 WE'RE ON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES
• 02:32 ACTUALLY THE INCLINE HERE,
• 02:35 AND THE CHURCH UP ON THIS SIDE IS A ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
• 02:38 WHERE THE LORD TRADITIONALLY WEPT OVER JERUSALEM AND SAID, "OH JERUSALEM, JERUSALEM."
• 02:43 AND ON THE OTHER SIDE, TO MY RIGHT WITH THE GOLDEN TOPS IS THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH,
• 02:51 AND THERE'S A ROMAN CATHOLIC BELOW AT THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE.
• 02:55 YOU KNOW LEVITICUS 23:10 TELLS US ABOUT THE FESTIVAL OF FIRST FRUITS.
• 03:01 IT SAYS,
• 03:15 AND HE GOES ON TO HONOR SUNDAY.
• 03:24 THIS WAS A FESTIVAL OBVIOUSLY THEY COULDN'T DO OUT IN THE WILDERNESS
• 03:28 BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE CROPS.
• 03:29 WHY DID THEY GO DOWN TO EGYPT?
• 03:31 THE LAND WAS IN FAMINE WHEN THEY LEFT.
• 03:35 PROBABLY IN THE EXODUS THEY APPROACHED MOSES AND SAID, WHY ARE YOU TAKING US BACK THERE?
• 03:39 ACCORDING TO MY GREAT-GREAT-GREAT GRANDFATHER OR WHATEVER,
• 03:42 NOBODY COULD LIVE THERE.
• 03:43 IT WAS DRY...
• 03:45 THE HERDS WERE DYING.
• 03:46 YOU COULDN'T PLANT...
• 03:47 THERE WAS NO RAIN.
• 03:48 WHY ARE WE GOING BACK TO A LAND LIKE THAT?
• 03:50 WELL THE LAND HAS BEEN CHANGED.
• 03:52 THAT'S WHY GOD SAYS HE WANTS A THANK OFFERING.
• 03:54 HE HAD CHANGED THE LAND.
• 03:56 WHEN THEY SENT THE SPIES IN,
• 03:57 JOSHUA AND CALEB AT KADESH BARNEA,
• 04:00 IT TOOK THE TWO MEN TO CARRY A BUNCH OF GRAPES AND THIS SORT OF THING.
• 04:03 THE LAND WAS REALLY FERTILE.
• 04:05 IT HAD BEEN CHANGED.
• 04:07 IT WAS NOW A LAND OF PLENTY.
• 04:09 THE THREE NEW HOLIDAYS OCCURRED DURING THE COUNTING FROM FIRST FRUITS OVER TO PENTECOST.
• 04:16 THIS IS A PROBLEM BECAUSE THE CHRISTIANS COUNT FROM FIRST FRUITS AS SCRIPTURE SAYS.
• 04:24 WHEN YOU COME TO THE FESTIVAL OF PENTECOST IT SAYS IN VERSE 15,
• 04:38 WELL IT SAYS FROM THE DAY YOU BROUGHT THE SHEAF FOR THE WAVE OFFERING.
• 04:41 WELL THAT'S FROM FIRST FRUITS.
• 04:42 BUT THE JEWISH PEOPLE COUNT THE THING FROM THE SECOND DAY AFTER PASSOVER
• 04:47 BECAUSE AT SOME POINT IN THEIR HISTORY THEY GOT RID OF THIS FEAST OF FIRST FRUITS.
• 04:52 IT WAS SO OBVIOUS THAT THIS SUNDAY AFTER THE PASSOVER REPRESENTED THE RESURRECTION
• 04:57 AND THAT THE LORD WAS RAISED ON THIS DAY.
• 05:00 MY OWN THEORY IS THAT IN THE FIRST CENTURY THERE WAS SO MUCH POWERFUL WITNESSING
• 05:05 BY MESSIANIC JEWS WALKING ONE WAY DOWN THE STREET ON FIRST FRUITS SUNDAY
• 05:10 AND THE UNSAVED JEWS WALKING THE OTHER WAY
• 05:13 AND THE MESSIANICS SAID TO THEM,
• 05:14 "WELL THAT'S FOOLISH, YOU'RE STILL WAVING CROPS."
• 05:16 "DON'T YOU KNOW A MAN WAS RESURRECTED AND GRAVES OPENED IN JERUSALEM?"
• 05:20 "THAT'S THE POINT OF THE THING."
• 05:21 "COME WITH US."
• 05:22 "HEAR WHAT REALLY HAPPENED."
• 05:23 AND THEY PROBABLY DID.
• 05:25 AND THAT'S HOW PEOPLE ARE.
• 05:27 THE RABBIS MUST HAVE SAT DOWN AND SAID,
• 05:29 "THERE ARE TOO MANY CONVERTS,"
• 05:31 "WE'VE GOT TO GET RID OF THE FEASTS",
• 05:32 AND THEY GOT RID OF IT.
• 05:34 PROBLEM...THE SCRIPTURE SAYS TO COUNT FROM FIRST FRUITS AND OVER TO PENTECOST.
• 05:38 WHEN YOU GET OVER TO PENTECOST, SUNDAY IS HONORED AGAIN.
• 05:54 SO THE COUNTING STARTS ON SUNDAY AT FIRST FRUITS,
• 05:58 IT ENDS ON SUNDAY AT PENTECOST.
• 06:00 BUT WHEN YOU THROW OUT FIRST FRUITS AND YOU PICK A DIFFERENT STARTING POINT
• 06:04 IT WON'T END ON SUNDAY.
• 06:05 OH ONE YEAR IN SEVEN IT MIGHT.
• 06:07 THIS IS THE ANSWER TO WHY TO THE CHRISTIAN
• 06:11 PENTECOST IS ALWAYS ON A SUNDAY IN MAY OR EARLY JUNE,
• 06:14 THEN THE JEWISH PENTECOST IS MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, ANY DAY...
• 06:18 THEY COUNT FROM A DIFFERENT POINT.
• 06:21 WELL I CHECKED THAT OUT.
• 06:22 I HAD THE MOST INTERESTING DISCUSSION WITH AN ORTHODOX FRIEND HERE IN JERUSALEM.
• 06:26 I WANTED TO LOOK AT THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES
• 06:28 AND WE GOT DOWN A HEBREW/ENGLISH BIBLE AND CHECKED OUT HOW THEY COULD GET OUT OF THIS,
• 06:36 IN OTHER WORDS HOW THEY COULD COUNT FROM A DIFFERENT DAY.
• 06:39 WHAT HAD HAPPENED WAS THE ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS HAVE BEEN ENGINEERED.
• 06:43 IN VERSE 10 SABBATH IS CHANGED TO "DAY OF REST".
• 06:47 WELL NOW YOU CAN APPLY THAT TO PASSOVER, TO UNLEAVENED BREAD,
• 06:51 TO THE DAY AFTER UNLEAVENED BREAD IS THE DAY OF REST AND SO ON.
• 06:54 THAT MODELED THAT ONE,
• 06:56 AND IN VERSE 15, THE MORROW AFTER THE SABBATH,
• 06:59 OR THE DAY AFTER SABBATH,
• 07:01 WAS CHANGED TO THE DAY AFTER THE SEVENTH WEEK.
• 07:04 SO IT ALLOWED FOR, IF YOU FOLLOW ME, A WRONG DAY.
• 07:09 AND ALL THAT HAPPENED...
• 07:10 WE LOOKED AT THE HEBREW VERSES...
• 07:12 THEY BOTH SAY "SHABBAT"
• 07:14 IN HEBREW - "SABBATH".
• 07:15 BUT THEY CHANGED ONE TO DAY OF REST
• 07:17 AND ONE TO THE DAY AFTER THE SEVENTH WEEK.
• 07:20 IN OTHER WORDS THEY FIGURED OUT A DOCTRINE.
• 07:21 THEY GOT RID OF A FEAST AND THEN ENGINEERED THE TORAH ITSELF.
• 07:25 THEY CHANGED THE SCRIPTURE IN THE TRANSLATION
• 07:28 SO THAT ENGLISH READING PEOPLE COULD BE SATISFIED WITH THE WAY THEY'RE DOING IT.
• 07:32 THEY'RE NOT THE ONLY ONES.
• 07:34 THE CHRISTIANS CHANGED "FIRST FRUITS" TO "EASTER"
• 07:38 AND THAT'S A MIGHTY STRANGE ONE THERE.
• 07:41 "FIRST FRUITS" IS THE NAME OF THIS SUNDAY AFTER PASSOVER.
• 07:45 EASTER IS THE NAME OF THE BABYLONIAN GODDESS ISHTAR.
• 07:48 I'VE TAUGHT THIS BEFORE IN OTHER CONTEXTS,
• 07:50 BUT ISHTAR WAS A GODDESS OF FERTILITY.
• 07:53 THAT'S DIFFERENT FROM RESURRECTION.
• 07:54 THE BABYLONIANS HELD FERTILITY RITES EVERY SPRING.
• 07:58 THEY PUT ON NEW OUTFITS BECAUSE THE TREES WERE PUTTING ON NEW CLOTHES.
• 08:02 THEY WORSHIPPED THE THINGS IN NATURE THAT ARE FERTILE -
• 08:05 THE RABBIT, THE EGGS...
• 08:07 DOES ANY OF THIS SOUND FAMILIAR?
• 08:09 WE HAVE TAKEN THE BABYLONIAN FESTIVAL
• 08:11 AND SOMEHOW AMALGAMATED IT WITH THE RESURRECTION DAY OF THE LORD.
• 08:15 THAT'S REALLY A MISTAKE
• 08:17 WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, AN EGG HUNT IS AN ATTEMPT AT PREGNANCY.
• 08:21 IT'S A FERTILITY RITE.
• 08:24 WE REALLY SHOULDN'T DO THAT.
• 08:26 WE SHOULD CELEBRATE THE LORD'S RESURRECTION BUT NOT FERTILITY.
• 08:28 FERTILITY IS CHEAP.
• 08:30 EVERY LIVING THING IS FERTILE.
• 08:31 IT'S RESURRECTION THAT YOU ONLY GET FROM JESUS CHRIST.
• 08:35 YOU KNOW 1 CORINTHIANS 15:22 SAYS,
• 08:49 WELL, IF HIS NUMBER IN THE RESURRECTION WAS ONE,
• 08:52 HE'S THE FIRST FRUITS OF THEM THAT GOD CALLS FORTH.
• 08:55 HE IS THE FIRST MAN PERMANENTLY RESURRECTED.
• 08:58 WELL THEN IF THERE'S A ONE, THEN THERE'S A TWO AND A THREE AND A FOUR AND SO ON.
• 09:02 IF THERE'S A FIRST FRUIT THERE'S A SECOND, THIRD, FOURTH, FIFTH...
• 09:05 AND INDEED THOSE EARLY NUMBERS WERE TAKEN BY THE PEOPLE WHO CAME OUT OF THEIR GRAVES
• 09:08 WHEN THE LORD WAS RESURRECTED IN JERUSALEM.
• 09:11 MATTHEW 27:54 SAYS AT THE TIME OF HIS RESURRECTION
• 09:15 GRAVES OPENED AND PEOPLE WERE WALKING ABOUT IN THE STREETS
• 09:18 AND THAT PEOPLE KNEW WHAT A SHOCKING THING TO SEE
• 09:20 A RELATIVE COME DOWN THE STREET YOU BURIED 10 YEARS BEFORE
• 09:24 IN PERFECT CONDITION,
• 09:26 RESURRECTED OBVIOUSLY.
• 09:28 WELL IF THEY HAVE THE LOW NUMBERS
• 09:30 WE HAVE THE HIGHER NUMBERS
• 09:32 AND THERE'S A NUMBER FOR EVERYBODY IN THIS RESURRECTION.
• 09:34 WE EVIDENTLY PROCEED IN RANKS IN THE ORDER WE WERE SAVED I PRESUME.
• 09:39 THIS IS A WONDERFUL THING
• 09:41 BECAUSE WHEN YOU GO INTO ONE OF THESE BUSY STORES AND THEY GIVE YOU A NUMBER,
• 09:44 YOU KNOW THAT YOU'LL BE SERVED IN YOUR TURN.
• 09:47 AND SO THAT'S HOW IT IS.
• 09:49 IT SAYS, WHEREFORE COMFORT ONE ANOTHER WITH THESE WORDS.
• 09:51 I THINK THAT SHOULD MAKE EVERYBODY QUITE COMFORTABLE.
• 09:54 YOU WON'T BE FORGOTTEN IN THIS RESURRECTION.
• 09:56 THE GOSPEL SAYS THE HAIRS OF YOUR HEAD ARE ALL NUMBERED.
• 09:59 IT SAYS THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST.
• 10:01 WELL OBVIOUSLY, THEY HAVE LOWER NUMBERS.
• 10:04 NOW THESE GRAVES THAT OPENED UP, WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT?
• 10:08 WELL IT WAS FIRST FRUITS AND JESUS HAD RESURRECTED IN THE MORNING AND HE OWED AN OFFERING.
• 10:15 HE ALWAYS KEPT ALL THE LAW.
• 10:17 WELL THE FARMERS WHO RAISED CROPS
• 10:19 BROUGHT IN THE FIRST FRUITS OF THEIR EARTH AND SO FORTH TO THE TEMPLE TO BE WAVED.
• 10:24 JESUS DOES NOT RAISE CROPS,
• 10:26 JESUS RAISES PEOPLE.
• 10:27 SO HE MUST HAVE RAISED A FEW AS HIS OFFERING ON THAT FIRST FRUITS SUNDAY.
• 10:51 SHA'A'LU SHALOM YERUSHALAYIM
• 10:55 SHA'A'LU, SHA'A'LU SHALOM
• 10:59 IN THE HOLY CITY OF JERUSALEM
• 11:06 WE WILL PRAY FOR PEACE
• 11:09 SHA'A'LU SHALOM
• 11:19 HELLO, I'M WAYNE FOURNIER
• 11:21 AND I WANT TO PERSONALLY INVITE YOU TO COME WITH US ON A TOUR OF THE HOLY LAND.
• 11:26 WITH A ZOLA LEVITT TOUR YOU TRAVEL WITH MYLES AND KATHARINE WEISS
• 11:30 PLUS YOU HAVE THE ADDED BENEFIT OF AN ISRAELI TOUR GUIDE WHO IS A FOLLOWER OF YESHUA.
• 11:35 OUR FOUNDER ZOLA LEVITT ESTABLISHED THIS MINISTRY IN 1979.
• 11:39 TODAY... WE CONTINUE TO BRING YOU THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL FROM A MESSIANIC PERSPECTIVE.
• 11:45 ZOLA LEVITT MINISTRIES CREATES OUR WEEKLY TELEVISION PROGRAM "ZOLA LEVITT PRESENTS",
• 11:50 OUR WEBSITE LEVITT.COM
• 11:53 AND OUR FREE MONTHLY NEWS MAGAZINE, "THE LEVITT LETTER"
• 11:57 ALL OF THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED WITH DONATIONS FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU.
• 12:01 IF YOU BELIEVE THIS BIBLE TEACHING IS WORTHY OF YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT THEN PLEASE...
• 12:07 CALL US AT 1-800-WONDERS
• 12:09 VISIT US AT LEVITT.COM
• 12:12 OR YOU CAN WRITE TO US
• 12:13 AT ZOLA, BOX 12268, DALLAS, TX 75225
• 12:19 WE DEPEND ON YOUR PRAYERS AND FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS.
• 12:23 THANK YOU
• 12:25 NOW LET'S GO BACK TO THE PROGRAM
• 12:31 OUR LOCATION IS NEAR THE FAMOUS TEMPLE MOUNT IN JERUSALEM
• 12:35 WHERE THE TRIBULATION TEMPLE AND THE GREAT MILLENNIAL TEMPLE WILL STAND.
• 12:39 OF COURSE PEOPLE ARE BURIED HERE BECAUSE THEY WANT TO BE IN THE RESURRECTION.
• 12:43 IT'S A GRAVEYARD.
• 12:44 WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RESURRECTION
• 12:46 AND THESE PEOPLE ARE BURIED HERE BECAUSE AFTER ALL
• 12:48 ZECHARIAH 14:4 SAYS,
• 12:50 HIS FEET WILL STAND THAT DAY UPON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES,
• 12:52 WHICH IS NEXT TO JERUSALEM ON THE EAST.
• 12:54 THAT IS WHERE WE ARE.
• 12:56 THIS IS JUST EAST OF THE TEMPLE
• 12:58 AND THE LORD WILL COME DOWN THE TOP OF THIS MOUNTAIN TO MY LEFT
• 13:02 AND COME DOWN THIS WAY
• 13:04 AND THESE PEOPLE WANT TO BE FIRST IN THE RESURRECTION
• 13:07 AND MAYBE THEY WILL BE.
• 13:09 YOU KNOW GOD CREATED MAN ON THE 6TH DAY
• 13:12 AND ON THE 7TH DAY HE RESTED.
• 13:14 THAT'S BASIC BIBLE.
• 13:17 BUT WHEN WE CONSIDER JESUS DIED ON THE 6TH DAY, FRIDAY,
• 13:21 AND ON THE 7TH DAY HE RESTED TOO...SATURDAY.
• 13:25 BUT HE ROSE ON SUNDAY, THE 8TH DAY...THE FIRST DAY OF A NEW KIND OF CREATION.
• 13:31 ADAM BROUGHT US DEATH.
• 13:33 I MEAN AFTER THE DAYS OF CREATION
• 13:35 HE STARTED OFF, HE SINNED, AND BROUGHT DEATH INTO THE WORLD.
• 13:39 BUT JESUS BROUGHT RESURRECTION, THE CURE FOR DEATH.
• 13:42 WE NOW HAVE A DIFFERENT KIND OF SPIRITUAL SOCIETY, ONE IN WHICH WE CAN SURVIVE BY RESURRECTION,
• 13:48 AND DO NOT HAVE TO BE PERMANENTLY SEPARATED FROM GOD,
• 13:52 WHICH IS THE BIBLICAL DEFINITION OF DEATH, OR AT LEAST THE SECOND DEATH.
• 13:57 SO ISRAEL, AS THE FIRST FRUITS WAS PLANNED TO BE RESURRECTED
• 14:02 AND ALL THOSE WHO WILL BELIEVE IN ISRAEL
• 14:04 AND WILL BE ADOPTED AND BELIEVE IN THE JEWISH MESSIAH.
• 14:07 JEREMIAH 2:3 SAYS VERY SIMPLY,
• 14:14 FARMER'S INCREASE IS CROPS.
• 14:16 THE LORD'S INCREASE IS SOULS, RESURRECTED LIVES,
• 14:21 AND ISRAEL IS THE TYPE OF THAT, THE BEGINNING OF THAT,
• 14:24 THE CHOSEN-NESS OF ISRAEL GOES ON THROUGH THE CHURCH.
• 14:27 THE HARVEST HAD REALLY BEGUN.
• 14:30 AS A PRACTICAL MATTER THE FIRST FRUITS REMIND US OF THE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT,
• 14:36 OR AS CHRIST SAID, YOU'LL KNOW MY DISCIPLES BY THEIR FRUITS.
• 14:40 THE BELIEVERS HAVE GOOD FRUITS
• 14:43 AND THEY ARE DESCRIBED IN GALATIANS 5:22,
• 14:46 THE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT WHICH ACCOMPANY THE BELIEVERS,
• 15:02 WE ALL HAVE GIFTS OF THESE WAYS OF LIVING WHEN WE COME TO THE LORD.
• 15:09 WE JUST NEED TO USE THEM TO BE IN TOUCH WITH HIM.
• 15:12 YOU KNOW NONE OF THE HARVEST COULD BE TOUCHED UNTIL THE FIRST FRUITS WERE OFFERED.
• 15:18 AND THE KINGDOM CAN'T REALLY START UNTIL ALL SOULS,
• 15:21 ALL THE REST OF THE RESURRECTION IS CALLED IN.
• 15:25 THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH WILL BE ONE ADDITION TO THE KINGDOM.
• 15:28 WELL THE ORIGINALS, OF COURSE, THE OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS,
• 15:30 WHICH GOD IN HIS FORBEARANCE WILL SAVE IN THE END,
• 15:34 ROMANS 3:25, BECAUSE THEIR SACRIFICES WERE MADE;
• 15:39 THEY DEMONSTRATED THEIR FAITH,
• 15:40 AND WHEN MESSIAH COMES HE LOOKS AT THEIR ACCOUNTS,
• 15:42 SEES THEM FULFILLED, AND THEY ARE SAVED.
• 15:45 THEN COMES THE CHURCH, THE BELIEVERS FROM PENTECOST TO THE RAPTURE.
• 15:49 THEY OF COURSE GO TO HEAVEN TRANSLATED LIKE ENOCH AND ELIJAH,
• 15:54 AND THEY TOO WILL GO TO THE KINGDOM.
• 15:57 THEN THERE'S THE SHEEP FROM THE TRIBULATION PERIOD.
• 16:00 EVEN JUST A 7 YEAR PERIOD, GOD IS SO CAREFUL.
• 16:02 SCRIPTURE SAYS HE DOES NOT SUFFER ANY TO PERISH.
• 16:05 HE WILL EXAMINE THE WHOLE WORLD
• 16:07 AS TO WHETHER THEY WERE SHEEP OR GOATS IN THE TRIBULATION.
• 16:11 OF COURSE THE TEST QUESTION IS MATTHEW 25:40,
• 16:15 "INASMUCH AS YOU'VE DONE IT UNTO ONE OF THESE,"
• 16:17 "THE LEAST OF MY BRETHREN,"
• 16:19 "YOU'VE DONE IT UNTO ME."
• 16:20 HOW DID YOU TREAT JESUS' BROTHERS
• 16:22 MOST INTENSIVELY, THE 144,000 WHO ARE WITNESSING,
• 16:26 THE 12,000 OF EACH OF THE 12 TRIBES OF ISRAEL?
• 16:29 WELL IN THE END THOSE, TOO, WILL BE RESURRECTED AND ADDED TO THE ONES I MENTIONED.
• 16:35 FINALLY, ALL THE FIRST FRUITS ARE IN AND THE GRAND HARVEST OF THE KINGDOM CAN BE ENJOYED,
• 16:42 AND THEN 1,000 YEARS OF BLISS AND THEN ON TO ETERNITY.
• 16:55 WONDERFUL TEACHING FROM ZOLA ON "FIRST FRUITS"
• 16:58 IN ORDER TO BETTER UNDERSTAND ALL THE FEASTS AT THE TIME OF JESUS,
• 17:03 OUR PRODUCER KEN BERG HAD A CHANCE TO INTERVIEW THE EDITOR OF ERETZ MAGAZINE IN ISRAEL.
• 17:09 SO LET'S GO TO THAT INTERVIEW RIGHT NOW.
• 17:12 IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND JUDAISM IN THE TIME OF JESUS, IN THE FIRST CENTURY,
• 17:16 YOU HAVE TO CUT THROUGH THIS VEIL.
• 17:19 YOU HAVE TO CUT THROUGH THIS VEIL OF RABBINIC JUDAISM
• 17:22 AND TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE.
• 17:25 IT'S NOT EASY.
• 17:26 IT'S LIKE GROPING IN THE DARK.
• 17:28 YOU'RE TOUCHING LITTLE THINGS.
• 17:29 REMEMBER, THE ONLY TRUE JEWISH SECTS THAT SURVIVED THE REBELLION,
• 17:36 AND THE TALMUD SAYS THERE WERE 120 JEWISH SECTS DURING THE TIME THE TEMPLE WAS IN EXISTENCE,
• 17:41 THE ONLY TWO THAT SURVIVED WERE CHRISTIANITY AND JUDAISM.
• 17:45 THE ONLY TWO -
• 17:46 RABBINIC JUDAISM AND CHRISTIANITY AFTER THE TEMPLE -
• 17:49 WERE THE ONLY TWO JEWISH SECTS THAT SURVIVED THE REBELLION.
• 17:53 WHERE ARE THE EBUNITES?
• 17:54 WHERE ARE THE PHARISEES?
• 17:56 WHERE ARE THE SADUCITES?
• 17:58 WHERE ARE THE PEOPLE FROM QUMRAN, AND THE ESSENES?
• 18:01 THEY'RE GONE!
• 18:03 BUT THEY WERE THERE, AND THEY MADE UP JUDAISM.
• 18:06 AND JUDAISM WAS A VERY LIVELY AND VERY FERVENT KIND OF RELIGION.
• 18:12 THAT'S GONE.
• 18:14 AND IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND THAT
• 18:15 WE HAVE TO GROPE THROUGH THIS VEIL IN ORDER TO GET THERE.
• 18:19 WE'RE DOING A SERIES ON THE FEASTS OF ISRAEL MENTIONED IN LEVITICUS 23.
• 18:24 SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE FIRST CHRISTIANS, THE JEWISH CHRISTIANS,
• 18:27 WOULD HAVE PRACTICED GOING UP TO JERUSALEM THREE TIMES A YEAR?
• 18:31 THE FEASTS, MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, WERE, I THINK,
• 18:35 THE BETRAYAL OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THING OF JUDAISM
• 18:39 WAS THE COMMUNITY,
• 18:41 THE FEELING OF COMMUNITY,
• 18:43 THE FEELING THAT YOU BELONG TO A GROUP THAT DOES THINGS TOGETHER,
• 18:47 WHICH, BY THE WAY, WAS MISSING FROM THE ROMAN WORLD.
• 18:50 I THINK IT'S ALSO MISSING FOR MANY PEOPLE TODAY...
• 18:52 THAT FEELING OF COMMUNITY...
• 18:54 WHO DO I BELONG TO?
• 18:55 I DON'T ONLY BELONG TO A NATION...
• 18:58 A NATION IS TOO ENORMOUS.
• 19:00 I WANT TO BELONG TO A GROUP, TO NEIGHBORS, TO FRIENDS.
• 19:03 THIS IS THE FIRST CENTURY
• 19:05 AND IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS YOU'RE LOSING THIS WHOLE IDEA OF THE FEASTS AND THE FESTIVALS,
• 19:10 WHICH WASN'T SOMETHING THAT WAS DONE AT HOME WITH YOUR FAMILY.
• 19:15 IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS DONE IN YOUR COMMUNITY.
• 19:18 THIS TOGETHERNESS IS WHAT MADE JUDAISM WHAT IT WAS LATER AS IT DEVELOPED
• 19:25 AND WHAT MADE IT SO ATTRACTIVE TO EVERYBODY ELSE WHO WANTED TO BE A PART OF THIS.
• 19:30 THEY WANT TO BE PART OF THIS BIG COMMUNITY.
• 19:33 CAN YOU PINPOINT A TIME AND A PERSON RESPONSIBLE
• 19:35 FOR THE SEPARATION OF CHRISTIANITY AND JUDAISM?
• 19:39 CHRISTIANITY WAS DEVELOPING IN TWO WAYS:
• 19:43 THERE WAS JEWISH CHRISTIANITY, CHRISTIANS WHO WERE JEWS,
• 19:47 AND THEN THERE WAS GENTILE CHRISTIANITY.
• 19:49 THE GENTILE CHRISTIANITY WERE THESE GENTILES WHO WANTED TO BE JEWS.
• 19:55 THEY WERE CALLED "GOD FEARERS", LIKE CORNELIUS FROM CAESAREA.
• 19:59 THEY WERE CALLED "GOD FEARERS".
• 20:01 THEY LIKED THE IDEA OF COMMUNITY WITH JUDAISM.
• 20:04 THEY LIKED THE IDEA OF A MESSIAH.
• 20:06 THEY LIKED THE IDEA OF ONE GOD WHO WAS UNSEEN.
• 20:09 YOU REMEMBER THE GOD OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE WAS THE EMPEROR.
• 20:12 THE EMPEROR HAPPENED TO BE A LITTLE SMALL MIDGET WHO JUST MARRIED HIS HORSE.
• 20:16 THIS IS GOD?
• 20:17 THERE'S A BIG PROBLEM WITH THAT.
• 20:19 SO THIS IDEA OF JUDAISM WORKED VERY WELL FOR THEM
• 20:23 AND IT MADE SENSE.
• 20:25 THEY DIDN'T LIKE THE EVERYDAY LITTLE NIT PICKING OF WHAT IT WAS ALL ABOUT.
• 20:29 CHRISTIANITY ALLOWED THEM,
• 20:33 PETER AND ESPECIALLY PAUL,
• 20:35 ALLOWED THEM TO JOIN THIS IDEA OF GROUP,
• 20:39 THIS IDEA OF TOGETHERNESS,
• 20:40 THIS IDEA OF A MESSIAH,
• 20:42 WITHOUT THE RIGMAROLE.
• 20:44 AND THEY JOINED BY THE THOUSANDS.
• 20:47 SUDDENLY YOU HAD THE JEWISH JEWS AND THE CHRISTIAN JEWS IN THE SAME SYNAGOGUE.
• 20:55 NEXT TO THEM WERE THE GENTILE CHRISTIANS.
• 20:58 THEY WERE ALL TOGETHER -
• 21:00 THE SAME COMMUNITY...
• 21:01 BUT THE GENTILE CHRISTIANS GREW... RAPIDLY,
• 21:07 AND IN MANY PLACES LIKE ANTIOCH AND ALEXANDRIA,
• 21:10 SUDDENLY THERE WERE MORE GENTILE CHRISTIANS THAN THERE WERE JEWS,
• 21:15 THAN THERE WERE JEWISH CHRISTIANS.
• 21:18 THEY BECAME THE BIGGER COMMUNITY.
• 21:20 THEY WERE FULL OF THIS MESSIANIC FERVOR AND SO ON.
• 21:24 AND JUDAISM WAS BEGINNING TO HAVE A PROBLEM.
• 21:27 THEY WERE SAYING,
• 21:28 THE RABBIS WERE SAYING,
• 21:29 "IF WE ALLOW THIS INTO JUDAISM..."
• 21:32 BECAUSE THEY WERE ALL JEWISH REMEMBER -
• 21:34 "IF WE ALLOW THIS INTO JUDAISM,"
• 21:36 "IF WE ALLOW THIS CHRISTIAN THING TO GO ON WITH THE GENTILES"
• 21:39 "WE'RE GOING TO LOSE THE JEWISH IDENTITY THAT WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP."
• 21:43 THIS HEATED ARGUMENT REACHES THE YEAR 140
• 21:47 WHERE RABBI GAMALIEL II, WHO WAS THE PRESIDENT OF THE ACADEMY,
• 21:52 SAYS, "FROM NOW ON, IF YOU'RE CHRISTIAN, YOU'RE NOT JEWISH."
• 21:58 "YOU HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION."
• 22:00 "ARE YOU JEWISH OR ARE YOU CHRISTIAN?"
• 22:02 THE GENTILES WERE OUT.
• 22:03 THE JEWISH CHRISTIANS SLOWLY PETERED OUT BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T DO IT ANYMORE.
• 22:07 THE CHURCH THAT SURVIVED WAS THE GENTILE CHURCH,
• 22:11 WHICH WAS REJECTED.
• 22:13 THEY WENT THROUGH THE BEGINNING WITH REJECTION.
• 22:16 THEY HAD ANOTHER PROBLEM.
• 22:17 THE MINUTE THE JEWS SAID THAT CHRISTIANS WERE NOT JEWISH
• 22:21 THE CHRISTIANS SUDDENLY DIDN'T HAVE A RELIGION.
• 22:23 THEY DIDN'T HAVE WHAT WAS CALLED IN THE ROMAN WORLD A "LEGAL" RELIGION.
• 22:27 IT WAS ILLEGAL NOT TO HAVE A RELIGION.
• 22:31 CHRISTIANITY WAS NOT A RELIGION... JUDAISM WAS.
• 22:34 AS LONG AS YOU WERE JEWISH, EVEN AS A CHRISTIAN, YOU HAD A LEGAL RELIGION.
• 22:39 BUT NOW YOU'RE NOT.
• 22:40 AND WE HAVE LETTERS FROM VARIOUS ROMAN ADMINISTRATORS SAYING,
• 22:44 "WHAT TO DO WITH THESE CHRISTIANS?"
• 22:45 "DO WE PERSECUTE THEM?"
• 22:47 THERE'S A VERY FAMOUS ANSWER FROM THE EMPEROR CLAUDIUS.
• 22:49 HE SAYS, "IF YOU FIND THEM PERSECUTE THEM,"
• 22:52 "BUT DON'T LOOK FOR THEM."
• 22:54 YOU KNOW, "DON'T MAKE AN ISSUE OUT OF IT."
• 22:56 IT'S SAD, IT'S UNFORTUNATE,
• 22:57 BUT MANY CHRISTIANS AREN'T FAMILIAR WITH THEIR JEWISH ROOTS.
• 23:00 WHEN I WROTE THE ARTICLE I USED THE TEXT OF THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT.
• 23:07 THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT HAS NOTHING IN IT THAT COULD NOT BE READ TODAY IN A SYNAGOGUE.
• 23:14 YOU COULD TAKE THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT AND READ IT IN A SYNAGOGUE
• 23:18 AND ALL THE JEWS WOULD SAY, "AMEN"...
• 23:22 BECAUSE THE BASIS IS THERE.
• 23:27 WE BELIEVE IN THAT THE SAME AS EVERYBODY ELSE.
• 23:30 THAT'S WHY I USED THAT...
• 23:31 "BLESSED ARE THE PEACE MAKERS..."
• 23:32 EVERYONE WOULD SAY, "YES, OK."
• 23:34 BUT YOU KNOW WHAT?
• 23:35 BLESSED ARE THE PEACE MAKERS AND BLESSED ARE THE POOR,
• 23:38 AND THIS AND THAT.
• 23:39 DO YOU KNOW WHERE THAT COMES FROM?
• 23:40 THAT COMES FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT!
• 23:41 WHAT?HORROR! [LAUGHS]
• 23:44 BUT PEOPLE CAN ACCEPT THAT.
• 23:45 PEOPLE CAN ACCEPT THAT.
• 23:47 OKAY, IT WON'T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT, BUT IT IS HAPPENING -
• 23:50 AN UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE IS A COMMON BASE OF JUDAISM AND CHRISTIANITY
• 23:57 AND THAT WHEN I LOOK AT JESUS
• 23:59 AND WHEN A CHRISTIAN LOOKS AT JESUS,
• 24:02 I DON'T HAVE TO ACCEPT THAT JESUS IS THE MESSIAH.
• 24:09 BUT I CAN ACCEPT,
• 24:11 AND THIS IS WHAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ME AND THE CHRISTIAN.
• 24:15 THE CHRISTIAN SAYS JESUS IS THE MESSIAH...
• 24:16 HE DIED AND HE WAS RESURRECTED AFTER THREE DAYS.
• 24:20 I SAY, "I DON'T ACCEPT THAT."
• 24:23 BUT I DO ACCEPT THAT THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS,
• 24:28 OKAY, THE FACT THAT THERE IS SOMETHING MORE THAN EVERYDAY LIFE,
• 24:32 THE FACT THAT THERE IS A REDEMPTION,
• 24:34 THE FACT THAT WE HAVE TO LIVE OUR LIVES IN A CERTAIN SPIRITUAL WAY...
• 24:40 THAT'S ACCEPTABLE.
• 24:41 AND MOST JEWS CAN ACCEPT THAT.
• 24:43 THERE WAS A POLL TAKEN IN ISRAEL AFTER THE VISIT OF THE POPE
• 24:48 THAT SAID 75% OF ISRAELIS WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT CHRISTIANITY.
• 24:53 IT'S SOMETHING NEW.
• 24:54 THEY FEEL THEY DON'T KNOW
• 24:55 AND THEY FEEL THEY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE...
• 24:58 WHICH IS INTERESTING...
• 24:59 WHICH SHOWS THAT ACTUALLY ON THE PEOPLE TO PEOPLE LEVEL
• 25:03 THERE'S A BEGINNING OF UNDERSTANDING
• 25:05 THAT WE HAVE MORE COMMON ROOTS
• 25:07 THAN WE HAVE DIFFERENCES.
• 25:44 THAT'S ZOLA IN ISRAEL
• 25:46 PLAYING THE MUSIC
• 25:47 THAT HE PLAYS SO WELL
• 25:48 AND TEACHING US ABOUT "FIRST FRUITS".
• 25:50 "FIRST FRUITS" IS REALLY "RESURRECTION".
• 25:53 IT'S REALLY ABOUT LIFE FROM THE DEAD.
• 25:55 IT'S NOT ABOUT ISHTAR
• 25:57 OR THE PAGAN HOLIDAY THAT WE'VE COME TO KNOW
• 26:00 BUT IT'S ABOUT "FIRST FRUITS",
• 26:01 THE RESURRECTION OF LIFE.
• 26:02 IT REALLY IS
• 26:03 ON THE HEBREW CALENDAR IT'S GOD'S TIMING,
• 26:05 IT'S GOD'S FEAST
• 26:07 AND ZOLA DOES A GREAT JOB OF EXPLAINING TO US ABOUT RESURRECTION LIFE,
• 26:11 ABOUT "FIRST FRUITS'.
• 26:12 JESUS WAS SINLESS AND HOLY
• 26:15 AND SO WHEN HE PAID THE PRICE FOR YOUR SIN AND FOR MINE,
• 26:18 WHEN HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD AND WENT TO HEAVEN,
• 26:20 THE GRAVES OPENED IN JERUSALEM.
• 26:22 IT'S AN INCREDIBLE STORY
• 26:23 BUT TRUE.
• 26:24 AND WE CAN FOLLOW HIM TO HEAVEN IF WE KNOW HIM...
• 26:26 IF YOU KNOW HIM AS I DO...
• 26:28 AS KATHARINE DOES.
• 26:29 WE WANT TO IMPLORE THAT YOU WOULD GET TO KNOW YESHUA...
• 26:32 GET TO KNOW HIM.
• 26:33 ONE WAY TO KNOW HIM IS THROUGH HIS WORD
• 26:35 AND WE WOULD LOVE TO HELP YOU.
• 26:37 OUR OFFER THIS WEEK IS
• 26:38 "DISCOVERING OUR JEWISH ROOTS".
• 26:40 THIS IS A NINE CD SET
• 26:42 AND IT WILL TEACH YOU
• 26:43 ABOUT THE HEBREW ROOTS
• 26:44 OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH...
• 26:46 TEACH YOU ABOUT THE FEASTS...
• 26:47 IT'S AN AMAZING STUDY
• 26:48 THAT WILL HELP YOU UNDERSTAND
• 26:49 EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE SEEING
• 26:51 IN THIS SERIES AND BEYOND.
• 26:52 SO WE WANT TO OFFER THAT TO YOU THIS WEEK.
• 26:54 UNTIL WE SEE YOU AGAIN WE WANT TO REMIND YOU
• 26:58 SHAL'ALU SHALOM YERUSHALAYIM.
• 27:01 PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM.