Go and Find your Bible. Open to the Table of Contents and take a look. First thing you will see is a list of sixty-six books. How did all of these books come to be known as The Bible? What is the Bible about? Who are the main characters in the Bible? Is it just a history book or is it absolutely relevant to the present day? Let’s answer these questions by focusing on the three main characters that appear and reappear throughout the Bible. The three main characters are especially relevant to the present day.
It is indeed a momentous occasion for America. Four hundred years ago, on November 11, 1620, the Pilgrims came ashore on land. That is now in Provincetown on Cape Cod. The Pilgrims’ story is a central theme in the history and culture of the United States of America. The Pilgrim Fathers were that band of Puritans who founded the colony of Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620.
A pilgrim is defined a person who journeys a long distance to some sacred place as an act of devotion. They were escaping religious persecution and going to the Promised Land.
The Pilgrims Landing
“PROVINCETOWN – The year 1620 is etched in the annals of world history. It is the year a group of English settlers known as the Pilgrims seeking religious freedom boarded their ship, Mayflower. They braved a hazardous trip across the Atlantic Ocean to establish a new home.”
Plymouth Rock – 1620
Seeing this date etched in Plymouth Rock is like seeing the writing on the Wall. “Mene, mene, teckel, upharsin” in the time of Daniel spelled the end for the Babylonian king and the end of the Babylonian captivity. It marks an especially important date for the people of God.
Question: Why hasn’t God intervened on the tyrants throughout history to prevent far worse atrocities than in the Old Testament days in which He did intervene?
A tyrant is a king or ruler who uses his power oppressively or unjustly. Any despotic person. Tyranny is the arbitrary or unrestrained exercise of power, despotic abuse of power; oppression
The tyrants in the earth are becoming plainly visible and God has every intention of intervening!
Thus saith the LORD, “To Me belongs vengeance, and recompense; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste… And He shall say, ‘Where are their gods, their rock in whom they trusted?'”
The Feast of Harvest, the ingathering of the Firstfruits into the House of God has begun at sunset which is at 6:49 PM, October 2, 2020. The full moon in harvest time is so called the Harvest Moon because it rises as the sun sets and gives light to the reapers all night long. Then as the moon goes down, the sun begins to rise.
“Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in THE DAY that the LORD binds up the breach of His people and heals the stroke of their wound.”
Isaiah 30:26
Jesus told a parable of the harvest of the ‘Wheat and the Tares’. When he had finished and everyone went home, his disciples came and asked him to explain it to them. Here’s what he said:
Viking longhouse with walls made of finely interwoven branches
Feast of Tabernacles
The Feast of Tabernacles is the third and final Hebrew pilgrim festival called for by God. Also known as the Feast of Ingathering, it follows the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the Feast of Weeks. It has been observed by Hebrews for generations and will occur this year from October 2nd through October 9th, 2020. What is the Feast of Tabernacles and what is its significance?
After Israel was delivered out of their oppression by Moses, the LORD made them to dwell in tabernacles. In Hebrew these dwellings were called succoth which means ‘booths,’ ‘tents,’ or ‘tabernacles.’ The temporary shelters were made of interwoven branches that protected them in the wilderness.
“And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD… You shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.”
The word jubile can mean, ‘the sound of a trumpet,’ ‘a trumpet-blast of liberty’ and/or ‘a shout of joy’. A Trumpet is commanded to sound in the Jubilee Year as signal of the year of release for all the people who will hear the sound and come to the ingathering of the congregation. It is a day of great rejoicing for the House of Israel, a Day of Atonement, salvation, liberty, restoration and comfort. In days of ole, the Jubilee year was announced by a blast on a shofar, an instrument made from a ram’s horn, during that year’s Yom Kippur or Day of Atonement.
The Jubilee Shofar or Ram’s Horn was the Trumpet Sound
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Question: What is the meaning of “The Valley of Dry Bones”?
The Valley of Dry Bones is a reference to Ezekiel chapter 37 where we find him being carried away and set down in a valley filled with bones. They are a disconnected, dried up body whose bones are scattered, without life. Their hope is gone.
These ‘bones’ are the House of Israel, the Body of Christ.
One thing is certain: As it is impossible for a man to mount two horses, so no man can serve/please two masters, you cannot serve God and the pursuit of wealth. You must choose between one or the other. For if you serve the pursuit of mammon, it will be your master. It will govern every decision you make. It will consume you with all that you have. You will never have enough. On the other hand, if God is master/focus, there won’t be enough room to contain the abundance poured out. It is The Valley of Decision, and a choice to be made. In this so-called ‘time of uncertainty’, it’s time for discernment to make certain. Jesus said to pay attention always so ‘that Day’ doesn’t come upon you in unawareness. That Day? What Day? The Day of the Lord! Just like when Moses required the people to make a choice between God’s servant and a rebellious servant. Making the wrong choice was a bad decision.
“No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon/pursuit of wealth.
The priests also, who were covetous (that is: fond of money, avaricious or greedy for riches), heard all these things: and they derided/sneered at him. Jesus said to them, ‘You are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knows your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.’”
Jesus – Gospel of Luke 16:13-15
The Love of Money
“…But they that are rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts/desires, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some covet after, they have erred from the faith/truth and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
But you, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith/truth, love, patience, meekness.”
Bartholomew was an Apostle of Jesus Christ. And with this story, comes the legend of the children of Israel, that is Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham. It highlights a portion in time when the people of God were in transgression and had been scattered throughout the earth, as they are to this day. For their help, He sent them His servants, the Prophets, His own son, Jesus, and his Apostles. In most every instance, they have been met with hostility and persecution because what they had to say was not well received. But they persevered because they had been sent by God Himself to correct His people and turn them back to Him.
August 24, is celebrated and remembered throughout Christendom as the feast day of the Apostle, Bartholomew. He was numbered among the twelve original Apostles who followed Jesus and were witnesses to all that he said and did. Before he died, Jesus sent them out to teach their brethren all things he had taught them. They were all tortured and killed, as Jesus was, for their testimony except one. That one was John who was exiled and from whom we have the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, the last book of the Bible. Jesus had twelve Apostles, one for each of the twelve tribes of the House of Israel/Jacob. Bartholomew was also known in the Gospels as Nathaniel. Jesus pointed to him and said, “Behold! an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” (John 1:47)
According to ancient tradition, Christianity was first preached in Armenia by two Apostles of Christ, Thaddeus and Bartholomew. During the first three centuries of Christianity in Armenia its followers had to remain a hidden congregation because of persecution. Indeed Christ led his followers into being persecuted for his name’s sake, as were the Prophets before him. He had told them before-time to expect it. Even Paul/Saul persecuted followers of Christ before his conversion and then after that he himself was killed. (Acts 7-8)
