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Before reading this, read Chapter 1: History: God's Voice Speaking To His Children - Creation

History: God's Voice Speaking To His Children

'God Speaks His Law To All Of Israel;
and Then Writes It Through Moses'

On the day that would later be called Pentecost, Jehovah revealed Himself to all of Israel in a most spectacular way.  The Apostle Paul plainly teaches us about this event in Hebrews 12:18-29, "For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet and the VOICE of {the} Word, so that those who heard it begged that the Word should not be spoken to them anymore.... But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly {New} Jerusalem {the Bride}, to an innumerable company of angels {Heavenly Host}, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven {in the book of life}, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to THE BLOOD of sprinkling THAT SPEAKS better things than that of Abel {Abel's blood}."

Paul's Warning To All Christians...
With the following words, Paul goes on to warn all Christians not to repeat Israel's mistake, "SEE THAT YOU DO NOT REFUSE HIM WHO SPEAKS. For if they did not escape who refused HIM {Jesus Christ} WHO SPOKE FROM EARTH, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from HIM WHO SPEAKS FROM HEAVEN, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, "YET ONCE MORE I SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO HEAVEN.  Now this, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made {physical}, that the things which cannot be shaken {God in us} may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and GODLY FEAR. For our God is the/a consuming Fire {Baptism}.

Paul tells us that Christians are "receiving a Kingdom that cannot be shaken".  Luke 17:21 tells us, "indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."  It is Christ's mind (1 Cor 2:16), and Spirit (Rom 8:9; Phil 1:19) that creates the Kingdom of God within each of us.   This is the Kingdom that can not be shaken.

Paul warns us, "see that you do not refuse Him who speaks."  Who is it we must hear?  We must hear the one who speaks from HEAVEN.  Who is speaking from Heaven?  What burning mountain is Paul referring to?  "Who's voice is the "voice of {the} Word"?  When we know the answer to these questions, we will glorify and praise God for the wonderful gift He gave Christians on the day of Pentecost.

What Is Pentecost...
The New Testament Greek word "Pentecost" means "fifty".  Pentecost or, as the Israelites knew it, 'THE FEAST OF THE FIRSTFRUITS' was/is 50 days after Passover. 

God assigned seven yearly feasts to Israel at the time He gave His Law to Moses. Yearly, all Israelite males were required to attend three, of the seven, feasts at the Temple in Jerusalem after it was built.  Two of the three feasts, as you know, have manifested God's will in a most spectacular way. 

During Passover, also known as Unleavened Bread, Israel was led out of physical bondage to Egypt, by Jehovah.  Mark 14:22 informs us that Jesus Christ is the unleavened bread; the bread without sin.  "As Jesus and His disciples were eating, He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, "Take, eat; this is My body".  Many years later, during the Feast of Passover, or FIRSTFRUIT, Jesus Christ, through His crucifixion and resurrection from the dead, led us out of spiritual bondage.  Jesus Christ, of course, is the FIRSTFRUIT.  1 Corinthians 15:23 verifies this, saying, "But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming". 

On the day a that would later be called Pentecost, Jehovah, the LORD, MANIFESTED AS FIRE in the physical realm.  He then spoke, in an AUDIBLE VOICE, the first Ten Commandments to all of Israel; and gave Israel the Law, or Commandments, written in stone.  On another day of Pentecost, many years later, Jehovah again MANIFESTED AS FIRE, over the heads of one hundred and twenty disciples. Then, after filling each of them with His Spirit who is Holy, He spoke in an AUDIBLE VOICE through each individual (Acts 1:15-2:4).

The third feast which required all males to be present was/is "Tabernacles (Booths and Ingathering).  For more information on this Feast, see our series of articles, beginning with  "FEAST OF THE TABERNACLES and CHRIST'S INGATHERING".   Historically speaking, this Feast is the most likely time for the "taking up", or INGATHERING" of the Saints. 

Why do these three Feasts play an important role in the life of a Christian today?  Grant Jeffrey in his excellent book 'ARMAGEDDON - Appointment With Destiny', explains, "As we look back over the history of our civilization's last four thousand years in light of Scripture, we are confronted by a strange phenomenon.   Despite the apparent random nature of historical dates and events, a curious pattern of astonishing complexity emerges when we examine the biblical prophecies regarding the nation of Israel and their precise fulfillment.  More than forty of the most significant events in Israel's history have occurred on precise anniversaries of the feast days of the biblical calendar.

God's sovereignty over history and His foreknowledge are manifested clearly as He sets these prophetic appointments for Israel {and Christians}.  Then, as each time cycle concludes, He keeps the appointment by bringing the prophesied event to pass at the appointed time."  (Grant Jeffrey; Armageddon, Appointment With Destiny).

We are told by Paul in Colossians 2:17, that these feasts were a "shadow of things to come". In other words, they foreshadowed the coming of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Fire Baptism and many events not yet evidenced.

Grant Jeffrey further informs us, "The mystical union of God and Israel that occurred on the Feast of Pentecost at the foot of Mount Sinai is exactly mirrored in the union of God's Holy Spirit with Christ's Bride, the Church, on Pentecost fifty days after Christ rose from the dead".

Regarding the theme of Pentecost, Grant explains that Pentecost, "was a time for ritual cleansing and new beginnings for Jews.  Pentecost, or Shavuot to the Jews, celebrated the end of the grain harvest, the summer harvest. It is also known as the 'Zeman Matan Tortenu', the giving of the Law to Israel." 

Mr. Jeffrey goes on to say, "Although God had chosen Israel by His grace through Abraham, He now confirmed this covenant, four hundred and thirty years later, by the presentation of His Law on the Feast of Pentecost, the sixth of Sivan..... It began a new period of spiritual stewardship to this further REVELATION of the will of God. The Jewish rabbinical teachings confirm that it was on the sixth day of Sivan that Moses received the Ten Commandments. Also, the Jewish Almanac records that ‘historically', it (the sixth day of Sivan - Pentecost) commemorates the revelation on Mount Sinai when God gave the Torah to the children of Israel."

Reverend Dake's Annotate Reference Bible says "The Septuagint....and others read: ... This would make the day of the giving of the law the 50th (or Pentecost) after Israel left Egypt on the 15th day of the 1st month. The day of Pentecost was after seven Sabbaths (49 days) were completed, or the 50th day after the Sabbath after the Passover (Lev 23:11, 15-16). Thus beginning with the 6th day of the 1st month and counting 50 days would mean the law was given on Pentecost."

REVELATION KNOWLEDGE.....
The fact not known, or taught, by Grant Jeffrey or Reverend Dake, is that the LORD delivered the first Ten Commandments in His OWN VOICE, to ALL the people of Israel. It is the first time a CONGREGATION of believers on earth, heard the LORD speak to them out loud. Unfortunately, because they were afraid to hear Him, they refused His voice. This book is dedicated to eliminating the misconception and fear, that the modern day Christian may have concerning the hearing of God's voice.

On the day that would later be called Pentecost, ALL of Israel was brought together as one Body, and received the FIRE of the LORD [Jehovah, the Eternal Self-Existent]. Later, the people asked the LORD, through Moses, not to speak to them anymore.  They chose to hear God through Moses, or others like him; thus, Jehovah agreed to speak through prophets in the future.  By their own will, the Israelites removed themselves from God's personal presence, His voice.

(Exod 19:11-20:22) The LORD said to Moses, "And let them be ready for the third day. For on the third day the LORD will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of ALL the people....... Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightenings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that ALL the people who were in the camp trembled. And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in FIRE. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and GOD ANSWERED HIM BY VOICE.  AND GOD SPOKE ALL THESE WORDS, SAYING: I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 'You shall have no other gods before Me... {continued speaking the Ten Commandments}...   Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. Then they said to Moses, 'YOU SPEAK WITH US, AND WE WILL HEAR; BUT LET NOT GOD SPEAK WITH US, lest we die.'  And Moses said to the people, "DO NOT FEAR; FOR GOD HAS COME TO TEST YOU, THAT HIS FEAR MAY BE BEFORE YOUR FACES, SO THAT YOU MAY NOT SIN. So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: 'YOU HAVE SEEN THAT I HAVE TALKED WITH YOU FROM HEAVEN."

How Did God's Voice Test The People?
Jehovah is the voice that spoke from HEAVEN.  Moses said to the people (congregation), "Do not fear {be afraid}; for God has come to test you, that His fear {fear and reverence of Him} may be before your faces, SO THAT YOU MAY NOT SIN.

How did God test the people?    He spoke to them.   In other words, the test was 'will you receive Me, My voice, or will you not?'   The people then said to Moses, "You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us".  Moses explained to them, "Do not fear {be afraid}; for God has come to test you, that His fear {fear and reverence of Him} may be before your faces, so that you may not sin.  God spoke directly to the people, in order to cause "fear", which is REVERENCE, RESPECT and FEAR of Him; and this was done in order to keep God's "chosen" people from sinning.

The fact that Israel received the LORD'S 'FIRE' on the Day of Pentecost, before Jesus Christ's birth, and before the disciples received the Fire Baptism, may surprise some Christians. However, Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:1-4, that, "Moreover, brothers, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were BAPTIZED into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, ALL ATE THE SAME SPIRITUAL FOOD, AND ALL DRANK THE SAME SPIRITUAL DRINK. FOR THEY DRANK OF THAT SPIRITUAL ROCK THAT FOLLOWED THEM, AND THAT ROCK WAS CHRIST." 

Israel was baptized in the Red Sea by Jehovah.  He then led them over to Mount Sinai, and gave them His External Law in His own audible voice.  Exodus 19:11-20:22 is confirmed in Deuteronomy 5:2, "The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb {Mount Sinai}. The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day. THE LORD TALKED WITH YOU FACE TO FACE IN THE MOUNT OUT OF THE MIDST OF THE FIRE, (I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to shew you the word of the LORD: for ye were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount;)...". (KJV)

Notice, we are told that Israel "saw no form"; and that she "only heard a voice".  In Genesis, Adam also herd the voice of God, but saw no form.  We are also told in Deuteronomy 5:2 that the "LORD talked with Israel FACE to FACE" out of the midst of fire.  She heard the voice of her creator, and stood face to face with Him - she was in the PRESENCE of the LORD God Almighty.

The Exodus 19 teaching is verified in Deuteronomy 4:7-20, ""And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day?.....And the LORD spoke to you out of the MIDST OF FIRE. YOU HEARD THE SOUND OF THE WORDS, BUT SAW NO FORM; YOU ONLY HEARD A VOICE.  So he declared to you his covenant which he commanded you to perform, that is, the ten commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone. And the LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that you might observe them in the land which you cross over to possess. Take careful heed to yourselves, for you saw no form when the LORD spoke to you at Horeb {Mount Sinai} out of the midst of the fire, lest you act corruptly and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure: the likeness of male or female......But the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be His people, an inheritance, as you are this day."

Did the LORD speak to the people?  YES!  Later, Moses repeats the incident saying, "Also in Horeb you provoked the LORD to wrath, so that the LORD was angry with you to have destroyed you. When I was gone up into the mount to receive the tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant which the LORD made with you, then I abode in the mount forty days and forty nights, I neither did eat bread nor drink water: And the LORD delivered unto me two tables of stone written with the finger of God; and on them was written according to all the words, WHICH THE LORD SPOKE WITH YOU in the mount OUT OF THE MIDST OF THE FIRE IN THE DAY OF THE ASSEMBLY." (Deut 9:8-10).

Remember, Israel chose to hear God through Moses.  For this reason, Jehovah agreed to speak through prophets in the future.  By their own will, the Israelites removed themselves from God's personal PRESENCE, His Face, His Voice.  It is interesting to note, that Israel consistently murdered God's prophets, rather than receive His correction and instruction through them. 

"SEE THAT YOU DO NOT REFUSE HIM WHO SPEAKS"

Next In This Series: Old Testament Prophets

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