The Three Harvest Feasts of Exodus 23:14-19; Lev. 23, No. 1

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T H E T H R E E H A R V E S T F E A S T S
of
Exodus 23:14-19; Lev. 23

BL-20-1

The Feasts: No. 1

August 27, 1959

Subject:

The Passover and Wave-Sheaf Ceremony

Aim:

To show:

The three feasts are typical of the great soul harvest of Matt. 13; Zech. 14; Rev. 22:17.

The 144,000 are the first increment of the harvest.

These feasts should be observed today:

PASSOVER Feast with Wave-sheaf Ceremony. (The Bride, holy city Jerusalem. Isa. 62:5; 2 Cor. 11:2; Rev. 19:7; GC 426-7)

PENTECOST Feast with Wave-loaf Ceremony. (144,000 first increment. Rev. 14:11)

Feast of TABERNACLES (Second Fruit harvest Zech. 14:16-19)

Gem Thought:

"As the WAVE-SHEAF and the wave-loaves are typical then also the Feast of Tabernacles must be typical." 3Tr 81:2.

"A close study of the type is the only possible way to clear the truth..." 2 S.R. 266:5.

"Thus, through patriarchs and prophets, as well as through TYPES and SYMBOLS, God spoke to the world concerning the coming of a Deliverer from sin." P.K. 697.

"Christ was the foundation of the Jewish economy, THE WHOLE SYSTEM OF TYPES AND SYMBOLS WAS A COMPACTED PROPHEY OF THE GOSPEL, a presentation in which were bound up the promises of redemption." A.A. 14:1.

Introduction:

True children of God will have an earnest desire to put away sin, all preconceived ideas and prejudices with an unction by the Holy Spirit to do all God has commanded. They will be seeking for Truth as for hidden treasure, accepting Christ's Righteousness (His Truth) in place of their own righteousness which is but filthy rags. Study Isa. 4:1.

They will likewise hear the Lord when He says, "And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people and I will be your God." Ezek. 36:27, 28.

"Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel,

with the statutes and judgments. Mal. 4:4.

"When this gospel shall be presented in its fullness to the Jews, many will accept Christ as the Messiah...As the Old Testament Scriptures are blended with the New in an explanation of Jehovah's eternal purpose, this will be to many of the Jews as the dawn of a new creation, the resurrection of the soul...their slumbering faculties will be aroused, and they will recognize Christ as the Saviour of the world." A.A. 380-1.

Inspiration declares:

The Lord will be our God when His Spirit causes us to walk in His statutes and keep His judgments.

Then His people will possess the land that He gave to their fathers.

When we keep the commandments He gave to Moses "with the statutes and judgments," blending them with the New Testament, many of the Jews will accept Christ as the Messiah.

Conclusively, Brethren, the feasts are to be "statutes forever throughout your generations." Lev. 23:14, 21. "Wherefore ye shall do my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; and ye shall dwell in the land in safety." Lev. 25:18.

"Your obeying 'all the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments' of the moral law of Moses, you see, is your evidence that you have been born again,..." 2 TG 37-24:3.

The Feasts – No. 1

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Yes, when we present the gospel in its fullness, blending the Old Testament Scriptures with the New, many Jews will be able to "recognize Christ as the Saviour of the world."

Adding the keeping of the feasts to the Third Angel's Message according to the Old Testament, in harmony with the New Testament is what constitutes the gospel in its fullness.

This "addition" of the feasts observance truth is brought by the Angel (message) that joins the Third Angel's Message in a message to be given to the world. (T.M. 300; E.W. 277) This is, in fact, the Judgment of the Living – the Righteousness of Christ.

Therefore, "Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year." Ex. 23:14.

"Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread." (PASSOVER) Ex. 23:15; P.P. 277.

"And the feast of harvest, the first fruits of thy labors, which thou hast sown in the field." (PENTECOST) Ex. 23:16, first part.

"...and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the of the year..." (FEAST OF TABERNACLES) Ex. 23:16, last part.

Reason for the feasts:

"As a means of education, an important place was filled by the feasts of Israel....three times a year seasons were appointed for social intercourse and worship." Ed. 41:5.

–PART ONE–

The Passover feast and Wave-Sheaf Ceremony

The Passover Feast:

"In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord's Passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the Lord: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread." Lev. 23:5, 6.

"The Passover was to be both commemorative and typical not only pointing back to the deliverance from Egypt, but forward to the great deliverance which Christ was to accomplish in freeing his people from the bondage of sin." P.P. 277.

Note:

"…the Lord's Supper was instituted as a memorial of the same event of which the Passover had been a type." P.P. 539:3.

"In observance of the Passover, the Lord commanded Israel to celebrate that occasion seven days. (See Lev. 23:5-8). Surely no one would say that God commanded His people to commemorate that event seven days with no object in view. Israel after the flesh going into Egypt, then out of Egypt to Mount Sinai, the Passover in Egypt on the night when the death angel smote the first born of man and beast at the departure of Israel, are TYPES of the church at the present time – the church going out of Egypt – worldliness, the purification of the church, the separation of the tares from the wheat – the fulfillment of Ezekiel 9." 2 S.R. 216:3.

"I am, however, certain that God will not keep us ignorant of the things we ought to know. If it becomes necessary for us to know ahead of time the day and hour of the purification of the church, the antitypical Passover, we will be told." 2 TG 41-3:3. (Send for literature explaining the time of antitypical Passover)

"The Lord's Supper was ordained in remembrance of the Lord's sacrifice, not to cleanse the partakers of it from their sins but to cleanse them from sinners as is seen from the Passover in Egypt and from the fact, that thereafter Judas no longer walked with the disciples. Plainly, then, the celebration of the ordinance brought blessing to the eleven, but damnation to the one." 1TGr 3-3:4.

"Furthermore, no one seems to know when and how to observe the sacrament. Some observe it every Sunday or every Sabbath, some occasionally, some every quarter and so on. It. seems logical to say that when God commands us to observe it anew He will tell us also how and when to observe it properly." 1TGr 3-6:2.

The message, moreover, teaches that we should remain in the mother church and work strictly for her salvation. The conclusion then is that as long as we stay with her there seems to be no need for ordaining the Lord's Supper privately among ourselves, perhaps not before the hour comes for the penitent to be separated from the impenitent, as taught by the TYPES – by the PASSOVER in Egypt and by the PASSOVER on the night when Judas was to go out, never again to walk with the twelve." 1TGr 3-6:1.

SUMMARY: In the foregoing statements we plainly see:

PASSOVER is commemorative, pointing back to ancient Israel's deliverance from

The Feasts – No. 1

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Egypt: also typical, pointing forward to a greater deliverance when Christ (THE BRANCH) frees His people from sin and sinners.

The Lord's Supper was instituted as antitypical Passover, to be observed once a year at Passover time.

Note:

A seven-day affair: religious, social, and educational (the same as in the type except for the sacrifice of the Lamb. Lev. 23:5-8). Observed at the going down of the sun on the fourteenth day of the first month Abib, the first and seventh days are holy with a total of three holy days including the weekly Sabbath which came between the first and seventh days.

Passover in Egypt and the smiting of the first born is typical of the church at the present time: going out of Egypt – worldliness, purification, separation of the tares from the wheat, Ezek. 9 slaying.

Passover not designed to cleanse sinners of their sins, but sinners from among His people, i.e. Judas no longer walked with the twelve.

God through Inspiration will reveal the time of the antitypical Passover.

Logical to say, when God commands us to observe Passover anew, He will tell us how and when to observe it properly.

II.

The Wave-Sheaf Ceremony (Read Lev. 23:9-12)

"The Wave-Sheaf, Wave-Loaves, and the Feast of Tabernacles. Illustrating our salvation in completeness, the harvest rites of the ceremonial system must therefore corroborate both the testimonies of the prophets and the parables concerning the harvest, for all are inextricably bound up together. The ceremonies of the first and second fruits of grain must accordingly unfold the truth concerning the first and second fruits of humanity." 3 Tr 75:2.

"Here we see commanded the observance of three harvest rites:

(1)...the...wave-sheaf, at the beginning of the first harvest;

(2)...the...wave-loaves, at the close of the first harvest;

(3)…the feast of tabernacles, at the close of the second harvest." Id. 76:1.

"Being of cut stalks of grain, the wave-sheaf signified fruits to be harvested. And as the sheaf was to be offered before the sickle was put to the grain and gathered into sheaves, it obviously pointed forward to a spiritual harvest of first fruits to be gathered." Id. 76:2.

"Barley was the earliest grain in Palestine, and at the opening of the feast it was, beginning to ripen. A sheaf of this grain was waved by the priest before the altar of God, as an acknowledgment that all was his. Not until this ceremony had been performed was the harvest to be gathered." P.P. 539:4

SUMMARY: The clear-cut facts are:

The first and second fruits of grain unfold the first and second fruits of humanity.

Three harvest rites with wave-sheaf offered at beginning of first fruit harvest which signified fruits to be gathered.

Conclusively, then, since the wave-sheaf is barley, the first ripe grain, first of the first fruits (Ex. 23:19), and is offered at Passover which is at the beginning of the harvest of the first fruits; and since these harvest rites are a figure of soul harvests; and also since those that arose with Christ became a typical living wave-sheaf presented as trophies before the Father in heaven (3Tr 79:2); we conclude that since the mediatorial judicial throne of Ezekiel 1 extends to the earthly sanctuary (church) (3Tr 46-47) there must be an antitypical living wave-sheaf offered before God's traveling throne on earth at that time – Passover).

Special Note:

The church is judged (names investigated in the books in heaven, 3Tr 50-51; 54:1; 2 TG 42-31:2; 5AB 30:1) in the time of the sixth seal (1 TGr 5-11:1), the time in which the 144,000 are sealed (2 SR 165:2).

Since the 144,000 first fruits are judged (counted) in the time of the seventh seal (2 SR 220:1, 2) all that the Lord could possibly have at the time of His arrival in His judicial throne to start the counting of the 144,000 (judging, inspecting the "wedding guests") would be the wave-sheaf who are to gather the 144,000 wave-loaves.

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Therefore "...when the Son of man cometh, shall he find (little: wave-sheaf) faith on the earth?" Luke 18:8.

III.

Who is the Wave-Sheaf of the Living in our day?:

ANSWER:

"...it (DSDA Assn.) purports itself to be the first of the first fruits of the living, the vanguard…With the emergence of this vanguard and its army, the first fruits, from which are elected the 12,000 out of each of the twelve tribes of Jacob, 'the 144,000'...who stand on Mount Zion with the Lamb...the reign of antitypical David begins." Leviticus of DSDA 3:2

Note Carefully:

The Davidian Assn. is the first of the first fruits – wave-sheaf, vanguard NOT wave-loaves – 144,000, army. VANGUARD: That which precedes the army.

Wave-sheaf – vanguard – is offered at beginning of the first fruit harvest at Passover time.

Wave-loaves – army – 144,000 is offered at end of the first fruit harvest at Pentecost.

With the offering of the wave-sheaf and the wave-loaves antitypical David's reign begins. (David is anointed prior to his reign. Isa. 10:27)

IV.

Who is to inform the Davidian Wave-Sheaf of the time of her ceremonial offering, that she may ready herself for that event – "beginning of harvest"?

"Not until this ceremony (offering of barley – wave-sheaf) had been performed was the harvest to be gathered." P.P. 539:4.

"I am, however, certain that God will not keep us ignorant of the things we ought to know. If it becomes necessary for us to know ahead of time the day and hour of the purification of the church, the antitypical PASSOVER, we will be told." 2 TG 41-3:3.

God declares:

No harvest of 144,000 – wave-loaves, army – without first a wave-sheaf offering.

God will, when necessary, make known the time of the wave-sheaf offering, the antitypical Passover, so that the wave-sheaf may prepare; for "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." Amos 3:7

"Here is the Bible's own answer, which says that there is to be a people who will have the Testimony of Jesus Christ at the time the earth swallows up the flood (Passover, going out of Egypt), the hypocrites. And since this incident is yet future, it shows that there is to be a prophet in the Church..." 2TGu 24-23:1

"...God has given his church eyes which he requires them to anoint with wisdom, that they may see clearly; but many would put out the eyes (seers, prophets, 1 TGr 5-18:1) of the church if they could; they would not have their deeds come to the light, lest they should be reproved." 4T 88:2.

"...worshipping the dead, a form of shintoism. (spiritualism) Worshipping the dead prophets and killing the living ones, is a brutal effort to block the progress of Truth to deceive self and others." 2 TGr 26-23:1.

Conclusion:

So you see, Brothers and Sisters, by "killing the prophets", by "putting out the eyes of the church", you deprive yourself of the Living Spirit of Prophecy – the eyes of God in our midst.

Without Gods "prophet-eye" to inform His people of the Passover there would be none, for God does nothing but He reveals the event to His servants the prophets. Without the Passover there would be no antitypical wave-sheaf offered, and consequently no opening of the earth's mouth (Rev. 12:16), nor harvest of the first fruits (Rev. 14:1-5), nor Pentecost, nor harvest of second fruits (Rev. 7:9; Isa. 60:3), nor Feast of Tabernacles, nor even a necessity for the second coming of Jesus to receive the living saints.

What nonsense! Resist those who commit the crime of prophet-murder: for such, there will be no deliverance from antitypical Egypt – sin (Isa. 11:16) for "...by a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt and by a prophet was he preserved." Hosea 12:13.

Therefore, Inspiration (The BRANCH) COMMANDS THE INSTITUTION OF THE LORD'S SUPPER AT

The Feasts – No. 1

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PASSOVER (statute forever, Lev. 23:14), after which begins the first fruit harvest, "gathered 'one by one' Isa. 27:12." 1 TGr 9-11.

"Those who keep God's solemn 'feasts' and perform their vows shall have…peace. None others shall." 2 TG 42-41:2.

Since Davidians are the antitypical Wave-Sheaf, we must check to see if we are a "Laodicean or Davidian – Which?" 1 TGr 8.

"...angel of Laodicea? – He is lukewarm...The Lord recommends that he be either cold or hot, – uncomfortable, in search of something better rather than stay lukewarm...increased with goods (with Truth). (parenthesis theirs) Not mowing that he is spiritually poor (etc.)...If the Lord's own warning fails to change his mind, then the only thing left for the Lord to do is to spue him out of His mouth...He thus deceives himself that he has the whole truth to carry him right through the Pearly Gates, that he needs nothing more…their so-called increase is not an increase of Truth, but worthless, uninspired interpretations not tried in the fire. The angel of Laodicea is naked, too. He has not the wedding garment on – he has not the righteousness of Christ." 1 TGr 8-17, 18.

"You, yourself, can now answer the question as to whether you are a Davidian or still a Laodicean. If you are satisfied with yourself, with your spiritual attainments, with your man-made program; if you think that the Lord is speaking to you by whatever happens to 'click' in your mind; if you think you have all the Truth and that you have need of nothing more; if you think that everyone who does not have your stamp of approval on his belief, is a false prophet; and if you are in fear that someone is everlastingly trying to deceive you because he teaches something new; if you never give it a thought that you may be slamming your door against a Truth-bearer who may be bringing to you the Lord's 'eyesalve', and the 'wedding garment' – If you do all these or any part of them, then you must be as good a Laodicean as you can possibly be, not a Davidian.

"...if you are all for God and not at all for self or for the world, then, of course, you either are, or are beginning to be, a Davidian...then keep advancing in the light, and for certain you shall finally stand on Mt. Zion with the Lamb." 1 TGr 8-28.

"Provisional in set-up as well as in name, the Davidian Seventh-day Adventist Association exists solely to accomplish a divinely appointed work within the Seventh-day Adventist denomination, wherein it therefore strictly confines its activities. As its work there within draws to a close and the 'servants of our God'...are sealed, its name will be changed." Leviticus of DSDA Preface.

"Who is to bring this revival and reformation, this great change? -- The BRANCH." 1 TGr 8-24:3.

"Since, as has already been pointed out, Christ ('Immanuel') did not live in the time of such a confederacy, it must be that not only Israel, Syria, and Assyria are types, but Christ Himself is also a type. We learned that Immanuel (meaning, 'God with us') could represent only His true followers, the born-again Christians." 12 SC 1:5, 6. (For a complete explanation of this statement, read Branch 'Confederacy of Isaiah 7&8' No. 1).

Conclusion:

Since Immanuel means Christ, "God with us", and The BRANCH is Christ, and since Christ is a type; therefore, The Branch message is the antitype of Christ's message.

Now since Christ was a Davidian (Matt. 22:42) and The Branch believers are Davidians, they are therefore the antitypical Immanuels. (Isaiah 7:14).

Furthermore, since Christ the Davidian (PP 539:4) and those Davidians He took to heaven with Him as trophies of His victory over death, became the living wave-sheaf, TYPE (3 Tr 79:2), it is plain to see that The Branch believers are the only 100% Davidians (1 Tr 8-28:1) and the antitypical first of the first fruits -barley, wave-sheaf, vanguard- (Leviticus of DSDA, 3:2) who are to be offered before God's traveling throne (Ezek. 1) on earth at Passover Time.

Says the prophet: "Saviours (Branches) shall come upon the mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau." Obadiah 21.

"I AM the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are CLEAN through the WORD which I have spoken unto you." John 15:1-3.

Since all are Branches, be a real Branch by accepting the message of His new name – BRANCH, and be cleansed.

By obedience to the Truth we are made whole – cleansed.

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"The thought that the righteousness of Christ is imparted to us, not because of any merit on our part, but as a free gift from God, is a precious thought. The enemy of God and man is not willing that this truth should be clearly presented; for he knows that if the people receive it fully, his power will be broken." G.W. 161.

"...saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and...shall execute judgment and justice in the earth (seat of two-horned beast)...and this is his name (Branch) whereby HE shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." Jer. 23:5, 6.

"If the church (wave-loaves) will put on the robe of Christ's righteousness (The Branch message), withdrawing from all allegiance from the world there is before her the dawn of a bright and glorious day." A.A. 601:1.

"Those who keep God's solemn 'feasts' and perform their vows shall have...peace. None others shall." 2 TG 42-41:2. Notice especially, G.C. 399:4….......Read G.C. 484-485.

Let the command now go forth: THE BRANCH INSTITUTES THE LORD'S SUPPER AT PASSOVER TIME & WAVE-SHEAF IS OFFERED!

"GET READY! (BDSDA) GET READY! (DSDA) GET READY! (SDA)..." E.W. 119:1.

SUMMARY OF LESSON

"The subject of the sanctuary and the investigative judgment should be clearly understood by the people of God. All need a knowledge for themselves of the position and work of their great High Priest. Otherwise it will be impossible for them to exercise the faith which is essential at this time or to occupy the position which God designs them to fill." G.C. 488:2.

DAVIDIANS, AT THIS POINT, SHOULD CLEARLY UNDERSTAND THAT:

The ceremonies of the harvest typify redeemed humanity.........................................3 Tr 76

The wave-sheaf rite precedes the harvests........................................................P.P. 539:4

The wave-sheaf in Christ's day typifies one in our day.............................................3 Tr 79, 81-3

The wave-sheaf of today are the Davidian SDA's......................................................Lev. DSDA 3

The true Davidians are "advancing in the light"....................................................1 TGr 8:28:2

The 'advancing light" is The Branch: Rod – Latter Rain ceased.........................11 S.C. 1:14

The true wave-sheaf, then, are Branch Davidians.............................................Matt. 22:42

The wave-sheaf is offered to God at Passover time............................................Lev. 23:5-11

The time of Passover is revealed to Elijah................................1950 GCS 12-13;37; Amos 3:7

The Elijah is "in the church" at Passover.............................Ezek. 9, slaying – 2 TGu 24-23:1, 2

The Elijah declares, "keep the feast", "have peace"..............1950 GCS 13:1; 37; 2 TG 42-41:2

The wave-sheaf "keep the feast", are peacefully "tare-free".....................Rev. 12:16; 1 TGr 3-3:4

In keeping with the above summarized points of saving Truth, may God help each Davidian

to understand the wave-sheaf truth so that he fail not "...to occupy the position which God designs them to fill."

Brothers, Sisters, Youth, and Children: God wants you to "have peace", to be "tare-free" and thus, trouble free – Jesus' WAVE-SHEAF OFFERING before the great throne of Omnipotence.

Note: Emphases & Parentheses in quotations ours unless otherwise indicated.

Yours to be a LIVING Wave-Sheaf,

Benjamin Roden

ANNOUNEMENTS:

Blowing of trumpets – Oct. 2,1959, at even, a Sabbath, no servile work. Lev. 23:24, 25

Atonement – Oct. 11, 1959, at even, a Sabbath, no servile work, sanctify a fast. Lev. 23:27-32

In a recent visit to Mt. Carmel and an inspection of the Revised manuscript in longhand which Sr. Houteff says Bro. Houteff finished before his death, the writing appears the same as published in 2 TGr 24-23, 24 1956 reprint. Therefore, we should not say it is uninspired. However, from weight of evidence in Bro. Houteff's writings that show a prophet – the living Spirit of Prophecy at work before Ezek. 9, even referring to his work, we must conclude that the true understanding of the reference in question does not mean what the enemy of Truth would imply in order to refute the existence of the living Spirit of Prophecy, now, since the death of VTH.

The true understanding of the statement in the 1956 reprint shows "that the church as a whole"...are not led by the living Spirit of Prophecy, before the earth opens her mouth, "but as individuals" only. The remnant that is left after the earth opens her mouth to swallow up the "…'flood' (private interpreters of the Scriptures and their sympathizers who are about to sweep her away)" will have the living Spirit of Prophecy in their midst. It is brought to them by a man, antitypical Elijah (T.M. 475) who comes just before the great and dreadful day of the Lord – before the earth opens her mouth.