GENESIS DAY ONE, PART VI

 

TEXT: Genesis 2:2-3 “By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so, on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.”

 

Leviticus 23:1-3 “The Lord said to Moses, 2 "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'These are my appointed feasts, the appointed feasts of the Lord, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies. 3 "'There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the Lord.” 

 

INTRODUCTION: 

 

Before we move on in our study in Genesis, and a more detailed look at the first creation of God, I want to spend our time tonight focusing on the prophetic insight that we gain from the seven days of creation. More specifically, I want to look at how the seven days of creation point to God’s redemptive plan that is played out over a 7,000-year-time-period. I believe this teaching from the Word of God is very important in understanding that we are living at the end of the age, this present creation-the first creation of God. This knowledge or revelation is and will be critical in being prepared for the things that are coming on the earth.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 5 You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.  GOD’S HEART IS TO HAVE A PREPARED CHURCH! 

I. Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

 

In this very first verse of creation, the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet is used six times. That is the letter, Aleph. Hebrew letters are not only letters that make words, but they also have a numerical value. The letter Aleph has the numerical value of 1, but it also has the numerical value of 1,000 when referring to years. There is rabbinic teaching that says that this is significant in terms of the number of years of the creation and the coming of the Messiah. The teaching declares that the Messiah will come 6,000 years from the beginning of creation. 

 

Now, I want to make something clear. Although this teaching is very thought provoking and very intriguing, in and of itself, it is not enough to establish Bible doctrine. 

 

What is important in establishing Bible doctrine is to compare scripture with scripture. In other words, there needs to be more than just one scripture to establish a Biblical truth or revelation. So, with that understanding, let’s look at some other places in scripture that will corroborate the significance of the seven-thousand-years of creation, the end of the age, and the coming of the Messiah to the earth. 

 

II. 2 Peter 3:8 “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.”  

 

The first point I want to make here is that the scripture doesn’t say, “with the Lord a day is a thousand years but rather it says, is LIKE a thousand years. We can’t force the scripture to say what is doesn’t say. The main point that Peter is making here is the patience of God in wanting people to be saved. Also, keep in mind that the Holy Spirit is speaking to his original audience in the first century. The Lord is saying, don’t despair that the Lord hasn’t returned yet. He will come in His timing, and that timing may be thousands of years! 

 

Is it possible that this scripture is pointing to the six thousand years of creation, the end of the first creation, and the coming of Messiah Jesus. Yes, I do believe it is possible. And though this would seem tosupport what we learned in Genesis 1:1 and the rabbinic teaching about the numerical value of 1,000 for the letter Aleph and it being used six times in the opening verse of creation, pointing to 6,000 years from creation to the coming of Messiah, it is not enough to establish Bible doctrine. 

 

III. This brings me to the main point I wanted to make to you tonight that is found in Leviticus 23:1-3, “The Lord said to Moses, 2 "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'These are my appointed feasts, the appointed feasts of the Lord, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies. 3 "'There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the Lord.”

 

At first glance, these first three verses may not seem to have too much relevance to the seven thousand years of creation in pointing to the end of the age and the coming of the Messiah. But it’s what follows in Leviticus 23 that really brings things together, at least for me!

 

Let me show you why. 

 

Following the six days of the week is the seventh day, which is to be a day of rest, when man is to cease from his labor. It is to be day of gathering together to worship God. And as we have shown you in previous messages, this day of rest points to the millennial or thousand-year reign of Messiah Jesus on the earth. It will be a time of rest and peace; a time when the nations will worship the Lord by coming to the city of Jerusalem to be in the presence of Jesus and to hear His wisdom. 

 

In Leviticus 23, all seven feasts of God are revealed. 

 

1. The first two of those SEVEN feasts are mentioned in verses 4-8, "'These are the Lord's appointed feasts, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times: 5 The Lord's Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. 6 On the fifteenth day of that month the Lord's Feast of Unleavened Bread begins; for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast. 7 On the first day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. 8 For seven days present an offering made to the Lord by fire. And on the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.'" 

 

1. First feast is Passover

2. Second feast is Unleavened Bread

 

3. The Third feast of First Fruits is in verses, 9-11“The Lord said to Moses, 10 "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When you enter the land, I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest. 11 He is to wave the sheaf before the Lord so it will be accepted on your behalf; the priest is to wave it on the day after the Sabbath.” This would occur on Sunday, three days after the Feast of Passover.

 

4. The Fourth Feast or the Feast of Weeks happened 50 days after the Feast of First Fruits is in verses 15-17, “From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, (first fruits)count off seven full weeks. 16 Count off fifty daysup to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the Lord. 

 

The first four feasts were celebrated in the spring of the year. 

 

The Hebrew word for “feasts” is “moed,” whichmeans appointed times or rehearsals. 

 

Two thousand years ago Messiah Jesus fulfilled these first four feasts. 

 

1. He was crucified on the cross on the very day of Passover as our Passover Lamb.

2. He was put into the tomb on the Feast of Unleavened Bread as He who was without sin or leaven! 

3. Three days after the Feast of Passover, He was raised from the dead on the very day of the Feast of First Fruits as the First of the New Creation of God.

4. Fifty days later, on the very Day of the Feast of Pentecost, He poured out the Spirit and began His Church who is being harvested from the world and into the Kingdom of God! 

 

And that brings us to the last three of the seven Feasts of God revealed in the Book of Leviticus, which are known as the Fall Feasts or the end of the year feasts. 

 

5. The first of the Fall Feasts is the Feast of Trumpets in verses 23-25

"The Lord said to Moses, 24 "Say to the Israelites: 'On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. 25 Do no regular work, but present an offering made to the Lord by fire.”

 

6. Number six is The Day of Atonement in verses 26-28“The Lord said to Moses, 27 "The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, and present an offering made to the Lord by fire. 28 Do no work on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the Lord your God.”

 

7. The Seventh and final feast is The Feast of Tabernacles in verses Lev 33-36, “The Lord said to Moses, 34 "Say to the Israelites: 'On the fifteenth day of the seventh month the Lord's Feast of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days. 35 The first day is a sacred assembly; do no regular work. 36 For seven days present offerings made to the Lord by fire, and on the eighth day hold a sacred assembly and present an offering made to the Lord by fire. It is the closing assembly; do no regular work.’

 

As sure as Jesus fulfilled the first four feasts to the very day in His first coming, He will also fulfill the last three feasts to the very day in His second coming. 

 

Follow me here because I’m going to show you howthe fulfillment of the final three feasts will take us to the end of this age. 

 

1. In order for Jesus to fulfill the final three of the seven feasts of God, Israel had to become a nation again and be in control of Jerusalem. 

 

I base this on the prophecy of Jesus to the religious leadership in Jerusalem in Matthew 23:37-39"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"

 

First, Jesus prophesies that Jerusalem would become desolate. That happened in 70 AD. Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans and the Jewish nations was dispersed to the nations of the world. 

 

Jesus then prophesied that they, the Jewish leadership and the Jewish nation, would not see Him again until they would say, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” 

 

Two things had to happen for that prophecy to be fulfilled. Israel had to become a nation again, which they did in 1948, and the Jews had to be in control of Jerusalem, which they accomplished in 1967. 

 

These prophetic fulfillments have set the stage for Jesus to fulfill the last three of the SEVEN Feasts of God.

 

1. First, Jesus will fulfill the Feast of Trumpets when He raptures His Church with the blowing of the Trumpet. I Thess. 4:13-17 I Cor.15:51ff. 

He will fulfill this feast on the very day of the Feast of Trumpets.

 

2. Ten days later He will fulfill the Day of Atonement, on the very Day of the Day of Atonement, when He kills the false prophet and the antichrist, and welcomed back by the Jewish remnant when they will say, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord,” fulfilling the prophecy of Jesus! 

 

3. Five days later, Jesus will fulfill the Feast of Tabernacles on the very Day of the Feast of Tabernacles. This will begin the 1,000-year reign of Jesus on the earth—a time of rest and peace and the worship of the One True God! 

 

CONCLUSION

 

When you put all of these things together and compare scripture with scripture, I believe that the seven days of creation do reveal the prophetic timetable for the redemptive plan of God to be fulfilled. 

 

In six days, God created the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested. 

 

At the end of 6,000 years since the creation, Messiah Jesus will return to the earth having fulfilled the first six of the seven feasts of God. The first four in His first coming and the last three in His second coming. 

 

The next 1,000 years will be the time of rest and peace when Jesus will fulfil the seventh and final feast of God! After that, God will take us into the New Heavens and the New Earth which are eternal!

ALTAR

Daniel 12:9-10 “He replied, "Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. 10 Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.”

 

I believe the prophetic words of the end time are being to be unsealed!