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Link of article or video : http://www.messianicgentiles.blogspot.com/2009/06/last-great-day

( ...continuation of my post entitled OUT OF THE SILENCE, REVELATION)

Hello all,

This is the first article I am posting about the relationship between the sealing of the 144,000 and The Last Great Day. There is much good information here that explains how these events are connected, and also good biblical support to back up this relationship.


THE LAST GREAT DAY (HASHANA RABBAH...FEAST OF CONCLUSION)

The last day of the Feast of Tabernacles is called so because it was on that day that King Solomon dedicated the Temple to Yahveh. It takes place on Tishri 22. An extraordinary event took place on the Last Great Day of the Feast Of Tabernacles. Let’s have a look at:

2Ch 7:1
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Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house.

2Ch 7:2

And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD'S house.

2Ch 7:3

And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.

Needless to say, anyone living in the entire world would have heard all about this last and greatest day event.

Years later we see John explain about Jesus entering the Temple on the Last Day of Tabernacles.

John 7:37-38 " on the last day, the great [day] of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’”

We must keep in mind that for centuries the people had been celebrating the Last Great Day, anticipating some spectacular event to take place when the Glory Of the Lord returns. They didn’t realize that Jesus Himself did return on this day prior to His death and resurrection. The people were expecting the Lord's glory to return but missed the forest for the trees. They missed the fact that Jesus was the actual glory of Yah in human form. The glory had returned to the Temple.

THE LATER OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

John 7:1-44 we have the account of when Messiah went up to the Temple for Sukkot. We find Him in the Temple courts teaching the people in verse 14 and 28. Even though Sukkot lasted eight days, the seventh day was the climax, and was called "Hashana Rabbah," and means, "The Great Hosanna." Hashana Rabbah dates back to the time of the Maccabees (165 BC). Sukkot was the time of the latter rains, and was the subject of great prayer and concern. Since the Israelite crops depended on rain, ceremonies were instituted to assure the people that Yahveh would grant it in abundance. The ceremonies associated with Hashana Rabbah are closely related to the later out pouring of rain, which was necessary for a successful spring harvest.

THE WATER LIBATION CEREMONY

Throughout the seven days of Sukkot a special priest carried water in a gold pitcher from the Pool of Siloam to be poured into a basin at the foot of the altar by the high priest. It symbolized prayer for rain, as spoken of in Joel 2:23, which begins the next day on Sh'mini Atzeret. The last great day, Hashana Rabbah, the priests marched around the altar seven times carrying willow branches. On the seventh circuit around the altar the priests would beat their willow branches until the leaves fell off.

The high priest would pour out the water while some priests blew gold trumpets, while others sang songs. The worshippers would also be chanting the Hallel (Ps. 113-118) and waving their lulavs. The Mishnah said that he who had never seen this ceremony...had never seen true joy (Jewish New Testament Commentary, page 179).
It was at the climax of this joyous ceremony that Messiah stood up and cried, John 7:37-38 "If anyone is thirsty, let him come unto me and drink. Whoever puts his trust in Me, as scripture says, rivers of living water will flow form his inmost being.”

The people were rejoicing and celebrating in the fact that Yah would send the latter rains. Then Messiah stood up and cried, “if anyone puts their trust in Me, rivers of living water will flow from their innermost being”. Yeshua was implying that He was the Living Water sent from Yah that they had all been praying for, for centuries.

With this in mind, it gives us a much greater depth and understanding of the text. Messiah's statement echoes an earlier statement He made to the woman at the well (John 4:13-14). John gives the interpretation of Messiah's statement and refers to it as a latter time when the Spirit would be poured out on those who believed (John 7:39). Acts 2:1-4 the Holy Spirit was poured out on believers at Shavuot (Pentecost). Just as the Israelites needed the latter rains for the spring harvest, they also needed the early spring rains for the fall harvest. When the Holy Spirit was poured out during Shavuot, it fulfilled the type for the early rains.

Now we are looking forward to a time when the Holy Spirit will again be poured out on Believers in a fulfillment of the latter rains. If you think Pentecost was a glorious manifestation of the Holy Spirit, just wait until the latter outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Hashana Rabbah. Isa. 12:3 says, "With joy shall you draw water from the wells of salvation." The Hebrew word for "salvation" is Yeshuwah (Strong's, #3444). Those who put their trust in Yeshua the Messiah will draw living water from His well. Yeshua Messiah is our Yeshuwah (salvation).

Yeshua came as the former rain and will come back as the latter rain. Hosea 6:3 “Then shall we know, if we follow on to know Yah His going forth is prepared as the morning; and He shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.”

The church is sealed by God. This guarantees their safety in the midst of the world that is being plagued and shaken by the righteous God.

We must now ask, just who is sealed?

John did not actually see the throng of people who had this seal on their forehead; he "heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed a hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel," Rev. 7:4.

According to the Dispensationalists who divide the Bible into various epochs or periods, the Israel of the Old Testament is obviously intended. They refer this event to the saving of the nation of Israel.

Many serious objections must be raised against this view.
First the literal twelve tribes are not intended because the list excludes two tribes, viz. Ephraim and Dan. Besides Joseph is mentioned as a tribe, which he never had except through has two sons Ephraim and Manasses. Judah is mentioned first rather than Reuben who was the oldest and therefore is mentioned first in other lists, e.g. Numbers 1. No one is willing to make the 12,000 a literal figure as if each tribe had exactly the same number of people saved, a fact which would be contradicted by history. The emphasis here is rather upon the spiritual house of Israel.

The Israel of the Old Testament is here representative of the people of God of all ages as they are redeemed in Jesus Christ. Judah is mentioned first because it was out of Judah that Christ was to be born, cf. Gen. 49:10, "The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be." Secondly, throughout the New Testament, "Israel" is referred to as the church of all ages. Consider Matt. 2:6 where Christ is presented as a "Governor, that shall rule my people Israel," a reference to the entire church of all ages.

Similarly Rom. 11:26, "So all Israel shall be saved" is a reference to the entire church, the children of lsrael according to election and the church of our day, Jew and Gentile. These same children are identified as the children of Abraham (Rom. 9:6), an obvious reference not to the natural seed of Abraham, but the spiritual seed.

Here they are properly called, "servants of our God," Rev. 7:3.

Thirdly, if those sealed referred entirely to the Jews of the nation of Israel, there would be little significance in proclaiming this to the Seven Churches of Asia Minor (Rev. 1:1-8). These churches included Jews and Gentiles who had been drawn together by the power of the gospel. To them comes this vision, the tidings of good news.

Consequently, to each of us who are called by the gospel unto a living faith in Jesus Christ comes the good news: we are sealed by the living God and all the tribulations that must come to pass in order to bring our Lord Jesus Christ upon the clouds of heaven, shall not separate us from the love of our God, Rom. 8:33.39.

Finally, this same truth is borne out in the significance of the numbers themselves.

Numbers have revelatory significance in Scripture. The total of 144,000 is the product of 3 x 3 x 12 x 10 x 10 x 10. Three is the number of God triune. Four is the number of man as he reaches out into the vast span of the earth (four directions, four corners). Three times four speak of the power of the three over the four, or God's power over man, hence 12. Consider God's power over the life of Israel as represented by the 12: Twelve sons of Jacob formed the twelve tribes, twelve stones in the Jordan after the miraculous crossing, Elijah took twelve stones for the altar on which the fire of God descended, there were twelve gates to the temple, etc.

The number ten in Scripture conveys the idea of completion, the full and perfect extension. Thus the ten plagues on Egypt formed the complete expression of God's wrath upon them; the ten virgins in the parable of Christ represented complete humanity of which five were wise and five were foolish. The extension of 10 x 10 x 10 indicates the sum total of all the twelves from generation to generation as they are brought into the church throughout the history of the world.

If we put this together, we can understand that in the Old Testament the 3 x 4 was represented in the 12 tribes of Israel. In the New Testament the 3 x 4 was represented in the 12 disciples of Christ. By multiplying them together we have the product of the two as God unites them in Jesus Christ, both Jew and Gentile are saved by the blood of Christ (Eph. 2:11-22). This product multiplied by 10 then indicates to us that God will gather His church from all the generations of the earth, as long as the earth continues, He will gather unto Himself all His people, the complete number of every generation until all things shall be realized in the return of Jesus Christ.

This then is the gospel of great comfort to the people of God, whether Jew or Gentile: we are sealed by God Himself on the basis of the blood of Jesus Christ by the working of the Holy Spirit. We have the certification that though God subjects the wicked to terrible judgments, His mercy is always upon us as He draws us nearer and nearer unto Himself. In His hands we shall rest safe and content.

Those that are sealed shall surely be saved. Already in the later part of this chapter we are directed to lift up our eyes beyond the church that militantly struggles in this world and see her as she is redeemed in the blood of the Lamb, "After this I beheld, and lo, a great multitude, which no man could number of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Iamb, clothed with white robes and palms in their hands. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb," Rev. 7:9, 10. These are further described in Rev. 14:1ff., "And I looked, and lo, a Lamb stood on the Mount Sion, and with him a hundred and forty and four thousand having his Father's name written in their foreheads... and they sung as it were a new song before the throne."

The kingdom of heaven is reserved for all those who are sealed. Are you one? Now you understand how to answer that question don't you? You recognize that all the 144,000 confess that they are not living for a great kingdom of peace on this earth, their eye of faith is directed to the new heavens and new earth. They do not live for themselves and seek the praise of men, they recognize that they are dead in sin and unworthy of the least of God's blessings. Their great joy is being sealed by the blood of Jesus Christ and thus made worthy through Him. Finally, those who are sealed have but one purpose in this life and in that which is to come. They desire to praise God, everlastingly to shout forth the greatness of our God who hath saved us in the blood of the Lamb. If this is your confession, do not doubt, but that you are sealed unto that great day.

But God promises to protect His people during this terrible time in prophetic history, though they will suffer. The promise in Revelation 6:6 reads: “And see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.” The oil and the wine are symbolic of God’s people, the Remnant, who will not be hurt during the upcoming time of trouble.

It is to the obedient that the promise of Isaiah 33:16 applies. The Bible says: “He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.” It’s by this promise that “the children of God will live, when the earth shall be wasted with famine they shall be fed.

And Psalms 37:19 assures us: “They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.” And it’s to this time of distress that the prophet Habakkuk prophesied as he was given special insight concerning this period. His words express the faith of the church during this time.

Turn to Habakkuk 3:17. The prophet says: “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” The context for Habakkuk is in the “day of trouble” as verse 16 tells us and this entire vision is associated with “horses” in verse 15. Surely, the seventh chapter of Revelation speaks of those who will not be hurt during the time of trouble that is coming. It speaks of a sealed people, God’s people, the 144,000, who will endure terrible conflicts on their way to heaven.

Let’s go now to REVELATION 7:1: AND AFTER THESE THINGS I SAW FOUR ANGELS STANDING ON THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE EARTH, HOLDING THE FOUR WINDS OF THE EARTH, THAT THE WIND SHOULD NOT BLOW ON THE EARTH, NOR ON THE SEA, NOR ON ANY TREE.

Literal events are being described here in Revelation 7:1, but in symbolic terms. The number four is symbolic of worldwide conditions. In Ezekiel 7:2 the Bible says: “Also, thou son of man, thus SEALING saith the Lord God unto the land of Israel; an end, the end is coming upon the four corners of the land.” This text is speaking about the end of the world. The end has come upon our planet just like in the days of Noe and this is a worldwide message.

The number four has always stood for something that is worldwide or universal in Bible prophecy. And so when the Scriptures speak of “four angels,” it’s referring to all the heavenly messengers that God has appointed to minister to man’s salvation. When the Bible speaks of “four corners,” it’s referring to the entire world. There are not just four corners on planet Earth. When the Scripture speaks of “four winds,” it’s referring, in a symbolic way, to the blowing of the winds of political strife throughout the entire world.

The symbol of the “four winds” has always represented warfare, battle, turmoil, strife and unrest among the nations of the world. In Daniel 7:2 the Bible says: “...And behold, the four winds of heaven strove upon the great sea.” The “sea” in Scripture imagery stands for the populace, the mere unorganized mass of mankind. (See Revelation 17:15). And what Daniel is seeing in vision are the winds of political strife blowing on the great mass of humanity. (Jeremiah 49:36; 25:31-33).

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I am continuing to study into these recent personal revelations from the Lord. As of now, this is what I am being shown:

The 144,000 are the 'manifest Sons of God', the one third of God's people that are supernaturally sealed at the beginning of the last days Great Tribulation. They will go forth to preach the everlasting Gospel to the ends of the earth, and thus fulfill the Great Commission. This sealing will take place on a very special and unique feast of the Lord, and this feast is the Last Great Day.

If anyone else out there is getting this kind of information at this time I would be very interested in knowing about what the Lord is showing you. Please let me know, as I feel this is very important and needs to be shared, as time is short.

May We all be found worthy to part of this most glorious event.

JESUS IS ALL AND EVERYTHING!!

Patti C.