by
Keith Hunt
Have you wondered about old Joe or Sue who died never
accepting Jesus as their savior? Or have you wondered about
Tammy who was killed at the age of three in a car accident, maybe
the little baby that never lived to be a year old, or the jungle
native that never heard the only name whereby you can be saved?
Are they lost forever? Will they be consigned to face the second
death in the lake of fire?
Let's make one thing VERY CLEAR. Your Bible plainly teaches
that there is ONLY ONE WAY to salvation and the Kingdom of God -
that way is through JESUS CHRIST only - see John 4:6; 10:9; Acts
4:8-12. You CANNOT obtain Salvation by being a "good" baby, a
"good" heathen, or a "good" anything, IF you do not KNOW Jesus
Christ as PERSONAL savior. And let me state just as STRONGLY -
there is no such doctrine taught in the Bible as "purgatory" or
that man has some "immortal" soul that goes to a neutral place
until the living saints pray and give money or deeds to get them
into God's heaven.That idea is not in the Bible, but it is not
the subject of this article to prove that teaching is false. It
must be dealt with in another article.
So what IS the ANSWER to the above question? what about
those who lived and died NEVER KNOWING about Jesus Christ as the
saving Messiah? Are the people mentioned above LOST forever?
NO, my friends! Not at all. The Festival of PENTECOST
reveals SOME of the answer.
THE GREATEST MEANING OF PENTECOST
The Greek word for Pentecost means "fiftieth." It was the
50th day after the "wave sheaf" day, which was the first day of
the week(as we have proved in other studies), after the weekly
Sabbath during the feast of Unleavened Bread (Lev.23:5-16). This
wave sheaf day BEGAN the SPRING harvest in Palestine under Old
Testament Israel. It was the BARLEY and WHEAT harvest. This
harvest was to be over in 7 weeks(49 days) and on the morrow
after that 49th day or seventh Sabbath(a weekly Sabbath) was the
festival of FIRST FRUITS or Pentecost (so it was always on the
first day of the week, for it represented the first harvest).
This spring harvest was the first in Palestine, the second,
more of a fruit harvest, came in the fall of the year, and when
that harvest was over there was the celebration of the feast
called, the festival of Tabernacles.
The DAY of PENTECOST represents the FIRST harvest. In
previous studies on this feast day we have shown and proved that
this first harvest pictures and is symbolic of the saints of God
throughout all ages, from Adam to the coming of Christ in glory
to rule the earth. Jesus was the FIRST of the first fruits of
mankind to be raised to Eternal immortal life from flesh and
blood to divine spirit life. Christians, those who are true
children of God as called FIRST FRUITS (James 1:18). They shall
rise to meet Jesus upon His return to earth, at the last trump,
when they will be resurrected from the grave or changed from
flesh and blood life to immortal life (1 Cor.15; 1 Thes.4;
Rev.11).
These saints will be the FIRST harvest of God into His
family and Kingdom.
As SHOCKING as it may sound to many of you, it is IMPOSSIBLE
to become a Christian UNLESS God the Father CALLS and CHOOSES you
to be one. I want you to mark these verses in your Bible - John
6:44, 65. And NONE can be saved but through CHRIST (Acts
4:8-12). And FURTHER, the Father at this time, in the ages from
Adam to the coming of Jesus in power and glory, is NOT CALLING
very many(relatively) to Salvation (1 Cor.1:26).
The whole world lies in deception (Rev.12:9). Yes, that
includes the Roman Catholic and Protestant world. God is only
calling and choosing to Salvation at this time, a FEW! They are
the "salt" of the earth, the "very little flock" (as the Greek
is) that Jesus spoke about. They are the FIRST FRUITS of the
Father (James 1:17,18). They will be the harvest that is
gathered in at the last trump and the return of Jesus, as
foretold by all the holy prophets since the world began.
The festival of the 50 days of the Pentecost harvest, the
FIRST harvest only, represents only those called and chosen to
Salvation, to be in the FIRST resurrection(Rev.20), at the
gathering harvest to life eternal, when Jesus returns from
heaven, which must receive Him UNTIL the RESTITUTION OF ALL
THINGS, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy
prophets since the world began (Acts 3:20,21).
There is to be MORE gathered into God's Kingdom AFTER Christ
comes again and is sitting on His throne ruling the nations with
a rod of iron (Rev. 19:11-21; 20:1-6).
There are to be MORE HARVESTS to gather in the spiritual
fruit of God's work, just as there was more than one harvest in
Palestine for Israel to gather in the physical.
The saints of this first harvest - this first fruit
(Lev.23:15-17) - Pentecost harvest - saints of both the Old and
the New Covenants (two loaves of Lev.23:17) shall rule with
Jesus Christ as He sits on David's throne in Jerusalem, governing
this whole earth for a wonderful 1,000 years - the age to come -
the world to come, that Paul and the other apostles preached
about (see Heb.2:5; Luke 1:31-33; Rev.3:21; Jer.3:17-18; Isaiah
9:6-7; 11:1-9; Micah 4:1-4; Zech.14; Rev.19:11-16; 20:1-6).
There are dozens and dozens more scriptures that foretell the
promises from God about this wonderful world tomorrow that is to
come for one thousand years, beginning at the glorious return of
Christ Jesus. We have in-depth studies on this specific topic and
doctrine for those who want to know more concerning this truth of
that age.
It is during this thousand year period that ANOTHER HARVEST
of lives for the Kingdom with take place (Mat.25:31-46). In this
parable Jesus is already sitting on His throne when this harvest
is to start. The harvest here mentioned will continue through
to the end of the thousand year period. Many sections of
Scripture show that physical people will live and multiply on
this earth during that period of time commonly called the
Millennium. God's Spirit will be poured out to all nations,
millions upon millions will be called and chosen to know Christ
and the only way to salvation, at that time and in that age.
The FIRST harvest will have been completed. The feast and
day of Pentecost will have been fulfilled, the typology of that
great festival will have come to pass, the first harvest will
have been gathered in, and now the thousand year harvest will
begin. Countless more flesh and blood humans will see the light
and truth, will accept Jesus as their personal Savior, and find
the way into the one fold, the family and Kingdom of God.
BUT what about those who died NEVER KNOWING about Jesus?
Will THEY get a chance to HEAR, and to accept Him as their Savior
and find Salvation?
OH YES, INDEED! The Father has provided His plan of
Salvation with a SECOND resurrection for them AFTER the thousand
years is over (see John 5:25-29; Acts 24:15; Rev.20:4-6).
Notice it in Rev.20:11-13. Read it in Mat.12:38-42. The
BOOK OF LIFE (Salvation) is OPENED to them, to the small
(young/insignificant) and the great (old/famous).
Yes, the Eternal wishes for everyone to come to the
knowledge of the truth and to repentance. He desires all that
will come when He knocks on their door, to enter His Kingdom.
The Lord will have mercy upon all. He will give EVERYONE a FAIR
chance for His Salvation. But it is some NOW, and some LATER,
and some STILL LATER (2 Peter 3:9; John 6:45; Rom.9:14-18;
11:25-36).
The Father is CALLING NOW, some to be His first fruits, for
the first resurrection, for the first harvest that is pictured by
the 49 days of the feast of weeks and the final day of Pentecost
- the 50th day, the first day of the week to represent the first
harvest of human lives into His family and His fold.
You who are reading these words, if you hunger and thirst
after righteousness, if you will open the door when Jesus knocks,
He will come in and make His abode with you. Then He will help
you endure to the end. He will help you remain in a humble
repentant attitude. He will save you by His grace through faith
into His everlasting Kingdom.
On the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter two God poured out
His Holy Spirit. It came to beget those disciples as the literal
sons and daughters of the Father in heaven. That Spirit in us
witnesses with our spirit that we are the CHILDREN of God, and if
children then HEIRS of God, and JOINT-HEIRS with Christ, to be
glorified together upon His coming again (Rom.8:9-18).
The Spirit imparts to us the very nature and LOVE of God and
as long as it remain in us, we shall be saved by its LIFE
(Rom.5:1-10).
God is saving by His Spirit, those He calls and who become
His elect. He is saving them to be His FIRST FRUITS of His feast
of the Pentecost harvest. This is the FIRST part of the
GREATEST MEANING of the Pentecost festival. The SECOND part of
the meaning of this feast, is that it reminds and pictures to us
that there is MORE THAN ONE HARVEST OF SOULS to come in the plan
of Salvation for mankind, as we have seen above.
What a WONDERFUL FESTIVAL is the Day of Pentecost. The
meaning and portent of this feast is FOR TODAY AND FOR TOMORROW
AND FOR ALL HUMANS WHO HAVE LIVED AND WILL YET LIVE.
The Salvation plan of the Almighty God will be accomplished,
and it will be done and perfected "....NOT by might, nor by
power, BUT BY MY SPIRIT, says the Lord of hosts" (Zech.4:6).
So it is written, so it shall come to pass.
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