Forty-Nine Days and Counting

Well, happy Sabbath to my Cincinnati P.M. brothers and sisters. This is the congregation that we normally attend. Kit and I are grateful to be with you. And we certainly want to welcome any guests that are among us and welcome those of you who are on the webcast. We're grateful that you're connected. I want to thank Mrs. Roddenbush for her special music. It was indeed timely and I found the lyrics valuable. I hope you did too. I was able to follow the lyrics as I heard changes in the music. So thanks to her for providing that. It reminded me of that old song, When You Walk Through a Storm, Keep Your Head Up High. It had that similar kind of feel. So we're grateful to have Mrs. Roddenbush and others who were able to write music and then present that music from time to time. I want to report quickly that the continuing ed version of ABC went extremely well this year, but it did last year and it did the year before. I was able to participate in those previous two years. So for those of you online who are thinking you might want to be part of the continuing ed version of ABC, please come. We'd like to see you. We know room is limited, but it's good to see a crowd of 30-35 people in the room. So it went well and of course I was able to be part of the ABC faculty this year and I can report that that group of 14, actually we had 15 altogether, turned out to be a delight. We enjoyed working with them and for those of you who are thinking about ABC, please come. We would like to see you here.

In the spirit of meat and dew season, and I'm pulling that phrase from Luke chapter 12 verse 42, but also we see in Hebrews chapter 5 verse 14 the reference to meat. Strong meat is supposed to be available to more mature Christians so they can think more deeply about their commitment, think about the role that they're playing in the church. So in that spirit, all of us are likely aware that we should be reviewing the multifaceted meaning of Pentecost for tomorrow. It's come already. It's nearly here. For instance, like Passover, Last Day of Unleavened Bread, and the eighth day, Pentecost is not tied to a phase of the moon. We look for it in a different way. Rather, it requires a different form of awareness, a different kind of anticipation. All of us understand, as we all understand, Pentecost, meaning 50th, requires the counting of 50 days. It's an appointed time that we must keep in the forefront of our minds as we believers keep track of where we are in the count. I want to ask for a show of hands, but I'm willing to admit that I got lost for a week or two in terms of the count. I didn't specifically think, oh, this is day 30, or this is day 38. So for those of you who were able to stay on top of that all the way through, my congratulations to you. You did not lose your focus. This year, we began our account to 50 on Sunday, April the 5th. Now, I want to create a need for our topic today. I've already suggested that we're looking for meat. We're looking for substantive food, spiritual food, to think about Pentecost in preparation of Pentecost. Today, we want to remind ourselves of two particular Pentecost narratives, and these are narratives that a few biblical authors recount in some detail. These have gotten specific attention in Scripture. We should note, therefore, that the Israelites followed the pillar of cloud and fire, marching and camping their way toward their first Old Covenant Pentecost at the foot of Mount Sinai. We want to look at that narrative.

What are some characteristics we should pull? In a different way, the 11 remaining disciples and their hundreds of fellow believers found themselves on more of a spiritual journey in and near Jerusalem until they gathered for their first New Covenant Pentecost. A Pentecost that hadn't been kept in exactly the same way before. This one was unique. This one was different.

But we should note that the one on which, or toward which, the Israelites were traveling was also very different. We want to note some similarities, but we want to acknowledge some differences as well. So our purpose today is to answer these questions. What does the Bible have to say about any parallels between the Israelites 50 days to Pentecost at the base of Mount Sinai and Christ's many disciples' 50-day wait for Pentecost in or near Jerusalem? Incidentally, we too literally find ourselves within our 50-day count to Pentecost. Is there anything of significance for us to think about today? The title of this message is 49 Days and Counting. 49 Days and Counting. I'll find it interesting to discuss over snacks later some other parallels that some of you detected. It'll be interesting to find out if other ideas came to mind. I'll begin this way. While I was an Ambassador College junior nearly 50 years ago, the Apostle Paul was the first person to help me see typological parallels between the patriarchs and the Israelites that came from them and the first century Christians. So the Apostle Paul was able to help me begin to think about allegorical possibilities, symbolic significance. I'm here in 1 Corinthians chapter 10 verse 1. Would you please turn with me there? I'll remind you that allegories simply set up people, conditions, plots as symbolic. They represent ideas. And remember, typology is just the analysis of first types for a biblical event as opposed to second types. Now in the world of biblical study, in the world of literary study, we would say type and anti-type, but I like the notion of first type, second type because those parallels work their way all through Scripture.

And yes, I know, I recognize smiles. I'm using the six-seven gesture. I did it all year and was teased for it from time to time. But I have to let you know that for 50 years I've been doing this and nobody laughed. So apparently I've found some comical footing that I wasn't aware of. So here we are in 1 Corinthians chapter 10 verse 1. The apostle Paul begins, Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud all passed through the sea. Now he can legitimately claim fathers because he was a descendant of some of the people who walked through the Red Sea, those who followed the cloud, those who followed the pillar of fire.

You and I now are beginning to see that there's something here for us. All were baptized into Moses in the cloud and the sea and in the sea. Verse 3, all ate of the same spiritual food. We would imagine, for instance, the manna that they collected for 40 years. And all drank the same spiritual drank, for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ. So we'll refer to a couple of the trials that the Israelites had, specifically tied to water. But with most of them, God was not well pleased, verse 5, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now these things became our examples to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. So now the comparison, the parallels, take a turn toward the mistakes that the Israelites made. We probably won't spend as much time on those, even though those are a factor. We want to note, rather, how is it that the Israelites, as a first type, have something to say about the Christians as a second type? Each group, on its way toward a unique Pentecost. I'll direct your attention now to Galatians chapter 4. So we'll turn over to Galatians chapter 4, starting in verse 22. Here is another allegory that deserves our attention.

Breaking into the context here from verse 21. Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? So the Apostle Paul is trying to help people understand they really don't want to be so attached to the law that they can't appreciate the spiritual importance of what it means to be dead to sin, but alive to grace. He doesn't spend time specifically on that right now, but he does take us to an allegorical connection that we don't want to lose. Verse 22, for it's written that Abraham had two sons.

So going all the way back to the beginning with Abraham, the father of the faithful, the one by a bond woman, the other by a free woman. Okay, we're aware of that. There's Hagar and there's Sarah, so we keep going. Verse 23, but he was, he who was of the bond woman, was born according to the flesh, and he of the free woman, Sarah, through the promise. Verse 24, which things are symbolic? So he threw the Greek into English. We now have that confirmation. We're looking at something symbolic, something allegorical. For these are the two covenants, the one from Mount Sinai, which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar. Now humans had to pass through that experience under the old covenant. We needed that first type so that we could get to this second type.

He continues, for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to Jerusalem, which now is in bondage with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.

We're talking about two frames of mind. We're talking about two ways of life. We're talking about two covenants. So we're aware of that, but we have a confirmation here that this allegory is important. And it was when I was a junior taking the epistles of Paul that some of this began to open up to me. This was the first year in which I was baptized. So I started to have greater understanding, greater appreciation for where God was trying to help me understand that I was called under grace in the sense that unmerited pardon had come to me if I were willing to repent, be baptized, and live a different way of life. Now from that point of view, many of us grew up in the church, so living a different way of life probably really didn't occur. My life didn't change much because as a child I began to attend the Radio Church of God. And that's probably true for a number of people in this room. So I know I'm not alone in saying that the transition was not especially difficult to make. It was a change of mind that had to take place. And the Holy Spirit was the reason I was able to make that change. Understand that yes, keeping the law is important, but I would never be able to do it perfectly. So it's interesting Paul takes us back to imagery connected to Mount Sinai and imagery connected to Jerusalem. We don't want to lose the importance of this idea. Let's go to Hebrews chapter 12. We'll go to Hebrews chapter 12 verse 22. It's one of my favorite passages in Hebrews. Maybe it is for some of you.

Breaking into the context here in verse 22 of Hebrews 12.

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. So he's confirming that Jerusalem is our destination. To an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, 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.

You and I could see that Mount Sinai and Hagar from the previous passage plugs in here pretty well with Abel. In other words, humans cannot inherit what is spiritual. They can simply understand only what's physical until the Holy Spirit engenders a more mature way of thinking. So, when I was introduced to these things, as many of you were probably when you were younger, I began to realize that there are two different stories that have parallels between them. So, these scriptures should lead you and me to think about other possible parallels between these two different journeys to two significant Pentecosts.

Even further, I believe we can break these stories down into possible phases that they appear to share. So, what follows are four stages in my reading of this material from this last week, but a Google search will yield other possibilities. And these are possibilities you may find interesting. I did. When I was looking for what have other people had to say about the parallels between these two journeys, there was a surprising amount of material out there.

A number of people have thought about this. I didn't use any of that material because, for one thing, I believe the Bible supplies enough of what we need. I don't know that we need too much extra-biblical interpretation, but that kind of interpretation can be useful from time to time. And it's simply there for consideration. So, I'll invite you to think about that as something to do in the future, maybe. So, I want to take you to the first phase or stage in this narrative for each group to see if there aren't important connections here.

So, I'm calling this first step a call by the leader to separate. A call by the leader to separate. I'll go ahead and share the other three, and then we'll spend more time on each one. A second phase that appears to develop is a time of testing for each group. And after a time of testing, a third phase, a reminder to maintain attention. And a fourth phase, a reward for patience.

So, we'll be looking at those four phases. Going back to number one, a call by the leader to separate. It's interesting that the first day of Unleavened Bread for each group was a time, for instance, for the Israelites to rally around Moses and, of course, the pillar of cloud. And for Jesus' disciples, this was a time to lose him for a time, a very short period of time. So, there was an ironic separation only to gain him, once again, through various visitations.

For about 40 days, he spent time with not only the 11 disciples, but with others. And we'll note that. So, there's a call to come forward and follow the leader. Let's turn to Numbers chapter 33, for instance. We can start in verse one. It's verse three in particular that we're looking here for a confirmation regarding, of course, the first day of Unleavened Bread.

So, Numbers chapter 33, starting in verse one, the narrator tells us, these are the journeys of the children of Israel who went out from the land of Egypt by their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron. Now, Moses wrote down the starting points of their journeys at the command of the Lord.

And we can find that command elsewhere. I believe it's in Exodus, but I can't categorically state that. And these are their journeys according to their starting points. So, starting point number one, verse three, they departed from Ramses in the first month on the 15th day of the first month, on the day after the Passover, the children of Israel went out with boldness in the sight of all the Egyptians.

And then, using my study version of the New King James, the writers tell me that the ending point for this first group of stops is in the wilderness of Sinai. And we know that the Israelites had to march their way to Mount Sinai for that to occur. So, for anybody who is interested in laying out on a map, all these places that the children of Israel stopped in those 50-plus days, because remember the count to Pentecost didn't begin until after the Sunday after the Sabbath in the days of Unleavened Bread. So, they were on the road for quite a while, and then they had to camp at the foot of Sinai, wait. They had to become ceremonial, well, they had to become clean in terms of washing their clothes. We don't want to say ceremonially, because we realize that applies more specifically to the Levites, but nevertheless they had certain restrictions. They had to wash their clothes. So, there was a waiting period at the bottom that is at the foot of Mount Sinai. Now, that's what happened with the Israelites in terms of accepting the call to separate, to move away. We want to note anything that is similar among the disciples as they experience the loss of their Savior and then his spending time with them. So, I'll take you to Mark chapter 15. We'll start in verse 42. Mark chapter 15.

We want to note that the call to separate started with a separation. So, starting in verse 42 here, Mark 15. Now, when the evening had come, because it was the preparation day, that is the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went into Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

Pilate marveled that he was already dead and, summoning the centurion, he asked him if he, Jesus, had been dead for some time. So, we see in the next verse that the centurion confirms that, yes, he is dead. Verse 46.

Notice who else is there observing.

Where he was laid. We know that we're talking about Jesus' mother here, and we're talking about the other Mary. So, there were three witnesses that saw the body laid in the tomb. One was primarily responsible, the other two were there. It's a different kind of call to separation, but these people and the other disciples, upon visitation, realize there is something very different taking place here. We need to keep our eye on the leader. They're confused, of course. The Israelites went through their own periods of confusion on their way to Sinai, and we'll touch on some of that. So, we would say the call to separate occurred differently for each group, but it was still a call to separate, and it was still, there was still a leader whom they had to follow. Let's see a confirmation of some of this in John chapter 20.

John 20 will start in verse 15. John 20 Somewhat later, we see Mary Magdalene once again. Verse 15, Jesus said to her, Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking? She, supposing him to be the gardener, said to him, Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus said to her, Mary. She turned and said to him, Rabboni, which is to say, Teacher. And Jesus said to her, Now do not cling to me, for I have not ascended to my father, but go to my brothers, and say to them, I am ascending to my father and your father, and to my God and your God. So here now we have a confirmation that the leader who was gone for a short time has come back. And more importantly, he is going to be accepted by the Father on the behalf of all of humanity. And we'll see shortly he comes back.

Now, before we go to a time of testing for each of these groups, let's note some of the ways in which Jesus came back and spent time with the people. So he's beginning to help them understand they are forming a very special group. The Israelites were already a special group. They were so distinct from the Egyptian population. So no surprise there. Let's go to 1 Corinthians chapter 15. 1 Corinthians 15. And we'll break into the context here.

The apostle Paul is talking, in 1 Corinthians 15, verse 3, I delivered to you, first of all, what I received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures, verse 5, and that he was seen by Cephas, which is Peter, or make for Peter, I believe, then by the twelve, after that he was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the great apart remained to the present, but some have fallen asleep. Verse 7, after that he was seen by James, then by all of the apostles. We could probably go through some close study and determine exactly how many visitations occurred, but we see here evidence that Jesus did not leave his followers bereft of a leader. He came back and he begins to gather them. He begins to help them understand that they're going to move in a different direction. They will have to separate from Judaism. They'll have to separate from the attitudes of the Romans. So much is going to be different now, going forward. So we see a confirmation, therefore, that these disciples understand that changes are coming. We'll talk more about the importance of those changes here in just a moment. But first, we want to spend time on a time of testing. So that was a call by the leader to separate, or we could say to gather and then separate. A second phase, a time of testing. The nearly two-month journey to Pentecost wasn't easy on either group because they weren't sure of their destinations. So think of it. The Israelites were not told ahead of time that they were going to Mount Sinai. That information didn't come. It could be that much of the leadership didn't know that the group was heading to Mount Sinai. We have some sense that Moses knew this particular mountain because he had been there at the foot before. And remember, the burning bush was an experience he had at the foot of that mountain. But he may have been the only one that understood this. So think about the 11 disciples and the other followers.

They aren't fully sure of what's going to happen next. So they feel a little lost in terms of their destination. So during this time of testing, for instance, what happened for the Israelites? You know these stories well, but we'll just touch on them quickly. Going back to Exodus 14.

In Exodus 14, we'll just note broadly that Pharaoh follows Egypt, and Israel is trapped against the Red Sea. So the people cry out, and they're looking for salvation. Imagine being in that same situation. That was a trial for them. It would be a trial for us. I thought that it was profound that our brethren in Jamaica have been so gracious in their handling of the trouble they were up against. Remarkable grace and remarkable faith that they demonstrated. So I certainly want to thank the team for sharing that information. I know my nephew-in-law, Jamie, was especially moved by being there, and he wanted to be a part of sharing the story. So we're grateful to him and the others who did that. So a time of testing. Some of us in the current phase of the Church of God understand what that feels like. But going back to the Israelites, notice in chapter 15.

We go to verse 23.

So after crossing the Red Sea, verse 22, so Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea, and then they went out to the wilderness of Shewah. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water.

Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Zabar, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was Marah. And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?

Another trial, another challenge for these people. Exodus 16, verse 12.

The context begins in verse 11, Exodus 16. And the Lord said to Moses, saying, I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel. Speak to them, saying, At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God. So yet another challenge, yet another test for these people. Verse 13. So it was that quails came up at evening and covered the camp, and in the morning the dew lay all around the camp. Verse 14. And when the layer of dew lifted there on the surface of the wilderness was a small round substance as fine as frost on the ground.

So when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, What is this? What is it? For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, This is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat. And speaking of parallels, remember Jesus talked to the people around him in John chapter 8 about the truth that he was the bread that had come down from heaven.

Under the new covenant we feed off of the thoughts, the commitments of Jesus Christ. It's like food, spiritual food for us. But we don't want to lose our perspective here going to verse 17.

So we're still in Exodus 16 verse 17. And the children of Israel did so, and they gathered some more, some less. So when they measured it by omers, he who gathered much had nothing over, and he who gathered little had no lack. Every man had gathered according to each one's need.

And Moses said, Let no one leave any of it till morning. And then, of course, they were tested on this point and had to go through a modeled experience in terms of anybody who attempted to collect manna on the Sabbath day. It simply wasn't there, as you and I know. But on the previous day, on the preparation day, there was twice as much available. Yet another trial, yet another test, we see that, therefore, the people are experiencing leadership that wants to know where they stand.

Who are they? What are they prepared to commit to? It's not looking great, I know, because we hear complaint after complaint after complaint. But now we want to look for parallels between the experience the Israelites had and the disciples. So, in what kind of way were they tested to see what they were made of? Let's go to John 21. Going to John 21, we can start in verse 1, but we're after verses 2 through 6 and then a few others. John 21, verse 1, After these things, Jesus showed himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberius, and in this way he showed himself. Verse 2, Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathaniel of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together.

Simon Peter said to them, I'm going to go fishing. And they said to him, we're going to go with you also. So they went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. So imagine these disciples not fully sure of where their leader is. They're wondering, well, do we just go back to what we were doing? Do we go back to fishing? That's what we know to do. It's how we've been trained. So imagine being in this position, not fully sure of any particular direction in which to go. So as we continue, when morning had come, Jesus stood on the shore, yet the disciples did not know that it was him. When Jesus said to them, children, have you any food? They answered him, no. And he said to them, cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some. So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, we think that was John, it's the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment because he wasn't wearing anything. So he put on his tunic, and he plunged into the sea, and he's so anxious to find out if indeed this is the Lord. So an experienced fisherman, somebody who knows how to swim well, he's in the water. He's on his way. He's fervent. He's looking for a direction. He's looking for his future. Where are we going? What is our destination? It's an interesting perspective to think about when we compare this sense of no direction with the Israelites, a sense of where are we going? Where is all of this leading? We drop down to verse 15. So before we… Yep. So we want to go to verse 15. And before we do, we want to note that now the disciples are warming up to the idea that yes, indeed, this is the Lord. This is their Savior. Verse 15, so when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, Son of Jonah, do you love me more than these? Now this is a different kind of test, right?

Do you love me more than these? And as you and I think about the importance of testing to see where we stand, once again, I'm reminded of what we just saw with the Jamaican brethren. They went through a severe test to see where they stood. And I think you and I would agree their faith proved to be remarkable. The product of the Holy Spirit working with them. I don't think we can undersell that. We can't overstate that too much. And who knows to what degree we're going to be tested in some similar respects. We have no sense fully what's coming next year, the year after. We have a general sense, but we don't have an immediate sense. Maybe that gives us an analogy to work with in terms of where the Israelites were and where the disciples were. So we'll come back to this example, but I want to make sure we had a sense of another test is coming specifically for Peter in this case. So a call by the leader to separate or to come together to be different. A time of testing. This brings us to a third phase. A reminder to maintain attention. To keep one's attention. I've already admitted that in the count to 50, my attention wasn't always on where I was in the count or where we were in our count to Pentecost. Like I said, maybe that happened for some of you. We go back to Exodus chapter 14. Here's one reminder to maintain attention. Each story reveals how the groups had to be encouraged to maintain focus. So starting in verse 10, here is a reminder to stay focused. Exodus 14 verse 10, and when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes and behold the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. Then they said to Moses, because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt so with us to bring us up out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians that we should die in the wilderness. So a test and a reminder to maintain focus. Verse 13, and Moses said to the people, do not be afraid, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians, whom you see today, you shall not see again forever. That's one call to maintain focus, to maintain attention.

Let's flip over to Exodus 16, starting in verse 6. So for me, it's right across the page. Here's yet another call to maintain attention, to maintain focus.

16, verse 8, Moses said, this shall be seen when the Lord gives you meat to eat. Of course, we're talking about the quail experience in the evening and in the morning, bread to the full. That's the manna experience, the relief that came. For the Lord hears your murmurings, which you make against Him. And what are we, Moses says regarding himself, regarding Aaron, the other leaders in Israel, what are we? Who are we? He answers the question, your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord. So he gives them yet another call to attention, another reprimand to focus on what's necessary, what's important.

So stand back and see the salvation of the Lord. And who are we? We're simply human representatives.

Give your attention to the Lord, Moses says. Now, by comparison, or in a similar way, what happened for the disciples? Let's turn to Acts chapter 1 verse 3. By the way, we'll come back to Exodus if you want to hold your place there.

Acts chapter 1 verse 3. We want to look for a way in which these people were told to hold their attention. Breaking into the context here, verse 2, Jesus was taken up after he, through the Holy Spirit, had been given commandments to the apostles, whom he had chosen, to whom he also presented himself alive for his suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by many during 40 days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. The number 40, as you and I understand, is a number used frequently in the Bible and in many stories to indicate trial and testing. That might likely be the case here in this context. So for 40 days, he's spending time with them, testing them, trying to drive their focus toward what's important. And in fact, he does give them a target, as you and I are aware. And we're going to spend time on that target here in just a moment. So Luke is telling us here that he's able to account for the number of days that the Messiah came and spent with his disciples. And remember, we've already noted there were more than just the 11. There were also 500 others. You and I would say when we look later in Acts, we see so many thousands that developed. So the numbers are growing exponentially. The group is taking more shape, we might say. Now, going back to John chapter 21, we'll go to verse 15 again, John chapter 21 verse 15. This is that test for Simon Peter. Verse 15 again, John chapter 21. So, when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these? He said, yes, Lord, you know that I love you. And he said to him, feed my lambs.

He said to him again a second time, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me? He said again, yes, Lord, you know that I love you. He said to him at one more time, tend my sheep. Now, as you can imagine, Simon Peter is beginning to wonder why have I heard this again. He said to him a third time, verse 17, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me? Peter was grieved because he said to him a third time, do you love me? And he said to him, Lord, you know all things, you know that I love you. Jesus said to him, feed my sheep. How many times did Peter deny Christ? You and I know it was three times. So, in a parallel fashion, he has to give three affirmations in response. It seems to be poetic justice. You denied me three times? No, I want to hear three affirmations that you're going to take care of the sheep. Verse 18, Jesus says here in this context, most assuredly I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.

Both a trial and a call to attention. Peter has to have undivided focus at this point. We are able to see later when we go to the very next chapter, Peter is indeed focused. He is ready to speak on the behalf of the eternal to the people around him, and there is that famous call to repentance and baptism that we see in chapter 2. So, he does take seriously both this test, this trial, and this call to attention, the need to focus. The Israelites had their numerous calls to attention. We see, at least in this one case, if we had a more complete record, we would probably see this in other cases. Certainly, Thomas got his call to attention when he was invited to touch the wounds of the resurrected Jesus Christ, right? That was a call to attention, and we remember his response, Lord, I believe. He wasn't sure that he could believe that Jesus had been risen from the dead, but upon touching the wounds, I believe. That was his call to attention. So, we come to phase number four, which is a reward for patients. So, in what way were each of these groups rewarded for their patients in taking this 50-day journey to a respective Pentecost for each one of them? I said that we would go back to Exodus. I'm going back to Exodus 19 in this case.

Exodus 19, we go to verse 9. We'll cut into the context, verse 9.

Exodus 19, verse 9, and the Lord said to Moses, Behold, I come to you in a thick cloud that the people may hear when I speak with you and believe you forever. So, Moses told the words of the people to the Lord, and the Lord said to Moses, Go to the people and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes. So, here's that sanctification period.

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. So, a watching has begun, and the beginning of a reward for their patience is about to occur. As you and I follow the story, dropping down to verse 16, then it came to pass on the third day in the morning that there were thunderings and lightnings 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. It was shrouded 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 then the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, and Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice. So we see this conversation take place. This is an amazing exchange that the people witness. Remember, there are roughly two to three million Israelites gathered around the base of the mountain.

This is one of many one-of-a-kind experiences, highly unusual experiences. The crossing of the Red Sea, the coming of the quail, for instance, the water coming from rock, the number of experiences these people had. But now they're witnessing an exchange between the one they know of as the Eternal and their leader, Moses. Notice that they're watching, and indeed the Eternal has gained their attention. Now we want to note another factor here. In verse—we're going to go to verse three of chapter 19. Notice that another thing that people have to do here is part of their responsibility. It's part of the reward for patience. Verse three in chapter 19, and Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, Tell the people of Israel, You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, And how I bore you on eagle's wings, And brought you to myself. Now therefore if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, Then you shall be a special treasure to me above all people. You shall be a kingdom of priests, a holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.

Verse 8, And all the people answered together, And said, All that the Lord has spoken we will do.

So Moses took those words of the people back to the eternal. And we see a confirmation of this, for instance, in chapter 24 and verse 3. They may not have fully understood that they were committing to a marriage agreement, but we see in Jeremiah chapter 3 that indeed that's what they're doing here. They are committing to a relationship with the internal. So in verse 3, Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the judgments and all the people answered with one voice and said, All the words which the Lord has said we will do. So they're rewarded for their patience with a covenant, with a commitment. We know from passages like Deuteronomy 30 that there are blessings and cursings that come from first blessings obedience, cursings for disobedience. So we know that people had to be reminded a number of times that they have made an important commitment. Now what about a reward for the disciples' patience? What kind of reward came for them? Let's turn to Luke chapter 24. Luke 24 is filled with so much detail.

We'll just note some of these things quickly. Luke 24 starting in verse 44.

How are these people rewarded for their 50-day journey to Pentecost?

Luke 24 44, and Jesus said to them, These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms concerning me. And he opened their understanding that they might comprehend the scriptures. Mr. McNeely does a good job in his BT daily sequence talking about the path to Pentecost. If you remember that from about six years ago, I was reminded of it in the United News Weekly this week, that that series is still out there. It might be worth consulting that series before you attend tomorrow. Then Jesus said to them, It is written, thus it is written, and thus it's necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all nations beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. So we see that command for attention and a reward for patience. We go back to Acts. Part of their watching was to watch Jesus ascend into the heavens starting in verse 9 of chapter 1 and then verse 1 of chapter 2. Now when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place, and suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And then there appeared to them divided tongues as of fire, and perhaps you've seen fire flicker in that kind of way from a lantern. So it looked sort of like the flame from a lantern at the top of each person's head. And one sat on each of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. So here is the confirmation of their covenant, the way that the Israelites had their confirmation, by accepting the law there at the foot of Mount Sinai. Remember we noted the important allegorical distinction between Mount Sinai and Jerusalem, the heavenly Jerusalem. We saw that in the Apostle Paul. We now see the result for each of these Pentecost stories. Each of these journeys to Pentecost. We see Mount Sinai yielded one kind of covenant. We see that in Jerusalem there is a different kind of covenant. It supersedes the first one. It's the one now that is in place for all of humanity. So how are we doing on our earthly journey to the firstfruits harvest that Pentecost anticipates? From this month, I've brought with me some reminders that the church leadership is thinking and publishing about these things. So before coming tomorrow, if you find time in the latest Beyond Today magazine, we have the amazing lesson of God's Feast of Firstfruits. If you haven't read this yet, I recommend it before you come tomorrow. It's an important reminder of why we're gathering tomorrow. In the most recent doctrinal statement on the timing of the first resurrection, there are a number of references. For instance, I've highlighted some on page seven. I believe this document went out to all members, so all of you should have access to this. We should consider that the firstfruits offering depicted by Pentecost is the ongoing harvesting of the saints from the time of Abel until Christ's Second Coming. That's on page seven. So there are multi-dimensional, multi-faceted meanings behind the day of Pentecost.

We are on a journey. We are not separate from a journey the Israelites took, a journey that the disciples took. We are on a similar journey. Let's turn to Revelation chapter 18, verse 8. Revelation 18, verse 8. Just to remind each of us where we are, probably the better way to put it, would be how we started. Revelation chapter 18, verse 4.

And I heard another voice from heaven saying, coming out of her my people, lest you share in her sins, unless you receive of her plagues, for her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. And tremendous trouble is coming for anybody who has not come out of Babylon. So how are we doing with these four different phases on our journey to Pentecost?

Most of us remember our call by our leader to separate. That was an episode that occurred when we repented and we were baptized. It was a call to separate. We've just seen here in Revelation, we must leave Babylon. We must leave the world behind.

Phase number two. How are we doing in terms of testing? We're in the middle of our time of testing. We have accepted our Passover Lamb before we began our Christian journey. We are currently in that time of testing. We have to evaluate. We have to assess how we're doing with that. Phase number three. Regularly on the Sabbath, we hear sermons that remind us to maintain our focus, maintain our attention. What are we maintaining our attention for? We're maintaining our attention for salvation, for deliverance, for rescue. And what about phase number four, a reward for our patience? When you and I die in the faith, when we're harvested, to use biblical language, the reward for our patience comes later as the first resurrection to life, to eternal life. Called by our leader to separate, enduring a time of testing, reminders from time to time to maintain our focus or attention, and the coveted reward for our patience that is just beyond us. For the final two scriptures, I'm going to turn to Romans 12. We'll start with Romans 12. Romans 12, verse 1.

The Apostle Paul says here in verse 1 of Romans 12, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

Verse 2. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

We're on our way to a figurative, a spiritual Pentecost. Another example, just one more. Chapter 13. We'll start in verse... we'll go ahead and break into the context, verse 11.

Romans 13, verse 11. And do this, knowing the time, that it is high time to awake out of sleep, for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night as far as spent, the day is at hand. Therefore, let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let's pursue the path of light. Now, ours is a calling of sustained anticipation, a counting of how we're doing, an accounting of how we're doing. As temporary beings, we know that our end could occur at any time. Because our harvest is nearer than we think, let's live like we're at 40 days and counting. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow for Pentecost.

Thank you, Dr. Moore. If you'd all please stand, we'll conclude our services this afternoon with hymn number 107, Think on These Things, after which we will have a closing prayer by Mr. Chris Stewart. So, hymn number 107, Think on These Things. Rejoice in the Lord, always I say rejoice, let gentleness be seen by all the Lord His name. Don't worry at all, but go to God in prayer. Tell Him your needs and give Him thanks and find His peace. The peace that transcends how every human thought will guard your heart and guard your mind in Jesus Christ. Whatever is true is no below His right.

Father in heaven, thank you so much for the message today and thank you so much for all that you've given us. We ask that you please help us take this message to heart. We also ask that you please watch over all of us who are not with us today. Please help heal them and bring them back with us soon. We also ask for your blessing on the snacks today and all that we do. We love you and ask this in your Son Jesus Christ's name. Amen.