Pentecost Is Not the Resurrection

It makes you feel that way, doesn't it? Wow! Beautiful special music. Really appreciate that. So reflective, really thoughtful, and really appreciate that reflection on Psalm 1.16. God is awesome and does such amazing things for us. And just to sit back and think about that is an amazing thing. So really appreciate the special music. My grandmother used to say, don't believe everything you read in the newspaper. Now, you can tell how long ago that was when people actually read newspapers.

But I know the idea is still the same. Don't believe every clickbait notification you get. You can't believe that. And it seems like the ideas that just get repeated over and over again, somehow they just become true. And that's one of those old things, too. If something said often enough and long enough and over and over enough, then people begin to treat it as though it must be true. But we know repetition doesn't make something true. Emotion doesn't make something true. Multiple notifications. That doesn't make anything true. Only the Word of God makes something true. And that's something that's really important right now with where we are right in the midst of the count toward Pentecost.

We're more than halfway to that time from when the count began. So each week, each day that passes, this count should remind us. God's plan is moving forward, and it's going forward with purpose. And if we misunderstand what Pentecost pictures, then we can also misunderstand what God is doing in us right now. Certainly one of the greatest blessings that we have in God's church is that He has not left us in the dark. He's opened our minds to His truth.

He's not forced us to wonder or guess what His purpose is, what His plan is. He's laid it out. He's made it clear. He's revealed it. Well, how has He done that? Through His Holy Day plan. It's built right there into the meaning of the annual Holy Days. And He showed us step by step by step what exactly He's doing.

And that becomes so important because when we understand God's plan properly, everything else begins to fit together. I mean, you think about His plan. Passover points to the sacrifice of Christ. The Days of Unleavened Bread, picturing the putting away of sin, coming out of sin, putting on a new way of life.

We know Pentecost, the forgiving of the Holy Spirit, the calling of the firstfruits. We know Trumpets points to the time of the return of Christ, that last trumpet, the resurrection. And then comes atonement, putting Satan away. We have the Feast of Tabernacles, the Millennium, the thousand-year reign on earth of Jesus Christ. And of course, the eighth day, the last great day when the second resurrection will have occurred, and all people will have that opportunity to understand God's way of life, who ever lived.

And so this plan, it's not accidental. This is an order of things. And that sequence matters. Of course, if we get one step out of order, we confuse them, then we're going to lose clarity. And we begin to blur the significance of the plan. We really then begin to miss the power of what God's showing us. So this afternoon, I'd like to focus on one important point in that sequence. Pentecost does not picture the first resurrection. Pentecost doesn't picture that. It doesn't symbolize the first resurrection. Now, Pentecost is profound. It is absolutely essential.

It is filled with meaning. But the point of Pentecost is not that the saints are made immortal at that time. That resurrection takes place later at the return of Christ. And so keeping those things in order becomes critical. Because when that day comes, when finally there is a resurrection, the saints don't disappear into heaven to remain there forever.

They're gathered together to meet their king and reign with him. And that's not just some little minor detail. This idea of the representation of Pentecost affects how we understand God's plan. It affects how we understand the Holy Days. It actually impacts how we understand our own calling, and how we understand prophecy, and how we understand God's purpose overall, because it points to the future and what's going to happen.

So let's take a few moments and walk through this carefully, and let the Bible speak in its own order and with its own clarity. So first, Pentecost pictures the calling and preparation of the firstfruits, not the completion of the harvest. That's a critical difference. We're not talking about finishing the harvest. Pentecost is picturing our calling and our preparation. We can get an idea of this if we go all the way back to where God's feast days are listed. You know where that is? I'm sure you do. Leviticus 23. So if you'd like to turn there with me, let's go to Leviticus 23, and we'll jump to verse 16, because here's where it begins to talk about Pentecost.

And we recognize to begin with these feast days begin, well actually not with Passover. What do God's feast days begin with? The Sabbath. The Sabbath is the first of God's feast day. We have this opportunity every single week to feast with God and come into His presence and worship Him and have this holy convocation. Now we see this direction to Pentecost then, down in verse 16 where it says, count 50 days to the day after the seventh Sabbath.

Then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord. You shall bring from your dwellings two wave loaves of two tenths of an ephaph. They shall be of fine flour. They shall be baked with leaven. They are the firstfruits to the Lord. And it speaks of some other offerings that are given as well. Then in verse 20 it says, the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before the Lord with the two lambs.

They shall be holy to the Lord for the priests. So if we step back and we look at this section of Leviticus 23, what do we find? Well, we find firstfruits that are absolutely tied to Pentecost. And so we have this early harvest that's happening that connects all these things together. And so what can we decipher that's happening here?

Well, it's firstfruits. So something is beginning. It's the beginning of something. And it's interesting how these loaves tie into it and this concept of firstfruits. So keep that in the back of your mind for a moment. And turn quickly over to Acts 2 because here we find in the New Testament the day of Pentecost recorded for us in Acts 2. And what's interesting here in Acts 2, this is God's people who have come together after Christ told them to tarry, wait in Jerusalem for this very day.

That's directly connected to what we read in Leviticus 23. And so Acts 2 says the day of Pentecost had fully come. And what happened? Well, if we look to verse 4 it says, they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. And so we recognize God poured out His Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost right here in Acts 2. But that's not all that happened, right? What else was going on here? Well, not only did He pour out His Holy Spirit, this is the beginning of the New Testament church.

And that ties us back to Leviticus 23. We're connected to the beginning of something here in Acts 2. It's the beginning of the New Testament church. And that's not accidental, it's not incidental, it's not just a side point. This is significant because Pentecost pictures God's work with His firstfruits. And Acts 2 is reminding us we're the firstfruits because we've been given God's Holy Spirit. This is the beginning of our spiritual walk with God. It's the beginning here of the New Testament church.

And so we see how God opens minds. We see how God calls people, how He works with them, how He grants repentance, how He pours out His Spirit, and how He begins to form the character of Christ within His people.

And so I think if we think carefully about this, we can recognize the fact the beginning is not the beginning as completion. The calling is not the same as being glorified. Right? Conversion, that's what's being described by the power of God's Spirit, that is not the same as resurrection. Those are entirely different things. And I think looking at what Leviticus 23 was talking about, it's not the same as the same as the same as the same as the same as the same as the same as the same like the same thing as the one with the first supreme Sunday. We understand that same principle within a physical harvest where that harvest is becoming ready, that first ripe fruit begins to show that it tells us the harvest has begun.

It tells you the crop is ready, but it also tells us there's more to come. The first fruit It tells you the crop's ready. But it also tells us there's more to come. The first fruit, is that the entire harvest? No. No, that's just the beginning. It's not the whole harvest. It's the beginning. It's the indication more is coming. It's evidence that there's much more coming later. And so in that same way, Pentecost tells us God's spiritual harvest has begun. And the fact that God is working in His first fruits right now.

Right now. But that full change, that complete change to immortality, the resurrection, well, that comes later. That comes when Christ returns. We get an indication of this over in James 1, verse 18. Turn there with me to James 1. And notice how it brings out this principle of how God is working with His first fruits right now. Right at this time.

James 1, verse 18, we're going to jump into the middle of a thought here. And just kind of glean this one point from what James has to say here. So verse 18 of James 1. He wrote, Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of His creatures. So what's the time frame of which James is talking about? Now. Right now. Right now, that's what we are. We're a kind of first fruits of His creatures, of His creation.

In fact, Paul added to this over in Romans chapter 8. Look at verse 23 in Romans chapter 8. He'll add just a little bit to this point. So the Apostle Paul writing to God's church in Rome wants them to get the clear picture when it comes to this idea of first fruits and the Spirit of God. So Romans chapter 8 verse 23. Paul says, Not only that, but we also who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

So what is that telling us? We've received God's Spirit. We are the first fruits. But we're still waiting. We're still eagerly waiting, is what it says there. Eagerly waiting for what? For our change, for the resurrection, for the redemption of our body. And that's a very important point. Something we can build upon, because it brings us to a second aspect when it comes to Pentecost.

Pentecost symbols do not picture the resurrection at Christ's return. They don't fit. There's another reason why those symbols don't fit with Pentecost and the first resurrection. And it actually comes right out of the symbolism of the day itself. Does it match? Does it seem to fit that it's talking about incorruptibility? It's talking about an eternal being, an immortal born into the family of God, or something else?

I think when we begin to compare things, we go back to where we started in Leviticus 23 with the wave sheep and those loaves. They had 11 in them. They had 11 in them. Does that match immortal, perfect beings? Or mortal, fleshly? Beings that are in the process of the journey. I mean, if we think about it, think about the wave sheaf offering itself. The wave sheaf, does it symbolize Christ being resurrected? Was he resurrected on Sunday morning? No!

No! Christ was not resurrected on Sunday morning. He had already been resurrected near the end of the Sabbath. He was in the grave three days and three nights. So what does that wave sheaf represent? It represents Him being accepted before the Father on our behalf. And so that tells us we can't assume that the act of waving and offering automatically pictures someone ascending to heaven. No, it pictured His being accepted before the Father as our high priest, as our perfect sacrifice. And so we don't want to assume anything more than that.

That offering, that wave sheaf, was lifted up, presented before God, and it signified acceptance. It signified dedication. It signified that sanctification, being set apart before God, not a literal movement into heaven. Now one way we can think about this is by a parallel example in Scripture.

And there's an interesting one all the way back in Numbers, chapter 8. So we want to turn with me back to Numbers, chapter 8. Let's look at verse 13. Because here we'll find an example that proves that very point. Being presented before God, being lifted up before God for acceptance. Does that seem to fit with what we read in Numbers 8, 13? Let's check it out and see if it does.

Numbers 8, verse 13. Here in this section of Scripture, we have Moses being instructed by God about the Levitical priesthood. Those individuals that would serve God, those that would serve in the tabernacle, those who would be over the sacrifices. Take care of all those tabernacle duties. Well, before they could take those on, here's what God told Moses he needed to do. Verse 13. You shall stand the Levites before Aaron and his sons, and then offer them like a wave offering to the Lord.

Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine. After that, the Levites shall go into the service of the tabernacle of meeting. So shall you cleanse them and offer them like a wave offering. So what's going on? There's a similarity here to what we read in Leviticus 23, between the wave sheaf and those wave loaves later as well.

The Levites themselves were presented before God as, as what? A wave offering. And of course, we all know right after that happened, they all ascended to heaven. No, no, no, they didn't. Now it was time to get to work. Now it was the time to do God's work. It meant they were set apart. It meant they had taken on new responsibilities that God gave them.

They now were dedicated to special service before God. You see, that distinction becomes very important when we come to Pentecost. The waving of the firstfruits does not connect with this resurrection symbolism. Christ had to ascend. Why? Because He had to be presented before the Father as our resurrected Savior, as our high priest, to present that sacrifice before God the Father in the Holy of Holies. They're in heaven at God's throne.

Wow, that is a unique role to Christ. But if you think about that in connection to Pentecost and those wave loaves, we read they were leavened. And boy, does that distinction matter! Would leavened loaves picture glorified saints?

Because in the resurrection, we'd be glorified. Well, would it picture those resurrected, sinless church members ascending? God, that just doesn't make sense. Now, that doesn't make the meaning of Pentecost any less. I believe it explains Pentecost because these loaves fit with people who God has called, who God has accepted, who God has set apart, still living in the flesh, still people that God is working with, people who need mercy, people who need grace, still in need of Christ's sacrifice, still growing, still overcoming.

And so, in other words, Pentecost doesn't picture the saints after the resurrection. It pictures God's people now. Right now. If we were to read Hebrews chapter 10 verse 19, it says that we can have a boldness to enter the holiest of holies by a new living way.

And, wow, that's interesting. That's part of the symbolism of these wave loaves. They're not picturing a sinless, immortal being. They're picturing people. They're picturing you and I, now, still in the flesh, still overcoming, still needing mercy. Accepted as we go before God in repentance, He forgives us, and He recognizes that work, that perfect work, priestly work, that perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and forgives us, and brings us close, and accepts us. And so when you consider these things, it gives Pentecost more meaning. It tells us God is already at work, and He's not just offering us some future promise that's way off in the distance.

No, He's working with us now. He's not just promising, well, I'll do something later on. Someday. No, He's preparing His people today. Today. The Apostle Paul wrote about that over in Ephesians chapter 2, verse 4. Here is where Paul describes this time, this present reality that we live in. And notice the emphasis that the Apostle Paul gives this, and how this connects with the true meaning of Pentecost.

Ephesians chapter 2. Notice verse 4. It reminds us, it says, God who is rich in mercy because of His great love which He's loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. By grace you've been saved. And He's raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come, He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

And so here Paul's emphasizing this point. He's already brought us out of the penalty of sin. Well, what's the penalty of sin? Death. And so when we go before God in seeking forgiveness and true repentance, He applies the sacrifice of Christ, He justifies us, and He accounts us righteous because of Jesus Christ. And so we recognize that He's brought us out of that deserved death, and He's given us a future.

And here Paul is writing that that future is so secure, it is so absolute, it is so certain. Here He's speaking in His own... wow, it's a done deal.

But we know it's still things to come. The actual resurrection itself still is to come. And so verse 7 reminds us of that. Here He points forward to the ages to come. The actual resurrection, the actual inheritance, rulership, all of that still remains in the future. That's coming when? At Christ's return. So we're still awaiting that future resurrection. We're still awaiting that glory. And that's the picture of Pentecost. Firstfruits that are accepted and sanctified now, anticipating that time when our change will come. And when we think about that, that should be convicting because it is so vital. In a way, Pentecost is kind of like a mirror that we might look into. It's picturing a people that God is working with through His Spirit. And so He calls on us not just to understand about the symbolism of Pentecost. He wants us to get deeper. He wants us to ask ourselves, are we allowing God's Spirit to actively work in us? Are we neglecting the Spirit? Are we submitting? Are we yielding to God's Spirit? You see, Pentecost isn't just about what God did in Acts chapter 2 and what happened in Leviticus 23. It's about what God's doing right now in His people, what God is doing in you.

Now that brings us to point number three. Point number three, the first resurrection takes place at the return of Christ. You see, once we understand what Pentecost does picture, well then we can be ready to move forward. We can begin to see then clearly what the Bible says about the first resurrection. And that first resurrection, not at Pentecost, it takes place at the return of Christ. And so if we were going to talk about the resurrection, is there a particular chapter that might come to mind in the New Testament that speaks to the resurrection?

I see some lips moving. Yes, 1 Corinthians 15. Sometimes it's even called the resurrection chapter. Now if you turn over to 1 Corinthians 15, notice verse 22.

Here in the resurrection chapter, the apostle Paul is pointing out very specifically about this first resurrection. Verse 22, 1 Corinthians 15, it says, for as in Adam, all die. Even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order, Christ the firstfruits, afterwards those who are Christ at his coming.

Seems pretty clear, doesn't it? Not at Pentecost, not at some secret hidden time event, though when? At his coming. In fact, if we look down just a little bit, he even becomes more specific. Look at verse 51.

Paul writes, Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. So we ask the question, when does the resurrection take place? At the last trumpet. At the last trumpet. And so it becomes very clear. And in fact, seemingly Paul liked to write about this subject, because 1 Corinthians 15 isn't the only place he wrote about this. He wanted to encourage the Thessalonians, because they didn't quite grasp what happens to faithful people who die, those who die in the faith. They were concerned about that. So in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, he wrote to them to help ease their minds and help them to understand more fully about the resurrection. So if you turn over to 1 Thessalonians 4, notice verse 16. A familiar passage for many of us. Here Paul calms their worries, and he describes the sequence of what happens. Well, verse 16, he says, for the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, and with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ shall rise first, then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. So if you had a question about timing, where does the Bible place the timing of the resurrection? Well, it's at the coming of Christ. It's as he descends. It's at the trumpet of God. It's the last trumpet. Pretty clear. Not vague. It's not hazy. Not unclear. And especially when Christ appears, that's going to be unbelievable, powerful, amazing, public. Absolutely have to notice because it's this history-changing event when Christ returns. And that trumpet sounds. No one will miss it. Everyone will recognize what's happening. The dead in Christ will rise. The faithful are changed, pointing to that first resurrection. And that becomes such a powerful, personal thing. Because we know how life can be.

Life can just seem to drain you at times. Trials, wow, they never seem to want to go away.

The losses come. Health deteriorates. Have to battle loneliness, maybe grief, fighting discouragement that just doesn't want to leave. This whole concept becomes so personal because it reminds us of the hope. It reminds us of the hope that we have.

Not just some wishful thinking. God's giving us real hope. Not just a sentimental kind of thing.

But here's a hope that is absolutely anchored in the promise that Jesus Christ will return.

He is coming back. And when he does, his faithful people will rise to meet him.

And so this isn't just some answer to a prophecy question. This is God's answer to death. It's his answer to human life. It's his answer to weakness. It's his answer to incorruptibility so that we can ultimately be like Christ. And so what an answer to this human existence that we have.

So when we recognize the first resurrection occurs at Christ's return, it's more than just getting the timeline right. We're really getting down to the heart and core of the very hope that we have of the resurrection. So let's build on that a little bit. Point number four. The resurrection is tied to the last trumpet, the seventh trumpet, not to Pentecost.

And that has become clear as we've seen these scriptures repeat that over and over and over again. So it's tied to the last trumpet. The resurrection is at the seventh trumpet, not at Pentecost. And when we look at the overall framework of God's holy days, it begins to spell that out very clearly. In fact, Jesus himself added another important piece over in the Gospels. If we turn back to Matthew chapter 24, here's an important piece that Christ wanted the disciples to be aware of when they asked about the end times. Matthew 24, notice verse 30. Here Jesus Christ himself is speaking, going through the end time. And in verse 30, he says, then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven. And then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his elect from the four winds from one end of heaven to the other. So they'll gather in the atmosphere. And we see, well, what is it that happens at his coming?

That gathering! The elect, the faithful, they come together, the angels gather them together at that great sound of a trumpet. Unmistakable words of Jesus Christ ties perfectly with what we read in 1 Corinthians 15 and 1 Thessalonians 4. And in fact, that framework is expanded if we were to look over in Revelation 11. Let's go there for just a moment. Revelation 11, we find even a more specific framework for this time period. It's a sequence, you might say, a sequence of seven trumpets that ultimately culminate in the seventh trumpet. And what happens there? Well, let's notice Revelation 11, verse 15. Revelation 11, verse 15, it says, the seventh angel sounded, and there are loud voices in heaven saying, the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever. And that's the ultimate turning point. That's Christ taking rulership. The governments of this world, man obliterated. This is the arrival of God's kingdom in power and authority. In fact, we're shown that this is a very special time. If you look down at verse 18, it reminds us, yes, the nations are angry, God's wrath has come. And then it says, and this is the time that you should reward your servants, the prophets, and the saints, and those who fear your name, small and great. And so this is pointing to a time that fits the resurrection, that fits eternal life, it fits the giving of immortality from God, that when the faithful are raised at Christ's return. And so the pattern, it's not hazy, it's clear, it's unmistakable. Pentecost pictures the calling and preparation of the firstfruits.

But trumpets, that pictures the intervention of Jesus Christ in this world's affairs, at the last trumpet, the completion of the work of the firstfruits at the resurrection.

And I think it reminds us of something that's so important, even about the character of God Himself. God is a God of order. God loves order. He works in order. He works by design. And He works in stages, not just some jumbled mess, no, not just going back and forth and wondering what's going to happen. No, He's an orderly God and He works with design. And that should give us a little bit of reassurance, I think personally as well. Your life ever feel out of order?

You ever feel kind of jumbled up, like, whoa, what is going on? Yeah, I think there's a personal lesson here as well for us because, wow, by now I should be a lot farther along than I am. Shouldn't I? I think that speaks to the fact that God works progressively. He calls us. He teaches us. He convicts us. He works with us. He corrects us. He strengthens us. And that's all part of the journey as we grow to be more like Christ, to put on His character. And then ultimately, at that appointed time, He promises to complete that good work that He started in you.

And so that's such a great reminder. Pentecost says, God has begun. Trumpets? That says, God will finish.

In a way, it's almost like watching a home being built from scratch. I mean, obviously, you know the foundation better be solid. That's important. When the walls begin to go up, that framing, that's important. Yes, and you've got to have the wiring, and you've got to have the plumbing, and all that stuff that is unseen that goes behind the sheetrock. Yeah, all that stuff that's inside.

Yeah, that matters. Yeah, I've found that out personally in the last little bit. If you don't get what's inside the walls right, it's going to be a mess. It is going to be a mess.

And that's an important connection, because nobody confuses a finished product with the process.

You see, when the construction is going on, that's the process. You don't confuse that, like say, oh look, I can see the wires and the pipes and things. Must be done. No, nobody does that. Obviously, more work has to be done. And so it's a great reminder that Pentecost is saying, hey, God is definitely concerned about what's going on on the inside. What's there behind the walls? What's going on in our hearts and in our minds? And then, of course, Trumpets reminds us the day is coming that that house is going to be built. Construction is going to be done.

Maybe to say it just a little bit differently, Pentecost tells us God is working in us now. Trumpets tells us that Christ is coming to finish His work. And that is so encouraging.

But we shouldn't miss another important point here. Point number five. The first fruit harvest has been ongoing through the age. And the resurrection has not.

How long has God been working with the first fruits?

Well, since man was created, that was part of God's plan. How long has the resurrection been going on? Oh, yeah, it hasn't. It hasn't. So the first fruit harvest has been going on right from the start. And when we recognize that, as we read in Romans, we have the first fruits of the Spirit now. We've been given God's Spirit as a guarantee. And, of course, when we look at those faithful people that have gone on before us through the ages, we have a record of that, kind of a summary in the faith chapter. What chapter is that?

Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11 points to those generations of faithful first fruits, those who died in the faith. And yet it tells us very clearly, they did not yet receive the promise of the resurrection. And so you can go back, counts of Abel and Abraham and Moses and Sarah, all those faithful people, the prophets, none of them have received the promise yet.

And it's interesting that Hebrews points out the fact that there's something better for us because we're all going to be resurrected together. We're all going to be resurrected together, the faithful throughout all the age. We're all waiting for that return of Christ.

And so it's amazing to see that plan of God that's been unfolding throughout all this age. But yet, at the same time, it's pointing, resurrection's still out there. It's still to come. And so I think that should help us to see ourselves in the proper light. We're a part of something much bigger than just our lifespan. We're a part of the one true people of God, one body, one hope, one Lord, one firstfruits family, you might say. And we can ultimately look forward to that time when we share in the resurrection. And so it should help us to get the big picture.

And if we get so absorbed in our own little lives, in our own problems, in our own discouragements, in our own little circle, wow! This helps us to step back and see God's doing something absolutely amazing. That we're being prepared together with all those people that are named there in Hebrews 11. God wants us a part of them. Wow! That is so inspiring. What an amazing plan that God has. Now it also reminds us of a sixth thing. We read in Thessalonians, the saints are gathered to the returning king, not to remain in heaven. We're gathered together. Because when we think about what happens when the saints are raised, you know, are they going to go off to heaven? That's their final reward?

No. The saints are gathered to Christ as He returns, and then we share in His reign and rule on earth. I mean, we know, Matthew 5.5 says, the meek shall inherit the earth.

Daniel 27, or Daniel 7.27 points out very clearly that this kingdom will be given to the saints of the Most High. That's us, and all those people mentioned throughout Scripture, Hebrews, chapter 11. And so what an amazing story that it presents. It reminds us the resurrection is not some kind of an escape from earth. No, it's serving. It's preparation to serve with Christ in restoring the earth. And that helps us to understand 1 Thessalonians 4 a little bit better. I mean, we recognize this idea of meeting Christ in the air. It has a little bit of a connotation of welcoming a ruler, a dignitary, a really important honored guest. Yeah, absolutely.

But we know humanity at that time. Are they going to be welcoming Christ?

Far from it. They're going to be fighting against Him. They don't want Him to come for anything.

And so we recognize very clearly, as we read in Matthew 24, what Christ said, we will be gathered together. The elect will be gathered. Mark chapter 13 is the section that says, we'll be gathered from the four winds. So a bigger picture than just meeting a dignitary, gathering faithful people to Christ as returning came. Not abandoning the earth, but gathering us into His presence so that we can share in His reign and rule as He establishes the kingdom of God right here on earth. Zechariah 14 says His feet are going to stand on the Mount of Olives on that day. So it's an arrival. It's an intervention. It's His rule that has begun.

So remember, prophecy is not about a getaway. That's not what it's about. It's about His appearance. It's about His rulership. It's about the triumph of the kingdom of God.

And that leads us to another vital truth. Number seven, the first resurrection is a resurrection to rulership, to service, and responsibility. You see, we don't want to limit things. It's not just a resurrection to eternal life. Yes, of course, that's true. But resurrection has a purpose.

We know Revelation 5.10 says we will be kings and priests to rule with Him. We know Revelation 20. It tells us about the first resurrection, and it says they'll reign with Christ for a thousand years. We know Christ taught the parable of the talents. That's where He said, well done, good and faithful servant. Why? Because we're faithful over a few things. He said, I will make you ruler over many things. Paul reminded Timothy, if we endure to the end, we'll not only be saved, but we'll reign with Him. And so that theme keeps coming back over and over. We'll reign, we'll rule, we'll serve, we'll help Him, we'll administer, we'll judge, we'll assist the ruling Christ.

Wow! That is action! That's kingdom talk! Certainly a reminder, Christ isn't just saving His people from this evil age. He wants us to help Him restore what sin has absolutely wrecked.

That's inspiring. That is so encouraging. But also a little convicting, too.

Am I, am I handling my responsibilities now? That's going to be an indication. But am I being faithful in those little things? How am I responding when God corrects me? Am I treating others? Am I esteeming them better than myself? Am I handling the challenges, the difficulties, the frustrations in life? Am I keeping control, self-control in my life? Am I really allowing God's Spirit to work in me and submitting to it? I mean, short little questions, but wow.

Big, big things that we need to ask ourselves. Because God's reminding us our choices every day, even those littlest of choices, have a big impact. Character, it's not optional, right? Humility, not optional. Faithful people are absolutely required.

And so what a reminder that we're in training. And if we're in training, you don't train by accident. We're training on purpose, intentionally, for a reason. And so no wonder these small things matter so much. And so God's watching. How do we handle these things? What about our attitudes? What about our words? What about those responsibilities that we have to each other, our frustrations? You see, those things are shaping our character now. And if we're putting on the character of Christ, that is absolutely needed in the kingdom as we serve humanity.

And of course, all of that brings us back to Pentecost. I have an add-on to number seven. I thought we were done, but throw one more on for good measure. Number eight.

Pentecost gives us what we need now for what God will do then. Think about that for a moment. Pentecost gives us what we need now for what God will do then. Obviously, the symbolism of Pentecost is not about the resurrection, but Pentecost is essential to the resurrection.

Because the only way we'll be resurrected is if we have the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit of God given to us now prepares us for that very time that's coming later. One quick passage over in Romans chapter eight. Notice Romans chapter eight verse 11. Because it gives it in a nutshell.

This concept of what Pentecost symbolizes, giving us the thing that we need most right now, and then ultimately points to what God will do later. Romans chapter eight verse 11. It says, if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

That ties it all together. The Spirit of God and then that future immortality in the resurrection.

So Pentecost is telling us, God's not just left us alone while we're just hanging out and waiting around. He's not saying, well just hang on somehow until the resurrection comes. No, he's telling us he's given us power. We have the power to overcome sin. We have the power to overcome Satan and his wiles. We've been given the power to put on the character of Christ. We've given everything that we need. Having access to the mind of God. We have his strength. It's possible we can have his correction, his guidance, his comfort, his truth, all of those things because of the Spirit of God. And when we recognize that, we ask those questions. Am I really yielding to the Spirit of God and growing in the character of Christ? Because that's enduring to the end. Because we're reminded Pentecost is not the end of the race. It's not finished.

But God has given us what we do need in order to finish faithfully. He's given us a spirit so that we can change. We can grow. We can overcome. We can endure to the end. And ultimately, that Christ can live his life in us even more fully. So, as we consider, can't believe everything you read in the newspaper, can't believe every notification that comes up on your phone, don't fall for misguided ideas that might be repeated over and over, coming out of nowhere, it seems, at times. God's plan, it's so vital and so clear step by step. And it's not just a relief from pain. It's not an escape plan. We don't want to confuse the steps of God's master plan. Let's appreciate them. Let's be motivated by them. And let's live by the light that they shine. Because we've been called as first fruits. We've been given the opportunity now to live as Jesus Christ. And so that means we should think differently. We should repent more deeply. We should submit even more fully. Endure more faithfully and have hope, a bold, confident hope, because there is no doubt Jesus Christ is going to return. That day is coming. The trumpet, it will absolutely sound. And all the world will hear. And they'll see Jesus Christ coming. And ultimately, that kingdom established right here on the earth. And then nobody's going to wonder, is God's plan true or not? No, it will be absolutely fact. No one's going to doubt whether His promises were true. Nobody's going to question whether His holy days were meant for what He really said they were meant. It's going to be absolutely clear.

So let's be faithful. Let's stay watchful. Let's be encouraged and stay close to God.

Because Pentecost tells us God's working in us right now. And Trumpets tells us that Christ is coming back to finish His work.