Proposition: The giving of the Holy Spirit and the beginning of the Church was the fulfillment of the Feast of Pentecost.

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1 Feast of Weeks / Pentecost [1] Proposition: The giving of the Holy Spirit and the beginning of the Church was the fulfillment of the Feast of Pentecost. Proof: The Feast of Weeks was at Pentecost and Pentecost was a second feast of firstfruits.. Exodus 34:22 "Celebrate the Feast of Weeks with the firstfruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year. Leviticus 23:15-17 " From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering (my note - the wave offering at the Feast of Firstfruits), count off seven full weeks. Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the LORD. From wherever you live, bring two loaves made of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour, baked with yeast, as a wave offering of firstfruits to the LORD. Numbers 28:26 " On the day of firstfruits, when you present to the LORD an offering of new grain during the Feast of Weeks, hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. Deuteronomy 16:10-11 Then celebrate the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God by giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings the LORD your God has given you. And rejoice before the LORD your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name--you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, the Levites in your towns, and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows living among you. 1 / 9

2 The New Testament spoke of the Church as having another kind of firstfruits, the firstfruits of the Spirit. Acts 1:3-5 After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." Romans 8:23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. James 1:18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. Proposition: The giving of the Holy Spirit occurred on the day of the Feast of Weeks / Pentecost. Proof: Acts 2:1-4 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Conclusion: The event foreshadowed by the Feast of Weeks was fulfilled on the Feast of Weeks. 2 / 9

3 This section has demonstrated that special days celebrated according to the Old Testament ordinances sometimes foreshadow and prophecy events that later occur exactly on those same special days. The pattern that God set up in history is admirably explained by Alfred Edersheim in his book The Temple Its Ministry and Services, Chapter 11: "When God bound up the future of all nations in the history of Abraham and his seed (Gen 12:3), He made that history prophetic; and each event and every rite became, as it were, a bud, destined to open in blossom and ripen into fruit on that tree under the shadow of which all nations were to be gathered." This Chronology of Christ will demonstrate that other dates than the ones demonstrated above are also foreshadowed by a special day or feast. Josephus must be understood as a Christian as well as a Jew. First of all, I should tell you who Josephus was. His full Latin name was Flavius Josephus. He was born in Jerusalem about 37 AD. He was a member of the priestly line of Aaron and of the last Royal family of the Jews, the Hasmoneans. He was also a Pharisee. He was the author of the only contemporary account of Jewish history in the 1 st Century BC and 1 st Century AD. He was an eyewitness and participant in the events surrounding the Jewish revolt of AD. He served as the commander of the Jewish resistance against the Romans in Galilee although only 30 years old. After about a year of heroic resistance, he was defeated and captured. He witnessed the rest of the war on the Roman side as a prisoner/guest. He was adopted into the family of the two Roman Generals that defeated him. They were the father and son, Flavius Vespasian and Flavius Titus, who went on to become the first two Roman Emperors of the Flavian line. He wrote two great histories, Wars of the Jews (covering the Jewish revolt and its causes) about 74 AD and then Antiquities of the Jews (covering the entire history of the Jewish people to the beginning of the revolt) about 90 AD. After I had studied Josephus, it became clear to me, both from my own observations and the 3 / 9

4 notes of his 18 th century English translator, William Whiston, that between his writing Wars of the Jews, and his writing of Antiquities of the Jews a great change had been wrought in his attitude toward the Pharisees and Priests of the Jews, and his attitude toward the Christians. In the first book his praise of the High Priests is fulsome. In the second book, he describes them as treacherous and greedy. In the first book, Christ and the Christians are not even mentioned. In the second, Josephus makes a point of mentioning Jesus, John the Baptist, and James. Twice he calls Jesus the Christ. This, in spite of the fact that he wrote the second book during a severe persecution of Christians by the last of the Flavians, Domitian. To me, it is clear that in the interim between the books, Josephus became a Christian. The passages he mentions Christ and the Church are copied below. Antiquities of the Jews, by Flavius Josephus, Book 18, Chapter 3, Paragraph 3. Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day. Antiquities of the Jews, by Flavius Josephus, Book 18, Chapter 5, Paragraph 2. Now some of the Jews thought that the destruction of Herod's army came from God, and that very justly, as a punishment of what he did against John, that was called the Baptist : for Herod slew him, wh o was a good man, and commanded the Jews to exercise virtue, both as to righteousness towards one another, and piety towards God, and so to come to baptism; for that the washing [with water] would be acceptable to him, if they made use of it, not in order to the putting away [or the remission] of some sins [only], but for the purification of the body; supposing still that the soul was thoroughly purified beforehand by righteousness. Now when [many] others came in crowds about him, for they were very greatly moved [or 4 / 9

5 pleased] by hearing his words, Herod, who feared lest the great influence John had over the people might put it into his power and inclination to raise a rebellion, (for they seemed ready to do anything he should advise,) thought it best, by putting him to death, to prevent any mischief he might cause, and not bring himself into difficulties, by sparing a man who might make him repent of it when it would be too late. Accordingly he was sent a prisoner, out of Herod's suspicious temper, to Macherus, the castle I before mentioned, and was there put to death. Now the Jews had an opinion that the destruction of this army was sent as a punishment upon Herod, and a mark of God's displeasure to him. Antiquities of the Jews, by Flavius Josephus, Book 20, Chapter 9, Paragraph 1. AND now Caesar, upon hearing the death of Festus, sent Albinus into Judea, as procurator. But the king deprived Joseph of the high priesthood, and bestowed the succession to that dignity on the son of Ananus, who was also himself called Ananus. Now the report goes that this eldest Ananus proved a most fortunate man; for he had five sons who had all performed the office of a high priest to God, and who had himself enjoyed that dignity a long time formerly, which had never happened to any other of our high priests. But this younger Ananus, who, as we have told you already, took the high priesthood, was a bold man in his temper, and very insolent; he was also of the sect of the Sadducees, who are very rigid in judging offenders, above all the rest of the Jews, as we have already observed; when, therefore, Ananus was of this disposition, he thought he had now a proper opportunity [to exercise his authority]. Festus was now dead, and Albinus was but upon the road; so he assembled the Sanhedrin of judges, and brought before them the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James, and some others, [or, some of his companions]; and when he had formed an accusation against them as breakers of the law, he delivered them to be stoned: but as for those who seemed the most equitable of the citizens, and such as were the most uneasy at the breach of the laws, they disliked what was done; they also sent to the king [Agrippa], desiring him to send to Ananus that he should act so no more, for that what he had already done was not to be justified ; nay, some of them went also to meet Albinus, as he was upon his journey from Alexandria, and informed him that it was not lawful for Ananus to assemble a Sanhedrin without his consent. Whereupon Albinus complied with what they said, and wrote in anger to Ananus, and threatened that he would bring him to punishment for what he had done; on which king Agrippa took the high priesthood from him, when he had ruled but three months, and made Jesus, the son of Damneus, high priest. Besides these passages, there are Josephus' assertions that prophetic passages in the Old Testament concerning the destruction of Jerusalem were fulfilled by the Roman destruction of Jerusalem. In particular look at the following: 5 / 9

6 Antiquities of the Jews, by Flavius Josephus, Book 10, Chapter 11 Paragraph 7b "In the very same manner Daniel also wrote concerning the Roman government, and that our country should be made desolate by them. All these things did this man leave in writing, as God had showed them to him, insomuch that such as read his prophecies, and see how they have been fulfilled, would wonder at the honor wherewith God honored Daniel; and may thence discover how the Epicureans are in an error, who cast Providence out of human life, and do not believe that God takes care of the affairs of the world, nor that the universe is governed and continued in being by that blessed and immortal nature, but say that the world is carried along of its own accord, without a ruler and a curator; which, were it destitute of a guide to conduct it, as they imagine, it would be like ships without pilots, which we see drowned by the winds, or like chariots without drivers, which are overturned; so would the world be dashed to pieces by its being carried without a Providence, and so perish, and come to nought. So that, by the forementioned predictions of Daniel, those men seem to me very much to err from the truth, who determine that God exercises no providence over human affairs; for if that were the case, that the world went on by mechanical necessity, we should not see that all things would come to pass according to his prophecy. Now as to myself, I have so described these matters as I have found them and read them; but if any one is inclined to another opinion about them, let him enjoy his different sentiments without any blame from me." The only passage he could be referring to is the following: Daniel 9:22-27 He instructed me and said to me, "Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the message and understand the vision: "Seventy sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy. "Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven sevens,' and sixty-two sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. After the sixty-two sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. He will confirm a covenant with many for one seven.' In the middle of the seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering." 6 / 9

7 The logical conclusion is that Josephus believes that the "Anointed One" had come. Who could he believe was the "Anointed One" but Jesus Christ? Josephus also makes a similar observation about passages in Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Antiquities of the Jews, by Flavius Josephus, Book 10, Chapter 5 Paragraph 1b Jeremiah the prophet composed an elegy to lament him, which is extant till tills time also. Moreover, this prophet denounced beforehand the sad calamities that were coming upon the city. He also left behind him in writing a description of that destruction of our nation which has lately happened in our days, and the taking of Babylon; nor was he the only prophet who delivered such predictions beforehand to the multitude, but so did Ezekiel also, who was the first person that wrote, and left behind him in writing two books concerning these events. I believe the two passages he is speaking about are the following from Jeremiah's Lamentation and Ezekiel. Lamentation 4:11-20 The LORD has given full vent to his wrath; he has poured out his fierce anger. He kindled a fire in Zion that consumed her foundations. The kings of the earth did not believe, nor did any of the world's people, that enemies and foes could enter the gates of Jerusalem. But it happened because of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed within her the blood of the righteous When they flee and wander about, people among the nations say, "They can stay here no longer." The LORD himself has scattered them; he no longer watches over them. The priests are shown no honor, the elders no favor. Moreover, our eyes failed, looking in vain for help; from our towers we watched for a nation that could not save us. Men stalked us at every step, so we 7 / 9

8 could not walk in our streets. Our end was near, our days were numbered, for our end had come. Our pursuers were swifter than eagles (my note - the eagle was the symbol of Rome) in the sky ; they chased us over the mountains and lay in wait for us in the desert. The LORD's anointed, our very life breath, was caught in their traps. [2] We thought that under his shadow we would live among the nations. [3] Ezekiel 4:1-7 "Now, son of man, take a clay tablet, put it in front of you and draw the city of Jerusalem on it. Then lay siege to it: Erect siege works against it, build a ramp up to it, set up camps against it and put battering rams around it. Then take an iron pan, place it as an iron wall between you and the city and turn your face toward it. It will be under siege, and you shall besiege it. This will be a sign to the house of Israel. "Then lie on your left side and put the sin of the house of Israel upon yourself. You are to bear their sin for the number of days you lie on your side. I have assigned you the same number of days as the years of their sin. So for 390 days you will bear the sin of the house of Israel. "After you have finished this, lie down again, this time on your right side, and bear the sin of the house of Judah. I have assigned you 40 days, a day for each year. Turn your face toward the siege of Jerusalem and with bared arm prophesy against her." Both of these also imply the coming of the Messiah before the siege and destruction of Jerusalem. You might ask yourself, if Josephus was a believer, why didn't he speak more clearly or in greater length? The answer is easy. He wrote and published Antiquities about the time the Emperor Domitian, the son and brother of his erstwhile patrons Vespasian and Titus, was embarking on the first really severe persecution of Christians. Many prominent Roman citizens were exiled, imprisoned or executed. According to tradition, the Apostle John was exiled to the island of Patmas after they tried unsucessfully to kill him by boiling him in oil. Josephus was just a historian [4] who was a fairly new Christian. His testimony about Jesus, quoted above, is tucked in quietly into his history just before he embarks on an uncharacteristic narration of a Roman sex scandal, which has little to do with his history. To me, it seems clear that he decided that, though it was 8 / 9

9 dangerous, he felt it was important for him to put in a small quiet testimony of his faith. However, he followed it by something so juicy that no one looking for victims would be likely to remember the previous passage. He also included in Antiquities the only historical accounts of John the Baptist and the death of James the Just, the brother of the Lord and leader of the church in Jerusalem. Why is this important to the Chronology of Christ? Because, when I found Josephus' comments in Antiquities about events in the Temple during the days close to the birth of Christ, I thought he might be recording something that might have been more than just secular history. Something important to Christianity! [1] So called because it was fifty days after the regular sabbath of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. [2] Psalms 32:4-5 [3] Isaiah 32:1-2, Hosea 14:7 [4] I find Josephus' interpretation of Jewish history gets less perfect the farther he gets from his own time, but that is true of all historians. 9 / 9