Pentecost is followed by a period of four months during which the harvest of different products is gathered in Israel. The last three feasts are then celebrated after the harvest, in the seventh month. The long time-span between these two groups of feasts has prophetic significance. It refers to the dispensation of the church, for in that time the harvest of the kingdom of heaven is to be gathered among all nations. Those working for God should dedicate themselves towards completing their task within the available time: “Do you not say: There are still four months and then comes the harvest? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” (John 4:35).
On another occasion Jesus said: “The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send labourers into His harvest” (Luke 10:2). In one of the parables a field is used as a symbol of the world, and the final gathering of the harvest as the end of the world (Matt. 13:38-39). The Greek word for “world” used in Matthew 13:39 is aion (Eng. “aeon”) and also refers to a long period, like an age (cf. 1 Cor 10:11). In the parable, “aeon” refers to the Messianic age between the first and second coming of the Messiah, during which the harvest should be gathered. Only at the end of this age the harvest will be assembled in the heavenly barn.
There are different descriptions in the Bible of the nature of the church dispensation, as well as various signs that indicate its end, after which Israel will again play a central role in God’s divine plan for humanity. The following are important facts to keep in mind:
The Lamb of God who was sent to Israel as their Saviour and King was rejected by the great majority of people, including their spiritual leaders. By this act He was “cut off” from His own people, who rejected His credentials and decided to find their own way spiritually without Him. “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him” (John 1:11). This negative reaction of Israel accounts for the long interval in the celebration of the seven feasts. Despite the tragic consequences for Israel caused by the rejection of their Messiah-King, the long interval is nevertheless a most meaningful phase in the proclamation of God’s salvation to the entire world – including the dispersed Israelites.
The Messiah explains Israel’s spiritual blindness and the consequences of Israel’s rejecting of the Son of God as follows in a parable:
“There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them. Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, They will respect my son. But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance. So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers? They said to Him, He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons. Jesus said to them, Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes’? Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it” (Matt. 21:33-43).
Jesus the Messiah indicated to the Jewish leaders that they were the tenants who would reject the Husbandman (God) in two stages: first they rejected His servants, and now they were on the verge of also rejecting and killing His Son. Louis Barbieri (1983:70-71) says:
“It seems clear that Jesus was speaking of the nation of Israel that had been carefully prepared by God to be His fruitful vineyard (cf. Isa. 5:1-7). The care of the vine had been committed to the nation’s religious leaders. But they had failed to acknowledge the Master’s right over them and had treated His messengers and prophets badly. They ultimately would even kill His Son, Jesus Christ, outside Jerusalem (cf. Heb. 13:12). ... By way of application Jesus said the kingdom of God was being taken away from those who heard Him, and it would be given to the people who would produce its fruit. ... But the kingdom has not been taken completely away from Israel forever (Rom. 11:15, 25). And the church is not now inheriting the kingdom. ... Jesus was simply saying the kingdom was being taken away from the nation Israel at the time, but it would be given back to the nation in a future day when that nation would demonstrate true repentance and faith.”
During the interval between the feasts, the gathering of God’s harvest occurs mostly among the non-Jewish nations. While thus occupied, Gentile believers should provoke Israel to jealousy by the way in which they serve and glorify the Messiah, and also by the diligence in which they execute His commands.
It is also interesting to note that during the time between the first and second coming of the Messiah, there are two transitional generations in which Israel and the church coexist. During the first generation after the coming of the Messiah, the first four feasts were fulfilled (Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits and Pentecost). Because of Israel’s rejection of the Messianic fulfilment of these feasts, the writing was on the wall for Israel to be phased out from God’s divine plan, being dispersed from their God-given land (Matt. 23:36-38). At the same time, before the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, the church of Christ was established in the Gentile world and therefore gradually phased in.
In the last generation before the coming of the Messiah, Israel is restored in their land, and that in itself is a sign to the church that the dispensation of world evangelisation is drawing to a close (Luke 21:24). While Israel is increasingly being re-established in their land, the true church should prepare to be taken away from planet earth when the Heavenly Bridegroom comes.
The Messiah was born in Israel to be their Saviour and King (Isa. 9:6-7; Luke 1:32). By the time Jesus was introduced to the nation when He started with His public ministry, the kingdom of Israel had already been non-existent for about six centuries, dating from their Babylonian exile. They were first the subjects of the Babylonian Empire, followed by the Medo-Persian, Greek and Roman Empires. By the time of Christ the throne of David was still vacant, and in His Olivet Discourse He indicated that this situation would remain unchanged until the times of the Gentiles were fulfilled.
Jesus prophesied an even more absolute subjection of Israel by the nations, in which He said that they would not only be without a king but also without a capital city and a land, while many of them would also lose their lives:
“When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (Luke 21:20-24).
This prophecy was fulfilled in 70 AD when the Romans conquered and destroyed Jerusalem, leading to the death of 1.1 million Jews. The remaining 97 000 inhabitants of the dying city were taken as captives of war and dispersed to various countries (see Malan, 2012). It is clearly stated in the above prophecy that Jerusalem would not be trampled indefinitely but only until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled – indicating that there would be an extended time during which the Gentile world would be offered the opportunity to become part of the kingdom of God. Paul also referred to this period of the gathering of a harvest among the pagan nations, after which the whole Israel will be saved:
“For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob” (Rom. 11:25-26).
Israel will definitely be physically and spiritually restored in the end-time: “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: ... I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you” (Ezek. 36:22-26).
The re-establishment of Israel as a people of God who truly serve Him will occur when Jesus returns after the long interval of world evangelism. This time He will not again be rejected by Israel, but will be fully accepted. During His first coming He said: “For I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Matt. 23:39). It will then be fitting for the Messiah to restore the throne of David and establish His worldwide kingdom: “After this I will return and will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will set it up; so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, says the Lord who does all these things” (Acts 15:16-17).
As long as Israel is scattered and Jerusalem trampled, God’s kingdom will not be manifested as a physical reality on earth. Only Christ can establish His kingdom and that can only happen after He has come as King of kings, defeated and judged His enemies and saved the remnant of Israel.
The Lord Jesus has never commissioned His disciples to engage in kingdom transformations by mustering forces through ecumenical alliances and mass meetings. Neither have they been empowered to dispel evil forces from earth by means of strategic spiritual warfare, or challenged to strive after high positions such as kings, apostles, or special prophets who are anointed to wield supernatural powers by doing signs and wonders.
To the contrary, we are strangers and pilgrims in a world which lies in the sway of the evil one (1 Pet. 2:11; 1 John 5:19). Those who are saved are relatively few (Matt. 7:14; Luke 13:23-24) and we have been warned that we will be despised, hated and persecuted by a predominantly wicked and God-rejecting world (John 15:18-20; 16:33).
In the parable of the wheat and the tares we are told that we will live and work in close association with wicked people right down to the end of the dispensation, when the time for the final harvest dawns: “Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn” (Matt. 13:30).
Presently, during the time close to the second coming of Christ, it is conspicuous that the spiritual tares are increasingly grouping themselves together in the form of cults, deceived churches, the non-Christian religions, interfaith movements, and mystical organisations such as the New Age Movement, transcendental meditation groups, secular humanists, etc. At a given time the trumpet of God will sound and all true believers will be gathered together in heaven.
The final phase of the church age will not be characterised by a kingdom situation of peace and justice, in which the church occupies a position of supremacy over evil worldly powers, but rather in an unprecedented confrontation between the powers of light and darkness. Before God intervenes to judge the perpetrators of evil, the global harvest period will begin when the true church is summoned to heaven. Right now, we are living in a time of great apostasy and falling away from the truth, and if we are serious about prevailing against the forces of spiritual deception we should be well informed on the great impact of evil influences on humanity.
The reality of an opposing kingdom of darkness should always be kept in mind. Satan is responsible for the spiritual and moral downfall of humanity, and he is intent on the end-time revealing of his kingdom on earth. The false messiah and the false prophet will be at the head of this wicked kingdom during the seven years of the tribulation period, and Satan will give them his power, his throne and great authority (Rev. 13:1-2). His deception and attacks on believers will increase in intensity as we move closer to the end.
Satan has achieved such astounding success with his efforts that all the previous dispensations in human history have ended in large-scale apostasy. These rebellious situations gave rise to dramatic interventions by the Lord in which the followers of Satan were judged, leading to a new phase in the progressive unfolding of God’s plan for humanity. According to biblical prophecies, future dispensations will also end in apostasy among the majority of people on earth.
The seven dispensations are mentioned below, and they offer a clear dispensational framework for the understanding of God’s dealings with humanity, as well as an explanation for the periods of intensified actions by the devil. From this short review it will be evident that not only Israel failed to live up to their spiritual calling, but also people and nations of all ages in human history. In the light of these facts it will be evident why the Feast of Trumpets in the end-time will be followed by “seven awful days” of divine judgement.
1. The dispensation of innocence in the Garden of Eden. God had commanded Adam and Eve not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, warning them that they would surely die if they did (Gen. 2:17). The devil disguised himself as a snake and sowed the seeds of unbelief in their hearts, to which they heeded. Adam and Eve suddenly became aware of the distinction between good and evil; they were victims of evil deception, and their relationship of faith in God was consequently broken. They immediately died spiritually and also physically became mortal beings. Instead of obedience to God they now became subservient to a foreign god – the devil. In this way they acquired a fallen nature which was also inherited by all their descendants (Rom. 5:12). The original sin of our first parents accounts for the fact that all people are born as sinners. If they are not regenerated by Christ they remain under the control of the god of this age, thereby heading for eternal death and condemnation (Rom. 5:13-19). Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden because of their unbelief, and the dispensation of innocence ended in a great tragedy for humanity.
2. The dispensation of conscience. God enabled fallen humanity to distinguish between good and evil through their conscience. They could communicate with God through prayers and sacrifices, thereby establishing a relationship with Him. They had the ability to make moral choices between good and evil (Gen. 4:7). However, the inclination to sin got the upper hand. All people, except for Noah and his family, degenerated into total apostasy, and that gave rise to the Flood in which all the wicked people were destroyed (Gen. 6:5-7).
3. The dispensation of human government after the Flood. This stage of human history was characterised by the forming of nations with their own rulers. They had the choice whether to serve God or not. By their own choice they all developed into pagan nations who worshipped idols, thereby rendering evidence they were all deceived by Satan. By building the tower of Babel they endeavoured to establish a pagan world government under the leadership of a king who deified himself. God defeated their effort by the confusion of languages, after which the different peoples (or nations), independent from one another, continued with their idolatry and unbelief in the true God.
4. The dispensation of the law. The Lord introduced a new dispensation by first calling Israel and later delivering them from Egypt so that they could serve Him as a holy and independent people in the Promised Land. He gave them His law and also guided, strengthened and blessed them through the priestly service in the tabernacle. He gave clear instructions to Israel not to mix with pagan nations, since they would defile themselves spiritually with the idolatry of these nations. The seven feasts of the Lord were also given to them to further teach them about His great salvation. Tragically, Israel’s long history in the Old Testament was mainly characterised by apostasy, disobedience to the law, unbelief in the true God, and the worshipping of idols. The Chosen People of God had receded into spiritual darkness and unbelief, and together with all the inhabitants of the world they were victims of “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2).
5. The dispensation of the church. With the birth of the Messiah a great light shone upon a people who walked in darkness. “That was the true Light which gives light to every man who comes into the world. He was in the world and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him” (John 1:9-11). The coming of Jesus Christ, His atoning death, resurrection and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit formed the basis of a new testament in which all people were to be called out of darkness into His marvellous light. The first four of the seven feasts of Israel were fulfilled during the year of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, and during the subsequent centuries many people (although never a majority in any particular society or nation) came to faith in Christ.
The global revelation of God’s grace in the New Testament coincided with increased knowledge of Satan and his kingdom. But many of the early believers, at their own peril, did not resist deception as they should have done. Paul said to the Corinthians, “But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you put up with it well” (2 Cor. 11:3-4). Spiritual deception permeated the entire church dispensation, and only small groups of people remained true to the gospel of Christ. Right now, the world is spiritually in a particularly dark time which will give rise to a dramatic intervention by the Lord to remove true believers and then surrender the deceived masses to the dictatorship of the Antichrist.
Deceived, nominal believers will only have themselves to blame for their predicament when they are left behind at the rapture. The Messiah warned believers among the nations not to follow Israel’s bad example by lusting after evil things, worshipping idols, yielding to sexual immorality, murmuring against God, and tempting the Messiah (1 Cor. 10:5-10). Are we learning from Israel’s mistakes? Paul says: “All these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10:11-12). Never despise Israel because of their wrong doing, but be determined to do better and to set a good example for them (cf. Rom. 11:13-23).
6. The dispensation of the Antichrist’s rule. The Antichrist will be revealed shortly after the rapture, when the dispensation of his seven-year long reign on earth will begin. Although God will also raise special witnesses to preach the gospel during this time, converts will die as martyrs because of persecution by the Antichrist. This dispensation will end in world-wide apostasy and also in a demonic-inspired effort to kill the true Christ when He comes again (Rev. 19:19). These efforts will lead to the notorious battle of Armageddon when all the evil forces and their leaders will be destroyed.
7. Dispensation of the Millennium. Christ will personally rule during this dispensation, and the saved Israel will be His special witnesses who will evangelise the world (Isa. 27:6). They will be highly regarded by all nations (Zech. 8:23). Although the first generation of people after Christ’s return will all be saved, their children will still be born with sinful natures and will therefore have to be evangelised. As incredible and unlikely as it may seem, a mere form of godliness will in the course of time during the Millennium, set in and give rise to widespread unbelief. Satan will be released from the pit after 1 000 years to once more tempt humanity in order to reveal the hidden thoughts and desires in their hearts. The majority of them will immediately fall victim to his deceit and wilfully participate in the last big rebellion against God and His kingdom (Rev. 20:7-10).
It is clear that the great falling away of the present time will lead to an extremely polarised situation: The majority of humanity will be carried away by the strong current of deception and immorality, and pave the way for the coming of the Antichrist as the self-declared God and man of sin. Conversely, the group of true believers will resist deception and evil, and be “counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36). That will happen when the trumpet of the fifth feast sounds.