Very early on, traditional Christianity adopted the false teaching that Christ was resurrected on Sunday morning. This idea later became intertwined with the unbiblical observance of Easter. Together, these beliefs have only served to obscure and bury the truth of what actually took place on that Sunday morning.
However, the world has no real understanding that there was indeed a profound event that was fulfilled by Christ that Sunday morning—an event connected to a ceremony that Judaism had observed for centuries. This ceremony took place every year on the Sunday following Passover during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
The ceremony that God commanded the Israelites to observe during the Feast of Unleavened Bread was the Wave Sheaf offering. Yet, how many people today have even heard of the Wave Sheaf offering—let alone understand that Joshua the Christ fulfilled it on the morning following His resurrection that had occurred several hours earlier?
But before we can understand the observance of the Wave Sheaf offering and its symbolism, we must first address another false teaching found in traditional Christianity.
Many people believe that when someone dies, they immediately go to heaven, hell, or some other place in between. The Bible, however, does not teach this. Instead, God reveals His plan of salvation for humanity through His appointed Holy Days. To understand that plan, one needs to be willing to set aside long-held assumptions and beliefs.
God’s plan begins with Christ, the first to enter the Kingdom of God. Through His life, death, and resurrection He opened the way for others to follow, and the sequence of God’s Holy Days explains how that process unfolds for mankind.
Before Christ, no one had entered God’s Kingdom. The pattern for mankind is clear: to be born, to live this physical life, and then to die, and no one has ever gone to heaven except Christ. The apostle, John, spoke of this truth.
“No one has ascended into heaven, except He who came down from out of heaven, who is the Son of man in heaven” (John 3:13).
Christ’s existence came directly from heaven when God gave Him life through begettal (of His spirit) in the womb of Mary, thereby becoming His Father. He is the only human being who has ever ascended to heaven after death and been resurrected to everlasting spirit life.
As this incredible story of Christ continues to unfold, the truth about what happens after human death will also be uncovered. All who have ever died are still dead and only God has the power to give life again through a future resurrection. The dead are not in heaven, nor are they suffering eternally in a place of torment called hell.
Thus far, only Christ has been resurrected to spirit life. For the rest of mankind, future resurrections are yet to come—events that are revealed through God’s plan, as outlined in His annual Holy Days. These will be discussed in their proper order.
To this day, only God the Father and Christ reside in God’s Kingdom. Understanding this truth is the foundation for seeing how Christ spiritually fulfilled what the Wave Sheaf offering represented.
Christ’s Remarkable Statement to Mary
The events following Christ’s resurrection reveal profound meaning hidden within God’s Holy Days. As shown earlier, Christ wasn’t resurrected on Sunday morning, as so many believe, but rather near sunset on the seventh-day Sabbath. Yet something extraordinary occurred when the women came to the tomb early on the first day of the week, bringing the spices and ointments they had prepared earlier on Friday.
When Mary Magdalene arrived and found the tomb empty, she wept, unaware that Christ had already risen the evening before. Then suddenly, He appeared to her. In their brief exchange, Christ gave a command that has puzzled many—one that most have never stopped to question.
“Now Mary stood outside at the tomb weeping, and as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the tomb. She saw two angels in white sitting there, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Joshua had lain. They said to her, ‘Woman, why do you weep?’ She answered them, ‘Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.’ When she had said this, she turned around, and saw Joshua standing there, but did not know that it was Joshua. Then Joshua said to her, ‘Woman, why do you weep? Whom do you seek?’ She thought he was the gardener, and said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.’ Joshua said to her, ‘Mary.’ Then she turned herself and said to Him, ‘Rabboni,’ which is to say, teacher. Joshua said to her, ‘Do not touch me, for I have not yet ascended unto my Father. Now go to my brethren, and say to them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father, even to my God, and your God’” (John 20:11-17).
Why would Christ tell her not to touch Him?
The answer lies in a ceremony God instructed the Israelites to observe during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Christ was about to fulfill that ceremony—and until He did, he could not be touched.
Every year during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, God commanded the Israelites to perform a very special ceremony—one that most people today have never even heard of. It happened on the morning of the first day of the week (Sunday) that fell during that festival. On that day, the high priest would take a small bundle—a sheaf—of the very first stalks from the spring harvest and wave it before God.
Here is what God instructed:
“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘When you have come into the land which I give to you, and shall reap the harvest of it, then you shall bring a sheaf [a small hand-bound bundle of the stalks of grain] of the firstfruits beginning of your harvest unto the priest. [Some have incorrectly translated this word from Hebrew as “firstfruits.” However, it simply means the “first” or “beginning” of what is the firstfruit harvest or early spring harvest]. He shall wave the sheaf before the Eternal, to be accepted [by Him]. On the day after the Sabbath [the day after the weekly Sabbath—Saturday] the priest shall wave it [always performed on the first day of the week—on a Sunday—within the Feast of Unleavened Bread]’” (Leviticus 23:10-11).
This timing was exact. While the Israelites could begin harvesting their crops before Passover, they were strictly forbidden from eating any of that new grain until the wave sheaf had been offered and accepted by God.
“You shall eat no bread, or roasted grain, or green ears, until that very day when you have brought the offering unto your God. This shall be a permanent law for all generations in all your dwellings” (Lev. 23:14).
This ancient ritual wasn’t just agricultural—it was prophetic. The wave sheaf symbolized something far greater. That sheaf, lifted up and presented to God, pointed to Christ Himself. Joshua the Christ, resurrected and then presented to the Father, became the true and ultimate fulfillment of the Wave Sheaf Offering.
A Brief but Powerful Ceremony
The Wave Sheaf ceremony performed by the High Priest was simple and short. On the morning of the first day of the week during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, he would take a sheaf—the very first of the spring harvest—and wave it before God. That was it. Yet, this small act carried powerful symbolism, and on that Sunday morning after Mary came to the tomb, something extraordinary was about to unfold.
The speed with which events occurred that morning reveals the perfect precision of God’s timing. When Christ first spoke to Mary at the tomb, His words were urgent: “Do not touch me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father.” There was something He had to accomplish first.
This wasn’t a rejection, but a matter of timing. Christ was about to fulfill the role foreshadowed in the Wave Sheaf Offering. He, as the first to be resurrected to everlasting life, needed to be presented to the Father—just like the wave sheaf had to be offered before anyone could partake of the harvest.
Christ then told her to go on ahead and tell His brethren that He would ascend to God, clearly revealing to them that He was resurrected from the dead.
But then, just a short time later after this first encounter with Mary, everything changed.
Matthew’s account captures what happened next as Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James, were walking back to tell the disciples what they had witnessed. The timing of this second encounter and the dramatic difference in Christ’s response reveals the profound spiritual reality that had just taken place.
“Now as they were on their way to tell His disciples, behold, Joshua met them, saying, ‘Greetings.’ Then they went and held fast to Him by the feet and worshipped Him. Then Joshua said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. Go tell my brethren that they are to go into Galilee, and there they shall see me’” (Matthew 28:9-10).
Only minutes had passed between these two moments—but now, they were allowed to touch Him.
Why? Because during that brief span of time, Joshua had fulfilled the meaning of the Wave Sheaf Offering. He had ascended to the Father, been accepted as the perfect sacrifice, and returned. His role as the first of God’s spiritual harvest—the first to be resurrected—was now complete.
He had become the true Wave Sheaf Offering, accepted by God on behalf of all mankind.
Christ Became the First of the Firstfruits—the First of the Early Spiritual Harvest
The wave sheaf symbolized the very beginning of the harvest—the first portion that made all the rest acceptable to God. Until that offering was made and accepted, no one was allowed to eat from the new crop. In the same way, Christ became the first human being to be born spirit in God’s Family into everlasting life.
Just as the Israelites had to wait for the wave sheaf to be accepted before partaking in their physical harvest, humanity could not receive the fullness of salvation until Christ had been presented to—and accepted by—God the Father. God’s acceptance confirmed that His sacrifice as the Passover Lamb was perfect and complete. It opened the way for all who would believe and follow.
That’s why the exact timing of these events is so important.
• Christ died on Passover the same afternoon the animals were being slaughtered and prepared
• He was in the tomb for exactly three days and three nights. He rose at the end of the Sabbath, just before sunset, fulfilling the only sign He gave that He was the Messiah.
• Then, on the following morning—the first day of the week—at the very time the high priest was presenting the wave sheaf offering in the temple, Christ presented Himself to God the Father and was accepted by Him, perfectly fulfilling the symbolism and purpose of the Wave Sheaf Offering.
This moment, symbolized by the high priest waving a sheaf of grain before God in the temple, represented the beginning of God’s spiritual harvest. While the Wave Sheaf Offering was about Christ, it pointed to all those who would one day be part of that early harvest—the firstfruits of God’s plan—Christ being the very first. He was the beginning of it all—the first to be raised to everlasting life.
God’s Holy Days are not random or coincidental. Each one has a purpose, each one reveals a part of His plan—and Christ fulfills every piece perfectly, right on time. He is the cornerstone of everything God is building.
Christ Remained for 40 Days After His Resurrection
After fulfilling His role as the Wave Sheaf Offering, Christ began to reveal Himself—appearing to His disciples and followers over a period of 40 days. His unexpected appearances among them profoundly challenged their understanding about life and death. Many struggled to believe what others told them—that they had actually seen and spoken with the risen Christ. It was a difficult thing for some to believe that He could have been resurrected from the dead as such things are beyond the normal human experience.
Then something happened that erased their doubts once and for all.
While the disciples were gathered together to eat, Christ suddenly appeared in their midst. Though He had been born of spirit—transformed into an entirely new kind of life—He could still manifest Himself in the exact physical appearance He had before death. Even angelic spirit beings have, at times, been given the ability to “appear” in a physical form when it has served God’s purpose, yet Christ also appeared in His original physical form of composition.
“Now as they were thus speaking, Joshua Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, ‘Peace to you.’ But they were terrified and frightened, thinking they were seeing a spirit. Then He said to them, ‘Why are you troubled and why do such thoughts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.’ Then as He said this, He showed them His hands and His feet, but while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, He asked them, ‘Do you have any food here?’ So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. Then He took it and ate in their presence” (Luke 24:36-43).
Why did Christ remain with the disciples for 40 days after His resurrection? There were several reasons. This period served multiple crucial purposes that would prepare them for the monumental work ahead.
He needed to strengthen their absolute conviction that He was indeed the Messiah. He wanted to reassure them that everything He had taught them, and all that He had fulfilled, now stood confirmed by His resurrection. During this brief time, they needed to be strengthened to build an unshakeable foundation, preparing them for the job they were about to receive—proclaiming these truths to the world and teaching what He had given them.
The disciples were going to need extraordinary boldness and strength for what was to come. They would face persecution, imprisonment, and death for the message they would carry. Only absolute certainty of Christ’s identity and purpose could empower them to stand firm in the truth, even unto death.
But Christ was also helping them understand and become comfortable with the kind of life that they too would one day be offered. He was showing them what it meant to possess age-lasting spirit life—with the ability to manifest themselves physically, even to enjoy simple pleasures like eating food. This wasn’t just for their benefit alone; these accounts were written to give that same peace and comfort to everyone who would follow in their footsteps throughout history.
All who become begotten of God’s holy spirit will have this same kind of life offered to them—the potential to become like Christ, receiving age-lasting spirit life, able to experience the full range of existence that God has designed.
Then Christ reminded them of all that had been written concerning Him and reaffirmed the truth of all they had witnessed, for they would soon begin teaching others.
“Then He 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.’ Then He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the scriptures” (Luke 24:44-45).
Christ had the power to give the disciples spiritual understanding through God’s holy spirit, which He could directly communicate to their minds on a spiritual level. This was the same kind of experience they would later have when the holy spirit was poured out on them, beginning on the next annual Holy Day that follows the Days of Unleavened Bread—Pentecost. In doing this, He was revealing to them the power God had given Him, just as He told them after His resurrection that “all power in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.”
Joshua continued teaching them, helping them focus on what they would be doing after He was no longer with them in person—though He would still be with them spiritually.
“Then He said to them, ‘Thus it is written, and thus it was 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 people, beginning at Jerusalem. Now you are witnesses of these things. Behold, I will send the promise of My Father on you. But stay in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:46-52).
Christ Would Return Again
Luke recorded the most detailed account of Christ’s time with His disciples after the resurrection. During these 40 days, Christ was preparing them for what was to come and explaining that He would soon depart—no longer remaining with them in a physical presence, but only a spiritual one. Luke also continued this narrative in the opening of the Book of Acts:
“The former account I made [referring earlier to himself writing the Book of Luke], oh Theophilus, of all that Joshua began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the holy spirit had given charge to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. Then being assembled together with them, He instructed them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which you have heard from Me. For John truly baptized [immersed] in water, but you shall be baptized [immersed] in the holy spirit not many days from now” (Acts 1:1-5).
Joshua the Christ clearly told His disciples to remain in Jerusalem and wait for the promise of the Father—the outpouring of God’s holy spirit to mankind—which would start to come on the Day of Pentecost, just ten days after He departed from them.
Yet even then, the disciples still didn’t fully understand the timing of God’s plan.
“Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, ‘Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?’ Then He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the holy spirit has come on you and you shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth’” (Acts 1:6-8).
Although Christ was beginning to reveal more to them and would continue to do so through the power of the holy spirit they would receive, they still had no idea that Christ had not yet come to fulfill His role of the Messiah to be the King of kings over all nations. He was preparing to leave them and return to His Father until the time came to fulfill more of what was contained in God’s plan concerning His foundational role in God’s Kingdom. What they didn’t yet grasp—and what Christ did not reveal at that time—was that His role as the Messiah, the King of kings, would not begin for nearly 2,000 years.
Then came the moment of His departure:
“Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud took Him out of their sight. Then while they looked steadfastly toward the sky as He went up, behold, two men [angels appearing as men] stood by them in white apparel, who also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This Joshua who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into the sky’” (Acts 1:9-11).
This message delivered by the angels was clear: Christ would return in the exact same manner they saw Him leave. The announcement of His return and the establishment of God’s Kingdom on Earth is revealed in a different Holy Day—yet another part of the story of the Messiah that has remained covered-up.
Once again, traditional Christianity reveals its complete lack of biblical foundation. They mark this moment—when Christ departed from His disciples 40 days after His resurrection—as “the Ascension of Jesus” or “the Feast of the Ascension.” Yet this observance has no foundation in scripture and was not commanded by God to be observed as part of His outlined plan contained in the Holy Days. Instead, it only distracts from and obscures the greater meaning of what Christ was teaching His disciples those 40 days.
This wasn’t even the first ascension of Joshua! The day He fulfilled the Wave Sheaf Offering is when He first ascended to His Father to be accepted as the one who had perfectly fulfilled His role as the Passover Lamb of God and to become the first of the firstfruits of God’s plan. That should be celebrated! It was a pivotal fulfillment in God’s plan—one that opened the way for the salvation of all mankind.
When the Day of Pentecost Arrived
When the day of Pentecost came, the disciples were together in Jerusalem, just as Christ had instructed. This day—Pentecost in AD 31—marked a turning point in God’s plan. It was the official beginning of God’s Church.
God made the significance of this day unmistakably clear in a remarkable way by what He caused to happen in their midst.
Pentecost was not some newly created observance. It was one of the annual Holy Days that God had given Israel centuries earlier. It had not been done away with, and it certainly wasn’t “nailed to the cross,” as some claim. At the time of Christ and the early Church, Pentecost was still being faithfully observed by Jews—including the disciples and many others who had believed in Christ’s teachings. There is truly no reason such an important day in God’s plan should be ignored. And yet today, it is largely ignored or dismissed by traditional Christianity.
“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. Then suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and sat upon each of them. Now they were all filled with the holy spirit and began to speak with other tongues [languages], as the spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. Then when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language” (Acts 2:1-6).
Some have misunderstood the meaning of “tongues.” It does not refer to strange sounds or unknown language, as some claim. Rather, it describes how the disciples were given the miraculous ability to speak in the tongue—the language—of other nations. The account goes on to explain that there were Jews in Jerusalem from many regions, each speaking different languages. The disciples were enabled to speak in those languages, and the people there witnessed this remarkable event.
The tongues of fire that appeared to come upon each disciple, along with their sudden ability to speak in languages they had never learned, served to emphasize the importance of that day. It marked the beginning of God pouring out His holy spirit on those who would now begin to establish His Church.
Previously, God established a nation of people, Israel, to which He gave His laws and ways for worshipping Him. However, that was merely a relationship on a physical plane and not a spiritual one. God’s purpose in working with Israel on a physical level was to demonstrate that mankind, by its own strength, cannot keep His laws. Even after experiencing His favor and miraculous deliverance from Egypt, they repeatedly failed to remain faithful. That ability only comes after one is given the opportunity of a spiritual relationship with God as He grants individuals the power of His holy spirit to work in them.
God allowed this to show that human effort alone is not enough. Obedience and faithfulness to God require more than just physical willpower—they require a spiritual relationship and the power of God’s holy spirit dwelling within a person.
Before Pentecost, God granted a spiritual relationship with Him only on a one-on-one basis with a few individuals over the previous 4,000 years—such as Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and others. But with the founding of the Church, God began working with an organized body of people on a spiritual plane through Joshua the Christ, who serves as the High Priest of God’s own Church.
Receiving the Gift of the Holy Spirit
As the disciples remained in Jerusalem, just as Christ had instructed, the day of Pentecost arrived—and God began to pour out His holy spirit upon those who would begin to form the foundation of His Church.
Peter, now filled with boldness and insight through God’s spirt, stood up to address the crowd. Many had gathered for the observance of Pentecost and had witnessed the miraculous event of the disciples speaking in many languages. What he then told the people has much to do with the meaning of Pentecost.
“‘Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Joshua, whom you nailed to a pole, both Lord and Christ.’ Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’” (Acts 2:36-37).
Peter’s words struck them deeply. This is the moment when those listening to him came to understand what every person must eventually come to see. Every individual’s sins killed Joshua the Christ. He died so that each person could have the ability to receive forgiveness for their individual sins through Him as their Passover. Without this, their sins cannot be forgiven, and they cannot receive the gift of God’s holy spirit into their lives.
Those people gathered around Peter were not all present at the killing of Joshua—many had nothing to do with literally putting Him to death. But spiritually, they came to realize that they were each guilty, on a spiritual plane, for Christ’s death. The sins of all mankind required the death of the Passover Lamb of God. Therefore, each individual’s sins required the death of Joshua if He was to become their Passover and Savior. He died for all so that all could be forgiven of their individual sins.
“Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Joshua the Christ for the remission of sins and you will receive the gift of the holy spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call’” (Acts 2:38-39).
Peter was inspired to quote verses from the Old Testament Book of Joel that spoke of this promise—something that God would one day begin to fulfill for all who would, through time, become part of His Church. The promise centered on the giving of God’s holy spirit so that people could receive the help they needed in order to live His way of life.
“Then with many other words he [Peter] testified and exhorted them, saying, ‘Be saved from this perverse generation.’ Then those who gladly received his word were baptized, and that day [Pentecost] about three thousand lives were added [to God’s Church]. Now they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayer. Then everyone was filled with awe as many wonders and signs were done through the apostles” (Acts 2:40-43).
On that Pentecost day, God’s Church was born. And it wasn’t just with words—it came with power, miracles, and the gift of God’s holy spirit for those who were baptized.
A Vital Connection in Timing
Once again, it should not be overlooked that timing is revealed as crucial in God’s purpose and plan. It’s no coincidence that God gave His commandments to ancient Israel on the very first Pentecost at Mount Sinai—and then, centuries later, He began pouring out His holy spirit to the Church on Pentecost in AD 31. This connection reveals a powerful truth: mankind cannot keep the ways and laws of God without His help—the gift of the holy spirit dwelling in them.
Up to this point in the unfolding story of Joshua the Christ, we’ve uncovered key milestones:
• He fulfilled the role of Passover, sacrificing Himself for the sins of mankind.
• He became the Wave Sheaf Offering, the first of the firstfruits presented to and accepted by God.
• He ascended to the Father, and ten days later, began His role as High Priest to God’s Church when it was established on Pentecost.
All of these moments reveal just how much of God’s plan Joshua has already fulfilled—but there is still more. Additional Holy Days and Pentecost itself still holds deeper meaning about what God is doing with humanity—and how.
Where Traditional Christianity Misses the Mark
Unfortunately, traditional Christianity has misunderstood and misrepresented both the giving of the law to Israel on Pentecost at Mt. Sinai and the giving of the holy spirit on the Pentecost of AD 31. Their conclusions as to the purpose of all this is highly misguided and inaccurate.
Many teach that the law was harsh, while grace through Christ somehow replaced the requirement of God’s law. This is a total misunderstanding of what grace actually is, so this needs to be explained more fully. Such false conclusions about the law and grace blur the actual purpose of God’s plan.
What God gave at Mt. Sinai was a beginning—instruction for how to live a right life. But without the power of God’s holy spirit, mankind could not keep it. That’s what was revealed through Israel’s long history of failure despite being God’s chosen people.
Then, through Christ, came the next step. With the outpouring of the holy spirit on the Pentecost of AD 31, God gave the means for people to finally begin keeping His laws.
Before we can fully grasp what God is accomplishing through the Church—or understand the true meaning of Pentecost—we must take a closer look at what happened from the beginning. The connection between Sinai and Jerusalem must be recognized in order to see how every part of God’s plan fits together and reveals the truth of His plan of salvation for mankind.
That First Pentecost Observed at Mt. Sinai
Soon after delivering the Israelites out of Egypt, God gave them a codified law that they were to observe in their relationships toward one another and toward God. Unlike the complex legal systems developed by human governments, God’s law was simple and direct. It set the foundation for how His people were to live.
Many people are familiar with the story of the Ten Commandments that God gave the Israelites on that first Pentecost at Mt. Sinai. Yet even these clear, straightforward laws have been altered and reworded by religious scholars and institutions throughout history. The Ten Commandments were not just religious rules. They were a blueprint for living. The first four commandments define how to love, honor, and obey God—they outline the correct relationship we are to have with our Creator.
The last six commandments address how mankind should live toward one another in order to have right relationships according to what God established as righteous and correct. They provide the proper foundation for how people and society should function together.
When God first manifested His presence on Mount Sinai to give the law to Israel, He displayed an awesome and fearful demonstration of power designed to sober them—helping them understand the gravity and importance of the occasion. The mountain erupted with fire and dark billowing smoke, and the earth itself shook violently beneath their feet. They saw lightning and heard thundering and the noise of trumpets. It was such an overwhelming display of power that even Moses was deeply shaken by what he experienced.
“Now, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, ‘I tremble with fear’” (Hebrews 12:21).
A History of Rejecting God’s Law
The history of Israel is, at its core, a long and sobering testimony—a witness to the fact that mankind on its own cannot and will not keep God’s law. It is impossible to do so with physically produced carnal human nature. It is recorded repeatedly how Israel resisted, rebelled, disobeyed, and constantly turned against His laws. They utterly failed to keep their solemn oath to God in that Old Covenant—their promise to obey His voice and follow His law.
A powerful summary of Israel’s attitude and spirit toward God’s law is recorded in the Book of Acts:
“This Moses, whom they [Israel] rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ This man God sent as both ruler and deliverer by the hand of the messenger who appeared to him in the bush. This one [Moses] led them out, showing wonders and signs in Egypt and at the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years. This one is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, ‘A Prophet [speaking of Christ] will the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brothers, like unto me. Him you shall hear.’ This is the one [Moses] who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the messenger who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. He [Moses] received the living oracles [divine words of God] to give to us, which our fathers refused to obey, but pushed away, and in their hearts they turned back to Egypt” (Acts 7:35-39).
Over and over, this is the tragic, recorded history of Israel. From the beginning, they would not receive what God had given to Moses—the words of the law that were written on stone by God Himself. Instead, as scripture clearly states, their hearts turned away from God and back to their former ways when they were in bondage in Egypt.
Egypt represents more than just a physical land—it’s symbolic of spiritual bondage and sin. This pattern of the Israelites is deeply symbolic of human nature itself—mankind’s tendency to resist God’s law and to turn instead to spiritual Egypt—reverting to the ways of the world. But God’s purpose remains unchanged: an offer to deliver people out of the bondage of sin.
A Pattern of Disobedience
As mentioned earlier in this book, ten of the tribes of Israel rejected the kingly line of Judah that God had established for them under King David. They rebelled after Solomon’s reign and formed their own nation, Israel, to the north of Judah. Those from Judah (the Jews) continued their reign for nearly 350 years, maintaining obedience to the Sabbath and the annual Holy Days.
However, Israel to the north only lasted about 200 years before God allowed them to be taken back into captivity. This happened because they had completely rejected His laws and adopted the religious practices of surrounding nations. They were conquered by the Assyrians and relocated to regions that are now part of modern-day Europe. Because of such blatant disobedience, they lost their identity entirely and became known as the lost ten tribes of Israel.
Judah, on the other hand, continued longer as a nation until God allowed them to be conquered by the Babylonians. They were taken into captivity because they had been polluting His Sabbaths, although they had not changed the actual timing of when those days should be kept, as the ten tribes to the north had done. So God gave them over to captivity for exactly 70 years but allowed them to maintain their identity as the tribe of Judah—the Jewish people—even to this day.
However, the Israelites of old are not the only ones who have rejected God’s laws. It should be abundantly clear, given everything that has been covered to this point, that both modern-day Judaism and traditional Christianity continue following that same destructive course—one of rejecting God’s laws and His ways of living life.
This consistent human pattern of disobedience to God’s laws is what God requires mankind to recognize—that without His help, His good and perfect way of life, which produces meaningful and lasting happiness, peace, equitable prosperity, and true richness of life, cannot be attained through human effort alone.
Such a life can develop and flourish only through living in harmony with God’s laws. In His plan, God offers the choice of a path that leads to everlasting life on a spiritual plane. Only by accepting and agreeing with God and His law can that life be attained.
So, contrary to normal human reasoning, God’s laws are good and produce what mankind cannot experience on its own.
By comparing the first Pentecost on Mt. Sinai with the Pentecost in Jerusalem in AD 31, we discover a powerful truth: knowing what is right isn’t enough—we can’t do it on our own; we need God’s help.
In summary, at Mt. Sinai, God gave His law to the Israelites. He had already delivered them from slavery in Egypt, miraculously parted the Red Sea, and was preparing to make them a powerful nation. Yet what becomes clear is that even when God intervenes and shows great favor to humanity, the true witness is that people still will not—and cannot—keep His laws on their own. Disobedience to those laws is the very definition of sin. And God reveals that the penalty for sin is eternal death, from which no one can ever be resurrected to life again.
This Matter of Sin!
While in the wilderness, after being freed from Egypt, God established a priesthood among the Israelites to perform religious duties and service for the people. He set apart the entire tribe of Levi to carry out these responsibilities—performing daily service at the tabernacle and preparing and offering the sacrifices that the Israelites would make to God.
The laws governing the sacrificial system served to remind the Israelites of their human inability to fully keep God’s laws and their continual need for repentance of sin. God will not dwell among those with who live in sin. The duties of the Levites helped maintain the holiness of the tabernacle, demonstrating that sinful humans cannot come before God casually.
The purpose of the Levites’ animal sacrifices was to make atonement for sin, and it allowed them to maintain their covenant relationship with God on a physical plane. In essence, the animal died in place of the sinner, acknowledging that the penalty for sin is death. The shedding of blood symbolized that sin leads to death.
But the sacrifices never removed sin—this system did not provide for the forgiveness of sin.
“For the law [sacrificial law], having a shadow of the good things to come [picturing the need for the ultimate sacrifice that could remove sin—that of Joshua the Christ], and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offered continually year by year, make those who approach perfect [could not remove sin]. Because then [if sin could have been removed in that manner] wouldn’t they have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins” (Hebrews 10:1-4).
The problem is not with God’s laws—the problem lies entirely with mankind’s inability to keep them by their own strength and willpower. The truth is, we need help. We naturally think of self first. We pursue our own wants and desires, often without considering the real consequences of our actions.
We need help. We need forgiveness of sin. And we need power from God to actually obey Him.
That is what Pentecost is about.
• At Sinai, God gave His law—but not yet the means to keep it.
• In AD 31, God gave His spirit, making it possible for people to begin living that law.
Pentecost reveals the path forward: first, repentance and forgiveness through Christ’s sacrifice—and then the gift of God’s holy spirit to help transform the heart and mind. That’s the only way anyone can truly live in obedience to God.
Grace Does Not Replace the Law
God, who created mankind, has given laws to show people how they should treat one another and how to honor, be thankful to, and obey God. Yet mankind by nature does not want to live by such laws—laws that are designed to help regulate a morality that God reveals as being truly righteous and far superior than anything mankind can produce.
Human beings don’t want to be told how to live. Left to themselves, they tend to reject the idea of being held accountable to a higher standard—especially one defined by God. This is the real struggle: human nature with its pride vs. God’s authority.
But instead of acknowledging this, many religious teachers and scholars have distorted the message. They have made deliberate attempts to manipulate and twist what God has said about the requirement and importance of keeping His law.
They portray Christ as having come to free mankind from the burden of the law—as if God the Father imposed a harsh and unreasonable standard, and Christ came to lighten the load. God is portrayed as being one who is quick to punish, harsh, stern, difficult to approach, and ready to torment people forever in hell if they do not choose Him. This is, to a degree, making Christ appear more understanding and forgiving than God—one who is approachable, loving, gentle, and more caring of others. This false contrast fundamentally distorts God’s character.
There is actually extensive conniving and deliberate twisting of scriptural definitions to make them mean something entirely different—all in order to lessen the impact and requirement of God’s law in human life. Teachings are subtly refashioned and manipulated to support a completely different narrative from the actual intent and true spirit of what God and Christ have given mankind throughout scripture.
When someone chooses to live by God’s law, it is immediately portrayed as trying to be saved by “the works of the law”—which they claim is wrong—while insisting that one is instead saved by grace and/or faith, and that living by God’s law somehow means that one is rejecting grace. They say, “You’re not saved by works,” as if anyone who tries to obey God’s commandments is trying to earn their way into God’s Kingdom. But that raises important questions: “What kind of faith are they talking about?” “Does being saved by grace mean God’s law is bad, done away with, or no longer needed?”
The truth is clear throughout Scripture: God’s law is good. It reflects His righteousness. It teaches us how to live. And when people say otherwise—especially religious leaders—they are doing the very thing Israel did so long ago: rejecting what God gave for their good.
In the end, the story of ancient Israel isn’t just their story—it’s humanity’s story. Throughout history, mankind has turned away from God’s laws, choosing instead to redefine righteousness on their own terms. But God’s law remains. And so does the offer to receive His holy spirit, which alone makes obedience truly possible. It is a matter of God’s grace that enables one to begin living by His laws.
God’s Law Is Holy, Just, and Good
When it comes to God’s law, the message is simple and straightforward—just as the apostle Paul made clear to the Romans:
“Therefore, the law is holy and the commandment holy, just, and good” (Romans 7:12).
“For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin” (Romans 7:14).
Knowing the true heart and mind of mankind toward God and His law, Christ revealed from the very beginning of His ministry what was actually true about that law. But what He said has been largely rejected by most teachers of traditional Christianity.
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill [to give the help that enables forgiveness and then the ability to receive God’s holy spirit in order to live by the law]. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and Earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law until all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore shall break one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does and teaches them, shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:16-19).
In this statement, Joshua made several powerful points. He said people should see your good works. So contrary to what many teach today, we are supposed to have works in our lives. In other words, we are supposed to live in a way that reflects God’s way of life—by doing good. There are good works and there are bad works. Doing—working—what is good is indeed a good thing to do according to Christ.
Joshua then emphatically added that no one was to even remotely think that He had come to destroy the law of God. As He clearly stated, He came to fulfill it. So many people simply do not understand how straightforward that statement actually is. He came so that people could begin living—doing, working—the law in their lives. That was something people could not do until Christ came to give mankind that ability.
He warned that anyone who tries to minimize or dismiss even the “least” of the commandments is setting themselves against what God values. And which commandment might some consider the least or the least important to keep? The truth is, there is no such thing—because if one commandment is broken, all are all broken.
Christ’s message was simple: God’s law still stands. He came to make it possible for us to live by it—not through our own strength, but by the power of God working in us.
The Law Is Spiritual
The apostle Paul wrote that God’s law is not only holy, just, and good, it is also spiritual. And that right there is the key to understanding why so many struggle with it. Mankind does not by nature possess the ability to “see” or understand spiritual matters. Instead, people are naturally focused on the physical—what they can see, hear, touch or measure. That’s why the law of God often seems like a burden or a mystery—it’s not a problem with the law, but with our limited, carnal perspective. That is precisely why mankind has such a difficult time with the law of God—all they see is the physical aspect. Christ came to change that fundamental limitation!
Traditional Christianity teaches that the law was harsh or flawed, and that Christ came to do away with it, replacing it with some kind of vague “grace.” But that’s not what Christ taught. The law was never the problem—it was our inability to live by it.
We can see this in a few powerful examples from the Book of John—showing how people naturally react to spiritual things that they cannot “see.”
One account involves Christ meeting a woman at a well. When Christ asked if He could receive a drink from the water she had drawn, she was surprised that He, being a Jew, would even speak to her, a Samaritan. Christ responded that if she knew who He was, she could have asked for living water and He would have given it to her. She couldn’t understand what He was saying, so He explained that if she were to drink of such water, she would never thirst again.
She interpreted everything from a purely physical viewpoint because that was all she could do. She couldn’t “see” that He was speaking of the spiritual water of life that symbolizes God’s holy spirit.
In another account, Christ was teaching many who were gathered around Him about things that some could only begin to understand later—in AD 31 on Pentecost—because that would be when God would begin giving mankind the ability to “see” spiritual things once they became part of His Church. Christ was explaining what He was going to fulfill as the Passover sacrifice for all mankind. He was speaking to them spiritually about what true believers would begin doing annually in the new Passover observance He was going to institute on His final Passover with His disciples.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, they will live forever, and the bread that I will give is my flesh [giving His life by being nailed to a pole], which I will give for the life of the world” (John 6:47-51).
The ability to believe in all that is true about Joshua the Christ is something God grants on a spiritual level—through His holy spirit. It involves coming to understand the truth of who Joshua is and what He fulfilled as the Passover and Messiah for all mankind. When someone has the life that comes from God within them, it is a life that leads to everlasting life.
Joshua went on to tell them that He was the bread of life—the unleavened bread, without sin—who would become their Passover. This was a spiritual truth He was revealing to them, but they could not “see” or understand it.
He reminded them that their forefathers had eaten manna in the wilderness, yet they all died. They were not alive anywhere—not in heaven or hell—they were still simply dead. But He declared that He Himself was the living bread that came down from heaven.
“The Jews therefore disputed among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ Then Joshua said to them, ‘Truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides [dwells] in me, and I in them’” (John 6:52-56).
Again, they were confused. They took His words literally and were horrified. How could someone eat His flesh? They could not “see” what He was telling them because it was spiritual in meaning. He was explaining the importance there would be in partaking of the new symbols for the annual Passover observance that true believers would be keeping. They would observe it because they would come to believe in those things that He would fulfill—that He, Joshua the Christ, was the true bread of life that all must partake of, or they have no part with Him.
From this point, because they could not “see” what He was saying to them, it says that many quit following Him. This happened because, as Jews, they knew that eating human flesh and drinking blood violated God’s laws concerning clean and unclean food.
What these examples show is that spiritual understanding doesn’t come naturally. It must be given—through the power of God’s holy spirit. That’s why the law of God is misunderstood. It’s not just a list of rules: it’s spiritual in nature. And without God’s help, people will continue to twist, reject or ignore it. The truth is: the law is not a burden, it was not replaced by grace, it was never abolished by Christ—rather it is holy—flowing from the very character of God.
God’s Law Isn’t Harsh, But Human Nature Is
The truth is plain and simple: Mankind cannot keep God’s laws without His holy spirit. God’s law is spiritual, and unless He opens our minds and gives us His spirit, we simply cannot see the deeper meaning or live by it. That is what Christ’s sacrifice is fundamentally about—through the forgiveness of sins, mankind can receive God’s spirit. That’s what Pentecost in AD 31 was all about.
It’s not that the law is too harsh, outdated, or flawed. The problem lies entirely with us.
What is it about God’s codified law that so many scholars and teachers dislike so much? Why have so many worked tirelessly to push the narrative that the law has been done away with or nailed to the cross? Ironically, if you ask one of them, “Is it then okay that I steal your car?” They will readily agree that such a law is good. If you ask about lying, murder, or coveting, they’ll agree again. So clearly, they don’t believe all of God’s law is bad—just parts of it.
However, in today’s world, there are a couple of commandments that cause people the most discomfort. One is the Seventh Commandment:
“You shall not commit adultery.”
Just consider the consequences of ignoring this command: broken homes, wounded children, the pain and suffering of divorce, the heartbreak of betrayal, emotional scars, distrust, and ruined relationships. If only mankind would listen—God’s ways produce peace, happiness, faithfulness, fulfilling lives, and genuine respect and appreciation for others, just to name a few.
However, the greatest problem that religious teachers and scholars have—along with most of mankind—is with the Fourth Commandment.
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the ETERNAL your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant [employee], nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the ETERNAL made in the heavens, the Earth, and the sea, all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore, the ETERNAL blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy [Heb.- to set apart for holy use and purpose]” (Exodus 20:8-11).
If there is a problem in anyone’s eyes with God’s law, it is most certainly about the Sabbath. This is the one commandment people push back on the most. The opening of this verse states that people are to remember the Sabbath day. For those who understand God’s appointed times, they know this encompasses all the Sabbaths of God—both annual and weekly. Yet the commandment goes on to spell out specifics about the weekly Sabbath. Some religions have chosen Monday for worship, some have selected Friday, and traditional Christianity has chosen Sunday, the first day of the week. But most have never chosen to obey God by keeping the weekly Sabbath, even though God clearly said the Sabbath is the seventh day—from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset.
In this world, mankind has consistently chosen sin over obedience to God. The witness of 6,000 years of human history testifies powerfully to this truth. Yet mankind can change—and that is the very purpose of Christ’s coming as the Passover for all mankind and His role as the High Priest of God’s Church. This transformation is made possible through the meaning revealed by Pentecost.
Joshua willingly sacrificed His own life so that mankind could be forgiven of sin and then receive God’s holy spirit—spirit that enables a transformation in their thinking and provides the help needed to live by God’s laws that are spiritual. They are not merely physical do’s and don’ts as so many perceive them to be. It’s not just about choosing a day that feels convenient. It’s about obedience—about honoring what God set apart as holy. Yet humanity resists it.
What the Law of Itself Couldn’t Do—Christ Did
Once again, the law is not the problem—the sinful nature of mankind is the problem. That’s why Paul’s words in Romans 8 are so important to understand.
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation to those who are in Joshua the Christ, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit” (Romans 8:1).
This verse adds to the amazing truth that once someone accepts Joshua the Christ as their Passover, sincerely repents of all sin, is baptized, and seeks to be obedient to God’s way of life as contained in His spiritual laws, that person is no longer under condemnation and the judgment of death for unforgiven sin.
More importantly, this is showing that for this to happen, one must be in Joshua the Christ. And how is that possible? It is accomplished through the power of God’s holy spirit.
Being “in Christ” is a spiritual matter—it means a person that has received the holy spirit and is no longer condemned. They are no longer cut off from God. God reveals that He will not dwell with sin. After sin is forgiven, that enables God and Christ to be able to dwell within a person through the power of the holy spirit that is in a person after baptism. God and Christ can then dwell in such a person, and They can dwell in them.
“For the law of the spirit of life in Joshua the Christ has made me free from the law of sin and death [free from the penalty of the law concerning sin which is death]. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh [the weakness was not in the law, but in humanity’s inability to keep it on their own], God did by sending His own Son [as the Passover—so that those who repent could be forgiven and then given the holy spirit through Him] in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin. He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the spirit” (Romans 8:2-4).
Because of sin and mankind’s inability to keep His spiritual laws, God sent His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, but Christ had the power of God’s spirit that was in Him and thereby obeyed God’s laws. Since Christ lived a righteous life in complete obedience to the laws of God, He was able to become a righteous sacrifice for sin as the Passover Lamb of God. Through Christ, a person can be forgiven of sin and freed from its punishment. This account reveals that if a person has the spirit of life of Joshua the Christ dwelling in them, then they are enabled to walk in the spirit and fight against the weakness of human flesh.
Paul continues:
“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit, the things of the spirit. For to be carnally minded is death [of a mind unable to live by God’s laws], but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be” (Romans 8:5-7).
This is an incredibly deep truth: the natural, human mind is actually opposed to God. It doesn’t want to obey His law, and in fact, it can’t obey it without help.
That’s why Paul says:
“Now those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the spirit, if indeed the spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the spirit of Christ [God’s holy spirit in them], they are not His. Now if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because of righteousness” (Romans 8:8-10).
This passage powerfully summarizes the necessity of having God’s holy spirit dwell within us. If you have God’s holy spirt, you are no longer dominated by your own human nature. You now have access to the power to fight sin and live in a way that truly pleases God. This beautifully brings together the meaning of the two Pentecost events: At Mt. Sinai, God gave the law—the Ten Commandments—and in Jerusalem in AD 31, God gave His holy spirit.
The law shows what is right—but without God’s spirit, people are powerless to live by it. That’s the core of what Pentecost teaches: We need God’s spirit in order to truly live God’s way. Only through Christ—our Passover and High Priest—who makes it possible for the power of God’s holy spirit to dwell within a person, can anyone be freed from sin and begin to walk in the spirit.
How God Was Dwelling in Joshua
Joshua the Christ revealed some of the greatest truth ever given by God about how mankind could live according to His ways—His laws—through what He was going to fulfill to make that possible. This profound truth has never been understood by anyone in traditional Christianity. It is simply another milestone in exposing the extensive cover-up concerning Joshua as the Messiah.
This revelation began on that final Passover night when Joshua started teaching His disciples truths they would not comprehend until later. They could not yet “see” what He was saying, but it concerned the very purpose for why He was about to be put to death. Yes, it was so people could become forgiven of sin because He was about to fulfill Passover, but its purpose extends far beyond that. It is about the method by which God and Christ would now be able to begin dwelling in mankind—spiritually within the mind itself to enable transformed thinking that can only come from God.
They would not be able to “see” what He was teaching them on a spirit plane until the day of Pentecost. Only then would they have the ability to “see” after receiving the holy spirit dwelling in their lives. He said to them:
“If you had known me, you would have known my Father also, and from now on you know Him and have seen Him” (John 14:7).
The disciples did not yet have God’s spirit dwelling in them and would not receive that begettal until 54 days later. They could not grasp what He had told them. They could only process what He said in a literal, physical way. Since they had never actually seen God with their eyes, they didn’t understand how Joshua could say this.
So Philip, one of the disciples, responded:
“Lord, show us the Father, and that will be sufficient for us.”
They thought that if Christ would physically show them the Father then they would be able to agree that they had seen Him. Notice how Christ responded:
“Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father. So how can you say, ‘Show us the Father?’ Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own, but the Father who dwells in me does the works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me, or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves” (John 14:9-11).
Joshua was revealing to them a profound reality about God’s holy spirit that was dwelling in His mind. He had the begettal of God’s spirit dwelling in Him. Everything Christ taught, everything He said and did—it all came from the Father who dwelled in Him spiritually. Joshua didn’t speak from His own opinion or human ideas; He was led by the very mind of God.
By the works that Joshua performed and the words that He spoke, He spiritually reflected God, and thereby they could spiritually “know” and “see” Him. It was not a matter of what could be physically seen by appearance, but a matter of what could be “seen” in the mind through the power of the holy spirit that comes from God.
How God’s Spirit Could Then Begin Dwelling in Mankind
After explaining to them how He spoke the truths of God and performed the miraculous signs because of God the Father dwelling in Him through the power of the holy spirit, Christ continued to reveal even more.
“If you love me, keep my commandments [which are God’s and now His as well]. And I will ask the Father and He will give you another helper [Joshua was about to physically leave them and would not be able to help them as He had to this point in time], that it may abide [Gk.-“dwell, continue, remain”] with you forever, the spirit of truth, which the world cannot receive, because it neither sees it nor knows it, but you know it, for it dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you fatherless [not leave them without the help that comes from God the Father through being begotten of His spirit]. I will come to you” (John 14:15-18).
Joshua was revealing to them that once He was no longer physically with them, God would give to them a helper—His holy spirit—to actually dwell within them, just as it was then dwelling in Him. God’s intent is that once this process of His holy spirit begins dwelling in someone, it will continue doing so forever.
He explained that the holy spirit was a spirit of truth. It is only through the power of God’s spirit that truth can begin to exist in, dwell in, and continue in a person. One can begin to be drawn by God’s spirit to start seeing truth, but it is up to them to willingly choose for that process of truth to become greater and permanent in them.
The ability to continually have the spirit of truth in oneself is made possible by the forgiveness of sin through the Passover of God—what Christ was about to fulfill—and then God’s spirit could begin to dwell in those forgiven of sin. The very purpose of Christ dying as the Passover Lamb is so that He and God could dwell in human life. That is the greater purpose behind His ultimate sacrifice.
He also explained how those in the world, without receiving Him as their Passover, could not receive this life within them—they would not be given the ability to “see” and understand what the disciples would experience. Then He continued by saying even more.
“A little while longer and the world will see me no more, but you will see me [“see” because of the holy spirit in them]. Because I live, you will live also [spiritually alive]. At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you” (John 14:19-20).
This is one of the greatest revelations ever given to mankind—that God and Christ can dwell in human life through the power of the holy spirit to help bring individuals into everlasting spirit life in God’s Kingdom. Joshua told the disciples that they would come to understand this reality on “that day”—referring to Pentecost when it would begin to happen in their lives—that God’s holy spirit was coming into their lives.
“Whoever has my commandments and keeps them [keeps the laws of God], it is they who love me. Even whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and manifest myself to them [to spiritually reveal with the ability to “see”].” Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, ‘Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?’” (John 14:21-22).
They could not “see” what Christ was telling them. They couldn’t grasp why they would be able to “see” Him and the rest of the world wouldn’t. They did not yet have the helper of God’s holy spirit dwelling in them.
“Joshua answered and said to him, ‘If anyone loves me, they will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our abode [spiritual “dwelling”] with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words [cannot because it requires God’s spirit to do so], and the word which you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me. These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the helper, the holy spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, it will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (John 14:23-26).
He was letting them know that when this event happens, and they receive the holy spirit in them, then all that He has told them will come to remembrance as they will then be able to “see” it all through the spirit in them.
Christ “Coming” to Dwell in Human Life
People do not actually understand what scripture is saying when Christ says that He would “come again” or that He “has come in the flesh.” Once again, translators could not “see” what He was saying and interpreted such expressions to mean something on a physical plane. In this case, it was not a matter of them trying to cover up something, but simply a matter of their inability to “see” what He clearly said on a spirit plane.
In the passages just covered in John 14, Joshua was explaining how He and His Father would be able to dwell in a person through the power of the holy spirit that would be given to them. He began by saying:
“In my Father’s house are many mansions dwelling places. If not, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. Now if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2-3).
Most people believe this means that Christ was telling the disciple there is abundant room for everyone who will be going to heaven. However, the word translated as “mansions” is not accurate. It is the word for a dwelling place. It comes from the same Greek word that has been quoted extensively throughout John 14—meaning “to dwell, to abide, to continue”—that Christ used to describe how He and His Father would be able to dwell in, to abide in, those who receive the holy spirit.
This is about God’s House—the Temple He is building—the construction of which begins within the Church of God. That eventual temple consists of those who make up His spiritual dwelling into everlasting life, but that process begins in the lives of those who make up the Church. When Christ said, “so that where I am, you may be also,” He was speaking of the Church, the Body of Christ, where He would be—the Church that would come into being on Pentecost.
Then comes a key phrase that is also widely misunderstood. Joshua said, “I will come am coming again and receive you to myself.” Many in traditional Christianity think this refers to a future “second coming,” a rapture, or Christ returning to take believers back with Him to heaven.
However, “I will come” is not a future tense expression, but one that is more closely related to a present progressive tense in English: “I am coming.” In Greek, it is never used for action that is past or action that will happen in the future. It is speaking of action that, when it begins, continues progressively through time. This is about Christ being able to come to dwell in those who receive the holy spirit into their lives (“I am coming”), enabling God the Father and Joshua to dwell in them. This expression of “I am coming” is present tense when it begins and progressively continues from there. That is the means by which God’s spirit can begin to dwell in a person and can progressively continue dwelling in them.
Indeed, there are many places of dwelling in God’s House—as many as God and Christ will eventually dwell in spiritually.
There is one more highly misunderstood passage about what is meant concerning those who do not confess Christ came in the flesh.
“This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it. For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Joshua the Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist” (2 John 6-7).
Once again, traditional Christianity most often states that this is about people who deny Christ’s humanity. Many interpret this to mean that people who actually deny that Christ came in the flesh and lived a human life are deceivers. However, this is not what this passage means and has nothing to do with Him having lived a human existence.
Instead, it is about those whose actions demonstrate that Christ is no longer dwelling in them. Only those who were once part of God’s own Church, but later turned away from what He gave to them, can experience such a thing—having once had God’s spirit dwelling within them, and then losing it.
By their actions they deny His life the ability to live in them—in their flesh—in their minds through the power of the holy spirit. It means they are not living according to God’s laws and thereby have chosen to stop seeking God’s holy spirit to dwell in them because they have chosen to sin and not repent of it.
The verse is speaking of the need to walk and live according to the commandments. These are people who began the process of yielding to God living in them, but because of sin against God’s laws and their failure to repent, God’s spirit ceased to dwell in them. God and Christ will not dwell in sin.
Instead, their lives reflect that Christ is no longer “coming in the flesh”—coming into their lives in a present and continuing manner as God intends.
Joshua the Christ died as the Passover Lamb of God so that people could be forgiven of sin and then receive God’s holy spirit to dwell in them—spirit that literally comes from God the Father and Christ spiritually dwelling in someone through that power.
After establishing a thorough background of events, timelines, and history related to Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and Pentecost, it is now possible to more deeply grasp the main focus of the chapters leading to this point. What follows confronts the world’s greatest cover-up in human history—centered on Joshua the Christ, the Messiah sent from God.
The Church of God - Preparing for the Kingdom of God