APPOINTED TIMES FOR 2019 (part one) THE DAYS OF ELIJAH

THE DAYS OF ELIJAH

Introduction 
Every year I have friends who ask me when Passover is, or when Trumpets is this year. So with that in mind, I will share some of those dates here but first maybe some insights as to why we should care when they are.  

 I have other friends who wonder "why should we even care when these Feasts are?" 

There is a level of ignorance in the church regarding God's Appointed Times -
These Seven Feasts are dress rehearsals for revealing the New Covenant plan of redemption, they are in fact less connected to the Old Covenant. 

So here is the lineup for the Spring Feasts for  2019 

starting with "the Days of Elijah"  

Abib 1-13 - (April 4-17, 2019) remove all the leaven from your house -  

A comprehensive 'Search and seizure' of all the leaven (sins) of thought and deed from your life.

THE NEW COVENANT SIGNIFICANCE of the SPRING Feasts. 

According to the biblical calendar God shared with his people, each year begins with removing leaven from the house.  

"On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses." Exodus 12:15

Although this was to be completed by sundown on the 13th day of Abib, to be ready for the Day of Preparation on the 14th day.  In practice, the Israelites found that it took more than one day to completely remove all leaven from their houses. So... Traditionally they set aside13 days to do a comprehensive search and seizure of all leaven in the house. They started in the areas farthest from the kitchen like the bedrooms and the closets. 
They would empty every drawer and wipe out the corners before returning them. 
Over these 13 days, they would work their way through every room of the house. 
On the last day, they would finish by cleaning the kitchen and dining room.

These are the Days of Elijah - This protracted season of cleaning the house, speaks symbolically to the coming of Elijah before the coming of the Messiah as the (Passover) Lamb of God. 

The OLD COVENANT SHADOW
Historically, this was fulfilled by John the Baptizer who came as 'A voice crying in the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord.' With the word "Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand." and "Bring forth fruits of repentance" 

John was Baptizing people in the waters of the Jordan, for the remission of sins.  In order to prepare us to recognize our need for a Savior.  
John preached about sin and repentance, he was baptized at the Jordan for a season of six months before declaring one day...
"Behold the Lamb of God...", and pointed the crowd to Jesus. "Behold the 'Lamb of God' which takes away the sin (leaven) of the world, (our dwelling place). 

Traditional 13 days of preparation for Passover = (rescue, Salvation) which was a dress rehearsal for practicing recognizing Jesus' first coming. "Behold the lamb of God"

"If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to 'cleanse' us from all unrighteousness."  1 John 1:9 

It was during this same 13 day time period that Jesus purged the temple in Jerusalem (His House) He did it twice, in both the first and last years of His ministry Mark 11:17 is one of three places where Jesus is recorded quoting out of Isaiah 56:7 as he drove out the money changers. 

"It is written, 'My house is a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves'" (Luke 19:46).

On the last night of these 13 days, at the very last minute, He urged Judas (the betrayer whom the devil had entered) to leave the supper and the house and go do what he needed to do. 

The NEW COVENANT REALITY
Prophetically speaking of an Elijah Spirit coming to bring conviction (of righteousness, sin, and judgment), to prepare the way of the LORD. Jesus, speaking of the work of the Holy Spirit said, 

And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. John  16:8-11

Do you remember the days leading up to your salvation experience? 
Conviction of sin, righteousness, and of judgment. The Holy Spirit was preparing the way of the Lord in you,  in the same way, He was speaking through John to prepare Israel to see their need for "the lamb of God" and his work of redemption. These days of Elijah are the work of the Holy Spirit continuing through the entire Church age and he is cleaning HIs Temple...

Paul says, "Don't you know your bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit" 

 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which is God’s. I Corinthians 6:19-20

Prophetically this is symbolic of searching our hearts and minds and confessing our sin, asking for forgiveness from God and from our fellow man.

Search me, O God, and know my heart;Try me, and know my anxieties;   

And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24

So we remove leaven from the Temple of the Holy Spirit which is an internal 'search and seizure' of all leaven from our bodies (his Temple). This is not an external wiping of dresser drawers and closets, but an internal search by the Holy Spirit. 

We give a nod to this process when we give a minute to self-examination prior to taking communion once a week, or once a month (more about that another time.) 

Is it time for a Spring cleaning? see my post from last year

Remember these biblical feasts always start at sundown on the previous (Roman calendar) day. 
Genesis documents the day as viewed by God, before sin entered the creation..." the evening and the morning was the first day, and so on through all the days. All the feast days begin and end at sundown (not at midnight). So, when it says Passover is April 19, 2019, what they mean is at sundown on April 18 until sundown on April 19. 

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Various writings from the past
The Road Not Taken

At Home In MN