Prophecy

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by Clive Campbell
04/09/21
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1 Corinthians 13:12 New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995)

12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.

The "mirror" in which Paul sees the glory of God "dimly" is undoubtedly the Word of God. (See 2 Cor 3.18 and Jms 1.23). The Greek for "dimly" is en ainigma: "in an enigma." Dictionary.com defines "enigma" this way:

1. a puzzling or inexplicable occurrence or situation

2. a person of puzzling or contradictory character

3. a saying, question, picture, etc., containing a hidden meaning; a riddle

The Bible is certainly like that. I have been reading the book of Numbers recently and, to me, burnt offerings are one of the many enigmas in the book. The offerings were land creatures especially, one of the many figures for Jews in the Bible. (Water and water creatures, like fish, are figures for Gentiles, e.g., Rev 17.15.) And remember that Jerusalem was burned in judgment in 586 BC and 70 AD: "the great mountain [Israel] burning with fire was thrown into the [Gentile] sea (Rev 8.8)." And 6 million Jews died in the Holocaust at the end of this 6th millennium, many burned in ovens/furnaces (Rev 9.2). And the Second Day of Wrath will be by fire, probably including nuclear fire (Zech 14.12), not water as in the First Day of Wrath. And remember that God will be working especially with Israel and the Jews in those last 7 years. The "times of the Gentiles" will be fulfilled (Lk 21.24) and "the fullness of the Gentiles" will have come in (Rm 11.25).

Fire and its association with the Second Day of Wrath leads us to 2 other interesting words associated with burnt offerings: "soothing aroma," which appears 43 times in the NASB (1995) Bible, 39 of which are in the Torah (the first 5 books of Moses). It was offerings which were burned that were a "soothing aroma" to God. It was these animals, offered vicariously to cover temporarily the sins of Israel, that soothed the wrath of God, when they were offered in humility, repentance and faith. But when they weren't and when sin abounded, God's wrath was upon the Jews and not upon the animals, as when Jerusalem was burned in 586 BC. Eventually, God's wrath was visited upon the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, the once-and-for-all vicarious offering for the elect:

Ephesians 5:2 New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995)

2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.

When the majority of Israel rejected Jesus as their Messiah, God again visited His wrath upon them through the Roman armies in 66-70 AD, burning Jerusalem with fire.

Are the burnt offerings also prophetic of the fire of the Second Day of Wrath? I believe so. Numbers 28 and 29 cover the burnt offerings. Firstly, there are the daily burnt offerings: 1 male lamb one year old at sunrise and 1 male lamb one year old at sunset. Interestingly, that is about 60 lambs every month. Is that prophetic of the coming burning judgement at the end of 60 centuries (after 14 B years with no macro-evolution)?

Secondly, there are the additional Sabbath burnt offerings: 2 more male lambs one year old, for a total of 4. Are they prophetic of the judgement by fire at the end of Israel's 4 millennia to usher in the Sabbath millennium, the first 1,000 years of the Eternal State?

Thirdly, we have the monthly burnt offerings, on the first day of every month: 2 bulls, 1 ram and 7 male lambs one year old, 10 animals. Are these prophetic of judgements in the last 10 years before the visible Second Coming of Christ, the first 3 being 3 years of the pestilence of COVID and the last 7 being 7 years of plagues (Hab 3.5)? (See also my COVID articles on this site.) Are they like the 10 plagues of Egypt? Are they like the 10 "days" (years) of Rev. 2.10, which may have been 10 years under Nero?

Fourthly, there are the 10 days of the Passover Feast and Feast of Unleavened Bread. Are they prophetic of the last 10 years?

1. Nisan 1: God's New Year's Day (Ex 12.1)

2. Nisan 10: Passover lambs selected

3. Nisan 14: Passover Feast (Seder)

4. Nisan 15: Feast of Unleavened Bread begins; a holy convocation and a sabbath (the resurrection and rapture?)

Burnt offering: 2 bulls, 1 ram, 7 male lambs one year old (10, same as the monthly)

Sin offering: 1 male goat

5. Nisan 16: Continues; no holy convocation or sabbath. Same offerings.

6. Nisan 17: Continues; no holy convocation or sabbath. Same offerings.

7. Nisan 18: Continues; no holy convocation or sabbath. Same offerings.

8. Nisan 19: Continues; no holy convocation or sabbath. Same offerings.

9. Nisan 20: Continues; no holy convocation or sabbath. Same offerings.

10. Nisan 21: Continues; a holy convocation and a sabbath (the final resurrection?). Same offerings.

Fifthly, there are the 10 days of the Feast of First Fruits or Feast of Weeks or Feast of Pentecost. Are they prophetic of the last 10 years?

1. The Sabbath (7th day of the week, Saturday) when the first grain harvest is ready

2. The next day (1st day of the week, Sunday)

Wave offering: 1 sheaf of grain per presenter

Burnt offering: 1 male lamb one year old per presenter

3. First Sabbath

4. Second Sabbath

5. Third Sabbath

6. Fourth Sabbath

7. Fifth Sabbath

8. Sixth Sabbath

9. Seventh Sabbath

10. The next day, the 50th day: 10 days at the end of 40 (Israel's 40 centuries); the 10 days the Apostles waited until Pentecost; a holy convocation and a sabbath (the final resurrection?)

Wave offering: 2 loaves of bread per presenter

Burnt offering: 2 bulls, 1 ram, 7 male lambs one year old (10, same as the monthly); Lev 23 has it as 7 one year old male lambs, 1 bull, 2 rams, perhaps reinforcing the 7 and 3 division.

Sin offering: 1 male goat

Peace offering: 2 male lambs one year old; this is only in Lev 23

Sixthly, there are the 10 days of the Feast of Trumpets or Feast of Booths. Are they prophetic of the last 10 years?

1. Tishrei 1: 1st day of the 7th month (time of completion); trumpets (shofars) are blown (is COVID a trumpet?); a holy convocation and a sabbath (the Church in lockdown?)

Burnt offering: 1 bull, 1 ram, 7 male lambs one year old (1 less than 10, indicating the beginning of a countdown?)

Sin offering: 1 male goat

2. Tishrei 10: the Day of Atonement with its separate offerings; a holy convocation and a sabbath (final resurrection?)

Burnt offering: 1 bull, 1 ram, 7 male lambs one year old (1 less than 10, indicating the beginning of a countdown?)

Sin offering: 1 male goat

3. Tishrei 15: a holy convocation and a sabbath (resurrection and rapture?)

Burnt offering: 13 bulls, 2 rams, 14 male lambs one year old (29; Is this the beginning of a different countdown? The 29 years from 9/11 to the Second Coming? It was a historic event, like COVID, of which the Bible speaks: Is 30.25; 33.18.)

Sin offering: 1 male goat

4. Tishrei 16

Burnt offering: 12 bulls, 2 rams, 14 male lambs one year old (28; the countdown continues)

Sin offering: 1 male goat

5. Tishrei 17

Burnt offering: 11 bulls, 2 rams, 14 male lambs one year old (27; the countdown continues)

Sin offering: 1 male goat

6. Tishrei 18

Burnt offering: 10 bulls, 2 rams, 14 male lambs one year old (26; the countdown continues)

Sin offering: 1 male goat

7. Tishrei 19

Burnt offering: 9 bulls, 2 rams, 14 male lambs one year old (25; the countdown continues)

Sin offering: 1 male goat

8. Tishrei 20

Burnt offering: 8 bulls, 2 rams, 14 male lambs one year old (24; the countdown continues)

Sin offering: 1 male goat

9. Tishrei 21

Burnt offering: 7 bulls, 2 rams, 14 male lambs one year old (23; the countdown continues)

Sin offering: 1 male goat

10. Tishrei 22: a solemn assembly and a sabbath (final resurrection?)

Burnt offering: 1 bull, 1 ram, 7 male lambs one year old (1 less than 10; back to the 10-year countdown)

Sin offering: 1 male goat

Does this make any sense of the enigma of the burnt offerings? You be the judge.

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