Posted on 09/09/2007 5:07:34 PM PDT by DouglasKC
You and I may take ordinary road maps for granted, but the history of mapmaking shows that ancient peoples carefully relied on their relatively primitive maps.
Noted author and professor John Noble Wilford wrote: "Before Europeans reached the Pacific, the Marshall Islanders were making stick charts. Sticks were lashed together with fibers to depict prevailing winds and wave patterns; shells or coral were inserted at the appropriate places to represent islands. When a Tahitian communicated his knowledge of South Pacific geography to Captain Cook by drawing a map, it was clear that he and his people were quite familiar with the map idea.
"Pre-Columbian maps in Mexico indicated roads by lines of footprints. Centuries ago Eskimos carved accurate coastal maps in ivory, the Incas built elaborate relief maps of stone and clay, and early Europeans drew sketch maps on their cave walls" (The Mapmakers, 1981, p. 7).
The map idea
According to Wilford, cartographers agree that there is something fundamental about the map idea: "It is a basic form of human communication . . . Indeed, the term map is often used metaphorically to explain other types of knowing and communicating" (p. 13).
Wilford carefully explored the symbolic values of mapmaking: "In everyday conversation, the word map is used to convey the idea of clarification: someone maps out a plan or maps out his future" (ibid.). Later in this book he wrote, "Maps embody a perspective of that which is known and a perception of that which may be worth knowing" (p. 386). He makes a very good case that maps are excellent symbolic tools, communicating that which is so far unknown by that which is known.
But if an ordinary map can communicate a desired destination, could there also be a map for Christians to use to find their ultimate destiny in this life? Is there a plan already mapped out that would determine a sense of here in relation to there? The short answer is yes.
Would Almighty God, who has created the orderly, harmonious and self-regulating universe, create human beings—the only fully cognitive processing creatures on this planet—without planning and/or mapping out an ultimate destiny for us?
Not only is there a biblical map that can assist you in arriving at your ultimate destination, but that map is also the key to your spiritual survival. The map I speak of is both real and symbolic, a great communication tool in the service of humankind.
The Bible's symbolic map
Remarkably, the Scriptures are filled with basic symbolic maps that can and will lead you to true freedom and immortality. Ironically, millions of Christians have neglected to use the very biblical map that God has so freely given to them.
In fact, many mainstream Christians have ignored the basic biblical map leading to salvation and "penciled in" traditional pagan symbols instead. When you misread a map, a miss is as good as a mile.
For example, though God has clearly mapped out our salvation by way of the Holy Days He reveals in the Bible, religionists from time immemorial have changed God's symbols and replaced them with pagan ones. For instance, they have substituted modern religious holidays like Christmas and Easter for God's revelatory Holy Days.
No wonder humankind has consistently run into biblical dead ends or taken frustrating and confusing religious detours—rather than following the road to eternal life (Daniel 7:25). Let's briefly explore God's symbols, His annual Sabbaths in the autumn that mark out and point the way to immortality in God's coming Kingdom.
Our Creator has revealed seven annual festivals starting in the spring, each one depicting some great event in the ongoing mapping of God's salvation for humankind. However, this particular article will focus on and highlight only the four festivals that occur in the late summer and autumn of the year (in the northern hemisphere).
Each represents a decisive turning point in human history. The previous three spring festivals of Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread and Pentecost constitute personal responses to the workings of God in the people He calls and chooses during this age of man. The Bible calls them the firstfruits of God's salvation. (For a fuller discussion of all seven of these annual occasions, request or download our free booklet God's Holy Day Plan: The Promise of Hope for All Mankind.)
The Feast of Trumpets maps the arrival of Jesus Christ
The first autumn festival is the Feast of Trumpets. This biblical festival helps us understand why Jesus Christ must return and reveals how and what He will do when He arrives.
It also reveals what happens to His true followers, both those who are still alive and those who are "dead in Christ," at His coming. Both are transformed immediately to immortal children of God (1 Corinthians 15:22-23, 42-44, 50-53). Jesus gathers His elect (see 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17), who will afterward follow Christ when He descends on the Mount of Olives (Revelation 19:14; John 18:36).
Historically, the Feast of Trumpets was first given to God's nation Israel (Leviticus 23:24). In that context trumpets were, and still are, symbols that indicated an alarm for war. Israel often blew trumpets to alert its army and regular population that battle was imminent. Consider the trumpets that were blown when God instructed Israel to conquer Jericho (Joshua 6). A blowing of trumpets signaled imminent battle.
The book of Revelation likewise shows blowing of trumpets in preparation for Jesus' return. The fulfillment of the Feast of Trumpets is loudly sounded in Revelation chapters 8 through 11 where the seven trumpets of God warn of major cataclysmic events. These trumpet blasts serve as the prelude to the seven last plagues of Revelation 16.
The Feast of Trumpets symbolizes the return of Christ, the most pivotal and well-mapped-out event in all of human history. When Christians celebrate the Feast of Trumpets, they are in a sense acting out in advance a great symbol of their salvation. (If you would like to understand the significance of these biblical prophecies in much greater detail, please request or download our free booklet The Book of Revelation Unveiled.)
The Day of Atonement maps Satan's removal
The Day of Atonement focuses on the future removal of the devil and his cohorts, powerful evil spirits unseen by the naked human eye, called demons. As agents of deception and baleful influence, they have been misleading mankind since the Garden of Eden (see Revelation 12:9).
The fact that many today doubt the existence of evil spirits demonstrates the success of the deception. (For the absolute biblical proof, request or download our free booklet Is There Really a Devil?)
Through the book of Job, Scripture shows that Satan is personally involved with humanity. "And the Lord said to Satan, 'From where do you come?' So Satan answered the Lord and said, 'From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it'" (Job 1:7).
From this and many other biblical passages we see that Satan is intricately involved with humanity at large. Recall that when the devil offered Jesus Christ the kingdoms of the world, Jesus did not counter his rule over mankind. "Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, 'All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me'" (Matthew 4:8-9, emphasis added throughout).
The apostle Paul tells us that Satan is the god of this world and that he has blinded the minds of all humanity (1 Corinthians 4:4). He began his deception with our first parents, Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:1-6; Romans 5:14-15).
Thankfully Satan's destructive work on humankind will cease. Christ will remove the devil from the human realm for a thousand years at His return (Revelation 20:1-3; compare Romans 16:20). This major event is mapped out or symbolized by the Day of Atonement. Christians observe this unique biblical festival by fasting, drawing close to God and acknowledging their total reliance on Him (Leviticus 23:26-32; Acts 27:9).
The reason God is going to remove Satan and the demonic realm from the human sphere is very clear: They are at the heart of all human troubles, pain, suffering, war and death. Without the destroyer, peace can break out on the earth (Isaiah 14:4-7). Only then can humanity continue on the road to God's peace and prosperity.
The Day of Atonement keeps the path open for all humankind to experience the wonderful world tomorrow, the coming Kingdom of God! That time is symbolized by the joyous Feast of Tabernacles, the next stop on the road map to eternal life.
Feast of Tabernacles maps universal peace and prosperity
The Feast of Tabernacles is strongly symbolic of the great destination for humanity on the road to universal peace and prosperity. Yet that destination cannot be reached before the previous ones. There is a specific and orderly sequence of benchmark events that must take place for humankind to arrive safely at its ultimate destination. There are no shortcuts.
By way of a brief review, the Feast of Trumpets heralds the return of Jesus Christ, where He resurrects the dead in Christ and changes those Christians who are still alive (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; 1 Corinthians 15), and begins to remove all tyrannical governments (Revelation 11:15-18).
The next destination in God's master plan of salvation is the Day of Atonement, where Christ removes Satan and incarcerates him (Revelation 20:1-3). Only then can peace break out on earth (Isaiah 14:7; 11). This leads to the next step as represented by the Feast of Tabernacles, when Jesus will rule as the great Sovereign for 1,000 years.
Today Christ's disciples who understand the meaning of the symbols of God's step-by-step map of salvation keep the annual Feast of Tabernacles in anticipation of mankind's great future.
Throughout the earth, humanity will rejoice in unparalleled peace and prosperity. War, violence, deception, famines and all the other insoluble problems that plague mankind today will disappear from the earth (Isaiah 11:1-9; Micah 4:1-7). This war-weary earth will become a new Garden of Eden, beginning at Jerusalem and then spreading to all nations (Ezekiel 36:35; Zechariah 14:16).
Last Great Day maps salvation for mankind
During the autumn festival season, yet one major event follows the Feast of Tabernacles.
This destination on the biblical map that Christ has revealed to His saints has stupendous meaning. It figuratively shows the destination of all human beings who have ever lived from Adam's time to Christ's second coming.
It's called the Last Great Day, or the eighth day of the Feast. "On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation . . . It is a sacred assembly, and you shall do no customary work on it" (Leviticus 23:36).
Keep in mind that as an ordinary road map has the appropriate symbols to depict the reality of destinations, so has God given symbols to show the reality of His major goals for humanity.
God's people are instructed to observe the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days, with the first day being a Holy Day (verse 34). Following is a final festival that represents the opportunity for salvation for all human beings who have ever lived not knowing nor really understanding God's truth. This involves a general resurrection to physical life, at which time Jesus Christ and His reigning saints will reveal the true path to salvation.
Let's notice two significant passages that help us understand this symbolic festival. "But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished . . . Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away . . . And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books" (Revelation 20:5, 11-12).
The great white throne judgment described here has several symbolically significant meanings. It's great because of the billions of human beings who will be raised from the dead for their day of salvation. White refers to holiness and righteousness. Throne infers Christ's righteous rule. It's a time of judgment because these human beings are then judged or evaluated by Jesus Christ in mercy and compassion over a period of time (1 Corinthians 11:31-32).
Another notable passage is found in the oft-misunderstood prophecy of Ezekiel 37. The valley of dry bones represents the whole house of Israel, all 12 tribes (not just the Jewish people although they are prominently included), who lived and died with no apparent hope. At this time, Christ will resurrect all human beings, Israelites and gentiles alike, all those who have ever lived and who never really knew God. They will be resurrected to physical life but offered His Spirit and the hope of salvation they never had (Ezekiel 37:11-14).
Though some will ultimately reject God and be lost—destroyed in a lake of fire (Revelation 21:8)—most will embrace Him and His ways, joining the saints in eternal salvation.
Jesus' return symbolized by the fall festivals
John Noble Wilford's quotes about maps certainly ring true when it comes to mapping Christ's return: "Maps embody a perspective of that which is known and a perception of that which may be worth knowing" (The Mapmakers, p. 386). Maps "communicate a sense of place, some sense of here in relation to there" (p. 7).
The four autumn festivals can rightly be compared to great milestones for all of mankind, mapped out in advance by God in His Holy Bible. Each one comes in its own order and proper sequence, just as following an ordinary road map from town to town leads to a physical destination. But with God's map, the end result is the salvation of all humankind.
Most human beings today do not know or understand how to read and study the Bible. During this age of man, God's people are given the understanding to follow His map of the future leading to the coming Kingdom of God and beyond.
The grand ultimate destiny of humanity is to become immortal children of God the Father, younger brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ, living and serving in the New Jerusalem and throughout the universe forever and ever (Revelation 21–22; Hebrews 2:8; Deuteronomy 4:19).
Understanding God's plan and purpose revealed in the pages of the Bible constitutes the map that the people of God now follow in earnest. However, responsibility comes with the God-given ability to read His map of salvation. Those who have the knowledge of God, sprinkled throughout a darkened global society, should rejoice in these festivals and help show the world God's way and His path to salvation for mankind. GN
Thank you for this.shalom b'shem Yah'shuaBlessings to you and yours.
Thanks Chuck and blessings to you too.
I look forward to Erev Rosh Hashanab'shem Yah'shua
at evening on the 12th of September.
As am I. We will be attending worship services and fellowshipping with other Michigan churches on Thursday. Do you have any special plans?
The old covenant feast days were unique to Israel as a nation living in the physical land when there was a temple and a priesthood to offer the sacrifices according to the law given through Moses.
The priesthood, temple, and biblical nation of Israel no longer exist. There were done away with at the coming of Christ who gave us a new holy nation and royal priesthood called the Church. We no longer keep feast days given by Moses (who represented the law) that have decayed and faded away (Heb. 8:13). Those who attempt to keep these ersatz feast days do so according to traditions of men, not the commandments of God, for God never gave His people instructions on how to keep “Rosh Hashanah” or “Yom Kippur” apart from the temple sacrifices or earthly priesthood.
"For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" (John 1:17).
We follow Christ in the grace of the gospel. If you are still following after Moses by keeping old covenant feast days as pleasing to God then the apostle Paul has much to say to you in Galatians.
Christ’s followers live under the terms of the new covenant in the new Jerusalem where the old priesthood and old ordinances no longer have any place. They were mere shadows of things to come (Col. 2:17) and Christ’s followers no longer come to Him in shadows.
Really? I've got many friends on line and in real life who would disagree with your opinion.
We no longer keep feast days given by Moses (who represented the law) that have decayed and faded away (Heb. 8:13).
Christ, the Lord himself, is chronicled in the bible speaking to Moses about his (Christ's) holy days:
Lev 23:1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,
Lev 23:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.
Also you are apparently inserting your opinion into hebrew 8:13
Heb 8:13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away
The old covenant, not the Lord's holy days, is what Hebrews 13 is referring to.
Those who attempt to keep these ersatz feast days do so according to traditions of men, not the commandments of God, for God never gave His people instructions on how to keep “Rosh Hashanah” or “Yom Kippur” apart from the temple sacrifices or earthly priesthood.
Nonsense. Let's look at the feast of trumpets (Rosh Hashanah):
Lev 23:24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.
Lev 23:25 Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
We have instructions to:
1. Observe a sabbath.
2. Blow trumpets.
3. Gather together.
4. Don't do servile work.
None of these require sacrifice or a temple.
"For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" (John 1:17).
Mat 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
We follow Christ in the grace of the gospel. If you are still following after Moses by keeping old covenant feast days as pleasing to God then the apostle Paul has much to say to you in Galatians.
Paul kept the feasts himself:
Act 18:21 But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus.
Act 20:16 For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost.
They were mere shadows of things to come (Col. 2:17)
You misquoted scripture:
Col 2:17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body of Christ.
ARE, not "were".
I live in a small town of 3000 people and 30 churches. However none recognize Yah'shua and the first testament. So I will celebrate with Paul Wilbur CDs and Elohim's Holy Word.Since I've moved from Denver, I'm now 125 miles from Roah Israel.
shalom b'shem Yah'shua
and the need or desire to keep Elohim's feast days.
Col 2:17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body of Christ.
ARE, not "were".
My BibleWorks says the verb is present tense as you stated. Great catch on the verse.
shalom b'shem Yah'shua
He's writing before the destruction of the Temple.
"Are" became "were" in AD 70, when Temple Judaism ceased to exist.
Great catch on the verse.
Not exactly. From Paul's perspective "are" would be correct since the temple was still standing and the temporal/temporary Levitical priesthood was still ministering according to the bloody requirements of the old covenant, the covenant that was decaying and passing away. AD70 was the fulfillment of the "days of vengeance" meted out against unrepentant Israel.
From our perspective, 2000 years since the temple was destroyed and the keys of the Kingdom were transferred from national Israel to spiritual Israel, the Church, the phrase I used was quite correct.
And that is supposed to prove what?
Mat 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
I always get a chuckle when the messianics quote this passage and then fail to explain why it is that they are free to ignore all the detailed stipulations given in the Mosaic law about how Israel in the land was to keep the feasts, etc and may pick and choose the parts of the ceremonial/Levitical law that should be kept today. I guess “jot and tittle” really does not mean anything in your system.
Can you show exactly where in the Bible God gave commands for how to keep all these feast days under the new covenant without benefit of the “jots and tittles” that were given originally?
The rabbis had to invent new law to explain this to their post-AD70 followers. Can you explain why it appears messianic are doing precisely the same thing today?
Paul kept the feasts while the temple system was still in place to win his fellow Jews to Christ, not in order to find special favor with God.
“19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; 20 and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law;” (1 Cor. 9)
What was Paul admitting about the law when he says he “became as a Jew”? And what does Paul say abut those who place themselves “under the law”?
“For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.’” (Gal. 3:10)
“But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” (Gal. 5:18)
You need to read all of Paul to get the right picture.
DKC>"ARE, not "were"."
XS>Great catch on the verse.
Not exactly. From Paul's perspective "are" would be correct since the temple was still standing and the temporal/temporary Levitical priesthood was still ministering according to the bloody requirements of the old covenant, the covenant that was decaying and passing away. AD70 was the fulfillment of the "days of vengeance" meted out against unrepentant Israel.
From our perspective, 2000 years since the temple was destroyed and the keys of the Kingdom were transferred from national Israel to spiritual Israel, the Church, the phrase I used was quite correct.
11 posted on 09/10/2007 5:02:44 PM MDT by topcat54
was correct for forty years, but is incorrect today because it conflicts with your eisgesis. How does this square with your belief that all scripture was fulfilled in 70 AD.If I understand you correctly Elohim's Holy Word i.e. Yah'shua HaMashiach
shalom b'shem Yah'shua
Not incorrect, rather fulfilled.
"But 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. " (Luke 21:20-22)
The temple was destroyed, just as Jesus prophesied. The new covenant was established and sacrifices and priesthood were ended within the “seventy weeks”, just as Daniel predicted (Dan. 9:26,27).
How does this square with your belief that all scripture was fulfilled in 70 AD.
Not “all Scripture”, just those pertaining to the destruction of the temple and the end of the old covenant system, and the handing of the “keys of the kingdom” over to the new covenant leadership.
"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. 21:43)
“Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.” (Matt. 23:36)
Frankly, I’m not the one with the fancy eisegesis. Nor do I need to buck most of the New Testament as well as the teaching of the Church for 2000 years.
Obviously if you have temporal language, at some point, an event which a text foretells in the future is in the present, and at a point after that, it's in the past. That doesn't mean that the scripture is "incorrect," it means that it was written at a particular point in time which has passed.
Deuteronomy 18:15 says that God "will raise up" -- future tense -- for Israel a prophet like unto Moses. Is that event still in the future, or was it realized in time when Christ came, and therefore now in our past? And if God has now sent the prophet like unto Moses, does that mean that the Scripture was correct, and now is not?
Of course not.
That makes no sense.
In the first place Paul wasn't decrying the Lord's holy days. He was telling fellow Christians not to let others judge them in HOW they were observing them.
You MUST believe Paul was either a liar or stupid if you think he was telling others not to observe the Lord's holy days.
This is because whatever Paul was addressing in Galatians 2 had specific, identifying elements:
Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
The Lord's holy days are NOT philosophy, but scriptural commands of the Lord. The only scripture Paul had was the "old" testament.
They are not "traditions of men", but holy days created by the God of the universe.
They are NOT "rudiments of the world", but holy objects of the divine.
Paul surely knew this. Do you think he was lying, or just stupid? Paul, who was under the new covenant, is addressing other Christians, who are also under the new covenant. You're saying AD70 was the fulfillment of the "days of vengeance" meted out against unrepentant Israel.
Nice of you to make up a reason for Paul's behavior. Paul and every other early Christian didn't have an "old" testament. Their bible said:
Lev 23:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.
Lev 23:41 And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute forever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.
Compare:
Act 18:21 But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus.
Paul didn't tell his fellow Christians "I have to go evangelize in Jerusalem". He specifically said that he was going to "keep the feast".
Here too:
1Co 5:8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
He instructed Christians to "keep the feast".
Paul observed the holy days of Jesus Christ because Christ created HIS holy days. When Christ incarnated, he observed the holy days and Paul imitated his example:
1Co 11:1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
1Co 11:2 Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.
Your explanation for Paul's behavior just doesn't match up with scripture.
Again senseless. Paul was writing to fellow Christians. Paul and the people he was writing to were all under the new covenant. If Paul believed that the holy days WERE shadows, he had no reason not to say so. After all (according to you) the old covenant was over for Paul. Presumably (according to you), they weren't participating in any of the priestly services. They WERE shadows to him. But still, he said ARE. Why?
I agree that makes no sense if your presuppositions are pushing you in a different direction.
In the first place Paul wasn't decrying the Lord's holy days. … This is because whatever Paul was addressing in Galatians 2 had specific, identifying elements:
Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
Let’s not back up to verse 8 and miss the immediate context.
“16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.”
Any unbiased reader would reasonably conclude Paul was speaking of the old covenant festival days, new moon celebrations, and annual sabbaths, etc.
They are not "traditions of men", but holy days created by the God of the universe.
Sorry to confuse you. By “traditions of men” I mean the traditions that are practiced today without any warrant from the Word of God. The fact remains that God’s has nowhere commanded modern day messianics to observe “feast days” apart from the temple and the priesthood and the land. They way you do things today are “traditions” since you have obviously ignored the “jots and tittles” of Moses’ commandments and replaced them with practices of convenience. (E.g., where does God in His Word allow uncircumcised gentiles into the Passover? Or perhaps your group does not celebrate the “passover” with gentiles present.)
Do you think he was lying, or just stupid?
Neither. I just think you do not thoroughly understand Paul and his zeal to tear down the middle wall of partition and the racial barriers that divided Jews and gentiles.
You seem to have a very stunted view of Paul’s ministry.
“for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.” (Acts 18:28)
“And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God. But when some were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them and withdrew the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.” (Acts 19:8-10)
I’m curious, where exactly is it recorded that Paul made it to Jerusalem to keep the feast. It appears he was very busy evangelizing his fellow Jews, staying two years in Asia. It not even clear that he made it in time for Pentecost (Acts 20:16).
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