Mattan

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Pentecost is a New Testament word meaning 50 that refers to what the Old Testament calls the Feast of Weeks. 7 weeks after the Feast of Passover equals 49 days. On the next day, day 50, the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost begins. This day is also known as the Day of Mattan.

The Children of Israel celebrated the first Pentecost at Mount Sinai 50 days after the first Passover. They celebrated because it was the day on which God gave Moses the 10 Commandments. 1500 years later, on this same day, God sent the Holy Spirit and the Church was born.

Today is Pentecost Sunday, the Sunday on which we celebrate the birth of the Church as recorded in Acts 2. The Book of Ephesians tells us that Jesus died for the Church and He is coming again for the Church. When I use the word Church, it will be important to know exactly what I am talking about today. Allow me to briefly define two major functions of the Church.

The Church is:

·        The Body of Christ

o   Jesus is the head and the Church is His Body.

1 Corinthians 12:27  Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.

o   This is the picture, an image if you will, of both our personal and our corporate relationship with Jesus.

o   Each one of us are individual members joined together in Christ to make up the whole Body.

o   Every member is important but so is the body.

§  Members cannot live without the Body

§  The Body cannot live without the Head

§  There is an intentional interconnectedness implied in the scriptures. I do not portend to understand how it works on every level, but I cannot deny the implication.

·        The Bride of Christ

o   We have been bought with a precious price.

1 Corinthians 6:20  For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

o   God paid for us with His own Son and then raised Him from the dead to and betrothed us to Him.

o   The Church is engaged by covenant to Jesus and He has gone away to prepare a place for us to live with Him in His Father’s house.

o   One day Jesus will come again and take His Bride back to heaven.

§  This event is known as the rapture of the Church.

§  There will be a wedding feast in heaven that will last for seven days.

Note: Do not get confused about Jesus coming again for His Bride and Jesus coming again for the battle of Armageddon.

·        In the rapture Jesus comes in the air.

·        For the battle, Jesus sets His feet upon the Mount of Olives.

·        In the rapture Jesus and His Bride go to heaven for a 7-year wedding feast.

·        After Jesus wins against the Anti-Christ at the Battle of Armageddon, Jesus sets up His 1000-year reign at Jerusalem.

·        The next time we see Jesus, at the rapture of the Church, it will happen like a thief in the night … on clouds of glory … only the redeemed will hear His voice and know Him.

o   The trumpet of God

o   The dead souls will receive their glorified bodies resurrected from the graves.

o   The living saints will be changed in the twinkling of an eye.

·        When Jesus comes to battle the Anti-christ, the whole earth will see it and know it.

o   Armies will gather and use the Valley of Jezreel as a staging area for their armaments.

o   Jesus will be riding a white horse and a two-edged sword will be in His mouth and written on His thigh will be King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

o   No one will miss it! CNN, NBC, FOX, ABC, CBS, NPR, and the Washington Post will all have their reporters on scene.

·        The next time the Church sees Jesus, He will be a joyful Bridegroom.

·        The next time the world sees Jesus, He will be a Conquering Warrior-King.

Good news … we will have a front row seat for both occasions!!!

But for now … let’s get back to Pentecost and the birth of the Church …

Most Gentiles are not familiar with the culture and customs of the weddings referred to in the Bible. Today I will not go into all the details and proof texts but plan on giving just enough to establish the importance of the Feast of Pentecost to these end time events which are rushing towards us at the speed of light.

First: The Father of the groom picks the bride and pays a dowry for her called a “mohar” in Hebrew. (Genesis 34:12)

Next: Next the bride and groom are introduced and if all goes well … they make a covenant and become betrothed. This is not like a modern-day western engagement … this is a covenant and the couple are legally and morally married at that time. The exceptions are that they cannot consummate the marriage until the groom goes back to his father’s house and prepares a place for him and his wife to live.

When this is completed to his father’s satisfaction, the father will tell his son to go and get his bride. This usually happens at midnight and the grooms friends blow a trumpet and shout “the bridegroom is coming.”

While the groom is gone the father prepares a wedding feast to be enjoyed upon their return. The groom collects his veiled bride and they go out of the city to the mansion he has built for her and they enjoy the wedding feast and a 7-day traditional consummation.

Oh … one thing I left out … the mattan. Mattan in Hebrew means gift, or giving. This word is also used to identify something a groom does before he leaves his betrothed bride and goes away to build her a mansion. Before he goes away, he gives her mattan, a special gift. This gift is meant to remind her of the covenant she has with her husband and the promise he will come again to take her away to live with him. This gift is also given to help her should she need anything while he is away.

Once a year the Jews celebrate God giving the Law. On that same day, the Church celebrates Jesus giving His mattan to His Bride to take care of her while she waits for Him to return.

·        God gave the Children of Israel His word written in stone as a promise of things to come.

·        Jesus gave the Church His word written in their hearts and minds as a promise of things to come.

·        The Law of God was a schoolmaster designed to teach Israel how to please God.

·        The Holy Spirit is a teacher, counselor, comforter, and friend designed to teach the Church how to please Jesus.

The gift of the Holy Spirit is a sign of His love for us. It is a pledge and guarantee the He is coming back to claim His Bride, the Church. This mattan is a promise of things to come.

John 14

1 ¶  “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.

2  “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

3  “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

On the Day of Pentecost, 50 days after Jesus became our Passover Lamb, the promised gift was given, and the Church was birthed. Peter preached his first sermon that day and concluded with an altar call saying:

Acts 2

38 “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

39  “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.”

I give that same altar call today … Recognize you need a Savior; Repent of your sins; and Receive Jesus as Lord and Savior and you will be filled with the Holy Spirit as the promise of your eternal inheritance. He will be your teacher, counselor, comforter, and friend until Jesus returns for His Bride!