THE
RICH MEANING OF GOD'S HOLY DAYS
God gave to Israel His Feast days
recorded for us in Leviticus 23. These
festivals to Israel celebrated their national deliverance at the time of the
Exodus by God's hand and also showed gratitude to God for the two major seasonal
harvests each year.
As with many things of God the lessons of the Holy Days are dual in nature –
they teach both physical lessons as well as spiritual lessons. They also teach
us tremendous lessons about the great master plan God is working out here on
earth through mankind.
“They reveal the framework that organizes the major events of God's plan
in a logical order…When God freed the Israelites from Egyptian bondage,
He revealed to them, in addition to the weekly Sabbath, His seven annual festivals.
The apostle Paul tells us these observances are 'a shadow of things to come'
(Colossians 2:16-17) - that is,
they foreshadow and reveal the basics of His plan of salvation.
“God originally gave them as harvest festivals - and for an appropriate
reason. The writers of the Bible often compare the spiritual harvest of human
lives to the agricultural harvests that physically sustain life. Therefore we
find harvest analogies and parables to represent aspects of God's plan to bring
humanity to repentance. God's goal is to harvest human beings - you and me -
into His Kingdom.
“Jesus compared the work God began through Him to a harvest. Christ told
His disciples: 'My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish
His work. Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'?
Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are
already white for harvest! And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit
for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together'
(John 4:34-36)” (UCG
Bible Study Course - Lesson 12 – 'God's Festivals: Keys to Humanity's Future,
p.2).
In Leviticus 23:2 God says about
these seven festivals (as well as the weekly sabbath): “The feasts of
the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations,
these are My feasts.”
Notice that they are the Feasts
of the Lord – they are not just Jewish feasts. These are the Lord's feasts!
He then proceeds to give the details
of each of God's feasts starting with the weekly feast of the sabbath and then
proceeding on with the seven annual feasts of God.
In Colossians
2:16-17 the apostle Paul to the primarily Gentile church at Colosse
tells them to not let anyone hassle them about the way that they observed the
sabbath, new moons and festivals and then he goes on to say that these "are
a shadow of things to come."
The sabbath and many of the annual
feasts (particularly the latter feast days) picture future events in the plan
of God when God will intervene in world events and bring His kingdom to the
earth. There is great symbolism to the sabbath, the new moons and the festivals
of God.
Let's explore the symbolism of
each of the Feasts of God which cover the great plan of salvation that God has
for mankind.
“Seven annual festivals are listed in the Scriptures:
“(1) the Passover, (2) the Feast of Unleavened Bread, (3) the Feast of
Firstfruits (Pentecost), (4) The Feast of Trumpets, (5) the Day of Atonement,
(6) the Feast of Tabernacles and (7) the Last Great Day. Each focuses on a specific
aspect of God's plan.
“Occurring during the physical harvests of life-sustaining food products,
God's festivals all point to aspects of His spiritual harvest of humanity to
eternal life. As is so often the case in the Scriptures, God uses physical things
to help us better understand spiritual truths. Jesus Himself frequently drew
physical analogies to teach spiritual principles” (UCG
Bible Study Course - Lesson 12 – 'God's Festivals: Keys to Humanity's Future,
p.3).
PASSOVER
Leviticus 23:5 - “On the fourteenth
day of the first month at twilight is the Lord's Passover.”
Exodus 12:3, 6-8
- “Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: 'On the tenth day
of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb…Now you shall keep
it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the
congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. And they shall take some
of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses
where they eat it. Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire,
with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.'”
The Passover was to be a yearly reminder of God's intervention in delivering
the Israelites' firstborn from death at the time of the Exodus (Exodus
12:26-27). It also pictured, in advance, the great sacrifice of Jesus Christ
for the sins of all mankind who is called "our Passover" lamb
in 1 Corinthians 5:7 and 1
Peter 1:18-19.
The sparing of the Israelites' firstborn from the death angel through the shed
blood of lambs on that first Passover is a symbolic type of us being spared today
from the eternal penalty of sin (Romans
6:23) through Christ's sacrifice.
“What did the Passover service mean to the ancient Israelites? - "And
when your children ask you, 'What does this ceremony mean to you?' then tell them,
'It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, who passed over the houses of the Israelites
in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians'" (Exodus
12:26-27, NIV)...
“Should Christians continue observing the New Testament Passover service?
– 'For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus,
on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke
it and said, 'This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.'
In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant
in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.' For whenever
you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he
comes. Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy
[irreverent] manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the
Lord' (1 Corinthians 11:23-27, NIV).
“Paul shows that the earliest Christians not only observed this festival
annually - with its new symbols of bread and wine that Christ instituted to represent
His suffering and death…Since it is a memorial, this God-given event should
be observed only once every year as God has commanded (Numbers
9:2-3) - not at our discretion nor on some weekly or monthly schedule.
This festival should be observed on the exact annual date that is the anniversary
of Christ's death for our sins - the annual Passover festival…and in the
proper manner as described above” (UCG
Bible Study Course - Lesson 12 – 'God's Festivals: Keys to Humanity's Future,
p.3, 5-6).
The Passover is held at the beginning of the 14th
day of the first month. This first month is not January. It is the month of Nisan
or Abib (meaning green ears) on God's calendar which starts in spring in the northern
hemisphere.
The Israelites were told to pick out a lamb on the 10th
day and hold it for four days (Exodus
12:3). During those four days it was very easy to become attached to it
with it in their household. To have to kill it after those four days was to be
an emotional experience to help them to feel what it was like for God to give
up His only Son (John 3:16) in order
to pass over our sins.
We are told not to take the Passover unworthily but to examine ourselves beforehand
(1 Corinthians 11:27-28) and make
sure we are doing our best to follow God's ways. A great price was paid to make
forgiveness available to us and God wants us not to take it lightly. In Israel
no uncircumcised person was to take the Passover (Exodus
12:48). We saw in the last lesson that circumcision, as a sign of God's
covenant people, has been replaced with baptism and so only those who have been
baptized take the Passover today.
Before Christ ate His last Passover before He was crucified He washed the disciples
feet (John 13) and said: “For I have
given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you” (John
13:15). By washing their feet, Jesus was illustrating to His disciples
that He had come to earth to serve mankind. Shortly afterward, He proved the extent
of His extreme service to this world when He gave His very life for the sins of
all mankind. The foot washing ceremony that takes place before the bread and wine
is taken depicts the attitude of humility and service to others that Christ wants
all of us to have plus it is symbolic of our being cleansed from our contact with
the world over the past year (John 13:9-10).
When Christ kept His last Passover before He was about to be killed He changed
the symbols from the Passover lamb, which was an Old Testament type of Christ's
sacrifice to the new symbols of the bread and wine which picture Christ's body
and His blood which was sacrificed for us.
The bread pictures four things -:
· The literal
body of Christ which was broken for us (Matthew
4:4, John 6:48). We need to use
God's Word, the Bible, to grow in grace and knowledge and be more like God.
· The Word
of God which is the bread of life (Matthew
4:4, John 6:48). We need to use
God's Word, the Bible, to grow in grace and knowledge and be more like God.
· The church
- "We, being many, are one bread and one body, for we all partake of that
one bread" (1 Corinthians
10:17). We should be thankful for the body of the church - our brethren
who we are called together with. We should have a renewed sense of dedication
to serve our brethren and strive to resolve any differences we might have and
be unified with one another in the church.
· The mind
of Christ (Philippians 2:5-8)
and having the same love and concern that Christ showed when He was here on earth.
We are told that "by His stripes we are healed" (Isaiah
53:5). The Passover also reminds us of the blessing of healing and the
forgiveness of our breaking the physical laws which cause sickness and disease.
Following on from that, we should examine ourselves and how we treat our bodies
and be determined to glorify God in our bodies by living a healthy life (1
Corinthians 3:16-17).
We know that Christ's flesh was torn and broken but why did God make sure that
none of His bones would be broken (John
19:33-36), as is pictured by the Passover lamb being roasted whole with
no bones broken (Exodus 12:43-46)?
Now, our bones make up our inner framework and picture our inner strength. I suspect
the importance of God ensuring His bones weren't broken is a type of Christ's
inner strength of character, through God's spirit, not being broken through the
ordeal that He went through. He did not compromise an inch with sin through all
that He went through (1 Peter 2:21-23).
By doing so He left a very powerful example for us to follow in not compromising
with God's way of life as we go through trials.
By symbolically ingesting Christ we focus our minds also on allowing Him to live
His life in us. It takes self-discipline to submit to God's will and not live
our own way, especially when our will clashes with God's will. Ultimately the
meaning of Christ's sacrifice to us should be to "purge your conscience from
dead works to serve the living God" (Hebrews
9:14).
The wine pictures Christ's shed blood (Luke
22:20) to cover all our horrible past sins which gives us a fresh start.
We are then forgiven of our past sins, though mindful we have to change our life
from here on. The wine is also called the cup of blessing in 1
Corinthians 10:16. It reminds us of the many blessings we are to be thankful
to God for in this life and the loyalty He has shown us in blessing us with all
we have, including His forgiveness. It reminds us of our need to show that loyalty
in return to Him in heartfelt obedience.
The shed blood of our Saviour, the cup which we drink, symbolizes sharing in His
suffering in this life with the many trials we go through (Matthew
20:23). We are to be living sacrifices (Romans
12:1-2) poured out like a drink offering in service and sacrifice (Philippians
2:17) for God and others as Christ has done for us. As God has forgiven
us through Christ, we need to forgive others for their faults (Matthew
6:14-15) and even forgive ourselves for our own sins as well.
Christ said that He would not drink of the fruit of the vine until the Kingdom
comes (Matthew 26:29). This is
a type of the High Priest, which Christ is for us now (Hebrews
4:14-15), not drinking wine when he is serving in the Temple of God (Leviticus
10:8-11). Wine is also a symbol of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians
5:18).
For those who weren't able to keep the Passover through sickness or distance or
other reasons there was the second Passover which was kept on the fourteenth day
of the second month. We read of it in Numbers
9:9-12:
“the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to the children of Israel, saying:
If anyone of you or your posterity is unclean because of a corpse, or is
far away on a journey, he may still keep the Lord's Passover. On the fourteenth
day of the second month, at twilight, they may keep it. They shall eat it with
unleavened bread and bitter herbs. They shall leave none of it until morning,
nor break one of its bones. According to all the ordinances of the Passover they
shall keep it.'”
FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD
Leviticus 23:6-8
- “And on the fifteenth day of the same [first] month is the Feast
of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On
the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work
on it. But you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord for seven days.
The seventh day shall be a holy convocation; you shall do no customary
work on it.”
Exodus 12:15-17 – “Seven
days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven
from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the
seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. On the first day there
shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall
be a holy convocation for you. No manner of work shall be done on them; but that
which everyone must eat—that only may be prepared by you. So you shall observe
the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this same day I will
have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe
this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance.”
The Feast of Unleavened Bread anciently symbolized the exodus of the Israelites
and their deliverance by God out of slavery in Egypt (Exodus
12:17). For those of us in the church it pictures putting sin out of lives
as well as developing the character of God (1
Corinthians 5:7-8).
Leaven or yeast is what is put into bread to make it rise. Leaven is compared
to sin (1 Corinthians 5:8) because
just as leaven puffs up bread so does sin puff us up spiritually. God does not
want us puffed up with our own importance but humble and willing to serve others.
Once we have repented of our sins and been forgiven by God, we must strive to
forsake sin completely. We must come out of this world's ways of sin (Revelation
18:4) - just as Israel left Egypt which is also a type of sin (Hebrews
11:25-26, Revelation 11:8). We
must be striving to put all sin away from us. That is our part in God's Master
Plan for us.
In 1 Corinthians 5 Paul had to deal with
a problem in the church at Corinth. They allowed a man who was continuing to committing
a terrible sexual sin and not trying to deal with it to continue attending church.
Most of the church knew about the problem and Paul knew it would send the wrong
message to the rest of the church that it is OK to sin like that. By not putting
out the sinner from the congregation He realized that others in the church might
also commit such sins and think they could get away with it. He connected an important
lesson from the Passover and Unleavened Bread festival season that they were in
to the problem that they had in their church. He wrote:
“Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens
the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven [put the sinner and their own
sins out], that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened [they had
physically deleavened their homes but they needed to also be spiritually unleavened
and not puffed up]. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore
let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice
and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth”
(1 Corinthians 5:6-8).
“Paul commanded the Corinthian Christians - mostly gentiles (non-Israelites)
- to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. His instructions show that Christians
from non-Jewish communities and cultures kept the Days of Unleavened Bread. Setting
an example for all Christians today, these Jews and non-Jews observed these days
in accordance with God's laws” (UCG
Bible Study Course - Lesson 12 – God's Festivals: Keys to Humanity's Future,
p.6).
“The church at Corinth was obviously and unmistakably keeping the Feast of
Unleavened Bread, to which Paul repeatedly alluded. However, Paul used the Corinthians'
faithful obedience in keeping the feast physically (removing leaven from their
homes) as a basis to encourage them to celebrate this feast with proper understanding
of its spiritual intent.
“Today removing leaven from our homes for seven days reminds us that we,
too, through prayer and God's help and understanding, must recognize, expel and
avoid sin. The Feast of Unleavened Bread is thus a time of personal reflection.
We should meditate on our attitudes and conduct and ask God to help us recognize
and overcome our shortcomings” (God's
Holy Day Plan, p.22).
We have to remember that it is not called the Feast of not eating Leavened Bread
but the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Not only do we need to put sin out of our lives
but we also have to put on God's character. We need to develop all of the fruits
of God's spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
In 1 Corinthians 5:8 Paul talks
about the unleavened bread of sincerity of truth and sincerity. Here are two specific
qualities we can look at in our own lives at this time. Do we really speak and
live the truth and with sincerity and not hypocrisy (saying one thing but doing
another)?
In Deuteronomy 16:3 we read about
two other reasons why God told Israel to eat unleavened bread and abstain from
leaven. Firstly we are told that they didn't have leaven because they left in
haste and secondly, it was called the bread of affliction in the same verse reminding
them of the bitter affliction of slavery that God had delivered them from.
What are the lessons for us today? Just as Israel left in haste from Egypt, which
is a type of sin, we have to put sin out of lives with urgency. We can't fool
around with sin. If we stay in a sinful environment too long it will overtake
us and enslave us. Paul tells us that a little leaven leavens the whole lump (1
Corinthians 5:6-8). If we let Satan and sin to get a foot in the door
they will push open the whole door. That's why we cannot afford to compromise
even a little. We are also told to beware of the spiritual leaven of false teachers
(Matthew 16:6-12).
There are three lessons that we can learn from the meaning of the bread of affliction.
Firstly, it pictures the trials that we have to suffer in this life (Acts
14:22) to have eternal life. That reminds us that if we want anything
worthwhile, such as eternal life, we have to work hard and even suffer for it.
Secondly, it pictures what Christ had to suffer for us (1
Peter 2:21) and the last profound lesson of the bread of affliction is
the lesson that SIN HURTS! That is something we have to believe not just
in our minds but deep in our hearts as well. How much we believe deep in our heart
that sin hurts is shown in the choices that we make each day. Sometimes we love
our sins a lot more than we should.
There are lessons that we learn from the rituals of de-leavening our homes, abstaining
from leaven and eating unleavened bread. Do we think about them as we go through
them? Obviously de-leavening our homes shows we have to thoroughly put sin out
from every nook and cranny we can get to. It teaches us that God's way of life
is not a smorgasbord. We can't pick and choose. “Man shall not live by bread
alone, but by EVERY word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew
4:4). We can ask ourselves, "What areas am I still holding back from
God?"
Sometimes it's hard to tell whether certain things contain leaven or not. This
can teach us the lesson of avoiding the grey areas. Sometimes we accidentally
eat something leavened. This shows us how easy it is to sin (Hebrews
12:1) and how much we need God's help to avoid sin.
Sometimes we find leaven during the feast we missed when de-leavening just like
we find hidden sins in our life which have to be put away immediately. We have
to eat unleavened bread every day - seven days shall you eat it (Exodus
12:15). This teaches us our need to come to God seeking His help and power
every day and be renewed day by day (2 Corinthians
4:16). Seven is the number of completeness, teaching us that we need to
put sin out of our lives completely.
“[In 1 Corinthians 10:1-4] Paul compares
a Christian's deliverance from sin through the sacrifice and assistance of Christ
to Israel's deliverance from the Egyptian army at the Red Sea [which probably
occurred on the final day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread]…
“After we are justified by Christ's sacrifice at the time of baptism, we
must be led out of sin and into a righteous pattern of life just as Israel was
led out of its bondage during the same Days of Unleavened Bread. This festival
represents the work of the living, resurrected Christ directly leading and assisting
us in overcoming sin” (UCG
Bible Study Course - Lesson 12 – God's Festivals: Keys to Humanity's Future,
p.6)
During the Feast of Unleavened Bread the Israelites commemorated the wave sheaf
offering on the first day of the week that fell during the Feast. In Leviticus
23:10-11 we read: “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them:
'When you come into the land which I give to you, p its harvest, then you
shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall
wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after
the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.'”
The wave sheaf was the very first sheaf of wheat that was harvested in Israel
during the early harvest which concluded at the feast of Pentecost seven weeks
later. The first harvest was the smaller of the two annual harvests. Pentecost
is also known as the Feast of Firstfruits. The wave sheaf was the first of the
firstfruit harvest. Those of us in the church are the firstfruits of salvation
before the later greater harvest of souls in the millennium. Christ is called
the firstborn from the dead in Colossians
1:18. In 1 Corinthians 15:20-23
we see that Christ is the first of the firstfruits and the wave sheaf that was
waved at the very beginning of the early harvest represented Jesus Christ.
The Sabbath before the wave sheaf offering is the memorial of the resurrection
of Jesus Christ who rose near the end of the Sabbath. He rose to heaven and was
accepted as the true wave sheaf offering - the first of the firstfruits - on the
day after.
Jesus said to Mary Magdalene after she recognized Him: “Do not cling to Me,
for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them,
'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God”
(John 20:17). Later on the first
day of the week, after He beamed up to heaven and back and was accepted by God,
He allowed the disciples to touch him (John
20:19-29). On
the weekly Sabbath during the Feast of Unleavened Bread it's worthwhile to take
time to remember the resurrection of Christ which occurred on that day and all
that it means for mankind.
PENTECOST
Leviticus
23:15-21 – “And you shall count for yourselves from the day
after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering:
seven Sabbaths shall be completed. Count fifty days to the day after the
seventh Sabbath…And you shall proclaim on the same day that
it is a holy convocation to you. You shall do no customary work on it.
It shall be a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout
your generations.”
Pentecost was a celebration of thanksgiving for the first small harvest for
Israel. In the plan of God we, in the church, are the first small harvest of
souls of all humanity (James 1:18).
“Earlier we saw Passover symbolizing Christ's giving of Himself for us
so our sins could be forgiven. We also learned how the Days of Unleavened Bread
teach us that we must remove and avoid sin, whether in actions or attitudes.
The next Holy Day, Pentecost, builds on this important foundation.
“This festival is known by several names, which derive from its meaning
and timing. Also known as the Feast of Harvest (Exodus
23:16), it represents the firstfruits (Numbers
28:26) gathered as the result of the labour of those who completed the
spring grain harvests in ancient Israel (Exodus
23:16). It is also called the Feast of Weeks (Exodus
34:22), with this name coming from the seven weeks plus one day (50
days in all) that are counted to determine when to celebrate this festival (Leviticus
23:16).
[Pentecost is seven weeks (49 days) FROM the day after the Sabbath when
the wave sheaf was offered (Leviticus
23:15, Deuteronomy 16:9-10)
AND fifty days TO the day after seventh Sabbath –
a Sunday (Leviticus 23:16).
Recall that Christ was resurrected on the Sabbath AND He ascended
to heaven to be accepted by God the Father on a Sunday.]
“Similarly, in the New Testament, which was written in Greek, this festival
is known as Pentecost (Pentekostos in the original), which means 'fiftieth'
(Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, 'Pentecost')…
“God chose the first Pentecost after Jesus Christ's resurrection to pour
out the Holy Spirit on 120 believers (Acts
1:15). 'Now when the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all
with one accord in one place. And 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 one sat upon each
of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with
other tongues [languages], as the Spirit gave them utterance' (Acts
2:1-4)…
“From this pivotal point, God's Spirit has been available to all who truly
repent and are properly baptized. The Day of Pentecost is an annual reminder
that God poured out His Spirit to establish His Church, the group of believers
who are led by His Spirit…
“Humanly speaking, no matter how hard we try not to, we still sin (1
Kings 8:46; Romans 3:23). Acknowledging
this inherent weakness of humanity, God lamented in Deuteronomy
5:29, 'Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me
and always keep all My commandments that it might be well with them and with
their children forever!'
“Here God explains that humankind has a heart problem. Academic knowledge
of the law does not enable us to think like God. Becoming godly in our thoughts,
attitudes and actions is beyond the comprehension and ability of men and women
without an additional ingredient: God's Spirit…
“God's Spirit within us identifies us and sanctifies us - sets us apart
as Christians. 'If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ,' wrote Paul, 'he
is not His', and 'as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of
God' (Romans 8:9, 14).
“Paul also referred to the brethren as those 'who have the firstfruits
of the Spirit' (verse 23). He
alluded to several first-century Christians as the firstfruits of God's calling
(Romans 16:5; 1
Corinthians 16:15)…Few people understand that God follows a systematic
plan, symbolized by His Holy Days, to save all humanity by offering all people
eternal life in His Kingdom. In this world we are simply at the beginning of
the harvest for the Kingdom of God…When God founded His Church by imparting
His Spirit to certain beli the Day of Pentecost in A.D. 31, He
was expanding His spiritual harvest. It was the beginning of what Joel prophesied,
that God will ultimately pour out His Spirit on 'all flesh' (Joel
2:28-29; Acts 2:14-17).
“This divine power allows us to be 'led by the Spirit of God' (Romans
8:14). It was this same power that transformed the lives of the early
Christians and is the power working in the Church today. Paul told Timothy that
God's Spirit is a 'spirit of...power and of love and of a sound mind' (2
Timothy 1:7). Pentecost serves as an annual reminder that our Creator
still works miracles, granting His Spirit to the firstfruits of His spiritual
harvest, empowering them to carry out His work in this world” (God's
Holy Day Plan, p. 24-29).
We read in the New Testament that on at least two occasions, Paul carefully
arranged his schedule according to where he wanted to be on the Day of Pentecost.
In Acts 20:16 we read: "For
Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time
in Asia; for he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day
of Pentecost" and in 1 Corinthians
16:8 Paul wrote: "But I [Paul] will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost."
The church in Ephesus was primarily a Gentile church. Just as Paul told the
Gentile Christians in Corinth to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, here is
another indication that early Christians, Jew and gentile alike, kept God's
annual festivals.
At Pentecost we focus on how much we need God's spirit and what it does for
us as God's down payment or deposit to us of eternal life (Ephesians
1:14). Pentecost is a day to reflect on developing the many qualities
of God's Holy Spirit. Various analogies used for the Holy Spirit in the Bible
help us to better understand some of those qualities. Christ saw the Spirit
of God descending like a dove when He was baptized (Matthew
3:16) symbolizing the gentleness of God (Matthew
10:16). On the Day of Pentecost when the church began the Holy Spirit
manifested itself in the form of fire (Acts
2:1-2) which is a symbol of zeal and energy (Revelation
3:19). At the same time it came as a mighty rushing wind. Wind
is another symbol of power.
Jesus also described the Holy Spirit as living water (John
7:38-39). Water is something that cleanses and soothes us. Do people
feel refreshed when they come in contact with us? Light is another symbol
of the Holy Spirit (Revelation 4:5).
We are to shine as good examples – lights in a darkened world (Matthew
5:14-16, Philippians 2:15). The
Holy Spirit is symbolized as the breath of life (John
20:22) or spiritual life. The Holy Spirit is also symbolized as oil
(Matthew 25:8). Oil is a healing
or soothing agent. Do we hurt or do we help and soothe others with our words
and actions?
According to Jewish tradition God gave Israel the Ten Commandments on the Day
of Pentecost and made the old covenant with Israel who became His holy people.
Israel is called His firstfruits in Jeremiah
2:3 – “Israel was holiness to the Lord, the firstfruits
of His increase.” Pentecost is also
a time to think of how God is going to first use the physical nation of Israel
as a model nation in the millennium to teach the rest of the world God's ways
(Zechariah 8:23).
The Jews traditionally read the book of Ruth on this day, a book that is a type
of the future marriage of the church and Christ. Just as the apostles had to
wait in Jerusalem to receive power from God's spirit (Luke
24:49) it teaches us that we have to wait on God to help us and deliver
us from the trials of sin and the world.
The new covenant is being made with spiritual Israel – the church –
where God's laws are not written on stone but on the hearts of those God is
calling today (2 Corinthians 3:3).
Pentecost was the birthday of the church (Acts
2) when the Holy Spirit was given and the new covenant began with spiritual
Israel. It is a time to think of how we can contribute to unity in the church
and be of one accord (Acts 2:1) just like
the church was at Pentecost. It's also a time to think of how we can each support
the church and it's Work of reaching the world with the good news of the Kingdom
of God and salvation.
Even though the Church of God had
its birth on the Day of Pentecost, the Feast of Pentecost was held at the end
of the first harvest after beginning seven weeks earlier when the wavesheaf
was offered. The seven weeks probably also represent the seven eras of God's
church over the last 2000 years.
“The festivals that follow Pentecost point to God's plan for bringing the
rest of humanity to repentance. The aspects of God's plan represented by the
[first three] festivals - Passover, Unleavened Bread and Pentecost - have already
occurred. But the prophetic implications of the last four festivals…are
yet to be fulfilled” (UCG
Bible Study Course - Lesson 12 – God's Festivals: Keys to Humanity's Future,
p. 7-8).
FEAST OF TRUMPETS
Leviticus 23:24-25 – “Speak
to the children of Israel, saying: In the seventh month, on the first day
of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing
of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it”
The Feast of Trumpets pictures the time known as the Day of the Lord when the
seven trumpet plagues of the Book of Revelation will occur (Revelation
8, 9, 16) and
to the return of Jesus Christ at the seventh trumpet to rule all nations (Revelation.
11:15-18). It also points us to the joyous time when Christians, living and
dead (1 Corinthians 15:51-53, 1
Thessalonians 4:13-18), will receive eternal life at the first resurrection
and be born into the Family of God.
The Feast of Trumpets represents that pivotal time in God's plan when He will
bring this present evil age to an end and establish His rule and government over
humanity. It is the Feast of Trumpets (plural) picturing the whole of the
Day of the Lord and how God is going to discipline this world and bring this world
to repentance.
“The Feast of Trumpets is observed on the first day of the seventh month
of the Hebrew calendar - falling in the autumn in the northern hemisphere, in
September or October. This festival, today known as Rosh Hashanah by Jews [meaning
head of the year], also begins the Jewish civil year. In ancient times Israel
celebrated it with an emphasis on the blowing of trumpets, the primary method
of announcing a gathering of the people or warning them of impending danger or
war” (UCG
Bible Study Course - Lesson 12 – God's Festivals: Keys to Humanity's Future,
p. 9).
“God instructed ancient Israel in the appropriate use of trumpets to communicate
important messages. The sounding of one trumpet meant a meeting of the leaders
of Israel. Two trumpets sounded to call a gathering of all of the people (Numbers
10:3-4). God also used a trumpet to herald His meeting with Israel when
He descended upon Mount Sinai (Exodus
19:16).
“Trumpets could also sound a warning. Numbers
10:9 states, 'When you go to war in your land against the enemy who oppresses
you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets.' In this case the trumpets
resounded a warning of impending danger and imminent warfare.
“Trumpets could also furnish a festive sound: 'Also in the day of your gladness,
in your appointed feasts, and at the beginning of your months, you shall blow
the trumpets...and they shall be a memorial for you before your God' (Numbers
10:10). With their ability to transmit sound over great distances, trumpets
were excellent instruments for attracting people's attention” (God's
Holy Day Plan, p. 34).
Trumpets were used for sounding a warning people of danger and this day reminds
us of our job, as a church, to warn this world of the impending great tribulation
(Ezekiel 33:1-9, Amos
3:6, Isaiah 58:1). Trumpets were also blown
as a sound of peace or end of strife (2
Samuel 2:28). When Christ comes back there will finally be peace on earth
and not only that an end to the struggle in our lives against sin when we will
be resurrected to immortality.
“Notice Paul's description of the return of Jesus Christ: 'For the Lord Himself
will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with
the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive
and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord
in the air' (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
“Paul also spoke of the day when the firstfruits pictured by Pentecost will
be resurrected to immortal life. In 1
Corinthians 15:52 he says this will happen 'in a moment, in the twinkling
of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will
be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed'" (God's Holy Day Plan,
p. 34-35).
Trumpets were also blown signifying the crowning of a king (1
Kings 1:34). This day pictures the crowning of Christ as king over all
the earth (Revelation 11:15).
Israel will also be re-gathered at the sound of the trumpet (Isaiah
27:12-13). According to Jewish tradition the re-creation of the earth
culminating with Adam 6000 years ago also occurred on this day.
The message of the Feast of Trumpets is that we should repent and rend our hearts
to God (Joel 2:1-13). The day reminds us
of man's utter hopelessness to live in peace and harmony without God and our utter
need of Christ's intervention in world affairs. On this day we should reflect
on all that this world will go through in the future and sigh and cry over all
these terrible things that humanity is bringing upon itself (Ezekiel
9:4).
“We see that, even though tragic events lie ahead, the good news is that
God will intervene to save humanity and guide mankind into His way of life. Jesus
Christ will return to establish God's millennial rule, bringing His perfect government
to earth. This is the wonderful, inspiring meaning of the Feast of Trumpets. Christ
taught us to pray 'thy kingdom come' (Matthew
6:10, KJV). How urgently we need the answer to that prayer!” (God's
Holy Day Plan, p. 37).
DAY OF ATONEMENT
Leviticus 23:27-28 – “Also
the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day
of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls,
and offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. And you shall do no work on that
same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before
the Lord your God.”
The Day of Atonement pictures the banishment of Satan and his influence over
mankind when Christ returns (Revelation 20:1-4).
It also pictures mankind being reconciled or made at one with God (at-one-ment)
through the banishment of Satan and the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ (Leviticus
16).
“The Day of Atonement and Passover both teach us about the forgiveness of
sin and our reconciliation with God through Christ's sacrifice. However, although
the Passover is personally and (for the time being) individually applied to Christians
whom God has called in this age, Atonement carries immediate universal implications.
“Moreover, the Day of Atonement pictures an essential additional step in
God's salvation plan not to be found in the symbolism of the Passover. This step
must take place before humanity can experience true peace on earth. All people
suffer the tragic consequences of sin. But sin doesn't happen without a cause,
and God makes this cause clear in the symbolism associated with the Day of Atonement.
“The Day of Atonement involves not only the forgiveness of sin; it pictures
the removal of the primary cause of sin - Satan and his demons. Until God removes
the original instigator of sin, mankind will simply continue to fall back into
disobedience and suffering. Although our human nature has a part to play in our
sins, Satan the devil bears great responsibility for influencing mankind to disobey
God…
“Paul…teaches us that Satan has influenced every human to walk in the
ways of disobedience. He notes that those called into God's church "once
walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power
of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience (Ephesians
2:2)…
“Leviticus 16 describes God instructing
ancient Israel to observe the Day of Atonement. Although, since the sacrifice
of Christ, no need remains for animal sacrifices, this chapter adds significantly
to our understanding of God's plan” (God's
Holy Day Plan, p. 38-40).
“On the Day of Atonement each year the nation of ancient Israel was figuratively
cleansed from its sins. This figurative cleansing was only a type of a spiritual
cleansing that will occur first for the people of Israel, and then for the rest
of the world, after Christ returns.
“Two goats were figurative bearers of guilt. Both had all the sins of the
people symbolically placed on them. One goat was left alive but banished to a
wilderness. The other, representing Jesus, was killed as a sacrifice for sins
(Leviticus 16:6-10, 15-16).
In this drama the banished live goat represented Satan's part in the people's
sins. The slain goat, picturing Christ, represented Him taking on Himself the
penalty for the people's sins” (UCG
Bible Study Course - Lesson 12 – God's Festivals: Keys to Humanity's Future,
p. 10-11).
The High Priest had to cast lots to decide which goat would represent Christ and
which goat would represent Satan. This teaches us that we need God's help to tell
what is of God and what is of the devil in our lives. The sins were symbolically
laid upon the Azazel goat's head representing Satan. The goat was then driven
by a fit man out into the wilderness representing the angel binding Satan in the
bottomless pit (Revelation 20:1-2) after
Christ returns.
“Leviticus 16:15-19 describes
a solemn ceremony that was carried out only once each year, on the Day of Atonement.
The high priest was to take the blood of the slain goat into the Holy Place -
the most sacred part of the tabernacle - and to the mercy seat. The mercy seat
was symbolic of the very throne of Almighty God. The high priest acted out the
function Christ performs for repentant Christians. Having ascended to the very
throne of God by the blood of His sacrifice, Christ intercedes for us - as He
has since His resurrection - as our High Priest. The book of Hebrews makes this
symbolism clear. 'But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with
the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this
[physical] creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own
blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption'
(Hebrews 9:11-12).
“Because of Christ's sacrifice, we enjoy direct access to the true mercy
seat - the throne of our merciful, loving Creator. This was dramatically and miraculously
demonstrated at the moment of Christ's death, when 'the veil of the temple', covering
the entrance to the Holy Place, 'was torn in two from top to bottom' (Matthew
27:51; Mark 15:38). This massive
curtain over the entrance to the Holy Place was torn asunder in a dramatic testimony
to the access we now have to God's throne.
“Many verses in Hebrews mention Christ's role as our High Priest and intercessor.
Because of His sacrifice for us, we can 'come boldly to the throne of grace, that
we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need' (Hebrews
4:16). The Day of Atonement thus pictures the loving reconciliation we
have with God, made possible through Christ's sacrifice. It also shows the remarkable
truth that Satan, the author of sin, will eventually be removed so that humanity
can at last attain reconciliation with God on a universal basis” (God's
Holy Day Plan, p. 43).
“The Day of Atonement is perhaps the most unusual Holy Day, as far as what
God expects us to do. It is the one day of the year on which God commands us to
fast—to abstain from food and water (Exodus
34:28; Esther 4:16)--for 24 hours…(Leviticus
23:32)” (Ambassador
College Bible Correspondence Course – Lesson 23, p.12).
“Fasting for spiritual reasons at any time of the year should be for the
purpose of humbling ourselves—to draw closer to God and His righteous way
(Isaiah 58:6-11). Fasting helps
us remember how temporary our physical existence is. Without food and water, we
would soon perish. Fasting helps us realize just how much we need God as the giver
and sustainer of life” (God's
Holy Day Plan, p. 42).
This day reminds us of the incredible gap between man and God and that we need
Christ to bridge that gap, who was both man and God. Fasting pictures drawing
close to God as we seek to put away those sins that distance us from God. Atonement
drives home that sin is a real offence to God, that God is merciful to pardon
our sins and that we have do something to receive the gift of pardoning - rending
our heart with fasting.
Sin separates us from God so that is why we need an atonement (Isaiah
59:2). The Day of Atonement is a day that reminds us of God's mercy which
is always available upon genuine repentance though we cannot use mercy as an excuse
to break God's law (Hebrews 10:26-31).
The Jews consider the Day of Atonement, which they call Yom Kippur, the holiest
day of the year and of all the Holy Days. This is because Atonement is a solemn
day of national atonement for their sins. They celebrate Passover as a day of
national deliverance from the death angel when Israel was in Egypt rather than
for personal atonement of their sins like true christians do today.
The Jubilee Year began on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus
25:8-17). The Jubilee is a year of freedom - freedom from debts and a
return to one's inheritance - a fresh start. Atonement pictures our freedom from
sin.
“The early Church kept the Day of Atonement. More than 30 years after Christ's
death, Luke still referred to the time and seasons by mentioning this day, stating
that 'sailing was now dangerous because the Fast was already over' (Acts
27:9). Almost all Bible commentaries and dictionaries acknowledge that
'the Fast' refers to the Day of Atonement…
“The Day of Atonement, as a Christian festival, reminds us that the atoning
sacrifice of Christ is not only for individual Christians in this age but for
the forgiveness and reconciliation of all people. This atonement paves the way
for Christ to gather all people - as many as are willing - into God's Kingdom
during Jesus' 1,000-year reign after Satan's banishment” (UCG
Bible Study Course - Lesson 12 – God's Festivals: Keys to Humanity's Future,
p. 11).
FEAST OF TABERNACLES
Leviticus 23:34-35 – “Speak
to the children of Israel, saying: 'The fifteenth day of this seventh month
shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the Lord.
On the first day there shall be a holy convocation. You shall
do no customary work on it.”
Deuteronomy 16:15 - "Seven
days you shall keep a sacred feast to the LORD your God in the place which the
LORD chooses, because the LORD your God will bless you in all your produce and
in all the work of your hands, so that you surely rejoice"
The Feast of Tabernacles pictures the greater harvest of souls that will occur
during the millennium (Isaiah 25:6-8)
when Jesus Christ will bring the Kingdom of God to this earth and rule all nations
and set His hand to save all of mankind with the saints of God – those christians
who overcome in this age (Daniel 7:27).
“The Feast of Tabernacles symbolizes the restoration process, which will
start with the return of Jesus Christ, pictured by the Feast of Trumpets, and
the banishment of Satan, depicted by the Day of Atonement. Once these events have
taken place, as represented by the previous Holy Days, the foundation is in place
for the restoration of the creation to peace and harmony with God.
“The seven-day Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus
23:27, 34) pictures the 1,000-year
reign of Jesus Christ over the earth after His second coming (Revelation
20:4). This period is often called the Millennium, which simply means
'1,000 years'. This Feast also reflects the 'rest' symbolized by the weekly Sabbath
(Hebrews 4:1-11) that celebrates the great
harvest of humanity when all living people will learn God's ways…
“The name of the Feast of Tabernacles derives from God's command to ancient
Israel to build temporary 'tabernacles', sometimes called 'booths', to live in
during the festival. The Israelites left their houses and built temporary dwelling
places (Hebrew succah, meaning 'hut of woven boughs') to live in while rejoicing
before God. These reminded them of their release from slavery and their dwelling
in booths when God brought them out of Egypt (Leviticus
23:34, 41-43). In stark contrast
to the hardship of slavery, this festival emphasizes rest, peace and prosperity
as it meets the needs of all people, including strangers, widows and the poor.
“The Bible emphasizes that, as with booths or temporary dwellings, our physical
life is transitory. The apostle Paul's writings reflect this theme: 'For we know
that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building
of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan,
earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven' (2
Corinthians 5:1-2, KJV). Hebrews 11 recounts
the examples of many of God's faithful servants down through the centuries. It
then concludes that 'these all died in faith, not having received the promises,
but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed
that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth' (verse
13).
“The Feast of Tabernacles is an annual reminder of our temporary state and
that we also 'seek a homeland' (verse
14). This lesson is reinforced when we travel to a site of the Feast of
Tabernacles and stay in temporary dwellings such as hotels and campgrounds. This
festival reminds us that, in spite of our material possessions, we are still mortals
in need of a literal transformation so we may possess eternal life (1
Corinthians 15:50-54)” (God's
Holy Day Plan, p. 44-45, 48).
The Feast of Tabernacles reminds us of the stark contrast between us and God and
our ultimate destiny. Just as Abraham dwelt in tabernacles and looked forward
to the heavenly Jerusalem (Hebrews 11:9),
we look forward to that city and the Kingdom of God. According to Jewish tradition
Abraham kept the Feast of Tabernacles. "And Abraham built Succoth for himself
and his servants in the seventh month and he was the first to celebrate the festival
of Succoth in the Holy Land"(Jubilees 16:26).
“The first time the Bible mentions the Feast of Tabernacles it is called
the Feast of Ingathering (Exodus 23:16).
It was the great autumn harvest festival that people from every corner of Israel
came together to observe. All during the harvest season they set aside animals
and produce for this special week of rejoicing. Everyone enjoyed an abundance
of food, drink and fellowship.
“Jesus Christ will give those same blessings even more abundantly to the
whole world when He returns and establishes His reign on earth. What ancient Israel
could enjoy for one week at the end of the fall harvest merely represented what
He will bring to all mankind when He assumes the role of King of Kings and Lord
of Lords” (UCG
Bible Study Course - Lesson 12 – God's Festivals: Keys to Humanity's Future,
p.12).
In Isaiah 25:6-8 we read: “And
in this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all people a feast of choice
pieces, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of well-refined
wines on the lees. And He will destroy on this mountain the surface of the covering
cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow
up death forever, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces. The rebuke
of His people He will take away from all the earth; for the Lord has spoken.”
Jeremiah 31:34 also speaks of
this time when this great harvest of souls in the millennium will occur: “No
more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, 'Know
the Lord,' for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest
of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will
remember no more.”
Isaiah
11:9 says the following about this time: “They shall not hurt
nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge
of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”
After this world will have been humbled during the Great Tribulation the people
of the world will finally be willing to allow God to help them turn their lives
over to Him. The Spirit of God will influence people to willingly and enthusiastically
obey God from their hearts. “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you
to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them" (Ezekiel
36:26-27).
Not only are christians still obligated to keep the Feast of Tabernacles along
with the rest of God's Holy Days, all nations will keep the Feast of Tabernacles
in the millennium. Even Arab nations such as Egypt will have to keep these so-called
“Jewish” holy days. In Zechariah
14:16-19 we read:
“And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations
which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King,
the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it
shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to
Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain.
If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have
no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the Lord strikes the
nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. This shall be the
punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up
to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.”
The Feast of Tabernacles is a seven day feast which is a type of the seven day
wedding feasts of ancient Israel. There will be great fter the marriage of
Christ and the church when, together, we will help bring joy to the whole world
and many more sons and daughters of God will be brought to glory (Hebrews
2:10).
“These are days of continuous, genuine Christian fellowship and just plain
good fun! Tens of thousands of God's people and their families gather at dozens
of festival sites around the world. Christians at the Feast demonstrate now, by
the way they live together in harmony, what today's sin-filled, unhappy world
will become like after Christ returns.
“But just as the Feast of Tabernacles is a physical feast filled with rejoicing,
it is also a spiritual feast of education and preparation. Members of God's Church
receive instruction from God's ministers through inspiring sermons to help them
further prepare to rule and teach with Christ during the Millennium” (Ambassador
College Bible Correspondence Course – Lesson 23, p.14).
There are two important lessons that God connects to the Feast of Tabernacles.
The first is to learn how to fear God. In Deuteronomy
14:22-23 we read: “You shall truly tithe all the increase of your
grain that the field produces year by year. And you shall eat before the Lord
your God, in the place where He chooses to make His name abide, the tithe of your
grain and your new wine and your oil, of the firstborn of your herds and your
flocks, that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always.”
The nations of the world in the millennium will learn to fear God (Zechariah
14:16-19, Isaiah 2:2-4). Initially
this fear will be primarily motivated by fear of punishment God brings on those
who don't keep His laws but in time this will develop into a true godly fear which
is motivated out of love.
True godly fear is a proper sense of awe and deep respect where one fears to
displease God because of the great love that they have for Him. Through the
sermons that are given throughout the Feast we learn more about how to have this
proper fear and respect for God. Our example at the feast, which doesn't go unnoticed
by people in the communities where the feast is held, also gives us a chance to
show the proper fear of God in action by the way that we live our lives.
The other important lesson connected to the Feast of Tabernacles is to learn to
rejoice. Life can be tough at times but during the Feast God commands us to make
a conscious effort to be joyful and rejoice. In Deuteronomy
14:26 we read: “And you shall spend that money for whatever your
heart desires: for oxen or sheep, for wine or similar drink, for whatever your
heart desires; you shall eat there before the Lord your God, and you shall
rejoice, you and your household.”
Regardless of how tough life is at times
we have so much to be thankful for – we have this great calling to be among
the firstfruits. We have the knowledge of God's wonderful way of life and God's
great plan to save all mankind. We also know that there is a far better world
coming when Christ returns. God wants us to put our worries aside during the Feast
and be thankful and rejoice in these wonderful blessings and share that joy with
as many people as we can.
Ever since Christ tabernacled with Israel (1
Corinthians 10:4) and tabernacled with mankind (John
1:14) when He became flesh He has always desired to return. The Father
can hardly wait until He can tabernacle and live with man for all time (Revelation
21, 22) when the heavenly Jerusalem will
come to earth.
The Father has remained separate from mankind for all this time. We read in 2
Peter 3:10 that sometime in the future that the earth will be cleansed
by fire. The great meaning behind this is to teach mankind that God cannot live
with sin and that it is utterly repugnant to Him. Living in tabernacles is also
a type of being under God's protection in time of trouble and eventually living
in God's house (John 14:1-3).
“Eventually thousands of millions will be spiritually converted! The great
'autumn harvest' of humans will be gathered into the Kingdom of God—born
again as divine members of the ruling Family of God during the Millennium. By
the end of the thousand years, the great Family of God will be ready for the final
step in God's Master Plan. Even greater nd accomplishments lie ahead after
the Millennium!” (Ambassador
College Bible Correspondence Course – Lesson 23, p.14).
LAST GREAT DAY
Leviticus 23:39 – “Also
on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruit
of the land, you shall keep the feast of the Lord for seven days; on
the first day there shall be a sabbath-rest, and
on the eighth day a sabbath-rest.
The Last Great Day pictures the Great White Throne Judgment period which
we read of in Ezekiel 37 and Revelation
20 when all the dead who haven't been saved up to Christ's coming will be
resurrected and be given their first real chance at salvation.
“As Christ's 1,000-year reign on earth (Revelation
20:4) is followed by other prophesied events, the Feast of Tabernacles
is also followed by a concluding festival that represents the conclusion of
those final events - the final aspects of God's purpose and plan for humanity
on our physical earth. The book of Revelation reveals that all people who have
ever died without hearing of Christ or learning God's way of life are to be
resurrected and given their opportunity to receive eternal life. This brings
us to the concluding aspects of God's plan” (UCG
Bible Study Course - Lesson 12 – God's Festivals: Keys to Humanity's Future,
p. 14).
“Paul tells us that God 'desires all men to be saved and to come to the
knowledge of the truth' (1 Timothy 2:4).
Peter adds that God is 'not willing that any should perish but that all
should come to repentance' (2 Peter 3:9).
This is God's overriding goal in dealing with mankind: He desires as many as
possible to repent, come to the knowledge of the truth and receive His gift
of salvation!
“Jesus explained how this will come about on the last day, called 'that
great day of the feast.' He appeared publicly and stood in the midst of the
people. 'If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in
Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water'
(John 7:37-38). Jesus apparently
spoke these words on the 'eighth day', described in the last part of Leviticus
23:39. This day immediately follows the Feast of Tabernacles but is
a separate festival with its own distinct meaning.
“In Christ's time, according to tradition, during the Feast of Tabernacles
the priests would bring golden vessels of water from the stream of Siloam that
had flowed from the temple hill and pour it over the altar. Joyous celebration
along with the sounding of trumpets marked this ceremony as the people sang
the words of Isaiah: '...With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation'
(Isaiah 12:3).
“Jesus stood where all could hear Him and drew a lesson from the water,
revealing that all who wore thirsty could come to Him and be refreshed forever.
In Christ's analogy, the water represented God's Holy Spirit, which those who
believed in Jesus would receive (John
7:39). He showed that the basic wants of spiritual thirst and hunger
could he satisfied only by Him as 'the bread of life' and the source of living
water.
“In Revelation 20:5 John
writes that 'the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years
were finished.' Here John makes a clear distinction between the first resurrection,
which occurs at Christ's second coming (verses
4, 6), and the second resurrection,
which takes place at the end of Christ's millennial reign. Remember that the
first resurrection is to eternal life. By contrast, God raises those in the
second resurrection to a physical, flesh-and-blood existence…
“The dead who stand before their Creator are all those who died never knowing
the true God. Like Ezekiel's vision of dry bones coming back to life, these
people emerge from their graves and begin to know their God. The books (biblia
in Greek, from which we get the word Bible) are the Scriptures, the only source
of the knowledge of eternal life. Finally all will have an opportunity to fully
understand God's plan of salvation.
“This physical resurrection is not a second chance for salvation. For these
people it is a first opportunity to really know the Creator. The resurrected
are 'judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the
books' (verse 12). This judgment
will involve a period during which they will enjoy the opportunity to hear,
understand and grow in God's way of life, having their names inscribed in the
book of life (verse 15). During
this time thousands of millions of people will gain access to eternal life…
“God will see His plan through and bring many sons to glory (Hebrews
2:10). God's promise to 'pour out My Spirit on all flesh' (Joel
2:28) will find its fullest manifestation. The thirst-quenching waters
of the Holy Spirit will be available to all in the time depicted by 'that great
day of the feast.' What a marvellous plan these biblical festivals portray.
How great would be our lack of understanding without them!” (God's
Holy Day Plan, p. 52-57).
There is an interesting parallel between the first 3 and the last 3 feasts.
Passover and Atonement both focus on the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ and
coming as close to God as possible. We usually fast and examine ourselves before
Passover so we can take it worthily just as we fast on the Day of Atonement.
There are often multiple layers
of understanding in many of the things that God has given us. Along with those
primary meanings for those Holy Days there are some interesting parallels between
the first three festivals and end-time events.
For the ancient Israelites Passover
pictured when God passed over their houses and they were saved from the plagues
of Egypt, having being "sealed" by the blood on the lintel and doorposts of
their homes.
End-time Israel will also be in
captivity during the Great Tribulation (Jeremiah
30:1-8). Those Israelites who repent in that captivity will be sealed
at the seventh trumpet (Revelation 7) so
they will be spared from the plagues that will come upon their captors, the
beast power based in Europe (Revelation
16:10).
The Feast of Unleavened Bread was
celebrated as the time when Israel came out of captivity when they were led
out of Egypt. End-time Israel will also be freed from captivity by the beast
power and there will be an Exodus greater than the original exodus of Moses'
day (Jeremiah 23:7-8).
Pentecost was celebrated as the
time when Israel received the law at Mt Sinai. After Christ's return to earth
God's spirit will finally be poured out on all flesh which Peter spoke about
on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:14-21).
The law will then go out from Zion to the whole world through Israel which will
fulfill its destiny as a model nation to the rest of the world (Isaiah
2:1-4).
The two seven-day festivals of Unleavened Bread and Tabernacles both picture
our life of tabernacling in this world and focus our attention on the gap between
us and God and what we have to do to bridge that gap with God's help –
to put sin out of our lives and learn to fear God always.
Finally Pentecost and the Last Great Day picture the two great harvests of souls
- the church now and then the rest of the world when God's spirit is poured
out to all mankind (Acts 2:17).
God's Holy Days also picture freedom –:
Freedom from death – Passover
Freedom from sin – Unleavened Bread
Freedom to live within the law – Pentecost
Freedom from death – Trumpets
Freedom from Satan's influence – Atonement
Freedom from the unrighteous rulers of the world - Tabernacles
“By keeping His festivals we remain focused on what is important in our
view of the future and our role in it. Each time we keep them we deepen our
understanding of prophecies throughout the Bible that fill in the details of
God's wonderful plan” (UCG
Bible Study Course - Lesson 12 – God's Festivals: Keys to Humanity's Future,
p. 15).