Holy Days:
Passover
Last month, we learned that God reveals His plan of salvation for mankind in His commanded holy days. The first step in that plan is shown in the observance of the Passover. The world around us is filled with sin and evil of every kind, and it has been that way since Adam and Eve disobeyed God's command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. For God to fulfill His plan of reproducing Himself, He had to provide a way to redeem man from his sinful condition and implement a means of forgiveness.
God is holy and will not tolerate sin in any form, even in human beings. Because He will not allow sinful people into His Kingdom, humans must be "justified." By this, God forgives a person's sins, brings him into a right relationship with Himself and imputes Christ's righteousness to him. Only after being forgiven can people take the additional steps of character development and overcoming to qualify to enter the Kingdom of God. Our annual keeping of the Passover reminds us of this initial step in fulfilling the plan of God.
1. When God called the children of Israel out of Egypt, did He have to show them when the year began? Exodus 12:1-2.
Comment: During their long sojourn in Egypt, the Israelites lost track of time—they even forgot which day was the Sabbath! God had to show Israel when His year began so that they could begin observing His holy days. Israel's calling out of Egypt symbolizes God calling us out of this evil world.
2. Is Passover one of God's festivals? Leviticus 23:4-5.
Comment: Passover is a feast of the LORD , not a feast of Israel or the Jews! He instituted it and commands us to keep it.
3. How was Israel to observe the Passover? Exodus 12:3-11.
Comment: God told each Israelite family to choose an unblemished lamb on the 10th day of the month Abib. On the 14th day at twilight (just after sundown as the 14th began), they killed the lamb, putting its blood on the doorpost and lintel of their homes. Then they roasted and ate the lamb.
4. Why did they put the blood on their doorposts and lintels? Exodus 12:12-13.
Comment: The blood was a sign to the death angel to "pass over" their homes when it went through Egypt. Because of it, Israel's firstborn were saved, while Egypt's firstborn died.
5. What did killing the lamb and putting its blood around the door represent? Isaiah 53:7; John 1:29; Acts 8:32; Revelation 7:14; I Peter 1:18-19.
Comment: These yearly rituals represented the death of Jesus Christ, who was God in the flesh. The innocent lamb had to be without blemish because it represented the only Man who ever lived a perfect, sinless life. Jesus Christ was the Lamb of God who gave His life and shed His blood so that we may be saved from eternal death by paying the penalty for our sins. Through faith in His sacrifice, we receive forgiveness of sin and come into a right relationship with God. Because His life was worth more than all human life combined, His sacrifice paid the price for all sin. He redeemed us from the penalty that the breaking of God's law imposes and freed us to live righteously.
6. Was Jesus crucified on Passover? John 18:39; 19:13-18.
Comment: Our Savior was crucified in the early afternoon of the day of the Passover. This further confirms He was the One who was to give His life as a ransom for many. Even to the very day, He completely fulfilled the symbolism of the lamb.
7. Did Jesus observe the Passover during His life on earth? Luke 2:40-42; John 2:13, 23.
Comment: Jesus kept the Passover as a man because God had commanded it as a festival. In this, He set us a perfect example, showing us that we should observe this festival too.
8. Are New Testament Christians commanded to keep the Passover? I Corinthians 5:7-8.
Comment: The apostle Paul instructed the Corinthian Christians to observe the Passover as a memorial of the death of Christ, our Passover, who was sacrificed for us.
9. What did Jesus teach is the first step in observing the New Testament Passover? John 13:1-5, 14-15.
Comment: While His disciples ate the Passover meal, Jesus arose and washed the disciples' feet. Considered a very lowly responsibility in that culture, footwashing was performed by servants when visitors entered a house. By performing this act of humility, Jesus showed us how we should serve each other. He commands Christians everywhere and throughout all ages to follow His example.
10. What else did Jesus teach His disciples to do in observing the Passover? Matthew 26:26-29; Luke 22:19-20.
Comment: Jesus told His disciples to partake of unleavened bread and wine during the New Testament Passover service. Through this command, He charged His followers to observe it as a memorial of His death for all time. Since Christ's death completely fulfilled the symbolism of killing a lamb, we no longer need to slaughter a lamb in keeping the Passover.
11. Must all converted Christians observe the New Testament Passover every year? John 6:48, 51-54.
Comment: Unless we eat His flesh (represented by the unleavened bread) and drink His blood (symbolized by the wine), we have no life in us and will not inherit eternal life! How vital it is for us to keep the Passover every year!
12. Did the New Testament church of God continue to keep the Passover yearly? Acts 12:4.
Comment: Some translations grossly mistranslate the Greek word pascha as "Easter." It always means "Passover."
13. Did the apostles teach the Gentiles to observe the Passover? I Corinthians 11:23-26.
Comment: The apostle Paul carefully taught the Gentile Corinthians to keep the Passover using the symbols of bread and wine that Jesus had instituted. These scriptures teach us to keep the Passover "till He comes," and the true church of God will still be observing the Passover as He commanded. All those who have accepted His redemption eagerly anticipate His return to share the eternal life He makes possible by His sacrifice!
Holy Days:
Unleavened Bread
Passover pictures the first major step in God's plan of salvation, justification through the forgiveness of sin by faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The Days of Unleavened Bread explain and memorialize the second major step in salvation, sanctification. When God sanctifies us, He separates us for holy use. After cleansing us at Passover, He sets us apart and considers us to be holy. The problem is, though, that our human nature remains intact and resists holiness.
When the Israelites passed through the Red Sea, a type of baptism, they were symbolically washed and sanctified as a holy people to God. However, they began to murmur and rebel almost immediately. Why? Because they still had their slave mentality; they were not yet accustomed to providing for themselves. They were frightened and intimidated, and they voiced their desire to return to their bondage in Egypt.
We also find it very easy to return to old, sinful habits and erroneous ways of thinking. God commands us to keep the Days of Unleavened Bread yearly to remind us to continue to fight free of the bondage to Satan's world and our own carnal nature so that we can truly escape slavery with a high hand!
1. After such a solemn observance as Passover, how does the Night To Be Much Observed fit in with the Days of Unleavened Bread? Exodus 12:42; 14:8; Numbers 33:3.
Comment: Israel, a nation of slaves, began to glimpse the possibility of freedom through Moses. Their anticipation roller-coasted from high expectation to dread after each plague. How their emotions must have soared when they walked away from the brickyards with their firstborn alive, laughing and playing! They left Egypt with a high hand or as we might say "on a real high"! The Night To Be Much Observed memorializes our own freedom from spiritual bondage. We left spiritual Egypt, the world, behind, and in great hope and zeal, began our trek toward God's Kingdom.
2. Why did God tell the Israelites to eat unleavened bread and put leaven out of their homes? Exodus 12:19-20, 39.
Comment: The Exodus involved a great deal of urgency and haste. With Egypt virtually destroyed, the Egyptians urged the Israelites to leave lest further devastation occur. However, God knew Egypt would not long tolerate the loss of her slaves or delay in seeking vengeance. The window of opportunity for escape would quickly close! They did not even have time to let their bread rise! Biblically, leaven represents sin. Once we are converted, we must diligently endeavor to rid ourselves of sin and live God's pure way of life (I Corinthians 5:8). Like the Israelites, we must flee from sin, lest it pursue and destroy us (Matthew 12:43-45).
3. How does leavening demonstrate the effect of sin in our lives? I Corinthians 5:6; James 2:10-11.
Comment: Just as a little leaven in bread quickly spreads completely through the dough, one "little" sin affects our whole being. As James points out, if we break one commandment, we are guilty of breaking the whole law. One sin begets another unless the chain is broken through repentance.
4. How does sin puff us up? I Corinthians 5:2, 6-8.
Comment: The Corinthian congregation had serious problems with sexual sins, but instead of feeling terrible, people were "glorying" in it. They did not comprehend the slavery imposed by profligate lifestyles: broken marriages, ruined health and alienation from God and man. They did not realize true liberty is in keeping the law.
5. Does leaven represent false doctrine as well? Matthew 16:6-12; I Corinthians 5:8.
Comment: Jesus points out the error of the Pharisees' doctrines, and Paul advises the Corinthians to partake of the bread of sincerity and truth. False doctrine causes us to think more highly of ourselves than we ought. True doctrine promotes sincerity, humility and obedience to the Sovereign of the Universe, the overall lesson of this festival.
6. Why do we now keep these days? What is their spiritual significance? Exodus 13:8-9; I Corinthians 5:1-13.
Comment: These days are a memorial to God's law and to His powerful deliverance from Egypt and bondage. Paul explains this significance to the Corinthians and the urgency attached to cease sinning. He says we should not even keep company with a brother involved in flagrant sin! Also, by ridding our homes of sin, we realize that overcoming sin is hard work!
7. Why are there seven days of Unleavened Bread but only one day of Passover, Pentecost, Trumpets and Atonement? Exodus 12:19; Hebrews 12:1; I Corinthians 9:27; 10:12-13; Romans 7:14-25.
Comment: God knows that we tend to change slowly. He gives us seven days each year to concentrate on our duty to rid our lives of sin. Those acts that are God's responsibility—the sacrifice of one for all sin, the sending of His Spirit, the resurrection of the dead or the binding of Satan—He can accomplish in one day. The part that involves mankind's participation—overcoming sin—requires more time and attention. The Days of Unleavened Bread represent a period of judgment when man is required to overcome. To us, overcoming a deep-seated sin can seem to take an eternity! The obvious lesson is that we must draw much nearer to the Source of the power to overcome!
8. This world's Christianity has perverted Passover into Easter and completely dismissed the Days of Unleavened Bread. What have they lost by avoiding these days? Revelation 3:12; 22:14-15; Hebrews 6:4-6; 12:14-17.
Comment: It has lost a vital step in salvation: SANCTIFICATION! God sets us aside for a lifetime of overcoming sin so that we might enter His Kingdom. By their "once saved, always saved" doctrine, worldly Christians deny the whole process of putting sin out of their lives. They believe that once they "accept Christ," their salvation is secure—they cannot lose it no matter what lifestyle they choose to live. This directly contradicts God's holy Word in Hebrews 6 and 12! God has chosen to reveal this festival to us so that we will overcome, pursue holiness and secure eternal life in His Kingdom.
Holy Days:
Pentecost
As we study the meaning of God's holy days, a logical pattern surfaces that unlocks truths that remain a mystery to the vast majority of the world's people. The day of Pentecost symbolizes a major key to spiritual understanding because upon this day God sent His Holy Spirit to His church, providing Christ's disciples with the power, love and understanding to carry out the work of the church. This begettal by the Holy Spirit, the key to understanding the spiritual principles of God's Word, opens our understanding of the plan that God is working out among humanity.
God established His holy days around the two major harvests of the year, a small one in the spring and a larger one in the fall. These harvest seasons typify two spiritual harvests. Pentecost, occurring in late spring, symbolizes the first spiritual harvest and reveals that this is not the only day of salvation. Those whom God calls now are merely a "pilot group" that He has specifically selected to be His "firstfruits." This day is also the anniversary of God's church—the beginning of the portion of God's master plan in which He calls people out of this evil world to create in them His holy, perfect, spiritual character.
1. During what three periods of the year did God command Israel to appear before Him? Exodus 23:14-16.
Comment: The "three times" are three general periods during which God's holy days fall. Passover and Unleavened Bread occur in early spring, the "Feast of Harvest" in late spring and the "Feast of Ingathering" in the fall.
2. How did the spring harvest begin? Leviticus 23:10-11, 14.
Comment: Before the Israelites could reap the spring crop, God commanded them to bring a sheaf of grain to the priest, who waved it before God for acceptance. This "wavesheaf offering" occurred on "the day after the Sabbath" that falls during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
3. How do we determine when to observe Pentecost, also called "the Feast of Weeks"? Leviticus 23:15-16, 21.
Comment: This late spring holy day must be counted. God instructs us to count 50 days from the day that the wavesheaf was offered. This explains why this day is commonly called Pentecost, which means "count fifty." The Sabbath (verse 15), the day after which we start to count, is not an annual holy day, but the weekly Sabbath that falls during Unleavened Bread. We know this because Pentecost must be counted every year. If this Sabbath were an annual Sabbath, Pentecost would always fall on a fixed date. It always falls on the same day of the week—the first day, Sunday—because one begins to count on a Sunday.
4. What special offering did God command to be offered on Pentecost in the Old Testament? Leviticus 23:17.
Comment: God commanded that two loaves of bread be offered as firstfruits to God. These two loaves represent the Old and New Testament churches.
5. Are the members of God's church regarded as firstfruits? James 1:18; Revelation 14:4.
Comment: Pentecost, the Feast of Firstfruits, represents the first part of God's spiritual harvest. God is now calling a small number of people, the firstfruits, into His church. These people, who live in the world but are not part of it (John 17:15-16), are training to be the leaders in the World Tomorrow when God will work to save the whole world.
6. Is the end time a spiritual harvest? Matthew 13:24-30, 37-43.
Comment: "End of the age" (verse 39) refers to the time of Christ's second coming and the resurrection of the dead when God will reap the firstfruits of His harvest! The fifty days between the wavesheaf offering and Pentecost symbolize the time from the founding of the church to the end of the age when the small harvest of the firstfruits occurs.
7. What did the wavesheaf offering symbolize? I Corinthians 15:20-23.
Comment: Jesus Christ, the first of the firstfruits, willingly gave His life so others may receive forgiveness of sin. He was a holy, sinless sacrifice, and three days later, He was the first person resurrected to eternal life! In this, He fulfilled the symbolism of the wavesheaf offering.
8. Did Jesus have to be accepted just as the wavesheaf offering was? John 20:17.
Comment: Jesus was crucified on the day of the Passover in AD 31, which fell that year on a Wednesday. God resurrected Him at the end of the weekly Sabbath (Saturday). He appeared to Mary Magdalene the next morning, the day after the weekly Sabbath during Unleavened Bread, when the priests presented the wavesheaf offering. He did not permit her to touch Him because He had not yet ascended to the Father. Just as the High Priest had to wave the sheaf of grain before the spring harvest began, so our Savior had to ascend to the Father that day to be accepted before Him. Once this happened, He allowed His disciples to touch Him (cf. Matthew 28:9; John 20:20-28).
9. Did Christ's disciples observe Pentecost? Acts 2:1.
Comment: This was the Day of Pentecost exactly fifty days after Christ ascended to heaven to be accepted by the Father on the day the sheaf of grain was waved.
10. What happened then to fulfill a promise that Jesus had made to His disciples? Acts 2:2-4; John 14:16, 26.
11. Was the Holy Spirit to be IN the disciples as contrasted to dwelling WITH them? John 14:17.
Comment: During Jesus' life on earth, the Holy Spirit was with the disciples. After the Holy Spirit came on Pentecost, the Spirit was within them as it had been in Christ. At this time, the disciples were begotten by the Holy Spirit, marking the beginning of the church of God.
12. Did the early church continue to keep Pentecost after the Holy Spirit came? Acts 20:16; I Corinthians 16:8.
Comment: About 25 years after Christ's ascension into heaven, Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, hurried to be in Jerusalem in time for Pentecost! Just as the early church kept Pentecost every year, so the true church of God continues to keep it today as a continual reminder of our part in God's great master plan of salvation!
Holy Days:
Trumpets
Normally, church members approach Passover and Unleavened Bread very somberly. The enormity of what our Father and His Son risked for us is sobering, especially as we examine ourselves in comparison to the perfection of Jesus Christ! At Pentecost, the mood lightens as we contemplate the coming of God's Holy Spirit as a comforter and guide during our journey toward the Kingdom of God. It is a thrill to realize that God has chosen us to be part of the first harvest of His creation!
This exuberant mood stays with us as we approach the Feast of Trumpets. We tend to focus on the return of Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords and on our resurrection to glory as this festival depicts. What a joyous day that will be! Though Trumpets does ultimately focus on these events, we should consider other sobering—even terrifying—meanings as we near the Feast of Trumpets, for it also depicts a terrible time of judgment upon the people of this world!
1. Why do we call this holy day "the Feast of Trumpets"? Leviticus 23:23-25.
Comment: God commands us to keep this holy day each year so we will remember something about the "blowing of trumpets."
2. What do trumpets symbolize in Scripture? Isaiah 58:1; Jeremiah 4:5; 6:1; Ezekiel 33:3; Joel 2:1, 15; Amos 3:6.
Comment: Trumpets symbolize a loud, warning cry of impending danger! These verses from the prophets impart a dire warning to those living in the end time: The day of the Lord is at hand, a day of darkness, gloominess and clouds over man's society! The prophets strongly admonish the ministry to raise their voices as trumpets to warn of sudden, terrifying destruction!
3. Are these warnings just for the world, or are they for God's people too? Same verses.
Comment: Though originally intended for Israel, these warnings apply specifically to the called-out children of God since we are the ones living in the end time with the understanding of God's plan! In fact, we have the most to lose by ignoring these stern prophecies of death and destruction. They are admonishments to prepare ourselves SPIRITUALLY for the tumult ahead. Notice that these verses stress repentance, fasting and prayer, and who but God's elect truly understand them?
4. How do these warnings apply to the Feast of Trumpets? Revelation 8-9; 11:15-19.
Comment: The seventh seal, which includes the seven trumpets, announces the Day of the Lord and the return of Jesus Christ! I Corinthians 15:52 says that the resurrection will occur "at the last trumpet," and in I Thessalonians 4:16 Paul writes that Christ "will descend from heaven with a shout, . . . with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first." These proofs lead unmistakably to the conclusion that the Feast of Trumpets represents this step in the plan of God.
5. Why must God pour out His wrath on humanity? I Corinthians 13:9-13.
Comment: We do not know all the reasons why such destruction and death must occur, but we do know that God will do it in love. It may be that He sends these plagues in just retribution for their sin, or He may be saving their character from permanent rebellion against Him. He desires all to repent and attain His Kingdom (II Peter 3:9), so He will do whatever is necessary to bring that to pass!
6. Does God's church have a responsibility in preparing for Christ's return? II Peter 3:10-18; Revelation 19:7-9.
Comment: It is one thing to celebrate a joyous meeting with Christ—it is quite another to ensure that we are a fitting bride for Him! The church must do its part in cooperating with God to prepare us as holy, righteous, godly saints who are worthy to marry His Son.
7. Revelation 10:7 says that when the seventh angel "is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished." What is this mystery? I Corinthians 15:50-58.
Comment: The great mystery is that we can and will become immortal and incorruptible spirit beings at Christ's return! This is the part of the Feast of Trumpets that we rejoice in—for good reason—for vision of what WE WILL BE is a great motivator! I John 3:2 says we will be just like the returning Christ, who is very God, "the firstborn among many brethren" (Romans 8:29; see Philippians 3:20-21; Colossians 1:18)!
8. Is God's plan finished when Christ returns? I Corinthians 15:23-28; Revelation 20.
Comment: The resurrection at Christ's second coming is only the beginning of God's reign on the earth! In the proper time and order, all who have lived will be given an opportunity to repent and enter God's glorious Kingdom as sons of God. These events are more fully contemplated in the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day.
9. Will Jesus return on the Feast of Trumpets?
Comment: The church of God has supposed this to be true for many years—and the biblical material seems to support His second coming ON that day some time soon. However, no verse specifically, unequivocally states this. The Feast of Trumpets pictures His return, but we cannot blindly assume that He will in fact come on that day. The odds are no worse than 1 in 365, however!
Because we know that He will return soon, we can be prepared for it! If we learn to love each other fervently—which is the basis of His judgment of us (Matthew 25:31-46)—we will qualify to help perfect others. We will be prepared to help others as they recover from the terrible times of the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord. We will be trained to teach and guide others as they strive to enter God's Kingdom.
For us, BEING READY is much more important than WHEN Christ returns. As the prophets advised, we need to be busy repenting, overcoming, praying and fasting as Christ's return approaches!
Holy Days:
Atonement
In our continuing study on the holy days, we have seen the plan of God broaden from our personal redemption and removal of sin in Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread to the founding of the church and giving of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. Trumpets pictures the return of Christ, the changing of the saints into immortal spirit beings and God's judgment on all mankind. But one more hurdle must be overcome before salvation can be made available to everyone. God must remove the archenemy, Satan the Devil, to produce unity between Him and humanity.
The Day of Atonement depicts the accomplishment of this step in God's purpose. Though this prodigious feat deserves our joyous praise and thanksgiving to God, Atonement is the most solemn of the seven festivals. On this day, Christians fast—afflict their souls—to show that only when man sees himself in proper comparison to God will he have the right attitude to be truly at one with Him. When Satan is bound and men live humbly before God, then God's Word and Spirit will work wonders among the people of the world!
1. Is Atonement a commanded feast of God? Leviticus 23:26-32.
Comment: God emphasizes this day's solemnity by threatening death to those who fail to afflict their souls or who do any work on this day. Nothing is more important than being at one with Him!
2. What is it to "afflict your souls"? Isaiah 58:3.
Comment: Fasting puts us in a proper attitude to submit to God. When we deprive ourselves of the necessities of life, we see how dependent we are upon God's providence. This is why in a true, spiritual fast we neither eat nor drink anything for the whole 24 hours of the day (Deuteronomy 9:18; Esther 4:16). God desires such a humble spirit in us so that we can walk in harmony with Him (Micah 6:8; Isaiah 66:2).
3. What are we trying to accomplish when we fast? Isaiah 58:3-12.
Comment: The members of Isaiah's audience were fasting for all the wrong reasons! They fasted to get things from God and hypocritically appear righteous. God says, though, that we should fast to free others from their sins, to intercede with God for their healing, to help provide for their needs and to understand His will. Fasting is a tool of godly love we are to use for the good of others, and any benefits we derive from it are wonderful blessings! On the Day of Atonement, we fast to implore God to bring to pass the greatest blessing of all upon ourselves and the world: unity, oneness, with Him!
4. Did the early church keep this Fast? Acts 27:9.
Comment: Luke, writing this over 30 years after Christ's death, makes it very clear that the early church observed this holy day.
5. What unusual ritual did the Aaronic high priest perform on the Day of Atonement? Leviticus 16.
Comment: This lengthy, involved ritual depicts all of the steps that must be accomplished before mankind can truly be at one with God. In short, the following must occur:
u A high priest must be pure and sinless to mediate between God and man (verse 4). Christ, having lived a sinless life, is our eternal High Priest.
u The high priest must enter God's presence with blood to open the way between God and man (verses 3, 14-16). Christ, by His own sacrifice, gains us entrance before God's throne, having rent the veil (Matthew 27:51).
u The sins of men must be covered by the offering of an innocent victim (verses 9, 15). Christ's blood covers our sins, and God grants us forgiveness.
u The cause of man's sins must be removed (verses 10, 20-22). After Christ returns, Satan—the being who first sinned and has been broadcasting his sinful, rebellious nature to all mankind—will be imprisoned so he cannot deceive men.
6. How long will Satan be bound? Revelation 20:1-3.
Comment: Mankind will have a thousand years of freedom from the Devil's attitudes of pride, rebellion, vanity and strife! What a peaceful, blessed time the Millennium will be!
7. What will be the result of Satan's removal? Acts 3:19-21.
Comment: Once the Deceiver is neutralized, refreshing and restitution can begin! Christ and the saints will immediately work to restore the earth to its beauty and productivity (Isaiah 35). God's perfect government and laws will be reinstituted, bringing peace and prosperity to all who submit to them (Isaiah 2:1-4). In a spirit of harmony, everyone will pitch in to rebuild the waste places and ruins caused by man's and Satan's sins (Isaiah 58:12; 61:4; Amos 9:14). This is the wonderful World Tomorrow that all of God's people have looked toward since the Garden of Eden! All that is good—very good (Genesis 1:31)—will be restored!
Holy Days:
Feast of Tabernacles
In these studies on the holy days, we have seen God's plan unfolding. The process of salvation, revealed in the spring festivals, culminates in the Feast of Trumpets, picturing Christ returning to earth in power to crush Satan's end-time attempt to subjugate the world. Saints from all ages will be resurrected, or if alive, changed to immortality. For the first time in history, man will be totally at one with his Creator! Satan will then be bound for a thousand years, and his evil, destructive influence will be totally cut off.
The Feast of Tabernacles pictures the ensuing Millennium when the whole earth will rest. In Hebrews 4, the writer discusses the Sabbath as a day of rest. He uses Israel entering the Promised Land as a type of our entering into rest when Christ returns. If the week typifies the length of God's plan, we are now living on "Friday," the sixth day, as almost 6,000 years—a thousand years as a day—have elapsed since Adam's creation. Christians should be busy preparing for Christ's return and His coming Sabbath rest.
1. What will life be like in the World Tomorrow? Isaiah 11:5-16; 29:18; 35:1-10.
Comment: Man is proud of his powerful computers, satellites, modern scientific labs and medical discoveries. In spite of this, he fights with nature and other men. Crime, drug abuse, sexual perversions and all sorts of other evils escalate. The deaf and blind go unhealed. Man pollutes his air, water and soil because he does not know how to manage a civilization. With all his technological advances, man cannot get along with his neighbor.
The earth being "full of the knowledge of the LORD" means far more than "everyone will go to the right church"! God's knowledge is vast; He knows how to make a civilization work—even a high-tech one! In the Millennium, man will be at peace. Nations, neighbors and even spouses will not fight. Cancer, diabetes, heart disease, blindness and deafness will be eradicated. Eyeglasses and braces will be found only in museums. The deserts will produce bountiful harvests. The animal kingdom will peacefully co-exist with humanity. All this will be the result of an unprecedented explosion of knowledge in how to do things right!
2. What will be the Millennial job of those who are glorified at Christ's return? Revelation 5:10; 20:4, 6; Isaiah 30:20-21.
Comment: As King of kings, Christ will appoint His faithful followers as kings and priests over the earth. They will have abilities as God has today. If a person considers an action that would hurt himself or someone else, the glorified children of God will teach them to choose a better course. At that time, people "shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain" (Isaiah 11:9).
3. Over whom will the saints rule? Isaiah 11:11-16; 66:14-21; Zechariah 14:9-19.
Comment: After Jesus Christ returns, the survivors of all the nations will be gathered, and He will appoint the resurrected saints to rule over them. If they initially rebel against His rule, He will cut off all rain until they submit and keep the Feast of Tabernacles.
4. How will their keeping of the Feast of Tabernacles show submission to God? Zechariah 14:16-19.
Comment: During the Millennium, people will be required to go to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles to worship the King, Jesus Christ. The Feast will be their primary reminder of where they are in God's plan and when they must secure their salvation. If they fail to keep it, they will reveal their refusal to accept Christ as sovereign and to cooperate with Him in His purpose.
5. What occurs at the end of the Millennium? Revelation 20:7-10.
Comment: God will release Satan for a short time when the thousand years end. The people, familiar with Christ and His kings and priests, will have lived in unprecedented peace, happiness and prosperity. They will have learned and lived God's way from birth. Surely, Satan could have no influence on them!
Almost instantly, however, he will raise an army of people "as the sand of the sea" out of "the four corners of the earth"! His arguments will persuade them that they should and can destroy Christ and his throne in Jerusalem. God, however, will annihilate them all in a blinding flash of fire from heaven and cast the Devil into the Lake of Fire, never to be freed again!
6. What can we learn from this? I Peter 5:8-11; Revelation 12:7-12.
Comment: This rebellion at the end of the Millennium is often overlooked in the joy of considering Christ's wonderful rule. Satan's influence is so powerful he can influence millions of people to follow him seemingly overnight. Having drawn away a third of the angels from God (Revelation 12:4; Isaiah 14:12-14) and overcome Adam and Eve, he has wielded almost total control over man.
His present power will be greatly magnified very shortly when he is cast down to earth to begin the Great Tribulation. He would deceive the very elect if it were possible (Matthew 24:24). It is no wonder Peter instructs us to be sober, to be vigilant, to resist Satan in faith that Christ might establish us in the end
Holy Days:
Last Great Day
This study concludes the series on God's annual holy days. We have seen that Passover, the first festival, memorializes Jesus' sacrifice for man. The Days of Unleavened Bread instruct Christ's disciples in holy conduct. Pentecost pictures God's Holy Spirit given to His church. The Feast of Trumpets warns mankind of impending war and the return of Jesus Christ. Atonement depicts Satan being restrained and man finally becoming one with God. The Feast of Tabernacles pictures Christ's thousand-year reign of unprecedented peace and prosperity.
The final festival is the Last Great Day. It looks forward to a time after the Millennium when an awesomely wonderful period of salvation will take place. During this time the majority of mankind—rich and poor, young and old, men and women—will be resurrected and have an opportunity to inherit eternal life. Billions will qualify to enter the God Family! On the other hand, those who will not repent, who will not submit to God and His way, will be cast into the Lake of Fire and die the second—eternal—death. What a fair and merciful God we have!
1. Why is this festival called "the eighth day" and "the last day, that great day of the feast"? Leviticus 23:34-36, 39; Numbers 29:35; John 7:37.
Comment: This seventh holy day is observed immediately following the Feast of Tabernacles. Biblically, seven symbolizes perfection. It is also the eighth day of the Feast, and the Hebrew word for "eight" is related to another meaning "fatness," implying abundance, fertility—even resurrection and regeneration. According to Jewish tradition, on the Last Great Day, they finished reading what they started when Tabernacles began. Though intimately connected to the Feast of Tabernacles, it holds a distinct meaning of its own. It is part of it, yet separate.
The offerings required on this day in the Old Testament were the largest of all, typifying Israel's thankfulness to God for all He provided. Today, God's people keep this day with praise and thankfulness—spiritual sacrifices (Hebrews 13:15)—for His abundant spiritual gifts.
2. What does the Last Great Day foreshadow? Isaiah 65:20-25; Revelation 20:11-15.
Comment: This holy day represents the Great White Throne Judgment period. The prevalent conditions of the Millennium—God's government, peace, prosperity, etc.—will continue into this time, just as the Last Great Day follows the Feast of Tabernacles. From Isaiah 65:20, some speculate that this judgment will last a hundred years, the life span of a healthy individual.
3. What resurrections will occur during this period? Revelation 20:4-6, 11-15.
Comment: The first part of verse 5 inserts a parenthetical statement that refers to a second resurrection, described in verses 11-15. After the Millennium, God will raise up to physical life all those who have never had an opportunity for salvation. Christ will judge all those who lived throughout human history yet have not been called. Ezekiel 37:1-14 prophesies of God resurrecting all Israel. At the same time (see Matthew 12:41-42), He will raise all the Gentiles and extend to them the same offer He does to Israel (Romans 2:7-11; I Timothy 2:4). If they satisfy God's judgment, He will at some point grant them eternal life and give them spiritual bodies (I Corinthians 15:44-49).
After all have had their opportunity, God will perform still a third resurrection. Those who will not repent of their rebellion against the Almighty will be raised to physical life and cast into the Lake of Fire, which provides a merciful, permanent death (see Matthew 25:41).
4. Does God judge everyone by the same standard? I Peter 4:17-18; Romans 14:10-12; I Corinthians 3:8, 13; II Corinthians 5:10.
Comment: God judges true Christians today by how well they live by His Word, and He will judge those who rise in the second resurrection exactly the same way. They will be given enough time to live a life of overcoming and obedience, just as God's firstfruits are doing in this age.
5. Why is this a great day? John 7:37.
Comment: As the God of the Old Testament (John 1:1-3, 14), Jesus personally instituted the Last Great Day to symbolize the Great White Throne Judgment. As Judge of mankind, Christ is great in all His attributes; He is the perfect Judge of all (John 5:22, 24-30). We can also see the greatness of this period in the huge number of people who will be mercifully and lovingly judged and granted eternal life.
6. Why did Christ speak of the Holy Spirit during His proclamation on the Last Great Day? John 7:37-39.
Comment: His words revealed that a day—the White Throne Judgment—would come when all humanity would have free access to the "living water" of God's Holy Spirit (John 4:13-14; Matthew 5:6; Revelation 22:17). Jesus is not only Judge of all, but also the One who dispenses the Holy Spirit to all of His disciples.
7. What occurs after this period? Revelation 21:1-4.
Comment: Following this time of judgment, God will create "a new heaven and a new earth"—a clean, pure world fit for God the Father Himself. For all eternity, "there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." All those who have accepted God's way will have been glorified as members of the God Family, and they will live forever. Like God, they will create, beautify and spread God's rule over the entire universe! With this wonderful potential ahead of us, we can eagerly echo the apostle John's words in Revelation 22:20: "Even so, come, Lord Jesus!"
The Lost Holy Day: Is it Christmas or Easter?
No one will read everything you post. You're better off picking specific points you'd like to discuss.
In my view the "lost Holy Day" is the Sabbath.
Reply:The Lost Holy 20 Minutes of My Life I Won't Get Back After Reading Your Question.
Reply:CHRISTMAS IS Christmas,An Christmas it is. Merry Christmas,and to all a good night.
Reply:I have to agree with------------ wigginsr
Reply:You got on a roll with this one, I'm still trying to get your point.
Reply:AND THE QUESTION IS???
Reply:In the beginning, all was perfect and holy - we "lost it" the day Adam and Eve ate the apple.....
Reply:Sunday is the sabbath day to rest
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