THE TEN COMMANDMENTS: AN INEXORABLE "LIVING" LAW, SOON TO BECOME THE BASIC LAW OF THE PEACEFUL, PROSPEROUS, JOYFUL WORLD TOMORROW!

 God's Ten Commandments are living, active laws -- just like the law of gravity

As a motion picture, they were acclaimed by the world. As the law of God, they have been loved by some, hated by others -- but transgressed by all. 

The Ten Commandments have been cursed, maligned, distorted, vilified; some, by human arguments, have tried to do away with them. A small few of the obedient have experienced the blessings they can bring. David said, "O how love I thy law!" and called it perfect; Paul called it holy, just and good; Jesus honored, magnified, obeyed, and commanded obedience to the Ten Commandments.But to most people they remain and an enigma that has never been understood.

This is a lawless age. Crime and violence are increasing at a fearful rate because among millions of people there is practically no respect for law or constituted authority -- either that of God, or of man!

On the international scene, nations live in daily fear because they very well know that the so-called "guarantees" and treaties of peace are not worth the paper on which they are written. There is no law -- respect for no authority -- among the nations of the world.

This is the world in which you live!


The Real Source of Law

Men have lost all deep respect for law because they have forgotten the very SOURCE of all law and authority! Your Bible says: "There is ONE lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy" (James 4:12). That lawgiver is Almighty God.

In their modern search for a man-devised "peace of mind" or a "religion that satisfies," men have totally forgotten about the great God who RULES this universe! No wonder some of our young people -- the leaders of tomorrow -- have such a lawless attitude.

One of the world's foremost educators warned a group of military leaders of this very problem. He was the late Dr. Rufus von Klein Smid, former chancellor of the University of Southern California. He stated: "I have no quarrel with the present emphasis placed on science, but today we are paying for support of schools which act from September 1 to June 30 as if there were no God." Dr. von Klein Smid noted the "absence of moral values" in our youth resulting from this attitude.

When you leave the true God out there is no real standard of behavior left. The result is spiritual chaos and lawlessness and wretchedness in the human heart.

In nearly all present-day religious denominations, the tendency is to try to "modernize" and "democratize" God, and do away with His authority to RULE His creation -- and us, His creatures. There are very few truly "God-fearing men" left on earth today!

Having made their imaginative pet "god" in their OWN image, men certainly do not stand in awe and deep respect of such a "god." They do not fear their "god." And they certainly do not OBEY this creature of their own imagination!

Yet the real message of Jesus Christ was about the God who created and now RULES this earth! His was the God who blessed men for obedience to His laws -- and who punished for disobedience.

The Jesus Christ of your Bible ALWAYS preached the gospel of the Kingdom of God (Mark 1:14; Luke 4:43). In modern language, He preached the happy news of the GOVERNMENT of God -- the RULE of God. He said: "REPENT YE, and BELIEVE the gospel" (Mark 1:15).

Before you can sincerely believe and accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, and have His shed blood cover your sins, you must repent. But repent of WHAT? Repent of SIN!

What IS sin? Despite the contradictory ideas and generalizations of organized religious denominations, your Bible clearly states: "Sin IS the transgression of the law" (I John 3:4).

Sin is BREAKING GOD'S SPIRITUAL LAW -- the Ten Commandments. That is definitely and specifically what sin is!

Before God will forgive your past sins, you must first repent of breaking His law! You must learn to fear and respect God as the Supreme Ruler of this universe -- and as YOUR King and Ruler.

Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, was inspired to write: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge" (Prov. 1:7). This godly fear is by no means a personal dread, but a deep respect and reverence for the great office and authority of God -- for His divine power -- His wisdom -- His love.

Without faith in such a great and real God, man is incomplete. Cut off from the true God of law and order, man is purposeless, empty, frustrated, confused. The way out of modern man's emptiness and confusion may sound trite or simple to some people. But it is real -- and it works! It is simply that man must quit worshiping false gods. Man must return to the God of the Bible, the God of creation, the God who rules this universe!

Summarizing His way to the fulfillment of man's desire for a happy, abundant and purposeful life, God inspired these words at the end of the book of Ecclesiastes: "The end of the matter, all having been heard: fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is the whole man" (Eccl. 12:13, Moffatt translation).

Man is frustrated and incomplete without this living, vital contact with God -- walking His way, keeping His commandments. Obedience to God's commandments would bring peace and fulfillment and joy to all the nations and peoples of this earth. It is the real answer to all of our problems, individually and collectively. It is the way of life Jesus Christ is going to teach when He returns to rule this world (Micah 4:2).


Do You Really Understand God's Commandments?

The prophet David was a man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22). He is used as a type of Christ, and will rule directly under Christ over the entire nation of Israel in the soon-coming millennium (Ezek. 37:24), when Christ will bring peace to this earth.

David wrote: "O how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day" (Psalm 119:97). David studied and pondered God's law all day long! He learned how to APPLY it to every situation in life.

This gave David wisdom. "Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies" (verse 98). God's law showed David the WAY to go -- a WAY OF LIFE. "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path" (verse 105).

Throughout this 119th Psalm, David declared how he loved God's law, and used it as his guide in life. Do you?

Probably you don't. Most of you have been taught that God's law was done away -- or else you simply have not realized that it is the only real way of life that will bring man happiness and joy. You haven't realized that God's law reveals the very nature and character of God Himself. And God commands us: "Be ye holy; for I am holy" (I Peters 1:16).

Remember that the true Christians, the "little flock" of Jesus, are described as those "which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ" (Rev. 12:17). And God gives this description of the character of His saints: "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus" (Rev. 14:12).

If you are to be counted among God's true saints who will escape the seven last plagues, you will have to have this living faith -- this OBEDIENT faith -- in Almighty God through Jesus Christ living His life in you! You will have to understand and keep God's spiritual law as revealed in the Ten Commandments!

In answer to thousands of requests, and to help all of you come to really understand the commandments of Almighty God your Creator, we are publishing in this booklet a series of articles explaining and expounding each of the Ten Commandments. You should really study this booklet, look up each scripture quoted, live by His spiritual and holy law.


The Almighty God of Israel

To properly understand and feel the real impact of the Ten Commandments, let us notice the setting in which they were given. Remember that Moses and the Israelites had preserved the knowledge that their God was the Creator of heaven and earth. He was the great RULER of the earth who had brought about the Flood in the days of Noah, their forefather.

And now the true God, the God of Israel, had delivered them from Egyptian bondage by tremendous miracles; had brought them out of Egypt and through the waters of the Red Sea which rose on either side of them as a mighty wall (Exodus 14).

Since the time they had passed through the Red Sea, God had begun to deal with them and to remind them of His laws which they may have, in part, forgotten. Before they ever reached Mount Sinai, God erased all doubt about which day was His Sabbath by performing a series of miracles to remind them (Exodus 16). In Exodus 18, Moses was already judging the people according to God's laws and statutes (verse 16).

Now that they were come to Mount Sinai, God proposed -- NOT to give them a new law -- but to enter into a covenant or AGREEMENT with them so that they would be His special people and He would be their God whose laws and statutes and judgments they would obey.

Since the Ten Commandments were -- and always will be -- God's basic SPIRITUAL law (Romans 7:14), they were made a part of this agreement between God and Israel. Since they were His holy and spiritual laws, He gave them with great power, and, unlike the rest of the covenant, wrote them with His own hand.

Notice the setting in Exodus 19. God commanded the people to clean themselves up and be ready against the third day when He would come down to them (verses 10-11). "And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet, exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp TREMBLED" (verse 16).

God was here showing His power as the Creator of this earth as He began to speak with His own voice the Ten Commandments! As the Creator Himself descended upon Mount Sinai in His glory, "the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and THE WHOLE MOUNT quaked GREATLY" (verse 18).

In this setting of great glory and majesty and power, God spoke the Ten Commandments to the people who were trembling in awe below the mountain. His voice must have literally shaken these people with its power as it boomed across the land like the sound of thunder (Psalm 104:7).

THE FEAST OF TRUMPETS (THE 4TH ANNUAL SABBATH OF THE LORD OUR GOD)

The Feast of Trumpets

Each of God’s seven annual Holy Days points to a critical event in His Master Plan. Thus far, we have covered the Passover (pointing to the sacrifice of Christ), the Days of Unleavened Bread (picturing our coming out of sin) and Pentecost (symbolizing being empowered by God’s Holy Spirit). Although these three feasts were represented by events in the past, the underlying meanings of these spring Holy Days are timeless.

The Feast of Trumpets ushers in the fall Holy Days, which all represent specific events that are yet to occur. This Feast occupies the central or pivotal position of all the Holy Days, with three preceding it and three following it. The pivotal event of all human history to which the Feast of Trumpets points is the Return of Christ.

Christ’s intervention will rescue this dying world from self-destruction. This lesson will summarize what is now looming just ahead in these perilous times.

A Time of World War

(1) What did Christ indicate the state of the world would be at the time of His Return? Luke 21:7, 9-10; Matthew 24:3, 6-7.

Comment: In the previous century, there were two major world wars followed by hundreds of lesser wars. Peace and safety have become more elusive, with a number of rogue nations and international terrorists coming into possession of weapons of mass destruction.

(2) What would happen to all of civilization if Christ did not intervene to cut time short? Matthew 24:22.

Comment: Christ holds back inevitable cosmocide for the sake of His elect, those who are now qualifying to rule in the kingdom of God.

(3) Does God warn the world of such catastrophic events before they come to pass? Amos 3:7.

(4) Are God’s servants to announce to the world what the prophets and writers of the Scriptures have recorded for our time today? Isaiah 58:1; Ezekiel 3:17-19; Matthew 24:14; Mark 13:10.

(5) What happens after the gospel of the kingdom and the Ezekiel warning message have been preached? Matthew 24:16, 20; Revelation 3:10.

Comment: Christ prophesied of this time of flight and protection for His Church just before the beginning of the Great Tribulation (Matt. 24:21).

(6) How severe is this time of Great Tribulation? Matthew 24:21; Daniel 12:1.

Comment: This time of trouble for modern Israel has no parallel in history. In Daniel 12:1, this same event is mentioned as being without precedent. Jeremiah 30:7 speaks of this time as “the time of Jacob’s trouble.” The tribulation fulfills the fifth seal of Revelation 6:9.

Revelation 12:17 shows that the Great Tribulation is clearly Satan’s wrath upon the final era of the Church of God, after he is unable to get to the faithful Philadelphian remnant. Satan’s wrath will also be directed against the nations of modern Israel. Scriptures show that only ten percent of the population of these nations will survive this most terrible of times. (See Isaiah 6:12-13; Amos 5:1-4; Ezekiel 5:12, 6:8.)

This time will continue for 2½ years (Hosea 6:1-2). The Day of the Lord, which follows, will last for one year. Thus, the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord together last 3½ years (Rev. 12:14; 11:2; 13:5).
 

Why the Feast of Trumpets?

(1) Where do we find the command to keep the Feast of Trumpets? Leviticus 23:24-25; Numbers 29:1-2.

Comment: This commanded feast was called “a memorial of blowing of trumpets.” This was a celebration of triumph, just as will be the future event that it pictures—the Return of Christ.

This feast occurred on the first day of the seventh month, which was also the beginning of the civil year, upon which the sacred calendar was based. Just as with all other annual Holy Days, a convocation and an offering were commanded at this time.

(2) Do we find other accounts of this feast mentioned in Scripture? Psalm 81:1-4.

Comment: This occasion was associated with singing aloud and making a joyful noise in music, and was marked by the blowing of trumpets. Silver trumpets were sounded in order to call an assembly in Israel, as well as to announce the feast days (Num. 10:2, 10).

We also find in the Jewish Talmud, under the article “Rosh Hashanah” (as this day is called by Jews), that a ram’s horn or shofar was sounded on this occasion (Mishnah 26b). In contrast with the musical sound of the silver trumpets, the shofar gave a piercing loud blast.
 

Trumpets Sound an Alarm

(1) Did God command for trumpets to sound an alarm when going into battle? Numbers 10:9.

Comment: As Israel approached battle, the silver trumpets gave a particular series of notes that were clearly identifiable. God promised to hear this call and come to their defense. Yet, upon coming under sudden attack, the ram’s horn was used to provide another type of alarm. Although classified as a type of trumpet, it produced a piercing noise for an alarm of impending warfare.

(2) Where do we find accounts of alarms of war sounded in ancient Israel? Jeremiah 4:19-21.

Comment: Jeremiah lived through a number of invasions by the Babylonians. Such alarms of war capture the spirit and meaning of the Feast of Trumpets.

(3) Were the watchmen commissioned to sound an alarm in the face of an impending attack? Ezekiel 3:17-19.

Comment: This warning is prophetic and applies to the nations of modern Israel at the end of this age. The warnings in Ezekiel 3:17-19 and 33:2-6 apply to the grave responsibility that God gives the watchmen. The true Church of God recognizes the seriousness of carrying out this warning. The gospel is being published among all nations (Mark 13:10) on the world’s largest biblically based website. God’s Church is obeying the command to “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up your voice like a trumpet” (Isa. 58:1)!
 

The Trumpet Plagues Begin

After the 2½ years of the Great Tribulation, the time of Satan’s wrath upon physical and spiritual Israel will have been fulfilled. God will have carried out His promise not to leave Israel altogether unpunished (Jer. 30:11, 46:28). After this time, God speaks comfortably to Jerusalem—to physical Israel—that her warfare is accomplished and her iniquity is now pardoned (Isa. 40:1-2). By this time, the final era of God’s Church will have been faced with the decision to follow His counsel to “buy…gold tried in the fire” (Rev. 3:18).

Then will come the full fury of God’s wrath upon a world that has rebelled against its Creator.

(1) As God moves to intervene against this rebellious world, what does He do first? Revelation 6:12-13.

Comment: Signs in the heavens are accompanied by a great earthquake, which moves every mountain and island out of its place. Volcanoes fill the sky with ash, diminishing sunlight and causing the moon to appear red. Then, vast numbers of asteroids strike the earth’s atmosphere as flaming meteorites.

(2) How will world leaders react to these signs in the heavens? Revelation 6:15-17.

(3) How many separate trumpets were prepared to sound after the seventh seal was opened, thus beginning the Day of the Lord? Revelation 8:1-2, 6.

(4) What happened when the first angel sounded the trumpet? Revelation 8:7.

Comment: This first trumpet plague was directed at destroying part of man’s support system—plant life. Note that only a third of the trees were burned up. This indicated that the full measure of God’s wrath was held back, in order to allow people time to repent and submit to Him.

(5) How did the next three trumpet plagues affect the earth? Revelation 8:8-12.

Comment: As the second angel sounded the trumpet, a huge object or asteroid fell into the sea, turning one-third of it into blood, killing one-third of sea life and destroying one-third of ships. Likewise, as the third angel sounded, a great “star” or possibly an asteroid (named Wormwood) fell upon the rivers of the earth, resulting in one-third of the fresh waters becoming poisoned, killing many. As the fourth angel sounded, the sun became darkened by one-third. God continued to allow time for repentance.

(6) How were the three remaining trumpet plagues described? Revelation 8:13.

Comment: So devastating were these three remaining plagues that each was referred to as a “Woe”—collectively called the “Three Woes.”
All-Out Warfare

(1) How is this fifth trumpet plague (first woe) more lethal than the first four? Revelation 9:1-3.

Comment: These three woes comprise the last three of the seven plagues. The number three signifies finality, while the number seven signifies completion. The first two woes describe how God allows man to bring down his own civilization. Were it not for God’s intervention, man would bring an end to life on earth.

In vision, the apostle John had seen some of the vehicles and aircraft used in modern warfare, with rockets, missiles and other firepower. He used terms such as “locusts” and “scorpions” to describe these strange-looking forms of weaponry.

The military campaign called the first woe describes the beast power, which will arise in Europe, attacking Russia and its Communist allies. At the time of this major conflict, the English-speaking nations and most other nations of modern Israel will have already been taken into captivity.

(2) As this military campaign pushes east into the former Communist bloc in Asia, what type of weapons are used? Revelation 9:4-6.

Comment: This weaponry causes a form of paralysis accompanied with pain that lasts for five months (vs. 5). This could be a form of chemical warfare. Read verses 7 to 10, which continue to describe the weaponry in terms of first-century language.

(3) How can we identify this invading force as being the beast power? Revelation 9:11.

Comment: Both terms used here, “Abaddon in the Hebrew” and “Apollyon in the Greek,” mean “Destroyer” or “Satan.” Read Revelation 13:5-14 to better understand how Satan inspires the Beast and False Prophet.

(4) After Europe’s initial attack against its enemies in the East, do these nations strike back? Revelation 9:12-16.

Comment: The impending counterattack will constitute the sixth trumpet plague (the second woe)—far more devastating than the first woe. The number of the armies of the eastern hordes amount to 200 million troops. The Russians, Chinese and their allies are given power to kill one-third of all mankind—approximately two billion people! Read verses 17-19 for more descriptions of the weaponry used.

(5) What does God call the church led by the false prophet that dominates the European power bloc? Revelation 17:2, 15 (vs. 15 explains vs. 2); Revelation 17:5.

(6) Does this modern Babylon fall, just as ancient Babylon fell? Revelation 18:2, 17-19.

Comment: Only by nuclear warfare could such devastation be accomplished in such a short period of time.

(7) Does this counterattack that kills one-third of mankind complete the second woe? Revelation 11:14.

(8) Do the survivors of this awful war finally repent of their iniquity before God? Revelation 9:20-21.
 

The Seventh Trumpet

(1) What was announced as the seventh trumpet sounded? Revelation 11:15.

(2) What other crucial event takes place at the sound of this seventh and final trumpet? I Corinthians 15:52; I Thessalonians 4:16-17.

Comment: This describes the First Resurrection. We read that the saints are to be with the Lord—not in heaven, but to be reigning with Him on earth (Rev. 5:10, 20:4).

(3) What series of events comprised the seventh trumpet, known as the third woe? Revelation 16:1.

Comment: This final trumpet plague consisted of the seven last plagues (or seven vials of wrath).

(4) What was the first of the seven last plagues? Revelation 16:2.

Comment: These painful sores fell upon those who yielded to and cooperated with the Satanic religious system that dominated the Beast power.

(5) What were the next plagues to follow? Revelation 16:3-4.

Comment: The second and third of these last plagues were related to the trumpet plagues, which took place earlier. Each of these respective plagues dealt first with the seas and then with the fresh water streams and lakes. The former plagues affected only one-third of each. During these last plagues, all the sea becomes blood, all sea life dies, and all fresh water becomes blood as God pours out the full measure of His wrath.

(6) Why is this act of changing the seas and fresh water to blood appropriate punishment for those unrepentant, rebellious people? Revelation 16:5-7.

(7) What were the fourth and fifth plagues upon unrepentant humanity? Revelation 16:8-11.

Comment: The fourth plague involved scorching heat from the sun, while the fifth plague involved a period of total darkness primarily in the territory of the Beast power—much like the plague of darkness upon ancient Egypt. In both the fourth and fifth plagues, unrepentant people continued to curse God.

(8) What was the sixth of these last plagues? Revelation 16:12-14, 16.

Comment: The drying of the Euphrates River to allow passage of the kings of the east was part of God’s plan to allow Satan (along with the beast and the false prophet) to beckon all the armies of opposing sides in this war. They unite as Satan inspires them to gather together at Armageddon to resist the Return of Christ.

(9) What is the outcome of this battle? Revelation 19:17-21.

(10) In the wake of this battle, what was the seventh and final plague? Revelation 16:17-18, 20-21.

The Day of Atonement
 

When peace does finally come to this world, such an influence as Satan could never be allowed to continue to manipulate civilization. 

 

What, then, will happen to Satan during this time?
 

The Day of Atonement, observed shortly after the Feast of Trumpets, reveals the answer to this question. Satan and his demons have ruled this world for the 6,000 years of man’s existence, but they will be replaced when Christ returns to this earth. The Day of Atonement not only reveals such prophetic details, but also shows what Christ has been doing since the time He ascended to heaven. These and other vital points become clear upon carefully studying the lessons contained in the meaning of this day.

Comment: After the great voice from heaven announced, “It is done,” the most powerful earthquake in history struck, resulting in “every island [fleeing] away and the mountains not [being] found.” Then large hailstones about the weight of a talent (100 to 130 lbs.) destroyed many unrepentant survivors.

Thus, the fulfillment of the Feast of Trumpets occurs after Christ returns to this earth as the conquering King, rightfully claiming what is His.

Most of the ten percent of humanity that survives the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord will be wide-eyed, humble and open to God’s instruction.

But before this can happen, Christ has one more important job to perform. Satan and his demons have to be put away from this earth and from influencing humanity—pictured by the Day of Atonement, (the 5th Annual Sabbath of the Lord our God).

















































 

THE LAST GREAT DAY (THE 7TH ANNUAL SABBATH OF THE LORD OUR GOD)

This lesson addresses the last of the seven annual feasts that God has commanded His people to observe. The Last Great Day represents more than one significant event, in contrast to most of the preceding feast days. 

This final feast commemorates the time of final judgment and crucial events that follow the millennial rule of the kingdom of God on earth. Truly, the millennium is only the beginning of eternity, as the saints of the First Resurrection are trained and prepared for greater things ahead—a time of laying the foundation for even greater joy and achievements beyond the Millennium.

Some of the events that follow the Millennium include the Second Resurrection, followed by the Third Resurrection, and finally the time of the New Heavens and New Earth. At this stage, as we see end-time events beginning to unfold, it should be exciting and gratifying to ponder the prospect of qualifying for the First Resurrection in order to be pioneers and leaders in the Master Plan that God has laid out for all eternity.

The time of final judgment involves a number of events that we will cover in sequence. We now proceed with the lesson on the Last Great Day—an event truly filled with meaning.

Last Great Day

(1) Where do we find the biblical command to observe the Last Great Day? Leviticus 23:36, 39.

Comment: The Feast of Tabernacles lasted for seven days, with the first day as a Holy Day. However, the eighth day was a separate feast day having its own convocation and separate offering. The Last Great Day is called the “eighth day” in verses 36 and 39, since it immediately follows the Feast of Tabernacles and is connected to it in much the same way as Passover is associated with the Days of Unleavened Bread. Just as many have mistakenly considered Passover to be a part of the Days of Unleavened Bread, many have also mistakenly considered the Last Great Day to be the final day of the Feast of Tabernacles. However, to teach or accept this is contrary to biblical fact.

The Feast of Tabernacles is mentioned in numerous places as consisting of seven days. On this basis alone, one would have to acknowledge the Last Great Day as being a separate feast.

Since the Feast of Tabernacles lasts seven days, it continues from the 15th day of the 7th month through the 21st day of that month. The eighth day, or Last Great Day, always falls on the 22nd day of the 7th month.

(2) Is the command to observe this “eighth day” found elsewhere in scripture? Numbers 29:35.

Comment: Here again, a solemn assembly is commanded. Verse 36 defines the particular offering to be made according to the Levitical requirements.

(3) Was this day observed in the times of ancient Israel? II Chronicles 7:9.

Comment: This scripture describes the account during the time of Solomon, in which the Temple was dedicated for seven days, immediately followed by the Feast of Tabernacles. After the eighth day (after the 22nd), Solomon sent the people away.

This eighth day was the Last Great Day, which concluded the fall Holy Days.

(4) Was the eighth day still observed by the Jews after the Babylonian Captivity? Nehemiah 8:18.

Comment: This was the same Last Great Day observed after the conclusion of the Feast of Tabernacles. Judah had recently returned from captivity, and the Scriptural commands were closely followed under the direction of Ezra, the priest and scribe who was diligent in making sure that Judah properly keep this solemn assembly. Ezra was especially diligent to follow every detail of the Law, as he was “a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given…” (Ezra 7:6).

(5) Did Christ keep the Last Great Day? John 7:37.

Comment: This “last day, that great day of the feast” was clearly the final feast day after the conclusion of the Feast of Tabernacles, as shown in context (vs. 2, 8, 10, 11, 14). Not only was Christ observing the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day, He also spoke before the people and taught on these occasions. Even the message that Christ gave on this day, as recorded in verses 38 to 39, depicted the giving of the Holy Spirit to those who would be resurrected at a future time. This is clearly reflected in Ezekiel 37:13-14.

What the Last Great Day Pictures

We have seen that the Feast of Trumpets pictures the Return of Christ, that the Day of Atonement pictures the putting away of Satan, and that the Feast of Tabernacles pictures the reign of the kingdom of God on earth for 1,000 years. After this, we know that other major events are to occur beyond the time pictured by the Feast of Tabernacles. Although the Last Great Day generally depicts the time of final judgment, there are specific events of this judgment that must be covered.

(1) What is the first event to occur at the end of the Millennium? Revelation 20:2-3, 7-10.

Comment: First, Satan is released for a “little season,” which could be a period of only a few years. God has allowed Satan a specified time of ruling over mankind. Clearly, Satan has been at the helm in this age (Matt. 4:8-9; II Cor. 4:4). When that time is cut short (Matt. 24:22; Rom. 9:28), it is redeemed or paid back at the end of the Millennium in order to complete Satan’s allotted time.

Once Satan is turned loose, he and his demons proceed to again influence mankind. Millions will be deceived, despite having been exposed to sound teaching of the truth and being forewarned of Satan’s arrival. As a result of this rebellion, millions will forfeit their opportunity for eternal life.

Since no separate resurrection is mentioned in regard to the many billions who will have lived in the Millennium, it is apparent that they are to be changed into spirit beings at the end of their individual lives.

Finally, the statement in Revelation 20:10 that reads, “where the beast and false prophet are” should read, “where the beast and false prophet were cast.” The verb “are” was placed by the translators, whereas this is describing a past event and the verb should be past tense. The beast and false prophet had immediately perished in that fire.

The only beings that survive in the lake of fire are spirit beings—Satan and his demons—where they are tormented by being restrained from influencing mankind.

(2) What event follows the casting of Satan and his demons into the lake of fire? Revelation 20:11-12; Daniel 7:9-10.

Comment: The dead who are resurrected in this White Throne Judgment (the 2nd resurrection) are to be judged primarily according to what they do after being resurrected to a physical life. These people will live in a millennial-like setting and experience firsthand the abundance and joy of living God’s Way for the first time. It is a time of judgment—not a time of sentencing, as many have been misled to believe. The books they are judged by (Rev. 20:12) are the books of the Bible. The Greek term biblia used there is the same word translated “bible.” The Hebrew term used in Daniel 7:10, describing this same event, also corresponds to this Greek word for “Bible.”

(3) How can we be certain that the White Throne Judgment is a physical resurrection? Isaiah 65:20-24.

Comment: These verses clearly show that these are physical human beings who will live a hundred years during this judgment time (whether they begin as infants and grow to maturity, or as elderly people whose health and vitality are restored). They also build houses and inhabit them. Also note that verse 25 shows the change in the nature of carnivorous and dangerous animals, just as occurred in the Millennium. This one-hundred-year time of judgment will have similar conditions as existed in the Millennium, including all the blessings and abundance of that time. All who had never been called to salvation before the Return of Christ will be given their first and only chance. When they are resurrected to this world of peace, tranquility, abundance, joy, health and happiness, the vast majority will overwhelmingly treasure God’s way of life over the misery and sin of their prior existence. The tens of billions (possibly over a hundred billion) in this judgment will be receptive to the truth and responsive to their teachers.

(4) Are there other scriptures describing this unusual event? Ezekiel 37:5-10. (Read verses 1 to 14.)

Comment: These verses discuss the physical resurrection (showing that flesh was restored to their bones and life given) of the whole house of Israel (vs. 11). This will be typical of all humanity who is resurrected at this time—the vast majority of all who have ever lived, prior to the Return of Christ. It will include the billions of pre-Flood people, as well as the overwhelming majority of all who are alive today.

(5) Did Christ ever discuss this physical resurrection? Matthew 11:20-24; 12:41-42.

Comment: Christ was rebuking the cities in which He had performed miracles and other works and the people had ignored His witness. He affirmed that had these same works taken place in ancient Tyre and Sidon, they would have readily repented. Therefore, it would be more tolerable (in the future judgment of the 2nd resurrection) for these ancient cities than for those who ignored Christ’s miracles and works. Likewise, ancient Sodom would fare better than Capernaum for the same reasons. God holds those accountable who have been exposed to the truth and ignored it. Christ’s contemporary generation will have to prove themselves more thoroughly and repent more deeply in the coming judgment due to their failure to heed His words.

In Matthew 12:41-42, Christ contrasted the city of Nineveh—which responded to the warning of Jonah—with His generation in Judah, who dismissed His warnings. Christ also contrasted the Queen of the south (Sheba), who came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, with those of His generation, who were oblivious that One much greater than Solomon was among them.

(6) Why are some called to the First Resurrection, while others have to wait until the Second? Revelation 20:4, 6.

Comment: The First Resurrection offers an opportunity of being one of the firstfruits called to rule with Christ. But with this opportunity comes trials and tests that most would not be willing or able to endure. In the past, the majority of those qualifying for this goal have suffered martyrdom. This is why verse 4 reads as if all were beheaded—certainly, all who qualify must “love not their lives unto death.” People cannot volunteer for such positions. It is God who chooses and calls those according to His own timeframe. The rewards, responsibility and required training for those in the Second Resurrection will be substantially less than those of the firstfruits. Those who receive salvation during the Millennium (except some in the final generation) and in the Second Resurrection will not have to strive against Satan and his demons.

The Third Resurrection

(1) What is the next event to occur after the White Throne Judgment? Revelation 20:13-14.

Comment: This resurrection takes place in order to eliminate those who rejected the salvation that God offered. God created mankind to be molded and developed into Sons of God in the God Family. Man was necessarily given free moral agency in order to choose according to his own volition. It is inevitable that some few will totally reject this way, choosing to live in rebellion against God. Such people would be miserable if they were to live throughout eternity under God’s rule. In His mercy, God allows them to perish in the lake of fire—it will be as if they never existed. Contrary to what false religions of this world teach, those who perish in these flames will not suffer throughout eternity. Rather, they will be quickly consumed in the lake of fire.

The term “hell” in verse 13 comes from the Greek word hades, which simply means “the grave.” Most of the dead would either be in the sea or in the grave. However, God is able to resurrect the dead, even if no physical remains exist.

(2) Is the fate of burning in the lake of fire the subject of the account of Lazarus and the rich man? Luke 16:24.

Comment: As the rich man was resurrected from the grave, this parable portrays him in agony as he observes the impending flames. This parable shows the reality of the lake of fire as opposed to the false concept of an ever-burning hell. The term “hell” in Luke 16:23 also comes from the Greek word hades and means the “grave.”

Those who have been accursed are awaiting this fate as described in Isaiah 65:20 and Daniel 12:2 (last part). Those who are consumed in this fire die the second death (Rev. 20:14), from which there is no resurrection. This is also referred to as the resurrection of damnation (John 5:29).

(3) Does the Bible reveal that those burned in this fire are totally consumed, in contrast to the false concept of hell? Malachi 4:1-3.

Comment: Instead of being tortured forever, these are burned up, leaving “neither root nor branch” (vs. 1), as they “shall be ashes under the soles of your feet” (vs. 3).

(4) What are the categories of people who suffer this fate? Revelation 21:8.

Comment: Revelation 20:15 shows that whoever is not written in the Book of Life (referred to in verse 12) will be cast into the lake of fire. Those in the Book of Life will have qualified during either the 6,000-year period under Satan’s rule, the Millennium or the 100 years of the Great White Throne Judgment. Those who reject God’s Way in each of these three phases of God’s Plan are to be cast into the lake of fire.

(5) As the wicked are consumed, does this fire continue to purge and purify the earth? II Peter 3:7, 10-12.

Comment: This is truly the baptism by fire described in Matthew 3:11.
 
The New Heavens and the New Earth

(1) What is the next event to occur after the earth is purged with fire? Revelation 21:1.

Comment: The New Earth will no longer need oceans and seas to sustain physical life. Only spirit beings will inhabit the earth at this time.

(2) Does the Throne of God in the third heaven descend to the New Earth, where God the Father will also dwell? Revelation 21:2-3.

(3) Do we find the New Heavens and the New Earth mentioned in other places in the Bible besides the Book of Revelation? Isaiah 65:17-19; 66:22; II Peter 3:13.

(4) What is the size and shape of the Holy City, the New Jerusalem that descends from heaven? Revelation 21:12-17.

Comment: The measurement of 12,000 furlongs is 1,500 miles. Verse 16 shows that the length, breath, and height are all equal, thus in the shape of a cube or some other geometric shape with equal dimensions.
 
Putting the Pieces Together
This short final lesson will focus on the knowledge you have recently acquired from this course and how God expects you to act upon it. It has been said that knowledge is of no use unless it is acted upon. Surely, there can be no more true application of this principle than with the knowledge obtained in this course.
 
In Summary

As God’s Spirit reveals and helps us to search out the deep things of God (I Cor. 2:10), we should focus on and “look for” the New Heavens and the New Earth that God will bring to pass (II Pet. 3:13). This should motivate all who treasure their calling.

Is the Last Great Day separate from the Feast of Tabernacles?

The Feast of Tabernacles is a time when God’s people focus on the Millennium. However, this 1,000-year period is only the beginning.

The seventh Holy Day, the Last Great Day, involves a number of events that begin at the conclusion of the Millennium: the Second Resurrection; the White Throne Judgment; the Third Resurrection; and, finally, the time of the New Heavens and New Earth.

Many blur the great meaning of what this Holy Day pictures with the Feast of Tabernacles. Nevertheless, these Festivals depict entirely different phases of God’s Master Plan.

Leviticus 23

The Feast of Tabernacles lasts seven days, with the first day a Holy Day. However, the eighth day is a separate Holy Day that has its own convocation. The Last Great Day is called the “eighth day” in Leviticus 23:36 and 39 since it immediately follows the Feast of Tabernacles. Just as many have mistakenly considered Passover to be a part of the Days of Unleavened Bread, many have mistakenly considered the Last Great Day to be the final day of the Feast of Tabernacles. However, to teach or accept this is contrary to the Bible.

Let’s examine Leviticus 23:34-36: “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the Lord. On the first day shall be an holy convocation: you shall do no servile work therein. Seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord: on the eighth day shall be a holy convocation unto you; and you shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord: it is a solemn assembly; and you shall do no servile work therein.” Here it is clearly stated that there is an additional day separate from the Feast.

We find the above verses summarized in Leviticus 23:39: “Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, you shall keep a feast unto the Lord seven days: on the first day shall be a Sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a Sabbath.”

Other Scriptures from the Old Testament

We also find the command to observe this “eighth day” in Numbers 29:35: “On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly: you shall do no servile work therein.” Later, in the time of Solomon, we read of this day being observed: “Also at the same time Solomon kept the feast seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt.

And in the eighth day they made a solemn assembly: for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days. And on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent the people away into their tents, glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the Lord had shown unto David, and to Solomon, and to Israel His people” (II Chron. 7:8-10).

Since the Feast of Tabernacles had lasted seven days (preceded by a seven-day dedication of the altar, as Solomon had completed the Temple), it continued from the 15th day of the 7th month through the 21st day. The eighth day, or Last Great Day, fell on the 22nd day of the 7th month, and it was on the 23rd day that Solomon sent the people away.

Now we examine whether that eighth day was still observed during the time of Ezra: “Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the Law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner” (Neh. 8:18). That eighth day was the Last Great Day, which concluded the fall Holy Day season.

What About John 7:37?

The Church has long understood that John 7:37 is a reference to the Last Great Day, not the seventh day of the Feast. Let’s read: “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink.”

The following verses explain the meaning of the Last Great Day: “He that believes on Me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spoke He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive)” (vs. 38-39).

Mr. Armstrong always stressed that John 7:37 referred to the Last Great Day. The Church properly understood that the day referenced was a Sabbath—a “great” day. However, in this age, everything the Church once understood is up for debate and questioning. One group has sought the opinions of worldly scholars, and now concludes that the day referred to in verse 37 is “questionable.”

Yet the meaning is clear. Verses 37 through 39 depict the giving of the Holy Spirit to “any” who would thirst. This opportunity will be given to all after the second resurrection. This is the same outpouring of God’s Spirit described in Ezekiel 37:13-14: “And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up out of your graves, and shall put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall you know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, says the Lord.” Ezekiel 37 addresses the resurrection of all the generations of the house of Israel—a type of all humanity.

Christ’s sermon was clearly given on the Last Great Day—the eighth day—referencing a wonderful time to come—a time when all humanity would be given the opportunity for salvation. God’s people keep this day every year to look forward to this joyful event.


What the Last Great Day Pictures


Let’s examine the major events that are to occur beyond the Millennium.


First, Satan is released for a “little season” (Rev. 20:3, 7), perhaps for only a few years. Since God has allowed the devil a specified time of ruling over humanity, when that time is cut short (Matt. 24:22; Rom. 9:28), it is redeemed, or paid back, at the end of the Millennium.

Once loose, Satan and his demons proceed to again influence mankind (Rev. 20:8-9). Millions will be deceived, despite having been taught the truth and being forewarned of Satan’s arrival. This rebellion will result in millions forfeiting their opportunity for eternal life.

(Since no separate resurrection is mentioned in regard to the many billions who will have lived in the Millennium, it is apparent that they are to be changed into spirit beings at the end of their individual lives.)

The statement in Revelation 20:10 that reads “where the beast and false prophet are” should read “where the beast and false prophet were cast.” The verb “are” was placed by the translators, whereas this is describing a past event and the verb should be past tense.

The only beings that survive in the lake of fire are spirit beings—Satan and his demons—where they are tormented by being restrained from influencing mankind.

Next is the White Throne Judgment, involving the Second Resurrection. The billions brought back from the dead are to be judged primarily according to what they do after being resurrected to a physical life (Ezek. 37:1-14). It is a time of judgment—not a time of sentencing, as many have been misled to believe. The books they are judged by (Rev. 20:12) are the books of the Bible. The Greek term biblia used there is the same word translated “bible.” The Hebrew term used in Daniel 7:10, describing this same event, also corresponds to this Greek word for “bible.”

Isaiah 65:20-24 clearly shows that these are physical human beings who will live during this 100-year judgment period (whether they begin as infants and grow to maturity, or as elderly people whose health and vitality are restored). All who had never been called to salvation before the Return of Christ will be given their first and only chance. They will live in a millennial-like setting and experience for the first time the peace, tranquility, abundance, joy, health and happiness that flow from living God’s Way.

The next event to occur after the White Throne Judgment is the Third Resurrection (Rev. 20:13-15)—an eternal punishment for those who rejected the salvation that God offered.

God created mankind to be molded and developed into Sons of God in the God Family. Man was necessarily given free moral agency in order to choose according to his own volition. It is inevitable that some will totally reject this way, choosing to live in rebellion against God. Such people would be miserable if they were to live throughout eternity under God’s rule. In His mercy, God allows them to perish in the lake of fire—it will be as if they never existed. Contrary to what false religions of this world teach, those who perish in these flames will not suffer throughout eternity. Rather, they will be quickly consumed in the lake of fire.

Those who have been “accursed” are awaiting this fate, as described in Isaiah 65:20 and the last part of Daniel 12:2. Those who are consumed in this fire die the second death (Rev. 20:14), from which there is no resurrection. This is also referred to as the resurrection of damnation (John 5:29).

Instead of being tortured forever, these are burned up and totally consumed, leaving “neither root nor branch,” as they “shall be ashes under the soles of your feet” (Mal. 4:1-3).

Revelation 20:15 shows that whoever is not written in the Book of Life (referred to in verse 12) will be cast into the lake of fire. Those in the Book of Life will have qualified during either the 6,000-year period under Satan’s rule, the Millennium or the 100 years of the White Throne Judgment. Those who reject God’s Way in each of these three phases of God’s Plan are to be cast into the lake of fire.

As the wicked are consumed, this fire continues to purge and purify the earth (II Peter 3:7, 10-12). This is the baptism by fire described in Matthew 3:11.

Once it is purged, the New Earth will no longer need oceans and seas to sustain physical life. Only spirit beings will inhabit the planet at that time.

Then, the Throne of God will descend from the third heaven to the New Earth, where God the Father will also dwell (Rev. 21:2-3).

The New Heavens and the New Earth are also mentioned in Isaiah 65:17-19, 66:22 and II Peter 3:13.

The New Jerusalem will also descend from heaven. The size and shape of the Holy City is 12,000 furlongs—1,500 miles (Rev. 21:12-17). Verse 16 shows that the length, breadth and height are all equal, thus in the shape of a cube or some other geometric shape with equal dimensions.

With the passing of all these events, a new chapter will begin for the Family of God, lasting for eternity!

THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES (GOD'S 6TH ANNUAL SABBATH)

We now come to the sixth of seven feasts commanded by God—the Feast of Tabernacles. Like the Days of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Tabernacles is a seven-day feast, but with only the first day as a Holy Day.

Christ’s gospel focused on the good news of the coming kingdom of God.


The Feast of Tabernacles pictures the rule of the government of God on earth under the reign of Christ, which will continue for one thousand years. After this millennial reign, other crucial steps in the Plan of God must occur in sequence, such as the second and third resurrections. This 1,000-year period is only the beginning, as the saints of the First Resurrection are set up and trained for even greater things ahead.


The Feast of Tabernacles represents this joyous, utopian time of peace and fulfillment that has always been the hope and focus of true Christians. We now begin the lesson on the meaning of this great festival.


(1) Where is the biblical command to keep the Feast of Tabernacles? Leviticus 23:34-36.


Comment: This Feast begins on the 15th day of the 7th month and continues for 7 days. The first day is a Holy Day with a commanded assembly. Verse 36 shows that an offering was given each day of this Feast under the Levitical system. Yet, today, an offering is only given on the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles, as verse 37 indicates for Holy Days. The convocation and offering commanded on the eighth day (vs. 36) are part of a separate feast altogether.


(2) Was the Feast of Tabernacles known by any other names? Exodus 34:22.


Comment: The Feast of Ingathering was the major annual harvest in the fall of the year. (The spring harvest --the Day of Pentecost--the First Resurrection--the 144,000) was very small in comparison to the fall harvest (represented by the 6th Annual Feast of the Lord).


The spiritual harvest will follow this same pattern. God shows that He gives the former rain moderately, but the latter rain will come down abundantly and will yield a plentiful harvest (Joel 2:23-24). The Feast of Tabernacles typifies this plentiful spiritual harvest.


(3) What is the overriding theme of the Feast of Tabernacles? Leviticus 23:40 (last part); Deuteronomy 16:13-15.


Comment: This is the one Feast in particular in which God commands everyone to rejoice! This Feast looks forward in time to the most joyful occasion of all time.


(4) How are people to finance their travel, food and lodging for a feast lasting this long? Deuteronomy 14:22-27.


Comment: This special festival tithe (known as second tithe) was used to finance not only the expenses of the Feast of Tabernacles, but the other Holy Days, as well. God blesses those who are faithful in keeping this tithe, which the people are to spend for their own needs and desires in order to rejoice before the Eternal.
(5) Is this Feast commanded to be observed forever? Leviticus 23:41; Zechariah 14:16-19.


Comment: The account in Zechariah 14 emphasizes the fact that this Feast is a statute forever. All nations will observe this Feast in the millennium whether they prefer to do so, or not. Eventually, all nations will come to understand and appreciate God’s commanded Feasts.


(6) Does God promise to protect the property of those who leave their homes and businesses to keep the Feast of Tabernacles? Exodus 34:24.


Comment: God mandates that His people keep all of His Feasts: Unleavened Bread (includes Passover), Pentecost, and Tabernacles (includes all four fall Feasts). God intends that His people keep these feasts without distraction or worry—and with the full joy of these annual events. Although we are expected to plan ahead and do our part to ensure the preservation of our property, business, and/or farm in our absence, God promises to protect our interests while we are rejoicing at His feasts—and He delivers on this promise.

Observed by Ancient Israel


(1) Even when Israel was in the depths of disarray, were some still faithful in keeping the Feast of Tabernacles? Judges 21:19.


Comment: The tabernacle had been set up at Shiloh since the time of Joshua. Yet, much of Israel was oblivious to this crucial knowledge by the period of time that Judges 21:19 discusses. This was during the time Israel had deteriorated to the level described in verse 25. About 250 years earlier, all Israel had assembled in Shiloh (Josh. 18:1) and had proven themselves faithful and obedient to God’s laws and statutes (Josh. 24:31). The term “statutes” refers to the portion of God’s laws generally applying to worship on the national level. This included the proper keeping of the annual feast days.


(2) Did Elkanah and Hannah, to whom Samuel was born, go up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles at Shiloh each year? I Samuel 1:3.


Comment: God intervened and granted Hannah a child, Samuel, whom she dedicated to God. After Samuel was weaned, she presented him to the high priest and visited the child every year at the Feast of Tabernacles, at which her husband always offered the yearly sacrifice of burnt offerings (I Sam. 2:19).


(3) Was the Feast of Tabernacles observed when the Temple was dedicated by Solomon? I Kings 8:1-2, 65-66.


Comment: When the Temple was dedicated, a period of seven days was set aside for this dedication immediately before the Feast of Tabernacles. Then, the seven days of the Feast were kept and the people were sent home on (after) the eighth day (vs. 66). This eighth day following the Feast was the same day we read about in Leviticus 23:36. The month Ethanim was the original Hebrew name for the 7th month and meant the month of “permanence or permanent things”—representing events in the future leading to spiritual permanence or eternity.


(4) Had ancient Israel been negligent in keeping the annual Sabbaths and the weekly Sabbath? Ezekiel 22:26.


Comment: Because of this long-term negligence, Israel and Judah were taken into captivity—Israel first and Judah just over a century later. The blessings and cursings recorded in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 became a painful reality to all of ancient Israel. Read Ezekiel 20:1-44 to better grasp how Israel repeatedly ignored God’s Sabbaths. (Ezekiel 20:25 means that God gave Israel over to their own ways.)


(5) Did the Jews who returned from captivity in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah greatly rejoice to keep the Feast of Trumpets and the Feast of Tabernacles? Nehemiah 8:1-2, 6, 8-10, 14, 17-18.


Comment: To these Jews, who were old enough to remember the feasts from their childhood, after 70 years of captivity, the feasts now held a deeper, more profound meaning than ever. Those who can come to this level of appreciation will have greater capacity to draw closer to God, by identifying with and fervently treasuring His laws and statutes as a way of life.


The statement in verse 17 pertaining to the Feast not having been kept in this fashion since the time of Joshua was referring to the booths that were made from tree branches. Certainly, this Feast had been kept since the time of Joshua, but not exclusively in such booths and possibly not with the desire and passion that these Jews displayed—prophetic of those who will survive to keep the feasts as the millennium begins.


(6) Are we commanded to dwell in booths during the Feast of Tabernacles? Leviticus 23:40, 42.


Comment: Verse 40 describes the use of boughs or branches of trees such as palms or willows with thick or abundant leaves for coverings of temporary dwellings. The Hebrew word cukkah (pronounced as sook-kaw) means “a booth, tent or tabernacle”—basic temporary dwellings. Verse 40 shows the least expensive way to provide shelter for the Feast of Tabernacles. The reason God commanded Israel to dwell in such tabernacles is shown in verse 43—to show that God had Israel dwell in booths when he brought them out from Egypt. The lesson for us is that this life is temporary, and all our long-term hopes and plans should point to the coming kingdom of God. Hence, we are to live in temporary tabernacles during the Feast of Tabernacles—whether we stay in tents, campers, motels or hotels.


Observed by Christ and the Apostolic Church


(1) Is there any biblical evidence that Christ actually observed the Feast of Tabernacles? John 7:1-2, 8-11.


Comment: John’s use of the phrase, “the Jews’ feast of tabernacles,” was necessary since the vast majority of the readers of his gospel were non-Jewish. This phrase showed that the Jews were the only ones keeping God’s feasts in Christ’s time, as the other descendants of Israel had not returned to keeping them.


Yet, we see in verse 8 that Christ charged His physical family to keep this Feast. In verse 10, Christ also went to keep this Feast, after His brothers had left. Verse 11 shows that the Jews were looking for Him at this Feast, because they were well aware that He kept all of God’s commanded feasts.


Christ’s example shows that He was not deterred from keeping the Feast of Tabernacles, despite the fact that the Jewish religious leaders sought to kill Him. Verse 14 shows that it was not until the middle of the Feast that He made His presence known, due to the precautions He had to take with His life in danger. This Feast was so important to Christ that He attended even under such threats—negating any excuses we could ever have to not attend.


(2) Does Scripture show that the first-century apostles kept the Feast of Tabernacles? Acts 18:21.


Comment: The Feast to which Paul was referring could only have been the Feast of Tabernacles, as it fell within the fall season. Looking back, it was late summer of A.D. 50 that Paul had arrived in Corinth (vs. 1) where he stayed at the home of Justus for his final 18 months (vs. 11). By the time Paul passed through Ephesus en route to Jerusalem, two full years had elapsed. He traveled through Syria toward his destination of Jerusalem for this Feast season in the fall of A.D. 52—primarily the Feast of Tabernacles.


(3) Does Church history reveal specific references to the true Church observing the Feast of Tabernacles?


Comment: There are a number of references that the feasts continued to be observed throughout history. One particular source, Sabbatarians in Transylvania by Samuel Kohn, noted that the Sabbath-keepers in this region were observing the feasts during the early 1600s. Besides numerous songs commemorating the weekly Sabbath, the hymnal of these Sabbatarians contained songs dedicated to the following feast days: eleven songs for Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread, six songs for Pentecost, three songs for the Feast of Trumpets, one song for the Day of Atonement, and six songs for the Feast of Tabernacles. Unlike the Jews of their time, there is strong evidence that they understood the general meaning of the feast days.


The Kingdom of God Ruling on Earth


Finally, after 6,000 years of being under the sway of Satan’s deceptions and attitudes, the world will be free of such influence. At last, the truth and God’s Law will be the established way that the vast majority will be seeking.


(1) Does the Bible explicitly state that in the coming millennium, the world will no longer be subject to angelic powers? Hebrews 2:5.


(2) Who is the supreme ruler during this time? Revelation 11:15; 19:6; Daniel 7:13-14.


(3) Who will be ruling under Christ in the kingdom of God? Revelation 20:4; 5:10; Daniel 7:27.


(4) Will Christ’s rulership be firm when necessary? Isaiah 2:4; Ezekiel 20:33-38.


(5) Will Christ rule the people in the millennium with understanding and mercy?


Jeremiah 31:8-9; Isaiah 30:19; 40:10-11; 61:3.


Comment: God’s mercy is infinitely greater than mankind’s, as we find in Psalm 103:8, 11. His approach to people depends chiefly upon their character, as we read in Psalm 18:24-26.


(6) Will those ruling under Christ be able to manifest themselves to those they are teaching? Isaiah 30:19-20.


(7) Will the natural ecosystem—including all plant life, the soil, atmosphere, and all bodies of water—be healed during this time? Ezekiel 47:1, 8-9; Amos 9:13-14; Isaiah 35:1-2, 7.


Comment: As described in Ezekiel 47, the stream of water that flows from under the Temple to be built on Mount Zion will bring healing to the oceans and waters as God renews the environment.


(8) Will people be healed of physical impairments and afflictions, as well? Isaiah 35:3-6.


(9) When Christ begins to rule the earth with His saints, does the very creation—hills, trees, water, etc.—rejoice, in a figurative sense? Psalm 96:10-13; 98:8-9; Romans 8:19-23.


Comment: So great is the relief, joy and celebration that the land, sea and sky, which will all be restored to their original purity, reverberate with similar cheerfulness. The term “creature” in Romans 8:19, 20 and 21 is derived from the same Greek word translated as “creation” in verse 22. Thus, “creature” should be read as “creation” in all these verses.


(10) As a result of the restored environment, restored health and true knowledge, will people’s lives be more fulfilled? Micah 4:4; Isaiah 25:9; Zechariah 10:7.


(11) Will the nature of carnivorous animals and dangerous reptiles be changed? Isaiah 11:6-9.


(12) Is the millennium the time the apostle Peter referred to when he spoke of “the restitution of all things”? Acts 3:19-21.


Comment: The millennium is, indeed, the only time that could be described as “the times of refreshing” and “the restitution of all things,” as these verses clearly depict.


Israel Elevated in the Millennium


(1) Will Israel have received double punishment for her sins before the Return of Christ? Isaiah 40:1-2; Jeremiah 16:18.


(2) After Israel has been humbled, will she be doubly rewarded in the millennium? Isaiah 61:7.


Comment: The context for most of this chapter is directed to “those that mourn in Zion.” This is referring to Israel in general, not just the tribe of Judah. Israel will be given honor after having suffered extensively in concentration camps and with relatively few remaining survivors.


(3) Will the Gentiles honor Israel at that time? Isaiah 61:4-6, 9; Zechariah 8:23.


(4) As various Gentile peoples bring former Israelite captives back to unite with their families in the region of the Holy Land, will these Gentiles also present treasures to physical Israel? Isaiah 60:3-5, 11.


Comment: The phrase in verses 5 and 11, “forces of the Gentiles,” means “wealth of the Gentiles.” God will cause Israel to be highly honored in the sight of all nations, as they lavish riches upon them.


(5) Is this the time in which Israel will truly begin to fulfill God’s promise to Abraham? Genesis 22:18; 26:4.

The Final Judgment – The Last Great Day

The last of the seven annual feasts that God has commanded His people to observe. The Last Great Day represents more than one significant event, in contrast to most of the preceding feast days. This final feast commemorates the time of final judgment and crucial events that follow the millennial rule of the kingdom of God on earth. Truly, the millennium is only the beginning of eternity, as the saints of the First Resurrection are trained and prepared for greater things ahead—a time of laying the foundation for even greater joy and achievements beyond the Millennium.


Comment: Even the blessings of the birthright nations of Israel in this present age will pale into insignificance compared to what will be bestowed upon them during the millennium.


At that time, physical Israel will truly become “as the sand of the seashore” and will finally live up to the standard that God had intended for them (Deut. 4:5-8).

In Summary


In the millennium, all the world will begin to live the way that produces happiness, peace and every desirable outcome, as God always intended.


The Feast of Tabernacles is full of meaning that can only be truly appreciated by observing this convocation each year as commanded.

DOES IT MATTER TO GOD??: THE SABBATH, TEN COMMANDMENTS, HOLY DAYS??? AUTHORITY FROM MAN OR GOD?

Does It Matter to God?

We have a choice. We can choose the feast days instituted by God or the holidays substituted by men. The choices we make affect our destiny and impact our relationship with our Creator.

Over the last two millennia, traditional Christianity has systematically laid aside the "feast days of the Lord" and established its own holidays. Christmas was established to enable pagan converts to come into church fellowship without forsaking their heathen customs and practices. Easter is a replacement for the biblical Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread.

Does it matter to God?Even the weekly Sabbath was abandoned in favor of Sunday, the pagan day of the sun, supposedly to commemorate Jesus' resurrection (though, as we demonstrated earlier, it took place not on Sunday morning but at the end of the weekly Sabbath at sunset Saturday).

Although we should immediately recognize that overruling God's instructions is dangerous behavior, let's consider, from the biblical record, whether such inventions and alterations are acceptable worship to our Creator God.

Changing God's instructions

When God began working with the ancient Israelites, He intended they set an example of obedience to Him for the nations around them (Deuteronomy 4:1, 6-8). They were to be a model nation, showing other peoples that God's way of life produces abundant blessings. Their experiences serve as continuing examples for us (1 Corinthians 10:1-11).

During their years in Egypt, the Israelites were exposed to Egyptian culture and worship. Notice what Unger's Bible Dictionary says about this culture: "The Egyptian religion was an utterly bewildering polytheistic conglomeration in which many deities of the earliest periods, when each town had its own deity, were retained …

"Every object beheld, every phenomenon of nature, was thought to be indwelt by a spirit which could choose its own form, occupying the body of a crocodile, a fish, a cow, a cat, etc. Hence the Egyptians had numerous holy animals, principally the bull, the cow, the cat, the baboon, the jackal, and the crocodile" (1966, p. 291, "Egypt").

Shortly after miraculously delivering the Israelites from their bondage in Egypt, God instructed them how He wanted to be worshipped. He gave them His commandments (Exodus 20), along with statutes and judgments detailing how to apply them (Exodus 21-22). God revealed His feast days (Exodus 23:14-17; Leviticus 23) and gave directions regarding a priesthood, tabernacle and offerings (Exodus 25-31). God told Moses to climb Mount Sinai and gave him two tablets of stone engraved with the Ten Commandments (Exodus 24:12; 31:18).

When Moses didn't come down from Mount Sinai for some time (Exodus 32:1), the people prodded his brother Aaron into fashioning an idol for them to worship. They essentially mixed the Egyptian form of worship with the instructions they had just received from God. The practice of blending religious beliefs and practices is known as syncretism.

After creating a golden image of a calf, Aaron proclaimed the next day a holiday—"a feast to the Lord" (verses 4-5). They then "rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry" (verse 6, NIV). This celebration combined God's instruction with 

Egyptian religious practice and tradition.

We are not told why the Israelites chose this mix of worship. Perhaps they thought it was not a good idea to abandon all the familiar forms of worship at once and they simply practiced what they were accustomed to from their years immersed in Egyptian culture. Whatever their thinking, God was not pleased. He told Moses: "Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them" (verses 7-8, NIV).

God shows from His Word that He expects more from those who claim to follow Him. He wants people to worship Him "in spirit and truth" (John 4:23-24)—not with corrupted, vile practices rooted in the worship of other gods.

Consequences of futile worship

The Israelites were in no way justified in departing from the God-ordained instructions introduced in the wilderness. God was so angered by their actions that He was ready to destroy the nation (Exodus 32:10). Only on Moses' pleadings did God relent and spare them (verses 11-14).

Ancient Israel's experiment with combining parts of God's instruction with pagan customs and elements was a disaster. In punishment for this sin, 3,000 men lost their lives (verses 27-28). Those who weren't killed had to drink water polluted with the ground-up idol, pulverized into powder (verse 20).

Being presumptuous—taking unauthorized liberty to do things such as altering God's instructions for worship—is sinful. The Bible describes the Israelites' actions as "a great sin" (verses 21, 30, 31). God's law is clear concerning presumptuous behavior (Numbers 15:30-31).

The principle holds true today among God's people. Once we come to understand His truth, we have an obligation to take steps to obey Him. We recognize that the instruction and examples in His Word were recorded for our spiritual instruction and benefit (1 Corinthians 10:6, 11; Romans 15:4).

Additional warnings for Christians

The generation of Israelites who called for the golden calf apparently never learned to trust and obey God. Only a short time later, while preparing to go into the land God had promised them, they grew afraid of the land's inhabitants and refused to enter (Numbers 13-14). As a result, God told them they would wander 40 years in the wilderness until all those who had refused to follow His instructions had died (Numbers 14:33). After their deaths, God then began preparing the next generation to enter Canaan.

Part of God's instructions included an explicit warning against incorporating pagan customs into their worship. Here are His exact words:

"When the Lord your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, 'How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.'

"You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it" (Deuteronomy 12:29-32).

Regrettably, the Israelites often failed to heed God's warning. Time and time again they let their fascination with the religious practices of those around them get the better of them as they lapsed into idolatrous worship.

In the 600s B.C. God gave three more warnings against this kind of behavior. First, through the prophet Jeremiah, God said, "Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, for the Gentiles are dismayed at them" (Jeremiah 10:2). Here God cautioned His people against following the gentile (non-Israelite) practices of worshipping the heavenly bodies (like the sun on Dec. 25) and against astrology in general.

In the following verses (3-9), God describes some of their idolatrous customs. They cut a tree from the forest, prop it up and decorate it with precious metals.

Although this account is specifically referring to setting up an object of idolatrous worship (verses 6-8), God's command here, "Do not learn the way of the Gentiles," applies to all pagan religious customs. Christmas trees, mistletoe and colorful lights that come from pagan winter-solstice celebrations, rabbits and Easter eggs as fertility symbols, and demonic concepts at Halloween, all fit this prohibition. Likewise a number of other modern traditions, such as New Year's Day celebration and Valentine's Day, also fit the prohibition—as they, too, originate in pagan worship.

In giving this instruction against learning the way of the gentiles, God wanted His people to avoid the type of sin their forefathers had committed with the golden calf.

A few years after the statement in Jeremiah, God again expressed His anger with His people: "For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols, and even sacrificed their sons whom they bore to Me, passing them through the fire, to devour them. Moreover they have done this to Me: They have defiled My sanctuary on the same day and profaned My Sabbaths. For after they had slain their children for their idols, on the same day they came into My sanctuary to profane it; and indeed thus they have done in the midst of My house" (Ezekiel 23:37-39).

Here it appears that Israel practiced one of the customs like those originally associated with the Saturnalia and worship of Saturn—the sacrificing of children—and then came to worship God on one of His Sabbaths!

Through the prophet Zephaniah God decried "those who worship the host of heaven on the housetops; those who worship and swear oaths by the Lord , but who also swear by Milcom" (Zephaniah 1:5). God is not pleased when people are double-minded (James 1:8; 4:8) in their worship—accepting false religions and customs while professing to worship Him.

A consistent message throughout the Bible

Some people wrongly assume that Old Testament prohibitions against mixing paganism with godly worship were annulled during apostolic times. Nothing could be further from the truth.

To prove the continuity of God's teaching in the New Testament, let us consider the city of Corinth. Here we find one of the most instructive examples about incorporating paganism into Christianity.

Strategically located just south of the narrow isthmus connecting central Greece with the Peloponnesus, this city sat on an important trade route. Its inhabitants grew rich by transporting goods across the four-mile isthmus, which saved merchants a 200-mile trip by ship. Worship of Aphrodite (the Greek goddess of love) had long been part of the city's history. It also boasted a temple to Apollo, the Greek sun god.

What was Corinth like in the first century? "[Here] the apostle Paul established a flourishing church, made up of a cross section of the worldly minded people who had flocked to Corinth to participate in the gambling, legalized temple prostitution, business adventures, and amusements available in a first-century navy town …

"The city soon became a melting pot for the approximately 500,000 people who lived there at the time of Paul's arrival. Merchants and sailors, anxious to work the docks, migrated to Corinth. Professional gamblers and athletes, betting on the Isthmian games, took up residence. Slaves, sometimes freed but with no place to go, roamed the streets day and night. And prostitutes (both male and female) were abundant. People from Rome, the rest of Greece, Egypt, Asia Minor—indeed, all of the Mediterranean world—relished the lack of standards and freedom of thought that prevailed in the city.

"These were the people who eventually made up the Corinthian church. They had to learn to live together in harmony, although their national, social, economic, and religious backgrounds were very different" (Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary, "Corinth").

Paul's instruction regarding other religious practices

Writing to this diverse group, primarily gentiles with a tradition of idol worship (1 Corinthians 12:2), Paul addressed the issue of whether outside religious customs and practices had any place among God's people:

"What fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: 'I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.'

"Therefore 'Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.' Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Corinthians 6:14–18; 7:1).

Instead of renaming some of the pagan customs as Christian or allowing the new converts to retain some of their former practices, the apostle Paul commanded them to leave behind all of these forms of worship. He condemned the sexual immorality that was a common part of the fertility rites in honor of the goddess Aphrodite (1 Corinthians 6:13, 18; 1 Thessalonians 4:3). No doubt the new church did not participate in winter-solstice celebrations honoring the sun god Apollo. Nor did they imitate these to honor Christ—as this would not have honored Christ at all.

Christianity that is faithful to the Bible teaches its followers that "our old man was crucified with Him [Jesus Christ], that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin" (Romans 6:6). If someone is strongly committed to following Christ, "he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Paul explains that we are not to retain our favorite past religious traditions. Indeed, "all things have become new"! As part of the "old man" (Ephesians 4:22; Colossians 3:9), our former styles of worship must go.

As Jesus taught, we simply cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13). We cannot simultaneously embrace two competing systems of worship.

We see the obvious continuity between the Old and New Testaments of the Bible; the new also forbids mixing pagan tradition with the "worship in spirit and truth" God commands (John 4:23-24).

Authority from man or God?

Since God is so strongly opposed to altering His revealed days of worship (Deuteronomy 12:32; Revelation 22:18-19), by what authority did human beings change the days we observe? Here is what The Encyclopaedia Britannica says about some early Christians: "Though many of [Jesus'] disciples continued to observe the special times and seasons of the Jewish Law, new converts broke with the custom because they regarded it as no longer needful or necessary" (15th edition, Vol. 4, p. 601, "Church Year"). Notice the lack of divine authorization. 

The people decided to make this change.

One humanly devised change in the early centuries after Christ was to worship on Sunday rather than the seventh-day Sabbath, the day authorized in the Bible. The same source acknowledges that "the New Testament writings do not explain how the practice began" (ibid., p. 603). Though some have theorized this change occurred in honor of Christ's resurrection, we have already seen that this rationale is flawed because Christ was resurrected near sundown on Saturday rather than on Sunday.

Replacing God's annual feast days with pagan holidays was also done in the same spirit. This same encyclopedia article makes this frank admission: "Unlike the cycle of feasts and fasts of the Jewish Law, the [modern] Christian year has never been based upon a divine revelation. It is rather a tradition that is always subject to change by ecclesiastical law. Each self-governing church maintains the right to order the church year" (p. 601).

When the kingdom of Israel divided after Solomon's death, King Jeroboam of the northern 10 tribes soon changed the date of the annual autumn festival from the seventh to the eighth month of the Hebrew calendar (1 Kings 12:32-33). So the first king of the new northern Israelite dynasty established a corrupting pattern in the nation's religious life, one that eventually helped lead to the northern tribes' destruction at the hands of the Assyrian Empire.

Throughout the northern kingdom's history, the political and ecclesiastical leadership stubbornly persisted in "the sins of Jeroboam" (1 Kings 13:34; 15:30; 16:2-3, 19; etc.), one of which was his unauthorized alteration of the date of a God-ordained religious festival.

Time to leave nonbiblical religious traditions behind

As creatures of habit, we can find ourselves following traditions that are contrary to God's instructions. Almost 2,000 years ago Jesus Christ pointed out that a devoutly religious group, the Pharisees, was in just such a situation. He told them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men … All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition" (Mark 7:6-9).

Just proclaiming that something is Christian does not make it so. No matter what our traditions have been or what rationalizations we may employ, the Bible is clear that we must follow our Creator's directions on His days and forms of worship.

In Colossians 2:8 the apostle Paul warns, "Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ."

Similarly, one of the last messages in the Bible reveals this warning for people caught up in a great worldwide system that established itself in opposition to God: "Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities" (Revelation 18:4-5).

We have a choice. We can choose the feast days instituted by God or the holidays substituted by men unwittingly deceived by Satan. The choices we make affect our destiny and impact our relationship with our Creator.

We can take great comfort in the meaning of the days of worship revealed in the Bible, since they represent the magnificent plan of God, who will give every human being an opportunity to understand and accept His way of life either now or, for the majority of human beings, in an age yet to come. If your eyes have been opened, you have a clear responsibility to make the right choice today. Will you now act on what you know? 

Alas, sinful nation, A people laden with iniquity, A brood of evildoers, Children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the Lord, They have provoked to anger The Holy One of Israel, They have turned away backward. 

(Isaiah 1:4 NKJ)

Bring no more futile sacrifices; Incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies-- I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.

(Isaiah 1:13 NKJ)

Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; They are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them. 

(Isaiah 1:14 NKJ)

'Why have we fasted,' they say, 'and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?' "In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, And exploit all your laborers. 

(Isaiah 58:3 NKJV)

I will turn your feasts into mourning, And all your songs into lamentation; I will bring sackcloth on every waist, And baldness on every head; I will make it like mourning for an only son, And its end like a bitter day. 

(Amos 8:10 NKJ)

"Behold, I will rebuke your descendants And spread refuse on your faces, The refuse of your solemn feasts; And one will take you away with it.

(Malachi 2:3 NKJ)

No one calls for justice, Nor does any plead for truth. They trust in empty words and speak lies; They conceive evil and bring forth iniquity. 

(Isaiah 59:4 NKJ)

THE TRUHEAT SHOW: GOD'S PURPOSE AND PLAN (EPISODE 12)