Let’s recap what we have learned so far: AFTER Christ has died for our sins to redeem mankind — AFTER He has sent us the Holy Spirit and picked out a people for His Name to become kings and priests through the thousand years — AFTER — His glorious second coming — AFTER He has finally restored the redeemed by placing all the sins upon the head of Satan, their real author, and separating both him and the sins from the presence of God and His people, thus finally perfecting the AT-ONE-MENT, making us finally joined in one — then we are ready for that final series of events in God’s Plan, the commencement of the “Marriage of The Lamb,” the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth and the reaping of the great harvest of souls for one thousand years. This festival, The Feast of Tabernacles, pictures the MILLENNIUM!
To portray His Plan, God took the yearly material harvest seasons in Palestine as the picture of the spiritual harvest of souls. In Palestine there are two annual harvests. The first, produced by the early rain, is the spring rain harvest. Second, produced by the “latter rain,” comes the main harvest—the much greater fall harvest
When is this festival to be held? Notice, “at the year’s end” (Ex. 34:22). In this verse the festival of tabernacles or booths is specifically called the “feast of ingathering.” The harvest year ended at the beginning of autumn. Just as
Pentecost
pictures the early harvest — this church age, so the festival of ingatherings or tabernacles pictures the fall harvest — the great harvest of souls in the millennium!
Contrary to what II Cor. 6:2 says, Today is not the ONLY day of salvation. Today is
a
day of salvation. (Isaiah 49:8). The original Greek words of Paul in II Cor. 6:2 should be translated “A day of salvation, not
the
day of salvation.”
What is the time setting of Zechariah 14? The millennium! “The Eternal shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Eternal, and His name one…there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited” (verses 9-11). It is the time when “living waters” – salvation, the Holy Spirit — “shall go out from Jerusalem” (verse 8). The “waters” are literal as well as figurative. God often pictures His spiritual PLAN by material events.
In that day, when the earth is safely inhabited, when the Holy Spirit is granted to all mortal flesh, what happens? “And it shall come to pass that everyone that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, AND TO KEEP THE FEAST OF TABAERNALCES.” Notice verse 16. After Christ returns, the nations — mortal Gentiles who have NOT YET received the opportunity for salvation — will come to Jerusalem. Why? To keep the Feast of Tabernacles!
What happens if the nations refuse to KEEP THE FEAST?
“And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all
the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship
the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them SHALL BE
NO RAIN,” The nations will be forced to keep the
feast. And if they still won’t obey, “There shall be
the plague, wherewith the Lord will smite the
heathen” — there are still heathen nations just
beginning to learn the way of salvation — “that come
not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. This shall
be the punishment of all nations that come not up to
keep the feast of tabernacles” (verses 17-19).
Now let’s look at the Old Testament account of this
Holy Day. “Thou shalt keep the feast of tabernacles
seven days, after that thou have gathered in from
thy threshing and from thy winepress. And thou shalt
rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy
daughter…Seven days shalt thou keep a feast unto the
Eternal thy God in the place which the eternal shall
choose; because the Eternal thy God shall bless thee
in all thine increase, and in the work of thy hands,
and thou shalt be altogether joyful…and they shall
not appear before the Eternal empty; every man shall
give as he is able, according to the blessing of the
Eternal thy God which He hath given thee” (Deut.
16:13-17).
Why is this feast called the Feast of Tabernacles or
Booths? During the millennium, the Kingdom of God
into which we may be born will rule the nations
which are composed of mortal men begotten by the
Spirit of God. The billions of mortals alive during
the millennium will still be heirs to the Kingdom of
God. They will not yet have inherited it as long as
they remain mortal flesh, for “flesh and blood cannot
inherit the kingdom of God” (I Cor. 15:50). “Ye must
be born again”—of the Spirit” — to inherit the
Kingdom, said Jesus.
Remember that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were merely
heirs when they dwelled on earth (Heb. 11:9). While
heirs they dwelled in tabernacles or booths,
sojourning in the land of promise. Booths or
temporary dwellings pictured that they were not yet
inheritors. Thus, we read of the Feast of Tabernacles
that “Ye shall dwell in booths seven days…that your
generations may know that I made the children of
Israel to dwell in booths when I brought them out of
the land of Egypt” Lev. 23:43). Israel dwelled in
booths in the wilderness BEFORE they entered the
Promised Land. Those booths pictured that they were
only heirs. Even during the millennium, when the
Kingdom of God is ruling over mortal nations, the
people will be only heirs to the Kingdom. They must
overcome their carnal nature and grow in knowledge
and wisdom to inherit the promises.
The typology is beautiful. As the Israelites dwelled
in booths, or temporary dwellings, so must you and I
dwell in temporary dwellings (our physical bodies)
during this lifetime. The Holy Spirit dwells in us
developing a “new creature” in Christ. When we are
changed our physical bodies pass away and the Spirit
is magnified. (II Cor. 5:1-5). Now turn to II Peter
and read verses 13 and 14. “Yea I think it
meet(suitable), as long as I am in this tabernacle
(body) to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;
Knowing that shortly I must put off this my
tabernacle (die), even as our Lord Jesus Christ
hath shewed me.”
What a marvelous Plan. God is fair. But wait! What about all those who died before Christ’s return and never had an opportunity for Salvation? What about your loved ones and mine? What about all the babies that were aborted or killed before ever coming of age to be able to KNOW GOD? Are they GONE FOREVER? Absolutely NOT! God is fair. This group of peoples’ HOPE lies in the seventh and final HOLY DAY — The Last Great Day!
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Read the next subject in the series "God's
Master Plan of Salvation -
The Last Great Day
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Read and print the entire article -
God's Master Plan Of Salvation
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Web Site Page - Feast of Tabernacles Information
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Web Site Page - Articles on Biblical topics (sorted by God's Holy Days)
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Web Site Page - God's Master Plan of Salvation
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Web Site Page - 3 reasons why YOU should attend the Feast of Tabernacles
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Web Site Page - Video Sermons Web Page (sorted by God’s Holy Days)
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Article - The Feast of Tabernacles 2006
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Article - Holy Days Reveal God’s Mind
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Article - God’s Harvest Feasts!
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Article - God’s Holy Days: A Sneak Preview Of Your Future!
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Article - Lessons From The Book Of Ecclesiastes
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Article - Fearing God - A Lesson Of The Feast
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Article - This Feast Depicts Hope!
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Article - The Feast Of Tabernacles And The Millenium In History
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Article - Two Great Lessons From The Feast Of Tabernacles
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Article - Solomon’s Splendor, A Type of the Kingdom of God
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Article - Looking Into The New World Of Tomorrow
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Article - Study God’s Laws
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Article - Seven Keys To Understanding Your Bible
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Article - Preparing For Your New Birth
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Article - God’s Feast Of Tabernacles – What Does It Mean?
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Article - Are The Holy Days To Be Kept Today?
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Article - A Study Of The Feast Of Tabernacles
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Article - A Feast Of Unity
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Article - Unreal!
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