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The Great Week of Time
Tabernacles and the Great Eighth Part 11 God gave His ancient people seven special feasts, which together would summarize the redemptive plan:
Passover Blood became the redemptive price and medium to freedom First Fruits The avant-garde of dedicated saints cleansed by the blood Unleavened Bread Disengagement from sin through the power of the blood Pentecost Special divine blessing with power to witness Trumpets Last call to repentance by firstfruits Atonement Kingdom made up through cleansing Tabernacles God is joined to His people – harvest ended
These actually represent a chiasm or a special prophetic pattern:
Passover Plan instituted First Fruits Choosing of saints begins Unleavened Bread Invitation to repent Pentecost Power for all Trumpets Final chance to repent Atonement Choosing of saints ends Tabernacles Plan completed
These feasts also had prophetic significance, outlining the final stages of the redemptive plan for planet earth. Embodied in the chiastic imagery were represented the two Messianic advents.1 Of special significance was the last feast. This occurred five days after the Day of Atonement on the fifteenth of Tishri (October) at full moon. Since all the harvest was completed, Tabernacles came “after” the harvest. In an end-time metaphor, the Feast of Tabernacles occurs after the angel thrusts in the sickle and completes earth’s harvest (Revelation 14). This was a time when the Israelites fashioned booths out of palm branches and foliage, representing their temporary dwellings in the wilderness sojourn. It was a celebration of their dependence upon God’s ever-present mercies as He tabernacled with them. Josephus, a Jewish historian, referred to the Feast of Tabernacles as the holiest and greatest of the Hebrew feasts (Antiquities of the Jews, 11.8). When the Jews returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity, Ezra read the Torah and Israel celebrated this feast (Nehemiah The booth or “tabernacle” is a symbol of protection, preservation and shelter from heat and storm (Psalms 27:5, 31:20; Isaiah 4:6). Other names include: • Feast of Ingathering – because it celebrated the final harvest (Exodus Deuteronomy 16:13; Leviticus 23:39) • Feast to the Lord (Leviticus • The Feasts (Leviticus Ezekiel 45:23, 25) as a grand finale’ metaphor to all the feasts
Tabernacles was declared to be a “perpetual” statute “throughout your generations.” This was the last or culmination of appointed times (mowed), declared to be a “holy convocation” (Leviticus When Israel left Egypt, heading towards the Promised Land, their first stop was Succoth (Exodus This Feast of Booths symbolized their transient attachment to this world enroute to the Promised Land. As Abraham knew he was only a pilgrim and a stranger in the land, looking for the city, New Jerusalem, whose builder and maker is God (Hebrews Tabernacles has a deeper and more beautiful meaning than only to this “ancient history.” It is the appointed time when Jesus takes us home to tabernacle with Him – forever. It is the time when this “present house” is to be replaced by a glorious body. The booths were made of earthly material. Our glorious bodies will be of heavenly origin (Romans When Solomon celebrated Tabernacles at the temple dedication, 120 priests blew their trumpets in harmony with the singers and then glory filled that temple (II Chronicles The imagery goes further. The seven days of Tabernacles represent the millennial period of earth’s history. The first six for man’s sojourn, the last for when the land should rest (Leviticus 26). According to Deuteronomy 31:10-11 the law was to be read every seventh year, at the year of release, when the land should rest. During the millennial rest of this earth, when Satan is bound (Revelation 20:2-3, 7) the saints will reign with Christ – for one thousand years (Revelation 20:4, 6) as priests of God. The basis for the priesthood and kingship will be God’s standard – His law – which is a transcript in human language of His character and is the basis of all judgment.
Jesus and Tabernacles The Apostle John is the only New Testament writer to tell us how Jesus observed the Feast of Tabernacles. “Now the Jews’ feast of tabernacles was at hand. His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, show thyself to the world. For neither did his brethren believe in him.” John 7:2-5. Jesus’ brothers wanted Jesus to market himself differently – in an open forum with public fanfare. They saw His kingship defined. This symbolizes all the world that secularizes and markets Christianity. It socializes grace and opens the door for universal salvation – “the king will save you against all opposition.” The Bible has a timing message regarding this experience from Jesus Himself: “Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready. The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast: for my time is not yet full come. When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee. But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.” John 7:6-10. Tabernacles was then still only in type. At the great antitype Jesus will come openly – not in secret. Every eye will see Him (Revelation 1:7). Jesus sent His disciples ahead of Him. “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.” Malachi 3:1-4. At Tabernacles God’s people were to reflect on His goodness and mercy. It was a tribute in thanksgiving for everything God had done. From the protection during their wilderness wanderings to the harvest already stored for the coming year. All was designed to mature the bonding between God and His people. “With sacred song and thanksgiving the worshipers celebrated this occasion. A little before the feast was the Day of Atonement, when, after confession of their sins, the people were declared to be at peace with Heaven. Thus the way was prepared for the rejoicing of the feast. ‘O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good: for His mercy endureth forever’ (Ps. 106:1) rose triumphantly, while all kinds of music, mingled with shouts of hosanna, accompanied the united singing. The temple was the center of the universal joy. Here was the pomp of the sacrificial ceremonies. Here, ranged on either side of the white marble steps of the sacred building, the choir of Levites led the service of song. The multitude of worshipers, waving their branches of palm and myrtle, took up the strain, and echoed the chorus; and again the melody was caught up by voices near and afar off, till the encircling hills were vocal with praise.”2 Jesus’ time was “not yet at hand.” Yet, the careless throng and ignorant Jewish leaders He must remind of the spiritual significance of this festival. The Scriptures say, “in the midst of the feast, Jesus went up into the temple, and began to teach.” John 7:14. Not as a king nor a conqueror but as a shepherd with deep concern for the welfare and safety of His flock. He stood within the precinct of His “church” to bring light. “The world for Christ was not a place of ease and self-aggrandizement. He was not watching for an opportunity to seize its power and its glory. It held out no such prize for Him. It was the place into which His Father had sent Him. He had been given for the life of the world, to work out the great plan of redemption. He was accomplishing His work for the fallen race. But He was not to be presumptuous, not to rush into danger, not to hasten a crisis. Each event in His work had its appointed hour. He must wait patiently. He knew that He was to receive the world’s hatred; He knew that His work would result in His death; but to prematurely expose Himself would not be the will of His Father.”3 Jesus appeared in the middle of the feast and taught the throng each day. So moved were the people that they were astonished “for His word was with power.” Luke 4:32. Something dramatic occurred at the end of that feast. God instructed Moses that the Feast of Tabernacles was to be for seven days. But then he said, “on the eighth day shall be a holy convocation unto you.” Leviticus 23:36. The eighth day was seen by some as the greatest day in all the feast. It was set apart by heavenly instruction. That day – the eighth – the great symbol of “beginning again,” “renewal,” Jesus’ voice rang through the temple courts to come to Him if they were thirsty. To the wearied attendees, “their hearts thrilled with a strange awe,” “give me this water, that I thirst not.” John It was on the “eighth” of every 49th year (Jubilee cycle – the last of seven) that restoration occurred. It was then that the Water of Life – Jesus – would eternally satisfy that they “thirst not.” This was often called the “great feast day.”
John the Revelator Picks Up the Tabernacle Theme The Seven Seals on the “Destiny Scroll” of Revelation 5 and 8:1 are in sequence – as they are numbered. In the sixth Seal the wicked, at Jesus’ second coming, “hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains,” crying, “Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.” Revelation 6:15-16. Since the Seals are in sequence, the seventh is recorded in Revelation 8:1, which comes after the second coming of Jesus. It was the breaking of that Seal that caused silence after the sixth-Seal events. “And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.” Revelation 8:1. The Greek word for “heaven” can mean either the place where God dwells, the sky we see, or both. Most expositors believe it represents the “space” between earth and the heavenly throne center. The silence is a great metaphor for stunning awe – catching one’s breath in amazement, or as some express it, “baited breath.” What could evoke such a response? The great antitypical Feast of Tabernacles represents the time when Jesus has come to get His saints. The harvest is ended. The saints are gathered in. For the first time, the saints are with their precious Savior. They hear His voice for the first time, receive their crowns personally from Him, and each one travels together with his guardian angel. It is a time of sacred awe, a stunning experience as if everyone has baited breath at each moment’s drama – the metaphor of silence is used. The saints will also see those who have been saved as the result of their efforts. It will be the first part of eternity. The redeemed will celebrate their first Sabbath with Jesus enroute. “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.” Revelation 21:3. How long does this journey take? The Bible says it lasts the space of one half hour. Since the Feast of Tabernacles was an annual event, one half hour is to 24 hours as something is to 360 days (Jewish year of 30-day months). It is 7-1/2 days – one-half day here drawing the saints into a vast wonderful throng and seven days traveling to the great city, New Jerusalem. How long did the Feast of Tabernacles last? Seven days (Leviticus “Then Jesus’ silver trumpet sounded, as He descended on the cloud, wrapped in flames of fire. He gazed on the graves of the sleeping saints, then raised His eyes and hands to heaven, and cried, ‘Awake! awake! awake! ye that sleep in the dust, and arise.’ Then there was a mighty earthquake. The graves opened, and the dead came up clothed with immortality. The 144,000 shouted, ‘Alleluia!’ as they recognized their friends who had been torn from them by death, and in the same moment we were changed and caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air. “We all entered the cloud together, and were seven days ascending to the sea of glass, when Jesus brought the crowns, and with His own right hand placed them on our heads.”4
The Eighth In the Great Week of Time theme everything is completed by the end of the seventh millennium. At the end of the seven days the gates of that amazing city are approached. The seventh millennium will be spent in heaven. But the “day” it begins is incredibly special – it is called the “eighth.” Once again, this is presented as the time of restoration or beginning again. Jesus actually put an “eighth” day onto the “seven days” of Tabernacles (Leviticus On the “eighth” there is a celebration of the “harvest.” It is called “The Marriage Supper of the Lamb.” “To the mind of Jesus the gladness of the wedding festivities pointed forward to the rejoicing of that day when He shall bring home His bride to the Father’s house, and the redeemed with the Redeemer shall sit down to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”5 “And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed [are] they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.” Revelation 19:6-9. “Christ looks upon His people as the reward of all His suffering, His humiliation, and His love, and the supplement of His glory,–Christ, the great center from which radiates all glory. ‘Blessed are they which are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’”6 The marriage supper of the Lamb celebrates the new beginning on the eighth day of Tabernacles. The eighth millennium represents a new beginning of the newly recreated heavens and earth. Revelation 21:1 says that the first heaven and earth are passed away. In verse 5 Jesus says, “Behold, I make all things new.” The eighth – whether of Tabernacles at The Marriage Supper of the Lamb or the eighth millennium with the new heaven and earth, they all invoke “ages without end.” The King of kings and Lord of lords reigns forever, and we are His bride forever. The eighth summons the completion of an eternal purpose. The “Plan of Redemption” has garnered her children.
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