Episode 216: When All Will Get a Chance for Salvation - The Last Great Day
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JESUS CHRIST ATTENDED THIS HOLY DAY AT RISK OF HIS LIFE

Christ attended the Feast at the risk of His life. Some of us have gone to the Feast of Tabernacles at risk to our jobs or careers, and have been blessed for so doing. But Jesus risked his life to attend! If the Holy Days, commanded by God, in the Old Testament and mentioned in the New, were to be done away, why would Jesus have kept them at the risk of His life?

 

John 7:1-9 (MKJV)

1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee, for He did not desire to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him.

2 And the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near.

3 Therefore His brothers said to Him, Move away from here and go into Judea, so that Your disciples also may see the works that You do, The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it, that its works are evil.

8 You go up to this feast; I am not yet going up to this feast; for My time is not yet fulfilled.

9 And saying He these things to them, He remained in Galilee.

10 But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as in secret.

 

The book of John uses the term “Jews” to mean the Jewish Leadership. All the people in the book of John were Jewish. These days are God's Days. Jesus was very popular with most of the Jewish people. The Jewish crowds were so huge that at times, He had to go the mountains and cross the lake to get away from the crowds. Jealousy of his popularity is why the Jewish religious leadership hated him. They were in power and had their police ordered to arrest him so they could have him killed. Therefore he avoided Judea for the time being. Then why would he attend the feast in the heart of the territory controlled by those out to murder him, if this feast of God was to be done away? If it were unimportant. It is important and that is why Christ kept the Feast of Tabernacles.

 

Matthew 27:15-18

15 Now at that feast the governor was accustomed to release to the people a prisoner, whomever they desired.

16 And they then had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.

17 Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said to them, Whom do you desire that I release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?

18 For he knew they had delivered Him because of envy.

 

Christ risked his life to attend the Feast of Tabernacles because it is a powerful positive uplift to true worshipers of God. Christ could get crowds without attending the Feast. But he set the example for us.

The people had all heard that the leaders wanted to execute Jesus.

 

John 7:13-14, 19, 26 (MKJV)

13 However, no one spoke openly of Him, because of the fear of the Jews.

 

The leadership of the nation of Judah was frightened of Jesus popularity and his obviously powerful teachings and miracles.

 

14 Now about the middle of the feast, Jesus went up into the temple and taught.

19 Did not Moses give you the law? And yet not one of you keeps the law! Why do you seek to kill Me?

26 But lo, he speaks publicly, and they say nothing to him. Perhaps the rulers truly know that this is the Christ indeed?

 

The entire chapter screams at us that Jesus took the Feast of Tabernacles very seriously. He would not allow it to pass without him also adding to the richness of the feast.

 

THE APOSTLE PAUL STRUGGLED TO KEEP THE FEAST AT GREAT RISK ALSO

Paul was speaking in the synagogue converting those called as the Feast of Tabernacles approached. Remember Paul is the author of most of the New Testament. People misunderstand his words and use him to justify doing away with the Holy Days of God. Note Paul's actions.

 

Acts 18:19-21

19 And he came to Ephesus and left them there. But he himself entered into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.

20 And they asking him to stay a longer time with them, he did not consent

21 but took leave of them, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that is coming in Jerusalem, but I will return again to you, God willing. And he sailed from Ephesus.

 

If the New Testament Church had already done away with these days doesn't his rushing away from an opportunity to make converts seem strange? Paul, if he did not know, would soon discover that he is a marked man in Jerusalem. The same leadership that killed Christ also fears him and his ministry more than the other Apostles. Remember that Christianity was considered then, as a sect within Judaism and Paul wants his teaching to be heard as part of the richness of the one big Godly commanded festival of the year.

 

Acts 11:26

26 And finding him, it was a whole year they were gathered to them in the church and taught a considerable crowd. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

 

Further Paul as a former leader himself of Judaism had more credibility and impact than the other Apostles. They desired to silence Paul with a fervor not seen of all the other Apostles.

 

Acts 9:29-31

29 And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and argued with the Grecians. But they seized him in order to kill him.

30 But knowing, the brothers brought him down to Caesarea and sent him forth to Tarsus.

31 Then, indeed, the churches had rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria, and having been built up. And having gone on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were increased.

 

Some of the other Apostles were in the city but Paul was a messenger hard to refute. Therefore Paul like Jesus, faced great dangers in going to the Feast of Tabernacles but went anyway. Paul said not to let the outside pagan world judge us regarding holy days , food and Sabbaths. The body of Christ the Church should make those decisions.

 

Paul faced the big lie in his day as we have endured in the modern age. His fame was such that his arrival in Jerusalem would cause a great upheaval. But note even some believers had been influenced by the big lie, which stated that Paul said God's Laws were done away. He made an exception for Gentiles regarding circumcision but enemies of the truth distorted his actions.

 

Acts 21:19-20, 22-24

19 And having greeted them, he related one by one what things God had done among the nations by his ministry.

20 And hearing, they glorified the Lord, and said to him, You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are who believe, and they are all zealous of the law.

22 What is it therefore? At all events a multitude will come together, for they will hear that you have come.

23 Therefore do this, what we say to you: We have four men who have a vow on themselves;

24 taking them, be purified with them, and be at expense for them, so that they may shave their heads. And all may know that what they have been told about you is nothing, but you yourself also walk orderly and keep the Law.

 

This would include Paul keeping the laws regarding annual Sabbaths such as the Feast of Tabernacles. Some of the better commentaries admit the obvious that Paul and the New Testament Church of the first century kept the holy days that are in the Bible. They call it the primitive church. The scholars admit that later it was changed. The apostles kept the holy days and so should we today.

 

WHY THE SPIRITUAL RICHNESS OF THE FEAST IS BENEFICIAL FOR BELIEVERS

These are God's Feast Days and He knows what is good for us. The world thinks Xmas and Halloween etc. are good for us. They have no idea, they are so deceived.

 

Leviticus 23:1-2

1 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

2 Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, The Feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim, holy convocations, even these are My appointed feasts.

 

We know that Christ is the God who spoke to Moses and the others. These are God's or Christ's appointed feasts. These are not the Jews Feasts, though they keep them, they belong to Christ. He set us an example of keeping them.

 

The Isrealites lived in temporary dwellings, booths on the way to the promised land. The Feast of Tabernacles pictures God's people entering the land of plenty. They were taught to rejoice. They were commanded to rejoice. They were required to save part of the harvest for this celebration. It was the biggest physical feast in God's calendar. However, it was not just a vacation. They were to learn of God's laws and ways of life. They were to rejoice and learn. Do both.

 

Deuteronomy 16:15

15 Seven days you shall keep a solemn feast to the LORD your God in the place which the LORD shall choose. Because the LORD your God shall bless you in all your increase, and in all the works of your hands, therefore you shall surely rejoice.

 

The feast is a time to rejoice with all the bounty of the Fall harvest. A time to picture the millennium paradise coming soon. When Christ comes again he will usher in the millennial reign of paradise foreshadowed by the Feast of Tabernacles.

 

Revelation 20:4

4 I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the Word of God, and who had not worshiped the beast nor his image, nor had received his mark on their foreheads, nor in their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

 

Revelation 21:3-4

3 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 will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.

4 And God will wipe away all tears from their eyes. And there will be no more death, nor mourning, nor crying out, nor will there be any more pain; for the first things passed away.

 

This feast is so important to God that when he takes control of the world at Christ second coming all nations will be forced to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

 

Zechariah 14:16-19

16 And it shall be, everyone who is left of all the nations which came up against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

17 And it shall be, whoever will not come up from all the families of the earth to Jerusalem to worship the King, Jehovah of hosts, even on them shall be no rain.

18 And if the family of Egypt does not go up, and nor come in, they shall have no rain, but the plague with which the LORD shall strike the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

19 This shall be Egypt's offense, and the offense of all the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

 

All the world will live in a wonderful world in which the feast will be part of learning unity and worshiping of the one true God that make it a paradise.