The sixth Holy Day in God’s plan for the salvation of those who will come to Him is called the Festival (Feast) of Tabernacles which He commands in Leviticus 23:33-35: “And the Eternal spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be a Feast of Tabernacles for seven days unto the Eternal. On the first day shall be an holy convocation.”

On the first of these days we are commanded to hold a church service. “… and ye shall rejoice before the Eternal your God seven days … It shall be a statute FOREVER in your generations; ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month” (Lev. 23:40,41). Notice that the Festival of Tabernacles is to be held “… at the year’s end” (Ex. 34:22). In this verse the festival is specifically called the “Festival of Ingathering,” which reveals the purpose for the occasion. Just as the feast marked the final and major crop harvest, today it symbolizes the final and major harvest of souls. The first gathering in the spring (Pentecost) reaps a tiny crop (the 120 in the Upper Room initially and the few {Mat. 7:13,14} in God’s church today), the fall harvest will be much larger. This great harvest of souls will take place during the thousand years (the millennium) that transpire between the return of Jesus Christ at the end of the Great Tribulation and the final harvest symbolized by the Feast of Tabernacles/Ingathering to take place at the end of the millennium. For one thousand years God’s First Resurrection saints/firstfruits will minister to the masses who have lived during the Great Tribulation, who have had access to God’s Word but, due to their false prophets, have not embraced it. This group will include the multiplied millions who comprise the end-time church. Winning them to the Lord will not happen automatically.

The 14th chapter of Zechariah pictures what will be going on during the millennium: “And 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” (vss 9,11). At that time “living waters”–salvation–shall go out from Jerusalem (vs 8) to the masses to whom God’s saints will be ministering. In that day the Holy Spirit will be made available to all flesh, including those who had been part of the false church. There will be multiplied millions of people living on earth who are not in the Kingdom of God located in the Holy Land. God’s saints will minister to them during the millennium. Perhaps we will minister to our loved ones who lived in religious ignorance throughout their lives. This is my personal wish, though I find no Scriptural basis that supports it.

In verse 16 we are told that during the millennium the nations–all those not in the Kingdom of God to whom the saints have been ministering–will be required to come to Jerusalem annually to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. Now see what happens to those who refuse to do so. “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.” God will punish them with drought. And if they still refuse to come: “There shall be the plague, wherewith the Lord will smite the heathen 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” (vss 17-19). Notice that God labels as “heathen” all who do not keep the Festival of Tabernacles. To receive salvation during the millennium the Gentiles/heathen will be required to keep this festival. To be part of God’s Firstfruits one must keep the festival today. During the millennium, when the Kingdom of God is ruling over these mortal nations, the people who believe what His saints tell them will be only heirs (potential inheritors) to the Kingdom. They must overcome, grow in knowledge and wisdom and obey what they learn in order to inherit the promises of God. Those who do so will be born again–changed from flesh to spirit. This is necessary in order to enter the Kingdom, for flesh and blood cannot enter therein. When this part of the harvest is completed, Jesus will gather His co-ruling saints to Himself on His throne. Then to those who have come to Him during the millennium He will say: “Inherit the Kingdom” (Mat. 25:34).  But there is yet one more festival.

The Feast of Tabernacles is actually seven days long. Seven is God’s number of completeness. Therefore He has commanded seven festivals. Let us see where He mentions these days: “The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days unto the Lord … on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you … it is a day of solemn assembly” (Lev. 23:34,36). This eighth day, technically a separate feast, is called “… the last day, that great day of the feast” (Jn. 7:37).

This is that judgment day mentioned in Matthew 10:15. It is a time when Gentiles who died in ignorance even of the name of Jesus Christ will be given an opportunity to receive salvation. Ezekiel 16:53-55 reveals this. Even those in Israel who died in their sins will be given the opportunity to understand and accept God’s Way as Ezekiel 37 attests. In verse 14 He states that He will pour out the Holy Spirit (breathe on them) and they will be resurrected. This eighth day pictures the completion of God’s plan of ingathering. It occurs just prior to the coming of the new heaven and new earth. All people who have died in the past will be resurrected. Revelation 20:12 presents the final view of judgment day as the material heaven and earth are perishing and the faithful are receiving their eternal reward at the throne of Christ. The wicked who, though knowing the Truth, had refused to obey it are seen perishing in the Lake of Fire. Many in this group will have known the Truth, but due to fear, pride or outright rejection of God’s Truth, had refused to “come out of her … touch not the unclean thing.”

In Leviticus 23:37,38, after describing the Holy Days, God says: “These are the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations … beside the (weekly) Sabbaths of the Lord.” We are therefore to keep not only the Lord’s seventh day (Saturday) Sabbath, but the other Holy Days also. Christmas, the Sunday Sabbath, Easter, etc. are holidays adopted from the heathen world. Let us forsake them and observe God’s Holy Days. As each Holy Day approaches I will provide specific information relative to how it is to be observed. L.J.