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Parallel Temple Services
Lesson 36
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The Feast of Trumpets
The Feast of Trumpets was the first of three
convocations held in the seventh month of the
year. According to Jewish history, the seventh
new moon of the year (or Tishri 1) was marked by
a very noisy feast. Priests were arranged in
groups and these groups took turns throughout the
day sounding their trumpets! Even after the feast
was over, trumpet blasts could be heart evening
and morning for eight more days. The Bible simply
says, “On the first day of the seventh month
hold a sacred assembly and do no work. It is a
day for you to sound the trumpets.” (Numbers
29:1)
The Old Testament does not provide much detail
about the Feast of Trumpets. However, we can
easily determine the purpose for the Feast of
Trumpets with a little investigation. The
sounding of trumpets in ancient times was the
equivalent of sounding a siren. (Joel 2:1) The
trumpet was used in ancient war much like the
bugle was used in the Civil War that happened in
the United States in the 1860’s. The
sounding of the trumpets was designed as a
warning to every man, woman and child that the
ultra-serious Day of Atonement was about to
arrive. God’s love for humanity moves Him to
notify people when the time of judgment arrives.
The ancient Day of Atonement was regarded as an
extremely solemn event because that day marked
the end of mercy. God required all known sins be
transferred to the sanctuary before sundown on
the tenth day of the seventh month. (Leviticus
16; 23:27-32) Remember, in ancient Israel a new
day began at evening, so the evening of the tenth
day is followed by the morning of the tenth day.
To show the children of Israel just how serious
He was about the end of mercy, God told Moses
that if any household was found guilty of
unconfessed sin on the Day of Atonement, that
household was to be cut off from the camp. In
other words, the heritage of each Jewish family
was at stake on the Day of Atonement. So, the
Feast of Trumpets served as an impressive
announcement that something very serious was
about to take place. According to Jewish
literature, the priests warned Israel of the
approaching Day of Atonement for nine days as
they sounded their trumpets throughout the
nation. Although no work was allowed on the Day
of Atonement, it was unlike the other annual
feasts because it was truly a day of fasting and
supplication.
The Feast of Trumpets notified the nation of
Israel that only a few days remained to make sure
everyone was fully reconciled with each other as
well as with God. The first nine days of Tishri
were dedicated to souls searching and reflection.
Each person within the household was to be sure
their sins had been transferred to the Alter of
Burnt Offering. According to Jewish rabbis, the
phrase, “Prepare to meet thy God, O
Israel” was often spoken during the first
nine days of the seventh month. Meeting with god
was not a causal matter. The Hebrews understood
that God’s displeasure could be aroused and
fire from God could consume thousands in a matter
of seconds. (Numbers 16, Psalm 78:21) They also
knew, however, that God was a God of love who
does not want one person to be destroyed.
(Deuteronomy 7:9; Isaiah 55:6-7; Matthew 18:14)
End-Time Trumpet Parallel
The parallel between the Feast of Trumpets and
the Seven Trumpets described in Revelation is
obvious and important. The sounding of trumpets
at the Feast of Trumpets is a shadow of the
sounding of seven trumpets in Heaven during the
Great Tribulation. Consider the parallel for a
moment: In ancient Israel, God terminated the
offer of salvation at sundown on the 10th
day of the seventh month (the Day of Atonement).
In our time, God will terminate the offer of
salvation when the seventh trumpet sounds
(Revelation 10:7; 11:15-19) God’s love for
humanity moves Him to notify people when the time
of judgment arrives. Consequently, when the seven
trumpets begin to sound in Heaven, there will be
corresponding events on Earth. (Remember the
Heaven-Earth-Linkage-Law?) As the trumpets
judgments fall on earth, 144,000 servants of God
will proclaim to the world, “Fear God and
give Him glory, because the hour of his judgments
has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the
earth, the sea and the springs of water.”
(Revelation 14:7) When the seventh trumpet
sounds, God’s generous offer of salvation to
mankind will be finished. Everyone will have made
a decision for or against the gospel by the time
the seventh trumpet sounds. Everyone who refuses
to accept the generous offer of salvation and the
perfect atonement that is offered through faith
in Christ will be “cut off” from
eternal life.
The seven trumpets of Revelation are linked with
seven terrible judgments that will fall on Earth.
These judgments cause the Great Tribulation. The
Bible predicts four global earthquakes, meteoric
showers of burning hail that burn up large
portions of Earth, two asteroids impacts, great
darkness covering one-third of the Earth –
caused perhaps by a large number of volcano
eruptions and more. Jesus said, “For then
there will be a great distress, unequaled from
the beginning of the world until now – and
never to be equaled again. If those days had not
been cut short, no one would survive, but for the
sake of the elect those days will be
shortened.” (Matthew 24: 21,22) Terrible
events and overwhelming suffering will cause
everyone to consider or reconsider reconciling
with their neighbors and with God. People who
love God and His truth will repent of wrongdoing.
They will accept the terms and conditions for
salvation that the 144,000 will proclaim. The
seventh day Sabbath will become, as in the days
just before the Exodus, a great test of faith.
People with hearts like Pharaoh will take their
stand on the side of rebellion against God.
Even though God’s mercy is great and His
salvation is free, there is a limit to His
Patience with rebellion and sinners. God’s
willingness to forgive sinners is beyond
comprehension, however, His patience with sinners
does not last forever. (See Genesis 6:5-7; Romans
2:5-8; Revelation 14: 9-10; and Revelation 18:
4,5.) Those who love the Lord will come to see
that His holy law declares the seventh day of the
week to be holy and will obediently submit to the
requirements of the Almighty. Just as standing
for God’s Sabbath was seen as an act of
rebellion against the authority of Pharaoh, so in
like manner the saints will be tested. All who
pass the test of faith will be sealed and
delivered from sin’s destruction. God has
promised to do this! The duration of the seven
trumpets and the time allocated for sealing the
saints will be 1,260 days. The 144,000 are sealed
first. (Revelation 7:1-4) and others will be
sealed as time passes. (Revelation 10:7)
The Day of Atonement / Reconciliation
The Day of Atonement occurred on the 10th
day of the 7th month. This service was
the most solemn of the six annual services. The
Day of Atonement service involves three vital
issues: The reconciliation of man with man, the
reconciliation of man to God and the removal of
sin from the temple. The Day of Atonement
indicates there is a terminus, a point in time
when God’s offer of mercy is terminated. The
Hebrew word for atonement, Kaphar (Strong H3733)
means to placate, cancel, reconcile, pacify.
Atonement is sometimes described as a state of
at-one-ment. The basic idea behind the word
atonement is reconciliation, being restored to a
state of oneness. Notice the requirements for
reconciliation: “The Lord said to Moses:
‘If anyone sins and is unfaithful to the
Lord by deceiving his neighbor about something
entrusted to him or left in his care or stolen,
or if he cheats him, or if he finds lost property
and lies about it, or if he swears falsely, or if
he commits any such sin that people may do- when
he thus sins and becomes guilty, he must return
what he has stolen or taken by extortion, or what
was entrusted to him, or lost property he found,
or whatever it was he swore falsely about. He
must make restitution in full, add a fifth of the
value to it and give it all to the owner on the
day he presents his guilt offering. And as a
penalty he must bring to the priest, that is, to
the Lord, his guilt offering, a ram from the
flock, one without defect and of the proper
value. In this way the priest will make atonement
for him before the Lord, and he will be forgiven
for any of these things he did that made him
guilty.’” (Leviticus 6:1-7) If a person
sinned against his neighbor, God required
atonement between the two parties before He would
allow the guilt of that sin to be transferred to
the temple. Jesus understood the necessity for
atonement with a brother when He said,
“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at
the alter and there remember that your brother
has something against you, leave your gift there
in front of the alter. First go and be reconciled
to your brother; then come and offer your
gift.” (Matthew 5:23,24)
Even thought the topic of judicial equilibrium
has been introduced, a few comments about the
topic are necessary at this point. Atonement for
a sin is required in God’s universe because
the presence of sin is not justifiable. If sin
could be justified, then God should he held
responsible for sin! Since God has done nothing
that would make Him responsible for sin, the
presence of sin cannot be justified. Therefore,
God requires atonement or appeasement for the
presence of sin.
God maintains a state of judicial equilibrium
throughout His vast kingdom. God is Guardian, the
Executor and the Supreme Court of the universe
and He ensures that judicial equilibrium is ever
present. There is no separation of powers in
God’s government. Instead, there is a
separation of entities, the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit. These three are united in
purpose, plan and action. Together, they uphold
and honor a rule of law based on judicial
equilibrium. Judicial equilibrium is defined as
the perfect balance between the demands of
God’s law and His offer of grace. (Remember
the Ark of the Covenant represents the balance
between justice and mercy.) Judicial equilibrium
does not lessen the demands of God’s law nor
does judicial equilibrium elevate the provisions
of grace above the demands of the law. The
justice side of judicial equilibrium is
illustrated by an eye for an eye, a tooth for a
tooth, a bruise for a bruise and most of all, and
a life for a life. (Exodus 21) The golden rule
spoken from the justice perspective is this:
“It will be done to you as you did to
others.” (Ecclesiastes 12:14; Matthew 7:12)
The other side of judicial equilibrium is called
mercy. Mercy is extended through a process called
reconciliation or atonement. The first step
toward atonement for wrongdoing is restitution.
God requires human beings to make full
restitution for any sin committed against another
(Matthew 5:23,24), and He also requires that we
accept atonement for any sin committed against
us. This requirement is summed up in the
Lord’s Prayer, “Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors,”
(Matthew 6:12) We noticed earlier in Leviticus 6
that God requires two atonements for sin
committed against our neighbor. First, God
expects us to voluntarily make atonement with our
offended neighbor by offering suitable
restitution, then God required atonement at the
Alter of Burnt offering by offering an acceptable
sacrifice. As far as the sinner was concerned,
this was the end of the matter. Still, a wrong
had been committed and even though atonement had
been made, the guilt of sin remained upon the
horns of the alter. The guilt was removed from
the temple on the Day of Atonement and placed on
the head of a scapegoat.
God Has Set a Day to Judge the World
If sins were not transferred to the tabernacle
before the Day of Atonement began, those sins
could not be forgiven. It was forever too late
for any subsequent atonement. The Day of
Atonement service illustrates the fact that God
has set a day when there will be no further
atonement for sin. (During the Great Tribulation,
the offer of mercy ends with the seventh
trumpet.) If a person neglected to transfer his
sins to the alter, the sinner received the
penalty of his sins upon his own head. But, all
who transferred their sins to the temple prior to
the Day of Atonement were set free of sin’s
penalty. With these thoughts in mind, consider
the Day of Atonement service.
The Day of Atonement Process
Early in the morning on the tenth day of the
seventh month, the Day of Atonement service began
with a close investigation of the life of the
high priest. Before the high priest could
officiate on behalf of the nation of Israel, God
examined him to determine if he was worthy to
conduct the service. Imagine how sobering it must
have been for the high priest to realize that he
must stand in God’s presence and be examined
before he was allowed to officiate for the
children of Israel as their intercessor. The
examination of the life of the high priest
foreshadowed the investigation which Jesus
underwent before He could serve as man’s
judge. (See Daniel 7:9,10,13,14; Revelation 4 and
5.)
To illustrate how serious the worthiness issue
was, the high priest had to slaughter a ram as a
sin offering for his family and a bull for
himself (representing, the high priest is
considered a corporate officer, a representative
of Jesus). Then, with a censer and some of the
atonement blood from the bull in his hands, the
trembling high priest went behind the veil to
stand in the brilliant glory of Almighty God.
There, surrounded by smoke and the sweet
fragrance of incense, the high priest sprinkled
some of the blood on the lid of the Ark of the
Covenant. Then he communed with God. If God
considered the high priest’s life and his
offering acceptable, the high priest would be
allowed to continue with the higher service, the
cleansing of the temple. As the high priest left
the Most Holy Place, he set the bull’s blood
aside for a short period of time. (See Leviticus
16,21 and 22.)
The Cleansing of the Temple
The second phase, the cleansing of the temple
from the guilt of sin, involved several steps.
First, two perfect goats were presented to the
high priest in the courtyard. Lots were cast to
determine which goat would die the penalty of
sin. Then, the high priest killed the Lord’s
goat on the Alter of Burnt Offering. With a
censer and some of the goat’s blood in a
cup, the high priest entered behind the veil a
second time to stand in god’s presence. He
then sprinkled the goat’s blood on the
atonement cover of the Ark and again communed
with God. If god was pleased with the sincerity
and faithfulness of the people, the high priest
was permitted to continue with the final phase of
the cleansing the temple. After leaving the Most
Holy Place, the high priest retrieved the
bull’s blood from his personal sacrifice and
mixed it with the blood from the Lord’s goat
and put some of the mixed blood on the Alter of
Incense. Then, he went out of the temple into the
courtyard to the Alter of Burnt Offering and
cleansed that alter by sprinkling mixed blood on
it. After this was done, the high priest
approached the remaining goat (the scapegoat) and
placed his hands on the head of the scapegoat.
This final action of placing his hands on the
head of the scapegoat transferred all of
Israel’s guilt that had accumulated in the
temple to the scapegoat. Then, a very capable man
(“a fit man,”[KJV] led the scapegoat
far out into the desert so that the goat would
die of starvation. The scapegoat’s lengthy
starvation shadows the necessity in God’s
government for full and complete restitution for
sin itself. Even though the penalty for sin is
death by execution (Lord’s goat), sin is
never forgiven or justified. Someone must make
atonement for the presence of sin. Since the
creator of sin is Lucifer, Lucifer must bear the
responsibility for sin upon his own head. As the
father and perpetrator of sin upon angels and the
human race, Lucifer has to make restitution for
his actions. God’s vengeance demands it. The
scapegoat received all of the guilt that had been
stored in the temple because the scapegoat
foreshadows the one who is responsible for the
presence of sin in the universe. Death for
Lucifer, as represented by the scapegoat, will be
slow and painful.
Notice how judicial equilibrium functions.
Justice demands the following: The father of sin
must bear the penalty for creating sin. Further,
the creator of sin must bear the guilt of sin
that was transferred away from sinners to the
temple. Grace offers the following: Sinners under
the penalty for sin can have their sins
transferred to the temple by presenting a perfect
substitute. Here we see the perfect balance
between justice and mercy. The Lord’s goat
represents the mercy that God has extended to
sinners: Jesus, the Lamb of God. The scapegoat
represents the justice that God demands of
sinners: restitution and death.
Confirmations of Truth
The Day of Atonement ceremony confirms several
important truths that harmoniously coexist within
the Plan of Salvation. The Old Testament
tabernacle service confirms that the demands of
God’s law do not eclipse the offer of
God’s grace nor does the operation of
God’s grace make the law void. Clearly, the
law and grace work together harmoniously with the
tabernacle parallels. The law condemns a sinner
to death, but grace provides a way for the guilt
of the sinner to be transferred so that the
sinner may go free. Jesus had to die to save man
because God’s law could not be changed. God
did not have the option of just “forgetting
“that Adam and Eve had sinned. Once Adam and
Eve committed sin, a series of immutable events
began. For example, man became carnal by nature.
Also, death came upon all men through Adam.
Therefore, Jesus was required to live a perfect
life before He could die as our substitute. The
guilt of our sins could only be transferred to
the alter through One who was above condemnation.
This may sound like a broken record, but it is a
critical point. The tabernacle service confirms
that sin is neither forgiven nor forgotten until
the scapegoat is led away to die. The tabernacle
service also confirms that Jesus does not bear
the responsibility for sin. Sin cannot be
justified. Rather, Jesus is our reconciliation
with God and through His perfect blood; our guilt
can be transferred to the Alter of Burnt
Offering. We have also learned that the temple is
cleansed of guilt at an appointed time and the
consequence of sin is transferred to the one
responsible for sin. The suffering of the
scapegoat provides restitution. Bottom line: The
life of every sinner will be examined. Solomon
wrote, “For God will bring every deed into
judgment, including every hidden thing, whether
it is good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:14) If
our sins are transferred to the alter through
Christ’s blood, we are not under
condemnation! (Romans 8:1-10) If are sins are not
transferred to the alter, then God’s
vengeance requires the wicked to provide
restitution for their sins and suffer the penalty
for sin.
Two Goats
Some Christians think that both goats used on the
Day of Atonement represent Jesus since both goats
are used for the purpose of atonement. Notice
this text about the scapegoat: “But the goat
chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented
alive before the Lord to be used for making
atonement by sending it into the desert as a
scapegoat.” (Leviticus 16:10) The scapegoat
is presented before the Lord while it is alive,
whereas the Lord’s goat was slain on that
day. Although both goats were used to provide
atonement, the atonement they provide is not
identical. If the atonement they offer is
identical, one goat would have sufficed. The
Lord’s goat provides atonement with its
blood because the penalty for sin is death by
execution; the other goat provides atonement
through starvation and dehydration because
restitution for sin must be made. Even though the
Bible does not explicitly say the scapegoat dies
after it is taken into the desert, the
implication is that the scapegoat disappears
forever and it is never seen or heard from again.
This suggests that once sin is removed from
God’s temple in Heaven, it will never occur
again because the creator of sin will be no more!
The Saints Review the Wicked
The scapegoat does not die on the Day of
Atonement, so the atonement it offers does not
occur that day. The end-time parallel reveals
that Lucifer is not destroyed until the end of
the 1,000 years. (Revelation 20) In fact the
scapegoat does not provide atonement through its
death, it provides atonement (as in restitution)
through its suffering. The restitution for sin
will be suffering. Suffering will be inflicted
upon the wicked before the penalty for sin is
executed. During the 1,000 years, the saints will
reign with Jesus and judge the wicked. “I
saw thrones on which were seated those who had
been given authority to judge. And I saw the
souls of those who had been beheaded because of
their testimony for Jesus and because of the Word
of God. They had not worshipped the beast or his
image and not received his mark on their
foreheads or their hands. They came to life and
reigned with Christ a thousand years.”
(Revelation 20:4) During the 1,000 years the
saints will review the records of the wicked and
determine the appropriate amount of suffering
that will be necessary for restitution. Judicial
equilibrium requires full restitution. For
example, Hitler not only deserves to die for his
sins and outrageous conduct, but he also owes
restitution to millions of people for the
suffering he inflicted on them. After a lengthy
period of indescribable suffering by fire, Hitler
will eventually be burned up in the fire sent by
God because the penalty for sin is death by
execution. The saints, complying with the
requirements of God’s law, will determine
the amount of suffering that Hitler must
endure-proportional to the suffering he caused.
If more people understood God’s requirement
for restitution, the world would be a much
different place in which to live! Paul wrote,
“It is a dreadful thing to fall into the
hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:31)
Notice the golden rule at work: “As you do
unto others, it will be done unto you-eye for an
eye, tooth for a tooth, bruise for a bruise. Paul
says the saints will judge the wicked saying,
“Do you know that the saints will judge the
world? And if you are to judge the world, are you
not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you know
that we will judge [the evil] angels? How much
more the things of this life!” (1
Corinthians 6:2,3, insertion mine.) Keep in mind
that the saints do not determine whether a person
receives eternal life or eternal death. Jesus
alone is Creator and Judge of mankind, and by the
time of the Second Coming, He will have made an
eternal decision about every person. However, the
judgment that the saints conduct concerns the
issue of restitution. The saints (in many cases
the victims of the wicked) will review the
actions of the wicked and they will sentence the
wicked to a law-full amount of suffering-full
restitution will be extracted from the wicked for
the suffering they caused. God ensures this
process and He calls it His vengeance. “The
Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord
takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The
Lord takes vengeance on his foes and maintains
his wrath against his enemies. The Lord is slow
to anger and great in power; the Lord will not
leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the
whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust
of his feet.” (Nahum 1:2,3) Paul wrote,
“Do not take revenge, my friend, but leave
room for God’s wrath, for it is written:
‘it is mine to avenge; I will repay,
‘say the Lord.”(Romans 12:19)
The Scapegoat is a “Fall Guy”
Most people have heard or used the term
“scapegoat” when pinning responsibility
on someone for something that went dreadfully
wrong. In sanctuary terms, the same is true. The
scapegoat represents the one responsible for sin!
In other words, the scapegoat represents Lucifer
because he is responsible for sin. As the
responsible party for sin on Earth,
Lucifer’s guilt cannot be atoned for. He is
the father of sin and he must suffer the torment
he has caused the saints. (The wicked will suffer
for their own sins, but Lucifer must suffer
restitution for the sins of the saved.) A
protracted death through starvation and
dehydration is a form of restitution just like a
life sentence is a form of restitution in our
penal code today. Remember, the scapegoat does
not bear the consequences of sin for the wicked.
The guilt of the wicked will be on their own
heads. Some students may wonder why the scapegoat
provides restitution for the sins of the
righteous when the saints are required to make
restitution for their sins before they go to the
alter. When full restitution for sin is made
between people, the guilt for sin remains to be
dealt with. However, many sins go beyond the
possibility of restitution. For example, what
restitution can be made for malicious slander,
adultery, rape, sexual abuse, breaking up a
marriage, or driving under the influence of
alcohol and killing twenty children? If a
person commits an evil deed and makes a gallant
effort to restore whatever he or she can, truly
repenting of the sin and seeking God’s
mercy, God will make Lucifer, the originator of
sin, provide the restitution for the wrong that
goes beyond what man can offer.
Why Two Goats?
It may be that God used two goats on the Day of
Atonement instead of two lambs because goats
differ from lambs in many ways. Perhaps the most
obvious difference is a goat’s independence.
Every Shepard knows that sheep are followers and
goats are leaders. This point illuminates some
interesting thoughts. First, Michael (Christ) and
Lucifer were once the closest of friends. Lucifer
was the first angel that Jesus created. In form,
Lucifer looked very similar to Michael. Both were
angels, but Michael was the Archangel. Michael
was God in the form of an angel. Lucifer, on the
other hand, was the highest of created beings.
Michael and Lucifer held the highest offices in
Heaven and had a great deal of latitude in which
to exercise their prerogatives. Over time,
Lucifer became filled with envy and jealousy and
eventually coveted Michael’s position. When
the Father rebuffed him, he chose to rebel
against God. He became the self-appointed leader
of sympathetic angels who also came to believe
that God was unfair. When open rebellion broke
out in Heaven, these two angels became great
foes. Perhaps God used two goats on the Day of
Atonement because a wild goat can lead an entire
herd of sheep astray. Casting lots to determine
which goat was the Lord’s goat on the Day of
Atonement suggests that Michael was the Chosen
One to lead the angelic host.
The Feast of Ingathering (Tabernacles)
The last feast of the religious year was the
Feast of Ingathering. The feast began on the 15th
day of the seventh month and it lasted for seven
days. The Jews presented their last and largest
collection of first fruits to the high priest
five days after the Day of Atonement service had
passed. Their feast took place at the end of the
summer harvest and the name reflects, it was a
time for rejoicing over the bountiful harvest
that had been “gathered in.” This feat
was also called the Feast of Tabernacles because
every Jewish male was required to go to Jerusalem
and participate in the feast. Because there was a
shortage of housing in Jerusalem, the Jews
erected temporary tents (or tabernacles) for this
joyous occasion.
The Feast of Tabernacles parallels a very
interesting process that takes place at the end
of the world. The 144,000 are taken to Heaven
before the Second Coming, about the time of the
seventh trumpet. (Revelation 11:12) At the Second
Coming, Jesus will approach Earth with all His
angels and the 144,000 attending, and He will
call the righteous dead to life. The righteous
living will join with the resurrected dead to
meet the Lord in the air. (1 Thessalonians
4:16,17) A triumphant Jesus with all His saints
will return to the holy city, New Jerusalem.
There will be a great feast as Jesus celebrates
and drinks the pure wine of the grape with the
redeemed. (Matthew 26:29) The saints will remain
in the city for 1,000 years as a temporary
residence. At the end of the 1,000 years, the
holy city will descend from Heaven. (Revelation
21:2) The wicked will be resurrected and notified
of their sentence. Jesus will call fire down out
of Heaven and purify the Earth. Then, He will
create a new Heaven and a new Earth, which will
become the primary home of the saints.
Consider some of the Feast of Ingathering
parallels:
1. Feast: The Feast of Ingathering was
the last and largest harvest of the year. It
began five days after the Day of Atonement had
passed.
ETP: (End-time parallel): The last and largest
ingathering of saints will occur at the end of
the world. The harvest of souls will be
numberless. Just as the Feast of Ingathering took
place after the Day of Atonement, so the Second
Coming occurs after the close of mercy.
2. Feast: All Jewish males were required to go to
Jerusalem for this feast.
ETP: All of the redeemed will be taken to New
Jerusalem for the wedding banquet.
3. Feast: The feast and the time spent in
Jerusalem were temporary (seven days).
ETP: The saints will temporarily live in the New
Jerusalem during the Sabbatical Millennium.
4. Feast: The first fruits of this
were presented to the high priest before thank
offerings from the harvest were presented to the
Lord.
ETP: The 144,000 are the first fruits of the
final harvest. The 144,000 are taken to To Heaven
and presented to Jesus a few days before the
Second Coming. Then, at the Second Coming, the
great harvest of souls is gathered in.
The first fruits of the last great harvest
foreshadow the 144,000 prophets of God who are
selected for a special mission just before the
Great Tribulation begins. (Revelation 14:4;
7:1-4) Of course, without rain there is no
harvest or first fruits. In the land of Canaan,
there are two essential rains each year. They are
called the early rain and the latter rain. These
terms “early and latter” are used with
respect to the crops. For crops to mature in the
late summer, the latter rain brings them to
maturity. For crops that mature in early spring,
the term “latter rain” refers to rains
that bring these crops to maturity. The latter
rain finishes the maturing process that began
with the early rain!
In a spiritual sense, there are also two rains.
Both rains are shadows representing the work of
the Holy Spirit. The first work of the Holy
Spirit is to lead us to acknowledge our need for
a Savior. This spiritual awakening is caused by
“the early rain” work of the Holy
Spirit. The Feast of Tabernacles shadows the
concluding work of the Holy Spirit on behalf of
mankind (a latter rain illustration). A great
outpouring of Holy Spirit empowerment will occur
just before Jesus comes and this latter rain will
bring souls to perfect maturity! (Joel 2:28-32;
James 5:7; Revelation 11:3) The concluding work
of the Holy Spirit’s ministry will be highly
visible and God’s truth will be presented in
the clearest terms to every person in the world.
(Revelation 14:6-12; Zechariah 4:6) Everyone will
hear the terms and conditions of salvation.
Everyone will have an informed opportunity to
know God’s will and make a decision about
salvation. People who follow the spirit now will
rejoice to hear greater truth. (John 16:13) Many
people who are currently indifferent, negligent
or perhaps not willing to listen to the Holy
Spirit will have a change of heart when they see
a display of God’s wrath and thoughtfully
consider the curse that rests upon their heads.
Unfortunately, many people who are in rebellion
against God right now will remain in rebellion.
They will be deceived and led to their
destruction when the Antichrist appears. (2
Thessalonians 2:9-10) Individuals who love
God’s ways and truth will have their faith
severely tested. By remaining faithful to God,
they will receive the most wonderful gift that
God can give to His people while still on Earth.
He will give His children the “gift” of
a sinless nature – a nature that will have
no propensity or attraction to sin and is in
complete harmony with His laws. (Hebrews 8:10-13;
Romans 1:17; 1 John 3:2) The gift of the Holy
Spirit demonstrates God’s compassion for the
human race and His deep desire to save every
person that is willing to be redeemed. Man’s
need for a Savior does not become a reality until
the Holy Spirit impresses us with the
condemnation and fate that faces every sinner.
When an individual responds to the Spirit’s
prompting, he or she will recognize a desperate
need for Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God. When we
are “born again,” we are happy to
submit to the gospel of Christ. There is an inner
joy when we walk with the Lord. (John 14:15; 1
John 2:5) At the present time, when a person
surrenders his or her will to God’s will,
that person is reckoned as righteous through the
imputed righteousness of Christ, even though the
sealing has not occurred. (Romans 8:1) during the
time period of the Great Tribulation,
circumstances will force everyone to respond to
the gospel. If a person submits to the laws of
Babylon, his or her choice will be considered an
act of rebellion against God. If a person submits
to the law of God, his or her choice will be
considered an act of rebellion against the
authority of the world’s governments. Either
way, the consequences will be deadly. The
firmness of each person’s decision will be
tested. If a person passes the test of faith, the
righteousness of Christ will be imparted to him
or her! This is the sealing. (Colossians 1:27;
Revelation 7:1-4; 10:7) When God finishes sealing
His people, the need for an intercessor or
mediator in Heaven will be over. Only then will
God’s children have a righteous character
“sealed” within them. Jesus marks the
end of salvation’s offer in Heaven
declaring, “Let him who does wrong continue
to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be
vile; let him who does right continue to do
right; and let him who is holy continue to be
holy.” (Revelation 22:11)
144,000 Will Belong to Jesus
When Passover and Pentecost (the earlier harvests
of the year) arrived, the first fruits were
presented to the high priest and they became his
personal property. The parallel is true of the
final harvest. The first fruits of the final
harvest will be 144,000 men and women who will be
servants of God; special prophets during the
Great Tribulation. (Revelation 7:1-4; 14:4) Since
the first fruits of the harvest become the
exclusive property of the high priest (Numbers
18), the 144,000 will become special
administrative assistants who accompany Jesus
throughout eternity and serve Him wherever He
goes. The 144,000 will be first to experience
God’s gift of a new nature. They will
receive the imparted “gift” of a
sinless nature first because they are sealed
first. (Revelation 7:1-4) The 144,000 will have
the Spirit of prophecy resting upon them. They
will prophesy just like the prophets of old.
Those who heed their message and chose to live by
faith will be sealed in the same way the 144,000
are sealed. The Bible indicates the 144,000 will
wear the name of the Father and Jesus on their
foreheads. (Revelation 14:1; 22:4) This will be a
beautiful sign revealing their rank and position
in God’s government. I am not sure how this
will be done, but we can be certain it will be
beautiful and glorious. The names of the Father
and Jesus upon the foreheads of the 144,000
stands in stark contrast to the tattoo that Satan
puts on the foreheads of his servants.
(Revelation 13:16)
Conclusion
We have a friend in Jesus. Not only does He
understand our needs, but He also understands our
limitations, weaknesses and foolishness. He is
willing to be our High Priest and present us
before God without a blemish. He is willing to
save us and grant us the power to overcome the
ravages of sin. He is willing to release us from
anxiety, doubts and bad habits. He has the power
to do all of this and so much more! He is willing
– are you? Why not surrender your life to
Him right now? Why not say, “Lord, I am
willing to go, be and do all that you ask.”
If you are willing to say this to Him, He will
enable you to succeed in all that He wants you to
do! The good news is that you and I have a friend
in Heaven’s temple that loves us so much
that He was willing to die the second death for
us. We cannot easily comprehend such love. That
is why we sometimes find it difficult to call on
Him to help us with our problems. But be sure of
this: He is qualified to deal with any problem we
face. We may not like all the answers on every
occasion, but what child
Loves every answer from his parents? Jesus knows
what is best for us and He responds accordingly.
So, go ahead, ask Him to help you. He is ready.
Give Him your life and He will deliver you from
your worries and fill you with a peace that
passes understanding! He is the Alpha and the
Omega!
Jesus is righteous in everything He does.
“He is the Rock, His works are perfect, and
all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no
wrong, upright and just is he.” (Deuteronomy
32:4) The earthy and heavenly temples confirm so
many wonderful truths about Jesus. His actions
are open, upright and just. His works are perfect
and His righteousness is illustrated in the
services of His temple.
Quiz:
1. What three
feasts were associated with three crop harvests?
2. From this
lesson, can you see Jesus object lesson of the
feasts of old and the ETP that’s coming soon
to our world?
3. What does it
mean “First Fruits” of the harvest?
4. The Day of
Atonement service involves three vital issues.
What are they?
5. How does
judicial equilibrium work in God’s
government?
6. Who is the
scapegoat in this lesson? And what is the final
punishment?
7. Dear friend, are
you ready to be, go and do what Jesus wants you
to today?
Notes:
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