Fire is a destructive force used in wartime
“Many of you just don’t get it!”
~ Herbert W Armstrong
Israel was commanded to keep the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days.
34 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the Lord.
However, there is an unnamed eighth day which is a holy day.
36 Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.
I’m sure you will hear more about this eighth day tomorrow. Right now, I want to reflect upon this last day of the seven day Feast of Tabernacles.
At the end of the Millennium, Satan is released just long enough to once again stir up mankind into fighting Jesus Christ! It’s hard to believe, but that is what your Bible says!
7 When the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will come out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, in order to gather them for battle; they are as numerous as the sands of the sea. 9 They marched up over the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from heaven and consumed them. 10 And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
The Beast and False Prophet were thrown into the Lake of Fire at the beginning of the Millennium, but Satan isn’t until the end of the Millennium. Comparing against the KJV, one can clearly see that the word “are” is in italics, and the KJV also doesn’t supply the second pronoun “they”. These were added to “clarify” the verse, or at least according the translators’ biases. The truth is that the False Prophet and Beast are long dead, and it is Satan (and his demons) who are tormented day and night forever, for they are spirit beings and cannot die.
Therefore, the proper rendering of verse 10 is: “And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the Lake of Fire, in which the Beast and False Prophet [had been cast], and [he] will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”
And, if you don’t want to believe your own Bibles and be deceived, so be it. However, I will believe what my Bible says, and I’ll just delete unbiblical arguments saying Satan will die. This passage makes it clear that Satan will not die, and many of Jesus’ own words support it.
When we think of the Millennium, we don’t often think of rude awakenings, do we? We don’t think about how physical it is very often, either, I suspect.
Lev 23:40 instructs to gather boughs of trees, branches of palm trees and other plant material, and then God instructs Israel to keep the Feast seven days. What will those boughs, branches, etc., look like after seven days?
While the solid branches were reserved for the construction of the booths, the lighter branches were carried by men, who marched in triumphal procession, singing psalms and crying “Hosanna!” which signifies, “Save, we beseech thee!” ( Psa 118:15, 25, 26 ).
~ Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, “Commentary on Leviticus 23“
After seven days, the branches and especially the leaves will become less supple, brown and droop.
There are seven days for the Days of Unleavened Bread. The spring holy days show God’s plan in that what individual Christians must do, accept and/or believe in order to be saved. The fall holy days show God’s plan for the rest of humanity, though. Seven days represents the time for individuals to put away sin, but the Day of Atonement is only one day! Ever consider that?
However, the celebration of the spring harvest, Pentecost, is only one day. The celebration for the larger fall harvest, representing all nations, is seven days.
The green in the boughs and branches fade after seven days. This physical world will still, in spite of the plenty and bounty, will fade away. Why? Because the Feast of Tabernacles and the eighth day afterwards represents the end of the physical portion of God’s plan.
All of this will require a miracle. It will require supernatural force. Still, people at the end of the Millennium will still be deceived! The nations will once again be stirred up to attack Jerusalem!
How can this be?
You know, it is easy to underestimate the enemy. Now, in this current age, he is mostly restrained. He is still in charge, but his power is limited. Part of the Book of Revelation, however, points to a time when there will be another war in Heaven, and once again Satan will be thrown to the earth. Afterwards, there will be 3-1/2 years of all out anarchy!
Remember what I wrote about yesterday? We need to be called, convicted, committed, converted and filled with courage. Today, there was a message about running the race, even when the odds are against us. We must run as though our life depends upon it, because it does!
Seven is the number of spiritual perfection. The seven day week represented the time God recreated the earth. It is a finishing of one phase of the plan. The seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles draws to a close the age of man, wherein mankind was commanded to “be fruitful and multiply”. People who come up in the second resurrection will not have that command. That part of God’s creative plan will be finished.
Seven also has the connotation of “full” or “satisfied”.
In the Hebrew, 7 is shevah. It is from the root savah, to be full or satisfied, have enough of. Hence the meaning of the word “seven” is dominated by this root, for on the seventh day God rested from the work of Creation. It was full and complete, and good and perfect. Nothing could be added to it or taken from it without marring it. Hence the word Shavath, to cease, desist, rest, and Shabbath, Sabbath, or day of rest.
~ BibleStudy.org, “The Meaning of Numbers: The Number 7“
However, if 7 is “satisfied”, then the number 8 takes it much, much further:
In Hebrew the number eight is (Sh’moneh), from the root (Shah’meyn), “to make fat,” “cover with fat,” “to super-abound.” As a participle it means “one who abounds in strength,” etc. As a noun it is “superabundant fertility,” “oil,” etc. So that as a numeral it is the superabundant number. As seven was so called because the seventh day was the day of completion and rest, so eight, as the eighth day, was over and above this perfect completion, and was indeed the first of a new series, as well as being the eighth.
~ BibleStudy.org, “The Meaning of Numbers: The Number 8“
So, the eighth day is a day to “super-abound”, for it is the time when all will have a chance at salvation! Everyone and anyone who up to this point has not had his or her opportunity will be resurrected, have their eyes opened, and they will finally understand.
Is it a new beginning? Sure! It is a turning point. Like I already pointed out, no children will be born during this last period of physical humanity. Satan will have been put away forever. The last act that will take place on this physical earth will be to engulf it all in purifying flames.
Why isn’t it an ending then? Well, a beginning picks up where the previous ended. It will be a beginning of spiritual super-abundance and super fertility (in that there will suddenly be many, many children of God. All humanity will be made spirit and then …
While I have posted before on the meaning of “The Last Great Day,” it was of interest to come across this observation during the feast:
“The two “Sabbaths” may picture the Millennium and the Eternal Rest” – William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary, [his emphasis], on Leviticus 23:33:34.
For me, as I have stated before, the first day pictures the Millennium and the eighth day pictures the goal of the plan of God realized – the time when God dwells on the earth:
Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle [Gk. skene] 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.
it will be a new beginning:
Rev 21:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.
where it will be one great day:
Rev 22:5 There will be no more night… (Except for Satan? – tongue in cheek).
where God will quench the ‘thirsty’:
Rev 21:6 … I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. (Cp. John 7:37-39).
As Ralph Alexander suggests:
“In light of the whole Scripture, it appears that the Millennium is like a “first-fruits” of the eternal state” (EBC, Vol.6, p.945).
Some type/antitypes:
Eze 40:5a I saw a wall completely surrounding the temple area…
Rev 21:12a It had a great, high wall…
Eze 40:5b The length of the measuring rod in the man’s hand was six long cubits…
Rev 21:15a The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold…
Eze 40:5c He measured the wall; it was one measuring rod thick and one rod high.
Rev 21:17a He measured its wall and it was 144 cubits thick…
Eze 42:20 So he measured the area on all four sides. It had a wall around it, five hundred cubits long and five hundred cubits wide, to separate the holy from the common.
Rev 21:27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Eze 41:4 And he measured the length of the inner sanctuary; it was twenty cubits, and its width was twenty cubits across the end of the outer sanctuary. He said to me, “This is the Most Holy Place.”
Rev 21:16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long.
Eze 43:2a And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east
Rev 21:10b … and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.
Eze 43:2b … and the earth shined with his glory.
Rev 21:11b … It shone with the glory of God.
Eze 43:7a He said… this is the place of my throne.
Rev 22:3b The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city…
Eze 43:6b I heard someone speaking to me from inside the temple.
Rev 21:3a And I heard a loud voice from the throne
Eze 43:7 He said… This is where I will live [saken] among the Israelites forever.
Rev 21:3b saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them.
Eze 47:1a The man brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east…
Rev 22:1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb
Ezek 47:1b The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar.
Eze 47:5 He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river…
Rev 22:2a down the middle of the great street of the city.
Eze 47:12a Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail., because the water from the sanctuary flows to them.
Rev 22:2b On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit
Rev 47:12b Every month they will bear…
Rev 22:2c yielding its fruit every month.
Rev 47:12c Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing
Rev 22:2d And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
The above parallels were in chart from among the commentary in the brochure “Ezekiel’s Temple in the Plan of God – Order out of Chaos – from Genesis to Revelation”.
Temporary dwelling Old Covenant:
If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them;
I will put my dwelling place among you,
I will walk among you and be your God,
and you will be my people. (Leviticus 26)
Temporary dwelling New Covenant
They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses,
My dwelling place will be with them;
I will be their God,
and they will be my people (Ezekiel 43)
Permanent Dwelling – Plan of God Realized:
I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven…
Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them
and God himself will be with them and be their God
They will be his people (Rev 21)
“Following the return of the Lamb, after his last battle and millennial reign, after the destruction of Satan, of his evil kingdom, and finally of death itself, the vision of the eschatological city of God “may be viewed as the climax not only of the book of Revelation, but of the whole story of salvation embodied in the Bible” (Beasley-Murray, Revelation, p.305)… In short, the new order is defined in terms of the presence of God and the absence of evil” (Robert H. Wall, Revelation, NIBC, p.243).
John from Australia wrote: “it will be a new beginning”
Is it though, and according to whom?
“The One on the throne said to me, ‘It is finished.…'” ~ Rev 21:6a (NCV)
Tell me, is the New Jerusalem coming down out of Heaven better symbolized by the Feast of Trumpets or the Last Great Day?
I view the holy days as a template of God’s plan for all humanity, and I don’t agree with others that they will be done away once there is a new heaven and new earth.
“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them.” ~ Job 1:6 (NKJV)
Why would there be an appointed day for the angels to present themselves? What kind of day would a commanded assembly be?
The point is that the holy days are like a stencil. It can be reused over and over again. Passover meant one thing to the Israelites leaving Egypt, but it means something else to the Church of God. It is a template reused.
No, I view the 8th day as the hinge where the old ends and the beginning of something new takes place. Everyone being resurrected in a world without Satan is that new beginning. There will be 1,000 years of abundance, why? So supplies will be readily available for billions of people to be resurrected and have their eyes opened.
It will, in short, be what the Garden of Eden could have been.
I will write more about the LGD later.