How to Keep Yahweh’s Feasts When You

Cannot Meet with Others: (Part 2)

he Spring festival days explained in last spring’s article depicts Yahshua’s sacrifice and the Firstfruits, those now being called, responding to that call and putting sin out of their (our) lives. Only a relatively few are in this group, and will be in the First Resurrection when Yahshua returns to establish His kingdom here on earth. That is where this article begins.

The Feast of Trumpets will be on the New Moon day of the Seventh Scriptural month, which the Jews call Tishri. On the Roman secular calendar commonly used, this will be October 1 this year (2008)*, beginning at dark of Sept. 30^th. This is an annual High Sabbath, and the only “work” allowed is the preparation of food (Exodus 12:16).

Scriptures indicate that this is the day when Yahshua will return to earth to resurrect the dead saints who are now sleeping in their graves, and to change those who are still alive at His coming.

If you cannot meet with an Assembly, study the following Scriptures: Mat. 24, all, especially verses 14, 24, 29-33, 42, 44. (note vs. 31,  "And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

Also note that “this generation…” spoken of in verse 34, means the generation living when these things come to pass. Many of them are here now).

(1 Cor 15:50-53 KJV)  "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of Yahweh; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. {51} Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, {52} In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. {53} For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality."

(1 Thes. 4:13-18 NRSV)  "But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. {14} For since we believe that Yahshua died and rose again, even so, through Yahshua, Yahweh will bring with him those who have died. {15} For this we declare to you by the word of Yahweh, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of Yahshua, will by no means precede those who have died. {16} For Yahshua himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel's call and with the sound of Yahweh's trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in the Messiah will rise first. {17} Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet Yahshua in the air; and so we will be with Yahshua forever. {18} Therefore encourage one another with these words."

Revelation 20:1-6 speaks of this great resurrection of the Firstfruits of Yahweh’s called-out ones.

The Day of Atonement is the next High Sabbath, nine days later, on the 10^th of Tishri (Oct. 10 this year)*. On this day, we are to do no work at all; neither are we to eat or drink anything for the period from the evening of the 9^th until the evening of the 10^th (Leviticus 23:27-32).

Study Leviticus 16. The two goats, contrary to our former belief, both represented Yahshua’s atoning work on our behalf. The sacrificed goat’s blood represented the blood of Yahshua that was shed to take away our sins. The “azazel goat” who had the sins of the people laid on his head and carried them away, represents Yahshua’s taking our sins upon Himself and freeing us from them.

This Day is also associated with purifying the Bride of the Messiah (The Assembly) just prior to the wedding of the Lamb (Rev. 19). Study this chapter as well as chapters 20-21. These two chapters also relate to the next festivals, Tabernacles and the Last Great Day.

The Feast of Tabernacles, a seven-day Festival, begins on Tishri 15 (Oct 15*), a High Sabbath. It ends on Tishri 21 (Oct. 21*), but is immediately followed by “the Eighth Day of the Feast,” called “the Last Great Day,” Oct. 22*. This is technically a separate Feast, as explained below. This eight-day period is one of the three “pilgrim feasts,” spoken of in Deut. 16:16-17, when we should travel to a Feast site and meet with others. But if you cannot, then study Leviticus 23, Deut 16:13-17, 2 Chr. 8:13, Ezra 3:4, and Zechariah 14. This chapter teaches that the Feast of Tabernacles will be kept during the Millennium and beyond.

In the New Testament book of John, chapter 7, we find Yahshua attending the Feast and teaching at the Temple. This was about six months before His impalement, and the Jews were already seeking to kill him. He knew when He was to die, thus He went up secretly, lest they impale him prematurely (His time was not yet come, John 7:30). He had to die at Passover time, thus to become our Passover Lamb (1 Cor. 5:7).

Later on, they made serious plans to kill him (John 11:53-54), which they carried out at Passover. It did not apparently occur to them that they themselves were helping to fulfill prophecy; that Yahshua was destined to be OUR Passover sacrifice once and for all time.

There are instances in the New Testament where all the Feasts are mentioned as being kept by New Testament Believers, including Tabernacles, as we just saw in John 7. Some other instances that you can look up for yourself are: Luke 2:47, Luke 22:8-11, John 2:23, John 7:2-37, all speak of Yahshua keeping the Festivals.

Later references, AFTER His resurrection, are found in 1 Cor. 5:7-8, 1 Cor. 11:23-34, Acts 12:3, 20:6, 20:16, 1 Cor. 16:8, Acts 18:20-21, Acts 27:9 (Atonement, the “Fast Day”), and of course the events of Acts 2. If the disciples had not been keeping this day of Pentecost, they would not have been there to receive the Holy Spirit.

Paul wrote in Colossians 2:16-17 that the Festivals, Sabbaths, and New Moons, are shadows of things to come. If we do not keep these days, then we do not understand His Plan of Salvation, and future, end-time  events.

But back to the Feast of Tabernacles and what it pictures in Yahweh’s great plan on our behalf. Yahshua’s triumphant return signals the beginning of the seventh one-thousand-year “Day,” called “the Day of Yahweh,” mistakenly referred to as “the day of The LORD” in most versions of Scripture, about 25 times.

This is to be a traumatic time for the earth and its sinful, wayward inhabitants. It follows Satan’s “great tribulation,” spoken of in several places, including Matthew 24, which is persecution against the called-out Saints. The difference is that the “Day of Yahweh” is His punishment against those who have rebelled against Him and His Son during the just-ended six one-thousand-year “days,” ever since the rebellion of Adam and Chavah (Eve).

After Yahshua’s return, and after the wedding of the Lamb to His Assembly, the resurrected and changed Saints, He goes about to establish His Kingdom here on earth, with headquarters in Jerusalem. Ruling under Him will be the Patriarchs, including King David.

After Satan’s army is defeated and peace is restored, the earth will undergo a cleansing process. Those left alive in the flesh will be rehabilitated, and all rebellion will be squelched. The Ten Commandments will be enforced. This one-thousand-year period is a time of reconstruction and re-education. It is also a time of testing for those living over into it in the flesh (request The booklets, “Truth About Judgment,” and  “Truth About the Resurrections” for more detail). The two houses of Yisrael will be restored during this time. After everything is ready – Yahweh’s government restored, Yahweh’s chosen people, Yisrael, returned to their land, then comes the next and final step in His plan:

The Last Great Day, that eighth day of the Feast, is the last High Sabbath of the year, and occurs on the 22^nd of Tishri, immediately after the last day of Tabernacles. It is spoken of in Lev. 23:36 and 39, Num. 29:35, 2 Chr. 7:9, Neh. 8:18, etc.

On the last day of the Feast (The Eighth Day), Yahshua gave a sermon at the Temple in Jerusalem (John 7:37), in which He proclaimed the plan of salvation, and the need for the Holy Spirit to dwell in our minds and hearts. Study this along with what Paul wrote in Romans chapters 7 and 8.

This, immediately following the 1,000-year “Day of Yahweh,” signals the beginning of the final part of the “Fall Harvest,” the rest of mankind either dead or living from the days of Adam to that time. Yahshua’s discourse in Matthew 24:30 to 25:30 chronicles the events from His return at the beginning of this period, and the setting up of the Kingdom, including the first Judgment period.

But, beginning in Matthew 25:31 to 25:46, He is speaking of a separate Judgment – the one at the END of the 1,000 year period, when those who lived through this time, and those who died in ignorance or rebellion during the previous 6,000 years, will be resurrected (Rev. 20:4-6). Notice the different terminology He used. In Mat. 24, He stated:

(Mat 24:30-31 KJV)  "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. {31} And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

This is a gathering together of all the saints, past and present, who have either died in a “saved” condition, or who are alive and changed to Spirit at His coming. BUT now notice the contrast we find in Mat. 25:31:

(Mat 25:31-33 KJV)  "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: {32} And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: {33} And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left."

This is not another “coming,” but a continuation of the process – the next step, if you will, when the events recorded in Revelation 20 will take place. It is after He has been here for 1,000 years. Verses 4 and 5 state that these resurrected saints lived and reigned with the Messiah for a thousand years, and that “the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.”

Then, beginning in verse 7, it goes on to explain the adversary’s final assault and his fate. Verses 11 through 15 explain the final judgment of those who were not called in this life. The “book of life” (verse 12) will be opened once again to record names of those who have now learned the Truth from the Scriptures (the “books” of verse 12). If they accept and repent, they will receive eternal life – those who do not, will be cast into the lake of fire to be destroyed, not tortured for all eternity as Christianity teaches.

After these events, the earth is to be purified by fire, and man’s works will be completely destroyed in that fire. Then Yahweh Himself will descend from the heavens with the New Jerusalem, and we shall be ever with Him. When this happens, Yahshua will step down and Yahweh will be all in all. Notice this Scripture:

(1 Cor 15:19-28 KJV)  "If in this life only we have hope in the Messiah, we are of all men most miserable. {20} But now is the Messiah risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. {21} For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. {22} For as in Adam all die, even so in the Messiah shall all be made alive. {23} But every man in his own order: the Messiah the firstfruits; afterward they that are the Messiah's at his coming. {24} Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to Yahweh, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. {25} For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. {26} The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. {27} For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. {28} And when all things shall be subdued unto him, Then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that Yahweh may be all in all."

But best of all, make an earnest effort to attend a REAL Feast this fall. There is nothing like it – nothing with which to compare the benefit you will receive. Use this article as a guide ONLY if you absolutely cannot attend. May Yahweh bless you as you strive to serve Him ~

 *In case the New Moon is not seen the night of Sept. 30, all the Fall Festivals will be one day later, i.e., Trumpets Oct. 2, Atonement Oct 11, Feast of Tabernacles Oct. 16-22 and Last Great Day Oct. 23.)