Feast of Tabernacles - to keep it, or not?
When I visited a tribe in a jungle to preach the Gospel, I didn't teach them that they must begin observing the Feast of Tabernacles. (They didn't have calendars - some could even only guess their own age!)
No, it's unnecessary - but not only that, it's impossible.
The ancient Jewish month of Tishrei (September-October) cannot be synchronised with the end of summer agricultural harvest here in the southern hemisphere.
That means that at the time when we'd be required to bring our firstfruits, we'd still be sowing our seeds!
So half the globe can't live in sync with the ancient Jewish religious calendar even if they tried.
And since the altar and Levitical priesthood don't exist anymore, there is no place where grain, drink and animal sacrifices can be offered legitimately anyway.
Therefore not even northerners can't keep the Feast.
As for the future, the genealogies which were required to prove a priest's descent from Levi (required in order to authenticate a priest's service at the altar on behalf of all who were keeping the Feasts), have been lost.
So even if a replica 'temple' gets built in Jerusalem in future, still no-one will be able to begin keeping the Feast legitimately, not even in Jerusalem.
The thing about Moses' Law was that if you didn't keep one detail of it, you weren't keeping it at all.
Moses' Law forbad keeping the Feasts in alternative months, seasons, ways and means, and places. Making annual pilgrimages to Jerusalem in the month of Tishrei to offer the firstfruits of their end of summer harvest, and animal sacrifices, on the altar where there were genealogically authenticated Levites serving as priests, were each essential components - none were optional components - of the Feast of Tabernacles.
So if someone today throws a party - or hosts a conference - or maintains a cultural tradition - in Sep/Oct - calls it the 'Feast of Tabernacles' - even if they do it in Jerusalem - that doesn't make it the Feast of Tabernacles.
It's like, we can organise a backyard game of footy - but that doesn't make it the State of Origin!
No. Jesus said:
"...believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father...
...But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him"
(John 4:21,23).
The true worship which JESUS inaugurated was not to involve a set place, set times of the calendar, or ceremonies with harvest and sin-offerings...
...the true worshippers worship in spirit [not in Jerusalem] and in truth.
Jesus didn't just teach truth - He is the truth - the Feasts were only like shadows - but Jesus is the real substance. Once the Truth came, God isn't into returning to shadows!
So when I preached to the tribes, I simply told them the GOOD NEWS that JESUS gave Himself for us as an offering for our sin, once for all....
...that JESUS was the first to rise from the dead, a kind of firstfruits of our future resurrection day...
...at the last day of judgement...
...and JESUS sent the Holy Ghost - the forestaste of that Day when God shall come to live with men forever: there shall be new heavens and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness.
And all who gladly believed, and were baptised - were SAVED.
As for the times, seasons, day and hour - the Father has placed it in His own hands, and it is not for us to know...
...but as far as we are to be concerned, every day is simply called, 'Today':
"But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day..." (Hebrews 3:13).
Every day is a good day to simply worship JESUS in a true heart!
That's who the Father is looking for, to worship Him, Jesus said.
Lest "your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ" (II Cor.11:3).
(I could have Posted this back in October when it was more of a hot-topic - but I didn't want to add to the controversy. It's not worth creating controversy over this, because whichever way our conscience feels about days and seasons, we're each desiring to please the Lord anyway.
But I did determine to eventually Post something about it once the controversy was over - just to remind us again of the foundation of our faith - to keep us appreciating how wonderful our precious Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is to all of us through God!)
When I visited a tribe in a jungle to preach the Gospel, I didn't teach them that they must begin observing the Feast of Tabernacles. (They didn't have calendars - some could even only guess their own age!)
No, it's unnecessary - but not only that, it's impossible.
The ancient Jewish month of Tishrei (September-October) cannot be synchronised with the end of summer agricultural harvest here in the southern hemisphere.
That means that at the time when we'd be required to bring our firstfruits, we'd still be sowing our seeds!
So half the globe can't live in sync with the ancient Jewish religious calendar even if they tried.
And since the altar and Levitical priesthood don't exist anymore, there is no place where grain, drink and animal sacrifices can be offered legitimately anyway.
Therefore not even northerners can't keep the Feast.
As for the future, the genealogies which were required to prove a priest's descent from Levi (required in order to authenticate a priest's service at the altar on behalf of all who were keeping the Feasts), have been lost.
So even if a replica 'temple' gets built in Jerusalem in future, still no-one will be able to begin keeping the Feast legitimately, not even in Jerusalem.
The thing about Moses' Law was that if you didn't keep one detail of it, you weren't keeping it at all.
Moses' Law forbad keeping the Feasts in alternative months, seasons, ways and means, and places. Making annual pilgrimages to Jerusalem in the month of Tishrei to offer the firstfruits of their end of summer harvest, and animal sacrifices, on the altar where there were genealogically authenticated Levites serving as priests, were each essential components - none were optional components - of the Feast of Tabernacles.
So if someone today throws a party - or hosts a conference - or maintains a cultural tradition - in Sep/Oct - calls it the 'Feast of Tabernacles' - even if they do it in Jerusalem - that doesn't make it the Feast of Tabernacles.
It's like, we can organise a backyard game of footy - but that doesn't make it the State of Origin!
No. Jesus said:
"...believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father...
...But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him"
(John 4:21,23).
The true worship which JESUS inaugurated was not to involve a set place, set times of the calendar, or ceremonies with harvest and sin-offerings...
...the true worshippers worship in spirit [not in Jerusalem] and in truth.
Jesus didn't just teach truth - He is the truth - the Feasts were only like shadows - but Jesus is the real substance. Once the Truth came, God isn't into returning to shadows!
So when I preached to the tribes, I simply told them the GOOD NEWS that JESUS gave Himself for us as an offering for our sin, once for all....
...that JESUS was the first to rise from the dead, a kind of firstfruits of our future resurrection day...
...at the last day of judgement...
...and JESUS sent the Holy Ghost - the forestaste of that Day when God shall come to live with men forever: there shall be new heavens and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness.
And all who gladly believed, and were baptised - were SAVED.
As for the times, seasons, day and hour - the Father has placed it in His own hands, and it is not for us to know...
...but as far as we are to be concerned, every day is simply called, 'Today':
"But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day..." (Hebrews 3:13).
Every day is a good day to simply worship JESUS in a true heart!
That's who the Father is looking for, to worship Him, Jesus said.
Lest "your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ" (II Cor.11:3).
(I could have Posted this back in October when it was more of a hot-topic - but I didn't want to add to the controversy. It's not worth creating controversy over this, because whichever way our conscience feels about days and seasons, we're each desiring to please the Lord anyway.
But I did determine to eventually Post something about it once the controversy was over - just to remind us again of the foundation of our faith - to keep us appreciating how wonderful our precious Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is to all of us through God!)
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