| HERALD MINISTRIES EDITORIAL PAGES FROM THE DESK OF THE FOUNDER AND EDITOR OF HERALD MINISTRIES :
“COME TO THE FEAST”
For those who have heard about the Feast of Tabernacles, they would attribute it to Judaism or for the Jews only. However, this is a very wrong concept; because you see these Feasts are not just for Jews. Actually, the Bible calls them “Feasts of the Lord.” If we turn to the book of Leviticus chapter 23, we read in verse two, “Speak unto the children of Israel and say to them, concerning the Feasts of the Lord. Which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations (commanded assemblies) even these are my Feasts. In the following verses it lists the 7th day weekly Sabbath, the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Continue reading in Leviticus 23, and in Numbers 28 and 29, where all seven of God’s annual feasts are listed, from the first to the seventh month. Actually, the word feasts is the Hebrew word Mowed, which means an appointed time, a fixed time, a place of meeting, or a season. It is interesting to read in Genesis 1:14-19 that on the fourth day God (Elohim) created 2 great lights, to rule over the day and the night. Of course, referring to the sun and the moon. In verse 14, “And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night, and let them be for signs, and seasons., and for days and for years.” Some believe the word ‘seasons’ is referring to spring, summer, fall and winter. However, this word is also the Hebrew word Mowed, again defined as a fixed or appointed time that man was to come before God to worship Him. In Exodus 23:14 we read “Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year.” This is referring to the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And continuing in Ex. 23:16 “and the Feast of the harvests, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field and the Feast of Ingathering which is at the end of the year”. The Feast of Ingathering is also called the Feast of Tabernacles in Deuteronomy 16:13. In the beginning God made the sun and moon, not only to divide the day from the night, but to show when these appointed seasons were to be observed. The big question has been, “Yes, but weren’t these feasts strictly Old Testament?” Not at all! If we turn to the New Testament and read in the book of John 7:1-15, do we read that the Jews observed the Feast of Tabernacles? Some will say ‘yes, but verse 2 refers to the Jews Feast of Tabernacles that was at hand, so doesn’t this prove that these Feasts then were only to be observed by the Jews?’ No, at the time Jesus was on this earth, only the Jews were observing the annual Holy Sabbaths, as well as the weekly Sabbath. The remaining tribes of Israel had gone into captivity hundreds of years before. Jesus Himself said in Matthew 10:6 “But go rather to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.” In Matthew 15:24- Jesus said “I am not sent, but unto the lost sheep of the House of Israel.” By this time the other tribes of Israel were no longer observing the Sabbath or the annual Sabbaths (Holy Days). They actually resided in Gentile countries. In John 7 we see Jesus was observing the Feast of Tabernacles. Jesus was in no way following Judaism, and the Jews readily admit this. But Jesus was sent to build His Church, and throughout the New Testament we see that the apostles also observed the 7th day Sabbath and God’s annual Holy Days. (See Acts 20:16; I Cor. 16:8) If we turn to some prophetic chapters, such as Isaiah 66:22-23 it states that all flesh shall come to worship before me, saith the Lord. This Lord, YHWH, Yaweh or Jehovah was the Lord who became Jesus Christ. The Word became Jesus, the Son of God. [See John 1, Colossians 1 and Hebrews 1 for proof of this, as the Word was made flesh (John 1:14)]. Lets’ turn to another prophetic book in the Old Testament in Zechariah 14, after Jesus returns to the earth to set up the millennial Kingdom of God. Notice what it says in Zechariah 14:16. It states that all the nations left after the great tribulation shall come to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. In v. 17-18 it tells what will happen to those nations, including Egypt that will not come to Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. Notice in Zechariah 14:19 “This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of the nations that come not up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.” We sang “Come to the Feast” at this year's Feast of Tabernacles. It was a feast that we are told about in Leviticus 23. By the way, we no longer have to do the animal sacrifices since Jesus death and sacrifice was sufficient and we are now under the New Covenant. (However, this in no way does away with the 7th day Sabbath or Holy Days as some preach today.) In Leviticus 23:40 it states that we shall dwell in temporary dwellings and “Ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days.” It is impossible to make the booths or tabernacles as described, so we live in motel rooms, or some camp out under the stars. And we rejoice and worship the King, the Lord of Hosts. Perhaps you should ask your minister, “Since Jesus observed the Feasts of the Lord, and the Feast of Tabernacles will be observed by all nations in the millennium, if Christians are truly following Christ, then why don’t all Christians observe this Feast?” The answer will probably be “Well, these were nailed to the cross”. No, they were not! You need to ask for our cassette sermon tapes on Colossians 2 and find out what was nailed to Jesus starus (cross). The answer will astound you. In the year 2005, my wife and I observed our 47th Feast of Tabernacles. We hope God will allow us to observe more of these, if not in this physical life, then in the Kingdom of God.
Harold
E Cormany
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