Feast of Tabernacles in Today’s World. The Last Great Day: The Final Harvest. Update.

For “Scripture Sunday” and Monday.

Celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles in Today’s World

“This 7-day biblical festival gives you a preview of the coming wonderful age beyond today.

Transcript of YouTube: https://youtu.be/0JWFfikMwHE

[Steve] Did you know there’s a biblical festival that Jesus Christ celebrated in the first century and even today, thousands of Christians still look forward to it each year?

> I think the greatest benefit of the Feast of Tabernacles is spiritual energy.

» I love it! I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

> Yes! Yes! I’m going to the Feast of Tabernacles!

[Steve] From a biblical perspective, is there significance to the Feast of Tabernacles? What does this seven-day festival picture in God’s plan? What does it mean for us today?

Could this festival that Jesus observed unlock a secret for your life?

Stay tuned as we discuss why you should: “Celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles in Today’s World.”

[Steve] What is the Feast of Tabernacles? Could there be a spiritual significance to the Feast of Tabernacles that you may have overlooked? Why do Christians from around the world take time away from their jobs and schools to attend this seven-day celebration?

I had the opportunity to talk to Christians who celebrate this special biblical festival called the Feast of Tabernacles.

> I”m excited about the Feast because there are so many people here of like mind, you know everybody’s got the holy spirit and when you’re out in the world, I guess doing battle in a sense on a day-to-day basis, it’s just good to come somewhere and I guess, spiritually recharge.

» God’s Kingdom—it’s gonna be so awesome, we can’t imagine what it’s like.

[Steve] Well, let’s try to imagine it from another perspective for a moment.

There was a life-changing event in the New Testament that most don’t realize has everything to do with the Feast of Tabernacles — the transfiguration.

Notice the details. Jesus said, “‘I tell you, there are some here who will not die until they have seen the Kingdom of God come with power.’ Six days later Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain…a change came over Jesus, and his clothes became shining white… There the three disciples saw Elijah and Moses talking with Jesus. Peter spoke up and said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, how good it is that we are here! We will make three tents…’ he and the others were so frightened that he did not know what to say” (Mark 9:1-6).

Now what an amazing event! Exactly what was that all about? Well in a vision, the men were suddenly whisked into the future to see Jesus Christ in His glory in His Kingdom!

Now don’t miss Peter’s reaction. What did Peter associate with this vision? Remember he said: “We will make three tents.” Peter connected tents with this event!”        Continued at: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-television-program/celebrating-the-feast-of-tabernacles-in-todays-world

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The Last Great Day: The Final Harvest

“After the Millennium, pictured by the Feast of Tabernacles, comes another time of spiritual harvest pictured by the Eighth Day or Last Great Day.

The Last Great Day pictures the final stage of God’s spiritual harvest.

The seven-day-long Feast of Tabernacles is associated with the 1,000 years of Jesus Christ’s rule on the earth. So continuing in Revelation 20, we come to the Great White Throne Judgment, which corresponds with the Eighth Day or Last Great Day. Verse 5 points out that “the rest of the dead” wouldn’t be resurrected until after the thousand years, which would make this the second resurrection.

“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books” (Revelation 20:11-12).

Another view of the second resurrection

This same resurrection is described in other passages that help us to understand it more fully.

Ezekiel 37 describes a valley full of bones that God resurrects to physical life. In this passage God addresses the children of Israel being resurrected: “Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land” (verses 13-14).

During this time, pictured by the Last Great Day, God raises these Israelites as living, breathing human beings, and He offers them His Holy Spirit, which is the same as offering them the chance for salvation and eternal life. God is completely fair and merciful, so these are people who did not have a chance for salvation in their previous lives in this world.

That is why He opens the Book of Life to them—to give them the chance to be written in it! The other books mentioned in Revelation 20:12 would be the books of the Bible, opened to their understanding for the first time.

But will only descendants of Israel have this chance? No, Jesus Christ makes plain that gentiles from all ages will have their opportunity during this Day of Judgment as well (Matthew 10:15; 11:21-24; 12:41-42). And so God’s stated desire will be fulfilled: “Who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4; see also 2 Peter 3:9).

What an amazing, merciful plan of salvation is pictured by this Last Great Day and all seven of God’s festivals! What a wonderful future God has in store for us and everyone who will respond to Him!” From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/life/plan-of-salvation/last-great-day/?

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Update.

Well, the cable, internet and phone went out a day after the repair man fixed it, when we had another storm.

Fortunately, I have a working laptop, as long as it is plugged in, so the Service Coordinator let me use his WiFi again.  But I had to take my printer too, because a lot of paperwork has to be ready for my appointment with the Social Security Administration next week. The repairman didn’t come back until the end of the week, so it was another week that I had to tote my big old heavy laptop and printer down to the Community Room.  But I had bought one of those shopping cats on wheels so it came in very handy for that, also for taking the laundry.  I always seem to be toting something in it.

For the Sabbath church potluck I made a Butternut Squash Pie with Bisquick and cottage cheese, no milk, and no eggs.  I didn’t think that it was as good as the Bisquick Crustless Canned Pumpkin Pie I had made the week before, but the congregation loved it.  The Sabbath theme was “Faith does not make things easy, it makes them possible”, Luke 1:37, and the Message was about The Imminent Return of Christ.  Our pastor wasn’t there, so the pastor of the Spanish congregation gave it.  He has a thick accent, and I don’t do well understanding folks with accents, but I got the gist of it.

Sunday afternoon we had the usual Bible study at the apartment Community Room, and the subject was about “The Power of Words”, how they can hurt or heal.  The pastor chose that because the week before one of the ladies had a tizzy about something, and stormed out.  It was actually a paper that she herself had written, but she wasn’t there to hear it.

Then on Sunday, I made another pie, because I was going to celebrate “The Last Great Day”, the holy day at the end of The Feast of Tabernacles, with my old church in Willis on Monday.  I used the rest of the butternut squash and made a pie with the Bisquick, eggs and milk recipe that I had used for the crustless canned pumpkin pie.  It went down very well.

The Bible readings were Deut. 14:22-16,17, 1 King. 82-21, John 7:37-39. These were chosen because they are about The Last Great Day.  The Teaching was also about that. 

For a couple of days I had a helper. He is a caregiver for one of the residents here.  We drove to Willis and brought six dining room chairs with arms and some other stuff back to Navasota.  That made a lot of space there at that storage.  Another day he got on my little step ladder and hung some pictures for me.  We had agreed on an hourly rate and I paid him more than he worked.  Then he didn’t come back, so I hired another guy and we moved some stuff around in the two storage units that I have in here in Navasota.  I had to get a bigger storage unit here, temporarily, to house the things that are in the Willis one.  I hope to have that unit empty by the following Thursday.

 

Why Should Christians Celebrate the Day of Atonement. MEANING OF THE FESTIVAL. Update.

^{For “Scripture Sunday”}

Why Should Christians Celebrate the Day of Atonement (Also Known as Yom Kippur)?

“Long after Jesus Christ’s death, the Day of Atonement continued as an important Holy Day for the New Testament Church of God. What does the Day of Atonement mean for Christians today?

Chris Sardegna/Unsplash

When the meaning of the Day of Atonement is fulfilled in the future, it will set the stage for the sixth festival of God, the Feast of Tabernacles.

The Day of Atonement is the fifth of God’s annual Holy Days (Leviticus 23:26-32), following shortly after the Feast of Trumpets. Observed by fasting (verse 27; compare Isaiah 58:3), which means not eating or drinking (Esther 4:16), this day portrays the human race finally becoming at one with God.

At the return of Jesus Christ, Satan the devil, who now leads all of mankind astray (Ephesians 2:2; Revelation 12:9), will be bound (Revelation 20:1-3) so all humans of all nations can be reconciled to God.

In the New Testament Luke referred to this Holy Day as “the fast” in Acts 27:9.

When the meaning of the Day of Atonement is fulfilled in the future, it will set the stage for the sixth festival of God, the Feast of Tabernacles.”  From: https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/bible-questions-and-answers/why-should-christians-celebrate-the-day-of-atonement

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The Symbolism of the Day of Atonement

Leviticus 16:21-22

“Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man. The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an uninhabited land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness.”

The Day of Atonement is a special holy day with great meaning. The rituals described in Leviticus 16 help us understand its meaning in God’s plan. Here are excerpts from our article “The Day of Atonement: Removing the Enemy, Reconciling All to God.”

“The rituals God gave ancient Israel for the Day of Atonement included one involving two goats. The high priest was to present them before God, and God would show which one was ‘for the Lord’ to be sacrificed (representing Jesus Christ) and which was for Azazel (the Hebrew word translated as ‘scapegoat’ in the New King James Version). The goat for Azazel was left alive.

“‘And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel … and shall send him away by the hand of an appointed man into the wilderness. And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land which is cut off; and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness…

“‘And he that letteth go the goat for Azazel shall wash his clothes and bathe his flesh in water’ (Leviticus 16:21-22, 26, Jewish Publication Society).

“The connection between the goat for Azazel and the binding of Satan in Revelation 20 becomes more clear when you note that most scholars believe Azazel is the name of a demon inhabiting the wilderness (Dictionary of the Bible, Vol. 1, p. 326).”

For more about the symbolism of the Day of Atonement, see “Leviticus 16 and the Day of Atonement.” From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/blog/the-symbolism-of-the-day-of-atonement/?

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THE MEANING OF THE FESTIVAL

“The Day of Atonement depicts the binding and removal of Satan the devil and his influence on the earth.

The fifth annual holy day, the Day of Atonement, reveals Satan’s fate in God’s master plan. This holy day symbolizes the removal of the instigator of all sin—Satan the devil. The removal of Satan is something to celebrate! It is a day to celebrate because all of humanity will finally be able to be at one with God the Father through Christ’s sacrifice.

Masquerading as an angel of light, Satan has been able to masterfully deceive the whole world.

Satan, who is called the god of this present world, constantly tries to influence people to disobey God and His law (2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2). Masquerading as an angel of light, Satan has been able to masterfully deceive the whole world (2 Corinthians 11:14; Revelation 12:9). God and humans can never be fully at one until Satan is completely banished and the whole world has repented.

Jesus has already overcome Satan and qualified to replace him as ruler of the earth (John 16:33). Jesus Christ will return soon as King of Kings and Lord of Lords to oust Satan and rule the earth. Satan will be restrained and forbidden from deceiving the nations throughout the Millennium (Revelation 20:1-3).”   From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/learning-center/youth-development/the-word-of-god/day-of-atonement/?

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What Is the Day of Atonement?

“One of God’s fall Holy Days is called the Day of Atonement. What does this day picture?

Transcript of YouTube: https://youtu.be/Cu3BwQ8pyGs

[Darris McNeely] Of all God’s festivals, the Day of Atonement has a very special meaning and I’ve always kind of been attached to it. It’s the hardest because it is a day of fasting, and fasting is not a natural human condition. But on the Day of Atonement, we see some of the most beautiful teaching and meaning of the word of God regarding the hope that we can look…have in this life.

In Leviticus 16, there’s an entire chapter that talks about what happened on the Day of Atonement in the Old Testament when the high priest would go in several times into the temple sanctuary, into the Holy of Holies with the blood of sacrifice. He only did that once a year, and he was the only one who could do that. Now, we don’t have a temple, we don’t do animal sacrifices, but God does command the Day of Atonement like all of His other festivals and His weekly Sabbath to be something that He would…His people would keep throughout their generations forever. And those two words throughout the generations and forever, they do mean what they say.

So how do we apply this today? Well, let’s turn over to the book of Hebrews 9 and there’s a couple of verses here, six and seven, that we should read that tell us exactly why the Day of Atonement has an ongoing meaning, application and observance for the people of God, for the saints of God, for the church of God. “Now, when these sayings had been thus prepared,” the writer says, “the priests have always went into the first part of the tabernacle performing the services, but into the second part, the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, that once a year was on the Day of Atonement. With that blood he offered for himself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance.”

It was an offering to remove the penalty of sin off of the nation in the Old Testament, but with Christ’s sacrifice today, it removes the penalty of sin off of all mankind, and we have the opportunity to take advantage of that today in our life when we accept Christ as our savior and are baptized and receive God’s spirit. Verse eight, “The Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest while the tabernacle was still standing.”

Christ is our high priest today and He is in God’s throne. He is in God’s presence making sacrifice or applying that sacrifice for us today. It was one sacrifice for all time. When we keep the Day of Atonement, when we fast, when we worship God on His appointed times, we remember that we have that pointed out in our attention, and we have ourselves pointed to one of the most important lessons for us in the world today. A time when the evil of this world will finally be removed and when sin will be removed from mankind’s presence and true atonement with God will be realized.” From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-daily/what-is-the-day-of-atonement

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Update.

Finally, my immigration status was confirmed so I can now have a gold star on my drivers license. So I went to College Station, met my daughter and we went on into Bryan to get our licenses.  She ran into the same thing because I had brought her over here from England when she was 20 months old,and hadn’t taken out American citizenship either.  I got my license, but she has to wait to be confirmed now, too. 

One of the phone reps of my internet/ cable/ phone company said that I could take the modem that wasn’t lighting up properly into their office in Bryan and they would give me another one.  Oh! Yea! Not so! The office said an installer still had to come out on Friday.  While we were in Bryan, I  also went to the Social Security office but still have to go back on the 29th with more paperwork to hopefully do what I have to do.  Red tape, as usual!

It was The Feast of Atonement last Wednesday, that is why that is spotlighted here.  A solemn occasion.

I found a body shop that did a great job of heating my bumper and pushing out the dent in my back bumper and screwing the back panel back up. It took them half an hour to do it.  Later that day, the cable company repair man came and it took him half an hour to determine that the installer hadn’t screwed all the connections tight for my internet and phone.   Everything is fixed and working right, for now.  

So many savory dishes are brought for the Sabbath potluck that I made a dessert.  Usually there are just the brownies that my neighbor makes, so this time I made a Crustless Pumpkin Pie, and it was very popular.  This week’s theme is Walk In Love, Eph. 5:2, the Bible study was more about Nehemiah, and the Message was about “Who Is My Neighbor” , Luke 10:25-37:   Parable of the Good Samaritan

²⁵ On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

²⁶ “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

²⁷ He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’^[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[b]”

²⁸ “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

²⁹ But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

³⁰ In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹ A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. ³² So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.³³ But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. ³⁴ He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he took out two denarii^[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

³⁶ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

³⁷ The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

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Then the weather turned cold and went down into the 50’s on Saturday.

What Are You Worth? Mind Your Steps, Part 2.

For “Scripture Sunday”:

What Are You Worth?

 1 comment

“The value we place on ourselves is often reflected in the things we do.

        Sharon Christina Rorvik/Unsplash

Be sure to evaluate the price of your goals and count the costs before it's too late.

They say everyone has a price. In other words, people believe that if offered enough money we will even sell our “souls.” It is doubtful that anyone knows what that saying means—but it is clear that people will often not hesitate to do almost anything to achieve a goal.

The value we place on ourselves will always be reflected back to us one day. We will live to enjoy our good decisions and to rue our bad ones. When we are able to wisely assess our actions and make good choices, the benefits are enormous. The Bible tells about Judas Iscariot who arranged to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 27:3-5). The money was attractive to Judas, but it was himself that he sold for the silver. He put a value on himself for an act of the betrayal of One who trusted him. That act made him hang himself once he realized that thirty pieces of silver was all he was worth.

Be sure to evaluate the price of your goals and count the costs before it’s too late.” From:  https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/blogs/this-is-the-way/what-are-you-worth

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We Christians must always be in harmony with the will of God. When some material objective becomes obsessive , we should stop and seek in prayer before God if these things are of the will OF HIM!!!

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Mind Your Steps, Part 2.

“When we are not mindful of what we do and say, our words and actions can have immediate consequences to those around us.

Transcript of YouTube: https://youtu.be/Zeoogziz-8s

[Darris McNeely] I’m still going through rehabilitation on my injured calf, I’m still in this boot. And it’s going to be a little bit of a time before I get back to my normal steps and normal way of life. As I said in previous Dailies on this, I have learned a lot of lessons about taking mindful steps in my own life right now to keep from reinjuring my calf, causing pain. That’s why this boot is on to help in the healing process. And it’s got me to thinking about, again, the spiritual decisions, the spiritual steps that we take in our life. I talked in another Daily about the fact that some of the steps we take in our life have long-term consequences. And that’s true.

The Psalms and Proverbs talk about having wisdom in our path, in our steps, and God establishing our way of our life. There’s another Psalms in Psalms 40:2 that helps us to understand something, again, about steps and sometimes short-term decisions we make, words we say, or whatever, have implications as well. And we need to think about that. You know, sometimes we may blurt out a word of offense toward someone in anger, in impatience, and it will damage a relationship we have in our families, at work, with our friends. And we need to be very careful, because we’ll probably have to apologize. We may cause harm, and we will have to, in a sense, walk that comment back. So, there’s long-term steps we take that impact our whole life. There are other mistakes we make and steps we take that are not so mindful and cause short-term difficulties for us.

There’s a Psalms 40:2 that says this, “Speaking of God, He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock and established my steps.” That’s a good thought, but it’s also a good prayer to God to ask God to establish our steps on a rock so that our lives don’t get out of whack, we don’t injure ourselves, our relationships, and other people. Be mindful of the steps we take.

Again, I’m very mindful as I rehab this injury to my calf, that of every step that I take right now, there’s gonna be a period of time to come back from that. There’s a spiritual lesson for us, deep lessons about taking mindful steps before God and asking God to set our steps upon a firm rock. And that firm rock is God Himself and Jesus Christ His son.”    From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-daily/mind-your-steps-part-2 

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Update.

The internet and landline are out.  Fortunately, Open Live Writer works without the internet, but I won’t be able to post this until it is back on again.   I am pretty sure it is the cable company’s modem because all the lights aren’t lit on it.  The bedroom TV works OK, but the living one won’t bring in all the channels and sometimes does that pixilating thing.

A repair man can’t come until next Friday, so I have to drive to Bryan and get another modem.  But I have to go to the Social Security office there, anyway.  I sure hope my daughter can go with me or I will get lost in that strange territory.  After living in the Conroe/Willis area since the 1970’s it is difficult for me to find my way around here.  I have just learned to navigate the little city of Navasota, but further afield and I am lost.  It didn’t bother me when I was younger, but now in my mid-eighties, it does.

When I sold my house and guest house I thought I was through with the “FORD” thing…. (Fix Or Repair Daily).  Just got my van out of the shop from having the dented oil pan replaced when someone ran into the passenger rear corner and popped that side corner of the bumper loose up to the wheel well.  I can’t drive it hanging like that.  I had given away all my duct tape, gorilla tape, and such when I had to empty out my work shop, now all I have here is packing tape, which will have to do until I can buy some, or get it fixed.  If it isn’t one thing…it is two others !!

As I had some ground beef, carrots, onions and potatoes, I made a Shepherd’s Pie for the church potluck.  I don’t know why I bother, there is always an abundance of food there, but I like to do my part.  The Bible study was in a new study book about Ezra and Nehemiah.  The theme this week was to “Lift up Your Hearts In Praise, and the sermon was about “Three Trees.”  I had trouble understanding the Elder who gave the message because he has a thick accent, but it was about the tree in the middle of the garden of Eden, the tree that the man climbed up to see Jesus, and the tree (cross) that He was hung on.

Now I have to get ready for the afternoon Bible study that we have in the Community Room here at the apartments.  A preacher from a church in Anderson holds it here every Sunday.

P.S. My phone and internet won’t be fixed until later this week.

Why Should Christians Celebrate the Feast of Trumpets? Update.

For “Scripture Sunday” and Monday:

Why Should Christians Celebrate the Feast of Trumpets?

“Prophecies of the end time include trumpet plagues and the return of Jesus Christ at the last trump. What does the Feast of Trumpets mean for Christians today?

Philipp Reiner/Unsplash

Christ's return is announced by the seventh and final trumpet

The fourth festival of God (after Pentecost) is the Feast of Trumpets (or a “memorial of blowing of trumpets,” Leviticus 23:24-25), which falls in September or October. This festival is called Rosh Hashanah by the Jews today. Ancient Israel understood that trumpets were used as a way of announcing special, very important messages (Numbers 10:1-10).

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ reveals that before His return to the earth, there will be the blowing of seven trumpets, announcing progressive stages of the downfall and overthrow of this world’s kingdoms, ending with the return of Christ to take possession of the earth. Christ’s return is announced by the seventh and final trumpet (Revelation 8:2; Revelation 11:15). This day also pictures the time when faithful Christians will be resurrected to eternal life at the time of the seventh trumpet (1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16) to reign with Jesus Christ for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:4-6).

Interestingly, it was around this time of year that Jesus was born—not in the dead of winter (see “Biblical Evidence Shows Jesus Wasn’t Born on December 25 “). And the fall feast season represents the time when Jesus Christ will come to the earth again to reign in glory.

The remaining fall feast days describe steps in the establishment of the prophesied Kingdom of God on earth and judgment of humanity after Christ’s return. The Feast of Trumpets is followed by the Day of Atonement.”  From: https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/bible-questions-and-answers/why-should-christians-celebrate-the-feast-of-trumpets

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The Biblical Feast of Trumpets, Foretelling 'the Day of the Lord'

“Does this ancient biblical feast hold great meaning for Christians today?

Photos.com

Most Christians find little meaning in God's Holy Days, but could they hold an important message for you and your future?

Every autumn the Jewish community observes a holiday called Rosh Hashanah (meaning “head of the year,” because it begins the Jewish civil year). This is a biblical festival, known in Scripture as Yom Teruah, the Day of Trumpets, because the Israelites were to blow trumpets on that day (Leviticus 23:24). A shofar, or ram’s horn, is blown calling the faithful to 10 days of repentance culminating in another biblical festival, Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement.

Most Christians find little meaning in these days, but could they hold an important message for you and your future?

In ancient Israel the shofar was blown for various reasons, including a call to war. Jewish leaders in the first century had to take care when they blew the shofar on the Feast of Trumpets so that the occupying Roman soldiers didn’t think a rebellion was being launched.

The Bible speaks of a time before Christ’s return when the earth will be engulfed in war, famine, disease epidemics, earthquakes and other colossal disasters. This era, called “the great tribulation” (Revelation 7:14; Matthew 24:21), will bring humanity to the brink of total destruction—necessitating God’s promised intervention in human affairs.

The period of God’s intervention is called “the day of the Lord.” It is also a time known for the blowing of trumpets.

The prophetic Day of the Lord

The Day of the Lord includes a series of cataclysmic events leading up to the return of Jesus Christ and His forceful suppression of humanity’s rebellion against God.

It’s important to understand that prophecies concerning the Day of the Lord can at times have a former and later fulfillment. What that means is that the messages of the ancient prophets applied in part to the people to whom they were preaching, but many of these prophecies also refer to a future time when God will intervene in the affairs of mankind—a time that is yet to occur.

Many references to the Day of the Lord in the biblical books of Isaiah and Joel refer to punishment God poured out on ancient Israel and Judah. But when reading these prophecies, and comparing them with historical information, it is clear that they are dual in nature and were only partially fulfilled. These verses primarily look to the future when God will pour out His judgment on an unrepentant humanity before the second coming of the Messiah.

This may not be a popular message in today’s environment of feel-good religion, but, as we always do on Good News Radio and in our publications, we turn to the Bible as the Word of God in our search for truth.

Many centuries ago, the prophet Zechariah was inspired to write: “Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, and your spoil will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

“Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two …” (Zechariah 14:1-4).

God’s future intervention

God is a God of love and mercy. But He is also a just and righteous God who doesn’t compromise with evil. Instead of repenting and acknowledging their Creator, most of humanity has been snubbing their collective noses at Him in a pretense of religion and suffering the consequences. But a time is coming when He will intervene by sending Jesus Christ to rule over the nations and save us from ourselves.

Many Old and New Testament prophecies describe the coming Day of the Lord, including those of the seven trumpets in Revelation 8-11. They create a composite picture of a time of blowing of trumpets, a time of catastrophic war, and a time when all nations will be brought together to be judged by God.

The Feast of Trumpets contains an important message for Christians. In fact, it is the most important news on the globe today. It heralds the gospel’s emphasis on repentance and judgment, the warning blasts of the shofar, the Day of the Lord and the proclamation that the Messiah is returning to establish God’s Kingdom on the earth.

Jesus Himself makes a key statement in His Mount Olivet prophecy recorded in Matthew 24: “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

“Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:29-31).

Notice that the return of Jesus Christ is accompanied by the sound of a trumpet.

The apostle Paul encourages Christians to keep the coming Day of the Lord in mind. He writes to the church in Thessalonica: “For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.

“But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night.

“But let us who are of the day be sober … For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him” (1 Thessalonians 5:2-10).

Indeed, the resurrection of the saints to reign with Christ in glory will come at the sounding of the last trumpet (1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

The prophesied Day of the Lord is coming. The trumpet will sound, the saints will be raised from the grave and Jesus Christ will return to establish His Father’s Kingdom on the earth. The Feast of Trumpets isn’t just for the Jewish people. It is a very special day for all those who wait for the Messiah.”    From: https://www.ucg.org/the-good-news/the-biblical-feast-of-trumpets-foretelling-the-day-of-the-lord

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Discover the biblical festivals that teach us about God’s plan to restore our world and save mankind.
Feast of Trumpets - September 30, 2019
Day of Atonement - October 9, 2019
Feast of Tabernacles - October 14-20, 2019
The Eighth Day - October 21, 2019

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Update.

That was an expensive trip to the store the day I got lost and stuck in the mud!  When I called the repair shop on Monday to get the dented oil pan on my van replaced, they said not to drive it.  The clattering noise meant that part of the engine was hitting the oil pan.  The repair shop has a wrecker, but it was going to cost me so I called my Emergency Road Service.  A couple of days later it was ready, so the Service Coordinator here at these senior apartments took me to pick it up.  That is one thing about living here, they take care of their senior residents.  I had no idea such great places existed, or I would have moved out of my house 18 years ago when Johnny died.

After I drove Cherry, my neighbor to church, I saw the passenger side of my van..  Oh Dear!!  It was all mud splattered, and I had driven it to church like that.  I took another store bought Cheddar Chipotle Salad because it was so popular last time, but I can’t eat it, that dressing is way too spicy for me.  The message was “I can See Clearly Now”, based on Mark 8:22-26. Our Lord took the blind man and led him, and we all need leading sometimes.  

On Sunday afternoon we had the usual Bible study in the Community room.  That is what is so neat about living here, there are functions, not like a regular apartment complex so you don’t have to be on you own all the time.  Doesn’t bother me, I am used to it, but some people can’t stand their own company.  Sometimes it is Bingo, sometimes it is information about Medicare and similar, and this week they also had a Fall Prevention talk, as so many seniors fall.  Sometimes it is just a bunch of us gathered on the chairs under a tree, yapping.

This Monday, yesterday, I needed to find a car wash, but it was a special Sabbath, The Feast of Trumpets, so I drove back to my old church in Willis, and celebrated the feast with them.  It was so great to see them. The Teaching was from Lev. 23:23-25 where it tells about the feast.

The Feast of Trumpets:   Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ²⁴ “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. ²⁵ You shall do no customary work on it; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord.’ ”

As I was so close, I did go to my storage in Willis, but I didn’t bring anything back with me for three reasons, one because I couldn’t move some of it by myself, and if I did, I didn’t have anywhere to put it, but the main reason was that it was a holy day.