The Messiah, 297A

~ Jesus Christ and the Conclusion of Leviticus 23 ~

Background  ~  “Search the Scriptures—they testify of Me” — Jesus Christ (John 5:39).

“And beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, Jesus explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures” (Luke 24:27).  “Let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.  Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body [the true Church of Jesus Christ], nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God” (Colossians 2:16-19).

General Comment  ~  We have observed throughout this key chapter that Biblical prophecy is often twofold: a near-term (often only a few decades) fulfillment and a later complete fulfillment.  Often the first is more of a literal physical fulfillment and the second a more spiritual fulfillment.  Two of the feasts in this chapter have their second complete fulfillment yet to come. 

Scripture:  Leviticus 23 Introduction  ~  The first three verses deal with the seventh day of rest—the Sabbath.  Then verse 4 makes it clear that what follows are special celebrations—Feasts.  We have examined those seven feasts in our last seven Messiah blogs. We now come to the concluding verses of the chapter.  Now we look at the concluding verses of this interesting and important chapter.

The Scripture:  Leviticus 23 Conclusion  ~  …  “Also on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, you shall keep the feast of the Lord for seven days; on the first day there shall be a sabbath-rest, and on the eighth day a sabbath-rest.  And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of beautiful trees, branches of palm trees, the boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days.  You shall keep it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year.  It shall be a statute forever in your generations.  You shall celebrate it in the seventh month.  You shall dwell in booths for seven days.  All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”’  So Moses declared to the children of Israel the feasts of the Lord.” (Leviticus 23:39-44).

The Messiah  ~  As we have seen in this series of posts The Messiah—Jesus Christ can be clearly seen throughout Leviticus 23.  At a future point in history The Messiah will be worshipped by all the redeemed from every nation, tongue, tribe, and ethnic group. 

Future Fulfillment  ~  This holy period in these closing verses is prophetic in a couple of distinct ways.  First, it will be observed during the millennium.  Second, it points to the everlasting kingdom and eternity-future.  “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.  Also there was no more sea.  Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people.  God Himself will be with them and be their God.  And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.  There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away’” (Revelation 21:1-4).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .

The Messiah, 296A

~ Jesus Christ and The Feast of Tabernacles ~

Background  ~  “Search the Scriptures—they testify of Me” — Jesus Christ (John 5:39).

“And beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, Jesus explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures” (Luke 24:27).  “Let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.  Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body [the true Church of Jesus Christ], nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God” (Colossians 2:16-19).

The Scripture  ~  …  “Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel, saying: “The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the Lord.  On the first day there shall be a holy convocation.  You shall do no customary work on it.  For seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord.  On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation, and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord.  It is a sacred assembly, and you shall do no customary work on it”’” (Leviticus 23:33-36).  …

note:  Additional Scripture for your review is found in Numbers 29:12-40 and Deuteronomy 16:13-17. 

The Messiah  ~  While Jesus Christ—The Messiah did not speak directly about this feast it is clearly representing the uniting with Jesus Christ—The Messiah and their ultimate rest.  “And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.  And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain.  If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles” (Zechariah 14:16-19).

Future Fulfillment  ~  This is foretelling a time when Israel is securely in their land.  In that day all their sins will be forgiven.  “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.  For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland.  And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return.  But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country.  Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them” (Hebrews 11:13-16).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .

The Messiah, 295A

~ Jesus Christ and The Feast of Atonement ~

Background  ~  “Search the Scriptures—they testify of Me” — Jesus Christ (John 5:39).

“And beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, Jesus explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures” (Luke 24:27).  “Let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.  Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body [the true Church of Jesus Christ], nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God” (Colossians 2:16-19).

The Scripture  ~  …  “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ‘Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement.  It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the Lord.  And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God.  For any person who is not afflicted in soul on that same day shall be cut off from his people.  And any person who does any work on that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people.  You shall do no manner of work; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.  It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls; on the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your sabbath’” (Leviticus 23:26-32).  …

note:  Additional Scripture for your review is found in Numbers 29:7-11.

The Messiah  ~  This speaks of the cleansing work of Jesus Christ—The Messiah which was accomplished on the Cross of Calvary.  The word atonement has a root meaning of covering (i.e., the covering of sin).  Under the Old Covenant God did not remove sins but rather He covered them!  It was not until God sent His Only Son to be His perfect Lamb that sins could be forgiven and removed.  Consider for example: “In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent.  For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed.  He has given proof of this to all men by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31). 

“For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.  And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ‘The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins’” (Romans 11:25-27).

“Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests 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, which he offered for himself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance; the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing.  It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.  But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.  Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.  For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?  And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance” (Hebrews 9:6-15).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .