Lev 23:23 The LORD said to Moses, 24 "Say to the Israelites: "On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. 25 Do no regular work, but present an offering made to the LORD by fire." 26 The LORD said to Moses, 27 "The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, and present an offering made to the LORD by fire. 28 Do no work on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the LORD your God. 29 Anyone who does not deny himself on that day must be cut off from his people. 30 I will destroy from among his people anyone who does any work on that day. 31 You shall do no work at all. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live. 32 It is a Sabbath of rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe your Sabbath."
Heb. 4:3 And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world. 4 For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: "And on the seventh day God rested from all his work." 5 And again in the passage above he says,"They shall never enter my rest." (NIV)
Three times a year the Israelites would present themselves before the Lord. They did this by celebrating the Feast. In the seventh month was the Feast of Tabernacles. The beginning of this feast was the Blowing of Trumpets. The trumpet was called a shofar and was made from a ram’s horn. This trumpet would give out a certain sound in various sequences and would signal those throughout the camp that a certain event was taking place. For example, several blasts might mean it was time to pack up the camp and move. Other sounds would mean the Pillar of fire was resting, or it was time for war or time to retreat. In this case the blowing of trumpets signals a holy convocation or the beginning of the Feast of Tabernacles. This was a time to prepare for fasting to afflict their souls and prepare their hearts and minds for the greatest feast of the year. They were celebrating the harvest.
The blowing of trumpets was a call to prepare for worship. It began with the Sabbath. No servile work it was the day of rest. It was a day to cease from their work. This trumpet is calling us to cease from the work of man. It is calling us to leave our old traditions, leave the Adamic nature and enter into the true Sabbath, the rest of God. His work us been finished since the day of creation. God has entered into rest and waits for us to enter into his rest. He would like us to offer all the religious traditions so dear to us and place them on the fire as an offering then we will begin walking according to his word and not man. Tradition has robbed us from the will of God. We must get back in the place of blessing even if it afflicts our soul. The relationship with our Father is more important than any religious friendships we may have with others. If we examine these relationships, we will see it is based on doctrine and not the love of God. The moment you begin to say something other than the strict doctrinal confusion you will be thrust out of fellowship. All the love you thought was there will disappear. It is not based on the love of God but on the love of similar mindsets and familiar spirits. The trumpet is sounding for us to prepare to meet the love of our life the Lord in the place he has chosen for us to worship. This place is the Jerusalem… the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. Gal 2:26
The writer has often wondered why there was a Day of Atonement when we already have already celebrated Passover and Unleavened Bread. The Day of Atonement occurred almost a month in advance of Trumpets. The first feast is Passover and represents the atoned work of Christ in us. This is the individual atonement, which frees us from our sins and brings us in to his presence. This allows us to serve him in a freedom we could not have without his cleansing. The feasts permit us to pass from death unto life. It is the work of the spirit, which brings us out of Egypt and into the place where he has chosen for us to worship. It is the work of the spirit which brings us out of Egypt into his land. Passover and Unleavened Bread awakes our dead conscience to a new and living hope in Christ.
This is the first time we wake up in his spirit realm. We are made alive unto God and dead to sin. The deadness of our heart and mind are made alive. We become born of his spirit. A new and living way made available to us by the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. We are pluck from the kingdom of darkness and place into the kingdom of his dear son. We are translated or ascended into the Kingdom, which is above all and in all. Now we come to the Feast of Pentecost. This is the experience where we are in-dwelled with his Holy Spirit and receive the gift to walk in newness of life through the power, the dunamis of the spirit. We drink from a fountain of new wine. We become the new wine skins holding the essence, the substance of God and partakers of the new nature. As glorious as this is we must still look for more of this living union with Christ. This is symbolized by the Feast of Tabernacles, which is a new understanding of the corporate body of the Christ life.
The Day of Atonement is a day for the collective body to receive atonement and prepare for the great celebration of harvest. It is a day when we must leave our own selfish realms and enter together as his body. Most Christians have applied the cross in some measure to their own personal lives and now we are applying the cross to the collective body of Christ. Once a year the High Priest would select two goats, lots were drawn and one goat was sacrificed and other became a scapegoat. The goat slain represents Christ who suffered on the altar for Israel, the church which is his body, and the ones who escape death.
Many believers have no idea that the sacrifice of Christ extends to the church. They are busy trying to overcome things in their own world and have no time to consider what is going on in his word. Atonement is the full reconciliation of the members’ one to another. This Atonement is the covering of all sins through his forgiveness; all sins against the body of Christ committed throughout the centuries. Oh, beloved can you hear this? Do you feel, touch, and see forgiveness. This Day of Atonement covers the atrocities committed by the members against members for the last two thousand years. Once a year the high priest would take the blood from the goat and place it on the mercy seat within the veil. Tradition tells us that a rope was tied to his ankle so if the sacrifice was not accepted the dead priest could be pulled out of the Holy of Holies. However, if the priest could walk out the entire assemble knew that the sacrifice was accepted the nation would rejoice for the Lord had accepted them and all their sins were forgiven. Think of the joy, the shouts of relief and the praise when all of Israel knew God had accepted the sacrifice. It was matter of life and death. Our High Priest entered once and for all into the Holy of Holies. Yes, he was the sacrifice for the whole nation his entire body. Aaron and his sons laid hands on the second goat’s head and confessed all the sins of Israel. The sins were placed on its head by their hands and let go into the wilderness and the nation escaped the sting of death. This is a picture of the body of Christ. This represents a collective experience appropriated by the body of Christ. If ever we needed a Day of Atonement it is today.
The history of the church has been bloody and the unity has been destroyed by man’s doctrine. We need this place of repentance. We ask God to forgive us for our indifference toward his body. Walking in this place of Babylon (baby land) will prevent us from receiving the blessings of God. The works of our hands must cease. Thou shall not make any graven images before me. The works and images of our mind are not accepted in the sight of God. Harden not your hearts as in the day of provocation but enter into his rest by ceasing from your own works. No more carving out false doctrines, ideas and following traditions of man. The only safe place of existence from the raging storm headed our way is to build our house upon the Rock. We must do all things according to his word then we will be able to stand fast in this day. Put on the whole amour of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. The body can only stand on two feet when she is in obedience to God. We must stand in the power of his might. It is only by his spirit that this mountain of unbelief shall be removed. We enter his rest by looking to establish his church in every city.
Lev. 23:33 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 34 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD. 35 On the first day shall be a holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. 36 Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein. 37 These are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day:
The greatest feast of all is the Feast of Tabernacles, the Feast of Unity. Unity is the final feast. The seventh feast the true Sabbath day. The day the body of Christ enters into the rest of the Lord’s Day. Not a day in the future but a day we enter by being in the spirit with a heart and mind completely surrendered to God. We hold nothing back for we are the sons of God come to do thy will Oh Lord. This is the feast of Unity. This unity is possible! With God all things are possible to him that believes. This feast of unity is in the hearts of all God’s people.
Let us listen to the Apostle Paul in our modern time describe this glorious time of Unity. Note: This is a modern day Paul and a paraphrase of what he might say now.
Endeavor my children to keep the unity of Faith for without unity you will lose your strength. I have told you in times past to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit always following peace. You know there is one body and one Spirit, one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through us all, and in you all.
There is nothing more you can agree to. Redeem the time for the days are evil for without the Spirit you can do nothing. I have looked for your perfection in growing up into the head of all things, Jesus Christ. You are to be a perfect man; the sons of God and by now you should have come to the Unity of Faith, the knowledge of the Son of God and a perfect man who stature is the fullness of Christ. Is this not why some are tossed to and fro?
You have listen to man who have lied and made it sound like truth. Many carried away with doctrines made by the sleight of men who with cunning craftiness have for these last centuries deceived you and prevented you from speaking the truth in love. Yes, the speaking of the truth in love is how you will grow up into him in all things. You know your head is Christ. Put your head back on and walk in the truth of unity for the whole body is fitly framed and knitted together, compacted so the every joint works to supply according to the effectual work in the measure of every part. Oh beloved, this makes the increase of the body, which continues to edify, grow up and perfect itself in Love.
Therefore, prepare yourselves now for the Feast of Unity in the spirit of Thanksgiving by first of all giving thanks, afflicting your souls as in the days of Atonement and returning to the truth in love. I am begging you to seek those things which are above now endeavor to restore the unity of faith among yourselves. How can two walk together unless they agree? Know you not that a threefold cord is stronger? Did not Isaiah say? In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. Prepare your Sukkoth today and go up to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles for I hope to be with you in due season. I speak this to every city where the church of God resides. Amen! the voice 1998
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THE FEAST OF UNITY: