Today our world is fraught with danger. Many nations are torn apart by war and civil strife and ravaged by crime. Terrorism looms over many as an ever-present threat. Nuclear war is still a concern as more countries—and terrorist groups—seek to develop nuclear capacity.

On the moral front, abortion and same-sex marriage take center stage in U.S. newspapers in what has been called the “post-Christian era.”

Bible prophecy indicates that world conditions will get worse before they get better. But the good news is that they will get better. The gospel of the Kingdom of God focuses on a better world to come, ushered in by returning King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ. In a world dominated by bad news, this message offers hope and encouragement for what otherwise appears as a very bleak future.

Festivals offer guidance and encouragement for the future

The festivals and Holy Days of the Bible serve as a spiritual compass. They guide God’s people through these troubled times on our life’s journey to our destiny as participants in the coming Kingdom of God. They also offer periodic spiritual oases and rest from the rigors of daily life, and opportunities to refocus our priorities as Colossians 3:1-4 admonishes us to do.

As we gather together in sites around the world to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles and Last Great Day, we reach the grand climax of another festival season. The annual cycle begins with the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread in the spring, followed by Pentecost 50 days later and the fall festival season consisting of the Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles and Last Great Day.

Historical meanings of the Festivals and Holy Days

Each of these special occasions portrays milestone events in the plan of God. In their original historical setting, God’s plan for Israel began with their deliverance from the bondage of Egyptian slavery, celebrated by the Passover (Exodus 12:1-14, 43-48). Their journey out of Egypt as a result of God’s mighty deliverance was commemorated by the Days of Unleavened Bread (Exodus 12:15-20, 31-42; 13:3-10). The Feast of Weeks was related to the spring harvest (Exodus 34:22; Deuteronomy 16:10, 16).

The Feast of Trumpets signaled the beginning of the civil year in Israel. The Day of Atonement involved an annual ritual that pointed to the need for atonement for the sins of the nation (Leviticus 16:1-34). Israelites were also commanded to fast the entire day from sundown to sundown (Leviticus 23:26-32).

The Feast of Tabernacles (also known as the Feast of Ingathering—Exodus 23:16; 34:22) was a seven-day festival that celebrated the fall harvest season (Leviticus 23:33-39). Israelites were to erect temporary dwellings (“tabernacles” or “booths”) as a reminder of their journey out of Egypt (Leviticus 23:40-43). Leviticus 23 lists an eighth day as a Holy Day in which no work was to be done.

All of these days (except Passover) were to be kept holy (set apart or made special) by not working. “Holy convocations” (special meetings) were to be held to celebrate the Holy Days. (Passover is a memorial and is not set aside as a Holy Day—Exodus 12:14.)

Festivals and Holy Days portray the plan of salvation

The historical meanings set the stage for understanding the spiritual meaning of important events, past and future, in God’s plan of salvation. As Paul wrote in Colossians 2:16-17, these festivals are “a shadow of things to come.”

Paul provides the meaning of the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread in 1 Corinthians 5:7: “Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.”

God gave instructions to Israel regarding the sacrifice of the Passover lamb, a type of “Christ, our Passover,” sacrificed for us. Paul here explains leavening as symbolic of sin. The fermentation process of their leavening (what we today refer to as “sourdough”) is reminiscent of the corruption of sin. Paul emphasizes that our efforts to put away sin are a logical and necessary extension of Christ’s sacrifice that frees us from the bondage of sin.

The Holy Spirit was given on the Day of Pentecost (the New Testament name for the Feast of Weeks), which enables us to become spiritual firstfruits of God (Romans 8:23; James 1:18). This event also marked the beginning of the New Testament Church.

The Feast of Trumpets reminds us that Jesus Christ will return at the blowing of the seventh trumpet to raise God’s people from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:52) and to establish the Kingdom of God on earth (Revelation 11:15).

The Day of Atonement anticipates the time when God will set His hand to make all mankind “at one” with Him. Satan will be put away (Revelation 20:1-3), reminiscent of the sending away of the live goat in Leviticus 16. We fast today as a reminder of the need to humble ourselves and draw close to God in order to resist Satan (James 4:6-10; 1 Peter 5:5-9).

The Feast of Tabernacles is the spiritual high point of the year for God’s people. It affords us the opportunity to enjoy a foretaste of “the powers of the age to come” (Hebrews 6:5).

Numerous Bible prophecies foretell this time of universal peace and prosperity, health and happiness. All nations will learn to live at peace based on the laws of God, and the scourges of war, crime and violence will cease (Isaiah 2:1-4; Micah 4:1-6). Children will play in the streets safely without fear of harm (Zechariah 8:5). Even the nature of wild animals will be tamed (Isaiah 11:6-8). “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9). This will be accomplished by the righteous rule of Jesus Christ (Isaiah 9:6-7) that will extend to all the earth.

The governments of this world will be replaced by the government of God, based on the laws of God. God’s people who have lived and died throughout the ages will be given positions of rulership to assist Jesus Christ in teaching God’s way of life (Revelation 2:26-27; 3:21; 5:10; Daniel 7:17-18, 21-22, 26-27).

All nations will assemble on the Sabbath and keep the Feast of Tabernacles to learn more about God (Isaiah 66:23; Zechariah 14:16-19).

The Feasts of Tabernacles reminds us that this utopian world is more than a dream. It is a coming reality that we all look forward to. It is part of the hope that keeps us anchored to God and His plan and promises. It is why we gather together to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

The Last Great Day is the grand finale of the Holy Day season, as we review the fact that God’s plan encompasses all mankind, not just the few that He has called in this age. All who have ever lived and died will rise to physical life. Satan will no longer be around to deceive them. They will have time to learn and live by the laws of God and to choose between God’s way and the way they lived in their previous lifetime.
Paul explains in Romans 9 through 11 how all Israel (and by extension, all mankind) will have an opportunity for salvation. We are among the relatively few who are being given that opportunity now in this life. God’s Holy Days serve as annual reminders of this marvelous truth.

Scope of Holy Days expands from individuals to whole world

Another way to view the Holy Days is to note that they begin with the individual focus of the personal, one-on-one relationship God establishes with each of us. He does this through His calling and election of grace that begins with our accepting Christ as our Passover. That personal focus continues during the Days of Unleavened Bread that remind us of our ongoing struggle and journey out of the bondage of sin as a result of God’s deliverance.

With Pentecost the scope broadens to include all of God’s called-out people. We are reminded that we are not alone in our battles against sin. God works in us by means of His Holy Spirit “both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). The Holy Spirit also connects us with a body of believers united by the common bond of God’s presence within our minds and hearts (1 Corinthians 12:13). God has enlisted all of us to do a work of preaching the gospel of the Kingdom to a deceived world desperately in need of the truths of God’s plan that we are privileged to understand.

The fall festival season relates to the worldwide scope of God’s plan. The Feast of Trumpets represents the turning point in human civilization, when “the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” (Revelation 11:15). Atonement reminds us that Christ’s atoning sacrifice will become available to all mankind, and that Satan’s evil influence will be put away.

Jesus Christ’s reign begins with the 1,000-year rule commemorated by the Feast of Tabernacles and crescendos to the climactic eighth day. This Last Great Day pictures all who have ever lived and died being offered all the benefits, symbolized by the previous Holy Days, that we experience in this life.

So while the meaning of the Feast of Tabernacles is enjoyed and appreciated by those who have been spiritually enlightened, its scope extends well beyond the minority of people God has called now. It reminds us of our destiny of assisting Jesus Christ in the education and rulership of all nations in this future world. The theme of the Feast of Tabernacles is the same as the theme of the gospel—the Kingdom of God, of which Jesus Christ is the central figure.

Importance of our example at the Feast

With this in mind, we have an opportunity at the Feast, not only to enjoy a foretaste of the world tomorrow, but by our example to share that foretaste with the communities in which the Feast is observed. What better time to let our lights shine! The New Living Translation colorfully expresses Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:14 this way: “You are the light of the world—like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see.”

As we live by the values of the gospel and Kingdom of God, the Church serves as a microcosm of the Kingdom. Most United Church of God congregations are too small to make as big of an impact throughout the year. The Feast of Tabernacles offers a unique opportunity for us to enjoy and share a foretaste of the coming Kingdom of God by our example as we rejoice at the Feast. This example of large groups of people meeting for eight days in locations throughout the world cannot be hidden, especially in small communities.

Our celebration is an eloquent testimony to the spiritual meanings represented by these festivals as well as to the gospel that we preach by our media efforts. To whom? To us and to our children, to be sure. But also to the communities where we observe the Feast. Let your light shine so that others, including the community, can share some of the joy we are experiencing as a foretaste of the age to come. This is practicing the way of give, doing God’s work and is a fundamental reason for our calling.

The better we understand the meaning of the Feast and the better we practice the way of life that will be extant during the Millennium, the better we will be able to experience the joy God intends, as well as to share that joy with others. May this be your best Feast ever!