FEAST OF TABERNACLES – DAY 1 – 2005

Fred Coulter – October 18, 2005

And greetings brethren, this is the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles – 2005. And we’re very happy that you are able to come to the feast and hope and wish that you have a good feast all the way around, that God will bless you and inspire you and help you in every way. And as we know the feasts of God are the most important days for us to keep. Now obviously the weekly Sabbath is because this keeps us in not only contact with God, but we are taught week by week by week so that we can learn of God and learn of His ways, and then God has revealed His plans through His holy days, as we know.

The plan of God has been hidden in the meaning of the holy days. Therefore since the world does not want to keep the holy days, and hates the holy days of God, and hates the Sabbath of God, God is going to take the very things that they hate and He is going to teach His people the truth. Now that’s a fantastic thing that only God could do. And people today, it’s amazing – you don’t have to do anything that the Old Testament says. And so therefore since the Feast of Tabernacles is in the Old Testament, you don’t have to do it. But what did Jesus say? Jesus said, “Till heaven and earth shall pass away, My words shall never pass away. And don’t think I’ve come to destroy the law or the prophets” (Mark 13:31; Matt. 5:17, paraphrased). And those are basic things. And I just mention it because every year we hear of people who give up on God, give up on the Sabbath, give up on the holy days and go right back into the world. And brethren, pray for them that God will deal with them, that they can come to repentance, because they are missing out on the greatest and most fantastic thing – that is understanding the plan of God and knowing what God’s blessing and reward and eternal life is through the holy days.

Now let’s come to Exodus 23. And this is also very interesting from this point of view, because this shows that God intended the holy days to be kept even before He gave the rituals of the sacrifices. And of course, as we have seen, this also goes back to Abraham. And Abraham was a stranger and a sojourner, and Abraham and Isaac and Jacob dwelt in tabernacles, didn’t they? So actually the feasts of God go clear back, really to the beginning. But here he defines it for Israel, verse 14: “Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto Me…” Now, it’s unto God. And of course we know God owns these and we know that they are not Jewish feasts and so forth. They belong to God. “Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before Me empty:) And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field. Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord GOD” (Ex. 23:14-17, KJV).

Now we also find this repeated again in Exodus 34. Now it’s very important that it was repeated again there because, remember that Aaron made the golden calf and caused the people to worship it and proclaim a feast unto the Lord. Then Moses went back up on the mountain, received the instructions from God again, and in it he also reiterated concerning the Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, Feast of Firstfruits or Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles.

Now as we know in Leviticus 23 God has all the holy days listed, and this sets out how God has organized the year: the weekly Sabbath because it starts out with that, then Passover, then Unleavened Bread, then Pentecost, then Trumpets, Atonement, and then the Feast of Tabernacles. And we have to understand this as I brought out with “By Whose Authority”: You are either under the authority of God and keep His word and His laws and love Him, or you are under the authority of Satan the devil and you live in the world and you are cut off from God. There is really no middle ground. Though because of the mercy of God He allows people if they slide, to help them come to their senses and repent and come back, but that doesn’t mean there is any middle ground. There is absolutely no middle ground. We either love God and keep His commandments, or we are out serving our own selves and our own ways and our own things, which then brings us right back into the world and put ourselves under the authority of Satan the devil.

Now let’s come to Leviticus 23 and see the command for the Feast of Tabernacles. And this is, we are going to see, a great and a fantastic feast for us. And so we’re going to see that today. Verse 33: “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month [which is today] shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD. On the first day shall be an holy convocation…” So we are here at the commanded assembly of God. And He’s made the appointment and He commands us to come before Him, so we do. And God will bless us. God will bless us with His Spirit, with His understanding, with His righteousness, with His goodness. If we love God and if we love the things that God has given to us then God will open up understanding, God will give us knowledge, God will give us strength and encouragement and hope. And that’s what the way of God is all about as revealed in the Sabbath and all the holy days.

And he says here: “On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD…” Now those are the ritual sacrifices that they were to give, so not only were there ritual sacrifices but they also had all the other animal sacrifices that different people would bring on different days. And you read in Numbers 29 about all the sacrifices that were given beginning on the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles all the way through to the Last Great Day and there’s a tremendous number of sacrifices given. And this is to show that at this time that everyone was to bring to God in response to His bountiful blessings that He brought to them. And today, not only are the blessings measured in physical things, which are secondary, but the blessings are measured in spiritual things: the Spirit of God, the knowledge of God, the truth of God, and the Word of God. And so we need to respond to God back in the same way that He has given to us. And this is a tremendous and wonderful thing that we need to understand.

Then He says here: “…on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you…” and this is what is called the Last Great Day. And we’ll talk about that when we get to the eighth day since we’re just beginning today. And then it says: “…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. These are the feasts of the LORD…” They belong to Him. No one else can claim them. Oh, they can, but really then they’re stealing from God, aren’t they? And if you steal from God then what happens? Then you’re not going to learn anything at all.

“…To offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meat [meal] offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day: beside the sabbaths of the LORD…” Now this is important to understand, because He says, “These are the feasts of the LORD,” and it says that all of these are Sabbaths. So whenever you read in the Old Testament, “Verily, My Sabbaths you shall keep,” it means the weekly Sabbath and all of the annual Sabbaths and feasts of God as well – all inclusive. Besides that: “…and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the LORD” (Lev. 23:33-38, KJV).

So we are to bring an offering unto God. And like He says in Deuteronomy 16 that: “None of you shall appear before the Lord empty, and everyone shall give as he is able according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you” (Deut. 16:16-16, KJV, paraphrased). So at this time we’ll go ahead and stop, take a pause and we’ll take up the offering for the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles. And brethren, we hope that you are going to respond to God in the way that He has responded to you.

(Pause)

Now let’s continue on brethren. The Feast of Tabernacles and understanding the plan of God, through all of His holy days and Sabbath, is one of the most fantastic and profound things that we can learn. Plus also as we will see, that in revealing this knowledge to His people through His Word by His Spirit, God is placing a great trust in everyone of us. Maybe you’ve never thought of it that way. That’s why He’s given us the grace that He has given us. That’s why Paul wrote these things. Let’s go to Ephesians 1 now and see what Paul has written concerning the plan of God, and that God has given to us the secret of His plan and of His will that the world has not known, and that the world cannot know and will never know because they don’t love God and keep His commandments.

Let’s begin here in verse 3. Now we’ve gone over these Scriptures before but you know something, when we go over these Scriptures again and bring to it everything that we have studied up to this point of going through it again, we learn that much more and we are inspired that much more with it. So verse 3: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly things with Christ…” And that spiritual blessing is not only the Spirit of God, the truth of God, but the truth of His holy days and the knowledge of His plan, and the understanding – at least a greater understanding of the prophecies of God and how things are going to come at the end time. All of those are spiritual blessings: God’s protection, God’s angels, the knowledge of His truth. All of those things are so fantastic.

Verse 4: “…According as He has personally chosen us for Himself…” Never forget that. If you have a trial, you are down, you are discouraged – never forget God has personally chosen you. And in personally choosing you He is putting trust in you – He is revealing to you things that He’s not revealing to the world. And only those who love God and keep His commandments, His Sabbath and His holy days will understand.

“…Before the foundation of the world in order that we might be holy and blameless before Him in love…” That’s the ultimate goal. So that’s everything that we are going through, and so that when that goal is finished at the resurrection then God is going to give us responsibility as we see, but we have to first be prepared to rule and reign as kings and priests. As we will see that’s the destiny to which God has called us.

“…Having predestinated us for sonship to Himself through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His own will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He has made us objects of His grace in the Beloved Son…” So let’s understand something: Grace is more than the forgiveness of sin. That’s the beginning of grace. But grace includes the knowledge of God, grace includes the Spirit of God, grace includes understanding the Word of God, grace includes the keeping of the commandments of God spiritually so that we can derive from it what God desires. And likewise with the holy days.

“…In Whom we have redemption through His blood, even the remission of sins, according to the riches of His grace, which He has made to abound toward us in all wisdom and intelligence…” Now what is that? Obviously not the wisdom of the world. Obviously not the intelligence of the world, because those who are wise and intelligent in the world proclaiming themselves to be such have made themselves fools. And all you have to do is just watch television and you will understand that that is true.

Here’s how: “…having made known to us the mystery of His own will…” In other words the secret of His will. And the secret of the Lord is with those who love Him and obey Him. “…According to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Himself…” So God is trusting you with this knowledge. God is bringing you into His confidence with this knowledge. God is bringing you into His love, into His spiritual blessings, into the wisdom, intelligence and understanding that comes from God. And that is an absolute tremendous blessing. It doesn’t matter where you went to school in the world. It doesn’t matter what degrees you may have in the world, or what you do not have because if God is teaching you and God is educating you and you understand the Word of God, you have great wisdom and intelligence which comes from God. And that’s what’s the important thing for us to realize and grasp. And this fits into the Feast of Tabernacles for what God has for us and what God is doing in us to prepare us for the reward of ruling and reigning with Jesus Christ.

Now verse 10: “…that in the divine plan for the fulfilling of the times…”, and we are right in the middle of that. Think on that. That is a great and a marvelous and fantastic thing that God has done. That: “…He might bring all things together in Christ, both the things in the heavens and the things upon the earth…” So that is a tremendous thing that God is doing. And we are a part of it. And God is doing a great work in us, as we will see, to prepare us to rule and reign with Jesus Christ.

Now continuing on: “…yes, in Him, in Whom we also have obtained an inheritance, having been predestinated according to His purpose, Who is working out all things according to the counsel of His own will; that we might be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in the Christ; in Whom you also trusted after hearing the Word of the truth, the gospel of your salvation; in Whom also, after believing, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance…” And what we are talking about today is the fulfillment of the rest of that inheritance and how we are going to be in the Kingdom of God.

Now, Pentecost pictures the resurrection; Trumpets pictures coming back to the earth; Atonement pictures bringing the sacrifice of Christ to the world; and the Feast of Tabernacles pictures us reigning and ruling with Christ. And that’s all a part of the plan of God but He has to prepare us first. And our inheritance begins with the earnest of the Spirit. Now notice: “…until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory” (Eph. 1:3-14, FV). So brethren, we have been bought and paid for by the sacrifice of Christ through the power of His Holy Spirit, through the knowledge of His Word. Now Christ is not going to have us go through anything that He did not go through. Let’s come back here and see what Christ did to prepare the way.

John 1 is a fantastic and marvelous, and absolutely fundamental in it’s knowledge and understanding about who Christ was, the Father, and so forth. And absolutely, beyond any shadow of doubt, shows that Christ, before He became a human being, was God. Now let’s just read the first few verses here at the beginning and then we will see what Christ has done.

“In the beginning was the Word [and that can actually mean “before the beginning” as we know the beginning of time], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” Now there can’t be anything more plain than that and it means exactly what it says, and yet people like to come along and say, “Well, you know, Jesus didn’t exist until He was impregnated in the womb of the Virgin Mary.” How much of the Scriptures do they have to throw away? Well, they have to throw this away, don’t they?

Now notice: “All things came into being through Him [so He was the Creator God of the Old Testament], and not even one thing that was created came into being without Him. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” Now this is saying very clearly here that we cannot know the way of God unless He opens our minds and gives us the light and enlightens us.

Now let’s come here to verse 9: “The true light was that which enlightens everyone who comes into the world. He was in the world, and the world came into being through Him, but the world did not know Him.” Now notice: “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him…” But they rejected Him, didn’t they? All except those that He called. An amazing phenomena, isn’t it? “…But as many as received Him [which we do when we repent and are baptized], to them He gave authority to become the children of God…” Now we’re going to focus in on that and what God is doing in us and for us. “…Even to those who believe in His name…” When it says “believe in His name” that means believe who He was, what He was, who He is, everything He taught, everything about His life, everything about the plan that He did. It’s not just saying, “Oh I believe in the name of Christ. Oh there it is – Jesus Christ. I believe in that”, and then you go do anything you want. No such thing.

Now notice: “…who were not begotten…” And this is a very important thing, because the earnest of the inheritance is the begettal of the Spirit of God the Father, which declares then that you have the seed of the Father and you are a son or daughter of God. “...Who were not begotten by bloodlines, nor by the will of the flesh, nor by the will of man, but by the will of God.” It was God’s will. So you having the Spirit of God is the will of God.

Now notice, Christ had to come and show the way. So what He did here, verse 14: “And the Word became flesh [and all that that means], and tabernacled among us…” And this is part of the meaning of the Feast of Tabernacles – that Christ, temporarily as a human being lived among His creation, fulfilled many prophecies in doing that. “…(and we ourselves beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten with the Father), full of grace and truth” (John 1:1-4, 9-14, FV). And so this is a tremendous and wonderful thing that God has done. So Jesus came and lived in the flesh to set us an example, to show us how to live, and also to reveal, as we have seen, His will.

Now let’s come here to II Corinthians 6:16, and let’s understand something that God desires to do. Very profound, very important. And this is why it is so vital that we love God, keep His commandments and His Sabbath and holy days. Now let’s pick it up here in verse 14: “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and lawlessness have in common?” So you see, there’s no middle ground. Now Satan likes to come along and say, “Oh there is middle ground, let’s discuss this.” Like I told one man who said, “Well, let’s have a dialogue.” I said, “There will be no dialogue.” You either believe what the Word of God says or you don’t, and there can be no discussion about some frivolous little belief out here that is not in the Scriptures.

“And what fellowship does light have with darkness? And what union does Christ have with Belial? Or what part does a believer have with an unbeliever? And what agreement is there between a temple of God and idols?” Well that’s a key statement. Who is the temple of God? Now notice here – this is what’s important: Christ came and tabernacled in the flesh as a human being, and then to give His life as a perfect sacrifice for all mankind for the forgiveness of sin. Now then, God is doing something that is profound. Verse 16: “For you are a temple of the living God…” Have you ever thought of that? For the Spirit of God now, you are a dwelling place, or a tabernacle that Christ and God the Father are dwelling in through the earnest of the Holy Spirit. Now just think on that. What I want you to do during this Feast of Tabernacles and in your prayer and in your study – think on that. Think how profound and marvelous and wonderful that that is. And think how much God loves you to do that. Now notice: “…exactly as God said: ‘I will dwell in them and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.’ ” Now not only was this for Jews, but Corinthians were what – this is a Gentile church, isn’t it? So He’s telling this to all of those that He calls. That’s why God has to call. It’s an amazing thing, isn’t it, that God desires to dwell in you. You are a temple of the living God. That is a profound meaning of the Feast of Tabernacles. And God wants us to understand that, and God wants us to not only understand it but believe it and live it and respond back to Him spiritually because of this great and fantastic blessing.

“ ‘I will dwell in them and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Therefore, come out from the midst of them and be separate,’ says the Lord, ‘and touch not the unclean, and I will receive you; and I shall be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters,’ says the Lord Almighty” (II Cor. 6:14-18, FV). Now that’s a tremendous thing. Brethren, that’s how much trust God has put in you to love you, to reveal His way, to give you the understanding. Now then, how are we to respond to God? This is to give us the strength and the spiritual capacity and the energy and the ability to become what God wants us to be. But God expects us to respond to Him. God expects us to do the things the way that He wants them done.

Now let’s come here to I Corinthians 3 and let’s see what he talks about here concerning the same thing. Now we have to build on the foundation of Christ gold, silver, precious stone. And some build wood, hay, and stubble as we find there in verses 11-13. Now we want to build with gold, silver, and precious stone. And all of those take a lot of work and take a lot of effort. But you see the finished product is what God is looking for. And that’s what’s important for us.

Now let’s pick it up in verse 16: “Don’t you understand that you are God’s temple, and that the Spirit of God is dwelling in you?” Then he gives a warning because this is a great responsibility, this is a great gift, this is a great grace – part of being blessed with every spiritual blessing in the spiritual things, in the heavenly things. That’s absolutely amazing. So he gives a warning: “If anyone defiles the temple of God, God shall destroy him because the temple of God is holy, which temple you are” (I Cor. 3:16-17, FV). So that is an amazing and a wonderful thing, isn’t it?

Now let’s see what God wants us to do with it, and why we continually keep the commandments of God, grow in grace and knowledge, overcome self, overcome sin, overcome Satan, and are going toward the perfection that God wants to have in us, and He works it in us, and He performs it in us.

Now let’s come to II Corinthians 4 and let’s see how this is applied, and let’s see that Satan is there. The first part of II Corinthians 4 it talks about the gospel is hidden from those who are following the god of this world, Satan the devil. And he’s blinded their minds. And Satan is there, wants to blind the minds, but notice what’s important. Here is the measurement that Paul gave for all ministers and teachers and elders and pastors, verse 5: “For we do not preach our own selves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake because it is God Who commanded the light to shine out of darkness…” All we do is preach the word like Paul said, and God has to send His Spirit, and God has to give the understanding. “…Who shined into our hearts the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ [to know and understand this great and fantastic plan that God has]. Now we have this treasure [that is the Spirit of God, the knowledge of God, the wisdom of God, which is a treasure – gold, silver, precious stone] in earthen vessels in order that the supremacy of the power may be of God, and not from us” – so that we yield to God so that God is doing His work in us while God is temporarily living and dwelling in us as His dwelling place, as part of the temple of God that we yield to God, let God do His work, let God lead us with His Spirit, let God inspire us with His thoughts, let God help us to overcome and change through the power of the Spirit of God, and prepare for that great and fantastic privilege and blessing of ruling and reigning with Christ.

Now then how is this going to be? How do we look at the world out there that is so against us and all the things that are against us? Listen brethren, what we need to do is this: With the power and Spirit of God we need to be fortified internally, strengthened mentally, strengthened spiritually knowing that God is in us and with us so that the things that happen out here in the world are not going to affect us, are not going to take us away from God. Notice what Paul says here, verse 8: “On every side we are hard pressed, but not crushed [that’s because God is always there to help]; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in our bodies the dying of the Lord Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies”, by the character, by the spiritual growth, by the fruits of the Spirit, you see. “For those of us who are living are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake [that’s going to happen], that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our mortal flesh.” And to show that Christ and God the Father are tabernacling in us. Now that’s a tremendous thing for us to realize, see. Great and precious is the Word of God.

“So then, on the one hand, death is working in us [because of the things that they were going through]; and on the other hand, life is working in you. And having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, ‘I believed, therefore I have spoken,’ we also believe; therefore we also speak…” And that’s how the Word of God is to be preached. “…Knowing [here’s the promise] that He Who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead shall also raise us through Jesus, and shall present us with you.” There again confirming that we are all going to be in the first resurrection.

So what is the purpose of the teaching of the ministry and the keeping of the Sabbath and the holy days? Verse 15: “For all things are for your sakes, so that the abounding grace may cause the thanksgiving of many to overflow unto the glory of God.” So that at the resurrection and on the sea of glass Jesus can say to the Father, “Behold the children, the brethren that You have given Me.” And that’s to the glory of God. “For this reason, we do not lose heart; but if our outward man is being brought to decay [and it is, we are all getting older and we are all coming closer to the finish line and there are going to be many of us who are going to enter into our rest in the grave before the terrible tribulation comes, and you’ll be raised in glory], yet the inward man…” It doesn’t matter what’s happening physically here. Now we do need to take care of our bodies and take care of our health, that is true. But what is the most important is the inward man: “…is being renewed day by day”, because Christ and God the Father are dwelling in us and it’s renewed day by day. And we go forward day by day. And we grow and change day by day. And we let all the experiences, all the difficulties be a catalyst to give us the spiritual growth through the power of God to become what God wants us to be because He’s tabernacling in us.

Now verse 16: “For this reason, we do not lose heart…” Never lose heart. Never give up. “…But if our outward man is being brought to decay, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For the momentary lightness of our tribulation [affliction]…” Now, what I want you to do is take a special study: How did Paul look at all of the things that he went through? “For the momentary lightness of our tribulation is working out for us an immeasurably greater and everlasting fullness of glory…” Now we’re going to see that we have a promise that if we suffer with Him we’ll reign with Him. So whatever the circumstances are in our lives it matters not. Let God use it to His advantage. Let God use it to His glory. Let God inspire you to use it as a means of changing and growing and overcoming. “…The momentary lightness of our tribulation is working out for us an immeasurably greater and everlasting fullness of glory. While we consider not the things that are seen, but the things that are not seen [always keeping your mind on the goal and the purpose]. For the things that are seen are temporary; but the things that are not seen are eternal” (II Cor. 4:5-18, FV). So it all has to do with God’s eternal plan – what He’s doing for you, what He’s doing for me, what He is doing for all the brethren. That’s why brethren, everyday all of us need to pray for all the brethren everywhere that God would strengthen them and lead them and bless them and guide them.

Now let’s continue on here in Chapter 5: “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle is destroyed…” This is how we can all face growing old and coming to the time of being in the grave. If it be destroyed, our earthly house of this tabernacle: “…we have a building from God, a house not made with human hands, eternal in the heavens.” God is going to give us a new body, a new mind, and a new place to live. Now that’s tremendous. “For in this we truly are groaning, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven…” That’s something – our dwelling from heaven. Not only is it going to be a body, but a place to live. Remember, Jesus said, “If I go, I will come again, and I go to prepare a place for you so that when I come I will receive you unto Myself so that where I am you may be also” (John 14:2-3, paraphrased).

“If indeed that being clothed, we may not be found naked. For we who are in this tabernacle [this physical flesh] truly do groan, being burdened [overcoming human nature, overcoming the trials and difficulties and so forth]; not that we wish to be unclothed…”, because Satan is there saying, “ Oh take it easy. Come over here. Why should you go through this? Let me give you a good joyful experience.” No, we don’t wish to be unclothed and do that. “…But to be clothed upon so that the mortal flesh may be swallowed up by life. Now He Who is working out this very thing for us is God [God is doing it], Who has also given us the earnest of the Spirit” (II Corinthians 5:1-5, FV). So that’s a tremendous thing for us to know and understand, isn’t it brethren? How great that is. Nothing could be better than that.

Now, not only just those few of us that are gathered together, but what God is doing with all the brethren everywhere in the world.