Key Aspects of the Feasts in Christ's Reign:
- Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot): Zechariah 14:16-19 specifically prophesies that all nations will go up to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles during Christ’s future reign, marking it as a key observance in the Millennium.
- Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah): Represents the return of Jesus Christ in power and glory.
- Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur): Symbolizes the cleansing of the earth and the banishment of Satan, setting the stage for the peaceful reign.
These feasts serve as a divine blueprint in Leviticus 23 for God's plan of redemption and restoration, with the millennial reign being the ultimate "sabbath rest" and fulfillment of these appointed times.
Thanks God-fearing for your interest in the Feasts of the Lord. Asking questions about scripture is good that we may learn and be edified hopefully. You mention the Feast of Tabernacles. It takes a certain amount of time to look at each feast, so let's just stick with one for now - the Feast of Tabernacles.
"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. 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: 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."
In these verses, we get an emphasis on the number seven. The number seven in the Bible emphasizes that salvation in Christ is done entirely by Christ's work on the cross, whilst the saved person only rests in that regard. If someone is saved, that is the case. They are fulfilling the 'seven' aspect of the feast just by being saved. They do not need to perform the feast as a ceremony to have that salvation. The feast is simply describing it. The sacrifice by fire mentioned is a picture of Christ on the cross. A saved person is saved because of Christ's sacrifice. But the feast is just scripture describing that sacrifice. The saved person is fulfilling what is being described by the feast, not by doing a ritual feast, but by simply being actually saved.
"And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days."
We see in the Feast this mention of goodly trees. Remember Christ says that people are like trees. Palm trees are specifically mentioned as trees of righteousness. We are the branches in the Bible. Christ is the plant that we are to abide in. The reason rejoicing is mentioned is because this imagery of saved persons is after being brought out of bondage (from Egypt), brought out of the unsaved condition into salvation. A saved person in Christ does not have to perform the ritual feast, they simply have to have been brought out of the unsaved condition into the saved condition to be living what the feast describes.
"Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths:"
The term 'booths' means 'tabernacles'. We learn in the Bible that the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us. So, the feast is telling us that everyone who is saved is living in his Word. Why seven days? Again, because Christ has done all the work of saving them, whist they only rest in that regard. Are you living in his Word? Then, you do not have to do the ritual feast. You have already fulfilled what it is describing. The scripture about the feast simply helps the Christian of today understand what is going on in salvation.
Now, you mention Zechariah and the Millennium. Zechariah 14 mentions: "And it shall come to pass,
that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles."
This scripture is describing how the remnant of believers shall be saved. They shall live in God's Word. Take some scripture and believe it and you are living in God's word. It is using the feast of tabernacles as a picture of people at the time of the church to be living in God's word, not in the land of the unsaved condition that they came out of when they accepted Christ and were saved.
Zechariah continues by talking about the unsaved: "And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that
have no
rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles."
The lack of rain mentioned means the lack of the gospel. The unsaved do not believe or receive the gospel so they have no gospel, no rain.
Now, the Millenium is simply a man-made idea if you mean a literal 1000 years. It comes from Rev. 20: "And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,"
This is a picture of how Christ comes down from heaven and binds Satan by going to the cross and being resurrected. The thousand years is a figurative number, not an actual thousand years, describing the full time.
We read: "Blessed and holy
is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."
As soon as Christ beats Satan at the cross and resurrection, then believers have part in his resurrection. Christ's resurrection is the first resurrection. So, believers have a part in that since it is the reason that they are saved. Believers are called blessed and holy. As soon as someone is saved, they begin to rule and to reign with Christ in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
So, if you are interested in the Feasts of the Lord to understand salvation as God describes it then it is excellent to look at the feasts. But observing them as rituals does not make one saved nor unsaved. It is simply a picture showing what salvation is.