With Thanksgiving approaching, this movie came back to my memory. It’s hard to believe a whole decade has passed since it came out! I think it is time for us to remember the message of the movie. If you haven’t seen it, now is the time to do so. If you have, now is the time to view it again.

This movie got me to thinking: if the Puritans were like us today, would the United States of America ever have happened? When I think about all the roadblocks they encountered, how did they know it was still God’s will to press onward? It seems they not only had a plan for their immediate future, but they also had a vision for their descendants. They considered their lives only steppingstones to the final goal. Do we have that same vision, that same tenacity, today?

Look at the roadblocks which they encountered:

1. King James I was the one who commissioned the translation of the Bible into English and was called the “Defender of the Faith” by those who translated the Bible. Yet, the Anglican Church of England was the very source which was condemning those who then wanted to live by the words of that very same Bible as committing treason because they expected the king and the clergy to actually obey what God’s word literally said. Isn’t that ironic? Actually, the Puritans rejected the King James Bible and used the Geneva Bible which they felt was more scholarly in translation. Interesting fact: America was founded with the use of the Geneva Bible and not the King James Bible.

2. The Puritans, part of the Separatists (who wanted to be separate from the Church of England), did not believe the king should be head of the church and should be subject to God’s laws just like everyone else. Therefore, to be against the Church of England was to be against the king and, thereby, was viewed by the monarchy as an act of treason. The Puritans had to meet secretly. They looked for a place where they could worship God as the Bible declared. The Puritans were really a local body of believers who sought to worship God with freedom from persecution.

3. They bought passage on a boat to Holland, but the captain double-dipped in his profits and sold out the Pilgrims to the English authorities who put them in prison. Amazingly, this did not deter them but made their resolve stronger. They then found passage on another boat; the men separated themselves from the women and children as a measure to try to keep them safe and all were to meet at a rendezvous point to get on the boat. However, the women’s raft landed on a sandbar, and they were therefore caught by the English officials. The men made it to Holland, and it took about another year to get their families to Holland.

4. The Puritans were committed to help their countrymen understand the truth of God’s word and started printing materials and smuggling them back into England. However, English officials eventually found the source and had the printing press destroyed.

5. They eventually got back to England and purchased two boats: the Speedwell and the Mayflower to sail them to America. However, after they left England, the Speedwell began to take on significant water so they had to return to England. Then some of them had to stay behind while the rest went to America on the Mayflower. This ship had been used to carry wine from one city in England to another. It had never sailed across the Atlantic Ocean. A journey that was supposed to take 3 weeks took 8 weeks (66 days). Over 100 people were in a space not designed for even half that number. The seas were rough, and people got sick not only from the motion of the boat but from all of the waste smell as well. In addition, the ship almost sank due to a major beam cracking; they were able to brace it with a huge screw that the Pilgrims happened to bring along with them. Providential don't you think?

6. Once they arrived, it was late in the Fall, and they had to endure a winter without much preparation. Over half of their number died that winter. Yet, the next spring when the captain was going to return to England, he begged them to return with him, yet they all refused. Not one went back to England. Wow! What resolve! Despite all of their troubles and setbacks, they still felt they were on God’s mission for their lives and for the future of their descendants. William Bradford even taught himself Hebrew so he could read God’s word in its original language to understand God even better. Amazing!

See all the setbacks? What would we have done? What would you have done? Would you have said, “Obviously, God does not want us to do this; after all, look at all of the closed doors.” However, they did not. They maintained their resolve. They maintained their vision. They did not doubt God’s blessings. Over half their number died and yet they did not doubt. See what a small thread our nation was built upon? Yet, what character upon which our nation was built! There is no doubt as to why they came when one reads the Mayflower compact that they all established: “For the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith…” Our roots and heritage were definitely built upon religious freedom. Yet, weren’t they for separation of church as state? Actually, no. They were against the king being the head of the church and dictating how one could worship. They were not against a Christian-influenced government. Why? Because they believed faith in God was the foundational principle for life. Only from that view point can one establish a moral character. It is a character built from within that has a positive effect on society – not a government dictating one’s actions. They then can teach their children these sample principles to propagate this faith, morality, and strong character. Then, and only then, can they have true freedom. A freedom that can then cause prosperity because people are self-motivated, look out for the betterment of their fellow man, and look to do what is right. Not a right in their own eyes, but what is right in God’s eyes.

Even if we look at our founding fathers, who today, our schools teach were atheists and deists. But really? Were they? Of course not everyone was Christian, but the majority were. Most of those who signed the Declaration of Independence had a seminary degree. The first Bible printed in America was commissioned by Congress—yes Congress! It was printed for use in schools—yes, in schools! And it was printed to be used by individuals in their homes. Why? Our founding fathers and the government they established recognized the fact that in order for the Constitution to work, people had to have a basic sense of morality and be able to have integrity, character and self-control. That is the type of people the Constitution was to govern. The values upon which it was based cannot be forced on someone. These values must be within the country’s people. What better way to ensure that than to have people understand what God expects from His creation? These are the people who made America great. These are the principles upon which America was founded that made it great. Are you going to continue to make it great?

This Thanksgiving, thank God for the Puritans and our founding fathers who gave all they had not only for themselves but for their descendants as well so that future generations could have a country where freedom is proclaimed to all. Let’s not take our freedom lightly. And let’s not let it be taken away. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Have a blessed Thanksgiving Day.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

It would seem life in the Eternal State may be similar to what life was like during the Millennium: Christ will continue to rule, Israel will continue to lead in worship, those glorified will continue to help rule, nations will still exist, and the people will continue to worship Christ with tribute of his glory. It is possible that now the whole universe will be open for exploration and bringing praise to God. All the talents and skills of each individual will be used to bring glory and honor to our King. However, there will also be key differences. The propensity to sin will be removed, the entire Trinity will dwell with mankind, and a New Jerusalem will descend out of heaven to earth and there will be no need for a temple (Rv 21-22).

This New Jerusalem will be huge and magnificent. It is possible that the new earth will be much larger than the earth today. That we don’t know, but we have been given the dimensions of this fabulous city: 1500 miles square. On today’s earth, if the current Jerusalem is its center, the city would stretch from the northern boundary of Turkey to the southern boundary of Egypt, and from Greece to parts of Iran. It would take up about two-thirds of the area of the continental United States. Some say it is cube shaped. Others, it is pyramid shaped. It may even be shaped like a ziggurat. No matter its exact shape, it will be magnificent.

Its streets will be of pure gold, a river (termed River of Life) will flow from God’s throne and the Tree of Life will be back again. Both the water from this river and the fruit of this tree will be the life sustainer of the nations of the earth. The city is composed of many precious stones, and most will be clear as crystal. The streets are of gold so pure they are transparent. God’s throne will be at the peak of the city. God’s Shekinah glory will radiate from there and through all the crystalline structures and streets of gold creating a glorious, colorful, and wondrous beauty. It is likely the river flowing from God’s throne will be like a huge waterfall through the middle of the city. Spray from it will create rainbows of color as the light refracts through the water droplets. It will truly be a wonder of the new world. If on today’s earth, and assuming no obstructions of the horizon, the city’s light would be seen from Alaska to South Africa, and from the east coast of the Americas to Japan. Of course, with God’s Shekinah glory being there, its light could extend much further.

As you can see, this will be the epitome of wonderful and this brief description will pale in comparison to how wonderful it will really be. Yet, I think you would agree this is not something to take lightly. Therefore, if you have not made Christ the Hope of your eternal future, you still have time. Don’t waste it but make haste. Such a glory should not be missed!

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

So, what happens when Christ’s Promised Kingdom, the Millennium, his 1,000-year reign, is over? We saw the initial part of that in our previous post: Satan is released (Rv 20:7) and he, along with those who have rejected Christ, wages war against Christ in Jerusalem. They are utterly defeated (Rv 20:8-9). The Great White Throne Judgment is held and Satan and all those who have rejected Christ are cast into the Lake of Fire (Rv 20:10-15). The current heaven and earth are destroyed with fire, and God creates a new heaven and earth (Is 65:17; 2Pt 3:10; Rv 21:1). Sin is thereby removed forever (Rv 21:27). The sea is no longer part of the new age (Rv 21:1). God dwells with his people.

When God states he will create a new heaven, what exactly is he meaning? There are three types of heavens referred to in scripture. The first is the atmosphere (Is 55:10), the second is outer space where the stars and galaxies reside (Dt 4:19), the third (also called heaven of heavens) is where the omnipresent God’s presence is perfectly displayed (2Ch 6:18; Ps 11:4; 2Co 12:2). It is possible that God creates an entirely new universe, but since the first heaven is tightly bound to the earth, saying “new heaven and earth” likely means the earth and its atmosphere.

So, who will enter the Eternal State? There are two main groups. First, those who were part of the 1st resurrection will enter. These include those resurrected or transformed at the Rapture, Old Testament saints, and Tribulation saints (and who had been serving/ruling with Christ during the Millennium). They all will continue to serve/rule with Christ throughout eternity. The second group are those who accepted Christ as Savior during the Millennium. These will not be transformed into a body like Christ, but into a body like Adam and Eve had at the beginning. They will eat of the Tree of Life and drink of the River of Life to sustain their eternal state. They may be able to have children since Adam and Eve were able to have children. While this is not explicitly stated or explained in scripture, it may likely be implied since “nations” still exist during the Eternal State (Rv 21:24, 26; 22:2).

What will people do for an eternity? Because of the large number of people, there will be the need for a lot of administration. Who is specifically identified? The Bride (New Testament Saints, i.e., the Church) will assist in administration and offer eternal testimony to God’s attributes of grace and love. (Rv 2:26-27; 3:21; 20:6). The Resurrected Saints (Old Testament and Tribulation) are identified as friends and attendants of the Bridegroom (Mt 25:1, 10). They will rule over Israel and the nations. Israel itself will be the head of the nations and be God’s witness helping the nations worship the Lord (Jr 31:36; 33:17-26). Then there are kings & nations identified. Administered by kings, the nations will carry on activities and productions throughout eternity and bring the glory and honor they find in their daily tasks and discoveries back to God for display when they visit the new Jerusalem (Rv 21:24-26).

These are the people identified, but what will they actually do? Let’s explore that next time.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Through previous posts we have stated that Satan would be in the Abyss during the 1,000 years of Christ’s Kingdom (Rv 20:2). He will not be roaming the earth during this time and not be able to influence anyone born during this time. One would think this would make everything wonderful without problems. Unfortunately, that is not true and not what Scripture tells us. One reason for this is it will show the human race we cannot blame our disobedience on Satan alone. Those born during this time will also have the propensity to sin, just as we do today. The difference is that Satan uses this propensity against us today. Although that will not happen during the time of Christ’s kingdom, it does not mean people will always be obedient.

Scripture tells us Christ will rule with an iron scepter (Ps 2:9; Rv 2:27). This means those who disobey or become rebellious will be dealt with swiftly and justly. There is no need for a judiciary system with a trial and jury. Christ knows all, including our thoughts, so he can administer justice swiftly. Scripture doesn’t state how he will do this, but it may be those deemed rebellious will be immediately teleported into his presence for immediate questioning and/or sentencing. It is likely those who rebel, at least openly, will be the exception to the rule as, I’m sure, most will be appreciative of the wonderful world Christ will have created. Yet, then, just as today, many will resent being under the rule of someone else.

Once Satan is released, it seems he can get an innumerable force to turn against Christ (Rv 20:7-8). This likely means many who were not openly, but inwardly, rebellious, will more easily fall prey to Satan’s deceit. This will likely take time. It could take months or even years for Satan to gain all his forces to come against Christ in Jerusalem, the ruling capital city (Rv 20:9). The time between the end of the Millennium, or Christ’s Kingdom, and the Eternal state, when sin and human propensity to sin will forever be removed (Rv 21:27), will not be immediate.

Scripture does tell us the result of the rebellion of those who follow Satan and Satan himself. As they come against Jerusalem with an innumerable force, God, the Most Holy One, will destroy all with fire which will fall from heaven and destroy them all (Rv 20:9). Satan will then be sentenced forever to the Lake of Fire (Rv 20:10). God will also judge everyone who has rebelled against Him over the history of the earth and they, too, will be sentenced to the Lake of Fire (Rv 20:11-15). This is known as the second resurrection. All those of this resurrection are judged and sentenced to the Lake of Fire because they were not recorded in the Book of Life (Rv 20:15).

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

In the last post, we looked at some of the events that start the Millennium, or Christ’s Kingdom. Many are surprised that the New Testament contains little about this future time of earth’s history. We go to the Old Testament to really understand what will occur. It seems the Old Testament prophets spent a lot of time focusing people's attention to this future time. Part of this was because God wanted Israel and Judah to know that even though He was going to allow them to go into captivity, that was not the end for them. His dealing with them, and their future hope was still just as real as ever. Even though they had given up on God, God was never going to give up on them. Don't you just love a God like that? We can falter and forget, but he is just the opposite. Whatever he says and promises will come to past just as He has promised. Nothing is too hard for him and time changes nothing for Him. Below are some of those findings which he has promised to us about our future.

Many scriptures state that we will be involved as judges, priests, and rulers (Rv 2:26, 20:4-6; Dn 7:18, 22, 27; 1Co 6:2-3; 2Tm 2:12; Ro 8:17). As priests we will likely oversee, lead, and teach about Christ and his redemptive work and make intercession for them (Is 2:3, 66:18-20). Those who accept Christ will be brought as an offering to Christ (Is 66:20). I think this means they will present themselves to Christ as a willful whole burnt offering, meaning they publicly dedicate their lives to him. As judges and rulers we will likely oversee the work needed to restore justice over every sphere of life and help establish the world government under Christ’s rule by helping to establish judges and governors or actually performing in such a capacity (Is 9:7, 11:3-5, 10:22, 28:17, 32:16, 42:1-4; Jr 30:21; Is 24:23, 32:1; Ek 45:8-9; Mt 19:28; Lk 19:12-28, 22:30; Zc 14:9; Ek 37:13-28; Rv 19:16).

We will likely be involved with overseeing what is rebuilt and restoring God’s order to the agriculture, atmosphere, and animal life (Rv 20:1-6; Is 2:1-4, 9:6-9, 11:1-16, 51:1-8, 60-62, 65:17-25; Ps 2:6-12, 110:1-7; Dt 8, 28; Mt 5:5, 6:10, 17:11, 19:28, 28:19; Ac 1:6, 3:21). All elements of life will continue but will be focused on the order that Jesus Christ establishes. We will be part of overseeing all these aspects of daily life. All our skills, talents, and personality we currently have will be used by, and for, Christ.

While Scripture states life will be more agrarian, I don’t think that means less technology. I believe the two will be incorporated and blended so that life can become less complicated but also easier at the same time. For instance, while more people will likely farm, there will likely be no harmful insects or weeds. The ground will produce in abundance. Yet, I feel we will have non-pollution technology to harvest and distribute the crops throughout the world for the people of the earth.

Israel will lead the world in the worship of God. Yet, those who came back with Christ will help to teach the world his scripture. They will also help those born during this time to understand Christ, what he did for them, and help them accept him as their King, Lord, and Hope of their eternal future.

I hope this whets your appetite to understand more about this time of our future history. It will be spectacular. Whatever you learn, multiply that wonder by at least a thousand-fold. We can’t imagine how wonderful this time will be for those who know him.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

We mentioned in the last post that Rosh Hashanah (i.e., Feast of Trumpets) marks the beginning of the Tribulation Period as this is when God once again deals with Israel as a nation based upon his covenant with them. The entire period lasts for seven years. Judah and Israel are brought back together forcefully (Jr 33:7) due to the persecution by the Antichrist (Rv 6:9; 13:7) who is trying to establish his rule during this time (Rv 13:8). Once the seven years are up and Jerusalem is pushed to the brink of being destroyed (Zc 13:8-9; 14:2), Israel finally calls upon God for their salvation (Zc 12:10; 13:9). He hears and his long-awaited return finally occurs (Zc 14:3). We saw in the last post this is marked by the Day of Atonement because the remnant of Israel will be saved and recognize Christ as their true Messiah (Zc 12:10).

In the book of Daniel are a few unique and curious verses: From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days. As for you, go your way until the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance (Dn 12:11-13). What is being told to Daniel here? If the entire Tribulation is seven years (and scripture usually has a month as 30 days), then that would be 2,520 days. We know the Antichrist will set up an image of himself in the temple at the middle of this time (3.5 years, or 1,260 days; Mt 24:15, Rv 13:14). Of course, it would take time to set up such an image. If we assume such a feat would take a month to do, then that period plus the last half of the Tribulation Period would be 1,290 days as stated in these verses in Daniel. Once Christ returns, it will likely take time to get things organized for the Kingdom to officially start and be governed. If we allow 45 days for that, then the 30 days we just talked about, the 3.5 years of the last half of the Tribulation Period, and the 45 days to establish the Kingdom, then that yields 1,335 days as stated in these verses of Daniel.

To break this down, we have the following:

•From the time of the Antichrist’s decision to stop sacrifices to the erection of his image in the temple: 30 days.

•From the time of the erection of the Antichrist’s image in the temple to the return of Christ: 1,260 days. Cumulative number of days; 1,290.

•From the time of Christ’s return to the establishment of his Promised Kingdom: 45 days. Cumulative number of days; 1,335.

Let’s break down this last bullet. The transition from the old order to the new order will likely take 45 days.  During this period several events will take place:

•The angels will be judged. ( 1Co 6:3, Mt 25:41)

•The survivors will be judged (Mt 25:31-46)

•Assignments for the saints will be set in motion (Dn 12:13, Jr 30:9, Mt 19:28)

•Nations, property, and laws will be established for the next 1000 years (Zc 14:17-21).

In addition, Christ’s return prepares the area geographically as well. A great earthquake occurs when Christ returns (Zc 14:4; Rv 16:18). The Mount of Olives is split in two and the rift runs toward Jerusalem and merges with a rift that is running from south to north through the Tyropoeon valley (Zc 14:10). This is the valley between the area of Jerusalem which housed the older part of the city, sometimes called the City of David, as well as the Temple, and the newer part of the city more toward the west of that valley. This causes a scarp face to form which pushes the western portion of the city upwards. Jerusalem then becomes the tallest point on earth as the great earthquake causes other mountains to fall and many islands to disappear (Rv 16:20). In addition, Jerusalem is split into three portions (Rv 16:19). This rift that runs south to north also causes the Euphrates River to flow into the Jordan River which floods the Dead Sea and turns it into a living sea (Ek 47:8-9). From the scarp face and under where the temple is built is a river that flows from it (Ek 47:1-2), down the scarp face, and into the Jordan River, with a portion flowing into the Dead Sea and a portion flowing around the scarp face into the Mediterranean Sea (Zc 14:8). The whole area becomes lush and green (Ek 47:7, 12; Zc 14:10) and fishing is done from the once Dead Sea with En Gedi becoming a great seaport (Ek 47:10). The curse on the Earth is lifted and the whole Earth becomes a land of plenty (Is 51:3; Ek 36:35; Ac 3:19).

Can you imagine being a part of this? It will be truly spectacular. What a way to begin the Promised Kingdom. Can you imagine living in a utopian society for one-thousand years? Can you picture it? Can you hardly wait?!

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

We have previously talked about whether Christians should celebrate Jewish holidays that are biblically based. Now let’s turn the table and talk about whether Christians should celebrate a secular holiday that, shall we say, has a tainted history? Well, before we go too far, let’s understand something about the history of Halloween.

It seems that Halloween has its roots with the Celtic druids of France, Great Britain and Ireland. The druids were the priests of their society and officiated at Samhain (pronounced “sah” “win”). This holiday on October 31st was the last day of their year with their New Year beginning on November 1st. This was the end of their harvest season and the beginning of their winter. It was believed that this was the day of the year where the spirits of the dead could re-enter the domain of the living. It seemed to be a time of celebration but of fear as well. People would darken their homes, put food outside the door to appease the spirits and to prevent them from doing mischief to their house. A bonfire was also made, and the remnants of the fire taken back to their homes in carved out turnips or gourds to relight their fireplace. This may be the genesis of the Jack-o-lantern. To also confuse the spirits and protect themselves they would change their dress—even men dressing as women and vice versa. Our dressing in costumes is likely the remnants of this practice. Some think the bonfire would attract insects which would then attract bats and is how bats became associated with our Halloween. Some believed that fairies were about and giving gifts of food would appease them and cause them to not be mischievous toward them.

There were also animal as well as human sacrifices made. Some say it was the weak animals that were sacrificed because they would not likely make it through a harsh winter. However, that would not explain the human sacrifices; there is also some evidence that the human sacrifices may have been voluntary. This would indicate that this was part of some type of worship practice. Others feel that these practices go all the way back to the time of Nimrod where most of the idol worship originated. From this time came Baal worship and Molech worship which involved human sacrifice (Lv 18:21; 2Ki 23:10; Jr 32:35). Therefore, Samhain may have been some type of a later version of these forms of worship.

When Rome conquered the Celts in the first century, other practices became intertwined with the Celtic Samhain celebration. Rome had two celebrations in late October: Feralia (which was a day to honor the dead) and a festival for Pomona, the goddess of trees and fruit. Pomona’s symbol was the apple. Therefore, it is likely that bobbing for apples came from the incorporation of the festival for Pomona and Samhain.

In the late 1st century, the Catholic Church moved All Saints Day, a day to recognize all the deceased saints and martyrs, from May 13th to November 1st as a way to change the pagan holiday into a religious holiday. This day became known as All Hallows or Hallowmas, and so October 31st became known as All Hallows Eve and later to Halloween (a shortened form of evening is e’en). Then at the beginning of the 2nd century, November 2nd was made All Souls Days to honor everyone who had died. The poor in England started going door to door on All Souls Day to ask for food handouts. They were given “soul cakes” which were pastries given in exchange for the person to promise to pray for their dead loved ones. It became common for children to participate in this practice. Going from door to door and the idea of mischievous fairies being appeased with gifts of food was likely combined to form our present-day trick-or-treating.

When Martin Luther started the Protestant Reformation, All Hallows was not celebrated since it was believed that all Christians were saints. However, most people still celebrated many of the practices associated with this holiday.

In early America, Halloween was not celebrated, and the Puritans refused to celebrate such a pagan holiday. However, in the early 1800’s there was a large influx of Irish due to the potato famine. Most of these were of Catholic origin and the celebration of Halloween started to be practiced and became very popular. Over time the practices that we know today were developed. Due to its prevalence, the pumpkin replaced the more typical gourd. By the 20th century, Halloween was commercialized and today has reached a popularity that is almost equivalent to that of Christmas. It has reached the status of the second largest commercial holiday with almost $7 billion spent annually on candy, costumes, and party supplies.

So, back to our original question: should a Christian celebrate Halloween? There is one spectrum of thought that one should not because it has such a dark, Satanic origin. Then, there are those that say that since Halloween today has no resemblance to its origin and is all about kids having fun, so why not? Personally, our family does not celebrate Halloween. It not because I feel it is wrong to do so but I just don’t like what it represents or its history. I feel that the holiday still celebrates some of the gruesome aspects along with the sweet and innocent, and I just don’t like that aspect. We do have to understand that there are those who use this holiday to celebrate its dark roots and even Satan himself. This is also the time of year that more and more gruesome horror films are created and shown. Haunted houses, while many consider fun, celebrate this gruesome aspect and try to make it fun. I personally have an issue with that and even the concept of trick-or-treat seems wrong to me. Are you really going to pull a trick on someone who does not give you candy? Maybe I’m just being too literal here. Also, it scares me to have to be so concerned these days about the candy the kids receive. I prefer to do something safer under better supervision. I just feel there are too many negatives with this holiday for me and my family to enjoy it in the way that most do today.

However, I have no problem or bad feeling against those who decide to celebrate Halloween. I think this falls into the category of Christian liberty. It boils down to why you are celebrating the holiday. If you celebrate it as a fun time for children and only focus on the positive aspects, then go ahead. That being said, if it is for children, then once you are old enough that you no longer need an adult with you to go about trick-or-treating, then I personally believe you are too old to continue to do so. It is then time for some more age-appropriate entertainment. There are many positive ways to celebrate this holiday for teens and adults.

There is a lot that is negative about this holiday, but there are positives also. Find positive things you can do with your family and have fun with your family. Make it a time of being together—ever how you decide to do so. However, when your children are old enough, explain to them the history of the holiday and help them put this holiday in a proper perspective. It is always better to know what you are celebrating (as well as what you are not celebrating) and why.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

In our last post, we mentioned that the Rapture was an initiation point for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rv 19:7-9) and had no connection to the Jewish timeline throughout Scripture (Ro 11:25). I thought we would spend a little more time on that.

The picture of today’s post represents the gap we are talking about. Each of the Jewish Feasts (or festivals) had a prophetic significance. We have discussed some of this in previous posts, but I will summarize them here. The first four have been fulfilled and we know that because Scripture tells us so.

Pesach (Passover): This was on the 14th day of the first month (Lv 23:5). We know that Christ was crucified on Passover (Lk 23:54) and that he was the Passover sacrifice (1Co 5:7) to which this festival points.

Matzah (Unleavened Bread): This was a feast that started the day after Passover and lasted a week (Lv 23:6). Leaven (yeast) was purged from each and every home (Ex 12:15). Leaven is symbolic of sin (1Co 5:6-8). This represents that the death of the Passover sacrifice (representative of Christ) removes sin from our lives.

Bikkurim (Firstfruits): This was on the 2nd day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, or the third day after Passover. The first gleaning of the barley harvest was brought as a sacrifice (an unleavened barley loaf). This is representative of Christ being the firstfruit of the resurrection (1Co 15:23) and was raised on Firstfruits (Ac 10:40).

Shavuot (Pentecost): This was the 50th day after Firstfruits (Lv 23:15-16) where the first gleaning of the wheat harvest was brought as a sacrifice (two loaves of leavened wheat; Lv 23:17). This is representative of the giving of the Holy Spirit (Ac 2:1-4) which then joined both Jew and Gentile (Cl 3:11) – whomever accepted Christ as their Savior. It came to represent the Age of Gentiles (i.e., the Church Age; Ro 11:25).

These four are fulfilled and are now part of our past. The other three cannot be fulfilled until the Age of Gentiles (the Church Age) is completed. The Rapture (Receiving of the Bride) is the perfect event for this to be accomplished. The Church is removed from the Earth and God can then focus his attention back on Israel as a nation.

Rosh Hashanah (Trumpets): Although known as the Jewish New Year, it was on the 1st day of the seventh month in Scripture (Lv 23:23-24). It was known as a feast of memorial or remembrance (Lv 23:24; Nu 10:10). In other words, to sound the trumpets to request God to remember his covenant with Israel. There are at least three examples of this (2Ch 5; Er 3; Ne 8). Why? The Day of Atonement where judgment was to be imputed was coming. Individuals could not trust in their own merit, they needed to rely on the covenant God made with Israel in order to stand before a Holy God. This feast will be fulfilled when the Tribulation Period begins as God will deal with Israel as a nation once again and bring both Jew and Israelite back to Israel as a nation (Jr 33:7).

Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement): This was on the 10th day of the seventh month (Lv 23:27): the day the High Priest went into the Holy of Holies to atone for the sins of Israel (Lv 16). The sacrifice again points to Christ as our atoning sacrifice (1Jn 2:2). This will be fulfilled upon Christ’s 2nd coming as all of Israel will then be saved (Zc 13:1; Ro 11:26).

Sukkot (Tabernacles): This was on the 15th day of the seventh month and lasted for a week (Lv 23:34). The people lived in booths (Lv 23:42) and were to rejoice (Lv 23:40; Dt 16:14-15) which demonstrated God’s provision and strength (Ne 8:10) to them during the nation’s journey to their Promised Land (Ps 27:5, 31:20; Is 4:6) and pointed to the time when their coming Messiah would dwell with them (Is 35; Zc 12:10-13:1, 14:16). This will be fulfilled as Christ dwells with his people and rules over the earth for 1,000 years (Rv 20:4).

The gap between these feasts (festivals) of those which have already been fulfilled and those not yet fulfilled has been called the Age of Gentiles or the Church Age (Ro 11:25). From an Israel perspective, the clock stopped when the Church was initiated and the nation of Israel was set aside, for a time, until the Church is removed. The timeline then starts up again because Israel is once again God’s focus.

From this you can see why the Rapture is not part of Jewish prophecy but a key part of Scripture prophecy as it is the turning point of God’s focus being on the Church to being back on the nation of Israel.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

The Church, or those who put their faith in Jesus Christ as the payment for their sins and their eternal future, is known as the Bride of Christ (Ep 5:24-27; 2Co 11:2). Now, to picture how we fit into this analogy, we need to understand the Jewish concept of a wedding. After all, as we have stated many times, the Bible is written from a Jewish perspective. There are three main components to a Jewish wedding. Let’s explore those:

First Part: Betrothal Period. A marriage contract was signed by the parent of the bride and the bridegroom. The parents of the bridegroom, or the bridegroom himself, would pay a dowry to the bride or her parents. This first part of the marriage between Christ and the Church is completed when each believer places his or her faith in Christ as their Savior. The dowry (the blood of Christ) was paid by the bridegroom (Christ) to the bridegroom’s parent (God the Father) on behalf of the bride. As the Church is composed of individuals, the bride is still being formed as believers put their faith in their bridegroom. Yet, at some point in the future, the bride will be considered complete (Ro 11:25). The second part of the wedding will then commence.

Second Part: Receiving the Bride. The groom went to get the bride after a period of time – usually occurring a year or so later. One reason for this was to be sure the bride was pure and a virgin. If the woman was not a virgin, it would become evident within the year. At some undisclosed time, the bridegroom, accompanied by his male friends, would go to the house of the bride (typically somewhere around midnight) and take her and her bridesmaids to the bridegroom’s home via a parade through the city. This will be completed at the Rapture (a sudden catching up; 1Co 15:51-52; 1Th 4:13-18) when the bridegroom (Jesus Christ) returns for his bride (the Church).

Third Part: Wedding Supper. A wedding supper was held, which could go on for days. This is fulfilled as described in Revelation (Rv 19:7-9), most likely in heaven after the Rapture and before Christ returns to Earth.

Attendees to the Wedding Feast: not everyone was invited. There were three main groups: the bridegroom, the bride, and the attendants. So, from this analogy, who will those be? The Bridegroom is none other than Jesus Christ; the Bride is the Church (these will now have their glorified bodies); the attendants are the Old Testament saints (these will not yet have glorified bodies but be whatever bodies souls have as we discussed in our previous post).

I know there is a lot of controversy around the Rapture event. Yet, as we see above, it does fit into the wedding scenario and would help to fulfill Rv 19 in heaven at the same time as the Tribulation Period is happening on Earth. It also allows it to last for an extended period of time similar to a normal Jewish wedding feast. There are also some other characteristics about the Rapture we should consider. It is an imminent event. There is nothing that must happen before this event can happen. All other events are tied to a Jewish timeline. This event is not tied to a Jewish timeline (nothing has to occur prior to this event occurring). This event is for the Church and does not involve the nation of Israel. Actually, this event happens so God can once again deal with the nation of Israel (more on that later). You can see how this really ties into the idea of the bride not knowing when her bridegroom would come for her.

The Rapture occurs at the end of the “Age of Gentiles”: “I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in” (Ro 11:25). The Feast of Pentecost represents this time period; two trumpet blasts occurred on this feast day (one to initiate it and one to complete it). Three types of sacrifices were made at Pentecost (Nu 10:10): the burnt offering with a trumpet blast, followed by a sin offering, followed by a fellowship offering with a trumpet blast. Isn’t that what we do currently? We accept Christ as our Savior (offering ourselves to him as a whole burnt offering), we continuously confess our sins (1Jn 1:9), and we will be with him and fellowship with him forever after the Rapture. What is the Rapture but the beginning of our eternal fellowship with Christ.

So, what will our new bodies at the Rapture be like? The intermediate bodies of those who died and are already in heaven are upgraded, or the souls receive a glorified body that will be like that of Christ (Pp 3:20-21; 1Jn 3:2). It would seem that our future glorified body will need a physical body to be transformed (1Co 15:52). Perhaps that is why righteous souls are said to be raised as they are already with Christ in a non-glorified state. Otherwise, why would a glorified body not be given at time of death? Why do the righteous souls have to come back for a body? This is a mystery that the scriptures do not explain. Yet, in the light of a Jewish wedding, it may be to fulfill the presentation of the bride to the bridegroom. The why is perhaps not that important as the sureness of the event is what matters. We do get some clues to the characteristics of our future glorified state. Our glorified bodies will be solid (Thomas was able to feel the scars of Jesus’ body; Jn 20:27), they will be similar to our natural body (Jesus was recognized and bore scars; Jn 20:20) yet these bodies can also look dissimilar (disciples on road to Emmaus did not recognize him; Lk 24:13-16), they can materialize and rematerialize (Jesus appeared in a closed room; Jn 20:19, and he disappeared from the disciples sight; Lk 24:31), and the physical realm has no power over these types of bodies (Jesus defied gravity in his ascension; Ac 1:9). I’m sure that is just the beginning! Great things await us. Are you excited!

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

In a previous post, we discovered that the righteous in Sheol were relocated to Heaven after Christ’s resurrection. What does that mean for those who die today?

According to Scripture, the righteous go straight to heaven. The apostle Paul stated, “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven…was caught up to paradise…” (2Co 12:2-4). This was important for Paul to experience this because it put him as an eyewitness to the fact the righteous today (i.e., those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ for their eternal future) go straight to heaven confirming the fact that the righteous were transferred from Sheol to Heaven. As we stated before, Paul called it paradise because Jesus Christ now resides there. Just as Enoch, Moses, and Elijah served as a tangible hope for the Old Testament saints that their future with their Messiah was secure, Paul’s experience serves as our hope we will also one day be with Christ. This is why Paul also stated, “We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2Co 5:8).

We are talking about the righteous here, but what about the unrighteous? They still go to Sheol (Hades). There is nothing in Scripture to suggest they have changed their location. Actually, Scripture states they will remain there until their final judgment: “…death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done” (Rv 20:13).

What are people like in heaven? Scripture seems to suggest souls have similarities with a type of body. In Revelation, when the souls of those martyred for the cause of Christ were described, Scripture states they were able to speak, wore white robes (which would indicate some type of solid body), were told to wait and, therefore, were able to understand, reason, and comprehend time (Rv 6:9-11). This description is not the same as the resurrected body they will receive later. This description in Revelation is either talking of an intermediate, temporary body, or this is the normal characteristic of souls. It could even be that souls in our world appear as spirits but may not appear so in the spiritual world.

Of course, Christ is in Heaven today. Christ has three roles:

•Prophet – His role on earth during his first coming: “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me [Moses] from among your own brothers. You must listen to him” (Dt 18:15).

•Priest – His current role as our high priest and mediator: “Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess” (Hb 3:1). The author of Hebrews also states, “…because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them” (Hb 7:24-25).

•King – His future role after his second coming: “…He will rule them [the nations] with an iron scepter…on his robe and on his thigh he as the name written: King of kings and Lord of lords” (Rv 19:15-16).

We also need to understand that Christ coming to earth changed him forever. Prior to his coming to earth the first time, Christ was a spirit: “God is a spirit and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth” (Jn 4:24). John also stated, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning” (Jn 1:1-2).

Christ’s birth made him human. Yet, he was unique: 100% human, 100% God: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14).

Christ’s resurrected body is still that of a man (100% man; 100% God): “Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have” (Lk 24:39).

Christ is forever man (100% man; 100% God) to identify with us: “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1Tm 2:5).

Christ agreed to change his relationship with God the Father forever – for us! How amazing it that! That really shows how much he loves us. Would you do that for someone? That would be a really hard decision, to be willing to give up so much for someone else. Yet, that is what Christ did for us. Can you now see why Sheol for the righteous was relocated? He loved us so much and wants to be with us, but the only way he could do that was to pay the sin debt and, by doing so, stopped being a spirit so he could save us and identify with us forever. We can never say he is cold and indifferent and doesn’t care. No one cares more than He does for us.

Next time we’ll look at heaven between now and our Savior’s second return. Stay tuned.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

During the last post, we were exploring what heaven was like before Christ’s first coming. We discovered that something different happened for Enoch, Moses, and Elijah than for other humans. The Bible seems to imply that these three went to heaven and not to Sheol as did others at that time. Yet, there are some who believe that was not the case. Their argument is based almost entirely on a New Testament verse. Let’s explore that further.

Some quote, “No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven – the Son of Man” (Jn 3:13). Yet, we first must take this verse in its context – Jesus was explaining to Nicodemus how to receive eternal life. Only the one who came from heaven, died, is resurrected, and ascends back to heaven can provide that. This verse is referring to volitionally doing so. Only Jesus had the means and power to do so on his own accord. Enoch, Moses, and Elijah did not volitionally ascend into heaven. God took them. They had no power on their own accord to do so. Therefore, this verse does not preclude these three from also being in heaven. We also do not need to fabricate how these three were placed in another location until God used them again.

Then, there are others who claim Elijah was back on earth after he was supposedly taken to heaven. They refer to a verse in 2nd Chronicles: “Jehoram [son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah] received a letter from Elijah the prophet . . .” (2Ch 21:12). This event occurred after the death of Jehoshaphat, yet Elijah was translated before the death of Jehoshaphat. Is there a rational explanation? I think there is. The word translated ‘letter’ is usually translated ‘writing’ in most other places. Therefore, Jehoram received a writing from Elijah (likely delivered by Elisha or another prophet). This is a simple, yet plausible, explanation and would not be inconsistent with the delivery of prophecy. Elijah made sure it was delivered at the specified time after he was taken away. This would ensure the delivery would have its maximum effect upon the king. Unfortunately, the king was un-phased even with such a prophetic delivery.

It is interesting that we find these three Old Testament individuals also represent how people will enter Christ’s earthly Promised Kingdom once he returns. The following table shows this:

So, what is the purpose of these three individuals receiving such special treatment? It is two-fold. First, these individuals provided hope and a promise to those who lived prior to Christ’s first coming that whoever would put their faith in the coming Messiah would eventually be with him. And second, it showed Old Testament saints, and even us today, the type of people who will be part of the Messiah’s future kingdom.

Why were only Moses & Elijah transfigured with Christ? Jesus would be building his church and his future bride would be composed of those who would be resurrected and those who would be translated.

Does this have anything to do with the two witnesses mentioned in Revelation (Rv 11)? The actions of these two are reminiscent of actions and miracles of Moses and Elijah. Since Moses and Elijah already have glorified bodies, the two witnesses may not be them specifically, but may represent, or be prototypes, of the types of individuals these two witnesses will be.

Okay, let’s summarize. Prior to Christ’s first coming, only the Trinity and angels had access to heaven. None of the righteous (those placing their faith in the coming Messiah), with three exceptions, were in Heaven prior to Christ’s first coming. Enoch, Moses, and Elijah gave hope to Israel they would one day be with their Messiah. These three are prophetic of the type of people who will make up Christ’s future earthly kingdom: those who will be alive at the time of Christ’s second coming (represented by Enoch), those who were part of the Rapture prior to Christ’s second coming (represented by Elijah), and those who will be resurrected either at the Rapture or at the time of Christ’s second coming (represented by Moses). These examples also demonstrate to us today that the Old Testament is proof of the prophecy to be fulfilled in the New Testament. What hasn’t been fulfilled yet will still be fulfilled in our future. We can trust God is faithful to bring to pass what his Word says.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

When we think of the word ‘heaven,’ there are three places the Bible describes using the same word. Here are a few examples.

1. First Heaven – Sky. Isaiah spoke of this: As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater . . . (Is 55:10).

2. Second Heaven – Outer Space. Moses spoke of this: And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon, and the stars – all the heavenly array – do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under the heaven (Dt 4:19).

3. Third Heaven – Where God is. Paul spoke of this: I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven (2Co 12:2). The psalmist spoke of this: The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD is on his heavenly throne . . . (Ps 11:4). And Solomon spoke of this: But will God really dwell on earth with men? The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain you . . . (2Ch 6:18).

It’s the third heaven we want to concentrate on for this post. So, who occupies this third heaven? Based upon a previous post, we know that changed over the course of earth’s history. Let’s focus on its occupancy before Christ came to earth the first time. Here are the occupants the Bible speaks of and some of the supporting verses:

1.      First Person of Trinity (God the Father). We find God in the beginning: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Gn 1:1). He also revealed himself to the Israelites at Mount Sinai after they were rescued from Egypt: Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire (Ex 19:18a).

2.      Second Person of Trinity (God the Son – Jesus Christ). The Bible tells us he was there with God in the beginning: Then God said, “Let us make man in our image…” (Gn 1:26). Also, after God appeared to the Israelites in the smoke and fire on Mount Sinai, this second person of the Godhead appeared to their leaders: Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement of sapphire, clear as the sky itself. But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank (Ex 24:9-11). I find this awe inspiring because right after God gave the command to stay off the mountain because they were not holy, he met with them to show his grace.

3.      Third Person of Trinity (God the Holy Spirit). Even the Holy Spirit was with God in the beginning: Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters (Gn 1:2). The Holy Spirit was also given to many of the Israelite leaders: Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke with him, and he took of the Spirit that was on him and put the Spirit on the seventy elders (Nu 11:25a).

4.      Angels. The Bible speaks of both righteous angels and unrighteous angels, or demons, who followed Lucifer (also called the devil, the Adversary, or Satan).

Let’s now focus on these angels for a few minutes. The word ‘angel’ simply means ‘messenger.’ It is humans who have genericized what angels look like and what they do. The Bible actually gives us a look into these creatures whom God created. They are not all the same and they do not all have the same occupation or the same rank. Yet, they all are messengers who carry out the will of God:

1.      Cherubim (Ek 1:5-24; 10:1-22) – These are the highest rank of angels with the closest relationship to God, and a major part of God’s moving chariot throne

2.      Seraphim (Is 6:1-7) - They cover the unique presence of God and his throne.

3.      Four Living Beings (Rv 4:6-9) - They exalt God day and night.

4.      Archangel (1Th 4:16; Ju 1:9) - Chief Messenger and ruling angel.

5.      Angels – (Mt 24:36; 25:31; Hb 1:6; Ro 8:38; 1Pt 3:22) - These are messengers who carry out the message God wants delivered.

6.      Satan – (Jb 1:6; Rv 12:10) – Satan himself is an angel, a created being, who is submissive to God. He does not have equal billing or influence. The Bible does state he has access to heaven and to God, at least at certain times. Scriptures also tells us that one day his access will be revoked, and he will no longer be granted such access.

7.      Demons - (Ro 8:38; 1Co 15:24; Ep 1:21, 2:22, 3:10, 6:12; Cl 1:16, 2:10, 15; 1Pt 3:22) – These are under Satan and his authority. They may or may not have access to heaven. They also have ranks and are described as principalities, might, powers, dominions, rulers of the darkness of this world, spiritual wickedness in high places, authorities, rulers, and thrones.

The Second Person of the Godhead (who later became known as Jesus Christ) has always been the part of the Trinity who has reached out to humans and revealed attributes of God to them. There are many examples of this, and theologians have termed these Old Testament visits, or pre-incarnate visits, as Christophanies: Adam & Eve (Gn 3:8-9), Abraham (Gn 18:1), Children of Israel (Ex 23:20-21), Moses, Aaron, and elders (Ex 24:9-11), Joshua (Js 5:13-15), and Manoah and his wife (Jd 13:2-23). While this is not an exhaustive list, it does help us see and understand God was in constant communication with humans even before the Holy Spirit was given to all Christians.

There are some other individuals we must consider. There are three humans who the Bible state were taken to heaven before Christ’s first coming. Let’s take a look at them and see what that implies.

Enoch. The Bible states, “Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away” (Gn 5:24). Later, we read, “by faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God” (Hb 11:5). And we find he was a prophet in his day: Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: “see, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him” (Ju 1:14). Therefore, Enoch preached of the Messiah coming to set up his earthly kingdom. How he entered heaven is how many will enter Christ’s kingdom. They, too, will not die but still be alive when Christ returns to earth again to set up his kingdom. They will literally, walk into his kingdom.

Moses. God told the children of Israel their promised coming Messiah would be recognizable because he would come as a prophet like Moses: “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him” (Dt 18:15). When Moses died, God, himself buried him: “And Moses the servant of the LORD died there in Moab, as the LORD had said. He buried him in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is” (Dt 34:5-6). Yet, Moses did not stay buried. We read of this unusual event in Jude: “But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, ‘the Lord rebuke you’” (Ju 1:9)! The reason we believe he did not stay dead is because he appeared with Christ and three of his disciples: “Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus” (Lk 9:30-31). Therefore, the disputed body may have been over Moses’ glorified body. If Moses was resurrected, Satan may have argued over Moses not staying in Sheol. Christ had not yet come and defeated death and Sheol, so Satan may have argued this was premature of God to raise Moses at this time. This would be consistent with the similarity between Moses and Jesus.

Elijah. He was another that did not face death in this life: “As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind” (2Ki 2:11). This was a testimony to the message Elijah had constantly wanted his people to realize and understand about God: God is alive, and they can put their trust in him. Recall what he told the Israelites: “Elijah went before the people and said, ‘How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him’” (1Ki 18:21). This became a promise to Israel in that they would one day be with God if they remained faithful to their belief in their Messiah. Elijah also appeared along with Moses to Christ and three of his disciples: “Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus” (Lk 9:30-31).

There are some controversies around what I just presented. Next time, we’ll explore this further and see what the likely purpose of why these three individuals received special treatment. It may not be what you expect. Stay turned and find out. Until then, God bless.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

I must admit I did not know of these holidays when I wrote about Sukkot; however, I feel they are worth reviewing.

Shemini Atzeret literally means "assembly of the eighth." In Leviticus (Lv 23:33-43), Sukkot, or Feast of Tabernacles, is mentioned to be seven days in length with the eighth day being a "sacred assembly" where the people gather, offer sacrifices and are not allowed to do any work. This is considered a closing ceremony (Lv 23:36). In Deuteronomy (Dt 16:13-17), this eighth day is not mentioned which indicates that this eighth day has other significance than the agricultural aspects of Sukkot.

We saw in a previous post that Sukkot is prophetic to the millennial reign of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Therefore, this eighth day is prophetic of something that is to come after—i.e., the eternal rest (the reason for no work to be done) in the eternal heaven. We also saw in a previous post that this eighth day is prophetically tied to the year of Jubilee.

It is likely because this eighth day was debated of whether it was part of the official holiday of Sukkot that it was made into a holiday of its own: Shemini Atzeret—the assembly of the eighth. It in no way detracts from its prophetic meaning but rather highlights it since it is set apart from Sukkot itself.

Simchat Torah means "rejoicing in the Torah." There are weekly Torah readings starting from Genesis chapter 1 to Deuteronomy chapter 34. On this day, the day after Shemini Atzeret, the last passage in Deuteronomy is read and then Genesis chapter 1 is read to indicate that the Torah is a circle and never ends.

This holiday also supports the scriptural teaching that Sukkot is the last feast of the Jewish calendar that was given to Israel by God: Passover starting the cycle in the first month and Sukkot ending the cycle in the seventh month (Lv 23). Other holidays have been instituted since that time but does not change this cycle.

This also helps us to understand that "Jewish New Year" or Rosh Hashanah on Tishri 1 is not the start of a new year since it is the beginning of the seventh month. This day was originally known as Feast of Trumpets. It is representative of God remembering His covenant with Israel as a nation. Therefore, the nation has be renewed in God's sight as His covenant with them still stands. This seems to be the idea as the year of Jubilee began in the seventh month (Lv 25:9) as did the beginning of a king's reign in Jerusalem. Therefore, although not specifically mentioned in scripture, these holidays do have a scriptural connection.

For additional information, see Judaism 101.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

When I say between Sukkot and Jubilee, I mean what occurs between the juncture of their prophetic fulfillment: between the Millennium and the Eternal State. There are only a couple of scriptures that describe this juncture. Because the number of verses are few, many seem to imply that the juncture is quick. However, I am not so sure that is the case. Let's look at these scriptures more closely. The first is probably the more familiar. In Revelation we find the following: "When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever" (Rv 20:7-10).

We see here that Satan will go out and deceive the nations when he is released from the Abyss and allowed back on the earth. This would seem to imply that the deceit he wields will take time. Of course, many may be willing to be persuaded more than others, but when we see the number of people who are persuaded to be on Satan's side (like the sand on the seashore), then it would likely take a good amount of time to accumulate that number of people. It could take many years or even many decades.

The second scripture is found in Micah chapter 5. This is probably less well known and many have tried to make it fit into other prophecy, but it still seems to stand alone. Some of you may be familiar with verse 2 which predicts the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, and we know that Jesus Christ was born there as prophesied (Lk 2). However, this chapter is very wide in scope. This coming Messiah is a ruler who will rule when Israel and Judah are recombined as a nation (v3) and he will rule over the entire earth in peace (v4-5). This undoubtedly speaks of Christ's Millennial reign. Verse 5 then transitions from a period of peace to a period of strife. While Assyria did invade Israel and take the northern tribes captive in 722 BC, the events in this chapter of Micah do not fit any scenarios of Assyria invading Israel and Israel never ruled Assyria. Therefore, these verses seem to point to the Messiah taking back the land over which Satan had gained control.

We know that during the Millennium, both Assyria and Egypt which had been adversaries against Israel for ages, become ruled by the Messiah and he calls them his people (Is 19:23-25). It seems that once Satan is released from the Abyss he likely sets up shop back in Babylon again—his  first place of rule led by Nimrod (Gn 10:8-12, 11:1-9; Mi 5:6). From here he campaigns throughout the whole earth to get recruits and is apparently very successful.

So why would God allow such to happen? After all, the people who are rejecting him came out of the Millennium under his rule. While scripture teaches that Christ will rule with an iron scepter (Ps 2:9; Rv 2:27, 12:5, 19:15) meaning any insurrection will be taken care of immediately (Is 65:20). However, there will be those who do not rebel openly, and these are the ones to whom Satan will appeal. It is hard to imagine such a thing where people will be born into an almost perfect state and not be appreciative. However, I think there are a couple of reasons for Christ to allow this to happen. First, God has always allowed people to have freedom of choice—even to their own detriment. He wants only those who are truly devoted to him to enter a state where they will live forever. Second, this gives everyone proof that their rebellion cannot be blamed on Satan as they had this built-up animosity against the Messiah during his rule when Satan was not present. Satan only capitalizes on their discord and is able to deceive them with, again, half-truths just like he has always done. This is a word of wisdom for us today. We, too, cannot use the excuse, "the devil made me do it." He certainly supplies the temptation, but not the desire. We need to pray to have the mind of Christ (1Co 2:16).

Needless to say, Christ is victorious as noted in Revelation (Rv 20:9). All those who are opposed to our Messiah are forever removed and only those devoted to him enter into the Eternal State. The time of ultimate peace will have arrived, and we will be forever with the Lord. We don't have time to go into how wonderful the Eternal State will be, but it will not be boring! We will save that for another time. It is also the subject in my book series, The Stele Prophecy Pentalogy. Please check out these books which will give you a fictional, but likely pretty accurate, depiction of what you can expect. After all, Paul tells us it will be greater than we can even imagine (1Co 2:9). So, come and imagine with me, and realize it will be even greater!

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Well, we have looked at the three Fall Jewish holidays, so is that the end?  Actually, there is more! It always amazes me how multifaceted God is. When God gave the requirement for all the feasts/holidays, he first mentioned the Sabbath of the seventh day of the week and called it a Sabbath of rest: Shabbat Shabbaton (Lv 23:3). This is a special emphasis on this particular Sabbath—like saying "ultimate Sabbath." But what is the context of this verse and why is it a prelude to the other feasts? It is a tie back to God's original creation because God "worked" for six days and then rested (or was satisfied, to be more exact) on the seventh day. Therefore, the weekly Sabbath was to remind the Israelites of God's work of creation—a perfect world of rest. As the feasts pointed to a future time for Israel, this Sabbath pointed to a future state of rest and was therefore given the special name of Sabbath of Rest.

But this is not the only day with this special title. It is mentioned on the Day of Atonement (Lv 23:32) and the year of Jubilee (Lv 25:4), each of these were called Sabbath of Rest. Then there is also the eighth day of the Feast of Tabernacles. While not called a Sabbath of Rest, it is a Sabbath after the "feast unto the Lord seven days." Therefore, it points to something after. It becomes clear when we look at the prophetic nature of these feasts and their connection to creation. The weekly Sabbath looked back to God's original creation. The Day of Atonement points to Christ's second coming which is the beginning of a renewed Israel and renewed earth. The Feast of Tabernacles points to the Millennium and so the Sabbath of the eighth day points to something following the Millennium which is the final rest and is then linked to Jubilee which is the final Sabbath of Rest which points to the Eternal State where we will be with the Lord forever.

So what was Jubilee? This was a period of seven Sabbaths of years and thereby occurred every 50 years. The Israelites were to observe a Sabbath year every seven years where the land would be left idle so it could "rest” and replenish itself with nutrients. The people were to depend upon the Lord to increase the bounty of their crops the sixth year to carry them through the Sabbath year and to the time of next harvest (Lv 25:2-7). This was a time of faith and dependence upon God for them. However, Scripture never records that Israel ever kept the Sabbath year for the land; their 70-year captivity into Babylon was given because they had not kept this Sabbath for the land (2Ch 36:21).

After keeping seven Sabbath years came the year of Jubilee—the 50th year (Lv 25). What occurred during this year? Things were to return to their original state: land that had been sold would go back to its original owner or family; those sold into servitude would be released, and all debts would be cancelled. It was like pressing a reset button. It was a cause of much celebration! It pointed to the final state of rest that would occur when their Messiah would come. The weekly Sabbath pointed to the original state of God's perfect creation and rest, and Jubilee pointed to the final state of God's perfect creation and rest (Hb 4:9). We have perfect bookends. Jubilee is the End of the Beginning [1].

This then is another cause to separate the Millennium from the Eternal State as that is how the feasts were arranged. Also, each of these fulfills the ultimate plan of two original purposes declared by God. God placed Adam and Eve in the original garden to have dominion of it, but they failed. The Eternal State is the re-creation of that and the fulfillment of what God had originally intended. Can you imagine how thrilled Adam and Eve will be to see this wonderful state again from which they originally inhabited—only better! What about the Millennium? If we look back in Exodus, we see that God had originally established Israel to be a kingdom of priests for the world (Ex 19:6). Although Aaron, his sons, and the Levites were priests for the nation of Israel, the nation of Israel itself was to be the priests, the Ambassadors of their God, to the rest of the world. The blessings God promised to Israel if they were obedient (Dt 28) would be a drawing card to all other nations to bring them to God. That also did not occur as originally designed; the Millennium will be the fulfillment of Israel being the priests to the entire world and will lead the world in praise to God (Zc 8:20-23). This is also why we can see the Millennial temple to which God showed Ezekiel (Ek 40-48) being a literal temple that will be in existence during the Millennium—for cleansing of all implements for holy service and a memorial to the atonement (cleansing) act of Christ for all the world to understand and visually see and comprehend.

It is also an interesting fact that although the physical year started in the first month (Nissan) which contained Passover, but the year of Jubilee started on the tenth day of the seventh month (Tishri): the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur (Lv 25:9). This again points to why this was a Sabbath of rest (Shabbat Shabbaton) because it started the year of Jubilee and pointed toward the beginning of the future state when Israel will once again become a holy nation. As a side bar, this is likely the reason the kings of Judah began their reign starting in Tishri rather than in Nissan. They were looking to the future reign of their King of kings.

We have one more session to go on this topic. I have often heard many pastors say that we will just go from the Millennium where all is joy to the Eternal State, going from happiness to eternal bliss. However, I find that is not really the case. There is a lot of disturbance during this transition period. We will look at that next time. I hope you will join me.

[1] Congdon, Robert, An Appointment with God: The Feasts of the Lord (Bloomington IN: CrossBooks, 2009)

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Let's first address the somewhat provocative statement I made at the end of my post last time. How do these Jewish feasts relate to salvation? The answer is 'faith.' Just as our salvation relies on our faith in what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross, so it was for the Israelites. How it that? Well, we look back on what Christ, the Messiah, did for us whereas the Israelites looked forward to what their coming Messiah would do for them.

Let's see how the logic went for them and see if this is the same logic for us today. To be in a right relationship with God, each individual Israelite knew that they had no real merit on their own to stand before a holy God. After all, these Israelites who were alive when God first presented these feasts to them, saw God on Mt. Sinai. They saw the smoke and fire and felt the violent earthquake of the mountain that tried to accommodate God's presence—and they were terrified (Ex 19:16). No one present that day had the slightest inkling that they were able to stand before this holy God. So, here comes the seventh month in which is the Day of Atonement. Will God accept them? By what means could they be sinless before him? They had no chance. But wait, before the Day of Atonement was the Feast of Trumpets! Yes, that is their only hope: they would ask God to remember his covenant with them and to keep his promise of love and protection. If God remembered his covenant before he proclaims his judgment, then they stood a chance. On the Day of Atonement, a blood sacrifice was made on their behalf and was accepted by God. They were then at peace with God for another year. They could then truly celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles because God had accepted them and desires fellowship with them. Although the Feast of Trumpets and Day of Atonement were solemn occasions, the Feast of Tabernacles was truly a joyous one. They had been accepted by God! They now had fellowship with God! They had good reason to celebrate. As we saw earlier, the Israelites looked forward to the One who would come to be the ultimate sacrifice for their sin—the One to whom the blood of atonement pointed. This they accepted by faith. It was their faith, not the actual ritual, that saved them. The ritual pointed to the One to come and their part in the ritual pointed to the sincerity of their heart. That is what God was looking for within each and every individual.

Does that not sound similar to what we experience today? We must realize we cannot stand before God in our present condition. We have no hope in our present state and cannot earn God's favor no matter how good we think we are or try to be. It is just not possible. Why? Because God is perfection and anything that does not meet this minimum standard (i.e., perfection) is unacceptable. Well that is a high bar, isn’t it? Yes, it is very high because God is the ultimate and expects no less. So what is our only hope? Our only hope is to put our faith in God's new covenant which Jesus Christ has established through his death on the cross for us. By faith, we accept the price Jesus Christ paid on the cross for our sins, and trust in that, and that alone, for our salvation. That is the only price God can accept, and does accept, to allow anyone into his presence. Again, it our faith, and not any ritual, that saves us. That is what God is still looking for within each and every individual.

Doesn't that point to a God who is consistent and does not change (Ml 3:6)? Many think the Old and New Testaments are not connected, but they are intricately connected and flow quite well together. Would we expect any less from a God who does not change? Salvation has always been and will always be consistent: faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Messiah of us all.

I will save the next piece for next time. We saw that the Feast of Tabernacles was a very joyous feast and why. That is very consistent with the prophetic nature of this feast—the millennial reign of Jesus Christ. Who could deny that it will be a most joyous time? However, there is something that comes after the Millennium and there is a connection to what God originally instituted with the Israelites. It is this that we will discover at our next time together. Until then, God bless!

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Today we will talk about the last Fall Jewish Holiday, Feast of Tabernacles (or Sukkot). While this is not the last Jewish holiday in our calendar, it was the last yearly holiday/feast that God provided to the Israelites when they left Egypt (Lv 23:34-44). It started 5 days after Day of Atonement on the 15th of Tishri (the 7th month of the Jewish calendar) and lasted for 8 days. A Sabbath (day of rest) was held on the first day and last day but this last day was different and denoted as a 'finale.'  Today this eighth day is celebrated as Shemini Atzeret. This feast required that the people build booths made from palm branches, from thick trees, and from willows (Lv 23:40). The booths were burned before the end of the 8th day. The booths reminded the Israelites not only of their lack of permanent dwellings during their time in the wilderness but also emphasized their precarious existence during those years.[1] However, the materials of these booths were not those commonly associated with a desert but materials they would more likely find in their Promised Land. Therefore, although a reminder of where they had been it was also a reminder of their future hope as well.

John speaks of this feast (Jn 7). The day would begin with sacrifices followed by a festive meal and a study of the Law. Near evening, the priests would then go down to the pool of Siloam and bring back two golden pint pictures full of water. The people would stand along the way raising willow branches (lulavs) to form a canopy as the priests progressed back toward the temple. As the priests entered the Water Gate, trumpets would blast. The evening sacrifices were made and to climax the event the priests would pour the water into one silver basin (symbolizing the outpouring of the Holy Spirit) and would pour wine into the other silver basin. The temple orchestra would then play the Hallel (Ps 113-118). The people would wave their lulavs and recite certain parts of the scripture with the choir. After dark, there would be four golden candelabras to light the occasion. All the actions and songs of this ceremony focused on the coming of their Messiah and the peace he would bring. It was during this water ceremony that Jesus stood up and spoke the words, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him" (Jn 7:37-38). Here Jesus was claiming to be the Messiah. This offer proclaimed by Jesus Christ linked the Messiah's coming, i.e., his literal kingdom, and the coming peace and spiritual healing with the Feast of Tabernacles.[1] Therefore, this feast has future significance for us.

Jewish tradition teaches that God's coming presence to the Israelites of the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night occurred on the 15th of Tishri. God came to tabernacle with them. Is there a future day when God plans to tabernacle with His people? The Bible speaks of a literal reign by Jesus Christ for 1,000 years. This seems to be to the future state this feast/holiday points toward. This makes sense from a chronological perspective: Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah; beginning of Tribulation Period); Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur; Christ's second coming where nationally Israel accepts Christ as their Messiah and God forgives their sin); Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot; Christ sets up his literal reign with his people and 'tabernacles' with them).

I know that the idea of a Millennial Kingdom and reign is somewhat controversial in Christian circles. However, I think the Feast of Tabernacles is one strong argument that the Millennium will be a literal event and that it will occur after the Tribulation Period. I think there are two other strong arguments for this event to be literal. One is that this promise of God dwelling with his people was a theme of most of the prophets (both major prophets and minor prophets). This promise was also given after a pronouncement of doom and/or destruction. It was given as hope to the Israelites even in the midst of God's pronouncement of punishment. Therefore, it cannot be metaphorical because only a promise of literal fulfillment can produce hope. If something is metaphorical, it cannot elicit expectant hope. Secondly, with the Millennium being literal, it prevents one from having to make a significant amount of scripture metaphorical: the description of the Millennial temple by Ezekiel (Ek 40-48), most of the prophets and the reference to its occurrence in Revelation (Rv 20:3). It being literal makes all these scriptures and Jewish ceremony come alive, be cohesive, and is able to elicit the same hope in us today. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your savior (you trust in his act of dying for your sins on the cross as payment for your sins so that your reliance of going to Heaven is only through his act and not on your own merit), then you, too, have this hope. It is a literal hope that can spur one own to great things in this current life.

Next time we will see how these feasts tie well into the gospel story and our salvation as well as how another event God asked the Jews to remember guides us into a prophecy of the ultimate state with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I hope you join me.

[1] Congdon, Robert, An Appointment with God: The Feasts of the Lord (Bloomington IN: CrossBooks, 2009)

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Let's now move on to Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur. This holiday is 9 days after Rosh Hashanah (Feast of Trumpets) on 10th day of Tishri (the 7th month of Jewish calendar - usually around September of our calendar). It is a very solemn holiday because it is the day atonement is sought (Lv 16). From the days of the Tabernacle until the destruction of the temple in 70 AD, this was the day that the high priest went into the Holy of Holies to make atonement before God with blood. Before Judah was taken captive by Babylon in 586 BC, the Holy of Holies contained the Ark of the Covenant on top of which was the Mercy Seat (also called Atonement cover). There were two cherubim on the mercy seat, one on each side, and the Shekinah glory of God would appear to the high priest on this day of the year. This was the only day of the year that the high priest, or anyone, would enter the Holy of Holies. The high priest would make atonement (cleansing) with blood for his household, all the elements of the tabernacle/temple used for the ceremony, and for all the people. After the exiles returned from Babylon to Jerusalem and rebuilt the temple, the high priest would enter an empty Holy of Holies where the blood was still offered. Yet, God stated that He was still with them despite this (Hg 2:4-5). After all, God was after the heart of His people and not necessarily just the rituals. Many times God stated he desired their devotion not their sacrifice (Ho 6:6; Jl 2:13; Mi 6:8).

We said previously that these holidays, or feasts, were also prophetic, so what would the Day of Atonement be prophetic toward? The death of Christ on the cross is where he made atonement (cleansing) for all our sins (1Jn 2:2, 4:10). While all these elements of the Day of Atonement point to Christ and his act of atonement on the cross, there is more to the story. As we saw previously, these feasts are memorials for the nation of Israel as well as for individuals. So what would the Day of Atonement mean for the nation of Israel? It occurs after the Feast of Trumpets and we previously saw that feast is prophetic of the beginning of the Tribulation period. So, what event that comes after this event would correspond to the meaning of the Day of Atonement? It would be the second coming of Christ. Zechariah speaks of this (Zc 12:10-13:9). The nation will finally accept Christ as their Messiah and he will forgive their sin. This then sets the stage for the next holiday which we will discuss next time.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

In our last post, we discovered Paradise is wherever Jesus Christ, in his glorified state, resides. But there is a little more to it than just that, although that is an important step in understanding Biblical context.

We also found that everyone went to Sheol when they died, but they went to different sections within Sheol depending upon their faith in the coming Messiah. After the Messiah came, died, rose, and ascended, we find those who put their faith in the Messiah who came would now be with him in Heaven when they died. Since the entire Bible is true, then something had to have happened to make both passages of Scripture true. Somehow, the righteous went from being in Sheol to being in the third Heaven. So, how did it happen?

There is no one Scripture reference that tells us what happened, but there are enough pieces of evidence throughout Scripture which we can assemble into a logical scenario of the chain of events. Let’s explore.

Jesus told the thief on the cross he would be with Jesus in paradise that very day (Lk 23:43). We discovered that because Jesus went to Sheol, paradise came to Sheol that day. The long awaited hope all the righteous in Sheol had longed for was now being fulfilled. Joy had come to a non-joyous place. To fulfill Scripture, Jesus was in Sheol for three days (Mt 12:40). By rising from the dead, it showed he now possessed the power over death and Sheol (Rv 1:18). Others had died and been resurrected, but they died again. Jesus Christ rose and never died again. He is the Hope for our eternal future (Ro 6:5).

Jesus rose from the dead early on a Sunday (Mt 28:1, 6). Because of the rush to bury Jesus before Passover ended and the special Sabbath arrived (Lk 23:54), the women who had come to the crucifixion did not get to prepare Jesus’ body properly by Jewish standards (Mt 27:59-60; Lk 23:53). Several women came to anoint his body once the weekly Sabbath was over, when they could again travel to the tomb. Art usually depicts three women coming to the tomb that morning, but there were many other women with them (Lk 24:10). These women find the heavy stone already rolled away from the tomb’s entrance (Mk 16:4). Mary Magdalene gets to the tomb first (Jn 20:1), but goes off on her own in sadness. The other women see the angels who tell them to tell Peter and the other disciples Jesus is alive (Mt 28:6; Mk 16:7; Lk 24:6). The women leave; one group runs to the disciples (Mt 28:8); the others travel with Mary (Mt 28:9), Jesus’ mother, who is likely confused and trying to understand the angelic message.

The disciples did not believe the women, but Peter and John ran to the tomb (Lk 24:11-12; Jn 20:3) to check for themselves. When Mary Magdalene saw Peter and John approaching, she ran to them and told them someone took Jesus’ body (Jn 20:2). Mary Magdalene likely ran back to the tomb with them. Peter and John entered the tomb; Peter left confused; John believed (Jn 20:4-9). Peter and John left; Mary Magdalene remained at the tomb (Jn 20:10-11). Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene (Mk 16:9; Jn 20:14) but told her he had not yet ascended back to the Father (Jn 20:17). Mary Magdalene went back and told the disciples she had seen Jesus (Jn 20:18). What was this conversation with Mary Magdalene about?

A sin offering was considered most holy (Ex 30:10; Lv 10:17) and was to be used for atonement (Hb 9:7). Christ was now going to present himself to God the Father for the eternal atonement (Hb 9:12) of mankind. Perhaps something like the following occurred.

Jesus returned to Sheol and announced to all those in Sheol who had died and, by faith, had looked forward to his coming, “It is time! Come.” And then they were gone. This part of Sheol was now empty. The barrier dissolved, no longer needed. Jesus transported the righteous from Sheol to heaven with him: i.e., led captivity captive (Ep 4:8-10; Ps 68:18). That is why Paul was able to say that now to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2Co 5:8). Christ’s death created a paradigm shift among the living and the dead.

“They’re here! They’re here!” various angles were telling each other. They all scrambled to line the way that led to God’s throne. This was a once in an eternity experience! They were not going to miss it. Jesus led the procession, and behind him, from Abel to the thief on the cross who Christ had promised to be with Him in Paradise just a short time earlier, followed behind Jesus. As Jesus passed, angels genuflected and bowed their heads to show their respect to this One, their Beloved, who had been willing to leave this beautiful, wonderful, home and go to earth to pay the high price God required for mankind’s sin and be willing to be forever changed from spirit to human form. Jesus headed to God’s throne, to the true Most Holy Place (Hb 9:11-12). When the processional reached the throne, Jesus said, “Father, I present myself and the blood I have shed to you as the payment to purchase these here with me who have looked forward, by faith, to this day as we had prophesied even before our creation of mankind.” God replied, “My Son, I accept your sacrifice and your blood as payment for these here and for those who, also by faith, will also become yours. No longer is a sacrifice needed. Your payment satisfies the debt due once and for all.” He then turned His attention to those who accompanied Jesus. “My children, I welcome you. Your faith in your Messiah is rewarded. His blood has covered your sins, and I only see you through Him. You are accepted.” At that, all the angels stood and began to applaud these who had now come to be with them in Heaven, and some of the angels started singing praises to their unique and awesome God.

Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, and God, the first person of the Trinity, continued their conversation. “My Son, go now and finish your work. You have gathered one sheepfold, now is the time to start gathering the second. Go and show the Adversary you have not only paved the way for mankind to overcome their sin, but you have also overcome death itself. Go fulfill our prophecy to Eve that your death is comparable to that of a bruised heel. As a bruise is short-lived, so has been your death. Then the Adversary will know the rest of the prophecy will come to pass. You have served as a prophet, you will now serve all those who trust in your work by faith as their High Priest before Me, and you will one day serve as their King. Our prophecy cannot be thwarted. Go, My Son. I look forward to your return.” At that, as the angles still sang, Jesus was gone.

Jesus next appears to his mother and the other women (Mt 28:9). These women returned to tell the disciples Jesus would meet them in Galilee (Mt 28:10). How could the above have happened between the time of Jesus speaking to Mary Magdalene and him appearing to his mother before she got back to the disciples? Well, Heaven seems to be outside of our normal sense of time (2Pt 3:8). Therefore, one can’t correlate our sense of what can get accomplished with what God can accomplish.

Jesus, later in the day, appeared to Cleopas and another disciple on the road to Emmaus (Mk 16:12; Lk 24:15), and later appeared to all the disciples (Mt 28:16; Mk 16:14; Lk 24:36; Jn 20:19).

So, the righteous were moved from Sheol to Heaven because of Christ’s payment of atonement for their sins and their faith in him coming to do just that. We now will be with him forever if we accept what he did utilizing that same faith. They looked forward; we look backward. But our faith in Christ is the same. Praise His Name.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

There are three Jewish holidays that occur during September of this year (sundown to sundown):

Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year; Feast of Trumpets): Sep 6th - 8th (today usually celebrated for two days instead of one)

Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement): Sep 15th -16th

Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles): Sep 20th – Sep 27th

There are other websites from which a person can get good information, like Judaism 101. However, I would like to address these three holidays and see what it means to Jews as well as to the world in general. The first holiday to talk about is Rosh Hashanah:

So why is Rosh Hashanah called the Jewish New Year? It actually occurs on the first day of the 7th month (Tishri) and so is different from what we Americans think of when we say "New Year." It was first instituted by God shortly after the Jewish Exodus from Egypt and has been denoted as Feast of Trumpets (Lv 23:23-25): "Say to the Israelites: On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated [KJV uses the word 'memorial'] with trumpet blasts. Do no regular work, but present an offering made to the LORD by fire" (NIV). So, if this is a Feast of Memorial, then a memorial of what? Congdon [1] has shown that there were three events in the Bible where the events were around this particular feast:

(1)   dedication of first temple (1Ki 8 & 2 Ch 5)

(2)    restoration of the temple by the exiles returning from Babylon to Jerusalem (Er 3), and

(3)    when Ezra and Nehemiah led the returned exiles in a revival and rededication (Ne 8).

In each of these instances, the people, as a nation, looked back to the Covenant promises that God made to Israel. Therefore, the blowing of the shofar was made to ask God to remember his covenant with them. This would make sense as just 9 days later, the Day of Atonement would occur (10th day of Tishri). An individual cannot be righteous on his own, so an individual's only hope is for God to remember His promises to them. More of that later.

So, if this holiday, or feast, is symbolic of God remembering his covenant with Israel, are there instances in the New Testament of this? Yes, there is—a very significant one. If you recall, Malachi was the last prophet that we have record of that preached God's word to His people. Then came a time that has been knows as the "400 silent years." While there was a lot going on during this time, there was no official word from God, until . . .  the birth of Christ. He was the act of God remembering His covenant with His people. Larson [2] has done some excellent work on showing that the conception of Christ began around the time of Rosh Hashanah in 3 BC. We will have more about this in a future blog post.

These Jewish holidays/feasts are also prophetic in nature. The New Testament revealed that the first four feasts were prophetic:

Passover (also known as Pesach; Nissan 14th; Lv 23:5) - prophetic of Christ's death (1Co 5:7)

Feast of Unleavened Bread (also known as Matzah; Nissan 15th; Lv 23:6-8) - prophetic of Christ's burial (1 Co 15:4)

Feast of Firstfruits (also known as Bikkurim; Nissan 16th; Lv 23:9-14) - prophetic of Christ's resurrection (1Co 15:4)

These are typically celebrated today without demarcation: this year: Mar 27th – Apr 3rd

Feast of Weeks (Shavuot, Pentecost; 50 days after Firstfruits; Lv 23:15-21) - prophetic of gift of Holy Spirit (Ac 2:1-4) - in 2012, this holiday occurred May 16th – 17th

It would therefore be likely that the 3 feasts in the seventh month would also be prophetic. So, when would God remember his covenant with Israel again? When Christ first came, the Jewish leaders rejected him as their Messiah. This instituted what has been noted as the Age of Gentiles, as referred by Paul (Ro 11:25). Although we are saddened that Christ was rejected, we Gentiles should not be too sad because it opened the way for us to be "grafted in" (Ro 11:17). However, this in no way implies that God has rejected His people (Ro 11:26) because God's promises are irrevocable (Ro 11:29; Jr 31:33-37). But if this is the Age of Gentiles, when does God work with the nation of Israel again? Likely when the saved, "grafted-in," Gentiles are taken out of the picture - i.e., the Receiving of His Bride, also called the Rapture, (1Th 4:16-18). Now, I am not saying the Rapture is the fulfillment of the Feast of Trumpets because this event deals with God's present church (saved Jews and Gentiles) and not the nation of Israel. However, this does set up the scenario for God to then remember His covenant and to deal with the nation of Israel once more. The prophet Daniel does state that a covenant will be made with Israel by a coming world ruler (Dn 9:27) which will initiate the worst of times the world has ever experienced, which has been termed the Tribulation. This is likely the future event to which this feast is referring because this will certainly get Israel's attention at that time.

The fate of Israel affects us all. More to follow soon.

[1] Congdon, Robert, An Appointment with God: The Feasts of the Lord (Bloomington, IN: Crossbooks, 2009)

[2] Larson, Frederick A. “The Star of Bethlehem” (2008) https://bethlehemstar.com/

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