The Feast of Tabernacles;..
The Feast of Tabernacles
You can see how these final three observances are interrelated. In fact, they all were celebrated in the month that begins with the Blowing of Trumpet. Thus my title, "The Next Major Move of Redemption."
Can you see that the historical fulfillments of the first four celebrations ended with the outpouring of the Spirit of God on the original Day of Pentecost?
Now we are in the beginning of the historical fulfillments of the final three observances. To this point we have enjoyed the spiritual fulfillments of the first four festivals. Perhaps this is why we have come to envision the spirit Paradise as the goal of our redemption. We may have assumed that our redemption was fulfilled with our being forgiven, and the next stop is Heaven.
But once the Blowing of Trumpets begins, redemption comes to the earth. Now we see that we always will be on the earth with Jesus: at the present time; during the Millennium when Jesus rules from the earthly Jerusalem; and then when we are with Him on the new earth.
God's purposes are directed toward the earth, not Heaven.
Man was not created to live in the spirit Paradise, except when the spirit Paradise comes to the earth in the new heaven and earth reign of the Lord Jesus. We were created to be in the image of God, a place of rest for Him, not to live in Heaven with the angels.
Our redemption is not a change of residence , except temporarily while God is organizing the personnel of His Kingdom, but a change in us. Salvation is a change in us. If this were not the case, our prayer that God's Kingdom come, His will be done in the earth, could never come to pass.
The final feast of the Lord is that of Tabernacles. As its name suggests, it is the settling down to rest of God in Christ in us.
Another line of thought:
The fourteenth chapter of the Book of Revelation has something of interest for us, I believe.
Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder.
The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.
These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among mankind and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb.
No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless. (Revelation 14:1-5)
Just who are these people? Are they Christians? They really have attained to the rest of God, whoever they are!
I am coming to the conclusion that these are the people who will be ready for the Lord when He comes. They are the firstfruits!
In today's Christian preaching, much of which is unscriptural, the impression is given that everyone who "accepts Christ" will be "raptured" into Heaven when Jesus appears. But the Scripture says we will meet Christ in the air.
There is nothing in the Scriptures about our returning with the Lord Jesus to Heaven. Such a U-turn would be disappointing to the saints who will return with Him, many of whom will have been in Heaven for thousands of years!
I do not believe multitudes of those who have "accepted" Christ, who now are on the earth or in Heaven, are anywhere near qualified or competent to be caught up to Christ in the air, return with Him to the earth, and then confront the three great tasks that must be performed during the Millennium:
First, to conquer the army of Antichrist and the legions of demons and fallen angels that will be accompanying that army.
Second, to ride with Christ in the army described in the second chapter of the Book of Joel, and drive from the earth all vestiges of the reign of Antichrist.
Third, to rule with Christ over the surviving nations. To govern the nations with the iron scepter of righteousness requires that first of all, the iron scepter must be created in us by resisting sin. How many of today's "believers" in America have had the iron scepter of righteousness created in them by resisting sin?
Actually, what they have had created in them is the marshmallow scepter of grace. The surviving nations of people will be filled with self-will. A marshmallow scepter of grace is not going to guide them into the ways of righteousness. In fact, at the end of the thousand years, the nations who have been governed by the saints will join with Satan and attack their rulers.
And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. (Revelation 20:7-9)
So much for everybody going up to Heaven in an unscriptural "rapture," there to spend their days conversing pleasantly with their self-ruled friends.
Here is what the believers will be like who are qualified and competent to be resurrected when Jesus appears, and to be caught up to meet Him in the air:
They will be standing with the Lamb on Mount Zion, the Church, because they live by His body and blood, and are ready to ascend to Him and then descend with Him and drive every trace of Antichrist from the earth.
Imagine our "grace-babies" confronting Satan, Antichrist, the False Prophet, the fallen angels, and armies of demons, when they were hoping to find themselves reclining comfortably on a sofa in their heavenly mansion!
It is those who live by the body and blood of the Lamb who will be caught up to meet Him when He comes. They will be drawn up to the slain Lamb when He appears in the sky.