The Feast of Tabernacles Let us discuss what the day of atonement and the feast of tabernacles mean to us today.

Atonement means covering, as in protection, forgiveness in the sense of total completeness and cannot be executed without mercy. Through Christ we have instant access to God's complete mercy and forgiveness, which is our atonement. There was a time when this was not available to the average man. One day a year he brought the firstfruits of his harvest and sacrificed them before the Lord for forgiveness for his transgressions of the Law for the entire year before. The high priest would enter into the Holy of Holies (where no other man could go) where the Ark of the covenant and the mercy seat were, and sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice on the mercy seat. To better understand the meaning of this we should understand that nothing is new under the sun and those sacrifices and ceremonies performed years ago were a shadow of what was yet to be. The mercy seat created by man on earth was made according to God's own instructions and became the likeness of what was spiritually His own seat in heaven, right down to the two cherubims that protected that seat. Exodus, Chapter 25 gives the instructions by which they made the ark, which held the ten commandments (the Law), and the mercy seat. The mercy seat was not a part of the ark, but a separated place that was constructed and set above the ark. Exodus 30:6 And thou shalt put it before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat <hebrew.html#kapporeth> that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee. This shows where the mercy seat was located. However, the mercy seat was placed spiritually, as well as physically, above the Law. The high priest received atonement for himself and his people from God at this mercy seat. Hebrews 10:1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually, make the comers thereunto perfect. The sacrifices of flesh cannot save flesh. It was the obedience of their spirit that through their offerings, could save their souls. The blood of those offerings was sprinkled upon the very seat where God appeared, to seek atonement and, yet, it was only a shadow of the things to come. Your Father had no pleasure in the sacrifice of animals. Can you begin to imagine the love He has for you, to provide a body for His most Beloved, His Son, a Part of Himself, to be the ultimate sacrifice? Yashua's (Which is Jesus in Hebrew) blood washes you so clean spiritually that your sins are not even remembered. Do you want to know

what gives God pleasure? For you to tell Him you love Him. Hebrews 10:12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; Do you know where this is? Christ's seat is the mercy seat. Only through Him can you receive the atonement for your imperfect flesh but more importantly for your soul. You must realize that you now have access to what no man, except the high priest, had before the cross. You can enter the Holy of Holies at any time of the day and ask forgiveness before the mercy seat yourself. In person. Jesus Christ has given you that. If you don't receive it and use it whenever you need it, you suffer through without Him. The physical tabernacle did not help man any more than an ark built to protect the ten commandments held a man to the law. Only if His word and law is written on your heart can you hope to obey it, and failing (as flesh consistently does), you have that inner sanctuary to enter into at all times. Let us return to the feast of tabernacles. In Leviticus, Chapter 23, the people of Israel are told that on the tenth day of the seventh month they are to observe the Sabbath day of atonement. It is no coincidence that it was on this day thousands of years later, Christ was born. This was the time of harvest in the land and as we said earlier the people brought the best of their year's labour to give to God. Then on the fifteenth day of that month, five days later, the feast of tabernacles was to begin. This is also called the 'feasts of booths' because the people were to build booths (tents) from the branches and leaves of their harvest to live in for the duration of their celebration. It was a reminder to them of their labour and also a time of appreciation of their Maker for blessing their harvest. It also kept in perspective what their flesh life was for, producing fruit. It is no different today. The fruit of your labour can feed and clothe your family, spiritually feed you, and most importantly, please God. Jesus talks of this harvest with his disciples in the Book of John. In Chapter 4, Christ had spoken to the woman at the well who was not of Israel and had been very sinful by church was at that time. Even though she was part of the heathen, she knew of the coming of Messiah. There was a work started millenniums before and the fruit from a seed that had been planted came through this woman. After speaking to this woman, Jesus meets with His disciples. They were hungry and were concerned about Him getting something to eat. John 4:34 Jesus saith unto them, "My meat is to do the will of Him That sent me, and to finish His work. John 4:35 Say not ye, 'There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest?' behold, I say unto you, Lift you your eyes and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest."

There were four months until that 7th month. Christ was trying to alert them spiritually. He was saying don't wait until the day of atonement. The fields are ripe for the harvest, reap them now! Don't let them go to waste. John 4:36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. John 4:37 And herin is that saying true, 'One soweth, and another reapeth.' This harvest is the same as is shadowed by the harvest of the feast of tabernacles. John 4:38 "I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours." Jesus must have been thinking of the woman of Samaria. Sowing and reaping is the work we must spiritually do today. There is nothing new in this. It has been the work from the fall of Satan. We are all one family, the body of Christ on earth and we reap and sow together. Those of you who have come into the end-time truth were sown a long time ago. What kind of crop are you taking care of? If it is not watered and cared for it will die. In Amos, we are told there is a famine in these end times, but not for bread. It is a hunger for the hearing of God's Word. So beloved, even during the season of Christ's birth, be reminded of that Sabbath day of atonement. Seek the mercy seat and ask Christ's help to accomplish all He would have you to do. Then tend His fields for Him. Be fruitful. Plant, sow, reap and accomplish His work, today. Don't wait for the 7th month and 15th day. His Sabbath is every day and His harvest time is now. Thank Him daily and tell Him you love Him.

Every day is a beautiful day, because, "Jesus IS the Living Word"