The ONLY Exertion God Expects from Us: Believe in Jesus of Nazareth!

In the Gospel of John, we are informed that Jesus said: "This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent." (John 6:29, NLT) Thus, it is only by believing that Jesus was/is the Messiah promised in the Hebrew Scriptures and that it is HIS EXERTION/WORK on our behalf which makes us whole and able to stand before Almighty God! Later, in the same Gospel, we read that Christ also said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me." (John 14:6, NLT) Unfortunately, too many Christians do NOT understand that Jesus of Nazareth is the ONLY thing that enables us to stand before God whole and clean - NO exertion or work of ours can accomplish that for us!

Now, from the evidence of his epistles, it is very probable that Paul understood this earlier and more completely than any of the original apostles. However, the other writings which make up the New Testament canon also make clear that Peter and James also understood this concept. Hence, we are forced to conclude that all of the confusion and arguments associated with grace versus works must have arisen as a consequence of those Jewish Christians who believed that ALL Christians were obligated to continue to observe the tenets of Torah.

For Paul, this was at the heart of the Gospel message. He wrote to the Christians at Rome: "For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, 'It is through faith that a righteous person has life.'" (Romans 1:16-17, NLT) A little later, in the same epistle, he wrote: "Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.  But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are." (Romans 3:19-22, NLT)

Continuing in Paul's letter to the saints at Rome, we read: "For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus. Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. So, we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law." (Romans 3:25-28, NLT) Notice how Paul reiterates this formula (that we are made right with God by our faith in Christ's work) over and over again.

Later, in the same letter, he turned his attention to his own people, the Jews. He wrote: "Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God. For Moses writes that the law’s way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands...If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved." (Romans 10:1-10, NLT)

Nevertheless, there was an element within the community of Jewish Christians who continued to insist that Christians were obligated to observe the tenets of God's covenant with Israel (Acts 15:1-5). In other words, for these folks, the formula was Jesus + the works of the Law (obedience to Torah) = salvation! Indeed, their persistence in pushing this formula caused Paul to almost come unglued in his letter to the saints of Galatia. He wrote: "Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live. All glory to God forever and ever! Amen. I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ." (Galatians 1:4-7, NLT)

He went on to relate how he had to confront the Apostle Peter when he had visited the saints at Antioch because of his efforts to stay on the good side of those Jewish Christians who insisted on Torah observance. He wrote that he had told him: "You and I are Jews by birth, not ‘sinners’ like the Gentiles. Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law." (Galatians 2:15-16, NLT) He went on to say: "I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die!" (Galatians 2:21, NLT)

A little later, in the same epistle, Paul directly addressed the heresy which had invaded Galatia. He wrote: "Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross. Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?" (Galatians 3:1-3, NLT) He went on to reiterate his Gospel message to them: "But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, 'Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.' So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, 'It is through faith that a righteous person has life.' This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, “It is through obeying the law that a person has life." (Galatians 3:10-12, NLT)

"What about James?" some of my Legalistic friends will demand. I would answer that James preached the same Gospel that Christ and Paul preached. After all, James was clearly a part of the Jerusalem Council, and its decision NOT to impose Torah observance on Gentile Christians (see Acts 15:13-21, ESV). Moreover, just as Paul had noted in his epistle to the Galatians, in his own letter to the twelve tribes scattered abroad, James wrote: "For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws. For the same God who said, 'You must not commit adultery,' also said, 'You must not murder.' So, if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law." (James 2:10-11, NLT)

"Don't stop there, Lonnie!" my Legalistic friends will insist. So, let's continue. James wrote: "What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, 'Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well'—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So, you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. Now someone may argue, 'Some people have faith; others have good deeds.' But I say, 'How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.'" (James 2:14-18, NLT) So, James is saying that a person who truly has the kind of faith which God commands will give evidence of it in the way that they behave?

Doesn't Paul say exactly the same thing in his letter to the Galatians? He wrote: "So, I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses. When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!" (Galatians 5:16-23, NLT)

In other words, these behaviors are evidence of the kind of faith which God demands! They are NOT the consequence of Christians observing the commandments of Torah! Stated yet another way, grace is NOT a license to sin - to engage in bad behaviors! Nevertheless, this is NOT work or exertion - it is a consequence of our FAITH in Christ! Even so, what seems clear to me will appear differently to others - the debate between grace and works will continue!

 

The Apostle Paul: A Necessary Correction

In two previous posts on this blog (Why an Apostle Paul? (Part 1) and (Why an Apostle Paul? (Part 2), I discussed the essential role that Paul played in correcting both the direction and theology of the Christian Church. The Church began as a wholly Jewish institution - composed of Torah observant Jews who believed that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah promised by the Hebrew Scriptures. Even so, following Christ's death and resurrection, his original disciples/apostles had largely failed to carry out his instructions regarding the Great Commission - to carry his message to the whole world (Gentiles included - see Matthew 28:16-20). Moreover, they had failed to fully comprehend that Christ had fulfilled Torah and the prophets and had freed them from any responsibility to pursue their own righteousness through Torah observance. Paul corrected both of these deficiencies!

Indeed, we are informed in the writings of the New Testament that Christ raised up Paul for this very reason! Paul had been a highly educated and Torah observant Jew who had enthusiastically persecuted Christ's followers. Then, suddenly, Paul experienced Divine intervention in a big way. Christ dramatically tapped him to correct the malaise and misunderstanding which had engulfed his followers since his ascension to heaven. In the book of Acts, we learn that Paul was suddenly struck blind on his way to Damascus to persecute Christians (9:1-9). Then, we read: "Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, 'Ananias.' And he said, 'Here I am, Lord.' And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.' But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.' But the Lord said to him, 'Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.'" (9:10-15, ESV) Notice, that Jesus intended this man (Saul/Paul) to "carry my name before the Gentiles and kings" AND "the children of Israel."

Was Christ being forced to go to "Plan B"? Not at all - Christ was demonstrating that his and the Father's will would not be thwarted by human failures (to act or understand)! His disciples had failed to act on the Great Commission and had failed to understand just how completely he had fulfilled Torah and the Prophets. Notice that Christ's next act was to give Peter a special vision to make him understand that the way to him MUST be opened to the Gentiles (Acts 10-11). Christ used one of his original disciples/apostles to open the door for Paul to carry his message to the Gentiles. Then Paul and Barnabas began carrying the Good News (Gospel) about Christ to peoples outside of Judaea (Acts 13-14). This influx of Gentile Christians into the ekklesia set the stage for the Church to finally confront its continued attachment to Torah observance. Some Jewish Christians insisted that these new Gentile Christians be forced to become Torah observant Jews. This fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of what Christ had done for them, and what responsibilities the New Covenant required of them, led to the decision of the Council at Jerusalem that Gentiles would NOT be required to observe Torah (Acts 15).

Unfortunately, some of those Jewish Christians were not persuaded by the Jerusalem Council's decision and continued to insist that Gentile Christians observe the provisions of Torah (God's covenant with Israel). This is the situation that Paul was addressing in his epistle to the saints of Galatia. Unfortunately, some of the Gentile believers in Christ had been persuaded by this group of Jewish Christians to backslide and try to observe Torah. Paul wrote: "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ." (Galatians 1:6-7, ESV) After recounting some of his own personal history within the new faith, he went on to say: "We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose." (Galatians 2:15-21, ESV)

He continued: "O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?" (Galatians 3:1-3, ESV) Paul then proceeded to remind the Galatians that Abraham was justified by his faith in God's promise to him. Paul continued: "For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, 'Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.' Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for 'The righteous shall live by faith.' But the law is not of faith, rather 'The one who does them shall live by them.'" (Galatians 3:10-12, ESV) In other words, Paul made very clear to the Galatians that their salvation was accomplished through Jesus Christ and his righteousness, NOT by their own attempts to observe Torah! Thus, through Paul, Christ had moved to put his Church on the track which he had intended from the very beginning. 

The Rest Was Made for Mankind, NOT Mankind for the Rest!

By failing to understand that Christ fulfilled the Law, Sabbatarian Christians unwittingly turn the rest into work! The root of the Hebrew for the Sabbath means to rest, "desist from exertion," stop working. In a way that most English translations fail to do, Young's Literal Translation of Scripture makes this very clear. In that translation, we read: "And the heavens and the earth are completed, and all their host; and God completeth by the seventh day His work which He hath made, and ceaseth by the seventh day from all His work which He hath made. And God blesseth the seventh day, and sanctifieth it, for in it He hath ceased from all His work which God had prepared for making." (Genesis 2:1-3, YLT) Likewise, in the Amplified Bible, we read: "So the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts (inhabitants). And by the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested (ceased) on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. So God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it [as His own, that is, set it apart as holy from other days], because in it He rested from all His work which He had created and done." (Genesis 2:1-3, AMP)

Christ understood that he came to this earth to FULFILL the Law, and this commandment more particularly. In short, Jesus did what the children of Israel could NEVER do, and NEVER did do! The one who created the Sabbath was the one who embodied it!

Many Sabbatarian Christians point to the fact that Jesus kept the Sabbath and taught his disciples and the Jewish religious leaders how to keep it and ask, "Why would he bother to do this if he was about to do away with it?" Unfortunately, by asking this question, they demonstrate that they do NOT understand that Jesus wasn't "doing away with" anything - He was FULFILLING it! Moreover, this isn't just a matter of semantics. There is a real difference between fulfilling something and "doing away with it."

In the Gospel of Matthew, we read: "At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, 'Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.' He said to them, 'Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath. He went on from there and entered their synagogue. And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, 'Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?'—so that they might accuse him. He said to them, 'Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.' Then he said to the man, 'Stretch out your hand.' And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him." (Matthew 12:1-14, ESV)

Likewise, the Gospel of Mark adds this to our understanding of Christ's teaching on the Sabbath: "One Sabbath day as Jesus was walking through some grainfields, his disciples began breaking off heads of grain to eat. But the Pharisees said to Jesus, 'Look, why are they breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath?' Jesus said to them, 'Haven’t you ever read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He went into the house of God (during the days when Abiathar was high priest) and broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. He also gave some to his companions.' Then Jesus said to them, 'The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!'" (Mark 2:23-28, NLT) Christ knew that he had created the rest after he had created everything else (including humankind - see Genesis 1). He wasn't tired or weary. He ceased/finished his work and rested for OUR BENEFIT, NOT HIS!

Interestingly, just before this incident with the Sabbath, we read that Christ had said: "At that time Jesus declared, 'I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.'" (Matthew 11:25-30, ESV)

Now, this is NOT a Lonnie revelation or understanding of Scripture. This is a long-standing understanding of Christ's Church (ekklesia) - the real one, NOT the many manmade organizations which exist and have appropriated its name! Notice some of the excellent quotations from other sources which follow my remarks.

In the Got Questions article "How is Jesus our Sabbath Rest?," we read: "God used the example of His resting on the seventh day of Creation to establish the principle of the Sabbath day rest for His people. In Exodus 20:8-11 and Deuteronomy 5:12-15, God gave the Israelites the fourth of His Ten Commandments. They were to "remember" the Sabbath day and "keep it holy." One day out of every seven, they were to rest from their labors and give the same day of rest to their servants and animals. This was not just a physical rest, but a cessation of laboring. Whatever work they were engaged in was to stop for a full day each week. The Sabbath day was established so the people would rest from their labors, only to begin again after a one-day rest."

Continuing, in the same article, we read: "The various elements of the Sabbath symbolized the coming of the Messiah, who would provide a permanent rest for His people. Once again the example of resting from our labors comes into play. With the establishment of the Old Testament Law, the Jews were constantly "laboring" to make themselves acceptable to God. Their labors included trying to obey a myriad of do’s and don’ts of the ceremonial law, the Temple law, the civil law, etc. Of course they couldn’t possibly keep all those laws, so God provided an array of sin offerings and sacrifices so they could come to Him for forgiveness and restore fellowship with Him, but only temporarily. Just as they began their physical labors after a one-day rest, so, too, did they have to continue to offer sacrifices. Hebrews 10:1 tells us that the law "can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship." But these sacrifices were offered in anticipation of the ultimate sacrifice of Christ on the cross, who "after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right of God" (Hebrews 10:12). Just as He rested after performing the ultimate sacrifice, He sat down and rested—ceased from His labor of atonement because there was nothing more to be done, ever. Because of what He did, we no longer have to "labor" in law-keeping in order to be justified in the sight of God. Jesus was sent so that we might rest in God and in what He has provided."

The article continues: "Another element of the Sabbath day rest which God instituted as a foreshadowing of our complete rest in Christ is that He blessed it, sanctified it, and made it holy. Here again we see the symbol of Christ as our Sabbath rest—the holy, perfect Son of God who sanctifies and makes holy all who believe in Him. God sanctified Christ, just as He sanctified the Sabbath day, and sent Him into the world (John 10:36) to be our sacrifice for sin. In Him we find complete rest from the labors of our self-effort, because He alone is holy and righteous. "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21). We can now cease from our spiritual labors and rest in Him, not just one day a week, but always." The article concludes with this warning: "There is no other Sabbath rest besides Jesus. He alone satisfies the requirements of the Law, and He alone provides the sacrifice that atones for sin. He is God’s plan for us to cease from the labor of our own works. We dare not reject this one-and-only Way of salvation (John 14:6)."

Likewise, in the Bible Hub Topical Encyclopedia article "Christ as Our Sabbath Rest," we read: "The concept of Christ as our Sabbath rest is deeply rooted in the theological understanding of the Sabbath and its fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The Sabbath, instituted by God in the creation narrative, is a day of rest and worship, symbolizing God's rest after the creation of the world (Genesis 2:2-3). In the Old Testament, the Sabbath was a sign of the covenant between God and Israel, a day set apart for rest and spiritual reflection (Exodus 31:16-17)."

The article continues: "In the New Testament, the understanding of the Sabbath is expanded and fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The author of Hebrews provides a profound insight into this fulfillment, stating, "There remains, then, a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For whoever enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His" (Hebrews 4:9-10). This passage indicates that the true Sabbath rest is not merely a cessation of physical labor but a spiritual rest found in Christ."

The article concludes: "For believers, living in the Sabbath rest of Christ means embracing the peace and assurance that comes from faith in His finished work. It involves a continual reliance on His grace and a cessation from the self-reliant efforts to achieve righteousness. This rest is both a present reality and a future hope, as Christians anticipate the ultimate rest in the eternal presence of God. The understanding of Christ as our Sabbath rest encourages believers to live in the freedom and joy of the gospel, resting in the assurance of salvation and the sufficiency of Christ's atoning work. It calls for a life of faith, characterized by trust in God's promises and a commitment to spiritual renewal and worship." 

I highly encourage my readers to read both articles in their entirety. Once again, the notion of Christ as the fulfillment of the Sabbath/rest is NOT a new one. It is one that is deeply rooted in the theology of the Judeo-Christian Scriptures. In Christ alone, we find true rest - rest from ALL of our works for ALL times, not just one day out of seven!

For Your Consideration: Some Questions About Your Observance of the Feast of Tabernacles

What does the Feast of Tabernacles mean to you?

Has your understanding of the festival changed since the first time you observed it? How?

Do you think that your observance of the festival is consistent with Torah's instructions to construct a temporary dwelling and live in it for seven days? Explain.

Do you think your observance of the festival satisfies the commandment to appear before the Lord three times each year at the place which He chooses? Explain.

If Jesus Christ really fulfilled God's Law, how does this festival point to him? If it doesn't point to him, please explain.

What new insights into the Kingdom of God has this year's observance of the FOT imparted to you?

What part do meals and the consumption of alcoholic beverages play in your observance of this festival?

What kind of entertainment activities do you engage in during your festival observance? How do they fit into the overall symbolism of the festival?

How much money have you contributed to the Church and or charities during the festival?

Were the sermons, music, and Bible studies good and relevant? If so, what did you learn from them?

Did you skip any sermons or Church sponsored activities during the festival? If so, why?

If you have a family, did your spouse and/or children enjoy the feast? Did they learn anything new? Would they celebrate the festival if you weren't around?

When will the symbolism of this festival find its fulfillment? If/When that happens, will the festival become a memorial of that/those event(s)?

The Feast of Temporary Dwellings or Ingathering

For the next week, the Armstrong Churches of God will "celebrate" the Feast of Tabernacles at sites all over the United States and the world beyond. There will be lots of sermons about the Millenium and the Wonderful World Tomorrow/Kingdom of God. There will also be a lot of fine dining, consumption of alcoholic beverages, and various entertainments. Unfortunately, NONE of these elements has anything to do with the biblical festival or what it pictures!

According to Chabad.org, in their article What Is Sukkot?, we read: "Of all the Jewish holidays, Sukkot is the only one whose date does not seem to commemorate a historic event. The Torah refers to it by two names: Chag HaAsif ('the Festival of Ingathering,' or 'Harvest Festival') and Chag HaSukkot ('Festival of Booths'), each expressing a reason for the holiday...The name Chag HaSukkot commemorates the temporary dwellings G‑d made to shelter our ancestors on their way out of Egypt (some say this refers to the miraculous clouds of glory that shielded us from the desert sun, while others say it refers to the tents in which they dwelled for their 40-year trek through the Sinai desert)." In the following section of the same article, we also read: "For seven days and nights, we eat all our meals in the sukkah and otherwise regard it as our home. Located under the open sky, the sukkah is made up of at least three walls and a roof of unprocessed natural vegetation—typically bamboo, pine boughs or palm branches."

So, according to the people to whom this festival was originally given, this festival celebrates the dwelling of their people in booths (temporary dwellings) and the fall harvest. Moreover, this is consistent with what we read of those original instructions in the Hebrew Torah. In the twenty-third chapter of Leviticus, we read: "And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to the people of Israel, saying, On the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the Feast of Booths to the Lord. On the first day shall be a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. For seven days you shall present food offerings to the Lord. On the eighth day you shall hold a holy convocation and present a food offering to the Lord. It is a solemn assembly; you shall not do any ordinary work.'" (Verses 33-36, ESV) Continuing, we read: "And you shall take on the first day the fruit of splendid trees, branches of palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days. You shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God." (Verses 40-43, ESV)

Likewise, in the book of Deuteronomy, we read: "You shall keep the Feast of Booths seven days, when you have gathered in the produce from your threshing floor and your winepress." (16:13, ESV) Notice, here, we see this festival associated with celebrating the fall harvest. Then, a few verses later, we read: "Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Booths. They shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed." (16:16, ESV) Now, in the ACOGs, the Feast of Booths/Tabernacles has traditionally required the membership to travel to a central site for their celebrations. However, we see here that there were clearly three pilgrimage festivals designated by God for the ancient Israelites, and they were required to attend at the central sanctuary (later designated by God as Jerusalem). Moreover, these THREE festivals are also associated with each other in the book of Exodus, and the Feast of Booths is referred to there as the "feast of ingathering." (Exodus 23:16 and 34:22) Hence, we can see that the scriptural accounts clearly emphasize dwelling in booths and the fall harvest - just as was suggested in the Chabad.org article referenced earlier in this post.

Now, in terms of the meaning of these festivals from a Christian perspective, we know that Jesus of Nazareth claimed that he fulfilled ALL of the Torah and Prophets - that those writings pointed to HIM and his work! Thus, in terms of the meaning of the Feast of Booths, the only relevant questions for Christ's followers are: How did this festival point to HIM? and How did HE fulfill it? For that we need much more than speculation, we need to return to Scripture for the answers!

In the Gospel of John, we read: "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." (John 1:14, KJV) According to Blue Letter Bible, the Greek word translated here into English as "dwelt" literally means "to fix one's tabernacle, have one's tabernacle, abide (or live) in a tabernacle (or tent), tabernacle"! Notice how this same passage appears in some of the other English translations of the Bible: "So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son." (NLT) "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." (NIV) "And the Word became flesh, and did tabernacle among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of an only begotten of a father, full of grace and truth." (YLT, Young's Literal Translation) So, like the Jews of old, this Jew from Nazareth temporarily pitched his tent/booth among his people!

Likewise, in the epistle to the Hebrews, we read that Jesus was "for a little while" made lower than the angels (Hebrews 2:9, ESV). Continuing, in that same passage, we read: "Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore, he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted." (Hebrews 2:14-18, ESV) Just like us, Jesus Christ tabernacled in the same flesh and blood, temporary dwelling, that each of us as humans currently inhabit!

Interestingly, the temporary nature of our current dwellings is a recurring theme in Scripture. Paul wrote to the saints at Corinth about the salvation that they had through Jesus Christ though it was currently contained in "jars of clay" (II Corinthians 4:7, ESV). A little later, in the same letter, he wrote: "For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands." (II Corinthians 5:1, NIV) In similar fashion, Peter wrote this about salvation through Jesus Christ: "Wherefore, I will not be careless always to remind you concerning these things, though, having known them, and having been established in the present truth, and I think right, so long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up in reminding [you], having known that soon is the laying aside of my tabernacle, even as also our Lord Jesus Christ did shew to me, and I will be diligent that also at every time ye have, after my outgoing, power to make to yourselves the remembrance of these things." (II Peter 1:12-15, YLT) Even so, these references to the temporary nature of human life are not confined to the writings of Paul and Peter.

Notice, that there are many passages which support this theme:

"What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." (James 4:14, NIV)

"Behold, You have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before You. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! " (Psalm 39:5, ESV)

"The length of our days is seventy years— or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away." (Psalm 90:10, NIV)

"Mortals, born of woman, are of few days and full of trouble. They spring up like flowers and wither away; like fleeting shadows, they do not endure." (Job 14:1-2, NIV)

Alright, we've addressed the symbolism of the temporary dwelling, but what about the harvest aspect of this festival? Jesus equated his work in some of his parables to the harvest (see the Parable of the Sower and the Parable of the Weeds). In the Gospel of Matthew, we read: "And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.'" (Matthew 9:35-38, ESV)

In the Gospel of John, we read that Christ told his disciples: "Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor." (4:35-38, ESV)

Interestingly, a little later in this same gospel account, we find Christ observing the Feast of Booths (John 7) at Jerusalem, and he gave this message on the last day of the festival: "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified." (John 7:37-39, ESV) A little earlier in this same gospel account, Christ had told Nicodemus: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him." (John 3:16-17, ESV) Clearly, Christ envisioned his work as resulting in a great harvest of souls, and it is clearly significant that he invited everyone to come to him on that last day of the festival.

Thus, for Christians, we have demonstrated that the Feast of Booths points to Jesus Christ and his work on our behalf. The festival pictures him tabernacling in the flesh, so that we can one day also shed these tabernacles of flesh which we currently inhabit! Also, the festival pictures the great harvest of souls in the fall of humankind's history on this planet. A harvest made possible by Jesus of Nazareth! This is the meaning of the Feast of Booths/Tabernacles! 

What You and I Believe About Heaven, Hell, Torment, Punishment, Universalism, and Annihilationism

We all must continuously confront the impulse/need to nail everything down - to have everything explained. Instead of focusing on our own salvation through Jesus Christ, we worry about what will happen if we (or other folks) fail. Indeed, Christian preachers have used fear as a motivator for their evangelistic efforts for most of the last two thousand years. I'm talking about the hellfire and brimstone preachers - the "sinners in the hands of an angry God" folks. Hopefully, we can all acknowledge that this is an unfortunate feature of the history of our faith, and that it is inconsistent with the concepts of love, faith, and hope.

Moreover, I'm hopeful that we can all acknowledge that many extra-biblical notions have arisen down through the centuries in connection with these topics, and that they have also generated a number of attempts to counteract/negate some of those notions. Now, to be clear, whatever you and I believe about these various notions/theological concepts, we should all be willing to acknowledge that we are subject to God's reality - even if that is significantly different from what we believe. For example, our notions of a Devil with horns and pitchfork roasting folks over the fires of hell is an extra-biblical fantasy pure and simple. I challenge anyone to find such a depiction anywhere in Scripture! Likewise, the notion that anything that God created has self-sustaining immortality is NOT supported by Scripture. In other words, EVERYTHING exists at God's pleasure and is sustained by "Him" - only God has true immortality.

Now, having said all of that, whatever we believe about our fate must also be consistent with the fact that God is the personification of LOVE! The kind of love that NEVER fails, is always merciful, compassionate, kind, forgiving, and concerned about the welfare of others. Hence, any notions that we harbor about vindictiveness, anger, wrath, or uncompromising harshness are obviously inconsistent with a being who is the personification of that kind of LOVE! What's more, I know that prooftexts are not necessary to support the points just made - anyone who has an even passing familiarity with Scripture can think of multiple passages which supports these assertions.

Finally, the Bible is literally full of God's plan to redeem mankind from their sins and reconcile them to "Himself." Moreover, it would be hard to find a Christian anywhere who is not familiar with this passage from the Gospel of John: "For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him." (John 3:16-17, NLT) Now, that being God's will and plan and knowing that God has the ability to accomplish his will, a number of questions come to mind: Can a plan which doesn't redeem the majority of humankind be judged a success? After all, if God is willing to go to such links to ensure "HIS" plan's success (the sacrifice of "his" beloved Son), is it plausible/reasonable to believe that "he" would tolerate failure on such a scale? And, how could the continued existence of anyone in a state of torment or suffering be consistent with the New Heavens and Earth promised in Scripture?

We must, of course, all come to our own conclusions about these matters. This post was not meant to convert anyone to one of the theologies suggested in the title. Personally, I'm familiar with all of these concepts and am not completely comfortable with any of them. My purpose, as always, was to challenge folks to think about what they believe and why. What about you? Are your own views consistent with the broad Scriptural principles outlined in this post?

Bob Thiel: Failing to Fast on the DOA Means You Have NO Atonement!

In his Fasting Tips for the Day of Atonement, CCG Pastor Bob Thiel referenced several prooftexts (Leviticus 23:32, Isaiah 58:5 and quoted Isaiah 22:12-14) and then observed: "Notice that not avoiding food when told to is equated to having no atonement." For Bob, the Day of Atonement is a day for FASTING - a day to refrain from eating and drinking. Bob then proceeded to devote several paragraphs to some old instructions about the observance of THE FAST from donut and coffee DOA, Herbert W Armstrong. Now, to be fair, Bob does talk about Jesus Christ being our Atonement in the very last paragraph of his article!

In other words, typical DOA Armstrong Church of God dribble! Unfortunately, these folks are all about scrupulous observance of physical acts/rituals. For the most part, the actual meaning of what they are doing is completely lost on them. Sure, there will be the usual sermons about Satan getting his due, but there won't be much discussion about Jesus Christ atoning for our sins - the very things that have separated all of us from our God. Unfortunately, the reality is that there won't be much discussion about Jesus Christ carrying the burden of our sins and reconciling us to our Father in Heaven! Likewise, the focus in most congregations will be on their own suffering, and NOT on the suffering of Jesus of Nazareth. Ever heard of straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel? That whooshing sound that your hearing is what the DOA represents sailing right over the heads of most of the folks occupying seats in ACOG congregations around the world!