Are God's Holy Days Relevant Today?

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about the Holy Days of God. This follows this post about  Russia attempting to undermine U.S. policy. For a free magazine subscription or to get the book shown for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886- 8632.

Are God's Holy Days Relevant Today?


Should Christians today keep the Holy Days?



When God begins something in this present age of mankind, He nearly always starts small. In Matthew 13:33Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.



See All... Jesus Christ compared God's Kingdom to both a mustard seed and leaven. Both analogies start with something small that expands into something much larger. Similarly, in Old Testament times God called only a relatively few people who were willing to follow His ways.



The biblical record shows that in early human history only a small number of people decided to obey God. A faithful few such as Abel, Enoch and Noah responded to the revelation of God's plan of salvation (Matthew 23:35That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.



See All...). After the great Flood of Noah's time, God called and worked with Abraham and his wife Sarah. Of God's obedient people of those times, Hebrews 11:13These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.



See All... says they "all died in faith" with the sure knowledge that they would gain eternal life (Hebrews 11:40God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.



See All...).



We should note that the plan for providing eternal life was already at work in the lives of these early people of God. The plan did not start with a covenant God made with ancient Israel; nor did it start with Jesus' earthly ministry.



God loved the world so much "that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.



See All...). God's love in giving His Son continued His plan of salvation in effect from the foundation of the world (Matthew 25:34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:



See All...; 1 Peter 1:20Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,



See All...). The blueprint of the Holy Days would reveal in due time the plan God had designed from the very beginning. These festival observances were not just a cosmic afterthought.



With Abraham's family we see God beginning to reveal the good news about His plan of salvation (Galatians 3:8And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.



See All...). Genesis 26:3-4 [3] Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;

[4] And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;





See All... identifies specific blessings God promised to Abraham and his descendants. The Creator pledged to bestow these blessings "because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws" (Genesis 26:5Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.



See All...). Abraham's faith and obedience is why the Bible calls him "the friend of God" and "the father of all those who believe" (James 2:23And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.



See All...; Romans 4:11And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:



See All...; Genesis 18:17-19 [17] And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;

[18] Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

[19] For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.





See All...).



A nation singled out

Abraham's descendants would grow into a mighty nation (Genesis 18:18Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?



See All...). The promised line of blessed descendants would come through and be named after his grandson Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel (Genesis 32:28And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.



See All...). After settling in Egypt they eventually became slaves (Exodus 1). The story of God's deliverance of ancient Israel from their bondage and His deliverance of people today is part of the intricately woven fabric of His festivals.



In due time the Creator set in motion a series of events involving festival observances that, illustrating His great plan, led to the Israelites being freed from slavery in Egypt. When Moses and his brother Aaron appeared before Pharaoh, they told the Egyptian ruler that the God of Israel commanded, "Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness" (Exodus 5:1And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.



See All...).



Moses and Aaron had earlier called for the elders of Israel to assemble and had explained to them God's plan to deliver them (Exodus 3:16-18 [16] Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt:

[17] And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.

[18] And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.





See All...). God then performed miracles through these two men in the sight of the people (Exodus 4:29-30 [29] And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel:

[30] And Aaron spake all the words which the LORD had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.





See All...). As a result, the Israelites (although they later faltered) believed God would deliver them and fulfill His covenant with Abraham, as He had promised (Exodus 4:31And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.



See All...; Exodus 6:4-8 [4] And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.

[5] And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant.

[6] Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:

[7] And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

[8] And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD.





See All...).



What followed was the first Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread for the Israelites who had been enslaved. Much later the New Testament Church kept these same days as a reminder of Christians' deliverance through Jesus Christ. For instance, Paul told members of the Church at Corinth—both Jews and gentiles (non-Israelites)—that they should put out leaven, symbolic of sin, because "Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians 5:7Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:



See All...). In the next verse Paul said to this mixed group of Jews and gentiles, "Therefore let us keep the feast," referring to the same festival God had instituted in ancient Israel many centuries before.



The festivals in the New Testament

From His earliest childhood years, Jesus observed the feast days with His parents. "His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover," Luke 2:41Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover.



See All... tells us. The following verses describe Jesus, at age 12, engaging the theologians of His day in a spirited discussion during this festival season (Luke 2:42-48 [42] And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.

[43] And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it.

[44] But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.

[45] And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him.

[46] And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.

[47] And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.

[48] And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.





See All...). Clearly, He astonished these religious leaders with His understanding and insight. John writes of Jesus continuing to observe God's annual feasts as an adult during His ministry (John 2:23Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.



See All...; 4:45).



In one of the most instructive examples, we find that Jesus risked His personal safety to attend the annual Feast of Tabernacles (John 7:1-2 [1] After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.

[2] Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand.





See All..., John 7:7-10 [7] The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.

[8] Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast: for my time is not yet full come.

[9] When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee.

[10] But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.





See All..., John 7:14Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.



See All...). We're told that "on the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, 'If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.' But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, [which] those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified" (John 7:37-39 [37] In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

[38] He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

[39] (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)





See All...).



Many churches believe that the apostle Paul later fundamentally changed the way Christians are to worship. This notion assumes he taught gentiles that observance of the festivals and Holy Days was unnecessary. Although some of his writings were difficult to understand, even by his contemporaries (2 Peter 3:15-16 [15] And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;

[16] As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.





See All...), Paul's explicit statements and actions contradict any notion that he annulled or abolished observance of these Holy Days.



In 1 Corinthians 11:1-2 [1] Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

[2] Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.





See All..., for example, Paul told his followers, "Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ," and, "Keep the traditions as I delivered them to you." A few verses later he explained, "For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me'" (1 Corinthians 11:23-24 [23] For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:

[24] And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.





See All...).



If Paul's practice had not been to observe the feast days God had instituted, his comments to the Jews and gentiles in Corinth would have been meaningless. Clearly, evidence is lacking that Paul ever discouraged anyone from keeping the annual festivals. Such a notion would have been unthinkable for him (see Acts 24:12-14 [12] And they neither found me in the temple disputing with any man, neither raising up the people, neither in the synagogues, nor in the city:

[13] Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me.

[14] But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:





See All...; Actis 25:7-8; Acts 28:17And it came to pass, that after three days Paul called the chief of the Jews together: and when they were come together, he said unto them, Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people, or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.



See All...).



On the contrary, the biblical record of Paul's ministry repeatedly depicts the Holy Days as important observances and milestones in his life. For example, he told the Christians in Ephesus, "I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem" (Acts 18:21But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus.



See All...). In Acts 20:16For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost.



See All... and 1 Corinthians 16:8But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost.



See All... we find Paul arranging his travel schedule to accommodate the Feast of Pentecost. In Acts 27:9Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them,



See All... Luke, Paul's companion in his travels, referred to a particular time of year as being after "the Fast," a reference to the Day of Atonement (on which, as we will discuss later, one was to fast).



The Expositor's Bible Commentary, in a reference to Acts 20:6And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days.



See All..., notes that Paul, unable to arrive at Jerusalem for the Passover, "remained at Philippi to celebrate it and the week-long Feast of Unleavened Bread" (Richard Longenecker, 1981, Vol. 9, p. 507). Regarding Acts 20:16For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost.



See All..., the same commentary notes that Paul "wanted, if at all possible, to get to Jerusalem for Pentecost on the fiftieth day after Passover" (p. 510).



Paul's ministry included observing the Holy Days with the Church. In defending the gospel he preached, Paul said he brought the same message the other apostles taught: "Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed" (1 Corinthians 15:11Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.



See All...).



Paul and all the apostles taught a consistent message of the Christian's obligation to follow the example of Jesus Christ in all matters. The apostle John, who wrote near the close of the first century, summed up this message: "He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked" (1 John 2:6He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.



See All...).



Jewish Christians continued to uphold the Holy Days, as did gentile believers (see "Colossians 2:16 Shows Gentile Christians Observed the Biblical Holy Days "). From these references (as well as many others), we can conclude only that the practice of the early Church was to continue the observance of the annual festivals God gave, the first of which is the Passover.

Atonement: Removal of Sin's Cause and Reconciliation to God

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about the Day of Atonement. This follows this post about easy divorce.  For a free magazine subscription or to get this book for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886-8632.

Atonement: Removal of Sin's Cause and Reconciliation to God


The Day of Atonement involves not only the forgiveness of sin; it pictures the removal of the primary cause of sin, Satan.



We have already seen—through the symbolism involved in the Passover—that Christ's shed blood atones for our past sins. In fact, atonement means reconciliation. The Day of Atonement symbolizes the reconciliation of God and all humanity.



If we are reconciled to God through Christ's sacrifice, why do we need another Holy Day to teach us about reconciliation? If we are already reconciled, why do we need to fast, as commanded on the Day of Atonement? (Leviticus 23:27Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.



See All...; Acts 27:9Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them,Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them,



See All...). What is this day's specific significance in God's master plan for the salvation of mankind?



The Day of Atonement and Passover both teach us about the forgiveness of sin and our reconciliation with God through Christ's sacrifice. However, Passover concerns the redemption of the firstborn and thus applies most directly to Christians whom God has called in this age, while Atonement carries universal implications.



Moreover, the Day of Atonement pictures an essential additional step in God's salvation plan not found in the symbolism of the Passover. This step must take place before humanity can experience true peace on earth. All people suffer the tragic consequences of sin. But sin doesn't happen without a cause, and God makes this cause clear in the symbolism associated with the Day of Atonement.



Satan is the author of sin



The Day of Atonement involves not only the forgiveness of sin; it pictures the removal of the primary cause of sin—Satan and his demons. Until God removes the original instigator of sin, mankind will simply continue to fall back into disobedience and suffering. Although our human nature has a part to play in our sins, Satan the devil bears great responsibility for influencing mankind to disobey God.



Even though many people doubt the existence of a devil, the Bible reveals Satan as a powerful, invisible being who can sway all man-kind. Revelation 12:9And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.



See All... tells us that his influence is so great that he "deceives the whole world."



The devil blinds people to the understanding of God's truth. The apostle Paul explained this to the Corinthians: "If our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them" (2 Corinthians 4:3-4 [3] But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

[4] In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.





See All...).



Paul also teaches us that Satan has influenced every human being to walk in the ways of disobedience. He notes that those called into God's Church "once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience" (Ephesians 2:2Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:



See All...). Paul warned the Corinthians that Satan can present himself as righteous to lead people astray: "For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works" (2 Corinthians 11:14-15 [14] And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

[15] Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.





See All...).



Jesus Christ plainly stated that Satan introduced sin and rebellion into the world. In John 8:44Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.



See All... Christ declared to those who were antagonistic to His teaching: "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it."



Tying these scriptures together allows us to see the power and the influence of Satan. Paul warned us to beware of the deceitful methods of the devil: "But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ" (2 Corinthians 11:3But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.



See All..., NIV).



Christians who struggle to resist Satan and stop sinning fight a spiritual battle against the devil and his demons. Paul explains: "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness" (Ephesians 6:12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.



See All..., NASB).



Paul further explains here that Jesus Christ will deliver us from the influence of the devil (verses 13-18). Of course, God is much more powerful than Satan, but we must do our part by actively resisting the devil and the pulls of the flesh (James 4:7Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.



See All...). The Day of Atonement looks forward to the time during which Satan's deception will be removed and he will no longer be free to influence and deceive mankind (Revelation 20:1-3 [1] And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

[2] And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

[3] And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.





See All...).



Old Testament symbolism



Leviticus 16 describes God instructing ancient Israel to observe the Day of Atonement. Although Christians are not required to offer animal sacrifices today, this chapter adds significantly to our understanding of God's plan.



Notice that the priest was to select two goats for a sin offering for the people, and he was to present them before God (verses 5, 7). Aaron, the high priest, was to cast lots to select one "for the Lord," which he was to offer as a sacrifice (verses 8-9). This goat represented Jesus Christ, who would be slain to pay the penalty for our sins.



The other goat served a completely different purpose: "But the goat on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make atonement upon it, and to let it go as the scapegoat into the wilderness" (verse 10). Notice that this goat was not to be killed. The high priest was to "lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites—all their sins—and put them on the goat's head. He shall send the goat away into the desert in the care of a man appointed for the task. The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a solitary place; and the man shall release it in the desert" (verses 21-22, NIV).



The priest chose by lot the "scapegoat," or Azazel, as the word appears in the original Hebrew. Many scholars identify Azazel as the name of a demon inhabiting the wilderness ( Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, Vol. 1, p. 326). The Azazel goat represents Satan, who bears the responsibility for the sins of humanity (verse 22) because of the deception he has foisted upon mankind.



The high priest laid hands on this goat and confessed over it the wickedness, rebellion and sins of the people. Why did he do that? As present ruler of the world, the devil bears responsibility for his perversity in beguiling and coercing humanity to sin. "The sending of the sin-laden goat . . . signified the complete removal of the sins of the people and the handing them over, as it were, to the evil spirit to whom they belonged" ( The One Volume Bible Commentary, 1975, p. 95).



A scapegoat, in modern usage, is someone unfairly held responsible for the mistakes of others. However, the modern English word scapegoat cannot properly be applied to Satan; the devil is not a scapegoat in the modern sense of the term. (Although some Bible versions use the word "scapegoat," Green's Literal Translation more accurately calls it the "goat of departure.") Rather than unfairly bearing the blame for sin, Satan will be held justly accountable for his own deliberate actions by which he has led humanity into sin for thousands of years.



The symbolism of the live goat parallels the fate of Satan and his demons, who will be removed at the outset of Jesus' reign over the nations. The book of Revelation describes this removal: "Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished . . ." (Revelation 20:1-3 [1] And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

[2] And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

[3] And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.





See All...).



Thus the devil and his demons, who for thousands of years have led mankind into every evil deed imaginable, will be removed to a place of restraint (verse 4). Complete global reconciliation to God cannot occur until the source of so much sin and suffering is out of the picture.



The modern application of this festival



Now notice specific instructions on when and how we are to keep this festival. "Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement," God says. "It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls . . ." (Leviticus 23:27Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.



See All...).



How do you "afflict your soul" on this day? Afflict comes from the Hebrew anah, which means "to be afflicted, be bowed down, be humbled, be meek" ( Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, "To Be Humbled, Afflicted"). The same word is used in connection with fasting in Psalm 35:13But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.



See All..., Isaiah 58:3Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.



See All..., 5 and Ezra 8:21Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.



See All.... Fasting means abstaining from food and drink (Esther 4:16Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.



See All...).



So why does God tell us to fast during this specific 24 hours? Fasting expresses our humble desire to draw closer to God. The Day of Atonement represents a coming time of reconciliation during which, with Satan banished and the world having been devastated by the horrific events leading up to this time, a humbled and repentant humanity will at last be reconciled to God.



Few understand the proper reasons for fasting. Fasting is not to bend God to our will. We don't fast to receive anything from God except His abundant mercy and forgiveness for our human weaknesses. Fasting helps us remember how temporary our physical existence is. Without food and water, we would soon perish. Fasting helps us realize just how much we need God as the giver and sustainer of life.



We should always fast on the Day of Atonement in a repentant frame of mind. Notice the prophet Daniel's exemplary attitude while fasting: "Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. And I prayed to the Lord my God, and made confession" (Daniel 9:3-4 [3] And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:

[4] And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;





See All...).



The early Church observed the Day of Atonement. More than 30 years after Christ's death, Luke still referred to the time and seasons by mentioning this day, stating that "sailing was now dangerous because the Fast was already over" (Acts 27:9Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them,Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them,



See All...). Almost all Bible commentaries and dictionaries acknowledge that "the Fast" refers to the Day of Atonement.



Yet another important lesson comes to us through the Day of Atonement. We have already seen that the slain goat represented the sacrifice in our place of Jesus Christ, who took on Himself the death penalty we have earned by sinning. But Jesus Christ did not stay dead; He came back to life. What does the Day of Atonement teach us about Christ's role after His resurrection?



Leviticus 16:15-19 [15] Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:

[16] And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness.

[17] And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel.

[18] And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the LORD, and make an atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about.

[19] And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.





See All... describes a solemn ceremony that was carried out only once each year, on the Day of Atonement. The high priest was to take the blood of the slain goat into the Most Holy Place—the holiest part of the tabernacle—and to the mercy seat. The mercy seat was symbolic of the very throne of Almighty God. The high priest acted out the function Christ performs for repentant Christians. Having ascended to the very throne of God to present the blood of His sacrifice, Christ intercedes for us—as He has since His resurrection— as our High Priest.



The book of Hebrews makes this symbolism clear. "But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this [physical] creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption" (Hebrews 9:11-12 [11] But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;

[12] Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.





See All...).



Because of Christ's sacrifice, we enjoy direct access to the true mercy seat —the throne of our merciful, loving God. This was dramatically and miraculously demonstrated at the moment of Christ's death, when "the veil of the temple," covering the entrance to the Most Holy Place, "was torn in two from top to bottom" (Matthew 27:51And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;



See All...; Mark 15:38And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.



See All...). This massive curtain was torn asunder in a dramatic testimony to the access we now have to God's throne.



Many verses in Hebrews mention Christ's role as our High Priest and intercessor. Because of His sacrifice for us, we can "come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.



See All...). The Day of Atonement thus pictures the loving reconciliation all people can have with God through Christ's sacrifice. It also shows the remarkable truth that Satan, the author of sin, will eventually be removed so that humanity can at last attain reconciliation with God on a universal basis.



The Day of Atonement serves as a vital preparatory step in anticipation of the next milestone in God's glorious Holy Day plan, beautifully depicted by the Feast of Tabernacles.

The Feast of Trumpets: A Turning Point in History

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/  about the Feast of Trumpets. This follows this post about Islam and peace.  For a free magazine subscription or to get this book for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886-8632.

The Feast of Trumpets: A Turning Point in History


The Feast of Trumpets depicts the return of Jesus Christ to earth to establish the Kingdom of God.



The Feast of Trumpets introduces the autumn festivals—representing the culmination of the present age of man and the beginning of an incredible time during which God will play a much more direct part in world events. The previous festivals constitute personal responses to the workings of God in the people He calls and chooses. But the Day of Trumpets heralds the intervention of God in the affairs of humanity on a global basis. This Holy Day represents a dramatic turning point in world history.



This particular festival also marks the beginning of the third and final feast season (Exodus 23:14Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year.



See All...; Deuteronomy 16:16Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:



See All...), which includes the final four Holy Days of the year.



The return of Jesus Christ!



The Feast of Trumpets depicts nothing less than the return of Jesus Christ to the earth to establish the Kingdom of God! The book of Revelation reveals a sequence of earth-shaking events heralded by angels sounding a series of seven trumpet blasts. The seventh angel's sounding of the last trumpet signifies that "the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ" (Revelation 11:15And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.



See All..., NIV). The Bible foretells that at this time Jesus Christ will at last return to the earth. Of all the prophecies in the Bible, this one surely heralds the most exciting news possible for this weary, sin-filled world!



The Feast of Trumpets also marks the future fulfillment of the many Old Testament prophecies that speak of a Messiah coming as a king of the line of David who will sit on the throne of Israel and rule with power and authority over all nations. The concept of a conquering Messiah was on the minds of the apostles immediately after Jesus' resurrection. When He appeared to them in those early days, they asked Him, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" (Acts 1:6When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?



See All...).



Even in His earthly ministry, Jesus had spoken of distinctions between His first and second comings. When Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, questioned Him just before the crucifixion, Jesus stated clearly that He had not come to rule at that time.



"My kingdom is not of this world," Jesus told the governor. "If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here." So Pilate asked Him, "Are You a king then?" Jesus answered in the affirmative: "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth" (John 18:36-37 [36] Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

[37] Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.





See All...).



After Christ's resurrection, the apostles excitedly anticipated the fulfillment of Jesus' promises. They were aware of messianic prophecies such as Isaiah's that describe a time during which "the government will be upon His shoulder" and "of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end" (Isaiah 9:6-7 [6] For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

[7] Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.





See All...).



In answer to the apostles' question as to whether He would soon establish the Kingdom, Jesus told them it was not for them to know the "times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority" (Acts 1:7And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.



See All...). Instead, Christ told them to focus on spreading the gospel—the good news—throughout the world. Later, in due time, the apostles realized that Christ's second coming was not necessarily imminent. Numerous scriptures describe the saints as eagerly looking forward to His return.



Why the symbolism of trumpets?



The excitement of this Holy Day, picturing these monumental events, is captured in the symbolism of this festival. Ancient Israel celebrated it with "a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts" (Leviticus 23:24Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.



See All..., NIV).



Actually, the word "trumpet" does not appear in this verse. The phrase "trumpet blasts" translates a single Hebrew word, teruah , which means a loud, resounding noise—a great shout or blaring, or an awakening blast. This was the sound of a "trumpet," but not the metal, musical kind also used by the Israelites. The God's Word Translation renders this phrase as "a holy assembly announced by the blowing of ram's horns." In that day a hollow animal horn, known as a shofar, was used to communicate important messages.



Such horns, blaring an alarm like a modern air-raid or tornado siren, were used to warn of impending danger, such as imminent war. As the prophet Jeremiah lamented: "O my soul, my soul! I am pained in my very heart! My heart makes a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because you have heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet [ shofar ], the alarm of war" (Jeremiah 4:19My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.



See All...; compare Amos 3:6Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?



See All...).



This ties in with the fact that the events of the Day of the Lord that will usher in Christ's return will be cataclysmic, announced, as already mentioned, with angels blowing trumpets (Revelation 8-9; compare Zephaniah 1:14-16 [14] The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.

[15] That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,

[16] A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.





See All...).



With their ability to transmit sound over great distances, trumpets were in ancient times excellent instruments for attracting people's attention. God even used the sound of a shofar to herald His meeting with Israel when He descended on Mount Sinai to speak the Ten Commandments (Exodus 19:16And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.



See All...). Moreover, the shofar was used in coronation ceremonies (1 Kings 1:34And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God save king Solomon.



See All..., 39), and we've already seen that Christ assumes rule over the earth at the last trumpet.In connection with this Feast Day, Psalm 81:3Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.



See All... exhorts, "Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon . . . on our solemn feast day."



Amplification of the meaning of trumpets



The writers of the New Testament revealed additional understanding of the significance of the blowing of trumpets. Notice Paul's description of the return of Jesus Christ: "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air" (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 [16] For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

[17] Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.





See All...).



Paul also spoke of the day when the firstfruits pictured by Pentecost will be resurrected to immortal life. In 1 Corinthians 15:52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.



See All... he says this will happen "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye , at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." Thus the awakening blast of this last trumpet will awaken the dead!



Although the Trumpets festival isn't mentioned by name in the New Testament, we have no valid reason for assuming that this Holy Day should not be observed today. On the contrary, the early Church used the Hebrew Scriptures as the foundation for doctrine (2 Timothy 3:16All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:



See All...). Like the Ten Commandments (James 2:10-11 [10] For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

[11] For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.





See All...), each of God's festivals is intimately and intricately related to the others. By keeping all of them, we can understand God's remarkable plan for humanity as it unfolds. We should not ignore some of His Holy Days while observing others.



Jesus' prophetic teaching



Near the end of Christ's earthly ministry, the apostles asked Him about the end of the present era. Notice Matthew 24:3And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?



See All...: "Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, 'Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?'"



Earlier, Daniel had prophesied about the establishment of the Kingdom of God and how the saints, or God's people, would inherit that Kingdom (Daniel 2:44And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.



See All...; 7:18). Like the disciples, however, Daniel did not understand when the Kingdom would come.



Jesus, in response to His disciples' questions, laid out for them a series of events that would lead up to His return. He mentioned to them religious deception, wars, famines, disease, earthquakes and other calamities (Matthew 24:4-13 [4] And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

[5] For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

[6] And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

[7] For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

[8] All these are the beginning of sorrows.

[9] Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.

[10] And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

[11] And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

[12] And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

[13] But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.





See All...). He characterized the time of His return as an era of hatred and lawlessness. In this setting Jesus said, "This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come" (verse 14).



More details in the book of Revelation



Later Jesus Christ revealed many more details about this pivotal time. The book of Revelation is described as "the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place" (Revelation 1:1The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:



See All...). Here Christ repeated through the apostle John the same events He had described to His disciples decades earlier. Now, however, Jesus used the symbolism of a series of seals He would open one by one (Revelation 6).



After this, at the beginning of God's anger against the disobedient nations, seven plagues will be poured out on a sinning world, with a trumpet blast announcing each, as we've seen (Revelation 8-9). Finally God will send two "witnesses," or "prophets," to proclaim His truth to a rebellious world (Revelation 11). Such prophetic witness is compared to a trumpet warning (Isaiah 58:1Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.



See All...). Tragically, the godless society of the last days will reject these two servants of God and kill them (verses 7-10).



These dramatic events set the stage for the seventh angel's trumpet sounding and Jesus Christ's return to begin the rule of His government over the entire earth (Revelation 11:15And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.



See All...).



Of this same scenario, Matthew 24 says that "immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other" (verses 29-31).



Unprecedented events at Christ's return



Incredibly, when Jesus Christ returns to the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, the nations of the earth will gather to fight against Him (Zechariah 14:1-4 [1] Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.

[2] For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

[3] Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.

[4] And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.





See All...). Revelation 19:19And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.



See All... describes this impending battle: "And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him [Jesus Christ] who sat on the horse and against His army."



Why would anyone want to fight the Messiah? The armies will try to destroy Christ because Satan has deceived the whole world (Revelation 12:9And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.



See All...). The devil's influence will inspire the nations to fight against Jesus when He returns.



Also at the time of Christ's return, His faithful followers will be resurrected to immortality. Revelation 20:5But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.



See All... describes this as the "first resurrection," which is also a "better resurrection" (Hebrews 11:35Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:



See All...). This change to immortal life was the hope of early Christians and remains the fervent hope of those who understand God's plan.



In the book of Romans, Paul depicts this resurrection as a glorious deliverance from bondage: "For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God . . . because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God . . . And not only they, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body" (Romans 8:19For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.



See All..., 21, 23).



We see that, even though tragic events lie ahead, the good news is that God will intervene to save humanity and guide mankind into His abundant way of life.



Jesus Christ will return to raise His followers from death and establish God's perfect rule over the earth. This is the wonderful, inspiring meaning of the Feast of Trumpets. Christ taught us to pray to the Father, "Thy kingdom come" (Matthew 6:10Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.



See All..., KJV). How urgently we need the answer to that prayer!

Atonement: A Day of Deep Reflection

An interesting article from www.ucg.org describing what the Messiah was to accomplish. This follows this post analyzing the Messianic prophecies.   For a free magazine subscription or to get this book for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886-8632.

Atonement: A Day of Deep Reflection

A commentary by Gerhard Marx





Sin is the cause of much pain and suffering in the world. But where does sin come from? What is its source? And how can we be rid of the scourge of sin? The biblical Day of Atonement answers all of these questions.





Source: Photos.comThe New Testament makes it clear that Jesus Christ atoned for the sins of all who repent and acknowledge their part in Christ's death, a recognition that their sins caused Jesus to die.



One of the seven Holy Days of the Bible is also associated with atoning for sins. It's the Day of Atonement.



When in 1973 Egypt attacked Israel on the Day of Atonement, it became known as the Yom Kippur War (Yom Kippur is Hebrew for Day of Atonement). Up to the time of Jerusalem's destruction by the Romans in A.D. 70, the high priest would seek forgiveness for the sins of the whole Jewish community, and by so doing would reconcile his people to God.



For a Christian, one focus on this Day of Atonement is the removal of the primary cause of sin—Satan and his demons. As quoted in our booklet, God's Holy Day Plan: The Promise of Hope for All Mankind,"Until God removes the original instigator of sins, mankind will simply continue to fall back into disobedience and suffering. Although our human nature has a part to play in our sins, Satan the devil bears great responsibility for influencing mankind to disobey God." The booklet goes further and explains the fate of Satan at the end-time when God intervenes in the affairs of man.



Satan is the main source of evil in the world

I remember only too well an incident that occurred at work earlier in my life. A work colleague and I were discussing the existence of God. I was shocked when he expressed to me that, although he believed in God, he believed that God was evil. I asked him how he could say such a thing. He answered that it was on account of all the terrible things, all the evil that happens in the world on a daily basis. My workmate had experienced war directly and saw enough evil being perpetuated in coming to this conclusion.



Although his view of God was shocking to me, I could not deny the fact that evil is perpetuated among the sons of men. Only later, after coming to an understanding of God's plan for mankind, which the above mentioned booklet explains, did I realize that my work associate had made one vital mistake in his otherwise astute observance about evil in the world.



It's not the Almighty who is to blame for the evil we see, but rather Satan himself, who is called in the New Testament "the god of this world" as the King James Bible translates it. The evil we see all around us must be laid primarily at his feet. The New King James refers to Satan as "the god of this age" (2 Corinthians:4:4In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.). The apostle Paul refers to him in the following way when he encouraged his Christian readers: "in which you once walked according to the course of the world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience" (Ephesians:2:2Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:).



Satan's evil influence to be removed by Jesus Christ

Satan has been allowed to influence many leaders in society—political as well as religious leaders—to follow a course of action that is in opposition to God's way of life. The experience of the patriarch Job in the Bible is a prime example of Satan being the cause of many of the evil events befalling the world. It was he who brought destruction to Job's family and his servants in the hope that Job would turn against God, just like he tried to have Jesus Christ turn against His Father (Matthew:4:1-4[1]Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.[2]And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.[3]And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.[4]But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.). But both Job and Jesus continued to acknowledge God as the Almighty. Job stated, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job:1:21And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.).



The meaning of the Day of Atonement shows that one of the first acts that Jesus Christ will perform once He returns to establish the Kingdom of God is to banish Satan to the "bottomless pit" so that he can deceive the world no longer. That is exactly what he has done for the entirety of man's existence—to deceive and lead people astray from worshiping the true God. But at Christ's return he is to "deceive the nations no more" (Revelation:20:1-3).



The Day of Atonement is given to us in God's Word so that we may humbly reflect on all the evil we see in the world for which Satan is primarily responsible. All the suffering that the world has experienced over the millennia will ultimately be brought to an end after God's Kingdom has been established on the earth. This Holy Day has great significance for the entire world, and God's true Church is keeping it, awaiting the time when Satan will "deceive the nations no more."






We recommend the previously mentioned booklet, God's Holy Day Plan: The Promise of Hope for All Mankind. To read more about the Day of Atonement, read this corresponding chapter - "Atonement: Removal of Sin's Cause and Reconciliation to God
.

The Messiah's Misunderstood Mission

An interesting article from www.ucg.org describing what the Messiah was to accomplish. This follows this post analyzing the Messianic prophecies.   For a free magazine subscription or to get this book for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886-8632.

The Messiah's Misunderstood Mission


Jesus Christ's mission and teachings were misunderstood by most of those who saw and heard Him.



"He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him' (John:1:11He came unto his own, and his own received him not.)



Jesus performed miracles and signs. He healed the sick, raised the dead, quelled storms of nature, fed the multitudes and exercised absolute authority over the spirit world—yet He wasn't accepted as Israel's Messiah.



One might think that with those credentials, He would be automatically proclaimed Messiah. We are told, however, that "He came to His own [people], and His own did not receive Him" (John:1:11He came unto his own, and his own received him not.). After a 3 1⁄ 2-year ministry, only 120 followers were there for the miraculous beginning of His Church (Acts:1:15And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,)).



One of the prophecies about the Messiah foretold that He would be "despised and rejected by men" (Isaiah:53:3He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.). The great works Jesus did that brought about His popularity in the country were not enough to overcome the disfavor He incurred from the religious authorities—or enough to secure loyalty from the fickle hearts of the common man.



His mission and His teachings were at cross purposes to those who held high positions in the nation, and His purpose was also misunderstood by most of those who saw and heard Him.



What were the Jews looking for?



The Jews were acquainted with many of the prophecies about the Messiah, the chosen or "anointed one" as the word means in Hebrew. They firmly believed that the Messiah would be a strong and glorious earthly king who would deliver them from their Roman oppressors and form once again a great and independent Jewish kingdom. The wise men who came from the east seeking the newborn Jesus inquired at Jerusalem, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?" (Matthew:2:1-2[1]Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,[2]Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.).



King Herod, who ruled Judea under the Romans, clearly understood that the Messiah the Jews expected was to be another king and thus a rival to himself. He then asked the chief priests and scribes "where the Christ was to be born" so he could eliminate the threat to his power (Matthew:2:3-16[3]When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.[4]And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.[5]And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,[6]And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.[7]Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.[8]And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.[9]When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.[10]When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.[11]And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.[12]And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.[13]And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.[14]When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:[15]And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.[16]Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.).



In the Greek language in which the New Testament was written, Christos (Christ in English) has the same meaning as the Hebrew word Mashiach (Messiah in English)— "anointed one," signifying one who was specially chosen by God (see "What Do 'Messiah' and 'Jesus Christ' Mean?" beginning on page 68). Herod and the Jewish rulers considered the title "Christ" as synonymous with that of "King of the Jews" in accordance with the general expectation of the time (compare verses 2 and 4).



The expectation that the Christ would be a king fit with their understanding that He would also be a descendant of David, the most famous of all the kings of Israel and the one by whom all other kings were measured. We see this illustrated in Matthew:22:42Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David., when Jesus asked the Pharisees, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?" Their response was, "The Son of David" (Matthew:22:42Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David.).



Jesus was addressed as "Son of David" by two blind men (Matthew:9:27And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us.), by the woman of Canaan (Matthew:15:22And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.) and by the blind men at Jericho (Matthew:20:30And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.). When Jesus healed a demon-possessed man who was both blind and mute, "all the multitudes were amazed and said, 'Could this be the Son of David?'" (Matthew:12:22-23[22]Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.[23]And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?). At His entry into Jerusalem He was greeted with shouts of "Hosanna to the Son of David!" (Matthew:21:9And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.).



The number and scope of the miracles Jesus performed—miracles not equaled in the history of Israel even by the great prophets—led people to the conclusion that He had to be the prophesied Messiah. "And many of the people believed in Him, and said, 'When the Christ [Messiah] comes, will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?'" (John:7:31And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?).



Time for a restored kingdom?



When the people desired the appearance of "the Son of David," they were hoping for the prophesied One who would restore the kingdom of Israel under the Davidic dynasty.



At one point when Jesus miraculously fed a following of 5,000 men, they were convinced that He was "the Prophet who is to come into the world" (John:6:14Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.). This is an allusion to Moses' prophecy of "a Prophet like me" in Deuteronomy:18:15-19[15]The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;[16]According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.[17]And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken.[18]I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.[19]And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.. The disciples of Jesus identified Jesus as this same Prophet, "Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph" (John:1:45Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.).



What better king can you have than one who will miraculously feed you? This miracle caused a groundswell of support to make Him king then and there. But "when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone" (John:6:14-15[14]Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.[15]When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.). He made Himself scarce. To become a human king over a powerful Israel was not a part of Jesus' mission at that time.



Even after His death and resurrection, His disciples were still focused on the idea that He would restore the Davidic kingdom to Israel then and there. They asked Him, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" (Acts:1:6When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?). They didn't yet understand all the pieces of the prophetic puzzle He was unveiling to them.



Understanding the messianic prophecies



These misconceptions were based in part on misunderstanding the timing of the prophecies from their own Scriptures. On close examination, Jesus spoke and acted in a way that revealed His true mission for His first coming—which was spelled out in Bible prophecy, though not in a way that they understood.



The Messiah was indeed prophesied to come to His people. We have already shown that many of those prophecies were fulfilled when He came to earth in the flesh. He was a servant, suffered during His life and willingly offered His life as a sacrifice. But there were many prophecies that were not fulfilled—at least not at that time.



There are the great prophecies of Isaiah, for instance, that tell us that "in the latter days … the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it" (Isaiah:2:2And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.).



In Bible prophecy, mountains and hills are used to represent governments or nations. This prophecy foretells a time when the future Kingdom of the Messiah will be established and will reign over all earthly governments and nations. The prophetic understanding of this divine Kingdom was at the heart of Jesus Christ's message as well as the ultimate role of the Messiah.



When Jesus announced the Kingdom of God is at hand (Mark:1:15And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.), He was simply speaking of the future Kingdom of God that would come to earth—and He was the way into that Kingdom. Many times, when the Gospels say that "they believed in Him," they believed He was the Messiah who would create a kingdom of Israel at that time!



Why Jesus wasn't more direct



Throughout His ministry Jesus corrected people's misconceptions of the expected Messiah by calling attention to the true meaning of the Scriptures they relied on but misinterpreted. The Jews of His day so misunderstood the Old Testament prophecies that they could not recognize the very Messiah that they expected at any moment to appear among them!



Interestingly, Jesus did not go around announcing that He was the Christ. He forbade the demons He had cast out of those possessed to confess that He was the Christ (Luke:4:41And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ.). And when Peter—in reply to Jesus' direct question "Who do you say that I am?"—responded that He was the Messiah, Jesus strictly commanded the disciples to tell no one that He was the Christ (Matthew:16:15-16[15]He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?[16]And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God., 20).



He answered the question of the imprisoned John the Baptist ("Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?") by directing him to the proofs of His messianic claims—His teachings and His works (Matthew:11:2-6[2]Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,[3]And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?[4]Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:[5]The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.[6]And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.).



But there were a few occasions where He affirmed His messianic identity quite plainly. For example, He revealed who He was to the Samaritan woman at the well. "I know that Messiah is coming," she told Him—to which Jesus responded, "I who speak to you am He" (John:4:25-26[25]The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.[26]Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.). Even at the beginning of His ministry, He accepted the confession of His first disciples when they acknowledged Him to be the Messiah (John:1:41-50[41]He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.[42]And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.[43]The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.[44]Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.[45]Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.[46]And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.[47]Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile![48]Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.[49]Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.[50]Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.).



Jesus privately on occasion accepted the titles "Messiah" and "Son of God," but publicly He avoided such designations. What He would have intended by these titles and the way in which the Jews would have taken them were two different things. Jesus couldn't deny who He was nor what He intended to do, but He was careful to explain the nature of the future Kingdom and dispel misapprehensions about His mission.



Jesus understood what His people were looking for in a Messiah. It's probably partially for that reason that He usually refrained from claiming the title for Himself and discouraged others from using it. To fulfill the mission of His first coming, He did not want to spark a popular uprising of Jews anxious to establish their own independent kingdom against the despised Roman rule at that time.



Moreover, had Jesus proclaimed Himself as the Messiah, it would have provoked immediate confrontation between Himself and the Jewish and Roman authorities, thereby bringing about His execution prematurely. Yet when it was time, Jesus affirmed to both the Jewish and Roman authorities that this was who He was.



Jesus the King



At Jesus' trial the high priest asked him, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" Jesus answered: "I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven" (Mark:14:61-62[61]But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?[62]And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.). The high priest immediately accused Jesus of blasphemy and deserving of death (verse 64).



Yes, Jesus was indeed the Messiah, sent from God and born to be king. He made this fact clear when He stood before Pilate. However, Jesus had preached the Kingdom of God rather than the kingdom of Israel.



The Jews accused Him before Pilate of claiming to be "Christ, a King," which would make Him a direct threat to Roman authority (Luke:23:2And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.).



Pilate, concerned about this allegation, asked Jesus about the charge. Jesus answered by saying, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here" (John:18:36Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.). Pilate pressed Jesus further, asking if He were indeed a king. Jesus replied: "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world" (verse 37).



However, Pilate got the impression that Caesar's kingdom was under no threat from Jesus. Yet, in the end, the Jews convinced Pilate to have Him executed on the grounds that He claimed to be a king (John:19:12And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.). Pilate even had the title " King of the Jews" placed above Jesus' head as He was crucified (verse 19-22).



After having ordered Jesus to be scourged, Pilate brought Him out to the crowd and announced, "Behold your King," apparently thinking the heinous beating He had endured would satisfy them. "But they cried out, 'Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!' Pilate said to them, 'Shall I crucify your King?' The chief priests answered, 'We have no king but Caesar!'" (John:19:14-15[14]And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King![15]But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.).



They didn't recognize their own King.



The future Kingdom



Jesus plainly told Pilate His Kingdom was not then, not there. It would not be one of the kingdoms of this present world—of this present age of man. But there is a future age coming, in which His Kingdom will be established on the earth to rule all nations.



Many prophecies about Jesus' role as the Messiah were indeed fulfilled by Him during His 3 1⁄ 2-year ministry. But the fulfillment of many more—those about the establishment of the Kingdom of God over the whole earth—are yet to be fulfilled by Jesus Christ.



When Jesus began to speak about the Kingdom of God, the people did not fully understand. In the thinking of most first-century Jews, there was no distinction between the prophecies of the Messiah's first coming and those of His second.



To the people of His day, the prophecies of the Messiah and the Messianic Kingdom were like looking at the stars. They all appear to be as a canopy above us, all about the same distance. But in reality there are vast distances between the stars. With the naked eye, we cannot tell which ones are closer and which are farther away. The messianic prophecies appeared like that to the Jews. Most expected all prophecies to be fulfilled in a single coming of the Messiah.



His second coming



Although most people missed Jesus' first coming, no one will miss His second. Jesus said all the people of the earth "will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory" (Matthew:24:30And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.).



But when He comes the second time, will He be accepted then? What will people expect? Will the Jews think that He will come just to them? Will Christians think they are going to be taken away from the earth? Will the world think He is an invader from somewhere?



Jesus gave a vision to His apostle John, recorded for us in the book of Revelation. In it Jesus completes the prophecies He gave during His earthly ministry. It's most interesting to note that He will not be accepted by the world the second time, just as He wasn't accepted at His first coming. When He comes the second time, He won't come as one announcing the Kingdom of God, He will come as Ruler to establish the Kingdom of God!



Make no mistake—the nations will again reject Him. He speaks of the time of His return as being "the great day of His wrath," when the nations are angry at God's intervention (Revelation:6:16-17; 11:17-18). Leaders of the world will "gather … to the battle of that great day of God Almighty," in which they will fight against Him (Revelation:16:14).



At Jesus' second coming He is pictured as One who "judges and makes war" (Revelation:19:11). He will "strike the nations" with a sword and tread "the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God" (verse 15).



Such passages make it clear that the world will not receive Christ with open arms when He comes back. This is the other side of the picture of Jesus that is not taught very much today. When He returns, He will meet with a hostile reception from the world—just as He did the first time.



This leads us to ask the question, do we really know the real Jesus? Do we really know what He is doing? Are we really preparing ourselves to be accepted and rewarded by Him when He establishes His Kingdom? And what is that Kingdom all about? We'll address those crucial questions in the next chapter.