The Eighth Day 2021 – Shemini Atzeret Pt 1 September 18, 2021
The Eighth Day: A New Beginning
· Following the Feast of
Tabernacles is a final High Day.
It's designated as an Eighth Day,
different from the seven-day Feast of Tabernacles but included as part of the
Feast of Tabernacles.
· It is known as the Last Day
of the Feast, or as I was taught, called Last Great Day.
· Meaning, the 8th Day is a
Holy Day in its own right and the end of FOT, but separate High Day.
· Jews did not have to stay
in a temporary shelter on this day, can resume enjoying the comfort of solid,
built homes.
· The 8th Day also represents the new heaven,new earth
and future, Eternity.
· A new start for Spiritual
children of God, just as example of Noah’s flood was a new start for physical
people
· There are no outward rituals or symbols connected to this feast
The instructions and meaning for this day are interesting; it is to be a High Sabbath, much the same as the weekly Sabbath.
It is celebrated on the 22nd day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei
Leviticus 23:36 For seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation, and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. It is a sacred assembly, and you shall do no customary work on it.
Leviticus 23:39 'Also on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, you shall keep the feast of the LORD for seven days; on the first day there shall be a sabbath-rest, and on the eighth day a sabbath-rest.
Numbers 29:35 'On the eighth day you shall have a sacred assembly. You shall do no customary work.
The 8th day is called Shemini Atzeret (Eighth Day of Assembly).
The Hebrew word: Shemini, means; eighth. It falls on the eighth day. It is therefore often assumed that Shemini Atzeret is simply the eighth day of Sukkot.
The Hebrew word: Atzeret, probably means; the closing festival, assembly but also with meaning "stop" or "tarry". A time for God’s people to tarried, to spend an additional day with God at the end of Sukkot, The main problem is that no one really knows exactly what atzeret means.
There are 70 temple sacrifices given throughout Sukkot, compared to only 1 given on Shemini Atzeret. 70 for the 70 nations of mankind having their sins atoned for, and the 1 represents the unique Nation of Israel.
On this day, 8th Day, is when the annual Torah-reading cycle is concluded and begun anew, so the Torah is read through once a year.
It represents a NEW BEGINNING. This "new beginning" requires "rain" -- a type of the Spirit of God poured out in order to produce a new crop and a new harvest!
Although this day marks the beginning of the rainy season in Israel and with the special prayer for rain, thus begins the period of an additional call for rain in their prayers, which lasts until Passover. Crops.
This is the very water that Isaiah the prophet foretold, when he declared,
Isaiah 55:10-11 "For just as the rain and snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, yielding seed for the sower and bread for eating, (11) so will my message be that goes out of my mouth—it won't return to me empty. Instead, it will accomplish what I desire, and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
The 8th Day represents the beginning of a new RAINY SEASON, during which the earth is nourished by rain from the heavens. Spiritually, then, it represents the pouring out anew of God's Holy Spirit and the looking forward to a NEW HARVEST for the Kingdom of God!
Isaiah 44:3 For I'll pour water upon thirsty ground and streams on parched land. So will I pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing upon your descendants.
We have access to the living waters of salvation which flow like the quality of God’s loving kindness.
Joel 2:28 "And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
Lord Jesus declared
John 7:37-39 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. (38) He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." (39) But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
The Jewish Encyclopedia states
that during the time of the Second Temple, the festival of Shavuot {Feast of Tabernacles} received the specific name
of "'Atzarta"
as cited by Josephus in Antiquities of the Jews (iii. 10, § 6)
Atzeret: A day for assembly—or pause
Spiritually, Shemini Atzeret can also be seen to "guard the seven days of Sukkot" and is characterized as a day when the Jewish people "tarries" to spend an additional day with God at the end of Sukkot.
Therefore, Shemini Atzeret is considered "a feast day and the end of the Feast of Tabernacles and during this time is the last readings of the Scriptures for the past year in the Temple.
Shortly after midnight, prayers are made in the synagogue for more than ten hours. No work {your lively hood} is permitted on this day. At the end of the holiday, the succahs {or tents} are dismantled. Their poles and nets will be stored until the next Feast of Tabernacles.
The fruits will be squeezed into sweetened juice and some will be eaten by the children. This is a day of open celebration and joyous festival with prayers, festive meals, and hours of dancing holding the Scriptures at the center of attention during this time. Prayers are for good rains for their crops this coming year.
God's Master Plan will be completed celebrating this Feast Day, the 8th Day
8th
Days pictures the judgment when the vast majority of humanity will be resurrected to mortal life
and given their opportunity for salvation.
Untold
millions have died without ever having had an opportunity for salvation. God's seventh
and final Holy Day reveals when and
how they will have their day of salvation.
What about all those who have lived and died without ever being called of God (including, perhaps, most of our loved ones today); who never had an opportunity to know and really understand God's purpose and plan for mankind? Are they lost forever? No.
Can
we really imagine a merciful and just God condemning innocent little children;
some who died before they could either walk or talk; to remain dead for all
eternity without the knowledge of God's way of life and without being given the
opportunity to live forever?
God has planned for everyone who has ever lived to receive an opportunity for salvation and Sonship in His Family, just as the already spiritually called and begotten children of God have been given their opportunity.
Simply the dead; those billions who are not Christ's and have never been called of God, most of whom have never even heard the name of Jesus Christ. God wants all to be saved.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some people understand
slowness, but is being patient with you. He does not
want anyone to perish, but wants
everyone to repent.
1 Timothy 2:3-4 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, (4) who wants all people to be saved and to come to know the truth fully.
Will everyone be saved at the same time, or is there a definite time-order
1 Corinthians 15:22-24 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. (23) But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming. (24) Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.
Then in the future, the dead will be given their opportunity to become members of God's Family.
The individuals will be given enough time to learn to obey God, just as Spirit-begotten Christians have opportunity to do today. Those who continue to live God's way of life, developing the character of God, will be changed to Spiritual Beings at the end of this period of judgment, which apparently will last 100 years. (Isa. 65:20).
God has, in His fairness, planned for everyone who has ever
lived to receive the very same opportunity for salvation that we are being
given!
Just as the week is not complete without the Sabbath Day, so God's Master Plan is not complete without God's seventh annual Holy Day
Revelation 20:5 The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years were over. This is the first resurrection.
John just told us
These are not the dead in Christ, but simply; the dead; those millions who are not Christ; who have not been converted, who may never have heard the gospel or the name of Jesus.
What happens to the dead. These are Gentiles and Israelites.
The prophet Ezekiel describe a resurrection of dead Israelites back to mortal life.
Ezekiel 37:12-13 ""Therefore prophesy to them, and tell them, 'Watch me! I'm going to open your graves, lift you out of those graves, and bring my people back into the land of Israel. (13) Then you'll learn that I am the LORD, when I've opened your graves and caused you to come up out of them, my people.
This is a resurrect to physical life; with bodies of flesh, skin and bones and require air to live.
Ezekiel 37:8-9 As I continued to watch, I saw tendons growing on the bones, and muscles growing and covering them, and then skin covered the flesh from above. But the bodies weren't breathing. (9) Then he ordered me, "Prophesy to the Spirit, Son of Man. Tell the Spirit, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: "Come from the four winds, you Spirit, and breathe into these people who have been killed, so they will live."'"
God will then give His Holy Spirit to the millions of peoples.
Ezekiel 37:14 I'm going to place my Spirit in you all, and you will live. I'll place you all into your land, and you'll learn that I, the LORD, have been speaking and doing this,' declares the LORD."
Even Gentiles will also be resurrected to physical life and return to how they were before.
Ezekiel 16:55 And your sisters, Sodom with her daughters and Samaria with her daughters, will return to what they were before; and you and your daughters will return to what you were before.
John makes clear, "the rest of the dead"; those who never had a chance to understand God's truth-would not come up in a resurrection "until the thousand years were finished." This resurrection, which occurs after the 1,000 years are finished, is the second resurrection.
God will remove Satan and demons; completely powerless; unable to deceive the dead, who will then be resurrected to have their opportunity to understand God's Master Plan.
Revelation 20:1-3 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key to the bottomless pit, with a large chain in his hand. (2) He captured the dragon, that ancient serpent, also known as the devil and Satan, and tied him up for a thousand years. (3) He threw him into the bottomless pit, locked it, and sealed it over him to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were over. After that he must be set free for a little while.
So what about this 8th day, or the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles. It is known at the great Day of Judgment. It is a day of judgment for angels and men.
Day of judgment
Jude 1:6 He has also held in eternal chains those angels who did not keep their own position but abandoned their assigned place. They are held in deepest darkness for judgment on the great day.
2 Peter 2:4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but threw them into
the lowest hell and imprisoned them in chains of deepest darkness, holding them for judgment;
Judgment Before the Great White Throne
Revelation 20:11-12 Then I saw a large, white throne and the one who was sitting on it. The earth and the
heavens fled from his presence, and no place was found for them. (12) I saw the
dead, both unimportant and important, standing in front of the throne, and books were open. Another book was opened; the Book of Life. The dead were judged according to their actions,
as recorded in the books.
The dead who stand before God will not include
true Christians today, because they will appear before Christ and receive their
rewards at the Bema Seat at first resurrection, when Christ
returns.
The dead; time of salvation; will then occur!
Those resurrected after the Millennium will be judged the same
way.
1 Corinthians 11:32 Now, while we are being judged by the
Lord, we are being disciplined
so we won't be condemned along with the world.
Those who continue to live God's way of life will be changed to
Spiritual Being at the end of this period of judgment.
They, like Spirit-begotten Christians today, will be given enough time to prove they are willing to live God's way through a life of overcoming and obedience to God.
The judgment of the Great Day, - The final judgment, when both angels and men shall receive their judgment at this time.
How
long is this day of judgment. Do you
think the time it is only when all mankind is brought back to physical life,
then straight to judgment to life or death without any time to overcome.
Think of the hundreds of millions of people that has not been given a chance for salvation and not given the Holy Spirit to lead and direct them in life.
The Scriptures shows that the vast majority of those who ever lived will finally be born into God's Family at the end of this coming period of judgment, pictured by the Last Great Day, 8th Day.
Here the rest of "saved" mankind is described -- those who will enter the Kingdom of God, during the Millennial reign of Messiah, and, those who are resurrected to moral life to be given their chance for salvation after the Millennium, during the "Great White Throne" judgment period -- the "Great Day of Salvation" represented by Hoshana Rabbah, the seventh and final day of the Feast of Tabernacles.
Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, because the first heaven and the first earth had disappeared, and the sea was gone.
God's
Master Plan of salvation for mankind will then be complete.
Then the Spirit Members of God's Family can look forward to new heavens and a new earth; and to new and wonderful opportunities in ruling the universe under God our Father and Jesus Christ our elder brother!
We
will look at something from a different perspective about this day, in Part 2,
this is where we will pick up, next time.
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