| (Copyright 2020) by Bill Hillebrenner (Matthews, North Carolina) |
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| What is the Meaning of these Unique Offerings and What does it tell us about God’s Master PLAN for the ultimate Salvation of Humanity? In Numbers 29 we find that for the seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles, there is a daily sacrifice of bullocks. Thirteen bullocks are to be offered on the first day which is an annual Sabbath, twelve bullocks on the second day, decreasing daily in number until seven bullocks on the seventh day. The eighth day, again an annual Sabbath: just one bullock. As we know, God’s plan for mankind is symbolized within His Holy Days. We consider the seven days of the Feast to represent the thousand year reign of Christ and the Saints. Certainly, these bullocks are symbols representing something. But what do they symbolize and why is the first day of the Feast a Sabbath? Also, fourteen lambs are offered every day. What do they picture? Not an Insignificant Ceremony The total is 70 bullocks and not unnoticed by some Jewish rabbis which have opined that they represent seventy nations of Gentiles. Under Jewish thinking Jews would rule the world under Messiah, ruling over the Gentiles. But all of Israel was given the chance to rule coming out of Egypt, but they refused to keep God’s ways. Daniel 7:18, 22 shows that the Saints shall rule the world under Messiah. The Saints include the men of God of old and the Church of God. As Christians, we know that not all the natural sons of Israel shall rule, but the Church/Saints from all ethnic groups shall rule under Christ, inheriting the Kingdom as Spirit-born sons, immortal kings, and priests. In Gal. 4:24-26, we find that Paul uses an analogy of Hagar to represent physical Israel and Sarah to represent the Church/Saints. “…the son of the bond-woman (physical Israel) shall not be heir with the son of the free woman (the Church/Saints). So, we (the Church/Saints) are … of the free.” (Gal. 4:30-31) Most scriptures here (KJV) are abbreviated for space. It’s strongly urged that the reader read the noted scriptures in full. The Feast of Tabernacles symbolizes the paradise of 1000 years of Christ’s and the resurrected Saints’ rule on earth. [1] But that rule does not immediately encompass the whole earth at Christ’s return, as we might expect. At Christ’s return to begin His rule at Jerusalem, many of the nations shall come and, having fought against Christ, will have been killed. [2] These will remain dead during the thousand years. An Expanding Inclusion As shown in Daniel 2:35, the Kingdom then will grow to fill the earth. Nations will have to first see the blessings of God’s ways and/or feel the curse for continuing to disobey. They will then become a part of the Kingdom where the lions and lambs will dwell together in peace, a child leading them. “And 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 all nations shall flow into it”. (Isaiah 2:2.) Zechariah 14:18 shows that, as a whole nation, Egypt will not immediately accept being subject to Christ and therefore will be punished with no rain or plagues as will other nations also. However, individuals will opt to come out from Egypt as they will from all peoples wanting to be a part of the Kingdom. “And many people shall go and say, come ye and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord…and he will teach us of his ways … from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:3). But many nations at first – as a whole – will not choose to be subject. Individuals will be found responding, but as it applies to nations, in their entirety, a time is allotted for them. “And he shall judge among the nations and shall rebuke many people …” (Isaiah 2:4). “… and rebuke strong nations afar off.” (Micah 4:31) The First Day of Tabernacles, Why A Sabbath and Thirteen Bullocks? We know that the bible almost always interprets its own symbols somewhere. So how do we explain the thirteen bullocks? Jeremiah 31:18 shows the half tribe of Ephraim represented as a bullock. In Numbers 7 we find each of the thirteen tribes represented by a bullock for a burnt offering. “And it came to pass (when) Moses had fully set up the tabernacle … that the princes of Israel … offered … the tribe of Judah … one young bullock … Issachar … one young bullock … Zebulon … one young bullock … Reuben … one young bullock …” (and so on for thirteen bullocks) (Numbers 7:1,2,12, 15,18, 21; 8:8 etc.) (These ‘tribes’ would go on to eventually become separate ‘nations’.) Thirteen bullocks for the thirteen tribes. (Joseph is split into tribes Ephraim and Manasseh, thus thirteen). Levi was special and one bullock was for a burnt offering (Num. 8:12) like the other tribes. (A second bullock was for a sin offering for Levi’s cleansing before tabernacle service). This was for the initial setting up of the tabernacle. (Num. 7:1) The First Day is SPECIAL The first day of the Feast is a High Day Sabbath picturing Christ and those “born of God”, the First–fruits, beginning their millennial rule. The first day pictures the beginning of the Kingdom when Christ has established it, in Jerusalem, the Saints as rulers with Him. This first Feast Sabbath portrays the beginning of rest for the earth. But it also pictures that scenario so many times mentioned in scripture; the re-establishment of physical Israel in their own land; all thirteen tribes as a united nation again. Why is Israel Established First? Who of the nation’s left alive at Christ’s return would be easiest to repent and accept Christ and the Holy Days of God? The true Church of God knows that the House of Israel today includes the United States, Britain and many western Europe peoples (the ten “lost” tribes). These, with the included scattered Jews, Levites and modern “Israelis” (The House of Judah made up of Judah and Benjamin-Jerusalem) make up the 13 tribes (The two “half tribes” of Ephraim and Manasseh make thirteen). They tend to embrace the Judeo-Christian ethic. Jesus would be most acceptable to the modern House of Israel, with Christian heritage, as Messiah. The Holy Days would be most acceptable to the Jews, the House of Judah. Ezekiel 37 [3] shows the bringing back together of the House of Judah and the House of Israel which was headed by Joseph’s son Ephraim, who God calls his firstborn. “Take one stick…for Judah, … take another stick for Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and all the house of Israel … join them … I will take the children of Israel … and bring them into their own land … and make them one nation …they shall be no more two nations … and David my servant shall be king over them …” (Ezekiel 37:16-24). “And I will set up one shepherd over them, … even my servant David … and he shall be their shepherd. And I the Lord will be their God …” (Ezekiel 34:23-24.2). “And I will strengthen the House of Judah and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will bring them again to place them … and they shall be as though I had not cast them off”. (Zechariah 10:6) Prophecies show the House of Judah will mourn bitterly for their “son” Jesus (Son of David): “and … the house of David and … the inhabitants of Jerusalem … shall look upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn … as one mourns for his only son … every family apart, the house of David, … the house of Nathan … the house of Levi …” (Zechariah 12:10-13). These are all of the House of Judah. Jeremiah 23:5-8 also prophesies of this gathering from all countries unto David’s seed. David is the hero of both Jews and Christendom. Also: “…in the latter days ye shall consider it”. (Jeremiah 30:24f.) “… as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you and ye shall be a blessing…” (Zechariah 8:13). At the same time, saith the Lord; “I will be the God of all the families of Israel …” (Jeremiah 31:1). “I will bring them from the north country and gather them from the coasts.” (Jeremiah 31:8). “Israel is a scattered sheep; … first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; and last Nebuchadrezar king of Babylon hath broken his bones. And I will bring Israel again to his habitation … in those days … the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none, and the sins of Judah and they shall not be found; for I will pardon them whom I reserve.” (Jeremiah 50:17,19-20). Again: “I will bring them out…from the countries … to their own land … (Ezekiel 34:13) … and I the Lord will be their God, and … David … king … and they shall have one shepherd …” (Ezekiel 37:23 & 24). Again: “Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together and appoint themselves one head … for great the day of Jezreel.” (Hosea 1:11) Again:“I will strengthen the house of Judah and I will save the house of Joseph and will bring them again to place them … and they shall be as though I had not cast them off” (Zechariah 10:6). The First Millennial Holy Day So, the Sabbath, the first Feast day, represents the start-up of the Kingdom, restoring the descendants of physical Israel to the land of Israel and the beginning of rest for the earth. Israel the Root for Grafting All Nations As a group, physical Israel’s descendants will be the first whole nation to be established, being established in the land of Israel as subjects of the Kingdom with Christ’s capital: Jerusalem. Those thirteen bullocks are sacrifice types for the re-uniting of modern descendants of the House of Israel and House of Judah, the thirteen tribes (when Ephraim and Manasseh are counted as two tribes though they are both of Joseph). “For the Lord shall come with fire and his chariots like a whirlwind … for by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh … and they shall bring your brethren for an offering unto the Lord out of all nations … to my holy mountain Jerusalem …” (Isa 66:15,16,20). “For the Lord will … yet choose Israel and set them in their own land …” (Isaiah 14:1). “… the Lord shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.” (Zechariah 1:17f). “And the Lord shall inherit Judah his portion …and shall choose Jerusalem again.” (Zechariah 2:12.3) The first subjects of the Kingdom will be the physical Israelite nations. All other nations will have to eventually come into the Kingdom through one of the tribes of Israel. The Holy City will have only twelve gates named for the twelve tribes. (Rev. 21:12) To enter into the city people will have to enter through one of the tribal gates. (Keep in mind, this inclusion doesn’t equate to their being converted at first. It suggests they’re beginning to ‘get with the program.’) “…in what tribe the stranger sojourneth, there shall ye give him his inheritance, saith the Lord God.” (Ezekiel 47:23). Paul talks about how the Gentiles were to be grafted into Israel in Romans 11. So, the thirteen bullocks on this Holy Day represent the reunited Israel as one nation, the first whole nation in the Kingdom. Who’s Next? On the second day of the Feast of Tabernacles twelve bullocks were offered. We have seen earlier that a bullock represents a large tribe or nation. Zechariah 14:18 implies that Egypt as a whole will not immediately want to keep what they deem a “Jewish” Feast of Tabernacles. Islam is the official religion of Egypt by 1971 constitution and 90% of its population is Muslim. Islam traces its patriarchal lineage to Abraham’s son Ishmael by Sarah’s handmaid Hagar. Hagar was Egyptian, (Gen 21:9). She took for Ishmael a wife of Egypt, (Gen 21:21). So, all of Ishmael’s children were of ¾ Egyptian race. Ishmael was circumcised with Abraham, (Gen 17:24-26). So, like Christendom and Jews, Muslims identify with Abraham. Abraham prayed for Ishmael to live before God. God said his ‘legitimate’ heir would be Isaac, but of Ishmael “… twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make of him a great nation.” (Gen. 17:20). These twelve sons are listed in Genesis 25:12-16 and are called “twelve princes according to their nations.” (vs 16). Isaac and Ishmael came together to bury their father, (Gen. 25:9). Ishmael had the prophesied twelve sons, (1 Chron. 1:29-31). So, the next set of nations to come into the Kingdom, after no rain in their land, is led by Egypt representing the twelve Islamic sons of Ishmael. Abraham, Ishmael’s father, and Isaac, Ishmael’s brother, will be there as immortal kings to greet them. “In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria … Whom the Lord of hosts shall bless saying blessed be Egypt my people and Assyria the work of my hands and Israel mine inheritance.” (Isa 21:24-25). Eleven Bullocks the Third Day Who else is left of Abraham’s physical seed? Abraham took a second woman as wife: Keturah, after Sarah’s death. (Gen 25:1-2) Keturah had six sons (1 Chronicles 1:32-33). One was Midian. (Moses’ father-in-law was priest of Midian). Like Jacob (Israel), Esau is a grandson of Abraham. And Sarah was his grandmother, though he and Jacob never knew her. Esau had five sons. (1 Chronicles 1:34-35). Esau even took one of Ishmael’s daughters as a wife. Esau, who lost his birthright and blessing, did make up with Jacob in his older age (Genesis 33:1-4). The children of Esau were also called Israel’s brethren by God. He gave special instructions to Israel not to meddle with them (Deut. 2:4-6). So, Abraham’s sons by Keturah and he and Sarah’s great-grandsons from Esau sum up eleven more nations of Abraham’s direct seed who would identify with Abraham who has by then been resurrected and is ruling with Christ. Days Four through Six In the subsequent days of the Feast of Tabernacles, bullock numbers decline until the last day of the seven. These bullocks’ picture remaining nations coming into the kingdom. Some will be hesitant to be subject to Christ. Then they will be rebuked. “And he shall … rebuke strong nations afar off …” (Micah 4:3). Of course, those who live as physical beings into the millennium and those born then would all be descendants of Noah. Some nations won’t take rebuke to repent. Day Seven: Seven Bullocks, Near the End of 1000 years Now we come to the seven bullocks at the end of the Feast. In 1 Chronicles 1:5 we find that Japeth had seven sons. Four of the sons are mentioned directly in Ezekiel 38:2,3,6, and Ezekiel 39:1: Gomer, Magog, Tubal and Meshech! These are summarized as Gog! Japeth has been considered the father of the eastern peoples and Oriental races. While some of the individual Orientals have mixed into the western world and Christendom, most are of religions that are completely foreign to the Judeo-Christian religions. Several prophecies show that at the end of the 1000 years some of the oriental nations will have been resentful of Christ’s rule, and will under Satan, attack: Ezekiel 37:16-28 shows the establishment of Israel. Ezekiel 38 and 39 (recommended reading here) show the rebellion of Gog in the “latter days” (Ezekiel 38:16), and God’s wrath with “fire and brimstone” (vs 19,22). “… and when the thousand years are expired, Satan will be loosed … and shall go out to deceive … Gog and Magog to gather them together to battle … and they compassed the camp of the saints and the beloved city …” (Revelation 20:7-9). “Thus, saith the Lord God, I am against thee, O Gog” (Ezekiel 38:1-3). And Ezekiel 38:10 “… at the same time shall things come into your (Gog’s) mind; thou shall think an evil thought … [to go against] un-walled villages …” (Ezekiel 38:10-11). Where will the evil thought come from? A released Satan!! He deceives the armies of Gog and Magog, and they will attack Jerusalem. These will be “torched”. (Ezekiel 39:6). Their burnt remains will be buried (vs 11, 12). (The burying will take seven months. They will have weapons of wood for firewood for Israel seven years; (vs 9.)) These will be resurrected for sentencing as shown in Revelation 20:13. That army, enticed to move against the Kingdom of God by the released Satan, will have had their opportunity to know the truth and to become converted, as they grew to adulthood in the millennial age. Since they will have had their chance to become converted, their choice to follow Satan will assign them to the Lake of Fire in the third (sentencing) resurrection when raised a full generation later. (Rev. 20:13 & Jn.5:29) The Eighth Day — One Nation On the eighth day one bullock is offered. (Numbers 29:36). With the resurrection of the rest of the dead to physical life, the whole earth will be brought into one physical administration. “… from one sabbath to another shall all flesh come to worship before me saith the lord.” (Isaiah 66:23). This will be one giant conglomeration of mankind, from before the flood and after it, represented by one bullock. The bullock offering pictures that they will still be flesh, subject to sin, needing sacrifice. They too will be taught for 100 years, [4] though without Satan, [5] and religious confusion and will then be given their first real opportunity to choose life in the one God Family. Those who still refuse to be subject to God after that 100 years ‘second resurrection’ period will die in their sins. No more babies will be born. “There will be no more infant of days … the sinner an hundred years old shall be accursed” (Isaiah 65:20). Jesus said “… if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins” (John 8:24). The reprobate will not be buried with a gravestone to be remembered but will be cast into fire and become ashes. The 14 Lambs for the Feast Offerings In Leviticus 4:27-28, 32 we find that an individual was represented in offerings by a kid or a lamb. However, the whole congregation of Israel was represented by a bullock. (The High Priest was an exception representing Christ as Creator equal to or greater in value than His creation.) He in that role is represented by a bullock. (Leviticus 4:3). The other daily offering of the Feast of Tabernacles is fourteen lambs. Lambs are offerings representing individuals. All during the millennium individuals will see the blessings of Christ’s rule. They will come out of their nations into the Kingdom through conversion ahead of the nation acting as a whole even as individuals of many of the different nationalities have come into Israel’s heritage today. “And many people shall go and say, come ye and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord … and he will teach us of his ways…from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:3). So, we have these types to picture how the Kingdom of God will expand to fill the earth after Jesus returns. The Two Rams In Matthew 17, Mark 9 and Luke 9, Moses and Elias are pictured in glory with Christ. This is obviously a picture of the millennial reign. And, as well, Peter talks of making tabernacles. Thus, we can see one way to explain the typology that the two rams are Moses and Elias. As Paul said, “we see through a darkened glass”. Through dark glass you can see a lot of basic shapes, though all the details might not be clear. With polarized sunglasses, we see things more clearly in sunlight. The Spirit Reveals Prophecy So, it is when the “Sun of Righteousness” (Malachi 4:2) begins to shine in our minds. So, it is with prophecy as we grow in understanding as God’s Spirit shows us new and exciting things. “Where-fore comfort one another with these words”, (1 Thessalonians 4:18). It certainly has become clear that the Kingdom will start with the re-establishment of Israel and then Abraham’s seed. It’s also clear now HOW the Kingdom will grow to fill the earth. [1] Revelation 20:4-7 [2] Revelation 19:15-21 [3] While the time setting of Ezekiel 37 is after the 1000 years, it shows those then being raised back to life are unaware of what has been the situation during the 1000 years, in which the Tribes were reunited previously. This prophecy reveals that the long-dead will share in the restored state, though they died believing all such hope was lost! [4] This 100 year interval is deduced from Isaiah 65:20, which some believe actually represents the optimum lifespan during the millennial age. The ‘second resurrection era’ may be one generation long, whatever duration that may be. [5] Satan will have been defeated and bound in the bottomless pit for the duration. (Rev. 20:1-3). |
| Iron Sharpening Iron In regard to: Sabbaths and Bullocks Offerings During the Feast of Tabernacles and Last Day Article by Bill Hillebrenner Comments by Rich Traver (Clifton, Colorado) |
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| Regarding the Fate of the Forces Opposing Christ A Postnote: (by Rich Traver) There are to be two battle occasions: One at Armageddon at the Second Coming, and 1000 years later after Satan is released, when he enlists the forces of Gog and Magog attempting to conquer the World Capitol at Jerusalem. (Ezek. 38 & 39 & Rev. 20:1-3 & 7-10) It’s the Beast’s army, killed at the Second Coming, that will be raised-up in the second resurrection. They were people, never converted, who were duped and enlisted (perhaps in some cases against their will) believing what they were told by their Governmental Leaders and the False Prophet. These will remain dead throughout the millennial age, yet will come up in the second resurrection, to be provided the opportunity this present evil world never allowed them. (Now, if some of them were at one point converted, and became resentful against the Way of Truth, that’s a different story. But likely there would be few if any of them.) However, Satan’s army, marshalled after his release from the bottomless pit, after the millennium, will experience a different fate. These people will have grown up in the final generation of the millennium and will have had their opportunity to know the Truth and to have become converted. Their alliance with Satan, by personal choice, knowing who he is, will seal their fate. Their resurrection when it comes a generation later, will be for sentencing, not additional opportunity! Beginning after this intended assault against the World Capitol at Jerusalem will be the time of the second resurrection when ‘the rest of the dead’ will be raised to be provided the opportunity for salvation that they never had in their first life. It’s important to realize this resurrection involves those who never had an opportunity for salvation. It will not include the wicked who did have opportunity before their death and who spurned it. The second resurrection era will last a generation (some say 100 years. See footnote 4 above.). It’s as this period of time draws to a close (with those in the previously resurrected generation still living), that all the ‘rest of the dead’ [1] still in their graves (including the righteous and unrighteous who died during the millennium) will be raised up also, in their former physical state, to join them, standing for Judgment. This event is what we refer to as the third resurrection: The resurrection to Eternal Judgment: The “Final Sentencing Event”. Note: the third resurrection will involve both the converted and incorrigibly wicked being raised-up together. The old WCG teaching that this resurrection involves the ‘wicked only’ is incorrect. This will be the “sheep-from-the-goats” event described by Jesus in Matthew 25 and the same as described in Revelation 14:14-20 where righteous people and unrighteous people are raised together. Those who live and die in the millennial age will go to their graves awaiting their sentencing event, much like our generation does today. Those who attain the century mark in their millennial age lives, and who are still unconverted at the time of their deaths, their fate will have been self-determined. They have rendered themselves accursed. The child and the sinner both will die, as Isaiah 65:20 affirms. This explains that the millennial generations will live and die much as we do in this generation. They will await their ‘reward’ just as Christians do presently. Revelation 14:13 also speaks to this. It’s their assignment (to life or death) that is the all-important difference. How Long This May Take While the subliminal impression from this article might be that this succession of ethnic nations being brought into submission to the Government of Christ and His Saints will take a millennium, these seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles more likely present the sequence of their responses, not that it will take up to the full thousand years to bring them around. It is more likely that these ethnicities will ‘see the light’ and embrace the righteous standards and the sponsored religion of the Kingdom of God within that generation who survive through the Great Tribulation and beyond Armageddon, or at least within the lifetimes of their first-generation descendants in the millennial age. [1] Revelation 20: 5 |
| Iron Sharpening Iron In regard to: Sabbaths and Bullocks Offerings During the Feast of Tabernacles and Last Day Article by Bill Hillebrenner Comments by Laura Lee (Bismarck, North Dakota) |
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| Overall, this was a great job by both Bill Hillebrenner and Rich Traver. Before I get started, I would like to explain that Rich Traver must have printed Bill Hillebrenner’s article here in one of his own publications and then someone sent it to us. Originally Rich Traver’s comments appeared at the end of Bill Hillebrenner’s article, and I just took them off and put them in our publication as an “Iron Sharpening Iron”. Prophecy can sometimes be hard to understand, and I don’t know that anyone is an expert at it, but some do better at it than others. So, with that said I only have two points that I would like to add. #1- In regard to the resurrections. We know that Christ was resurrected, and we know there will be a first fruits resurrection. My understanding of what Bill and Rich have said is that there will be three resurrections. One being the elect who will rule a thousand years with Christ. I have nothing to say about the first and the third resurrections as stated in this article as I believe they are correct. It is the second resurrection after the thousand years is complete. There is evidence throughout scripture that this resurrection after the thousand years will actually be more than one resurrection and could be many resurrections. If anyone has an article in regard to that please send it over for print. #2- I know that many people believe that Ezekiel 39:12 and Revelation 20:9 are talking about the same event and time frame, but I do not believe that for the following reason: In Ezekiel it says they will bury the bodies for 7 months. And in Revelation it says, “Fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.” In other words, since the fire came down from God and devoured them there would be no bodies left to bury. So, in my opinion it cannot be talking about the same event. I believe that Ezekiel 39:12 is talking about the bodies from the battle that happened when Christ returned from the marriage supper of the lamb and had to fight just before the thousand-year reign of Christ started. The passage in Revelation I believe is talking about when Satan was loosed for a time, and they came to fight at Jerusalem which would have taken place after the thousand years was complete. Does anyone else have some input in regard to this? Eze 39:12 And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land. Rev 20:9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. |
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