Nazarene Israelite Two House Congregation of Port Elizabeth

When will the whole world be called?

As we’ve learnt in the previous teaching, Elohim is not in competition with Satan and is not trying to save the whole world during this age. Whilst He was on earth, Yahshua the Messiah told His disciples that the good news of the coming Kingdom of Elohim would be proclaimed as a witness to all nations (and not to convert them) and then the end of the age shall come. YHVH the Elohim of Israel is the Almighty and if He sets His hand to save the world, it will be saved!

It was for this reason that Elohim revealed His Master plan of salvation for all mankind by means of His seven annual Feast Days. The first three festivals, which occur during the spring season in the Northern Hemisphere, picture great events leading to the first spiritual harvest of Spirit-begotten human beings into Elohim’s Family. The Passover is a memorial of Messiah’s sacrifice for our sins. The Feast of Unleavened Bread pictures our putting away of sin and our constant need to obey Elohim. Pentecost pictures the spiritual begettal and maturing of the first fruits of Elohim’s plan.  Then during autumn (fall) in the Northern Hemisphere, come the last four festivals. They picture tremendous events in Elohim’s plan, yet to occur. The Feast of Trumpets, the first of these four, pictures Yahshua Messiah’s return to resurrect the first fruit believers to immortality and to set up Elohim’s government on earth. The Day of Atonement pictures the deposing and binding of Satan for a thousand years. Once Satan is out of the way, mankind can be reconciled, or made at one with Elohim. Then 1,000 years of peace and prosperity will follow. Those of the first fruits of Elohim’s spiritual harvest – the first born into Elohim’s Family and co-heirs with Messiah, will join Him in ruling the earth. The spirit-born again believers will be given the opportunity of bringing the spiritual knowledge of salvation to every human being alive at that time, as well as those to be born during the Millennium.

Even though early Christian Theologians acknowledged the Millennium, it was later rejected. In the fourth century the book of Revelation was removed from the general reading list of the established Christian church. The reason for removing it was because it referred to the Millennium. The 11th edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica records: “Thus the troublesome foundation on which chiliasm [a Greek word for the doctrine of the Millennium] might have continued to build was got rid of.” During and after the reign of Constantine (306 – 337 CE.), leaders in Christianity began to look upon the Roman Empire as the Kingdom of G-d. They viewed the millennium rule of Yahshua Messiah as having already started! During the last Century, some professing Christian leaders have gone so far as to claim that the doctrine of the millennial rule of Messiah (they call Him C*h*r*i*s*t*) is not to be found in either the so-called New Testament gospels or the epistles, or even in the traditions of the apostles. But, let us turn to the Scriptures, the source of truth, to see what it reveals about the Millennium, as pictured by the Feast of Tabernacles. Elohim’s annual Feast Days began to be made known to the congregation of ancient Israel – Elohim’s congregation (or congregation) in the wilderness, when the nation was first formed, as witnessed in Acts 7: 37 & 38, in this way: “This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, ‘ELOHIM SHALL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN.’ (38) This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness together with the angel who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received living oracles to pass on to you.”

Let’s look at Elohim’s instructions regarding the observance of the sixth annual festival and how it pictures the coming millennium, when all the survivors of the Great Tribulation and the Day of YHVH and their progeny will be converted and given an opportunity for salvation. We read about the Feast of Tabernacles (or booths) from Leviticus 23: 33 - 35, as follows: ‘Again YHVH spoke to Moses, saying, (34) “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘On the fifteenth of this seventh month is the Feast of Booths for seven days to YHVH. (35) On the first day is a holy (set-apart) convocation; you shall do no laborious work of any kind.’”’  We see that on the first day of the Feast of Booths all ordinary work is forbidden and believers are to gather before Elohim for worship services. We read further from verse 41 of Leviticus 23, ‘You shall thus celebrate it (the Feast of Booths) as a feast to YHVH for seven days in the year. It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month (according to the Hebrew Calendar that Elohim gave Moses and those who sit in his seat).’ We also see from (Exodus 23: 16 & Exodus 34: 22), that the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths was also called the Feast of Ingathering, in this way: “And you shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), that is, the first fruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year.” The underlined words ‘at the turn of the year’ as used here, refer to the autumnal equinox, because it celebrated the late summer-early autumn harvest, as witnessed in Leviticus 23: 39, as follows: “On exactly the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the crops of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of YHVH for seven days, with a rest on the first day and a rest on the eighth day.” The harvest festival was to be a time of great rejoicing and thanksgiving for Elohim’s abundant blessings.

As shown before, Elohim used the two yearly harvest seasons in the Land of Israel in the Middle East to picture the future spiritual harvests of mankind into His spiritual Family. The spring grain harvest is small compared to the great fall (autumn) harvest. The First harvest is represented by a single day – the Feast of Pentecost. It pictures the spiritual first fruits, the relatively small number of people whom Elohim has called into His congregation before Messiah’s return, when they will be born (again) into Elohim’s Spiritual Family. However, the Feast of Tabernacles lasts a full seven days. This shows that Elohim’s great second harvest of mankind will take a thousand years to be reaped. People will be born physically, called of Elohim during the Millennium, and after fulfilling their life’s purpose of growing in Elohim’s perfect character, be born spiritually into His family. In ancient Israel, Elohim chose where His people were to keep the three ascension or foot feasts. Even though Elohim revealed His festivals to the children of Israel and commanded that these should be kept forever, the people soon rebelled. Many finally refused to keep the Feast of Tabernacles on the days Elohim ordained and eventually neglected to keep it altogether. Let’s consider what happened and what the result of their disobedience were: We see from Joshua 18: 1 that Elohim originally set His name in Shiloh, designating it as the place where the Feast of Tabernacles was to be kept, in this way: ‘Then the whole congregation of the sons of Israel assembled themselves at Shiloh, and set up the tent of meeting there; and the land was subdued before them.’ Reading from Judges 21: 19, we see that some of the children of Israel were obedient to YHVH at that time, as follows: ‘So they said, “Behold, there is a feast of YHVH from year to year in Shiloh, which is on the north side of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south side of Lebonah.” Turning to 1 Samuel 1: 3 & 21 and 2: 19, we read about Samuel’s parents and how they kept this Feast every year, in this way: ‘Now this man would go up from his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice to YHVH of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas were priests to YHVH there. (21) Then the man Elkanah went up with all his household to offer to YHVH the yearly sacrifice and pay his vow. (2: 19) ‘And his mother would make him a little robe and bring it to him from year to year when she would come up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.’ The yearly sacrifices mentioned in these verses refer to the Feast of Tabernacles.

But, we see that Elohim changed the location for the Feast of Tabernacles during the early years of King Solomon’s reign, after he built the temple in Jerusalem, in 1 Kings 8: 1 & 2, as follows: ‘Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers’ households of the sons of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of YHVH from the city of David, which is Zion. (2) And all the men of Israel assembled themselves to King Solomon at the feast, in the month Ethanim (also known as Tishrei), which is the seventh month.’ When Solomon completed building the temple, the priest brought the Ark of the Covenant of YHVH to its place in the Holy of Holies, the glory of Elohim filled the temple, as recorded in verses 10 - 13, in this way: ‘And it came about when the priests came from the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of YHVH, (11) so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of YHVH filled the house of YHVH. (12) Then Solomon said, “YHVH has said that He would dwell in the thick cloud. (13) I have surely built Thee a lofty house, a place for Thy dwelling forever.”’ Afterwards Solomon and all of Israel observed the feast as witnessed in verse 65 of 1 Kings 8, as follows: ‘So Solomon observed the feast at that time, and all Israel with him, a great assembly from the entrance of Hamath to the brook of Egypt, before YHVH our Elohim, for seven days and seven more days, even fourteen days.” Even though the Israelites observed the Feast of Tabernacles in the days of Solomon, the nation did not fully observe it in the way that Elohim commanded.

After King Solomon died the united nation of Israel split in two, because Solomon’s heart was turned away from YHVH the Elohim of Israel; with his son King Rehoboam ruling over the house of Judah and King Jeroboam ruling over the house of Israel. King Jeroboam did not want the house of Israel to return to Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Tabernacles with the house of Judah for fear that they will return to Rehoboam king of Judah after the Feast, and as recorded in 1 Kings 12: 28 – 32, ‘So the king consulted, and made two golden calves, and he said to them, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; behold your gods, O Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt. (29) And he set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. (30) Now this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan. (31) And he made houses on high places, and made priests from among all the people who were not of the sons of Levi. (32) And Jeroboam instituted a feast in the eighth month on the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast which is in Judah, and he went up to the altar; thus he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves which he had made. And he stationed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made.’ King Jeroboam’s personal agenda led to spiritual mistakes that would bring untold misery to the house of Israel and their descendants. Jeroboam’s counterfeit worship, with its own festivals and priesthood was the primary reason for the house of Israel’s downfall. Elohim pronounced a sobering judgment against  Jeroboam, through Ahijah the prophet  in 1 Kings 14: 7 – 10, as follows: “Go, say to Jeroboam, ‘Thus says YHVH Elohim of Israel, “Because I exalted you from among the people and made you leader over My people Israel, (8) and tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you—yet you have not been like My servant David, who kept My commandments and who followed Me with all his heart, to do only that which was right in My sight; (9) you also have done more evil than all who were before you, and have gone and made for yourself other gods and molten images to provoke Me to anger, and have cast me behind your back—(10) therefore behold, I am bringing calamity on the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam every male person, both bond and free in Israel, and I will make a clean sweep of the house of Jeroboam, as one sweeps away dung until it is all gone.” Because of Jeroboam’s sin, YHVH also rejected Israel as is recorded in verses 14 – 16, in this way: “Moreover, YHVH will raise up for Himself a king over Israel who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam this day and from now on. (15) For YHVH will strike Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water; and He will uproot Israel from this good land which He gave to their fathers, and will scatter them beyond the Euphrates River, because they have made their Asherim (wooden symbols of a female deity), provoking YHVH to anger. (16) And He will give up Israel on account of the sins of Jeroboam, which he committed and with which he made Israel to sin.”

A second witness as to why YHVH scattered the house of Israel into the nations comes from Ezekiel 20: 23 & 24, as follows: “Also I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them among the lands, (24) because they had not observed My ordinances, but had rejected My statutes, and had profaned My Sabbaths, and their eyes were on the idols of their fathers.” Notice that the word ‘Sabbaths’ is plural, meaning the annual Sabbaths as well as the weekly Sabbath. The Scriptures usually speaks of the weekly Sabbath in the singular. Because of their continued disobedience; mainly their utter disregard of Elohim’s weekly and annual Sabbaths, the Israelites were taken into captivity. Later the house of Judah was also taken captive because of the sins of King Manasseh of Judah as recorded in 2 Kings 21: 16 and 2 Kings 24: 3, in this way: (21: 6) ‘Moreover, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; besides his sin with which he made Judah sin, in doing evil in the sight of YHVH. (24: 3 & 4) Surely at the command of YHVH it came upon Judah, to remove them from His sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, (4) and also for the innocent blood which he shed, for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; and YHVH would not forgive.’ Other than with the house of Israel, who has not returned to the Promised Land until today, a small remnant of the house of Judah returned from Babylon under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah. After 70 years of subservience to Babylon, Elohim had become real to those few Jews, as well as those who remained in the lands of their captivity. We see from Nehemiah 8: 1 & 2 that they immediately began keeping Elohim’s Set-apart Days, as follows: ‘And all the people gathered as one man at the square which was in front of the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the Law of Moses which YHVH had given to Israel. (2) Then Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly of men, women, and all who could listen with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month (the Feast of Trumpets).’  A few days later they kept the Feast of Tabernacles and The Last Great Day, as witnessed in verses 17 & 18, in this way: ‘And the entire assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in them. The sons of Israel had indeed not done so from the days of Joshua the son of Nun to that day. And there was great rejoicing. (18) And he read from the book of the law of Elohim daily, from the first day to the last day. And they celebrated the feast seven days, and on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly according to the ordinance.’ The Set-apart days of YHVH held vivid meaning for the Jews who returned from captivity and their eyes were opened, symbolic of what will occur to humanity after the Second Coming of Messiah.

During Yahshua Messiah’s human life, the descendants of Judah who returned were still keeping the Feast of Tabernacles, as witnessed in John 7: 2, as follows: ‘Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of Booths, was at hand.’  Rav Yochanan called the celebration ‘the feast of the Jews’ because His book was primarily written for the Gentiles. Before conversion, the Gentiles saw the feasts only as a part of the “different” religion of the Jews. The house of Israel had lost the knowledge of Elohim’s Set-apart Days, but Judah had preserved the Tanach, the Sabbaths (weekly and annual) according to Elohim’s instructions. Yahshua instructed his disciples to go up to the Feast in verse 8, and we read from verses 10 & 14, how He also kept the Feast of Tabernacles with His Jewish Brothers, in this way: ‘But when His brothers had gone up to the feast, then He Himself also went up, not publically, but as it were, in secret. (14) But when it was now the midst of the feast Yahshua went up into the temple, and began to teach.’ Yahshua had been present at the Feast from the first day, although He only stood up to teach near the middle of the feast. He arrived secretly and kept out of the limelight because certain of the religious leaders were seeking to kill Him. Even though Yahshua was critical of the ‘traditions of the elders’, He always made it clear that Elohim’s laws remained binding and went on to magnify them in Matthew 5: 17 – 48.  All twelve tribes of Israel will keep the Feast of Tabernacles during the Millennium as witnessed in Hosea 12; 8 & 9, as follows: ‘And Ephraim said, “Surely I have become rich, I have found wealth for myself; in all my labors they will find in me no iniquity, which would be sin.” (9) But I have been YHVH your Elohim since the land of Egypt; I will make you live in tents again, as in the days of the appointed festivals.’ Gentile nations will join Israel in keeping the Feast of Booths during the Millennium, as recorded in Zechariah 14: 16, in this way: ‘Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, YHVH of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths.’ Those nations who refuse to keep the Feast of booths annually, will be punished, as we read from verse 17, as follows: ‘And it will be that whichever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, YHVH of hosts, there will be no rain on them. In similar way, Elohim allows those who refuse to keep His annual and weekly Sabbaths now, but only those who obey Him at this time will be protected through the time of trouble just ahead.

Elohim wants His people to rejoice at the Feast of Tabernacles, regardless of their age, social class or economic level as He instructed in Deuteronomy 16: 13 – 15, saying: “You shall celebrate the Feast of Booths seven days after you have gathered in from your threshing floor and your wine vat; (14) and you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter and your male and female servants and the Levite and the stranger and the orphan and the widow who are in your towns. (15) Seven days you shall celebrate a feast to YHVH your Elohim in the place which YHVH chooses, because YHVH your Elohim will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you shall be altogether joyful.” In fact we see according to Elohim’s instruction we should spend the tithe that we are supposed to set aside for the Feast Days of Elohim, on whatever our hearts desire, so long as it is kosher, as recorded in Deuteronomy 14: 22 – 26, in this way: “You shall surely tithe all the produce from what you sow, which comes out of the field every year. (23) And you shall eat in the presence of YHVH your Elohim, at the place where He chooses to establish His name, the tithe of your grain, your new wine, your oil, and the first-born of your herd and your flock, in order that you may learn to fear YHVH your Elohim always. (24) And if the distance is so great for you that you are not able to bring the tithe, since the place where YHVH your Elohim chooses to set His name is too far away from you when YHVH your Elohim blesses you, (25) then you shall exchange it for money, and bind the money in your hand and go to the place which YHVH your Elohim chooses. (26) And you may spend the money for whatever your heart desires, for oxen, or sheep, or wine, or strong drink, or whatever your heart desires; and there you shall eat in the presence of YHVH your Elohim and rejoice, you and your household.” The Feast of tabernacles is a time of great rejoicing. In ancient Israel it was a time of rejoicing because of the abundant winter food supply, harvested just prior to the Feast. Elohim’s people at the Feast demonstrate now, by the way they live together in harmony, what the world will be like after Messiah returns.

We notice from verses 22 – 26 above that YHVH commanded his people to save a tithe (10 percent of their net income) throughout the year to be spent in travelling to and attending the Feast. The Feast of Tabernacles gives Elohim’s called out people the opportunity to live joyfully for 8 days; to live above what they would normally be able to afford, so that they may experience a foretaste of the wealth the whole world will enjoy in the coming Kingdom of Elohim. We see that when the Set-apart Spirit is poured out freely during the Millennium, the attitude of human beings will change for the better, as we read from Micah 4: 1 – 4, as follows: ‘And it will come about in the last days that the mountain (government) of the house of YHVH will be established as the chief of the mountains. It will be raised above the hills, and the peoples will stream to it. (2) And many nations will come and say, “Come and let us go up to the mountain of YHVH and to the house of the Elohim of Jacob, that He may teach us about His ways and that we may walk in His paths.” For from Zion will go forth the law, even the word of YHVH from Jerusalem. (3) And he will judge between many peoples and render decisions for mighty, distant nations. Then they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they train for war. (4) And each of them will sit under his vine and under his fig tree, with no one to make them afraid, for the mouth of YHVH of hosts has spoken.’  We see further from Isaiah 11: 6 - 9 that even the nature of wild animals will be changed during the Millennium rule of Messiah, in this way: “And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little boy will lead them. (7) Also the cow and the bear will graze; their young will lie down together; and the lion will eat straw like the ox.  (8) And the nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den. (9) They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of YHVH as the waters cover the sea.” Once Elohim places His Spirit within repentant mankind during the Millennium, people will begin to express outgoing love and concern for other and will obey Elohim. This coming change in the nature of humans and animals is the chief reason why the Feast of Tabernacles previews this time with such great rejoicing!

The coming government of Elohim will not be a democracy, or any other form of human government. During the Millennium Messiah will rule supreme from world headquarters in Jerusalem, as we read from Jeremiah 3: 17, as follows: “At that time they shall call Jerusalem ‘The Throne of YHVH,’ and all nations will be gathered to it, to Jerusalem, for the name of YHVH; nor shall they walk anymore after the stubbornness of their evil heart.” We see further from Daniel 7: 14, 18 & 27, “And to Him (the Son of Man) was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed. (18) But the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come. (27) Then the sovereignty, the dominion, and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.” Messiah will be over the saints; His position will be that of the Husband, because the saints – or immortal children of Elohim, will constitute the Bride of Messiah. Messiah was showing in the parable of the pounds (or minas) that those who develop their talents to do Elohim’s will, will be rewarded with positions of rulership. There will be local administration districts, some larger, some smaller – that will be administered by the Spirit born again children of Elohim. Rav Luka (Luke) reveals the names of several faithful servants of Elohim who will be given high positions under Messiah in the Kingdom of Elohim, in Luke 13: 28, as follows: “There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth there when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of Elohim, but yourselves being cast out.” We see that David will again rule over the modern descendants of Jacob, from Ezekiel 37: 24 & 25, “And My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd; and they will walk in my ordinances, and keep my statutes, and observe them. (25) And they shall live on the land that I gave to Jacob My servant, in which your fathers lived; and they will live on it, they, and their sons, and their son’s sons, forever, and David My servant shall be their prince forever.”  The patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and other men of Elohim such as Joseph, Job, Moses and David, will be brought back to life, immortal, in glorified power, to occupy high executive positions in Elohim’s government.

We see further from Luke 22: 29 – 30 that Yahshua’s disciples, who remained loyal to Him, will also have executive positions in the Kingdom of Elohim, in this way: “And just as My Father has granted Me a kingdom, I grant you (30) that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” The resurrected immortal saints will similarly to Messiah’s original disciples, judge the rest of mankind as witnessed in 1 Corinthians 6: 2, as follows: ‘Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts? Whereas in many governments of the world the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government are separate. In addition, the teaching function is also separate from government. In Elohim’s government on earth, all four these functions will be united. The Head of the Family will establish the laws (legislative function); the family of Elohim will enforce the laws (the executive function); it will also interpret the laws and judge cases concerning them (judicial function); and it will also be responsible for the educational function, teaching people Elohim’s Law. Even so, Yahshua taught in Matthew 20: 26 - 28 that every divine ruler will rule his subjects in genuine love and concern, saying: “It is not so among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, (27) and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; (28) just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Each ruler under Messiah will rule with authority given them by Messiah, as He said in Revelation 2: 26 & 27, in this way: “And he who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, To HIM I WILL GIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE NATIONS; (27) AND HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON, AS THE VESSELS OF THE POTTER ARE BROKEN TO PIECES, as I also have received authority from My Father.” All government policies will be based on Elohim’s Laws and the pattern that Yahshua will lay down from Jerusalem. Elohim’s government will be perfectly organized, devoid of red tape and excessive bureaucracies. As we’ve read from Daniel 7: 18, Elohim’s government will be permanent. No time and money will be wasted on election campaigns. There will be no political mud-slinging, no insurrections, no rebellions, because Elohim cannot be overthrown. Nor will any member of the government ever turn into another adversary like Satan, as witnessed in 1 John 3: 9, as follows: ‘No one who is born of Elohim practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of Elohim.’ We see further that the Spirit-born teachers in Elohim’s Kingdom will have 100% success rate in teaching people, as we read from Habakkuk 2: 14, in this way: “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of YHVH, as the waters cover the sea.” Spiritual blindness will be destroyed during the Millennium and people will begin to live Elohim’s way of love – the way of giving and outgoing concern for fellow human beings.

In the Millennium world pictured by the Feast of Tabernacles, people will no longer be influenced by Satan and the false attractions of this present world to distract them from overcoming their human nature. Elohim’s way will become the popular broad way – the way people will want to go. Pressures in society that now urge people toward conformity with this present evil world will be changed toward conformity with Elohim’s standard, toward overcoming human nature and building Elohim’s perfect character. When Messiah has forcibly put down those who fill the earth with violence, He will abolish the fear of war, as witnessed in Isaiah 2: 4, as follows: ‘And He will judge between the nations, and will render decisions for many peoples; and they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they learn war.’ Just imagine, never again any destruction of the fruit of years of work. No more waste of human life. No young men drafted from their home, to have their minds confused with hatred. We do not ever have to fear that Yahshua our Messiah will be a tyrannical ruler, as we read from Isaiah 11: 4, in this way: ‘But with righteousness He will judge the poor, and decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; and He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips he will slay the wicked.’ Yahshua will also make perfect unbiased decisions, as indicated in verse 3 of Isaiah 11, as follows: ‘And He will delight in the fear of YHVH, and He will not judge by what His eyes see, nor make a decision by what His ears hear.’ In addition, Elohim will liberate people from fear of sickness and disease, as recorded in Isaiah 33: 24, in this way: ‘And no resident will say, “I am sick”; the people who dwell there will be forgiven their iniquity.’ The handicapped – both mentally and physically will be miraculously healed as confirmed in Isaiah 35: 3 – 6, as follows: “Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble. (4) Say to those with anxious heart, “Take courage, fear not. Behold, your Elohim will come with vengeance; the recompense of Elohim will come. But He will save you.” (5) Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. (6) Then the lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb will shout for joy. For waters will break forth in the wilderness and streams in the Arabah.” Education about true health and the miraculous healing of all sickness and disease will mean radiant health for everyone during the 1,000 year reign of Messiah.

There will be no more fear and worries in the cities and they will be filled with radiantly happy families, during that time, as witnessed in Jeremiah 33: 10 - 11, in this way: “Thus says YHVH, ‘Yet again there shall be heard in this place, of which you say, “It is a waste, without man and without beast,” that is, in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man and without inhabitant and without beast, (11) the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who say, “Give thanks to YHVH of hosts, for YHVH is good, for His lovingkindness is everlasting?”; and of those who bring a thank offering into the house of YHVH. For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were at first,’ says YHVH.’ People will no longer fear their neighbors. They won’t have to worry about living next door to someone who is mentally unbalanced, a pervert or a murderer. The old won’t have to fear being attacked and brutally beaten by some juvenile delinquents out looking for fun. Most of the earth’s land surface will become productive during the millennial age. All over the world there will be forests, agricultural areas and fish-filled lakes and streams, with no polluted rivers or ravaged landscapes, because old waste places will be made fertile, as we read from Isaiah 41: 18 & 19, as follows: “I will open rivers on the bare heights, and springs in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land fountains of water. (19) I will put the cedar in the wilderness, the acacia, and the myrtle, and the olive tree; I will place the juniper in the desert, together with the box tree and the cypress.” We also read from Amos 9: 13 & 14, “Behold, days are coming,” declares YHVH, “When the plowman will overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes him who sows seed; when the mountains will drip sweet wine, and all the hills will be dissolved. (14) Also I will restore the captivity of My people Israel, and they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them, they will also plant vineyards and drink their wine, and make gardens and eat their fruit.”

One of the major barriers to cooperation between the different peoples of the world today, is confusion of languages. Here in South Africa we have 11 official languages and even though the majority of the citizens in South Africa can speak or at least understand English, a major problem is that we do not always understand one another and therefore mistrust one another. But we see that Elohim will give the whole world a pure language during Messiah’s 1000 year reign, as witnessed from Zephaniah 3: 9, as follows: “For then I will give to the peoples purified lips, that all of them may call on the name of YHVH, to serve Him shoulder to shoulder.”  This will usher in an era of worldwide literacy and education through a pure language. People everywhere will speak, read and write that same language, which will most probably be a pure form of the Hebrew language. Reeducation will not teach people to have self-confidence, but confidence in Messiah dwelling in them through the Set-apart Spirit. The only fear that will remain during the Millennium will be the proper fear of Elohim, as witnessed in Isaiah 59: 19, in this way: ‘So they will fear the name of YHVH from the west and His glory from the rising of the sun, for He will come like a rushing stream, which the wind of YHVH drives.” This fear is not terror and misery, but the mature, sound-minded realization that disobeying the laws of Elohim has set in motion for our good leads to nothing but trouble, wretchedness, and deprivation. In fact the Feast of Tabernacles was given that we might learn to fear Elohim always, as confirmed in Deuteronomy 14: 23 (quoted earlier). At Messiah’s return He will deliver the remnant of the descendants of ancient Israel, who will be made captive in the coming Great Tribulation. They will not be changed to immortality at Messiah’s return, but rather restored to the Promised Land as physical human beings. The remnant of Israel still alive at that time, will be eager to enter into a ‘perpetual covenant’ with Him, as recorded in Jeremiah 50: 4 & 5, as follows: “In those days and at that time,” declares YHVH, “The sons of Israel will come, both they and the sons of Judah as well; they will go along weeping as they go, and it will be YHVH their Elohim they will seek, (5) They will ask for the way to Zion, turning their faces in its direction; they will come that they may join themselves to YHVH in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten.” Messiah’s blood will cleanse all Israel so that in living a truly ‘converted’ life, the nation will reach the apex of joy and gladness and material prosperity, as YHVH inspired Jeremiah to write in Jeremiah 33: 7 – 9, saying: ‘And I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, and I will rebuild them as they were at first. (8) And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned against Me, and by which they have transgressed against Me. (9) And it shall be to Me a name of joy, praise, and glory before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear of all the good that I do for them, and they shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the peace that I make for it.’

The return from captivity of the house of Judah did not fulfill the ultimate intent of this prophecy. Nor did they even approach the degree of wealth Israel possessed under David and Solomon. But, during the millennium Elohim will bestow upon obedient Israel all of the great material blessings He promised to give their ancestors had they obeyed (Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28). Abraham’s offspring were prophesied to become extremely numerous in Genesis 13: 16. We see from Ezekiel 36: 10 & 11, that Israel’s population will reach its peak during the millennium, in this way: ‘And I will multiply men on you, all the house of Israel, all of it; and the cities will be inhabited, and the waste places will be rebuilt. (11) And I will multiply on you man and beast; and they will increase and be fruitful; and I will cause you to be inhabited as you were formerly and will treat you better than at the first. Thus you will know that I am YHVH.’ A second witness comes from Isaiah 60: 21 & 22, as follows: ‘Then all your people will be righteous; they will possess the land forever, the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, that I may be glorified. (22) The smallest one will become a clan, and the least one a mighty nation. I, YHVH, will hasten it in its time.’ In fact we see from Isaiah 27; 6 that in those days the Israelites will again spread into every part of the globe. Israel was supposed to be a blessing to the rest of the world both materially and spiritually. As the Gentiles will start following Israel in Elohim’s way, they too will be blessed physically and spiritually by becoming Abraham’s ‘seed’ – through Messiah (as per Galatians 3: 28 & 29), becoming Spirit-begotten and finally Spirit-born into the Family of Elohim. During the Millennium the 12 tribes of Israel will truly become the model nation that Elohim intended them to be.

Another important meaning of the Feast of Tabernacles is that it pictures the ‘marriage supper’ (known as the wedding reception in modern parlance) of Yahshua Messiah and His Spirit-born congregation. According to Revelation 19: 6 & 7, the marriage of the Lamb will occur after Messiah’s return to earth, which will be a time of great rejoicing, as follows: ‘And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude and as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, “Halleluyah! For YHVH our Elohim, the Almighty reigns. (7) Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” Messiah’s marriage is a time of great rejoicing after the war, darkness and trouble that will occur before Messiah’s return, pictured by the Feast of Trumpets! In ancient Israel a marriage feast lasted for seven days as witnessed in Judges 14: 2, 10  &  12, in this way: ‘So he (Samson) came back and told his father and mother, “I saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife.” (10) Then his father went down to the woman; and Samson made a feast there, for the young men customarily did this. (12) Then Samson said to them, “Let me now propound a riddle to you; if you will indeed tell it to me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen wraps and thirty changes of clothes.”’ Therefore, the Feast of Tabernacles picturing the marriage feast of Messiah also lasts for seven days. The seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles are like the ancient marriage feast, a type of marriage reception of Messiah and His Bride the congregation of called out believers. In similar way that a bride is bound to obey her groom as long as they live, will the Bride of Messiah obey Him forever, as we read from Ephesians 5: 22 – 27 & 32, as follows: ‘Wives be subject to your own husbands, as to the Master. (23) For the husband is the head of the wife, as Messiah also is the head of the congregation, He Himself being the Savior of the body. (24) But as the congregation is subject to Messiah, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. (25) Husbands, love your wives, just as Messiah also loved the congregation and gave Himself up for her; (26) that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, (27) that He might present to Himself the congregation in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless. (32) This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Messiah and the congregation.’

As we’ve read before from Nehemiah 8: 18, Nehemiah read the Torah to the people at the Feast of Tabernacles from the first day to the last day. Similarly must those who will be added to the Bride of Messiah during the Millennium, learn Elohim’s Torah in their lives – so that they will be able to teach others during that time. Messiah emphasized the necessity for an inner change, brought about by the Set-apart Spirit to prepare new believers for the marriage of the Lamb, in Matthew 25: 6 – 10, saying: “But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ (7) Then all those virgins rose, and trimmed their lamps. (8) And the foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ (9) But the prudent answered, saying, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ (10) And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut.’ Ancient Israel did not have the heart to fear and obey Elohim always (as per Deuteronomy 29: 4), but when they receive the Set-apart Spirit it will enable them to obey, as YHVH inspired Jeremiah to write in Jeremiah 32: 38 - 40, saying: “And they shall be my people, and I will be their Elohim; (39) and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good, and for the good of their children after them. (40) And I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me.’ The covenant made at Mount Sinai was a marriage agreement as may be seen from Jeremiah 31: 32. When the house of Israel persistently broke the terms of the agreement and committed spiritual adultery – her sins divorced her from the One who later became Yahshua Messiah, as recorded in the first part of Jeremiah 3: 8, as follows: “And I saw that for all the adulteries of faithless Israel, I had sent her away and given her a writ of divorce.”

Elohim’s true congregation of called out believers are composed of mainly bloodline Israelites, who were intermixed into the nations of the world. Even so, Gentile believers may enter the congregation of Elohim, by becoming spiritual Israelites as explained by Rav Shaul in Galatians 3: 26 – 29, Galatians 6: 16 and Romans 9: 6 & 7. Messiah will remarry Israel, but at that time she will be immortal and spiritual, not carnal, as at Sinai. Note the Bride is already called his ‘bride’ before the marriage in Revelation 19: 7, in the sense that it is Israel again, only this time she is converted, righteous and spiritual. These Spiritual Israelites will be the rulers of the physical nation of Israel during the Millennium. Those physical Israelites who qualify during the Millennium, will be added to Elohim’s ruling Family, as they are born-again. Isaiah 54 describes spiritual Israel remarried to Messiah, in contrast to the physical nation during the past 3,500 years. The congregation is presently made up of only a few truly converted believers and will remain so, until the making of the New (marriage) Covenant. Physical Israel never multiplied as fast as the congregation of converted Israelites will multiply during the Millennium. The Family of Elohim is preparing for great things in the future. The Millennium is only the beginning of eternity, joy, happiness and accomplishment that will last forever. To us as called out believers, the Feast of Tabernacles is a continual reminder of Israel’s 40-year sojourn in the wilderness, because Israel lived in temporary dwellings during that time, as we read from Leviticus 23; 42 & 43, in this way: ‘You shall live in booths for seven days; all the native-born in Israel shall live in booths, (43) so that your generations may know that I had the sons of Israel live in booths when I brought them out from the land of Egypt. I am YHVH your Elohim.’” The rebellious generation in the wilderness is a type of all carnal, rebellious people and the temporary dwellings typify the fact that human beings are mortal, and that human life and society throughout the Millennium will be only temporary. We need to understand that only eternal life is permanent! Similarly our Israelite forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob also lived in temporary dwellings as heirs, but not yet as inheritors, as witnessed in Hebrews 11: 9 & 13, as follows: ‘By faith he (Abraham) lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise. (13) All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on earth.’ So their dwelling in booths pictured that they were only heirs, not yet inheritors of eternal life in Elohim’s Kingdom and eternal possession of the land.

Believers in Messiah are at this time only aliens and strangers as Rav Kepha wrote in 1 Peter 2: 11, saying: ‘Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul.’ In fact near the end of his life, Rav Kepha compared his physical body to a temporary dwelling, in 2 Peter 1: 13 & 14, saying: ‘And I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder, (14) knowing that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, as also our Master Yahshua Messiah has made clear to me.’ Human beings made from the dust of the ground are destined to die. But, Spirit-begotten believers have the hope of eternal life abiding in them, as we read from 1 John 5: 11, in this way: ‘And the witness is this, that Elohim has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.’ Our physical bodies, with all our imperfections, our natural desires, our weaknesses, aches and pains – are meant to last only long enough for us to learn to serve Elohim in this life. By staying in temporary dwellings during the Feast of Tabernacles each year, we are reminded of this important knowledge. We get to understand that this physical life is only temporary, and that we are merely pilgrims in this life, waiting to inherit the Kingdom of Elohim. Comparing the 40-year wandering of ancient Israel with the coming Millennium; we see that just as ancient Israel after escaping from Pharaoh, a type of Satan, was given a temporary period of comparative isolation from Satan’s influence in the wilderness, so will the whole world enter a thousand  years of rest from Satan’s rule. During their 40 years Israel was made into a nation organized under Elohim’s government. During the Millennium, the whole world will similarly be organized under Elohim’s government. Forty is the number of trials and tests; Israel in the wilderness was a type of all people who will go through trials and tests in overcoming their human nature, even during the Millennium.

Some insist that the Feast Days of Elohim may only be kept in Jerusalem, but we keep the Feast Days as a shadow of things to come. We should also be mindful of Yahshua’s words to the woman at the well in John 4: 21 – 23, saying: “Woman believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall you worship the Father. (22) You worship that which you do not know; we worship that which we know, for salvation is from the Jews (meaning Yahshua the salvation of YHVH was a Jew, but also that the Jews have the Oracles of Elohim). (23) But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.”  Even though Jerusalem is not now the primary place for all people to keep the Feast of Tabernacles, YHVH will again make it so, as witnessed in Zechariah 2: 12 in this way: “And YHVH will possess Judah and his portion of the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem.” After Messiah returns to establish Elohim’s kingdom on earth, it will continue to expand, as witnessed in Isaiah 9: 7, in this way: “There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness, from then on and forever more. The zeal of YHVH of hosts will accomplish this.” The government of Elohim, like leaven in a lump of dough, will gradually spread throughout the whole earth during the Millennium. Eventually thousands of millions will be spiritually converted. The great harvest of human beings, pictured by the autumn harvest in the Holy Land, will be gathered into the Kingdom of Elohim – born again as spiritual members of the ruling Family of Elohim, during the Millennium. By the end of the 1,000 years, Elohim’s family will be ready for the final step in Elohim’s Master Plan of salvation.