Introduction
True Meaning Of The Feast Of Tabernacles–If we look at the feasts of God, there is one called the Feast of Tabernacles. (Dt 16:16) This is the last feast of the three annual festivals of God. This festival is composed of three consecutive festivals, that is, the Feast of Trumpet, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. Among these three festivals, today I would like to show the meaning of the Feast of Tabernacles.
The Feast of Ingathering
True Meaning Of The Feast Of Tabernacles–The festivals of God can be called with many different names according to the meanings it contains. The Feast of Tabernacles too has another name for it, the Feast of Ingathering.
Exodus 23:16 “Celebrate the Festival of Harvest with the firstfruits of the crops you sow in your field.“Celebrate the Festival of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in your crops from the field.
The reason this feast was called “the Feast of Ingathering” was because it was kept during the harvest time. During this time, they “gathered in” all the crops and stored them. If they are left in the field unharvested, ultimately they would become the food for wild animals or become useless soon by going bad and decayed. That is why farmers did their best to gather them all and store them during this short period of harvest.
The True Meaning of the Feast of Tabernacles
But the bible says that the laws of the old covenants are just shadows not reality. The reality is in the new covenant fulfilled by Christ. Therefore, through the law of “the Feast of Tabernacles,” we can understand the true meaning hidden behind it.
Then what is God’s providence hidden in this festivals? To understand this, first, we have to understand the spiritual meaning of the harvest. Jesus 2000 years ago taught us the spiritual meaning of the harvest.
John 4:35-38 Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36 Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37 Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. 38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”
In these verses, Jesus is teaching about the spiritual harvest and he is sending out his disciples as spiritual harvesters to the spiritual field to gather in all the spiritual crops. Then what was his disciples sent for? They were sent by Jesus into the world to gather all the people of God. (Mt 4:19, Mk 16:15) Jesus sent out his disciples as harvester to gather in spiritual crops, that is, God’s people.
The True Harvest Time: The End Time
Just as there are two harvest season is in the nation of Israel: Autumn Harvest and Spring Harvest. In the nation of Israel the final harvest was done during the spring time just before hot Summer. The harvest Jesus and disciples did 2000 years ago was done as foreshadow for the true harvest which would be done at the end time.
The Parable of the Last Harvest
Matthew 13:24-30 Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. 27 “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’
28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ 29 “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”
True Meaning Of The Feast Of Tabernacles–In this parable, Jesus is describing a field where wheat and weeds are growing together. However, at the harvest time, he would sent out his harvesters and separate them from each other. And he said that he would have his harvesters tie all the weeds into a bundle and put them in the fire to be burned and the good crops would be gathered in his barn.
The Explanation of the Last Harvest
True Meaning Of The Feast Of Tabernacles–Then what is the meaning of this parable?
Matthew 13:36-42 Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” 37 He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
40 “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
He says that the parable was given for the harvest at the end of the age. When the end time comes, he would separates the sons of God and sons of the Devil. And the sons of God would be gather in to the heavenly barn, that is, the kingdom of heaven. But the evil ones would be all put into the fiery furnace or hell.
With this done, then it would be the end of the harvest. Through the Feast of Tabernacles what God actually wanted to teach us was the last spiritual harvest when God would send out his angels as harvesters so that they would finish the harvest work of gathering in all the good crops or the sons of God.
The Work Of God During The Feast Of Tabernacles
True Meaning Of The Feast Of Tabernacles–To participate in this spiritual harvest, first, we must know a couple of things. First, we should know who is the owner of the field who would do the harvest work. And also, we should know the harvesters who would be sent out to the field by the man.
Matthew 13:41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.
The owner of the field is Son of Man or Jesus himself. However, since this is a parable about the end time, the Jesus in this parable is the Second Coming Jesus who would appear in the last days. Then who would be angels? Just like 2000 years ago, the angels who would be sent out as harvesters are the disciples who he would gather and send out into the world.
Preaching Week
True Meaning Of The Feast Of Tabernacles–Through these words of God in the bible we can understand the meaning of the Feast of Tabernacles. This festival was kept to teach us about the preaching festivals which would be done by the disciples of the Second Coming Christ. Through this harvest work, he would gather all God’s people and lead them all into the heavenly barn, that is, the kingdom of heaven.
Now to fulfill this prophecy, Christ Ahnsahghong and Heavenly Mother New Jerusalem came to us and taught us that we should go out into the world to preach the words of God to peoples of all nations. They have given us a mission of preaching to 7 billion people of the world.
Now, Let us go out to the world to the ends of the earth and preach the true words of God as good and faithful harvesters of God.
Conclusion
True Meaning Of The Feast Of Tabernacles–Jesus said “One sows and another rips.” Even though there were many people of God who has done all the hard works for the harvest, God has chosen us as harvesters. Easily he could have placed us as sowers who bore all the burdens of work and the heat of the day. Rather, God showed his grace to us by putting us in the time of harvest so that we can harvest good things for which others worked hard, but couldn’t get. If we understand the will of God for us, now we should take part in the harvest work of God with joyful and thankful mind.
Let us go to the field and gather all the good crops. If not, they would become food for wild animals and birds, or simply go bad and decayed. Spiritually, they are our lost brothers and sisters lost from heaven. They are waiting for us to come and take them Zion.