THE THREE FEASTS.
The theme from GC this Sabbath is: Spirit of Prophecy and Adventist Heritage. In Mt Olives, it is also the day for the Holy Communion; in the Old Testament, also known as the Passover Feast.
In the Old Testament, God had instructed Israel that their males should go three times every year up to Jerusalem to “appear before the Lord” with an offering. The appearances were commemorated through 3 dedicated feasts. The appointed times were as follows:
The first was the Passover feast ‘Pasaka’ that today we commemorate the way Jesus showed us to do it. Second is the feast of Weeks; and third is the feast of booths.
Memory Text: “For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us” (Hebrews 9:24, NKJV).
Just to build the plot: When the disciples returned from the Mount of Olives, right after Jesus had ascended to heaven, they were filled with joy and triumph. Their Master and Friend had ascended to a position of power over the world and had invited them to approach God in His name with the absolute confidence that God would respond favorably to their prayers (John 14:13, 14).
They knew that Jesus had ascended to prepare a place for them (John 14:1-3). He had opened a way into the heavenly homeland through His blood.
So, it is with us; we are “seeking a homeland,” desiring “a better country” looking “forward to the city whose architect and builder is God” (Heb. 11:10, 13-16, NRSV).
Question: t how do we know that Heaven really exists? To get the answer, we must go back to the Old Testament and closely examine the 3 old feasts of the Old testament.
First, there was the Passover feast (also known as the feast of the unleavened Bread), to commemorate how the Lord delivered them from their bondage from Egypt.
Secondly, there was the Feast of Weeks to commemorate the giving of the Torah, the first 5 books written by Moses, the books of the law. It was celebrated 50 days after the Passover feast. In Christian circles, this has come to be known as the Pentecost. The name "Feast of Weeks" was given because God commanded the Jews in Leviticus 23:15-16, to count seven full weeks (or 49 days) beginning on the second day of Passover, and then present offerings of new grain to the Lord as a lasting ordinance. The term Pentecost derives from the Greek word meaning "fifty." This festivity was held as a means of thanksgiving for the bountiful harvest season. In Christian circles, It signifies the coming down of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Christian church.
And the third and last is the Feast of Booths, which celebrated the years the Jews spent in the desert on the way to the Promised Land, and the way God protected them in the desert. (Exod. 23:14-17, Deut. 16:16).
All these three Old Testament feasts have prophetic significance; and Jesus fulfilled them with amazing accuracy.
Number 1: Jesus died on the day of preparation of the Passover. He died on the ninth hour. Why is this important? It is important because, the nineth hour was the moment in which Passover lambs were sacrificed (John 19:14, Matt. 27:45-50). He became our sacrifice, the lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world. For when Jesus went to the cross, the Priest was still there in the temple; knife in hand; a lamb about to die. But when Jesus declared, “It is Finished.” The priest’s hand began to tremble. The knife fell. The lamb lipped off the place of sacrifice and scampered away. Why? Because the real lamb of God had gone to the cross.
Number 2: Jesus was resurrected on the third day and ascended to heaven to receive assurance that His sacrifice had been accepted (John 20:17, 1 Cor. 15:20). He then came back to earth and dwelt among men and appeared to many for 40 days (Acts 1:1-3); then, 40 days later, He ascended into Heaven to sit at the right hand of God. But he did not leave us as orphans, He sent us the Holy Spirit as flames of fire on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 1, 2). Luke 24:49-53. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” 50 Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting His hands, He blessed them. 51 While He blessed them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple blessing God.
The apostles stayed in Jerusalem until the day of Pentecost when they received the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4). That was about 7 days after Jesus ascension into Heaven, and exactly the 50th day after the Passover. How do we know? We know Jesus died on the day of Passover (John 18:28), was resurrected three days later (Luke 24:7), and appeared to his disciples over a period of 40 days (Acts 1:3) which included the day he was resurrected. So he ascended to heaven 42 days after Passover. Pentecost means “fiftieth day” and it was the 50th day of the Passover, or 49 days after Passover. It was called the “Feast of Weeks” in the Old Testament — the 49 day rule is given in Leviticus 23:15.
So, Jesus’ ascension fulfilled the typology of the first two yearly pilgrimages of Israel; the Passover and the Pentecost.
But there is the last and final feast, the feast of Booths. According to Hebrews and the book of Revelation, the last pilgrimage, the Feast of Booths, is yet to be fulfilled. We will celebrate it with Jesus, when we are in the “city … whose architect and builder is God,”. In the heavenly homeland (Heb. 11:10 [NIV], 13-16), we will not build booths, but God’s booth will descend from heaven, and we will live with Him forever (Rev. 7:15-17; Rev. 21:1-4; Rev. 22:1-5; Num. 6:24-26).
And just as the feast of booths celebrated the years the Jews spent in the desert on the way to the Promised Land, we too will have our desert experience down here before we finally make it to heaven. So, before we get there, being filled with the Holy Spirit, we must proclaim this message with boldness and power despite the great opposition we will face from time to time.
I remember the Christians of old. They went through persecution because of the gospel. And to escape persecution, they withdrew to the wilderness areas of Europe – their desert experience.
While many were slain, the light continued to shine in the darkness. God was still in control, and he began to raise up men like Wickliffe; men like Hass; men like Tyndale; men like Luther; men like Calvin and men like Zwingli to stand for His truth. They stood for the Bible alone; they stood for faith alone; they stood for Christ.
Finally, the persecutions ceased, and freedom of worship was granted again. Then something dramatic happened in the United States. A Baptist preacher, William Miller studied Daniel 8:14. This is what it says; “14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed”. The sanctuary to be cleansed? Which Sanctuary? Miller concluded that the Sanctuary must be the earth. How would the earth be cleansed? By Jesus coming back to the earth the 2nd time – the feast of Booths. This was good news…..
But remember the Angel with the little scroll of Revelation 10. This is what verse 9 to 11 says; 9 So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but ‘in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.’[a]” 10 I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. 11 Then I was told, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.”
Back to the story; William Miller had calculated the end of the 2300 years of Daniel 8:14. The calculation commenced from the decree to rebuilt Jerusalem by King Artaxerxes', which was issued in 457 BC. Add 2300 and it will take you to 1843. Add one year, given there is no 0AD, and it takes you to 22nd October 1844. So Miller concluded that Jesus would return on 22nd October 1844.
He went all over America preaching this message. Many people joined him, and a great revival broke out not only in America, but all over the Christian world.
Unfortunately, the feast of booths did not materialize; Christ did not return on 22nd October 1844. This led to the great disappointment. Many converted Christians who had joined the movement, abandoned the movement, and left.
Only a very small group continued with further Bible study. They wanted to seek further as to the reason for their disappointment. This small group through prayer and diligent study of the word, discovered that in 1844, 3 things happened:
•It was Christ's ministry in the heavenly sanctuary that had begun.
•They also discovered that the Bible taught that the seventh day was the Sabbath that Jesus had set aside, and that the whole Christian world had been led astray and indoctrinated to worship the mark of the beast- the observance of Sunday as the day of worship.
•They also came to understand that their mission, that was to proceed Christ’s return, was to preach the three angels’ message of revelation 14.
This small group became the very first Seventh day Adventists. Their goal as Seventh Day Adventists, which has remained our goal to this day, was to preach with power the everlasting gospel, and to prepare the world for Christ's return. It is therefore in 1844 that this remnant Church called the Seventh-day Adventist church, was born.
From the group, arose several leaders. Standing out among these leaders were a young couple; James and Ellen G White; and a retired sea Captain named Joseph Bates.
At the time of the great disappointment, Ellen G. White was merely a teenager. But God used her to give hope to this disappointed group.
In her first vision, she recounts, and I quote; She said:
“I was in prayer at the house of Mrs Haines in Portland, Maine. I lost consciousness and I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit.
I rose high above the dark world; and I looked for the Advent believers, but I couldn't find them.
A voice, an Angel, said to me; look again, and look a little higher.
I then saw a straight and narrow path far above the dark world. The Advent people were travelling on that path towards a Bright and a Holy city.
There was light behind the believers, which the angel told me was the midnight cry. The angel confirmed that father William Miller's message was the light, and that this date (22nd October 1844), was the beginning of our journey, not the end.
They were safe, those who kept their eyes fixed upon Jesus who was leading them to the Holy city.
Some grew weary; the city was a great way off; they had expected to enter it before now! But Jesus would encourage them by raising his right arm, from which came wonderous light, which poured over the Advent band, and as it did, He shouted, Hallelujah”!
That was Sister White’s first vision. Today, we, the Adventists, believe that she is a prophet.
Saints, the promise of heaven is so important. If there were no heaven and this life were all there was, then what hope does anyone have at all?
The good news is this. Heaven is a reality. It is a place. It is where God lives together with the other Members of the Godhead and a host of unfallen angels. It also is where we will live if we remain on God’s side. When Christ returns and the first resurrection takes place, the resurrected saints will accompany their Lord to heaven, where they will remain for a thousand years (Rev. 20:4–6). After the thousand years a series of events will take place, culminating in the creation of a “new heaven” and a “new earth” (Rev. 21:1), where the redeemed will then live forever.
In heaven, work will have its dignity and fulfillment (Isa. 65:21-23). Sickness will vanish, and perfect health shall characterize the inhabitants: “The leaves of the tree [of life] were for the healing of the nations” (Rev. 22:2; see also Ps. 46:4).
With the abolition of the curse upon the earth (Rev.22:3; cf. Gen. 3:16–19), creation would be freed from its bondage and decay (Rom. 8:18–22) and shall be transformed like the Garden of Eden (Isa. 30:23; 35:1, 2, 7; 65:17; 66:22; Hos. 1:10; 2:18; Zech. 8:12). Peace will characterize the environment: “The wolf and the lamb shall feed together” (Isa. 65:25).
Sin will be gone! Only one reminder of sin remains: our Redeemer will ever bear the marks of His crucifixion. Upon His wounded head, His hands and feet, are the only traces of the cruel work that sin has wrought.”—Ellen G. White, The Story of Redemption, p. 430.
Have you ever wondered how it will be in heaven and on the new earth? Will we recognize each other? Will we have eternal youth? What will we do when there? Will we have our own occupations? Or will we only sing God’s praises? Will we travel to other places in the universe? How much will we remember of our earthly existence?
We have every reason to believe that on the new earth we will be able to recognize those we knew in this life. Our resurrection bodies will resemble that of the risen Lord. When He appeared to His followers after His resurrection, He clearly was recognizable to those who had been with Him prior to His death.
What an inexpressible joy it will be to be reunited with those we lost in death. But the supreme experience will be to meet the Lord of the universe. Our songs will come true: “Face to face shall [we] behold Him, far beyond the starry sky!” Face to face in all His Glory, we shall see Him by and by.
Heaven will be a place where there will be no more sorrow, no more pain, no more death. This is John the revelator's description: “ ‘And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, and there was no longer any sea.’ Rev. 21:1.
Rev 21:2 "I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband."
Brethen, Heaven is real! Christ tells us, "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come." (Matthew 24:14) That is the main sign. That is the only thing the Lord is really waiting; the spread of the gospel to every corner of the world.
The more the gospel spreads, the closer we are to the return of Christ. On one occasion, He told His followers, "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also." John 14:2-3.
When the Apostle Paul was near the end of his life, locked up in prison for preaching the gospel, he wrote his last letter. These are the words which he wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:12: "…for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day."
Why was Paul so sure of heaven? Because he knew whom he had believed. His faith and confidence was in Christ and in Him alone. He was not trusting in his good works or in his self-righteousness. He was trusting in the person and work of Christ.
Sister White narrates a vision of one of the unfallen worlds. This is not a vision of Heaven, but just one of the unfallen worlds. This is what she had to say;
She said, “Then I was taken to a world which had seven moons. There I saw good old Enoch, who had been translated. On his right arm he bore a glorious palm, and on each leaf was written “Victory.”
Around his head was a dazzling white wreath, and leaves on the wreath, and in the middle of each leaf was written “Purity,” and around the wreath were stones of various colors, that shone brighter than the stars, and cast a reflection upon the letters and magnified them.
On the back part of his head was a bow that confined the wreath, and upon the bow was written “Holiness.” Above the wreath was a lovely crown that shone brighter than the sun.
I asked him if this was the place he was taken to from the earth. He said, “It is not; the city is my home, and I have come to visit this place.”
He moved about the place as if perfectly at home. I begged of my attending angel to let me remain in that place. I could not bear the thought of coming back to this dark world again.
Then the angel said, “You must go back, and if you are faithful, you, with the 144,000, shall have the privilege of visiting all the worlds and viewing the handiwork of God.” E.G.W. God's love for His people (Early Writings).
The same applies to us brethren! In speaking of that desire of our own far-off country, we feel a certain kind of shyness. The secret that pierces with such sweetness at the mention of it! The secret we cannot hide and cannot tell, though we desire to do both! We cannot tell it because it is a desire of something that has never appeared in our experience. We cannot hide it because our experience is constantly suggesting it, and we betray ourselves at the mention of the name…Heaven.
434 - We Speak of the Realms
For
1
We speak of the realms of the blest,
That country so bright and so fair,
And oft are its glories confessed-
But what must it be to be there!
We speak of its pathway of gold-
Its walls decked with jewels so rare,
Its wonders and pleasures untold-
But what must it be to be there!
2
We speak of its freedom of sin,
From sorrow, temptation and care,
From trials without and within---
But what must it be to be there!
We speak of its service of love,
Of the robes which the glorified wear,
Of the church of the First Born above-
But what must it be to be there!
3
Our mourning is all at an end,
When, raised by the life-giving word,
We see the new city descend,
Adorned as a bride for her Lord;
The city so holy and clean,
No sorrow can breathe in the air;
No gloom of affliction or sin,
No shadow of evil, is there.
And the most assuring of it all is; Jesus Himself will be there. Saints, the feast of booths is coming! Just imagine, when you finally find out, that what Jesus mentioned is True! “I go to prepare a place for you; that where I am, you may be also.”
Delivered at Mt. Olives SDA Church-Ngong on 15th October 2022 by Elder Timothy Ogada.
