The Feasts of the Lord
Part 2

(f)   Verses 15-21
Feast of wave-loaves

23:15
And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete:

And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering- so whereas the other feasts are governed by the month, this one is different, for it is regulated by the day of the wave sheaf, which was flexible, in that it depended on whereabouts in passover week the sabbath fell. In the ordering of God the day after the sabbath of the year of the crucifixion fell on the seventeenth day, three days after the first day of unleavened bread, for Christ said He would rise the third day after His death, and so He did. This is not the case every year. So why was there this strong connection between the waving of the sheaf and the waving of the loaves? It was because the one marked the start of barley harvest, and the other had to do with the wheat harvest that followed. See Ruth 2:23.

It is not explicitly said that the wave loaves were offered at the very beginning of the wheat harvest. Whereas the wave sheaf was the very first of the barley harvest, we could think of the wave loaves as the sign of the end of the wheat harvest, So the sheaf is the promise of a harvest begun, and the loaves are the proof of a harvest ended. The wave sheaf symbolises Christ risen from the dead, the pledge that all His people shall rise, whereas the wave loaves are the pledge that God’s people shall reach their full potential when they all come “in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ”, Ephesians 4:13.

So they began to count on the day of the wave-sheaf, which was the first day of the week. They counted until seven sabbaths had come, and the morrow after the seventh sabbath was the fiftieth day. The word Pentecost means fiftieth.

Seven sabbaths shall be complete- so all the time of barley harvest they were carefully counting, and noting the sabbaths. This was a constant reminder to them that despite the fact they were busy with their harvest, they must observe the sabbath of rest, to give God His due. It is implied in this that He would undertake with regard to the weather, so that their crop could be safely gathered in. They were being taught to give God first place in relation to their time and their daily work, and He would undertake for them. It was the same when the tabernacle details were given to Bezaleel in Exodus 31:1-11. Immediately following, in verses 12-17, there is a reminder about the sabbath, as if to say to Bezaleel that he must not allow a work for the Lord to override a commandment of the Lord. We read of the day of Pentecost in Acts 2:1, that it was “fully come”, corresponding to the word “complete” here.

23:16
Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the Lord.

Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days- so the whole period is measured by the sabbaths, and the actual day is noted as being the morrow after the sabbath, and not the first day of the week, although it was that. We may contrast this with the way the New Testament writers speak of the first day of the week, for example in Matthew 28:1. The resurrection of Christ was their starting point. In fact, John reverses creation’s order when he writes of Mary Magdalene coming early to the sepulchre, and then later of the disciples gathered together “the same day at evening”, John 20:1,19. At the beginning, a day was defined as an evening and a morning, Genesis 1:5, but Christ’s resurrection has brought in a new order of things, even a new creation order, 2 Corinthians 5:17.

And ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the Lord- the meat offering, despite its name, did not consist of meat. The Lord Jesus asked His disciples, who had been fishing, “have ye any meat?”, John 21:5, meaning food in the form of fish. Here, the food is in the form of loaves, just like the meat offering of Leviticus 2.

The meat offering was new because it was the firstfruits of the new wheat harvest. It was also new because it was a different version of meat offering compared to those of Leviticus 2. The wave sheaf would have been of barley, but it was not made into loaves, but offered to the Lord as it was, on the day of resurrection.

So what is the spiritual significance of these two feasts, especially as they were linked together? We have noticed that the wave-sheaf was a foreshadowing of the rising again of the Lord Jesus from the dead, and that believers of this age are linked with Him in that rising, for the apostle Paul describes us as being “risen with Christ”, Colossians 3:1. So just as the individual ears of corn are gathered together into one bundle, so God associates all His people of this age as individuals with His Son in His resurrection. The words of Abigail provide an illustration of the idea when she said to David, “the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God”, 1 Samuel 25:29.

In the wave-loaves, however, we see that the individual ears of corn have lost their distinct identity, and are mingled together in the form of flour made into loaves. The wave sheaf tells of the believer’s link with Christ in His resurrection, whereas the wave-loaves tell of the link believers have to Christ and to one another in the church, which was formed on the day of Pentecost. Both involve baptism. The one involves a personal baptism in water, to identify with Christ in His burial and resurrection, as Romans 6 explains. The other, a corporate baptism, this time in the Holy Spirit, so that, being all immersed together in one element, that of the Spirit, they are bonded together into one church. We read that on the day of Pentecost, when the disciples were “all together with one accord in one place”, Acts 2:1, the Spirit came and filled the house where they were sitting, verse 2, so they were totally immersed together in the Holy Spirit. This is one aspect of the baptism of the Spirit that John the Baptist spoke of when he saw the Spirit descend and remain on the Lord Jesus, saying, “the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost”, John 1:33. So it is that it can be said, “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free”, 1 Corinthians 12:12,13. In other words, just as the human body, even though it has many members or parts, is one organic united body, so also is this the case with Christ. For He has a metaphorical body, the church, Colossians 1:18, (sometimes called His mystical body, but that is an unfortunate term, liable to be misunderstood), and that body also is one organic, living whole, despite being composed of many parts. And the way in which this body was formed was as described in the verse before quoted, by the action of Christ on the day of Pentecost when He immersed His people in the Spirit.

So the wave sheaf marked the start of a harvest of individuals, whereas the wave loaves told that those individuals would form one united Spirit-baptized whole. And inasmuch as those individuals are sealed by the Spirit “unto the day of redemption”, Ephesians 4:30, then the initial sealing is not just “until”, but “unto” the day of redemption, so the completion of the harvest is in view from the start. This is why we learn from verse 22 that the corners of their fields were left uncut, so that the poor could help themselves after the main harvest had been gathered in. The loaves were representative of the whole harvest.

23:17
Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the Lord.

Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour- we are now told what the new meat offering consisted of. The basic offering was two loaves. These two loaves were to be waved and presented, but whereas the sheaf was brought out of the field, the loaves were brought out of their habitations. This does not necessarily mean that everyone in Israel brought two loaves. The word habitations, plural, indicates that what is done in the temple is done for every household.

The fact that there were two loaves suggest that this is one of many double types in scripture. We could think of Abel and Seth; Judah and Joseph; the ram caught in the thicket and Isaac; David and Solomon; the two birds of the cleansing of the leper; the two goats of the day of atonement, and so on. Each partner in the pair contributes something to the whole picture.

The number two speaks of witness, for a man might be convicted for idolatry “At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses”, Deuteronomy 17:6, telling us that if the witness of the two was robust, then it was to be accepted, but if less robust, a third testimony was needed. Now the number two seems to mark the feast of wave-loaves. Not only were there two loaves, but each loaf was made of two measures of fine flour. Again, the ceremony seems to be in two stages, for having offered one set of sacrifices, verse 18, we read that they were to offer other sacrifices and wave the loaves again, verses 19,20. (Notice the word “then” in verse 19). Yet again, there are two different sets of sacrifices listed, one in Leviticus 23 and a different one in Numbers 28. We shall have to think of these things as we proceed.

The number two also speaks of fellowship, for the prophet asked, “Can two walk together except they be agreed?” Amos 3:3. So we shall find that the two loaves, making but one offering, represent the testimony of believers in fellowship with one another.

What was formed at Pentecost was potentially a company of believers from both Jewish and Gentile backgrounds, but who had lost that feature, for as the apostle Paul states, having described both Jews and Gentiles, that “he is our peace, who hath made both one”, Ephesians 2:14. Furthermore, that oneness is that of a new man, verse 15, meaning a new man like Christ, no longer like Adam. Because believers who were once Jews, and believers who were once Gentiles, are now identical in their nature, they are at peace.

Let us notice the words of Ephesians 2 in a little more detail:

Ephesians 2:13
But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

But now- things are radically different generally, now that Christ has died and been raised again. They are also radically different personally for those who have believed in Him.

In Christ Jesus- this is the title of Christ that emphasises that He is a risen and ascended man. It was first used in Acts 19:4 when Paul was speaking to the disciples of John the Baptist who he came across in Ephesus. They had been baptised into the Jordan, confessing their sins, in order to prepare for the coming of Christ. This was as far as they had progressed, but under Paul’s instruction they realised that the Messiah had come, had died, had risen, and was ascended to heaven. It was to such a person that they were baptised the second time. Before, their hopes had been centred on an earthly Messiah, with an earthly kingdom; now their hopes were centred on Christ in heaven.

Those who are “in Christ Jesus” are linked with Him in such a way that where He is, and in what state He is, they are too. So as earlier verses in Ephesians 2 show, the believer is quickened together with Christ, raised together, and seated together in heavenly places “in Christ Jesus”.

Peter made it clear on the Day of Pentecost that Jesus has now been made Lord and Christ. He was Lord before, Luke 2:11; John 4:1, and He was Christ before, Luke 4:18, (the word Messiah, or Christ, means “anointed”). Now these titles have been given a new dimension, and He manifests His Lordship and Christ-hood in fresh ways, as the one at God’s right hand.

Ye who sometimes- that is, at one time. It is the same word as is translated “in time past”, in verse 2, and “in times past” in verse 3. Clearly the apostle does not mean that they were far off part of the time and not at others.

Were far off- they were far away from Israel promise-wise. To be without God and without Christ is to be truly far off from blessing. Of course, every sinner, Jew or Gentile, is far off from God, alienated from Him by sin, but in this context to be far off is a comparative term in relation to the people of Israel, who in verse 17 are said to be nigh.

Are made nigh- they were not just brought nigh as proselytes in Israel, (those referred to often as “the stranger that is within thy gates”). The nearness is that of those who are in Christ Jesus. If a Jew believes, he is in Christ Jesus; and if a Gentile believes, he is in Christ Jesus too. This nearness is in reference to Christ, and not to the religion of Israel which the proselytes of old time adopted. The Gentiles are not made nigh by adopting the religion of the Jews.

By the blood of Christ- in 1:7 the blood of Christ secured the forgiveness of sins on a personal level. Now the blood of Christ deals with the distance between Jew and Gentile. As soon as Jew or Gentile have a saving interest in the blood of Christ, they are brought together by that saving interest. So the work of Christ (as implied in the phrase “the blood of Christ”), and the person of Christ, (as implied in the phrase “in Christ Jesus”), are the ground of nearness to one another.

The idea of the blood of Christ, the Messiah, was strange to both Jew and Gentile. To the Jew because he thought of the Messiah as a conquering hero, a warrior-king, subduing His enemies and reigning in glory, not hung upon a cross by their enemies. To the Gentile because the idea of a saviour who was crucified in weakness, and who had apparently failed, was folly to them. But the apostle is insistent here, that nearness comes through the blood of Christ.

Ephesians 2:14
For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

Having slain the enmity thereby- Christ turned His own death into death for the enmity, for He dealt with the root cause of it. So the middle wall is broken down, the enmity is abolished, and the way it was done was by the cross.

For he is our peace- Solomon, whose name means “peaceable”, could not even keep his own nation united, let alone Jew and Gentile. At his death his kingdom was rent into ten tribes and two tribes, 1 Kings 11:29-33. It is not a case, however, of administrative ability, or skill in handling people. This peace is vested in a person, for this unity is based on the common interest all believers have in Him.

Who hath made both one- He has brought about complete unity between the believing Jew and the believing Gentile. He prayed to His Father before He died, asking “That they may be one, even as we are one”, John 17:22, and that prayer has been answered. Every believer possesses eternal life, which is the life of God, so they are united in the common possession of the life of God. The oneness of God is based on the fact that His life is possessed equally by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This is the ground of their oneness, and therefore those who share that life have a share in that oneness.

He also makes one in the sense that believing Gentiles and believing Jews are the same thing, even a new creature in Christ, 2 Corinthians 5:17. This is the one new man of the next verse of our chapter.

And hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us- in the temple courts in Jerusalem there was a low wall, called “the middle wall of partition”. It was 30″ high, and was surmounted by a wooden fence one cubit, (approximately 18″), high. As a result, the way was barred to Gentiles, but they could still view the temple buildings over the wall, and even children could see through the fence. No Gentile was allowed beyond this wall, and inscribed on the sections of the wall, (for there were gaps through which Israelites could pass), were the following words:

“No-one of foreign descent may pass the partition and encircling wall. Whoever is seized is himself responsible for his death which will follow as a result”.

These words were carved into creamy-white chalk, and were painted red. The threat of death was not an idle one. Some time after AD 6 the Romans withdrew the right of the Jews to execute criminals, but with one exception. They could still impose the death penalty on any Gentile who passed beyond the middle wall of partition, even if he was a Roman. This shows the importance of this wall, and the way it represented the radical difference between Jew and Gentile in the realm of religious privilege.

This explains the anger of the Jews against Paul, for they thought he had brought Trophemus, an Ephesian, and therefore a Gentile, past that barrier. “And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him, crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men everywhere against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place. (For they had seen before with him in the city Trophemus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple)”, Acts 21:27-29. As a result, we read, “And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut. And as they were about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul”, verses 30-32. We see the following things from all this:

1. The zeal with which the rule about the middle wall was preserved.

2. The great anger against Paul for supposedly bringing a Gentile into the temple courts beyond the wall.

3. The lack of reasonableness with which they hastily assumed what in fact was not true. With this we may compare the lack of justice in the trial of Christ.

4. That not content with expelling him from the temple precincts, they shut the doors. The site was cleared, the worshippers dispersed, the place was virtually empty, and all because of misinformed religious fervour.

Paul requested that he might address the crowds, and this he did in the Hebrew language, thus gaining their attention. He gave his testimony, and reached the point where he was telling how the Lord had sent him to preach to the Gentiles. Their response was the same as they had shown to Christ. They said of Him, “Away with this man”, Luke 23:18. They said of Paul, “Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live”. They were clearly still of the opinion that since he had spoken of going to preach to the Gentiles, he was sympathetic to them, and saw no distinction between Jew and Gentile. To take a Gentile past the middle wall of partition, and to preach blessing to the Gentiles, was to the Jews one and the same, hence they called for his death again.

So it is that not only did the Jews see the wall as symbolic, so did Paul. And just as the Jews thought that Paul had virtually broken down the wall by his supposed action, so Christ has actually done so by His work at the cross, as the next verse goes on to show. It is not that the Gentiles are now allowed past the middle wall of partition, but it is that all that the wall represented has been abolished.

Ephesians 2:15
Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

Having abolished in his flesh the enmity- when the Lord Jesus died on the cross He made blessing available on a totally different basis. No longer was blessing only available to those who came through the Jewish religion, (past the middle wall of partition, so to speak); it was open to all in Christ. It was by what He did in the flesh, and not through any empty ritual, that the Lord Jesus abolished the enmity that the middle wall of partition represented. Note the decisiveness and thoroughness of this action. The wall of partition is “broken down”, and the enmity is “destroyed”. These are not half measures. Just as the veil in the temple was rent in twain from top to bottom, and thus was made completely useless for the purpose for which it was there, so Christ has thoroughly destroyed the enmity between believing Jew and Gentile that we see expressed in the attitude to Paul in Acts 21. He did this when He was impaled upon a cross because the Jews were hostile to Him. So He has used the expression of their hostility to destroy that hostility, as far as those who believe are concerned.

He has abolished the enmity in the flesh, telling us that it was a costly thing. He could not just issue a command revoking the ordinances. It must be shown what those who were zealous of the ordinances would do to Him when He came into flesh. They thought that He was against the ordinances, (the sabbath, for example), and so they impaled Him on a cross, such was their hatred. But God has used their enmity to bring in blessing to those who believe.

Even the law of commandments contained in ordinances- this is the explanation as to what the enmity was centred around. The law of Moses distinguished the nation of Israel from all other nations. As Moses said, “For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgements so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?” Deuteronomy 4:7,8. The law represented the dividing line between Jew and Gentile, and this was symbolised by the wall of partition in the temple, beyond which no Gentile could pass to share in the privileges of Israel. The law was contained in ordinances. In other words, the law was expressed by ordinances, and these ordinances were the cause of enmity. An ordinance seems to denote established practice based upon an original command. Thus, for instance, there was a command to keep the passover, and it was to be kept as an ordinance, Exodus 12:17. So “law” links with the giving of the law at Sinai, whereas “ordinances” speak of the ongoing practice of what was commanded there. These things set Israel apart, and they were very jealous of their apartness.

By what He did on the cross the Lord Jesus has set aside the need for ordinances that help in the keeping of the law. It is not that He has abolished the law as such, but has abolished the ordinances that were designed to express obedience to the law. We know from other Scriptures that “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth”, Romans 10:4. He has not ended the law, as if it were evil, but He has ended the idea that law could be used to produce righteousness. As Paul wrote to the Galatians, “if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain”, Galatians 2:21. It was because the law could not produce righteousness in sinners, that Christ needed to die. If the law could have produced righteousness He need not have died. The law is not revoked, but it is not the principle that governs the believer in his life. The words of the apostle are decisive, “ye are not under the law, but under grace”, Romans 6:14. The guiding principle of the life of the believer is the example of Christ in His life.

For to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace- He is the uniting centre, and those who are “in himself” are new creatures, not Jews and Gentiles. (To be in Him means that who, what, and where Christ is characterises their spiritual position). It is not that Gentiles are made religious, like Jews are religious. And it is not that Jews are made irreligious, as Gentiles are irreligious. It is not a question of compromise, but of new creation. The Gentile who believes is no longer a Gentile, with no privileges. The Jew is no longer a Jew, and exchanges Jewish privilege for Christian privilege. The new man is what the two, Gentile believer and Jewish believer, have both been made individually. It is not another name for the church. There is not a Jewish new man and a Gentile new man. Both Jew and Gentile have lost their own identity in favour of Christ. This is indicated by the expression “in himself”; it is what each is in Christ that matters now. Before, it was what they were in themselves. Each is now a new man, and each is the same new man, and that new man is modelled after Christ, just as the old man is modelled after Adam. The new man is not expressly Christ Himself, but Christ reproduced in the believer. Adam was reproduced in us because we received a sinful nature by natural birth, whereas Christ is reproduced in us because we received a new nature at new birth.

If all believers, whatever their former religious background, are modelled on Christ, then that results in peace. When they were in the flesh Gentiles and Jews were opposed to one another, for there was enmity, but now the reverse is the case. Can Christ in one believer be at enmity with Christ in another believer? This is unthinkable. So if believers are not at peace with one another, then they must be exhibiting Adam, not Christ.

Ephesians 2:16
And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body- not only are the two united because of a common nature, but they are also united in the one body, the church, so the unity is both personal and communal. Not only does each have Christ as model, each has Christ as head of the body of which they form part. The body of Christ consists of all believers from Pentecost to the Rapture, and is the company of which He alone is the head.

By the cross- this reconciliation is on the solid basis of the work of the cross, so it is not a loose association, but one that is permanent and unbreakable. The cross is a doctrine, not a piece of wood. The Jews, in their zeal for their ordinances, gave Christ the place of shame at Calvary, putting Him on a cross, but God has turned this into the means of reconciling sinners to Himself.

What was formed at Pentecost is likened to a loaf of bread in 1 Corinthians 10:15-17, as follows:

1 Corinthians 10:15
I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.

I speak as to wise men- although not all the Corinthians were wise in practice, as is seen in that they were clinging to their idols, nevertheless, Christ had been made wisdom to them when they were saved, 1:30, so in principle they were wise men; he speaks to them as such, and by so doing encourages them to be wise in practice.
Judge ye what I say- they need to think the matter through for themselves, so that they understand the reasoning behind the apostle‘s command to them to flee from their idols.

Having used illustrations from Israel’s past experience in the wilderness, the place of temptation, in verses 1-14, the apostle now refers to three expressions of fellowship, the first one being in verses 16 and 17, the fellowship of the church.

1 Corinthians 10:16
The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? On the first day of the week, and therefore as a matter of priority, believers gathered to remember the Lord Jesus in the way He has appointed. We see this to be the case in Acts 20:6,7. Even though the Supper was not instituted on a Sunday, it was observed on that day. It is clear that the apostle is extracting lessons from the Supper to prove his point in chapter 10, for he speaks of the cup first, and then the bread. He is giving the order of relevance to his subject, and not the order of observance. Having spoken of the meat and drink that God gave to Israel in the wilderness, he is now telling us of the provision that Christ makes for His people at this time. And just as the blood of the lamb secured the blessing of redemption, and then the manna nourished them in the desert, so we have the wine and the bread in that order. And just as he used the meat and drink of the wilderness by way of illustration, he is now using the food and drink of the Lord’s Supper to instruct us. After all, from the words we find the gospels when He instituted the Supper, it is clear that the Lord wished His disciples to see in the loaf and the cup more than everyday things.

It is said that there were four cups in use in Israel in the days of the Lord Jesus, and one of them was called the cup of blessing. The apostle takes up this name and sees in the cup of the Lord’s Supper a symbol of the sum total of blessing that believers possess in Christ. In appreciation, they bless Him for the blessings represented by the cup. To bless the cup is to bless the Blesser. Since those blessings were secured for them by the blood of Christ, as they drink of the cup they are having fellowship together, (communion), in the things Christ has secured by His blood.

The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? At the institution of the Lord’s Supper, the Lord Himself broke the bread, and offered it to His disciples with the words, “Take, eat”, 1 Corinthians 11:24. So they ate of bread that was already broken, for that initial breaking was to signify the breaking of Christ’s body at the cross. By this is meant, (certainly not the breaking of His bones), but the breaking up of His person into spirit, soul and body in death. Here, however, it is all the believers in fellowship who break the break as they each take a piece. In this way they signify their common interest, as the metaphorical body, in the person and work of Christ.

1 Corinthians 10:16
For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.

For we being many are one bread, and one body– it is as if there is only one loaf for all the people of God throughout this age, and that one loaf is the bread the Lord Jesus took in the upper room. All individual loaves since that night have only served to remind us of the one loaf. The Lord Jesus revealed in the upper room that the loaf was, spiritually speaking, His personal body, that was about to be given for believers at the cross. What was not known at first about this loaf is now being revealed, namely, that it also symbolises the metaphorical body of Christ, the church. So it becomes a sign of the unity of the members of the church, and also their collective unity with Christ their head.

This is why, although writing to the local assembly at Corinth, and therefore not with them when they eat the Lord‘s Supper, the apostle says “the bread which we break“. It is something that, ideally, the whole church does in expression of its unity. In practice, sadly, this is not the case, for many believers follow the traditions of men and have lost the simplicity of what happened in the upper room. It remains true, however, that as far as God is concerned, His people are one, in answer to the request of the Lord Jesus in His prayer in the words, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me“, John 17:20-21. The only way the sort of unity enjoyed by members of the Godhead can be shared by believers is for another member of the Godhead to produce it. And so it has come to pass, for the apostle is able to write in 1 Corinthians 12:13, “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one Spirit“.

The idea behind the bread then, is that despite being many in number, each is part of a unified whole thing, the one metaphorical body of Christ. There is a contrast between the many believers, and the one loaf, whereas in the first part of the chapter it was a contrast between all of the nation of Israel, and the many, (meaning the majority), that apostatised. This is the first explanation as to why believers break the bread, it is because it represents the fellowship they have.
For we are all partakers of that one bread- so the bread is not only a sign of Christ’s personal body, as in 1 Corinthians 11:24, but also a sign of the unity of the metaphorical body of Christ, the church. Now we are told that the Lord’s Supper is the opportunity to express that unity. So the loaf is broken in this context to signify two things: Christ’s death, and our unity. The first happens when one brother initially breaks the bread, which is what Christ did in the upper room. The other happens when the rest of the company break the loaf for themselves. It would seem preferable that the brother initially breaking the bread should not eat first, so as to avoid giving the impression that his breaking of the loaf and his eating of it are connected. He breaks the loaf initially on behalf of the company, but does not eat on behalf of the company. The third thing that happens is that all believers in fellowship partake of the one loaf, thus indicating that they are in fellowship with one another and with Christ.

Taking all these things together, we may see in the wave loaves a preview of that unified company that would be formed on the day of Pentecost, fifty days after the Lord Jesus rose from the dead. That company would be united together in fellowship and testimony. That oneness in testimony was prayed for by the Lord Jesus as He spoke to His Father just before the cross. Having prayed for His apostles, the Lord then prayed for those who would be saved through the message they brought, as follows:

John 17:20
Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

Neither pray I for these alone- up to this point He has concentrated on the apostles and those who have already believed in Him.

But for them also which shall believe on me through their word- the word is given to them, and they so make it their own, and are so empowered by it, that it becomes their word. Luke tells us that “Then they that gladly received his word, were baptised”, Acts 2:41. Peter had made the word his own. The Lord now turns His attention to the converts the truth will make.

John 17:21
That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

That they all may be one- unity is vital if the world is going to believe. This unity is now defined for us. Because it is modelled on the oneness of the Persons of the Godhead, this unity is not organisational nor ecumenical.

As thou, Father, art in me- the Father is perfectly expressed in the Son, for He said “he that hath seen me hath seen the Father”, 14:9. To know the Son is to know the Father, 14:7. This shows the oneness of the Father and the Son, for only one who is equal with God can display God perfectly. The ways, works and words of the Son were all an expression of the Father, for God was manifest in the flesh in the person of Christ. The fact that He was a man in the body, far from being a hindrance, was an asset, for He, a Divine person, was able to express a Divine Person perfectly, but do so in a way that could be comprehended by those who were seeking the truth.

And I in thee- He is in Him in the sense that there is no point at which they diverge, whether it be in nature, character, will, or action. In 14:10 these two phrases are the other way round, perhaps because the disciples would have more difficulty with the idea that a man in the flesh was one with the Father. He does not communicate the truth regarding the Father as one who is merely a separate agent. He does so as one with the Father. The prophets of old time were agents that God used to bring His truth to the people, but in the last days He has spoken by His Son, Hebrews 1:1,2.

That they also may be one in us- this does not mean, of course, that believers are one as being equal with Divine persons, but they are one with one another because of the fact that they are each in the Father and the Son, who are themselves one. Eternal life is the life of God, and the believer has that eternal life in common with all other believers, and that forms a bond of unity. This is why we are to abide in the Father and the Son, 1 John 2:24, for it is the underlying principle of the believer’s position before God. Clearly, the oneness here is not organisational, but living, the unity of those who share eternal life with one another.

That the world may believe that thou hast sent me- this is not guaranteed, but the potential is there. It is “may”, not “shall”. But on the other hand, the Lord does not exclude any as being beyond belief. When the people of the world see Divine life worked out in the lives of God’s people, then they will see the same thing in principle as when Christ was here. Just as we read “And many believed on him”, so, ideally, many should believe through the testimony of Christians.

John 17:22
And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

And the glory which thou gavest me- He is conscious that His request for glory in verse 5 will be answered, and He prays now on the basis that it is. He had sought the glory of the recognition of His association with God, even as a man, which glory had been withheld from Him by men during His ministry on earth.

I have given them- believers are to be associated with Divine persons, but only mediately through Him. Still it is His glory that they receive. He speaks in the past tense, for He is anticipating His departure to the Father, and the association of believers with Him there. The apostle Paul also spoke in the past tense when he said, “whom he justified, them he also glorified”, Romans 8:30. The glory is defined by the words, “conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren”, verse 29. The eternal state of glory of believers opens out before the apostle’s mind, and so certain is it that he can speak, (inspired of the Holy Spirit), as if it is realised already. Believers will have the glory of association with one who, in His own right, has association with the Father.

That they may be one, even as we are one- the way this will happen is told us in the next verse. Divine persons have the same will as one another; believers when conformed to the image of God’s Son will never deviate from the will of God.

John 17:23
I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

I in them- according to the words He had spoken earlier, in the upper room, it would be at Pentecost that He would come to them, for the Godhead is one, and the coming of the Spirit makes good to us in our hearts the presence of the Father and the Son.

And thou in me- the Spirit indwells us, the Son is in us by that Spirit, and the Father is in the Son, working out His purpose through Him. So all three persons of the Godhead are active in believers, and this is the ground of unity.

That they may be made perfect in one- if Divine Persons form the unity, then it must be perfect. It is not a process, as if believers were perfected into one, but made perfect in one the moment the Spirit comes at conversion.

And that the world may know that thou hast sent me- the disciples had said, “we believe that thou camest forth from God”, 16:30. As they went forth and preached that, and its implications, then some would believe. These words, however, look on to beyond that, for it is not the world believing, as in verse 21, but the world knowing, irrespective as to whether any believe or not.

And hast loved them, as thou hast loved me- the Father’s love towards them is of the same sort as His love for His Son. This does not mean that it is to the same degree, for that would devalue the Father’s love for the Son. (The word meaning “precisely as” is not used here). As the world sees the believers living in the good of the love of their Father, they will realise that their faith is real. “By this shall all men know ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” John 13:35. Disciples are learners, so as those who are learning of Him, we are to live out what we learn.

We return to details about the loaves in Leviticus 23:17:

They shall be baken with leaven- the Lord was very insistent that no leaven was to be burnt on His altar. There was no question of sin associated with Christ, but there is with us, which is another reason why this is called a new meat offering. It introduced a new thought into the meat offering. We have already noted that leaven speaks of malice and wickedness, 1 Corinthians 5:8, hypocrisy, Luke 12:1, and evil doctrine, Matthew 16:12. It is no surprise that it was not to touch the altar, for everything touching the altar was to be holy, Exodus 29:37. As we shall see from verse 20, the loaves were not burnt on the altar, even though the sacrifices they were associated with were. Rather, they became the food of the priests. Yeast, or leaven, (a living fungus), dies at 130-140 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas the baking process reaches 200 degrees. So baking kills leaven. Those who baked this bread took account of the properties of leaven, and then made sure the fire of their oven destroyed it. So the wave loaves were the result of personal exercise which took account of the presence of evil in the heart, but which ensured it was dealt with. The apostle Paul exhorts us to examine ourselves, and only then eat of the bread of the Lord’s Supper, 1 Corinthians 11:28,29. So any wrong lurking in our hearts must be dealt with at home, (in the oven, so to speak), and then the Supper may be eaten without blame.

They are the firstfruits unto the Lord- so there was the sheaf of firstfruits, telling of Christ risen, the guarantee that His people would also rise, and the firstfruits of wave loaves, guaranteeing that the whole body, the church, would be formed and preserved.

23:18
And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be for a burnt offering unto the Lord, with their meat offering, and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of sweet savour unto the Lord.

And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams- interestingly, as already mentioned, there were two sets of offerings on this feast day. In Numbers 28:26-31 the people are to offer “two young bullocks, one ram, seven lambs of the first year”, verse 27. This combination of offerings was also required by God on the first day of each month, Numbers 28:11, and on the days of unleavened bread, verse 19. These ten animals, plus the two lambs for peace offerings, are in marked contrast to the single lamb that was to be offered on the day of the wave sheaf. There, the sheaf, representing Christ in resurrection, needed no added offerings, for He is more than enough to satisfy His Father. This was the case on passover day as well, for God’s lamb needed no additions. But when that which is presented speaks of the people of God, there must be offerings that speak of Christ associated with it.

We could think of the seven lambs as representing the full and complete pleasure that God found in His Son when down here, and who has become the example for His people as they heed the exhortation of John the Baptist who, looking upon Jesus as He walked, exclaimed, “Behold the Lamb of God!” John 1:36. The apostle Pater exhorts us to “follow his steps”, 1 Peter 2:21. “Without blemish of the first year” tells us of His sinlessness and vigour in walking before God. He did not have to be exhorted, as even a man like Abraham did, to walk before God and be perfect, for He always did this.

If the lambs tell us of the example of Christ in His walk, the one young bullock tells us of His work, for the bullock, or ox, was the worker-animal. It pulled the plough, harrowed the seed into the soil, carried home the sheaves, and trod out the corn. It was an evangelist and a teacher! The counterpart of these things is seen in the activity of the members of Christ’s body as they act in fellowship with one another and with God, bearing testimony to Him as they follow Christ’s example of working.

The ram is the foundation of the flock, and he ensures that there is an increase. Any increase on the part of the members of the body is due to Christ, and the Spirit’s work, for “He shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days”, Isaiah 53:10.

They shall be for a burnt offering unto the Lord, with their meat offering, and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of sweet savour unto the Lord- the burnt offering speaks of the death of the One through whom we are accepted, (see Leviticus 1:4), the meat offering speaks of the holy nature of Christ and the drink offering speaks of the joy of Christ. Accompanying the loaves as they did, they ensure the acceptance of that which the loaves represent, even the body of Christ, the church. The loaves were not placed on the altar, for that is His place alone. The offering is made by fire, meaning that the fire so worked upon the sacrifices, that they were turned from merely being carcases, to representing Christ. As a result, a sweet savour arose to Him.

The fact that there were two sets of burnt offerings required on this day reinforces the point about the number two characterising the feast. The Leviticus set of animals could be thought of in connection with the church, for the apostle Paul referred to the sheaf of firstfruits in connection with church saints, whereas the Numbers set of burnt offerings could relate to the nation of Israel, for on the day of Pentecost the apostle Peter quoted from the prophecy of Joel, a passage relating to the nation of Israel. This is especially so since the combination of offerings in Numbers 28 is the same as on the first day of the month, suggesting a new start for Israel.

23:19
Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering, and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings.

Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering- here is another of the pairs to do with this feast, even the two stages in which the offerings were made. The wave loaves were brought with the first set of sacrifices, verses 18, and were then waved with the sin offering and peace offerings, verse 19,20.

Every festival had to acknowledge the need to make atonement for sin, except two, and they were the passover and the feast of the wave sheaf, where a single lamb was dominant. Even on the day of atonement, which featured two goats making one sin offering, there had to be an additional goat, Numbers 29:11. When he was writing about the assembly at Corinth as a lump of dough, the apostle exhorted them to purge out the leaven, that they might be “a new lump”, (that is, dough that has not had a piece of yesterday’s yeast or leaven added to it), then he adds, “even as ye are unleavened”, 1 Corinthians 5:7. So their actual state was one of being leavened with moral evil. Their ideal state, as God looked upon them, was that they were unleavened. The reason for this was that the sin-offering work of Christ maintained them in a suitable state before God, for “the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin”, 1 John 1:7. In this way believers are maintained before God.

And two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings- an Israelite who was in harmony with God could bring a peace offering, which emphasised the inwards of the animal, for the Hebrews believed that the emotions were centred around the inward parts of a man. The fat of the peace offerings also served to assist the burning of the other sacrifices, so it is called “the food of the offering made by fire unto the Lord”, Leviticus 6:11. The two lambs continues the trend during this festival, that pairs of things are involved. As believers contemplate the Man who was totally at peace with God, they will learn to be at peace with one another.

23:20
And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave offering before the Lord with the two lambs: they shall be holy to the Lord for the priest.

And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave offering before the Lord with the two lambs- so the wave loaves, having been brought near in association with the burnt offerings, meat offerings and drink offering, are now waved before the Lord in connection with the peace offerings and sin offering. So the full range of sacrifices accompanies the loaves. Believers of this age are in the good of every aspect of the sacrificial work of Christ at Calvary. Just as the loaves were not in themselves suitable to be put on the altar, but had to have offerings offered in connection with them, so we ourselves are not able to satisfy God, but Christ is. In this way the loaves can be said to be an offering.

They shall be holy to the Lord for the priest- there were two sorts of bread brought to the altar at this festival, the unleavened cakes, and the leavened wave loaves. It is the wave loaves that are said to become the food of the priest who waved them, so there was that about the ceremony that fostered priestliness, and energised the priest in his work. This confirms that “offered” in verse 18 in relation to the bread does not mean burn on the altar, for they contained leaven. To offer means to bring near.

23:21
And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.

And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you- it is interesting to notice that whilst all the festivals were to be proclaimed, verses 3,4, it is only this one that is actually said to be proclaimed. And it is connection with the eating of the bread and drinking of the cup of the Lord’s supper that we read, “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come”, 1 Corinthians 11:26, and the word “shew” can be translated “proclaim”. And connecting this with the fact that five times over the apostle uses the expression “come together” in 1 Corinthians 11, (verses 17,18,20,33,34), we see the link between “proclaiming”, and “holy convocation”. We are to heed the call to meet together, and ensure that our comings together are holy occasions.

Ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations- so not only were the loaves to be brought out of their habitations, but also the statute was to be kept in mind at home, so that when the time came, they were ready to attend the festival. They were to remember that no servile work was allowed, that is, work such as servants do, but they were allowed to prepare food. Each generations was to be careful to observe the statute, and not begin to think that they could modify it. They would be busy with their harvest, but should not forget God.

(g)   Verse 22
Instruction about the poor and the stranger

23:22
And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the Lord your God.

And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest- this is a general statement, giving guidance during the whole of their harvest period beginning with the sheaf of barley at the beginning, until the end of the wheat harvest, of which the loaves were a sample. So the reapers were to leave the corners of the fields, and they were not to glean in the main body of the field. Any ears of corn that fell during reaping and bundling were to be left where they were, to provide for those who had no field to reap. In fact, if they forgot a sheaf, they were not to go back into the field to collect it, but leave it “for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow”, Deuteronomy 24:19. In this way they would obey the command of God, “thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself”, Leviticus 19:18.

Gleaning was carried out by the womenfolk in Israel, as we see from the story of Ruth. She began by gleaning after the reapers, among the sheaves that had already been bundled up, Ruth 2:7, but Boaz instructed that she was to be allowed to glean among the reapers, so she was given first opportunity to gather up the stalks that had dropped, verse 15. He believed she could be trusted not to take the stalks before they were bundled into sheaves, but only gather the fallen ones. He even instructed his reapers to let some stalks drop to the ground on purpose for her, verse 15 again. Of course, later on, when she went to the threshingfloor, Boaz gave her six measures of barley ready to be made into flour, 3:15. And at last she married the lord of the harvest himself, and the whole field was hers through him.

Thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger- thus it was that Boaz showed himself to be a godly man, who not only obeyed the law, but went further, and acted in grace towards Ruth, who was both poor, (for the inheritance of her dead husband needed to be redeemed, and she, a widow, could not do it), and a stranger, (for she was a Moabitess, one from the nation that was barred from entering into the temple courts, Deuteronomy 23:3). The reason they were barred was because they did not give the Israelites bread and water as they passed by on their way to Canaan, yet Boaz saw to it that Ruth had bread to eat and water to drink, Ruth 2:9.

We may relate all these things to the New Testament, in connection with the body of Christ, the church, symbolised by the loaves of the feast of weeks. Gentiles, were “without Christ”, (they had no “Boaz”), and “aliens from the commonwealth of Israel”, (being barred from Israel)), and were “strangers from the covenants of promise”, (Ruth admitted she was a stranger), “having no hope”, (Naomi, Ruth’s mother in law confessed ‘I have no hope’, Ruth 1:12, that is, no hope of having a husband to raise up a son for Ruth to marry), “and without God in the world”, (like Ruth the Moabitess, worshipper of the god of this world, and who knew not the true God). See Ephesians 2:12.

Just as things changed for Ruth, so they have changed for those now in the church which is His body, for “in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ”, Ephesians 2:13. We are no longer the poor, only allowed into the corners of the field! Notice the contrast, however, for in order to do the work of a redeemer Boaz only had to give of his wealth, whereas Christ’s blood was the price He paid, not only to bring former Gentiles into citizenship, but to obtain a bride. Boaz was only slightly less rich after he had redeemed Ruth, but the Lord Jesus became poor, 2 Corinthians 8:9.

I am the Lord your God- in being kind to strangers, (to an Israelite the stranger was the Gentile), they were to be careful to maintain loyalty to God, who was their God. They were not to allow evil communications to corrupt good manners, as so easily can be done, 1 Corinthians 15:33.

Special note on the last three festivals
We come now to the feasts that were all kept in the seventh month of the year, which to the Israelites in the land would be the end of their agricultural year, when all the crops would have been safely gathered in.

It is interesting to notice that not only does the expression “And the Lord spake unto Moses” occur before each of these last feasts, but also that the sacrifices to be offered on the feast of trumpets, the day of atonement and the last day of the feast of tabernacles are the same.

The rapture of the saints will be accompanied by the sound of a trumpet, 1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16, and this will signal the end of the harvest. The sound of the trumpet will be accompanied by the voice of the archangel, and his name is Michael, Jude 9. But not only do we see from that verse that he has a special interest in the bodies of saints, he also stands for the children of Daniel’s people, namely the nation of Israel, Daniel 12:1. So could it not be that the sound of the trumpet will not only signal the end of this age, when the saints will be fully “harvested”, but will also indicate that God’s dealings with the nation of Israel has resumed, after the long interval of the church age? So whilst the large gap between the feast of wave loaves and trumpets suggests that the nation of Israel is more to the fore in these last festivals, nevertheless there is perhaps room for thinking that the feast of trumpets does foreshadow the end of the church age.

The sounding of the trumpets was accompanied by the shouting of the people, so the rapture of the saints may be also the wakeup call for Israel, and the sudden disappearance of Christians may well make them reconsider their rejection of Christ. This may also be what leads to the sudden conversion of 144,000 Jews who will preach the kingdom of God throughout the earth during the time of tribulation, see Revelation 7.

(h)   Verses 23-25
The feast of trumpets

23:23
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying- as already noted, this phrase introduces the sabbath, the passover and the feast of unleavened bread, verse 1; the wave sheaf, the wave loaves and the commands about the poor and the stranger, verse 9; then each of the other three feasts, this verse and verses 26 and 33.

23:24
Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.

Speak unto the children of Israel, saying- so Moses is to act as mediator between the people and God, and transmit to them the word of God about this feast.

In the seventh month, in the first day of the month- at the time of the passover God ordained that the month Abib should be the first month of their religious calendar, Exodus 12:2. This was instead of the seventh month, which was “at the year’s end”, Exodus 34:22, meaning the end of the agricultural year. They were to allow God to control even their calendar, to teach them to give their time to His interests. It is very probable that the reason the first day of the seventh month was the beginning of their year was that this was when creation took place.

Shall ye have a sabbath- so whatever day of the week it happened to be they were to rest from their labours to think upon all God’s goodness to them.

A memorial of blowing of trumpets- the unmistakeable and unavoidable sound of the trumpet was to rouse them to a sense of alertness, for two feasts were yet to come in quick succession, and the first after the feast of trumpets was the day of atonement; so the feast of trumpets signalled a ten day period of repentance, reflection and resolve. As a matter of fact, the word trumpet is not used here, for the Hebrew word “teruah” means a shouting such as is provoked by the sounding of the trumpet. An illustration of this is in the account of the fall of Jericho. The priests walked round the city in front of the ark, followed by the men of war, and blew with the seven trumpets of ram’s horns, but the people stayed silent. This they did for six days, but on the seventh day, at Joshua’s command, all the people shouted, (and the word is the same as “blowing of trumpets” in our verse in Leviticus 23), and the walls fell flat.

The blowing of the trumpets was a memorial, figuratively reminding God of His covenant with His people, as He Himself had just expressed in the words, “I am the Lord your God”. God has pledged Himself to remember His people of Israel for blessing in the future, and the people call upon Him for that when the trumpets are blown.

The trumpet was blown and the people made a shouting when David brought up the ark to Jerusalem, 2 Samuel 6:15. And also when the people made a covenant with the Lord in the days of King Asa, 2 Chronicles 15:14. They shouted yet again when the foundations of Zerubbabel’s temple were laid, Ezra 3:11,13. We could see in these incidents a preview of what will happen after the church age is finished. The remnant of Israel will be faithful to God, and not enter into a covenant with Antichrist. They shall welcome the return of “the ark”, their Messiah, to Jerusalem, when the powers of darkness shall be overthrown, (Jericho means “city of the moon”, and the moon rules the night, Genesis 1:16), and they shall rejoice again when the temple Ezekiel describes in his prophecy is built. This will signal the time when the Lord enters into the New Covenant with His people as the Lord their God, Jeremiah 31:31-37.

An holy convocation- given the nature of the “teruah”, we see the need for the people to gather together to respond energetically to the sounding of the trumpets. The apostle Paul likens the ministry of God’s word to the sound of the trumpet, 1 Corinthians 14:8, in order that we might prepare ourselves for action. It is good if we respond energetically and enthusiastically.

23:25
Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord.

Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord- so domestic activities could continue, but all work by which they might profit was forbidden. The offering required on this day is detailed in the parallel passage in Numbers 29:1-6. It consisted of one young bullock, one ram, seven lambs for burnt offerings, their respective meal offerings, and one kid of the goats for a sin offering. This was not a substitute for the usual first-day-of-the-month offerings, for they were to be offered as well. Also, the continual burnt offering that was offered every day of the year was to be presented too. We are surely impressed by the number of animals required on this day, namely three bullocks, two rams, nineteen lambs, and one goat for a sin offering. (It does not seem that a sin offering was required every day, or on the first of the month). It was fitting that as they came to this critical point of the year, the Israelites should recognise God’s goodness to them in physical terms. And it is good if believers of this age also recognise that every blessing they receive, spiritual and material, has come to us at the cost of the sacrifice of His Son at Calvary. Good to remember, also, that we are expected to lay by in store on the first day of the week, to give as opportunity presents itself, 1 Corinthians 16:2.

(i)   Verses 26-32
The day of atonement

23:26
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

23:27
Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord.

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement- note the “also”, as if linking with the feast of trumpets, and implying that the trumpet sound of that day was a call to consider their way and reflect upon their past failures, in view of the day of atonement.

It shall be an holy convocation unto you- so whilst the elaborate ritual of the day of atonement was the duty of the high priest and others who assisted him, nevertheless the people are not to be indifferent to what was going on, for it was critical to their spiritual wellbeing and interests.

And ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord- note the threefold repetition of “afflict” and “no work” in verses 27-32. “Afflict your souls…do no work…afflicted…any work…no manner of work…afflict your souls”. The ritual of the day of atonement was for the high priest and his helpers, but the people were to ensure they were in a right state of heart, and also, in faith, offer an offering.

Applying this to the future of Israel, there will be a realisation by the remnant of Israel, (who will refuse to worship the Antichrist), that Jesus of Nazareth is their Messiah, and that His death on the cross was to make propitiation for sins. In true repentance they will mourn at their treatment of Him, and repent of their sins. This will be followed when the Lord Jesus comes as King of kings and Lord of lords, by the repentance of the remainder of the nation, for John the apostle wrote, “Behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.” Revelation 1:7. We also read, “there shall come out of Sion the deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins”, Romans 11:26,27.

The apostle John also referred to this in his eye-witness account of the death of the Lord Jesus, as follows:

John 19:31
The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.

The Jews therefore- the “therefore” does not follow on from the previous verse, but introduces the next incident John records. (Compare the “therefore” of 7:22, which similarly refers to what follows). He says nothing of the exclamation of the centurion, just as he had not recorded the conversion of the repentant thief. He will not record favourable words, or unfavourable ones, such as the jeering of the bystanders. He wants to emphasise his own testimony as an apostle and an eye-witness. In the final analysis, the assurance of the believer is based on the word of God, not the word of men.

Because it was the preparation- this is not the preparation for the passover feast, in the sense of the passover plus the feast of unleavened bread, “which is called the passover”, Luke 22:1, for that had already begun. Edersheim says that this phrase was never used by the Jews for the preparation for the passover. The passover had been sacrificed the previous afternoon, “between the two evenings”, that is, between 3pm, (when the sun started to decline), and 6pm, (when the sun set and three stars were visible). And the passover supper had been eaten that night.

This is a reference to the preparation of the passover, that is, the preparation for the normal sabbath day, which is called a high day because it was special, being in passover week when so many pilgrims were in Jerusalem for the passover..

That the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day)- the Scripture they had in mind reads, “And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: his body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.” Deuteronomy 21:22,23. Only John tells us about the demand that His body be taken away before evening, “because it was the sabbath day”, verse 31.

We should remember that there are many differences between the man in Deuteronomy 21 who was hanged, and Christ, even though the apostle Paul quoted Deuteronomy 21:23 in Galatians 3:13, when he writes, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.” Among the differences are the following:

1. The man hanged in Deuteronomy was actually guilty of lawbreaking. Christ was sinless.

2. The man was stoned to death before he was hanged, which would very likely result in broken bones. Christ was not stoned, and “a bone of him shall not be broken”, John 19:36.

3. The man was hanged after he was dead, and felt nothing of the hanging. Christ was hung on a tree when alive, and felt everything.

4. The man defiled the land because of his sin. Christ defiled nothing and no-one.

5. The man was cursed personally. Christ was made a curse representatively.

6. The man was hanged for his own sin. Christ was hanged for the sins of others.

7. The man was accursed of God for breaking His law. Christ had to be made a curse for He had not broken God’s law.

Returning to John’s account, we may note from Deuteronomy 21 that God said nothing about the sabbath day in the command about removing bodies, for it applied to any day of the week. So why are the authorities concerned about the bodies being on the cross on a sabbath day? The answer is surely that Jerusalem is filled with pilgrims, tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of them. Is this why it is called a high or great day? Or is there some other reason?

Luke has already told us that a great company of people followed the procession out to Calvary. They will have opportunity to survey the scene outside the city walls. If there are three victims dying in agony on crosses, they will be curious. And they will be especially curious if they discover that one of them has the title “King of the Jews” over His head. Questions will be asked, and the priests are obviously concerned that there might be a popular rising against them once the people learn of their wicked dealings.

Besought Pilate that their legs might be broken- the Jewish authorities have no control over the crucifixion process, so have to ask Pilate to grant their request. The Jews ask for the body to break it, Joseph of Arimathea asked for the body to care for it.

The breaking of the legs would not only mean excruciating pain, but also would prevent the victims pushing themselves up so that they could breathe. Death soon came in those circumstances. God had seen to it that His Son had died by a means that did not involve the breaking of bones, as would be the case if He had been executed by the Jewish means, namely stoning. All His bones were out of joint it is true, for Psalm 22:14 foretold they would be, but not one was broken. God had seen to it that the nailing of his hands and feet to the cross did not break any of His bones.

And that they might be taken away- they wish to rid the scene of the sight of these men. Hypocrites that they were, they would say it was because of God’s requirement. Really, it was because of their fear of the multitudes. Ironically, Christ was taken away, but by loving hands, to be laid, not in a hastily dug grave at the foot of the cross, but in a new tomb nearby.

John 19:32
Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.

Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him– the pathway of these men had been crooked and devious, and they had walked in sin. It might be thought fitting that their life should end with the breaking of their legs. However, this was only true of one of them now, for the other man had repented, and his past had been blotted out. This was nothing to the soldier who came to hasten his death, however. Little did he realise he was hastening his pathway into paradise.

John 19:33
But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:

But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already- these are experienced executioners, and know what a dead man looks like. They did not appreciate the significance of His cry when He committed His spirit to God. They probably thought it was a pious hope. Whereas they came to exercise the authority of Rome over Him, they did not realise He had already exercised the authority given to Him by His Father.

They brake not his legs- they are restrained from breaking them “to make sure”, even though they are not restrained from piercing His side. They had received instructions to do so, but a Divine hand is restricting and allowing. He has been crucified according to the “determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God”, Acts 2:23, and this part of the proceedings is no exception. The reason why they are not allowed to break His legs is given to us in verse 36.

John 19:34
But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.

But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side- this is the last time an unbelieving man will interfere with the body of the Lord Jesus. Is this a spontaneous action on the part of the soldier, with God allowing it, to fulfil scripture, just as He did not allow the braking of the legs, to fulfil scripture?

That this was easily done would suggest that those crucified were not far off from the ground, although artists often depict the scene otherwise. This also means that John was easily able to see what happened.

And forthwith came there out blood and water- since He is God’s Holy One, who will not even see corruption from outside, it is no surprise to find that the blood of Christ is not congealed and beginning to putrefy, as if He was subject to corruption, but runs freely from His side as if He is still alive. The Lord Jesus has taken flesh and blood, but that does not mean He was corrupt in body, for Adam had a body that was incorrupt before he sinned. God pronounced everything very good after He had made man and woman, so there was no corruption anywhere. Corruption came in through the fall of man, Romans 8:19-22. Christ is the start of the new creation, and no corruption shall be there either.

Some see in this blood and water what John wrote of later on, when he penned, “This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood.” 1 John 5:6. The reference there is to the fact that the gospel does not just involve Jesus Christ as one introduced to public ministry after His water baptism, but also Jesus Christ, introduced to His heavenly ministry by His death. But John may see a symbol of this in the blood and water from His side.

Others will speak of this blood as the blood that saves. But the gospel uses the word “blood” as a figure for the life given up, not specifically of the physical blood. God said to Israel, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.” Leviticus 17:11. So it is blood in connection with sacrifice that makes atonement, and blood as the life of the flesh. So the blood stands for the life, or soul. So when we read that the Messiah “poured out his soul unto death”, Isaiah 53:12, then we understand that this means “He died by the exercise of his own will”. This is the shedding of blood of which God speaks. The blood that flowed from the side of Christ was as a result of man’s act, and not His, and therefore is not Him pouring out His soul. It is the blood of a living man given in death that saves, whereas this blood is coming from a dead body, from which the soul has already departed. Significantly, John does not link this blood with atonement when he explains the meaning of the spear-thrust. He sees significance in the non-use of the club, and the use of the spear, as the next verses explain.

John 19:35
And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.

And he that saw it bare record- John is concerned to assure us that he is an eye-witness of the things he tells us about. This is especially the case because of the unique phenomenon of the water and blood flowing from a dead body.

Peter spoke of the qualification to be an apostle- “Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John, until that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.” Acts 1:21,22. John was one of these apostles; but so was Matthew, yet the latter did not stand by the cross, and neither of them saw the Lord Jesus rise, although they definitely saw the Lord Jesus after He had risen. So it is important to notice that the apostles were witnesses of the fact of the resurrection, even though they did not witness it actually taking place. They were inspired by the Spirit of truth to write the truth.

To bear record is perhaps a slightly different idea to bearing witness. The latter can be done by word of mouth, whereas to bear record includes the idea of John writing something down to make it available to a wide readership. So a link is established between the man who stood by the cross, and we who read his account in the 21^st century.

And his record is true- in a court of law, statements that are made must be supported by the witness or testimony of others. In Jewish law, a man’s own testimony was not allowed, unless accompanied by the witness of others. This is why the Pharisees disputed Christ’s right to testify about Himself. The testimony of Christ, if it were unsupported by others, would not be valid, but since it is supported by the testimony of the Father, and the Old Testament, then it is allowable. See John 5:36-39; 8:17,18.

So just as the Lord Jesus had a Divine person, the Father, to endorse what He said, so the apostle had a Divine Person, the Spirit, to endorse what he said. John wrote, (and it is the next verse after the mention of water and blood), “If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.” 1 John 5:9,10.

Of course John is not saying we accept without question the testimony of everyone, whether they are trustworthy or not. He is referring to what the Lord said in John 8:17, “It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true.” The law was referring to court-conditions, when men were required, (under penalty if they lied), to give a true witness. In those circumstances we accept the testimony of two credible and sane eye-witnesses. If we accept the testimony of mere men, John argues, we should the rather accept the testimony of Divine persons. And the Father and the Spirit both testify to the Son, and those who believe receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, and He indwells them. They now have the witness in themselves, and need not to rely on man, for they have the testimony directly from God.

And he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe- John is confident that what he is saying is true not only because he was present at the cross and saw events unfold before his very eyes, but also because he is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and so has the testimony in his own spirit. That being the case, we ought to believe, not only the testimony of a man like John, but also the testimony of the Spirit of God who indwelt John and who indwells believers. The double purpose of John’s writings was to bring us to initial faith is Christ, John 20:30,31, and to encourage us to continue in the faith, 1 John 5:13.

John 19:36
For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.

For these things were done- a reference to the non-breaking of His legs, and the piercing of His side, so both the negative and the positive had meaning. They were not trivial things, but had deep significance.

That the scripture should be fulfilled- not that the soldiers set out to fulfil scripture, but rather, that what they did or did not do was over-ruled by God, so that whilst it was their act, it was His will. And since that will had been expressed beforehand in Old Testament Scripture, they unwittingly fulfilled the prophecy.

A bone of him shall not be broken- despite the fact that the human hand and foot contain many bones, God saw to it that not one was broken when He was nailed to the cross.

The relevant scriptures are these:

Referring to the passover lamb: “In one house it shall be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof.” Exodus 12:46.

Referring to when a passover lamb was sacrificed in the second month: “They shall leave one of it unto the morning, nor break any bone of it”, Numbers 9:12.

Referring to a righteous man: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all. He keepeth all his bones: Not one of them is broken.” Psalm 34:19,20.

The first scripture is the word of God through Moses in connection with the original passover night. The lamb was to be without spot and blemish, because no lamb with a broken bone was acceptable. The lamb had been scrutinised for four days, and if any of its bones was broken this would have become evident. The Lord Jesus was in the public eye after His baptism, (we could think of the Father’s commendation at that time as the selection of the Lamb of God), and was closely watched by men. There was no fault found in Him. It is true men blamed Him, but they did not have just cause to do so, and He was in fact, as Peter says, “without blemish and without spot”, 1 Peter 1:19. We read of John the Baptist that “looking upon Jesus as he walked, he said, Behold the Lamb of God”, John 1:36. This testimony is especially valuable because John was the greatest prophet among those that are born of women, Luke 7:28, and as such was intelligent as to God’s thoughts. He was also of the priestly line, even though he did not function in the temple like his father did. Even though he did not officiate in the temple, he had priestly discernment, and just as the priest was to examine an offering to see if it was acceptable, John has done this to Christ. As he walked there was no physical limping; nor was there anything of this in the moral sphere.

David sinned grievously in the matter of Bathsheba, and God dealt with him in discipline because of it, for not only did the child that resulted from his adultery die, but Absalom his son rebelled against him, and the sword did not depart from his house, 2 Samuel 12:10-14. He repented of his sin, however, and in Psalm 51, one of his repentance psalms, he wrote, verses 7 and 8, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.” In his days as a shepherd, if there had been a lamb that had the tendency to stray, he would have broken its leg, so that it would have to keep close by him if it was to survive. Once the broken bone had healed, it would be safe for it to roam free again. That was David’s experience, for God had severely disciplined him, broken his bones so to speak, so that he might learn not to stray. But now he has been disciplined, and he tells us his experience.

There was nothing of this with Christ. His legs never needed to be broken, for he had no intention of straying. It is fitting then that this should be emphasised after He had died. He had carried the sins of His people like the scapegoat carried Israel’s sins, and did not limp or stumble. He walked the whole of the journey to “the land not inhabited”.

The second scripture is found in the instructions God gave in the case of those who could not keep the passover in the first month because they were “in a journey far off”, Numbers 9:10. In that situation they were allowed to keep the passover in the second month. This looks on to the future, for Israel has, so to speak, missed the first passover, not recognising that “Christ our passover is sacrificed for us”, 1 Corinthians 5:7. They have been in a journey far off since 70AD, for they have been scattered amongst the nations. If they will return to God, they will find that there is provision for them even after their long lapse.

The third scripture makes the prediction more personal, and it is the passage John quotes, for whereas in Exodus and Numbers the pronoun is “it”, in Psalm 34 it is “him”. The person in view is a righteous man, persecuted and afflicted, but He keeps all his bones.

The Lord Jesus never strayed from the pathway of obedience to His Father, and therefore never needed to be disciplined. He was the truly Righteous Man, who walked in the paths of righteousness, Psalm 23:3. It is fitting, therefore, that His bones should not be broken, even after His death. He was confident that His Father would preserve Him, even as to the body.

John 19:37
And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.

And again another scripture saith- notice that John does not say this Scripture has been fulfilled. The quotation in verse 36 was about what did not happen; this one is about what will happen.

They shall look on him whom they pierced- just as the scripture in Numbers looks on to a future day for Israel, so does this one. It is a quotation from Zechariah 12:10 which reads, “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplications: And they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.” Notice that the three persons of the Godhead are here, for there is “me”, and “him”, and “the Spirit of grace”. So, remarkably, it is the Lord of Hosts who says “look upon me whom they pierced”, and yet they mourn for “him”. And the “him” is God’s only-begotten and His firstborn, titles of the Lord Jesus.

The reference is to the second coming of Christ, which John describes in the Book of Revelation with the words, “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.” Revelation 1:7.

We see how important is an apparently simple matter of whether or not the Lord’s legs were broken, for the piercing with the spear would most likely not have taken place if His legs had been broken, for we do not read of the two malefactors having their side pierced.

So it was that in Jerusalem that day there was a dead body that could not be confused with any other body, for whereas the bodies of the malefactors had broken legs and unpierced side, Christ’s was the only one with a pierced side and unbroken legs.

Special note on the application of the work of propitiation to creation
Not only will the nation of Israel come into the good of the work of propitiation effected by their Messiah centuries before, but creation also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption when the Lord comes again to the earth. As the apostle Paul wrote, “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, because the creature itself shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now”, Romans 8:19-22.

This is how he explained this in his Epistle to the Colossians:

Colossians 1:20
And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

Having presented Christ as the Redeemer, the Rightful Heir, the Rearer-up and Regulator of creation, we know learn that Christ is the Reconciler.

And, having made peace through the blood of his cross- the subject of these verses is the Father, and so it is He that makes peace by the blood of Christ’s cross. Despite having been brought into being by the Son of God, the creation is now in a state of estrangement from God. This is because of the fall of man, for when Adam the head of the creation fell, it was not appropriate for him, as fallen man, to be over an unfallen creation. So it is that the creation was made subject to vanity, and is in the bondage of corruption, Romans 8:21. Scientists speak of the Law of Entropy, which says, in effect, that everything is deteriorating.

The only thing that can remedy the state of alienation that creation is in, is the blood of Christ’s cross. He spoke creation into being with a word, but creation’s fall raises moral issues, since it happened because of the incoming of sin. God must establish His moral right to rescue created things from their bondage. This He does by the blood of Christ; not, indeed, His blood as a living man, but the blood of His cross, the place of death and judgement. (Needless to say “His cross” does not relate specifically to the wood upon which the Lord Jesus was impaled, but rather the doctrine relative to what happened at Calvary).

By him to reconcile all things unto himself- reconciliation is one of the results of propitiation, and comes about because by His blood, shed on the cross of Calvary, Christ gave to God the full and satisfactory answer to the presence of sin. More precisely, in this verse, the sin into which man’s fall had brought the creation. So it is that He by the grace of God tasted death for every man, Hebrews 2:9. But the words “every man” in that verse could include every thing, and this assures us of the far-reaching effects of the work of Christ, which has guaranteed the deliverance of a groaning creation, Romans 8:20,21. He gave insights into this deliverance when He was here the first time, as He defeated death, disease, demon-possession, danger and distress, as Matthew 8 details. No wonder the writer to the Hebrews speaks of Israel tasting the powers of the world to come, the time when creation will have been delivered, Hebrews 6:5. Adam tasted of the forbidden tree, and forfeited his rights over the earth, but Christ has tasted death, (on a tree, Acts 5:30), and purchased for Himself the right to have all creation subject to Himself. As the creator of all things, He is supreme over them, but since He has become man He must prove his claim.

By submitting Himself to death, (which was brought in by the fall), Christ has answered every objection that the Devil might raise with regard to the restoration of all things. It suits that evil being to have creation in bondage, for it furthers his aims, but Christ will release all things when He comes to earth, and will reign over an earth that has been delivered from most of its corruption. Not until the present earth and heaven are swept away, however, will the stigma of sin be fully removed. Then there will be a new heaven and a new earth where righteous can dwell. Thus will be fulfilled in its completeness what the angel told Daniel about. Messiah will “finish the transgression”, “make an end of sins”, “make reconciliation for iniquity”, bring in everlasting righteousness”, “seal up the vision and prophecy”, and “anoint the most holy”, Daniel 9:24.

In Leviticus 16:16,20 the tabernacle is said to be reconciled to God, for the sins of the people of Israel, including the priests, had defiled it, and unless the defilement had been dealt with, God would have had to withdraw. So there is such a thing as unholiness by association, just as there is holiness by association. For instance, the mountain on which Christ was transfigured became, by that event, and only during that event, a holy mount, as Peter tells us, 2 Peter 1:18. It was holy by association.

By him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven- not only is the effect of the fall of man rectified on the basis of the blood of Christ, but the effects of the fall of Lucifer too. This is Satan’s former name as the anointed cherub that covered the very throne of God, just as the cherubim overshadowed the mercy seat upon the ark. Ezekiel 28:18 says of Lucifer that he defiled his sanctuaries by the multitude of his iniquities. It seems that he had some role as the leader of the praise of the angelic host, but sought, in pride, to rise higher, and “be like the Most High”, Isaiah 14:14. Like a supernova, a star that suddenly increases in size and brightness, Lucifer was inflated with pride, (“the condemnation of the Devil”, 1 Timothy 3:6), and as such was cast out of heaven, for “whoso exalteth himself shall be abased”, Luke 14:11. His action in rebelling against God, and of influencing others of the angels to do the same, (possibly one third of the angel-host, see Revelation 12:4), defiled heaven. The stigma of what had happened remained after he was cast out. The blood of Christ, however, (the one who humbled Himself and then was exalted, Philippians 2), avails to deal with this stain, as Hebrews 9:23 states, “It was therefore necessary for the patterns of things in the heavens to be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these”. The tabernacle on earth could be purified by animal sacrifices, but the heavenly things of which the tabernacle was a pattern needed better sacrifices than those. The use of the plural indicates that every aspect of the sacrifice of Christ at Calvary was needed to purge the heavenly sanctuary. It was the sacrifice of one who was entirely acceptable to God, (the burnt offering aspect); of one who was perfectly in harmony with God, (the peace offering aspect), in contrast to Lucifer who waged war on God; of one who had no sin-nature to offend the person of God, nor any sin-record as a sign of rebellion against the government of God, (the sin and trespass offering aspect). So it is that the heavenly sanctuary has been thoroughly prepared for His current ministry.

Returning to Leviticus 23:

23:28
And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the Lord your God.

And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the Lord your God- because atonement was made by blood being sprinkled under the eye of God on the mercy seat in the tabernacle, it was totally beyond the ability of any in Israel to contribute to that work, so they must rest totally from work to impress that upon their minds.

23:29
For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.

For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people- the work of propitiation was comprehensive, and not limited at all. Once the day of atonement ceremonies were over, the nation of Israel, (as a nation, for it was a national day), was fit to have the presence of God continuing amongst them, for their sins in totality had been carried away into the wilderness. But that did not mean that every individual Israelite’s sins were forgiven. He must repent of those sins if he is to know the good of what the priest did that day. If he is cut off from his people, he is cut off from the nation for which the atonement was made.

This principle holds good for today as well, for although the Lord Jesus is “the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world”, 1 John 2:2, nevertheless where there is no repentance, it is as if the propitiation is not, as far as benefitting the sinner is concerned.

Those who preach the gospel should ensure that their listeners understand that personal faith is necessary if the blessings obtained by Christ’s work in propitiation are to be known. Knowing in general terms that the Lord Jesus died for everyone, and therefore must have died for me, is not good enough. The results of His death are known only by those who repent of their sins in a meaningful way, and deliberately and definitely rely wholly on Him as Lord and Saviour, recognising that He is the Son of God. To claim to have the benefits of His death, whilst at the same time rejecting the truth that He is equal with God, is to merely be a professed believer, with no eternal life.

23:30
And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people.

And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people- the command to cease totally from work was to impress upon the people that on that day God was working. To ignore this was an act of unbelief, the product of a mind that disagrees with God and His ways. This is why in setting forth the principles of the gospel, the apostle Paul wrote, “Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood”, Romans 3:25. So faith must be linked with the blood if the effect of the propitiation is to be known. To try to work for salvation at the same time as professing to believe, is a contradiction. The seriousness of this is seen in that the disbelieving one would be “destroyed from among the people”, for the atonement was for the people, and unbelief results in expulsion from that people as far as the benefit is concerned.

23:31
Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings- again the word comes forbidding work, even domestic activities. There must be complete concentration of the need for atonement. Zechariah foretells that when the Messiah comes, the nation of Israel will mourn for Him in repentance, and look upon Him whom they pierced in faith. They will do this in the privacy of their own homes, or as is said here, “in your dwellings”, for the prophet writes, “And the land shall mourn, every family apart: the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; all the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.” Zechariah 12:12-14.

23:32
It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.

It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls- for the third time the demand that they cease from work and afflict their souls, in faith and repentance. “Sabbath of rest” is a strong statement, meaning a resting day of solemn resting, a day of complete rest.

In the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath- the Jewish day began at even, meaning 6pm, in accordance with the precedent set in creation week, where, for instance, “the evening and the morning were the fifth day”. So the ninth day of the month at even is when the tenth day, the day of atonement begins. It is no doubt stated like this to ensure that the Israelites prepared on the ninth day to keep the special sabbath of the day of atonement. That sabbath ended at even on the tenth day.

(j)   Verses 33-36
The feast of tabernacles (i)

23:33
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying- the details of the celebration of the feast of tabernacles comes in two stages. In verse 34-36, it is called the feast of tabernacles. Then in verses 37 and 38 there is a general statement about all the feasts. Then in verse 39 we find the word “also”, signalling that further statements are going to be made about the feast, with the emphasis on the construction of the tabernacles or booths that give the festival its name. This takes us to verse 43, and then the last verse of the chapter tells us that Moses did indeed declare unto the children of Israel the feasts.

23:34
Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the Lord.

Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the Lord- so the last feast lasts seven days, and then has an eighth day after it, whereas the first feast was of one day, and had a seven day feast after it. So there is symmetry in the feasts.

23:35
On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.

On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein- God very graciously allowed the Israelites to safely gather in their crops before coming before Him at the end of the agricultural year, the seventh month.

23:36
Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.

Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord- this is all we are told here about offerings, but in Numbers 29:12-34 we are given the details. The feast was distinctive as to the number of animals offered, and also their sequence. There were to be thirteen bullocks offered on the first day, twelve the second day, decreasing by one each day until the seventh day when they were to offer seven bullocks. This made seventy bullocks in all, with a further single one on the eighth day. These were all burnt offerings, the sacrifice which obtained acceptance for the offerer, and since it was a national festival, it signified that time when the nation of Israel will be in a state of acceptance before God. As they offer on each successive day, they remember the state they had been in, for thirteen is the number of rebellion in scripture. But the feast looks on to the time when their Messiah will have come to bring them into a right relationship with God on the basis of His death long before.

It is as if, as a nation, they join with Daniel and say, “We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgements”, Daniel 9:5. But he went on to say, “To the Lord our God belong mercies, and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him”, verse 9. Having had their sins dealt with by the day of atonement, they find themselves in the good of acceptance on the feast of tabernacles. For the seventy burnt offerings speak of full and complete acceptance, seven being the number of completeness, and ten the number that raises things to a higher level.

On the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein- just as the feast of unleavened bread was preceded by a single day festival, that of passover, so the last feast was followed by a single day festival. So no matter what day of the week this eighth fell upon, they were to observe it as a sabbath.

This is a reminder of the teaching of Hebrews 3 and 4. These chapters contain the second warning passage in the epistle. The first had to do with what happened to Israel at Sinai, when the law was given at the start of their wilderness journey. The second passage has to do with what happened two years later, when they refused to enter into the promised land. They hardened their hearts against the word of the Lord to them, and as a consequence all those men of war who had come out of Egypt were destined to die in the wilderness. When the people eventually entered the land under Joshua, they still did not enter fully into God’s purpose, because David, long after, spoke of a still-future time of rest for them. This is how the writer to the Hebrews presents this matter:

Hebrews 4:1
Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

Let us therefore fear- we are still in the warning passage that began in 3:6, so the Hebrews should realise the awful possibility of failure to enter in to what God had in store for them in Christ. The wilderness was a testing-place for Israel, just as the world is for those who claim the name of Christ today.
Lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest- the basis of the teaching of these chapters is the incident in the wilderness when Israel refused to enter into the land of promise. Chapter 3 has concentrated on those who did not enter in, whereas this chapter will deal with those who do. In Numbers 14:34 God spoke of His “breach of promise”, or His refusal to allow the people to enter in because they were unbelieving. The expression means His refusal of them, not His unfaithfulness to His promise. Now those who are allowed in are described, for there is a promise still left, it has not been withdrawn. In chapter 3 the writer concentrated on the middle section of his quote from Psalm 95, which dealt with the failure of the people. Now he emphasises the beginning and end of the quotation, which deals with God’s faithfulness in continuing to speak to the people day by day, and offering them the opportunity of entering into His rest. The promise has been left, not only in Psalm 95, but also in the ministry of Christ to Israel.
Any of you should seem to come short of it- to come short of the rest is to not enter into it, just as many in Israel came short of entering into Canaan, for their carcases fell in the wilderness. The word “seem” reminds us that he is referring to God’s knowledge of their hearts, as verse 13 will say. They may seem to others to have entered in, but God sees that they come short. The word for “seem” has the idea of opinion, so it is God’s opinion of them that is in view.

Hebrews 4:2
For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them- Caleb and Joshua came back from spying out the land of Canaan and told good news about its fruitfulness, and that God was able to give them the land if they trusted Him, Numbers 13:25-30. The Lord and His apostles had also preached the good news of the kingdom of God, available to Israel on the basis of repentance and faith, as Hebrews 2:3,4 has reminded them. A great salvation was offered to them, and proofs of Christ’s ability to bring in the kingdom were shown, not only by the Lord Himself, but by the apostles. The proof of the goodness of the land of Canaan was the bunch of grapes that the spies brought back with them. Significantly, the Lord Jesus began His miracle ministry by turning water into wine, showing He could bring in kingdom conditions, John 2:1-11.
But the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it- despite the encouragement to trust in God that Caleb and Joshua gave to the people, they refused to go in. They therefore did not profit from the good things in store in the land. It is clear that the kingdom can only be entered by believers. Nicodemus had to learn to come to an end of himself as a Rabbi and Pharisee, and find his all in Christ crucified. Only when born again through faith could he be fit for the kingdom, John 3:1-16. It was on the borders of the promised land that the brazen serpent was lifted up, so that those who were bitten by the serpent, and hence were in danger of perishing in the wilderness, could be given life, and enter the land. It was the generation that had been spared the judgement of God on their forefathers for refusing the land that were given this provision, for they too were in danger of dying outside of the land.

Hebrews 4:3
For we which have believed do enter into rest, as He said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

For we which have believed do enter into rest- clearly the rest that is spoken of in these verses is that which God calls His own, but which He invites others to enjoy. God can only rest in what His Son achieves for His glory, and so the rest here is Christ’s kingdom on earth, when He shall administer for God as His Firstborn Son. This has been in view ever since chapter 1:6-9. When Israel refused to enter into the land, God said, “As truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord”, Numbers 14:21. He also described the people of Israel as those who had seen His glory, and His miracles which He had done in Egypt and the wilderness, verse 22. The generation the writer to the Hebrews addresses had also seen the miracles and glory of the Lord, but many had refused Him. Nonetheless He will still come to them and set up His glorious kingdom, and “the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea”, Habakkuk 2:14.
In principle, because true believers are born again, and are able to see or discern the kingdom of God, John 3:3, they enter in that sense into rest in the present. It only awaits the manifestation of that kingdom for everything to be fully realised, and then they shall enter the kingdom of God when it is manifest, John 3:5. The same idea is found in Hebrews 12:18,22, where believers are said to have come, not to Mount Sinai, but Mount Zion. To come to Mount Sinai is to come into the bondage of the law in one’s heart; to come to Mount Zion is to come to the freedom of Christ’s glorious kingdom in one’s heart. It was not a question of coming physically to either mountain, but coming in soul. “Do enter” is in the tense which signifies something is happening in the present.
As he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest- because He has put Himself on oath, and because that oath is based on the fact that He lives, (see Numbers 14:21), then it cannot be withdrawn. What can be withdrawn, however, is the offer to those who, by not believing, show themselves unfit for the kingdom. The idea of wrath is not to the fore here, but it was appropriate in chapter 3 where the unbelief of the nation was being emphasised.
Although the works were finished from the foundation of the world- it is interesting to notice that in chapter 1, immediately Christ is spoken of as being introduced into the earth to reign, then His work as creator of heavens and earth is mentioned, 1:10. Instead of mentioning this when speaking of Christ as the one through whom the worlds were made, in verse 2, it is mentioned in connection with the reign of Christ. The writer here connects the rest of God with the creation week, for Scripture makes clear that one of the primary purposes of the creation of the world was that Christ might rule over it for God, so that His glory might be displayed. Adam had been given this task, equipped with glory and honour in order to be effective, but he failed, as chapter 2 explains. Only Jesus can rule the habitable earth for God. When He comes to reign He will set up His throne of glory, and judge the nations. Those who believe in Him from among Israel, and also those from the Gentiles who are sympathetic to them, shall inherit the kingdom “prepared from the foundation of the world”, Matthew 25:34. As Moses had said long before, “When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel. For the Lord’s portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.” Deuteronomy 32:8,9.
So when God rested from His six days of creation-work, He did so because the scene was now set for His kingdom to be established. Initially granting rule to Adam, He did so with a view to demonstrating that only His Son become flesh could function as ruler effectively. And only those who are in relationship with Him shall have any share in that glorious rule.
We are not to think that the works are not yet completed, and that is why the rest is not yet entered. The works were finished long ago at the beginning- it is man who is not ready. The Lord Jesus is recorded as having worked seven miracles on the sabbath day, so there is a coming together in His ministry of the idea of rest, and the “powers of the age to come”, 6:5 margin.

Hebrews 4:4
For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.

For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise- the foundation of the world and the seventh day are spoken of together, for “in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested on the seventh day”, Exodus 20:11. The creating of heaven and earth as to its material was on the first day, and then the “all that in them is” was made in the ensuing period, ending with the sixth day. There is no allowance here for millions of years between the making of heaven and earth in Genesis 1:1, and the subsequent days of 24 hours each. In fact, the Lord Jesus spoke of the making of male and female as being “from the beginning of the creation”, Mark 10:6.
And God did rest the seventh day from all his works- by resting on the seventh day God established a principle which shall be true to the end of time in relation to the earth. It is not in man’s best interests to work without a break. One of the reasons why the nation of Israel was taken into captivity was their failure to observe the sabbath, especially in regard to the cropping of the land. As they had not let the land rest once every seven years for 490 years, then it was forcibly rested for 70 years whilst they were in Babylon, 2 Chronicles 36:21.

Hebrews 4:5
And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.

And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest- the writer again quotes from Psalm 95, and links the rest spoken of there with the rest spoken of in Genesis 2:2. He does not distract us by precise details of the place where the passage is found. No doubt most of his readers knew where to find the words anyway. He makes no apology for quoting from the early chapters of Genesis, believing them to be equally the word of God with the rest of Scripture, see 2 Timothy 3:15-17.
Having rested Himself on the seventh day, God invites men to rest with Him, but this cannot be while they are in unbelief. Verse 4 speaks of God’s works, and this verse of God’s rest.

Hebrews 4:6
Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:

Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein- notice the “must”, for God is determined to have others resting with Him. This is why the invitation is still valid, six thousand years after the finishing of creation. He must bring it to pass for He has sworn by Himself to do it, 6:13.
And they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief- Abraham was not invited to rest, because the conditions were not right at that time, for “the Canaanite was then in the land”, Genesis 12:6. He, Isaac and Jacob dwelt in tents in the land, they were not settled there, Hebrews 11:9. The first ones to have the gospel of a rest that was available were those who came out of Egypt under Moses. Sadly, as chapter 3 has described, they refused to enter in, not because the rest was not available, but because of unbelief. The word used in this passage for unbelief has the idea of disobedience. 

Hebrews 4:7
Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time- this entry into rest is not available indefinitely, for the opportunity is limited. The readers of the epistle might miss out if they were not alert. “In David” means in the book of psalms, written a long time after the book of Genesis, and even the book of Numbers, which records the refusal of the land. God has waited patiently for others to join Him in true kingdom-rest. Even David did not bring in rest.
As it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts- ominously the hardening of hearts is brought up here again, and explains why there is such a delay in bringing in the rest. It cannot be entered by those who have hearts hardened by unbelief, 3:12,13. There must be the fleshy heart of one who is responsive to the word of God, as God said, “And I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh”, Ezekiel 36:26. Note the connection between Ezekiel 36 and 37, (where the Lord gave a promise to Israel that He would “bring you into your own land”), and the new birth of water and the Spirit in John 3, without which there is no entry into the kingdom of God.

Hebrews 4:8
For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.

For if Jesus had given them rest- the Greek word for Joshua and Jesus is the same. The reference here, of course, is to Joshua, but the translation as Jesus does serve to highlight the meaning of the name, that is, “Salvation of Jehovah”. Joshua was originally named “Oshea”, but after he had been faithful in spying out the land, and in view of his leadership in taking the people in to the land, he was renamed by Moses, Numbers 13:16. Oshea means simply “Salvation”, but no doubt to avoid any misunderstanding as they entered the land, his new name reminded the nation that the salvation the land represented was of Jehovah, not Joshua. Of course the Lord Jesus fills out the meaning of the name perfectly, for He Himself is the salvation of Jehovah. See Matthew 1:21. He is the captain of our salvation, Hebrews 2:10, pioneering the trail so that others may follow. Joshua was not able to rule for God and make the land a rest for God. He was not even of the kingly tribe of Judah, nor did the nation possess all the land under his leadership.
Then would he not afterward have spoken of another day- clear proof that the rest was not gained through Joshua is seen in the fact that God spoke of the rest as in the future, long after the time of Joshua, in David’s day.

Hebrews 4:9
There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God- the conclusion of the matter is that there is still the opportunity of entering into God’s rest, as long as those concerned are genuinely the people of God, and not a mixed company, with some true and others false. The word for rest used here is a different one, meaning “a keeping of sabbath”, thus fusing the idea of rest and seventh day together. 

Hebrews 4:10
For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his- not only does the word for rest used in verse 9 merge together the thought of rest and seventh day, but here the idea of rest and ceasing from work as on the sabbath day are combined. This verse speaks generally of the principle that the one who enters rest does so because he has stopped working. But the stopping of work here is because of a deliberate ceasing, not through force of circumstances; it is a meaningful action. The verse does not say that the rest is entered yet, but simply that it is logical to say that someone who has entered into rest has stopped working. So the principle established when God ceased working in creation week is now applied to believers.

Hebrews 4:11
Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest- this shows that the rest is still future, and not some vague spiritualising of Scripture.  The idea in the word is that of diligence. The whole epistle is designed to encourage diligent attention to Divine things. By labouring constructively for God, we show we have the right to enter in rest. While we wait for the rest to come we should be diligently working for God’s interests, just as God worked for His interests on the six days of creation. The next verse speaks of labouring to enter into rest, for only those who work deserve rest. It is not work in the Epistle to the Galatians sense, where the mistaken idea that we can work for salvation is dealt with. Here, work is commendable, just as God’s work was on days one to six of the creation week.
Lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief- note the distinction between the people of God of verse 9, and any man, the latter word being used because profession is still being tested. Those who fall would be illustrated by those who fell in the wilderness under the judgement of God, 3:17. They illustrate the fall of those who have the kingdom presented to them, yet refuse it through disobedience.

Summarising, we may say that the kingdom rest when the Messiah reigns will be followed by the eternal rest of God, when He eternally enjoys what His Son has worked out in time. The apostle Peter wrote about the day of the Lord, and how it would prepare for the day of God, when God shall be “all in all”, 1 Corinthians 15:28, as follows:

2 Peter 3:8-12
The promise of Christ’s coming and its realisation

2 Peter 3:8
But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing- in verse 5 he has told us that ungodly men deliberately hide the truth from their minds. Here he appeals to his readers, whom he loves in the Lord, not to do the same. There is one fact that will encourage them to take an interest in these things, and he next tells us what it is.

That one day is with the Lord as a thousand years- that which man accomplishes in a thousand years, God can achieve in but one day. Which is not to say that He even needs the whole day to do it, but Peter is impressing us with the fact that God does not reckon time as we do.

And a thousand years as one day- Moses had written of God in a psalm, “For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night”, Psalm 90:4. Notice that the thousand year period is as yesterday with God, for He moves swiftly on with His purpose, ever aiming for a new day. Interestingly, Moses speaks in that psalm of God in relation to the generations of men, verse 1, reminding us of Peter’s phrase, “since the fathers fell asleep”, then of the forming of the earth, verse 2, corresponding to “the earth standing out of the water and in the water”. In verse 3 he speaks of God turning men to destruction, and in verse 5 of them being carried away as with a flood, which is echoed by Peter when he writes about the world perishing by means of the waters of the flood.

So believers know that “even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God”, verse 2, so they should not limit God to their way of reckoning time. If the mockers had not blanked out this idea from their minds they would have known that God can wait for thousands of years without risking being known as one who lingers.

2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness- to be slack means to be slow. The scoffers were counting in the wrong way, for they reckoned that if the promise of Divine intervention was going to be fulfilled at all, it ought to be fulfilled according to their timetable. This was the way they defined slackness, but they were wrong. God is indeed slack, or slow, but only because He is reluctant to judge men, and waits to bless them. The psalmist specifically says that God is “slow to anger”, Psalm 103:8, and there are eight other places in the Old Testament where this is said.

But is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance- if only the scoffers realised that, far from being a fault that the intervention had not come, it was a display of one aspect of Divine glory, even His longsuffering, and desire to bless men. So the long time during which the promise was not fulfilled was not a reason to mock, but an opportunity to repent.

When he says that God is not willing, Peter is referring to the Divine will, not the Divine wish. God is not actively setting out to will that men perish. He has not destined some to perdition, contrary to what some would teach. When the apostle Paul writes of this sort of thing, he says that some are “fitted to destruction”, Romans 9:22, but he used the verb in the Middle Voice, meaning they fitted themselves by their refusal to repent.

So even the mockers may be delivered from perishing, if only they come God’s way, turning from their own thoughts and accepting God’s, for this is what repentance is. God is ready to bless all who come, for He is not excluding any from the possibility of being saved. The basis on which He can act like this is the propitiatory work of Christ, for “He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world”, 1 John 2:2. The whole world may come if it chooses, even though “the whole world lieth in wickedness”, 1 John 5:19.

2 Peter 3:10
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night- the first time we read of the day of the Lord is in Isaiah chapter 2. Amongst other things, the prophet tells us that “the day of the Lord shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty…and the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day”, Isaiah 2:12,17. During the Tribulation Period it is the Antichrist who is exalted in pride, but that will come to an end when Christ comes to earth with power and great glory. So the day of the Lord cannot include the time when the pride of man is evident, and must begin with what is called “the great and the terrible day of the Lord”, Joel 2:31. This occurs after the sun has been darkened and the moon turned into blood, verse 31. The Lord Jesus Himself spoke of these things in His Olivet Discourse, saying, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light; and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory”, Matthew 24:29,30.

In the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise- the apostle here formally states what is implied in the Old Testament prophets, that the day of the Lord is an extended period. The initial day is of twenty-four hours, for when he is writing of the coming of the day of the Lord, Zechariah says it is “one day which shall be known to the Lord, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light”, Zechariah 14:7. This is the great and terrible day of the Lord. But the prophet goes on to say, “And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem”, verse 8, and “the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day there shall be one Lord, and his name one”, verse 9. So in one sense the day of the Lord is one day of twenty-four hours, in another sense it is an extended period which lasts until the moment when the heavens pass away at the end of time.

Scientists speak of their Big Bang Theory. Precisely. They have their theory. So does the heathen savage have his theory when he believes everything came from a lotus flower. He has no evidence. The evolutionist should face up to the fact that he has none either. He has possible explanations, but no solid basis on which to proceed. He should also face up to the fact that very many scientists, competent in their field, and not necessarily Christians, are opposed to the Big Bang theory, and do not think it should be promoted as the only possibility.

George Ellis, co-worker with the late Stephen Hawking, (a very famous astrophysicist), said,

“People need to be aware that there is a range of models that could explain the observations. For instance, I can construct you a spherically symmetrical universe with earth at its centre, and you cannot disprove it based on observations. You can only exclude it on philosophical grounds. What I want to bring into the open is the fact that we are using philosophical criteria in choosing our models. A lot of cosmologists try to hide that”.

In other words, there is no scientific reason why the Biblical account of creation should be rejected. So there is no proof that a Big Bang occurred, but there is a prophecy that a “Great Noise” will occur. And if it be asked what a Galilean fisherman knows about cosmology, the answer is that he knows what the Supreme Cosmologist, the Creator Himself, has told him.

The word Peter uses for noise is used in classical writings of the sound of an arrow, (for God is reaching His target); the roar of the waters, (for His voice is as the sound of many waters, Revelation 1:15); as the crackle of flames, (for the earth and heavens are being burned up); as the scream of a lash as it races through the air, (for the earth and the heaven are fleeing away, Revelation 20:1); as the hiss of a serpent, (for that which Satan spoilt is being replaced, and he, “that Old Serpent”, Revelation 12:9, is being banished).

And the elements shall melt with fervent heat- the word for elements means “something orderly in arrangement”, and is linked to the verb “stoicheo”, which means “to march in military rank”. This is no doubt a reference to the molecular structure of all matter. The word melt means in this place “to be loosed”, so the orderly structure of materials, which at present is held together, will then be loosed, and the constituent parts separated out. At the moment all things are upheld by the powerful word of the Son of God, Hebrews 1:3, and consist, or hold together by Him, Colossians 1:17. The means whereby this melting shall be done is fervent heat, where the word fervent literally means “extended” or “stretched out”. It seems that the heat will be on the upper limit of its possible range, and no matter will survive intact.

The earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up- the idea is of something being burnt to the ground, totally destroying it. So as the result of the breaking up of the elements, the whole earth system that God made, and all the works that man has made, shall be totally consumed.

2 Peter 3:11
Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved- we are to draw a moral lesson for the present from these future events. God will bring about the end of present material things to teach us not to concentrate on them, but rather on eternal and spiritual things. The word “dissolved” is the same as “melt” in verse 10, having the idea of being loosed from what binds it together.

What manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness- the apostle appeals to our spiritual intelligence, assuming we will be able to draw the correct conclusions. A holy way of life and a holy character should mark every believer in view of the dissolution of all things, for these are of lasting value, and will be to God’s glory for all eternity. Conversation is a way of life amongst men, and godliness is a holy attitude to God; both should be affected by future events and their implications.

2 Peter 3:12
Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God- our eye is to be upon coming things, and not those round about us in a world destined to pass away. Not only are we to look ahead, but we are to do so with eager expectation. The word for hasting was the one used by the spectators at the Olympic games, as they urged on their favourite athlete. “Spoude!” they would cry. Peter is assuming we are speeding on our way in the Christian race, looking forward eagerly for the beginning of new things that are all of God.

When the day of the Lord has run its course, the Lord Jesus will subject Himself to God the Father afresh, with the aim that God may be “all in all”, 1 Corinthians 15:28. The only Man in the whole of the universe who has the right to assert His will, will submit to the will of the Godhead, so that there will never be a rival to God in eternity. The persons of the Godhead will be in all things and in all ways supreme. Such a situation can fittingly be described as the day of God, when His will alone will be done.

Wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? The preposition translated “wherein” is “dia”, and could be thought of as “by reason of”. The preposition in verse 10 translated “in the which”, on the other hand, is “en”, meaning “in”. So the timing of the burning up of the heavens is the day of the Lord, at the very end of it, but the reason for the burning up is so that the day of God may begin. Perhaps there is the suggestion that the day of the Lord merges into the day of God, in the same way that the kingdom of Christ, whilst it lasts a thousand years, merges into the eternal kingdom of God. If this is the case, the burning up of all things can indeed be said to be both in the day of the Lord and in the day of God. We see this illustrated in the seven-day feast of tabernacles merging into the eighth day sabbath.

Peter does not mention the earth here. He did so in verse 10 to show us that all we are occupied with now as far as natural life is concerned will go, and so eternal things should occupy us. Here the emphasis is not on leaving go of earth, but of looking forward to when all things are made new, when even the heavens as we know them shall be done away.

No mention is made in verse 10 of the burning of the heavens, but here we learn that they too shall burn. As a result, they shall also melt, being reduced to a molten mass. Out from this mass God will create anew, and form a changed universe.

Verses 13-18
The promise of Christ’s coming and our response

2 Peter 3:13
Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth- we might be apprehensive about the future burning up of all things. The unsaved certainly should stop and think. But the believer looks beyond the passing away of heaven and earth to the making of that which shall never pass away.

The mockers deny the promise of His coming and all it involves, the believer welcomes it, and looks expectantly for it to come. The promise is found in the prophecy of Isaiah where God said, “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind”, Isaiah 65:17. It is clear from the verses that follow in that chapter that the reference initially is to reign of Christ on the earth, when creation shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption, as Romans 8:21 puts it. The ground of that is the blood of Christ’s cross, which enables God to righteously reconcile all things to Himself, Colossians 1:20. He can look on the millenial earth in the light of what will prevail in eternity, just as He looks on the believer as one reconciled to Himself even though he still has his old body.

In its final meaning, however, the new heavens and new earth shall be created after the dissolution of all things, but God will very graciously give to the unsaved alive during Christ’s reign a sample of what could be theirs if they repented.

Wherein dwelleth righteousness- so there is a new heaven and new earth wherein righteousness reigns, (for “a King shall reign in righteousness”, Isaiah 32:1), and the final new heavens and new earth where righteousness dwells. To dwell means to be at home, with nothing disturbing the rest. This will not be the situation during Christ’s reign, because there will be sinners on earth at that time, hence righteousness will have to reign, but in eternity there will be nothing of sin to disturb the full expression of righteousness, and it will dwell.

2 Peter 3:14
Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things- even though in time terms these events are far off, nonetheless they have a bearing on our conduct now, for we are citizens of the new heaven, and should live as those who shall walk the golden streets.

Be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless- again we have the “spoude” word, the urging on to great effort. The apostle is exhorting us to be in a fit condition when the Lord comes at the rapture, so that we have nothing on our conscience to disturb our minds. The way to be found like this is to be without spot and blameless. Spots are what come upon us from the world, for James encourages us to keep ourselves “unspotted from the world”, James 1:27. Blame is as the result of our own actions, so we must strive to be as Christ was down here, without blemish and without spot, 1 Peter 1:19. Because righteousness dwells in the eternal state, we should seek to comply with the demands of Divine righteousness now. We have been made the righteousness of God in Christ to enable us to do this, 2 Corinthians 5:21.

We return to Leviticus 23.

(k)  Verses 37,38

General summary

23:37
These are the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day:

So the main object of the feasts was to give the Israelites opportunities to offer God that which gave Him pleasure, for that is what an “offering made by fire” is, being either a burnt offering, a meat offering or a sacrifice, which is a peace offering. Apart from the passover and the wave sheaf days, a goat for a sin offering was offered also, but that was not an offering made by fire, but an offering destroyed by fire. We only read of drink offerings on the day of the wave sheaf, and on the feast of trumpets, which, being on the first day of the month, had the appropriate first day offerings as well as the special feast day offerings, Numbers 29:6. Interestingly, drink offerings are mentioned on the second to eighth days of the feast of tabernacles, but not on the first day.

23:38
Beside the sabbaths of the Lord, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the Lord.

They were not to think that religiously keeping these feasts was enough. The Lord looked for a willingness to go beyond what was compulsory, so that He could be constantly refreshed by their willing exercises throughout the year, and not just on specified dates. The writer to the Hebrews urges us to “offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name”, Hebrews 13:15. The Christian is able to offer God “fruit” even when it is not harvest time according to the calendar.

(l)   Verses 39-44
Feast of tabernacles (ii)

23:39
Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the Lord seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath.

Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the Lord seven days- from John 7:1 until 10:21 the Lord Jesus was in Jerusalem for the feast of tabernacles., about six months before His crucifixion. The feast had two aspects, as detailed in Leviticus 23:33-38, and 39-44, hence the “also” at the beginning of the verse. There was that aspect which emphasised the thanksgiving for the in-gathering of the harvest, and Luke deals with this side of things as he records the Lord’s teaching in regard to giving, covetousness, riches, and so on, Luke 12:13-40. Opportunity was given to Israel to give to God as He had prospered them during the year, “Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee”, Deuteronomy 16:17, words no doubt on the mind of the apostle Paul when he exhorts believers to give “as God hath prospered him”, 1 Corinthians 16:2.

John, however, focuses on the other aspect to the feast, that of the dwelling in booths. The basic requirement during the feast of tabernacles or booths was that the Israelites should leave their permanent homes for seven days, and construct for themselves temporary shelters from tree branches.

This had a three-fold purpose, to do with the past, the then-present, and the future. As to the past, it would give them opportunity to remember the goodness of God to their forbears as they travelled as pilgrims though the wilderness. As to the then-present, the feast afforded time to reflect on their situation now that they were in the land. As to the future, they had opportunity to look forward to the day when Messiah would come and they would be in the land under Him, with no oppressors to tread them down.

Now the Lord Jesus, as one made under the law, Galatians 4:4, and who magnified the law and made it honourable, Isaiah 42:21, went up to the feast of tabernacles. John records what took place immediately before the feast, during the feast, and afterwards, in chapters 7 to 10 of his gospel. As he does so, he presents Christ to us in relation to various matters that would come to attention during the feast. as follows:

The family feast
We learn from Deuteronomy 16:14 that the feast was to be a family feast, where the household would be united together in a common rejoicing in the goodness of God. This corresponds to John 7:1-13, where the Lord Jesus is found conversing with the children of Mary and Joseph.

The reading of the Law
It was God’s command that the law should be read in its entirety every seven years, and this was to be done during the days of this feast, Deuteronomy 31:10-11. So in John 7:14-36 the relationship between the teaching of Moses and Christ is dealt with.

The water from the rock remembered
There was remembrance of God’s provision in the desert by way of water from the rock. The Lord Jesus declares in John 7:37-8:1 that He is the true source of living water.

The pillar of cloud
The Lord had led them through the wilderness by means of a pillar of cloud, which not only told them the way to go, but also protected them from the heat of the sun, Psalm 105:39. So in John 8:2-11 the Lord Jesus protects the woman spoken of there from the unkind and unjust actions of the Pharisees, and also tells her the way to go, for He said to her, “Go, and sin no more”.

The pillar of fire
They would remember that the pillar of fire had led them through the trackless wilderness. In John 8:12-29 the Lord presents Himself as the light of the world, not just Israel. There is also the reminder that when God judged sinners He did so as He looked through the pillar of fire, Exodus 14:24, and those who contended with Christ are warned that they are in danger of the same sort of judgement.

The land was for the seed of Abraham
As the Chosen Seed, they laid claim to the land they had travelled to from Egypt. This matter of being the seed of Abraham comes up in John 8:30-59.

They followed the ark as it led the way
As they travelled through the desert, the ark, the symbol of God’s presence with them, went before to search out a resting-place for them, Numbers 10:33,34. So it is that in John chapter 9 a blind man is healed, so that he may follow the Lord Jesus intelligently.

They were led as a flock
The nation had been led through the wilderness as if they were a flock of sheep following their shepherd, see Psalm 80 and Psalm 95. So John 10 is the chapter that reveals the Lord Jesus as the Good Shepherd.

On the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath- this is a remarkable expression, for it is usually the last day of the week that is a sabbath, but there were exceptions, as we have seen throughout this chapter. The feasts have taken us through the Israelites’ farming year, but have also symbolised God’s dealings throughout the period starting with Calvary, and extending with this feast into eternity. For the seven days of the feast would represent the millenial reign of the Messiah, when Israel would be at rest, and enjoy the “harvest” that Christ had gained for them, but the eighth day tells us that the reign of Christ is an eternal one, and extends into eternity.

As the people pondered God’s ways with the nation as they dwelt in their booths for the feast, one of the things they would remember was the provision of water from the rock. To commemorate the latter, there had grown up a ceremony carried out during the Feast of Tabernacles. Whether it was done every day of the feast, or only on the last day, and whether that last day was the seventh or the eighth day, is not clear, since the actual ceremony is not detailed in Scripture. The procedure was as follows, according to Jewish historians:

Three companies would assemble in the temple courts. One to prepare the altar; another with palm branches they had cut down, with which they decorated the altar; a third to follow a priest as he made his way to the Pool of Siloam, where he would fill a golden urn with water and make his way back to the temple courts. As that company returned with him, they sang such words as “Save now…send now prosperity”, Psalm 118:25, and, “With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation”, Isaiah 12:3. Arriving at the altar, the water would be poured through a golden funnel situated at the corner of the altar. The Jews saw in the pouring out of the water a prefiguring of the pouring out of the Spirit when Messiah comes, as Joel 2:28,29 specifies.

Little did they realise, however, that there was one in their midst who could bring in the reality of which this ceremony was a faint foreshadowing. After all, had they not used the word “yeshua” as they sang about the wells of salvation? This is the Hebrew equivalent of the name “Jesus”. So, unwittingly, they had said that Jesus was the well of salvation!

John 7:37
In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

In the last day, that great day of the feast- so we have been told that Christ went up to the feast at its beginning, that about the third day He had started to teach, and now it is the last day. The feast of tabernacles was a seven-day feast, like the passover and unleavened bread festivals, but it had a unique addition, an eighth day which was a sabbath. Now it is possible that the water-ceremony took place on each of the days, so that all who attended the temple courts could have an opportunity of seeing it and participating in the joy of it. Now it is the last day of the last feast, and the religious calendar of Israel is in its closing hours, and the last water-pouring is going on at that very moment.

Jesus stood and cried, saying- He had cried in verse 28, but had not stood to do so, for He intended to continue teaching, and this was done from a sitting position. Here He rises from the teacher’s seat, and stands as one able to command the attention of the people, and offer them the highest blessing. With impeccable timing, His voice rings out across the temple courts, possibly during that interval as the altar received its final preparations for the sacrifice. With loud voice, full of earnestness and power, One stands in those courts claiming that He, Jesus, “Yeshua”, is the true well of salvation. His words were clear and confident, and He is claiming to be the true rock whence flows that water which satisfies the thirst once and for all.

If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink- for all their enthusiastic singing, every one in the crowd would have to admit to an unsatisfied longing in the heart. Sing about joy as they might, they realised they had not yet found its true source. It was the last day of the last feast, and religion had nothing more to offer them. Yet here in their midst was one claiming to fulfil their deepest longing. Did they truly thirst for the things of God, for righteousness? Then let them come to Him and drink. So doing, they will find true joy and salvation.

John 7:38
He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

He that believeth on me- this gift is to all who believe in Him. A Gentile does not have to embrace Judaism to receive it. The apostle Paul makes clear that Jew and Gentile have been made to drink into one Spirit when they believed, 1 Corinthians 12:13. Not “made to drink” as if unwilling, but made to drink by force of circumstances, for there is only one thing to drink. Every believer has the Spirit as a gift from God. Galatians 3:2 and Romans 8:9, and other scriptures besides, make that abundantly clear.

The verses the people have quoted as they followed the priest with the golden churn of water spoke of joy, the joy of salvation. Yet those who believe are not always as joyous as they might be, which is why the apostle prayed that the Lord might fill us “with all joy and peace in believing”, Romans 15:13. So the secret is in the believing, that trustful attitude of heart which causes us to lean upon Him, and not rely on ourselves. Even the apostle made the mistake of looking within himself in Romans 7:7-20. He used the words “I” and me” over 40 times, and concluded the chapter with the words “O wretched man that I am”.

When we think of those things which should give us joy, we think of things which are outside of ourselves, such as fellowship with the Father and the Son, 1 John 1:3,4; hearing of other believers walking in the truth, 3 John 4; hearing of sinners believing, Acts 11:20-23; even tribulations, for they are part of God’s process of educating and refining us, Romans 5:3. Yet the fact is that as believers we too often “hew to ourselves cisterns, broken cisterns, which hold no water”, Jeremiah 2:13. And by so doing we “forsake the fountain of living waters”, God Himself.

In the modern world we are confronted by a bewildering array of means of entertainment. Yet each one is a broken cistern! Why do we take so long to realise it? Occupation with that spurious joy the world offers will bring barrenness into our souls, and coldness into our hearts. And this will translate into having nothing worthwhile to say when we come together to remember the Lord. The old preachers used to tell us that what we did on Saturday evening would affect what we did on Sunday morning. And they were right- although why limit it to Saturday evening?

When the Lord spoke to the Samaritan woman about water, He indicated that it was the Spirit of God, who would motivate and energise the believer to worship the Father. There would be an up-flow. In this chapter there is an out-flow, for the Saviour promises that after we have come to Him to drink, there flows out of our belly, or innermost being, rivers of living water. And this “as the scripture hath said”. Apparently the readings in the synagogue for the feast of tabernacle week included one from Ezekiel 47:1-12, which foretold that a living stream of water would flow from within the millenial temple, and eventually reach the sea. If this is the allusion, how significant it is, for the believer’s body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, 1 Corinthians 6:19. Just as there shall be an outflow from the temple in a day to come, so there should be an outflow from the temple of the believer’s body now.

We may learn important lessons from Ezekiel’s experience at the side of that river. The prophet first found the waters to be ankle-deep, reminding us that the Spirit enables us to walk in the Spirit, Galatians 5:16,25. Like the man at the beautiful gate of the temple, our ankle bones have received strength. Acts 3:7. Then the water was to the prophet’s knees, reminding us that a Spirit-led walk is fostered by Spirit-led prayer, “praying in the Holy Spirit”, Jude 20. Then the waters were to the loins, reminding us that the apostle bowed his knees in prayer that the believers might be strengthened in might by His Spirit in the inner man, Ephesians 3:14-16. Finally, the prophet found there was water enough to swim in, too deep to cross, reminding us that the native environment for the Christian is the Spirit, for we are no longer in the flesh, but in the Spirit, Romans 8:9.

John 7:39
(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified).

(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive- at this point John, who writes for the world, not just Jews, explains to us the meaning of this saying. The water Christ offers is the Spirit of God. To have Him within is to have the source of true joy within. For the Spirit will always point to Christ and glorify Him, thus filling the believer with joy as he contemplates Him, see John 16:14.

For the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified). John makes clear that this receiving of the Spirit as one who dwells within, (as opposed to being on a person as in Old Testament times), could not happen until Jesus was glorified. Not, indeed, glorified at His coming to the earth as Israel’s Messiah, (the event at the back of the minds of the Jews in the temple courts that day), but when He would return to heaven after the cross, for God raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, 1 Peter 1:21. There is not to be a long delay, but it is necessary that the foundation of all blessing is firmly laid at Calvary before the Spirit can be given. The Spirit of God does not indwell sinners. Only those who have repented and believed are fit recipients of the great blessing. So when a person believes in Him and is given the Spirit of God, that belief includes belief in Him as the one who was crucified, buried and raised.

Returning to Leviticus 23:

23:40
And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days.

And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook- the tabernacles or booths the Israelites were to construct and live in for the days of the feast were not made of the materials of their own choosing. They were to construct temporary shelters, either in their garden or by the roadside, or on the hillsides near Jerusalem, (we read that the Lord Jesus went to the mount of Olives during this feast, John 8:1), and there ponder the fact that their forbears were strangers, (having been expelled from Egypt), and pilgrims, (moving across the wilderness to the promised land). Believers, too, are called strangers and pilgrims, 1 Peter 2:11, for, having been redeemed out of Egypt-type bondage, we press on to the “inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you”, 1 Peter 1:4. Of course in another sense we have already “crossed the Jordan” at our baptism, and are seated in heavenly places in Christ, Ephesians 2:6.

Despite the fact that they must do no servile work on the first and last days of the feast, verses 35 and 36, on the first day they were to take the branches of the trees specified and construct their booths, for that was not servile work, meaning work for pay or gain.

Four kinds of trees were listed, but there was no shittim tree amongst them, for that was the tree of the desert, and they were looking onward to the Land of Promise. Goodly trees tell of the “goodly land” God would give them, Deuteronomy 1:25. The palm trees are symbols of victory, for they triumph over adversity, and tower above their surroundings. Jericho was known as the City of Palm Trees, Deuteronomy 34:3, and this is God’s indication that they will succeed in defeating their enemies as they enter the land. The boughs of thick trees would tell of the fertility of the land, and finally, the willows of the brook, the trees that dip their branches in the water and as they emerge, weep tears. They are assured that their days of weeping will be over when the Kingdom comes, for they will say, “When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them.” Psalm 126:1,2. No longer will they hang their harps upon the willows in a strange land, see Psalm 137, but their tears will be wiped away.

And ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days- so they did not dwell in booths or tabernacles on the eighth day, for that represented pilgrimage, whereas in eternity all pilgrimage will be over.

23:41
And ye shall keep it a feast unto the Lord seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.

And ye shall keep it a feast unto the Lord seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month- even during the reign of Christ on earth this festival will be kept, for it is “a statute for ever in your generations”. See Zechariah 14:16-19, with its three-fold mention of the feast of tabernacles.

23:42
Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths:

Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths- we know from the parallel passage in Deuteronomy 16:13-15, that the stranger was to be allowed to rejoice in the feast, but it seems from this verse that only those who were born Israelites, (that is, were not proselytes to the religion of Israel), were allowed to dwell in the booths.

It is sad to notice that when the Lord was at Jerusalem for the feast of tabernacles, “every man went unto his own home. Jesus went unto the mount of Olives”, John 7:53; 8:1. Even strangers were to be entertained at this time, but the Lord of glory was left to go to His own booth on the mountain. Well might the writer to the Hebrews exhort us, “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers”, Hebrews 13:2.

23:43
That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt- here is the reason why the feast is to be kept to all generations; it is so that all those generations will be aware of what God did to their ancestors, and how faithful He was in bringing them out of Egypt to bring them in to Canaan. Moses warned the people that once they were in the land of Canaan they might be tempted to forget that it was God who gave them the land, Deuteronomy 8:11-14.

I am the Lord your God- once again, (see verse 22), their God affirms His relationship with the people by covenant. They must be faithful to the covenant too. As he drew near to the end of his life, Moses, having finished the writing of the book of the law and delivered it to the priests to keep, commanded that the whole law be read at the end of every seven years, at the feast of tabernacles. We read, “And Moses wrote this law, and delivered it unto the priests the sons of Levi, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and unto all the elders of Israel. And Moses commanded them, saying, At the end of every seven years, in the solemnity of the year of release, in the feast of tabernacles, when all Israel is come to appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing. Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the Lord your God, and observe to do all the words of this law: And that their children, which have not known any thing, may hear, and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over Jordan to possess it.” Deuteronomy 31:9-13.

23:44
And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts of the Lord.

And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts of the Lord- how sad that in the time of the Lord Jesus, John is forced to call them the feasts of the Jews, John 5:1; 6:4; 7:2. This is yet one more reason why He needed to come into the world, to adjust people’s priorities, and assert the authority of God in the earth, and in Israel in particular.

Notice that Moses has been faithful to the charge given to him to “speak unto the children of Israel. And say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the Lord…”, verse 2. We may compare this with the word to Moses about the tabernacle, “And they shall make”, and the word at the end of the process, “According to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so the children of Israel made all the work”, Exodus 25:10; 39:42. It was a sad day when the Lord Jesus had to say to the church in Sardis, “I have not found thy works perfect before God”, Revelation 3:3. By great contrast, we hear the Lord Jesus speaking to His Father, and saying, “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do”, John 17:4. Let us make Him our example.