THE SIGNIFICANCE OF JEWISH FESTIVALS
(Part 3 if 3)

"Are in" here would be as "abiding in" in the sense that we must abide in the vine per John 15:46, and verse 6 tells us that if we abide not in Him, we are cast off as a branch, then cast into the fire and burned. This is confirmed in the second half of Romans 8:1, which is never quoted. It states what "in Christ Jesus" means. It is those who WALK NOT AFTER THE FLESH BUT AFTER THE SPIRIT! I John 1:9 is often referenced to indicate that as Believers we are continually cleansed by the blood of God, so we stand pure before Him at this judgment seat. How can theologians simply ignore the first five words in this verse? It tells us that "IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness". A quick look at the Greek word "homologeo" from which the word "confess" in this verse is drawn will tell us that this does not just mean to acknowledge. It contains the concept of covenant and promise. We must agree with God that we have been wrong, and COMMIT to turning from such sinful activity. As we lean on the power within us through the Holy Spirit, He will enable us to OVERCOME any "sinful" behavior which we truly desire to and commit to overcome! Note here that some of us have a more insistent self-will than others, and may find it more difficult to break a particular cycle of sin, but God knows our hearts, and is aware when we are sincere in our efforts to overcome. The power of the Holy Spirit within us WILL eventually prevail if we do not weary ourselves and give up! Should you see yourself here, just keep the faith, and lean upon that power moment by moment! The point here, however, is that the sin of compromise is easy to overlook in this indulgent society, and we may be held accountable for conforming to this world when Romans 12:2 warns us against this very thing. We cannot simply ignore compromise, indulge in the sinful pleasures of this world, and live for self without expecting to be held accountable before the throne of the One who shed His blood for our redemption. I Corinthians 6:19-20 and 7:23 emphatically states that we were BOUGHT with a price, that we are NOT to be the servants of "men", but that we are to glorify God in our bodies and our spirits. We are NOT our own, we are HIS, we are not to listen to our own self-will and indulge it, we were "set apart" for God's use, and the entire purpose for our existence on this earth, indeed for our very lives after we receive Him as Savior should be to glorify God, and allow Him total freedom to work through us as He chooses. We are to offer Him the use of (total control of) our bodies as a living sacrifice to Him (Romans 12:1). In Matthew 10:37-39 we are told that we must put Him above all things (even our immediate family), and that we must pick up our cross DAILY (submit to Him), or that we are not worthy of Him, and that it is through losing our life (self-will) that we find life (life through Him). How is it that we expect to abuse the privilege of glorifying God that we were commanded to do with our very lives and live according to our own fleshly and emotional desires without expecting to account for it when we stand before God? A look at Hebrews 10:26-31 should be a sober eye-opener. It tells us that if we sin willfully after receiving the knowledge of the Truth (i.e. God's Truth), there remains no more sacrifice for such sin, rather a fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indignation (Greek indicates jealousy and heat here), which shall devour the adversaries (note such a one is viewed now as an ADVERSARY!!!). We are then reminded that one who despised Moses' law DIED WITHOUT MERCY, and told that to an even greater degree would we be counted worthy of WORSE punishment for having ignored the will of God for our lives. Our lack of respect for His ways is not looked upon lightly by our Holy Lord. Those who knew His Truth, but chose not to live by it, face a God who sees their actions as having "trodden under foot the Son of God", and having counted the blood He shed in covenant with us for our sanctification as an unholy thing. We are viewed as having spited the Spirit of grace through which our eternal life was given! We may not see compromise with this world as treading under foot the Son of God and the blood of our sanctification covenant, but we are not the One on the throne. We need to begin to view things through the eyes of a HOLY God, and through the Word àuuàHe gave us (Romans 12:2). The Hebrews passage continues to say that vengeance belongeth unto Him, and He will recompense. He SHALL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE!!!; "It is a FEARFUL thing to fall into the hands of the LIVING GOD"! Hebrews 2:23 tells us that EVERY TRANSGRESSION and DISOBEDIENCE (again this would apply to unconfessed transgressions and disobedience) will receive a JUST RECOMPENSE of reward (compensation). Then the passage of Scripture asks an awesome question. We are asked how we expect to escape such "just recompense" if we chose to NEGLECT the great salvation (unto eternal life) which we were given? The strong implication here is that by neglecting the mandates that accompany our purchase for salvation unto eternal life, we have greatly offended the One who paid the price to secure it! Hebrews 3:8-12 has earnestly warned us. We were told here as BRETHREN (i.e. Believers) to heed the same Word (that was given to the Hebrew people in the days of their wilderness journeying. We are cautioned not to allow our hearts to become hardened, whereby tempting God, and grieving Him in such a way that He would say, "They have not known Me". This action not only kept a whole generation of Hebrew people from finding the place of rest God had, for them, but He warns us as brethren that it could likewise cause the same compensation to be dealt upon us! He says "I sware in my wrath, they shall not enter into My rest"! Please note that His time and place of temporal "rest" for the Believer is the Millennial Kingdom, so He is saying here that such a brethren (Believer) will not enter into His Millennial Kingdom.

We need to look for a moment at a concept known as Outer Darkness. Many references are made to it throughout the parables, but not too much is said about it. It appears that it is a negative consequence for having wasted the life God expected us to use productively. Vile offenders don't  appear to receive this retribution; Gehenna appears to be their destination (we'll discuss it next). This realm of darkness seems to be for those who have not been outright rebellious, but have neglected or forgotten to complete the sanctification process of alignment of the body and soul to the new Spirit within that they were expected to work through. Working through this sanctification process is what is referred to in Philippians 2:12 when we're told to work out your own salvation, and we are admonished to take this matter seriously, with fear and trembling"! This could not be the salvation of our spirit, that was secured when we first became Believers. What is referred to here is the salvation of our body and our soul. Salvation has been coined by theologians as to ALWAYS be considered in reference to the spirit, but it is not a dedicated word. It simply means "to save", and we are "to save" our body, our soul, AND our spirit!

Let's return now to the Bema Judgment Seat of Christ. We find it in I Corinthians 3:11-15. We are told in this passage that those who have built upon the foundation of Yeshua (i.e. allowed HIM to produce their works/fruit THROUGH THEM by abiding IN HIM) will find that their works/fruit are of lasting value (gold, silver, and precious stones) which will endure the trial of fire at the seat of judgment. Those, however, whose works/fruit was produced by their own merit not having built their foundation on Christ by abiding in Him and allowing Him to work through them as HE WILLED) will have only wood, hay, and stubble to show for their efforts. Because these works/fruit cannot endure the fiery trial, they are all burnt up, and no offering to God remains as a result of the life that they were supposed to have dedicated to Him. Now it tells us in verse 15 that if a man's works remain (survive the fiery trial) that he shall be rewarded, and we are told of crowns throughout the New Testament that will be given to us at this time. The crowns represent authority and leadership, which we will be given in order to rule and reign with Him in the Millennial Kingdom (Revelation 2:27). We are told in Matthew 25:14-30 and Luke 19:11-27 that the things and cities we rule over in His kingdom will be in proportion to our faithfulness as His servants in this life. Now in I Corinthians 3:15 we find that if a Believer's works are all burned up he shall be saved (i.e. his spirit will still inherit the Eternal Kingdom), yet so as by fire. Obviously this is not the fire of the trial that just occurred. That fire was related to the works/fruit of the servant. The consequence of fire in verse 15 indicates a direct relationship to the servant himself! We note that in the Matthew passage we just observed that the servant who was not deemed profitable was thrown into outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. We note in the Luke passage we just viewed that some Believers are not even considered to BE servants, much less PROFITABLE servants. Those who did not allow Him to reign over them were viewed as citizens rather than servants, and treated with contempt as the ENEMY (verse 27). They were brought before Him and slain in His presence. The "church" teachings today imply that þxwþthese "citizens" are not Believers, but there is no indication of that teaching in this passage whatsoever. The teaching was in relation to the kingdom of God (verse 11) of which the UNBELIEVER has no part, and these citizens were referred to as HIS citizens in verse 14. Let's look at some other parables in Matthew. We are warned in Matthew 7:13-14 that we must enter by way of the strait gait, the narrow way; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction. The Greek word "apoleia" is translated destruction here. In the Greek it can mean damnation, perdition, perish, waste. Here He is speaking to those who are Believers. This becomes obvious from the surrounding text. In the very next passage, He is warning His Believers of the false prophets who would try to deceive them, and in the following passage He tells His Believers that when some of them stand before Him, He will say to them, "I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity". It was also stated here that among these would be Believers who had been doing "works" for Him in His name, thus these works would have been through SELF rather than a product of HIS work through them. At any rate, a bit further into Matthew, we begin to sense what the destruction (damnation) of Matthew 7:13 might be about. Verses 25-30 instruct‚ His Believers not to fear those who can simply kill the body, but to fear the One who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. The Greek word for hell here is Gehenna, and is not at all the same word that is used in other areas of the New Testament to indicate Hades, Tartaros, or Lake of  Fire. Hades seems to correlate to the Old Testament term Sheol. It appears to be the place where the dead reside. Luke 16:19-31 indicates that it has a lower chamber of fire and torment and an upper chamber (called Abraham's bosom) where the righteous in Christ await their promised rest. Tartaros is a deep pit where certain of the most contemptuous fallen angels are bound in chains (II Peter 2:4) Though the Lake of Fire is understood to be a type of hell, it is (oddly enough) never translated as hell in the Biblical text. It is primarily mentioned regarding the Father's Kingdom time frame, and referred to ONLY as the Lake of Fire.

Whereas we see by the verses just noted that Hades exists now, and Tartaros exists now, the text seems to indicate that Gehenna is a FUTURE temporal abode at the time of the Scriptural writings. When we look at Mark 9:42-48, we see that Gehenna is the hellhole of sorts referred to in Isaiah 66:23-24 "where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched". Note that the reference to this place in Isaiah is in the time prophesied as the Millennial Kingdom. Those who come to worship in Jerusalem will have to look upon the grotesque sight of the carcases of those who have transgressed against God. Who will those carcases belong to? The parables in the Gospels tell us that it will be rebellious Believers who lacked the self-control to bring their bodies and souls into subjection to the Lord. Again we note that it is His CITIZENS (those who would not have Him to rule over them) who were slain before Him. This occurs as a result of the verdict of the Son at His Bema Throne.

I Corinthians 15:40 indicates that there will be both celestial and terrestrial bodies. When we are raptured or resurrected, our bodies will be upgraded. Though they will ont yet be our totally light (celestial) bodies, they will be a varient thereof. They will be a cross between what we have now and the totally light (celestial) version. They will be much as the body which Yeshua had when He entered the locked room, not being limited by physical matter. Yeshua's body looked much as ours, yet it was interdimensional. Yeshua must be able to slay these bodies (Luke 19:27). It may be that only He can do so, but it is evident that it can be done. Even Revelation 2:11 speaks of a second death. So the slain bodies of rebellious "citizens" would be thrown into Gehenna for the duration of the Millennial Kingdom, where God destroys the body and soul that would not be purified (Matthew 10:28). Our spirits do not require a body at all as we know it. Demons are spirits, and they don't have one, yet angels are spirits as well and they do. It appears that the body for a spirit being is expendable. Those whose bodies are destroyed in Gehenna will have to do without one in the Father's Kingdom, and be naked before God (Revelation 16:15). When we get to the Father's Kingdom, those Believers who have a bodies will be clothed in the linen of righteousness (Revelation 19:8).

We MUST bring the desires of the flesh in this body and the self-will that is our soul under the mastery of the new Spirit within us by putting our worldliness and self-will to death in this life and resurrecting it as the life of Christ through us. In so doing, we align the body and the soul with the Spirit of God, whereby we are born again NOT ONLY in spirit but in body and soul. If we fail to do so, then God will complete the process for us in a very unpleasant way to fit us for the perfection required to be in the presence of the Father in His Kingdom.

It appears that when we align the body, soul, and spirit, we produce the fruit of the Spirit and lasting work of gold, silver, and precious stones. Thus, we receive crowns, and authority to rule and reign with Christ in His Millennial Kingdom. Likewise, it appears that if we fail to align the body, soul, and spirit, the fruit we yield will be of an inferior quality, and will be burned up in the fiery trial at the Bema Throne. The proof of our neglect of the sanctification process is lying on ashes upon the altar, and the result is a temporary home in Outer Darkness until repentance is achieved and/or being slain and thrown in Gehenna for 1000 years (instead living in the Millennial Kingdom) where the unproductive branches (people) are cast into the fire and burned (John 15:46) and Matthew 10:28 says the body and the soul are destroyed.

Somewhere in the gray area between the chief reward of entrance to the Millennial Kingdom of the Son and the worst consequence of the hellfire of Gehenna lies the Outer Darkness. Maybe it would relate to the three books that are opened at Rosh HaShannah, where those who have been deemed righteous are blessed, and those who have been deemed wicked are punished, then there is a group who falls somewhere in the middle. These would be bound for Outer Darkness, and they would be checked periodically to see if repentance has been accomplished (probably at seven day intervals as shadowed in Leviticus 13 & 14 and Genesis 8:6-12).

We must also ask how God honors effort. If a person is sincerely trying to bring body and soul into submission, looking to God for the power to achieve this end, and remaining in a state of repentance, will that one be held responsible for any portion of sanctification not yet completed? It appears that that one will be guiltless before the eyes of the Lord. We are assured that He looks upon the heart, and reassured that as we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive AND to cleanse. The key here is sincerity. Only God can judge the sincerity of our heart and our efforts! Could it be that there is significance to the offspring of Rachael in relation to the types of Believers we find here?

A quick review will remind us that Benjamin means VERY FRUITFUL. Maybe the Northern portion of Benjamin represents the Believers who will totally overcome and align the body and the soul with the spirit. They will be given great reward and responsibility in the Millennial Kingdom of the Son. (Philippians 3:5 tells us that Paul was of the tribe of Benjamin). In reference to Benjamin, I am reminded of the parable in Matthew 24:45-51 when Yeshua indicates that the faithful and wise servants (which will be made to be rulers over His household) are associated with giving "meat" in due season. It is INDEED the season to give to others and absorb into our own spiritual fiber the "meat" of God's Word (I Corinthians 3:13), rather than dwelling only upon the "milk" of it! We MUST begin to wake up to the "solid food" portions of His Word, and stop focusing upon the "baby bottle formula"!

Then we have Joseph, which represents the balance of the church, and was further divided under the lineage of Ephraim and Manasseh. Ephraim means double fruitful. This might be related to the Believers who were sincerely involved in the process of sanctification, but time did not allow for the completion of this process. These too would be blessed to enter the Millennial Kingdom of the Son, and would enjoy rich rewards in the responsibilities of the kingdom. We might parallel the fruitful lives of Benjamin and Ephraim with the Believers whose seed fell upon good ground in Matthew 13:23.

Manasseh on the other hand means forgetful. Manasseh may represent the Believers who had begun the process of sanctification of the soul (self-will), then had been discouraged through persecutions or trials, and thus had conveniently forgotten (neglected) their walk with the Lord. Maybe their seed fell upon stony places (Matthew 13:20).

Then we have two more divisions (as children by the handmaid of a woman were considered to be her children). Thus we have the two sons of Zilpah, who were Naphtali and Dan. Naphtali means "unsavory, argumentative, arrogant". Have you ever seen Believers who would fall into this category, who intentionally stir up strife within the body of Christ, agitate, and manipulate (everyone to get their way? Maybe their seed had fallen among thorns (Matthew 13:22). The minor cares of the world and the seduction of its wealth had distracted them, and choked out the growth process. Accordingly such a one would never developed the fruit of the Spirit, and would have no discretion; thriving on strife.

Lastly, we have Dan. This name means to rule, strive, contend, judge, minister, but we need to understand that this is generally understood to be in the negative sense. It inhabits the nature of deception and false pretenses. Might this group include those who were prophesied to be wolves in sheep's clothing? Though some may never have been Believers, many may have Believed unto Spirit salvation, then fallen into deceipt and passed it on to the "church". Others may have sold their very soul to spread deceipt throughout the "church" today in exchange for riches. Might these represent Believers who received seed by the way side (Matthew13:19); then the wicked one caught it away or distorted the Truth, enabling them to misuse the earthly influence over God's people which they had been granted? The Bible tells us that each will have to account for the souls of their flock! Many even speculate that the Anti Christ will arise from the literal tribe of Dan. Just as Judas was negated as a disciple, the tribe of Dan is NOT listed among the twelve honored tribes in Revelation 7:4-8! How will God decide the proper and just recompense for those who fit these categories? Outer Darkness and Gehenna surely lie in the waiting for a large portion of such Believers!

During the days when Rehoboam ruled the Hebrew people, his harsh tactics caused an uprising. Only the tribes of Judah, Simeon and part of Benjamin remained aligned with Rehoboam, this becoming the Southern Kingdom, called Judah. The rest of the tribes aligned under Jeroboam, and became the Northern Kingdom, called Israel. Now the Bible documents the marriage between uqHosea (a prophet to Israel) and Gomer (a harlot). God wanted to emphasize His view of the …"qw"adultress nature of Israel's idolatry in relation to His betrothal to her AND to foreshadow the y,wy,prophetic intermarriage between a portion of the Kingdom of Israel to the Gentile pagan peoples. Though Gomer withdraws from Hosea in adultery, after their marriage, God instructs Hosea to be reconciled to her. Thus the portrait is painted here of God's eventual reconciliation to an adulterous people. A backround study of this book reveals that the descendants of Shem in the Northern Kingdom (predominantly those of the tribe of Ephraim, the Western portion of the tribe of Manasseh, and the Northern portion of the tribe of Benjamin) intermarried with the Gentile peoples, (who were primarily of the lineage of Japheth). Henceforth, this group appears to be referred to as the House of Ephraim, (as distinguished from the remainder of the Northern Kingdom of Israel). It is probably not coincidental that one of the sons of Japheth was named Gomer! Genesis 10:5 tells us that it was the descendants of Japheth who populated the isles of the Gentiles (often thought to be the American coastlands). Might these intermarriages have been the source of light to the Gentile peoples who formed our nation? It is VERY possible that many Americans today have Hebrew ancestry (some via the House of Ephraim, and others via the House of Israel), and are not aware of it. Could that even be the reason why some people in our country cannot see (in spite of mountains of proofs) that Yeshua is the Son of God? Could they be blinded to the Truth through their Hebrew bloodline (Romans 11:78)? Could the House of Ephraim be the "election" of this verse who were given sight, and the balance of Israel be the blinded? Maybe Ephraim was not in the list of twelve tribes of Revelation 7 because he came to represent the "church"; Believers of mixed descent (Gentiles who were grafted onto the olive tree through the lineage of the House of Ephraim). Joseph's name replaces Ephraim's name in this list. Manasseh is still there, as Eastern Manasseh was of the House of Israel. Likewise, Benjamin is still there because Southern Benjamin was of the House of Judah. We may note here that Japheth was equally as righteous as Seth when they backed into the tent and covered their drunken father without seeing his nakedness (Genesis 9:20-24), and that Japheth was equally blessed in proportion to Seth. Whereas Seth represents the Hebrew people, and would be the lineage from which Jacob would be born, Japheth represents the gentile nations, who would also inherit the blessings of God. Ham fathered the Cushites, the Egyptians, and the Canaanites, and received the curse of Noah. It appears that throughout the years, God has honored Noah's preferences.

Hosea 5:5 shows God's distinction of three separate groups. It lists the Houses of Ephraim, Israel, and Judah. Hosea 7:13 says Ephraim has been redeemed, which must indicate the church since Israel will not be redeemed in like manner until the Millennial Kingdom. Note the harsh consequences ahead during Tribulation for the apostate portion of the House of Ephraim that is left behind because she has fallen away from the true faith, failed to be separated from the world, and thus is seen as adulterous in the eyes of her betrothed Husband.

Now let's see how all of this fits with the Festival of Yom Kippur. We saw that this was the holiest and most sacred day of the year. It was the day the Priest was to make atonement for the sins of the people. In order to fully understand the sacrifices of the day, we might first want to look at the five general types of sacrifices. The first three are different from the last two, in that God's Word  indicates that these first three ARE to be done, but the timing and obedience to fulfill this obligation it is left up to the Hebrew people, not the priest. The last two sacrifices are ritualistically accomplished by the priest at stated intervals. The first of these is the Burnt offering, found in Leviticus 1:1-17. The priest burns all of it on the altar to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the Lord per Leviticus 1:9. We should find significance here in the laying our all upon the altar to be purified by the "refiner's fire" of God (Malachi 3:2). As we submit to and endure the trials He allows for our growth, the aroma of our submission to His purification process in our lives is sweet to Him. Then we have the Meal or Meat offering. It is the offering that has been mentioned before that is made from finely ground flour mixed with or anointed with oil, and graced with frankincense. In verse 11 of the Leviticus 2:1-16 passage, we see that no leaven was to be used in these offerings, which prevailed until they were told to use leaven in the "new" Shavuot meat offerings in Leviticus 23:16-17. I thought it somewhat strange that these offerings were referred to in many references as "meat" offerings when there is absolutely no "meat" in them, UNTIL one day when I read again in I Corinthians 3:13 about the difference between the "meat" and the "milk" of His Word. It is only when we have been able to absorb and work through the "meat" (sanctification process) of His Word that we are fit to give this offering. The "meat" from God's Word enables us to grind away at the wheat product of our spirit salvation, and produce the finely ground flour fit for this offering. It cannot be the flour of our own making, however, it must be mingled with or anointed with oil (the product of our efforts THROUGH the working of the Holy Spirit within us) in order to produce the end product fit for this offering. It cannot be lacking the salt of the covenant of thy God (as we're to be the salt of the earth, and are never to lose our savor per Matthew 5:13.) Frankincense (symbolic of communion with God through prayer) is put upon the top of the offering to complete it. Then we have the Peace offering, found in Leviticus 3:1-17. It is mentioned here that it shall be a perpetual statute for your generations that no fat or blood is eaten. Verse 16 states that the fat is the Lord's. Most people would realize that much of the flavor in a beef stew (for instance) comes from the fat of the meat, and we are told in Leviticus 17:11 that the life of the flesh is in the blood. It is supposed here that the fat relates to the flavor of the praise we offer up to God, and that the blood represents the life we live for Him.

As this relates to the Believer, we should recall that these first three sacrifices ARE to be made, but our High Priest (Yeshua) is not responsible to make them. It is up to us whether to when to, and in what manner to make these offerings to God.

The next two sacrifices were performed by the Priest for the people at appointed times an a very specific manner. The Sin offering in Leviticus 4:1-35 reads much like the Trespass offering in Leviticus 5:1-19. They are (in nature) almost like twin sacraments. The major difference between the nature of the "sin" offering and the "trespass" offering is that the offering for "sin" is to atone for wrongdoing in general. The "trespass" offering is to atone for offenses toward another, and particularly in regard to the property of another. Before further reference is made to these two offerings made by the Priest for the people, let's take a look at a portion of the rituals of the Yom Kippur atonement as performed only by the High Priest while dressed in pure white linen. He would take the two goats that were virtually identical (like twins) and assign them lots: one to Adonai (the Lord) and one to Azazel (the scapegoat or Satan). A red ribbon (representing sin) was tied to the horn of the goat to Azazel, then the goat "to Adonai" was slain. This goat represented the "SIN" offering that Yeshua would one day make for mankind. When Yeshua died on Calvary and arose from the dead, it ended the need for sin atonement. He was the final, once and for all sacrifice that would pay for our sins. Note now, that sins are the GENERAL wrongdoings in accordance with the sin nature we were born with. Once we accept the sacrifice of Yeshua, however, we must realize that we are no longer our own, we were BOUGHT WITH A PRICE (I Corinthians 6:19-20)! Therefore, we are now the PROPERTY of God. Now we must also understand that when we sin from this time forward, we are sinning or "trespassing" upon the PROPERTY of GOD! The blood of His sacrifice is enough to cover that too AS and IF we remain in a state of repentance, confessing (agreeing to TURN FROM) the things we do wrong. As we CHOOSE to walk in obedience and offer the first three offerings above, we keep ourselves in right standing, but if we FAIL to offer these offerings that He expects from us, and FAIL to confess our sins in repentance, we are BEHOLDEN to God, and there remains NO MORE SACRIFICE FOR SINS!!! Now we see the High Priest taking hold of the head of the goat to Azazel and proclaiming the sins upon him. A red ribbon is torn apart, and one piece is hung on the Temple door while another is tied to the horn of the goat. The goat is escorted to a specific cliff about ten miles out of town. The ribbon is torn again, and half is tied back to the horn, while the other half is hung on the cliff. Then he is pushed off the edge of the cliff to his death. When the goat died, the ribbons turned white, a supernatural sign from God that the sin attonment had been accepted for the year. The ribbons turned white year after year UNTIL Yeshua's crucifixion. Since the sacrifice of the Lamb of God on Calvary, this practice has never again been acceptable to remove the sins of the trespass offering. The Festivals were played out each year for some thirty years after Yeshua's crucifixion before they ended. Year after year the ribbon remained red. AFTER the Lamb of God was offered, no further SUBSTITUTIONAL sacrifice would suffice. The goat to Azazel was a prophetic picture of the price mankind HIMSELF would have to pay if he failed to use the knowledge of Truth and power of the Holy Spirit to meet the standards expected of him by the One who BOUGHT his eternal salvation. It is a shadow of an unrepentant sinner being cast into outer darkness until the self-will of the soul is killed to align with the spirit.

We should take one more sobering look. We have concluded the Bema Judgment Seat of Christ, and recompenses have been distributed, now it is time for the Messiah to take His earthly throne in Jerusalem, and tens of thousands of His faithful saints will return to rule with Him. The Hebrew people will be honoring their most sacred day of the year with fasting and prayer when, just as the term for this day ("face to face") suggests, they will see Him in just that manner! The patterning hand precision of the ritual had to be flawless, as the sacrifice of Lamb of God for the atonement of our sins had to be flawless. First, a bull was sacrificed to make atonement for the High Priest and his House (a shadow of the slaying of those sent to Gehenna). Note that the blood is sprinkled on the altar. It has been claimed (and SUPPOSEDLY substantiated) that the Ark of the Old Testament has been found beneath the spot where they believe that Yeshua was crucified, and that there was a substance upon the ark which was tested and found to be blood, but was missing the male chromosome. Could the earthquake have split the earth under the cross of Christ so the blood could fall upon the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant and secure the sacrifice of the Lamb of God? When Christ returns to establish His Kingdom it will be in judgment on Yom Kippur. (The tares have now been separated from the wheat and burned.) It literally makes me ill that this is not taught in our churches today and Believers worldwide are unaware of the consequences that lie ahead for the carnal or possibly even the self-centered or maybe even the lazy Christian.

The return of Christ will be received in mixed fashion here on earth. For many it will be a time of tremendous joy as they acknowledge that the true Messiah has come to them. For others, the element of fear that will grip their heart cannot be imagined. They will seek in desperation to overpower Him, but be destroyed. Revelation 14:17-20 tells of another angel that will thrust his sickle into the earth and reap the grapes of the earth (now fully ripened), and cast them into the winepress of the wrath of God. The toll of human life that will be taken that day will stagger the mind. The blood will be up to the bridles on the horses for the distance of about 184 miles. Matthew 25:31-46 relates the story of the goats and sheep judgment. The Son of man has just come in His glory, surrounded by holy angels. He shall sit upon the throne of His glory, and all the nations (many will still be dispersed in surrounding gentile nations) will come before Him. Just as the entire family of Believers stood before Him at the Bema Judgment Seat (including those Believers who had already died), the same principal is seen here. The ENTIRE House of Israel must stand before Him now, (including those who had already died). Ezekie 37:1-14 gives a literal picture of how the entire House of Israel will be resurrected, and returned to their land to stand in judgment before the Messiah. This IS their initial hour of judgment. The group to come before Him may even include the patriarchs, and others who lived prior to Jacob. (Chapter 11 of Hebrews lists many who were considered righteous through their faith, looking toward the promises of God.) Judgment will be based upon how they treated one another. The selfless would be the sheep and were put on His right, and the selfish would be the goats and put on His left. (We must see clearly here that they can not at this point be judged in the manner that the Believers were judged, because they had never had the indwelling of the Holy Spirit!) The ones designated as the sheep on His right were deemed blessed of the Father, and told to come and inherit the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world. Those who had been designated as goats on His left were sent away to everlasting punishment (presumably Hades to be followed by the Lake of Fire). At this point in time only the sheep are left, and all of those of the House of Israel (and possibly others prior to Jacob) will be saved (i.e. be given the indwelling of the Holy Spirit) (Ezekiel 37:14) which is the latter rain of the Spirit (Hosea 6:3), just as the former rain of the Spirit was dispensed upon Believers at Penticost. Now the entire House of Israel that remains on the earth knows Yeshua as Lord, and will be betrothed to Him once more, this time via the second covenant, filling them with His Spirit, but more on this in a moment.

Revelation 20:3 indicates that Satan is bound for the 1,000 year period of the Millennial Kingdom, but at the end of that 1,000 years he must be released for a little season. Could this be because those who received the indwelling Spirit in the latter rain dispensation also have to OVERCOME the temptations thrown at them by Him, and because those who were born during the 1,000 years may not have received Spirit salvation? Could there be a cycle built within this 1,000 year period wherein the Hebrew people relive the traditions of the Festivals so they can understand them from the proper perspective? Speculation tells me this is so.

Now we see the new heaven and the new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away. At this point I see I Corinthians 15:24-28 occurring. All things are now under the subjection of the Son, and He, in turn, falls under the subjection of the Father and hands the Kingdom to Him so they can reign and rule together in the Eternal Kingdom of the Father where they are again all in all (as one).

It appears that those who OVERCOME in both former and latter rain dispensations would be a part of the Bride. Revelation 21:7 assures us that he that overcomes inherits all things. The overcoming Bride will inherit the Eternal city of the New Jerusalem with its mansions. Verse 27 however, says that no one will enter the gates of the city who worketh abomination, maketh a lie, but those which are written in the LAMB'S book of life (different from the Father's book of life of Revelation 20:15). It appears that souls whom the Lamb could not save at the Bema Judgment seat will be a part of the Eternal Kingdom, but will be forbidden to enter the city of New Jerusalem. They will be able to look in at the gates, but unable to set foot on the streets of gold on the other side.

The Bible mentions what appears to be four separate dinners or suppers, and there are four cups of wine in the Passover rituals, symbolic of the cup to be served at each of these dinners/suppers. (Yeshua said during the meal of the last Passover that he would not drink of the fruit of the vine again until He is with us again in His Father's Kingdom (Matthew 26:29). Recall now that according to Jewish heritage the bridal chamber is at the Father's House.)

The passage of Luke 14:15-23 appears to occur in heaven. Those who were bidden to come to the supper and were too preoccupied with the things of the world to respond to the invitation of God were then forbidden to come. This would be the dinner/supper to be held in heaven for the First Fruits Bride. It would include the first of the four cups of wine to be served at the dinners/suppers. It is called the cup of Sanctification, and when used in the Passover seder, it is said at this time, "I will bring you out of Egypt". Egypt was a place of bondage, and is representative of the world for the Believer. Indeed as the Bride drinks this cup with the Lord, it will be to celebrate her sanctification and release from the world.

The second dinner/supper might be the one found in Matthew 22:1-14. Verse 3 tells of the first servants He sent forth to proclaim that the dinner/supper was at hand, and now in verse 4 He AGAIN sends out servants to proclaim a dinner/supper, and the REMNANT treated them spitefully. This supper was also held in heaven after the rapture of the rest of the Believers and after the Bema Judgment Seat has been completed. The overcomers of the Tribulation are put in their awaited spot as a part of the Bride, and though they have to forfeit the seven years with their Bridegroom that the First Fruits Bride enjoyed, the dinner/supper is served in celebration of their marriage to the Bridegroom. The guests include those who were taken up at this second rapture but were NOT overcomers, thus not able to be a part of the Bride. The second cup is drunk at this dinner/supper. It is the cup of Praise. The tribulation overcomers are ecstatic over their release from the world system, and praise Him endlessly. During the Passover seder it said when they partake of this cup "I will deliver you from bondage". Indeed He has; all bondage for the overcoming Bride is now in the past!

The third dinner/supper appears to be the one found in Revelation 19:6-21, and would be held on earth after the Goats and Sheep judgment. The bride is prepared for the celebration, and accompanies the Son of God to Earth.

He fittingly arrives on a white horse, takes care of the business at hand, judges the House of Israel, and prepares to feast. The sheep of the Millennial Kingdom would be the guests now. It is a threefold celebration. They would be celebrating the return of the Messiah to redeem them from the grips of the enemy, the union of the Believers together as Bride (looking ahead to that day in "(the future when they could become the third and final installment of her in consummation), and the first part of their own remarriage, their own betrothal to this Lord of Lords at this celebration of Yom Kippur (a day of public weddings). The third cup would be consumed now, the cup of redemption. At the Passover seder it is said now, "I will redeem you with an outstretched arm". Indeed He does, and He confirms the new betrothal on Tishri 16 at the celebration of the "Libation of Water" by pouring the Holy Spirit out upon them! The next passage in Revelation 20 shows Satan being cast into the bottomless pit for the 1000 year duration of the Millennial Kingdom.

The last, and possibly the most beautiful of the celebrations will occur in the Father's Kingdom. We find this passage in Luke 12:36-40. It begins on earth and covers a vast expanse of time. We find that the Lord has just returned from the wedding, and the Millennial Kingdom is underway. Now we note in verse 38 the term "third watch". He came for the First Fruits Bride on the first watch, the rest of the Believers on the second watch, and He now (unannounced) raptures the Believers of the latter rain dispensation, where they stand before Him at the Bema Judgment seat as the first rain Believers once did. Those who were overcomers in the latter rain dispensation will be taken into the Bride at this time. The others will receive their just recompense as well, the White Throne judgment will occur, and the Lake of Fire will receive Satan and all of its new residents. The Son will hand the Kingdom to the Father, and we will have the feast of our lives as the unity of the Godhead and the two loaves of the Bride embrace. Luke tells us in this passage that the Lord will actually serve us at this feast. Then He will drink with His complete Bride the fourth cup, called the cup of acceptance, recalling the words of the Passover seder when this cup is taken, "I will take you to Me for a people". It is a cup of completion. Those from all three portions of the Bride will exalt Him and be EXCEEDINGLY glad that they were found ready when the Son of man came for them. They are in eternity future, and look back upon the days of their life on earth when they beheld the stars in the sky above through the roofs of their quickly built Sukkot booths, looking for the day they would dwell again with the God of their fathers. Now they do, and they are about to be among the stars they beheld from a distance in that period of existence called "TIME".