From “Feast of Tabernacles,” Chapter 11- Tabernacles – The Feast of Rest
“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” (Lev. 23:39).
THE SABBATH FEAST
All the Feasts of the Lord were observed in connection with sabbath days, for they were a time when Israel (in type) must cease from their own works, and rest in the work of Christ. However, the Feast of Tabernacles is the real Feast of Rest, of which the others were but the earnest and foretaste. In the first place it was in the seventh month, even as God “rested on the seventh day from all his work.” The first day of the Feast was the fifteenth, and it was observed for seven days. The last day of the Feast was therefore the twenty-first day of the seventh month, twenty-one being a triple of seven–Rest in the absolute sense, God’s Rest which “remaineth” for the people of God. Then the next day was likewise a sabbath (the eighth day of the Feast); and though it was connected in some measure with the Feast, it was not one of the seven days of their festivities. The eighth day would speak, no doubt, of the completion of God’s purposes in the Church, and the beginning of a new day.
O child of God, if we only had eyes to see and ears to hear what the Spirit would say unto the churches. God has “unspeakable” things that He would like to declare unto us by the Spirit, but we cannot receive them now. “Unspeakable,” because there is no earthly language by which He could describe them to us, and therefore we would have to be caught away in the Spirit like the apostle Paul in order to receive them. The plans and purposes of God for the Church are far, infinitely far, beyond our highest imaginations. “That in the ages to come,” said Paul, “He might show the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness toward us, through Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:7). How we need “the spirit of wisdom and revelation” and to have the eyes of our understanding “enlightened” that in some small measure at least we may be able to grasp and understand the secret–which is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
THERE REMAINETH A REST
It is noteworthy that as we begin to read the ordinances of the Feasts in Leviticus 23, God reminds the saints of the sabbath–the weekly sabbath–“Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, a holy convocation” (Lev. 23:3). Then immediately He begins to give the order of the Feast, and the sevenfold events involved in the Feasts:
1. The Passover.
2. The Unleavened Bread.
3. The Sheaf of Firstfruits.
4. The Feast of Pentecost.
5. The Blowing of Trumpets.
6. The Day of Atonement.
7. The Feast of Tabernacles.
And so, just as the weekly sabbath was the end of Israel’s week of toil and labor–so the Feast of Tabernacles is the end of the Church’s week of strife and turmoil: the Feast of all Feasts, the Sabbath of all Sabbaths. The natural, weekly “sabbath” means nothing now, because the Substance has been revealed. “There remaineth therefore a rest (A Sabbath) to the people of God” (Heb. 4:9). GHW
I would like to read a rather lengthy passage of scripture to give us context as we explore the rest that Bro Warnock describes. This will highlight the main scriptural reason that we have been unable to fully enter this rest. I will be reading Hebrews 3:1-4:13 in the New American Standard:
1Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession; 2He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house. 3 For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house. 4 For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. 5Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; 6 but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house– whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end. 7 Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, ” TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, 8DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME, AS IN THE DAY OF TRIAL IN THE WILDERNESS, 9WHERE YOUR FATHERS TRIED Me BY TESTING Me, AND SAW MY WORKS FOR FORTY YEARS. 10” THEREFORE I WAS ANGRY WITH THIS GENERATION, AND SAID, ‘THEY ALWAYS GO ASTRAY IN THEIR HEART, AND THEY DID NOT KNOW MY WAYS’; 11AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, ‘THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST.'” 12Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. 13But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end, 15while it is said, ” TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME.” 16For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? 17And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.
1Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. 3 For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, ” AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST,” although His works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For He has said somewhere concerning the seventh day: ” AND GOD RESTED ON THE SEVENTH DAY FROM ALL HIS WORKS”; 5 and again in this passage, ” THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST.” 6 Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience, 7He again fixes a certain day, “Today,” saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, ” TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS.” 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. 9 So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. 10For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. 11Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience. 12For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. (Heb 3:1-4:13 NASB).
Late Harvest Wesleyan Ministries 