What a surprise the world is in for! A perfect government—but only in nail-pierced hands.
In our last study, we saw that the Feast of Tabernacles looks backward and forward. We thought about the backward look—to their wilderness wanderings. But what about its fulfillment? A moment for review. The Passover was fulfilled when God’s Lamb was crucified. The Feast of Unleavened Bread speaks of the believer living in sincerity and truth by feeding on the Bread of Heaven. The Firstfruits point to Jesus’ resurrection, “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Cor 15:20). Pentecost was fulfilled at the birthday of the Church (Acts 2). Trumpets looks forward to Israel’s reawakening and regathering, while the Day of Atonement prefigures Israel’s spiritual repentance and acceptance of their Savior-Messiah. All that’s left is Tabernacles. Must we guess what it means? Not when we have the clear teaching of Scripture! “I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God’” (Rev 21:3). Tabernacles looks forward to the thousand-year reign of Israel’s Messiah, when “He shall speak peace to the nations; His dominion shall be ‘from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth’” (Zech 9:10). Then, we read, “that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles” (14:16). Why a thousand years (see Rev 20:2)? This is humanity’s final test. Perfect peace and plenty. Perfect government. Satan bound. Yet for all this, when he is loosed, multitudes turn back to him, proving that, without redemption, the human race is hopeless. But with Christ, our hope is sure!