Is “The Last Great Day” in the Bible?

The meaning of The Last Great Day as taught by Herbert W. Armstrong is not found in the Bible.

I was surprised years ago when I was first told by a pastor in United Church of God (UCG) that he believed Mr. Armstrong was mistaken in his interpretation and actually originated his own meaning for The Last Great Day.  That’s right, many in the leadership of at least one major splinter group seem to believe that the Last Great Day as taught by the Churches of God is not in the Bible.  Why do they still teach this stuff when they know it is not supported by biblical text?

Was it the seventh or eighth day?

Herbert W. Armstrong stated that John 7:37 is referring to the eighth day holy convocation that followed the Feast of Tabernacles, as instructed in Leviticus chapter 23.   The Feast of Tabernacles was a seven-day festival, with the holy convocation on the first day and the eighth day.  Here is what Mr. Armstrong taught in his own words:

The eighth day, technically a separate feast, is called “the last day, that great day of the feast.” (John 7:37)  What does this final holy day represent?  Notice what Jesus preached about on that day…”  (Pagan Holidays or God’s Holy Days – Which?, Herbert W. Armstrong, 1976, page 47, emphasis his)

Mr. Armstrong specifically stated two important points:

1 - John 7:37 is referring to the eighth day holy convocation described in Leviticus. 

2 – Jesus’ teaching on that day is what defines the meaning of the holy day.

Mr. Armstrong italicized the words “last day” and “great day” in order to form the title that he gave to the day, “The Last Great Day”. Of course there is no holy day in the bible called by that specific name, but most people feel comfortable overlooking that point so I will overlook it as well.   

Most commentaries agree that John 7:37 did not take place on the eighth day holy convocation nor do the words “last day” or “great day” in this verse have any connection to the eighth day.  Instead these commentaries suggest that John 7:37 took place on the seventh day of the Feast of Tabernacles, the last day of the feast.  Simply put, if this incident took place on the seventh day of the Feast of Tabernacles then Herbert W. Armstrong misapplied this scripture in order to create an entirely new holy day that would fit the “plan of God” that he already had in mind.    But in fairness…we cannot in good conscience state with 100% certainty that John 7:37 could not have possibly been on the eighth day; so let’s hold that thought for a moment.

I’d like to go back to something I stated earlier.  I referred to the fact that a United Church of God minister was the first to explain to me that Mr. Armstrong was wrong about this holy day when he told me that John 7:37 actually took place on the seventh day of the Feast of Tabernacles.    In 2002 UCG prepared a doctrinal paper on The Last Great Day that supports this viewpoint and can be found on the UCG member’s website.

Pointing to the research contained in their study paper, UCG concluded:

Although we cannot say with absolute certainty that John 7:37 is referring to the seventh day of the Feast of Tabernacles, the evidence presented above points to this conclusion.   (The Last Great Day Study Paper, United Church of God, August 2002, page 9). 

They go on in their study paper to explain that there is nothing wrong with using the title “Last Great Day” for their holy day since the holy day meaning is the “judgment of the great day” (Jude 6).  They also point to Revelation 20 “Then I saw a great white throne…” It appears that the word “great” is somehow significant.  UCG also points out that the phrase “that great day” was not an Old Testament term in the first place, so there is no problem if they borrow it to construct a name for their eighth day feast.   Continuing on page 9 of the study paper:

First of all, the phrase “that great day” as applied by the Jews at the time of Christ to the seventh day of the Feast of Tabernacles is not an Old Testament term, as we have seen.  (The Last Great Day Study Paper, UCG, August 2002, page 9). 

After proving that John 7:37 is referring to the seventh day of the Feast of Tabernacles and NOT to the eighth day holy day, the UCG makes the following pronouncement:

So there’s no need to change the Church’s traditional expression of “the Last Great Day” in association with the eighth day.  But interpreting John 7:37, scriptural and historical evidence points to the seventh day of the Feast of Tabernacles as “the last day, that great day of the feast” and not primarily to the eighth day.  (The Last Great Day Study Paper, UCG, August 2002, page 9). 

At the time of this study paper they did not appear to be intending to change the name of the Last Great Day.  But since that time they’ve apparently decided that a change was warranted.  Go to the UCG website and look up their holy day calendar.   You will not see the “Last Great Day” on that calendar.  Instead you will see “The Eighth Day” listed on the calendar.   Apparently that is the new name of the holy day, at least it is on their calendar.

Now this is getting confusing.  Let me see if I've got this straight.  Herbert Armstrong claimed that the Last Great Day was a separate feast.  He used John 7:37 to prove the meaning of the holy day and to derive its name.   Because he called it a “great day”, based on John 7:37, he concluded that the day points to the judgment of the "great day" and the “great” White throne judgment (Jude 6, Rev 20).    But there is a very strong likelihood that John 7:37 did not take place on the eighth day and that is even supported by a UCG study paper.  If this is the case then everything Herbert Armstrong concluded about this holy day is based on a false premise.  So UCG decided that they would continue to teach the exact same meaning for that day even though the meaning was derived from a scripture that they have proven to be misapplied by Herbert Armstrong.  And now they refer to the holy day as “the Eighth Day”.    

At least let me just put to ease the more conservative COGers out there – this was UCG not the other groups such as COGwa.   Oh wait a minute…this UCG study paper was approved by the Council of Elders in August of 2002.  Try to remember, who was on the Council of Elders at that time?  

Okay, we’ve been thoroughly confused by cognitive dissonance once again.  But let me clear things up here.   There are some who believe that John 7:37 actually did take place on the eighth day holy day.  I think there is overwhelming support that this was the seventh day of the Feast of Tabernacles.    But since neither I nor anyone else can provide 100% conclusive proof I will be flexible if my readers choose to accept that John 7:37 took place on the eighth day holy day.  I do recommend that you do your own research.

Does it really matter which day it was?

No, it really doesn’t matter which day John 7:37 took place on.

Mr. Armstrong stated that his entire understanding of the meaning of the Last Great Day holy day is based on what Jesus taught in John 7:37.    Again, here is what Mr. Armstrong taught with regard to how he determined what the eighth day holy day represented:

What does this holy day represent?

Notice what Jesus preached about on that day: “If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink…out of his belly [innermost being] shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive…)”(John 7:37-39).   This was Jesus’ sermon giving the meaning of the last great day!  Now turn to Revelation 20, After the Millennium, what happens?  A Resurrection! 

(Pagan Holidays or God’s Holy Days – Which?, Herbert W. Armstrong, 1976, page 47)

Now wait a minute!  Did you catch that?  Mr. Armstrong writes that Jesus’ words provide the meaning of this holy day and then immediately directs the reader to Revelation chapter 20 where we find a resurrection.   Well there you have it, Jesus clearly was teaching about a second resurrection back to human life to live for a 100-year period, right?   WRONG!    Those words are not found in the text.   Even the concept is not found in the passage.

Let’s take a look at the passage again.

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”  Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (John 7:37-39)

This statement was made at the Feast during which there was a daily procession of priests and worshippers from the temple court to the pool of Siloam.  The designated priest filled a golden pitcher with water, returned to the court of the priests, and poured out the water at the base of the bronze alter of burnt offering.  This act commemorated God's miraculous provision of water for Israel during the forty years of wandering in the desert.  But now Jesus cried out with a new teaching.

What does Jesus really teach here?   Remember, we cannot interpret the bible by just making things up that are not in the text.  We need to let the bible interpret the bible.  We could suggest prophecies and scriptures that Jesus may have been referencing by his statement.   But we don't need to guess because John tells us exactly what Jesus meant by his statement about the living water:  "Now, this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified".

John specifically states that by “rivers of living water” Jesus is referring to the Holy Spirit who would be given to those who believe in Jesus.  And John also indicates that this gift of the Spirit would be given after Jesus was glorified.

That is what Jesus is teaching in this passage.  Jesus was glorified at his resurrection, not at the end of the millennium.  The Holy Spirit was given when the church was founded on Pentecost, not at the end of the millennium.  There is no mention in John 7:37 of a day in which all people who ever lived are resurrected to human life.  Not one statement here or even a reference to that subject.  Mr. Armstrong simply pointed to this passage in John 7:37 in order to give the holy day a name.  He was mistaken, I believe; in which day this even took place on.  But regardless, he pointed to other scriptures that would fit his desire to make this day represent events after the millennium as he interpreted them.

I have said that Mr. Armstrong’s teaching on the meaning of the Last Great Day is not in the bible.    That is because you can search from beginning to end and you will not find one biblical text that supports Herbert W. Armstrong’s interpretation of the meaning of the eighth day holy day that follows the Feast of Tabernacles. 

Please, help me here.  If you can provide a scripture that states that the eighth day holy day pictures a second resurrection to a second human life then please post it as a comment to this blog.  

I encourage you to go read the booklet by Mr. Armstrong, Pagan Holidays – or God’s Holy Days – Which?  You can find it online at a few different websites.   Pages 47 and 48 specifically address the Last Great Day.  Read it now, these many years after you first read Mr. Armstrong’s teaching in his own words.  Notice how he uses phrases like, "this couldn't include.." or "it couldn't refer to..."  That's right, it couldn't mean anything other than what Mr. Armstrong already thinks it means.   Using circular reasoning,  he starts with the assumption that his interpretation of the meaning of the day is correct and then uses his interpretation to prove what the day means and points to scriptures that appear to agree with him.  Go to the few scriptures that he references and see if you think any of them relate to John 7:37.  They do not.  No, they simply and clearly do not.   Ask yourself honestly if your interpretation is from the Bible or from Mr. Armstrong.

Herbert Armstrong could not have discovered or learned the plan of God from the Last Great Day, as he claimed, because the Holy Day as he described it does not exist in the Bible.   Rather he took a text in John 7:37, derived the name of the day and then pointed to scriptures that supported what he wanted the day to mean.  

Here is the main point:  

The sole authority for the teaching of the meaning of the Last Great Day holy day in the churches of God is Herbert W. Armstrong.  

                                                                                                       

If you are following Herbert W. Armstrong then believe what he says because the interpretation is his.  But if you are following Jesus Christ then please read the verses yourself.  Read the new testament again without preconceived interpretations.   I'm confident you will find God's grace in your sincere search for Him.

No matter what name you give the holy day, no matter which day you think John 7:37 occurred on, there is nothing in the bible that supports the meaning that Herbert W. Armstrong attributed to this holy day.  

If in a sincere desire to obey God’s law you believe that you need to observe the Old Testament holy days then that viewpoint is respected.  But please observe them according to the law that you are trying to keep and not according to the tradition of a man.  

We all hope for a day when we will once again see our loved ones who have died.   The bible does teach that there is a resurrection on the last day.  But the eighth day holy convocation that followed the seven-day Feast of Tabernacles is not identified with that resurrection anywhere in the bible.   

But there is someone who is identified with that resurrection.   

 “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She [Martha] said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

************ It is important that you understand; Everything on this blog is based on the current understanding of each author. Never take anyone's word for it, always prove it for yourself, it is your responsibility. You cannot ride someone else's coattail into the Kingdom. ; ) Acts 17:11 ************