The Hardness of Our Hearts

Alone. I felt totally alone. 

Sure, technically there was a baby in the room with me. But, contrary to what the fairy tales say, a baby doesn't always fill a raw, gaping hole in your heart. 

The first few weeks of motherhood are rough for many women, and I was no exception - nursing problems, healing stitches and broken sleep. Going from a bustling office to a silent house was the hardest part for me. I felt so isolated. Sure, I didn't really expect my co-workers to check in on me. But what about my brethren? Where were all the women who ooh-ed and ahh-ed with me over tiny pairs of shoes at my baby shower? Who rejoiced that another child would soon be added congregation?

Over time, I realized I was suffering from post-partum depression. My hormones gradually stabilized, and after three months, I finally was able to discuss my feelings with one woman at church without crying.

"I'm so glad to hear that!" she said. "I could tell something was wrong with you."

Her response was unsettling. She knew something was wrong with me and said nothing? For weeks? Unfortunately, she was not the only one. I had the same conversation with about a dozen other women over the next few Sabbaths.

Across town, a Protestant friend of mine was heartbroken when her baby was born with a chromosomal disorder. Her Bible study partners guessed something was wrong when newborn pictures didn't appear on Facebook. They arrived at the hospital within hours to lift her up in prayer and to take some pictures for the baby book. Mom was too shell-shocked to think long-term, but they were not going to let these fleeting newborn moments slip away forever.

The contrast baffled me. Why did these "false Christians" spring into action to support their sister when my brethren in the "true church" ignored a problem they admittedly saw for weeks on end? 

To be fair, there were a handful of women who tried to support me, and I will always be grateful for their efforts. Still, most conversations focused on whether I had tried this or that herb for my milk supply problems. Or, if I couldn't breastfeed, where I might find fresh goat's milk for my baby. Even those kinder hearts who reached out couldn't look beyond determining the "right" thing to do and address the bigger problem - that their sister in Christ was hurting. 

Sisters, I sincerely hope your experiences in the Churches of God have been different from mine. I hope you worship with warm, vibrant women who rejoice with you in good times and who lift you up when you are suffering. If you do, you are blessed, and I am happy for you. But, if you do, I suspect your experience in the splintered, scattered COGs is the exception, not the rule. In contrast, if you feel alone and wonder why, please keep reading.

Few in the COGs claim that Christians are saved by their works. Instead, we mix the New Covenant with bits and pieces of the Sinai Covenant, claiming we can't qualify for the free gift of eternal life if we do not observe certain pre-requisite Hebrew practices. The bad news, ladies, is that if we are either doing or not doing something to maintain our salvation, then our salvation is still dependent upon our works.  And our salvation is not linked to works, according to passages like Ephesians 2:8-9 and Romans 3:27-30. (A note to all of you who are now waving Romans 3:31 at me - please step back and consider the context. Paul just said we are justified apart from law, and Chapter 4 goes on to discuss Abraham's justification through faith. This post is not meant to be an exegesis of this single verse. Suffice it to say that, logically, verse 31 cannot explicitly contradict the verses that come directly before and after it).

Even if the belief in "pre-requisites" wasn't clearly outlined in COG literature (don't worry, it is!), the works-based focus of our church culture reveals what's in our hearts. Let's consider some of the issues we have allowed to damage relationships and, in some cases, divide churches. White flour vs. wheat flour. Honey vs. sugar. Epidural vs. natural birth (let's not even mention c-sections!). No makeup vs. eyeshadow. Formula vs. breastfeeding. The correct form of church government. Kosher marshmallows. Head coverings during prayer. Yoga. Restaurants on the Sabbath. Need I continue? Please explain to me again how I was not trying to establish my own righteousness?

If we really, truly believe that our physical works have no bearing on our salvation, then why have we been hurting one another and splintering our churches over them for decades?

Hold on just a minute, you say. James taught that works were important. You're right, James discusses works - as fruit of our saving faith, not as a pre-requisite. I'd love to discuss that connection in another post. For now, let's take a look at the works James addresses. Being quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. Controlling the tongue. Caring for widows and orphans. Not showing favoritism. Loving your neighbor as yourself. Clothing the naked. Feeding the hungry. Being a peacemaker. Praying for your brethren instead of criticizing them. Where are the the Sabbath, Holy Days and food laws? I'm sure they're in there somewhere. Maybe in James 6?

God intended the Sinai Covenant for a specific purpose, nation, geographical location and time period. Trying to intuit how to follow portions of it outside those parameters results in disagreement and division - the fruit that we see in the COGs today. Furthermore, it seems that the unnecessary focus on physical observances takes our focus off the one thing our Savior clearly instructed us to do: love one another.

But wait! Doesn't I John 5:3 say we have to keep the 10 Commandments? By now, you're probably not surprised to hear I believe that the 10 Commandments were the cornerstone of the Sinai Covenant (Exodus 34:28, Deuteronomy 4:13 and 9:9,11,15), which Paul tells us to reject (Galatians 4:21-31). So what is John talking about? Look back just a few verses to I John 4:21 and you will find your answer: love your brother. If you want more context, start in verse 7. Even the book of James, which works-focused COG ministers tout, supports this conclusion. Or go to the source - John 13:34, where Jesus commanded his disciples to love one another as He loved us. The COGs characterize this view as hollow and simplistic. I ask you, which is harder - to stay out of restaurants for 24 consecutive hours or to show others the same kind of love as the One who died for them?

Notice the contrast in Mark 3:1-6, when Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath. Verse 5 reveals that Jesus was grieved by the hardness of the Pharisees' hearts. They didn't rejoice that a handicapped man was healed. They were angry that He had broken the rules and plotted to destroy Him. Are we much different today? I know I wasn't.

Trying to obey the law didn't change the Israelites' hearts, and it won't change ours, either. The difference is that Israel was commanded to do so and we are not. Our sincere, but misguided, focus on physical works has hardened our hearts. It has created a bumper crop of Marthas, busily working within earshot of our Teacher but tuning out His words.

Sisters, please know I am not throwing stones here. I didn't choose the name Martha because it's so trendy. If I lived in Bethany the day that Jesus stopped in, I would have been in the one in the kitchen, complaining bitterly that my sister wasn't helping me chop dates. It is only through the grace of God that I can see how a lifetime of focusing on the law and my works was hardening my heart. 

I was born a Martha, raised to be a Martha and lived in a sea of Marthas. I will probably always be a Martha at heart, at least until He changes it. But now I am earnestly seeking the better part. And He promises great things to those who seek Him (Matthew 7:7-11). Please join me. You won't regret it.  

************

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

************

The Virtuous Woman

In the time I spent indoctrinated by teachings in the Churches of God, there were plenty of articles and sermons on virtuous biblical women.  The oft quoted Proverbs 31 wife was a thing to be reached, an achievement that was bound to garner you a godly husband (works). In contrast, the atmosphere was of women today having become rebellious, rejecting their God given purpose and divine role. Feminism was called a clever ploy by Satan to attack the family, which was always followed by a stern “tsk-tsk” that it was working. Women had been fooled, much as Eve had in the Garden of Eden. “Feminism” was the lie of carefree lifestyles, having no responsibility to the children, home or husband. It was a license for a woman to be selfish, and without the constraints of male leadership, she was wont to do so (as a child in need of discipline).
They willfully ignore the fact that feminism was born out of a world where women were legally abused and considered chattel. Equality was actually about equality, not misandry. In the Churches of God, it was an evil satanic desire to believe in that. As was continually stressed, this displeased God.

Many a sermon told us how women were more easily deceived than men, like our example Eve. It was Eve who was deceived after all, not Adam. This idea was used as proof of the weak and gullible nature of women. God had intentionally equipped us poorly for managing our lives, and we needed to achieve that Proverbs 31 attitude of submission to our husbands, who would take care of us instead.  The elusively meek, quiet, submissive, ever gentle, always happy, never arguing woman who appreciated that her husband was “over” her.

At the last Feast of Tabernacles I attended, there was a Bible study that first Friday night. The topic was family. That seems harmless and lovely, doesn’t it?
I sat there, listening to the gentle introduction about love, unity and all that warm fuzzy stuff. I felt so wistful for what I had always longed for, and could never seem to have. A sole parent, I left my marriage when my child was a toddler to escape abuse. Though I had no choice under the circumstances, it has been a regret of mine that my child had to miss out. I was nostalgic for something I had never known, the sacred beauty found in that commitment of marriage. In that room full of people, I felt alone and deprived.
That would have been enough right there, but this was just the easy introduction to let down my defenses for the real message.

The sermon moved on to juxtaposing the beauty and perfection of “the good old days” of godly families (back during things like slavery, and open woman abuse), to the debauchery and destruction that is today’s family. The minister spoke of “worldly” families, and how the women’s movement altered the fabric of society, simply because we decided we weren’t satisfied to stay at home (being weak, selfish and child-like). He condemned children raised by their mothers alone, as statistical nightmares of drug addiction, alcoholism and criminal endeavors. Additionally, they were often victims to high rates of self-harm, suicide, and homelessness. Having tied this in with feminism, he had effectively blamed women for destroying their own children.

As I sat in that darkened conference room, I held my breath. I was sobbing on the inside, my ability to hide it precarious. The detail he went into about these horrors was more than my heart could stand. Tears silently rolled down my face, and in shame I tried to feign anything other than wiping away tears. I lowered my head, and hid my face behind my hair. I felt so degraded and worthless in that moment, as every single fear a mother could have became sermon fodder.
...I had cursed my child in raising them alone.

The heaviness in my heart grew great so that I could not speak. I had failed God in such a spectacular way; ruining not only my life, but my innocent child’s. God disapproved of the less than virtuous woman I was. That feeling of God’s rejection was agonizing.

I glanced over at my friend sitting next to me and she too had been hiding her tears. She uttered "I feel so bad, I wish I could have done better with my son."

Worst of all, I was feeling very far from God. I was too ashamed to approach Him in prayer (a stumbling block). This has been an ongoing difficulty with me even after having left that system. Too ashamed to approach God, I feel anger, confusion, and eventually a return to His arms of Grace.

Can they ever know the damage that they do when their sermons are about failure of the self, and not victory in Jesus?

The great thing is that I now know, in the very core of my being, that He can handle my issues. He is bigger than all of them - my life, my weakness, and my lack. God is the one who is faithful, and it is because of this that I remain under His grace. Not my faithfulness, but His! Just like I wouldn't let my child go, He does not let His children go.
I see now that a marriage filled with love and grace is one of the greatest gifts that God has given to us. The beauty of two genuine hearts choosing to love each other with all their human foibles is a greater love, not one based on assimilation and conformity to a set of rules and laws. We cannot truly love if we are living in a false pretense of legalistic performance. We love because He first loved us, and we were sinners!

In the riches of the New Covenant, I have also come to understand just how much more wonderful God thinks of women, regardless of the role they espouse.
Upon the resurrection of Jesus, it was not one but two women (witnesses!) that Jesus chose to appear to first. It was a woman who was given the honor of washing the feet of God prior to His giving life for His beloved children, and a woman that Jesus publicly defended when she had been dragged into His presence, accused of adultery. He spoke to a woman at the well, and not just any woman, but a Samaritan woman! Greatest of all (even though Mary was taboo to speak about) God entered the world through the womb of a woman. Without a woman, we would not have a Savior.
Other important events took place throughout the Bible, such as Rahab the Harlot and Esther the Queen. Clear messages to us on the true value of a woman! It is not in her ability to suitably submit to her husband, or keep her children in line through Sabbath services, or wear the perfect length of hair or dress or skirt. It is not in what she does, but who she is – God’s redeemed daughter.

Can you see the healing that comes when the message is about victory in Jesus, and not failure of the self?

God loves you, women in the Churches of God. Are you weary of conforming to the Churches of God standard of “most approved women”? Never doing quite enough, never deferring well enough, and never appreciating the “man God sent to lead you”. Remember dear woman, that there is only one mediator between us and God, and that is Jesus Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female. We are all one in the Lord. Take comfort that God, who knows the very hairs on your head, also knows the very personality He endowed you with. Let the love of the Holy Spirit lead you in everything. When we let the Holy Spirit lead us through His love, we are exactly what He intends us to be - women! Strong, resilient, faithful, loyal, kind, caring, loving, and the expression of the fruits of the Spirit. We are no longer failures, but victors in Jesus Christ! Let no one deceive you regarding God’s gifts to you (Acts 2:17). You have a mind and heart of great strength, able to contribute your God given intelligence and compassion in ways that should not be silent. Let’s rejoice in the freedom that God has given.

************
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
************

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 ************

You SHOULD keep the Feast of Tabernacles!

Indeed, if you are convinced that God commands Christians to observe the Feast of Tabernacles, well then you should keep the Feast of Tabernacles.  

So let’s start examining the Feast from the premise that God requires Christians to keep the portion of the Law that contains the Feast of Tabernacles.  Please be patient as we review familiar material and come to a point that every person attending the Feast of Tabernacles right now may wish to consider.

As I write this many of my friends are at designated “feast sites” keeping the Feast of Tabernacles.   I did the same for 28 years and had many good times and experiences with my family and friends.  In this day and age it is rare for families to be able to travel to different locations every year, some even international, and stay in high-class hotels and resorts together while enjoying the sites, food and activities of the local tourist areas.   Just to name a few, my family’s been to Niagara Falls, Orlando, St. Petersburg, Panama City, Hawaii, Bahamas, Tucson, Branson, Palm Springs, Gatlinburg, and even a resort on the Mediterranean sea in Italy.   My family has been able to enjoy the many tourist areas, Disney World (three times), Dolly World, historical sites, mountains, beaches, jet-skis, museums, (we even toured the Vatican), boating, horseback riding, and so on.   We even enjoyed the feast on a cruise ship one year.  So yes, the Feast of Tabernacles has been a great time for the family; it has been like an annual family vacation.

It's true, in many ways keeping the Feast of Tabernacles has been a lot of fun!

And sermons?  Yes, we heard many sermons didn’t we?  If you are attending a feast site, then as you read this you are getting a steady diet of “spiritual meat” as we would say.  But back in the day, the pinnacle of the Feast of Tabernacles was the satellite link-up in which Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong spoke to all of us together.  I remember getting goose bumps believing that I was witnessing God’s apostle speaking the end time message to all of the church at once.  Time was drawing near, we only had a few years left and the end was coming, “surely within the next 10 to 20 years!"   We were going to need to “tighten our belt” and be ready to support “the work”.   It really was exciting to feel like I was part of something special.  

Things didn’t work out the way we thought at the time, but the Feast of Tabernacles continues on because the churches of God teach that “true Christians” keep God’s commandments.  And many believe sincerely that the Feast of Tabernacles is commanded.   Let’s review the passages regarding the Feast and list a few of the commanded instructions.

Four Feast of Tabernacles Instructions

We find in Leviticus the instruction to Israel to observe the Feast of Tabernacles.  Of course, those of us with a history in the Church of God are very familiar with these passages, probably more so than most.   I remember hearing that we were to appear before the Lord in the place that the Lord would choose and that we were to stay in temporary dwellings and have an offering ready to give to the church.    Those instructions are derived from the instructions given to Israel in Deuteronomy chapter 16 and Leviticus chapter 23. 

For seven days you shall keep the feast to the Lord your God at the place that the Lord will choose, because the Lord your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you will be altogether joyful.  “Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Booths. They shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed. Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God that he has given you.  Deut 16:15-17

Let’s notice a few things here.  First, we see that they were to keep the Feast of Tabernacles in the place that the Lord would choose.  Where was that?   It was the tabernacle, the tent of testimony.   God’s presence was clearly in the tabernacle; his glory filled the place as the cloud of the Lord covered it during the day and fire at night (Ex 40:34-38).  And once Israel finally crossed the Jordan, Jerusalem became the place that the Lord chose to place his name.

But when you go over the Jordan and live in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to inherit, and when he gives you rest from all your enemies around, so that you live in safety, then to the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name dwell there, there you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, and all your finest vow offerings that you vow to the Lord. Deut 12:10-11

So Jerusalem became the place that the Lord chose to place his name, the tabernacle and later more specifically the temple became that place at which the burnt offerings and sacrifices were carried out. 

Deuteronomy chapters 14 and 16 describe the Feast of Tabernacles as one of three “pilgrim feasts” to which citizens of Israel were to travel to Jerusalem to celebrate and eat of their tithes.  That is why so many people were in Jerusalem for Passover and Unleavened bread when Jesus was arrested.  And that is why so many people had traveled to Jerusalem for that first Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended upon the church.   And that is why so many traveled to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles as described in the gospels.  And yes, this is why the Jews and Hellenistic Jews who became Christians traveled to Jerusalem for these feasts in the early days of the church before the temple was destroyed.

There can be no doubt that the place that the Lord placed his name at that time was Jerusalem and that the people were to travel to Jerusalem to celebrate the pilgrim feasts including the Feast of Tabernacles.

1 - The Feast of Tabernacles was to be celebrated where the Lord placed his name in Jerusalem.   

We also see the instructions to bring the tithe, but I’m not going to go down that path in this review.  Let’s just focus on the command to keep the Feast of Tabernacles and how they were instructed to keep that festival.

These are the appointed feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim as times of holy convocation, for presenting to the Lord food offerings, burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, each on its proper day.  Lev 23:37

We read here in Leviticus that each day of the feast there were specific offerings, daily there were to be food offerings and the first and eighth day were to be holy convocations (verse 36).  So let’s list our next basic instructions for the Feast.

2 – There were specific offerings required each day of the Feast of Tabernacles.

3 – There were holy convocations on the first and the eighth days of the feast.

Let’s take a look into the instruction for dwelling in booths.

And you shall take on the first day the fruit of splendid trees, branches of palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days. You shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. You shall dwell in booths for seven days.  Lev 23:40-42

So here we see that they were to dwell in booths made from the branches of specific trees.   The Jews built these booths on the flat roofs of houses, in the streets or in the fields.  And it is commonly understood that these four trees were the citron, the palm, the myrtle, and the willow.   Nehemiah chapter 8 also addresses this and specifically identifies the trees and instruction to dwell in booths.

The Hebrew word for booth is sukkâ, which means a crude temporary shelter made of woven branches.  They were to construct these crude shelters to be reminded of when they had to dwell in crude shelters following their exit from Egypt.

“that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt” Lev 23:43

4 – God instructs his people to dwell in booths made of the branches of four specific trees.

Once again, the purpose stated in the Law for these booths was to remind Israel of the time that God brought them from Egypt.  They were to be annually reminded that they dwelt in crudely constructed booths when they left Egypt on their way to the Promised Land.  There is no mention of the Messiah’s coming or the future fulfillment of the Kingdom of God in these instructions.    However we are not questioning the Church of God interpretation of imagery here, simply looking at the instruction in the law to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

To those with a history in the Armstrong churches of God, none if this is new.  So let’s summarize our four instructions:

The Feast of Tabernacles was to be celebrated where the Lord placed his name in Jerusalem.   

There were specific offerings required each day of the Feast of Tabernacles.

There were holy convocations on the first and the eighth days of the feast.

God instructs his people to dwell in booths made of the branches of four specific trees. 

I wrote earlier that if you believe that a Christian needs to observe the commandment to keep the Feast of Tabernacles then you should keep the Feast of Tabernacles. 

But after reviewing the commandment that we are all so familiar with, I ask you plainly, are you actually keeping the Feast of Tabernacles?   Are you really observing the Law as it was instructed?

If the answer is yes then great, consciences are clear.  But if the answer is no, or uncertain, then could you be judged by our own words?   If you believe that “true Christians” keep God’s Law including all the Holy Days of the Old Testament, then you need to be certain that you are indeed keeping the Feast of Tabernacles, right?

Let’s look at the commands in the Law that we have just reviewed.  First, let’s just make the assumption that any offerings and sacrifices are no longer required as they have been fulfilled in Christ.   This is the assumption that all the Armstrong Churches of God make.   But how do we know where the Lord has placed his name?  According to the Bible that place was Jerusalem.   If you are keeping the Feast of Tabernacles then ask yourself:

Why don’t the Churches of God go to Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Tabernacles?

That is what the Law instructs.  So how do you know where God has placed His name for the feast if it is not in scripture?  Each Church of God organization has its own feast sites in different locations; did God choose all these places to put his name?  I attended the feast in Panama City one year during which there were concurrently feast sites from eight different Church of God organizations in the same general area. Think about it, does this make sense to you?  

One might argue that in today’s society it is not possible to go to Jerusalem.  Well, why not?  I traveled to Italy for the feast.  Besides, the Law is the Law and if God says to go to Jerusalem then we should do it, right?  Let me remind you of a favorite scripture of the Churches of God.  It is the proof, they say, that the Christian church should observe the feast because the Feast of Tabernacles is identified as being observed after the return of Jesus to the earth.

Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. Zech 14:16

But notice that they are keeping the feast in Jerusalem.  It is so important to travel to Jerusalem that the surviving people of the nations who do not come to Jerusalem at that time will not receive rain.   If these verses prove that the church should be keeping the Feast of Tabernacles today, then why do not the Churches of God observe it in Jerusalem as commanded?

And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, there will be no rain on them. Zech 14:17

The Law commands that the Feast of Tabernacles be observed where the Lord has placed his name.  The scriptures identify Jerusalem clearly to be that location.  And yet, the Armstrong churches observe their feasts in various cities that they choose.  I recall being in meetings in which we discussed which cities would be chosen based on special rates given to the church, activities for families, cost and size of convention centers, parking, and so forth.  That is how feast sites are chosen and there is no biblical authority for doing so.

Another question for feast goers to ask themselves:

Why do we have church services every day of the Feast of Tabernacles?

Over the decades that I attended and taught in the Armstrong Church and its splinter churches, I many times heard it stated that a “holy convocation” was a gathering of the church; a church service if you will.   Not that I necessarily agree with that interpretation, but let’s assume that to be the case.  According to the Law there is a holy convocation on the first day and the eighth day.   So why do the churches of God have church services every day of the feast?   Don’t misunderstand, we could have church services every day and that would be just fine, there’s nothing wrong with that.  But I distinctly remember the feelings of shame and guilt if I were to miss a service due to any reason other than extreme illness.  If you are a feast goer you must admit that missing a church service is tantamount to not properly keeping the Feast of Tabernacles.  No doubt we were made to feel like we were sinning if we missed church.  And missing opening night, that was really frowned upon too.  A lot of judging goes on regarding church attendance.   But why is that?   A church service every day is nowhere to be found in the Law even if we accept the Church of God interpretation of a holy convocation.   If you are attending the feast this year try telling your pastor that you are only going to attend on the first day and the eighth day since that is what the Bible commands.  I doubt they will find humor in that statement.

The final and perhaps most important question for feast goers to ask themselves:

Why do we not dwell in booths when we keep the Feast of Booths? 

Dwelling in booths made of the four trees was central to the commandment to keep the Feast of Tabernacles; there is no way around that fact.   Please read this excerpt from a blog appearing on the United Church of God website. 

In 2013, United Church of God members and families will travel to dozens of Festival of Tabernacles sites around the world to take part in this biblical assembly… However, proper biblical observance of the Festival of Tabernacles requires that members reside in temporary quarters as outlined in Leviticus 23:42 (Peter Eddington, “United Church of God to Celebrate Coming Kingdom of God in Eight-Day Christian Festival of Tabernacles”, September 16, 2013)

Mr. Eddington explains that the “proper biblical observance” of the feast requires that one dwell in booths.  We know that the leaders of these churches understand what the Law states.   That is why he carefully changes the wording to “temporary quarters” in order to make hotels and resorts appear to be equivalent to the “booths” commanded in the Law.  Please do your own research into the word for booth, it’s meaning, and how it is used.  Do expensive hotels and resorts fulfill the instruction in the Law to dwell in crudely built booths of woven branches?  Do hotels somehow remind us of being brought out of Egypt?

No.  There is no biblical authority for this change or for the imagery used to support the change.

In the same blog article, we read the following explanation,

members typically stay in nearby hotels to fulfill the temporary nature required by the biblical command. "Staying in a temporary dwelling such as a hotel underscores the transitory nature of this present world and illustrates how it will be replaced by the prophesied Kingdom of God," noted Mr. Kubik.

Where does the Bible give the authority change booths to hotels, rented houses, cruise ships, cabins on the lake, and so on?  Where is “transitory nature of this present world” identified in scripture with booths?  There is no biblical authority for this change in the Law.

Church of God members often like to quote Matthew Chapter 5 in which Jesus states, “until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.  Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called the least in the kingdom of heaven”.    Ah but you must be intellectually consistent.  If nothing in the Law can be changed, and that is your argument for requiring Christians to observe the Old Covenant Holy Days, then how can you change the Law that instructs us in how to keep those Holy Days?  

Okay?  Let me ask that again.  

If nothing in the Law can be changed, and that is your argument for requiring Christians to observe the Old Covenant Holy Days, then how can you change the Law that instructs us in how to keep those Holy Days?  

This is cognitive dissonance!  The reasoning goes like this: "The Law cannot be changed. You must keep the Law.  The Law instructs us to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.  But we’ve changed the Law in order to keep the feast in the church age according to the direction of a man.  But the Law cannot be changed.  Therefore we keep the holy days because they are commanded in the Law.  Other churches are false because they do not keep the Law like we do…"

You who observe the feast claim to be keeping the commandments.  And yet you do not observe the feast in Jerusalem, you go to church every day when this is never mentioned in the Law and make people feel guilty if they miss a service, and you do not dwell in the booths instructed very clearly in the Law you claim to keep. 

The New Testament writers make it clear that if one is going to keep a point of the Law then they must keep all of the Law.  Why put out leaven during the Feast of Unleavened bread but not dwell in booths during the Feast of booths?   Why do you fast on the Day of Atonement but do not blow trumpets or shout on the Feast of Trumpets?

So if you believe that you should be keeping the Feast of Tabernacles, then by all means go to Jerusalem, build a booth, and keep the festival as it is commanded.  But what the Worldwide Church of God splinter churches are doing is keeping a tradition unique to that church.  And the sole authority for making these changes to the Law of God is none other than Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong.    Are you sure that Herbert Armstrong was given authority by God to redefine these festivals and change the Law of God?  

There simply is not one passage in scripture that connects the Feast of Tabernacles with Jesus’ millennial rule on earth.  There is not one scripture that states that crudely made booths should be replaced with hotels and resorts that picture “quality” living in the millennium.  There is not one passage in the Bible that indicates that Christians should spend large amounts of money on themselves and their own entertainment and send the rest in to their corporate organization leadership.  And there is not one passage of scripture that grants the authority to the church to annually decide where God has placed his name for their own rendition of the Feast of Tabernacles. 

I have a business associate whose father is a rabbi.  Back when I was a faithful follower of Herbert Armstrong I explained to this friend that I kept the Feast of Tabernacles just as he did.  When I explained that we went to hotels, beaches and amusement parks while attending church every day in a convention center he looked at me bewildered.  I thought we had something in common, but we didn’t. The Feast of Tabernacles “observed” by the churches of God has absolutely nothing in common with the Feast of Tabernacles commanded in the Law.  Really.  It is common for the Churches of God to claim that the early church kept the feast just as they do.  But the Church of God feast tradition would not be recognizable by any of the apostles. 

No, the Feast of Tabernacles tradition in the churches of God is a creation of Herbert W. Armstrong.  It is a “tradition of men”, if you will.  If you believe that Mr. Armstrong was given the sole authority by God to change the law then your conscience is clear.  But if you’re not so sure, then I suggest you look into the Law that you claim to be observing to make sure that you are indeed keeping the feast and the other holy days according to God’s instruction.   I'm confident that such a study done honestly will lead you to God's grace.

Those of you who are convicted to keep the Old Testament holy days, you really should keep the Feast of Tabernacles according to the commandment.   

But are you really keeping it?    

************ 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 ************