27S
The Tabernacle His redeemed people to share with Him the things which delight His heart. The wisest of men once wrote, saying, «He brought me to the banqueting house, and his ban- ner over me was love" (Song of Sol. 2:4). The Psalmist also said, "Thou preparest a table before me." The Lord Jesus is the Bread of God. At His baptism and again at His transfiguration the Father's voice spoke from heaven, saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." The feasts which delight the heart of the Father are those feasts which proclaim the glories and the excellencies of the "beloved Son." Is He the Bread of Life to you, my friend? "O taste and see that the Lord is good" (Psalm 34: 8). The Father invites you to share with Hin1 His delight in the One "al- together lovely." Is He the Object of your affections? Is He the One whom you delight to please? Then for you the feasts of Jehovah hold mines of wealth untold! And not least of these seven was the Day of Atone- ment, our lesson for today. Indeed, it was possibly the greatest day of the year, although it would have been meaningless without the other six; for example, there could have been no Day of Atonement without the Feast of the Passover. All seven feasts dovetailed into the prophetic picture of the Person and work of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The Meaning of "Atonement" For a better understanding of the significance of the Day of Atonement, let us consider the meaning of the -word "atonement." It is not a literal translation from t:he Hebrew; but is, rather, the expression of "a purely theological concept." The Hebrew word translated "atone- ment" in our English Bible means "covering"; "to atone
The Tabernacle
274
the birthday of the church. Between the feasts of Pentecost and Trumpets there was a long interval of several months, during which time Israel was to glean in the harvest field (Lev. 23 :22 )-a striking type of this present church age, from Pentecost to the translation of the church, while the harvest is being gathered into the garner of the Lord. Then in the sev- enth month the three remaining feasts were observed; the fulfillment of which is yet future. 5. The Feast of Trumpets, "a memorial of blowing of trumpets" (Lev. 23 :24), gathered the people together to worship Jehovah. Before Christ returns in glory to be worshipped as King of kings and Lord of lords, 'Israel will have been re-gathered to her own land of Palestine; and then the Feast of Trumpets will find its fulfillment. 6. The Day of Atonement was a time of mourning, and points on to the time when Israel shall "look upon" Him "whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son" (Zech. 12:10). The details of the ritualism of the Day of Atonement are highly significant, as we shall see in our lesson today. 7. The Feast of Tabernacles, observed for seven days (Lev. 23:34), was a time of rejoicing, and points on to the millennial reign of Christ, the Son of David, over re- gathered and redeemed Israel and over the whole world. "These are the feasts of the Lord, even holy convoca- tions, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons," God said to Moses as He "called unto" him, and "spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation" many centuries ago at the foot of Mount Sinai. "And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts of the Lord" (Lev. 23 :44), even as God had com- manded him to do. They picture to us a holy God inviting
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online