LEVITICUS 55


     We will begin this lesson in Leviticus 23:24 "Speak unto the
children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first [day]
of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of
trumpets, an holy convocation." Leviticus 23:25 "Ye shall do no
servile work [therein]: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire
unto the LORD."

     We have deliberately given verse 24, again, to set the time for
verse 25. This seventh month of the religious calendar was the first
month of the civil year. This was a holy festival, and there was to be
no servile work. Servile means work of any kind. The LORD here is
Jehovah.

     Leviticus 23:26  "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,"
Leviticus 23:27 "Also on the tenth [day] of this seventh month [there
shall be] a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto
you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by
fire unto the LORD."

     Jesus is the atonement for the Christian. The number ten has to
do with world government. We see from the ten and the seven here, that
these people must be cleansed from worldliness through the sacrifice,
and would be spiritually complete in God's view. The day of atonement
was the day the priest went into the holy of holies and carried the
blood. God was not available at their beckon call. Even the high
priest, who went into the holy of holies, did not really get to see
God. The smoke in this place obscured perfect view of God. This temple
curtain separating God from the people, and from the priests, and the
high priest, was torn from the top to the bottom at the time of the
crucifixion of Jesus. When the curtain was torn from the top to the
bottom, all believers in Christ were given access to the Father. This
curtain actually symbolized the flesh of Jesus. Christians now have
access to the Father in the name of Jesus Christ. Mark 15:38 "And the
veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom."
The name of Jesus Christ gives us access. The people made sacrifices
all through the year, but this was a time when the blood of the
sacrifice would be carried into the holy of holies by the high priest.
The Israelite's access was through the high priest who represented
them before God. He was their mediator. Christians' mediator is Christ
the LORD. I Timothy 2:5 "For [there is] one God, and one mediator
between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;"  Hebrews 3:1 "Wherefore,
holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle
and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;"

     Leviticus 23:28 "And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it
[is] a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD
your God." Leviticus 23:29 "For whatsoever soul [it be] that shall not
be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his
people."

     A person who would not participate in day of atonement would
still be walking in their sin. Whoever rejects Jesus as their perfect
atonement, will not be among the saved. We shall all stand before
Jesus as Judge. The very day we stand before Him, we will either be
condemned, or saved.  Those who do not accept the perfect atonement of
the Lord Jesus Christ, will {without question} be lost.  We must
believe in our heart, and confess with our mouth, the Lord Jesus to be
saved.

     Leviticus 23:30 "And whatsoever soul [it be] that doeth any work
in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people."

     We see that this day was a holy day. It was to be treated as
sabbath, no work at all was to be done on this day.

     Leviticus 23:31 "Ye shall do no manner of work: [it shall be] a
statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings."

     We see that this day separated to God was not just an ordinary
day of rest. This was a day to think on God and what He had done for
them.  This was the tenth day of the seventh month.  The number ten in
the Hebrew language means riches. We can see, in these two numbers
here, that the riches that are worth having are the riches in the
spirit. These people had the wealth of being forgiven of their sins by
God.  They must think on this on this special day each year. They must
never forget the provision that God had made for the forgiveness of
their sin.  We Christians should, also, think on the greatest gift
ever given to any man. We should think on the grace of the Lord Jesus
Christ toward us, which makes us the wealthiest people in the world.
This free gift from Jesus gives us the greatest wealth, which is
eternal life in Him.

     Leviticus 23:32 "It [shall be] unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye
shall afflict your souls: in the ninth [day] of the month at even,
from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath."

     This being repeated three times here, shows us the seriousness of
always remembering the gift of forgiveness.

     Leviticus 23:33  "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,"
Leviticus 23:34 "Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The
fifteenth day of this seventh month [shall be] the feast of
tabernacles [for] seven days unto the LORD."

     One of the other names this feast is known by is Festival of
Tents. Two more names are Feast of Ingathering and Festival of
Jehovah. There are so many things this festival symbolizes.  We know
during this time, these people were not to live in their homes, but
make booths to live in. This reminds us of Abraham, who gave up his
home in Ur of the Chaldees to wander, living in tents, seeking a city
whose maker is God.  The children of Israel wandered, also, living in
tents, seeking their promised land. We Christians, too, are wandering
through this life, seeking that same city that Abraham sought for.
Fifteen has all sorts of wonderful meanings. Fifteen is three times
five. Three means God and five means grace. By the grace of God, we
will tabernacle with Him in heaven. This place is not my home, I'm
just passing through. We must not get too satisfied with this earth
and its things. Our Home is in heaven with Jesus, if we are truly
Christians. Some people use this Scripture, to say that we will not be
raptured into heaven, until after the seven years of tribulation on
the earth. Others use it to say that we will be raptured at the
beginning of the seven years of tribulation.  I do not believe either
is what God would have us glean from this. One other thing that would
be interesting to note here, is the 7-1000 year days the earth will
accomplish, before we enter our promised land {heaven} to stay with
Jesus. There is a very interesting Scripture in Zechariah chapter 14
about the Feast of Tabernacles. Zechariah 14:16  "And it shall come to
pass, [that] every one that is left of all the nations which came
against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the
King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles."
Zechariah 14:17 "And it shall be, [that] whoso will not come up of
[all] the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King,
the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain."  Zechariah 14:18
"And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that [have] no
[rain]; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the
heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles."  Zechariah
14:19 "This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of
all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles."
I just put this in for you to contemplate on, read the rest of the
14th chapter of Zechariah.

     Leviticus 23:35 "On the first day [shall be] an holy convocation:
ye shall do no servile work [therein]."

     The one thing that they were allowed to do on this day was to cut
the branches to build their shelter with. They, also, were allowed to
sacrifice. In fact, on the first day of this festival, they were to
offer 13 bullocks, 2 rams, 14 lambs, and one goat.

     Leviticus 23:36 "Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by
fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation
unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD:
it [is] a solemn assembly; [and] ye shall do no servile work
[therein]."

     This is a very interesting thing about Feast of Tabernacles.  The
offerings were lowered each day of the bullocks until the 7th day,
only 7 were offered and on the eighth day only one was offered. Could
this possibly show that these offerings would all be fulfilled in the
one offering of Jesus Christ our Lord? I have mentioned it before, but
I personally believe that God allowed the Temple in Jerusalem to be
destroyed, to stop the people who professed belief in Jesus to stop
sacrificing. Jesus did it all for all time to come at Calvary. There
is no need for further sacrifice. He paid it all. Eight, in the Bible
symbolizes new beginnings. It is, also, the number of the Lord, whom
we have our new beginning in.



                             Questions 55

1.  What day had God set aside as a memorial of blowing trumpets?
2.  Were they allowed to work on this day?
3.  How was the offering that was to be made on this day described?
4.  This seventh month of the religious year was the first month of
    what?
5.  Who did God give these instructions to?
6.  What day was to be day of atonement?
7.  Who is the atonement for the Christian?
8.  What does the number 10 symbolize?
9.  What does the use of the 10 and the 7 in the Scripture show us?
10. What special thing did the high priest do on day of atonement,
    that was not done at other times?
11. What blocked the high priest from perfect view of the presence of
    God in the holy of holies?
12. What was the purpose of the veil separating the holy place from
    the holy of holies?
13. When was that veil of separation torn?
14. What did the tearing of the veil from the top to the bottom do for
    the Christians?
15. Where do we find the Scripture that tells us that the veil was
    torn from the top to bottom?
16. What gives the Christian access to the Father?
17. Who represented these Israelites, before the Father?
18. Who is the Christian's mediator?
19. What happened to those who would not observe Day of Atonement?
20. How can we relate the rejection of observing Day of Atonement to
    Christians?
21. Who condemns us, or saves us at judgement?
22. What must we do to be saved?
23. What happened to those who worked on that day?
24. How long was this statute for?
25. Explain what they were expected to do on this day.
26. What does the number ten in the Hebrew language stand for?
27. What is the greatest wealth that we can have?
28. Why are these instructions repeated three times?
29. What day is Feast of Tabernacles?
30. What are some of the other names this Feast is known by?
31. Where were the people to live during this festival?
32. What are some other events in the Bible this festival brings to
    mind?
33. What are some of the things some people believe this 7 day period
    symbolizes?
34. What do we read in Zechariah about Tabernacles?
35. What is an interesting thing about the bullocks that are offered
    on the seven days and then on the eighth day?
36. What does the author believe this might symbolize?
37. What does the number eight in the Bible symbolize?
38. Who is the Christian's new beginning?