The glory days that will never be duplicated again.
For Your Consideration: Some Questions About Your Observance of the Feast of Tabernacles
What does the Feast of Tabernacles mean to you?
Has your understanding of the festival changed since the first time you observed it? How?
Do you think that your observance of the festival is consistent with Torah's instructions to construct a temporary dwelling and live in it for seven days? Explain.
Do you think your observance of the festival satisfies the commandment to appear before the Lord three times each year at the place which He chooses? Explain.
If Jesus Christ really fulfilled God's Law, how does this festival point to him? If it doesn't point to him, please explain.
What new insights into the Kingdom of God has this year's observance of the FOT imparted to you?
What part do meals and the consumption of alcoholic beverages play in your observance of this festival?
What kind of entertainment activities do you engage in during your festival observance? How do they fit into the overall symbolism of the festival?
How much money have you contributed to the Church and or charities during the festival?
Were the sermons, music, and Bible studies good and relevant? If so, what did you learn from them?
Did you skip any sermons or Church sponsored activities during the festival? If so, why?
If you have a family, did your spouse and/or children enjoy the feast? Did they learn anything new? Would they celebrate the festival if you weren't around?
When will the symbolism of this festival find its fulfillment? If/When that happens, will the festival become a memorial of that/those event(s)?
Miller Jones/Lonnie C Hendrix
20 comments:
Hello there Millar/Lonnie.
Down under here in NZ we have many celebrating ‘observing’ the Feast not associated with Armstrongism in any way. Including a Catholic Church holding an observation on the first and last days of Tabernacles. Very surprising to see the level of interest across many denominations here. And of course the local Jewish community building ‘dwellings’ in their Shuls. I welcome this. It’s a far cry from our wwcog days when we thought we were the only ones doing so. And it is a phenomenon globally also to see the multitude of Christian groups in ‘observance’. And some of these groups, like in South America number in the tens of thousands. I can’t help but wonder if this is a movement of the Spirit of God by the interest shown, to use the phrase ‘worldwide’. Cheers.
These would be interesting questions if respondents' programming allowed them to go beyond the boilerplate anwers they were taught. If we were to actually be able to read the responses, I suspect members would give 99% uniform answers.
Want the answers, read the church lit. That's what they will be reciting!
On the other hand, you may have stimulated secret thoughts which they will not express, but which will create disturbance in their minds!
For now a subdued celebration; Satan not put in pit yet...Oh yes, much of Levitical Priesthood (LP) FOT instruction after Ex 24 removed-Heb 7...Never could find construct instructs...(LP) command removed, not in Ex 23; how did Paul observe the feast in Rome?..."Think not"...None...No consumption changes now...No entertainment change for now...None of your business...None of your business...Maybe, none of your business...None of your business...It's the Feast of Ingathering: land harvest, gathering of the House of Israel after Christ returns, a joyous time of pointing to and afterward remembering the fulfillment of Daniel 2:44 and a "restoration of all things" and a return to sanity and resurrections of the dead and who knows what else......the festival will continue.......
None of your responses to these questions is any of my business. The questions and your responses were meant for you to ponder privately, but thanks for sharing some of your responses with the rest of us. This was intended to be an exercise in why do I believe and do the things that I do?
Armstrongists believe that they have cornered the market on the Holy Days.
That Christian's don't have a clue. I asked Google AI what Sukkot means to Christians and the following was the answer:
To many Christians, Sukkot, or the Feast of Tabernacles, signifies Jesus's revelation of himself as the source of "living water" and "light of the world". It serves as a reminder of God's past provision, present provision through Jesus, and future fulfillment, as well as a call to hospitality and rejoicing. Some Christians also see it as a prophetic "rehearsal" for the future, according to this article from Christians United for Israel.
Spiritual meanings for Christians
Remembrance of God's provision: Christians view Sukkot as a time to remember God's past deliverance and protection of the Israelites in the desert and to give thanks for present blessings.
Jesus as the source of life: It is seen as a time Jesus used to declare himself as the source of "living water" and "light of the world" during the original festival in Jerusalem.
Future hope: Some Christians believe the fall feasts, including Sukkot, point to the second coming of Jesus Christ, with the festival symbolizing the future fulfillment of God's promises.
A call to hospitality: The tradition of building a sukkah and welcoming guests points to the gospel's call to show hospitality, especially to the marginalized.
A reminder of dependence and gratitude: Building a temporary dwelling in a sukkah reminds Christians of their dependence on God and the importance of rejoicing in His presence rather than material things.
I think the machine gave us a great summary of the Christian view. What's not to like.
Scout
Scout, Your remarks about Christian views regarding FOT reminded me of the process which produced the views of the Armstrong Churches of God. Don't get me wrong - those views are just as good as any produced by the ACOGs. Nevertheless, the further we get away from Scripture, the wilder the speculation about meaning(s) tends to be! I believe, as Jesus preached and Paul proclaimed, that ALL of the Law and Prophets pointed to Christ (including the festivals).
https://godcannotbecontained.blogspot.com/2025/10/the-feast-of-temporary-dwellings-or.html
Good questions, Lonnie.
I've been using this FOT time to ponder its Christian foreshadows. Which is beautiful in retrospect, though only a shadow of the present Reality.
Which is not what Armstrong churches are peddling.
1. It’s a holy week like Passover/FOUB.
2. I now believe it looks back to the Israelites being guided by God and provided by God in the desert to the Promised Land; and back to when Jesus was born and circumcised.
3. If I owned my own home I’d love to have an arbor and decorate it with greenery and sit in/under it to eat and study particularly during the FOT or else build a tent in the back to do such. But I believe the tabernacles represent our mortal bodies so it’s not actually necessary to construct physical tabernacles since we are the tabernacles.
4. I believe that was for OT Israel. As Paul and the other apostles demonstrated we have liberty to observe God’s festivals wherever we are now. We don’t need to go to Jerusalem (there’s no temple there) or some COG sponsored site as if God is commanding such. We can keep these days like we do PO/FOUB and Pentecost etc for we are God’s temple wherever we are.
5. See 2b for answer.
6. ATM I can’t say I have been given new insights. But then I’ve been keeping it as I do PO/FOUB ie at home and just the holy Sabbaths have I listened to a streaming church service.
7. None.
8. None.
9. None. I’m not associated with any ACOG or other group. I believe in giving alms personally to the poor and homeless when I encounter them not to man-made organizations.
10. Those I listened to I found to be very general and like they didn’t want to offend anyone and so unfortunately easily forgettable—which is one primary reason I tend to prefer not to risk wasting money and time going to some group’s site only to find the sermons so abstract or generic to be only memorable for all the wrong reasons.
11. See 6
12. NA I’m single.
13. At the Millennium and GWTJ I believe.
Miller Jones:
You wrote, "Your remarks about Christian views regarding FOT reminded me of the process which produced the views of the Armstrong Churches of God"
I am not sure what you meant. The process I used was simply to let Google AI collect together the information held by Christians
Miller Jones:
You wrote :Your remarks about Christian views regarding FOT reminded me of the process which produced the views of the Armstrong Churches of God"
My rebellious laptop sent the comment before I was ready. I could write an essay on the dangers of this brand of laptop.
I don't understand how the process I used resembles Armstrongism. I used Google AI to assemble some information about what the FoT means to Christians. The response was from Google AI was Christocentric. It did include a Jewish interpretation that connects the FoT with the provision of God during the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. While the Jews, of course, do not connect the wandering with Christ, Christians do recognize Yahweh, hence Christ, as the provider during the wandering.
A machine is not a substitute for personal research. AI is sometimes inaccurate and sometimes connects facts that really don't have a strong connection. You have to verify its results. AI is just what we used to called in information technology a "report writer" application. Its programming is just cleverer than the typical report writer. It operates with faux intelligence, but it actually works pretty well. I think it is as theologically astute as the average Christian minister. Just don't ask it to pray for you.
Scout
Scout,
I understand. My comments referred to the cold analytical approach of AI. Mr. Armstrong and his followers employ the same kind of approach to Scripture. A process which is very often devoid of the leadership of the Holy Spirit, and the profound and emotional meaning of what Jesus Christ did for us. I was NOT suggesting that that was your process. You know that I have a profound respect (and most of the time agreement) with the way that you interpret Scripture. On a superficial level, AI's interpretation of the Christian aspect of the FOT is fine - and it's just as good as anything the ACOGs have promulgated in that regard. In terms of exegesis, I think that the clear conclusion is Christ tabernacling in the flesh (like us), and the great harvest of souls that will result from his work.
Miller Jones:
Got the picture. I agree. I always thought the way HWA figured out that Pentecost was on Monday was coldly analytical. He analyzed the daylights out of an English preposition. But this did not help him with the Hebrew.
Scout
M/L: “The questions and your responses were meant for you to ponder privately…”
Ask the questions but not want to hear the answers. Sounds like what I would expect.
Here are my theoretical answers:
1. Part of Torah.
2. Don’t care.
3. Point really does seem to be temporary dwellings for people visiting from out of town. Mandatory attendance depends on whether the convocation command is considered severable from the Levitical/Temple service, which cannot be done now, because the system is it set up. Presuming it can be severed, technically, Israelites outside the Holy Land in the Middle East are already dwelling in temporary dwellings in the regular homes, as all Israel in principle is to return to the Land.
4. Jerusalem is the only place. As with Passover, when can argue that if you were outside of the Holy Land, you are not obligated to return just for observance. The Armstrong convention-style observance is basically a Jeroboam — setting his own places for political motives of controlling and influencing the members.
5. Immaterial in the biblical setting, it’s Torah — Deut 4:1-2;12:32-13:4;30:1-10.
6. N/A.
7. When I did observe, I never drank. And only looking back can I truly appreciate the “Feast of Booze.” it’s the one time most Armstrongists have the cash to splurge. And too many take advantage of it.
8. I went to shows at Branson. Symbolism, shymbolism.
9. Way way too much!
10. To be honest, I was smarter than most of the people teaching.
11. I never did skip out early on the Last Day, even to the point of finding a different ride home because the people I rode there with did so. I viewed all other church activities is optional.
12. No family at the time.
13. If the Bible turns out to be true, as the Word of God, I will be busy taking credit for pointing out that God did not confirm it, so we can’t hold it against me.
I was always lucky enough to get Waterhouse on the LGD, so skipping out early was definitely an option. I figured I could repent later.
The flaws of AI. I asked Google AI what the meaning of the Last Great Day is in Judaism. The answer was enlightening. Then I asked what the meaning of the Last Great Day is in Christianity. The information reported was eerily familiar. I checked AI's list of sources and 4 out of the 5 were literature from recycled WCG splinter groups. AI has no internal rules that indicate to it what the difference is between Christianity and Heresy in developing an information mash-up.
The object lesson is that when you use AI for a rapid summary, be sure to look at the sources.
Scout
Yeah. HWA "Englished" the "3 days and 3 nights" into 72 hours but the Greek and Hebrew have many more definitions than 72 hours. The Herbs just can't believe Sunday was the 3rd day from Friday - Luke 24:1-21.
Scout:
Genuine question: How did you phrase your inquiry?
As for rules to indicate the difference between Christianity and Heresy, keep in mind that Armstrongists would say exactly the same thing.
Scout said: "The flaws of AI. I asked Google AI what the meaning of the Last Great Day is in Judaism. The answer was enlightening. Then I asked what the meaning of the Last Great Day is in Christianity. The information reported was eerily familiar. I checked AI's list of sources and 4 out of the 5 were literature from recycled WCG splinter groups. AI has no internal rules that indicate to it what the difference is between Christianity and Heresy in developing an information mash-up. The object lesson is that when you use AI for a rapid summary, be sure to look at the sources."
This happened to me too some months ago when I asked ChatGPT to give me scriptural evidence whether there was an afterlife. It initially gave me the Adventist/Armstrongist doctrine of soul sleep as if it was dogma and then when challenged by my references to scriptures that undermined this doctrine it conceded that this was just one view and then proceeded to give me alternative views and which views had the most scriptural support.
It's similar to how these Chatbots are always so affirming of views you share with it even though you might be so wrong and way off the mark.
Hopefully, Scout, AI learns, and will incorporate the scriptures you referenced in your challenge into future responses! Just imagine what might happen if Bible illiterates took the original answer as truth, and went looking for the nearest Adventist church or ACOG splinter to join. Also imagine how puffed up ACOG members would become over ChatGPT validating soul sleep! Surely we live in strange and dangerous times!
That is what many a COG Taberbacles sites preached and taught about, especially CGI ones in previous years.
Your deliberate repeated nastiness in refusing to call people Christians shows your real core personality.
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