Does the Church of God Version of the Feast of Tabernacles Picture the Millennium?

The Feast of Tabernacles 

Does NOT 

Picture the Millennium!

In Pagan Holidays – or God’s Holy Days – Which? Herbert Armstrong wrote about the symbolism of the Feast of Tabernacles: “This festival is the picture of the Millennium!” Unfortunately, when Armstrong decided that Christians were obligated to observe the festivals outlined in the Pentateuch for the Israelites, he was not careful to follow scriptural hints regarding the deeper spiritual implications/meanings of the days. Since his death, a great many folks have challenged his understandings about the symbolism involved in some of the other holy days. Even so, Armstrong’s teachings about the meaning of the FOT still enjoy widespread acceptance within the Armstrong Churches of God culture.

The problem with Mr. Armstrong’s understanding of this feast was his slavish devotion to the notion that they pictured a progression of events within God’s plans for humankind. Hence, although he recognized the significance of the spring and fall harvests relative to these festivals, he failed to integrate that understanding with other scriptures related to both the symbolic meanings of certain rituals and the events themselves. “How can that be?” his devoted followers will demand.

In the booklet referenced at the beginning of this post, Armstrong wrote: “To portray His plan, God took the yearly material harvest seasons in ancient Israel as the picture of the spiritual harvest of souls. In the Holy Land there are two annual harvests. The first is the spring grain harvest. Second comes the main harvest. Notice that the Festival of Tabernacles is to be held ‘at the year's end’ (Ex. 34:22). In this verse the Festival of Tabernacles or Booths is specifically called the ‘feast of ingathering.’ The harvest year ended at the beginning of autumn. Just as Pentecost pictures the early harvest — this church age, so the Festival of Ingatherings or Tabernacles pictures the fall harvest — the great harvest of souls in the Millennium!”

The problem with this teaching is that it doesn’t agree with what is revealed about the timing of this great harvest of souls which is elaborated on in the book of Revelation! In the twentieth chapter of that book, we read: “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.” – Revelation 20:4-5 Notice here that the first resurrection is clearly associated with the millennium. Continuing, we read: “And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison…And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.” – Revelation 20:7-13 Hence, we can clearly see that this great harvest of souls takes place AFTER the millennium, and AFTER Satan and his minions have been dealt with once and for all!

Moreover, Herbert Armstrong completely ignored the profound symbolism surrounding this festival which is recorded in the oft quoted twenty-third chapter of Leviticus, and which is further elaborated on quite extensively in the New Testament! I know that these arguments will have zero impact on the folks who have willingly swallowed the Armstrong Kool-Aid, but it is my hope that serious students of the Bible who are willing to take a second look might be persuaded by what is clearly revealed in Scripture regarding the symbolism of this festival.

In the book of Leviticus, we read: “Remember that this seven-day festival to the Lord – the Festival of Shelters – begins on the fifteenth day of the month, after you have harvested all the produce of the land…On the first day gather branches from magnificent trees – palm fronds, boughs from leafy trees, and willows that grow by the streams…For seven days you must live outside in little shelters. All native-born Israelites must live in shelters. This will remind each new generation of Israelites that I made their ancestors live in shelters when I rescued them from the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’” (Leviticus 23:39-43, New Living Translation –here and throughout the rest of this article, unless otherwise noted)

Scripture indicates that the Israelites were told to live in temporary shelters each year for eight days so that they would not forget that they had lived in tents after leaving Egypt and before reaching the Promised Land. In the book of Hebrews, we read: “It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to LEAVE HOME (emphasis mine here and throughout) and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. And even when he reached the land God promised him, HE LIVED THERE BY FAITH – for he was like a foreigner living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.” (Hebrews 11:8-10) In short, Abraham and his descendants were looking forward to a better and more permanent home.

A little further, we read: “All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. THEY AGREED THAT THEY WERE FOREIGNERS AND NOMADS HERE ON EARTH. Obviously, people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.” (Hebrews 11:13-16) Do we begin to see the connection to our own circumstances as Christians?

Like the Israelites of old, God has called us out of Egypt (this sinful society) and has led us out into the wilderness. (John 6:44) We are different and peculiar compared to the people around us. (I Peter 2:9) Like the Israelites, we are heirs of the promises made to Abraham. (Galatians 3:29) Finally, we are also like the Israelites in the sense that we too are looking for a Promised Land (the Kingdom of God). Like the patriarchs of old, we are truly strangers and pilgrims on the earth as it now exists – the one deceived and influenced by Satan the devil.

There is, however, another meaning to this symbolism that is less general and more personal. Although it is unpleasant to contemplate, each one of us has an appointment with death. (Hebrews 9:27) Somewhere in the back of our minds, all of us understand that this life that we are currently enjoying is temporary – it will not last forever (we are subject to time and chance). Paul once told the saints at Corinth, “that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever.” (I Corinthians 15:50) He went on to tell them that “our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.” (I Corinthians 15:53)

Sometime later, Paul wrote another letter to the Corinthians. He told them that the light of Christ was shining in their hearts, but he described that treasure as residing in fragile clay jars. (II Corinthians 4:7) He talked about how Christians must face many trials and perils because of their association with Jesus Christ, but that this had resulted in them having the hope of eternal life. (II Corinthians 4:8-15) He continued: “That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small AND WON’T LAST VERY LONG. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” (II Corinthians 4:16-18)

In other words, Paul understood that Christians are currently living in temporary shelters (human bodies), and that they are looking forward to the time when they will be living in a permanent home (spiritual bodies). In his second letter to the saints at Corinth, we read: “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.” (II Corinthians 5:1-4, KJV)

Peter also understood this concept. In addressing the saints toward the close of his ministry, he wanted to remind them about the truths which he had previously conveyed to them. He wrote: “Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.” (II Peter 1:13-14, KJV) Peter understood that this life is not permanent, and that he was going to die. He also knew that his present body could not inherit the Kingdom of God, and that he would have to shed that body and receive a new one in the resurrection.

As strangers and pilgrims in this world, Christians are looking to exchange a temporary home for a more permanent one (one that God has provided for us). Hence, for us, this is an important component of the symbolism of this Old Testament Festival.

And, finally, perhaps the most important component of this symbolism has to do with our relationship with Christ and Almighty God – the fact that Christ tabernacled with us in the past and will do so again someday with the Father! We read in the Gospel According to John that the “Word was made flesh and dwelt <tabernacled> among us.” – John 1:14, KJV Then, at the conclusion of all things, we are told in the book of Revelation: “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.” - Revelation 21:1-3 I don’t know about you, but I think that this symbolism beats Armstrong’s teachings on the subject by a mile!

Lonnie Hendrix

UPDATE: Mentally Deranged COG Leaders Are Telling Their Members At The Feast That Christ Is Returning This Year

UPDATE: Dave Pack and the Restored Church of God is scrambling to hide the things Dave has said at the Feast this year. They served notice on the person who provided the video below and forced them to pull it.

Dave Pack is still up to his same old tricks and is still claiming that his "christ" is returning this year. His dwindling flock of faithful followers sat there on the first night of his so-called "feast" and lapped up this twaddle as they eagerly await Dave's "christ" to be soon walking the hallowed grounds of Wadsworth.

This kind of outrageous lie is not limited to Dave Pack. Gerald Flurry has also whipped his few remaining faithful into another state of frenzy as they have been told to "wait for the call" so that they can flee the incoming invasion by the Germans. Parents are telling their children that they need to be prepared to be taken as slaves by the Europeans. Some have even suggested that they ask to be taken as slaves by Turks as they may be treated better by them.

Sadly this kind of idiocy by Church of God leaders such as Herbert Armstrong, Gerald Flurry, Gerald Waterhouse, Rod Meredith, Bob Thiel, Ron Weinland, and other spiritually immoral men is the pathetic legacy of a belief system that has perverted scriptural truths for decades.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: The Internal Damage Control Sermon By Dave Pack

UPDATE: Dave Pack and the Restored Church of God is scrambling to hide the things Dave has said at the Feast this year. They served notice on the person who provided the video below and forced them to pull it.

Dave Pack and the Restored Church of God is on Red Alert now that Dave made the idiotic statement that his "christ" was returning by the end of the feast. They forced the person who provided the link to the video to pull it. 

Stay tuned for more shenanigans by God's one true church as it tries to suppress the truth that it claims is vital fo the world.

....addressing "Burst of Antichrists" leaving Restored Church of God

Wade Cox Believes His Witless Witnesses Will Be Made Known Some Time After Passover 2021

Wade Cox is another self-appointed Church of God fraudulent leader that is preparing his LITTLE flock of deceived members for the imminent return of his Islamic "jesus". Cox claims he has to finish his commentary on the Bible so that the two witless witnesses can return. He plans on having these so-called commentaries completed by Passover 2021 and then his crazy witless witnesses can come and do their work.

The requirement that this theological imbecile dishes out on his members is appalling. There is so much they need to be doing in order to make it into the first resurrection. Just more silly rules and regulations that Jesus never demanded of his followers.

Thankfully no Christian ever has to worry about whether or not they have the correct day, the correct calendar, or any of the other useless crap that Cox claims his followers need to be doing.

And NO, people will NOT be assigned to the second resurrection if they do not follow Cox's demands. In COGland, nothing is ever what it claims to be.

We have tried to make this a really spiritual feast this year for Tabernacles. We have prepared a number of commentaries on the Bible Texts.  We have done the Epistles of Peter following James prior to the Feast and for the Feast we have done the commentaries on the Epistles of John and prepared the Commentary on Daniel which will be issued by Chapters, with an Introduction, over the feast. We will also commence the Commentaries on Paul commencing with Philemon.

We hope that all will enjoy the Commentaries and we hope to be able to continue on and to complete the NT by Passover.

The aim is a complete Bible Commentary by the arrival of the Witnesses.  It is not enough to attend Sabbath services and perhaps the Feast and ignore the New Moons and Passover and Unleavened Bread and hope that you make it into the First Resurrection. We have to do it all and work as well. Then we will know we have access to the First Resurrection.  If we follow Hillel we can rest assured that we have never kept the Holy Days on the correct days except by accident and if we follow Armstrong and the WCG system we have never kept a Lord’s Supper and Passover on the correct days and one third of the time not even in the correct months.  Such people are consigned to the Second Resurrection and will repent or face the Second Death. Neither will their slander and defamation protect them or stop others from the First Resurrection.

Atonement: The notion that Satan’s rebellion caused God to go to “plan B” is purely a figment of Herbert Armstrong's overactive imagination!

Church of God International Affirms HWA’s Understanding of Atonement

 

In his booklet, Pagan Holidays – or God’s Holy Days, Herbert Armstrong insisted that one goat represented Christ and the other goat represented Satan in the ritualistic observance of the Day of Atonement recorded in the sixteenth chapter of Leviticus. Even so, many of Armstrong’s critics have pointed out that the ninth and tenth chapters of the book of Hebrews make plain that the high priest was symbolic of Christ, and that the two goats represented different aspects of the high priest’s work to make atonement for the sins of the people (one providing the blood, and the other representing the removal of our sins – the very things that have separated us from God).

In Herbie’s theology, the assignment of the scapegoat as being representative of Satan was an essential component of a more complex theology elaborated in The Incredible Human Potential and Mystery of the Ages. The premise being that Satan ruined God’s original plan for the angels to inhabit this earth and complete God’s creation which in turn necessitated the creation of man (because angels were supposed to be immortal and indestructible). Moreover, Armstrong reasoned that, because Satan was the ultimate author of human sin, justice demanded that all of our sins be placed on the head of Satan. Thus, Satan would ultimately be sent away by the hand of another angel into the bottomless pit, and we would finally be reconciled to God.

Never mind that Scripture makes plain that it was God’s plan from the very beginning to create humankind, place the earth in their care and make them His children. The notion that Satan’s rebellion caused God to go to “plan B” is purely a figment of Herbie’s overactive imagination! Scripture also refutes the notion that any of the lifeforms which God has created (including angels) have immortal life (Paul tells us that immortality is a God quality). Finally, there are a great many scriptures which suggest that we are all personally responsible for our own sins, and that it is those sins which have alienated us from God.

Nevertheless, in his most recent sermon regarding the meaning of the symbolism surrounding the Day of Atonement, CGI Pastor Wynn Skelton continued to insist that HWA’s understanding of that symbolism was correct! After clearly linking the first goat to Christ’s sacrifice for our sins, he said: 

“The other represents - now, don’t get mad at me <for> this – represents our enemy…it represents the devil…Now I’ve had debates about this and there have been papers in the Church of God International saying that both goats are for Christ…What we officially teach is this: one goat for Christ – one goat for Satan.”

He continues:  

“I am not trying to create division or animosity, but I will point out for those who think that both goats are for Christ then…what would be the difference between the Day of Atonement and Passover?...How in the world are we going to have peace and harmony and at-one-ment if you don’t remove the enemy?” see Atonement by Wynn Skelton

Has Pastor Skelton forgotten what Paul wrote to the saints at Rome? Paul said: “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” – Romans 5:10 Hence, it is clear that Paul thought that we were reconciled to God by Christ’s death, and I’m assuming that Satan was still around when Paul penned this! In other words, Satan’s removal wasn’t necessary for that reconciliation to happen. Likewise, Paul wrote to the saints at Corinth that God “hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ.” – II Corinthians 5:18 And, finally, Paul wrote to the Colossians that “having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight…” – Colossians 1:20-22

For Paul, at least, the presence of Satan the devil represented no obstacle to our reconciliation with God! The fact is that Scripture clearly contradicts Herbert Armstrong’s teachings about the meaning of the Day of Atonement. According to Scripture, Jesus Christ is the vehicle for our salvation – something that Satan plays NO role in whatsoever! Moreover, Scripture makes plain that the ultimate fate of Satan will be just and force him to pay the penalty for his many sins. Ezekiel wrote about him: “Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.” – Ezekiel 28:18-19 And this is certainly consistent with what we read in the book of Revelation: “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone…” – Revelation 20:10 And, finally, the context makes plain that this lake of fire is representative of eternal death.

Hence, in officially perpetuating Herbert Armstrong’s errors with regard to the Day of Atonement, the Church of God International makes clear that they have not moved beyond the founder of the movement. In continuing to promulgate an understanding that is clearly flawed, CGI has rendered itself just another irrelevant splinter of a failed theology.

n  Miller Jones/Lonnie Hendrix

Stupid things Dave Pack has said...

from a reader: 

- people's arms and eyes will shrivel by some seance or spell

- a mountain will float out of space and land on Israel and it will be tall enough to reach into space

- Carpenter angel will destroy and rebuild Israel in a day

- all who ever lived in Israel's history will be resurrected in one day

- God's people will have new bodies like christ but it won't be eternal

- These bodies will allow people to walk thru walls, escape mobs, never hunger, never get sick

- Be able to command legions of angels to kill antichrists and evil governments

- Be able to ride chariots pulled by angels and travel at the speed of thought

- demons will come out of the ground and out of space and people will believe it to be an alien invasion.

- lots of death

- lots of resurrections

- mansions of gold where people will abode but will not have to sleep because they are godlike but not yet saved?

- glow or have some sort of permanent resplendence like daniel had and Moses had

- be able to read peoples thoughts

- have global fame and unprecedented knowledge of prophecy 

Dave Pack In Damage Control Mode

 

from the comments:

Dave Pack is looking forward to all the ministers who left RCG over the last 20 years to be put to death, either burned alive or being cut in half with a sword. 

He has been fixated on killing people who leave his group now for at least 2 years. 

The quotes below are taken from a sermon given before Atonement. The comments are pretty clear to me. He associates anyone not “with him” as an antichrist and worthy of death. (They signed their death warrant and orphaned their children, pretty screwed up stuff here) First however their right eye and arm will be crippled. The timeline he gives is just before, or after the Feast. 

Maybe the former RCG ministers can sound off after the Feast to let us know they are ok! 

Quotes from Dave Pack - "A Non Prophecy Sermon"

Dave Pack - (36:32) 

"Here's what he said. Now you're going to have to decide what an antichrist is. We read what John said. Let's see what Christ said about antichrists. "He, that is not with me is against me. And he, that gathers not with me, scatters abroad." If you're not with him [ministers who left] in gathering you're you're against him in scattering. That means you're against Christ. That means you're an antichrist, which means you don't have the Holy spirit. 

That's the definition of an antichrist against Christ. Now, therefore, another Jesus. And none of them will say I'm against Christ. So you're going to have to believe him, not them. Now we have a lot of wonderful faithful ministers and in no way, no way have our faithful ministers been, come into question in my mind. I'm just telling you if a minister leaves, now you need to have the background." 

Dave Pack - (~43:02) 

If you watch some minister, leave the church, that man, you said, well, he was never converted. He has sinned unto death. He signed his death warrant and he's orphaned his children. He will not live! Christ said he burns corrupt trees. And before that, I'm going to tell you exactly when it is. They're going to lose an eye on an arm. A lot of things are clear. It almost becomes its own indicator that we're running out of time. We had a burst of antichrists. It's wonderful because we're not paying thieves anymore. One of them didn't want to go to his feast assignment. He's worried about getting the COVID. And so when we told him, "No, you gotta go to where your feast is." He quit! I wasn't there when he stamped his feet. I just know he did. I know the man. And I know he did. Do not pray for these people. You're supposed to know when somebody sins a sin unto death. I've wrestled for decades and other ministers have too well. How would you know that? Well, if they're scattering against Christ, they're blaspheming, the Holy Spirit, they're Corrupt Trees. They're going to be burned, period. End of story. It's not a mystery. So when you see that don't ever pray for that minister. You're praying for an enemy of God who doesn't have the Holy spirit, who isn't going to repent. Why? Because he's a thief and they only come to steal, murder and destroy or kill and destroy.

Dave Pack - (48:10) 

 

“And there are people leave us and beat us. They begin to beat us. Some of them don't get very far. My Lord delays. His coming ...This is something people who leave us would say, and they beat us and people still don't go. And they begin to smite their fellow servants to eat and drink with the drunken. I've watched them. You never hear the follow up. These guys go out and they literally go back to the world. 

 

...The Lord of that servant will come a day when he's not looking for him in an hour, that he's not aware. They blew off what they were taught here and cut them in two. That's what it says, cut them in two. And they're going to weep and gnashing their teeth. They're going to wait a little while, with one eye and one arm. But that's what it says. They know God's plan. Well, this can't be the dead. The dead aren't doing those things. The dead aren't saying “my Lord delays his coming,” It can’t be Laodicea. They don't know they're blind. They're not looking for Christ. It has to be people who left us and Christ calls them evil, wicked kickoffs, worthless servants. Well, they were only worth they have is that they eventually left and they stopped being paid and people under them aren't anymore.” 

 

Dave Pack - (1:22:25)

Now we could go all the way past the Feast. It seems hard to imagine, but you know, all these verses, he won't tarry won't tarry won't tarry, but wait, wait, wait, wait. And you have a need to be patient. I don't know. Maybe we'll go after the feast. It's gotta be when people are at work. So it won't be during the 10 days of the Feast. But it could be tonight too. Can't be on Atonement. Can't be today. Today's almost over, but terrible, terrible, terrible things are happening.  

It is so convenient that before this sermon, Pack has already began instructing the entire church how to deal with ministers/people who leave. 

 

He says ministers who leave are hoping that "you [the church] are stupid and dumb enough to follow them". 

 

Pack has been heard before by many minister calling the brethren idiots. As a former employee i have sat in staff meetings where he would call us stupid. 

 

RCG is in extreme damage control mode, telling all their members not to read any posts, letters, emails or engage with former members. 

 

He says it's a sin if you do. This is one masterful way to block people from seeing the other side that is not so often spoken about. 

 

He is a very dangerous man who uses the bible so and his eloquence so well to manipulate the scriptures into serving his purpose. 

 

His purpose: cover up the reason 40 plus ministers have left, instruct the membership not to go around perusing on why they left, paint all those ministers as thieves and wolves by telling a select few stories of some actual rotten ministers, and then go on to inform the entire church that Christ is coming at the end of 2020 Feast of Tabernacles. And if not this year then next year. Bait them some more. 

 

Pack is the wolf. But he is using the tactic of telling him members that others are out to get them and their money to shift the very idea that it is in fact him who is stealing their money and treating them like their stupid idiots. 

 

Many people in RCG who sit there are secretly coming to this blog and other sources and communicating more openly with former members and expressing concern with the failed date after date of christ supposed return that Pack keeps changing. 

 

Pack has predicted Christs return over 20 times since the failed elul prophecy in 2013.