The Feast of Tabernacles: The feast of joy of receiving the Holy Spirit abundantly

Origin

The Feast of Tabernacles, the last feast of a year, originates from the history that the Israelites built the tabernacle to keep the tablets of the Ten Commandments they had received for a second time. When Moses proclaimed the order of God to build the tabernacle, the people who were moved willingly brought the materials for the tabernacle for seven days from the fifteenth day of the seventh month by the sacred calendar. To commemorate this, they built tents with the branches of trees such as the palm tree, and stayed there for seven days, rejoicing, every Feast of Tabernacles in the Old Testament times. This signifies that preaching—leading God’s people who are represented as the material for the heavenly temple to salvation—would be carried out in the New Testament times. (Ex 35–36; Lev 23:33–44; Jer 5:14).

This signifies that preaching festival which will come to lead God’s people who are represented as the material of the heavenly temple will be held in the New Testament times.

The Sacred Assembly of the Feast of Tabernacles fell on October 8 (the fifteenth day of the seventh month by the sacred calendar). The members came to their churches with joy and thankfulness to receive the waterfall-like Holy Spirit after being purified with the forgiveness of sins on the Day of Atonement.

During the service at the New Jerusalem Temple in Bundang, Korea, Mother gave thanks to Father who allowed the members to carry out the Holy Spirit Movement to find the scattered heavenly family members through the Feast of Tabernacles—the feast of harvest, and She also prayed that all the children in the world would receive the Holy Spirit of the latter rain abundantly so that they could preach the truth of the new covenant with a firm faith and courage like the forefathers of faith such as Noah, Abraham, Peter, and Paul, and could lead all nations to salvation.

ⓒ 2014 WATV

General Pastor Kim Joo-cheol defined the Feast of Tabernacles as “the feast of joy which God established to give us abundant fruit of the gospel,” and encouraged the members to “preach the gospel diligently and lead many souls to salvation by following Jesus who preached on the Feast of Tabernacles,” based on the records of the Bible where Jesus granted the living water, that is the Holy Spirit, and proclaimed the truth on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles (Ne 8:13–18; Eph 2:19–22; Isa 60:1–5).

ⓒ 2014 WATV

From that day, the preaching week continued for seven days. All the members throughout the world asked for the gifts of the Holy Spirit with one mind in the early mornings and evenings, and made their efforts to carry out the gospel mission to gather the materials for the spiritual temple with joy and excitement. On October 15 (the twenty-second day of the seventh month by the sacred calendar), the eighth day of the feast, they participated in the service of the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles when the Holy Spirit of the latter rain was promised.

In the morning service, General Pastor Kim Joo-cheol wished for abundant blessing of the Holy Spirit, and showed the prophecy of the Bible that the living water would come out from Jerusalem. “Just as they received the Holy Spirit when they believed in Jesus 2,000 years ago, we can receive the Holy Spirit when we believe in the Spirit and the Bride, who are God the Father and New Jerusalem Heavenly Mother, in this age,” he said. He also emphasized that we should have a firm faith toward God, and suggested that we do our best in opening the sluice gate for the gospel so that the river of the water of life can flow to the whole world and make everything live (Jn 7:1–39; Zec 14:16–19; Rev 22:17; 21:9–16; Gal 4:26– 31; Eze 47:1–12).

In the afternoon service, Mother taught us about the history of Esther with a sermon titled “Their Customs Are Different from Those of All Other People.” In the days when King Xerxes of Media and Persia ruled, Haman who had authority hated the Jews who practiced a different customs from those of all other people, that is, the law of God, and wanted to annihilate them. He made a false charge against the Jews to the king and issued a decree in the name of the king to “destroy, kill, and annihilate the Jews” and dispatchers were sent to all the king’s provinces with the order.

Hearing the crisis of her own people, Queen Esther, a Jew, fasted and earnestly prayed for three days together with the Jews and approached King Xerxes. Hearing Haman’s conspiracy from Esther, King Xerxes was enraged and executed Haman, and wrote another decree granting the Jews the right “to protect themselves and to destroy those who attack the Jews,” by which the Jews in danger of destruction gained glory, joy, and honor (Est 3–8).

Mother explained the history of Esther and said, “Just like what happened in the past, we may have sufferings because we keep God’s laws, but the sufferings are not worth comparing with the eternal glory which will be granted to us in the future. God will protect those who keep His laws to the end and let them win the victory in the end.” Also, Mother said, “Though we may have some difficulties, let us keep the laws of God that has the promise for eternal life to the end. As we have received the abundant Holy Spirit of the latter rain in the Feast of Tabernacles, let us use the Holy Spirit to save those who have not yet come to salvation without knowing the truth” (Jer 6:18–19; Da 12:1–3).

With the Feast of Tabernacles, the seven feasts in three times of 2014, the spiritual year of jubilee, have all finished. The members gave their deepest thanks to God for sealing them as the heavenly children through the feasts of the new covenant, and made up their minds to achieve the work of great blessing promised in the year of jubilee with the power of the Holy Spirit.

ⓒ 2014 WATV