The Seven Feast Days of the Lord, as they were given by God to Israel in Leviticus Chapter 23 should be of great importance to Christians as well for these are types and shadows of the Life of Jesus Christ in the New Testament in relation to His plan of salvation and in taking a Gentile Bride for His Name.
SEVEN FEAST DAYS which God instituted for His chosen nation of Israel are discussed throughout the Bible both in the Old and the New Testaments.
However, only in one place (Leviticus Chapter Twenty-Three) are all seven holy days listed in chronological order. These holidays are called “the Feasts of the Lord” which simply mean that they belong to God and are His holy days given for Israel to observe.
The term “feasts” in Hebrew literally means “appointed times.” God has carefully planned and orchestrated the timing and sequence of each of these seven feasts to reveal to us a special story. These feasts (often called “holy convocations”) are intended to be a time of meeting between God and man for “holy purposes.” Since these seven feasts of the Lord are “appointed times” for “holy purposes,” they carry with them great sacredness and solemnity.
These SEVEN FEASTS are (1) The Feast of the PASSOVER, (2) The Feast of the UNLEAVENED BREAD, (3) The Feast of the FIRST FRUITS (4) The Feast of WEEKS, (5) The Feast of TRUMPETS (6) The Feast of ATONEMENT, and (7) The Feast of TABERNACLES. At the end of this series, we will notice an added feast, the EIGHTH DAY FEAST or HOLY ASSEMBLY, which I will discuss last.
CHRISTIAN SIGNIFICANCE
Unknown to the people of Israel, these Seven Feasts of the Lord which were instituted to them by God through their prophet Moses are types and shadows of the true events that will transpire in the life of their true Messiah, Jesus Christ, and to His Church that’s to be established in the New Testament.
Four of these seven holy days occur during the springtime. The first four feasts (Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, and Weeks) have already been fulfilled by Christ in the New Testament. The final three holidays (Trumpets, Atonement or Yom Kippur, and Tabernacles) occur during the fall within a brief fifteen-day period in the Hebrew month of Kislev. Kislev corresponds to the months of September/October on the Gregorian calendar.
As the four spring feasts (holy days) were fulfilled literally and right on schedule in connection with Christ’s first coming, these three fall feasts will likewise be fulfilled literally and right on schedule in connection to the Lord’s second coming. These final three feasts form the basis for what the Bible calls in Titus 2:13: “the blessed hope.”
ISRAEL: BLINDED UNTIL THE FULNESS OF THE GENTILES COME IN
Most end time believers know that until this day, Israel is still blinded to the truth and knowledge that Jesus Christ, whom they crucified, is the True Messiah. God did that for a purpose – to call a Gentile Bride for Jesus Christ. Israel was blinded for a season to give way to the chosen elect Bride of Christ within the Seven Church Ages (Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea) for these to receive the Gospel Truth and to prepare Herself for the rapture. Right after the “catching away” of the Bride as spoken of in 1 Thes. 4:16-17, God will once again turn His attention back to Israel to reveal Jesus Christ to the 144,000 elected Jews. Through the ministry of Moses and Elijah, the two olive trees of Revelation 11, these Jews will soon recognize Jesus as their true Saviour and Messiah and Jesus will reveal Himself to these brethren, just as Joseph of the Old Testament revealed himself to his brethren, Jacob’s sons.
God does not deal with the Jews and the Gentiles at the same time. This is evident in the following writings of Saint Paul:
ROMANS 11:1,2,5,7,8,25-29 – ”I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, [of] the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew…. EVEN SO then at this present time also there is a REMNANT according to the election of grace. What then? ISRAEL hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were BLINDED. (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of SLUMBER, eyes that they should NOT see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day. For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this MYSTERY, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that BLINDNESS in PART is happened to Israel, until the FULNESS of the GENTILES be come in. And so all Israel shall be SAVED: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this [is] my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, [they are] enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, [they are] beloved for the fathers’ sakes. For the gifts and calling of God [are] without repentance.”
SEVEN SEALS TO THE GENTILES, SEVEN TRUMPETS TO THE JEWS
As the mystery of the SEVEN SEALS applies to the Gentile Bride, so will the SEVEN TRUMPETS apply to Israel. “Seven Trumpets” to Israel will signify the calling of the Israelites’ attention to the Seven Festivities in their latter-day significance.
Moses and Elijah, the two prophets of Revelation 11, will bring a Message to the 144,000 Jews and will reveal to them the significance of the Seven Feast Days of the Lord as given to them by Moses in Leviticus 23 in relation to its real-life meaning and significance in the Life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ.
AN OUTLINE OF THE TRUE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SEVEN FEAST DAYS OF THE LORD ——
THE 1ST FEAST – THE FEAST OF THE PASSOVER
This feast had its beginning in Exodus 12:1-14 where the Israelites were told to kill a perfect blameless lamb on the 14th day of ABIB (April) then displayed its blood on the doorpost of their houses.
Scriptures: Leviticus 23:5 – “In the fourteenth [day] of the first month at even [is] the LORD’S passover.”
TRUE SIGNIFICANCE: THE FEAST OF THE PASSOVER speaks of redemption; Christ the Passover Lamb was slain at Calvary for the sins of the world. PASSOVER truly pertains to the “DEATH” of Jesus, the LAMB OF GOD that takes away the sins of the world. Notice importantly that Jesus’ death took place on the exact date that the Old Testament Feast Day of Passover, was commanded to be held. The Romans killed Jesus on the Passover Feast Day. He even died on the right date of the Passover, the 14th day of April (Abib).
MATTHEW 26:1-2-“ And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples, Ye know that after two days is [the feast of] the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.”
THE 2ND FEAST – THE FEAST OF THE UNLEAVENED BREAD
Scriptures: Leviticus 23:6 – “And on the fifteenth day of the same month [ is] the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.”
TRUE SIGNIFICANCE: THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD typed the “BURIAL” of the LORD JESUS CHRIST. Jesus is the PURE unadulterated Word which is our UNLEAVENED BREAD. We commemorate and partake of His Body in what we call “Communion” or the Lord’s Supper”. Unleavened Bread speaks also of sanctification. Jesus was set apart. His body would not decay in the grave.
THE 3RD FEAST – THE FEAST OF THE FIRST FRUITS
Scriptures: Leviticus 23:9-13 – “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath (Sunday) the priest shall wave it. And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD. And the meat offering thereof [shall be] two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the LORD [for] a sweet savour: and the drink offering thereof [shall be] of wine, the fourth [part] of an hin.
TRUE SIGNIFICANCE: THE FEAST OF THE FIRST FRUITS occurs on the second day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Firstfruits speaks of the Lord’s triumphant “RESURRECTION”; death simply could not hold her foe. On the third day, Jesus rose victoriously from the grave. Jesus also types the resurrection of the GRAIN in the field. Jesus was the first corn of grain of God’s wheat that had been raised from the dead. He was the FIRST FRUITS of them that slept after Adam.
CORINTHIANS 15:20-23 – “ But now is Christ risen from the dead, [and] become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man [came] death, by man [came] also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.”
JOHN 12:24–“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”
Although there are a number of people who are mentioned in the Bible who had been resurrected from the dead (including Jairus’ daughter and Lazarus), they simply died again in their due time. Jesus, however, was the very first one to be resurrected from the dead and the grave, and who’s never to die again. He alone is that “Firstfruit”. JOHN 11:2526 states, “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.”
THE 4TH FEAST – THE FEAST OF WEEKS
Scriptures: LEVITICUS 23:15-16- ”And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.”
TRUE SIGNIFICANCE: THE FEAST OF WEEKS was held 50 days after the day the SHEAF was waved, as God told Moses. Weeks (Shavuot), also known as PENTECOST, speaks of origination. It symbolizes Jesus giving us the gift of the Holy Spirit which inaugurated the New Covenant Church Age. FEAST OF WEEKS is nothing but a type of the DAY of “PENTECOST”, when the HOLY GHOST, the Spirit of JESUS CHRIST, came down to indwell the lives of true believers.
From the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ to the outpouring of the Holy Ghost, there had to be 50 DAYS. On the day He ascended, it was after 40 days (Acts 1:3). He then instructed His disciples to tarry in the city of Jerusalem until Power from on high comes upon them. It took them ten days of waiting before the Holy Ghost came down like a mighty rushing wind and divided Itself as tongues of fire amongst the disciples. Make no mistake about it, 40 plus 10, equals 50 days.
Quote: William Branham, Revelation of Jesus Christ, page 778:
“But on the fiftieth day was the Day of Pentecost and the Legal Owner (Christ) came DOWN among them. It was a filling of the Holy Ghost. See, He couldn’t hold it over fifty days. You read that over in Leviticus in the laws there.”
THE 5TH FEAST – THE FEAST OF TRUMPETS
Scriptures: 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.”
TRUE SIGNIFICANCE: TRUMPETS depicts the “RAPTURE” of the Church.
The Feast of Trumpets is the first of the fall feasts. The Jewish people call this feast Rosh Hashanah, which literally means “Head of the Year,” and it is observed as the start of the civil year (in contrast with the religious year which starts with Passover) on the Jewish calendar.
The Feast of Trumpets is so important in Jewish thinking that it stands alongside Yom Kippur ( “Day of Atonement”) to comprise what Judaism calls “the high holy days” on the Jewish religious calendar. It begins the “ten days of awe” before the Day of Atonement. According to Leviticus 23:24-27, the celebration consisted of a time of rest, “an offering made by fire,” and the blowing of the trumpets. The ACTUAL DATE of this feast is on the seventh month in the Hebrew Calendar which was TISHRI which corresponds to our late SEPTEMBER to early OCTOBER. This Feast Day is celebrated in Israel today as “Rosh Hashanah”. It is a series of thirty days trumpet blowing.
TWO SETS OF TRUMPETS – FOR GENTILE & JEW SETS OF TRUMPETS – FOR GENTILE & JEW
There are two sets of TRUMPETS in the Bible. One set is found in Revelation 8:6 and it has to do with the plagues turned loose on the Jews during the Tribulation Period. But the Great Trumpet for the Bride has to do with the Last Trumpet spoken in 1 st Corinthians 15:51-52 & 1st Thessalonians 4:15-17 both referring to the rapture:
I CORINTHIANS 15:51-5 – Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on immortality.
1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 – “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
Here are a few quotes from Brother Branham regarding the TRUMPET:
“The first thing is the sounding—or the first thing is the trumpet and a—or a voice—a shout, and then a voice, and then a trumpet. Shout, a messenger getting the people ready… The second is a voice of the resurrection. The same voice that, a loud voice in St. John 11:38 and 44 that called Lazarus from the grave. Getting the Bride together, and then the resurrection of the dead (See?), to be caught up with it. Now, watch the three things take place. The next is what? was a trumpet. A voice—a shout, a voice, a trumpet. Now, the third thing is a trumpet, which always at the Feast of Trumpets is calling the people to the feast; and that’ll be the Bride’s supper, the Lamb’s supper with the Bride in the sky. See, the first things comes forth is His Message calling the Bride together. The next thing is a resurrection of the sleeping Bride, the—the one that’s died back in the other ages. They’re caught together, and the trumpet, the feast in the heavens—in the sky. Why, it’s—that’s the thing that takes place, friends.” (RAPTURE THE.title YUMA.AZ V-5 N-14 65-1204)
THE 6TH FEAST – THE FEAST OF ATONEMENT
S c r i p t u r e s : LEVITICUS 23:26-28- “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 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. 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.”
TRUE SIGNIFICANCE: The meaning of the word “ATONEMENT” MEANS “RECONCILIATION OF GOD WITH SINNERS.” In the Old Testament, this day is the ONLY DAY that the HIGH PRIEST could enter into the Holy of Holies. This most holy day was used for their ANNUAL CLEANSING FROM SIN. This is a type of the calling of the 144,000 Jews back to the ATONEMENT, CHRIST.
The JEWS have not as yet accepted JESUS as MESSIAH. 3,500 years ago, God knew they would reject Him. And so 3,500 years ago, God told Moses that they were to hold a “FEAST OF ATONEMENT” every year. This Feast Day POINTS to the DAY when the Jews would be reconciled with God. We know this day is still future. It will happen after the RAPTURE and during the Tribulation Period when the TWO PROPHETS of REVELATIONS 11:3 brings condemnation to Israel for crucifying their very own Messiah.
Quotes from Brother Branham:
“The sabbaths are over (referring to the seven church ages -author.) and ready for the Jews to be called. Where to? The Feast of Atonement. Oh, church, don’t you see that? Called to the Feast of the Atonement, what? To recognize the Atonement, not no more chickens, and geese, and what they’ve been doing; the Lamb of God, slain from the foundation of the world. Israel’s going to know that.” (FEAST OF THE TRUMPETS title JEFF.IN V-3 N-16 64-0719M (pp. 34)
“Then at the end of that three and a half years, He will come like Joseph did and make Hisself known to His brethren. They’ll cause a weeping all over, and they’ll say… They’ll separate their families, and weep, and—and say, “Where’d You get them scars?” And—and the pierced… The ones that pierced Him shall see Him, and He’ll make Hisself known to His brethren.”(LAODICEAN CHURCH AGE.title JEFF.IN ROJC 493-550 60-1211E )
The Scripture says that ISRAEL WILL BE SAVED IN ONE DAY (Zech. 3:9). That will be the day that their blinded eyes will be opened and 144,000 are called out from Judaism. This day is fast arriving. It is when Israel will be cleansed of her sin and UNBELIEF in JESUS CHRIST. “Feast of Atonement” pertains to the DAY when the JEWS (144,000) ACCEPTS JESUS, and receive their ATONEMENT, and are cleansed from their sins.
God SET a DATE for this DAY in Lev. 23:27 – “Also on the tenth [day] of this seventh month [there shall be] a day of atonement.” After the days of affliction, the DAY OF ATONEMENT is observed on the 10th day of TISHRI. (TISHRI is corresponding to our late SEPTEMBER to early OCTOBER)
There are Four elements in this Feast Day of Atonement in Israel. They are as follows:
- It’s A Holy Convocation -The purpose of the “holy convocation” was to draw the focus of the people to the altar of divine mercy. The Lord called the people of Israel to gather in His presence and give their undivided attention to Him.
- Prayer and Fasting – The people of Israel were to humble (afflict) their souls (Leviticus 23:27) . This was explained by later tradition to indicate fasting and repentance. Israel understood that this was a day for mourning over their sins. The seriousness of this requirement is repeated in Leviticus 23:29: “If there is any person who will not humble himself on this same day, he shall be cut off from his people” (Leviticus 23:29).
- Offerings – Offerings are central to the Day of Atonement; in fact, the Bible devotes an entire chapter (Leviticus 16) to them (also see Numbers 29:7-11). In addition to these, when the Day of Atonement fell on the sabbath, the regular sabbath offerings were offered.
- Prohibition from Labor – The Day of Atonement was a “sabbath of rest” (Leviticus 23:32) , and the Israelites were forbidden to do any work period. If they disobeyed, they were liable to capital punishment! (Leviticus 23:30)
THE 7TH FEAST – THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES
Scriptures: LEVITICUS 23:33-34- “ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 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.”
The seventh and final Feast of the Lord is the Feast of Tabernacles. It occurs five days after the Day of Atonement on the fifteenth of Tishri (October).
TRUE SIGNIFICANCE: “TABERNACLES” speaks of the Day when the Son of God will make a tabernacle for Himself literally amongst men, will wipe away every tear, and will bring in the “Golden Age” which men have dreamed of since time immemorial – the “MILLENNIAL KINGDOM”. It is a thousand years of peace on earth, where Christ and His Bride will rule and reign.
THE MILLENNIUM
Scriptures on the scene at the Millennium: ISAIAH 2:2-4:
“And it shall come to pass in the last days, [that] the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”
Quotes from Brother Branham:
“There will be a Millennium. The old will be young there for ever. Sickness will fade away and death will be no more. And they shall build houses; they will inhabit them. They’ll plant vineyards and eat the fruit thereof. They’ll not plant and another inhabit (his son take it), his son will be living by him. He’ll not plant and another eat, die off and somebody else take it; but he will live there. Amen. [Blank.spot.on.tape—Ed.]… bullock and the lamb shall feed together. And the lion shall eat straw like the bullock, and a child shall lead them around. There’ll be—there’ll be innocence. There’ll be— there’ll be—there’ll be nothing could hurt. We’ll be changed from what we are now, to that glorious image of the Son of God which is immortal. Years can never touch Him; age can never do anything to Him; He’s the immortal Son of God.” (SHALOM title SIERRA.VISTA.AZ V-13 N-5 640112)
“As God labored six thousand years… We know that a thousand years… One day in heaven is a thousand years on earth,” II Peter. See? Now, and God built the world in six thousand years. And the Church labored against sin now for six thousand years. And the seventh thousand, God went to rest, and rested the seventh, and now a type of the millennium. The Church, the—lived here on earth, right here, in body form for a thousand years without sickness, sorrow, trouble, or death, that great golden age coming in now. Oh, for that… Oh, I like that song. The earth is groaning, crying for the day of sweet release when Jesus shall come back to earth again. I like that. Sin and sorrow, pain and death of this dark world shall cease in a glorious reign with Jesus of a thousand years of peace. The Bible said they ruled and reigned with Christ a thousand years, a millennium.” (MARK OF THE BEAST JEFF.IN V-26 N-3 THURSDAY 54-0513)
“In the time of the millennium, it’s Israel that’s a nation. The twelve tribes is a nation, but the Bride is in the palace. She’s a Queen now. She’s married. And all of the earth shall come into this city, Jerusalem, and shall bring the glory of it in there. And the gates will not be shut by–by–by night ’cause there won’t be any night. See? The gates will always be open; and the kings of the earth (Revelations 22) bring their honor and glory into this city, but the Bride is in there with the Lamb. Oh, my. Do you see that? In there-Not the Bride, isn’t going to be out here laboring in the vineyards. No, sir. She’s the Bride. She’s the Queen to the King. It’s the others that labor out there, the nation, not the Bride. Amen.” (SIXTH SEAL THE.title JEFF.IN 63-03230
“And the millennium… See, the world has now almost six thousand years old. See, and every two thousand year it’s had a destruction. See? First two thousand, the flood came, and He baptized it with what? [Congregation replies, “Water”–Ed.] Water. Next two thousand, Jesus come to sanctify and claim it, dropped His Blood upon it, called it His. All right, “I’ll come again,” now, as King with His Queen. And the second two thousand years what does He do? He comes and gives His rest period and then burns her off and claims it for His own, puts His Own back on it. And notice, not the perfect world, this millennium is a type of the seventh day. Then comes the white throne judgment. See, we still have judgment; we’re still in time in the millennium. It’s a day, one thousand years. It’s a time element. Not… Don’t get that mixed up with the new earth now, ’cause it’s not.” (FUTURE HOME title JEFF.IN V-3 N -5 64-0802)
“The church, the lukewarm, the anything outside of the elected Bride will go through the tribulation period. They will not raise in the first resurrection: “The rest of the dead lived not for a thousand years,” just the foreordained, predestinated, elected Bride, God’s own elections. “Who is it, Brother Branham?” I don’t know? I can’t tell you who it is, but I know it’s going to be there, ‘cause the Lord said they would. See? They are the ones that’ll go up from the tribulation, but the rest of them will go through the tribulation, go down, and everything will be killed before the millennium. Then the—the righteous shall come out in the millennium and live a thousand years.” (QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS JEFF.IN COD SUNDAY 64-0823E 1045-233)
“As God labored and built the world in six days, six thousands years (which we know the Scripture speaks that a day is a thousand years in heaven), and the seventh thousand… The church has labored against sin for six thousand years, and the seventh thousand is the millennium and memorial to all creation, that God has redeemed His church. Told Adam, “The day you eat thereof, that day you die.” When He lets a man live through the thousand years, is a type and a memorial that He will never no more destroy man, and there’ll never no more be sin, that he’s back in fellowship with God, eternally. Amen.” (FELLOWSHIP title MIDDLETOWN.OH 60-0611B )
“We got a thousand years after the church has gone home and comes back upon the earth. Then time ceases in the new heavens and new earth. Now, the millennium is not the new heavens and new earth. There will still be sin after the millennium. The millennium is a type of Noah going in the ark, and carried over, and brought Ham and them on the other side. And sin even come out of the ark. See? But Enoch, the translated one, was a type of the Bride that went up, not the one that was carried over. So sin will still be on the other side of the millennium, but not during the millennium. See? During the millennium is peace. See? But sin will be dealt with the other side of the millennium, and then time fades out.” (QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS title JEFF.IN COD 64-0830M)
“The Bride, when she’s taken from the church, then the church age will cease. Laodicea goes into chaos; the Bride goes to glory; and the tribulation period sets in upon the sleeping virgin for three and a half years while Israel is getting its prophecy; then tribulation sets in upon Israel; and then comes the battle of Armageddon which destroys all things. And then, the Bride returns back with the Groom for a thousand years, the millennium reign; after that comes the white throne judgment; after that comes the new heavens and new earth and the new city coming down from God out of heaven. Eternity and time blends together.” (QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.title JEFF.IN COD 64-0830E)
“…Or will there be sin on earth during that time?” No. There will not be no sin on earth. Satan is bound. “And will there be people on earth in corporal bodies during that time?” Yes, sir. We will have our glorified body right here on earth, eating, drinking, building houses, and–and–and living just like we do now for a thousand years. It’s a-it’s the honeymoon of the Bride and Groom.” (QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.title JEFF.IN COD 640823E)
HEATHENS IN THE MILLENNIUM
“And immediately after his days shall the great tribulation set in and burn the earth. And then at the return of the church and the Bride, the Bride and Christ shall walk out upon their ashes in the millennium, when the earth is purified by fire. And there they shall reign. And the heathens that’s never heard the Gospel shall be raised in that time, and the sons of God will be manifested. If he’s to reign, he’s got to have something to reign over; he’s got a domain. “And they ruled and reigned with Christ,” and Christ ruled with a rod of iron the nations. Then the Gospel… Then the manifested sons of God with the authority just like He had when He was here (See?), there will come the millennium in that reign (See?), upon the ashes”. (QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS title JEFF.IN COD 62-0527)
Brother Branham taught us that there will be heathens during the Millennium. These will be the nations that Christ and the Bride will rule upon. The Bride will have a domain. They are kings and priests with Him. But a couple of questions arise, “Where will these heathens come from? How are they able to enter the land of the redeemed?”
Since Brother Branham told us that “everything will be killed before the Millennium”, that is of course, by atomic fire, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes that go along with the Tribulation period, which will finally end the worldly sysems during the Third World War (Armageddon War) which destroys all things, the only way, therefore, for these heathens to be able to raise up in the Millennium would be by a “special resurrection” of their bodies from the dead.
But since the Bible teaches that there are only TWO RESURRECTIONS (NOT THREE), the first resurrection of which is known to be the “Rapture of the Bride” (1 Thessalonians 4:16), and the second resurrection which raises up all the dead (good and evil) to face the White Throne Judgment of God (Rev. 20:12), we cannot imply nor add to the Bible, and assume that these heathens are “resurrected” literally just to be in the Millennium. I do not limit the power of God to do so, but He always stays with His Word.
REVELATION 20:6 states, – “Blessed and holy [is] he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
REVELATION 20:5 states – “But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished” (referring to the second resurrec tion).
The closest Biblical foundation whereby we can base and assume how these residue of people (heathens and mortal remnants) are able to enter the Millennium will be for them to survive the fires of Armageddon. These people could have hidden themselves in the coldest regions of the North Pole (igloos) or have fled to the caves in the South Pole while Armageddon ensues worldwide escaping the evil effects of atomic power. Once Armageddon War expires, Millennium time will of course be immediately started on earth. And then when these people would come out of their caves, they will finally find themselves in a different dispensation, having crossed over time and have entered enter and live in the dispensation of the Millennium as subjects to Christ and His Bride. The Bible states that they will repopulate the earth within the period of 1,000 years and are called “nations” while Jesus rules them with a rod of iron. These are the people who will raise up children and families during the Millennium and will multiply upon the earth but are still subject to time and mortality. They will also be the ones whom Satan will deceive once the 1,000 years of millennial reign have expired for they will grow in great numbers as the “sand of the sea”. And Satan, being loosed out from prison, will bring them all to the Gog and Magog war.
Here are some Scriptures that support this concept of heathens crossing-over to the Millennial Kingdom right after the Armageddon war:
ISAIAH 24:6– “Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.”
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 14:2- “For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the RESIDUE of the people shall not be cut off from the city.”
The Gentile Bride and the 144,000 Jews during the Millennium will of course be in their glorified bodies, never to die, nor hunger, nor get sick anymore. Having turned back to young men and young women, the members of the Bride of Christ will have the power of the spoken Word as it was given to Adam and Eve in the original Garden of Eden. They can command nature, go through walls, and travel like a thought. But these heathens are mortals and will be living in the Millennium. When these heathen tribes would need rain for their crop where there’s no rain, their priest and king (the child of God who’s in-charge of their community) will just speak rain and the rain will fall from heaven. These heathens are described in the following Scriptures:
ISAIAH 65:17-25 – ”But be ye glad and rejoice for ever [in that] which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner [being] an hundred years old shall be accursed. And they shall build houses, and inhabit [them]; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree [are] the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they [are] the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them. And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust [shall be] the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.”
Here is a quote that affirms Israel’s 144,000 elect Jews, as being among those who will co-habitate with the Bride and with Jesus Christ in the Millennium:
“Now these 144,000 are not in the bride. In Revelation 14:4 they are called virgins and they follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth. The fact that they have not defiled themselves with women shows that they are eunuchs (Matthew 19:12). The eunuchs were the keepers of the bridal chambers. They were attendants. Notice that they do not sit in the throne but are before the throne. No, they are not in the bride, but will be in the glorious millennial reign.” (41-3 REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST – CHURCH AGE BOOK CPT.1)
SATAN BOUND IN CHAIN FOR 1000 YEARS
Satan is the only source of sin. Since Satan, the tempter and accuser, will not be present in the Millennium, he cannot influence nor possess the bodies and minds of these mortal heathens. Satan is not around during the Millennium but will be bound in chain for one thousand years. Therefore, without his presence and influence, there will be no war, no rebellion, no chaos, and there will be peace in the Millennium because the tempter is gone. But not until Satan is loosed again to deceive the heathen nations that have grown to be as the sands of the sea. He will once more be released by God to deceive the nations and will bring these heathens to the Battle of Gog and Magog after the thousand years expire. It will also be the final burning of the earth. The Scriptures below affirm it:
REVELATION 20:1-3 – “And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.”
Some supporting quotes regarding this truth:
Q-340. Does the millennium have to do with the one thousand years? Could it not be a generation? “No. A generation allotted in the Bible is forty years. But the Bible said, “And they lived and reign with Christ one thousand years.” It will be one thousand years upon the earth, ’cause one thousand years upon the earth is only counted a time, for parable like to God, as one day. One thousand years upon on the earth is only one day with God, as God counting time. How many understands that now? So it’s that Sabbath day when the church will no more labor against sin. And Satan is bound for a little season, a thousand years, ’cause his subjects is all in hell, and his… The church that’s on earth is redeemed and right in the Presence of Christ, so he has nothing he can work on. So it’s not a chain, as I said, a log chain; it’s a chain of circumstance; he has nothing he can do. He’s helpless and hopeless, just waiting for the resurrection of the subjects; then they’re separated as the sheep from the goats.” (QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.title JEFF.IN COD 64-0830M)
“Jesus, the church, the Bride, was raptured, went up into glory, and was up there and was married, returned back to the earth, and lived a thousand years. At the end of the thousand years Satan was loosed out of his prison, that is bound by an Angel with a chain, not a log chain, but a chain of circumstance; all of his subjects was in hell. All that was resurrected on the earth was redeemed and Jesus with them. He couldn’t work on nothing; but at the end of the thousand years, the second resurrection… “Blessed and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection over which the second death has no power.” Now notice, in this second resurrection, when they come up, then Satan’s loosed out of his prison for a little season; then the judgment is set. Now, watch. Jesus with the Bride, as King and Queen, set at the throne, white throne judgment; and the books were opened, the books of the sinners. And another Book was opened, which was the Book of Life; and every man was judged thus by the Bride. “Know ye not (taking these little matters before the law)–know ye not that the saints shall judge the earth?” See, see? All right.” (QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.title JEFF.IN COD 64-0823M)
Q-360. Why will–why will Satan be loosed a little season after the thousand years of Revelations 20 and 3, and Revelations 20:27? Why will he be loosed? “Is to go to gather up his people on the second resurrection, ’cause Satan has to stand the–the judgment also. See? He has to be condemned.” (QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS title JEFF.IN COD 64-0830M)
WILL THERE BE SIN IN THE MILLENNIUM?
QUOTE: (FUTURE HOME title JEFF.IN V-3 N-5 64-0802):
“Now, perfectly Noah was a type of those carried over. Remember, when Noah come out, Ham was with him. Sin was still in there. Sin went right on over through the ark, unbelief, doubt went over in the ark, carried above the judgment; but Enoch went higher than the ark. He went on into the Presence of God, but Noah went through and come out, and there WAS STILL SIN: type of the Millennium—of the world’s condition. The millennium is not the end of it; there’ll still be time after the millennium. The millennium is a space of time, but not the new earth. No, indeed. Notice in that; we’ll get to it after a bit.”
Brother Branham stated above that sin was able to cross-over. As with Noah’s day, there was Ham being carried over into the ark to the new earth. Brother Branham said that sin (unbelief) will be carried over to the Millennium through these mortal heathens. But SIN will not be found amongst the Redeemed Elect Bride nor with the 144,00 Jews in Mount Zion where the headquarters of God is set up. Sin will reign only upon the bodies of these mortal heathens. Though sin will still be carried on the other side of the Millennium, yet there will be PEACE in the Millennium, for Satan, the accuser and tempter, is bound in chain. As we read, “The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust [shall be] the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.” (ISAIAH 65:25) There will be peace in the millennium. But how? It will be simply be because, Satan, the tempter, will not be there. Sin will be truly be fully manifested again on the “other side” of the Millennium, that is, at the end of the 1,000 years when Satan shall be loosed again from prison to deceive the nations and to lead them to the last battle on earth – The Gog and Magog War.
REVELATION 20:7-9- ”And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to ***deceive the nations*** which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom [is] as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.”
“And Satan is loosed out of his prison and goes to make war again with the saints, just exactly what he done in glory to begin with. And then God rains fire and brimstone out of the heavens, and the whole earth is removed like… It just burn up and destroyed. And there’s no more sea, no more water, no more nothing left on the earth. Volcanic will spray and burst and blow, and the whole thing...“And I saw a new heavens and a new earth: for the first heavens and the first earth was passed away; and there was no more sea. I, John, saw the holy city descending from God out of heaven as a Bride adored for her husband.” Remember it?” “Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men,” and God shall dwell with them upon this pyramid-shaped city fifteen hundred square miles. And in the top of the city there’ll be a Light. Amen. On top of Mount Zion will set the Lamb. And the city will need no light, for the Lamb is the Light thereof. And above the Lamb will be the Father, which is the Logos, God, the great Light, the eternal Light that’ll shine just above the throne. And Jesus will not be on His Father’s throne, He’ll be on His throne. And the Father will hover over the Son, which the Father and Son will be One. “And while they are yet speaking, I’ll answer. Before they can think, I’m thinking for them.” (QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS title JEFF.IN COD 64-0823E)
“And after the thousand years, then the great white throne judgment comes, and then the dead, both right and wrong is raised. And the books are opened, and the Book of Life was open; and the saints, the Wife and the Husband, set and judge the world. And there it comes to pass the saying: “And He’ll judge all nations with a rod of iron.” All nations shall stand before Him there, and He’ll judge them with the rod of iron. He’ll separate the sheep from the goats and say to the goats, “Depart,” and the sheeps, “Come, ye blessed of My Father.” (QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS title JEFF.IN COD 64-0823E)
THE EIGHTH DAY – A SOLEMN ASSEMBLY, A HOLY CONVOCATION
SCRIPTURES: 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].”
TRUE SIGNIFICANCE: “EIGHTH DAY” means back to the FIRST DAY, Back to “ETERNITY”, THE NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW EARTH, the New Jerusalem, coming down from heaven to be eternally established upon this earth. This event will transpire after the great White Throne Judgment.
REVELATION 21:1-3 – ”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.”
RELATED QUOTES:
”Notice, seven days only has to do with the old creation, world time. Seven days—that’s the millennium, the rest day. As God labored six days, rested the seventh, the church labors six days and rests the seventh. But you’re still in time element. I ain’t speaking of the eternal.”(FUTURE HOME.title JEFF.IN V -3 N-5 64-0802)
“There is an eighth day festival.” So the seventh day would be the last; that would be the millennium. But there is an eighth day festival, which if it was the eighth, and there’s only seven days, would make it the first day again—come right back to the first day. Then after the millennium is over, then there will be an established Eden again. God’s great Kingdom will be taken back, because Jesus fought it out with Satan in the Garden of Gethsemane, and won back the Eden, which He’s gone to prepare in heaven to return again.” (SATAN’S EDEN.title JEFF.IN V -2 N-20 65-0829)
“Eight days deals with new creation (See?), not old creation; eight days is new creation. For it was on the eighth day that our Lord raised from the dead. There’s your other convocation—the holiness, not considered in the sabbaths at all, or the feast of the tabernacles, the feast of this, the feast of the pentecost. Jesus raised from the dead for our justification on the eighth day. After the seven sabbaths or seven days, seven Church Ages, Jesus raised from the dead. Eighth day, which is a holy convocation (See?), which is the first day. See, you’ve done passed through time and dropped into eternity again, not keeping of days, and keeping of sabbaths and new moons, and things like that, but have passed; changed your form, not annihilated (Glory.), but passed from death unto Life Eternal.” (FUTURE HOME.title JEFF.IN V -3 N-5 64-0802)
“All right, let’s take the last feast, which was the feast of tabernacles. Now notice, here in the 36th verse. Seven days… shall you offer… offerings made of fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day… on the eighth day shall be a holy convocation... (There’s another holy time coming)… holy convocation unto you; and you shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: and it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein. Now, we got an eighth day. Now, there’s only seven days, but here we speak of the eighth day holy conversation—or combination. Notice, do no work in it. The eighth day are what? Back to the first day. Why, it speaks of eternity, as she rolls around without a stopping place. Amen. Do you see it? Notice, it was also upon this eighth day, last day, feast day of the tabernacle; notice, after that, after the last feast day, after the last church age, after the last complete seven days upon the earth, after the millennium that this holy convocation comes.” (FUTURE HOME.title JEFF.IN V -3 N-5 64-0802)
“See, eight cannot be counted with the week. See, it cannot be counted, eight days in a week; you can’t do it (See?), because there’s only seven days in a week. Count it any way you want to; Sunday’s the first day of the week. See? You count seven, and you got to go back in and start over again. Count seven and come back and go over again. See, and we live through all these types in here, but when you hit the eighth you go on into eternity.” (FUTURE HOME.title JEFF.IN V -3 N-5 64-0802)
“You don’t come by laws, and rituals, and orders; you come by predestination. Amen. There’s the genuine holy convocation. See, and we’re ending the seventh church age—church age, the Pentecostal age. Do you see it? We’re entering the holy convocation. We are entering into that real, genuine eternity, where the Church is called, not to some station, some denomination, but into eternity with their eternal King. See? We don’t have it at all. There’s no such a thing as days and things and times. You passed into Eternity, where you come from. You was there to begin with.” (FUTURE HOME.title JEFF.IN V-3 N-5 64-0802)
