The Last Day, That Great Day of the Feast

THE eighth day, the holy day that immediately follows the seven days of the Lord’s Feast of Tabernacles, truly pictures the completion of God’s Master Plan of redemption.

The “Book of Life” ── of which “anyone not found written in” will be eventually cast into the lake of fire ── will be opened (Revelation 20:12, 15). 

The whole seven-day Lord’s Feast of Tabernacles, in combination with the holy eighth day, is referred to as the “Feast of Ingathering” in the Old Testament ──

“ …’ and the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you have gathered in the fruit of your labor from the field.’” – Exodus 23:16.

This “Ingathering” is truly a much larger harvest than the firstfruits that are associated with the Feast of Weeks. 

Notice God’s living word in the Old Testament concerning the Lord’s commanded eighth-day Feast ──

“’ Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘The fifteenth day of this SEVENTH MONTH shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the LORD. 35) On the first day there shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it. 36 … On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation, … It is a sacred assembly, and you shall do no customary work on it.’” – Leviticus 23:34-36. 

This eighth day has been dubbed as the “Last Great Day,” because of how the Apostle John had worded it ── 

“On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38) He who believes [on] Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow river of living water.’” – John 7:37-38.

Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, observed this most important holy day, which immediately follows the Feast of Tabernacles. This celebration pictures His soon-coming Millennial Reign, and He taught on this day. 

But, after His thousand-year reign ── what occurs?

A glorious and monumental resurrection of the dead ── note Revelation 20:5. 

The dead, “small and great” ── those who had lived and died from the very time of Adam to the end of Christ’s thousand year rule will be resurrected ── will stand before God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ and will be judged, each one according to their works, by the things which were written in the books – Revelation 20:11-13. Now, this resurrection will not include true Christians in this present evil age, as they will be resurrected at the glorious blowing of the SEVENTH TRUMPET! This is that judgment day that our Lord Jesus frequently spoke about ──

“’ And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom [from] heaven is at hand.’ … 14) And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from the house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. 15) Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah IN THAT DAY OF JUDGMENT than for that city!’” – Matthew 10:7, 14-15; 11:23-24.

So, notice that it will be more tolerable on that day of judgment for those that the LORD God allowed to be destroyed in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah than for those people who knowingly reject our Lord Jesus and the gospel during the time of His kingdom.

Our Lord Jesus said to us that “’ ALL SINS WILL BE FORGIVEN THE SONS OF MEN’” (Mark 3:28), except “’ he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit.’” So, there is a sin – there is a spiritual condition which is much more dire, dangerous, and potentially deadly, which Jesus Christ said will lead to destruction and eternal death. But what is the one sin that cannot be forgiven?

To ‘blaspheme’ – from the Strongest Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible – their definition is:

# 988 - βλασφημία, blasphémia, n. GK: 1060 [ → 987]. Blasphemy, slander, malicious talk. 

Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines blasphemy:

\’blas-fǝ-mē\ n. pl – mies (13c) 1 a: the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God b: the act of claiming the attributes of deity 2: irreverence toward something considered sacred or inviolable. 

Blaspheme against the LORD God’s Spirit!

Now, a lot of people over the years, I heard say, ‘Oh, I think I’ve committed the unpardonable sin!’ Well, if you are fearful or uncomfortable that maybe you have done something wrong, you have not committed blasphemy against God’s Spirit. Because if you’ve committed blasphemy against God’s Spirit, you wouldn’t care. 

Blaspheme against God’s Spirit is commanding it – driving it out of you – out of your heart and out of your mind. 

In 1 Thessalonians 5:19, Paul wrote the following – “Do not quench the Spirit.” Don’t restrict it – don’t squeeze it off. Don’t tie off the flow of God’s Spirit. 

If you would turn to Ephesians 4. The Apostle Paul says something very similar. Verse 30 – “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”         

The fulfillment of the Last Great Day, all who have not had an opportunity for salvation, and have not “grieved the Holy Spirit,” will have their first opportunity for the glorious promise of eternal salvation. And, nearly all people will accept this offer. 

Nearly all people who have ever lived ── which also includes stillborn or aborted babies ── will be saved!

God’s living truth ── the Holy Bible ── truly teaches us of the LORD God’s love and great mercy for all mankind ── 

“’ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes [on] Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17) For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.’” – John 3:16-17.

Multiple thousand of “nominal Christians” will often quote John 3:16, and they tend to teach that the world could be saved, but that the vast majority of humanity who have ever lived will ultimately suffer in hellfire, being tortured forever. Overlooking the truth that our Lord Jesus Christ came to be sacrificed for all mankind. Is an everlasting torture burning in hell sound like something a merciful and loving God would plan? Does God’s living word support such an idea? And, since the LORD God (the Elohim, the family of God) is all-powerful, merciful, and loving ── God is love (1 John 4:8, 16) ── would the LORD God have predestined the majority of all humanity to a destiny of eternal torture in a hellfire? 

No.

Notice Romans 9:14-15 ── 

“What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? CERTAINLY NOT! 15) For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.’ 16) So then it is not him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.”   

Truly, truly: the LORD God “who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” – 1 Timothy 2:4. The reason why not all people are called in this present evil age is because the LORD God knows that most would not respond and endure with the Word of God, the Truth of God, and the Plan of God to the end to be saved ── 

“ … ‘ But he who endures to the end shall be saved.’” – Mark 13:13; see also Luke 8:5-15.

God’s living word truly teaches that most of mankind has been blinded in this present age ──

“But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe [on] Him, 38) that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: ‘Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?’ 39) Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again: 40) ‘He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, Lest they should see with their eyes, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.’” – John 12:37-40.

All those who have been blinded in this age still will have an opportunity! 

“Jesus said to them, ‘If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.’” – John 9:41; see also Isaiah 42:16-18.

“For there is no partiality with God.” – Romans 2:11. There will be a glorious opportunity for eternal salvation ── “ … And all the ends of the earth shall see The salvation of our God.” – Isaiah 52:10.

All who are not part of the first resurrection, that are called “the rest of the dead,” will not live again until the thousand years of our Lord Jesus’ reign are finished (Revelation 20:5). This is going to be a physical resurrection (Ezekiel 37:1-14).

And, even though they will be judged according to their works, by the things which are written in the Holy Bible ── judged guilty of their sins before the great white throne and Him who will sit on it, “For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. MERCY TRIUMPHS OVER JUDGMENT.” – James 2:13. The LORD “will plead His case with all flesh. He will give those who are wicked to the sword,’ says the LORD.” – Jeremiah 25:31; see also Isaiah 3:13. And the LORD will answer many; and while they are still speaking, He will hear them! – Isaiah 65:24. Yet, sadly, not all will respond to Him and His glorious and merciful offer of salvation; they will not get another chance. Those who truly had a chance at eternal salvation, and then fully rejected the LORD God and the gospel message, and rejected the Spirit of God, will not ever get another opportunity to be forgiven ── cf. Mark 3:29.

The keeping and celebrating of this wonderful, holy Last Great Day picture this. 

Let us consider and meditate upon God’s living word ──

“O LORD, my strength and my fortress, My refuge in the day of affliction, The Gentiles shall come to You From the ends of the earth and say, ‘Surely our fathers have inherited lies, Worthlessness and unprofitable things.’ 20) Will a man make gods for himself, Which are not gods? 21) ‘Therefore behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know My hand and My might; And they shall know that My name is the LORD.’” – Jeremiah 16:19-21.

“Then it shall be for a man to burn, For he will take some of it and warm himself; Yes, he kindles it and bakes bread; Indeed he makes a god and worships it; He makes it a carved image, and fall down to it. 16) He burns half of it in the fire; With this half, he eats meat; He roasts a roast, and is satisfied. He even warms himself and says, ‘Ah! I am warm, I have seen the fire.’ 17) And the rest of it he makes into a god, His carved image. He falls down before it and worships it, Prays to it and says, ‘Deliver me, for you are my god!’

18) They do not know nor understand; For He has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, And their hearts, so that they cannot understand. … 22) ‘I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions, And like a cloud, your sins. RETURN TO ME, for I have redeemed you.’” – Isaiah 44:15-18, 22. 

Yes! Even the multiple millions who accept false gospels and traditions, and those who celebrate holidays that originated from paganism, and those who are idolaters and worship gods that are not God, will have their first true opportunity for eternal salvation. Truly, billions upon billions of our peoples in the far flung regions of Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americans who never heard of our glorious and merciful Savior and what He has done for all mankind, has never heard the true gospel of the soon-coming kingdom of God ── and, of course, the LORD God foreknew this and had planned for this!

There is only ONE NAME “’ nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.’” – Acts 4:12. And that Name is Jesus Christ.

“Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.” – Acts 4:10.

Since the majority of humanity has not truly heard or received the living truth of God, Word of God, and the Plan of God ── the glorious gospel message of the kingdom of God and of eternal salvation, and “’ all flesh shall see the salvation of God’” – Luke 3:6, there will be an opportunity for all men to have a glorious opportunity for eternal salvation ── ‘either in this age or in the age to come.’

The keeping and celebrating of the God-ordained feasts and holy days remind true Christians of the LORD God’s Master Plan… From the Beginning! The Church of Jesus Christ Online Ministries does understand how the LORD’s Plan is laid out.

The LORD God makes it crystal clear that we are not to worship them by practicing paganism ── even if those pagan practices were integrated with “nominal Christianity” ── 

“’ When the LORD your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, 30) TAKE HEED to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’” – Deuteronomy 13:29-30. 

‘You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way; for every abomination to the LORD which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. 

WHATEVER I COMMAND YOU, BE CAREFUL TO OBSERVE IT; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.’” – Deuteronomy 12:31-32. 

The great Mother of Harlots and the Abominations of the Earth (Revelation 17:5), who combined pagan worship practices with her holidays ── such as Christmas, Halloween, St. Patrick’s Day, St. Valentine’s Day, and New Year’s Day ── obscures the LORD God’s Master Plan, and they do not understand it. □