Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20010228.htm

LEVITICUS: GOD'S CALL FOR A SEPARATED WITNESS
Part II: The Path Of Walking In Fellowship With God (Leviticus 11-27)
M. God's Prophetic Assemblies Of Christ's Redemption
7. The Feast Of Tabernacles: Foretelling Christ's Victory Over Sin's Livelihood Consequences
(Leviticus 23:33-44)
  1. Introduction
    1. When sin entered the world, death, disease, decay and numerous sociological problems all arose as a result, cf. Genesis 3:1-4:24. Consequently, we humans have experienced living needs ever since.
    2. Christ's salvation provides not only the solution to sin itself, but solutions to sin's awful results. The Feast of Tabernacles reveals this provision, foretelling Christ's work to overcome all sin's consequences:
  2. The Feast Of Tabernacles: Foretelling Christ's Victory Over Sin's Livelihood Consequences.
    1. On the surface, the Feast of Tabernacles was instituted to cause Israel to recall God's past provisions for her livelihood as the nation traveled in the wilderness from Egypt to Canaan, Leviticus 23:34, 42-44.
    2. However, Scripture unveils this feast to be prophetic to speak of God's provisions to overcome all livelihood needs in the end of history, needs that had been caused by SIN (as follows):
      1. God's provision for Israel's livelihood needs in the wilderness journey from Egypt to Canaan was a GRACIOUS provision that overcame the effects of man's past sins:
        1. Before man had sinned, all his livelihood needs were provided by God, so there would have been no existence of a life-sapping wilderness that Israel had to traverse in leaving Egypt, cf. Gen. 2:5b-6.
        2. However, due to man's sin, God had sent the Noahic Flood, and that led to great climactic variations with floods and droughts upon the earth, cf. Gen. 2:5b-6 with Gen. 10 and following.
        3. Hence, God's providing for the people of Israel to cross the wilderness, which wilderness existed because of man's sin, evidenced God's grace in providing for livelihood needs following sin! Thus, the Feast of Tabernacles commemorated God's salvation provision of such needs!
      2. Similarly, the Feast of Tabernacles foresees God's livelihood provisions in Christ's Millennial reign:
        1. This Feast will be celebrated in the Messianic Kingdom by the world's nations, cf. Zech. 14:16-18!
        2. Hence, the construction of booths in the balmy, fall climate in Palestine picturing man's dependence on God for all his livelihood needs foretells God's climactic, shelter and food provisions for all saved people during this coming kingdom era, cf. Leviticus 23:39-40.
        3. As such, this feast emphasizes one's rest in God (Lev. 23:36c), the totality of Christ's work on the cross (through the Levitical sacrifices) that makes God's livelihood need provisions possible (Lev. 23:36-38). It also focuses on the joy God's people will express following their forgiveness that makes this livelihood provision possible, cf. Lev. 23:26-32 with Zechariah 12:10; 13:1, 9; 14:16-18.
      3. However, the Feast of Tabernacles also pictures the final divine provision for man's livelihood needs:
        1. After the Millennium, Satan will be released to deceive the descendants of believers who entered the Millennial reign of Christ, and Christ will have to destroy their rebellion, Rev. 20:7-9. Thus, sin has to be eradicated from the world before God's livelihood supply can be fully, eternally granted.
        2. Hence, as Vernon McGee says, the Feast of Tabernacles "also points to eternity and the everlasting kingdom," McGee, Thru The Bible, v. One, p. 432. God will then finally tabernacle among us, bringing the heavenly Jerusalem down onto the earth in the eternal state. He will then perfectly and forever provide for all of our livelihood needs as is wonderfully described in Revelation 21:1-22:5.
Lesson: The Feast of Tabernacles anticipates God's finally SOLVING the LIVELIHOOD needs that SIN causes, whether they be physical, sociological, environmental or spiritual, and that through Christ!

Application: (1) There is a literal Millennial Kingdom to come after the Church era and when Israel repents, so our Pretribulational, Premillennial stance is accurate. (2) We must not live as though THIS CURRENT life is our "heaven" -- it is NOT! OUR perfect livelihood heaven is FUTURE, and we must long for that FUTURE above this current life, 1 Cor. 15:16-26. (3) Regarding CURRENT livelihood needs, like Israel in the wilderness, God wants us to focus on trusting and obeying HIM, and all we need to ACCOMPLISH HIS will FOR us will be provided to that end! (Deut. 29:5-9 with Phil. 4:19.)