The hope of a future time of peace brought by Jesus Christ at His second coming.
This column seeks to highlight the hope of a future time of peace brought by Jesus Christ at His second coming. The "times of restoration of all things" will be more than another utopian ideal. For many readers of this column, the prophesied future provides a compelling vision that fills the days, weeks and years of life with meaning. Each article of this publication seeks to point the way to God's view of today's world and the spiritual solutions to its problems. Let me describe how this translates into a walk of faith.
This month of September, United Church of God members will be observing four of the seven biblical festivals: the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day. By the time most of you are reading this, members and other interested people will be gathering to keep the Holy Days as God commands. These festivals hold a message of hope and light for this world as it makes its way forward through challenging times.
• The Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:24). This day foreshadows the return of Jesus Christ to the earth as King of Kings as described in Revelation 19:11-16. The kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our Lord, and Christ will reign on the earth.
• The Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:27). This is a solemn day of fasting, picturing a time when all mankind will be reconciled to God. The source of all evil, Satan the devil, will be identified and removed from influencing the course of human events. Revelation 20:1-2 describes, "Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years."
• The Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:34). This marvelous festival pictures a time of peace throughout the world. Christ's return will result in the establishment of a righteous government that will restore the elusive peace and goodwill among all peoples throughout the world. Zechariah 14:16 shows that eventually all people will be keeping this festival: "And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles."
The Last Great Day (the eighth day of Leviticus 23:39). The meaning of this festival contains the most hopeful of messages. It coincides with the time spoken of in Revelation 20:11-12 when "the dead, small and great" stand before God in the judgment of the great white throne. This day pictures the time when all who have never had a chance will have the opportunity to receive the Holy Spirit and eternal life.
For more information about God's festivals, please request our booklet, God's Holy Day Plan, the Promise of Hope for All Mankind.
These days define a deep-rooted faith among those who follow the words of Christ. God's message of hope in these festivals shows the positive future beyond today's headlines of human strife and tragedy. It is a time to step back from the world of today and renew the vision of the world to come. It is a time to view the problems of today's world from God's perspective. Those who observe these festivals receive training in the solutions to the great problems afflicting today's world. May God speed that day of restoration. WNP
