Having studied the prophetic events to occur in the opening of the first six seals, only the seventh remains. As the seventh seal is opened, the Last Great Day will finally commence. While the return of our Saviour will certainly be a great day, the "Last Great Day" follows it. For centuries, the eighth day of the Week of Tabernacles has been a rehearsal of the beginning of eternity. This joyous annual celebration points to the moment, when the redeemed first enter Elohim’s kingdom. This is the long-awaited fulfillment of the last Sabbath of Tabernacles.

In the annual rehearsal, the first and last days of the week of Tabernacles are kept as Sabbaths of rest. During the week of Tabernacles, Elohim’s people were to gather for a very special week of worship.

Each annual holy day, including the Feast of Tabernacles, has a special theme message, which the annual rehearsal is designed to bring to the forefront of the worshippers minds. As we have studied, the theme of the annual Passover and Week of Unleavened Bread is the removal of sin from the life and the seeking of spiritual cleansing. The focal point of Pentecost is the prayerful preparation of the heart to receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The Day of Trumpets is the last calling of salvation and the preparing of the worshipper to experience Judgment. Finally, Atonement is the prayerful searching of the heart, seeking for complete rightness with Elohim.

All of the prior Holy Days have had solemn overtone. But the Feast of Tabernacles is a victory celebration. Representing the beginning of eternity with Elohim, the first Sabbath of Tabernacles is a rehearsal in which to prepare our hearts for the Second Coming of Christ. The last Sabbath of Tabernacles commemorates the day when Elohim’s redeemed ones finally enter into the eternal joy of their Adonai.

During the joyous and sacred time of Tabernacles, the Torah instructed Elohim’s people to dwell in booths. For this reason, this annual feast is sometimes referred to as the Feast of Booths.

This annual experience focused man’s attention upon the ever-nearing promise of Christ’s return. In addition, the experience of dwelling of booths created a learning environment in which young and old alike could come to understand that before Christ would return, His people would need to live a life of self-denial, privation and hardship. By leaving the comforts of home and enduring the rigors of camping out for a week, the people demonstrated their commitment to being willing to forsake everything, keeping their eyes focused upon the heavenly prize. In so doing, these spiritual seed of Abraham (see Galatians 3:29) exhibit the same commitment to pursuing the heavenly land, that Abraham, as their spiritual forefather possessed.

Christ, our Example in all things (see 1 Peter 2:21), kept the annual holy days. In fact, it was while He kept the Feast of Tabernacles, that Christ prophesied what the final fulfillment of the last day of Tabernacles would entail.

The "living water" Christ refers to here is the stream of the
"water of life," which flows from the throne of Elohim, in heaven.

Beautifully, Christ revealed His identity to the worshippers that day. For generations, the Jews had been keeping the Feast of Tabernacles. They understood that the eighth day of Tabernacles pointed to the Last Great Day, when Elohim’s people would finally enter their eternal home. Now Christ makes it very plain that the path to the joyous eternity, as foretold in the Feast of Tabernacles, is to be gained through first coming to Y’shua. Only through Him will we taste of the Water of Life on that Last Great Day.

In directing the Jews to recognize that through Him they might taste of the Water of Life, Christ was announcing Himself as the Messiah. Because the Jews DID understand that Christ was directing them to come to Him that they might experience the final fulfillment of the Tabernacles rehearsal, there was great dissention in their ranks. Many even accepted the truth and believed He was the Christ; but some argued and denied Y’shua’s unveiled claim to be Messiah. Those who believed Him to be a liar, felt that He should be arrested. For a claim of Messiah-ship, if false, is nothing short of blasphemy. Although they desired to do Him harm, heaven did not allow it. The Bible says "no man laid hands on Him."

Christ was not only revealing His true identity, He was also pointing the minds of the people to the fact that this joyous rehearsal, which they had been keeping for centuries would have a wonderful ultimate fulfillment. The last Day of the Feast of Tabernacles has long been the rehearsal of the wondrous day when Elohim’s people enter His holy kingdom and taste of the waters of life for the first time. This beautiful event will finally take place in the opening of the seventh seal, which will coincide with the final fulfillment of the last day of Tabernacles.

Amidst the splendor and joy of finally coming home, one may well wonder why there is a period of silence in heaven. Words are insufficient to describe the glories Elohim has prepared for His people. Up until the moment we actually stand on heaven’s shores, we will have only had our imaginations and the verbal descriptions given in the Bible to prepare us for the wonders of that heavenly land. But, man’s wildest imagination is far lacking. We cannot now grasp the full magnitude of the heavenly wonders awaiting the faithful.

When we step foot into our eternal home for the first time, not only will we stand amazing at the heavenly glories, for the first time we always will grasp what Christ gave up and the depths He went to that we could be redeemed. We may say now that we understand Christ’s grace is not cheap, but only when we stand there will we fully recognize just how costly salvation has been.

Thus, as the seventh seal is opened (see Revelation 8:1), and we enter the eternal kingdom for the first time, the prophesied silence may ensue because the redeemed are absolutely dumbstruck. Mutely they stand, tears of love, joy and gratitude toward their wonderful Saviour gleam in their eyes as they gaze at the wonders about them and take in the untainted beauty of an utterly sinless world for the first time.

The Bible does teach that Elohim’s people will be deeply moved by the power of grace and the redeeming love of heaven. This will be expressed in casting their crowns at the feet of their Redeemer.

Indeed, these prostrate worshippers have overcome. They have "fought the good fight of faith," and have received the victor’s crown; yet, in casting their crowns before Him, the people of Elohim demonstrate that they know it was Christ’s power that transformed their characters. It was Christ’s blood that atoned for their sins, and it was Christ’s strength which gave them the victory.

Oh what a glorious day it will be when at last the seventh seal is opened and we finally drink of the Water of Life which cascades forth from the throne of Elohim! On that day, the bitterest trials we have experienced will have vanished as completely from our minds as the morning mist before the penetrating rays of a golden sun.

Truly everyone who claims Christ desires to be present on that wondrous and heavenly day. It is also not difficult to note that there must be some benefit to keeping a rehearsal, which was designed to better prepare us for this joyful final fulfillment.

Is keeping the Feast of Tabernacles and the other annual holy days merely something to do if one happens to have time? Certainly, observance of these holy days offers a tremendous blessing to mankind. For some, the fact that there is a great spiritual benefit to be reaped from observing Elohim’s holy days is a sufficient motivation to keep them. But, while many will note the blessings these days offer, there are perhaps many temporal factors to consider before determining to keep them.

In this perspective, the blessing of feast-keeping is a preference and not a conviction. As such, the blessing of these holy days is equated to the benefit of an outing or spiritual retreat. For example, a family vacation to Tahiti might be considered a blessing to an overworked household. Having spent long hours apart from each other making ends meet, a family may even see the need to get away from it all and renew their love bonds. Yet, while the members of the family may desire to take that trip to a tropical paradise, the desire to complete the vacation can never be more than a preference.

The fact that taking a dream vacation is only a preference, and not a conviction is demonstrated in a couple of ways. First, if there are insufficient funds to complete a Tahiti trip, the family will probably not be going. Many other factors, as well, could prevent such a vacation from coming to be. For instance, the family might have pressing business matters come up, or there might be an illness or death in the family. Any of these factors could prevent the longed-for Tahiti trip from ever coming to fruition, and rightly so! Certainly we should not put pleasure so high up in our priorities that having relaxation time will be guaranteed come hell or high water!

This is the difference between a conviction and a preference. A preference is something you enjoy and believe to be beneficial. Yet one does not give up anything important or inconvenience oneself to merely insure that a preference takes place. On the other hand, a conviction is vital. If someone becomes convicted to do something, no amount of personal risk or inconvenience will prevent his doing it.

This brings us to a vital question: In which category should we place feast-keeping? Are we to understand the blessings of the feasts and agree to keep them if we have enough money and can get the time off work? Or are we to be so strongly convicted about keeping Elohim’s holy days that the threat of loosing our job, insufficient funds, or any other "mitigating" circumstance will not keep us from observing them?

Clearly, the Bible teaches that keeping the annual holy days will be a tremendous blessing to the faithful observer. The following blessings are some of those promised to commandment and statute keepers: (The feast are statutes- see Leviticus 23:41.)

1. We will dwell in safety if we keep Elohim’s Law – Leviticus 25:18.
2. The diseases of Egypt will not harm us if we keep Elohim’s Law – Exodus 15:26.
3. Keeping Elohim’s Law is for our good – Deuteronomy 10:13.
4. Through keeping the Law we will be blessed with wisdom and understanding – Deuteronomy 4:6.
5. Elohim promises that our crops will be fruitful and the rain will be plentiful if we keep Elohim’s Law – Leviticus 26:3-5.
6. We will enjoy a blessed life if we keep Elohim’s Law – Deuteronomy 4:40.
7. We are ready to receive the seal of Elohim if we keep Elohim’s Law – Isaiah 8:16. (For more blessings, see Appendix II.)

Spirit-empowered Law-keepers are truly a very blessed bunch! At the heart of the Law is the Sabbath issue. Thus, keeping the Seventh-day and annual holy days will tremendously bless our lives and homes. But, beyond the immediate blessings that keeping the mo’edim affords; in heeding the annual rehearsals, we are better prepared for their final fulfillment in the near future.

Truly, there are many weighty reasons to make keeping the annual holy days at least a highly valued preference. But is feast-keeping to be considered a preference at all? Or is keeping the annual Sabbaths as imperative to being a Christian as is our obedience to every other expressed will of Elohim?

The prophet Zechariah lends an interesting perspective to aid in answering this important question, specifically referencing keeping the Feast of Tabernacles. YHWH, through the prophet Zechariah, declares that every person who does not heed Him in keeping the Feast of Tabernacles will receive the final plagues!

Clearly, those who do not keep the Feast of Tabernacles, according to the command of Elohim, will partake of the judgments to be poured out upon this earth in the last days. How can it be that Elohim cares so much about keeping this feast? When we begin to understand that Elohim means what He says and that His commands are to be obeyed, we are better able to comprehend the need for implicit obedience in everything He has asked of us.

Heaven has given everything, demonstrating how deep and broad is Elohim’s love for fallen man. Naturally, those who begin to comprehend such unfathomable grace will desire to reciprocate the love heaven has so richly bestowed. But merely saying, "I love You, YHWH" is not enough. Love is not merely words in human relationships. Why should we so limit our relationship with Elohim?

Will the husband whose wife steps out of the bounds of marriage in an adulterous act believe her verbal proclamation of love? Perhaps he will find it in his heart to restore the love bonds through the power of forgiveness. But, having been restored through forgiveness, if the wife now continues to commit adultery, will the husband believe her profession of love? Of course he will not believe that she loves him. Her actions deny her words!

In the same way, our actions delineate the difference between the true Christian and the false professor. The true Christian will love His Redeemer, for love begets love! Real love is demonstrated through doing that which pleases the one we love. Elohim is pleased when we render Him the service of obedience. This is the way we prove that our love for Him is genuine. Through obedience, Elohim identifies those who truly belong to Him. In the end, there will be only two groups: Those who belong to Elohim and those who receive the plagues. We show that we love and belong to Elohim through keeping His will as expressed in the Law.

The reason those who do not keep the Feast of Tabernacles will taste of the plagues is that these ones are not walking in full obedience. Once they become aware that complete Sabbath-keeping pleases their Heavenly Father, those who really love Him will gladly obey. Doing otherwise demonstrates they are not truly the loving children of Elohim they may claim to be. What sort of loving child would tell our Heavenly Father, "I love You and I thank You that Your grace has made it possible for me to continue displeasing You. Thank You that I need never obey Your wishes or keep Your commands. I appreciate that You sent Your only begotten Son to die for Me so that I could continue to live my life as I see fit. You are such a great Elohim! Thank You for loving Me so much that I may continue to reject You as King of my life!"

Perhaps such a statement seems extreme. But is it? Is not this exactly what we are in effect saying when we talk about heavenly grace as not requiring any loving reciprocation from us other than sweet words? When we, through a victory-less life, ally ourselves on the side of those who continually displease Elohim, we demonstrate no more true love for Him than has the worldliest sinner.

Just as the wife has a loving obligation to demonstrate her commitment to her husband through compliance to her marriage vow, so the Christian has a devoted duty to exhibit obedience to the Laws Elohim has set in place to govern our human and heavenly relationships. As it is at the heart of Elohim’s Law, Sabbath-keeping is a vital part of demonstrating our true love for Elohim. Just as Christ, our heavenly Example, never stepped out of harmony with heaven’s will, we will "do always those things that please" Elohim.

From this perspective, doing the things that please our Heavenly Father cannot be merely a preference. Complete obedience will be a conviction in the heart of every true Christian. In the end, only to those who completely follow the will of the Father will taste of the Waters of Life on that Great and final fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles.

• The first day of the Feast of Tabernacles points both to Christ’s return
• The eighth day of this festival points to the day when the redeemed enter the heavenly kingdom.
• The first and last days of this weeklong, annual festival are kept holy as Sabbath days.
• Elohim’s people were instructed to live in booths during the Feast of Tabernacles.
• Dwelling in booths for a week demonstrated a willingness to forsake earthly comforts focusing instead upon the journey to our heavenly home.
• Because the Jews understood the connection between the last day of Tabernacles and the first day of eternity, Christ’s words that they would drink of the water of life on that day only if they came through Him, clearly identified His claim to be the Messiah.
• In addition, Christ demonstrated by His example, the importance of keeping this annual holy week.
• We demonstrate our love for Elohim through obedience to His expressed will. And Elohim has commanded us to keep the Sabbaths.
• In a marriage, we demonstrate our love through actions that please our mate and conform to the marriage vow. Mere words are not enough.
• We give evidence of really loving Elohim through pleasing Him and obeying His expressed commands.
• According to the prophet Zechariah, those who do not keep the Feast of Tabernacles will receive the plagues.