AT THESE feasts of the Lord Israel called to remembrance His ways of grace with them on certain special occasions in their history. As they gathered together and offered their offerings they were reminded of their relationship to God, to whom they owed all their blessings.
On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after the gathering in of the vintage, was the Feast of Tabernacles which celebrates Israel’s being brought into blessing in the millennial day.
“And ye shall offer a burnt offering, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the Lord; thirteen young bullocks, two rams, and fourteen rams....” There were other offerings besides.
Numbers are used in Scripture as symbols and seven speaks of divine perfection and completeness. Two sevens or fourteen would express that perfection in the fullest way, while thirteen would be something short of that.
Thus the work of Christ for the blessing of earth could not be more divinely perfect, as expressed in the fourteen lambs. In the very scene where He was cast out and slain there will be the fullest display of His glory as a result of His redemptive work upon the cross. Such blessing will hitherto have been unheard of nor thought of by man.
“For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, besides Thee, what He hath prepared for him that waiteth for Him.” Isa. 64:44For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him. (Isaiah 64:4).
Still the appreciation of Christ on the part of man, will not be divinely perfect and there will be decline as the years go by. We notice that while they offered thirteen bullocks the first day, on the second day they were to offer twelve, on the third day eleven, one less each day until we come to the seventh day when they offered seven bullocks.
The bullock speaks of the largest measure of apprehension of Christ, and so at the beginning of the millennium there will be joy, worship and thanksgiving to Christ on a vast scale. But as time goes by this measure of appreciation for what He has done will decline. Such is the natural heart of man, even under the most favored circumstances.
We know there will be sin in the millennium, but it will be more the exception than the rule. There will be no tempter then to lead men into sin, but if one sins he will be dealt with in immediate judgment. But devotion to Christ will wane, until at the end of the millennial age when Satan is loosed for a little season, men will turn against God and Christ and follow Satan, in spite of all the blessings enjoyed for a thousand years. It will be the last trial of man. Final judgment will overtake the rebellious myriads.
On the eighth day only one bullock was offered. Here it seems we are beyond Israel and earthly perfection. In the heavenly scene where Christ will be adored and worshiped by all, there will be no decline, but the joy and praise of the heavenly saints will only deepen and grow in fervor as eternity rolls on.
ML-08/04/1974