ALONE WITH GOD     

The Feast of Trumpets fell on the first day of the seventh month of the sacred year, which was the first month of the civil year. It came in the latter part of September or early October. The significance of this day is due to its place in the calendar. As related to the civil year it was the beginning of their time. As related to the sacred year it had all the significance of a new moon, and more, it began the seventh or sabbatic month, the most sacred month of all. It was not only the month of the joyful Feast of Tabernacles, but also and especially the month of the great day of atonement, at which time the sabbatic year was ushered in (When slaves went out free, when broken families were reunited, when debts were canceled), and also the year of jubilee (when unfortunates recovered their lost inheritance and when rest and joy were ushered in).

The opening of such a month deserved special recognition and religious observance. This day was observed by resting from labor, by a holy convocation, and by appropriate sacrifices. But its chief peculiarity was the continual blowing of trumpets from morning until evening.

This announcement that at last had come the glorious month of atonement with all its benefits was a beautiful symbol of the preaching of the gospel. When the priests blew the two silver trumpets over the burnt offerings for atonement at God's altar, and their joyful sound reverberated over the hills and valleys of the land of Israel, the same great truths in type were proclaimed that are now set forth in the preaching of the glad tidings of salvation through the perfected atonement of Christ. The blowing of these silver trumpets on this occasion foreshadowed practically the same glorious truths as did the tinkling of the golden bells on the border of Aaron's garment when acting as Israel's mediator with God.

It was to be a "memorial of blowing of trumpets." A memorial is a reminder of an event past or present. This was the announcement of the grand truth that the time of atonement and salvation had come. It was a time of rejoicing because of the proclamation of a blessed truth. And as those ministers of God of that ancient system of types and shadows blew those literal trumpets, so God would have his ministers today sound out to all the glorious gospel trumpet, the good tidings of salvation to men.

"Blow the gospel trumpet, brother, over land and sea,
Sound the news to all creation, 'Christ will set you free,
Free and happy every moment, though by Satan bound,
He is able, do not doubt him, let his grace abound.'"

DAY OF ATONEMENT (Lev. 16; 23:26-32)

The Day of Atonement was in its typical significance probably most important of all the sacred seasons of the Mosaic law. Its services and offerings are frequently referred to in the Epistles to the Hebrews, especially in the ninth and tenth chapters.

It was observed in the seventh month, called Tisri, on the tenth day, which would usually correspond with an early date in what is now our October. It was kept as a day of rest from work, as holy convocation, and as a time to afflict their souls. This afflicting their souls is not specifically stated to be by fasting, but such was the usual method of showing contrition, as did the Ninevites and as is intimated in Isa. 58:3, 5. It is certain from Acts 27:9, "The fast was now already past," that this was a day of fasting at a later period. It was a day of national humiliation when the sense of sin was to be deepened to its utmost intensity in the mind of the Israelites, and especially when the idea of atonement by sacrifice for sin was to be set forth in its highest expression by the elaborate ritual then observed. This atonement was to be, not for particular sins that had been unatoned for, but especially for sins generally, which were remembered again each year, even though they had been atoned for the year before or by special offerings (Heb. 10:3).

The high priest alone was to perform almost all the services of the day. According to later Jewish writers he was also to offer the regular daily burnt offering, not only on this day, but for the week preceding. During that whole week, according to Edersheim, he, in preparation for he coming event, was to eat but little, and none on atonement day, and was to spend the night preceding that day without sleep in hearing or expounding the Scriptures. He was to lay aside his beautiful garments and clothe himself in plain white linen, for the entrance into the holiest place on this occasion. He was to bathe himself with water or wash his hands and feet frequently during the solemn services of the day.

So our great High Priest humbled himself as a servant and became a "man of sorrows." He accomplished the great work of atonement alone. His disciples slept while he agonized in Gethsemane. None stood by to comfort him while he died on the cross. The services of the day were without doubt typical of Christ's atonement for us.

But the important feature of the day was the elaborate ritual. The animals to be offered were a bullock for a sin-offering and a ram for a burnt offering for Aaron, also two kids of the goats from the whole congregation for a sin-offering and also a ram for a burnt-offering for them. The ritual of these offerings was that which belonged to offerings of these classes except in the application of the blood and concerning the scapegoat, which was wholly irregular.

The order of the rites as somewhat as follows: (1) Aaron bathed himself and put on the holy linen garments in the holy place. (2) He cast lots on the two goats to determine which was to die and which was to become the scapegoat. (3) He killed the bullock. (4) He took a censer full of live coals and his hands full of incense into the holiest place and burned the incense upon the fire in the censer, making a cloud of smoke over the ark and filling the room with a sweet odor. (5) He went back to the brazen altar and took a vessel containing the blood of the bullock and returned to the holiest place, where he sprinkled the blood seven times on the ground before the ark to make atonement for himself as priest. (6) He killed for a sin-offering for the congregation the one of the two goats that was chosen for the Lord, and sprinkled its blood as he had that of the bullock on and before the mercy seat, to atone for the people. (7) He made an atonement for the holy place (which evidently means the holiest place), and for the tabernacle or first room, probably by sprinkling blood in each. (8) He made atonement for the brazen altar by putting of the blood of each animal on its horns and by sprinkling of the blood upon it seven times. (9) He laid both his hands upon the second goat, the "scapegoat" as our version translates this difficult word, and confessed the sins of himself and the people, "putting them upon the head of the goat," after which the goat was sent by a fit or responsible man into the wilderness where no one dwelt. (10) He went into the holy place, removed the linen clothing, bathed himself in water, and put on again the golden garments. (11) He offered the two rams for burnt offerings for himself and the people, burned the fat of the sin-offerings on the altar, and had some one carry the remainder of them outside the camp and burn it.

The sprinkling of the blood of the sin-offerings upon the mercy seat had special typical significance and is deserving of further notice. This action was peculiar to this day and these two sin-offerings and was the most impressive and significant sprinkling of atoning blood of all those ancient shadows. It was done by him who typified our Savior. It was done with the blood that typified the all-atoning blood of Christ. It was done in the very presence of God. It typified Christ's intercession for us in heaven. The blood was sprinkled seven time to represent the completeness of the atonement of Christ. It was put upon the mercy seat or propitiatory, which existed for the very purpose that it with the atoning blood upon it might cover from God's holy eye the broken law in the ark beneath. The mercy seat, this atonement-covering which covered and was coextensive in size with the ark which represented God's law, was the culmination of all the Levitical institutions and services in all that ancient sanctuary, and was sprinkled with the blood on this greatest of the sacred seasons. This blood on the mercy seat symbolized the greatest and grandest truth of the Mosaic religion, and typified the most important and glorious fact that ever entered men's minds, that Jesus has atoned for the broken law of God and made possible the salvation of a world of sinners from the wrath of God.

The other great typical feature of this day was the scapegoat. The two goats together constituted one offering, not two (Lev. 16:5). The goat that died was typical of Christ dying to atone for our sins, but the scapegoat was typical of him to take away our sins. The first exhibited the means of atonement, the second the effect of it. They are both typical of Christ, and except for the impossibility of one goat typifying both phases, but one goat had been employed. Two goats were here used in the type of Christ and his work as it was necessary to have various articles of furniture to represent the different phases of his saving work.

Concerning the goat for Jehovah which was to die, nothing is said of the confession of sins over it. Doubtless the usual requirement of the bloody offering was observed, the laying on of the hand of the offerer to signify that he identified himself with the offering. But on the head of the scapegoat Aaron was to lay both his hands, "and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat: ... and the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited" (Lev. 16:21, 22). The prayer which he prayed on this occasion is given by the Mishna as follows: "O Lord, thy people, the house of Israel, have transgressed, they have rebelled, they have sinned before thee. I beseech thee now absolve their transgressions, their rebellion and their sin that they have sinned against thee, as it is written in the law of Moses thy servant, that on this day he shall make atonement for you to cleanse you from all your sins, and ye shall be clean."

This symbol is very clear. It shows our Savior, not propitiating God, but removing our sins from us. "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world." Christ not only died to atone for sin and procure God's favor for us, but he lives now to bear our sins by actual forgiveness for us individually. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us" (Psa. 103:12). "Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea" (Mic. 7:19). "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows ... The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isa. 53:4, 6).

In Heb. 9:1 - 10:18 the inspired writer contrasts and compares that symbolic sin-offering with the true. Aaron took the blood of that goat into the most holy place, but Jesus enters into heaven itself with his own blood to appear in the presence of God for us (Heb. 9:24, 25). Its blood availed only for the purifying of the flesh; but Christ's blood is effectual in purifying the conscience (vs. 13, 14). That sin- offering availed for but one year, when remembrance was again made of all the sins of the past; but Christ's blood avails for "eternal redemption" (Heb. 9:25, 12; 10:3, 4, 14).

Surely these two goats are a remarkable type worthy of being given by the Author of the glorious truth which they typify.

THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES (Lev. 23:33-43)

The Feast of Tabernacles is also called "the Feast of Ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labors out of the field" (Exod. 23:16). Both names are descriptive of the nature and purpose of the Feast. It was the third of the three great yearly feasts at which all male Israelites were to meet at Jerusalem. It was observed 15-22 of the seventh month, Tisri, in the autumn, beginning five days after the Day of Atonement. It was held after the corn and wine was all gathered in.

It was celebrated by the Israelites dwelling for seven days in temporary booths (Lev. 23:42), or tabernacles, made of boughs of tress - hence the name of the feast. These booths were built on the housetops, in the open courts of the homes or of the temple, or in the streets (Neh. 8:16). The purpose of the booths was to remind the Israelites of their dwelling in tents during the forty years in the wilderness (Lev. 23:43).

It as a national festival of thanksgiving for the bounteous harvest, not very different in this aspect from the thanksgiving season now observed by Americans for a similar purpose. "Because the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the works of thine hands, therefore thou shalt surely rejoice" (Deut. 16:15). It was a time for rejoicing before the Lord (Lev. 23:40), and of feasting (Neh. 8:10). Probably at this feast the second tithe for festive purposes was used in special feasting before the Lord. It was the gladdest of all the seasons of the year. A later Jewish writer has said of this feast that "he had never seen joy who saw not the joy of Tabernacles."

A third important feature of the observance of this feast was the many sacrifices (Num. 29:12-38). On the first day the burnt offering was to consist of thirteen bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs. The same number of rams and lambs was to be offered each day of the seven, but one less of the bullocks each day until on the seventh day but seven were to be offered. Also a kid for a sin-offering was sacrificed each day besides the regular daily burnt offering. With each animal for a burnt offering were offered large meat-offerings of flour, oil and wine. A total of 203 animals was sacrificed during the seven days. The eighth day, which was not of this feast, and when the people ceased to dwell in booths, was to be observed as a sabbath with an offering of nine animals besides the regular daily offering. Also the whole law of God was to be read publicly at this feast each seventh year.

This feast had value to the Israelite especially in awakening in him gratitude to god for his multiplied blessings in a rich harvest and prosperity. The dwelling in booths was a memorial of the wilderness life, it is true, but the Israelites were to remember that life, not for its own sake, but that they might contrast it with their present blessings and thus more clearly recognize God's goodness. Then they dwelt in tents, in Canaan they dwelt in houses; then they had only manna, but in Canaan they had food in great variety and plenty.

The typical meaning of the Feast of Tabernacles is more difficult to determine than that of any other of the feasts. But a careful consideration of its nature and significance to the ancient people of God in the light of the general principles of typical interpretation, to which we have already referred, will doubtless assist greatly in understanding what is the good thing we now have that was foreshadowed by that feast of rejoicing. The dwelling in booths was but a means to the end of emphasizing the then present blessings of the Israelites, and therefore did not have a large place in typical significance. The ingathering of the harvest merely furnished the occasion for the feast, and was not a part of it. Therefore the typical element must consist in the rejoicing and feasting together before the Lord and in the many sacrifices offered to God.

It was a feast of communion. The people ate their good things together and offered abundantly to the Lord, of flesh, flour, oil, and wine. God had a part of their food. This was the reason why burnt and meat- offerings were to be offered so profusely at this time. During these seven days God and his people rejoiced and feasted together to typify that holy communion which now exists between God and believers, and between Christians, today. To those who open the heart's door to God, he comes in to sup with them and they with him (Rev. 3:20). This communion expressed friendship in its highest form. It is the unspeakably blessed intercourse that God always craved with his creatures, but from which he was shut away because of their sinfulness until the Day of Atonement, which then represented the glorious truth that since the atonement of Christ true communion between God and man is possible.

God considers this communion of much importance. It is the great end for which he originally created man. It was set forth in these shadows of good things again and again. Like salvation from sin, it was typified in three of the main classes of Mosaic institutions. In the tabernacle it was set forth by the priests eating the loaves of shewbread while the frankincense, the memorial of them, was burned upon God's golden altar. It was typified in the sacrifices by the peace- offering, a part of which was the priest's food, a part the offerer's and a part the "food of God" by being burned on the altar. It is not strange therefore that we should have it typified in this complex system of typical feasts.

As the peace-offering was principally for thanksgiving, so this communion feast was a thanksgiving feast. The attitude of heart most conducive to communion with God is that of gratitude for blessings received. Therefore let us not fail to be thankful to God for all his benefits.