[Darris McNeely] The biblical Feast of Tabernacles is upon is, and we here at Beyond Today are taking a break to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. As you're viewing this, and watching it, maybe the second or third time to understand exactly what we're talking about, what we're doing. Let me encourage you to look deeper into why it is we're gone right now, and why it is we keep the Feast of Tabernacles. The Feast of Tabernacles is mentioned in Leviticus chapter 23 as a seven day festival that God enjoined upon mankind and Israel. The Feast of Tabernacles is a time when today in the church, Christians go and gather together in locations to worship God, based on several teachings from the Bible that show us that Jesus Christ is going to return to this earth and the saints will rule and reign with Christ for a thousand years. 

Now, it's interesting when we look at the Feast of Tabernacles. A lot of people have differing ideas. First of all, they think it's only something for the Jews, and that you have to maybe even be in Jerusalem to keep the Feast. I was talking with a friend of mine about booking a trip to Israel in the future, and he said, "Look, there are three seasons or times of the year not to go to Israel, if you want to find a room or to get a better bargain on the actual trip." And he said, "One of them is not to go during this time, because people from all over the world today go to Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Tabernacles." I know I've been there in that period, and I've seen the aftermath of the influx of people that are there. There is actually a resurgence of interest among biblically-oriented people today to look at the Feast of Tabernacles, and actually all of the Holy Days, and seek to keep them, and to observe them. I was actually reading an article about that just recently, where certain Christian groups in the United States set aside a few days, at this particular time in year, and in a form and fashion, keep the Feast of Tabernacles. What I didn't notice is that they do it as an addition to the Christian calendar of other festivals and holidays that are typical there, such as Easter, and in some circles, even Halloween. Because it is observed by Christian groups today, which...don't get me started on that, but that's another issue right there. 

What I noticed was, that they were adding the Feast of Tabernacles onto the traditional Christian calendar. And that's not the way to look at it, nor is it the way to keep it. God gave the Holy Days, He gave the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, the Feast of Tabernacles to Israel as His festivals for us to observe without any additions. Without any other traditional trappings of pagan-oriented holidays that are so much a part of things today. When we keep the Feast of Tabernacles, we are anchored in the hope, and a vision, of a world to come that is described in the book of Isaiah, beginning in chapter two, that many of you are familiar with as a prophecy of the Kingdom of God, the millennium, the time when Christ will reign on the earth. And it says that, "The mountain of the Lord's house will be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills. A symbol of God's Kingdom being exalted above all the nations. And many people shall come and say, 'Let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, we will walk in his paths.' For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people. They shall beat their swords into plowshares, their swords into pruning hooks. Nations shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore" (Isaiah 2:2-4).

This beautiful vision of a time yet to come, shows that nations will go up to Jerusalem in a whole different manner than they do today. And the Feast of Tabernacles will be kept. It's time, perhaps, that you looked more deeply into what we teach on Beyond Today, and in the United Church of God, about all of God's Festivals, but especially about the Feast of Tabernacles. And if you thought that it is something you need to observe, that you need to make a part of your life, then study more deeply into it through our website, beyondtoday.tv. Or simply look up the United Church of God at ucg.org. And look into this critically important topic that defines worship and obedience, and a relationship with God and Jesus Christ that you've never dreamed possible, and you've never understood. The Feast of Tabernacles is something to keep, and to observe. And in the coming months, I encourage you to do that, and to look into it, so that perhaps next year, when we take our break, we might see you sitting alongside all of us. Observing the Feast of Tabernacles, worshiping God, and learning what this world will become in the Kingdom of God.

That's BT Daily, join us next time.