Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles 2021
Despite continuous disasters, incidents, and accidents, including the coronavirus pandemic which has been lasting for almost two years now, the Autumn Feasts in which God’s blessings are promised came as they always do every year. The feasts of the third time among the seven feasts are the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles; and the representative feast name of them is the Feast of Tabernacles. The Churches of God all around the world spent busy days, carrying out a large-scale movement of repentance and the Holy Spirit Movement, commemorating the Feast of Tabernacles.
From the Feast of Trumpets to the Day of Atonement
On October 7, the Feast of Trumpets, the first feast among the feasts of the third time, was held in the Church of God in 175 countries around the world. In the regions and countries where preventive measures are still in effect due to the pandemic, the worship service was held in each member’s home on and offline.
Through the prayer offered during the worship service held in New Jerusalem Pangyo Temple and online as well, Mother gave thanks to God the Father for granting His children the feasts of life through His sacrifice of coming even twice. Mother also asked the members to repent fully and blow the trumpet of repentance, the trumpets of the gospel. She also prayed that abundant blessing of repentance and the blessing of the Holy Spirit of the latter rain would come upon the children, and expressed Her wish that many souls would be led to repentance and to God during the feast.
On this day, Mother expressed Her appreciation to the members for persevering with their hope for Heaven despite all kinds of current hardships such as the coronavirus pandemic. She also comforted them, saying, “Let’s think that everything is a process that we are going through while walking in the spiritual desert, and preach the gospel boldly with the joy of going to Heaven and receive Father.”
General Pastor Kim Joo-cheol delivered a sermon about the origin of the Feast of Trumpets and its meaning. While Moses came down the mountain after receiving the stone tablets on which God inscribed the Ten Commandments, the Israelites worshiped an idol of a golden calf. Moses got enraged and threw the stone tablets to the foot of the mountain, breaking them into pieces. Afterwards, Moses prayed to God for the people, and God called him to Mount Sinai once again and gave him the second set of the Ten Commandments. The day Moses came down with the second set of the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments was the tenth day of the seventh month by the sacred calendar. God appointed this day as the Day of Atonement, and also appointed ten days before the Day of Atonement as the Feast of Trumpets to blow the trumpets to prepare for the Day of Atonement, so that the Israelites would commemorate these days for the generations to come.
Pastor Kim Joo-cheol emphasized the necessity of repentance as the Kingdom of Heaven approaches just as Jesus said, “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” He explained that the sacrificial offerings that were offered, even distinguishing genders, symbolize Christ God the Father and God the Mother’s sacrifice, and urged to put into practice the truth of love contained in the New Covenant, giving more thanks and glory to God for establishing the New Covenant, the law of the forgiveness of sins, through His sacrifice.
Reflecting on themselves, the members observed the Day of Atonement after offering earnest prayers of repentance for ten days. Through the Assembly of the Day of Atonement held on October 16, Mother asked God the Father for the forgiveness of sins for the children, and prayed that all the children would be completely reborn as the workers of the New Covenant so that they could lead many people to God and stand spotless and blameless before God. During the afternoon worship, Mother proclaimed that all the sins that the members had confessed had been blotted out, and blessed the members, saying, “Since you are standing before God with clean spirits, please do not sin again, but lead many people to salvation, so that you can shine like the stars in heaven.”
Pastor Kim Joo-cheol explained the principle of atonement contained in the Day of Atonement. According to the law of the Old Testament, animals were sacrificed to pay for the sins committed by the people. Through the sacrifice of animals, sins were transferred to the sanctuary, and the sins that stayed in the sanctuary in the ordinary times were handed over to the scapegoat on the Day of Atonement. Then, the scapegoat was released in a solitary place in the desert and died there; this was how sin was removed. This feast regulation shows that Christ, who is the reality of the sacrificial offering and the sanctuary takes our sins and then passes them onto the devil, the original owner of sin, represented as the scapegoat. Then, the devil goes through the Abyss and enters the everlasting hell, where he will come to complete extinction. Pastor Kim emphasized repeatedly that nothing happens for no reason in the world, and that it was all because of our sins that God came to this earth in the flesh from Heaven, suffered, and was sacrificed. He asked the members to love one another and reach the Kingdom of Heaven, saying, “If we study the law, we can find the love of God the Father and God the Mother in it.”
Feast of Tabernacles
Following the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement, the Assembly of the Feast of Tabernacles 2021 was held on October 21, the fifteenth day of the seventh month by the sacred calendar. In the Old Testament times, the Israelites built booths and dwelt joyfully in them for seven days, holding an assembly on the first and the eighth days of the Feast of Tabernacles. In the New Covenant times as well, an assembly is held on the first and the last days of the Feast of Tabernacles with the joyful Preaching Festival lasting for seven days in between.
In Korea, many members could gather in Zion as the COVID-19 preventive measures were eased in the capital area, and this brought great joy to all the members. On the Feast of Tabernacles, Mother welcomed the members who hadn’t been able to keep worship at the New Jerusalem Pangyo Temple regularly in a while. She prayed for the blessing of the Holy Spirit of the latter rain to be poured out upon all the members around the world like a waterfall. Mother also prayed that the members who had received the Holy Spirit would all wake up, carry out all the duties of God’s children, and become the salt and the light of the world and autumn trees that bear fruit, and find all the lost heavenly family members. She gave the hope for Heaven where the heavenly family will stay forever, saying, “The Feast of Tabernacles is a feast to gather all the saints who are th materials of the heavenly temple and bring them into Heaven. Father’s will is to save His people who keep the feasts and bring them to Heaven.”
General Pastor Kim Joo-cheol emphasized the meaning of the Feast of Tabernacles once again. For the work of building the tabernacle, which was carried out after receiving the second set of the Ten Commandments, those who were willing and whose hearts were moved brought temple materials and offered them to God joyfully. This became the origin of the Feast of Tabernacles, and the prophecy of this feast is fulfilled as we preach and gather the saints who are spiritual temple materials. Pastor Kim also said, “Let’s obey God in every situation without submitting to the situations. Only those whose hearts were moved can preach the gospel. Let’s diligently preach the truth of life to our families, neighbors, and acquaintances.” Encouraged by his words, the members asked for the grace of the Holy Spirit of the latter rain, and participated in the preaching festival with all their heart and mind.
The members of Zion celebrated the Last and Greatest Day of the Feast of Tabernacles—the day the blessing of the water of life is promised to be given—on October 28, the eighth day of the Feast of Tabernacles. Mother gave thanks to God the Father for appointing the feast to give His children life and blessing, asked Him for the blessing of the Holy Spirit of the latter rain, and granted special words of the water of life on and offline.
In the morning worship service of the Last and Greatest Day of the Feast of Tabernacles offered in New Jerusalem Pangyo Temple, Mother praised the efforts of the members for earnestly asking for the Holy Spirit by participating in the prayer worship services from early morning, and said, “Father must have been very happy and proud of you. You have received abundant Holy Spirit which God promised you.” Mother also said, “If you make every effort for the Holy Spirit Movement with the Holy Spirit you have received today, God’s power will be displayed while you are not even aware of it, and all the heavenly family members will be found through the Holy Spirit. Let’s lead many people to Heaven which is full of joy and glory by striving to save souls diligently with the Holy Spirit you’ve received.” General Pastor Kim Joo-cheol delivered a sermon titled, “The Feast of Tabernacles and the Spring of the Water of Life,” in which he explained that correctly knowing God is the prerequisite for receiving the Holy Spirit of the latter rain. He awakened the members by explaining that the source of the water of life is the Spirit and the Bride, who are God the Father and God the Mother who have come in the flesh, and that the water of life is the words from Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother (Hos 6:1–3; Rev 22:17; Eze 47:1–12; Am 8:11).
In the video played online at every Church of God all aroudn the world for the afternoon worship, Mother gave a sermon with the title “Receive the Water of Life.” Jesus shouted, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink,” on the Last and Greatest Day of the Feast of Tabernacles 2,000 years ago. In the Age of the Holy Spirit, the Ones who are shouting, “Receive the water of life,” are the Spirit and the Bride—God the Father and God the Mother. Heavenly Jerusalem, who is the Bride, indicates our Mother. Those who realize that the Ones who give the water of life are the Christs can go to Them and receive the water of life by keeping the feasts of God, including the Feast of Tabernacles (Jn 7:37–39; Rev 22:17; Zec 14:16–19; Jn 4:7–30; Gal 4:22–26; Zec 14:7–8; Isa 55:1–6). Mother Herself testified to this truth through the Bible and said, “The Feast of Tabernacles is for gathering all the saints described as the temple materials and completing the heavenly Jerusalem Temple. I pray that you will preach the gospel of the New Covenant diligently until we go to Heaven, leading many people to Heaven.”
By this, all the annual feasts of 2021 ended. The members who kept the Feast of Tabernacles holy gave thanks to God Elohim for granting them heavenly blessings and the water of life through the feasts. Tthey made a resolution to run hard toward the Kingdom of Heaven by participating in the Holy Spirit Movement to bear abundant fruit of the Holy Spirit.