Colossians 2:16-17 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.
Ezekiel 46:1,9 “Thus says the Lord GOD: The gate of the inner court that faces east shall be shut on the six working days, but on the Sabbath day it shall be opened, and on the day of the new moon it shall be opened.
9 “When the people of the land come before the LORD at the appointed feasts, he who enters by the north gate to worship shall go out by the south gate, and he who enters by the south gate shall go out by the north gate: no one shall return by way of the gate by which he entered, but each shall go out straight ahead.
In his letter to the Colossians, Paul reveals the prophetic nature of Shabbat and the Biblical Feasts as “shadows of things to come”, whose substance is the Messiah Yeshua (Jesus). My study of the feasts therefore seeks to discover their relevance to the Lord, His identity, work, and purpose for my life in relationship to Him.
The prophet Ezekiel, in chapters 40-48, lays out a detailed pattern for a future Temple that is so large, encompassing territory so vast, that it’s physically impossible to fulfill in the current environment. This material is theologically challenging and many scholars have struggled to interpret and understand the implications of a “Millennial Temple”, sometimes, simply “spiritualizing” the nine chapters to refer to the “Church” in some allegorical way. Even the Talmudic Rabbis’ considered removing Ezekiel from the Tanach because of the complexities and variant worship described therein. We believe this temple is literal and will be fundamental to spiritual realities during the Millennial reign of Messiah.
But I discovered something relevant to Paul’s point in Colossians as I pondered the content of these chapters in Ezekiel. Ezekiel 46:1 specifies that the doors of the inner court are only opened on Shabbat, the New Moon, and the Feast Days. This Inner Court is the designated place where the King of Glory will sit on His throne. Typically, one must be summoned to see the King during the other six days of the week, but on these special days, everyone is granted the opportunity to have audience with Him.
The accessibility of the King on Shabbat, New moon, and feast days in Ezekiel’s temple points to the days which, though they are “shadows” according to Colossians, are an open invitation for audience with Yeshua. Why? Because they are days of rest from normal responsibilities of work, and because they also speak of different aspects of His nature and divine purposes.
And one more revelation from this chapter: verse 9 stipulates that when visiting the King of Glory, one who enters the North Gate must exit the South Gate, and one who enters the South Gate must exit the North Gate. No one must exit the same way he entered. What’s the point? Enter the presence of the King and you will be changed, you will leave different than you arrived. And it’ll be a “walk” a journey which will take you the whole way from one side of the inner court to the other.
Shabbat, and the Feast Days, are opportunities to transform your relationship with the Lord. Your audience with Him as our Sabbath rest, is wide open as you rest and celebrate His Presence. And the longer you dwell there, having once entered, be sure you will not leave through the same “gate”, but will find yourself “coming out the other side” a different person. That’s the real point and purpose of Shabbat!
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]In his book, A Spiritual Clinic, J. Oswald Sanders wrote about the lasting family legacies of two families from New York.
Yesterday marked the 1st day of Nissan, the beginning of the year on the Hebrew calendar. Nissan is known as the “month of miracles”, derived from the Hebrew word, “nissim”, which means “miracles”. Israel finally and miraculously left Egypt in the month of Nissan after hundreds of years of slavery. God orchestrated their escape, “nus” in Hebrew, (which some say is connected to Nissan), displaying His power over the Egyptian gods and His sovereignty over every pantheon. Nissan may also be related to the Hebrew word “nitzan”, which means “to bud” or “to start fresh and anew”, reflecting the seasonal advent of new life and new beginnings…springtime.
This is a powerful passage which believers must claim! The Greek for the word “heaven”, “oo-ran-os”, implies not only heaven, but also eternity. The enemy was removed from the eternal places, and his power is only temporary in this world. Our power does not come from this temporary world, but from eternity, from the eternal throne of God.
Over the last week, tensions have escalated significantly following the assassination of an Iranian General and several terrorist leaders within the Iranian Embassy compound in Damascus. This week also coincides with the conclusion of Ramadan, during which there have been heightened calls from terrorist groups for attacks against Jewish and Christian communities. The war drums are beating … and the question is — how should we as believers respond?
An official of a mission board, who knew it takes more than just desire to make a missionary, was appointed to examine a candidate for the mission field. He told the young man to be at his house at six o’clock in the morning. The young man complied and arrived a six o’clock sharp. The examiner kept him sitting alone in the room until ten…
The Bible speaks of a great falling away in the last days (2 Thessalonians 2) before the end of the age arrives, and it seems that we’re seeing it on a grand scale all around us. Virtually everywhere we look we’re watching the decline of morality and ethics — in government, entertainment, and social culture. It seems hard to deny…
Continuing our study on prayer I want to emphasize the confidence we can have as we approach the Lord. The exact moment we move toward Him to pray, we are exercising faith….which immediately pleases Him. He knows that we need His mercy and grace, and because He constantly intercedes on our behalf, we can be assured He will hear us and respond. Our approach is not based on our own merits, but on His righteousness and mercy. Having been tempted at all points as we are [Hebrews 4:15], His identification and understanding enable us to approach His presence with bold confidence.