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!
Copyright 1999-2024 Worthy Devotions. This devotional was originally published on Worthy Devotions and was reproduced with permission.
How to display the above article within the Worthy Suite WordPress Plugin.
[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]One of my favorite heroes of the faith is Hudson Taylor. For those who are unfamiliar with him, Hudson Taylor led a great awakening in China which continues to this day.
Did you know that on a rocket's journey, the most force is exerted at its lift-off? The amount of force that is needed to get that rocket off the ground is so fierce that it could easily blow the whole thing to pieces. Interestingly though, the further the rocket moves from the earth's gravitational pull, the less energy it needs to move farther along.
My wife and I are both big Keith Green fans. He sang a great song about the children of Israel in the wilderness complaining to Moses that they "Wannna go back to Egypt".
Peter exhibited GREAT faith when he stepped out on the water... but then he allowed his immediate surroundings to hinder his walk! Peter's faith began with a tremendous bold step, but it required a level of focus that he wasn't used to. Follow through.... that was the problem; those pesky waves, and the way he usually thought about and experienced water; (not something that generally supports your feet)...
I read this passage and I wonder how I would react if someone mixed their saliva with some dirt on the ground and put it on my face like this. Ewww! Why didn't Jesus just heal this guy and be done with it? Why the messy prelude?
It is among popular "Christian" belief that an abundance of material and other blessings follow those whose hearts are truly after God and that those who seem to consistently struggle to that end, cannot possibly be in God's perfect will. I want to submit to you a realization I had about this very thing. I think we might have it all backwards.
Years ago, a young sailor went to sea for the first time. Not long after setting sail his ship encountered a heavy storm and the sailor was commanded to go aloft and trim the sails. About three quarters of the way up, the young sailor made the mistake of looking down. The roll of the ship combined with the tossing of the waves made for a frightening experience. The young man started to lose his balance. At that moment, an older sailor underneath him shouted, "Look up, son! Look up!" The young sailor did as he said -- he looked up, and regained his balance.