How the Feast of Tabernacles Reveals God’s Eternal Purpose Established Before the Foundation of the World and Brought to Fullness in Christ
By Carl Timothy Wray
Carl Timothy Wray is the founder of The Finished Work of Christ ministry and the author of hundreds of Bible studies devoted to the revelation of Jesus Christ, the Gospel of Grace, God’s Eternal Purpose, and the Plan of the Ages. Through careful study of Scripture, he seeks to reveal Christ as the center of God’s purpose before the foundation of the world and to help believers understand the unfolding of that purpose from Genesis to Revelation. His teachings emphasize the Finished Work of Christ, the Kingdom of God, the Feast of Tabernacles, the manifestation of the sons of God, and the ultimate fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose in Christ.
The Feast of Tabernacles: Before the Foundation of the World explores how the Feast of Tabernacles reveals God’s eternal purpose established before creation itself. This study follows the unfolding of God’s purpose through Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles, showing how each feast points to Christ and the fullness of His redemptive plan. Through a study of key biblical passages, this book examines the Feast of Tabernacles, God’s eternal purpose, the redemption of the body, the manifestation of the sons of God, the Melchizedek priesthood, and the gathering together of all things in Christ according to His eternal purpose before the foundation of the world.
Introduction
Many believers understand the Feast of Tabernacles as one of Israel’s annual feasts. While that historical understanding is important, the Scriptures reveal a far greater purpose hidden within the feast itself.
The Feast of Tabernacles did not originate merely in the days of Moses. It was revealed under the Law, but its purpose was established in the heart of God before the foundation of the world. Before history began, before Adam was formed, before Israel became a nation, and before the Law was given, God had already purposed the fullness of Christ.
Throughout Scripture, God progressively unveils that eternal purpose. Passover reveals redemption through the Lamb. Pentecost reveals the outpouring of the Spirit and the preparation of God’s people. The Feast of Tabernacles points to the fullness of God’s purpose and the completion of His redemptive work according to His eternal counsel.
This study follows that divine pattern from eternity past to the consummation of God’s purpose. Rather than viewing the Feast of Tabernacles as merely an ancient Jewish celebration, we will examine how it reveals God’s purpose before the foundation of the world and how it fits within the unfolding revelation of Christ throughout the Scriptures.
Each chapter begins with the Word of God and then seeks to examine its meaning through the broader testimony of Scripture. By allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture, the reader is invited to follow the unfolding pattern of God’s eternal purpose from its beginning before creation to its appointed fulfillment in Christ.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1 — Before the Foundation of the World
Chapter 2 — According to His Eternal Purpose
Chapter 3 — The Three Feasts Hidden in God’s Eternal Counsel
Chapter 4 — The Feast of Tabernacles Was Always the Goal
Chapter 5 — Preparing a Mature People
Chapter 6 — The Revelation of the Man-Child
Chapter 7 — The Sign That the Feast of Tabernacles Has Fully Come
Chapter 8 — The Melchizedek Priesthood and the Fullness of Christ
Chapter 9 — The Firstfruits and the Harvest
Chapter 10 — The Consummation of God’s Eternal Purpose
Scripture References
Conclusion
Chapter 1
BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD
God’s Eternal Purpose Existed Before Creation
Scripture
Ephesians 1:4–5 (KJV)
“According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.”
Before the Foundation of the World Is Where God’s Story Begins
Most people begin God’s story in Genesis with the creation of heaven and earth. Others begin at the cross. Yet the apostle Paul reaches even farther back. He begins before the foundation of the world.
The Feast of Tabernacles cannot be fully understood if we begin only with Moses, Israel, or the wilderness. The Feast of Tabernacles is rooted in something much older than the Law. It is rooted in the eternal purpose of God before time itself.
Before there was a garden, there was a purpose.
Before there was a covenant, there was a purpose.
Before there was sin, there was a purpose.
Before there was redemption, there was a Redeemer.
The purpose always precedes the plan unfolding in history.
According to the Good Pleasure of His Will
Scripture
Ephesians 1:9–11 (KJV)
“Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ…
In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.”
God Is Not Reacting to History
Paul does not present God as One trying to recover from unexpected events. Instead, he presents Him as the One who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.
The Feast of Tabernacles must therefore be viewed through that same lens. It is not an afterthought. It is part of the purpose God purposed in Christ before the foundation of the world.
History unfolds according to His counsel.
The ages unfold according to His purpose.
The feasts unfold according to His design.
Grace Was Given Before Time Began
Scripture
2 Timothy 1:9 (KJV)
“Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.”
Grace Did Not Begin at the Cross
The cross revealed grace in history.
But according to Paul, grace itself was given before the world began.
This changes the way we read the Scriptures.
The Feast of Tabernacles is not merely about an annual feast celebrated by Israel. It reveals the completion of a purpose that existed before creation itself.
What God determined before the ages, He progressively reveals throughout the ages.
The Lamb Was Foreordained Before Creation
Scripture
1 Peter 1:19–20 (KJV)
“But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.”
The Cross Was Not God’s Emergency Plan
Peter declares that Christ was foreordained before the foundation of the world.
The Lamb did not become God’s answer after Adam sinned.
The Lamb was already in the heart of God before Adam was formed.
If the Lamb was foreordained before creation, then the redemption accomplished by Christ was always part of God’s eternal purpose.
The Feast of Tabernacles belongs to that same eternal purpose.
Known Unto God Are All His Works
Scripture
Acts 15:18 (KJV)
“Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.”
God Already Saw the End
Nothing surprises the Lord.
The God who speaks the end from the beginning already knew every stage of His purpose.
Passover.
Pentecost.
The Feast of Tabernacles.
Each was established according to His eternal counsel and revealed at the appointed time.
The Feast of Tabernacles is therefore not simply the last feast on Israel’s calendar. It points to the fullness God purposed before the foundation of the world.
The Feast of Tabernacles Begins Before Genesis
When we begin before the foundation of the world, the Feast of Tabernacles takes on a greater significance.
It is no longer viewed merely as an Old Testament feast.
It becomes the revelation of God’s eternal purpose.
The God who chose His people before the foundation of the world also purposed their ultimate maturity before the foundation of the world.
The God who gave grace before time began also purposed the fullness of Christ before time began.
The Feast of Tabernacles therefore points beyond history to the fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose in Christ.
This is where our study begins—not with Moses, not with Sinai, and not even with Genesis—but in the eternal counsel of God before the foundation of the world, where the Feast of Tabernacles was already present in His purpose long before it was revealed in history.
Chapter 2
ACCORDING TO HIS ETERNAL PURPOSE
God’s Purpose Was Purposed in Christ
Scripture
Ephesians 3:9–11 (KJV)
“And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
God’s Eternal Purpose Is the Foundation of the Feast of Tabernacles
Paul does not speak of an earthly purpose. He speaks of His eternal purpose.
The Feast of Tabernacles cannot be understood apart from that eternal purpose. Long before Israel celebrated the feast, long before Moses received the Law, and long before the tabernacle stood in the wilderness, God had already purposed His end in Christ.
The Feast of Tabernacles is not merely a feast of history.
The Feast of Tabernacles is the unveiling of God’s eternal purpose.
God first purposed it.
Then He progressively revealed it.
Finally, He brings it to its appointed fulfillment.
God Works According to His Own Counsel
Scripture
Ephesians 1:11 (KJV)
“In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.”
God Is Not Discovering His Plan
History is not directing God.
God is directing history.
Paul declares that God works all things after the counsel of His own will. Every covenant, every feast, every priesthood, and every administration serves the purpose He established before the foundation of the world.
The Feast of Tabernacles is therefore not an isolated doctrine. It belongs to one continuous purpose that stretches from eternity past to the consummation of the ages.
God Declares the End from the Beginning
Scripture
Isaiah 46:9–10 (KJV)
“Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.”
The End Was Already in God’s Heart
God did not wait until the end to determine the end.
He declared the end from the beginning.
That means the fullness revealed in the Feast of Tabernacles was already in His heart before history unfolded.
Passover was not the end.
Pentecost was not the end.
The Feast of Tabernacles reveals the goal toward which God’s eternal purpose has always been moving.
Known Unto God Are All His Works
Scripture
Acts 15:18 (KJV)
“Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.”
Nothing Takes God by Surprise
God never adjusts His eternal purpose because circumstances change.
He already knows the work He intends to accomplish.
He knows the beginning.
He knows the middle.
He knows the consummation.
The Feast of Tabernacles stands within that unchanging purpose as the revelation of the fullness God determined before creation itself.
Every Administration Serves One Eternal Purpose
Scripture
Hebrews 1:1–2 (KJV)
“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son…”
Different Administrations—One Purpose
Throughout Scripture, God speaks through different administrations.
He speaks through patriarchs.
He speaks through Moses.
He speaks through the prophets.
He speaks through Christ.
Yet behind every administration stands one eternal purpose.
The administrations change.
The purpose does not.
The priesthood changes.
The purpose does not.
The covenants unfold progressively.
The purpose remains fixed in Christ.
The Feast of Tabernacles belongs to that same unfolding revelation.
God’s Eternal Purpose Leads to Fullness
The Feast of Tabernacles reveals far more than Israel’s final feast.
It reveals the destination of God’s eternal purpose.
The same God who chose His people before the foundation of the world also determined their maturity before the foundation of the world.
The same God who established His purpose before time now unfolds that purpose through the ages until everything reaches its appointed fulfillment in Christ.
When viewed through this lens, the Feast of Tabernacles becomes more than an Old Testament celebration.
It becomes the revelation of God’s eternal purpose moving toward its fullness, according to the counsel of His own will.
Chapter 3
THE THREE FEASTS WERE HIDDEN IN GOD’S ETERNAL COUNSEL
God’s Eternal Purpose Unfolds Through Three Feasts
Scripture
Leviticus 23:1–2 (KJV)
“And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.”
The Feasts Belong to God
The Scriptures never call them the feasts of Israel.
They are the feasts of the Lord.
Before they were celebrated by Israel, they belonged to God.
Before they were observed in time, they were established in His eternal purpose.
The Feast of Tabernacles therefore did not originate in the wilderness. It was revealed there, but it was purposed before the foundation of the world.
The feasts reveal God’s mind.
The feasts reveal God’s order.
The feasts reveal God’s eternal purpose unfolding through the ages.
Three Feasts—One Eternal Purpose
Scripture
Exodus 23:14–17 (KJV)
“Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year…”
God Revealed One Purpose Through Three Appointed Times
The three major feasts are not three unrelated events.
They reveal one continuous purpose.
Passover reveals the beginning.
Pentecost reveals preparation.
The Feast of Tabernacles reveals fullness.
God does not move from one purpose to another.
He progressively reveals the same eternal purpose until it reaches its appointed fulfillment.
Passover Reveals Redemption
Scripture
1 Corinthians 5:7 (KJV)
“For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.”
The Lamb Opens the Way
Passover reveals redemption through the Lamb.
Forgiveness.
Deliverance.
A new beginning.
But redemption is not the final destination.
Passover begins the journey.
It prepares the way for everything God determined before the foundation of the world.
Pentecost Reveals Preparation
Scripture
Acts 2:1–4 (KJV)
“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come…”
Pentecost Prepares a People
The Holy Spirit is poured out.
The Church is empowered.
Ministry begins.
The gifts are given.
The Body is edified.
Pentecost is glorious.
But Pentecost is not presented as the consummation of God’s eternal purpose.
Pentecost prepares a people for the fullness revealed in the Feast of Tabernacles.
The Feast of Tabernacles Reveals Fullness
Scripture
John 7:2
“Now the Jews’ feast of tabernacles was at hand.”
Scripture
John 1:14
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us…”
God Dwelling With His People
Throughout Scripture, the Feast of Tabernacles points toward God’s dwelling with His people.
It speaks of harvest.
It speaks of completion.
It speaks of fullness.
It speaks of God’s presence.
Within the theological framework of this study, the Feast of Tabernacles reveals the fullness of God’s eternal purpose moving toward its appointed consummation.
The Pattern Was Established Before the Foundation of the World
Scripture
Ephesians 1:10
“That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ…”
The Feasts Reveal the Plan of the Ages
When viewed separately, the feasts appear to be annual celebrations.
When viewed together, they reveal the unfolding of God’s eternal purpose.
Passover.
Pentecost.
The Feast of Tabernacles.
Redemption.
Preparation.
Fullness.
The same God who established His purpose before the foundation of the world also established the order by which that purpose would unfold.
Nothing is accidental.
Every feast points to Christ.
Every feast reveals another stage of God’s eternal purpose.
Every feast moves toward the fullness revealed in the Feast of Tabernacles.
The Feast of Tabernacles Was Hidden in God’s Eternal Counsel
The Feast of Tabernacles is not an isolated doctrine.
It is the final movement in a pattern God established before creation itself.
Before Adam was formed…
Before Israel was chosen…
Before Moses received the Law…
God had already determined the end from the beginning.
The three feasts reveal one divine pattern.
Passover reveals the Lamb.
Pentecost prepares the people.
The Feast of Tabernacles reveals the fullness toward which God’s eternal purpose has always been moving.
Only when we see the three feasts together do we begin to understand the beauty and harmony of God’s eternal purpose established before the foundation of the world.
Chapter 4
THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES WAS ALWAYS THE GOAL
God Begins With the End in View
Scripture
Isaiah 46:9–10 (KJV)
“Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.”
The End Was Established Before the Beginning
God never begins a work without first determining its completion.
Before creation, He declared the end.
Before Adam, He knew Christ.
Before the first feast was celebrated, He had already purposed the Feast of Tabernacles.
The Feast of Tabernacles is not simply the last feast on Israel’s calendar. It reveals the goal toward which God’s eternal purpose has always been moving.
Christ Is the Beginning and the End
Scripture
Revelation 1:8 (KJV)
“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord…”
Scripture
Revelation 22:13 (KJV)
“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.”
The Goal Has Always Been Christ
Everything begins in Christ.
Everything continues through Christ.
Everything reaches its fulfillment in Christ.
The Feast of Tabernacles does not point merely to a celebration.
It points to the fullness of Christ.
From the beginning, God was moving toward the revelation of His Son in fullness.
From Seed to Full Corn in the Ear
Scripture
Mark 4:28–29 (KJV)
“For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.”
God Always Works by Divine Order
The Kingdom develops according to God’s order.
First the blade.
Then the ear.
Then the full corn in the ear.
The Feast of Tabernacles reveals the full corn in the ear.
Passover reveals the beginning.
Pentecost reveals growth and preparation.
The Feast of Tabernacles reveals fullness.
God never intended His people to remain at the blade.
His purpose was always maturity.
From Thirtyfold to One Hundredfold
Scripture
Matthew 13:23 (KJV)
“…which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
God’s Purpose Is Fruitfulness
The Lord reveals increasing measures of fruitfulness.
Thirtyfold.
Sixtyfold.
One hundredfold.
The Feast of Tabernacles reveals the fullness toward which those earlier measures point.
God’s eternal purpose is not stagnation but increase.
He brings His people from glory to glory until His purpose reaches its appointed fullness.
God Prepared the Fullness Before the Beginning
Scripture
Colossians 1:19 (KJV)
“For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell.”
Fullness Was Always the Father’s Pleasure
The Father did not discover fullness.
It pleased Him from the beginning.
The Feast of Tabernacles reveals that fullness moving from purpose to manifestation.
What God purposed before the foundation of the world, He now unfolds through the ages until His fullness is revealed in Christ.
The Feast of Tabernacles Reveals God’s Intended End
The Feast of Tabernacles is the culmination of the divine pattern revealed through the three feasts.
Passover begins redemption.
Pentecost prepares the people.
The Feast of Tabernacles reveals the goal that God established before the foundation of the world.
When we understand the Feast of Tabernacles through God’s eternal purpose, we no longer see it as merely Israel’s final feast.
We see it as the revelation of the fullness God intended from the very beginning.
The God who declared the end from the beginning now brings His purpose to its appointed fulfillment, revealing in Christ the fullness that was hidden in His heart before the foundation of the world.
Chapter 5
PREPARING A MATURE PEOPLE
God Is Building According to His Eternal Purpose
Scripture
Ephesians 2:10 (KJV)
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
We Are God’s Workmanship
The Feast of Tabernacles does not begin with man’s effort.
It begins with God’s workmanship.
Paul declares that we are His workmanship. We are not building ourselves. We are being fashioned by the Master Builder according to the eternal purpose He established before the foundation of the world.
The Feast of Tabernacles reveals the completion of that workmanship.
What God purposed before time, He forms through time until Christ is fully revealed in His people.
The Master Builder Never Lost the Blueprint
Scripture
1 Corinthians 3:9–11 (KJV)
“For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.
According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder…
For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
Christ Is the Foundation
Every building begins with a foundation.
The Father laid only one foundation—His Son.
Every administration builds upon Christ.
Every ministry builds upon Christ.
Every stage of the Feast of Tabernacles rests upon Christ.
The Master Builder has never changed His blueprint because His eternal purpose has never changed.
The Potter Is Forming the Vessel
Scripture
Isaiah 64:8 (KJV)
“But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.”
Scripture
Jeremiah 18:3–6 (KJV)
“…as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand…”
God Is Forming a Mature Vessel
The clay does not determine its own design.
The potter already has the vision.
Before the foundation of the world, God knew the place and purpose of every member within His house.
Our calling is not to invent our identity.
Our calling is to yield to the Potter until His purpose is formed within us.
The Feast of Tabernacles reveals the completion of that divine workmanship.
Growing Into the Measure of Christ
Scripture
Ephesians 4:11–13 (KJV)
“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
For the perfecting of the saints…
Till we all come… unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.”
Preparation Precedes Fullness
The ministry gifts are given to prepare God’s people.
Preparation is not the destination.
Preparation leads toward maturity.
The Feast of Tabernacles reveals the fullness toward which this preparation has always been moving.
God prepares before He manifests.
He builds before He reveals.
He forms before He sends.
The Mature Woman Is Prepared
Scripture
Revelation 12:1–2 (KJV)
“And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun…
And she being with child cried, travailing in birth…”
God Prepares Before He Brings Forth
Throughout Scripture, God prepares before He reveals.
The woman is clothed.
She is prepared.
She matures.
Then she brings forth.
Within the theological framework of this study, the mature woman represents a people who have been prepared through God’s dealings until they are ready for the next stage of His eternal purpose.
Preparation always precedes manifestation.
God’s Purpose Is Maturity
The Feast of Tabernacles is not merely about a future celebration.
It reveals God’s purpose to bring His workmanship to maturity.
The Master Builder is completing His house.
The Potter is finishing His vessel.
The Father is preparing His family.
The ministry gifts are perfecting the saints.
The mature woman is being made ready.
Everything moves according to God’s eternal purpose established before the foundation of the world.
The Feast of Tabernacles therefore reveals not only God’s destination but also the divine process by which He prepares a people for the fullness of Christ.
Chapter 6
THE REVELATION OF THE MAN-CHILD
God Reveals Before He Entrusts
Scripture
Revelation 12:1–5 (KJV)
“And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
…
And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.”
Revelation Begins in the Spirit
John tells us there appeared “a great wonder in heaven.”
This vision is given in the realm of the Spirit. The Lord is unveiling a heavenly pattern that reveals His eternal purpose.
The Feast of Tabernacles cannot be understood by looking only at the natural feast. The Spirit must remove the veil and reveal the heavenly reality toward which the feast points.
Throughout this study, we have seen God’s eternal purpose before the foundation of the world, the unfolding of that purpose through the three feasts, and the preparation of a mature people. Now the Scriptures reveal a prepared people bringing forth according to God’s appointed order.
The Woman Is Prepared Before the Birth
Scripture
Ephesians 5:25–27 (KJV)
“Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
That he might sanctify and cleanse it…
That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing…”
God Always Prepares Before He Reveals
Throughout Scripture, God prepares before He manifests.
He prepared Noah before the flood.
He prepared Moses before the Exodus.
He prepared David before the throne.
He prepared the disciples before Pentecost.
Preparation always precedes manifestation.
Within the theological framework of this study, the woman of Revelation 12 is presented as a prepared people brought to maturity through the dealings of God before the birth of the man-child.
The Feast of Tabernacles reveals the completion of that preparation.
Every Birth Fulfills a Purpose
Scripture
Isaiah 66:8 (KJV)
“Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.”
God Gives Birth According to Divine Order
The Lord does nothing randomly.
Birth follows preparation.
Harvest follows planting.
Fullness follows growth.
The Feast of Tabernacles follows the same divine order.
God brings forth according to His eternal purpose.
Firstfruits Always Come Before the Harvest
Scripture
1 Corinthians 15:23 (KJV)
“But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.”
God Works According to Order
Paul declares that every work of God unfolds according to divine order.
Firstfruits.
Then harvest.
The firstfruits are never the entire harvest.
They become the guarantee that the harvest has begun.
This principle appears throughout the Scriptures and provides an important key for understanding the Feast of Tabernacles within the theological framework of this study.
God reveals the first before He gathers the many.
The Throne Reveals the Calling
Scripture
Revelation 12:5 (KJV)
“…and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.”
The Throne Speaks of Divine Administration
The first reference after the birth is the throne.
The throne speaks of God’s government.
The throne speaks of His authority.
The throne speaks of His administration.
Throughout this book we have seen that God established His purpose before the foundation of the world. Here, the vision moves from preparation to administration.
The Feast of Tabernacles is not merely about personal blessing.
It reveals God’s purpose advancing through a people prepared for His service.
From Preparation to Manifestation
Everything in the previous chapters has been leading to this moment.
God established His eternal purpose before the foundation of the world.
He revealed that purpose through the three feasts.
He prepared a mature people according to His workmanship.
Now, in the pattern presented in Revelation 12 and throughout this study, preparation gives way to manifestation.
The manifestation is not presented as the end of God’s eternal purpose.
It is the beginning of a new administration.
The firstfruits become the guarantee that the harvest has begun.
The following chapters will explore the sign associated with the Feast of Tabernacles, the change of priesthood, the ministry of the firstfruits, and the consummation of God’s eternal purpose, bringing together the unfolding pattern revealed from before the foundation of the world to the fullness of God’s purpose in Christ.
Chapter 7
THE SIGN THAT THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES HAS FULLY COME
Looking for the Right Sign
Scripture
Romans 8:19–23 (KJV)
“For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.”
The Sign Is Not Found in the Earth First
Throughout history, God’s people have often looked for signs in the natural world.
They have searched the nations.
They have searched political systems.
They have searched wars, kingdoms, economies, and earthly events.
Yet Paul directs our attention somewhere entirely different.
He points to the manifestation of the sons of God.
He points to the redemption of the body.
Within the theological framework of this study, the Feast of Tabernacles reaches its appointed sign when God’s eternal purpose is manifested in a prepared people.
The sign is not merely something happening around God’s people.
The sign is something God accomplishes within His people.
John Saw the Sign in Heaven
Scripture
Revelation 1:10
“I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day…”
Scripture
Revelation 12:1
“And there appeared a great wonder in heaven…”
The Spirit Reveals the True Sign
John is not occupied with earthly appearances.
He is in the Spirit.
The vision is heavenly before it is earthly.
The Lord removes the veil and reveals His purpose from Heaven’s perspective.
Throughout this study, the Feast of Tabernacles has been understood by looking beyond the shadow to the substance.
The earthly feast was real.
The spiritual fulfillment is greater.
The sign is revealed by the Spirit.
The Redemption of the Body
Scripture
Philippians 3:20–21 (KJV)
“For our conversation is in heaven…
Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body…”
God’s Work Reaches the Whole Man
Redemption does not stop with forgiveness.
God’s eternal purpose embraces the whole man.
Spirit.
Soul.
Body.
The Feast of Tabernacles points toward the completion of God’s workmanship.
The redemption of the body stands as the sign identified by Paul in Romans 8 within the theological framework developed throughout this book.
Firstfruits Appear Before the Harvest
Scripture
James 1:18 (KJV)
“Of his own will begat he us… that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”
Scripture
1 Corinthians 15:23 (KJV)
“But every man in his own order…”
God’s Order Never Changes
The appearance of the firstfruits does not mean the entire harvest has been gathered.
God always works according to order.
Firstfruits.
Then harvest.
Within the theological framework of this study, when the Feast of Tabernacles fully comes, the firstfruits company manifests first.
Their manifestation becomes the guarantee that the remainder of the harvest will follow according to God’s appointed order.
The Sign Announces a New Administration
Scripture
Hebrews 7:16 (KJV)
“Who is made… after the power of an endless life.”
The Sign Reveals More Than a People
The sign announces a transition.
A new administration begins.
A new order of ministry appears.
A new measure of life is revealed.
The Feast of Tabernacles marks not merely the completion of preparation but the beginning of a ministry flowing according to the power of an endless life, as understood within the framework of this study.
The Feast of Tabernacles Has Fully Come
The question is not merely whether the Feast of Tabernacles exists in Scripture.
The question is:
How will we know when its appointed fulfillment has arrived?
Paul gives the sign.
Creation waits.
The sons groan.
The Spirit intercedes.
The firstfruits appear.
The redemption of the body is revealed.
Within the theological framework presented in this book, this becomes the biblical sign that the Feast of Tabernacles has fully come.
The manifestation of the firstfruits is not the end of God’s eternal purpose.
It is the beginning of the final administration through which God’s purpose continues toward its appointed consummation.
Chapter 8
THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD AND THE POWER OF AN ENDLESS LIFE
A Change of Priesthood
Scripture
Hebrews 7:11–12 (KJV)
“If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood…
what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec…
For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.”
God Changes Administrations According to His Eternal Purpose
Throughout Scripture, God administers His purpose through different priesthoods.
Each priesthood is given a specific ministry.
Each ministry fulfills a specific purpose.
The Levitical priesthood served faithfully within its appointed administration.
The fivefold ministry serves faithfully within its appointed administration.
Within the theological framework of this study, the Feast of Tabernacles reveals another administration associated with the order of Melchizedek.
The change is not because God altered His eternal purpose.
The change occurs because His eternal purpose continues to unfold.
After the Power of an Endless Life
Scripture
Hebrews 7:15–17 (KJV)
“And it is yet far more evident…
Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.
For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.”
The Distinction Is Life
The distinguishing characteristic of this priesthood is not genealogy.
It is life.
Not temporary life.
Endless life.
The writer of Hebrews points away from earthly succession toward an order established in everlasting life.
Within the framework of this study, this becomes an important key for understanding the Feast of Tabernacles.
The ministry corresponds to the life it possesses.
Death Limited Previous Administrations
Scripture
Hebrews 7:23–25 (KJV)
“And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:
But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.”
Death Interrupted the Ministry
The Levitical priests were faithful.
Yet death continually interrupted their ministry.
One priest ministered.
Then another.
Then another.
Their work continued through succession because mortality remained.
Within the theological framework developed in this book, the contrast in Hebrews emphasizes a priesthood characterized by continuance rather than interruption.
The power of an endless life becomes the defining characteristic of that order.
Every Ministry Has Its Measure
Scripture
Ephesians 4:11–13 (KJV)
“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
For the perfecting of the saints…
Unto a perfect man…”
Preparation and Fullness
The fivefold ministry prepares.
It equips.
It edifies.
It perfects.
It brings the Body toward maturity.
Preparation is its God-given ministry.
Within the theological framework of this study, the ministry associated with the Feast of Tabernacles is presented as flowing from fullness rather than preparation.
The distinction is one of administration and purpose.
Each ministry serves according to the measure God has appointed.
No Man Gives Away What He Does Not Possess
Scripture
John 1:16 (KJV)
“And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.”
Ministry Flows From Possession
Throughout Scripture, ministry flows from what has first been received.
No man imparts what he has not received.
No man ministers beyond the measure entrusted to him.
The greater the measure of life, the greater the capacity for ministry.
Within the theological framework of this study, the ministry associated with the Feast of Tabernacles ministers from the fullness it has received in Christ.
The Nations Shall Come
Scripture
Isaiah 2:2–3 (KJV)
“And it shall come to pass in the last days…
And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord…
and he will teach us of his ways…”
A Ministry That Reveals Christ
The nations do not merely come to hear information.
They come to learn the ways of the Lord.
The purpose is not simply instruction.
It is transformation.
Within the theological framework of this study, the Feast of Tabernacles points toward a ministry that reveals Christ not only through proclamation but through the visible expression of His life.
The testimony becomes both word and witness.
Doctrine and demonstration.
Truth and life.
The Feast of Tabernacles Reveals a New Administration
The Feast of Tabernacles does not merely conclude the story of preparation.
It begins a new administration.
The sign has appeared.
The firstfruits have been revealed.
The priesthood has changed.
The ministry now flows according to the power of an endless life as presented in Hebrews.
This ministry does not exist for itself.
It exists for the nations.
Its calling is to reveal Christ.
Its purpose is to minister the life it has received.
Its commission is to serve God’s eternal purpose until all things move toward their appointed fulfillment in Christ.
The next chapter will examine why the firstfruits are the beginning of the harvest rather than its completion, and how God’s order unfolds from the firstfruits to the reconciliation of all things according to His eternal purpose.
Chapter 9
THE FIRSTFRUITS AND THE HARVEST
Every Man in His Own Order
Scripture
1 Corinthians 15:20–23 (KJV)
“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s…”
God Always Works According to Divine Order
One of the great principles found throughout Scripture is that God works according to order.
Paul does not say everyone enters the same experience at the same moment.
He says, “Every man in his own order.”
The Feast of Tabernacles reveals this same divine pattern.
The firstfruits appear first.
Then the harvest follows.
God’s eternal purpose unfolds according to His appointed order.
Firstfruits Are the Guarantee of the Harvest
Scripture
James 1:18 (KJV)
“Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”
Scripture
Romans 8:23 (KJV)
“And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit…”
God Reveals the Beginning Before the Completion
Throughout the Scriptures, firstfruits never represent the entire harvest.
Firstfruits announce that the harvest has begun.
They become God’s guarantee that the remainder will follow.
Within the theological framework of this study, when the Feast of Tabernacles fully comes, the firstfruits company manifests first.
Their manifestation is not the completion of God’s eternal purpose.
It is the beginning of the final harvest.
Zion Becomes the Beginning of the Harvest
Scripture
Hebrews 12:22–24 (KJV)
“But ye are come unto mount Sion… unto the city of the living God…”
Scripture
Revelation 14:1 (KJV)
“And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand…”
God Begins With a Firstfruits Company
Throughout Scripture, Zion is presented as the place where God establishes His government and reveals His purpose.
Within the theological framework of this study, the firstfruits stand with the Lamb upon Mount Zion.
They become the beginning of God’s final administration.
The nations have not yet fully entered the harvest.
But the harvest has unquestionably begun.
The Nations Shall Come and Learn
Scripture
Isaiah 2:2–3 (KJV)
“And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord…
and he will teach us of his ways…”
The Harvest Continues
The firstfruits are never separated from the nations.
They minister to the nations.
They reveal Christ to the nations.
They teach the ways of the Lord.
Within the theological framework of this study, the ministry of the firstfruits exists so that the remainder of creation may continue moving toward God’s eternal purpose.
The firstfruits are not the destination.
They become the servants of God’s continuing harvest.
Ministry Flows From Fullness
Scripture
John 7:37–38 (KJV)
“If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
He that believeth on me… out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
You Can Only Give Away What You Possess
Throughout God’s Word, ministry always flows out of life.
The greater the measure of life received, the greater the capacity to minister.
No one can impart what he has not first received.
Within the theological framework of this study, the firstfruits minister from the fullness God has accomplished in them.
Their ministry becomes a river flowing outward to the nations.
The Harvest Moves Toward God’s Eternal Purpose
Scripture
Colossians 1:19–20 (KJV)
“For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself…”
The Firstfruits Point Beyond Themselves
The firstfruits are never the final goal.
They point toward something greater.
They announce that God’s harvest has begun.
The Feast of Tabernacles therefore reveals both a beginning and a promise.
The beginning is the manifestation of the firstfruits.
The promise is the continued reconciliation of all things according to God’s eternal purpose.
The firstfruits become the living testimony that what God purposed before the foundation of the world is now unfolding according to His divine order.
The final chapter will bring together Ephesians 1:10 and 1 Corinthians 15:28, showing how God’s eternal purpose moves from the firstfruits to the gathering together of all things in Christ until God is all in all.
Chapter 10
THE CONSUMMATION OF GOD’S ETERNAL PURPOSE
The Dispensation of the Fullness of Times
Scripture
Ephesians 1:9–10 (KJV)
“Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.”
God’s Eternal Purpose Reaches Its Appointed Fulfillment
The Feast of Tabernacles does not conclude with the manifestation of the firstfruits.
The firstfruits begin the final administration.
Paul declares that there is a dispensation of the fullness of times.
This is not merely another age.
It is the administration in which God’s eternal purpose moves toward its appointed fulfillment.
The purpose established before the foundation of the world now unfolds in its greatest expression.
The Feast of Tabernacles reveals not only fullness, but the administration of that fullness.
Every Administration Has Its Own Mandate
Scripture
Hebrews 7:23–25 (KJV)
“And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:
But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.
Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him…”
Ministry Follows the Measure of Life
Throughout Scripture, every administration receives a different commission.
The Levitical priesthood ministered according to its measure.
The fivefold ministry prepares the saints according to its measure.
Within the theological framework of this study, the ministry associated with the Feast of Tabernacles ministers according to the power of an endless life.
Death no longer interrupts its ministry.
Its administration continues.
Its ministry flows without interruption because its life flows from Christ.
The Nations Come to Learn His Ways
Scripture
Isaiah 2:2–3 (KJV)
“And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord…
and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths…”
The Harvest Continues
The firstfruits do not exist for themselves.
They exist for the nations.
The ministry of the Feast of Tabernacles is not one of isolation.
It is one of reconciliation.
The nations come.
The peoples learn.
The knowledge of the Lord increases.
God’s eternal purpose continues moving outward until His glory fills the earth.
The Earth Shall Be Filled With His Glory
Scripture
Habakkuk 2:14 (KJV)
“For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.”
Scripture
Isaiah 11:9 (KJV)
“For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.”
God’s Purpose Was Never Limited to a Few
The firstfruits are the beginning.
The nations are the harvest.
God’s eternal purpose has always embraced the whole creation.
The Feast of Tabernacles points toward the progressive filling of the earth with the knowledge of His glory.
The administration continues until God’s purpose reaches its appointed fulfillment.
God All in All
Scripture
1 Corinthians 15:24–28 (KJV)
“Then cometh the end…
For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet…
And when all things shall be subdued unto him…
that God may be all in all.”
The End Reveals the Beginning
Paul now carries us to the consummation.
The same God who purposed all things before the foundation of the world now brings those purposes to completion.
Everything moves toward one glorious conclusion.
God all in all.
The Feast of Tabernacles reveals not merely a feast.
It reveals God’s eternal purpose reaching its appointed fulfillment.
The Purpose Established Before the Foundation of the World
Scripture
Romans 11:36 (KJV)
“For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.”
The Circle Is Complete
This study began before the foundation of the world.
It ends with the fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose.
Before creation…
God purposed Christ.
Throughout history…
God revealed Christ.
Through Passover…
He revealed redemption.
Through Pentecost…
He prepared a people.
Through the Feast of Tabernacles…
He revealed the fullness of His purpose according to the theological framework presented in this study.
The firstfruits stand as the guarantee that the harvest has begun.
The nations continue to come and learn His ways.
The knowledge of the Lord fills the earth.
All things are gathered together in Christ.
Every administration fulfills its appointed work.
Every purpose reaches its appointed end.
The God who declared the end from the beginning completes exactly what He purposed before the foundation of the world.
The Feast of Tabernacles therefore reveals the consummation of God’s eternal purpose—a purpose established before time, revealed through the ages, centered in Christ, and moving toward the day when all things are gathered together in Him, until, as the apostle declares,
“God may be all in all.”
Conclusion
THE END WAS ESTABLISHED BEFORE THE BEGINNING
Scripture
Ephesians 1:9–10 (KJV)
“Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ…”
Scripture
1 Corinthians 15:28 (KJV)
“And when all things shall be subdued unto him… that God may be all in all.”
The Feast of Tabernacles Reveals God’s Eternal Purpose
This study began before the foundation of the world because that is where God began.
Before Adam.
Before Israel.
Before Moses.
Before the Law.
Before the feasts were ever observed upon the earth.
God had already established His eternal purpose in Christ.
The Feast of Tabernacles is not an isolated doctrine, nor is it merely the final feast in Israel’s calendar. It is the revelation of the fullness of God’s eternal purpose unfolding according to the counsel of His own will.
Throughout these chapters, we have followed one divine pattern.
Before the foundation of the world…
God purposed all things in Christ.
Through Passover…
He revealed redemption through the Lamb.
Through Pentecost…
He prepared a people by His Spirit.
Through the Feast of Tabernacles…
He reveals the fullness toward which His eternal purpose has always been moving.
Every Administration Has Its Purpose
Scripture
Hebrews 1:1–2 (KJV)
“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son.”
God has always worked through divine administrations.
Each administration has fulfilled its appointed purpose.
Each priesthood has served its appointed season.
Each ministry has been entrusted with a specific measure of grace.
Yet behind every administration stands one unchanging purpose—the eternal purpose established before the foundation of the world.
God never changed His destination.
He simply unfolded His purpose one revelation at a time.
The Firstfruits Announce the Harvest
Scripture
1 Corinthians 15:23 (KJV)
“But every man in his own order…”
God always works according to divine order.
The firstfruits are never the entire harvest.
They are God’s declaration that the harvest has begun.
The Feast of Tabernacles reveals not merely the blessing of the firstfruits but the beginning of God’s final harvest according to the theological framework presented throughout this study.
The nations remain in view.
The earth remains in view.
The glory of the Lord continues to increase until His purpose reaches its appointed fulfillment.
The End Reveals the Beginning
Scripture
Isaiah 46:9–10 (KJV)
“Declaring the end from the beginning… My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.”
The God who declared the end from the beginning has never failed.
Everything He purposed before the foundation of the world moves toward its appointed fulfillment.
His counsel stands.
His pleasure shall be accomplished.
His purpose shall prevail.
The Feast of Tabernacles therefore reveals not simply the conclusion of Israel’s feast days, but the unveiling of God’s eternal purpose moving toward its glorious consummation in Christ.
Lift Up Your Eyes
The Scriptures invite us to lift our eyes beyond shadows and behold the substance.
Beyond the letter…
to the Spirit.
Beyond the pattern…
to Christ.
Beyond the type…
to the fulfillment.
Beyond the beginning…
to the end God saw before the beginning.
May every reader be encouraged to search the Scriptures, to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and to behold more clearly the beauty of God’s eternal purpose revealed in Jesus Christ.
For from Him…
Through Him…
And unto Him…
Are all things.
To Him be glory throughout all ages.
Amen.
Scripture References
Chapter 1 — Before the Foundation of the World
- Ephesians 1:3–14
- 2 Timothy 1:8–10
- Titus 1:1–3
- 1 Peter 1:18–20
- Acts 15:18
- Isaiah 46:9–10
- John 17:5
- Revelation 13:8
- Romans 8:28–30
- Ephesians 3:11
Chapter 2 — According to His Eternal Purpose
- Ephesians 3:8–11
- Ephesians 1:9–11
- Acts 15:18
- Isaiah 46:9–10
- Romans 8:28–30
- Hebrews 1:1–3
- Colossians 1:15–20
- Romans 11:33–36
Chapter 3 — The Three Feasts Were Hidden in God’s Eternal Counsel
- Leviticus 23
- Exodus 23:14–17
- Deuteronomy 16:16
- 1 Corinthians 5:7
- Acts 2:1–4
- John 7:2
- John 7:37–39
- Ephesians 1:10
- Colossians 2:16–17
- Hebrews 10:1
Chapter 4 — The Feast of Tabernacles Was Always the Goal
- Isaiah 46:9–10
- Revelation 1:8
- Revelation 22:13
- Mark 4:26–29
- Matthew 13:23
- Colossians 1:19
- Ephesians 4:13
- Romans 8:29
- 2 Corinthians 3:18
Chapter 5 — Preparing a Mature People
- Ephesians 2:10
- 1 Corinthians 3:9–11
- Isaiah 64:8
- Jeremiah 18:1–6
- Ephesians 4:11–16
- Revelation 12:1–2
- Philippians 1:6
- Romans 8:28–29
- Hebrews 12:22–23
Chapter 6 — The Revelation of the Man-Child
- Revelation 12:1–5
- Ephesians 5:25–27
- Isaiah 66:7–8
- 1 Corinthians 15:20–23
- Revelation 12:5
- Psalm 2:7–9
- Romans 8:19
- Galatians 4:19
Chapter 7 — The Sign That the Feast of Tabernacles Has Fully Come
- Romans 8:19–23
- Philippians 3:20–21
- 1 Corinthians 15:51–54
- Revelation 1:10
- Revelation 12:1
- James 1:18
- Hebrews 7:16
- 2 Corinthians 3:6–18
- Romans 8:11
Chapter 8 — The Melchizedek Priesthood and the Power of an Endless Life
- Hebrews 5:5–10
- Hebrews 6:19–20
- Hebrews 7:1–28
- Psalm 110:1–4
- Ephesians 4:11–13
- John 1:16
- Isaiah 2:2–4
- Micah 4:1–2
- Hebrews 12:22–24
Chapter 9 — The Firstfruits and the Harvest
- 1 Corinthians 15:20–28
- James 1:18
- Romans 8:23
- Revelation 14:1–5
- Hebrews 12:22–24
- Isaiah 2:2–4
- John 7:37–39
- Colossians 1:19–20
- Acts 3:19–21
Chapter 10 — The Consummation of God’s Eternal Purpose
- Ephesians 1:9–10
- Hebrews 7:23–28
- Isaiah 2:2–4
- Habakkuk 2:14
- Isaiah 11:9
- 1 Corinthians 15:24–28
- Romans 11:36
- Colossians 1:15–20
- Revelation 21:1–5
- Revelation 22:1–5
Conclusion
- Ephesians 1:9–10
- 1 Corinthians 15:28
- Hebrews 1:1–3
- 1 Corinthians 15:23
- Isaiah 46:9–10
- Romans 11:36
- Colossians 1:15–20
- Revelation 21:1–5
- Revelation 22:1–5
The Feast of Tabernacles Series
- THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES — THE FEAST OF FULLNESS
- THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES — What Is the Vision of Tabernacles?
- THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES: The Day That the Feast of Tabernacles Fully Comes
- THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES: The Redemption of the Body
- THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES: The Groaning of the Sons of God, the Full Adoption, and the Redemption of the Body
- THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES: The Mature Woman and the Birth of the Man-Child