Eight Days After Jesus Was Born...
Its significance and meaning...
This is the seventh and final post of Celebration of the Birth of Christ, which is Chapter 7 of the book Friends With God.
“…His name was called Jesus…”
As we have seen in the Third Post, it is very likely that Jesus was born on the first day of the seven day long Feast of Tabernacles. Immediately following this seven day festival is the eighth and final festival of the year, which is simply called “the Eighth day”. (Lev 23:39)
In this post we address the events that occurred eight days after Jesus was born, and the significance of this day in which he was named.
The festival of the Eighth Day is a bit of a mystery, as no meaning or event is ever recorded about it in scripture, although, there seems to be a reference to it in the New Testament, where it’s called the last day, that great day of the feast. (John 7:37) Therefore, many Christians call it the “Last Great Day of the Feast of Tabernacles”. Yet it’s actually a separate festival, as Tabernacles is only seven days long. (Lev 23:33-42)
A better translation of John 7:37, would therefore be “the last day, that great feast day”, which would make more sense.
The 1,000 Year Reign Of Christ
The seven-day Feast of Tabernacles is seen by many Christians as representing the thousand-year rule of Christ. (Rev 20:4) If we therefore follow the chronological timeline of Revelation, then the Last Great Day would occur immediately following the thousand-year rule of Christ. In Revelation we see that this is when everything is made anew, and is also very different:
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: because the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. (Rev 21:1-4) (See also Rev 21:1-27, 22:1-5)
If, as scripture indicates, Jesus was born on the First Day of the Feast of Tabernacles, then he would have been circumcised and named when he was eight days old, on the Last Great Day:
And when eight days were fulfilled to circumcise the child, His name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. (Luke 2:21)
Throughout scripture the meaning of people’s names often signified what their role in life would be. Mary was told by Gabriel that the child’s name was to be Jesus, meaning “the Lord saves”, which also neatly summarizes his role on Earth as a physical human being. But it’s Isaiah who tells us what his future names shall be:
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:
and the government shall be upon his shoulder:
and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
(Isa 9:6-7)
Isaiah’s prophecy is about the final fulfilment of the Last Great Day, which will be the future naming day of Jesus, when all his incredible names will ultimately be realized!
As he was named on the Last Great Day, following the Feast of Tabernacles, then we can see that these names mentioned in Isaiah indicate his stupendous role in this future New Heaven and New Earth, which this day looks forward to!
This Last Great Day, being the naming day of the baby Jesus, therefore has a great and significant meaning for us to remember, celebrate and look forward to.
On this day the name of Jesus was first proclaimed to the world as the Saviour of mankind, but this Last Great Day is also looking forward to his future naming day, when his ultimate status in the Kingdom of God will be proclaimed throughout the eternal Kingdom of God, wherein the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end!
This is a future that his friends will also share, being one with God (John 17:21-23), so that they too shall reign with him as Kings and Priests forever and ever! (Rev1:6, 5:10)
Being One With God In Celebration Of His Plan For All Mankind
When we understand the timing of the births of Jesus and John the Baptist, two of the most important people who ever lived, it adds weight to why and how we celebrate all of God’s appointed Festivals, which are explained in the Third Post in this series.
This understanding about the timing of the birth of Christ also helps solve some puzzling scriptures. The apparent contradictions in Matthew and Luke surrounding Jesus’ birth are clarified, giving more appreciation for the truth of scripture.
We saw in the Fifth Post why Mary left Elizabeth just before the birth of John the Baptist, and when the Wise Men actually visited Jesus, which was not till about 18 months after his birth.
In the Fourth Post we saw why the shepherds were the best people to first learn the good news of the birth of Christ. The prophetic words spoken by the Angel Gabriel to Mary, and to Zechariah, also become more meaningful in the context of the Feast of Tabernacles.
In the Second Post we saw how Jesus demonstrated through his birth, death, and resurrection, the sequence of events that mankind would need to go through from being initially made in the image of God, to finally being made one with God. (Gen 1:26-27, John 17:21-23, 1Cor 15:20-23)
In becoming a mortal physical being, and then being resurrected to an immortal spiritual being, Jesus became our trail blazer to enable us as physical mortal beings to become one with God as the Spiritual sons of God. (Col 1:15-18, Rom 8:29-30, Heb 2:11-15)
This fact, that Jesus was born as a physical human being, provides a key link to understanding the purpose for the human race being created by God, and also why we, individually, are born in the image of God.
God’s Holy Days, Now And In The Future
The Festivals of God are today considered by many Christians as exclusively Jewish Holy Days. Yet scripture makes no such distinction, nor is there any directive for Christians to not commemorate these days.
As discussed in the First Post, these Holy Days were kept by the Apostles and Christ, and continued to be kept by the church after Jesus death and resurrection. (Matt 26:17, Mark 14:12-16, Luke 22:7-13, 1Cor 5:7-8, Acts 2:1-4, 18:21, 20:16) More detail is provided in Appendix 9: Historical Evidence For The Holy Days Being Kept by Christians, in the book Friends With God.
God chose these days to perform many significant events, recorded in both the Old and New Testaments, as explained in the Second Post in this series. God will also continue to do His marvellous works on His Holy Days long into the future.
Each of these God ordained festivals directly reflects multiple past and/or future monumental acts of Jesus Christ, and God the Father.
These great events will continue to be celebrated on God’s Holy Days, at the time when the Kingdom of God is established throughout the Earth, after Christ’s return. (Zec 14:16-20)
“…laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men…”
Celebration of Jesus’ birth, therefore, has great significance and purpose, but to do so on the wrong day, and to include many pagan elements, almost totally undermines the value of such celebrations, and serves to distort and make a mockery of the scriptures.
What we have seen in this series of posts will help us to not be deceived, as Jesus warned:
Take heed lest any man deceive you: For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. (Mark 13:5-6)
Don’t be led by other people into keeping holy days that God has not assigned, because they are not actually Holy to God, and we are therefore not showing love for God:
Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode (home) with him. (John 14:23)
When we keep his Holy Days, how and when he tells us, we are on the track to being one with God in his home, because we are keeping his words by resting on his days as he commands us to do.
And, as we have seen in this series of post these are the days that he has ordained for spelling out the many layered aspects of his great plan for all mankind.
We need to follow God, not just pretend to worship him:
This people honours Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. However, they worship Me in vain, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men… (Mark 7:6-8)
These Holy Days of God are recorded for commemoration, and for rejoicing in the great knowledge that God is in charge, and will ultimately fulfil his divine purpose for all mankind.
Will you walk with God, and rejoice with him on His Holy Days, or will you ignore His directives and go through the wide gate to destruction with many other people? (Matt 7:13-14)
God’s Word is not always easy to understand, and it was deliberately written to be so. One of the first scriptures used in this series of posts is:
It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter. (Prov 25:2)
If you think this series of posts has searched out this matter sufficiently, please consider joining the thousands of Christians around the world who celebrate all of God’s festivals, in spirit and in truth.
I don’t recommend any particular group of Holy Day keeping Christian Church, but recommend you search it out with prayer and diligence, as discussed in previous posts from Chapter 5 of Friends With God.