Scott Souder
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Pertaining to the Kingdom of God
After Jesus Christ’s resurrection, He explained to His disciples why events happened the way they did. That He had to suffer, die and rise from the dead on the third day. In the Book of Acts Luke records that He was seen by them for 40 days and spoke of things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. We’ll come back to that point in a few moments.
Do you like rainbows? Recently I was asked this question. Before I could reply the person asking the question stated everyone likes rainbows. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like rainbows. And these statements may be true. Many cultures appreciate and enjoy rainbows. Some cultures attach special energy or luck to seeing a rainbow. Others recognize that a rainbow is sign that a storm is over and blue skies will soon follow, in other words it represent that things will get better. Biblically speaking, a rainbow is a sign God gave to Noah that He would not again destroy all flesh by water. To some, this thought of Noah is old school. That it is considered the Noahic covenant and not applicable today.
At the Feast of Tabernacles we observe Holy Days commanded by God. In Leviticus 23:33-36 we read that they are to be kept on the 15th Day of the 7th month for 7 days. Again, some people might say this is old school, tThat the book of Leviticus is part of the Mosaic covenant. That Jesus Christ did away with it when He died for our sins. And yet Christ stated He did not come to do away with the Law and the Prophets, but to fulfill. We also find in Leviticus 23:43 that the Bible states “it shall be a statute forever in your generations”, in reference to God’s Sabbaths listed in the 23rd chapter of Leviticus.
Let’s look at Zechariah 14:16: “And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations… shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles”. This is a prophecy about the future and not yet fulfilled, not a reference to something historical that has already happened.
Now getting back to what Luke recorded in the first chapter of the book of Acts, let’s look at verse 3: “To whom He presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and spoke of things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.“ Things pertaining to the Kingdom of God was an important subject that Jesus Christ wanted to reiterate to His disciples. And the keeping of the Feast of Tabernacles helps us to focus and think about things pertaining to the future millennial reign of Jesus Christ and the soon coming Kingdom of God.
