Page 2 - Master Plan Pt.1

GOD’S GREAT MASTER PLAN (Part 1 of 3)
[Originally from the Good News Magazine, May 1980, as prepared by Richard H. Sedliacik, edited by the Bible Fund editors]
God has a master plan by which He is bringing about the fruition of His awesome purpose for mankind. And his Son, Jesus Christ, plays the central role in God’s little-understood plan for man. God’s plan is outlined in the form of seven annual festivals, which Christians are to observe for a vital purpose.
Just as the weekly Sabbath pictures the Christian’s goal of entering into eternal “rest” as a glorified, Spirit-born member of God’s Family, these annual observances give the step-by-step overview of how God will work out His master plan for man. Each festival vividly portrays a great event in God’s plan, and the yearly observance of these special days further impresses the knowledge of His plan on God’s people, reminding them of their part in it.
It was not until just after the Israelites were delivered from Egypt that God revealed His annual festivals. Through Moses, God formally introduced these festivals to His nation Israel - His “Church in the wilderness” (Acts 7:38).
Since throughout most of human history man has been close to the soil in providing his sustenance, God originally used the yearly agricultural harvests of Israel as symbolic types of His spiritual “harvests” of mankind.
In the “promised land,” which came to be known as the land of Israel, there was a spring harvest followed by a must larger fall harvest. Today, we can understand from the teachings of Christ and the apostles that God intends the spring festivals to illustrate to His Church yearly, the fact that all of those He has called to become His Spirit-begotten children since Christ’s first coming are only the “first fruits” – only the relatively small beginning of His great spiritual harvest of human beings into His glorious Family.
Later, as pictured by the festivals of the much larger autumn harvest season, God will call the rest of the billions of humanity to salvation and sonship in His glorious Family!
A summary of these annual festivals is found in Leviticus the 23rd chapter. Let’s commence this three-part introductory study of God’s annual festivals and learn exactly what they signify for us today.
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