In Numbers 29:12-38 we have the burnt offering for the feast of tabernacles. This feast lasted seven days, beginning from the fifteenth day of the seventh month. A holy convocation was held on the first day with no laborious work. The offerings, which typify different aspects of Christ, consisted of two rams and fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish and thirteen young bulls on the first day, reduced by one bull on each of the six succeeding days, with their meal offering and drink offerings, as a burnt offering. In addition, a male goat was offered as a sin offering. On the eighth day, which signifies resurrection, a solemn assembly was held. The offering on this day was the same as that offered at the beginning of the month, with the exception that one bull was offered instead of two young bulls.
The feasts of the blowing of trumpets, propitiation, and tabernacles all took place within a brief period of time in the seventh month. The fulfillment of these feasts will take place nearly at the same time. The feast of the blowing of trumpets will be fulfilled at Christ's coming back (Matt. 24:31), when God will call the Jews together from their dispersion back to the land of their fathers. The feast of propitiation will be fulfilled on the day of Israel's return to God, after they have been gathered back to their fathers' land (Rom. 11:26-27; Zech. 12:10-14). The Jews will afflict themselves by praying, fasting, and repenting. Then God will forgive them, and the feast of propitiation will be applied to them. Finally, the feast of tabernacles will be fulfilled in the coming millennium for a thousand years as a conclusion of all the ages of God's old creation. The fulfillment of this feast will be a dispensational, joyful blessing for God's redeemed people to enjoy with God for a full period of time in God's old creation.
All the offerings for every day, for every Sabbath, for the beginning of every month, and for all the yearly feasts were offered for the people's burnt offerings, meal offerings, drink offerings, and peace offerings, in addition to their vows and their freewill offerings (Num. 29:39-40). The people offered certain offerings as a fulfillment of their duty or responsibility. Those offerings were a fulfillment of their vows. They could also present offerings of their own free will. However, all the offerings described in chapters twenty-eight and twenty-nine were in addition to their vows and freewill offerings.
We need to see that, according to these chapters, God's food is related to three things. First, God's food is related to the daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly life of His people. Second, God's food is related to the spiritual life of the believers from the Passover through the feast of Pentecost, including the feast of unleavened bread and the feast of the first fruits. Each of these four feasts involves life. This means that in the Christian life there is a particular kind of food for God. Third, God's food is related to His people Israel. Christ will come back to blow the trumpet to gather the people of Israel back to their fathers' land. Then there will be a day for their propitiation. On that day, they will afflict themselves and repent, and Christ will be their propitiation. This propitiation will lead to the feast of tabernacles. At the time of this feast, Israel will be at peace with God and enter into God's enjoyment. The feast of tabernacles will be not only the last feast but also the conclusion of God's work in the old creation.
In God's old creation there are four ages: the age before the law, from Adam to Moses; the age of the law, from Moses to Christ's first coming; the age of grace, from Christ's first coming to His second coming; and the age of the millennium, the kingdom of the thousand years. These four ages are crucial steps of God's work in the old creation for the new creation. In each of these four ages, God uses the old creation as the material for the producing of a new creation. The consummation of God's new creation will be the New Jerusalem. Those believers who are overcomers in the age of grace will enjoy the New Jerusalem during the millennium. Eventually, after the millennium, all of God's people will be fully perfected and consummated to be the New Jerusalem.