Significance of the Eighth Day

I wonder how many professing believers who will recognize and hold in high esteem Sunday 20^th October 2019! This day ought to be a very significant day for all humanity, but unfortunately, because of false teachings the significance of that day has not been taught, not been held and has not been perpetuated as it ought to be.

Sunday 20^th October 2019 is the Eighth day of the Feast of Tabernacles, a biblical festival which most professing believers have totally disregarded or to them are inconsequential. But what exactly is the significance of the Eighth day of the Feast of Tabernacles?

We have been duly instructed in scriptures saying: “The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the LORD. On the first day there shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it. For seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation, and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. It is a sacred assembly, and you shall do no customary work on it” (Leviticus 23:34-36).

First of all, it should be noted that if one doesn’t know the significance of the Feast of Tabernacles in our new dispensation, neither will they know the significance of the Eighth Day. So then, what is the significance of the Eighth Day?

In the old dispensation, the eighth day signified the time to;

a.       Offer an offering for the cleansing of leprosy

b.      Consecrate the first born of both man and beast to the Lord

For the Lord spoke to Moses saying; “Consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine" (Exodus 13:2, Numbers 3:12).

c.       Circumcise every male child

As the Lord covenanted with Abraham saying; “This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised; and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant. He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant” (Genesis 17: 10-13).

But how does this correlate with the New Testament dispensation! Since the instructions for this new dispensation is: “Was anyone called while circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing and un-circumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters” (1 Corinthians 7:18-19).

The significance of the Eighth Day in our New Testament dispensation is all fulfilled in Jesus Christ and it is manifested and effective and represents two important things in our spiritual life:

1.      The Circumcision of Jesus

We see in our New Testament dispensation that both John the Baptist and Jesus were both circumcised on the eighth day. With reference to John the Baptist we are told that. “So it was, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him by the name of his father, Zacharias. His mother answered and said, "No; he shall be called John" (Luke 1:59-60).

And with reference to Jesus we are told that, “And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called JESUS, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb” (Luke 2:21).

But what significance is the circumcision of Jesus to us? The circumcision of Jesus which should be observed and reverenced by observing the Eighth Day of the Feast of Tabernacles signifies to us the following:

• “Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh --- who are called Un-circumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands ---that at that time you were without Christ.
• Being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel
• And strangers from the covenants of promise
• Having no hope
• And without God in the world.
•  But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:11-13).

This day therefore, necessitates our deepest appreciation because we are told that, “In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the un-circumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross” (Colossians 2:11-14).

2.      The day Jesus received His name

But what significance is this to us? Consider Jesus receiving His name on a day we are told that, “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).  

I therefore beg to ask the question, since on the eighth day of Christ´s birth all these things transpired for the benefit of all humanity, should we not show and express our deepest appreciation and gratitude to God and His Son Jesus Christ for all they did for us on that particular day? And don´t we think that particular day deserves to be commemorated in thanksgiving and appreciation to the Father and His Son? So then how could such a day which is the eighth day after the birth of Jesus Christ be hidden or not made known to man! “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead."