Shemini Atsereth – In the Millennium
As Sukkoth has believers dwelling in temporary booths, being in work is suppose to be a temporary situation. The fact is, God is has been trying to get mankind back to rest since the Garden. This is why Shemini Atsereth is tied to Sukkoth. At the end of the millennium, the devil will have been thrown into the Lake of fire. Then in Revelation 21:2-5:
2And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3And 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. 4And 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. 5And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
By the end of the millennium, God will have restored the world back to new. The former pain will be gone and there will not be any sorrow. It will be eternal rest for believers after the millennium. God wants to take mankind from 6 days of work and bring him into eternal rest. We follow this pattern today by observing the 7th Day sabbath, going from work to rest. This is what God has tried to do with mankind since the world began.
Hebrews 4:9-11
9There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 10For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. 11Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
Since the time of Adam continuing until today, God has been offering us rest. However, mankind, in his unbelief, will not enter in. This is what Shemini Atsereth is for us. It speaks of the eternal rest to come, but even more, it reminds us that we can have that rest today if we would enter into His works, as Yeshua tells us in Matthew 11:28-30
28Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Shemini Atsereth is about the rest we can have today.
Sukkoth starts with rest and is followed by 6 days of work. Shemini Atsereth is added to the end to represent bringing mankind into rest. Similarly, the week was to be 6 days of work followed by a 7th day Sabbath. That is God’s pattern to bring mankind into permanent rest.
Return to Shemini Atsereth, the 8th Festival