¹⁹ When the Israelites returned from Babylonian captivity, arrangements were made to keep the feast of tabernacles. Ezra, the priest, read the law to the gathered people. When they learned about the feast of tabernacles, and that they had not observed this feast while they were in captivity, they wept. Nehemiah and Ezra and the Levites that taught the people said to them: ‘This is a holy day unto the Lord your God; mourn not nor weep, but go your way and eat the fat, and drink the sweet; neither be ye sorry, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.’—Neh. 8:8-10.

20-23. In what way is the vindication of Jehovah’s name shown in the three feasts he commanded Israel to observe each year?

²⁰ The three feasts Jehovah commanded Israel to observe each year are all connected with the vindication of his name. Satan raised the issue of the supremacy of Jehovah. This means that Satan thought he had a better method of dealing with creatures, spiritual and human, than Jehovah announced. Jehovah required absolute obedience to his laws, even if his creatures did not fully understand just why certain laws were enacted and enforced. All obedient ones would in due time receive that which was for their good. The principles of the divine government were brotherly love and cooperation. When God inquired of Cain where his brother was, Cain answered “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Satan had already filled his mind with his own spirit of self-interest and competition. This principle, Satan thought, would work better than the way of love. Get all you can, any way you can, and keep all you get, is the basic law of Satan.

²¹ This wicked one challenged Jehovah to put creatures on earth that would be obedient to Him if Satan was permitted to get at them. This was made manifest in the case of Job. Job was a man devoted to Jehovah. The enemy said Job’s faithfulness was not genuine, but was mercenary; that he served Jehovah because Jehovah prospered him, and hedged him in so that none could get at him to tempt or try him. Let me at him, said the wicked one, and he will curse you to your face. Satan was permitted to try Job, but failed to turn him away from Jehovah.

²² The passover feast of unleavened bread was held at the beginning of the year, and the feast of tabernacles was the last feast or at the end of the year. (Ex. 12:2; 23:16) Killing the passover lamb and offering the firstfruits of the barley harvest pictured the death and resurrection of Christ the Lord in vindication of Jehovah’s name and universal sovereignty. At the beginning of the Christian era, Christ the Lord was impaled on the 14th of the month Nisan (the day the passover lamb was killed) and was raised on the third day, or the 16th of Nisan, the day the high priest offered the firstfruits of the barley harvest. Fifty days later, at Pentecost, Christ Jesus began offering up to God the members of his body, who share with him in vindicating God. In this we see that this shadow continued until the substance came in Christ.—Col. 2:17.

²³ The feast of tabernacles was the last feast of the year, and for that reason it was said to be observed at the end of the year. This feast well pictures the final ingathering of the Lord’s “other sheep”, showing that they will be gathered in support of Jehovah’s universal sovereignty before the wintertime of Armageddon begins. When Armageddon begins, it will be too late to do any gathering. Then some will say: “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” (Jer. 8:20) At Armageddon Satan will witness the destruction of his organization visible and invisible. Then he will be cast into the abyss and be sealed up there for one thousand years, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years be fulfilled.—Rev. 20:3.

The Real Feast of Ingathering Under Way

 1-4. What proof was offered to Jehovah’s witnesses in the year 1942 that the gathering work was not then complete?

BY CONSIDERING the many features of the type, we are enabled to understand that the feast of tabernacles pictured what the witnesses of Jehovah would be privileged to do in the service of the King at the time of the final gathering of his “other sheep”. Early in the year 1942 certain circumstances caused some to conclude that the witness work was about finished and that Armageddon was at hand. But an article appeared in the February 1 issue of The Watchtower, entitled “Final Gathering”, which pointed out that there was a great work of gathering yet to be done. Jehovah thereby notified his servants all over the world to keep busy at the witness work because the “other sheep” were not all gathered. We quote from the above-mentioned article:

² “For several years now Jehovah has had in effect his Theocratic organization, and he has been training and instructing them for this very work. They have been assigned each one his territory in the field, and they must not permit their attention to be drawn away, but be constant in doing the one thing, knowing what they are seeking for, and they must walk circumspectly, ever ready to use the Lord’s equipment provided for this late day, and must act and work together in absolute unity.

³ “These things being so, the final gathering by the Lord is on. Let nothing for one instant interrupt the