Clarifying the Confusion Over the Feasts

The New Covenant Experience of the Feasts

The Observance vs the Prophetic Nature of the Feasts

 

January 6, 2015

 

Leviticus 23 is all about the Feasts of the Lord. Lev 23:2 "Speak to the sons of Israel, and say to them, 'The LORD 's appointed times which you shall proclaim as holy convocations--My appointed times are these:

The Seven Feasts of the Lord are “the Appointed Times of the Lord!” The “Appointed Times are These” and then God specifically details these “TIMES” as these Seven Feasts plus the Weekly Sabbath. At least some of the controversy about the Feasts revolves around the confusion between the “observance- the literal Feast” and the “Prophetic Dimensions” of the Feasts. It is NOT the “observance” of the Feasts that we have focused upon but the “Prophetic Dimensions” of the Feasts. Why have the feasts been ignored and rejected? Some rejection has come because of the Book of Colossians, chapter 2 where Paul is focused upon the Centrality of Christ in all things. Paul was speaking about the “Observance” of the Feasts. We firmly believe that the “observance” of the Feasts is a big waste of time! Colossians 2 is making this distinction; The Centrality of Christ has replaced the “observance of the feasts.” The Seven Feasts were Prophetically Speaking about Christ!

Col 2:16 Therefore let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day-- 17 things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.

Col 2:18 Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God. 20 If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, 21 "Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!" 22 (which all refer to things destined to perish with the using)--in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? 23 These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.

If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, 21 "Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!"

The natural Feasts were just fulfilling the “elementary principles of the world.” They are NOT the reality but just a SHADOW of the reality!

“These things which are a mere shadow of what is to come,” and that confirms the Prophetic Nature of these Appointed times of the Lord!

“Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize” is linked to the “observance” of the Feasts. The Festivals (or the Feasts), the New Moon celebrations on which the Feasts started or ended, and the Sabbath Days, as a group, all appear to be presented in a very negative context in these scriptures. However, does that mean that Passover or Pentecost are no longer valid and should be avoided? Of course not, everyone who has a glimmer of insight knows that is ridiculous. For that reason, we are ONLY interested in the Prophetic fulfillment of the Feasts.

Unless we make a clear distinction between the “observance” and the “prophetic content” in the Feasts the controversies and rejection will continue. The dictionary explanation is helpful in making this distinction. An “Observant Jew” is one who still holds to the Old Covenant concept of the feasts.

observance >noun 1 compliance with the requirements of law, morality, or ritual. 2 (observances) acts performed for religious or ceremonial reasons.

Paul is not speaking about the “prophetic nature” of the Feasts but about the “observance” or the “ceremonial requirements” of keeping the Feasts, the Sabbath days, the New Moon Festivals, including the decrees or the natural rituals. The “New Moons” appear to be a big mystery in the church and we find a total ignorance of what Paul is speaking. The “ceremonial requirements of the Sabbath day” still presents a problem today because we still recognize a “day” instead of THE PERSON.

The extreme power of “willful ignorance” cannot be overstated simply because so many are satisfied to just look the other way and ignore the obvious truth inherent within the actual reality. Much of the scripture is devoted to the actuality reality of the Divine Truth and offers none nor does Divine Truth permit any artifice to trick or deceive us. Nevertheless, the shadow in the Old Covenant MUST be reinterpreted to find its place in the reality of New Covenant TRUTH. Therefore, the “observance” must be modified by the “prophetic understanding” to qualify the Truth of the Feast to be integral part of the New Covenant Experience!

In order to be VERY clear about the Law or the Feasts; we see NO requirements for any other nation EXCEPT Israel to keep the Law, observe the Feasts, keep the New Moons, keep the Shemitah or observe the Jubilee. Everything that happened at Mount Sinai was exclusively directed toward Israel and not toward any other people or nation. Neither the Tabernacle, the Priesthood, the sacrifices nor the Law affected any other nation or people! Therefore, we are in no way trying to bring anyone back under the Law. Our purpose in these studies is to differentiate between the “observance” and the “prophetic nature” of ALL these things.

The “observances” were kept according to the Old Covenant Law established at Mount Sinai. These feasts were commanded as long as the Old Covenant requirement was established with Israel. Starting at Calvary the Old Covenant came to an end and the New Covenant was firmly established as God’s current contract, not only with Israel but with mankind. While the Old Covenant required was focused upon the “observances,” the New Covenant experience incorporates the “prophetic content” of the Feasts. The New Covenant was not limited to Israel but now includes the nations. That is how we, Gentiles, got included and this Gospel is to be preached universally to every nation! It is the New Covenant Dimensions and Reality that is integrally linked to the Gospel of the Kingdom. The natural observance cannot relate directly to the Kingdom Reality so it must be “translated” into the New Covenant Experience!

Translating these Feasts from the Old Covenant dimension of “observance” to the “prophetic reality” focused upon the Kingdom and the New Covenant substance is the problem we are facing today. This confusion of translation between the “observance” and the “prophetic nature” of the Feasts is the source of the controversy we are addressing today.

If we now add the requirement to “EXPERIENCE of the New Covenant reality of the Feast” the controversy will expand! A clear understanding of the distinction between the Old Covenant “Observance” and the New Covenant “Prophetic Reality” should quickly eliminate the confusion. Nevertheless, the deception of “willful ignorance” will cause many to just look the other way and see no relevance in these studies.

The “observance” of Passover was traced back to Egypt and Israel’s release from that bondage. The “Prophetic Content” of Natural Passover was revealed in John 6 and demonstrated at Calvary. Jesus Christ is the “prophetic fulfillment” of the Feast of Passover and became our Passover Lamb. However, without our actual “Experience” of Passover, we will still lack the “power” and reality of that Truth. “Intentional Ignorance” may even reject Calvary as fulfilling Passover. “The Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world” is NOT referring to the “lamb chop Passover” but to Calvary!

1Cor 5:6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? 7 Clean out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. 8 Let us therefore celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread was an integral part of Passover. However, now in the New Covenant Reality, the Passover has changed from a lamb to Jesus Christ and the leaven has changed from the natural realm of yeast to spiritual realm of hypocrisy and insincerity or pretending. The ones who think I am trying to reinstate the Law of Moses, evidently do not recognize this tremendous difference between the natural and the spiritual dimensions of these Feasts.

To use these verses in 1 Corinthians 5 to teach the church to return back to keeping the feast by the “observance,” in even a very limited way, is really ignorant. To eat flat bread with no leaven as an “observance” is just ignorant of what this says. It is difficult to understand the “messianic” confusion between the “observance” and the “Prophetic Content” of all these Feasts, including everything that happened at Mount Sinai.

It is likewise ignorant to try to set up an end time philosophy or to announce the Great Tribulation is about to begin and ignore or remain ignorant of Appointed Times of these feasts. Why?

Lev 23:2 "Speak to the sons of Israel, and say to them, 'The LORD 's appointed times which you shall proclaim as holy convocations--My appointed times are these: 3 'For six days work may be done; but on the seventh day there is a Sabbath of complete rest, a holy convocation. You shall not do any work; it is a Sabbath to the LORD in all your dwellings. 4 'These are the appointed times of the LORD, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at the times appointed for them. 5 'In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight is the LORD'S Passover.

All the other Feasts follow verse 5 and are included in the Appointed Times Of The Lord! These Appointed Times are the TIMES OF HARVEST. The “TIMES OF HARVEST,” in each Feast, is a time of offering the First Fruits to God. Being ignorant of the First Fruits Harvest also implies an ignorance of the fact that ONLY mature grain that has been harvested can be offered to God. Grain still growing in the field is not acceptable as Harvest.

The difficulty arises, along with another controversy, because the New Souls are NOT prepared for the Mature Harvest but must be developed and brought to “perfection.” When the “new souls” are not prepared as First Fruits nor as the Main Harvest in the middle of the Great Tribulation, it may still be possible that they can be killed and resurrected as the “gleanings” at the end of the Tribulation. This last group can be seen in Revelation 12 which is a composite of the whole Tribulation from beginning to the end!

Rev 12:16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.

This harvest of the “gleanings” is at the very last of the Great tribulation and includes the rest of her offspring.” This occurs AFTER the Marriage Feast of the Lamb in Revelation 19 and just before Jesus returns on His Big White Horse, with His saints, at the end of Revelation 19.

If this much is acceptable and can be understood, we can now interpret the “prophetic dimensions” of the Feasts. The three main Feasts are (1) Passover (2) Pentecost (3) Tabernacles. Passover is in three parts. (1) the Killing and Eating the Passover Lamb (2) the Feast of Unleavened Bread (3) the Offering of the First Fruits. Fifty days later was the feast of Ingathering or the Feast of Pentecost and, again, the offering of the First Fruits! In the Seventh Month was (1) The Blowing of Trumpets (2) The Day of Atonement and (3) the Feast of Tabernacles. This also involved the Offering of the First Fruits to God. The THREE MAIN CROPS resulted in the TREE OFFERINGS OF THE FIRST FRUITS. However, the main harvest came AFTER the First Fruits were offered to God. We MUST make a distinction between the Main Harvest and the First Fruits. To imply that the WHOLE HARVEST is the “first Fruits” is just willful ignorance because the scriptures are quite clear.

Starting at Calvary and the Offering of the New Covenant Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, the “prophetic nature” of the Feast of Passover began. This WAS the Last Passover relevant to the Law of the observance!

John 6:4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. 5 Jesus therefore lifting up His eyes, and seeing that a great multitude was coming to Him, *said to Philip, "Where are we to buy bread, that these may eat?"

Jesus went up to Jerusalem for the VERY LAST Passover involving “the observance” and in John 6 Jesus began to explain the transition between the “observance” and the “prophetic nature” of the Feast. In the “observance” they roasted the lamb and ate it with unleavened bread.

Exodus 12:8 'And they shall eat the flesh that same night, roasted with fire, and they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 9 'Do not eat any of it raw or boiled at all with water, but rather roasted with fire, both its head and its legs along with its entrails. 10 'And you shall not leave any of it over until morning, but whatever is left of it until morning, you shall burn with fire. 11 'Now you shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste--it is the LORD'S Passover.

The “Prophetic Nature and New Covenant requirement” of “eating the Lamb” is revealed in John 6. If we were ignorant of the “natural lamb” in Egypt and how everybody had to eat the lamb, John 6 would make no sense.

John 6:53 Jesus therefore said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. 54 "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 "For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. 56 "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.

We also see the “prophetic nature” of the Manna was fulfilled in Jesus Christ!

John 6:32 Jesus therefore said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. 33 "For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world." 34 They said therefore to Him, "Lord, evermore give us this bread." 35 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.

No other nation ate the Manna in the wilderness except Israel. Now, the fulfillment of that Bread is Jesus Christ. It is ONLY THIS BREAD that can give Life to the whole world. That means WE are “potentially” included in the LIFE of THIS SPECIFIC BREAD!

Nevertheless, to assume that taking the natural bread in the Lords Table is the same as eating this SPECIFIC Bread of John 6 must be considered as “willful Ignorance.” Resurrection is inherent within this specific Bread that came down out of heaven BUT “resurrection” is NOT inherent in the natural bread and wine, created by men’s hands, used within the Lord’s Table.

To be really clear we should be aware that; The “observance” of the Lord’s Table is NOT the same thing as the “prophetic nature” of EATING the Bread from Heaven that gives Life to the whole world. The first is a valid ritual for remembrance but the latter is “a Life Giving Experience.” To confuse the “ritual observance” with the “reality of eating from Christ”, the Living and Abiding Word of God, is really dumb. This could be compared with taking a burnt piece of lamb chop and a little portion of unleavened bread on Passover Day and assuming you have experienced the actual reality and Life of John 6.

I am using this example to make the point about the difference between the “observance” and the “prophetic nature” of the Feasts. Each Feast should result in the clarity of understanding that we see revealed in John 6. The Feast of Pentecost may be more difficult to compare the “observance” to the “prophetic reality” but of course we will try.

1Corinthians 10:1 For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 and all ate the same spiritual food; 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ.

Presenting more proof of the “Spiritual Nature” and the “Prophetic Nature” of all these things in the Old Covenant should not be necessary for anyone who has an open understanding and wants to learn! Nothing will convince the one who is “ irrational AND ignorant.”

Because the “Feast of the Passover Lamb on Calvary” is well preached and at least some of its Truth and Reality is well known, we will proceed to the next Feast of Pentecost or as it is called “the feast of the fiftieth day.” This day was fifty days from the Passover offering of the “First Fruits” to God.

Lev 23:15 'You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day when you brought in the sheaf of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete Sabbaths. 16 'You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to the LORD. 17 'You shall bring in from your dwelling places two loaves of bread for a wave offering, made of two-tenths of an ephah; they shall be of a fine flour, baked with leaven as first fruits to the LORD. 18 'Along with the bread, you shall present seven one year old male lambs without defect, and a bull of the herd, and two rams; they are to be a burnt offering to the LORD, with their grain offering and their libations, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD. 19 'You shall also offer one male goat for a sin offering and two male lambs one year old for a sacrifice of peace offerings. 20 'The priest shall then wave them with the bread of the first fruits for a wave offering with two lambs before the LORD; they are to be holy to the Lord for the priest. 21 'On this same day you shall make a proclamation as well; you are to have a holy convocation. You shall do no laborious work. It is to be a perpetual statute in all your dwelling places throughout your generations. 22 'When you reap the harvest of your land, moreover, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, nor gather the gleaning of your harvest; you are to leave them for the needy and the alien. I am the LORD your God.'"

The Sheaf of the Wave Offering was the “Sheaf of the First Fruits.” In addition to this “first Fruit Offering” of Passover there is another First Fruit Offering directly relate to Pentecost. This offering involved “two loaves of bread for a wave offering, made of two-tenths of an ephah; they shall be of a fine flour, baked with leaven as first fruits to the LORD.” The difference between the “Sheaf of the First Fruits” and the “two loaves of bread ” of the First Fruits will be explained later.

Included in this “first Fruit Offering” was “Along with the bread, you shall present seven one year old male lambs without defect, and a bull of the herd, and two rams; they are to be a burnt offering to the LORD, with their grain offering and their libations, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD. 19 'You shall also offer one male goat for a sin offering and two male lambs one year old for a sacrifice of peace offerings. 20 'The priest shall then wave them with the bread of the first fruits for a wave offering with two lambs before the LORD; they are to be holy to the Lord for the priest.

All the sacrifices were PART of the Feast of Pentecost and defined the “First Fruits.” As part of this Feast of Pentecost God adds the Law of the Gleanings! The gleanings were part of the harvest but were not part of the Main Harvest but remained until after the Main Harvest was gathered into the barns. The Gleanings were harvested later; you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, nor gather the gleaning of your harvest; you are to leave them for the needy and the alien.

Every one who ignores the “gleanings” as part of the harvest, will then assume ALL the harvest is brought in at the same time. NO! The sequence of Harvest is (1) Bringing in the First Fruits (2) later reaping the Main Harvest (3) Then the “gleanings” (or what was dropped and not picked up during the Main Harvest) was left for a later harvest! It is this “Harvest of the Gleanings” that is recorded at the end of Revelation 12.

Why is this very Important and included in “the Appointed Times of the Lord?” That is because the Very First of the Harvest is the “Harvest of the First Fruits.” This responds to the catching away of the Bride of Christ BEFORE the Main Harvest. This corresponds to the catching away of the Man Child directly to the Throne of God in Revelation 12. This “man Child Company- the corporate group” is also called the Bride, the Overcomers, the Perfected Church, the King / Priesthood after the Order of Melchizedek or the Kingdom of Priests. These various names define their various functions and perfections.

Now the First Harvest of the Earth is (1) the catching away of the Bride BEFORE the Tribulation, (2) The Resurrection of the Main Harvest in the Middle of the Great Tribulation and (3) the Resurrection of the Gleanings at the End of the Great Tribulation.

This details the (1) the Rapture of the Perfected Church, the Bride, directly to the Throne of God as the Overcomers, BEFORE the Great Tribulation Begins. This takes place in the FIRST WATCH! Then the Woman ( the visible church) goes into the wilderness for 1260 days. In the Middle of the Great Tribulation, by the time the 3 ½ years has passed, this second group of her offspring, all of this Main Harvest has been killed and is resurrected. This is His second coming and is the Second Watch or at the MIDNIGHT HOUR when He comers for the five wise virgins! Then the Woman (the visible church) goes deeper into the wilderness for another 3 ½ years and all the “rest of her offspring are killed!” These are the “Gleanings” which are resurrected at the End of the Seven Years of the Great Tribulation. This next return of the Lord is the Third Watch! [Between 12 midnight and 3 o’clock in the morning] This completes the Church Age!

Luke 12:37 "Blessed are those slaves whom the master shall find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them. 38 "Whether he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. 39 "And be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into.

Then Jesus returns for the fourth time but now on His Big White Horse to complete the last battle of the Great Tribulation!

Rev 19:13 And He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood; and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 15 And from His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may smite the nations; and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." 17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in mid-heaven, "Come, assemble for the great supper of God; 18 in order that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great." 19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies, assembled to make war against Him who sat upon the horse, and against His army. 20 And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat upon the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.

Now He, the Man, Christ Jesus, can be established as the King of kings, who was taken from among men to rule, along with His bride / wife, over all the works of God’s Hands.

During this time the devil is locked up for 1000 years during the EARTHLY Kingdom REIGN of Christ Jesus along with the Overcomers.

At the end of the 1000 years the devil will be let loose to deceive the pretenders and hypocrites and then the VERY LAST battle will be fought,. The devil will be cast into the pit and then with the close of Revelation 20 a whole New Creation begins.

The present heaven and this present earth will be totally destroyed and all memory of it will be lost. Then God will create a New Heaven and a New Earth. Then the New Jerusalem, the Perfected Bride of Christ, [ the City of the Great King] will be seen in the far distance but she will be shining like the Sun in full brightness. The Kings of the earth, who have their citizenship in the New Jerusalem, will be able to travel between these other locations and the New Jerusalem. However, no one else will be permitted to visit the King or His Eternal throne.

Mat 13:37 And He answered and said, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, 38 and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one; 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels. 40 "Therefore just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. 41 "The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 "Then THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SHINE FORTH AS THE SUN in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

Mat 13:49 "So it will be at the end of the age; the angels shall come forth, and take out the wicked from among the righteous, 50 and will cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

This is also part of the HARVEST OF THE EARTH. This last part of the Final Harvest is burned up.

The objection that I have heard from using these verses is that we CANNOT set doctrine from the parables because they are just stories that Jesus told.

That is just more “willful ignorance” because these verses are NOT the parable but the EXPLANATION of the Parable. Jesus is revealing the TRUTH and reality behind the parable in His own WORDS so this suddenly becomes an ABSOLUTE. This TRUTH is non-negotiable, unchangeable, cut in stone, needs no interpretation and just says what it says. This must not be diminished in any way nor qualified and dismissed by other verses that focus upon GRACE AND MERCY or modified by God’s Love. All those “grace” things are available during the church age but when the time of Harvest comes we must be prepared to face the consequences of our life and actions.

Just compare the “Ministers” in Matthew 7, who are doing miracles, with the “lawlessness” that Jesus identified in Mat 13:41.

Mat 7:22 "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' 23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.

Are these “ministers” just part of the Harvest of the Tares? That is a VERY serious question that we should try to answer. When we add the Kingdom Dimension of HARVEST to the scriptures EVERYTHING begins to look differently and we must re-evaluate EVERYTHING we thought we knew. Why? When ADAM begins to preach his gospel it sounds quite different from the Gospel of the Kingdom. However, his Gospel is filled with Grace and Mercy and Love and none of this affects us because “WE ARE ALREADY SAVED.”

Adam’s gospel is “None of this is my fault, it was this woman you gave me! You can put all the blame and judgement upon her. The gospel of Eve is “It was not my fault because YOU left that snake in here, we never invited him. Put all the blame where it belongs, on the devil, because we are innocent. WE ARE ALREADY SAVED so what the devil does cannot affect us!”

All this “willful and permissive ignorance” will be exposed and judged on that day when we stand before the Judge to answer for what we did while we were in this body.