What Is Shmini Atzeret

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Sh'mini Atzeret is the feast celebrated on the 8^th day, counting from the beginning of Sukkot or Tabernacles. It is a separate feast from Tabernacles however, and is its own meeting, its own convocation.

Not all of God's people will experience Sh'mini Atzeret. Man must develop a love and hunger for Truth. Without God's knowledge and an intimate involvement in His plan of restoration they cannot enter God's rest as they will ignorantly pursue their own agendas and refuse change. They will therefore remain children of the 7^th day.

Sh'mini means 8^th. The number eight is symbolic of new beginnings, a new cycle, a new era. For instance, the covenant of circumcision was performed on the 8^th day as a sign that God's people were in a covenant relationship with Him and that they believed God for the promises He made to Abraham concerning the future of his descendants.

Atzeret means: "to hold back" or "that which is held back" for the purpose of bringing something to a state of perfection. A sign of God's covenant people today is circumcision of the heart and mind from the world and its systems, a separating from the world's knowledge to the mind of Christ, God's knowledge, and a laying down of their works to do His. God being a spirit sees the heart and mind of man and only the circumcised ones that enter His rest can really enter into the blood covenant with Him to become a new species, new creatures to inhabit the new earth.

The harvest began at Rosh Hashanah.

This latter crop is judged, marked and if chosen set aside at Rosh Hashanah to be put in the Lord's house for His use. They will not only be selected but prepared as His Body. They are ones that God has poured truth on that have readily accepted the word or revelation released for this end time. It is these that are ushered into the 8^th day. This truth is called "the latter rain". It has been released to nourish and bring life to the 7th day last planting that matured in the 8^th day as the Lord's special crop. A symbolic picture was portrayed by old Israel during celebration of Tabernacles foretelling this event. Seventy bulls were sacrificed to God representing the seventy different nations of mankind where His people were scattered, but during Sh'mini Atzeret, only one bull was sacrificed, representing the one nation, the special crop, the new Israel, the new species, God's covenant children. This is the true seed of Abraham that celebrates this 8^th day feast. Children of the 8^th day are a new and different kind of seed. The generation created for the 8^th day is much different than the 7th day creature. They are no longer of Adam, but born through God Himself!

God promised Abraham one level higher, a level "closer to God", a special people, a special nation, as well as a special priesthood. These are enlightened ones chosen from the four corners of the earth that keep themselves clean and make their robes white. Again, this is a covenant entered into by circumcision on the 8th day, first in the natural, and now in the supernatural through circumcision of the heart and mind. These people are the fulfillment of the covenant promises made to Abraham. They are a set aside, sanctified people that are in no way Adam. They are their own nation of people, separate and yet open to all people that will be born again and endure circumcision from all that is of this world. These are ones that cultivated an intimate relationship with God, and entered His rest to fulfill His plan of restoration, because they chose to be a part of His Kingdom.

The 8th day people, or those who experience Sh'mini Atzeret, will manifest God's victory over the enemy. Through them, as their society grows, the kingdoms of this world will become the Kingdom of our God. This carnal realm we live in today will fade from sight. Malachi says it this way:

God's will is much more important to an 8th day child than their own, so their works are really His. Their agenda actually becomes His. Therefore, personal disappointment is meekly accepted as part of God's plan to restore them, to change their old natures, to cleanse their hearts and minds. Seeming failures are but instruments to shape and mold them into His image and show them direction. A closed door of opportunity simply means they are on the wrong path. They appreciate the Lord for closing the door and intervening on their behalf as well as for the sake of the Kingdom. These will not be deterred by adversity.

The 8^th day people, those who experience Sh'mini Atzeret are the church glorious, the triumphant church. Nothing really can overcome them because their Father has all control and is tucking them safely back in His plan, into His own rest. Their names are etched on His hand, their minds and hearts are in tune, in harmony with Him. They are returning to His nature, His image, predestined for this time, a new generation, a different race of people born through truth.

The 8th day children are not afraid to be different either. Scripture speaks of an age to come and they realized as 7^th day people they had to change to enter that age. No other generation had fully entered into God's promises as yet! Does the Bible actually speak about an age to come? Here are just a few examples.

As we can see from scripture, the age to come is very real and as we also saw from scripture, those that enter into this age will be made eternal. First Corinthians 15:51 will be fulfilled in them.

The eighth day child will not only be willing to walk in God's plans, but will obediently obey the laws He wrote on their minds and hearts until they actually become the law over sin and evil.

In fact, as they enter God's rest, restoring them to the perfect plan for mankind, they will not even look for or at the wrong thing, but will see only good. Unlike Adam and Eve, they will eat only of the tree of Life, and will not desire the taste of the world's fruit or seek knowledge from the Tree of Good and Evil. They have personally experienced the misery and failure there. These will look only to the Kingdom of God. Soon this realm, this world that has evolved through the direction of the adversary, will dissolve or disappear from their eyes, and they will have no remembrance of it. All is good in God's world: no sickness, no pain, no defeat - only good and life eternal. What a beautiful promise for the children of the 8^th day! How exciting for those invited to remain in the King's presence after the feast of Tabernacles!!

These eternal ones will rule with God a thousand years, which to God is but one day, to train the nations. They are living stones that make up God's house, living stones with the law written on the fleshly tablets of their hearts, David's tabernacle. They will be the living law to the nations because they are the full stature of the body of Christ. Jesus is the law, the Torah and His Spirit dwells and manifests through the 8th day children to train the world. Those that choose to follow at the end of the thousand years will step into the 9th day, rejoicing in the Torah and will celebrate the last and final feast: Simchat Torah.

What does the number 9 stand for? The gifts of the Holy Spirit. In the 9^th day the final battle will have been fought. Satan, who has been locked up for the thousand years will be released to test those trained during the thousand years, and at last the greatest gift the Holy Spirit has ever given man will be released for the rest of mankind that have become the Torah: the gift of eternal life and dominion once more over this planet! Satan's rule will finally be destroyed, along with his world and its society, its culture and pleasure, in fact its whole existence. Christ's body, along with the nations that love Him, will experience the victory and rejoice in His law! Let us close with Daniel's vision of this final victory.

For further information on the 8^th day children, the new species, the new earth, ones invited to remain for the feast of Sh'mini Atzeret, we encourage you to read Enforcing Christ's Victory to Earth.