Shimini 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 in no way a part of it. It is its own convocation.

Shimini means 8^th. The number eight is symbolic of new beginnings and completion. For instance, the covenant of circumcision is performed on the 8^th day to complete as it were, or "to instill the potential for perfection" in the human being.

Atzeret means: "to hold back" or "that which is held back" for the purpose of bringing something to a state of perfection.

The last or seventh day of the Feast of Tabernacles pictures the final day of harvest.

Part of this latter crop will be put in the Lord's house for His use, as they have been prepared as His government. These are ones that God has poured truth on and that have accepted the word or revelation released for this end time. This truth is called "the latter rain". It has been released to nourish and give life to the 7th day last planting that is the 8^th day special crop. A symbolic picture is portrayed during Tabernacles foretelling this event. Seventy bulls were sacrificed to God representing the seventy different nations of mankind: but during Shimini Atzeret, only one bull was sacrificed, representing the one nation, the special crop, the new Israel. This is the true seed of Abraham that celebrate this 8^th day feast.

The generation that is created for the 8^th day is higher or greater than what was created during the 7 days. They would not be born of Adam, but born through God Himself!

God promised Abraham one level higher, a level "closer to God", a special people, a special nation, a special priesthood. These are ones that keep themselves clean and make their robes white. This was a covenant entered into by circumcision on the 8th day, first in the natural, and then in the supernatural. These are a people of covenant, a people of circumcision, a people that are in no way Adam. These are completely set apart, cut off from the world and its people. They are their own nation of people separate and yet open to all people that love God and want to be a part of God's Kingdom.

The 8th day people will manifest God's victory over the enemy and through them as their society grows, the kingdoms of this world will become the Kingdom of our God. This carnal realm will slowly fade from sight. Malachi says it this way:

His will is much more important to an 8th day child than their own, so their works are really His. Their agenda is actually His. Therefore disappointment is accepted as part of God's plan that we just don't understand as yet, and seeming failures are but instruments to shape and mold us into His image and show us direction. A closed door simply means we are on the wrong path and we appreciate the Lord interfering on our behalf and for the sake of the Kingdom.

We are the church triumphant. Nothing really can overcome us because our Father has all in control and we are etched in His hand. We were predestined for this time: a different generation, a different race of people who were born in the city of Sion.

The 8th day children are not afraid to be different either, because the Bible talks of an age to come and we must be different to enter that age. No other generation has entered. Does the Bible actually speak about the age to come? Here are just a few examples.

The age to come is very real and as we saw from scripture, those that enter into it will be made eternal. First Corinthians 15:51 will be fulfilled in them. They will not only be willing to walk out God's plans, but will obediently obey the laws in their hearts until they actually become the law over sin and evil. In fact, one day they will not even look for or at the wrong thing, but will see only good. Like Adam and Eve before the fall, they will eat only of the tree of Life, and will not taste of the world's fruit and its tree of good and evil. They will see only the Kingdom of God. This realm 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!

The eternal ones will rule with God a thousand years, which to God is but one day, to train the nations. They will be the living law to them. They are the full stature of the body of Jesus. Jesus is the law, the Torah and His Spirit manifests through the 8th day children to train the world. Those that choose to follow at the end of the thousand years will rejoice in the Torah and will also 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 all 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 dress, music, arts etc. Let us read of this victory in Daniel 7:26 - 27.

Hanukkah of old was in the natural a type and shadow of Shimini Atzeret: a time like now when the people of God were tired of the system they were forced to live in and the force behind it. For the Maccabees it was a physical Antiochus with his armies, his lifestyle and culture that was in opposition to God and His people that they fought, but for the people that will make the 8th day it is a battle against the evil powers and principalities that operated through them. Ours is a worse fight as our opponents are supernatural and so powerful that only Michael is strong enough to subdue and finally defeat them. The Menorah is symbolic of the feasts we must experience in our lives to carry us through this terrible battle. It is symbolic of the church, the people of God with the Holy Spirit of Christ dwelling in them to sustain them to the 8^th day. The spiritual menorah (the church), although broken and powerless, does have the strength of Christ the anointed one (the holy oil) to make it through to victory, Shimini Atzeret and Simchat Torah. Satan is convinced he has us so entrenched in his world that we can't fight our way out. There's not enough of us, or is there? There were only Mattathias and his family in the physical Hanukkah, but with the help of God they won. Could it be if we take the same hard stand against all that offends and opposes the family of God that we too could make the spiritual 8^th day? We have the prophecies of old as promises that we can, as well as the song of God today that says we can. We must be separate from this evil system to be aware of the prophecies or the song.

There's the song of God for direction today.

This is prophecy, the breath of life that God promises.

Spiritual Hanukkah is real, and victory promised. Let me read Revelation 11: 7-15, as it tells the whole story better than us.

God has been calling up His army for quite some time now. We can only proceed when we are fully prepared (it takes 7 feast days to become the Bride). We as individuals cannot skip any of the truth that has been released, or ignore it and not mature, or we as a church will be found lacking as the eighth day manifests. And above all, we must be a holy people so the angels of God will march with us and fight for us. Remember, the battle is won without human hands.