Come Down From the Feast Without Getting Down

Written by Erik Jones

We’ve completed the 2014 Feast of Tabernacles and returned home to our regular routines. How can we “come down” from the Feast without “getting down”?

All reports indicate that the 2014 Feast of Tabernacles was a great success! Nearly 10,000 members attended the Feast in sites around the world. Reports show that this was the largest Feast (in terms of attendance figures) we have had since the formation of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association.

Whichever Feast site you attended, it is likely you heard Zechariah 14:16 quoted at some point:

“And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles” (emphasis added).

This verse is an inspiring prophecy that teaches us that the entire world will one day join us in keeping this great Feast. Notice the terminology it uses for keeping the Feast: go up. Of course, in ancient Israel and in the future—individuals will literally go up to Jerusalem (an area of high elevation) every year to keep the Feast. We are told that Jesus “went up to the feast” during His life on earth (John 7:10).

Going up

Going up is a theme of the Feast. Though it literally means climbing in elevation, those who keep the Feast know that it is a time that we look forward to throughout the year. In God’s Church, it seems like the year crescendos with the Feast. After months of planning, our excitement builds as we go up to the Feast of Tabernacles.

As we approach and keep the Feast, we obey the command to “rejoice” (Deuteronomy 16:14-15). In a sense, this is another way we go up during the Feast. Our spiritual and mental state should go up as we keep the Feast! Sometimes we even use the phrase “Feast fever” to describe our anticipation for the Feast. When you have a fever, your temperature literally goes up!

But what about after sunset of the Last Great Day? People who stay at Feast sites for extra days often comment that the area is just not the same—the excitement, the electricity, is gone. And if we are not careful, God’s people can experience something often called post-Feast letdown. This is natural, because (as the saying goes) what goes up must come down—right?

Avoid getting down

Though it’s natural to be somewhat down when the Feast ends—we miss the daily services, the time surrounded by brethren and all the other activities of the Feast—our lives shouldn’t be a constant emotional up and down! Jesus Christ reminds us that His way of life is characterized as abundant (John 10:10)!

Consider some other scriptures that teach that we should be positive and rejoice all year—not just at the Feast:

“Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!” (Psalm 144:15).
“Happy is he who keeps the law” (Proverbs 29:18).
“But the fruit of the Spirit is … joy” (Galatians 5:22).
“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4).

So, when we physically come down from the Feast—it’s important to realize that we aren’t to sink into unhappiness and depression because the Feast has ended. We should come down from the Feast rejuvenated and more zealous about living life abundantly—characterized by the adjectives in the above scriptures: happy, joyous and rejoicing!

That is what life will be like during the millennial rule of Jesus Christ. Our lives are to be reflecting that lifestyle now!

Tips for reducing post-Feast blues

What can we do in order to make sure we don’t experience post-Feast blues? How can we thrive during the almost 170 days between the Last Great Day and the beginning of God’s festival cycle on the Passover of 2015?

Here are some things to consider:

Maintain the daily disciplines. Prayer and Bible study keep us focused on God and His plan. The Bible is clear that happiness and joy are connected with maintaining a close relationship with God (Proverbs 16:20).
Listen to Feast messages from other sites. The Feast of Tabernacles website has hundreds of sermons from different Feast sites. Periodically taking the time to listen to the sermons delivered at the various sites can help us maintain the focus and excitement of the Feast.
Maintain contact with Feast friends. One of the reasons the Feast is so positive is the opportunity it provides us to meet God’s people from all over the world. Keep in touch with those people. Facebook provides an excellent way to keep in touch with brethren around the world—but the old-fashioned methods of writing letters and making phone calls are still excellent ways to keep in touch.
Be actively engaged in your local congregation. Serving, participating and faithfully attending Sabbath services are essential to staying spiritually strong and excited throughout the winter months.
Keep looking forward. God’s people are characterized by “vision” (Proverbs 29:18; Philippians 3:14). Just as we always look forward to the Kingdom of God—we should also always look forward to positive things in this life. Look forward to the Sabbath, your next local church social, the Winter Family Weekend, the Young Adult Leadership Weekend, having a meal with brethren and—ultimately—the upcoming 2015 holy day season.