Eating and Drinking at the Table of the Lord
Yeshua (Jesus) speaks to us about the table of the Lord in some cryptic words. We want to look at and go through the meaning of this.
Matthew 8:11 tells us. “And I say to you, that many shall come from the east and the west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.” Yeshua tells us in John 6:50-53, “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.”
This sure seems like a very unusual command! Even the people said it was a hard saying in John 6:60. We want to look at this in light of the Day of Atonement.
A Sacrificial Meal
We have to ask ourselves, why did Yeshua say this and what did He mean by eating His flesh and drinking his blood, and at what table? We know that Yeshua did not actually mean that people should eat His flesh and drink His blood, because that is totally against Torah (Leviticus 19:26). We are not even to consume the blood of an animal because the life is in the blood (Leviticus 17:11). But maybe we can look for a clue in John 6:53. Yeshua says, “Truly, truly, I say, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves.” Yeshua was our Passover sacrifice. He was the Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7) that was slain for our sins (John 1:29, Revelation 5:12).
Symbolically, Yeshua was telling His disciples that there is no life (eternal life) outside of Him. In His sacrifice, the shedding of His blood, the offering of His body, is the only place to find life. He is the way, the truth, the life, and there are no other ways to eternal life. NONE!
The Day Of Atonement
We see that Yeshua was the fulfilment of Passover, this being His first coming. But what about Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement? Well, actually Yeshua did all the work in His first coming which we remember during the Spring Feasts, but when it comes to the Day of Atonement, which will be fulfilled in His second coming, which we remember during the Fall Feasts: well, here we need to do some work.
Here we need to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). The Day of Atonement symbolizes the opening of the gates, which begins at Rosh HaShanah, the Feast of Trumpets, and the end of Yom Kippur is the closing of the gates. Now, what does this all mean? It is all about having your name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Yeshua told many parables about the door being closed and people being left out. Matthew 25:10: “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.” In Matthew 22:1-14 also we see this same wedding scenario. This is a reference to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb in Revelation 19:6-9. This is the table that Abraham and Isaac and Jacob will recline at.
The Day of Atonement is all about repentance and reconciliation with those who you may be at odds with, and of course, making things right between you and God. It is a day for fasting and praying, something many believers do not do today. This is a day for afflicting your soul: the fear and trembling of our salvation. This is the mourning that is in the beatitudes (Matthew 5:4).
You see, it is not enough to just confess our sins, but we must actually turn from our sins, and that requires a heartfelt and a deep sorrow for our sins. Only that will actually change our behavior. This is what Psalm 51:17 tells us: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”
We must see our sinfulness and our need for reconciliation, our need for one who can heal our sinful condition, and that comes only through Yeshua and His shed blood for us. His sacrifice, the giving of His life, is the only way for us to be reconciled with God, and by this our name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
Yeshua says in John 6:37, “All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.” Yeshua also tells us that we have to partake of Him because He is our source: “I am the vine, you are the branches; apart from me you can do nothing (Not even save yourself),” John 15.
You see, we must take on the yoke of the Kingdom. Matthew 11:29-30 tells us, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and My burden is light.” To do this, we must eat of the flesh of Yeshua and drink His blood. He must be part of us and we part of Him. We must abide in Him. We must take on the Lord like a yoke and live for Him by His commandments and His ways. We see this in the eating and drinking, which if we do this, it is like when we eat food for our bodies: the food actually becomes part of us. We must also be born of the Spirit and thus walk in the Spirit, for then we are no longer living in the flesh where sin resides, but according to the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-25).
Are You Ready for His Second Coming?
So the question is, are you ready for His second coming when the trumpet will be sounded? Revelation 7:14 tells us, “These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” If you say, “Yes,” then you must ask yourself, “Am I walking with God with all my heart and soul and strength? Have I crucified my flesh and now I am no longer living for the world or by its influence, for I am an alien in this place?”
“Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul,” (1 Peter 2:11). Our citizenship is in Heaven (Philippians 3:20). Ask yourself, “Have I taken on the yoke of the kingdom and am now living to advance the kingdom?” And finally, “Have I eaten the body and drank the blood of Yeshua My Messiah, abiding in Him and Him in I, for it is no longer I who live but Yeshua in Me?”
If you can honestly answer these questions, that you are walking in the Spirit of the Lord, doing His work, keeping His commands, and sin no longer has a hold on you, then you can say in confidence that your name is written in the Lamb’s book of Life, and you are ready for His second coming. If you’re not sure, then spend the time and pray and repent. Change your ways and your thinking and begin to put Him first in your life. Let go of the trappings of this world and clothe yourself with the word of God. Learn to hear His voice and walk in His Spirit by obeying His commandments, and you will begin to hear His voice leading you in all truth.
This is what the Day of Atonement is all about. This why we celebrate this day, because we all need a little reminder to repent and be reconciled with each other and with God. We all need to take the time to change our ways. We all need to come to the table of the Lord and eat and drink of the Lord.
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