Riverview Church

10/21/2026

The Story & Purpose of Israel - Part VIII - "The Seven Feasts"

"These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come" 1 Corinthians 10:11

Some of these prominent "examples" are found in the seven appointed times (feasts) the nation of Israel was to mark each year that pointed to God's fulfillment of his plan of redemption and restoration, which comes through the Messiah. In fact, the Hebrew word "mikrah," translated as "sacred assemblies" in Leviticus 23:37, means "dress rehearsal."

We have looked at the first four feasts, which occur in the Spring, and move now to the last three feasts that occur in the Fall, which begin with the Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah). Today, it is commonly called Rosh Hashanah, and is known as the Jewish New Year, marking the beginning of the civil year. God commanded the blowing of trumpets on this day to call the congregation of Israel together for a very solemn assembly. According to Jewish teachings, Rosh Hashanah is the beginning of 10 days of judgment when the righteous are written into the Book of Life, the wicked are condemned, and those who are not wholly righteous or wholly wicked are given 10 days to repent and thus escape judgment. We who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life do not fear judgment but draw near to God with confidence (Hebrews 4:14–16). This is also the time that many - not all - believe that the rapture of the church will take place (1 Corinthians 15:51-53; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 3:10), and therefore we have much to consider as we seek God's wisdom and understanding of this "sacred assembly."

The story of Israel is everyone's story, because in it is revealed God's everlasting love and faithfulness to all who are willing to trust and obey Him. As we draw nearer to the return of Christ, it is to our benefit to learn through the history of Israel God's plan for all who are willing to trust Him. If you want to know what God wants the faithful to understand about the story of Israel and how it points to the formation of God's eternal kingdom ruled by Christ, join us at 6 pm

10/18/2026

Sunday Service 10/18/26

10/16/2026

10/14/2026

he Story & Purpose of Israel - Part VII - Leviticus 23 - "The Seven Feasts"

"These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come" 1 Corinthians 10:11

The story of Israel is everyone's story, because in it is revealed God's everlasting love and faithfulness to all who are willing to trust and obey Him. And as we draw nearer to the return of Christ, it is to our benefit that we learn through the history of Israel God's plan for all who are willing to trust Him.

The greatest of these "examples" (1 Corinthians 10:11) is found in the seven appointed times (feasts) the nation of Israel was to mark each year that pointed to God's fulfillment of his plan of redemption and restoration, which comes through the Messiah. We know that Jesus Christ fulfills all of the prophetic requirements and attributes to know He is the Messiah, but the majority of the Jews have not come to believe that. However, the middle feast, Pentecost, which is the period in which we have lived since the giving of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2, provides us an opportunity to learn how God executes his plan and who is included.

If you want to know what God wants the faithful to understand about the story of Israel and how it points to the formation of God's eternal kingdom ruled by Christ, join us at 6 pm

10/11/2026

Habakkuk was a prophet in Judah when the Babylonians invaded Jerusalem and took the people captive, and he begins his prayer in Habakkuk 1:2 with these words: "How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen?" Have you ever felt like that...prayed to God and not seen anything change? But as he continued to pray, God began to answer in verse 5: "Look at the nations and watch - and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told." It bears witness to what God reminds us through the prophet Isaiah: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9).

While Habakkuk didn't fully understand what God was doing, he continued to pray to the One he knew not only understood what was happening, but was the One orchestrating it in His power for His glory: "Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord" (Habakkuk 3:2). And as Habakkuk continued to recount God's sovereignty and power in the past, he closes his prayer with these words: "I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us. Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength..." (Habakkuk 3:16-19a).

Our Psalm this week reminds us of who God is and what He offers us if we are willing to trust Him in all things: "God is our refuge and strength, and ever-present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1). While many Christians may know that, how many of us actually live as though "we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28)?

If you would like to learn more about how God enables us to live in the truth of His word, join us as we discover together, that "in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us" (Romans 8:37).

10/07/2026

The Story & Purpose of Israel - Part VI - "The Seven Feasts"

"These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come" 1 Corinthians 10:11

The story of Israel is everyone's story, because in it is revealed God's everlasting love and faithfulness to all who are willing to trust and obey Him. And as we draw nearer to the return of Christ, it is to our benefit that we learn through the history of Israel God's plan for all who are willing to trust Him.

As we learned two weeks ago, there is a connection between the seven days of creation and the fulfillment of Christ overcoming the world. God commanded the Jews to observe seven "sacred assemblies" or "appointed feasts" (Leviticus 23:2) that provide us a direct connection to the first and second coming of Christ and the timeline of God's perfect plan. The first four feasts occur in the spring and the last three in the fall. In fact, the last feast, the Feast of Tabernacles, began on September 26 and continues through October 2. It celebrates the final gathering of the summer harvest, and the Jews would gather in Jerusalem and build temporary shelters to live in for seven days, "to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come...so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in temporary shelters when I brought them out of Egypt" (Leviticus 23:41-43).

However, God also had the prophet Zechariah let us know that this final feast, just like all the others, pointed to something much greater - the fulfillment of His plan for the kingdom:

"Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths." (Zechariah 14:16)

If you want to know what God wants the faithful to understand about the story of Israel and how it points to the formation of God's eternal kingdom ruled by Christ, join us at 6 pm.

10/04/2026

Scripture describes the ultimate union of Christ and the church as the “wedding supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:9) and believers as the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:31-32). Therefore, what should our relationship look like if we are “one flesh” (Ephesians 5:31) with Christ? Does that allow us to operate independently in Christ’s name, or do we need to submit, as in the example in marriage, “as the church submits to Christ” (Ephesians 5:24)? What can we glean from God's design for marriage to teach us about how the church interacts with Christ?

If you have been struggling in your relationship with Christ, or want to celebrate your marriage to Him, join us as we share this beautiful Psalm and other encouraging words from our Lord and Savior.

09/30/2026

The Story & Purpose of Israel - Part V - "The Seven Feasts"

"These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come" 1 Corinthians 10:11

The story of Israel is everyone's story, because in it is revealed God's everlasting love and faithfulness to all who are willing to trust and obey Him. And as we draw nearer to the return of Christ, it is to our benefit that we learn through the history of Israel God's plan for all who are willing to trust Him.

As we learned two weeks ago, there is a connection between the seven days of creation and the fulfillment of Christ overcoming the world. God commanded the Jews to observe seven "sacred assemblies" or "appointed feasts" (Leviticus 23:2) that provide us a direct connection to the first and second coming of Christ and the timeline of God's perfect plan. The first four feasts occur in the spring and the last three in the fall. In fact, the last feast, the Feast of Tabernacles, began on September 26 and continues through October 2. It celebrates the final gathering of the summer harvest, and the Jews would gather in Jerusalem and build temporary shelters to live in for seven days, "to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come...so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in temporary shelters when I brought them out of Egypt" (Leviticus 23:41-43).

However, God also had the prophet Zechariah let us know that this final feast, just like all the others, pointed to something much greater - the fulfillment of His plan for the kingdom:

"Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths." (Zechariah 14:16)

If you want to know what God wants the faithful to understand about the story of Israel and how it points to the formation of God's eternal kingdom ruled by Christ, join us at 6pm.

09/27/2026

Scripture describes the ultimate union of Christ and the church as the “wedding supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:9) and believers as the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:31-32). Therefore, what should our relationship look like if we are “one flesh” with Christ? Does that allow us to operate independently in Christ’s name, or do we need to submit, as in the example in marriage, “as the church submits to Christ” (Ephesians 5:24)?

If you have been struggling in your relationship with Christ, or want to celebrate your marriage to Him, join us on as we share this beautiful Psalm and other encouraging words from our Lord and Savior.