What other biblical events involved large gatherings for worship and celebration? The Dedication of Solomon’s Temple as a Touchstone “Solomon and all Israel with him—a great assembly, people from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of Egypt—held a feast before the LORD our God for seven days, and for seven more days—fourteen days in all.” (1 Kings 8:65) Earlier Gatherings that Shaped Israel’s Identity • Passover Night in Egypt – Exodus 12:6, 14: “You shall celebrate it as a feast to the LORD; it is a permanent statute for the generations to come.” • Covenant at Sinai – Exodus 19:17-18. An entire nation assembled before the mountain, hearing God’s voice and receiving His law. • Tabernacle Dedication – Leviticus 9:23-24. “Fire came out from the presence of the LORD… and all the people shouted and fell facedown.” Joyful Assemblies under Righteous Kings • Ark Brought to Jerusalem – 2 Samuel 6:5, 15: “David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating before the LORD… So David and all Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets.” • Hezekiah’s Passover – 2 Chronicles 30:13, 26: “A very large assembly gathered… there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the days of Solomon… nothing like this had happened.” • Josiah’s Passover – 2 Chronicles 35:17-18. “Never had such a Passover been observed since the days of the prophet Samuel.” Post-Exilic Celebrations of Restoration • Second Temple Dedication – Ezra 6:16-22. “The people of Israel… celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy.” • Feast of Booths with Ezra & Nehemiah – Nehemiah 8:17-18. “There was very great rejoicing.” National Gatherings for Covenant Renewal • Shechem Assembly – Joshua 24:1-26. Joshua gathered “all the tribes of Israel” to renew the covenant and choose to serve the LORD. • Jehoshaphat’s Prayer Assembly – 2 Chronicles 20:3-13. “All Judah was standing before the LORD, with their infants, wives, and children.” Large-Scale Worship in the Ministry of the Prophets • Elijah on Carmel – 1 Kings 18:19-39. “All the people fell facedown and said, ‘The LORD, He is God!’” A decisive national turning back to true worship. New-Covenant Crowds Celebrating God’s Works • Day of Pentecost – Acts 2:1-6, 41. “About three thousand souls were added.” The birth of the church began with unified praise and proclamation. • Triumphal Entry – Matthew 21:8-9. “A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road… shouting, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’” Threads That Tie the Gatherings Together • God Himself initiates each assembly and meets His people there. • Sacrifice, covenant, and joyful praise consistently mark these moments. • Every event looks forward to the ultimate gathering around the Lamb (Revelation 7:9-10), where every nation will join in worship forever. |
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