We are studying the Feasts of the Lord
found in Leviticus 23. The study of the feasts is a study in
typology. Typology is the interpretation of Old Testament
events, persons, and ceremonies as signs, which prefigured
Christ's fulfillment in the New Covenant with the church.
For time sake, I'm not going to do any
review this morning, but we're going to jump right into our
study of the Seventh and final feast, which is the Feast of
Tabernacles:
Leviticus 23:34 (NKJV) "Speak
to the children of Israel, saying: 'The fifteenth day of this
seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days
to the LORD.
This is the seventh feast on the seventh
month, and it was to last for seven days. The number "seven" is
the Biblical number of completion. This is the grand finale in
God's plan of redemption.
The Feast of Tabernacles is the most
joyful and festive of all Israel's feasts. It is also the most
important and prominent feast; mentioned more often in
Scripture than any of the other feasts. This feast also
served as the historical backup for the important teachings of
Jesus in John, chapters 7-9.
The Feast of Tabernacles is known by at
least two names in Scripture. Most often it is referred to as
Sukkot or "Tabernacles." The English word "tabernacle"
is from the Latin tabernaculum, meaning: "booth" or
"hut." It acquired this name from the Biblical requirement for
all Israelites to dwell in tabernacles or temporary shelters
during the holiday. It was to be an annual reminder of God's
provision during the 40-year wilderness sojourn when Israel
lived in similar shelters. This final feast of the year is known
in Scripture also as the "Feast of Ingathering";
for it was observed after all crops had been harvested and
gathered:
Exodus 23:16 (NKJV) "and the
Feast of Harvest, the firstfruits of your labors which you
have sown in the field; and the Feast of Ingathering at the
end of the year, when you have gathered in the fruit of your
labors from the field.
The feast was celebrated with great joy.
The joy was twofold, for it commemorated God's past goodness and
provision during their wilderness sojourn, and it commemorated
God's present goodness and provision with the completion of
harvest.
The Feast of Tabernacles falls in the
autumn of the year. On the Hebrew calendar, it occurs on the
15th day of Tishri, the seventh month (usually late September to
mid-October); only five days after the solemn Day of Atonement.
The Feast of Tabernacles lasts for seven days. The first day and
the day after Tabernacles (the eighth day, known as Shemini
Atzeret) are considered sacred assemblies, or Sabbaths
(Lev. 23:36, 39). As such, no work of any kind is permitted on
these days (Leviticus 23:36, 39).
Three portions of Scripture outline the
biblical observance of the Feast of Tabernacles. The people were
to live in booths and rejoice before the Lord with branches.
(Lev. 23:33-43). There were to be many daily, sacrificial
offerings (Numbers 29:12-39). In a sabbatical year, the Law was
to be publicly read during Tabernacles.
Because of the joy associated with the
Feast of Tabernacles, it became the most prominent of Israel's
holidays. It was referred to simply as "the holiday" by the
ancient rabbis. The importance of the Feast of Tabernacles is
also seen in its inclusion as one of the three pilgrim
feasts; Passover and Pentecost being the other two. Three times
during the year, all Jewish males were required by the Lord to
appear before Him in the Temple. These were known as Pilgrim
Feasts because of the required pilgrimage to Jerusalem. During
the Feast of Tabernacles, the people brought their tithes and
offerings to the Temple, for they were not to "appear before
the Lord empty-handed"
Further importance is seen in the great
number of required sacrifices during the feast week. Each day
one goat, 14 lambs, two rams, and a number of bullocks (13 on
the first day, decreasing by one each day) was offered in the
Temple. Each of the sacrifices were offered with its appropriate
meal offerings (flour and oil) and drink offerings (wine). All
24 divisions of priests shared in the sacrificial duties during
the week. In the days of the Temple, the Feast of Tabernacles
was viewed with great awe, for it was during the Feast of
Tabernacles that Solomon dedicated the newly built Temple to the
Lord. At that ancient observance of Tabernacles, the Shekinah
glory of the Lord descended from Heaven to light the fire on the
altar and fill the Holy of Holies.
The Feast of Tabernacles occurs at
Israel's change of seasons and marks the beginning of the
winter, rainy season. These refreshing rains bring necessary
moisture for working the soil and the sprouting of new crops. If
for some reason the weather patterns are such that several weeks
of rainfall are missed, a dire water shortage can quickly
develop for the coming year's crops. Because the Feast of
Tabernacles is observed at this important junction, when the
anticipation of rain is at its highest, the two have become
inseparably connected. Even today, the prayers of rain remain an
important part of Tabernacles' observance.
The Service of the Feast of
Tabernacles
In the days of the Temple, the Jewish
pilgrims flocked to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles. They
came from every village within the nation and from many foreign
countries, most often in large caravans for protection. It was a
joyous trip with much singing and laughing along the way.
Upon arrival in Jerusalem, the pilgrims
focused their energies upon building booths for the feast. By
the afternoon of Tishri 14, thousands upon thousands of leafy
booths lined the streets and dotted the surrounding fields and
hills. All were carefully located within a Sabbath's day's
journey (a little more than a half mile) of the Temple. At
sundown, the blast of the shofar (ram's horn) from the Temple
announced the arrival of the holiday. A sense of increased
excitement fell over the city as darkness came. Myriads of
twinkling campfires studded the surrounding countryside.
During the Feast of Tabernacles, the
intense anticipation of rain came to be reflected in the temple
services. Each morning of Tabernacles, a water libation
(sacrificial pouring out of a liquid) was offered to the Lord as
a visual prayer for rain. Shortly after dawn each morning, while
the many sacrifices were being prepared, the high priest was
accompanied by a joyous procession of music and worshipers down
to the Pool of Siloam. The high priest carried a golden pitcher
capable of holding a little more than a quart of water. He
carefully dipped the pitcher into the pool and brought it back
to the Temple Mount.
At the same time, another procession
went down to a nearby location south of Jerusalem, known as
Motza, where willows of the brook grew in great abundance. They
gathered the long, thin willows and brought them back to the
temple. At the Temple, the willows were placed on the sides of
the altar so that their tops formed a canopy of drooping
branches over the altar. Meanwhile the high priest with the
water from the Pool of Siloam had reached the southern gate of
the Temple. It was known as the WATER GATE because of this
ceremony. As he entered, three blasts of the silver trumpets
sounded outside the Temple, and the priests with one voice
repeated the words of Isaiah:
Isaiah 12:3 (NKJV) Therefore
with joy you will draw water From the wells of salvation.
The high priest slowly proceeded then to
the stone altar in the Inner Court of the Temple and ascended
the right side of the ramp. At the peak, he turned to the left
where there were two silver basins which drained to the base of
the altar. One was reserved for the regular drink offerings
(libations of wine), and one for the water libations during this
feast. As the high priest raised the golden pitcher to pour out
the water offering, the people shouted, "Raise your hand!" In
response, the high priest lifted his hand higher and poured,
allowing the people to verify his action. This tradition arose
around 95 B.C. in response to an uprising in the days of
Alexander Jannaeus, the king-priest grandson of Simon the
Maccabees.
As the high priest poured out the water
libation before the Lord, a drink offering of wine was
simultaneously poured into the other basin. Three blasts of the
silver trumpets immediately followed the pouring and signaled
the start of the Temple music. The people listened as a choir of
Levites sang the Hallel (i.e. the praise Psalms 113-118). At the
proper time, the congregation waved their palm branches toward
the altar and joined in singing: "Save now, I pray, Oh Lord; O
Lord, I pray, send now prosperity" (Psalms 118:25). At the same
time the priests, with palm branches in hand, marched once
toward the altar.
Psalm 118 was viewed as a messianic
psalm, and, as such, gave the feast a messianic
emphasis. This is why Jesus was greeted by the crowds
shouting, "Hosanna" (Hebrew for "save now" ) and waving
palm branches on His triumphal entry into Jerusalem ( Luke
19:38; John 12:13). They viewed Him as the Messiah King, come to
deliver ("save now" Israel in fulfillment of Psalm 118):
Psalms 118:25 (NKJV) Save now,
I pray, O LORD; O LORD, I pray, send now prosperity.
Matthew 21:8-9 (NKJV) And a
very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others
cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
9 Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed
cried out, saying: "Hosanna to the Son of David! 'Blessed is
He who comes in the name of the LORD!' Hosanna in the
highest!"
They hailed Him with the messianic
imagery of palm branches from the Feast of Tabernacles. This
same imagery is in view in Revelation 7:9-10, where redeemed
saints worship, with palm branches in hand, around the throne of
God and of the Lamb,
This custom of carrying branches and
singing psalms during the Feast of Tabernacles is of ancient
origin. It dates back at least to the time of the Maccabees,
some 165 years before Christ (cf. Mac. 10:6-7). The
water-drawing ceremony is also from antiquity. Although debate
exists as to whether Isaiah alluded to the water-drawing
ceremony (Isaiah 12:3), or the ceremony was derived from the
words of Isaiah, it is known that the ceremony was in use at
least 100 years before the time of Jesus.
The celebration of the water pouring (as
opposed to the ceremony) was observed during the evenings of the
feast by an impressive light ceremony in the Temple. It was
known as the Simchet Bet Hasho'ayva ("The Rejoicing of
the House of Water Drawing"). As the second evening of
Tabernacles approached, the people crowded into the vast outer
court of the Temple known as the Court of the Women. On this
occasion, a barrier was raised to divide the men from the women.
In the center of the court stood four towering menorahs (lamp
stands), each with four branches of oil lamps. Their wicks were
manufactured from the worn-out linen garments of the priests.
Each menorah had four long ladders leading up to the lamps,
which were periodically refilled by young priests carrying large
pitchers of olive oil. The Feast of Tabernacles began in the
middle of the lunar month, when the harvest moon was full and
the autumn sky was clear. The outline of the surrounding Judean
hills was clearly visible in the soft moonlight. Against this
backdrop, the light of the Temple celebration was breathtaking.
All night long the elders of the Sanhedrin performed impressive
torch dances, while the steady yellow flames of the menorah oil
lamps flooded the Temple and the streets of Jerusalem with
brilliant light.
Soon after the celebration was underway,
a group of Levites gathered in the Inner Court in what was known
as the "Court of the Israelites". Once formed, the group of
Levites moved through the Nicanor Gate to stand at the top of
the 15 steps leading down to the Court of the Women. The sound
of Temple flutes, trumpets, harps, and other stringed
instruments swelled as the Levites sang the 15 Psalms of Degrees
(Psalms 120-134). With each new psalm they descended to the next
step.
This celebration was repeated every
night from the second night until the final night as a prelude
to the water drawing the next morning. Nothing in ancient Israel
compared to this light celebration. It was so spectacular that
the ancient rabbis said, "He that hath not beheld the joy of the
drawing of the water (the Simchet Bet Hasho'ayva
celebration) hath never seen joy in his life (Sukkah 5:1). The
light celebration was reminiscent of the descent of the Shekinah
glory in Solomon's day, and looked forward to the return of the
glory of the Lord.
John recorded that it was the day after
the Feast of Tabernacles (the eighth day), which was considered
a Sabbath, when Jesus returned from the Mount of Olives to teach
in the Temple (John 8:2; cf. 7:2, 37). As the Pharisees came to
entrap Him, Jesus proclaimed:
John 8:12 (NKJV) Then Jesus
spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He
who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light
of life."
The Pharisees did not question the
meaning of His statement. They knew it was a messianic claim,
for they immediately called Him a liar. They were familiar with
the many titles in Scripture which ascribed LIGHT to the
Messiah. He is called the "Star out of Jacob," the "light of
Israel," the "light of the nations (Gentiles)," a "refiners
fire," a "burning lamp," and the "Sun of righteousness."
Later that day, the Messiah reinforced
this same truth when He healed the blind man. As He did so, He
repeated, "As long as I am in this world, I am the light of
the world" (John 9:5). The Pharisees were again angered at
Jesus. The issue continued to be His messiahship (John 9:22).
This time, however, they chose to find fault in that He had
healed the blind man on the eighth day, which was considered a
Sabbaths by Scripture (John 9:14). Although there were no Mosaic
laws against the act of healing on the Sabbath, the traditions
of the Pharisees classified it as work, and therefore, forbade
it. More than just a messianic claim, Jesus' claim to be the
"light of the world" carried a reference to the Temple light
celebration. The celebration was still vivid in their minds.
They had just celebrated it six nights in a row. The light that
Jesus offered would light not just the Temple, it would light
the whole world. He, Himself, was the source:
Isaiah 49:6 (NKJV) Indeed He
says, 'It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant
To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved
ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the
Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the
earth.'"
On the seventh and final day of the
Feast of Tabernacles, the Temple services reached a climax. The
anticipation of rain was at its annual high. Jewish tradition
held that it was on this day that God declared whether there
would be rain for the coming year's crops. Consequently, on this
final day of the feast, the Temple water-pouring ritual took on
great importance. Water was the foremost thought on every one's
mind.
On the other six days of this feast, the
silver trumpets gave three blasts. On this day the trumpets gave
three sets of seven blasts. On the other six days, the priests
made but one circuit around the altar. On this day, the priests
made seven. As they marched around the altar,
they sang the Hosanna verse (Psalm 118:25), and the people waved
palm branches. For these reasons, the day was known as Hoshanah
Rabbah, or "Great Hosanna". Thoughts of rain for the coming year
and messianic fervor were at their highest pitch.
The year was around A.D. 30. It was
Hoshanah Rabbah, the last day, the great day of the Feast of
Tabernacles. As the people intently watched the priests conduct
the service, a loud voice rang out from the crowd. The priests
glared in consternation, and the people whipped around in great
surprise to see who dared interrupt the service. They saw a
young Galilean in His early 30s, the one whom many held to be a
great rabbi, a prophet, or even the Messiah:
John 7:37-38 (NKJV) On the
last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried
out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.
38 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of
his heart will flow rivers of living water."
The sound of His words produced silence,
then ecstasy. The religious leadership was infuriated,
indignant, and threatened. Some wanted to kill Him:
John 7:44 (NKJV) Now some of
them wanted to take Him, but no one laid hands on Him.
The authoritative claim was understood
by all, believed by some, spurned by others. Jesus was claiming
to be the long awaited and promised Messiah.
I believe that Jesus Christ, the Living
water, was born into this world during the Feast of Tabernacles.
I would like to give you some facts that prove that Jesus was
born on the first day of Sukkot. First, I trust that you
understand that December 25th is not the real date of Jesus'
birth. The December 25th date is simply tradition. December 25th
was not recognized as the date of Messiah's birth until the
fourth century when Constantine Christianized all of the pagan
holidays. To understand the date of Jesus' birth, we must
correctly establish the date of John the Baptist's birth. Luke
1:26 indicates that there were exactly six months difference
between the conception of John and the conception of Jesus. If
their conceptions were six months apart, then their births would
also be six months apart. So let's see if we can figure out when
John was born. Luke 1:5 and 1:8 states that John the Baptist's
dad, Zechariah, belonged to the priestly division of Abijah and
was serving in the Temple when he received the news that
Elizabeth would be with child. 1 Chronicles 24:10 says that
Zechariah's priestly division, Abijah, was the eighth division
to serve at the Temple. The Mishnah (Oral Torah) states that
each division had to serve twice in one year (but not
consecutively), with the first division starting on the first
week of Nissan. Each division served a one-week period and all
priestly divisions had to serve during the three pilgrim
Festivals.
The following is the order of the
priestly divisions in relation to the Feasts:
1st week of Nisan, 1st priestly
division of Jehoiarib serves
2nd week of Nisan, 2nd priestly
division of Jedaiah serves
3rd week of Nisan, Passover/Feast of
Unleavened Bread, all priests serve
4th week of Nisan, 3rd priestly
division of Harim serves
1st week of Iyar, 4th priestly
division of Seorin serves
2nd week of Iyar, 5th priestly
division of Malkijah serves
3rd week of Iyar, 6th priestly
division of Mijamin serves
4th week of Iyar, 7th priestly
division of Hakkoz serves
1st week of Sivan, 8th priestly
division of Abijah serves
2nd week of Sivan, Shavuot, all
priests serve (including the division of Abijah)
Zechariah serves during the first week
of Sivan and then is required to serve the following week for
Shavuot. During Shavuot, the priests would draw lots to see who
would get the honor of going into the Holy Place to burn incense
on the altar. Only once during a priest's lifetime could his lot
be drawn for this service. Zechariah's lot was drawn (Luke 1:9),
and it was his time to offer the incense. Zechariah would enter
the Holy Place, offer incense, and then would return back
outside to give the blessing over the worshipers. As Zechariah
is offering incense, to his surprise, an angel of the Lord
appears to him and informs him that his prayers have been
answered, and that his wife will be with child. Zechariah
doubted the angel's announcement, and he lost the ability to
speak (Luke 1:19-20). The worshipers began to wonder what was
taking Zechariah so long ,and then he appeared to give the
blessing, but soon realized he could not speak (Luke 1:21-22).
After Zechariah's service was completed, he returned home; and
Elizabeth, his wife, conceived. John the Baptist was conceived
some time after Shavuot. If John were conceived sometime after
Shavuot, then John the Baptist would have been born in the month
of Nisan. I would like to propose that John was born on Nisan
15, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and Passover,
based on these facts. First, Malachi 4:5-6 indicates that Elijah
must come prior to the arrival of the Day of the Lord. In
Matthew 11:11-14, Messiah says that John the Baptist is the
Elijah who was to come. John came as the forerunner to Christ's
ministry; John prepared the hearts and minds of people for
Christ. John was the Elijah to come as prophesied by Malachi.
When were the Jewish people expecting Elijah? At every Passover
Seder a place is set for Elijah, and a child will open the door
to see if Elijah has come. If John the Baptist is the Elijah to
come, and he was conceived sometime after Shavuot, then I
believe that John was born on Passover (Nisan 15).
Remember that Messiah was born six
months after John the Baptist. If John was born on Nisan 15,
then Messiah would have to be born on Tishri 15. I believe
Messiah was born on the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles.
John says, "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling
among us..." The Greek word for "dwelt or dwelling" is
skenoo and means: "to occupy (as a mansion) or (spec.) to
reside (as God did in the Tabernacle of old, a symbol of
protection and communion)" The sukkah is a perfect picture of
Christ. The sukkah is not an attractive structure, just as there
wasn't anything of Christ that would attract us to Him (Isaiah
53:2). If Christ's life and ministry revolved around the Feast's
of the Lord, then even His birth had to be in conjunction with a
Feast. The Feast of Tabernacles fits perfectly with Messiah's
birth. The Savior of the world was born in a lowly sukkah on the
first day of the Feast of Tabernacles.
If Messiah was born on Tishri 15, then
His circumcision would have taken place on the eighth day of
Sukkot. The Jews have a tradition associated with the eight day
called "Simchat Torah" and means "Rejoicing in the Torah." Luke
2:21-38 says that on the eighth day they brought the baby
Messiah up to the Temple to circumcise Him and to name Him, and
when Simeon and Anna saw Israel's Savior, they rejoiced over
Him. These two righteous people were rejoicing over the Living
Torah of God. Every aspect of Messiah's birth, including the day
of His circumcision, is a picture designed to teach us more
about Him.
As we have stated earlier, the Feast of
Tabernacle is called "the season of our joy" and "the
feast of the nations." With this in mind, notice what Luke
writes:
Luke 2:10 (NKJV) Then the
angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you
good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.
Here the birth of Christ is announced as
a time of great joy [Sukkot is called the "season of
our joy"], which shall be to all people [Sukkot is
called "the feast of the nations"]. So, we can see from this
that the terminology the angel used to announce the birth of
Jesus were themes and messages associated with the Feast of
Tabernacles.
In Luke 2:12, the baby Jesus was wrapped
in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. The swaddling cloths
were also used as wicks to light the 16 vats of oil within the
court of the women during the festival of Sukkot. So,
swaddling cloths are associated with the festival of Sukkot.
During the Feast of Tabernacles, God
required that all male Jews come to Jerusalem (Deuteronomy
16:16). For this reason, the city would be overcrowded with
people, and would explain why Mary and Joseph could not find
lodging in and around Jerusalem (Luke 2:7). Bethlehem, the place
where Jesus was born, is only about four miles from Jerusalem.
The Anti-type
It was during the time of this fall
feast that marks the beginning of the construction of God's
sukkah, the sanctuary in the desert (Exodus 25:8-9). In
Exodus 25:9, the word tabernacle is the word
mishkan in Hebrew. According to tradition, Moses again
ascended Mount Sinai for 40 days and nights to receive the
second set of tablets and descended on Yom Kippur,
carrying them as a sign of God's forgiveness of Israel for the
sin of the golden calf and as a symbol of the lasting covenant
between God and Israel (Exodus 24:12-18; 34:1-2; 27-28). The
following day Moses relayed God's instructions for building the
mishkan - a dwelling place.
Why was the mishkan built?:
Exodus 25:8 (NKJV) "And let
them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.
To establish the relationship between
God and Israel, God would dwell amidst the people. Therefore the
mishkan, the tabernacle in the wilderness, was
instructed to be built by God for Him so He could dwell with His
people. Spiritually speaking, this physical tabernacle was given
by God to teach and instruct us that He desires to live and
dwell with His people.
The sukkah, or booth,
symbolizes man's need to depend upon God for his provision of
food, water, and shelter. This is true in the spiritual realm as
well. The booth is the physical body, which is a temporary
dwelling place for our souls and spirits (1 Corinthians
6:19-20). We need the food that the Word of God provides
(Matthew 6:11; 4:4; John 6:33-35); the cleansing, rinsing, and
washing that the Word of God brings to our lives (Ephesians
5:26); and the shelter of God's protection over our lives.
With this in mind, let's look at the
context by which the word tabernacle is used in the New
Covenant
Jesus tabernacled (sukkot)
among us (John 1:14). Peter spoke about his body being a
tabernacle (2 Peter 1:13-14). The apostle Paul told us that our
earthly bodies were earthly houses, or tabernacles:
2 Corinthians 5:1 (NKJV) For
we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we
have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal
in the heavens.
The Bible speaks of a heavenly
tabernacle (Hebrews 8:1-2; Revelation 13:6; 15:5). This heavenly
tabernacle is seen coming to earth (Revelation 21:1-3). Jesus
was the true tabernacle of God (Hebrews 9:11).
So, the booth, or sukkah, was a
temporary dwelling place. Historically, it was to remind the
people of their exodus from Egypt as described in Leviticus
23:42-43. Prophetically, the sukkah points
toward the return of Christ, when God would dwell with His
people in a face to face relationship. Spiritually, a
sukkah is supposed to remind us that we are but
strangers and pilgrims on the earth, this being a temporary
dwelling place. To the believer in Christ, our earthly physical
body is only a temporary tabernacle. At our physical death, we
will receive a new and heavenly house, a spiritual body (2
Corinthians 5:1-6).
The purpose for living in booths
is indicated in Leviticus 23:42, "So your descendants will
know that I had the Israelites live in booths when I brought
them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God." When God brings
one of His elect out of bondage to sin and gives them new life
and salvation, He has them live in booths - a temporary
dwelling, so they can learn of His faithfulness, care, and
protection.
One of the most outstanding truths of
the Feast of Tabernacles involves the seasonal rains in Israel.
The prophet Joel tells us that the former and latter rain would
come in the first month:
Joel 2:23 (NKJV) Be glad then,
you children of Zion, And rejoice in the LORD your God; For He
has given you the former rain faithfully, And He will cause
the rain to come down for you; The former rain, And the latter
rain in the first month.
This is because Passover is the first
month in the religious or sacred calendar, and Tabernacles is
the first month in the civil calendar. So Israel has two first
months in the same year, because of the special calendar that
God set up in Exodus 12:2.
Hosea 6:3 tells us that the coming of
the Messiah will be as the former and latter rain on the earth.
We just saw that Christ came to earth (was born) during the
festival of Tabernacles, the first month of the civil calendar,
and died at His first coming during the first month (Nisan) on
the sacred calendar. His second coming will also be in the first
month of the civil calendar, Tishrei. Christ did return during
the fall of the year in A.D. 70..
Christ is the rain that came down from
Heaven as well as the living water and the fountain of living
water spoken of in John 4:4-6,10-14,20-24; and Revelation 21:6
and 22:1-5,17. Christ desires that we drink of the water He
gives, which results in everlasting life (John 4:14) that we
might be filled (Matthew 5:6).
The fullness of this feast in the
seventh month was experienced at the coming of Christ at the
destruction of Jerusalem. This was a time of great joy for all
believers.
The Feast of Tabernacles was to
celebrate and commemorate: 1. The end of the wanderings in the
desert of the children of Israel. 2. It also was a celebration
of their inheritance of and entry into Canaan - the Promised
Land.
The anti-typical fulfillment came at the
end of the 40 year transition period (A.D. 30-70) when the Old
Covenant came to an end and the New Covenant was fully
consummated, and the inheritance of the new heavens and the new
earth arrived, where we "tabernacle there with God". Tabernacles
speaks of the final rest, as well as the final harvest.
I said earlier in this message that the
Feast of Trumpets is also known in Scripture as the
"Feast of Ingathering", for it was observed after all
crops had been harvested and gathered. The Bible often speaks of
the final judgment as a harvest:
Hosea 6:11 (NKJV) Also, O
Judah, a harvest is appointed for you, When I return the
captives of My people.
Joel 3:13 (NKJV) Put in the
sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down; For the
winepress is full, The vats overflow; For their wickedness is
great."
Matthew 13:39 (NKJV) "The
enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of
the age, and the reapers are the angels.
Revelation 14:15 (NKJV) And
another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice
to Him who sat on the cloud, "Thrust in Your sickle and reap,
for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the
earth is ripe."
This harvest is a Day of
Ingathering, when God gathers His people unto Himself and
burns the wicked like the chaff and stubble:
Malachi 4:1-2 (NKJV) "For
behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven, And all the
proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day
which is coming shall burn them up," Says the LORD of hosts,
"That will leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But to you
who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With
healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like
stall-fed calves.
The righteous among the Gentiles, too,
were gathered to the Lord. In that day, the Gentiles will pray
in the Heavenly Jerusalem:
Zechariah 14:16-17 (NKJV) 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. 17 And it shall be that whichever of the
families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship
the King, the LORD of hosts, on them there will be no rain.
The Lord not only gathered His people,
but He began to TABERNACLE in their midst:
Revelation 21:3 (NKJV) And I
heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle
of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they
shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be
their God.
This age in which we now live is the New
covenant age. We are the New Jerusalem, God's holy bride.
Revelation 21:24 (NKJV) And
the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light,
and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into
it.
The saved of the nations walk in the
light of this holy city. We are the light of the world today, a
city set on a hill.
Revelation 21:25 (NKJV) Its
gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night
there). 26 And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the
nations into it.
What does that mean? Look at:
Isaiah 60:11 (NKJV) Therefore
your gates shall be open continually; They shall not be shut
day or night, That men may bring to you the wealth of the
Gentiles, And their kings in procession.
Here we see the reason that these gates
are never shut; that men may bring into it the wealth of the
Gentiles and their kings in procession. This is a reference to
the power of the gospel. The next verse tells us that only the
elect enter it:
Revelation 21:27 (NKJV) But
there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or
causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written
in the Lamb's Book of Life.
Salvation is always available, the gates
are always open to this city. Look at chapter 22:
Revelation 22:1-2 (NKJV) And
he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal,
proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the
middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the
tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its
fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing
of the nations.
Here the river of the water of life
flows forth from the temple to the nations of the world. The
tree of life is there for the healing of the nations. The river
of the water of life was predicted in the Old Testament in
Ezekiel 47. This river comes forth from the New Jerusalem in
Revelation 22:1-2; the church, the bride of Christ. We are to be
involved in taking the water of life to the nations. What is the
water of life?
Revelation 22:17 (NKJV) And
the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears
say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires,
let him take the water of life freely.
This is a call to salvation! If the new
heavens and the new earth are supposed to be the eternal state,
why is the invitation to salvation still going out? The new
heaven and earth is the New Covenant, the church. And from the
church goes forth the water of life for the healing of the
nations.
We are now living in the new heaven and
earth. We are the new Jerusalem, which is the bride of Christ.
Jesus Christ and His Father are among us, and we need no temple;
we need none of the rituals and ceremonies of the old heaven and
the old earth. We are in God's presence now and forevermore.
C.H. Spurgeon said:
"Did you ever regret the absence of the burnt-offering, or the
red heifer, or any one of the sacrifices and rites of the Jews?
Did you ever pine for the feast of tabernacle, or the
dedication? No, because, though these were like the old heavens
and earth to the Jewish believers, they have passed away, and we
now live under the new heavens and a new earth, so far as the
dispensation of divine teaching is concerned. The substance is
come, and the shadow has gone: and we do not remember it." (Metropolitan
Tabernacle Pulpit, vol. xxxvii, p. 354).
The old heavens and earth of Judaism
have passed away, and we now live in the new
heavens and new earth of the New covenant. May God help us to
fully understand and appreciate our position in the new heaven
and earth, where righteousness dwells, and where God
dwells with His people.
