SUKKOT – THE JEWISH FEAST OF TABERNACLES – PART C
October 17, 2008
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The Jewish Feast of Tabernacles (Tents) begins at sundown on M
onday. Christians also will have processions during the feast. During the period of the earthly ministry of Christ, on the last day of the feast, a special priest would leave the temple mount and proceed southward to the old city of David, under which a spring flowed through the old tunnel of Hezekiah into the Pool of Siloam. Fresh, flowing spring water that flowed throughout the year was looked upon as providing a source of water that provided life year round, as opposed to springs that dried up during
the non-rainy season.
As such it symbolizes something that provides eternal life.
The special priest would collect two pints of water in a golden vessel, and then carry it back upon the temple mount. It would then be carried to the top of the very high altar that stood in the court of the men in front of the steps that led up to the door of the temple’s Holy Place. In the southwestern corner of the altar a small hole had been made that led down under the altar into the subterranean cavern under the temple.
This particular feast is a very joyous one, and as the people waved palm leaves they would cry out to the priest on the southwestern corner, “raise your hand, raise your hand,” to show he had poured the water, finally cheering and shouting for joy when he did.
The water would proceed under the temple southeastward in a conduit that emptied into the Kidron Valley for drainage of the blood from the sacrifices. It was a picture of living water, which symbolized the living Spirit of the God of Israel going out from the belly of the temple into the world.
It is very interesting to note the words of Jesus on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, probably uttered immediately after the priest poured the water.
John 7:2,37-39 – Now the Jews’ feast of tabernacles was at hand.
[37] In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. [38] He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. [39] (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
During the time of Christ the Spirit of God in the temple’s Holy of Holies was to be proclaimed as God’s dwelling place to all the world.
It was a single, local, visible temple. Today there are many local temples that God recognizes individually as His local, visible, temples. And it is from these individual bodies that the power of the Spirit is to go forth into the world.
The first such church was formed and organized by its head and foundation, Jesus Christ, during His earthly ministry. This church, which already existed as a local church of about 120, was empowered by the Spirit of God at Pentecost after Jesus was glorified.
And, just as the water flowed out of the belly of the temple into the world was a symbol of the Holy Spirit, so does the Spirit flow out of churches
of the same like faith and order as the one empowered at Pentecost.
All believers are indwelt by the living Spirit of God and make up the family of God, and truly their witness of the Spirit is to flow out from within them into the world, but a local church that teaches, preaches, and practices the faith once delivered to the saints is also indwelt by the same Spirit in a special way, and its testimony that goes out into the world is to proclaim the truths of all the Word written by the Spirit. It is supposed to send the water of life out from within it to all the world.
Ephesians 2:22 – In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
John 4:24 – God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
I Timothy 3:14,15 – These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: [15] But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
Revelation 22:16,17 – I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches.
I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
[17] And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.