| Subject: Chapter 3 (2nd half) |
Author:
dori
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Date Posted: 16:26:30 02/21/15 Sat
In reply to:
dori
's message, "Chapter 3 (first half)" on 16:24:24 02/21/15 Sat
THE FALL FESTIVALS -- THE LATTER RAIN
The fall festivals take place in the seventh month, Tishri, which is the time of the latter rain. As it was observed how precisely the spring festivals taught the first coming of the Messiah, it can, likewise, be seen that His second coming is contained in the fall festivals.
YOM TERUAH -- ROSH HASHANAH
Yom Teruah, the Feast of Trumpets, is also called Rosh haShanah (literally) "Head of the Year", the Jewish New Year. It teaches about the coronation and wedding of the Messiah, the rewards of the court, the oseif (gathering of the nobles), the Day of Judgment, beginning of the Messianic kingdom, Jacob's Trouble, the resurrection of the dead, Teshuvah, and the birthday of the world. These themes will be developed individually by chapter later in this book.
YOM KIPPUR
Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is considered the holiest day in the Jewish year. In the days of the Temple, there was an elaborate ritual involving two goats, one to be slain and one to be led off into the wilderness, symbolically bearing away the people's sins. The blood of the slain goat was borne by the high priest into the Holy of Holies. There this blood was sprinkled before the mercy seat of G-d. This was the only day of the year that the inner portion of the Temple could be entered and only by the high priest. At this time he came "face to face" with G-d. On this day G-d grants or denies atonement for the coming year.For this reason Yom Kippur would forever be known as Yom haPeduth, Day of Redemption. As each year there was a temporal atonement and redemption, the Scriptures speak of a prophetic Day that Messiah will have returned, and the redemption will have been completed.
Even as in this yearly ritual, the high priest would sprinkle the assembled people for their cleansing, so will Messiah in His second coming do likewise. The appointment communicated by this festival is the literal, physical second coming of the Messiah to the earth. With the Messiah's second coming on Yom Kippur, there will be another day of judgment of those who have survived the seven years of trouble (tribulation). For this reason, this day is known as Yom haDin (the Day of Judgment). It is on Yom Kippur that the Shofar haGadol (the Great Shofar) is blown to gather in the surviving believers from the awesome days. The interval between Rosh haShanah and Yom Kippur is known as Yamin Nora'im (the Days of Awe).
SUKKOT
Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths, commemorates the time when Israel traveled in the wilderness as G-d led them. They lived in booths--temporary dwellings called sukkot in Hebrew. During this time G-d lived with the people in His own Tabernacle, the Mishkan. He also provided a cloud of covering that shaded the people by day and warmed them by night. G-d provided food and water for the people. G-d commanded the families of Israel to live in temporary shelters annually for the week of this festival. In the Temple a magnificent ceremony took place in which the people rejoiced during the pouring of water and wine over the altar. The major prophetic themes are the Messianic Kingdom, the birth of the Messiah, the dedication of the Temple, the pouring out of the living water, and the future protection of Israel in the wilderness.
As each festival approached, the entire nation was thrown into preparation. The elders of each village sent work crews to repair roads and bridges and to prepare for the thousands of pilgrims soon to flood toward the capital.The rabbis began approximately a month before the festival to teach not only historical, but also the agricultural aspects of the festival. Each festival was full of various ceremonies and customs. The rabbis took each ceremony, custom, historical fact, et cetera, and coordinated symbolic and related passages of scripture into each facet of the festival. Even obscure references would often become major understandings associated with a particular festival. An example of this is the water pouring ceremony on Sukkot.
This ceremony, known as the Beit haShoevah (the House of the Waterpouring), was conducted daily during the festival. At the time of the special Sukkot offerings, the priests assigned to perform this function set about slaughtering the sacrifices. A second group of priests went out the Eastern Gate of the Temple to the Valley of the Motza. There they cut willow trees at least twenty-five feet in length. The priests then aligned themselves shoulder to shoulder in several rows approximately thirty feet apart.At a signal, they each stepped forward on the right foot, swinging the willow branches to the left in unison. As they stepped forward on the left foot, the willows were swung to the right. Thus they proceeded toward the city. The waving of the willow branches produced the effect of a rushing wind (Ruach or Spirit) approaching the Temple. Meanwhile, the Cohain haGadol (the High Priest) and his assistant had left the Temple from the Water Gate and gone to the Pool Shiloah (Siloam) and retrieved a vase of water known as Mayim Hayim (Living Water). This water was placed into the golden vessel while the assistant priest held a silver vessel full of wine. As the priests in the Valley of Motza started back to the Temple, so did the group at Shiloah. As each party approached their respective gates, a shofar was blown, and then a single flute began to play. The priests with the sacrifices ascended the altar, placing the animals on the fire. Those with the willows circled the altar seven times, then lay their willows against the base of the altar, forming a sukkah over its top. The High Priest and assistant also ascended the altar pouring out the water and wine. As this was done, the people sang Isaiah 12:3.
Therefore with joy shall you draw water out of the wells of salvation (Yeshua). Isaiah 12:3
It was probably at this time, during the Sukkot, that the Messiah cried out the following:
In the last day, that great day of the feast, Yeshua stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
Yochanan (John)7:37-38.
Before the festival, the Rabbis taught every passage within the scriptures dealing with the pouring of water, living water, et cetera. It is the day following Sukkot that Yeshua is found in the women's court of the Temple. This day is also a festival known as Shemini Atzeret (the Eighth Day). Shemini Atzeret today is followed the next day by another festival known as Simchat Torah (Rejoicing in the Torah). However, in the days of the Temple, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah were celebrated on the same day. It is in this setting that those teachers who rejected Yeshua bring the woman caught in adultery before Him to hear His judgment regarding her. Just the day before, these same men had participated in the Sukkot water pouring ceremonies and had heard Yeshua cry out that if any man thirsted, to come to Him and He would give them a drink of living water. Being teachers, they had taught any related passages, as expressed before. With this understanding, what Yeshua did by writing in the earth takes on new meaning, for these Rabbis would have known and taught the passage from Jeremiah 17:12-13.
A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary. O L-rd, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the L-rd, the fountain of living waters. Jeremiah 17:12-13
When Yeshua wrote in the earth (probably their names), He fulfilled an obscure scriptural reference already associated by these same Rabbis with the water pouring ceremony. The fact that they had just rejected Yeshua's cry concerning the living water must have stung deeply. It is interesting to note that He was questioned about the Torah on the day known as "Rejoicing in the Torah."
Sukkot was also known as the "feast of Dedication," for it was at this feast that Solomon concluded the dedication of the first Temple.
A custom of placing four great lights in the midst of the Temple during the festival gave it the name of "feast of lights." The day following Sukkot is known as Shimini Atzeret and is attached to the festival. It was on this day that Yeshua declared in the midst of these lights that He was the Light of the world.
As the festival of Sukkot is often referred to as the "Season of Our Joy," it is understandable why this is the appointed time for Yeshua's birth. It is interesting to note that when the Messiah was born, angels appeared to shepherds of Bethlehem declaring the message of the Messiah's birth which echoes the ancient liturgy of Sukkot.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior. . .Luke 2:10-11
For more evidence on Yeshua's birth occurring during the festival of Sukkot, see Appendix I.
To keep G-d's commandments and appointed festivals was cause for jubilation. The rejoicing of Sukkot is seen in these quotes from the Mishnah.
Devout men and men of (good) deeds would dance before them with the flaming torches [that were] in their hands and would utter before them words of songs and praises; and the Levites with harps, lyres, cymbals, trumpets, and countless musical instruments (stood) on the fifteen steps that descend from the Court of the Israelites to the Women's Court-corresponding to the fifteen Songs of Ascent in Psalms. . .Sukkah 5:1
They said, 'Whoever did not see the rejoicing of Beit haSho'evah, never saw rejoicing in his lifetime.' Sukkah 5:1
This rejoicing ties the festival into its prophetic emphasis of being the feast that portrays the Messianic Kingdom. During the festival, seventy sacrifices were offered with each being understood as a representation of one of the seventy nations of the world. Unlike the other six festivals which center on Israel alone, this festival portrays the time that G-d will rule over the world.
And the L-rd shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one L-rd, and his name one. Zechariah 14:9
In the Messianic Kingdom, all the nations of the world will come to Jerusalem yearly for the keeping of the festival.
And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the L-rd of hosts, and to keep the feast of Sukkot. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the L-rd of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the L-rd will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of Sukkot. This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of Sukkot. Zechariah 14:16-19
CONCLUSION
As stated before, all of the festivals play a historical, typical, and prophetic role. Each of the seven Biblical festivals contribute to the overall plan of G-d of the restoration of man and the earth. The next appointment to be kept is that of Rosh haShanah, where G-d will inaugurate His kingdom upon earth.
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