Chapter 18 The Feast of the Tabernacles
Jesus celebrated the feast of Tabernacles also, but He didn’t keep it by the law of Moses. He celebrated it according to the law of the new covenant which we must obey. Jesus gave us the example of the new covenant how to keep the feast of Tabernacles.(John 7:2, 14, 37-39)
【John 7:37-39】 「On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.」
The above is the words that Jesus preached in Jerusalem on the feast of Tabernacles. In connection of the above passage, Zechariah says that it will rain on those who come to keep the feast of Tabernacles. At the end of the feast of Tabernacles Jesus said that thirsty people should come and drink, and the prophet Zechariah said that it would rain upon those who came to keep the feast of Tabernacles. Rain refers to the Holy Spirit prophetically. The apostles received the Holy Spirit of the former rain by keeping Pentecost, but the last saints would receive the Holy Spirit of the latter rain by keeping the feast of Tabernacles.
The feast of Tabernacles is the last one among seven kinds of feasts of three times. The prophecy of the feast of Tabernacles is for the church that would keep the seven feasts of three times in the last days.(Zec. 14:16-18, John 7:37-39)
Zechariah prophesied that those who came to Jerusalem to keep the feast of Tabernacles would be led to the river of the water of life.
【Zech 14:8】 「On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea and half to the western sea, in summer and in winter.」
【Zech 14:16-17】 「Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, they will have no rain.」
Mount Zion and Jerusalem is the symbolic expression of the place where people of God are keeping the feasts.
【Isa 33:20】 「Look upon Zion, the city of our festivals; your eyes will see Jerusalem, a peaceful abode, a tent that will not be moved; its stakes will never be pulled up, nor any of its ropes broken.」
And the prophet Zechariah wrote;
【Zech 13:1】 「”On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.」
Where is the fountain to cleanse us from sin and impurity outside the blood of the Passover Lamb? Anyone who wants to drink this water of life have to know how to be redeemed by the blood of Jesus.
【Eph 1:7】 「In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ.」
If you are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, God will overflow with wisdom to make known all the mysteries of God.
