Today at sunset, Oct. 20, 2019 begins the 8th Great Day of the Feast of Tabernacles, Sukkot – The Promise of the Holy Spirit
To Jews, the 8th Day is known as, “Shmini Atzeret.” The name refers to the eighth day, or the extra day, that brings the seven-day Sukkot period to its state of perfection. Rabbinic tradition teaches that Shemini Atzeret is the day when the world is judged for water, or rainfall, in the upcoming year. It is an important day for agricultural purposes.
Sadly, much of world Jews still don’t recognize that Jesus was the fulfillment of their promised Messiah much less the promise of the Holy Spirit to be available to all believers in Yehsua Jesus Christ, The ONLY Begotten Son of God.
John 7:37-44 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.” 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Who Is He?
40 Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, “Truly this is the Prophet.” 41 Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Will the Christ come out of Galilee? 42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?” 43 So there was a division among the people because of Him. 44 Now some of them wanted to take Him, but no one laid hands on Him.
Many in Jesus’ day didn’t believe that He was the promised Messiah because they didn’t realize Jesus was “born in Bethlehem” just as the scriptures said He would be. They based their beliefs on erroneous information, leaving them with an erroneous conclusion. Many didn’t believe he was the Messiah because they were a little too “familiar” with Him. Bishop Drew preached a message not to long ago titled, “Familiarity Breeds Contempt.” Maybe that’s why Jesus’ own brothers didn’t believe who He said he was even if their mother Mary was backing up what Jesus said 100%.
John 7:2-5 Now the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. 3 His brothers therefore said to Him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. 4 For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” 5 For even His brothers did not believe in Him.
Much of the modern church of God will not even mention the awesomeness of this day that Jesus spoke of the promise of the Holy Spirit and its relation to it. Many churches have decided they will honor God in way that they choose, setting aside the importance of the “Holy Days” and “Holy Convocations” Father God Himself declared and decreed that we should observe or at least make note of. Meanwhile, Easter, Christmas, and even Halloween are exalted and mentioned as they approach for the “Christian evangelizing” opportunities they are believed to be because the world celebrates these days. Who are we catering to and Who is being ignored in this scenario? I think, Familiarity is Breeding Contempt, and HE is NOT happy about it.
Leviticus 23
The Feast of Tabernacles lasts seven days, with the first day a Holy Day. However, the eighth day is a separate Holy Day that has its own convocation. The Last Great Day is called the “eighth day” in Leviticus 23:36 and 39 since it immediately follows the Feast of Tabernacles. Just as many have mistakenly considered Passover to be a part of the Days of Unleavened Bread, many have mistakenly considered the Last Great Day to be the final day of the Feast of Tabernacles. However, to teach or accept this is contrary to the Bible.
Examine Leviticus 23:34-36: “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD. On the first day shall be an holy convocation: you shall do no servile work therein. Seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be a holy convocation unto you; and you shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and you shall do no servile work therein.” Here it is clearly stated that there is an additional day separate from the Feast.
We find the above verses summarized in Leviticus 23:39: “Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, you shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a Sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a Sabbath.”
Other Scriptures from the Old Testament
We also find the command to observe this “eighth day” in Numbers 29:35: “On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly: you shall do no servile work therein.”
In the time of King Solomon, we read of this day being observed:
2 Chronicles 7:8-10 “Also at the same time Solomon kept the feast seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt. And in the eighth day they made a solemn assembly: for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days. And on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent the people away into their tents, glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the LORD had shown unto David, and to Solomon, and to Israel His people”
Since the Feast of Tabernacles had lasted seven days (preceded by a seven-day dedication of the altar, as Solomon had completed the Temple), it continued from the 15th day of the 7th month through the 21st day. The eighth day, or Last Great Day, fell on the 22nd day of the 7th month, and it was on the 23rd day that Solomon sent the people away.
That eighth day was still observed during the time of Ezra: That eighth day was the Last Great Day, which concluded the fall Holy Day season.
Nehemiah 8:18 “Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the Law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner”
What About John 7:37?
The Church has long understood that John 7:37 is a reference to the Last Great Day, not the seventh day of the Feast. Let’s read: “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.”
The following verses explain the meaning of the Last Great Day: “He that believes on Me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spoke He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive)” (vs. 38-39).
Again I sadly say, in most modern churches, the 8th Great Day of the Feast that is seldom mentioned, is NOT “a solemn assembly,” it isn’t even mentioned either. How far has modern Christianity evolved that even the few days’ Father God “Declared and Decreed” to be “Holy Convocations” are NOT even mentioned, much less observed in a particular way from every other regular Sabbath day.
If you listen to many of these same pastor, preachers and teachers of the Word of God, you will certainly hear them occasionally use a phrase. “Declare and decree a thing, and it will be established.” “Our words have power to create our world.”
Our words have the power to create nothing for the Glory of God unless God is the Power behind them. How long and how far will Father God let the modern church drift from being a “Bible Teaching” church. Many claim to be a “Bible Teaching” church but in reality, they cherry pick the Bible verses they like and shun the ones they don’t saying, “they don’t apply to us.”
They promote, “I am the God that healeth thee” but never mention the majority and first part of verse 26,
There was a tree “cast into the waters” that made the waters “sweet” and that tree pointed to a tree that our Savior and Redeemer willingly gave His Precious Life on in a very cruel and very painful way, He Didn’t deserve. Jesus IS The Word of God and when we ignore or disregard it, we are ignoring and disregarding Him if we want to admit it or not. Verse 25 says, “there He Proved them.”
Proved – Strong’s H5254 – to test; by implication to attempt: – {adventure} {assay} {prove} {tempt} try. Brown-Driver-Briggs’ Definition – to test, try, prove, tempt, asay, put to the proof or test
The way we choose to live our life in accordance with God’s written Word or not is a “proving” of our love and loyalty to honor or to dishonor the Word of God. He paid a debt He Didn’t Owe because we had a debt we Couldn’t Pay.
The place of “Sweet Waters” at Elim with it’s 12 “Wells of Water” and “70 Palm Trees” is a picture of an Oasis in a desert and a picture of a paradise to come.
I took these 2 pictures, two days apart where I used to work this year. It’s a large body of water, open and close to the Gulf of Mexico. They traveled through oil wells and the winds of a cold front between when these two pictures were taken. The horizontal log moved from the fat to the narrow part of the vertical log, but remained in the shape of an “old rugged cross” through it all for my eyes to see, take pictures of, and proclaim God’s witness of His Presence in my world. I wrote about it here, “Finding Your Oasis in Elim.” God IS taking Note of what we take Note of.
In The Word 