I. FEASTS CELEBRATED BY ALL MEN IN ISRAEL
A. FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD — PASSOVER — COMMEMORATED THE DELIVERANCE FROM EGYPT, SPARED FROM DEATH ANGEL. THEY HAD TO LEAVE EGYPT IN SUCH A HURRY THEY DID NOT HAVE TIME TO LET THEIR BREAD RISE.
B. FEAST OF WEEKS (PENTECOST) — FEAST OF THE HARVEST (50 DAYS FROM PASSOVER)
C. FEAST OF TABERNACLES — FRUIT WAS GATHERED IN AND PEOPLE DWELT IN BOOTHS MADE OF BRANCHES AND BOUGHS OF TREES
II. SEVENTH MONTH CELEBRATIONS
A. DAY OF BLOWING TRUMPETS (FIRST DAY OF 7TH MONTH) — TRUMPET WAS SOUNDED, SACRIFICES WERE OFFERED AND HARD LABOR CEASED
B. DAY OF ATONEMENT — (TENTH DAY OF 7TH MONTH) ATONEMENT MADE FOR NATION AND HIGH PRIEST ENTERED INTO THE HOLY OF HOLIES
C. FEAST OF TABERNACLES (15TH — 22ND DAYS OF 7TH MONTH) — SACRIFICES AND DWELLING IN BOOTHS — JOYFUL CELEBRATION OF HARVEST
1. CALLED FEAST OF INGATHERINGS IN EXODUS 23:16
III. PROPHETIC SIGNIFICANCE OF FEAST OF TABERNACLES (ZECHARIAH 12-14)
A. THEY WILL LOOK ON HIM WHOM THEY HAVE PIERCED AND ASK “WHAT ARE THOSE WOUNDS IN YOUR HANDS?” AND JESUS WILL SAY “THOSE WHICH I WAS WOUNDED IN THE HOUSE OF MY FRIENDS”
B. NATIONS OF WORLD WILL BE GATHERED AGAINST JERUSALEM AND THE LORD (WITH HIS SAINTS) WILL GO TO FIGHT AND HIS FEET WILL STAND ON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES AND THE MOUNT SHALL CLEAVE IN THE MIDST AND LIVING WATERS WILL GO OUT FROM JERUSALEM AND THE LORD SHALL BE KING
C. THOSE & THEIR BEASTS THAT HAVE FOUGHT AGAINST JERUSALEM SHALL BE PLAGUED SO THAT THEIR FLESH SHALL CONSUME AWAY (MELT, DISSOLVE) WHILE THEY STAND ON THEIR FEET AND THEIR EYES SHALL CONSUME AWAY IN THEIR SOCKETS
1. 2 Peter 3:10-13
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.
11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives
12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.
13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.
D. WEALTH OF ALL NATIONS SHALL BE GATHERED AT JERUSALEM
E. ALL NATIONS SHALL GO TO JERUSALEM AND KEEP THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES
F. WHOEVER DOES NOT COME TO WORSHIP THE KING SHALL HAVE NO RAIN
G. THE PLAGUE OF YOUR FLESH MELTING WILL COME ON WHOEVER DOES NOT COME TO THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES
H. HOLINESS TO THE LORD SHALL BE ON THE BELLS OF THE HORSES, THE DISHES OF ALL JERUSALEM AND JUDAH SHALL HAVE HOLINESS TO THE LORD
IV. ELEMENTS OF THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES
A. DWELLING IN BOOTHS
1. REMINDS US THAT THIS WORLD IS NOT OUR HOME
2. AS SLAVES THEY HAD HOMES IN EGYPT — NOT WORTH GOING BACK TO
3. IN PROMISED LAND THEY WOULD INHERIT HOME THEY DID NOT BUILD (PREPARED FOR THEM TO INHABIT — John 14)
4. IN THE WILDERNESS THEY WERE ON THE GO — THEY HAD A TENT SO THEY COULD MOVE WHEN THE GLORY MOVED
a. 2 Peter 1:13 I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body,
B. JOYFUL CELEBRATION OF HARVEST GOD HAD PROVIDED
C. OFFERING OF SACRIFICES
1. IN 8 DAYS, THEY OFFERED 71 BULLOCKS, 15 RAMS, 105 LAMBS, 8 GOATS AND CEREAL OFFERINGS
2. CELEBRATED IN NEHEMIAH 8 AND THE PEOPLE WEPT BUT WERE TOLD:
Nehemiah 8:9-11
9 And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.
10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.
11 So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved.
D. POURING OUT OF WATER
1. SOLEMN PROCESSION EACH DAY FROM TEMPLE TO GIHON SPRING. A PRIEST FILLED A GOLD PITCHER WITH WATER WHILE A CHOIR SANG ISAIAH 12:3 “Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.” THEN THEY RETURNED TO THE ALTER AND POURED OUT THE WATER.
2. THE RITUAL REMIND THEM OF THE WATER FROM THE ROCK DURING THE WILDERNESS WANDERINGS.
3. POURING OUT WATER WAS TO THANK GOD FOR HIS PROVISION OF RAIN TO BRING THE HARVEST
4. WAS TO LOOK TO THE DAY WHEN MESSIAH WOULD COME CONQUERING AND WOULD OPEN UP A RIVER FROM THE MOUNT OF OLIVES THAT WOULD MAKE THE DEAD SEA COME ALIVE
V. TYPE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
A. John 7:37-39
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.)
B. John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
C. John 14:16-17 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
D. IN THE OT
1 THE SPIRIT WOULD LEAP ON SAMSON AND HE WOULD UPROOT THE GATES OF THE CITY
2. THE CLOUD WOULD FILL THE TEMPLE AND NO MAN COULD STAND
3. THE FIRE WOULD FALL AND CONSUME THE SACRIFICE
4. BUT NOW THE FIRE, WIND, CLOUD ABIDE WITHIN YOU
E. Matthew 3:11-12
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
