Jesus’ brothers were preparing to go up to Jerusalem to the Feast of Tabernacles. They challenged Jesus to go up and “Show Yourself to the world.” Jesus replied:-
“My time has not yet come, but
your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I
testify of it that its works are evil. You go up to this feast, I am not yet
going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come.” John 7: 6-8
After His brothers had left, Jesus went up to the feast secretly and about the middle of the feast He went into the temple and taught. The Pharisee’s wanted to arrest Him but could not “for His time had not yet come.” On the last day, that great day of the feast, as water was poured out from a golden pitcher onto the altar to the rejoicing of the crowds, Jesus revealed Himself openly as the One who provides the living water of the Spirit.
Throughout His ministry, Jesus moved with a sense of purpose. He was obviously conscious that He was fulfilling prophecy as encrypted into the feasts of Israel. That’s why He rode into Jerusalem on the exact day of the choosing of the Passover Lamb and was acclaimed by the crowds. When told by the Pharisees to silence them He replied that if the people were silent the stones would cry out. This was the time for the Lamb of God to be chosen and to give His life for the world and nothing would stop it.
Jesus died at the time of the sacrifice of the Passover lamb up at the temple; His body went into the tomb as the Feast of Unleavened Bread began; and He rose on the Feast of Firstfruits to be ‘the firstfruits of them that slept.’ The Holy Spirit was poured out exactly on the Day of Pentecost – the anniversary of the giving of the Law and the plans for the tabernacle. This Feast was about equipping the people of God to fulfil their commission.
The one Feast that has never been fulfilled in the Church is the Feast of Tabernacles. This is the Feast of fullness, the final harvest when God will bring into manifestation all that the Cross has purchased. All the seeds that have been sown will come to harvest. The Church will rise to its full potential in Christ and there will be a mighty harvest of souls. ‘Elijah’ will come and restore all things [Matthew 17:11] i.e. the Spirit which anointed Elijah will come upon the Church to prepare the way of the Lord as He came upon John the Baptist to prepare the way for Jesus’ 1st coming. It will be a glorious time and it’s about to begin in a few short years.
Jesus moved in sync with the Feasts of Israel. Those Feasts were set into the history of Israel as a road map for the Church. Therefore if we look at what Jesus did at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles, we will have some clues about what Jesus will be doing during the season of the fulfilment of this Feast. Jesus made the point that He could not go up to the Feast any time as others could. He wasn’t just another worshipper; He was the central figure of what the Feast was all about. Jesus went up secretly. What is that saying? Jesus will be coming to the Feast but it will not be the time for Him to be openly revealed. Of course Jesus is always with His Church but at the End time fulfilment of the Feast, there will be a greatly increased sense of the Presence of the Lord.
About the middle of the Feast, Jesus went up into the temple and taught. The temple stands for the people of God. They are the Living temple that Jesus is building even now. At this time the Church will come greatly alive with the Word of God; we will be of one mind with Jesus the Head. This is the glorious Church spoken of in Ephesians 5:25,26
“that he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the
word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot
or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”
The Church will move with power and authority and be filled with the love and the Presence of God. There will be great healings and creative miracles, like limbs being restored, and the world will flow into it.
On the last great day of the Feast Jesus revealed Himself openly and proclaimed Himself as the fount of Living Water and gave the invitation,
“If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in
Me, as the Scriptures has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living
water.” John 7:37, 38
Foreshadowing the invitation at the end of the Age as in Revelation,
“And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say,
‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the waters
of life freely.” Revelation 22:17
Jesus will come physically and
openly at the end of the season of the fulfilment of the Feast of Tabernacles
in the Church. It will undoubtedly be “On
the last day, that great day of the Feast.” John 7:17.
Jesus, the king once despised and
rejected, will be welcomed with great rejoicing and celebration and will reign
on the Earth. AMEN
