(ThyBlackMan.com) Because King James the 1st of England had gentiles translating the Bible, we have mistakes and errors in translation, along with copy errors and forgeries, which would have been identified by Jews if they were given the job of translating. A case in point, is the use of the English word “manger”. That word conveys the wrong idea of the event. The word should have been “booth” or “sukkah”. The angel in the field told the shepherds to go to Bethlehem, and look for the baby lying in a sukkah.
The booth or sukkah that men would construct were for them to stay in, and maybe some guests, but not women and children. Therefore, the shepherds would only have to look for a constructed booth with a woman and child in it, and not every sukkah in town.
A tabernacle alludes to a temporary dwelling place, whether that is the Holy Tabernacle that housed the Arc of the Covenant until the building of the Temple, or the desert booths that housed the Israelites until they settled into the Promised Land and were able to build stone buildings. Hence the name, Feast of Tabernacles!
Jews from all over the world build their leafy shelters, whether it be in gardens, on rooftops, balconies, or attached to buildings on the ground, they are reminded of how the Lord God of Israel watched over their ancestors in the desert. They recall how he provided both physical and spiritual food to sustain the Israelites during their journey to the Promised Land, and they are encouraged to trust the Lord for His same provision in their lives. Many Jews will also eat their meals and sleep in their shelters looking up at the same stars that previous generations beheld from their beds.
The family of Joseph, Mary, and baby Yeshua would stay in the sukkah for seven days, and go to Jerusalem and the temple on the eighth day for the child to be blessed and circumcised. Again, the eight day is considered to be “the Last Great Day”, and the “ingathering of the Harvest”. Just as the seven days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread might be considered a time of sadness, the seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles is considered to be a time of joy and celebration.
To appreciate the full significance of the celebration, and how Jesus interpreted it for the people, we need to know how the Jews in biblical times celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles. At the foothills of Mount Moriah, flows a natural spring called Shiloach. This is a very old spring of water, and as it had been located literally in the shadow of the Holy Temple, it has always had spiritual significance for Israel. It is the original source of Jerusalem’s water.
Every day of the Feast of Tabernacles, the priests descended down to the Shiloach spring of water.
There, they filled a golden flask of the pure water. Ascending back up, carrying the flask with song, the gathering entered back into the Temple through the Water Gate, which is one of the gates on the southern side of the court. It received its name on account of this event. As they entered the gate, their steps were greeted by the sound of trumpets and blasts from shofars. A shofar is a horn of a ram. Once in the Temple, the priest who had the honor of performing this service now carries the golden flask up the altar ramp.
Isaiah 12:1–6
And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me.
2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Yehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.
3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
4 And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.
5 Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth.
6 Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.
Based on these verses, the drawing of water from the Shiloach spring and its pouring upon the altar of Yehovah was accompanied by great rejoicing and celebration in the Holy Temple. In fact, this joy was so immense, and the celebrations so uplifting, that the sages of Israel strongly stated: “Whoever has never seen the celebrations of the Festival of the Water Libation, hasnever experienced true joy in his life”. But what was the cause of such great happiness, to the extent that this statement was recorded for all posterity? Indeed, what could be so moving about the simple act of gathering up some water, and pouring it onto the altar?
Zechariah 14:6-9
6 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark:
7 But it shall be one day which shall be known to the Lord, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.
8 And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.
9 And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one.
From Isaiah, we get the “joy from drawing water out of the wells of salvation”. From Zechariah, the Jews were told that “living waters shall go out from Jerusalem”. While Yeshua was in His 35th week of His 70 week ministry, in 27 AD, during the Feast of Tabernacles, which started October 5th, He used the context of this joyful ceremonial gathering of spring water being poured on the altar in the Temple to interpret the ritual, on the eighth day.
We now go to John’s gospel.
John 7:14-15
14 Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.
15 And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?
The feast here is midway into the Feast of Tabernacles. Since Yeshua never attended any classes, especially those schools of the priests, and having no so called “credentials”, the people were amazed that Jesus would teach with such superior knowledge and understanding, surpassing that of the priests and rabbis.
John 7:37-43
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.)
40 Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.
41 Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?
42 Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the
town of Bethlehem, where David was?
43 So there was a division among the people because of him.
This shows you how foolish and silly people are: like the atheists and Muslims of today.
They say that they don’t see any evidence of Yehovah, but don’t take the time to seriously seek out evidence. All the people had to do was to simply ask Yeshua where was He born!
It was known that Jesus was raised in Galilee, where mostly gentiles lived. Why is it that none of them had the wisdom to ask Jesus the simple question, “where were you born”?
Finally, in Part 7D, we will reveal much of the hidden meaning of the seven feasts, and the role they play.
Staff Writer; Herman Cummings
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