"Jesus the Messiah Returns"
ISBN 1-59196-730-9 at Barnes and Noble .com

The final departure from Galilee

When Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan; And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there...... Matthew 19:1-2 And it came to pass, when the time had come ( he had avoided Jerusalem for a full year and a half because the Jewish leaders wanted to kill him ) that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, And sent messengers before him: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. And they did not receive him, because his face was set tt go to Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, should we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elijah did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, You know not what manner of spirit you are. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.... Luke 9:51-56

The Cost of following Jesus

And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said to him, Lord, I will follow you wherever you go. And Jesus said to him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head. And he said to another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, Allow me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said to him, Let the dead bury their dead: but you go and preach the kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord, I will follow you; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said to him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. .... Luke 9:57-62

 
Jesus goes secretly to the Feast of Tabernacles

Now the Jews' Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. His brothers said to him, Depart and go into Judaea, that your disciples also may see the works that you do. For there is no man that does any thing in secret, and he himself seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world. For neither did his brothers believe in him. Then Jesus said to them, My time is not yet come: but your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you; but me it hates, because I testify of it, that the it's works are evil. You gp up to this feast: I am not going up yet to this feast: for my time is not yet fully come When he had said these words to them, he stayed still in Galilee. But when his brothers had gone up, then he went also up to the Feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. Then the Jews sought him at the Feast, and said, Where is he? And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, No; but he deceives the people. However no man spoke openly of him for fear of the Jews. Now about the midst of the Feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught. And the Jews marveled, saying, How does this man know letters, having never learned?

How to know the will of God

Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will to do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it is of God He that speaks of himself seeks his own glory: but he that seeks his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. Did not Moses give you the Law, and yet none of you keeps the Law? Why do you go about to kill me? The people answered and said, You have a devil: who goes about to kill you? Jesus answered and said to them, I have done one work, and you all marvel. Moses gave you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and you on the sabbath day circumcise a man. If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the Law of Moses should not be broken; are you angry at me, because I have made a man every bit whole on the sabbath day? Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment.... John 7:2-24

Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill? But, lo, he speaks boldly, and they say nothing to him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Messiah? However we know where this man comes from: but when the Messiah comes, no man knows where he comes from. Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, You both know me, and you know where I come from: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom you know not. But I know him: for I am from him, and he has sent me. Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come. ... And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Messiah comes, will he do more miracles than these which this man has done?

 The Temple Guards are sent to arrest Jesus

The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him. Then said Jesus to them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go to him that sent me. You shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, there you cannot come. Then said the Jews among themselves, Where will he go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles? What manner of saying is this that he said, "You shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, there you cannot come?" ...John 7:25-36

THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES - BOOTHS - SUKKOT

"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. And you shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days...that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God." .. Leviticus 23

  Tabernacles or Sukkot is a popular and joyful festival: (Passover celebrates the first spring harvest of barley; Shavuot or Pentecost celebrates wheat harvest), fifty days later. Sukkot or the Feast of Ingathering occurs at the time of the major harvest of crops. ... In Jesus day, Sukkot was a glorious pageantry of white-robed priests and musical instruments. Levitical choirs accompanied the musicians with their string, wind, and percussion instruments during the chanting of the Hallel (Messianic) Psalms 113 to 118. The shofars sounded frequently to give special emphases. The great brazen altar received more sacrificed animals than on any other festival; 70 bulls, 14 rams, 98 lambs and 7 goats. (Numbers 29:12-34)

Jesus, and His family, camped out in a shelter made of limbs and branches called Booths commemorating the experience of Israel in the wilderness.  

 The Water Pouring Ceremony

The water-pouring ceremony on the last day of the feast (7th day) involved three divisions of priests. The first division would slay and prepare the sacrifices. The second division went out of the Temple through the East Gate to the valley, where they dumped the ashes from the sacrifice after each Shabbot service. There, they cut down willows measuring 25 feet in length. The priests then would line up shoulder to shoulder in rows 30 feet apart holding their willows. The road back to the Temple would be filled with pilgrims waving palm branches and chanting the Hallel (Psalms 113-118). The closing words of Psalm 118 are "Ana Adonai Hoshiana'' ("Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord...Blessed be He that cometh in the name of the Lord...''). This day was known as the "Great Hosanna'', a day of prayer and great rejoicing for speedy salvation through the Messiah.

  The priests would then start their return journey. When they stepped to the left, the willows would be moved to the left; when they stepped to the right, the willows would be moved to the right. Meanwhile, the third group (led by the High Priest ) exited out the Water Gate to the pool known as the Pool of Siloam (Shiloach - Pool of Gently Flowing Waters). There the High Priest drew the water known as "Living Water'' into a golden vase. His assistant carried a silver vase containing wine. As the priests with the willows marched, the High Priest and his group made their way from the pool back to their respective gates...As they walked, the willows would make a swishing sound, like the wind. It must have sounded like a rushing wind approaching the city (a picture of Pentecost). A Shofar (horn) was blown as they reached their respective gates, and then a man stood up and played the flute and led the pilgrims up to Jerusalem to worship as the call went out, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord.'' and then sounded the call for the Ruach (Wind) and the Living Water to enter the Temple.

  The priests with the willows entered the Temple and circled the Altar seven times, swishing the willows back and forth. The priests began laying their willows against the Altar, making a Succah (tabernacle). The other group of priests, those who slew the sacrifices, then ascended to the top of the Altar and laid the sacrifices on the Altar. The people gathered in the courts and the area around the Temple. The High Priest took his vase and poured it on one corner of the Altar where the horns were. There were two bowls built into the corner of the Altar, each with a hole in it. The highlight of the ceremony came when the priest dramatically poured the Living Water over the Altar of the Temple from the gold vase. The wine from the silver base was also poured out over the Altar.

  It was on this day that Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 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: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is The Prophet (that Moses spoke of) Others said, This is the Messiah. But some said, Shall Messiah come out of Galilee? Has not the scripture said, That Messiah comes of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was? ....So there was a division among the people because of him. And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him. Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said to them, Why have you not brought him? The officers answered, Never a man spoke like this man. Then the Pharisees answered them, Are you also deceived? Have any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him? But this people who don't know the Law are cursed. John 7:37-50

 The Ceremony of Lights

In the courtyard of the Temple stood 4 towering golden lamp towers 75 feet high. The golden bowls at the top held over 10 gallons of oil each. Each lamp had 4 ladders leading up to the lamps. Young priests would climb the up the ladders with the wicks, carrying large pitchers of olive oil to refill the lamps, something like the Olympic torch. This lamp lighting ceremony was repeated every night from the second night until the final night of the Feast of Tabernacles.... Josephus records that when the lamps were lit at sundown the light was so bright that every home in Jerusalem could see the light.

When the children of Israel came out of Egypt and bondage there was a pillar of fire each night to guide them and protect them ...Exodus 13:20.

 

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