Sukkot/The Feast of Tabernacles

From September 25-October 2 this year, the joyous Jewish feast of Sukkot will be held. We know it as the days the Jewish families build outdoor booths and eat and pray in them. They sometimes sleep in them, too. I am studying John 7-8 with my bestie and remembered reading that the actions of Jesus in these two chapters related to Sukkot. So I searched high and low for a book our Ladies' Sunday school class studied a few years ago, "Messiah in the Feasts of Israel" by Sam Nadler. I finally found I bought it on Kindle, which makes it easy to quote Brother Nadler right here. First of all, in John 7, Jesus says that those who believe in Him will have rivers of living water flowing from them. Do you want to know the astonishing context for where and how He said that?

This is the water ceremony of Sukkot:

"One such custom was the Temple water-pouring ceremony. Each day of the feast, a priest (cohen) came from the Temple down to the pool of Siloam carrying a golden pitcher. He was followed by those lulav-waving pilgrims who had come to Jerusalem to celebrate Sukkot. The priest would fill the golden pitcher with water from the pool and return to the Temple followed by crowds chanting from Isaiah, “we will gather water from the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3), and from the Psalms, “Hoshiaynu” transliterated “Hosanna,” meaning “save us now” (Psalm 118:22-24). The priest would make one circuit around the altar and then pour out the water praying for God to provide what He alone could give. The priest would do this each day for the first six days of the festival . . ."

On the last day of the feast, the priest makes seven circuits, with the people getting louder with each one.

"The priest had just finished his seventh circuit around the Temple altar. He is pouring out the water with his golden pitcher, praying for God’s provision, and as thousands of people are crying out “Hosanna! Save us now!” for the salvation of God– suddenly, Yeshua proclaims, loudly above the din of the people: If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, “From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Yeshua was not yet glorified. (John 7:37-39) Yeshua declared Himself to be the fulfillment of the promise of the God for Israel and the world, the true hope for Sukkot." Next, the ceremony of light, on the eighth day, a day of solemn assembly. That day Jesus stood in the Treasury of the Temple and said "I am the Light of the World:" Now the ceremony of light (John 8):

"Light is another Biblical symbol, and another unusual Sukkot ceremony that took place in the first century Jerusalem Temple. It centered around gigantic golden candlesticks. On the first day of Sukkot, three seventy-five foot high candlesticks were erected in The Court of the Women where the treasury was located. This is the very same treasury where Messiah noted a poor widow who gave her sacrificial gift (Mark 12:41-42). The Court of the Women was a place where all could come to give their gifts." "These celebrations would continue for the full seven days. On the eighth day the lights were extinguished for a holy and solemn assembly. Light was a reminder of God’s revelation and His guidance." Jesus stood in the place where the three 75 foot candlesticks that could be seen all over Jerusalem stood, but they were now extinguished. And He proclaimed Himself the Light of the World! Pretty amazing, eh?