Messiah in Sukkot Chapter 17
- The Festival of Lights
- 40 weeks from conception to birth (Chanukkah to Sukkot)
- The One who does the miraculous works of the Father
- The Unbreakable Seal of the Father
The Festival of Lights:
The Shekinah Light of the World #1. In the fourth Jewish Besorah-Gospel (Ezekiel’s visions of the Face of the “Eagle” in the Proceedings of the Heavenly Court) found in the Brit Chadashah. This testimony is found in the witness of the Endowment of the Grace of Adonai (the LORD). In the witness of Yochanan ben Zebedee the Messiah is declared to be found at the center of the Fall Feast (Sukkot) celebration.
The Shekinah Light of the World #2. It is in the midst of the Feast that He is declared to be “the Light of the World.” The Messiah is the Son of the Highest (ben Elyon) whom “the Father sanctified and sent into the world.” He alone is the One who does the miraculous “works” of the Father; who bears the Holy One’s seal of truth (emet).
The Shekinah Light of the World #3. By virtue of their common title Chag Urim (Festival of Lights) both the seven day Feast of Booths (Tishri 15-21, September-October) and the eight day Feast of Chanukkah (Kislev 25-Tevet 2, November-December) are identified as existing as a unity. Both the fall and winter festivals are called the Festival of Lights. When you connect the dots both festivals are about the eternal Light that Yeshua the Messiah has brought from heaven into the world.
40 weeks from conception to birth (Chanukkah to Sukkot):
Conception to Birth #1. Together Sukkot and Chanukkah mark the time of Messiah’s conception and His birth (Vata’har vate’led, conceived and born). Chanukkah marks the time of the conception of Messiah Yeshua. Sukkot marks the time of Messiah’s birth.
Conception to Birth #2. Sequentially, the Jewish Besorah (Gospel) of Yochanan refers to the fall festival of Sukkot first, clearly identifying Yeshua as the now visible Light of the World, thereafter, he moves subtly into the Winter Festival to give greater emphasis to Yeshua’s “heavenly origin” and to retrospectively point to the exact time when the Father “sanctified and sent [His Son] into the world.”
The One who does the miraculous works of the Father:
It is readily apparent Rabbi Yeshua is ben ha’Av, the Son of the Father (the Holy One in human form). This is evidenced by the Mashiach doing the miraculous works of the Father. The miracles of Messiah that began with His miraculous conception and birth continued throughout His earthly ministry and reached its zenith when He was bodily resurrected (techiyat ha-Mashiach) and ascended alive into heaven. These miracles clearly testify that Messiah and the heavenly Father are eternally One (Unity, Echad).
The Unbreakable Seal of the Father:
The Father set His own Seal upon His Son, the abiding Presence of His Spirit of Emet (Truth) forever. The Rabbis rightfully teach that Adoonai’s Seal is “truth” (emet). Yeshua is the invisible Holy One’s visible manifestation of Himself (Personified Truth). The Messiah Yeshua alone possesses the Father’s Seal. The Seal in view here is the abiding Presence and work of the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of Truth. The Holy Spirit glorifies the Son of God. The Spirit of Truth perpetually abides upon, in and through the Messiah. The miraculous works of the Messiah are proof of this.
The Priesthood of Malki-Tze’dek #1. The ultimate proof of the Messiah Yeshua permanently holding the office of High Priest (as well as Prophet and King, on behalf of all humanity) is His resurrection from the dead.
The Priesthood of Malki-Tze’dek #2. This promised Sign of the resurrection of Messiah was prophetically revealed long ago in the resurrection of Aaron’s dead branch. As you may recall Aaron’s dead branch (rod) resurrected into a living branch in the Tabernacle (Numbers 17:8). This miracle was proof of Aaron’s legitimacy in his service as the High Priest of Israel.
The Priesthood of Malki-Tze’dek #3. The Messiah, therefore, possesses a superior priesthood to the tribe of Levi. The sign of Levi was the miracle of the dead branch (rod) that came back to life. The Sign of the Messiah was the greater miracle of His atoning death and bodily resurrection. The priesthood of Messiah is prophetically referenced in the priesthood of Malki Tze’dek (the King of Righteousness; cf. Genesis 14:18 ff. and Psalm 110).
The Priesthood of Malki-Tze’dek #4. The tribe of Levi, Moses and Aaron promise forgiveness of sin (through the continuous daily prophetic role-play of the sacrifices) and the gift of eternal life (the symbolic resurrection of the rod of the dead almond branch). Therefore, the Messiah’s priesthood (of Malki-Tze’dek) in reality fulfills the promise of the tribe of Levi. This means Messiah is the Rod of Levi (the fulfillment of all of the priestly promises). This is so by the Anointed One actually securing and administering to us forgiveness of sin through His once-in-eternity sacrifice and the gift of eternal life through Messiah’s actual resurrection from the dead and gifting of the Indwelling Presence of the Holy Spirit to all who believe on His Name. He is the “Salvation of Adonai;” literally, the Messiah is our Yeshua!