Messiah in Sukkot Chapter 21
- Receiving the Forgiving One into our hearts
- Mountain of Transfiguration
- Witness to Messiah’s dedication, sacrifice and glory
- Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the LORD
- If any man thirsts, let him come to Messiah and drink the water of life
- Messiah’s feet will one day touch down on the Mount of Olives
- The Gentile Nations and Israel will live together in peace
- Messiah’s Shalom will rule upon the earth after His second coming
Receiving the Forgiving One into our hearts:
True forgiveness is the gift of the Father: what Adonai Avinu (ה’ אבינו) has done is that He has sent His Beloved Son (בן האלהים-ben haElohim) into the world, in human form (בן האדם-*ben HaAdam), to personally secure forgiveness for all who will believe.
*Ben HaAdam Ha-acharon (אדם האחרון).
The Indwelling Presence of the Forgiving One #1. Now that this has been accomplished through the Messiah’s life, death, resurrection, and ascension: The Holy Spirit, the Forgiving One, now resides in every believer’s life.
The Indwelling Presence of the Forgiving One #2. This means that every believer, whether he is consciously aware of it or not, is filled with an intercessory life of forgiveness, the Forgiving One, who constantly cries out on our behalf and all others:
“Abba! Father!” “Father forgive them.”
For the Spirit helps us in our weakness because we do not consciously know how to pray as we should. Therefore, the Spirit Himself prays “for us with groanings (בַּאֲנָחוֹת) too deep for words.” (עֲמֻקּוֹת מִמִּלִּים)
וכן גם הרוח עוזרת לנו בחלשותינו, כי אין אנו יודעים להתפלל כראוי. ואולם הרוח עצמה מפגיעה בעדנו באנחות עמקות ממלים. פ
The Spirit (of the Holy One) also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know how to pray properly. But the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
Mountain of Transfiguration:
The Mount of Transfiguration #1. The Messianic implication of the Feast of Booths is seen in the association of Sukkot with the Testimony of the Messiah Rabbi Yeshua at the Mount of Transfiguration (הר החרמון–Mount Chermon).
The Mount of Transfiguration #2. In the account of the Messiah’s transfiguration His three disciples awoke from their slumber, they saw the Messiah lit up like the sun (clothed in the glory of the Holy One) and speaking with both Moses and Elijah.
The Mount of Transfiguration #3. The first reaction of Messiah’s disciples when they saw Him transfigured and conversing with Moses and Elijah was to make Sukkahs.
The Mount of Transfiguration #4. The disciple (תלמיד) Shimon ben Yochanan (Cephas, Peter) wanted to build the Sukkahs because with this supernatural event he believed that the Kingdom of Adonai was going to immediately be established on earth.
The Mount of Transfiguration #5. Shimon reacted in the same way any other observant Jew would react upon both seeing a vision of Elijah and Moses and upon encountering the Shekinah Glory Cloud appearing where the transfigured Messiah stood. This event took place on Mount Chermon. Mount “Chermon” means the Mountain of “Dedicated Sacrifice.” It is written (Mattai 17:1-8; Markos 9:2-8):
וּמִקֵּץ שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים לָקַח לוֹ יֵשׁוּעַ אֶת־פֶּטְרוֹס וְאֶת־יַעֲקֹב וְאֶת־יוֹחָנָן אָחִיו וַיַּעֲלֵם בָּדָד עַל־הַר גָּבוֹהַּ׃ וַיִּשְׁתַּנֶּה לְעֵינֵיהֶם וַיַּזְהִירוּ פָנָיו כַּשֶׁמֶשׁ וּבְגָדָיו כָּאוֹר הִלְבִּינוּ׃ וְהִנֵּה נִרְאוּ אֲלֵיהֶם משֶׁה וְאֵלִיָּהוּ וְהֵם מִדַּבְּרִים אִתּוֹ׃ וַיַּעַן פֶּטְרוֹס וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־יֵשׁוּעַ אֲדֹנִי טוֹב לָנוּ לִהְיוֹת פֹּה אִם־טוֹב בְּעֵינֶיךָ נַעֲשֶׂה פֹּה שָׁלשֹׁ סֻכּוֹת לְךָ אַחַת וּלְמשֶׁה אַחַת וּלְאֵלִיָּהוּ אֶחָת׃ עוֹדֶנּוּ מְדַבֵּר וְהִנֵּה עֲנַן־אוֹר הֵצַל עֲלֵיהֶם וְהִנֵּה קוֹל מִתּוֹךְ הֶעָנָן אֹמֵר זֶה־בְּנִי יְדִידִי אֲשֶׁר רָצִיתִי בוֹ אֵלָיו תִּשְׁמָעוּן׃ וַיְהִי כִּשְׁמֹעַ הַתַּלְמִידִים וַיִּפְּלוּ עַל־פְּנֵיהֶם וַיִּירְאוּ מְאֹד׃ וַיִּגַּשׁ יֵשׁוּעַ וַיִּגַּע־בָּם וַיֹּאמַר קוּמוּ אַל־תִּירָאוּ׃ וַיִּשְׂאוּ עֵינֵיהֶם וְלֹא רָאוּ אִישׁ בִּלְתִּי יֵשׁוּעַ לְבַדּוֹ׃
לאחר ששה ימים לקח ישוע את כיפא ואת יעקב ואת יוחנן אחיו. הוא העלה אותם להר גבוה לבדם והשתנה לעיניהם; פניו זהרו כשמש ובגדיו הלבינו כאור. לפתע נראו אליהם משה ואליהו כשהם מדברים אתו. הגיב כיפא ואמר אל ישוע: “אדוני, טוב שאנחנו כאן. אם תרצה אעשה פה שלוש סכות, לך אחת, למשה אחת ולאליהו אחת.” עודו מדבר וענן בהיר סכך עליהם והנה קול אומר מתוך הענן: “זה בני אהובי אשר חפצתי בו; אליו תשמעון.” כשמעם זאת נפלו התלמידים על פניהם ופחדו עד מאד. ישוע נגש, נגע בהם ואמר: “קומו ואל תפחדו!” הם נשאו עיניהם ולא ראו איש זולתי ישוע לבדו. פ
At the end of six days, Yeshua took Petros, Ya’akov, and his brother Yochanan, and they climbed a high mountain alone. He was changed before their eyes (transfigured). His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as light. Suddenly, Mosheh and Eliyahu appeared to them, and they were speaking with Him. Petros responded and said to Yeshua, “Master, it is good for us to be here. If it is good in your eyes, let us make three sukkot: one for You, one for Mosheh, and one for Eliyahu.” While he was still speaking, a (bright) cloud of light (the Shekinah) overshadowed them, and a Voice out of the midst of the (glory) cloud said, “This is My *Beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased. Listen to Him!” When the talmidim heard, they fell on their faces, very afraid. Yeshua approached and touched them and said, “Arise. Do not fear.” Then they lifted their eyes, but did not see anyone except Yeshua alone.
*This is My Son, My Friend! (בני ידידי-Classic Hebrew) and this is My Beloved Son! (בני אהובי-Modern Hebrew). Both statements are true descriptions of Avinu Shebashamayim’s (our heavenly Father’s) most intimate relationship with His favorite son, the Messiah ben Yosef ben David.
Witness to Messiah’s dedication, sacrifice and glory:
Witness of the Mount of Dedication: The witness of the Mountain of Dedication is a testimony to the Messiah’s eventual exodus into heaven when He, after His death, burial (Moses is a witness to the Messiah’s death), and resurrection gloriously ascended alive up into heaven (Elijah is a witness to the Messiah’s ascension up into heaven).
Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord:
In the first Jewish Besorah (Gospel, cf. the Proceedings of the Heavenly Court’s testimony of the Lion) found in the Brit HaChadashah, we read the story of the Rabbi Yeshua’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem to present Himself as the Messiah of Israel as foretold in Zechariah 9:9:
גִּילִי מְאֹד בַּת־צִיֹּון הָרִיעִי בַּת יְרוּשָׁלִַם הִנֵּה מַלְכֵּךְ יָבֹוא לָךְ צַדִּיק וְנֹושָׁע הוּא עָנִי וְרֹכֵב עַל־חֲמֹור וְעַל־עַיִר בֶּן־אֲתֹנֹֽות׃
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
He is just and endowed with salvation,
Humble, and mounted on a donkey,
Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Although the people of Israel were preparing to celebrate Pesach, when the multitudes of Yehudim (Jewish) worshipers saw the Mashiach entering the city on the donkey, they spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strewn them in the way. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried saying:
הוֹשַׁע־נָא לְבֶן־דָּוִד בָּרוּךְ הַבָּא בְּשֵׁם ה’ הוֹשַׁע־נָא בַּמְּרוֹמִים׃
Hosha-na to the son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of Adonai! Hosha-na in the heights!'”
Therefore, at the sight of the Messiah, the multitude of Yehudim were so blessed that they went automatically from preparing to celebrate Passover (being delivered from the slavery and oppression of Egypt) right into celebrating the Festival of Sukkot (celebrating our new life of living free as citizens in our own Promised Land).
If any man thirsts, let him come to Messiah and drink the water of life:
The prophetic aspect of Sukkot can be understood by first looking at the fourth Jewish Gospel (Besorah: Good News) of the Endowment of the Grace of HaShem (lit. meaning of writer’s name: Yochanan ben Zebedee-יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַבְדַּי). Here we encounter the Messiah teaching in Jerusalem during Sukkot. The Scriptures record that Rabbi Yeshua’s teaching was the central (controversial) focus at the feast that year (autumn 29 CE). The religious elites of the time (Prushim, Sadducees, Herodians, Zealots) were looking for Him, murmuring about Him, calling Him unlearned, accusing Him of being possessed by a demon, and finally trying to arrest Him. However, many among the people of Israel did believe and professed Rabbi Yeshua to be the promised Messiah. Finally on “Hoshana Rabbah” (הושענא רבה) the seventh day of Sukkot, the Great Day of the Feast where the Messianic hope was at its highest pitch, the Messiah stood and cried saying:
וַיְהִי בַּיּוֹם הָאַחֲרוֹן הַגָּדוֹל בֶּחַג וַיַּעֲמֹד יֵשׁוּעַ וַיִּקְרָא לֵאמֹר אִישׁ כִּי יִצְמָא יָבֹא־נָא אֵלַי וְיִשְׁתֶּה׃
If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. One who believes in me, as the word is written, from his belly will flow rivers of living water.
Messiah’s feet will one day touch down on the Mount of Olives:
The Scripture that Messiah was giving reference to, as bearing witness to Him, would naturally be those passages the Jewish people had heard read to them for the past seven days namely, Zechariah 14:8:
וְהָיָה בַּיֹּום הַהוּא יֵצְאוּ מַֽיִם־חַיִּים מִירוּשָׁלִַם חֶצְיָם אֶל־הַיָּם הַקַּדְמֹונִי וְחֶצְיָם אֶל־הַיָּם הָאַחֲרֹון בַּקַּיִץ וּבָחֹרֶף יִֽהְיֶֽה׃
This passage looks to the time in the near future when the glorified-immortal Messiah’s feet will touch down upon the Mount of Olives, a time when living waters will go out from the new Temple to all the land of Israel and go out from the Beautiful Land to be poured out from there upon all the lands and peoples of the world (Isaiah 12:3). Zechariah 14:7 also speaks about the Shekinah Light, that there will be constant light even at evening time!
וְהָיָה יֹום־אֶחָד הוּא יִוָּדַע לַֽ ה’ לֹא־יֹום וְלֹא־לָיְלָה וְהָיָה לְעֵֽת־עֶרֶב יִֽהְיֶה־אֹֽור׃
For it will be a unique day which is known to Adonai, neither day nor night, but it will come about that at evening time there will be light.
And in that day living waters will flow out of Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea; it will be in summer as well as in winter (Zechariah 14:8).
הִנֵּה אֵל יְשׁוּעָתִי אֶבְטַח וְלֹא אֶפְחָד כִּֽי־עָזִּי וְזִמְרָת יָהּ ה’ וַֽיְהִי־לִי לִֽישׁוּעָֽה׃ וּשְׁאַבְתֶּם־מַיִם בְּשָׂשֹׂון מִמַּעַיְנֵי הַיְשׁוּעָֽה׃
Behold, the Almighty is My Salvation (יְשׁוּעָתִי-Yeshu’ati),
I will trust and not be afraid;
For Yah Adona is my strength and song,
And He has become My Salvation (יְשׁוּעָה-Yeshu’ah).
Therefore you will joyously (שָׂשׂוֹן-sashon) draw water
From the Springs of Salvation (יְשׁוּעָה-Yeshu’ah) (Isaiah 12:2-3).
וְהָיָה כָּל־הַנֹּותָר מִכָּל־הַגֹּויִם הַבָּאִים עַל־יְרֽוּשָׁלִָם וְעָלוּ מִדֵּי שָׁנָה בְשָׁנָה לְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֹת לְמֶלֶךְ ה’ צְבָאֹות וְלָחֹג אֶת־חַג הַסֻּכֹּֽות׃ וְהָיָה אֲשֶׁר לֹֽא־יַעֲלֶה מֵאֵת מִשְׁפְּחֹות הָאָרֶץ אֶל־יְרוּשָׁלִַם לְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֹת לְמֶלֶךְ ה’ צְבָאֹות וְלֹא עֲלֵיהֶם יִהְיֶה הַגָּֽשֶׁם׃
Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, Adonai Tseva’ot, and to celebrate the Feast of Sukkot. And it will be that whichever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, Adonai Tseva’ot, there will be no rain on them. (Zechariah 14:16-17)
The Gentile Nations and Israel will live together in peace:
Zechariah 14:16-17 tells us how in the Kingdom Age the gentiles and their nations will (as members of the Commonwealth of Israel) join the Jewish people (who will all be living in the Land of Israel).
Shiloh #1. Each and every year, representatives of the gentile nations will be required to travel to the Sacred District of Jerusalem (that will stretch all the way from Jerusalem in the south to Shechem in the north) to celebrate the Feast of Sukkot at the new Millennial Temple (cf. “Messiah in Rosh HaShanah II and Chanukkah II“).
Shiloh #2. Although the prophet Ezekiel reveals that the nations will be able to decide for themselves whether they will send representatives to attend, the penalty for making the wrong choice will be no rain.
Shiloh #3. This yet future warning again hearkens back to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as prophetically pictured in the water libations during Sukkot.
Messiah will bring His Shalom to rule upon the earth after His second coming:
וְשָׁפַכְתִּי עַל־בֵּית דָּוִיד וְעַל יֹושֵׁב יְרוּשָׁלִַם רוּחַ חֵן וְתַחֲנוּנִים וְהִבִּיטוּ אֵלַי אֵת אֲשֶׁר־דָּקָרוּ וְסָפְדוּ עָלָיו כְּמִסְפֵּד עַל־הַיָּחִיד וְהָמֵר עָלָיו כְּהָמֵר עַֽל־הַבְּכֹֽור׃
I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn. (Zechariah 12:10)
וְהָיָה בְכָל־הָאָרֶץ נְאֻם־ה’ פִּֽי־שְׁנַיִם בָּהּ יִכָּרְתוּ יִגְוָעוּ וְהַשְּׁלִשִׁית יִוָּתֶר בָּֽהּ׃ וְהֵבֵאתִי אֶת־הַשְּׁלִשִׁית בָּאֵשׁ וּצְרַפְתִּים כִּצְרֹף אֶת־הַכֶּסֶף וּבְחַנְתִּים כִּבְחֹן אֶת־הַזָּהָב הוּא יִקְרָא בִשְׁמִי וַֽאֲנִי אֶעֱנֶה אֹתֹו אָמַרְתִּי עַמִּי הוּא וְהוּא יֹאמַר ה’ אֱלֹהָֽי׃
“It will come about in all the land,”
Declares HaShem (the NAME),
“That two parts in it will be cut off and perish;
But the third will be left in it.
“And I will bring the third part through the fire,
Refine them as silver is refined,
And test them as gold is tested.
They will call on My name,
And I will answer them;
I will say, ‘They are My people,’
And they will say, ‘Adonai is my God’” (Zechariah 13:8-9).
Mashiach Yeshua is coming back to gather together the nation of Israel after cleansing it from what will then be its (last living) persecutors and tormentors (cf. Zechariah 12:10; 13:8). The Gentile nations will then repent of their opposition and hatred of Adonai’s elect people and will in peace unite as a global Commonwealth with Israel, so that all the nations of the world will together worship the Eternal One (Adonai Elohim) and serve together His Only Begotten Son (ben Yachid), the Messiah, the Great King who will sit on the throne of David. However, the final fulfillment of the Feast of Booths will not be in the coming messianic kingdom. The final fulfillment of Sukkot will come in the eternal state (in the ‘extended‘ assembly) when joyously, “Adonai Himself shall be (tented, dwell forever) with us [His people] as our Almighty One.”