THE JEWISH HOLY ASSEMBLIES The holy feasts used to represent living and main parts of the Jewish worship; through which the people gather together in holy assemblies to remember the continuous works of God with them; And God proclaims His rejoice in them, wishing for them the true rest and the unceasing eternal joy. Those feasts represented a (thermometer) that revealed the mutual relationship between God and His people: In case the people deflected, God rejected their feasts, and even hated them (Isaiah 1: 14); And when they return to Him with repentance, God counted them His own feasts and joy, and poured in them the abundance of His love. 1- The Sabbath 1 -- 3 2- The Passover and the feast of unleavened bread 4 -- 8 3- The feats of firstfruits 9 -- 14 4- The Feast of the Pentecost 15 -- 22 5- The feast of shouting (or of the trumpets) 23 -- 25 6- The great day of atonement 26 -- 32 7- The feast of the tabernacles 33 -- 44 1- THE SABBATH: As keeping the Sabbath has been an important divine commandment by which the people were committed; hence the verdict came very harsh against the first one to break it, gathering sticks, stoning him to death (Numbers 15: 32-36)… We often dealt with this commandment, for all the books of the old covenant spoke about it in one way or another. But what we want to confirm here is that the commandment of keeping the Sabbath, was not a heavy one under which the believers fall, nor a burden under which they bow in formalities and literacy; but the Sabbath has been a joyful feast, a divine gift to His people. Indeed the Holy Book introduced the commandment of the Sabbath through several aspects; but concentrated on it as being a joyful feast and rest in the holy Lord. On the apparent side, the Sabbath has been a day of doing no work, even to gather the manna, the divine gift (exodus 16: 21-30); whoever works in it would be subjected to the divine wrath. The Sabbath came bearing spiritual and social thought, presented as rest for the strangers, to the hired hands, to the slaves, and even to the animals in the field; In it the people remember that, having sojourned before in Egypt under bondage, they should, therefore, be compassionate on the creatures of God (Exodus 23: 12; Deuteronomy 5: 12-15). It also came bearing an eschatological thought, being a symbol of the ultimate rest to come (Jeremiah 17: 21-27; Hebrew 4). Finally, the Sabbath is not a chance for slothfulness and laziness, but a chance to worship the holy God, for all to enjoy the fellowship of the divine life (Leviticus 23: 3; Numbers 28: 9, 10). It is, as the book of Leviticus tells us, an encounter with God through the holy worship and the sacrifice, not to honor God by our worship, but what is greater, is to enjoy the work of God in us, granting us fellowship with Him to enter by Him into His holiness. Sanctifying the Sabbath, therefore, in its essence, is an enjoyment of rest; for the word ‘Sabbath’ in Hebrew means (rest); its secret is our union with our holy Lord Jesus Christ, to enjoy by Him the holy new life. The prophet Isaiah called it ‘The pleasure’, ‘the sanctuary of Jehovah’, and ‘the revered’. And the book of psalm presented to us a praise special to the Sabbath, a praise of joy, and thanksgiving to God (Psalm 12). The Sabbath is the feast to enjoy rest in the heavenly Lord; In it we remember the rest of God on the seventh day (Genesis 2: 3), as a symbol of the eternal day of the Lord, according to St. Augustine, saying: [We rest and see; We see and love; We love and praise; that will be at the end without end]. It is the feast of rest, not from the bondage of Pharaoh (Deuteronomy 2: 15), but from the bondage of evil; according to St. Clement of Alexandria, [We shall abide to the spiritual Sabbath until the coming of the Savior; having rest from sin]. It is a joyful feast, we enjoy here as a deposit of the heavenly life, as a feast of unceasing praise]. And according to St. Jerome, commenting on the psalm of the Sabbath (psalm 92): [There would be no Sabbath unless preceded by six days of work, to have rest on the seventh day. We cannot praise God except in the Sabbath day (Psalm 92), being preoccupied with the works of the world; namely, as long as, in the six days, we cannot sing to the Lord … In the Sabbath, namely in the day of the Lord, no one can do a lowly work, namely be preoccupied with the works of the world; but be committed to do what concerns the Sabbath. In the Sabbath the priest works in the temple of the Lord, while nobody else is allowed, even to gather sticks, for the one who was found gathering sticks in the wilderness was stoned to death (Numbers 15: 32-36). In the Sabbath it is not allowed to kindle a fire, nor to do any work … It is befitting for us, therefore, to praise in the Sabbath, as we forsake the works of this world]. The Jews used to see the Sabbath as a symbol of the holiness of God, and of keeping His covenant. Yet, instead of enjoying it as a feast joyful to the heart, they turned its awe into empty debates concerning the kinds of works, not allowed on the Sabbath day; to the extent that we find that the Jewish school of thought of Shimei, seeks the rest in the Sabbath, not only for man and beasts in the field, but even for the lifeless things as well; namely, it is not allowed for man to start a work on Friday, for its activity to continue on Saturday; even when man himself stop working on Saturday. As an example, it is not allowed to put linen in the sun on Friday to dry during Saturday; nor put wool in the dye on Friday, to absorb it along Saturday. This kind of thought, although rejected by the school of Halil, yet it reveals the literality of the Jews in understanding the concept of the Sabbath. They went so far with it to the extent that they refrained from defending their country if they are attacked on a Sabbath, until it passes on; something that was rejected by the Maccabians, who gave themselves the right to defend themselves and their country even in the day of the Lord. That is why, when the Lord Christ came, he revealed the honor of the Sabbath as a joyful feast, by doing works of healing in it, to proclaim that the Sabbath is freedom from weakness and sin (Luke 6: 9); and a day of divine work (John 5: 19, 20). He revealed Himself as the Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12: 1-6), introducing the statute of the Sabbath in a new concept, which the Jews could not perceive. The Lord chose to be buried on the Sabbath, and to resurrect on the dawn of Sunday; in order to bury the old literality of thought, setting Sunday for us, a new Sabbath, in which many enjoyed the appearance of the Lord, risen from the dead (John 20: 11-18; Luke 24-34); In it, the church enjoyed the dwelling of the Holy Spirit upon her, as her true birthday; And in it, the early church started to assemble for the weekly worship, as the true day of the Lord (Acts 20: 7). Finally, our true Sabbath is our Lord Jesus Christ, He is our feast and rest; in Him we celebrate the union with the holy Father; and in it we have the comfort of sonhood to God, the dwelling of His Holy Spirit in us, and our enjoyment of the membership in the body of Christ. It is comfort for the Father, when He finds us in Jesus Christ, His children, justified by the blood of His cross, and rest for us in Him. And to recognize the Sabbath as a joyful feast by our union in the holy Lord Christ, we shall introduce the rite of the Sabbath for the Jews in the following short points: (1) The Jews used to look with joy at the Sabbath, and to anticipate it as an adorned bride who anticipates her Groom. Fasting and grief were not only utterly forbidden in it, but the Jews used to enjoy in it the kinds of clothing and food befitting for a joyful feast. In it, it was allowed to have the food of the Passover; and in it the priests used to practice their work in the temple, and kindle the fire; … etc. It was as though they were encountering, not a day of physical rest, but the Lord Christ Himself through the symbol, adorn themselves for Him, and rejoice without fasting nor grief; on account of that the Groom was with them; and used to practice the divine works especially in the temple; As by the Lord Christ our life sets forth to practice the exalted divine works. (2) The Sabbath starts from the sunset of Friday, and continues until the sunset of Saturday; The time of sunset differed, not only according to the difference of the season of the year, but also according to the geographic location of the place; those in the lowland start it before the highland; It was the time the birds set forth back to their nests at the end of the day. The Sabbath starts at sunset of Friday, called ‘the Sabbath eve’, or ‘the preparation’ (Mark 15: 42; John 19: 31). We, as well, enjoy the Sabbath here in this world, as though on an eve, enjoy our Sabbath -- the Lord Christ, as though in a mirror through faith; so that on the coming of the Sabbath morning, namely, His ultimate coming, we would enjoy Him in an eternal Sabbath through actually seeing Him… In the joyful Sabbath eve, we anticipate with strong longing the true morning of the eternal Sabbath. (3) The priests of the new shift of work in the new week, arrive to Jerusalem on Friday afternoon, to prepare to celebrate the Sabbath in the temple, together with the priests whose shift comes to an end. That celebration was proclaimed by three blows of the horns of the priests, to tell everyone to stop work, to light the lamp of the Sabbath, and to put on the clothes of the feast. In this work, there is a symbolic portrait of men of the new covenant (the priests coming for the new week’s service), to encounter men of the old covenant,, to receive from them the holy books, the prophesies, the covenants, and every spiritual inheritance. The priests blowing horns three times, refers to the horns of the symbols and the prophecies that proclaimed the dwelling of the new Sabbath, namely, the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, so that everyone would stop the works of the body, to be kindled with the fire of the Holy Spirit, and to put on the Lord Christ Himself as a joyful garment of the feast. (4) Again the priests blow the horns three times to proclaim the actual start of the Sabbath, when the newly arriving priests start cleaning the altar of the burnt offering from the traces of blood; and the departing priest deliver the keys of the temple and the holy vessels, and everything else into their hands. If the previous horns refer to the voice of the fathers, the prophets, and the law, that prepared for the Sabbath; the following horns are a proclamation of the preaching of the gospel. For men of the old covenant were committed to deliver everything they have got to men of the new covenant, who cleanse the altar from the literality and the blood of animals, to receive the unique sacrifice of Christ. (5) The heads of the families cast a lot to know the role of everyone of them in the ministry during the days of the week … It is as though the spiritual feast is the setting forth of spiritual work in the temple, and not slothfulness and laziness. (6) The first task done by the priests is to renew the showbread that was prepared on Friday. If Friday is a feast, it is to be prepared on Thursday afternoon. It is the task for the priests of the new covenant; to present the body of our Lord Jesus Christ, as heavenly bread of life, prepared by the Lord Himself on Friday, when He was hanged on the cross, delivering Himself for our sake, on the afternoon of the Covenant Thursday. (7) The coming and the departing priests gather together. The departing priests offer the morning sacrifice; and the new ones offer the evening sacrifice. This system is probably a symbol of the unity of work between men of the old and the new covenants; when all of them gather together in Jesus Christ; the One Sabbath; the former through the symbol, and the later through the actual fact. (8) The daily worship is practiced, with certain additional burnt offerings, food, and drink; on account of that it is a day of an encounter with the holy God through the sacrifice, satisfaction (food), and spiritual joy (wine). (9) When pouring the regular drink, the Levites sing the praise of the Sabbath (Psalm 92) on three stages; and the priests come close together, blow the horns, then the people start worshipping. It is a day of joy for the whole church; all partake, either of the praise, of blowing the horns, or of worship. The priests join the people in the joyful worship and the gladness of heart. (10) At the end of the additional sacrifice of the Sabbath, and its drinks, the Levites sing the psalm of Moses (Deuteronomy 32) in six stages (1-6; 7-12; 13-18;; 19-28; 29-39; 40, etc.); interrupted by blows with the horns by the priests, together with the people partaking of the worship. It is to be noticed that, in case the Sabbath comes on the monthly feast, namely, the head of the month, the praise of the Sabbath is sung instead of that of the head of the month. And in case it is a feast, the praise of the Sabbath likewise will have the priority on that of the feast. (11) Finally the celebration of the Sabbath ends by singing the praise of Moses (Exodus 15), to proclaim that the Sabbath is a Passover from the bondage of Pharaoh (the devil), and a spiritual victory over his soldiers, to set forth through the wilderness to the promised land, namely, to the Higher Jerusalem. 2- THE PASSOVER AND THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD: Both are two distinct feasts; the Passover is celebrated on the fourteenth day of Nissan, as the first annual feast to start the year. Whereas the feast of unleavened bread starts by the fifteenth day of Nissan, and continues for seven days, namely to the twenty-first of the month. Yet, because of their proximity, they later became one feast in the Holy Book; put by the Historian Josephus as ‘The eight days feast’. In our study of the books of Exodus and Numbers, we talked about the concepts of the Passover and the unleavened bread; and we quoted some sayings of the fathers concerning them; and dealt, as well, with their rites. Here, we add that the feast of the unleavened bread was called “the bread of grief”, as it symbolized the bitterness lived by the people in the bondage of Pharaoh. Then the grief turned into joy and gladness, and became one of the most joyful feasts. And after refraining from eating the leaven referring to their haste to come out of Egypt (Exodus 12: 33, 39; Deuteronomy 16: 3), it became a sign of forsaking the old life, and the enjoyment of the new (Isaiah 52: 11 12), that does not bond with the leaven of the past. 3- THE FEAST OF FIRSTFRUITS: The feast of firstfruits bonded, on one aspect, with the feasts of Passover and unleavened bread; and on another aspect with the feast of the Pentecost; being celebrated through the days of the unleavened bread; while the Pentecost comes seven weeks after it (5), namely on the fiftieth day of it. This feast is considered the first agricultural feast, practiced by the people after their entry into the promised land; celebrated with an extremely joyful rite; with the goal of giving thanks to God, the Grantor of goods, on one aspect, and to offer a sheaf of the firstfruits, by which the whole harvest is blessed. In that feast, offering a sheaf of the firstfruits to sanctify the whole harvest, is a proclamation of the sanctification of the believing humanity through the only begotten Firstborn Jesus Christ, in whom we are justified by the Father, and counted as saints. This feast is practiced in a joyful popular way: On the day before the feast of Passover, three elders of the Senhedrim come out after sunset to reap the harvest of barley in the fields surrounding Jerusalem, in the midst of the joyful and exultant shouts of the people. Each of them carries a sickle and a basket. Then he asks several questions, repeating each question three times, and the people answer ‘Yes” after each question. Those questions are: Is this the basket?! Is this the sickle?! Is it the Sabbath?! Shall I reap?! … Finally he reaps and put in the basket to carry to the temple. The book says: “He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it” (11). The priest shall wave the sheaf of barley before the Lord to accept His people, to crown the agricultural year with blessing, and to pour His grace on them. The waving as we previously said, is lifting the offering on the hands of the priest up high, waving it toward the four directions, as though offering it to God who exist everywhere; then waving it again to become the portion of the priests, as though receiving it from Him. According to some, the priest waves the sheaf with its heads of grain after dipping it in oil, then kindle from it a handful on the altar together with incense; and the rest of it will be for the priests. While according to others, the waving is done after striking the heads of grain with a stick to separate the grains from it, to be fried on fire after mixing a part of it with oil. The most acceptable view, though, is that the waving is done after parching the grains, grinding them, then sieving the flour through 13 sieves, to be given to the priest to take a handful of the fine flour after mixing it with oil, and wave it before the Lord. Anyway, the sheaf represents the Person of the Lord Christ who delivers His life an offering of joy to the Father, on the fire of the cross; for the whole harvest to be blessed in Him; for the believers to enjoy His sweet fragrance; and the fellowship in His nature. This task is carried out on the “day next to the Sabbath”. According to the Sadducees, the waving is actually carried out on Sunday, following the Sabbath in the days of the unleavened bread; But the more probable view is that the waving is carried out on the 16 of Nissan, whatever its day of the week; as the 15 of Nissan is counted as a Sabbath for the Lord and a holy assembly (Exodus 12: 16), being the first day of the unleavened bread, according to the view of the Pharisees, and confirmed by the Historian Josephus, and Philon the Jew of Alexandria. The sacrifices and offerings are: a- The perpetual daily morning and evening burnt offerings, together with their offerings and drinks (Numbers 28: 1-8). b- Beside the daily offerings, the offerings of the seven days of unleavened bread are offered (Numbers 28: 19-22). c- This day is distinguished by waving the sheaf of barley, and offering a handful of it by the priest. d- As a burnt offering, a male lamb of the first year without blemish (12) e- A grain offering of two tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, and its drink offering shall be of wine, one-fourth of a hin. He ends his talk about the feast of firstfruits by saying: “You shall eat neither bread nor parched grain nor fresh grain until the same day that you have brought an offering to your God; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings” (14). No one was allowed to eat of the new harvest in any way, whether in the form of bread, parched grain, nor fresh grain, until a sheaf of grain is waved, for God to be the First; and so that no hand would stretch to the harvest before it is sanctified through offering the sheaf of firstfruits. Once the sheaf is waved, the new harvest would be allowed to go to the markets, and to be eaten. Finally, the feast of firstfruits bonded with the feasts of Passover and the unleavened bread… If the Passover refers to the death of the Lord Christ, to save us from our old man, namely from the leaven of corruption that crawled into us; the feast of the firstfruit that follows the Passover, and goes through the unleavened bread, refers to the resurrection of the Lord Christ and His ascension; being “the Firstfruit of the dead”, He who went through the way of death to grant us in Him the resurrection, and to lift us by Him to the bosom of His Father, to live in heavens. He is the Firstborn over all creation (Colossians 1: 15); through whom we enjoyed the firstbirth, to become a church of firstborns; and in us spiritually, the words of the Father was fulfilled: “Israel My firstborn” (Exodus 4: 22); and as said by the apostle James: “Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creation” (James 1: 18). 4- THE FEAST OF THE PENTECOST: The feast of the Pentecost is bound to that of the Passover and the firstfruit; being celebrated after seven weeks of the feast of the firstfruit, hence is also called “the feast of the weeks: (Exodus 34: 22; Deuteronomy 16: 10); Being an agricultural feast like that of the firstfruit, as it comes at the end of the harvest season, it is called “The feast of Harvest” (Exodus 23: 16). And It is also called the Pentecost (50 in Greek), as in it the Holy Spirit came down on the church assembled in the high room (Acts 2: 1; 20: 16). If according to some Jews the Passover and the feast of the unleavened bread meld together as one integral feast, they also believe that the feast of the unleavened bread extends as an unceasing joy until the end of the Pentecost. … If the Pentecost is the feast of the dwelling of the Holy Spirit on the church; the goal of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ is to send His Holy Spirit on His church to grant her the reconciliation through the blood, and the fellowship with the Holy Trinity, and to grant her the features of her crucified Groom; The cross actually brings us into the pentecostal life, to let the Holy Spirit work in us by the power of the cross of our Lord Christ in us. The Jews in the old days used to bind between the feasts; In the Passover they see the liberation from the bondage of Pharaoh; … In the feast of the unleavened bread they see the ridding from the leaven of Egypt (the love of the world); In the feast of firstfruits they see the beginning of the new life through the sanctification of the new sheaf; and in the Pentecost they see a complete enjoyment of the goods of the promised land; according to the words of the Psalmist: “Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy” (Psalm 126: 5). We as well, bind between these feast: In the Passover we see the unique sacrifice of the Lord Christ and his death to liberate us from the bondage of the true Pharaoh, namely the devil; And in the feast of the unleavened bread we see the taking off the old man with his corrupt leaven; and in the feast of firstfuits we see the enjoyment of the new man through the unity with God in His firstborn Son; while in the Pentecost, this would be realized by the Holy Spirit who let us enjoy Christ the Firstborn through the life of fellowship setting forth in the water of baptism. In other words, through the feast of the Pentecost, namely (the feast of the dwelling of the Holy Spirit on the church), all those feasts together would be realized in us, so that the Passover of Christ would be fulfilled in our life by His Holy Spirit, and we would enjoy the power of His resurrection and ascending with Him to His heavens. The goal of this feast is to give thanks to God on the occasion of the feast of the harvest of wheat, through a collective joyful rite, in which all proclaim their rejoice in God the Beneficent, remembering the words of Solomon the Sage, saying: “Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine” (Proverbs 3: 9). Moreover, the Jews used to see in that feast a memorial of receiving the law in Sinai. Believing that the prophet Moses received it on that day; they used to prepare for it by confessing their sins, cleansing themselves for purification; and often spending the night of the feast praising and worshipping. As to the rite of celebrating this feast and its offerings; its most prominent feature is making two loaves of fine flour (the wheat ground in the temple and sieved through 12 sieves, then kneaded with leaven, and made into two loaves, each of two tenth of an ephah of flour (17), one day before the feast; and if it was a Sabbath, they are made the day before. These two loaves are waved before the Lord, and are eaten by the priests. They are not burned on the altar for they contain leaven. One of them is given to the high priest, and the other he distribute it among the rest of the priests. It is to be noticed that these two loaves contain leaven; Although they are given a special holiness, yet they represent the Jewish people, who are in need of a sacrifice to atone for their transgressions (the leaven). Those two loaves may refer to the earthly bread and the heavenly bread. It is as though in the feast of the Pentecost, the church seeks to have the Holy Spirit work in her to sanctify her temporal life (the earthly bread), and her heavenly life of worship. They may also refer to the two churches of the old and the new covenant, being blessed by the work of the Holy Spirit in them. And may prefer, as well, to the congregations of the Gentiles and the Jews. As the figure 2 refers to love, it is as though the work of the Holy Spirit on the day of the Pentecost is to pour the spirit of love and fellowship, for us to have the heart, fiery in its love for God and men. Beside this rite, the following sacrifices and offerings were offered: a- The perpetual morning and evening burnt offerings with their grain offerings and drink offerings b- A burnt offering of a bull, two rams, and seven lambs of the first year, with their grain offerings and drink offerings. c- A sin offering of one kid of goats. d- A peace offering of two male lambs of the first year. e- Additional offerings of the feast (Numbers 28: 26-31); of two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs in their firs year, with their grain offerings and drink offerings; and a sin offering of a kid goat or two. f- Free will offerings offered by the people according to what they afford, to feed the Levites, the strangers, and the poor (Deuteronomy 16: 9- 12). In the midst of the public joy, He exhorts them, not only to present offerings for the strangers and the poor to enjoy, but confirms to them not to forget them during the act of reaping the harvest, saying: “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field when you reap, nor shall you gather any gleaning from your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the stranger. I am the Lord your God” (22). Now we can say that the Jewish feast of the Pentecost has been consummated by the Christian Pentecost, namely, by the dwelling of the Holy Spirit on the church. As the figure 50 is the sum of the addition of seven weeks to the feast of firstfruits; if the figure 7 refers to perfection, perfection is fulfilled by the dwelling of the Holy Spirit, who takes from what is Christ’s -- the firstborn -- and gives us. According to many Jews, the feast of the Pentecost is a proclamation, and a renewal of the divine covenant or promise given to Noah; and of that given Abraham (Genesis 15); as it was said: [On that day, we set a covenant with Abraham, as we set it with Noah in the first month; and Abraham renewed the feast and made it an eternal statute]. That was how the Jews saw this feast, as a feast of the renewal of the covenant with God, and the entry of new members into the covenant with Him. That is why, when the disciples of the Lord Christ gathered together in the high room of Zion, to celebrate the feast of the Pentecost, the Jews around them were, as well, celebrating the renewal of the covenant with God, remembering what happened with their fathers, when God delivered His covenant and law to the prophet Moses, with what accompanied that of “thunder, lightening, the sound of trumpets, and smoke, that everyone trembled and stood afar off” (Exodus 20: 18). … On that day, the Holy Spirit dwelt upon the disciples, and there were as well, the sound of thunderstorm, everyone trembled; and there was a renewal of the divine covenant through the Holy Spirit who is capable of renewing the hearts and minds; and of writing the law and the covenant in the hearts of the believers (Jeremiah 31: 31-33) … On that day, the church came to have the divine fiery Spirit who changes the inner nature, and grants the spirit of sonhood, to receive a new covenant. 5- THE FEAST OF SHOUTING (OR THE FEAST OF THE TRUMPETS): It is the feast of the new civil year, as well as the head of the seventh religious year; it is, therefore, the feast of the sanctification of the months (the seventh month). The most prominent feature of this feast is that the Jews used to celebrate it by (shouting), and by blowing the trumpets, hence it is called (the feast of the trumpets), and also called (the birthday of the world). The goal of this feast is: a- The beginning of the new year (feast of the head of the year). b- The sanctification of the whole world, as the seventh month (religiously) being the firstborn of the months, in which the greatest feast is celebrated. c- According to some, this feast is a preparation of the people to celebrate the feast of atonement in the middle of the month, with the full moon. d- A memorial of the giving of the law, accompanied with thunder and lightening. This feast, as it is the case with other Jewish feasts, was not despised, but was sanctified by the church of the new covenant, albeit through a new spiritual concept. If the trumpets and the shouting bore two main and integral meanings, namely, the destruction of the kingdom of evil, and the setting of the kingdom of God; hence we hear about the destruction of the walls of Jericho of evil (Joshua 6: 5-21) through the blowing of the trumpets; … About the proclamation of the kingdom of God, and about honoring the ark of the covenant through shouting and blowing the trumpets (1 kings 17: 20; 4: 5-8; 2 kings 6: 15); … And the psalms came to refer to the liturgical shouts that accompany the throne of God (Psalm 46: 1-7; 80: 2-4). It is therefore, as though the feast of shouting was not a rite to indicate the head of the year, namely to indicate the time, but, in its essence, it was a proclamation of the kingdom of God, and a confirmation of His dominion on the time. … In the new covenant we hear about the rite of shouting and blowing the trumpets, not to proclaim the beginning of a temporal year, but to proclaim the beginning of eternity, namely the year without end; Hence the apostle Paul speaks to us about the trumpets that call the elected to this endless year (I Thessalonian 4: 16; 5: 12). By this the Jewish feast appears as a main element in setting the Christian Eschatology…. It is, as well, our spiritual feast, in which, by the sound of trumpets, the walls of Jericho of evil are destroyed, to proclaim the kingdom of Christ in us; to start in us a year without end; namely an endless eternity. The sacrifices and offerings of this feast are: a- The perpetual morning and evening burnt offerings, with their grain offerings and drink offerings (Numbers 28: 1-8). b- The offerings of the head of the month (the crescent), a burnt offering of a bull, a ram, and 7 lambs of one year, with their grain offerings and drink offerings; And a sin offering of a kid of goats (Numbers 28). c- A burnt offering of a bull, a ram, and 7 lambs of one year, with their grain offerings and drink offerings (offerings of the feast). d- A sin offering of one kid of goats, special for the feast. The rite of this day starts by offering the daily burnt offering; then the offerings of the new month, followed by the offerings of the feast, when the priests blow the horn trumpets, the Levites play on musical instruments, and the people sing the psalms, including psalm 81. Then the priest blesses the people by the holy blessing, saying: “The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace” (Numbers 6: 24-26). It is t be noticed that here, the name God “Jehovah” is mentioned three times; as the people enjoy the Holy Trinity; They were enjoying the blessing of God while lying with their faces on the ground. After getting the divine blessing, the people – in the days of the temple – used to go to the synagogues to hear certain texts from the Holy Book (Genesis 21: 1; Number 39: 1-6; 1 Samuel 1: 1. 10; Genesis 22: 1-24; Jeremiah 31: 2-20); Then they used to sing the psalms before going back to their homes. Then in the evening, the people go back to the temple to watch the daily evening burnt offering; to seek the forgiveness of the sins they have committed during the past year; and to seek the blessing of the Lord in the new year; then congratulate one another for the new year. 6- THE GREAT DAY OF ATONEMENT: We have already talked about it in our interpretation of chapter 16. 7- THE FEAST OF THE TABERNACLES: This is the last of feasts and seasons designated in the law; and by it, the agricultural year comes to an end. It was called “the Feast of the Tabernacles” on account of that they used during it to dwell in booths made of the branches of trees (42); and also called “Feast of the Harvest” (Exodus 23: 16; 34: 22), as in it they finish reaping the harvest of grapes and olives. The goal of celebrating this feast is to give thanks to God at the end of the agricultural year; And at the same time this feast bears a memorial of their sojourning in the wilderness where they lived in tents; and to glorify God who brought them forth into the promised land. The main features of this feast are the extreme joy with which they celebrate it; and its unique rite of dwelling in tabernacles: (1) Its feature of extreme joy, expressed in the great number of sacrifices and gifts from the rich for everyone to rejoice (Deuteronomy 16: 14); and as it come directly after reaping the harvest, all used to offer from what God has granted them, so as not to appear empty-handed before the Lord. According to the Historian Josephus, [he who has not seen the joys of the feast of tabernacles will never know what joy is]. (2) Living in booths for seven days, to be followed by the eighth day, counted as a separate feast by itself with its special rite and sacrifices; during which the people do not stay in the tabernacles, but head to Jerusalem one day before it; and some of them even used to go to Jerusalem before the tenth day of the month to celebrate the feast of atonement, then stay there until the feast of tabernacles; and start to set the tabernacles directly after finishing the rites of the feast of the atonement. The “Meshnah” set the measurements of the tabernacles, and gave exemption of living in them to the sick and their companions. And in case of heavy rain, the people were allowed to leave them. Through living in the tabernacles, while enjoying the goods, and rejoicing in the new harvest (Deuteronomy 16: 13-16), the people used to remember God’s work with them, having brought them out of the land of Egypt, then let them dwell in tabernacles or tents, until their arrival to the promised land (Leviticus 23: 41-43). If this feast, therefore, is a joyful agricultural feast, it is, as well, the feast of sojourning for the sake of settling down in the eternal tabernacles. This feast was fulfilled in the new covenant, in a more perfect and a deeper way, when the Lord Christ transfigured on Mount Tabor before three of His disciples; when, seeing that the true harvest was fulfilled, when the Lord Christ appeared in His splendor, accompanied by His men Moses and Elijah, beside the three disciples; the apostle Peter, longing for a perpetual feast of tabernacles, asked the Lord to set three tabernacles, one for the Lord, one for Moses, and a third for Elijah, so that the disciples would celebrate that feast forever (Matthew 17: 5) … But the Lord Christ brought forth a heavenly tabernacle “a bright cloud that covered them”; to draw the hearts of the disciples to the eschatological feast, when the Lord will come on the clouds, not to set for them earthly tabernacles, but to bring them forth into the bosom of the Father … The Lord called the eternal life “the eternal tabernacles”. (3) This feast was characterized by its unique rite; distinguished by two integral procedures, namely pouring the water and the lighting. Concerning pouring the water, according to the ‘Telmud’, starting from the first day and for as long as seven days, at dawn, two great processions used to proceed; one to gather branches of olive trees, palm trees, and other trees; and the second procession heads to the pool of Siloam, with a priest carrying a golden pitch to fill it with water from the pool. Accompanying the two processions were groups of singers, to come back at the same time to the temple amid shouts and songs, where the morning burnt offering is offered; and the bearers of the tree branches set a beautiful tabernacle over the altar; while the priests receive the priest, the bearer of the golden pitch by blowing the trumpets three times. That priest ascends the stairs of the altar, together with another priest bearing another golden pitch of wine; they both pour the drinking offering of water and wine in two golden plates set on the altar with holes in them; and the drink will flow down to underneath the altar. … During the days of the feast, the people used to pitch water from the pool of Siloam with joy, as a memorial of the water that came out of the rock on the hand of the prophet Moses, from which their fathers drank, remembering the words of the prophet Isaiah, saying: “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; And you have no money, Come buy and eat; Yes, come buy wine and milk without money and without price”; “Therefore with joy You will draw water from the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 55: 1; 12: 3). The Sadducees believing in pouring only wine and not water, at about the year 15 BC, when Alexander Banias as the high priest from the Sadducees, poured the water on the ground far from the altar, the Pharisees revolted against him with the intention to kill him; and there was a battle between the Pharisees and the Sadducees in which the Pharisees prevailed, and more than 6000 persons were killed. Anyway, while the water and wine were poured on the altar, the music of the temple was played, and the Halil psalms (Psalms 113-118) were sung. And whenever they came to the sections saying: “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good”; “Save now, I pray, O Lord”; “You are my God, and I will praise You; You are my God I will exalt you” (Psalm 118: 1, 25, 28), the worshippers used to wave the tree branches toward the altar. To show how this feast was bound to water, in the second day of the feast, called ‘the minor celebration’, evening joyful celebrations were made, called “the joy of the streams of water”; a name clearly interpreted in the ‘Telmud’; to refer to the pouring of the Holy Spirit, according to the words said in the psalm: “With joy You will draw water from the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12: 3)]. That rite of pouring water on the altar, and drinking it from the pool of Siloam, melding with the rite of waving the tree branches with exultation and singing, was bound to another rite, namely “the lighting”; as in that feast four high minarets were lighted, each about 50 yards high, and on the top of each were four big golden lamps, and with their flaxes made out of the old clothes of the priests. Their lights were apparent from all sides of the city; and the people used to light lamps in the streets, to turn the city into a festival of joyful lights; and to adorn their houses with flowers. The light was so bound with joy, that the priests used to sing and dance while being on the fifteenth stair of the temple. Binding the water with light in that feast, according to the Jewish tradition, refer to the pillar of cloud (water), and the pillar of fire (light) appeared for the first time on the fifteenth of Tishrin -- the first day of the feast. On that same day the prophet Moses came down from the mountain to proclaim the setting of the tabernacle of meeting; On it, as well, the temple of Solomon was dedicated; and the Shakinah descended (1 Kings 8; 2 Chronicles 7). That feast characterized by binding the water with light has been more fulfilled in the new covenant; when the believers celebrate it through their enjoyment of the Messianic life, and entering into eternity. The Messianic era, in truth, is actually that of the flow of living water over our wilderness, to turn it into a true paradise; as according to the book of Isaiah: “I will open rivers in desolate heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree; the myrtle and the oil tree. I will set in the desert the cypress tree and the pine, and the box tree together. That they may see and know and consider and understand together, that the hand of the Lord has done this, and the holy One of Israel has created it” (Isaiah 41: 18-20); And the prophet Ezekiel saw in the new temple, the living water flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east; and all kinds of trees will be watered by these rivers (Ezekiel 47). And when the prophet Zechariah prophesied about the day of the crucifixion of the Lord Christ, he said: “In that day it shall be that living water shall flow from Jerusalem” (Zechariah 14: 8); … And once the Lord Christ came, He did not proclaim that He is the subject of this feast, but that He is the feast itself. The feast turned into a Person whom we enjoy, be satisfied, and enlightened; according to the words of the holy gospel: “On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying: ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7: 37-38). By that the Lord Christ proclaimed Himself as the rite of the feast, in which they drink, not like their fathers did from the rock that followed them, nor from the pool of Siloam, but from within them, fountains of living water will flow. That is also what the Lord Christ confirmed to the Samaritan woman, saying: “Whoever drinks from this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks from the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4: 13, 14). Whoever drinks from the water of the Jewish rite will thirst again; But once the Source came, His Holy Spirit produced in us fountains of living water springing up to everlasting life; namely, capable, not only to satisfy our thirst, but to renew our nature, to set forth to a heavenly eternal life. That is “the pure river of the water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb”, seen by St. John in the book of Revelation 22: 11. What we say about the water, we repeat concerning the light, as the Lord Christ confirmed: “I am the light of the world” (John 8: 12). And the way He creates in us a fountain of living water; He, as the true Feast, will turn us into the fellowship of life together with Him, for us to become, as well, “the light of the world” (Matthew 5: 14). Beside those two integral rites: “the pouring of water and the Light”; Seeing the crowd going in a procession around the altar, waving the branches of trees, we see the Lord Christ -- “the Priest and the Sacrifice at the same time” -- as the multitudes, on palm Sunday, came out waving branches of olive trees and palm trees, and spreading them on the ground before Him (Matthew 21: 48) … That is our joyful Feast, the Grantor of conquest! To whom we wave the branches of faith, as a sign of our acceptance of His kingdom in us; for Him to grant us new palm branches in His eternal kingdom, a sign of our conquest by Him, and our reigning together with Him (Revelation 7: 9). As to the rite of the feast, it starts on the evening of the fourteenth day, when the Priests blow the trumpets to proclaim the advent of the feast; clean the altar of the burnt offering; And exactly at midnight they open the gates to let the multitudes come in to partake of the great celebrations of the feast. Beside the previously mentioned rites, the following sacrifices and offerings are offered (Numbers 29: 12-19): a- The perpetual morning and evening burnt offerings, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings. b- The burnt offering of the feast, starting by 13 young bulls, then with every day it decreases by one bull, to add up to 70 bulls; beside 2 rams, and 14 lambs in their first year, every day, together with their offerings. c- A kid of goats as a sin offering for the feast. d- Beside what the people would offer of their vowed peace offerings and freewill offerings, as their burnt offerings, grain offerings, drink offerings, and peace offerings. While coming out of the altar at the end of every daily service, the people used to sing, saying: “How beautiful are you O altar!”; or “We thank you, O Lord Jehovah; and we thank you, O altar!”. As to the eighth day, which is, as we already said, has been an independent feast, called “the retreat”, all stop work and only worship … In that day, they `do not dwell in tabernacles, nor wave tree branches. The sacrifices and offerings of that day, are: a- The perpetual morning and evening burnt offerings, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings. b- A burnt offering of a bull, a ram, seven lambs, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings c- A kid of goats as a sin offering d- What the people offer of vowed offerings and freewill offerings (Numbers 29: 35-39). We end our talk about the feast of tabernacles with what came in the book of Deuteronomy, that in that feast every Sabbathical year (the seventh year) (Deuteronomy 31: 9-13), the law is read before all the people of Israel,
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