Shalom, shalom; peace, peace in the name of Yeshua. This is Crystal Sharpe and welcome to the Ancient Scrolls program.
Today I am going to go over some things in the gospel of John 7. This chapter concerns the feast of the LORD which is Tabernacles, at the beginning of the chapter it mentions that Tabernacles was at hand. In Hebrew it would be Succot. Succot is coming up this fall on October 2nd at nightfall and it will last until October the 9 th at nightfall.
This is the feast that Yeshua attended, it was His Father’s feast so He set about keeping the appointment with His Father to make His appearance at the Temple in Jerusalem. Now the autumn feasts of the Lord begin in Tishrei with Yom Teruah, blowing of the Trumpets or the Day of Shouting. Tishrei begins around our September/October calendar, after that is Yom Kippur which is known as the day of sealing, and then Tabernacles.
This year I am thinking these fall feasts may give us some information for the next move of God; we have to, of course, wait and see.
For years, the LORD has shown me a great movement of His Spirit, and it would resemble the days of the apostles in the book of Acts. For sure there were many actions in the book of Acts. There were people delivered from demons, the occultists were burning witchcraft books, people healed and few raised from the dead, thousands were receiving salvation, and a character by the name of Elymas/Bar-Jesus was struck blind for trying to turn aside the governor of Paphos from salvation. It was a remarkable time.
Not everyone will agree with what I know is coming in the Spirit of God; and that is fine. Not every single person received Yeshua at Paul’s preaching; however, those that had changed the character of Asia Minor. As a result of the death and resurrection of Yeshua, and of the missionary works of the apostles, 2000 years later the world is still affected by their influence. This outpouring will be the signal that the return of Yeshua is at hand.
Let’s get started with the Shema from Deuteronomy 6
Shema, O Yisrael, the LORD God, the LORD is One.
You shall love the LORD Your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength.
Psalm 24 is the proclamation of God’s sovereignty over all the earth.
The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof; the world and those who dwell therein.
Father YHVH,
We thank You for being God. You are the King over the universe in heaven and on earth. The earth responds to Your commands. Permit Your righteousness and justice to permeate the earth, in the nations, in governments and Your people.
We pray that unrighteous people be exposed, those involved in pedophilia, the sex trafficking of children, those in Congress and the Senate, judges, CEOs, the media, entertainers, doctors, lawyers, ministers and other professionals; expose them and bring them all to justice; they will not repent, but execute distractions to avoid justice. This darkness is so vile and deep, but none can hide from You or Your justice. Father YHVH, name names, and bring out records and sources to speak against these depraved and nefarious people in high places.
We look for the outpouring of Your Spirit upon all flesh, when our sons and daughters will prophesy, upon Your menservants and maidservants and old men and young men experiencing visions and dreams. We anticipate Your Kingdom when Yeshua will reign over the whole earth in righteousness and justice. We pray the whole earth to be filled with Your presence.
There is no name above Your name. Your name is above every situation, every disease, over the kingdom of darkness and governments. To You belong all honor, praise and glory. In Yeshua’s name. Amen
Let’s take a look at the gospel of John 7:1
After these things Yeshua walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him. The Judean leadership seeking to kill him which are the Herodians, the High Priesthood, and the San Hedrin. 2. Now the feast of Tabernacles/Sukkot was at hand. This is taking place about 4 or five days before the feast of Tabernacles. They are getting prepared to make their journey.
Tabernacles falls in the Hebrew month of Tishrei, our September/October timeframe. Tishrei is the holiest month of the Hebrew year. This passage appears to suggest that Yeshua and his brothers were still at Galilee, and may have opted out of going to Jerusalem for the observance of Yom Teruah/Rosh hashanah which is on the first day of Tishrei, and Yom Kippur. In the Torah it was commanded that men attend three of the seven feasts: Unleavened Bread, Shavuot/Pentecost and Tabernacles/Sukkot. So, they are going to go to Jerusalem to observe Tabernacles. His brothers therefore said to Him: “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing.”4. “For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to known be openly.” 5. For even His brothers did not believe in Him. 6. Then Yeshua said to them: My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready. This is the last six months before He is to be crucified in the spring at Passover. He is saying it is too soon for His death. It is not the appointed time for His death, the appointed time is Passover. The Judean leadership is too eager to crucify Him.
- The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil. You go up to this feast, I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come. The Judeans seek to kill Yeshua before His appointed time at Passover. When He had said these things to them, He remained in Galilee. 10. But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. Yeshua and His disciples made a secret entry into Jerusalem to celebrate the feast.
At the feast the attendees would not speak openly of Yeshua for fear of the Judean leadership, so some would speak amongst themselves that He was a good man and others would share that he was a fraud. Sukkot is an eight-day marathon of celebration and continual rejoicing and hence its name, the Feast of Rejoicing and also the Feast of the Nations. Verse 14 tells us that about the middle of the feast, this would be day four, Yeshua went up to the Temple and taught. After a few hours of Him teaching it creates some tension and the Pharisees and the chief priests send officers to arrest Him. Yeshua is able to avoid the confrontation with them.
The story picks up again on the last great day of the feast. This last great day is the seventh day.
- On the last day, that great day of the feast, Yeshua stood and cried out saying: If anyone thirsts, let him to Me and drink.
He who believes in Me, as the scripture has said: out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.
- But He spoke this concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive, for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Yeshua was not yet glorified.
This last great day of the feast in Hebrew is called Hoshana Rabbah and it means Great Salvation. According to the Mishnah the worshipers would encircle the altar with palms in their hands while singing: “Hoshanah, Save now, we beseech thee, O LORD! We beseech thee, O LORD, send prosperity now.” On each of the days of Sukkot, the worshippers encircled the altar chanting this chorus, but on the seventh day of the festival they encircled the altar seven times, preparing for the final libation of the Festival of Sukkot. This was the highest point of the festival. At certain places during their recitation of the Praise/Hallel, the worshipers would shake their palm branches to create a rushing sound like wind and rain.
The priest would have the golden pitcher of the water libation pitcher in his hand that had been drawn from the Pool of Shiloach; the Pool of the Sent One. The water pouring ceremony was a ritual beseeching God for adequate rainfall. The prayers for rain begin immediately after the festival of Sukkot.
There was a receptacle at the altar that would receive the water from the golden pitcher of the Priest, and while this libation was being poured out, Yeshua cried at that moment: 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.
- But He spoke this concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive, for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Yeshua was not yet glorified.
This ritual was a precursor, or forerunner of the Holy Spirit being poured out at Shavuot/Pentecost in Jerusalem about eight months later. The process began there at the fall feast of Tabernacles/Sukkot.
What I see here is perhaps a pattern. If so, this fall, September 18 to October 10 will be significant spiritually for what may happen next year.
I was online looking at the sites of different leaders and though they do not know each other, many are calling for Christians to assemble in September to beseech the Lord on behalf of the nation, some are calling it a Solemn Assembly for the month. As far as I know, some of these do not know that September is significant on the LORD’s calendar; because they are His feasts, and are to be honored. They are rehearsals for future events.
In Yeshua’s day, His going to observe Tabernacles was the rehearsal for the pouring out of His Spirit at Pentecost.
During this time the Jews beseeched the LORD for the rains to come and saturate the earth so they could plant and harvest their crops. The autumn rains are called the former rain, in Hebrew would be yoreh. The spring rain around January/February is called the latter rain, in Hebrew is lekesh.
Let’s look at Joel 2:23 The Complete Jewish Bible
Be glad, people of Tzion! Rejoice in Adonai your God! For he is giving you the right amount of rain in the fall, he makes the rain come down for you, the fall and spring rains—this is what He does first. Then the floors will be full of grain and the vats overflow with wine and olive oil.
This is such a beautiful passage, and can used metaphorically as to what He is going to do spiritually. That is how John used it when speaking in his gospel John chapter 7:37-39. 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.
But He spoke this concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive, for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Yeshua was not yet glorified.
So, the autumn is former rain and the spring is latter rain. It rains from October to April, which is about 7 months. It dries up so the harvests of wheat and barley can be harvested and not ruined.
The word for the former rains, yoreh, comes from the same root as to shoot or cast, or teach! Like an arrow being shot to its target, or information being directly delivered from teacher to pupil, the yoreh rains are sent down to soften up the ground, ready for the first round of planting. In fact, God’s teaching is also compared to the sending of rain in Deuteronomy 32:2,
“May my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, like gentle rain upon the tender grass, and like showers upon the herb”.
The latter rains, malkosh, are much harder rains that would have just caused flooding and devastation if they had come earlier on the dusty, dry ground. But these latter Spring rains are essential for the agricultural cycle too; the “Gezer Calendar” (an archeological relic with inscriptions from the time of Solomon [1]) tells us that in January / February time, there was a second round of later planting in ancient Israel’s agricultural year, called the lekesh. The word for these harder, later rains, malkosh, is related to the lekesh: the latter downpours can more easily penetrate the softer ground and bring forth the second harvest in the Spring.
The Spirit of God is often connected with water in the Bible, and God’s provision of water, and some would see the “former rain” and the “latter rain” as outpourings of the Holy Spirit, as vindication of the message of the gospel. Joel 2:23 says,
“Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given the early rain for your vindication; he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the latter rain, as before.”
One thing is for certain, rain is repeatedly equated with God’s blessing throughout the Bible:
“For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.” (Isaiah 44:3)
His promises are sure, they are certain; He will do what He says He will do; the human equation of course can diminish His promises, and even delay them. Israel would go every fall and observe His feast of Sukkot. It was necessary for all the males in Israel to make the feast appointment with God, and they would make their request for rain known to Him; to them all things issued from Him.
I have been thinking on many things, and I happen to believe this autumn, Tabernacles, is significant, how we pray and beseech Him concerning this time will determine where we will spiritually next year.
Beginning in September, if we Christians, would begin the process of setting aside time to confess the sins of this nation: abortion, gender confusion, murder, hatred, child sex trafficking, adultery, fornication, homosexuality, and various other sins and asking for forgiveness of these iniquities against Him, and then begin to beseech Him for the rains of repentance—I believe He would do it.
We have already started with fasting as much as we can. We have been praying, sometimes several times a day. If we can step it up in September to October to come into groups, or by phone, or Zoom, to just pray and seek Him. I do believe we would see Him move on us, our relatives, and others, and our nation.
Jonathan Kahn has a website and on it he is calling for an Assembly in DC the 26 th of September. I plan to go and attend. I plan to make myself available for the feast of the Lord.
It will be a chance to be with other believers who have the urgency to pray and make a change in this nation.
But I am at the end of the program.
If it is God’s will, I will be here next week. Remember to walk by faith and not by sight. Ask God to cleanse you of all unrighteousness every day. Hunger and thirst after righteousness, so that you will be enriched in all His wisdom. Keep your spiritual garments clean from spot, wrinkle, and blemish. Do two things this week, love and forgive. Love God and love your neighbor.
Rico Cortes will sing the Aaronic priestly blessing.
