THE EIGHTH DAY, “The Last and Greatest Day” —By Pastor Charles Schmitt The finale of the Feast of Tabernacles is called Simchat Beit Ha Shoevah, which means “rejoicing in the house of the water pouring.” This year it begins at sunset on October 15th. A golden pitcher of water was drawn from the Gihon Spring by the high priest and poured out in the Temple along with a libation of wine in celebration of God sending the abundant autumn rains that had brought the fruit harvest to perfection. It was at this very moment of celebration: On the last and greatest day of the Feast [that] Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow [‘gush forth,’ lit] from within him.” By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive… (John 7:37-39). The Final, Final Festival The eighth day, “the last and greatest day of the Feast…,” over time gave birth to yet another festivity, which we can call the final, final celebration of the Feast: Simchat Torah, the “Rejoicing in the Torah.” Bruce Scott in his article “Simchat Torah” in Israel My Glory, September 1991, wrote: “One of the happiest of all Jewish holidays is Simchat Torah (Rejoicing over the Law)…this delightful holiday has but one word to describe it—joy.” Amazingly, Scott points out, one of the readers of the Torah scroll is called “the Bridegroom.” Bruce Scott observes, “The day is drawn to a close with the Bridegroom of the Torah providing a sumptuous feast for the entire congregation.” We can actually see a resemblance of Simchat Torah in what is described in Revelation chapter 19. Here the bride is the Jewish-Gentile Church and the Bridegroom is our Lord Jesus, who bears the name “the Word of God” (Revelation 19:13)—the new Torah. This is the blessed marriage of the Word of God to the people of God! “Let us rejoice and be glad and give [God] glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” ... I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True … His name is the Word of God ... On His robe and on His thigh He [also] has this name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 19:7-8;11-14;16)! The copious autumn rains have fallen. The grand harvest of the earth has been safely gathered in. The wedding of the people of God— Jew and Gentile—to the Living Word of God has taken place. And now eternity—in all of its awesome majesty—begins. Our Lord Jesus Christ shall reign for-ever and ever! Hallelujah and Amen!
Posted on: Thu, 16 Oct 2014 11:42:24 +0000
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