Summary
This is an authoritative and important work and should be read in the context of eschewing Christmas and rather observing Tabernacles. Read this in the context of the article “The True Birthday of Yahooshua” at https://www.etimin.org/true-birthday-of-yahooshua and “The Evil of Christmas” https://www.etimin.org/evil-of-christmas So read this article with a mind to how you would observe Tabernacles in coming years.
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Preamble
Good day!
The Almighty Creator Desires a Deep Personal Relationship with You! If you die as an Unbeliever, your spirit will live for a very long time as a disembodied Ancestor Spirit or Demon. The Creator has said regarding Unbelievers, "Why would I want someone to spend Eternity with me when they do NOT Believe I exist?"
If you die as a Believer without any form of relationship with the Creator, you will end up in the Outer Darkness – a cold, black, terrible place with weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth (your teeth) – the Trash Heap of Heaven. Father has said concerning such Believers, "Why would I want someone to be close to me in Heaven, which inherently means I will give them great prestige and authority, if they do NOT have a deep personal relationship with me and have NOT proven to me that they can be trusted in this life?"
In stark contrast, if you make a real effort to seek relationship with the Almighty, the rewards in the life to come are huge – a glorious resurrected body, great prestige, great authority, and a permanent close relationship with the Creator and with Yahooshua who you may mistakenly know as Jesus.
To put this all in context, The Almighty has said "I created Human beings, this planet and this universe for men and women to be my Friends, my companions, to explore and learn and develop together. My greatest grief is that almost NO person understands this let alone seeks such a relationship with me!"
Today we're going to talk about Yahooshua, the anointed of Yah and the Feast of Tabernacles. The Feast of Tabernacles starts next Wednesday with the first day and the great day of the Feast of Tabernacles the following Wednesday, both of which are high Sabbaths which you should be observing.
2021.12.06 Yahooshua the Anointed of Yah and the Feast of Tabernacles—Overview
This is an authoritative and important work and should be listened to in the context of eschewing Christmas and rather observing Tabernacles. Listen to this in the context of the articles “The True Birthday of Yahooshua” {Jesus} and “The Evil of Christmas.” Listen to this Broadcast with a mind to how you will observe Tabernacles next week.
We will look at an overview of the Feast of Tabernacles.
Then the Messianic Connections with the Feast of Tabernacles.
We will then draw some conclusions.
Finally we will look at the state of YOUR relationship with the Almighty Creator.
So this is a third party article, I will explain more in a minute. So I'm going to be doing a lot of reading and limited commentary, but it's a good exposition of what Yahooshua did during the Feast of Tabernacles and why you should observe the Feast of Tabernacles when it comes up next week.
Introduction
Who am I? – James Robertson. I have a Doctorate in Engineering and I am a retired Military Commander. I now work as an IT project manager. I have over 29 years' experience of actively seeking to draw close to the Almighty following a dramatic encounter with Him on 12th March 1993 when He spoke to me audibly in a locked room and I knew for certain that He was real.
I was confirmed in the Anglican Church at the age of 13 and served as an Altar Boy for a number of years from the age of 19. Eventually, married to an Unbeliever, I became disenchanted with the hypocrisy in the Church and backslid to a point where I was not even sure the Almighty existed. In this backslidden state I embarked on an adulterous affair which, when it ended, left me desperate and suicidal. It was then that the Almighty spoke to me and I realized that my intellect had gotten me into a right mess and I chose to serve Him faithfully for the rest of my life.
In doing this I applied my deep-seated aversion to failure borne out of an accident in early childhood coupled to my Engineering and Military training of rigour and preventing failure, to my seeking of knowledge about Father. This journey led to numerous supernatural experiences, prayers answered and clear communication with the Creator that forms the basis for what I teach in these programs.
What is "End Time Issue Ministries?" It's the organizational vehicle for delivering my message through Email Articles, Websites, this Radio Program, physical books, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, SlideShare, and Twitter.
What is THIS Program? – "The Creator Desires a DEEP Personal Relationship with YOU!" – It represents the essence of my message.
See the website www.EndTimeIssueMinistries.org for more information.
See also www.RelationshipWithCreatorRadio.com. Click on "The Show" in the top Menu and then "Podcasts" in the dropdown for previous broadcasts or search on Google for "Relationship with Creator Radio." There are about four podcast sites where you will get back issues of this broadcast.
Body of the Article
2021.12.06 Yahooshua the Anointed of Yah and the Feast of Tabernacles
Derived from “Jesus Christ and the Feast of Tabernacles” by Ryan S. Gardner -- https://rsc.byu.edu/vol-13-no-3-2012/jesus-christ-feast-tabernacles -- Brigham Young University Religious Studies Center, Utah, USA.
In this broadcast I have replaced “The LORD” with “Yah”, “God” with “Yah”, “Lord God” with “Yah the Eternally Self-Existing your Mighty One”, “Jesus Christ" with “Yahooshua the Anointed of Yah”, “Jesus” with “Yahooshua” and “Christ” with “The Anointed One”, “Messiah” with “Anointed One”, “Holy Ghost” with “Set-Apart Spirit”, “divinity” in the context of Yahooshua with “authority.” I have marked with strike-out certain passages that I hold to be inaccurate in that they assert the “divinity of Jesus Christ.” Other than this the article is presented as per the original document and I hold this to be an authoritative and reliable document which I recommend for your consideration.
Note that the article originates from Mormon Believers and so includes references to the Book of Mormon. References to “Doctrine and Covenants” is to another Mormon book.
This is an authoritative and important work and should be read in the context of eschewing Christmas and rather observing Tabernacles, which as I said a moment ago, the first day is Wednesday next week and the great day is the following Wednesday, both of which are high Sabbaths and you should avoid any commercial activities, any secular activities, any work on those days. They are feast days and Yahooshua was born on the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles.
Listen to this all in the context of the article “The True Birthday of Yahooshua” at https://www.etimin.org/true-birthday-of-yahooshua and “The Evil of Christmas” https://www.etimin.org/evil-of-christmas. Read this article with a mind to how you would observe Tabernacles in the next two weeks.
Yahooshua the Anointed of Yah and the Feast of Tabernacles by Ryan S. Gardner
When John alludes to “the Jews’ feast of tabernacles” and “that great day of the feast” in John 7:2, 37, he has immediately tapped into a considerable body of cultural, social, and religious images and knowledge in the hearts and minds of an audience from the first century AD who would have been familiar with contemporary Jewish practices. [1] However, youth and young adults in the twenty-first century are less likely to have sufficient understanding of this feast. By making the context of the Feast of Tabernacles explicit, teachers can help students better understand Yahooshua the Anointed of Yah’s declarations in John 7–8 and the miracle he performs in John 9 so they can have greater faith in him and the power of his Atonement. [2]
Overview of the Feast of Tabernacles
Elder Bruce R. McConkie (1915–85) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles noted, “It appears to have been our Lord’s deliberate design to dramatize the great truths relative to himself by associating them with the religious and social practices then prevailing.” [3] Our students will likely miss the deliberate design of Yahooshua, which John intended to convey in John 7–9, [4] if we do not help them become familiar with the religious and social practices pertaining to the Feast of Tabernacles. Bruce K. Satterfield’s research on the Feast of Tabernacles provides a critical foundation for this article, which intends to reinforce key points of his work and suggest further implications between the Feast of Tabernacles and the text in John. [5]
From the direct references to the Feast of Tabernacles in John 7 (see vv. 2–3, 8, 10–11, 14, 37), we glean only a few scant details. We know that it was in Jerusalem where the temple was located (see John 7:3). As with all major feasts of the Jews, it was likely crowded—which made it possible for Yahooshua to arrive and stay “in secret” (John 7:10). The eight-day feast allowed Yahooshua to teach in the temple “about the midst of the feast” (John 7:14) and again on the “last day” of the feast (John 7:37). We also read that the last day of the feast was called the “great day of the feast” (John 7:37), although the text offers no explanation as to what this means. In other words, allusions to the location, popularity, and duration of the feast require additional explanation in order to optimize the edifying value of Yahooshua’s teachings and healing in John 7–9.
In general, the Jewish feasts were both commemorative and instructive occasions. Activities and rituals during the feasts reminded Israelites of significant historical events and often anticipated future events. [6] The earliest scriptural injunctions concerning the Feast of Tabernacles, also known as the Feast of Booths, indicated to Israel that the feast was to help them remember “when Yah [the Lord] brought them out of the land of Egypt” (Leviticus 23:43). For example, the children of Israel were commanded to construct and dwell in booths throughout the week of the feast to remind them of their years of wandering in the wilderness before Yah brought them into the promised land. During one of the celebratory processions of the feast, those in the procession carried a lulab (a plume of branches from a tree or bush) in their right hands and a citron (a small citrus fruit) in the left. The lulab represented Israel’s traveling through various types of foliage in their journey through the wilderness, and the citron signified the fruit of the land Yah had promised to his people. [7]
Other aspects of the feast—such as the water-drawing ceremony and the lighting of enormous lampstands in the courts of the temple in conjunction with the reading of Messianic passages in Zechariah 14—pointed to the future coming of the Anointed One, as will be discussed later in this broadcast. [8] The timing of the feast, held in the fall around the time of the yearly harvest or in-gathering, pointed both backward to the time when Yah gathered Israel out of Egypt and forward to the time of “the final harvest when Israel’s mission should be completed, and all nations gathered unto the Lord.” [9] Thus, Israelites who gathered to the temple in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles were inundated with festivities and symbols that inspired thoughts on a variety of themes, such as deliverance (past and future), the coming of the Anointed One, and the eventual gathering of all Yah’s children to him.
To help modern students better understand and apply some of the great truths found in John 7–9, teachers can explain four major aspects of the Feast of Tabernacles: (1) dwelling in booths, or sukkot; (2) the lighting of the lampstands in the Court of the Women; (3) the additional sacrifices and offerings throughout the week; and (4) the drawing of water from the Pool of Siloam and its pouring on the altar of the temple. Each of these ceremonies was deliberately designed to stir deep religious recollections and feelings in the hearts and minds of the participants. [10]
The Feast of Tabernacles lasted eight days, beginning on a Sabbath and ending on the next Sabbath (see Leviticus 23:39). It was also known as the Feast of Booths, or sukkot, because of the temporary booths or shelters participants constructed and lived in during the weeklong festival. Moses instructed the children of Israel throughout their generations to make booths of “the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook” (Leviticus 23:40). They were to dwell in these booths all week so they would always remember that Yah “made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when [he] brought them out of the land of Egypt.” (Leviticus 23:43).
Thoughtful dwellers in these temporary booths might have pondered on their continual dependence upon Yah the Eternally Self-Existing the Mighty One of Israel for deliverance (as they contemplated their historic deliverance from Egypt), direction (as they reflected on Yah leading them through the wilderness), and security (as they gratefully considered the promised land in which they now lived). During the days of Israel’s sovereignty, those dwelling in booths during the Feast of Tabernacles may have also thought about the freedom granted to them through Yah (not entirely different from other holidays celebrating national freedom in many countries). [11] However, in Yahooshua’ day, if celebrants pondered such freedom, their prayers would have been offered as a hope for future deliverance from Roman subjugation.
Following the evening sacrifice on the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles, the gates of the temple were left open so the public could gather in the Court of the Women [12] and participate in the lighting of four giant lampstands, each over seventy feet (twenty-one meters) tall. Each lampstand had four golden bowls filled with oil at their tops. Priests climbed ladders to each bowl and lit the wicks, which were made from the worn-out clothing of the priests collected throughout the year. The light from the lampstands was so bright that it was said to light up every courtyard in Jerusalem. The lighting ceremony was accompanied with music, singing, and dancing that lasted well into the night and even into the early-morning hours. It is unclear whether the ritual was performed anew every day or whether the lamps were simply kept lit throughout the week of the festival. [13]
While most participants in the Feast of Tabernacles would never see the sacred lampstand, or menorah, found in the holy place of the temple where only priests were allowed, this celebration brought a likeness of the same symbol into public view. Just as the golden lampstand in the holy place stood before the most holy place in the temple, these four impressive lampstands may have stirred participants to reflect on the need for inspired enlightenment to prepare them to return to Yah’s presence. [14]
Throughout the Feast of Tabernacles more additional sacrifices were offered than were offered during Passover, the other major sacrificial feast—twice the number of rams and lambs and five times the number of bullocks. In addition, Alfred Edersheim points out that the number of each sacrifice—70 bullocks, 14 rams, 98 lambs, and 336 ephahs of flour for the meat offering—is divisible by seven. The number seven often signifies completion and perfection in Hebraic symbolism. [15] Many Israelites living in Yahooshua’s day seem to have forgotten the true purpose and meaning of these sacrifices, which was to point them toward the Anointed One (see 2 Nephi 25:24–25; Jacob 4:5). While sacrifice under the Mosaic law served several purposes, one major reason Yah instituted these sacrifices was to signify the “great and last sacrifice,” which would accomplish the “infinite atonement which will suffice for the sins of the world.” (see Alma 34:9–14).
The fourth significant event of the Feast of Tabernacles was “the drawing of water from Siloam and its libation [pouring] on the altar (of this it was said that he who has not seen the joy of the drawing of water at the Feast of Tabernacles does not know what joy is)” (Bible Dictionary, “Feasts”). The parade-like ritual of this ceremony was perhaps the most notable and popular event of the festival:
During the preparation of the [morning] burnt offering, a procession of priests, with the accompaniment of singing and flute playing, wended their way from the temple down to the Pool of Siloam, where a priest filled a golden flask with water while a choir repeated Isaiah 12:3: “With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.”...
The priests returned to the temple via the Water Gate, a gate on the south side of the wall immediately surrounding the temple within the Court of the Gentiles [where the procession was joined by other pilgrims who had come to the temple for the feast]. When they arrived at the Water Gate, a blast was made on a shofar, or ram’s horn....
Upon the blasting of the shofar, the group moved toward the altar of sacrifice located in the Court of the Priests that immediately surrounded the temple. The priest carrying the golden flask filled with water ascended the altar and prepared to pour the libation on the morning burnt offering. While doing this, the procession [carrying their lulabs and citrons] that had followed the priest circled the altar.
The priest who had charge of pouring the water then offered the water libation with a wine libation in two silver bowls on the southwest corner of the altar. [16]
This ceremony was accompanied by great rejoicing and singing from the congregation. It was performed every day of the feast in the same way, “except on the seventh day, when the priests (and perhaps the pilgrims) circled the altar seven times instead of just once.”[17]
This ritual performed at the sacrificial altar consists of several aspects that added to its spiritual richness. The Pool of Siloam received its water from the Gihon Spring, a natural water source, making the water in Siloam “living water,” or water suitable for ritual purification. The concept of “living water” is critical to understanding the significance of this ceremony. Living water had to come directly from Yah (via rain or other “pure” or natural sources, such as a spring). It was used for all ordinances and rituals requiring water in the law of Moses. Based on recent archaeological research, the Pool of Siloam was likely a mikveh, an ancient ritual bath for purification, and not a reservoir for drinking water. [18] Thus the water from Siloam symbolized the cleansing and sanctification necessary to prepare one to return to Yah.
The water from Gihon was channeled into the Pool of Siloam via Hezekiah’s Tunnel, which had been dug to preserve the people of Jerusalem during the Assyrian siege in the days of Hezekiah (see 2 Kings 17–18). While the Pool of Siloam in Yahooshua’ day was not likely the same pool as the one from Hezekiah’s and Isaiah’s day, [19] the site likely still reminded those in Jerusalem of Yah’s power to preserve and deliver them in the face of overwhelming opposition and adversity.
The water-pouring ritual was also accompanied by a prayer of gratitude for the rains that had brought forth the harvest of the previous year and a plea for rain for the coming year to provide another harvest. On the eighth day of the feast, the “great day of the feast,” which was also a Sabbath day, the water drawing and pouring ceremony was not performed, but a prayer for rain was still offered with the sacrifices. Thus reflective participants in this ritual were drawn into a commemorative environment of gratitude and purification that signified their constant dependence on Yah—all centered on the most significant sacrificial site in all Israel, the altar of the temple.
Messianic Connections with the Feast of Tabernacles
These four aspects of the Feast of Tabernacles were impressive activities and ceremonies for stirring the religious memories and feelings of the people. However, their most significant value in Yahooshua’s day consisted in their power to prepare the people to accept the Anointed One and the salvation offered only through him. By the time Yahooshua arrived in Jerusalem and began teaching in the temple “about the midst of the feast” (John 7:14), the pilgrims there had been living in booths for several days, participated in the stirring ceremonies of the lighting of the lampstands, rejoiced in the pouring of the water on the altar multiple times, and been involved in the additional animal sacrifices. The feast provided an intense physical learning experience that had the potential to prepare the hearts and minds of the people who heard Yahooshua’s teachings to accept him as the Anointed One.
This section will explain how four specific passages of scripture in John 7–8 and the miracle found in John 9 become more powerful declarations and demonstrations of the authority of Yahooshua the Anointed of Yah and his saving power when understood in context of the Feast of Tabernacles. We will examine them in the order in which they appear in the scriptures.
John 7:37–39. Unfortunately, John did not provide details about what Yahooshua first began to teach the multitudes in the temple under these circumstances, except that the people “marvelled” at what he taught (John 7:15). He does report the controversy generated by Yahooshua’ presence and his teachings amidst a substantial portion of the Jewish population who had assembled for the feast. This “division among the people” (John 7:43) provided those present with a key opportunity to determine whether or not they believed that Yahooshua was indeed The Anointed One (see John 7:15–36, 40–53).
In this environment, Yahooshua waited until “the last day, that great day of the feast” to stand and cry to all the people within the temple, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:37–38). The typical position of teachers was to sit while they taught. Yahooshua emphasized his declaration by standing and speaking in a loud voice. [20] For people who had been so engrossed in expressing gratitude to Yah and offering supplication to him for water to sustain their physical lives, this declaration brought to their minds the need for spiritual sustenance as well. “The scripture” Yahooshua referred to is not easily identifiable. He may have been alluding to Isaiah 12:3 and drawing water out of the “wells of salvation,” as employed during the water-drawing ceremony. Or he may have been referring to Isaiah 58:11 or Jeremiah 2:13 and Jeremiah 17:13, in which the Mighty One of Israel is directly referred to as the “fountain of living waters.” [21]
Yahooshua waited until the “great day of the feast,” on which there was no water-pouring ceremony, to publicly declare that he was the source of “living water.” In the absence of the celebration involving the waters of Siloam, his words invited the people to come unto him as the only true source for salvation. [22] John clarifies that those who believed in Yahooshua the Anointed of Yah as the promised Anointed One and followed him would receive the Set-Apart Spirit, who would provide consistent spiritual sustenance (see John 7:39). [23] Recipients of this living water would then be able to share their witness of The Anointed One by the power of the Spirit with others, who could then receive the “living water” also. [24]
By referring to himself as the source of “living water,” Yahooshua proclaimed his authority—he is the “fountain of living waters.” Only those who accepted him as the one sent from Yah to save mankind could be baptized and receive the cleansing through the Set-Apart Spirit necessary for them to return to Yah (see John 3:5). Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained how faith in Yahooshua the Anointed of Yah that leads to obedience will bring about the fulfilment of Yahooshua’s promise in John 7:37–38:
By living the gospel of Yahooshua the Anointed of Yah, we develop within ourselves a living spring that will quench eternally our thirst for happiness, peace, and everlasting life. Yah explains clearly in the Doctrine and Covenants that only faithful obedience can tap the well of living water that refreshes and enlivens our souls: “But unto him that keepeth my commandments I will give the mysteries of my kingdom, and the same shall be in him a well of living water, springing up unto everlasting life” [D&C 63:23]. [25]
Mormon taught that only through a process that begins with “faith unto the fulfilling the commandments” can we receive “the visitation of the Set-Apart Spirit, which ... filleth with hope and perfect love ... until the end shall come, when all the saints shall dwell with Yah” (Moroni 8:25–26). Students who understand more clearly that faith in Yahooshua the Anointed of Yah is essential to receiving the Set-Apart Spirit may feel inspired to increase their faith in Yahooshua by being more obedient to his commandments. [26] The abundant joy experienced by those who participated in the water-pouring ceremony pales in comparison with the joy that comes to those who receive the gift of the Set-Apart Spirit, “the greatest gift that can be bestowed upon man” in mortality.[27]--//
John 8:12; 9:4–5. Although the Feast of Tabernacles was over by the time we come to John 8, it had likely not been over for very long (see John 8:2). Yahooshua was still teaching in the temple in Jerusalem.[28] Undoubtedly, the recent display of the giant burning lampstands was fresh in the minds of those who heard Yahooshua proclaim, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). The Pharisees seemed to have missed the main point of his statement in favor of seizing upon a supposed opportunity to catch him in an apparent legalistic argument (see John 8:13–19). We will explore the significance of Yahooshua’s declaration in the context of the Feast of Tabernacles and its implications for our students.
According to ancient sources, [29] Zechariah 14 was read during the lighting ceremony previously described. The four lampstands each had four bowls, a number used frequently in scripture to represent geographic completeness, such as the four corners of the world. As the four bowls on the four lampstands were lit, pilgrims at the feast would have heard the references to light in Zechariah 14:6–7, signifying that the Anointed One would ultimately be the Light of the World, and not just for the Jews. Furthermore, the references to “all the nations,” “all the families of the earth,” and “all nations” in Zechariah 14:16–17, 19 in conjunction with worshipping Yah in Jerusalem at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles pointed to the eventual gathering together of all Yah’s children through the coming Anointed One. [30] By proclaiming himself as the Light of the World and the Light of Life in context of these recently transpired festivities, Yahooshua declared unequivocally that he was indeed the Anointed One of whom the prophets of old had testified. Only through him could the people find the way to salvation and avoid the darkness of sin. [31]
It was said that the light from the great lampstands in the Court of the Women during the Feast of Tabernacles lit up every courtyard in Jerusalem. Likewise, Yahooshua the Anointed of Yah can be a source of light for each of us during difficult or challenging times. While we often associate darkness with despair and discouragement, light often brings feelings of hope and assurance. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught how Yahooshua the Anointed of Yah can be a source of light for us personally:
Every one of us has times when we need to know things will get better. For emotional health and spiritual stamina, everyone needs to be able to look forward to some respite, to something pleasant and renewing and hopeful, whether that blessing be near at hand or still some distance ahead.
My declaration is that this is precisely what the gospel of Yahooshua the Anointed of Yah offers us, especially in times of need. There is help. There is happiness. There really is light at the end of the tunnel. It is the Light of the World, the Bright and Morning Star, the very Son of Yah Himself. To any who may be struggling to see that light and find that hope, I say: Hold on. Keep trying. Yah loves you. Things will improve. The Anointed One comes to you in His “more excellent ministry” with a future of “better promises.” [32]
Students who are taught to look to Yahooshua the Anointed of Yah as the Light of their lives will be taught to look to a source of guidance and hope that will never fail them. Just as those who rejoiced around the giant lamps and sang praises to the Mighty One of Israel for his light in their lives, our students can experience joy in their daily lives as they find constant hope and assurance in Yahooshua the Anointed of Yah, the Light of the World. Yahooshua’s reuse of this metaphor in John 9:4–5 will draw upon this meaning of Yahooshua as a source for hope amidst darkness.
John 8:31–36. In Yahooshua’s declarations in John 7:37–39 and John 8:12, reference to two key features of the Feast of Tabernacles—the water-pouring ceremony and the lighted lampstands—may be seen as rather overt. In John 8:31–36, the background of the Feast of Tabernacles may be less obvious, but it can still enhance our understanding of Yahooshua’s discourse on spiritual freedom and how he used the occasion of the festival to point to his divinity. For a whole week, the pilgrims who gathered to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles lived in booths to commemorate their wandering in the wilderness after Yah delivered them from bondage in Egypt and guided them to freedom in the promised land. As Yahooshua now addressed those who had at least professed a belief in him, [33] he returned to themes of bondage and deliverance that had just been commemorated during the Feast of Tabernacles.
It may seem that Yahooshua’s audience had forgotten the historical significance of the booths they lived in during the Feast of Tabernacles. How could they say that they were “never in bondage to any man” (John 8:33) when they had just spent a week commemorating their deliverance from Pharaoh and when they were currently subject to the emperor of Rome? However, when Yahooshua promised that those who continue in his word would be his disciples and be free (see John 8:31–32), they seem to have followed his transition from physical bondage and deliverance to spiritual bondage. They responded by alluding to their lineage as heirs of Abraham, implying that they had received promises of spiritual liberation and independence regardless of their current political or physical status (see John 8:33). [34] Making this transition from physical bondage to spiritual bondage is important for helping students understand and apply what Yahooshua teaches next.
Speaking to a group who may have consented to accept Yahooshua as a prophet or as a potential political Anointed One, Yahooshua draws their attention to his divine spiritual mission by asserting that “whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin” and that only “if the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:34,36). Proud of their lineage and stubborn in their traditions, this was something this group of would-be believers would not accept. As one scholar noted, “People do not always, or even usually, realize that they are in bondage. They tend to rest in some fancied position of privilege, national, social, or religious. So these Jews, proud of their religion, did not even know their need to be free.” [35] And from what did they need to be free? Elder Bruce R. McConkie answered: “Free from the damning power of false doctrine; free from the bondage of appetite and lust; free from the shackles of sin; free from every evil and corrupt influence and from every restraining and curtailing power; free to go on to the unlimited freedom enjoyed in its fullness only by exalted beings.” [36]
Modern audiences may also struggle occasionally with a degree of spiritual complacency and fail to recognize their own spiritual bondage and need for deliverance. However, “all have come short of the glory of Yah” (Romans 3:23) and need to be freed by the Great Deliverer, Yahooshua the Anointed of Yah, the Son of Yah. Yahooshua drew upon the theme of deliverance during the Feast of Tabernacles to declare his divine power, and modern students who understand this context can gain a greater sense of their need for that power in their own lives.
Students struggling to be free from sin and transgression may also gain greater confidence in Yahooshua’s promise of freedom, as explained by Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: “I testify that when a bishop or stake president has confirmed that your repentance is sufficient, know that your obedience has allowed the Atonement of Yahooshua the Anointed of Yah to satisfy the demands of justice for the laws you have broken. Therefore you are now free. Please believe it. To continually suffer the distressing effects of sin after adequate repentance, while not intended, is to deny the efficacy of Yahooshua’s Atonement in your behalf.” [37]
When the Divine Redeemer of mankind makes us free, we are truly free.
John 8:51–53, 58. While the additional sacrifices were offered during the Feast of Tabernacles, participants sang the Hallel, Psalms 113–18. [38] In these psalms, we can see how the numerous deaths of these animals were accompanied by expressions of great faith and hope for divine help in overcoming the ultimate bondage—death. For example, in Psalm 116, we read:
The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.
Then called I upon the name of Yah; O Yah, I beseech thee, deliver my soul....
For thou hast delivered my soul from death....
I will walk before Yah in the land of the living....
What shall I render unto Yah for all his benefits toward me?...
Thou hast loosed my bonds.
I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of Yah the Eternally Self-Existing. (Psalm 116:3–4, 8–9, 12, 16–17)
We see this hope repeated in the 118th Psalm:
Yah the Eternally Self-Existing is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.
The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous....
I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of Yah
He hath not given me over unto death. (Psalm 118:14–15, 17–18)
The myriad animal sacrifices during the Feast of Tabernacles, combined with these hymns of hope for deliverance, would have been fresh in the minds of those who heard Yahooshua declare, “If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death” (John 8:51).
The immediate rejoinder from Yahooshua’ opponents focused on the literalness of the statement “Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead” (John 8:53). However, their objection was not aimed at the eventual triumph of man over death. They had spent the previous week singing about their hope for immortality in the face of animal sacrifices that reminded them of the inevitability of death. Their protest was aimed at the one making the claim. There was no doubt that Yahooshua was claiming “superhuman power.” [39] Therefore, the people asked the real question: “Whom makest thou thyself?” (John 8:53). In one of the most unequivocal declarations of his authority in the Gospel of John, Yahooshua of Nazareth answered simply, “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58). He was not claiming to be merely another prophet or messenger from Yah. Yahooshua was identifying himself as the Great Jehovah, the Yah of Israel. Those who rejected his claim as blasphemous took up stones to end his life, but he escaped, for his time had not yet come.
While these well-known statements of Yahooshua in John 8:51, 58 are inherently powerful, understanding them in the immediate context of the Feast of Tabernacles adds to their poignancy. Observing the deaths of hundreds of animals throughout the festal week may have heightened the pilgrims’ sense of their need for deliverance from their own inescapable demise. Their consciousness of the inevitability of death enhanced the power of Yahooshua’s promise to give them everlasting life. As C. S. Lewis noted, “You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you. It is easy to say you believe a rope to be strong and sound as long as you are merely using it to cord a box. But suppose you had to hang by that rope over a precipice. Wouldn’t you then first discover how much you really trusted it? ... Only a real risk tests the reality of a belief.” [40]
While our students cannot experience the full vicarious nature of the sacrifices at the Feast of Tabernacles, helping them understand and visualize the context can help them better appreciate Yahooshua’s promise to deliver them from death. Perhaps they will also be filled them with the same gratitude repeated in the closing of the Hallel: “His mercy endureth forever” (Psalm 118:1–4, 29).
John 9:1–7. As Yahooshua left the temple grounds, he and his disciples “passed by a man which was blind from his birth” (John 9:1). While we never learn the exact age of the man, we understand from his parents’ later statement that he is “of age” (John 9:21) and that the man was an adult member of the community who had lived without sight for many years. Here was a man who had spent his entire life in physical darkness. Though he had never known physical light, he could still be brought into the light through Yahooshua the Anointed of Yah. Regardless of the cause for the man’s condition, Yahooshua affirmed again to his disciples, “‘I am the light of the world’ [John 9:5], as though to teach: ‘Whenever you remember that I opened the blind eyes, physically, remember also that I came to bring light to eyes, spiritually.’”[41]
“In the Old Testament the giving of sight to the blind is associated with Yah himself (Exod. 4:11; Ps. 146:8). It is also a messianic activity (Isa. 29:18; 35:5; 42:7), and this may be its significance in the New Testament. It is a divine function, a function for Yah’s own Anointed One, that Yahooshua fulfils when he gives sight to the blind.” [42] On at least four previous occasions, Yahooshua had restored sight to the blind (see Matthew 9:27–31; 12:22–37; 15:29–31; Mark 8:22–26). The miracle was not unique, but the manner in which it was accomplished was. Yahooshua’s deliberate actions were meant to convey yet another proof of his authority to those who witnessed them.
Closer examination of one piece of the textual context can help us begin to unlock the instructive nature of this miracle for modern students. When Yahooshua says, “I must work the works of him that sent me” (John 9:4; emphasis added), it is the tenth time we have read the word sent since the beginning of John 7. Yahooshua has been emphasizing his role as the one “sent” by the Father for several chapters. [43]
This has been prelude for why Yahooshua now sends the blind man to the Pool of Siloam to be healed. John interprets Siloam to mean simply “Sent” (John 9:7) to correspond with his repeated usage of the term to refer to the divine commission of Yahooshua. [44] Thus, the Pool of Siloam becomes a symbol for Yahooshua himself, an especially critical association given the daily processions to the Pool of Siloam during the Feast of Tabernacles.
However, before sending the man to the Pool of Siloam, the Master Healer and Teacher “anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay” (John 9:6). Similar to Enoch’s preparation to receiving spiritual sight in Moses 6:35, washing the clay from blind eyes may signify cleansing ourselves of the natural, earthly man (see 1 Corinthians 15:47–50). Like the man born blind, the natural man is blind and has no knowledge of the way to salvation—he is enveloped in spiritual darkness. Only by coming to Yahooshua the Anointed of Yah can we receive spiritual sight and know the way to salvation.
While Yahooshua could have simply healed the man of blindness, he seems to have had a much broader purpose in this miracle to demonstrate how “the works of Yah should be made manifest in him” (John 9:3). This miracle is not only about Yah’s compassionate work for one blind man, but about his healing, redemptive power for all mankind. Though there were several pools in Jerusalem where the man may have washed the clay from his eyes, Yahooshua may have had at least three reasons for sending the man to the Pool of Siloam to have his sight restored.
First, as mentioned earlier, the Pool of Siloam was likely a mikveh, used for ceremonial washing and cleansing preparatory to entering the temple and participating in the rituals therein. Thus, the Pool of Siloam provided the blind man with “living water” in which to wash away his symbolic earthly self and receive spiritual, as well as physical, sight.
Second, Siloam was not the closest mikveh to where the blind man likely was at the time. According to John 9:1, Yahooshua and his disciples were not far from the temple when they came upon the man born blind. The closest mikveh would have been the Pool of Bethesda, which was only approximately 1,000 feet (300 meters) away, while the Pool of Siloam was approximately 2,100 feet (640 meters) away. [45] The extra distance required the man to exercise faith in the Healer who gave him the instructions, which was the real key to the man’s conversion as recorded in John 9:24–38.
Finally, by choosing the Pool of Siloam as the place for the miracle to occur, Yahooshua was superimposing himself on the most important event of the Feast of Tabernacles. It was as if he was saying, “You come to the Pool of Siloam to ‘draw water out of the wells of salvation’—I am the well of salvation.”
When the blind man goes to the Pool of Siloam to be healed and receive his physical sight, he represents each of us who must come unto Yahooshua in faith to receive the divine healing and spiritual sight necessary so Yah can do whatever work is necessary for each of us to receive our immortality and eternal life (see Moses 1:39). And just as the “living water” of Siloam is poured upon the altar of the temple, it is only as we receive the Set-Apart Spirit and the power of The Anointed One’s Atonement that this work can be accomplished—“there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of The Anointed One, the Lord Omnipotent” (Mosiah 3:17). John continues to emphasize this symbolism of light/sight and dark/blind in Yahooshua’ discussion with the leaders of the synagogue in John 9:39–41, emphasizing to all people that only those who believe in him receive the true light of Yah.
Conclusion
Understanding the scriptures in context increases faith and inspires action. Brother Chad H. Webb reinforced this principle when he taught, “There is power in the principles that are couched within the stories of the scriptures. Part of that power is seeing those principles in context. ... We teach the principles the Lord intended to preserve in the context and content of scripture. Personal application will come naturally.”[46]
Students who learn Yahooshua’s teachings and miracle of healing at the Pool of Siloam in John 7–9 against the backdrop of the Feast of Tabernacles may be more inspired to seek for the gift of the Set-Apart Spirit in their lives through faithful obedience to Yahooshua the Anointed of Yah. They can have greater spiritual clarity and direction in their lives by focusing on the Light of the World. They can experience increased confidence in Yahooshua’s power to free them from sin through his Atonement, which can increase the likelihood that they will repent and turn to him for deliverance when they feel the bondage of sin. They can find comfort and hope in Yahooshua’s power over death in bringing to pass the resurrection of all mankind. And students who remember the healing at the Pool of Siloam may be more inclined to turn to Yahooshua for healing and enlightenment, knowing he was “sent” from Yah for our salvation.
So folks, I've been reading fast. It's very dense article. It is on the website with the label, Yahooshua and Tabernacles, and it's worth studying. Father does major actions at his Seven High Sabbaths, in other words, Passover Pentecost, the Day of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, the first and last days of the Feast of Tabernacles. And in this particular case, in the context of Yahooshua, there is enormous symbolism, enormous prophetic significance in the whole story. And if you're battling to give up Christmas, this should give you a basis to say you know what, I am going to stop observing this pagan feast of Christmas, and I'm going to start observing the great day of the Feast of Tabernacles as a celebration of Yahooshua as we've seen in this article today. And also the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles is the date on which Yahooshua was born. So I really encourage you to apply your minds to this and put it into practice.
Postscript -- the biggest error crippling Mature Anointed Believers
As a codicil to this article, please read https://www.eti-ministries.org/biggest-error-crippling-mature-anointed-believers.
YOU are NOT a Glove Puppet!
Yah is NOT going to take control of your life as so many people teach and believe!
Yah created YOU to take dominion over the forces of darkness!
Yah created YOU to exercise your intellect and ability to survive and thrive on Earth NOT for Him to live your life for you!
YOU will determine your destiny when you die, it is a function of what YOU CHOOSE to believe and CHOOSE to do and HOW WELL YOU do it!
So prosperity requires that you work hard, sensibly and effectively to earn your living!
Folks, this is a really important principle. In the article that I've referred to as reference, a number of highly anointed believers in recent times who've died early, one turned to alcohol because they're expecting Yah to do everything through them when in fact they are actually operating autonomously themselves, getting themselves into trouble, overextending themselves, too much debt, things like that, and eventually falling away, falling into illness, etc. So I really encourage you just to read that article and put it into practice.
What is the state of YOUR relationship with the Almighty Creator?
I would like to ask you to critically examine where YOU are relative to the Almighty Creator.
Do you talk to Him constantly throughout the day and allow Him to lead you in every possible way?
Are you conscious of Him at all times?
Do you worship Him at every opportunity?
Do you count Him your FRIEND?
Have you clearly and unambiguously heard HIM CALL YOU FRIEND?
If not, you're FAILING in your life purpose and you will be bitterly disappointed when you die.
Folks, this is so important as I've just said. We're not glove puppets. We're not automatons that He controls. We're here to have a relationship with Him. We're here to get to know Him. We're here to do His will on Earth. We're here to pray His will on Earth.
If you are not doing that, you're falling significantly short of your goals in life, or the goals that He has for you in life. I would encourage you to really press in. Start praying seriously, start worshiping seriously, and really, really, really seek a deep relationship with Him.
Get on your knees for hours at a time or your face on the floor for hours at a time. Worship Him at every opportunity, have worship songs playing in the background on headphones.
Wrapping Up
Key Documents and a Video – Main Menu Webpages
“Compendium of Important Articles.”
A video “Why seek relationship?”
Article “Miracle of Yahooshua’s Death.”
“The Creator Desires a Deep Personal Relationship with YOU.”
“Seven Components in Drawing Close to the Creator.”
“Recommended Worship.”
“The Creator's Name is Yah the Eternally Self-Existing.”
"Where will YOU Spend Eternity?"
“The Essence of my Message to Christians.” Also for Jews, for Muslims, other religions and unbelievers.
All of this available at www.EndTimeIssueMinistries.org.
Transcripts of nearly all teachings in this series are available on the Website at the bottom on the “Radio” page.
Recordings of nearly all of the teachings Broadcast so far are available on the Radio page and they are all available at www.RelationshipWithCreatorRadio.com. Click on “The Show” and then “Podcasts” on the dropdown or search on Google for "Relationship with Creator Radio."
Books constituting a compilation of most writings published since 1998 till May 2019 are available near the bottom of the menu at the compilation of most writings page. I publish regular email articles. Email James@EndTimeIssueMinistries.org to be added to the list or to seek counsel or prayer or give me feedback.
Visit the Website and use the Google Search, Article Keyword Cloud, Table of Contents and Article Search to locate the information you are looking for. The keyword cloud is a separate menu item, and it's also at the bottom of most web pages. The Google search and the Article search are a little back way down in the right hand sidebar. Table of Contents is lower down in the right hand side bar, and it's also in its own dedicated page.
The Google search is particularly powerful. There are 2,500 articles and over 1,000 webpages. So it's likely that if you've got a question, there may well be an answer there and the Google search will find it.
Close
Thank you for listening!
Please send me your questions to James@EndTimeIssueMinistries.org. Please email me to join the mailing list, also at James@EndTimeIssueMinistries.org.
If you decide to draw close to the Almighty, please let me know and I can connect with you by Skype, Zoom, email or telephone so that I can help you with your journey.
I hope to connect with you again next week when I will continue to explore how to become a Friend of the Creator.
Work with me to make a way for Yahooshua to return in victory at the end of the millennium and make his enemies his footstool.
Folks, it doesn't matter your race, your gender, whether you're rich or poor, short or tall, fat or thin, whether you're African or Asian, European, Indian, whatever, Father wants you to become His friend.
It doesn’t matter if you're blonde or black hair, blue eyes, or brown eyes. It doesn't matter what nation you come from, doesn't matter what religion you are, whether you're a Jewish or Christian or Islam or Hindu or Bahai or Confucian, or Buddhist, or whatever, doesn't matter.
He's interested in a deep personal relationship with you. Let go of the past. Let go of your beliefs, whatever they may be that are getting in the way of you seeking a relationship with Him. Let go of all the form and ritual and right and focus on getting to know Him personally.
I really commend that to you. Thank you so much. Have a good evening.
Goodbye!
Dr James A Robertson
Emissary of Yah
Broadcast Friday 7, October 2022