Feast of Tabernacles -- The Blood Moon -- And Jesus

Hello my friends...

Yesterday, in conjunction with the Blood Moon of which so much has been written and said, was the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles. It is the seventh and final festival given to Israel, and is more formally known as Sukkot (סוכות). The word is derived from the Sukkah (סוכה), or booth, which symbolizes or calls to mind the booths or huts the Israelites lived in during their 40-year exodus from Egypt in the wilderness.

And ye shall keep it a feast unto the Lord seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.

Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths:

That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 23: 41-43)

To the average observer of the Jewish faith, this holiday represents a time of renewed fellowship with God, remembering his sheltering provision and care for us as we wander here in this "desert." The feast or festival lasts for eight days, during which they will "dwell" in the Sukkah, described below, which also signifies reliance on God's care and sustenance. Meals are partaken of there, and special daily blessings are spoken.

The most important part of the Sukkah is the roof, or "schach"(from the same root word as sukkah). The roof must be made of items that grow from the ground and are not manufactured into something new. Typically the Sukkah is a square or rectangular structure, with some sort of wall on two sides plus at least a hand-breadth on the third side. The roofing material must cover at least half of the roof space, producing at least some shade during the day, but leaving enough gaps to see the stars at night. None of the gaps or holes should be more than a hand-breadth of space. Finally, the shach should not be tied down or wired in any way, and should rest upon a wooden frame.

The walls can really be made of any material, and should reach close enough to the ground that a goat will not try to crawl under (three hand-breadths or less) and the top gap should be smaller than that.

The meaning or representation here is that the Sukkah is halfway between earth and God, the interface between the two. That's why the structure is halfway between man made and a growing thing: to symbolize the interface between Nature, or Creation, and our man-made world.

The meanings here have significance when we think of The Feast of Tabernacles in the time of Christ. The Feast is also known as a Feast of Gathering or Feast of Joy, where all nations are invited to come up to Jerusalem to pray and celebrate the Harvest, or gathering in, together. There would surely have been huge numbers of people gathered there, and the atmosphere one of great thankfulness and rejoicing.

Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.(Isaiah 56:7)

Feasts in Jerusalem were given to the Jews as commemorative as well as instructive celebrations. The activities and rituals performed during the feasts were designed to call to mind historical events as well as events prophesied as yet to come. The timing of this feast coincided with the harvest, which reminded the Jews of both the time when God gathered Israel out of Egypt as well as the time of the final harvest when Israel and all nations should be gathered unto the Lord.

There were four major aspects or activities associated with the Feast: 1) dwelling in the Sukkah, as described earlier; 2) lighting of enormous candelabra in the Court of Women; 3) additional sacrifices and offerings during the week; and 4) drawing water from the Pool of Siloam and pouring that water on the altar of the temple. Again, each of these activities was designed to incite feelings and recollections of events and prophecy.

On the evening of the first day of the feast (concidentally, the timing of our feast yesterday lined up perfectly with this), after the evening sacrifice, the temple gates would be left open so that the public could enter the Court of Women, which was between teh court of the Gentiles and Nicanor's gate. This was supposedly the most popular place in the temple to worship.

There were four giant (70 ft. tall) candelabra located there, and each day, including the first, priests would climb ladders and fill four giant bowls at the top with oil. The wicks were made of old clothing worn by the priests. The light was so bright that it was said to light up every courtyard in the city of Jerusalem. The lighting was accompanied by much rejoicing, dancing and song, which would last till the wee hours of the morning.

Additional sacrifices were made during the Feast: 70 bullocks, 14 rams, 98 lambs and 336 ephahs of flour (notice each number is divisible by 7, which signifies completion or perfection), more than any of the other feasts. The sacrifices were designed to remind participants of the great and last sacrifice which would point them toward their Savior.

Therefore, it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice, and then shall there be, or it is expedient there should be, a stop to the shedding of blood; then shall the claw of Moses be fulfilled; yea, it shall be all fulfilled, every jot and tittle, and none shall have passed away. And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal.(Alma 34: 13-14)

The last significant event is the water pouring at the alter of the temple. This may have been the most noteworthy event during the Feast. A group of priests would form up in procession, and travel from the temple to the Pool of Siloam, where he would fill a golden container with water. All the while, a choir would sing, and festival-goers would join in the procession. Much singing and rejoicing would accompany the procession back to the temple, where someone would blow the ram's horn (shofar) loudly. The priest would then take the water, along with a container of wine, to the altar of sacrifice. The priest would then place or pour the water, along with the wine, on the southwest corner of the altar, while the procession circled the altar, waving their lulavs (a bouquet of the four sacred species: citron, palm frond, myrtle branches and leafy willow tree branch).

The significance of this event is great. First, the pool was fed by a spring (Gihon Spring) and thus was "living water." It is likely that the pool was a "mikveh" or a ritual bath for purification, rather than a pool from which drinking and bathing water was taken. Thus, the living water, directly from God, was used to sanctify the person who cleansed himself in the pool, as well as the altar, during the ceremony. This parade and ceremony was not performed on the last day of the Feast, which was a Sabbath.

With all that as backdrop, let's look at the Savior's visit to the Feast of Tabernacles. I will assume that you all have read and are familiar with John chapters 7-9, which will form the foundation of the rest of this article.

At the time of the Feast, Jesus sent his disciples ahead to the feast, then went up alone later (John 7:10). This reminds us of another time when Jesus appeared to earth dwellers without disclosing his identity. Recall that He appeared to two disciples on the Road to Emmaus, which has been discussed at length. I posit that the reason for these visits was at least in part to teach/remind us that when he comes, it will be without fanfare or hooplah, and that if you are not prepared to see him, you simply won't recognize him.

Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill? But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ? Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is.(John 7:25-27).

Jesus went to the temple about the midway point of the feast (v. 14) and began teaching. John records very little of the teaching that took place. On the last, or "great" day of the Feast, when there was no water pouring ceremony, Jesus "stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink (v. 37). He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, ouot of his belly shall flow rivers of living water (v. 38)." On the day when man did not pour living water, Jesus proclaimed himself to be the source of living water for all men who would seek after him. John further clarified in v. 39 that the living water Jesus mentioned was the Holy Spirit, which testifies to those who would receive.

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)

And behold, the Holy Spirit of God did come down from heaven, and did enter into their hearts, and they were filled as if with fire, and they could speak forth marvelous words. (Helaman 5:45)

For those who will receive the Spirit, the Lord freely shares. He is the source, after all. And once we are filled, we have that desire and ability to share it with others, as if with fire, and speaking marvelous words. Jesus further amplified his Messianic declaration in Chapter 8, which takes place shortly after the Feast, when the great candelabras had been extinguished, when he stated: "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life (v.12)." Instead of the great candelabra in the Court of Women, Jesus himself is the great light of the world, that can fill every corner with light, and thus with courage, hope and comfort.

For the sake of brevity, let us skip ahead in the narrative to Chapter 9 of John. Shortly after conclusion of the Feast, Jesus is leaving the temple. He notices "a man which was blind from his birth (v.1)." This man had never seen light. Regardless of the reason for his blindness, the Savior used this moment to teach not only the man, but his disciples as well. In verse 5, he states "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." He reminded them again, thus, that the source of spiritual learning was Himself, and only through seeking that light can one receive the knowledge required to find everlasting life.

Jesus then made clay from the soil, anointed the eyes of the blind man, and told him to go wash in the Pool of Siloam. Note the great symbolism here: Jesus had just barely said, in verse 4, "I must work the works of him that sent me..." Now look at verse 7 again, which tells us that Siloam is translated to mean "Sent." So, Jesus, sent by the Father to do works here, "sends" the blind man to the living water of Siloam, meaning "Sent." By cleansing his eyes with the water, his literal eyes were opened, and he received light, or in his case, vision.

Thus, the Pool of Siloam becomes a symbol of the Savior Himself, and we can see what great meaning this has in regard to the cleansing of the altar in the temple each day with water drawn from that pool. By washing away the stains of the world, with living water drawn from the Savior, we can have our own eyes opened, receiving light and eternal salvation.

The Savior has superimposed himself on most aspects of the Feast, reminding us that all signs and symbols in the gospel point to him, and that by partaking of the water, the Spirit and the knowledge that he offers we can obtain the fountain of salvation. 

The signs in the heavens, the symbols of the Feast, all of these have been placed in front of us for our learning and education... there is so much for us to learn, if we will simply allow ourselves to be "sent" to the pool...

They did point the finger of scorn...

This message is for all who will read. Please understand that this topic has been in my cranium for quite some time, and that I can't make it go away. It is meant with the best intentions, and no offense is intended.  I include myself in this admonition.

We simply must stop turning our meetings, associations, and studies together into an excuse to bash the LDS Church.

Seriously, it has to stop.

Those who know me might say: "That's easy for you to say. You haven't been on the receiving end of the persecutions and unrighteous dominions that we have."  And this is all very true. I still attend my ward each week. I play the organ every third week. I teach Gospel Doctrine once a month. My whole family still has "one foot in the pool."

But the other side of that, is this: I, too, have been angered, appalled, saddened, and thunderstruck by the treatment some of you have received at the hands of representatives of the Church. My dearest friends in the world had callings revoked and temple recommends yanked for simply knowing too much about the gospel. Other friends and acquaintances have had similar, but more drastic, things happen to them, including being excommunicated for simply being married to a blogger. These are things that Jesus Christ would never condone, and those who have perpetrated these atrocities in his name shall be called to stand for their misdeeds.

The issue, to me, is this: it is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The church of JESUS CHRIST. Despite what men have done to the Church over time, it is still the Church of Jesus Christ. He has not disowned it. He has not discontinued it. He has not banished it from the world, caused it to be destroyed by flood or fire, or caused it to be hewn down and cast aside.

Christ called it his own church. In D & C 115: 3-4 the Lord states:  "And also unto my faithful servants who are of the high council of my church in Zion, for thus it shall be called, and unto all the elders and people of my Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, scattered abroad in all the world;

 For thus shall my church be called in the last days, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."

“My church.” “My church.”

Regardless of where you stand in relation to the Church as an organization, we must remember that, at its origin and its heart, this is the Church that Christ established in the Latter-days to facilitate the restoration. The Lord has stated that the Church has received certain keys and covenants. (D&C 42:67-69).  In that respect alone, it is still worthy of our respect, no matter what “the arm of flesh” has done to it.

But that is not all. We purport to be seeking a Zion society- we aim to become that Zion that must  be restored before the Lord can come again. Does a Zion people snipe or backbite at other peoples? Do they hold ill will, grudges, or an attitude of mocking or belittling to others?

Nay.

The Lord has commanded: “Contend against no church, save it be the church of the devil.” (D&C 18:20).  Additionally, He has told us to “…see that there is no iniquity in the church, neither hardness with each other, neither lying, backbiting, nor evil speaking.” (D&C 20:54). Finally: “Cease to be idle; cease to be unclean; cease to find fault one with another.” (D&C 88:124).

We need to bear in mind the words of Alma the Younger as he taught in Zarahemla and ultimately throughout all the land: 

“And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?

“Have ye walked, keeping yourselves blameless before God? Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently humble? That your garments have been cleansed and made white through the blood of Christ, who will come to redeem his people from their sins?

  “Behold, are ye stripped of pride? I say unto you, if ye are not ye are not prepared to meet God. Behold ye must prepare quickly; for the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand, and such an one hath not eternal life.

“Behold, I say, is there one among you who is not stripped of envy? I say unto you that such an one is not prepared; and I would that he should prepare quickly, for the hour is close at hand, and he knoweth not when the time shall come; for such an one is not found guiltless.

“And again I say unto you, is there one among you that doth make a mock of his brother, or that heapeth upon him persecutions?” (Alma 5:26-30).

It is as if we are become the finely-appareled folk in Lehi’s dream, mocking and pointing and bringing shame to others.

This is decidedly not Zion-like action.

Finally, and most importantly, what the Church does, as a corporation or entity, has not one whit of relevance to our eternal salvation. No man, no church, no organization can save you. No man, no church, no organization can damn you. Whether the Church chooses to feed all the orphans in the whole world, or build a shopping center or housing development, or to even build a temple next to every Starbuck's in the land, it does not matter to us. It does not change our desire to draw unto Christ, and to become one with him and the Father. In short, the presence or absence of the Church, with all its strengths and weaknesses, is not relevant to Zion. Let us leave it out of our conversations.

Look unto Jesus Christ Himself for an example to follow. When subjected to the most hateful of insults, the most grievous of pain, and the loss of his life and all that surrounded that event, what did he do? Did he mock those that spat on him? Did he point his finger at Pilate and call him names? Did he make jokes about the soldiers nailing him to the cross? No, he most assuredly did not. Quite the opposite: “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34).

If we are, indeed, to become a Zion people, to create an environment into which the Lord can come, and to meet him face to face, we must put off the urge to condemn, criticize, mock or joke about the institution that, frankly, opened the doors to us being here in the first place. Again, the men associated with leadership positions of the Church have done things that they will have to answer for at some point in the future. There is not a doubt about that. But, what does that fact have to do with our own progress, salvation, and learning? Nothing. Not a damn thing.

All we do when we get caught in the temptation to make a wise-crack about the Church, or to turn a lesson into a condemnation of the Church, is to dilute our message and reduce our effectiveness.

Brethren, Sisters, please. To the extent that we are not exhorting each other to do better, or warning of dangerous or false doctrine, let us cease our negative speaking about that institution. It does nothing to draw us unto Christ, or to make us better people. I beseech you, let us stop. I promise that I, myself, will make conscious effort to avoid those thoughts and words. Please, won’t you join me?

Courage - It's always darkest before the dawn...

I ask you, Gentle Reader, to remember that this blog is a tool for me to teach and pass along information primarily to my own children, while inviting all to read these words. This entry will be the same - I hope that my own offspring will read and take the meaning of this heartfelt confession of fear.

It is apparent that many things are happening these days that give one cause for fear. Me included. I have been an active member of the Church since January 25, 1975. Forty years. I used to just go along with the flow, attending my church meetings, avoiding all (well, mostly all) of the items deemed "taboo" by the Church, doing the odd service project now and then, and sleeping in on Stake and General Conference Sundays. Sometimes. When I could get away with it.

Then, two things happened, both in January.

First, I started working with an old friend of mine, from way way back in my mission days. He is a good and trusted friend, one whom I respect very much and thoroughly enjoy working with and sharing conversations about a wide variety of topics, including religion.

Second, I started teaching Gospel Doctrine classes. In fact, on the 40 year anniversary of my baptism, I was teaching a lesson called "Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord."

It's kind of strange- teaching and public speaking really don't cause any fear in me at all. I very much enjoy teaching. I enjoy discussing my lessons with the person mentioned above, then passing along newfound understanding to the people in my class.

But, there are other things that frighten me. For example, through my discussions with my friend above, I have come to have my eyes opened a bit to the fact that if I am to be saved, and my family, we are going to have to go a lot further in our gospel study and knowledge than we ever have up to now. I have also learned that those who try to learn gospel truths that are not convenient for the powers that be, sometimes (well, actually, at an alarming rate) find themselves being removed from the Church.

I am saddened that people can be booted out for simply studying the Gospel too much. In the past few days, I have knowledge of at least four families that are being affected by leaders that cannot tolerate the fact that folks might actually have questions about the way things are being run, and that want to grow and rise up and grab the end of the iron rod that Christ has placed in front of us that leads back to Him.

So, that makes me afraid.

Because I know that we, too, might be faced with that consequence if we continue to advance down this path that we have barely started. And so, I read scriptures and study blogs and listen to talks and read books. But I am afraid to ask if this is true. I fear the consequences.

I fear the drastic change that must be undergone if I find that this new path is the correct one. I mean, I've got 40 years of following what I've been told to follow under my belt. It's a close friend that has been diagnosed with a terminal disease. If that friend dies, there will be mourning and loss. Sadness and emptiness. That process will have to be gone through. I feel like it has already started.

I fear the ramifications for all of you. I see what struggles are being endured by other families that are simply seeking truth. There is mocking, and ostracism. I can handle that. I cannot handle it when my people suffer.

I fear the loss of friends. If I (we) continue on the path, and find that it's the true path, and experience what that will inevitably lead to, I know that I have friends that will not tolerate that sort of change. I will find that we speak less and less. No more fishing. No more lunches. No more texts or emails. I feel like that will probably happen to most of us.

Most of all, I fear heaven. If we find that this is all true, that carries heavy consequence and responsibility.  I feel almost like the Israelites in the wilderness, when Moses invited them to go up the Mount with him, into the black smoke and lightnings, to meet God. No thanks, they said. Seeing God will kill us. You go for us, they said. I kind of think... that's me right now.

Or maybe it's just that fear is the darkness caused by Satan, when he tries to dissuade us from doing big, great, important things.

Remember what happened to Joseph Smith as he started to pray in the Grove. Do you recall?

"I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction."

Joseph then called upon God to save him from what he felt would be certain destruction. Or, rather, to save him from the temptation of fear. If Satan could make Joseph fear what comes next enough, Joseph would turn away and forget he ever made the attempt to get to know God.

So, what is fear? I have heard it called the opposite of love. The opposite of courage. The opposite of faith. It is the opposite of a lot of things, all of which come from God. So, fear, necessarily, is of the devil. He uses it to get us to doubt ourselves, to lose confidence, and to think twice about making contact with the Heavens.

Satan might also get even more tricky about this particular temptation. Think back to Lehi's dream. Do you remember that in the beginning of the dream, Lehi found himself in a dark and dreary waste. Then:

"5 And it came to pass that I saw a man, and he was dressed in a white robe; and he came and stood before me.

6 And it came to pass that he spake unto me, and bade me follow him.

7 And it came to pass that as I followed him I beheld myself that I was in a dark and dreary waste.

8 And after I had traveled for the space of many hours in darkness, I began to pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on me, according to the multitude of his tender mercies.

9 And it came to pass after I had prayed unto the Lord I beheld a large and spacious field." (I Ne. Ch. 8)

Some spirit, intent on leading Lehi away from light, truth and knowledge, appeared in a white robe and seduced Lehi into following him into the dark and dreary waste. Lehi, like Joseph, called upon God and was delivered from the darkness.

Later, as Lehi sees the remainder of the vision of the Tree of Life, he sees the tree, the fruit, the path, and the rod. He sees his family and desires them to receive the fruit that he has. So he hopes that they will find the rod, and grab to it. However, they, too, are lost in the darkness. He calls out to them and they are able to find him and the tree, and partake of the fruit.

The Lord does not wish for us to be cowardly. He wants us to have courage. Thus, in order to overcome fear, let fear become humility. Humility leads to seeking and asking and crying unto the Lord:

"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." Ether 12:27

This is how we grow courage! If we are humble and faithful before the Lord, he will strengthen us and teach us! Then those things which make us afraid (OK... make ME afraid) will turn to things we can see as blessings.

There will be no sadness at the death of a friend, only rejoicing that we can sacrifice for Christ's sake. There will be no loss of friends for those who will not stand beside us as we grow were never truly friends anyway. There will be new friends around us with the same heart and the same mind who earnestly seek to draw closer to Christ and to build Zion. And, finally, there will be no fear of the Heavens, for we will be there. 

"Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake." (Matt. 5:11)

Blessed will we be when we do these things. So, I will do it. I will challenge myself to study, ponder, and seek the personal revelation that the Lord promises us in James, and Moroni. We must study, ponder and ask, and the Lord will give all things, upbraiding not. 

Simple in concept. Complicated in practice. But it needs to be done. With courage, nothing wavering.

Won't you join me?