WELLS OF SALVATION
WELLS OF SALVATION
Sunday, August 23, 2015, the Year of Our Lord
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
As Christians we celebrate the crucifixion of Jesus as the Passover Feast. We celebrate the Holy Spirit as the Feast of Pentecost. It is right that as we approach Feast of Tabernacles, we should celebrate Jesus as the Glory of God.
The Jewish celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles is not until September 27- Oct. 5th, 2015. So I am early this year with this message.
Oh, but I thirst!
John 7:37-38: “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying if any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believes in me as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
“At the time of the morning sacrifice, on each day of the feast, a most interesting incident took place. The altar of burnt-offering was wreathed with sprigs of willow; and the sacrifice lay upon it, a chorus of voices was heard approaching through the Water-Gate from the southern slope of Mount Moriah. The procession was headed by a priest bearing in his hand a golden pitcher from the pool of Siloam. His appearance on the flight of steps was greeted by a blast of the Temple trumpets, also by the shout of the assembled crowd, re-echoing the words of Isaiah, “With joy you shall draw water out of the wells of salvation.”
Reverently the priest ascended the steps; and into one of two silver basins, adjoining the altar on its west side, he poured the contents of the golden pitcher. In the other basin, he poured wine. Both were conveyed by separated pipes to the Kedron below. As the smoke of the morning sacrifice arose, a choir of musicians sang in full chorus the great Hallel.
In the center of one of the Temple-courts, two colossal golden candlesticks were erected. Immediately after the offering of the evening sacrifice, these were lighted, and the wooded dells, slopes of Olivet and the streets of Jerusalem were brilliant with light. The bunch of flowers carried by day was now exchanged for torches.” (MacDuff from Rabbinical writings).
Our blessed Savior witnessed these jubilant festivities. From the crowd, would be coming the cry, Hosanna! “Save now!” (Psa. 118:25) (“Or Come, Savior!”) Ten thousand prayers for the advent of Him who though they did not know Him was standing in their midst.
The scripture clearly states in John 7 that Jesus was present in the crowd at that exciting moment of the day’s festive joy. He would, therefore, have been present when the water of Siloam was being carried in the golden vessel.
Jesus chose the last day of the feast to declare His own everlasting gospel: “In the last day of that great day of the Feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, if any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink.”
One of the purposes of the Feast of Tabernacles was to commemorate the water from the Rock in the Sinai desert. Jesus combines both: “I says He, am that Rock! I am that living water. Your fathers drank of that spiritual Rock which followed them, but that Rock was Myself. (1 Co. 10:4).
John 7:39: (“Jesus spoke of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive; for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because Jesus was not yet glorified.”)
The Jews were looking for Jesus at the Feast to kill him. When Jesus said this, some of the people believed that he was the Christ, others that he was a prophet, but the people were divided. (Jn. 7: 39-42).
A short time previously Jesus spoke to a lone woman at Jacob’s well and made a similar declaration: “”Whosoever shall drink of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst.” (Jn. 4:4). Later to his disciples, Jesus said, I am the bread of life; he that comes to me shall never hunger, and he that believes on Me shall never thirst.”
After he spoke that, many of his disciples left him. They could not believe on him (Jn. 6:66).
Now He has a vaster audience; ---now instead of one Samaritan woman, He has a whole temple-crowd to whom he addresses. The Feast is a type and a shadow of the water of life. Look to Me! ---turn to Me, “the fountain of living waters.” “If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink.”
John writes that some men would have taken him, but no man laid a hand on him. “Jesus went to the Mount of Olives”. (Jn. 8:1).
We never read of Jesus spending a night in Jerusalem. “every man went unto his own house, Jesus went into the Mount of Olives---“And in the daytime he was teaching in the temple, and at night he went out and abode in the mount called the Mount of Olives (Lk. 21:37). “Jesus oftentimes resorted there.” (Jn. 18:2).
“The Divine Majesty dwelt three and one half years on the Mount of Olives, to see whether the Jewish people would, or would not repent, calling, “Return unto me, and I will return unto you;” (Mal. 3:7) “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near.” (Lightfoot).
John 8:2: Early on the following morning, Jesus came at break-of-day to the Temple courts. This would have been at the time the colossal lights were being extinguished. As the water was Jesus’ text for one day, so now are the lights. “Behold me! “I am the light of the world; he that follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
The dispensation of the temple worship has passed away. The Sun of Righteousness has risen and the temple lights are only a type and shadow of the glory of Christ.
All lesser glories are to be lost and extinguished in the glory which excelleth. (2 Co. 3:10).
People of God, gross darkness is covering the earth, but we are “to arise and shine for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.”
“O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord.” (Isa. 2:5).
One of the divine purposes of the Feast of Tabernacles was a thanksgiving for the concluded harvest.
For the Christian, we are indebted to the Cross for the very fruits of the earth. It is not for us to bring an offering like Cain, but rather like Abel, of the firstlings of the flock. We are indebted to the mediator of the New Covenant, the “blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.” (Heb. 12:24).
We can declare: Hosanna! Hosanna! – blessed is “He who saves to the uttermost”. (Heb. 7:25)
We can most joyfully wave the palm branch of triumph, and sing, “Hosanna! Blessed be He that comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.”(Mt. 21:9)
“The voice of rejoicing and salvation” should be “in the tabernacles of the righteous.” (Ps. 118:15).
A second object of the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was to commemorate the pilgrim life of their fathers in the wilderness.
As Christians we continually praise God for our spiritual mercies. We have been delivered from our Egypt (worldliness). Our chains of oppression have been broken. Our Red Sea has been crossed. We are daily given our manna and bread of life. Living streams of grace have refreshed our fainting souls. We have the cloud of the glory of His omnipresence. The fiery pillar of the Holy Spirit lights up our dark nights of adversity.
We can say with the Psalmist, “You have put gladness in our hearts, more than in the time that their corn and wine increased.’ (Ps. 4:7).
Another object of Feast of Tabernacles was to celebrate by a public thanksgiving the settlement of Israel in the land of Canaan.
This was symbolized in the eighth day (the day Jesus went to the temple at day-break) which had its own special appointments and was called “a day of holy convocation.” In the morning the booths were taken down, and as many as had houses returned to them. We have entered our Canaan, the rest of grace and glory now! “My people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.”
We know that “when this house of our earthly tabernacle is dissolved, we have a building of God, and house, not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” (2 Cor.5:1).
We have entered this realm of eternity on earth as it is in heaven. “There is no night there, and they need no candle, neither light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light, and they shall reign for ever and ever.”
“Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father!” (Mt. 13:43)
I cry out for the gross darkness over our nation. Are you thirsting? I have tasted and experienced the mountain tops of Christian joy and vision. I have experienced the fullness of life of joy unspeakable and full of glory. I live off of the fat of the land. I thirst for the Harvest of the earth. I cry out for this nation and the lost souls of our nation. I cry out for persecuted Christians. I cry out for the Harvest of souls. I cry out that the glory of God will cover the whole earth. I cry out for Christians who are falling away, back slidden, drifting, a lost generation of young people who have no moral compass.
Recently I had a dream. An angel of the Lord spoke to me in the dream, “Carolyn would you rather go to Scotland or Tanzania? My response was, "I just want you.”
I join my cry with Him when he is ending His message to man, sealing up the vision and the prophecy---the last lingering words which fall from His lips upon the Holy Writ are these:
“And the Spirit and the Bride say come. And let him that hears say, Come. And let him this is athirst come. And whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely.” (Rev. 22:17)
Lord we come---with joy we will draw water out of the wells of salvation! Life shall be one continual feast of Tabernacles---one continual thank-offering for unnumbered and unmerited mercies! Through your Blood-sprinkled gate of heaven, we enter in with that great cloud of witnesses keeping the eternal feast---where we shall hunger no more, nor thirst any more.
We no longer desire the restricted and scanty golden goblet of earth. We have found the Living Fountains of waters.
This past week Brother Van Tanner contacted me concerning a retreat of about 20 people who are pressing through this narrow place into this wide place of the Spirit. The retreat will be September 11-13, 2015, in Joy Mountain, North Carolina.
I will be going with great expectation with a humble and listening ear to hear the Lord and hear from those who hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Perhaps together we shall become one voice as the voice of many waters.
I come.
Next Sunday we will be blessed to receive Prophet Keith Miller as our guest speaker.
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries Church
I entered into the labors of John Ross MacDuff (1868), Memories of Olivet, (public domain). Comments and conclusions are my own and not meant to reflect the views of Rev. MacDuff.