Amidst all the yearly convocations, and offerings, and ceremonials of the Jews, there were three great annual feasts of a special character (Deut. 16). The Passover, that which brought to their remembrance their deliverance from Egypt then fifty days after this was the feast of Pentecost, or weeks; then when the corn and the wine were housed and pressed, they kept the feast of Tabernacles. The two first have had their fulfillment in the antitype, but the last is yet to come, it has had no antitypical fulfillment as yet.
Then in Acts 2, “When the day of Pentecost was fully come”; this was the fiftieth day after the resurrection of Christ, when we find the fact of Christ having sent down the Holy Ghost from the Father, as that which characterizes Christianity.
In the Passover we see God passing through Egypt in judgment. Those who were sheltered by the blood of the lamb were safe, but not yet, in the type, in the position of a saved people. A person being merely safe, is not what Scripture supposes as being saved. Israel had many exercises to pass through before they knew the “salvation of the Lord;” but this salvation brought them completely out of Egypt and put them in a totally new place. There was the constant memorial of the Passover then kept up every year until the true Paschal Lamb comes and dies on the cross, presenting His precious blood to God, and in the cross perfectly establishing God’s righteousness against sin, and glorifying God’s nature as to sin.
The first thought of Christ is God’s glory. He not only made propitiation, but there is another thing—He bore our sins. On the great day of atonement in Israel (Lev. 16), we find this made clear in the two goats which were taken; one lot for the Lord, and the other (the scapegoat) for the people. The first goat points to that in Christ’s work which perfectly glorified God as to sin, and thus I can preach the gospel “to every creature,” telling them the blood of Christ is on the mercy seat, and there is nothing to hinder them coming to God through its worth. On the other goat Aaron laid his hands, and confessed “the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins.” This answers to the other side of Christ’s work as bearing the sins of His people. These two thoughts perplex people, so much. The Arminian takes up his thoughts from the first goat, and speaks of a universal presentation of the gospel, forgetting the positive substitution of Christ for His people’s sins. The Calvinist grounds his on the second goat, and confines the work of Christ solely to the elect, and leaves out the grand “whosoever” in the breadth of the righteousness of God “ unto all.” There is a goat for each thought, but both thoughts are there, and we must not separate them. God’s nature has been glorified. He is free and willing to bless all; but on the other hand the substitution of Christ for His people is quite true. There is room for the grand comprehensive “whosoever” —anybody—everybody—young or old—through what the first goat represents. But the second shows that “our sins” are put away forever! The universal presentation of mace, and the election of persons, both find their positive answer, without the negative conclusions which men seek to adduce from them.
In Deut. 16:1-71Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the Lord thy God: for in the month of Abib the Lord thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night. 2Thou shalt therefore sacrifice the passover unto the Lord thy God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which the Lord shall choose to place his name there. 3Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction; for thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life. 4And there shall be no leavened bread seen with thee in all thy coast seven days; neither shall there any thing of the flesh, which thou sacrificedst the first day at even, remain all night until the morning. 5Thou mayest not sacrifice the passover within any of thy gates, which the Lord thy God giveth thee: 6But at the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even, at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt. 7And thou shalt roast and eat it in the place which the Lord thy God shall choose: and thou shalt turn in the morning, and go unto thy tents. (Deuteronomy 16:1‑7), the Passover was to be eaten with the bread of affliction, “for they came out of Egypt in haste,” each one keeping it in the place where the Lord should choose, and then each turned in the morning and went to his tent alone. It was an individual thing all through; no communion, no gathering together, for in conscience and faith we are alone.
Then fifty days after (vv. 10-12), the feast of Pentecost, in which three marked characteristics are seen. “Thou shalt rejoice” with all within thy gates. Every one’s heart was made glad in the common joys of spiritual possession which the Lord had bestowed. Then “thou shalt remember” all that God had done and “do” —the practice becoming this new sphere of blessing and joy.
Then came the feast of Tabernacles, which has had no antitype as yet. It was celebrated after the harvest had been cut down, the chaff cleared away, the corn gathered into the garner, and the vintage was over-the grapes bad been gathered and thrown into the wine-press. “Thou shalt keep a solemn feast after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine... because the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thine increase and in all the works of thine hands, therefore thou shalt surely rejoice.” They were to dwell in booths seven days, remembering that they had been strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
Evidently the fulfillment of this in the antitype must be preceded by the judgment, figured by the harvest and vintage, common types of preparatory and final judgment at the end of their age, before the glory and kingdom comes. They are noted in Rev. 14:1414And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. (Revelation 14:14), &c. “And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sharp sickle and reap, for the time is come for thee to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. And another angel came out of the temple which was in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire, and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great wine-press of the wrath of God. And the wine-press was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs” (cf. Joel 3).
This shows what must occur before the antitype of the feast of Tabernacles can take place. It is the great feast, typical of millennial glory, after Christ has purged the earth. Then He brings in the full blessing of this poor sin-stained world.
In John 6 we read, “And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.” In chap. 7, the feast of Tabernacles was at hand. The feast of Pentecost is not noticed, for reasons which we shall see. The Jews (“his brethren”) wanted the Lord to show Himself to the world at this feast (chap. 7); this He refused. If He had gone up He would first have had to judge the world, and so He went up secretly, and brings in another blessing altogether. His time was “not yet” fully come. It will come by and by. Now He testifies against the world, because its deeds are evil; then He will judge it. The harvest and vintage must come before His time, and the true feast of Tabernacles be there.
He brings in instead of this the Pentecostal gift of the Holy Ghost, and believers now become the intermediate witness of the glory of the Son of man.
In chapter 6 He had fed the multitude with the loaves, and they own Him as the Great Prophet that should come into the world; and then they seek to make Him a king. The thought expressed by Christians at times in hymns, of Christ being their prophet, priest, and king, has really no divine meaning. He was, and is, most surely, all these; and as to the exercise of these offices, He was the Prophet in His lifetime here, He is the Priest, now as gone on high, He will be the King in glory by and by. Christians will then be joint-heirs with Him in His glorious reign. Heb. 10:1313From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. (Hebrews 10:13) shows that He is now “expecting”—not reigning. When He reigns in glory He will have no enemies to put down. All this will be done before He reigns in peace.
Thus the people own Him as the prophet, and seek to make Him a King (John 6:14,1514Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. 15When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone. (John 6:14‑15)). This He refused, and He departs on high into a mountain “to pray,” as we find in the other gospels. John does not state this, for He is always seen in John as a divine person. Thus He has gone on high as Priest, first having sent His disciples across the stormy sea of this world; but He withdraws not His eyes from them until He rejoins them, and they are immediately at the shore. All this is a picture of what was then, and now is, going on, and until the close of the present age.
Then in the remaining portion of the chapter He presents Himself as the object of faith meanwhile. He is the bread of God come down from heaven to give life to the world (v. 33, &c.) In the chapter you find three great points discussed. First, His incarnation as the bread of God; next (v. 51, &c.), He must die, and give His flesh and blood to be eaten-appropriated by faith. And lastly, His ascension as Son of man to where He was before (v. 62).
He says, “He that eateth this bread shall live forever,” in contrast to the manna of which they ate and died. Thus He is the passive object of faith, not as in chapter 5-the Son of God, quickening whom He will. Here He is to be fed upon by faith. But man as such could not feed upon Him as the incarnate One; to do so would prove he was still recoverable though he had sinned. Hence He must die, and give His flesh to eat and His blood to drink.
Here let me remark that there is not the shadow of a thought of the Lord’s Supper in this chapter. John deals with the realities, not with the figures of them. The other Gospels take up the figures, but not John. This chapter speaks of the same thing as the Lord’s Supper, i.e., His death, but the Supper is not in the chapter. Here the sinner comes and feeds upon Him by faith in His death, and receives eternal life in Him-he leaves all the old thing behind. Note, too, that the Lord calls it the “flesh of the Son of man,” &c., that is, of a rejected “Christ.”
Then comes another step (v. 56), “He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me and I in him.” And “as the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father; so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.” That is, he lives for this dead and risen One, and from Him here; as Jesus did for the Father and from the Father also. He received life from His death, and now he “lives” by that by which he received life—He lives by Him.
Then (v. 62), He ascends up where He was before. He takes manhood to glory. Many of His disciples then went back, and walked no more with Him. They were disappointed in Him. They looked for earthly things and earthly glory, but He was rejected, and had none then to bestow. The Lord turns to those who had the faith that could not do without Him, and says, “Will ye also go away?” Peter answers, “Lord, to whom shall we go?” He was necessary to that life He had given, and they could not go away! He was the Son of the living God, and had the words of eternal life more than those of Messiah and an earthly kingdom here. He had chosen “you twelve,” yet one of them was a devil. It is only in John’s gospel we find this divine knowledge breaking forth from His glorious person. As in John 12, He could tell of Mary’s devoted heart and her secret treasure-secret to all but to His eye. She had treasured up her box of ointment “for his burial.” He could let her know in His quiet blessed way—I knew it all the time! So here He shows that He knew from the first the heart of this poor ruined man.
Now we as Christians are between those two great points —Christ’s going up into heaven, and His coming back again to bring in this feast of Tabernacles; and so, meanwhile, He gives (as the exalted One) the Holy Ghost, to witness for Him of complete redemption, and to form His body—to gather together the joint heirs of His glory. During this interval “grace reigns.” Hence the Lord goes up secretly to the feast; and in the last day, that great day of the feast, He stands and cries, “If any man thirst, let 14;4 come unto me and drink.” This was the eighth day after the seven days of the feast were over, during which time they had dwelt in booths and rejoiced. The eighth day was the link with resurrection and heavenly glory foreshadowed in the feast (cf. Lev. 23:3636Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein. (Leviticus 23:36)). They say that the Jews drew water from the Pool of Siloam on that day and poured it on the ground in token of the fullness of blessing which they enjoyed. On this day the Lord presents Himself as the source of these streams of living water. He calls to the thirsty ones—those who were not satisfied with a hollow ceremony which had not quenched the thirst of their souls-to come to Him and drink. He who believed on this rejected Son of man, “out of his belly” would flow rivers of living water. (“But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive, for the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified.”) Then, as in other parts of the chapter, they reason and discuss, but this was not faith. Faith believes in its object; hope desires it, and love enjoys it. True faith is proved by the desires, which is always met by God Himself giving divine light on our pathway here; and God makes Himself chargeable for all that concerns me. How different to these discussions of the people and the Jews.
Now, it is not the unbeliever who is here before the Lord. Such need His quickening power to create the thirst that says, “Lord, to whom shall we go?” It is the gift of the Holy Ghost to the believing one, who is always believing on Christ. This distinct blessing of the Holy Ghost dwelling in and flowing on through the affections and inward thoughts of the believer was never known of old. Up to the time of the sending of the Holy Ghost from heaven, souls were born of God by the power of the Holy Ghost, but no glorified Son of man was there till the Son of God went thus on high. Now, the believing one is the channel of this living water to the wilderness from which He was cast out.
This river is a figure of blessing directed of God to man. God has ever had thoughts of blessing flowing from Himself to the world, but this blessing has as constantly been frustrated by man’s sin.
From the Garden of Eden, which God had planted and proposed as the center of creature good, four rivers flowed forth to bear the riches of such a dispensation to the four quarters of the world. Satan entered the scene, and lusts sprang up in the heart of man, and he was driven out of the presence of God, and the creature involved in his fall. Hundreds of years passed away, and the corrupted world was washed by the judgment of the waters of the flood. Even the traces and channels of two of these rivers were obliterated (perhaps) by this tide of judgment. But when the channels of the “river of God” are stopped or corrupted, the stream is diverted, but still it must flow from Him who is intent on blessing man. These first streams then were the rivers of paradise, freighted with earthly blessing.
Then God called out Abraham from the idolatrous world, and then his seed from Egypt; and the answer to their cry of thirst in the desert was the streams from the smitten rock. Rivers ran for them in dry places, and they drank of that spiritual rock which followed them—and that rock was Christ. This was their river of blessing until they reached the promised land.
Then God cast out the enemy and settled them there. And in the promises to the house of David the king, those “waters of Shiloah” that ran “ softly,” and the yearly round of feasts and gatherings to his name in the pleasant land, ran the fresh stream, now of ritual blessing, to recall the thought of Jehovah’s presence with His people, and to cheer their hearts as time ran on; “There is a river, the streams whereof make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High.”
The channel again corrupts itself in the land of blessing, and when Jesus came into their midst those once-named “feasts of Jehovah” are now only the “feasts of the Jews.” He finds no response from the hearts of His people, and again the diverted stream of blessing must find another channel and another character in which to flow. Jesus “ascends up where he was before,” and instead of a stream flowing into the desert, and making the wilderness and the solitary place blossom as the rose, the lame man to leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb to sing, He leaves the desert as He found it, and turns the living waters of this spiritual stream through the longing desires, the affections of His believing people, who are passing through the parched land of the wilderness—instead then of blessing the wilderness, He blesses him who is in the wilderness—making him a channel of blessing and a testimony to His glory.
Believers, do you thus thirst after Him? In one sense you “never thirst,” because of the “living water” which He has bestowed. But does not your heart long after Him who is gone away? Do you not receive for this thirsting the full satisfying blessing-as cold waters to the thirsty soul-from Him whom your heart thus thirsts after and feeds upon, who is gone away? He will come again, this “Son of man;” He will return as the One whom God has set over all the Works of His hands (Psa. 8). Now “we see not yet all things put under him.” He has gone up on high with the title to the whole, securely in His hands, and during His absence He leaves His people to be the channels of blessing here—the living witnesses to an absent and rejected Lord!
Isaiah speaks of the time when the wilderness shall blossom as the rose; when the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; when the lame man shall leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing. In that day He will bring the earth under His peaceful sway into full, rich blessing; but now He pours the living streams through the hearts and affections of His saints. Through them the stream flows. The stream will find its way through their affections out to others if they are thirsting after Him who is gone on high. They are thus the channels —pipes—to convey those living streams to others, that they may thirst and taste and drink for themselves. “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.”
Thus the “River of God” flows on. The course is transferred from earth to heaven, and its channel is the hearts of His believing people. The source never fails. Think of this stream flowing through your hearts—ministering to this evil world-telling of His heart unchanged.
When the day of glory comes, the channel of this stream will not change. The River of God will again flow on earth and from its then center of blessing. But there is one glory of the terrestrial and another glory of the celestial. An earthly Bride, as well as a heavenly.
“And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations” (See Rev. 22:1-51And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: 4And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. 5And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. (Revelation 22:1‑5)). These verses (with chap. 21:9-27), are the description of the celestial and displayed glory of the heavenly Bride, the Lamb’s wife. She is seen descending out of heaven from God; not only the abode of the Lamb, but the Lamb is the light thereof. The saved nations walk in her light, and she is the channel of that heavenly stream of pure water of life to the world in that day. The River of God thus flows through her from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
In Ezek. 47:1-91Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar. 2Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side. 3And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles. 4Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. 5Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over. 6And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river. 7Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other. 8Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed. 9And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh. (Ezekiel 47:1‑9), we read of the earthly stream too. The restored Jerusalem and the earthly throne will be the spot where the stream of earthly blessing will flow. It deepens as it flows “to the ankles,” “to the knees,” and to the loins, until it becomes “a river that could not be passed over;” “and everything shall live whither the river cometh,” in that scene of terrestrial glory.
The heavenly stream of the River of God will find its channel through the glorified Church, His witness of heavenly grace; and the earthly stream will issue forth from the city which is the throne of Jehovah and His testimony in that day of earthly justice, so long a strange thing in this earth.
Thus, the true feast of Tabernacles will be kept in unhindered power; with the blessed “last day,” or “eighth day” of heavenly glory. Jehovah will hear the heavens, and the heavens will hear the earth, and the earth will hear the corn and the wine and the oil, and they shall hear Jezreel—the seed of God.
Turn now to the scene where all this will have passed away. The millennial glory will have had its accomplishment, but after all, to the soul that knows God, millennial glory is but a poor thing. It is true that “a king shall reign in righteousness”: He will first clear the scene of evil, and sway His glorious scepter from the river to the sea, and from the sea to the ends of the earth. Still this state will not be perfect, and therefore not be fully suited to God, nor to those who are made partakers of the divine nature. It is but power with a high and glorious hand keeping down evil, if it shows its head. For though all are blessed, and all call upon the name of the Lord at its commencement, such is not the case with those who are born during that thousand years. The last outbreak, when Satan is loosed (Rev. 20) shows its solemn results. The moral separation then takes place between those who are the Lord’s and those who are not. Then comes the judgment of the great white throne, and the lake of fire is the last act of the drama in the scene of time.
Eternity then rolls on: the ever present “now” of eternity. A new heavens, and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. The first heaven and the first earth have passed away, and there is no more sea. There is neither a “River of God,” nor a place into which that river may flow. God Himself—the spring of the river, has come down to dwell forever amongst men. His tabernacle-the church of His eternal purpose, is His dwelling-place still. No more the outflowings of the streams of His blessing—but all eternal rest—the rest of God. “Silent in his love”—He rests, and we rest with Him! And Jesus, the girded Servant, who has made “all things new,” displays the Father in the Son forever!
God shall wipe away all tears. Not a stream of sorrow will be in that scene. The past is forgotten and the traces of the past. He felt it Himself—for who knew as He did—the sorrows of the way? He wept Himself through those human eyes, that told of the heart of God. Then, not only are the tears gone, but God Himself is the—wiper of them away! There shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, for the former things are passed away. But there is one thing which ever abides-the Son, the Servant still. He came down to save that we might have the blessing. He serves on high that He may secure the blessing; and He will remain the blessed girded One forever that we may enjoy the blessing.
And He looks now to us to be thirsting ones, telling Him from morning to night that we cannot do without Himself. He must be our object, our energy, our end. We must live for Him and die for Him to all here; we must thirst after Him, and drink ourselves, that we may be the channels of blessing to this evil world. May we learn to walk through it as He walked—to testify against it that its deeds are evil.