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Lesson 20 Hope of Israel Ministries BIBLE Correspondence Course 19

destruction, sin or death. Revelation 21 gives us were instructing the people about YEHOVAH’s
just a hint of this new universe. A new heaven HOLY SPIRIT!
and a new earth inhabited solely by spirit beings! Continues Dale Cohen: “As the second
“There shall be no more death, neither sorrow, division started their journey to the pool, the
nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: third division went to a place in the Kedron
for the former things are passed away" (verse 4). valley called ‘Motza’ where the ashes were
dumped at the beginning of the sabbath. There
The TWO Most Important Aspects of they cut LONG WILLOW BRANCHES and
Sukkot made a procession to the Temple. As they
advanced towards the Temple, the priest would
The Pouring Out of Water: swing the willows back and forth as they took a
step making the sound of A MIGHTY
On each day of the Feast of Tabernacles RUSHING WIND” (ibid., p. 3).
in ancient Israel, a VITAL celebration took place What did the “mighty rushing wind”
called Simkhat Beit Hashoavah -- “The represent?
Rejoicing at the Place of the Water-Drawing.” 3. Go now to Acts 2:2-4.
What was this celebration and what did it COMMENT: Once again, this is talking
represent? about YEHOVAH’s holy spirit! This part of the
1. Notice Isaiah 12:3. ceremony was SYMBOLIC of the holy spirit
COMMENT: According to Dale coming upon the city of Jerusalem as a
Cohen, “For one month prior to the feast, the FULFILLMENT of the prophet Joel.
rabbis spent time instructing the people about 4. This is covered in Joel 2:28-32 --
‘LIVING WATER’ and the ‘FOUNTAIN OF notice!
LIVING WATER’....During the Temple period, COMMENT: Cohen continues with his
every day of the year after the burning of the discussion of the water ceremony: “As they
sacrifice, an offering of wine was poured upon reached the Temple a trumpet was blown
the altar. During the feast of Sukkot, a WATER announcing their arrival, and the priest arranged
LIBATION was also offered. Each morning the willow branches on either side of the altar
during the feast, the priesthood was divided into forming a canopy, as the priests made blasts
three divisions. While the first division was from their silver trumpets. The sacrifice is
preparing the morning sacrifice, the high priest, offered and as the priests carried the pieces of the
heading the second division, took a golden sacrifices to be offered, the priest with the
pitcher, which held about two pints, and went to golden pitchers entered the Watergate. As he
the POOL OF SILOAM....The blast of a shofar made his entrance through the Watergate, he was
announced his arrival at the Temple’s received by three blasts of the priests’ trumpets.
‘Watergate.’ Having immersed the pitcher into The priests approached the altar turning to the
the pool and collecting the ‘LIVING WATER,’ left. On the eastern and western sides of the altar
he proceeded in making his journey back...to the were two silver basins with narrow holes, the
Temple” (Sukkot: A Close Look at the Feast of eastern side being wider for the use of the wine,
Tabernacles, p. 2-3). and the western basin being more narrow for the
What exactly is “living water” -- and WATER. The wine and the WATER were
what was/is the “fountain of living water”? poured simultaneously into the appropriate
2. Read Jeremiah 17:13. Now go to basins” (ibid., p. 3).
John 4:14 and John 7:38-39. So WHY was this ceremony called “The
COMMENT: Clearly, for a month prior Water-Drawing Ceremony”? Alfred Edersheim
to the Feast of Tabernacles the rabbis or priests gives us the emphatic reason, as understood by

Feast of Tabernacles -- THE WORLD TOMORROW