Oct 21 2024 71 mins
Begin at sunset Wednesday October 23, 2024
What is the Last Great Day? What is its Old and New Testament meaning? How does it symbolize Yahweh reaching ALL humans with the gospel and offering them a chance to live forever?
Jews call the Last Great Day, the seventh and final of Yahweh's annual Feasts, Shemini 'Azeret. This phrase means "eighth day assembly" as Yahweh commanded his people to meet on it for a holy assembly. The Bible simply calls it the "eighth day" or "the great day of the feast" as it immediately follows the Feast of Tabernacles.
The Last Great Day, when no work is allowed, occurs each year on Tishri 22 on the Hebrew calendar.
Yahshua is recorded as observing the Last Great Day in 29 A.D., less than six months before he is crucified. The Lord was among the morning crowd at Jerusalem's temple to witness the water pouring ceremony.
Leviticus 23:34: "'Speak to the children of Israel, saying, 'The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to Yahweh. On the first day shall be a Holy convocation. You shall do no servile work therein. Seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to Yahweh. On the eighth day…" (vs 34-36).
We can now in some measure realize the event recorded in John 7:37. The festivities of the Week of Tabernacles were drawing to a close. 'It was the last day, that great day of the feast.' It obtained this name, although it was not one of 'holy convocation,' partly because it closed the feast, and partly from the circumstances which procured it in Rabbinical writings the designations of 'Day of the Great Hosanna,' on account of the sevenfold circuit of the altar with 'Hosanna'; and 'Day of Willows,' and 'Day of Beating the Branches,' because all the leaves were shaken off the willow boughs, and the palm branches beaten in pieces by the side of the altar. It was on that day, after the priest had returned from Siloam with his golden pitcher, and for the last time poured its contents to the base of the altar; after the 'Hallel' had been sung to the sound of the flute, the people responding and worshipping as the priests three times drew the threefold blasts from their silver trumpets- when the interest of the people had been raised to its highest pitch, that, from amidst the mass of worshippers, who were waving towards the altar quite a forest of leafy branches as the last words of Psalm 118 were chanted- voice was raised which resounded through the temple, startled the multitude, and carried fear and hatred to the hearts of their leaders. It was Yahshua, who 'stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink.' Then by faith in Him should each one truly become like the Pool of Siloam, and from his inmost being 'rivers of living waters flow' (John 7:38). 'This spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive.' Thus the significance of the rite, in which they had just taken part, was not only fully explained, but the mode of its fulfillment pointed out. The effect was instantaneous. It could not but be, that in that vast assembly, so suddenly roused by being brought face to face with Him in whom every type and prophecy is fulfilled, there would be many who, 'when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet. Others said, ‘this is the Messiah!’ Even the Temple-guard, whose duty it would have been in such circumstances to arrest one who had so interrupted the services of the day, and presented himself to the people in such a light, owned the spell of His words, and dared not to lay hands on Him. 'Never man spake like this man,' was the only account they could give of their unusual weakness, in answer to the reproaches of the chief priests and Pharisees.
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