Many try to predict the return of the Lord, which we are told by Jesus that only the Father knows. The Jewish holidays, however, inform our expectations. Sukkot and dwelling in a sukkah, for example, is a beautiful picture of God’s presence in the “Glory Cloud.” We are surrounded by His sukkah at all times, just as David prayed in Psalm 139:7, “Where can I flee from your presence?” And yet there is fulfillment yet to come when God will dwell—sukkah–with His people bodily! Jesus said of Himself in Matthew 24:30, “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, all the tribes of the Land will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with tremendous power and glory.”
This is the same “Glory Cloud” that followed the Israelites in the desert and will be the fulfillment of Sukkot at the end of days. Isn’t it interesting that many of the Jewish sages believe Messiah will come during Sukkot? In the meantime, we make a sukkah-dwelling place for the Lord–in our hearts. On the last day of Sukkot is Hoshanna Rabbah, or Simchat Bet Ha’Shoeivah, “Celebration of Water Drawing.” The High Priest would take a golden pitcher to the Pool of Siloam in a great procession back to the Temple and bringing some of the water to pour upon the altar. The Siloam Pool was located adjacent to the City of David, and was fed by the Gihon Spring located in the Kidron Valley. The naturally flowing water qualified it to be used as a mikveh for ritual bathing. This is where Jesus healed the blind man (John 9:1-11).
The location of the Pool of Siloam was a mystery until it was excavated in 2004, giving further credibility to the Scriptures. The metaphor of Living Water is found many places in scripture. In John 4:13, Jesus told the woman at the well, “Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never be thirsty again! On the contrary, the water I give him will become a spring of water inside him, welling up to eternal life!” This metaphor is also expounded upon by the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:4 speaking of Jesus as providing this life in the desert “…and they all drank the same drink from the Spirit-sent Rock which followed them, and that Rock was the Messiah.” The Spirit is life-giving like water, springing up and out of those who put their faith in the Son.
Simchat Torah, Joy of the Torah, is a fitting end to the High Holy Days of Israel, occurring the day after the last day of Sukkot. This is where the people dance with the Torah Scroll in joy, no matter what is occurring in their lives. On October 25th, there was dancing and joy in the midst of a war in Israel as God’s word transcends the events in this world. This also marks the end of the weekly reading of the Torah portions. They end without an ending. Much like the journey of the Jewish people, they can see the end of the journey, like Moses, but the journey is not yet completed. The weekly Torah readings begin again with the first chapter of Genesis. In these weekly readings, we continue to increase our understanding of our God as His Holy Spirit surrounds us in the Glory Cloud and His Living Water renews us each day even unto eternity.
