The Feast of Sukkot lasted seven days, from Tishri 15 to Tishri 21. During the Feast of Tabernacles, Nehemiah read the Book of the Law of God from the first day until the last day¹ (Neh. 8:18). The Jews called the seventh and last day “The Great Hosannah” and performed the water pouring ceremony seven times². Using the backdrop of the water ceremony on the last day of the Feast, Yeshua stood and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (Jhn. 7:37-38). Yeshua referenced “the last day” five times, all related to the same theme. This blog explores the significance of Sukkot’s last day, Tishri 21.

Yeshua proclaimed to Israel on the Feast’s seventh day that each could be a source of life to the parched world if they believed in Him. He associated flowing water metaphorically with truth, His Word, and His Spirit. The water-drawing ritual had its roots in the Law, the Writings, and the Prophets, telling of rivers of living waters flowing from the temple mount, as in Eden, watering all the earth with life. While the high priest poured water from a basin onto the altar, another priest poured wine from a basin onto the altar³. Wine and water flowed from the altar of burnt offering, symbolic of Yeshua’s life-blood and water gushing out from His pierced side on the cross.

Compared to new wine, Yeshua’s teaching produced the rich fruitfulness of a people filled with His Spirit (Mat. 9:17, Jhn. 15:5, 8, 16, Tit. 2:14). Isaiah connected water pouring out to the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, “For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring” (Isa. 44:3). As water washes from impurity and imparts life-giving properties, Yeshua’s doctrine cleanses, making holy by the washing of His Word. Like His blood, His Word contains spirit-life essence. Therefore, we live by every word that flows from God’s heart. (Eph. 5:26, Luk. 4:4, Jhn. 6:63, Deu. 32:1).

Having come down from heaven to do the will of the Father, Yeshua defined drawing near in belief in Him, ingesting the Word of God, as never hungering and never thirsting, eating His bread and drinking His living water (Jhn. 6:35-37). “Drawing near” is tabernacle-in-the-wilderness language, as are bread (manna) and flowing water (water from the Rock). He would not cast out of the Camp any who drew near Him (see Blog 137), but raise them on the last day, so that not one would be lost from inheriting the Land² (vv. 38-39). He would clean His people from all uncleanness and corpse pollution. “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him (as the bronze serpent on the pole, Num. 21:8-9) may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day (v. 40). Tabernacling with Israel, Yeshua further explained that everyone whose ear the Father had opened and taught, He would raise up at the last day (v. 44). Alluding to Israel’s wilderness dwelling before inheritance, Isaiah foretold, “All your children shall be taught by YHWH, and great shall be the peace of your children. You shall be established in righteousness, for every tongue that rises against you in judgment will be condemned. This is the heritage of YHWH’s servants, whose righteousness is from Me” (Isa. 54:13-14, 17).

Yeshua and Isaiah were describing the Book of Numbers narrative, which is about raising the second generation to inherit the Land, cleansed from the corpse pollution of the first generation during Sukkot. These themes repeat in fullness at the end of the age. In a cosmic view of the latter days when YHWH raises up the dead tribes of Israel, Ezekiel also described the land being cleansed of corpse defilement (from God’s judgment on Gog and allied nations) for seven months and the Shepherd King of Israel setting His glory among the nations in the Land of Israel, no longer hiding His face from His people (Eze. 38-39, Rev. 20:7-15). Then the holy temple city made without hands descends from heaven, filling the earth with His glory (Eze. 40-48; Rev. 21-22:1-5). Yeshua’s descent from heaven to do the will of the Father was a precursor of the holy city, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, God’s tabernacle with humanity, and He will dwell with them and be their God (Rev. 21:2-3). Numbers’ first and third sections mention no deaths, a foretaste of the cleansed, undefiled new heavens and new earth in which holiness dwells.

Again, Yeshua affirmed to the questioning Jews, “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day,” because He came from the living God with life in Himself. His life poured out is the red thread of Passover’s blood, Atonements, and the red heifer’s waters of purification link to Sukkot (see Blog 137). He warned the Jews that anyone who rejected Him and did not receive the word He had spoken would be judged on the last day by His word (just as the word of Moses judged the people in the wilderness (Jhn. 12:48; Exo. 18:13; Psa. 50:4-6). Judgment and resurrection are themes built into the seventh month and Tishri 21.

Tishri, the seventh month, or Hebrew Ethanim (letter sum 511, 7·73), meant “continuous living streams, mighty, strong, ever-flowing, permanent, a nation whose numbers never fail, imperishable, ever-enduring foundations, the month of steady flowing of gifts” (Strong’s H386). Water rolling down in an ever-flowing stream symbolized permanence, God’s kingdom’s foundations of outflowing justice and righteousness (Amo. 5:24). On Tishri 21, Israel took down their temporary sukkot, just as the tabernacle was taken into the temple to establish the nation.

An interesting event happened on Tishri 21 to confirm the change from earthly to heavenly.

In the seventh month, on the twenty-first of the month, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying: 2 “Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying: 3 ‘Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? In comparison with it, is this not in your eyes as nothing? 4 Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ says the Lord; ‘and be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all you people of the land,’ says the Lord, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ says the Lord of hosts. 5 ‘According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!’

6 “For thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; 7 and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts. 8 ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the Lord of hosts. 9 ‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the Lord of hosts.” Hag. 2:1-9 NKJV

Cosmic temple and resurrection language portray YHWH’s glory filling the temple as it did in the tabernacle of the wilderness and Solomon’s temple. It is the New Jerusalem language and the exodus of the nations. Like the seventh and last day of Unleavened Bread, the Yam Suph crossing, Tishri 21 is the apex of the new exodus, a cleansed land and people where death is no more, filled with the breath of the Spirit.

Takeaway:
The seventh day, Tishri 21, the pouring out of God’s Holy Spirit, cleansing from sin and death’s pollution, and resurrection on the last day, describe the Great Hosannah, the great praise.

Fun Factors:
John 7:37-38 has 177 letters, 3 × 59, 3 × 17th prime, 7² + 2⁷, in 39 words, 3(2² + 3²), totaling 11161, 80² + 69², the fullness of YHWH’s feasts (8) in the generations (10) with surety (3) of life (23); 11161 + 16111 = 27272.