Tabernacles

Three months ago I shared how I felt that God was about to do "a new thing"(Isaiah 43:19). And that it was all somehow tied into Isaiah's many words about "streams in the desert." Since then my understanding of the dynamics surrounding this "new thing" has grown tremendously.

It is clear to me now that this "new thing" is the fulfillment of the last of the three great Mosaic feasts in the body of Messiah, the Feast of Tabernacles. Passover was fulfilled with the death and resurrection of Jesus on the very date of that feast, and is experienced by the new birth. Pentecost also was fulfilled on the actual day of the feast with the coming of the Holy Spirit, and is experienced by the infilling of the spirit. But Tabernacles has never had its' spiritual fulfillment in the New Covenant believer - until now.

When Jesus attended the Feast of Tabernacles just before his death, he prophetically declared: "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.' But this he spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive" (John 7:37-39). He was speaking of a blessing that the Church has still not fully received.

I'm sure this last-days outpouring of God's Spirit on His Church will occur on some soon-coming Feast of Tabernacles (celebrated in Sept./ Oct.), just as the other feasts were fulfilled on their dates. It will be the "latter rain" outpouring that has been so anticipated. ( I just saw that Bob Dylan will be in Israel and will sing his hit song, "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall." Prophetic.) But the rain I'm speaking of won't be from the sky, but will come out "of our innermost beings" - our spirits - as "rivers of living water." And the effect on us and on Israel and onthe worldwide community will be dramatic.

I believe when this happens we will be imbued with the power and authority to finally put Satan under our feet. The power we often sing about but have rarely experienced. The power prophesied by David long ago when he said: "The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet...Your people will volunteer freely in the day of your power; in holy array, from the womb of the dawn" (Ps. 110:1,3). This manifestation of heavenly power will fulfill the words of Jesus, that "he who believes in me, the works I do, he will also do; and greater works than these he will do because I go to the Father" (John 14:12). And in the process we will become unified as never before, as Jesus prayed: "May they all be one, even as You, Father, are in me and I in You, that they may be one in us, SO THAT THE WORLD MAY BELIEVE THAT YOU SENT ME" (JOHN 17:21).

So not only will new energy, power and authority be given to his people on that day, but we will experience new unity with Jesus and the Father. And when this body of believers is unified, the glory of God will suddenly fill His temple - just as the glory filled Solomon's temple during the Feast of Tabernacles (2 Chron.5:3; 7:1,2). I believe this glory will literally radiate out from our bodily tabernacles so we become like glow sticks. It will be Jesus revealing himself through us so that the world will know God truly sent him - "when he comes to be glorified in his saints on that day" (2 Thess. 1:10). For the mystery of the Church is "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col. 1:27).

When we receive this outshining of his presence from within us, this prophecy of Isaiah will be fulfilled: "Arise shine for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold darkness will cover the earth [already happening], and deep darkness the people; But the Lord will rise upon you, and his glory will appear upon you" (Isaiah 62:1,2).

The darker the world gets, the brighter we shall shine.