[Jessica is safely home and going on 50 hours without sleep. Josh called and said we have our first "cold" case, meaning someone came to us unsolicited. The service is tomorrow. We also have several pending cases in which people have already contacted us concerning loved ones near death. Looks like we're actually in business ... finally!]
To fully understand the fulfillment of tabernacles in the person of Jesus, you have to take John 7, 8 and 9 in context. Chapter 7 he cries out to those who are dying of thirst, "If you are thirsty, come to me! If you believe in me, come and drink!" In chapter 8 he declares himself to be the light of the world. Remember, tabernacles is also known as the Feast of Lights. Then in chapter 9 he encounters a blind man.
This is nothing new for Jesus. The ancient world was filled with blind people. They lined the streets begging for food and money. Seeking mercy from anyone who might have a heart of compassion. So why all the attention to this particular blind man? As often as they’d encountered the blind, even the disciples were curious: "Why was he born blind? Did he sin? Did his parents sin?"
Jesus replies, "This man was born blind so that you could see the glory of God! God has a purpose for this man in your life." (My translation)
He doesn’t speak a miracle as he’s done in the past. Rather, he does something very odd. He spits in the dirt, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is at least a southerner at heart! Then he mixes the spit into mud and puts the mixture on the man’s eye sockets.
I need to digress here if you don’t mind. Over the years I’ve wondered if this man even had eyeballs, or just empty sockets. When I worked for state mental health, we had a client who had prosthetic eyes, and when they would come out (as they often did and we had to search for his eyeballs on the floor or outside in the grass or dirt) his appearance was completely different than when the eyeballs were in place. His entire facial features changed when his eyes were not in place.
I bring that up because when the man later goes to the people who had known him all his life, his features apparently had changed so much they didn’t even recognize him! I think Jesus took the dust from the ground, spit in it and formed eyes for this man … but that’s just my opinion. Seems to fit the occasion, though. And it’s a pretty darn good opinion if I say so myself!
He sends the man to the Pool of Siloam. Fascinating! The very water rom which the priest had been filling the golden pitcher all week. The very water that represented to them salvation. And in that water the man washed his face and for the first time in his life he has sight!
What’s going on? I think Jesus is dramatizing tabernacles! Out of the waters of salvation literally comes sight. The Light of the World has given this man sight through the washing of the waters of salvation … that God might be glorified and that his disciples might literally see the glory of God!
In a sense, tabernacles is a continual feast.
Atonement? It’s done.
First fruits? Done.
Passover? Done.
Trumpets? Done.
But because heaven is the ultimate tabernacle of God, there is a sense in which we still celebrate with joy the water of salvation and the light of the world. After all, the well of salvation is to be flowing from within us as Christ flows out from us to those in a lost world.
Charles Dutton was the star of the Broadway production, The Piano Lesson. He spent years in prison for manslaughter. When asked how he made such a remarkable transition, he replied, "Unlike the other prisoners, I never decorated my cell." We are not to become so attached to our possessions and positions that we forget that in our hearts, we live in tabernacles. Spiritually we are homeless … living in tents … while our hearts long for heaven.
I’ve enjoyed sharing these feasts with you! There’s one more. A feast that came along after the Torah was written. It’s Jubilee. I’ll share that later. Because of our moving (pray for us to have physical strength as we’re just too old to be doing this), I may be absent for the next few days. Let me close this series with words from Paul:
Do not let anyone make rules for you about eating and drinking or about a religious feast, a New Moon festival, or a Sabbath day. These things were like a shadow of what was to come. But what is true and real has come and is found in Christ! Col.2:16 – 17.
Thanks for this series, it has been way cool!
Am glad that Jessica, made it home safe!
sounds like ya got alot on your plate,
will be lifting ya all up in prayer!
have a great day!
Welcome home, Jessica!
How long before we start getting those funeral home stories?
Peace.
The Word became flesh and tabernacled [pitched a tent/made his dwelling] among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only,[d] who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. – John 1:14
John 8:14 – Jesus knows he is going back to the Father.
I think there is a lot of validity to what you are saying here. There is certainly a connection between tabernacling with God and sight. There is also a connection with his and our going back to be with the Father in heaven to dwell/tabernacle with him forever.
I’m so encouraged by your posts on Tabernacles and on what I’ve head recently about Heaven. How can we not be full of joy knowing all of this.
Thanks for the posts Bro and now we’ll try to hold your arms us as well as we can from the Right Coast. As I said before, I wish I could be there to help you make the big move. I love Jessica’s timing having gone 50 hours without sleep and now landing on your moving. Does she get to help?
Also, great to hear about business picking up. I know you and Josh are excited to help that community in their time of grief.
A whole new meaning to “cold case”….
Glad Jess is home safely, sorry you are having to move…I hate moving.
Thanks for this series. My life has been in a tent lateley…but I need to at least find a community of tents.. This series has blessed me…as have you!
It does seem a little awkward for us “normies” to say congratulations on your first cold case client, due to the circumstances of them needing your services, but in a much larger sense it it appropriate to rejoice because who better to minister to them in this time of need than believing, ethical and compassionalte Christians. Congratulations.
“Cold case,” huh. I can’t wait for you to lay some more undertaker vernacular on us.
I think he had eyes. Most likely, he had congenital cataracts which would have not only blinded him but also given his pupils a whitish appearance (leukocoria). Or, he might have had some other disorder which would have given his eyes a “shrunken” appearance, such as microophthalmia or phthisis bulbi. If so, then after he after was healed, then he still would have had a very different appearance which would have been immediately noticeable.
And how about that eye “ointment” Jesus used?! Saliva plus dirt–I would get in big trouble if I tried that (even in Alabama). But then again, I’m not God incarnate.
[Mike: I would have included those conditions, but I couldn't spell any of them!!
--Greg]
I’ve enjoyed this series, too, and have had lots of new thoughts because of it. Thanks for sharing and enlightening me in so many ways.
I, too, am glad Jessica is home safely and I’m waiting for the funeral home stories to start rolling in, too!
Be safe, pace yourselves, drink lots of water during this move. Hold on to the thought that the human body is a resilient thing, and your bones and muscles WILL recover!!
Thanks for the thoughts on the feasts. It has been quite educational. I look forward to reading about Jubilee.
By the way, I thought of a good business card for you.
Greg England, Hypnotist & Death Broker
“Look Into My Eyes”
[Gee, thanks. And we just had our business cards printed. Where was this suggestion last week??? --Greg]
We appreciate your thoughts brother.
Really glad Jessica is home and hope she gets some rest.
God bless you guys on your move.
Did you hear about the guy who was a taxidermist and a veterinarian? He advertised, “Either Way You Get Your Dog Back!!”
“Cold case” struck me as being a bit of a – uh – cold way to put it, but we get the picture.
Your post is not only excellent, but all of the comments have been highly educational and entertaining. Can’t beat a blog like your’s Greg.
I too am very happy for you guys that Jessica is home AND in time to help you move to boot. Excellent timing, indeed.
We, on the other hand, are looking at a week and a half more, it looks like. We might maybe could move in Monday or Tuesday, but don’t really don’t want to push it, plus we don’t have the first thing packed this time . . . yet. Plus, we have our big convention week next week and need to be able to find all of our clothes and stuff ahead of time.
I have loved this series, too, Greg, have learned a whole lot and been greatly encouraged by it. This post was outstanding as they all have been. Thanks so much for the series.
Dee
Your eye analogy sounds reasonable to me. Same thing can be said about teeth–when missing, facial appearance is so different.