Prophetic Principles, Properties, & Performances-
Hung by their Own Gallows

As political elites have had their institutionalized power threatened, they have become increasingly blatant in their corruption and open manipulation and interference of the upcoming elections, including assassination attempts. The Jewish celebration of Purim commemorates the day that an evil corrupt official was caught up in the very same trap that he had set up to destroy an honorable man & the People of G3D.

After a disrespectful and dismissive queen named Vashti, was banished from her position and sent back to her royal family, King Ahasuerus of the Achaemenid/Persian Empire, was counseled by his closest advisors to hold an empire wide beauty pageant in order to find a new queen. Mordecai, an official in the King’s court, brought his beautiful orphaned cousin Hadassah (popularly known as Esther), whom he had adopted as a daughter, to the court.

Esther was under the care of Hegai, the custodian over the women, during a yearlong training session, where Esther was to learn the customs of royal life, in addition to receiving an extensive beautifying routine. After the courting phase had ended, the King, who loved Esther above all the other young women in his harem, decided to make her Queen over Persia.

Throughout this whole period, Mordecai would wait by the king’s gate to hear about what was happening to Esther and to give her advice and counseling. During one of his visits, he overheard two members of the king’s security team, Bigthana and Teresh, talk about an assassination attempt. Mordecai told Esther of the plot, and she told the king, who confirmed the matter, and they were both hung on the gallows for their treachery.

While these events were transpiring, the king had promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, to the title of vizier, which was above all the other princes and officials in the court. The king also decreed that all who came into Haman’s presence were required to bow down to him and pay homage. But because Mordecai was a Jew, he refused to bow to or revere any person or image, but G3D alone. The other officials noticed this and tried to convince Mordecai to change, but he was immovable in his faith.

Haman was informed of Mordecai’s refusal to pay him homage, and this rejection to do as everyone else pressured him to do, infuriated Haman to such a degree that he planned to not only kill Mordecai, but all of his fellow Jews. Haman convinced the king that G3D’s People should be destroyed because they would not follow the laws to fall down to their knees as their overlords passed by. They were a menace that put the entire empire’s safety and stability into question and should be totally eliminated. The king was convinced by his vizier and issued the command that on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, all Jews would be killed and their possessions plundered.

The public decree burdened the souls of the Jews throughout the empire, and Mordecai was deeply troubled and depressed and in his grief, wore sackcloth and covered himself in ashes. After Esther discovered the plot to destroy all Jews, she consulted with Mordecai who explained the prophetic principle that even if she decided to remain silent, relief and deliverance would arrive for the Jews from another place, but she and her father’s house would perish. That perhaps, G3D had placed her in her position for this exact moment. Together, they devised a plan to first gather all the Jews present in the surrounding province to collectively fast, while Esther and her royal handmaidens fasted as well.

After the three days of fasting were over, Esther asked the King to attend a drinking banquet that she had prepared for the king and Haman. During the celebration, the king asked what Queen Esther desired and she asked that he and Haman attend an additional banquet the following evening.

Haman the vizier was very pleased at having been invited to both of these drinking banquets, and bragged to his wife and friends about his material success, his high position, and his political power. But none of this brought him happiness as he was not able to control Mordecai, who still refused to follow the arbitrary rules regarding honoring Haman. His wife Zeresh suggested that he build a gallows and at the next banquet suggest to the king that Mordecai be hung from it. Deranged from his hatred, Haman built the large public platform, with the intention to display Mordecai’ corpse for all to see. (Depending on translation, Haman created a large pike to run through Mordecai’s body, or perhaps some kind of noose to hang him from.)

That night, the king could not sleep, and in his insomnia, called for the book of records of the chronicles be brought and read to him. Upon recalling the plot by Bigthana and Teresh to assassinate the king, which was thwarted by Mordecai, the king asked how he had been repaid. When he learned that Mordecai had received no honor or dignity, he demanded that this error be corrected and asked advice from his court advisors.

Haman had just entered the court and when the king asked him “What shall be done for the man whom the king delights to honor?”, believed that the king was referring to him. Thinking that he would be receiving what he suggested, Haman explained that the king’s royal robe should be placed on his shoulders, that he should ride the king’s horse, and that the king’s most noble leader personally adorn this man and parade him on horseback through the city square.

Haman was horrified to hear the king reply “Hurry, take the robe and the horse as you have suggested, and do so for Mordecai the Jew, who sits within the King’s gate! Leave nothing undone of all that you have spoken”. After leading a parade in Mordecai’s honor, Haman went to weep to his friends and wife who prophesied his coming downfall.

That night, during the second banquet, Esther revealed Haman’s evil plot and instead of Mordecai being killed, Haman was hung by the very gallows that he had built earlier that day for Mordecai. Haman’s royal position as vizier was also given to Mordecai. But the royal decree still stood that, the Jews were to be killed and their possessions taken away.

Queen Esther wisely helped devise a law that allowed the Jews to defend themselves against those who wished to kill and plunder them, and when the day came for the first law to come into effect on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the Jews banded together and fought off those who wished to break into their homes and businesses to burn, loot, and murder them. Other leaders who had planned to use the law to kill the Jews and extract their wealth and the sons of Haman were taken into custody and killed before being hung like their father. Those who defended their lives, homes, and businesses from the violent criminals ended up righteously killing over seventy-five thousand of their enemies, but unlike those who sought to kill them, the People of G3D did not touch any plunder.

Though the corrupt public officials and celebrities have openly shown their hand that they intend to eliminate all who stand in the way of their power and will devise plans and traps to try to destroy their political enemies, over and over again they have been caught up in the devious webs they have laid out for others. Whether it’s hypocritical Hollywood elites being canceled for more despicable things they tried to eliminate others for, cultural provocateurs having their own homes, businesses, and positions targeted even after bowing down to mobs that they riled up into a violent fury, or politicians begging their constituents to change their voting methods because the insecure procedures they tried to use to vote tamper later, have been struck down or are actually working against them.

When’s G3D’s People are aligned with His Will, He will thwart the plans of their enemies, because they are also His Enemies. He will force them to honor those G3D seeks to hold in high esteem, and He will crush these evil minded people with the same tools they devised to torture His Chosen. We live in terrifying and historic days, but if our hearts are tuned to executing His Will, over the concerns of our lives, we will be saved and share in His Glory and Goodness.

Prepared by, Kent Simpson, Apostolic Prophet & Eric Sepulveda, PMT Administrator

Prophetic Principles, Properties, & Performances-
Blindsided by Justice

As the presidential election draws near, one candidate has recently gone into hiding due to an accidental betrayal caused by a family member’s negligence, revealing evidence of criminal and treasonous activities. Likewise, Scripture is filled with corrupt leaders who were crushed by this prophetic principle and removed by G3D, in ways they couldn’t have imagined.

During their wandering in the Wilderness, Moses and Aaron were repeatedly harassed by the Israelites who complained over every inconvenience that arose and constantly tried to usurp the power and position of the men whom G3D had placed in leadership positions. One of the most infamous moments of political theater was Korah’s Rebellion.

After Moses explained the rules and regulations that G3D had for the Levitical Priesthood and stipulated that only those of the line of Aaron could serve as High Priests, Korah, son of Izhar, led a coup against his first cousins Moses and Aaron. Korah gathered two hundred fifty princes and men of renown from among the assembly and hoped that this large number of famous names would be enough to challenge Moses and Aaron’s legitimacy as the Israelite’s leaders.

Moses understood that the only vote that mattered was that of G3D’s approval, and he convinced Korah and his followers that they should come the next morning so the Lord could decide whose incense He would accept as a worthy offering. The next morning, the two hundred and fifty men gathered with their fire-pans ready, but G3D would not entertain their gifts, and enraged, threatened to destroy the entire Israelite community for allowing the revolt to think they could impeach the leader He had decreed.

Moses and Aaron prayed that the nation be spared and G3D relented with the compromise that only the leadership and those who officially associated themselves with the insurrections would be punished. The ground underneath the rebels’ homes opened up and swallowed their tents and families in a horrifying display and during the ensuing panic, the two hundred fifty high ranking leaders who sided with Korah’s uprising were consumed by Heavenly Fire from the Lord (ref. Numbers 16).

While the Israelite tribes were staying in Shittim, the men began to make sacrifices to the Moabite gods in order to engage in cult prostitution with the Moabite women in the region. They ate the sacrificial meal and bowed before the graven images and yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor. G3D sent a plague into the Israelite camp and charged the Israelite judges to put to death those who had yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor.

Twenty-four thousand people had already died by the plague and Moses and the whole assembly of Israel were weeping at the entrance of the tent of meeting when Zimri, a prince of the Simeonite family, brought Kozbi, a Midianite temple priestess and princess of an esteemed Midianite family, into the camp. Prince Zimri was aware of all the people who had been killed by the plague and was still contemptuous of Moses’ leadership and dictates.

Phinehas, grandson of Aaron the High Priest, was a mild mannered, patriotic, but peace loving young man. Phinehas would later be recorded as leading a massive military expedition without losing a single soldier, being sent on a peace keeping mission when rumors of a separatist movement arose, ended the civil war with the Benjamites, and according to Jewish legend, was one of the two spies that investigated Jericho. Phinehas was continually seen as a man who cared about his countrymen and tried to prevent unnecessary bloodshed. Phinehas was no blood thirsty warrior, but was zealous for G3D’s Honor, so it would have come as a huge surprise to Prince Zimri when Phinehas grabbed a spear and followed Zimri and Kozbi into their tent and ended the plague with their deaths (ref. Numbers 25).

Israel again fell into idol worship during the reign of King Ahab and his temple priestess Queen Jezebel, who instituted the worship of Baal and Asherah on a national scale, before purging the Prophets of Yahweh from Israel. In addition to her war between Elijah and her false prophets of Baal, Queen Jezebel was infamous for convincing King Ahab to falsely accuse a man named Naboth of blasphemy against G3D and the king, in order to steal Naboth’s vineyard. Prophet Elijah condemned Ahab for this theft and murder, and G3D decreed that King Ahab’s royal line would be annihilated.

Three years later, King Ahab was killed in battle by a stray arrow that pierced through the joints in his armor, an unfeasibly impossible shot (ref. 1 Kings 22). His son Ahaziah inherited the throne but accidently fell from his roof balcony and never recovered, later dying from his injuries after trying to consult the prophets of Baal-Zebub (ref. 2 Kings 1:1-18), that era’s representation of the aforementioned Baal of Peor. Ahaziah’s younger brother Jehoram was crowned king, but Prophet Elisha commanded one of his disciples to instead anoint Jehu, commander of Jehoram’s army, as king (2 Kings 9:1-13).

As leader of the military, Jehoram would have expected that Jehu would have been completely loyal to his administration and family, so would have been shocked when he was killed by Jehu, who also hunted down the last surviving male member of the House of Omri: Ahaziah, nephew to Jehoram (ref. 2 Kings 9:14-29). Jehu would famously confront Queen Jezebel, who had dressed up in all her finery, make-up, and jewelry, thinking that if she was going to die, she would die with the dignity befitting a queen. But she would not be afforded that as her eunuch servants threw her from the window. Her body ruptured with such force that her blood splattered across the walls and courtyard of the castle and her remains were consumed by dogs (2 Kings 9:30-37).

G3D’s Judgment against the leaders of nations can often be swift, terrible, and unpredictable. G3D has many ways to fulfill His Will and will use supernatural events, such as the ground swallowing up Korah and his followers. G3D might use His righteous followers to enact punishment by their own hands as seen in the Zeal of Phinehas. Sometimes, when their crimes are extremely reprehensible, corrupt leaders are struck by freak accidents, or betrayed by those closest to them whom they trusted such as King Ahab, Queen Jezebel, and the Omri Dynasty.

As the crimes of former leaders begin to become exposed, G3D is setting up triggers to enact His Vengeance. Those who challenge G3D’s Will and Ways think that they can escape retribution because they are able to pay off others who are also corrupt, thinking that Justice can be persuaded with the things of this World, such as power, positions, and money. Soon, they will realize that if you think you can blind G3D’s Justice, you will be blindsided by it.

Prepared by, Kent Simpson, Apostolic Prophet & Eric Sepulveda, PMT Administrator

Prophetic Principles, Properties, & Performances-
The Last will be First, and the First will be Last

2020 has been one of the most unprecedented times in history, and the rules that govern the World seem to be changing constantly. But Scripture shows us that G3D has not bound Himself by Man’s Laws and has done as He wishes to manifest His Will.

Primogeniture is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn legitimate child to inherit the parent’s entire or main estate. It was a long standing tradition before written history, but G3D has ignored this custom over and over.

Starting with Adam and Eve’s first children Cain and Abel, Cain the older brother should have received preference over his younger brother, but because Cain did not bring the finest of the fruits of the soil, and Abel brought the best of his flocks, G3D showed favor over Abel’s offering. This anger over not being recognized lead to Cain killing Abel, but the history of Mankind did not follow Cain’s legacy and instead flowed through his younger brother Seth (ref. Genesis 4).

Abram had been promised decedents as numerous as the stars in the sky (ref. Genesis 15:5), but due to his and his wife Sarai’s advanced ages, they believed they needed to find another way to have children. After Sarai gave her handmaiden Hagar to Abram, Hagar became pregnant and began to despise and torment Sarai who responded with greater unkindness. The illegitimate child was named Ishmael and rather than being a blessing as the first borne of Abram’s family, Ishmael would be “a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers”. After the birth of Isaac through Sarah, Abraham sent Hagar and Ishmael away because G3D told Abraham that though He would “make the son of the slave into a nation also, because he is your offspring” it would be “through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned” (ref. Genesis 21:12-13).

Isaac, the second born of Abraham, married Rebekah who gave birth to a set of twins: Esau and Jacob. While she was still pregnant, the babies wrestled with each other within Rebekah’s womb, causing her extreme fear, but the Lord explained “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.” Esau, the first born, resented his birthright, but was the favorite of his father Isaac because Esau was a skilled hunter and brought his father wild game from the open country. Rebekah knew that her younger son Jacob had G3D’s blessing and loved that he preferred to stay at home, rather than venturing out in the wild like his older brother. Rebekah went so far as to devise a plan to trick her blind husband Isaac so that he would give Jacob the birthright before passing away (ref. Genesis 27: 1-29).

Like his parents before him, Jacob showed favoritism among his wives and children. He loved his second wife Rachel and her sons Joseph and Benjamin, but his first child, Reuben, came from his first wife Leah. But despite being the default leader of the twelve tribes of Israel, Reuben would not inherit the most desired titles: the priestly tribe, which went to his younger brother Levi, and the royal tribe, which was crowned upon Judah. Ironically, neither of these tribes officially received the double portion from the firstborn birthright. Jacob adopted the sons of his favorite child, Joseph, so they could share equally with Jacob’s other sons. The younger son Ephraim, was given favor over his older brother Manasseh, and even when their father Joseph tried to correct his father’s Jacob’s blessing, Jacob crossed his hands to ensure that Ephraim, the younger was given the greater blessing (ref Genesis 48:1-22).

Despite officially receiving the birthright, the tribe of Ephraim was overlooked by G3D who would bring forth the Messiah through the line of David, from the Tribe of Judah.

Judah’s older sons Er, and Onan, were systematically married to a woman named Tamar, but since both were “wicked in the sight of the Lord” (ref. Genesis 38:7), G3D kills them. Because Judah did not give his last and youngest son to Tamar as a husband, Tamar tricked Judah into impregnating her instead. Tamar births a set of twins, Zerah, the official firstborn, and Perez who is the forefather of Boaz and his son Obed, and his grandson Jesse of Bethlehem (ref Ruth 4: 18-22).

When the Lord told Prophet Samuel that He had rejected Saul as King over Israel and would declare a new king, He directed Samuel to Jesse of Bethlehem, informing him that one his sons would be king. Jesse’s oldest son Eliab, a tall and handsome warrior, was thought by Prophet Samuel to be a fit successor to King Saul, but G3D rejected all of Jesse’s sons and instead David, the youngest, was anointed the future King of Israel (ref. 1 Samuel 16:1-13).

When King David was planning on revealing his successor as King, he makes reference to his family’s unlikely history. “Yet the Lord, the G3D of Israel, chose me out of all my father’s house to be king over Israel forever. For He chose Judah as leader, and from the House of Judah He chose my father’s household, and from my father’s sons He was pleased to make me king over all Israel. And of all my sons-for the Lord has given me many sons-he has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of the Kingdom of the Lord over Israel” (ref. 1 Chronicles 28:4-5).

For generations, G3D did not chose those the World thought worthy, nor did He use the systems that the rest of the Nations of Mankind favored. Since the beginning, G3D looked at the heart of Abel and found his offering worthy because he brought his best, likewise David the shepherd boy, was chosen over his accomplished older brother, because David loved G3D. This is one of the most important Prophetic Principles: G3D will not chose His Select based on what the World valued, but on their Hearts.

As the World begins to reorganize and a New Era of G3Dly Administration begins, we must remember that the systems of men are inherently flawed and will ultimately fail. But G3D will chose His Select and ensure that they receive the blessings that He has deemed them worthy of. Those who have been overlooked or forgotten by the World, but who have been faithful to G3D, will be remembered by Him and they will be blessed and given power in this new era.

Prepared by, Kent Simpson, Apostolic Prophet & Eric Sepulveda, PMT Administrator

Prophetic Principles, Properties, & Performances-
Christ’s Transfiguration on the Eighth Day

Though Sukkot was a seven day festival, on the eighth day, they were required to have an additional day set aside as a separate special event. This day not only marked the moment when Christ publicly revealed Himself to the World, but also the day of His Transfiguration.

Sukkot was considered the most joyous time of the year and as a Fall Harvest Festival was comparable to Thanksgiving. There were two well-known celebrations that had been incorporated into the Sukkot ceremony over generations. The Water Libation Ritual and the Lighting of the Candelabra both took place in the Women’s Courtyard, which made both processions completely available to the public.

The Water Libation ceremony involved a priest drawing water from the Pool of Siloam, which was fed by the Gihon Spring, which ran under the City of David. This spring was the same one where King Solomon was anointed by High Priest Zadok (1 Kings 1: 38-39) and was reminiscent of how King David would be the source of the Messiah’s lineage, but also how the Messiah would be a source of life to the Nation of Israel and eventually the World. The priest would take the water from the spring and pour the water and wine together onto the altar as a plea to G3D to send the showers in the upcoming rainy season.

It was a prophetic performance foretelling the moment after Christ’s death on the Cross, when a soldier pierced Jesus’ side with a spear and immediately there spilled out both blood and water (John 19:33-34). This was a fulfillment of G3D’s declaration that He would “pour out on the House of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of Grace and Supplication, and they will look on me, the one they have pierced”. While the onlookers were praying for physical water, G3D had intended to send His Spirit upon His People.

The only descriptions we have of the Lighting of the Candelabra come from the Talmud which stated that “Men of piety and good deeds would dance… with lighted torches in their hands, singing songs and praises. Levites without number with harps, lyres, cymbals, trumpets, and other musical instruments (were) there upon the fifteen steps leading down from the Court of the Gentiles to the Court of the Women.” (Sukkah 51 a-b; 53a) Supposedly, seventy-five foot high candlesticks were erected in front of the Temple, whose light could be seen in every courtyard of the city.

After the week-long celebration, on the eighth day, the entire country rested and gathered at the Temple. It was during the water libation ceremony that Christ stood and said in a loud voice “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of Living Water will flow from within them” (John 7: 37-39). Also on the eighth day He declared in front of the giant candle in front of the Temple “I am the Light of the World. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the Light of Life” (John 8:12)

Also on the eighth day, Jesus brought Peter, James, and John to the Mount of Olives (John 8:1) to pray. It was there that Jesus was transfigured before them, His Face shining like the sun, and His Clothes were as white as Light. Moses and Elijah appeared before them as well.

One of the most significant virtues practiced during Sukkot was the concept of Ushpizin. Though it did not receive its name or become fully conceptualized until after the Destruction of the Second Temple, Ushpizin was the anticipation that guests would arrive at your shelter and you would have the blessed opportunity to attend to and provide for them. Some version of this practice might have existed in the First Century since Peter upon seeing all this responded “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters-one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”.

A bright cloud covered them and a Voice from the cloud declared “This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him!”

Earlier in the week, while the crowds were clamoring to hear His Teachings and see His Miracles, there were whispers about who Jesus truly was. When Jesus asked His Disciples, they repeated the rumors that had been spread, but Peter recognized that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of the Living G3D (Matthew 16:13-20; Mark 8:27-30; Luke 9: 18-20). Christ’s Transfiguration not only confirmed this, but also showed that Jesus was G3D Himself. The Sons of Thunder would have realized later that while Moses face shown brightly after coming down the mountain after talking with G3D, Jesus was not reflecting G3D’s light, but was the source of it.

Like the Spring Feasts, Passover and Pentecost, which revealed Christ’s identity as the Body of G3D and the Final Offering, and was the moment that the Spirit first became available to all Mankind, Sukkot was the revealing of G3D’s Glory, which had been dwelling in Jesus’ Tabernacle. G3D used the newly added Jerusalem Temple ceremonies to further prove who He was to the audience that had gathered from all over the world to participate in the mandatory Fall Feast.

The eighth and greatest day of Sukkot was the day that G3D decided to reveal Himself to the entirety of Israel through His Son, through His declarations that He was the Source of Living Water and the Light of the World. Though Apostle Peter had understood that Jesus was the Messiah just a few days earlier, it was during the Transfiguration that the Disciples realized that Jesus was the G3D of Israel as well.

During this Season of Sukkot, Believers need to recognize that the festival was not about living in tents, as Peter originally thought, but how the Presence of G3D dwelt within the first Tabernacle. Likewise, the Messiah was the True Source of Light and Living Water to not only Israel, but the whole World.

Prepared by, Kent Simpson, Apostolic Prophet & Eric Sepulveda, PMT Administrator

Prophetic Principles, Properties, & Performances-
Sukkot: The Forgotten Fall Feast

Often referenced to as simply “The Festival”, Sukkot: The Festival of Tabernacles or Ingathering, was one of the most important and eagerly looked forward to celebrations in the Jewish religious calendar. It was once one of the most important Jewish celebrations, and one of the most important moments in Christianity, but most modern Believers have never heard its name.

Sukkot, the festival of booths, would start on the fifteenth day of the seventh month and last seven days. The first day would be holy and people would not be allowed to work, and on the eighth day they would observe a holy convocation and hold a solemn assembly. The people of Israel would be required to travel to the location of the Tabernacle to observe this feast every year, and celebrate by taking natural plant materials and making temporary shelters, which they would live in for seven days. This would stand as a reminder to the generations of future Israelites that G3D made the people of Israel live in booths when He brought them out of the land of Egypt and they relied on Him for everything and He faithfully provided (ref. Leviticus 23:33-43).

Sukkot is not mentioned again until the construction of the Temple, when a permanent location for the festival was established. After the week-long festival in Jerusalem, when King Solomon consecrated the Temple and Altar starting on Rosh Hashanah, the citizens went back to their homes, but the faithful citizens returned on the fifteenth day of the seventh month to celebrate Sukkot (1 Kings 8:64-66; 2 Chronicles 7:8-10). They celebrated for seven days and had a holy convocation on the eighth day, as Scripture laid out, and King Solomon dismissed them on the twenty-third day.

After the Exile of the Northern Kingdom and the Destruction of the Temple, there was a push for religious revival in Israel and it began with the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem and the dedicated teaching of the Law. Starting on Rosh Hashanah, Ezra the Scribe read the Book of the Law of Moses to the assembly in Jerusalem on the first day of the seventh month. On the second day, they realized that they had not been celebrating Sukkot, one of the most important holidays mandated by G3D. They discovered that they were to live in temporary shelters during this celebration, and that they should proclaim this word and spread it throughout their towns in in Jerusalem. Messengers proclaimed “Go out into the hill country and bring back branches from olive and wild olive trees, and from myrtles, palms and shade trees, to make temporary shelters”.

Excited about trying to keep the instructions they had just been given, “the people went out and brought back branches and built themselves temporary shelters on their own roofs, in their courtyards, in the courts of the House of G3D and in the Square by the Water Gate, where Ezra the Scribe was preaching, and the one by the Gate of Ephraim.” Many people had been forced into exile after the initial destruction of the Temple, but “the whole company that had returned from exile built temporary shelters and lived in them.” It had been hundreds of years, but “from the days of Joshua, son of Nun, until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated it like this. And their Joy was very great”. Ezra continued to read from the Book of the Law of G3D, and “they celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day, in accordance with the regulation, there was an assembly (ref. Nehemiah 8).

This Sukkot celebrated by Ezra the Scribe may have rejuvenated the country’s passion for the Lord’s Feasts as we see that it has become regularly celebrated by the time of Christ’s Ministry.

After the feeding of the five thousand and four thousand and the explanation that followers would need to eat Christ’s Flesh and drink His Blood, many of the crowds abandoned Him and He essentially stayed in the Galilee region to avoid being captured by the religious elites who sought to kill him (ref. John 6:21-66).

As the Festival of Tabernacles was drawing near, Jesus’ brothers encouraged Him to leave Galilee and head to Judea so that His Disciples could see the miracles He was known for. In reality, His brothers did not believe in Him, and even suspected that He was out of His Mind (ref. Mark 3:21), but they still recognized that it was necessary that every devout Jew go to Jerusalem to observe the Fall Feast.

Christ insisted they go without Him, but after they had left for the festival, Jesus went to Jerusalem in secret and remained hidden. It wasn’t until halfway through the celebration that Jesus went up to the Temple Courts and began to teach (ref. John 7:1-14).

On the eighth and last day of the festival and during the water libation ceremony, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of Living Water will flow from within them”, essentially declaring Himself the true source of Living Water (ref. 7:37-38). It was also on the eighth day, in front of the giant candles that lit up the Temple, that Jesus declared that He was the Light of the World and that whoever followed Him would never walk in Darkness, but would have the Light of Life (ref. John 8: 12). It would also be on this day that Christ would be transfigured on the Mount of Olives (ref. Matthew 17:1-11; Mark 9:2-13; Luke 9: 28-36; John 8:1)

Multiple times, Sukkot, one of the most significant of G3D’s Feasts, was forgotten and not celebrated as faithfully and joyfully as G3D expected. This failure to observe the eight day festival may have been a key reason why Israel constantly turned from Him, since they trusted in their own strength and works rather than G3D’s Providence. After the Temple dedication was completed, Solomon ensured that his countrymen return to celebrate Sukkot as well. When Ezra the Scribe was leading the religious revival during the reconstruction of Jerusalem’s Walls, the people felt the need to ensure that the whole country make an effort to observe the holiday. Even during Christ’s time on Earth, He felt is was important that He participate and it was the timing of some of His most important public declarations about Himself and the date of His Transfiguration.

The recognition and celebration of Sukkot by modern Believers should be encouraged since, along with Passover and Pentecost, it was the timing of one of Christianity’s most important events. During this current moment of crisis and fear, we need to recognize that this life is temporary and that G3D will faithfully provide for His People. That was the core message G3D wanted the Israelites to learn from the holiday, and it’s a lesson we need to remember especially now.

Prepared by, Kent Simpson, Apostolic Prophet & Eric Sepulveda, PMT Administrator