- the fifteenth day:
- This was the feast of Tabernacles, kept in commemoration of their dwelling in tents in the wilderness for forty years. The first and last days were to be kept as sabbaths, on which there were solemn assemblies; and for seven days sacrifices were offered. On the other festivals, two bullocks sufficed ("And in the beginningsª of your monthsª ye shall offerª° a burnt offeringª unto the LORD;ª twoª youngª¹ bullocks,ª and oneª ram,ª sevenª lambsª of the firstª yearª without spot;ª" {Num 28:11} + "But ye shall offerª° a sacrifice made by fireª [for] a burnt offeringª unto the LORD;ª twoª youngª¹ bullocks,ª and oneª ram,ª and sevenª lambsª of the firstª year:ª they shall be¹ unto you without blemish:ª" {Num 28:19} + "But ye shall offerª° the burnt offeringª for a sweetª savourª unto the LORD;ª twoª youngª¹ bullocks,ª oneª ram,ª sevenª lambsª of the firstª year;ª" {Num 28:27}), and on the festival at the beginning of this month, only one was appointed; but, on the first day of this festival, thirteen young bullocks were appointed; and so on each successive day, with the decrease of only one bullock, till on the seventh day, there were only seven, making in all seventy bullocks. The lambs, and the rams also, were in a double proportion to the number sacrificed at any other festival. This was an expensive service; but more easy at this time of the year than any other, as Bishop Patrick observes, because now their barns were full, and their wine-presses overflowed; and their hearts might well be supposed to be more enlarged than at other times, in thankfulness to God for the multitude of his mercies. The Jewish doctors give this reason for the daily diminution of the number of the bullocks. The whole number, say they, was according to the languages of the seventy nations of the world; and the diminution of one every day signified, that there should be a gradual diminution of those nations till all things were brought under the government of the Messiah; in whose days "no sacrifices shall remain, but those of thanksgiving, prayer, and praise." "And the feastª of harvest,ª the firstfruitsª of thy labours,ª which¹ thou hast sownª° in the field:ª and the feastª of ingathering,ª [which is] in the endª° of the year,ª when thou hast gathered²° in¹¹ thy laboursª out of¹ the field.ª" {Exd 23:16} + "And thou shalt observeª° the feastª of weeks,ª of the firstfruitsª of wheatª harvest,ª and the feastª of ingatheringª at the year'sª end.ª" {Exd 34:22} + "And the LORDª spakeª° unto¹ Moses,ª saying,ª° ... That¹ your generationsª may knowª° that¹ I made¹ the childrenª of Israelª to dwellª° in booths,ª when I brought them outª°¹ of the landª¹ of Egypt:ª I¹ [am] the LORDª your God.ª" {Lev 23:33-43} + "Thou shalt observeª° the feastª of tabernaclesª sevenª days,ª after that thou hast gatheredª° in thy cornª¹ and thy wine:ª¹ ... And thou shalt rejoiceª° in thy feast,ª thou,¹ and thy son,ª and thy daughter,ª and thy manservant,ª and thy maidservant,ª and the Levite,ª the stranger,ª and the fatherless,ª and the widow,ª that¹ [are] within thy gates.ª" {Deu 16:13-14} + "And they foundª° writtenª° in the lawª which¹ the LORDª had commandedª° byª Moses,ª that¹ the childrenª of Israelª should dwellª° in boothsª in the feastª of the seventhª month:ª" {Neh 8:14} + "Also dayª by day,ª from¹ the firstª dayª unto¹ the lastª day,ª he readª° in the bookª of the lawª of God.ª And they keptª° the feastª sevenª days;ª and on the eighthª dayª [was] a solemn assembly,ª according unto the manner.ª" {Neh 8:18} + "In the seventh²¹ [month], in the fifteenthªª dayª of the month,ª shall he doª° the like¹ in the feastª of the seven²¹ days,ª according to the sin offering,ª according to the burnt offering,ª and according to the meat offering,ª and according to the oil.ª" {Ezk 45:25} + "And it shall come to pass,¹ [that] every one¹ that is leftª° of all¹¹ the nationsª which cameª° against¹ Jerusalemª shall even go upª° fromª¹ yearª to yearª to worshipª° the King,ª the LORDª of hosts,ª and to keepª°¹ the feastª of tabernacles.ª ... This¹ shall be¹ the punishmentª of Egypt,ª and the punishmentª of all¹ nationsª that¹ come not upª°¹ to keepª°¹ the feastª of tabernacles.ª" {Zch 14:16-19} + "Andª the¹ Wordª was madeª° flesh,ª andª dweltª° amongª us,ª (andª we beheldª° hisª glory,ª the gloryª asª of the only begottenª ofª the Father,)ª fullª of graceª andª truth.ª" {Jhn 1:14} + "By faithª he sojournedª° inª the¹ landª of promise,ª as² [in]¹ a strange country,ª dwellingª° inª tabernaclesª withª Isaacª and²¹ Jacob,ª the¹ heirs with himª of the¹ sameª promise:ª ... Theseª allª diedª° inª faith,ª notª having receivedª° the¹ promises,ª butª having seenª° themª afar off,ª andª were persuaded¹ of²° [them], andª embracedª° [them], andª confessedª° thatª they wereª° strangersª andª pilgrimsª onª the¹ earth.ª" {Hbr 11:9-13}
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