- eighth day:
- Though this day was properly a distinct festival, and esteemed the chief or high day of the feast, yet fewer sacrifices are appointed for it than for any of the foregoing seven. On every one of them two rams and fourteen lambs were offered; but on this day there were but half as many; and whereas seven bullocks were the fewest that were offered on any of those days, on this there was only one. At this feast, there was an extraordinary ceremony of which the rabbins inform us, namely, the drawing water out of the pool of Siloam, and pouring it, mixed with wine, on the sacrifice as it lay on the altar. This they are said to have done with such expressions of joy, that it became a common proverb, "He that never saw the rejoicing of drawing of water, never saw rejoicing in all his life." The Jews pretend to ground this custom on the following passage of Isaiah ("Therefore with joyª shall ye drawª° waterª out of the wellsª¹ of salvation.ª" {Isa 12:3}), "With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation;" and to this ceremony Jesus is supposed to refer, when "in the last day, the great day of the feast, he stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink: he that believeth on me, as the Scripture saith, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water" ("² Inª the¹ lastª day,ª that greatª [day] of the¹ feast,ª Jesusª stoodª° andª cried,ª° saying,ª° Ifª any manª thirst,ª° let him comeª° untoª me,ª andª drink.ª° ... He that believethª° onª me,ª asª the¹ scriptureª hath said,ª° out ofª hisª bellyª shall flowª° riversª of livingª° water.ª" {Jhn 7:37-38}), thereby calling off the people from their carnal mirth and festive and pompous ceremonies, to seek spiritual refreshment for their minds. "Sevenª daysª ye shall offerª° an offering made by fireª unto the LORD:ª on the eighthª dayª shall be¹ an holyª convocationª unto you; and ye shall offerª° an offering made by fireª unto the LORD:ª it¹ [is] a solemn assembly;ª [and] ye shall doª° no¹¹ servileª workª [therein]." {Lev 23:36} + "² Inª the¹ lastª day,ª that greatª [day] of the¹ feast,ª Jesusª stoodª° andª cried,ª° saying,ª° Ifª any manª thirst,ª° let him comeª° untoª me,ª andª drink.ª° ... (Butª thisª spake¹ he²° ofª the¹ Spirit,ª whichª they that believeª° onª himª shouldª° receive:ª° forª the Holyª Ghostª wasª° not yetª [given]; becauseª that Jesusª was²° not yetª glorified.)ª°" {Jhn 7:37-39} + "Afterª thisª I beheld,ª° and,ª lo,ª° a greatª multitude,ª whichª no manª couldª° number,ªª° ofª allª nations,ª andª kindreds,ª andª people,ª andª tongues,ª stoodª° beforeª the¹ throne,ª andª beforeª the¹ Lamb,ª clothedª° with whiteª robes,ª andª palmsª inª their²¹ hands;ª ... Forª the¹ Lambª whichª is in¹ the midstª² of the¹ throneª shall feedª° them,ª andª shall leadª° themª untoª livingª° fountainsª of waters:ª andª Godª shall wipe awayª° allª tearsª fromª their²¹ eyes.ª" {Rev 7:9-17}
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