Dear Doves,

Jesus did nothing without good 'prophetic' reason becuase: "Christ is the substance" of the "shadow of things to come" which is prophecy to be fulfilled in the future when "regarding a festival":

Colossians 2:16-17
"...regarding a FESTIVAL or a new moon or sabbaths, which ARE A SHADOW OF THINGS TO COME, but THE SUBSTANCE IS OF CHRIST."

A FESTIVAL IS THE SHADOW, BUT CHRIST IS THE SUBSTANCE:

John 7:10-30 Tells us that Jesus secretly attended the 'first three days' of the Feast of Tabernacles, and then suddenly appeared and showed Himself on the 'middle day' which is the 'fourth day' of the seven-day long Feast. Leviticus 23:33-44 tells us that the Feast of Tabernacles is seven days in length with an eighth day set apart as a special sacred assembly and a sabbath-rest.

Consider this:
Think of 'each one' of the 'seven days' of the Feast of Tabernacles (in order) as representing 'one' of the 'seven Feasts' of God, and then the 'eighth-day special sabbath-rest' as representing the one-thousand-year Kingdom of Christ on earth. So, day #1 represents Passover, day #2 represents Feast of Unleavened Bread, day #3 represents Firstfruits, day #4 represents Pentecost, day #5 represents Feast of Trumpets, day #6 represents Feast of Atonement, day #7 represents Feast of Tabernacles, and day #8 represents Christ's Kingdom on earth.

Jesus, of course, knew at the time that He would soon, Himself, be the 'substance' of the fulfillment of the prophecies of the 'first three' Feasts of God so He made no appearance during the 'first three days' of the Feast of Tabernacles.

Jesus did appear and show Himself on the middle-day which is the fourth day of the Feast. Jesus, Himself, has not as yet been the 'substance' of the fulfillment of the Feast of Weeks which is Pentecost. We received the Holy Spirit on Pentecost as a gift from God, but Jesus Christ, Himself, has not as yet been the 'substance' of the fulfillment of Pentecost.

We know that Jesus, Himself, will be the 'substance' of the fulfillment of the last three Feasts of God at His 'Second Coming'.

I believe that the fact that Jesus kept Himself a secret for the first three days of the Feast of Tabernacles is prophetic, and the fact that he appeared on the middle day which is the fourth day is also prophetic. Pentecost is the fourth or middle Feast of the seven Feasts of God.

Come Lord Jesus!

Bruce Warner