I observed during my focus on Hanukkah, per I Maccabees 4:56 and 59, that the folks back then saw what they were doing as "dedicating the altar" because of its prior contamination.
I am now thinking that something King Solomon did after the temple was completed is a significant/meaningful type and shadow that affords a clue as to when we might go home and see Jesus face to face, and that it also ties into the above.
Solomon also dedicated the altar for 7 days. Right after that was the 7 days for Tabernacles followed by, what I am thinking is to be a focus for us, the 8th day of the great assembly of the people before God. That is 15 days in total. It was after that 15th day that Solomon dismissed the people, who would then take down their tents and dried out branch structures, and go to their real homes. I believe they were acting out what it means when our time in mortal bodies comes to an end, either at death, or for us, at the rapture. The 8th day of being gathered before God is key.
Per II Corinthians 5, starting at verse 1, Paul seems to echo the ending of Tabernacles when he talks about us getting new bodies.
I understand that Hanukkah at the time of the Maccabees was also thought of in terms of the Feast of Tabernacles, overlapping both. However, when I look at what Solomon did, I am thinking that, at least for us, we are to place the two in sequence.
Per the sighted new moon in Israel during November, the Feast of Dedication/Hanukkah started this year on Dec 16th with the daylight portion coming to a close at sunset on the 17th. That makes the 15th day land on the end of this year.
The above is kind of like some questions you find in brain-teaser books. A row of squares, in a flowing sequence, are presented with unique shapes/colors within them. In the sequence, one is missing and so you have to choose from the options which one will maintain the pattern flow. A square is "missing/hidden" yet it is implied in the clues one sees in the other squares' details and especially in their relation to one another.
I am thinking that there is a "missing/hidden" Tabernacles that we are to see and think in terms of. We can see a "Feast of Tabernacles" and its all-important 8th day in what Solomon did and tie that timing to Hanukkah each year (this year especially?), while also referencing the sighted new moon in Israel verses the traditional calendar calculated by men.
I recall what God told Moses when He came down to deliver the chosen people from Egypt, in the context of the burning bush on Mt Sinai. God gave Moses a specific "sign" that would demonstrate to Moses that God had indeed been with him to bring about the success of the plan. The sign, however, was not any of the plagues nor the destruction of the Egyptian army. It seems to me that any one of those would been sufficient to serve as "the sign", but no, It was that the people would be gathered before God at that very mountain. It was the great assembly of the people before God at His mountain.
That was also to be done on the 8th day following Tabernacles' 7 days.
I believe the scriptures (focusing here on the Old Testament) were given, not first and foremost to Israel or to us, but to Jesus during the time of His incarnation. He came as a blank slate as a new born baby. The Father revealed to Jesus a great deal through the many types and shadows in the Old Testament. For example, think in terms of the seemingly bizarre detail of the boy sneezing 7 times after Elisha brought him back to life (II Kings 4:35). Might this be how the Father let Jesus know that there were 7 demons to be cast out of Mary (Luke 8:2)?
I am thinking this is part of the reason we get to experience the same way of God communicating to us during this time through the many types/shadows in the scriptures, and learning the calendar, and learning to read His constellations' messaging system, and even by finding clues in God's numbers. (shout out John), etc. It is a main way the Holy Spirit reveals to us in the details of His grand, mind-blowing plan. However, where we wrestle to understand like a bunch of preschoolers, Jesus had complete clarity as the Father revealed to His Son what He was to do situation by situation, event by event. And yet, we are getting practice, which is a cool thing to experience. I am thinking this way of relating to God will continue once we get home.
Jesus knew that the success of their plan was seen, in part at least, as being pictured in the sign God gave Moses at the burning bush. The people would be gathered before God at His mountain. For us, that would be heavenly Mt Zion.
Paul saw the same. That is why he describes the rapture (in Thessalonians) in details similar to what the children of Israel experienced while coming before the mountain of God at Mt Sinai, when God came down to them. It is also seen in Hebrews 12 starting at verse 18.
So, each year we have a high watch date at the timing of when God came down to Israel per Exodus 19. And, we have the timing of Tabernacles each year per the calendar. And, I am suggesting, we also have the timing of a hidden Tabernacles relative to Hanukkah per the clue(s) in what Solomon did.
There were a couple of events during Jesus' time on earth that took place during Tabernacles and so may be clues for us in terms of the particular Tabernacles I am focusing on at this time.
One was when Jesus shouted out on the last day of Tabernacles (John 7:37-52) for anyone to "Come to me", with the promise that those who do so will eventually experience the fullness of the Spirit to such a degree it will be like rivers of life-giving waters are flowing out of them. I am thinking this describes us being called home while getting our new bodies. So, this could take place the end of this year in light of the 3rd Tabernacles I am seeing.
Another took place just after the above (John 8:1). It was when the adulterous woman was before Jesus and He said that the "one without sin" was to cast the first stone (implying that other stones would follow). I wonder if this event is a picture for us to see, that after we get our new bodies and experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit within us, that Jesus will then "throw" more than one meteor at the "adulterous woman" of these last days of the church age. The timing of this possible event being back to back with our getting our new bodies would reinforce the significant meaning of the word, harpatzo. Again, this would take place around the end of this year if valid.
On the other hand, what I find interesting is something in the scriptures (John 7:47-52) right between when Jesus shouted, "Come to Me", and Jesus speaking of the throwing of stones. The angry, self-righteous religious leaders were arguing with Nicodemas and stated that there was no prophet that came out of Galilee. They were wrong. There was a prophet who also came from that region. It was Jonah. Per the Passion Bible translation, in a footnote, the translator expresses that Jonah came from Gathepher, a village only three miles from Nazareth.
So, between when Jesus shouted, "Come to Me" and we will experience rivers of living water flowing out of us, and when Jesus mentions the throwing the stones, is a hidden reference to Jonah.
I am wondering if this is a timing clue as to when Jesus will fulfill the 40 day sign of Jonah to Ninevah for an "adulterous" generation, and during which, I believe, there will be a secret "second chance" harvest of folks who will come to faith in Jesus, yet will be doing so after seeing others get raptured. Recall what Jesus said to Thomas after Jesus showed Himself to the others prior. He said that those who believed without seeing (like us at this time waiting for the rapture) were blessed in contrast to those who believed after seeing.
The 40 day period of warning to Ninevah might end with Jesus then throwing the stones, hence the reason of the warning of coming destruction being a fulfillment of the type/shadow of the judgment warning Jonah proclaimed.
We'll soon find out.
Jesus is worthy of our watching.
God bless you.