(See p.13-14 in The Holidays Of God; Fall Feasts by RBC Ministries about keeping the high priest in a state of ritual purity before entering the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement.)
Numbers 19:11-13 – The washing of water for purification from uncleanness. See the note below.
11 'The one who touches the corpse [5315- “a soul, self, life, a creature, a person, an appetite, a mind, a living being, a desire, an emotion, a passion”; NIV “dead body”] of any person shall be unclean [2930- “to be unclean, to be impure, to be defiled”] for seven days. [See Rev. 18:4-5 for God’s call to His Body to separate from the harlot.]
12 'That one shall purify himself from uncleanness with the water on the third day and on the seventh day, and then he will be clean; but if he does not purify himself on the third day and on the seventh day, he will not be clean.
13 'Anyone who touches a corpse, the body of a man who has died, and does not purify himself, defiles [2930- def. in verse 11] the tabernacle [4908- “dwelling place”] of the Lord; and that person shall be cut off [3772- “to cut off, to cut down, to cut off a body part, to cut a covenant”] from Israel. Because the water for impurity [5079- “impurity, filthiness, impure thing (figurative); used of idolatry, immorality”] was not sprinkled on him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is still on him.
NASU
While reading the following passage from George Warnock’s book The Feast Of Tabernacles (p. 74), I suddenly saw in my spirit a connection between the third and seventh days of cleansing mentioned in Numbers, chapter 19 above, and the third and seventh months of the feasts. He was discussing the time when the church will finally appropriate, in its fullness, the atoning work of the cross (chapter 7, The Day Of Atonement, p. 65-81);
“It cannot be without significance that the Passover occurred in the first month, Pentecost in the third, and the Atonement in the seventh. It is simply because the church of Christ as a Body has never been experimentally cleansed from her sins. We may close our eyes to the age-long sin and corruption of God’s people if we wish, but the fact remains, the church did not go on from early apostolic power and blessing to really appropriate Divine life and holiness as a Body. Thank God, however, that He knew all about it, and planned a great Day of Atonement for the seventh month, this Sabbath of the Church, when she shall be purified and made white and made to cease from her own works. ‘For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the Lord. It shall be a Sabbath of rest unto you…’” (Lev. 16:30-31)
The third month, Sivan, was when the Holy Spirit was first poured out at Pentecost for the cleansing of the Body (Acts 2:1-4), at the beginning of this age we are now in. It will be in the fulfillment of the final feasts of the seventh month, Tishri, that our final, “seventh day” purification/cleansing will take place for the perfecting of the Body of Christ. It will be the final measure of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, bringing the Body of Christ to a “mature [“complete, perfect”] man” (Ephesians 4:13). We will know the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10). What happened at the first outpouring of the Holy Spirit, after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, reveals what will happen at the last outpouring. (See the Bible studies The Perfect and When The Perfect Comes for more on the perfecting of the body of Christ.)
In Acts 2:1-4 we see those who were to receive the outpouring first gathered together in obedience to the Lord’s command before He left. You have to wonder if at the end of the ten days all were still there who originally heard to wait for the promised Holy Spirit. Those who remained faithful to the end would be the leaders used by God to call others to Himself. And so it will be at the end, in the final outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Those who presently have been given ears to hear, and then do what the Spirit is saying to the church, preparing their hearts by faith, will be the first to receive the “good/best wine” saved for us at the end of this age (John 2:1-12).
In Numbers 19:18-19 we are told that it is only a “clean person” who can sprinkle the water for impurity on the third and seventh day on the unclean. Jesus Christ was the first to sprinkle on the “unclean” at Pentecost (i.e. the third day/month). At the end of this age in fulfillment of the seventh day (i.e. seventh month) cleansing, it will once again be Him in His cleansed Body. (See the Bible study Alpha And Omega.)
It’s interesting that in my Bible they have placed the title “The Ingathering” over Acts 2:37-47 which describes the result of Peter’s first public proclamation under the power of the Holy Spirit. Three thousand souls were added to the Body of Christ that day. One of the names for the Feast of Tabernacles is the Feast of Ingathering (Exodus 23:16, 34:22). As it was then, God will use those who are the first to receive the final outpouring to gather others in the final gathering, the final harvest of souls on earth before His return. It is His “good wine” that He has saved for last that will be distributed through His faithful servants to those who will come to His wedding feast (John 2:1-12). In fact, the Feast of Tabernacles/Booths is often said to be a picture of a joyful wedding feast. (See the Bible study The Third Day Gathering.)
The Harvest Rain
Our final cleansing in the Spirit (i.e. the latter rain, known also as the “harvest rain”) is necessary for our entering into the fullness of Christ, our being made perfect in Him (see the article The Latter Rain). As the Lord reveals in the Scriptures, “I make known the end from the beginning [“beginning, first, choice part, first fruits”; same Hebrew in Genesis 1:1], from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.” (Isaiah 46:10/NIV) (See John 2:1-12 – The good/best/choice wine at a wedding feast.)
We are told in John, chapter 7, that on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, “the great day of the feast” as it was called, that Jesus stood and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’ But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified.” (John 7:37-39/NAS) I believe these “living waters” will be that which John saw in his revelation that will be used for the healing of the nations (Rev. 22:1-2, Zech. 14:8).
Our healing will be for the healing of others. Only a “clean person” can sprinkle the water for impurity on others (Numbers 19:18-19). (For more incredible insights on The Great Day of the Feast, which is the last day, the eighth day of Tabernacles, and the ritual of the high priest gathering “living water” from the Pool of Siloam to pour on the altar, see the section called The Great Day Of The Feast (p.26-28) in the booklet The Holidays Of God; The Fall Feasts by RBC Ministries. During the time of this ceremony is when Jesus cried out. Incredible…)
2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 – Believing the above Scripture, and what it represents, we must prepare our hearts by faith in eager anticipation to be a fully cleansed vessel of honor (2 Timothy 2:20-21) that will be used by God in the great and mighty things that we are about to behold at the end of this age.
14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?
15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?
16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."
17 "Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you."
18 "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."
7 Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.
NIV
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