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Reenactment of Temple Libation Ceremony On October 18, 2019 Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz wrote the following article in Breaking Israel News media: Redemption Mile-Marker: Record-Breaking Crowd at Reenactment of Temple Libation. The article tells that the libation ceremony during Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles) served as a sign of redemption (salvation, deliverance), and it was followed by a large audience. Orthodox Jews were behind this ceremony, which served as a step towards building and erecting the Third Temple. The Bible never mentions God telling the people of Israel in the Old Covenant to hold a temple libation ceremony, instead the ceremony was invented by the Orthodox Jews and it was already practiced during the time of Jesus by the Jews. I urge you to study and test my writing through the true word of God in the Bible and prayer. Berkowitz writes how thousands of people witnessed the libation ceremony, which was once performed in the temple during the Feast of Tabernacles. In the article Berkowitz brings up the fact that such a water libation is not mandated in the Torah (the Bible), but that it is a part of oral tradition passed down to the people by Moses. The Bible does not teach anything about an oral tradition from Moses, therefore, teaching this kind of doctrine of oral tradition is parallel to preaching lies and false teachings. Berkowitz wrote how the Feast of Tabernacles is a joyous celebration, and how the water libation is the focal point of said joyously. Berkowitz also brought up other nations taking part in the celebration, making it an international worship of God. For the Orthodox Jews the focal point of the Feast of Tabernacles centers around man-made teachings based on traditions (lies), rather than teachings based on the true words of God. The Bible says that the Feast of Tabernacles is the feast for every nation, and it will be celebrated by everyone, including Gentile nations, in the millennial kingdom. The Feast of Tabernacles is celebrated in the millennial kingdom, because the Lord Jesus offers salvation to all those, who have believed in Him and thus been freed from the enslavement to sin. According to the Bible testimony, the Lord Jesus became the flesh (a man) during the Feast of Tabernacles. The Bible says that the booths (Sukkah) were to be built from olive tree and wild olive tree branches, for example. The Bible teaches that the Olive tree is a metaphor for the Israelis and the wild olive tree for Gentiles. This is a strong and profound metaphorical message telling us that the Messiah through the Lord Jesus and faith in Him will unite both Israelis and Gentiles into the New Covenant congregation. Berkowitz believes in Orthodox Jews’ Cabalism doctrine, and he and people like him are waiting for a false messiah, who will unite mankind that has been betrayed by lies, and mankind will collectively worship the Anti-Christ and his false teachings. Water libation ceremony, which is based on tradition and lies, is taking one step closer to building the Third Temple, where the Anti-Christ will also declare his divinity. Berkowitz wrote the following about the libation ceremony: Led by a group of Kohanim (Jewish men descended from Aaron the Priest), the group of over 500 people set out from the Dung Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem in the early evening, making its way down the steep steps leading to the Shiloah Spring. Many of the celebrants were visitors to Israel, creating a visible reminder that the words of the prophets are materializing today. The Kohanim were dressed in the Biblically mandated garb but for the first time, they were accompanied by Levites wearing a special uniform set of clothes designed to be worn in the third Temple. Musically gifted Levites led the ceremony with joyous music on drum, violin, guitar, and clarinet. The crowd sang and danced as they passed from the archaeological remains of the ancient City of David, through an Arab village, to the Shiloach (Siloam) Spring which was used in Temple times. The procession was punctuated by stops during which four-foot-long pure silver trumpets were sounded. At the head of the parade was the gold vessel, the water jug, which had been inaugurated last year. At the Shiloach Pool, the jug was filled. In Temple times, a libation of water was made together with the pouring out of wine at the morning service on the last six days of the week-long Sukkot holiday. Kohanim descended from the Temple to the Shiloach Spring at the base of the Mount Moriah, where they filled the flask with three log of spring water (approximately two pints) and returned to the Temple.The procession climbed back up to the top of the mountain. A model altar and its utensils had been set up in an open area adjacent to the Western Wall. The altar was decorated with large leafy willow branches as was done in the Temple. The ceremony culminated in the priestly blessing. Cabalistic Orthodox Judaism is rushing in a big hurry towards the building of the Third Temple, the latest manifestation of this was the reenactment of temple libation according to tradition. Berkowitz’s article (and some former sources) revealed that the Levites used clothing that have been designed to be worn in the Third Temple. Berkowitz also told how a golden jug was used to pour out libation water during the traditional temple service. In this context Berkowitz revealed that the golden jug had already been inaugurated last year. Orthodox Judaism is rapidly moving forward to building the Third Temple, which is almost complete in all other aspects, except the temple itself. According to the Bible teaching, the coming Third Temple in Jerusalem is an antichristian plan, which will be culminated in Anti-Christ declaring he is god in the temple. The priestly blessing of Orthodox Judaism in a libation ceremony, which strives the building of the Third Temple, will not receive God’s blessing. In the New Covenant, everyone, who believes in the Lord Jesus, is God’s temple, where God lives, and God will not change this Covenant to the old one, because according to the Bible the New and Better Covenant took effect through the blood and the atonement of our Lord Jesus. The Bible says in the Book of Isaiah, chapter 12, that with joy shall you draw water out of the wells of salvation. Judaism adopted a teaching based on tradition (not the truth of the Bible), which included a water libation ceremony, which was highly popular during the time of the Second Temple. In this celebration during the Feast of Tabernacles priests would for seven days come to the temple courtyard and pour water into a jug, from where the water was poured onto the courtyard altar or near it. The Jews had a belief regarding this libation and the pouring of water, and according to this belief the pouring of water will also take place, when the Messiah comes and brings salvation for the people of Israel. To support this belief, the Jews use the Book of Isaiah, chapter 12, as a promise that the source of salvation (the Messiah) is connected to the pouring of water and libation, and this promise will be fulfilled when the Messiah comes. The Lord Jesus knew about this Jewish tradition of libation and that it is not based on the word of the Bible. The Gospel of John, chapter 7, tells how Jesus cried during the last big day of the Feast of Tabernacles (the Great Feast Sabbath): If any man thirst, let him come to me, and drink. He that believes on me (Jesus), as the Scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. I believe that it is very likely our Lord Jesus said it the way He did, is because the Jewish priests were performing libation during the Feast of Tabernacles and they believed it would be linked to the coming of Messiah. That might be the reason why our Lord Jesus said exactly that He is the source of living water (source of salvation), to which we should believe in. In other words, the Lord Jesus told us and showed us that He is the source of salvation and the Messiah, who has already come among the people of Israel. The Orthodox Jews’ reenactment of the temple libation is a futile and pointless act, through which no one can get closer to finding a connection to the God of Israel. By having faith in the Lord Jesus, you will receive the joy of salvation in your heart, and it will grow and deepen through your spiritual growth. The Bible says that if someone has a spiritual thirst and wants to believe in the Messiah of Israel, they must believe in the Lord Jesus, who is the Savior and Messiah of Israel and the whole world, and who has come to save everyone who confesses their sins and believes in the Lord Jesus. Chapter 12 of Isaiah tells about the source and joy of salvation, because through the blood and the atonement of Messiah Jesus, people can receive salvation, can be forgiven for their sins, can find a connection to their Father-God, and be a part of an eternal life. According to the truth of the Bible, we can bless Israel, but as we bless Israel, this blessing involves the Israelis confess their sins and believing in the Messiah Jesus, because only in the Messiah Jesus can man truly be blessed by God.
Petri Paavola 22.10.2019 (Translation from Finnish to English Miriam Paavola 23.10.2019) References:
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