CRYSTALLIZATION-STUDY
OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

MESSAGE SIX

THE ALL-INCLUSIVE CHRIST—
THE FURTHER REVELATION OF CHRIST
CONCERNING HIS ALL-INCLUSIVENESS
IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

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OUTLINE

2. In His perfect redemption through His death judicially and in His complete salvation by His life organically for the carrying out of God's eternal economy, He is:
13. The Feast of the Passover—John 6:4; 1 Cor. 5:7-8:
1. It is the first feast of all the feasts ordained by God for His people (Lev. 23:5), typifying that Christ is the beginning of our enjoyment of Him that originates our spiritual life.
2. In this feast the main enjoyments are the Passover lamb with its blood for redeeming and its flesh for fighting and walking, and the unleavened bread, signifying a sinless living (Exo. 12:5-8).
3. In the enjoyment of Christ we must eat His flesh and drink His blood that we may have His eternal life (John 6:54) and eat Him as the heavenly bread that we may live forever (v. 58) through His word, which is spirit and life to us (v. 63).
14. The Feast of Tabernacles—John 7:2:
1. John in his Gospel refers to us firstly the Feast of the Passover as the beginning of our enjoyment of Christ for the initiation of God's redemption judicially.
2. Then he also refers to us the Feast of Tabernacles, signifying the consummation of God's full salvation organically.
3. The Feast of Tabernacles, which is the last feast of all the feasts ordained by God for His people (Lev. 23:34, 39-43), is for Israel's enjoyment of the rich produce of the good land at its harvest time for their satisfaction.
4. Christ is our good land with all its produce for our enjoyment and satisfaction.
5. He cried out on the last day of the feast, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes into Me, as the Scripture said, out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water" (John 7:37-38).
6. This call is repeated by the Spirit with the bride for people to participate in the enjoyment of Christ in the New Jerusalem in John's last book, Revelation (22:17).
7. This indicates that the people who held the Feast of Tabernacles were not satisfied; the real satisfaction was to receive Christ and drink of Him that they would be not only satisfied but also overflowing with rivers of living water.
8. This is the enjoyment for satisfaction in drinking the river of water of life in the New Jerusalem (Rev. 22:1-2).
9. Hence, the New Jerusalem is called the tabernacle, indicating that those who participate in the New Jerusalem are the real keepers of the Feast of Tabernacles for eternity with full enjoyment and satisfaction.
10. The word Tabernacles in the title of the Feast of Tabernacles implies the thought of remembrance, that is, the Israelite keepers of the Feast of Tabernacles should remember that their forefathers dwelt in tents (tabernacles) in their wandering in the wilderness.
11. Similarly, even the New Jerusalem is called the tabernacle of God (Rev. 21:2-3) for the remembrance of the overcomers, who dwelt also in tents, in the first stage of the New Jerusalem.
12. The New Jerusalem will be consummated firstly to be the firstfruits in the millennial kingdom as a reward to the overcomers and then consummated lastly to be in the new heaven and new earth as the full enjoyment of God's full salvation to all the perfected believers. This will be the real Feast of Tabernacles.