We need to get our mindset into that ancient Jewish festival, also called the Feast of Booths, referred to in John 7 (we referred to it a couple of weeks ago with the children). This is a feast which is centred around the future establishment of a permanent dwelling for the people of God, and a reminder that just as the ancient patriarchs did, and just as the people of Israel who had just come out of Egypt did in the desert—dwelling in tents is the right mentality to have whilst we are on earth, because this is not yet our home, the new creation will soon be made our home, when all things are made new, everything is burnt up, and everything is recreated…
But, in the meantime, we live in tents, even if we are in a permanent house, we need the mentality of living in tents. It was a new creation festival, pointing to the resurrection, with its climax significantly on the eighth day (or, counting from Friday, the third day—the day of resurrection). And John makes a point of saying that this feast, this festival, was near. And so, thoughts of resurrection and the impermanence of life on this earth need to be on our minds as its readers.
