Github user poornachandra commented on the issue:
https://github.com/apache/incubator-tephra/pull/67
@joshelser There is nothing stopping us from moving Tephra to Java 8. Just
that we'll have to build consensus on the Tephra dev list, and it will add to
the delay of this PR. If making the POM changes to work with both Java 7 and
Java 8 is complicated, then @ankitsinghal can you send out an email to the dev
list for the Java 8 consensus?---
