Celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles
“The Lord said to Moses, ‘Say to the Israelites: “On the fifteenth day of the seventh month the Lord’s Festival of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days.”‘”
Leviticus 23:33-34 NIV
Welcome to the celebration of Sukkot, the Hebrew name for the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths. As the last of the fall feasts, this time climaxes into a joyous celebration of giving thanks to God for His provision. This feast lasts for seven days, beginning on sunset on September 29th, 2023, and concluding on October 6th. It’s one of three times a year when God commanded Israel to go to Jerusalem to worship Him and present an offering of thanksgiving.
Building a Sukkah
‘On the first day you are to take branches from luxuriant trees—from palms, willows and other leafy trees—and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days.‘
Leviticus 23:40 NIV
A sukkah is a tabernacle or booth made out of a natural substance and decorated with tree branches, flowers, leaves, fruits, and vegetables. People live in it as a temporary structure for seven days as a reminder of the their forefathers’ 40-year journey through the wilderness to the Promised Land. It celebrates their complete dependence on God and His provision. God provided manna in the mornings, water out of a rock, and clothes and shoes that never wore out.
Waving of the Lulav
This Jewish tradition symbolizes God’s beauty and bounty. It’s made up of a palm branch, a myrtle bough, a willow branch, and citron fruit. These are waved before the Lord in all directions to declare that He is omnipresent and that all good gifts come from Him.
Set Apart from the Rest
When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the Lord above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, ‘He is good;
2 Chronicles 7:3 NIV
his love endures forever.‘
The first Temple celebrated its dedication during the Feast of Tabernacles (Read more HERE). The glory of the Lord fell with such power that the priests weren’t able to stand. As they bowed and worshipped then, so we are reminded that the glory of the Lord is still with us today in the same way.
The Testing of Trials
Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.
Deuteronomy 8:2 NIV
Just as these trials in the wilderness tested the Israelites, they also prepared them to receive the blessings God had prepared for them. The same is true for us today. We must walk through the valleys of trials before we can rejoice with the Lord on the mountaintops.
Feast of Tabernacles and Christianity
Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.
Zechariah 14:16 NIV
Zechariah tells of a time during the Millennium when all people celebrate Sukkot with Jesus in Jerusalem. This festival will be an everlasting reminder of how the Lord tabernacled with His people in the wilderness with a pillar of fire by night and a cloud by day. It relates to us today through Yeshua’s promise: ‘And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age’ (Matthew 28:20 NIV).
The Ultimate Fulfillment
‘For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.‘
Isaiah 65:17 NKJV
The ultimate fulfillment of this feast will be after the thousand year reign of Christ. God will create a new heaven and a new earth where God will tabernacle with us, His people, for eternity.
And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.‘
Revelation 21:3-4 NKJV
Dear Lord, we rejoice in Your divine provision for us in the past, present, and future. We bow before You and worship You, for You alone are worthy. May we rejoice in this season of thanksgiving along with all of Israel as they celebrate Sukkot. We pray for the salvation of Your people. In Jesus’s Name, Amen.
Celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles by Karen Jurgens, Copyright © 2022 and 2023 All Rights Reserved.
Thank you for another insightful message.
Won’t it be wonderful during the 1000 year reign?
Yes! It shows how valuable this Jewish feast is to God. When Jesus reigns on earth, Jew and Gentile will truly be One in Him. I can’t wait until that wonderful day! ✝️✡️
Karen, thank you for this message. I always learn something wonderful from you. Have a blessed day! 🙂
Thanks for your kindness and encouragement, dear Mimi. Wishing you showers of blessings! 💕
Great post ma’am. Provides both explanation and inspiration. I loved how you reiterated that “How we handle the trials today is directly relational to the blessings we’ll receive in the future and the joy that will be added at the coming feast (Marriage Supper of the Lamb). Thank you Ms. Karen.
Thank you for your encouraging words, brother JD. These feast days of Sukkot are a joyful celebration. May we always remember God’s provisions and loving blessings from the wilderness down to today. God is so good! Have a blessed week, my friend. 😊
What a wonderful response.
Hello, I found your blog while searching for articles about relevant passages to what I’ve been studying and blogging about. I recently finished reading through the Old Testament. A couple of passages caused me to ponder more on the relevancy of biblical feasts for Christians. In Zechariah 14, around verse 16, the passage describes people traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feasts of Booths, and for those that don’t, the punishment is drought and plague, with which the Lord smites those that do not go to the Feast of Booths. ESV and John MacArthur’s commentaries elaborate that 2 additional feasts will be observed, cross-referencing Ezekiel. Likewise, Isaiah, Chapters 65 and 66 have some similar wording and imagery to Zechariah 14. The setting leads into the millennial reign when the Lord will be King. This book primarily deals with the Israelites, addressing them as rebellious people regarding their abominable practices, such as eating swine’s flesh (pork) while still acting holier than thou. But, in 66, starting at verse 15 the Lord is coming on chariots of fire, also to judge all the nations. Again, he addresses those who sanctify and purify themselves, yet eat swine’s flesh (pork), detestable things, and mice and how they will all come to an end together. Pilgrims will come from all nations, at the appointed times to worship. Just like Zechariah brought up the appointed times (feast of booths and Sabbaths), Isaiah also brings up new moons and Sabbath observance, in a future context. I’m curious as to why feasts, new moons, and Sabbaths, as well as dietary laws, seem to be of importance again in the future millennial reign if they’ve been done away with because of the fulfillment in Jesus Christ? If they were observed by the earliest believers (past) and will be observed (future), then why aren’t they commonly observed now? It just seems like the feasts hold a lot of weight to the Lord, based on what I’ve read. I’d love to hear your insight.
Hi Jennifer, nice to meet you and thanks for your questions. Yes, the wonderful thing about the Old Testament is that it points to the coming Messiah, Jesus. Several books directly reference the Tribulation and Millennium. For example, Daniel’s 70th week mirrors Revelation, which is a deep study. Isaiah and Zephaniah, as you referenced, do also.
Jesus fulfilled Scripture in the OT, but it wasn’t done away with. There’s a difference. The feasts all contain a harbinger of the future gospel, and when Christ came to earth, several were fulfilled. (I’ll outline them below and correlate them with the gospel.) However, there are several yet to be fulfilled. The Feast of Tabernacles or Booths is the last one that will be fulfilled, and it’s the only one that will continue to be observed during the Millennium. At that time, all the feasts will have been fulfilled, and Christ will be tabernacling with us for 1,000 years. In other words, we will live out that feast in real time for those years. That’s why it’s the only one to still be observed.
Here are the feasts and how they fulfill prophecy:
The first four feasts have been fulfilled: Passover (Lev. 23:5 and 1 Cor. 5:7) represents Jesus who was slain as the Lamb of God on the very day this feast was celebrated.
Unleavened Bread (Lev. 23:6) is a symbol of Jesus on the cross who was pierced and striped at the whipping post. The Matzah that is eaten that week represents Christ’s beatings. Leaven is also a symbol of sin (1 Cor. 5:6-7). Jesus is the final sacrifice for sins and we are forgiven by His blood (Heb. 8-10).
First Fruits (Lev. 23:9-14) is the first fruits of those raised from the dead. Jesus was resurrected on this feast day (1 Cor. 15:20, 23).
Pentecost or Shavuot is a feast day when God gave the Law to the children of Israel on Mt. Sinai (Ex. 24:12). This was fulfilled 50 days after Jesus rose again at the Upper Room when the Holy Spirit was given to believers.
These next ones have yet to be fulfilled: Feast of Trumpets (Lev. 23:23-25) represents the Rapture of the Church (1 Cor. 15:52, 1 Thess. 4:16, and Rev. 11:15). I personally believe based on my study of the Word in conjunction with Daniel’s 70th Week, that the Church will be taken out before the Tribulation begins.
Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur is a feast of repentance where the High Priest made a blood atonement once a year for the sins of the people (Lev. 17:11). It represents Jesus as our High Priest who has atoned for our sins forever through His blood sacrifice. (Heb. 8-10)
The Feast of Tabernacles or Sukkot is a forever celebration of joy and praise for God’s provision of the Israelites’ 40 years in the wilderness (Lev. 23:34). It will be fulfilled during the Millennium when we will tabernacle with our Lord, who will provide a renewed earth and His righteousness government to be ruled by.
As you can see, the Feasts are a blueprint of our past and future as well as an outline of the gospel. They will never go away, just as not one word of Scripture will ever be blotted out. It lives forever, praise the Name of Jesus.