Today, October 12, at sunset begins Sukkot, a weeklong holiday celebrating the yearly cycle of biblical observances found in Leviticus 23. The feast ends at sundown, Thursday, October 20 with a special Sabbath. The day is called Shemini Atzeret, or the Eighth Day Assembly, from Leviticus 23:34.
Also known as the Feast of Tabernacles or the Feast of Booths, Sukkot is the third of the pilgrimage feasts when all the men of Israel were called to Jerusalem to the Lord’s presence: “Three times a year all your men must appear before the LORD your God at the place he will choose: at the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks and the Festival of Tabernacles” (Deuteronomy 16:16).
Much preparation goes into this holiday after the somber and reflective Days of Awe—the Feast of Trumpets and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. This is a festival of rejoicing, celebrating God’s goodness and sharing hospitality.
"Celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your threshing floor and your winepress. Be joyful at your festival—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, the Levites, the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns. For seven days celebrate the festival to the LORD your God at the place the LORD will choose. For the LORD your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete."
—Deuteronomy 16:13-15
Throughout Jerusalem, as well as among observant Jewish homes and many Messianic families, a sukkah (small temporary shelter), often elaborately decorated is built in backyards, in communal areas, and on patios as a way to experience the joyous seven days of “dwelling in booths.” Meals and entertaining take place in the sukkah, and often the fathers and sons will sleep in it. The roof is covered loosely with materials such as palm fronds that allow the night sky to be seen—a reminder of the Israelites’ journey from Egypt when God guided them by a column of smoke by day and a pillar of fire by night.
“‘Celebrate this as a festival to the LORD for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month. Live in temporary shelters for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in such shelters so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in temporary shelters when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.’”
—Leviticus 23:41-43
The Jewish People during Old Testament times dwelt in simple tabernacles so that when the cloud moved by day or the pillar of fire moved by night they could follow. The pillar and cloud represented the presence of God.
As the Jewish People continue to dwell in booths to commemorate God’s faithfulness and miraculous preservation when they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, we can pray for many Jewish hearts to seek Him during this time of crisis for Israel, remembering He is their hope and strong tower.
And as followers of Yeshua, we can also learn from this example. We too are sojourners, holding loosely to the things of this world, so that when the Lord moves, we are prepared to move with Him and trust Him for our protection and provision.
The word booth is synonymous with tabernacle, and similar to the word John used when he wrote that Jesus became flesh and dwelled, or tabernacled, among us (John 1:14). When Yeshua came, He literally tabernacled among us. This is why some theologians speculate that Yeshua was born on Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles.
Sukkot is the final wheat harvest of the year. The Feast of Tabernacles is seen as symbolic of the final ingathering of souls into the Kingdom of God before Yeshua returns to Earth. This is what Matthew 24:31 is referring to when the angels gather God’s elect: “And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.” The final shofar blast is heard, signaling the final ingathering of all souls into the Kingdom of God.
He is coming back for Jew and Gentile, one glorious redeemed community called by God for all eternity!
Source: JWM
