The Fall Feasts-The Feast of Tabernacles

Booth (Sukkah)

 

"The Season of Our Joy"

 

The seven day fall Feast of Tabernacles follows the Feast of Trumpets, and the Day of Atonement. It is described in Lev. 23:33-44, and is marked by the building of sukkot, or booths. These booths are a memorial of the booths built in the wilderness when God brought the Israelites out of Egypt. The faithful presence of God in their midst, and His provision for them is symbolized by these booths.

Unlike the other two fall feasts, the identifying characteristic of Tabernacles is the command of the LORD to rejoice in unity:

"Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine: and thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant and thy maidservant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow that are within thy gates."    Deut. 16:13-14

"And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem."   Ezra 3:1

" ...for this day is holy unto our LORD: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength...and the people went their way...to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them."   Neh. 8:10-12



 

 

At the close of this seven day joyful feast of ingathering of fruits, especially grapes from the vines, the latter rains of the year would begin. This feast then also became associated with the outpouring of water, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit:

"For I will pour water upon him who is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour My Spirit upon thy seed, and My blessing upon thy offspring."  Isa. 44:3 (see also Joel 2:28-29, Isa. 12:2-3)

 

Jesus referred to this when He stood at the Feast of Tabernacles:

"In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, "If any man thirst, let him come to Me, and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." (But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive...)"  Jn. 7:37-39

With this announcement at Tabernacles, Jesus was publicly declaring His fulfillment of this feast as Messiah. No wonder the Israelites were commanded to observe this feast with prophetic rejoicing!

Apostle Paul also speaks of this fulfillment through Christ as that spiritual Rock that followed the Israelites and provided water to them in the wilderness. He said that this example was provided as an admonition for us upon whom the end of the age has come (1 Cor. 10:4, 11). Therefore, the fulfillment of this feast is especially important for us in these Last Days.

Through this fulfillment by Christ, the shadow of the booths of this feast has become the manifestation of the Tabernacle of God among men:

"And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God...And He said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely."    Rev. 21:3-6

"In that day, there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness."   Zech. 13:1

"And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem...and the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD and His name one...And it shall come to pass that everyone that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall come up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles."  Zech 14:8-9, 16

The Feast of Tabernacles is the prophetic shadow of the reign of Christ on earth. It is the day when all things, even the common, shall be "HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD"  (Zech. 14:20)

In Jesus' last discussion with the disciples before His arrest, He spoke of things that should bring to mind what we have learned regarding the feast of tabernacles. He spoke of these things to assure His disciples of the provision that has been made for them in the time that would come. He spoke of the spiritual Vine and its fruit (Jn. 15:5), and of the joy that has been ordained for them, even in the midst of coming persecution (Jn. 15:11, Jn. 16:22, 24). He told them about the Holy Spirit that would come to them ( Jn. 16:13-14), and the unity of the indwelling of the Father and Son in each one, and their unity with each other (Jn. 17:21-23).

All of these things of which He spoke are the fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles in each one of us who believe. We who have received this outpouring of living waters, the Holy Spirit, should, above all, rejoice, being filled with joy unspeakable and full of His glory (1 Pet. 1:8).

Even as God's provision for the Israelites in the wilderness was found in His booths, so our provision in the wilderness of the Last Days is to be found in His Tabernacle with us.

As God has commanded, "Rejoice!".


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The Fall Feasts - Day of Atonement

 

The Covering

 

The Hebrew word for atonement contains the meaning of "a covering". On this feast day, the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur, under the first covenant, the high priest would sprinkle a blood covering over the Mercy Seat in the Holy of Holies. He could enter once a year only, and this blood sprinkling would provide the atonement, or covering for sin, for one year (Lev. 16:1-34). This blood covering brought reconciliation between God and man for that year.

However, God's desire and plan for covering man did not begin nor end there.

We see the heart of God as He covered Adam and Eve after they broke their relationship with Him.

We see it as God designed a covering ark for Noah, his family, and the animals of creation, and covered that ark with pitch. The covering pitch (same Hebrew word for atonement) protected and lifted the ark above the waters of judgment that covered an earth filled with violence and corruption.

As God taught Israel about the Day of Atonement, the animal sacrifice blood covering of the atonement applied by the high priest was for himself, his family, the people, and the tabernacle (Lev. 16:33-34). This blood covered the Mercy Seat, which covered the Ark of the Covenant, which covered the tablets of the law, which is the standard of perfection, the rod of Aaron that budded, which exhibited resurrection life, and the manna, the daily bread provided from heaven. All of this was, in turn, covered by the smoke from the cloud of incense (Lev. 16:13), representing prayer, which also covered the glory of God, which was covered by the golden wings of the Seraphim angels above the ark.

Even the Hebrew letters of the word atonement give us a picture of the covering. The first letter, kaph, means "a wing, to cover, the open hand, the power to suppress or lift up". The word ends with the letter resh, which means "the first, the top, the beginning, the highest, the most important, the chief". One thing these letters therefore tell us is that this spiritual covering is the most important, the highest, the chief and first thing to God, and the highest, most important, first and chief thing we should know about our God.

Rabbis teach that the Day of Atonement is reconciliation with God through repentance and confession of sins, expressing a hope, "May your name be written in the Book (of Life)". This feast day is indeed marked by fasting, afflicting the soul, and repentance (Lev. 23:26-29). However, make no mistake, there was no atonement covering without also  sprinkling the blood of the sacrifice:



"And he (Aaron) shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times. Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat and before the mercy seat: he shall make an atonement for the holy place because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins..."    Lev. 16:14-16

And almost all (things) are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood, there is no remission."     Heb. 9:22

This atonement blood covering is so important to God and to us for a reconciliation, that God ordained this feast day as a type and shadow, fulfilled by Christ, to be kept through all generations.

The Day of Atonement was fulfilled by the blood of Jesus, our High Priest, who didn't come with the shadow blood of animals, but with the better, perfect offering of His own blood, His own life, because His blood was His life (Lev. 17:11). This blood atonement wouldn't last for just a year, as with the shadow under the first covenant, but would cover for all eternity, not just in the earth below, but in the heavens above (Heb. 9:11-14, 20-25). The fullness of the atonement through the blood of the Messiah no longer carries a shadow of hope that your name may be written in the Book of Life, but now carries the assurance (Heb. 10:22) of this great conversion from sin to righteousness, from corruption to incorruption, and from death unto life (Rev. 20:11-15).

How this shows God's greatest desire to cover us! Jesus expresses this desire as fervent, almost covetous: "With desire I have desired..." (Lk. 22:15), in describing the moment of His sacrifice and the new covenant, the better covenant, in His blood. He desires to bring us under the covering of His wings (Mt. 23:37, Ps. 91:1, 4, Ps. 17:18, Ps. 61:4, Ruth 2:12). It was the most important thing of all that He desired to do for us, and He gave everything He had in order to accomplish it. He provided the eternal atoning blood covering for us out of His love:

"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins."    1 Jn. 4:10 (Jn. 3:16-17)

Jesus sprinkles the atoning blood in the Holy of Holies of our hearts, a tabernacle not made with hands, but a greater, more perfect tabernacle (Heb. 9:11).

This Yom Kippur, as we pray, confess, and repent, let us also remember His blood, His living love, that atones and covers all sins (Prov. 10:12), and allows us to boldly enter the holiest place through the veil of His flesh.

 

Based upon:

Lev. 16:1-34

Heb. 9:1-25

Heb. 10:1-25
Rev. 20:11-15

 

 

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The Fall Feasts-The Feast of Trumpets

Tekillah Shofar Blast Click Here

 

The Feast of Trumpets, also called Rosh Hashanah (The head of the year) on the civil calendar, along with the other fall feasts of the LORD, is described in Lev. 23. It is to be observed on the first day of the seventh month. All are to come together in a holy assembly, and the day is to be treated as a Sabbath. Trumpets, or shofars (ram's horns), are to be blown in one long blast called a tekillah (listen above), as a memorial to the LORD (v. 23-25). This single long blast proclaims the Kingship of the LORD, and His crowning. When we hear this sound, it reminds us to crown the LORD as King in our own hearts and lives.

Earthly rulers come and go, and their power ultimately corrupts them. They rule to benefit themselves and the state at the expense of the people. Even King David, called a man after God's own heart, used his position as king to number the people, and to take another man's wife. To cover up his adultery, David used his kingly authority to send the husband, his loyal servant and soldier, to that man's death on the front lines of battle.

God's reign as King, on the other hand, is to benefit His people and all of creation. He rules as a Servant, as a Father, and as Justice for those who would never see justice otherwise. Those around us should be able to see this Kingship of God through His Kingship in our own lives.

Many Christians do not understand the significance of observing the feasts of Israel. Jesus, and the New Covenant in His blood, are not separated from the fall feasts, but rather, are the fulfillment of them. These feasts are a pattern on earth of the heavenly:

"...we have such a high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the LORD pitched, and not man."  Earthly priests "... serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things."       Heb. 8:1-5 excerpt

From His position of power and Kingly authority in that heavenly tabernacle, Jesus is the mediator of an even better covenant  (v. 6). He ascended to this position at the right hand of majesty "far above all heavens, that He might fill all things."  (Eph. 4:10)

 

Shevarim Shofar Blasts Click Here

 

We can see Christ fulfilling the other fall feasts, as well.

The three wailing shofar blasts called shevarim (listen above), blown on the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, represent the sobbing of hearts in repentance, and the desire to be reconnected, or reconciled, back to God. This is a day to afflict the soul, as well as a day of fasting. It is a Sabbath. (Lev. 23:26-32).
Jesus fulfills this feast as He is our reconciliation with the Father, and calls us to a ministry of the same reconciliation (2 Chron. 29:24, Ez. 45:15, Heb. 2:17):

"And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation."  2 Cor. 5:18-19
Like David's repentant cry, the cry of our hearts should be:
"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me."  Ps. 51:10

The shofar call of the Day of Atonement is a call to examine ourselves, judging ourselves that we are not judged and condemned (1 Cor. 11, 28-31-32), to grow up into Him, our Atonement, Christ (Eph. 4:13, 15).

 

Teruah Shofar Blasts Listen Here

 

The nine quick shofar blasts of the third fall feast, the Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot, are called teruah (listen above).The rabbis refer to these blasts as a "spiritual alarm clock" to awaken us from spiritual slumber.
Jesus taught the same idea as He told the parable of the ten virgins. He said that while all slumbered and slept, the awakening cry went out, "The bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him."  (Mt. 25:5-6). We are to be prepared, and to make ourselves ready, for this awakening call of our Bridegroom as He takes us into His tabernacle, to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

On this holy convocation of the Feast of Tabernacles, which lasts seven days, we are to build booths out of the greenery of goodly trees to remember how God provided  tabernacles, or tents, for His presence, and for His people in the wilderness after He brought them out of Egypt (Lev. 23:33-44). He was with them every step of the journey.

The New Covenant tabernacle of God, and of our dwelling, is described:

"And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself, shall be with them, and be their God."   Rev. 21:3 (Lev. 26:11-12)

The fall feasts, like the spring feasts, are not limited to the Old Covenant, nor only to the Law of Moses. They are a pattern and shadow of the work of the Father and His Son in heaven, and in each one of us in earth. "Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.". 

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