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!".


Hear Apostle Ken Stevenson's full message "Sukkot" on Twitter/Periscope:
https://twitter.com/everlastingcov8

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