The Feast of Tabernacles
THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES
(Leviticus 23:34-43; Deuteronomy 16:13-16)
This is the Feast of Ingathering, Exodus 23:16; 34:22b-24. It is also interesting to note in Exodus 34:23-24 that if the males of Israel obeyed the Lord by going to celebrate the three major Feasts: Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles, the Lord would cast out the nations which oppose them from the land of Israel. Neither will any man desire the land of Israel, when the men of Israel appear before the Lord their God three times a year. Israel, take note!
This is the happiest of all Jewish celebrations. There is great rejoicing, after the significant solemnity of Yom Kippur, five days previously. God has given Israel a glorious future as we shall see in Zechariah 14 later. In the past the Hebrews had a mighty deliverance from Egypt (Passover). Then they had forty years wandering in the wilderness because of disobedient unbelief at Kadesh Barnea. Nevertheless, God had been faithful there with provision of Manna and water for so many people and livestock, plus clothes and shoes not wearing out. During those forty years in the wilderness the Hebrews lived in tents or booths. The Hebrew is Succah: plural is Succot.
In Leviticus 23:40 we see the requirements for the ceremony. The Hebrews were to select ‘boughs of goodly trees’, i.e. palm branches; ‘willows of the brook’, willow twigs and myrtle (myrtle – Isaiah 55:12-13. Esther’s name was myrtle from Hadassah, Esther 2:7 – blessing); also citrus fruit, i.e. Ethrog.
The second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to the Mount of Olives could well be during the Feast of Tabernacles. We shall examine Zechariah 14 later. The Rabbis have expected the Messiah to come at such a time, for centuries. He will save Israel from her enemies, Psalm 18:3.
During the ceremony of Tabernacles (Succot), a specially appointed priest fetched water from the pool of Siloam, each of the seven days ceremony. He poured the water out from a golden pitcher, the water passing through a channel back to the pool. Water is precious in Israel and there is always a long hot summer before the Feast of Tabernacles. The pouring out of the water symbolised the pouring out of prayer in expectation of abundant rain after summer is over. The Autumn rain is always needed to germinate the seed already so for next years harvest. This rain is God’s faithful provision. Lights brilliantly lit up the Temple area too.
During the last day of the Feast, the seventh day, Hoshana Rabba, meaning Day of Great Hosanna (meaning ‘save now’ or salvation), priests blew trumpets. Levites and the people say the Great HalleI (Praise – Hallelujah) using Psalms 113 to 118. Psalm 118:25 says, ‘save now. I beseech Thee O Lord’. Remember, Jesus entered Jerusalem and the crowds shouted ,‘Hosanna, save now!’, Mark 11:8-11. Jesus answered that prayer by coming in person. Read John 7:2,10, 37-39; 8:12. ‘Now when the Jews Feast of Tabernacles was at hand’, John 7:2. ‘But when His brethren were gone up, then went He also up to the Feast, not openly, but as it were secretly’, verse 10. During Passover and Tabernacles holy days – HoI Ham-mo-ed, weekdays of the Feasts or half holy days, Jesus went up “in the midst of the Feast”, John 7:14. To go up to the Feasts meant going to Jerusalem some days before the Feasts for the people to ‘purify themselves’, see John 11:55, and make all other arrangements for the due observance of the first day of the Feasts which was called ‘holy convocation’. When Jesus said he was not going, John 7:8, He did go up in the ‘midst of the Feast’, John 7:14. He did not alter His plans. His disciples understood He did not need to make purifying preparations in order to present Himself in the Temple on the first day of the Feast. His words did not exclude Him from going up during Hol Ham-mo-ed. ‘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 believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this He spoke of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive, for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified’, verses 37-39. Jesus was present, as any Jewish male should be, at the Feast of Tabernacles.
In John 8:12 we have Jesus speaking again, ‘I am the Light of the world, he that follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life’. Remember that the Temple was brilliantly lit up and the water was ceremoniously poured out daily for seven days. Jesus was present and by His own statements He was saying that water and light both lead to life, spiritually. It is vital to note this. Remember the harvest links between Pentecost and Tabernacles: early and late harvests, both literal and spiritual.
The whole Feast anticipated, in faith, redemption for Israel and Peace for the world at the coming again of the Prince of Peace to the city of Peace, Jerusalem. Then there truly will be Peace, when He comes to reign far a thousand years – the Millennium from Jerusalem. Then the promise of Acts 3:20-21 will be fulfilled. “He (the Father) will send Jesus Christ, which before was preached to you (Israel, in context): whom, heaven must receive (back) until the times of restitution (Gk. Apokatastaseos = restoration, occurring here and in Acts 1:6 only) of all things, which God had spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets, since the world began.” Acts 3:19 had called upon Israel “to repent and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing (at the re-appearing of the Messiah at His second coming to Israel) shall come from the presence of the Lord.” Acts 1:6 will then be fulfilled from the question of the disciples, “Lord, will you at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” The reply of Jesus was, in verse 7, “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father has fixed in His own power”. The return of Christ, the Messiah was expected.
Israel and the Rabbis pray for the Gentiles (70 nations then) to come to Jerusalem to worship the Lord in peace and safety. Tabernacles is the seventh Feast in the seventh month (September – October). The Feast lasted for seven days – The ‘seventh day’ points to the Millennium when peace and safety will be real and will be like a Sabbath physical rest – the seventh thousand years since creation. In type, Jesus had cried out on the ‘last day’, which was that great day of the Feast. “Jesus stood and cried, saying, if any man thirst, let him come to me and drink meaning receive spiritual refreshing in the newness of life/salvation, by the operation of the Holy Spirit in context” John 7:37. The number ‘7’ is the Bible number of perfection or completion. On the seventh day, the Sabbath, God rested Himself.
The Feast of Tabernacles is indeed the Feast of rejoicing. Deuteronomy 16:14 says, ‘you shall rejoice in your Feast’. The land will rejoice. “Trees will clap their hands”, Isaiah 55:12. “Floods clap their hands.” Psalm 98:1-9, possibly sung at the Feast of Tabernacles. (Isaiah 35:1-2 applies too, about the blessings to the land of Israel, agriculturally).
Jewish people believe that the Messiah will come at the Feast of Tabernacles. He did come then (John 7) and He may come again to Israel at that seventh Feast time. Some thoughtful believers have though Jesus was born at the Feast of Tabernacles. In 1st Chronicles 24:10 we see that the eighth in line of the priestly duty rotas was the house of Abijah. Luke 1:5 tells us that Zacharias was of the house of Abijah. He was promised a son, verse 13, even in his old age, as was his wife Elisabeth. Luke 1:26-36 tells us that Elisabeth, six months pregnant, verses 26 and 36, visited Mary in Nazareth. Mary was told she will expect a baby, to be named Jesus.
There were 24 rotas of priests for their annual duty in the Temple, which means each priest had a duty of two weeks and the remaining weeks of the year was served by the priests to fill up the year. The question is, when did the year begin for the priestly rota? We are told in Exodus 12:2 and Esther 3:7 that the first month of the year was Nisan, March/April time. Zacharias was on duty for the two weeks, fifteenth and sixteenth weeks of the year from Nisan, March/April time. Four months (sixteen weeks) would bring us to July. Zacharias returns home, Elisabeth becomes miraculously pregnant and six months from then would bring us to January. Elisabeth visits Mary in January when the angel informs Mary she would be come pregnant by the Holy Spirit, creating the embryo of Jesus, the Son of God, in her womb. Nine months from the time when Mary received the angelic announcement regarding the conception of Jesus, to the time of the birth of Jesus would bring the time to October – This would be the time of the Feast of Tabernacles. It is very interesting to note that John 1:14 says, “Jesus tabernacled among men’.
Tabernacles is the only Feast which is commanded of Gentiles to obey. Zechariah 14:16-19 tells us that those who survive Armageddon and the judgments of God at that time, becoming believers during the Great Tribulation, shall come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of Hosts and keep the Feast of Tabernacles. Zechariah speaks of a saved and purified remnant of Israel becoming believers, surviving Antichrist hostilities, against Israel particularly, during the ‘time of Jacob’s Trouble’ (Jeremiah 30:7). They will be ready to receive their Messiah King at His coming to reign upon the earth (Zechariah 14:4). Israel’s saved remnant will acknowledge His Kingship, verses 8-9. Israel’s remnant will have repented. Zechariah 12:8,10-13:1. The King of Israel must have a people to reign over, sitting on David’s throne, fulfilling the Davidic Covenant, 2 Samuel 7 and Psalm 89. Gentiles shall come to Jerusalem to worship in Israel by command of the King at the Feast of Tabernacles, see above reference in Zechariah 14. Genesis 49:10, a prophecy by Jacob concerning the tribe of Judah, will be remarkably fulfilled, probably 3800 years after Jacob spoke these words. “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh (Messiah) come; and to Him shall the gathering of the people be”.
Tabernacles is therefore a harvest thanksgiving, a commemoration of Redemption and faith’s leap into the future when the nations shall worship the King in His Messianic Kingdom of God the Father’s dear Son – the Millennium. This is the earthly Kingdom promised especially in the Old Testament but referred to in the Gospels by Jesus and also spoken of in parts of the rest of the New Testament. Isaiah 9:6 tells us that the government of the nations will be upon His shoulder. The responsibility will be His. Jerusalem will be the centre of the earth as stated in Ezekiel 5:5. Israel will be the head nation and no longer the tail nation, Deuteronomy 28:13.
The Jewish prayer at the Feast of Tabernacles is, “turn to me and be saved, today if you will hear my voice. Behold the Man who sprang forth – the Branch is His name: David Himself stand up. Be buried in dust no longer. You who dwell in the dust wake up and sing. Glad will be the people when He rules. The name of the ungodly shall perish, but to His Anointed, the Messiah (Son of) David, He gives grace. Grant salvation to the eternal people, to David and his seed forever.” Jesus, the Messiah, is David’s greater son, Son of Man and Son of God, but descended from David to inherit David’s throne and to reign and rule from Jerusalem at His second coming, for His Millennial reign, for a thousand years.
Revelation 11:15 says, “the seventh angel sounded (note the number seven for completion and fulfilment), there were great voices in heaven, saying, the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ (Messiah); and He shall reign for ever and ever.
(Download the The Feasts of the Lord notes for your own personal study).
Dr. Don Hender, Bournemouth. March 2003.