Feast of Tabernacles
Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot)
The Feast of Tabernacles is the last of the seven, annual Jewish feasts. God ordained this feast in Leviticus 23:33-36 (NIV):
The LORD said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, the LORD’s Feast of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days. The first day is a sacred assembly; do no regular work. For seven days present offerings made to the LORD by fire, and on the eighth day hold a sacred assembly and present an offering made to the LORD by fire.’
This feast takes place in the fall, at the end of the wheat harvest. It is the most joyous feast of them all. It is a time to celebrate and enjoy the harvest, but it is also a time when the Jewish people remember how God supernaturally provided for them in the desert, after they left Egypt. In Leviticus 23:42-43 (NIV) God continues:
“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.’
This feast begins at sundown on Tishrei 14 and last seven days until sundown on Tishrei 21st. During this seven day feast, each family is required to build a temporary shelter called a sukkah in Hebrew. The plural for sukkah is sukkot, which is why this feast is called Sukkot in Hebrew. The building of a sukkah reminds the Jewish people of a time when God lived in their midst in a Tabernacle built especially for Him. It is interesting that this feast is the 7th feast, in the 7th month and it lasts for 7 days. In the Bible, the number 7 represents completeness and perfection.
Additional information about the Feast of Tabernacles is explained below.
- This feast has been celebrated by the Jewish people for over 3,000 years, as a reminder of God’s provision when they left Egypt. While the children of Israel wandered in the desert for 40 years, God provided food and water and their clothes and shoes did not wear out.
- The sukkah is required to have three sides, but the front can be left open as a door. This is an indication that guests (and God) are
welcome to visit. - The roof of the traditional sukkah is made of various branches and tree limbs, placed over support poles. But, it is a requirement to leave space between the branches so you can see the stars at night.
- Some families line the inside of the walls with white fabric. This reminds them of the clouds of glory which surrounded the Tabernacle in the wilderness. Some people hang fabric which contains a blessing printed on the fabric.
- The sukkah also reminds the Jewish people of how their ancestors lived in tents in the desert, after they left Egypt.
- Jewish people are supposed to eat all of their meals in the family sukkah, for the duration of the 7-day feast. Some people even sleep in their sukkah because the weather in Israel is pleasant in the fall. It’s like camping out!
- Today, children will make paper decorations to hang in their sukkah. Sometimes they hang brightly coloured lights (similar to Christmas lights) or garland in their sukkah to make it festive.
- Today, in Israel, some restaurants turn their outdoor dining area into a large sukkah.
- Another tradition during Sukkot is to create an item called a lulav. This is made from a date palm frond, myrtle branches and willow branches which are assembled together. The lulav and an etrog (which is similar to a lemon) are held together and waved during this feast. These items are mentioned in Leviticus 23:40 and are sometimes called the Four Kinds (four kinds of vegetation).
- In Israel, you can hire people to setup and take down your sukkah and the lulav and etrog can also be purchased at local markets.
- It is interesting to note that Sukkot is the only Jewish feast which does not seem to commemorate an event in Jewish history. It is simply a time to be thankful for God’s provision, protection and presence.
Biblical Observance:
In Biblical times, this feast was one of three pilgrimage feasts where the Jewish men were required to travel to Jerusalem. The other two pilgrimage feasts were Passover (Pesach) and Pentecost (Shavuot). Only the men were required to travel to Jerusalem, but often the entire family would travel to Jerusalem for this feast. This feast follows the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement, which are serious and somber events. However, for this feast, God told the people to celebrate and their Temple was the center of this 7-day celebration.
During the time of Jesus, there were two events which occurred during this feast, and both were symbolic. The first event was the ‘water drawing ceremony’. Each morning, during the Feast of Tabernacles, a procession of priests would walk from the Temple, down to the pool of Siloam, where they would fill a golden pitcher with water. Then, they walked back up to the Temple, followed by the thousands of pilgrims who had come to Jerusalem for the feast. The people waved palm branches and shouted as the priests carried the pitcher of water around the altar. At a specific point in time, Psalms 113-118 would be recited, by the crowd, which says (in part), ‘O LORD save us! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.’ This noisy celebration was done while music was played and thousands of people rejoiced. Eventually, the shofar was blown by the priest and the crowds would grow silent. Then, with great ceremony, and with the crowds watching, the priest would pour water from the golden pitcher, onto the altar, as a sacrifice. As the priest poured out the water upon the altar, the Jewish people silently, and reverently, remembered that it represented two things.
First, it represented the rains that God would pour out on the fields during the winter months (which they called the ‘early rains’), so they would have a great harvest in the spring. Secondly, God promised in the Old Testament that in the last days, He would pour out His Spirit, which they associated with the coming of the Messiah. This was called the ‘latter rain’. So, when they saw the water being poured out on the altar, it reminded them that their Messiah was coming soon and also that the Sprit of the Lord would be poured out on the entire earth, like the waters cover the sea. No wonder this feast was one of great celebration!
The second event was the lighting of huge menorahs on the Temple Mount, in the center of Jerusalem. There were four huge golden 
candelabras which were about 75 feet tall (that is the height of a 7 story building). Each candelabra had four branches and at the top of each branch, there was a large bowl. Each bowl would hold 10 gallons of oil. Each night during the feast, young men would climb ladders and pour oil into the bowls and then ignite them. The temple was built on a hill, so when these 16 bowls were lit, the light could be seen for miles around; it was a glorious sight! There was nothing to compare to this light, during the time of Jesus.
The light reminded the people of how God’s Shekinah glory once filled His temple. The light was so bright that the crowds which came to the temple, did not have to walk home in darkness. It was even reported that these lights, burning in the temple in Jerusalem, were so bright, that a man could read a scroll, on the Mount of Olives three miles away!
It is interesting to note that in John Chapter 7, it is recorded that Jesus attended the Feast of Tabernacles. John 7:37 (KJV) states: ‘On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying ‘If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” What an amazing statement for Jesus to say on this day! After the feast ended, Jesus returned to the Temple to teach. John 8:12 (KJV) states that Jesus said ‘I am the light of the world. He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” Jesus used this feast to let his followers know that He is the true light of the world.
See teaching on the other feasts on my website.
