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The Feast of Tabernacles

In the Twenty-third chapter of Leviticus the Lord spoke to Moses about establishing seven major feasts.  Leviticus 23:1-2 reads, “And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them:  ‘the feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts.’”

The first of these seven feasts is Passover. Passover always comes in the first month of the year on the Hebrew religious calendar.  The seventh and last of the feasts comes in the fall of the year in the seventh month.  It is the Feast of Tabernacles.

Although there are a total of seven feasts (the divine number for perfection or completeness in the Bible), God divided the seven festivals into three major festival seasons. Every male was to present themselves before the Lord three times in a year in each festival group. 

The Jewish male would travel to Jerusalem for Passover in the spring, Pentecost at the end of spring, and the Feast of Tabernacles in the fall.  The fall festival season consisted of Rosh Ha Shana (Trumpets), the Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles.

The Feast of Tabernacles comes on the fifteenth day of Tishri in the fall of the year and continues until the twenty-second day of Tishri.  These fall feasts are prophetic pictures of God’s plan of the ages. 

Rosh Ha Shana, which is also known as “The Feast of Trumpets,” is a prophetic picture of the Rapture of the New Testament Church.  Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement is a prophetic picture of the coming time of Jacob’s trouble, or “The Great Tribulation.”  The third of the fall feasts is Succoth or Tabernacles.  This beautiful feast is a prophetic preview of the Millennial Kingdom. 

Deuteronomy 16:13-16 teaches that Tabernacles is a feast associated with joy and is to be a time of rejoicing.  During this time many Jewish families construct a sukkah, a small hastily built hut or booth in which meals are eaten throughout the festival. The sukkah (booth) is used to remember the huts Israel lived in during their forty-year sojourn in the wilderness after the exodus from Egypt. 

During the Feasts of Tabernacles the priests would perform a ceremony called “Water Libation.” A special priest would take a golden vessel and draw water out of the Pool of Siloam to be poured out at a basin at the altar. On the seventh day of the feast, which was known as the great praise, the High Priest would pour the water on the altar. The water poured onto the hot altar would turn to steam and rise in a cloud from the altar.

This is where Jesus makes the statement of John 7:37-38. “On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

After the “Water Libation” ceremony there would be a light show where the priest would dance with torches, and the Levites would play music.  It was a wonderful joyous celebration.  It was during this festival that Jesus made this statement in John 8:12. “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

Many believe that the Temple of Solomon was dedicated during Tabernacles.  During this dedication the glory of the Lord filled the house after the priests brought the Ark of the Covenant into the Holy of Holies.  Tabernacles is a celebration because God Himself tabernacle with Israel in the wilderness.

It is possible the Jesus Himself was born during the time of Tabernacles.  John 1:14 reads, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt (tabernacle) among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Tabernacles is a time to remember when Israel lived in tents in the wilderness.  It is a time to remember God’s faithfulness and anticipate the time when Jesus will return to set up His kingdom and tabernacle with Israel in Jerusalem.  Revelation 21:3 reads, “And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and betheir God.”

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