Each of the Jewish feasts presents the gospel and Jesus to the Jews even though most are not aware of it. That was the main reason for the feasts, though the feasts were also a reminder of their deliverance from Egypt by God and being fed for 40 years in the wilderness with the harvest of God. The feast of tabernacles was one of three feasts along with passover and Pentecost (feast of weeks) where all Jewish males were required to come to Jerusalem and present a sacrifice. The Israelite males brought tithes and offerings to the LORD when they went to the feast of tabernacles as well as when they went to passover or Pentecost. (Deuteronomy 16:16-17 ¶ Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:
17 Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee.) The feast of tabernacles is the third and final harvest feast, the first being the feast of first fruits and the second Pentecost.
The feast of tabernacles is a seven day feast which starts on 15 Tishri (Tishri is the seventh month) and varies on our calendar from the end of September to around the middle of October. This is because Israel had a 360 day year versus our 365 day year. (Leviticus 23:34 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD.) (Leviticus 23:40 And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.) This feast today is known to the Jews as Sukkot (Succoth) which means booths so sometimes is called the feast of booths. In John 7 it is called simply the feast. The feast always starts with a sabbath to worship God and then an eighth day after the seven day feast is also a sabbath. (Leviticus 23:39 Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath.) The feast of tabernacles is the last of the seven feasts commanded by God for the Israelites to observe. This feast is five days after the day of atonement and at the end of the fall harvest. (Five meaning grace) This feast is also known as the feast of ingathering to honor God for their fall harvest. (Leviticus 23:27 Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.) (Exodus 23:16 And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.) (Deuteronomy 16:13 ¶ Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine:) The Israelites would make tabernacles or booths out of tree branches and live in them for the week. This is a reminder of their time in the wilderness. (Leviticus 23:43 That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.) (Nehemiah 8:15 And that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and pine branches, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written.) The Israelites were to rejoice to the LORD during this feast. (Leviticus 23:40 And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.) (Deuteronomy 16:14 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.) The feast of tabernacles is the Jews equivalent of our Thanksgiving Day, but much longer and complex.
Many important things happened on the feast of tabernacles. Solomon’s temple was dedicated on this day. (I Kings 8:2 And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month.) Ethanim was the name of the month before the Babylonian captivity. Today it is called Tishri.
Jesus performed much of his public ministry around the three main Jewish feasts of passover, Pentecost, and the feast of tabernacles. Jesus often taught in the temple during these feasts. Once during the feast of tabernacles, Jesus said if anyone thirst and come unto him to drink, out of his belly would flow living water. [John 7:37-39 In 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.
38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)] During this time, the priests blew trumpets, psalms were sung (Psalms 113-118), water was gathered, branches were waved, and many prayers were prayed for the coming Messiah. The people prayed Hosanna meaning save now. When Jesus said for those who thirst to come to him, he was saying he was the Messiah (Christ) of their prayers. He was the answer to their prayers. He was their Saviour. John 7:43 tells us there was division among the people. Some recognized Jesus as their Messiah and were saved, but others did not. Some as today, refused to see the darkness in their own lives and the need for the light of Jesus. (John 7:40-43 ¶ Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.
41 Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?
42 Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?
43 So there was a division among the people because of him.) Another time, Jesus healed a blind man by having him wash in the pool of Siloam. (John 9:5-7 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,
7 And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.) The pool of Siloam is where the Jews gathered water every day for use in the temple. It is probably around here while Jesus was watching the people gather the water, that he said his statement about rivers of living water. This water used in the ceremony represented Jesus.
Scripture seems to give us clues that Jesus was born on the feast of tabernacles, having been conceived on Hanukkah. All important events in the life of Jesus occurred on a Jewish feast day as most likely will all future events. John tells us the Word dwelt among us. (John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.) The word dwelt comes from the Greek word meaning to tabernacle. I believe God was giving us a clue as to his birth. This would be like someone born on Christmas and we said he Christmased with us. The shepherds were also in the fields and would not be in December. If you study when John the Baptist was born by comparing scripture, you can determine he was most likely born on passover and add six months and Jesus would be born on the feast of tabernacles most likely on the first day of the feast and would have been circumcised on the sabbath on the eight day of the feast. Jesus is referred to as the tabernacle of God in Revelation seeming to confirm the meaning in John 1:14. (Revelation 21:3 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.) There was no room at the inn for Jesus. This could have been due not only from the Roman census, but because many Jewish males were in Jerusalem for the feast of tabernacles. Many believe Jesus will return to earth in the Second Coming on the feast of tabernacles and in the rapture on the feast of trumpets. Jesus was also baptized on the feast of tabernacles and anointed by the Holy Ghost at his baptism to start his ministry as the Messiah.
During the eight days of the feast of tabernacles, 70 bullocks were sacrificed. This was later said to represent the 70 Gentile nations separated at the tower of Babel. It is said this represents how Jesus is for all, Jew and Gentile who will receive Jesus as their Saviour and how all nations need the true God of Israel. The day will come in the millennium that all nations are required to go to Jerusalem and celebrate the feast of tabernacles or suffer drought as Jesus will gather all nations to him as King of kings. (Zechariah 14:16-19 ¶ And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.
17 And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.
18 And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.) Since all nations will in the future celebrate this feast, it is sometimes called the feast of nations, though not in scripture. This feast as an agricultural feast shows why the rain will be withheld from those nations who deliberately refuse to attend. This feast was the time the Jews prayed for rain. Those who deliberately refuse the Holy Ghost as seen in this feast in the pouring of the water will be eternally punished in the lake of fire for disobedience in neglecting the calling of God.
The living in the booths or tabernacles as represented in this feast was a reminder to the Israelites that the wilderness was not their permanent home. We as Christians also know this body or tabernacle that we live in is not our permanent home. One day we will get a new resurrected body. (II Corinthians 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.) See (II Corinthians 5:4 and II Peter 1:13-14.) Israel entered the Promised Land and we who are saved will enter the New Jerusalem. The Jews would carry an etrog which was a citrus fruit when they entered the temple. This fruit represented the fruit of the Promised Land given to the Jews. The branches in the feast represent the tree of life and the twelve fruits on it in Revelation 22:2 for life and healing of the nations. (Revelation 22:2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.)
Two ceremonies performed by the Jews were associated with the feast of tabernacles. They were the ceremony of pouring out of water and the ceremony of the festival of lights. In the ceremony of the pouring out of water, the priests would march from the temple to the pool of Siloam and gather water in jugs and march back to the temple through the water gate singing psalms (Psalms 120-134) and then the high priest would pour the water from a golden pitcher into a large laver at the temple. Another priest using a silver pitcher poured wine in with the water. The gold represented the deity of Jesus and the silver the redemption of Jesus and the wine the blood shed by Jesus on the cross. The water and wine mixture flowed through pipes into the brook Kidron. The pouring out of this water symbolized the pouring out of the Holy Ghost on those who are saved and for the coming Messiah. This is what Jesus spoke of in his comment about out of his belly shall flow living water. [John 7:37-39 In 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.
38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)] Isaiah seems to have spoken of this salvation. (Isaiah 12:3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.) Jesus said he was the living water at the end of this ceremony on day 7 after the priest had done this pouring of water seven times. The Jews would also pray for much rain as they were about to enter the rainy season and they needed rain especially since in a desert environment. Jesus was the water of a dry and thirsty land as Israel fell in her sins and searched for her Messiah. The pouring of the water also represented Jesus providing that water for those who thirst. (Psalm 63:1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;) (Isaiah 35:7 And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.) The ceremony of the festival of lights consisted of four huge lampstands each with four branches with a huge bowl on each branch (total of 16 bowls) set up in the temple and lit at sundown. They were 50 cubits high (75 feet tall). 40 gallons of oil was used to fill the bowls. They were so bright they lit all of Jerusalem and were symbolic of the Shekinah glory of God. When Jesus said he was the light of the world, he was saying he was the light represented in this ceremony. He was and is the Shekinah glory of God. Shekinah comes from the Hebrew words for dwell and tabernacle just like in the tabernacle in the wilderness. When Jesus said he was the light of the world, he was saying he was the light represented in this ceremony as the lights were put out on day 8. (John 8:12 ¶ Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.) The number four which means the gospel is clearly seen represented in the lampstands.
Palm Sunday, the week before Easter, makes more sense if you understand the feast of tabernacles. The people were laying out branches before Jesus and saying Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel. The branches were palm branches (John 12:13) and most likely the other branches used in the feast of tabernacles. Hosanna is what the people say during the feast of tabernacles and the feast represents the millennial reign of Jesus.
We see in the feast of tabernacles, God’s desire from the beginning to tabernacle with man. It started with walking in the garden of Eden with Adam and Eve, then the tabernacle and then the first and second temples and finally when Jesus tabernacled with man in his First Coming. It will conclude with his Second Coming, millennial reign, and eternity.
The seventh day of God’s creation will be the millennium. We have seen how the number seven is prevalent with this feast and we know the number seven represents spiritual completeness. The feast of tabernacles with its seven days of rejoicing and peace represents the millennium and the seven days (seven thousand years) of man here on earth before eternity. The eighth day after the feast represents our resurrected bodies and new beginning of eternity with Jesus. It also shows there is an afterlife. This feast starts on the fifteenth of the month. The number fifteen means rest and all Christians will find rest in the millennium. In order to be with Jesus in this seventh feast or the millennium, a person must make sure they first receive the other six feasts starting with the passover sacrifice of seeing how Jesus was our passover lamb who became the unleavened life and the first fruits of all those who are saved and sent the Holy Ghost to believers on pentecost to be with us until the last trumpet calls us home in the rapture in the feast of trumpets and brings the second coming of Jesus in the day of atonement with the millennial reign of Jesus in the feast of tabernacles and then eternity. Just as the feast of tabernacles represented the earthly fall harvest, it also represents the future harvest of souls at the end of the great tribulation that Jesus spoke about in John 4:35-36 as well as all souls that we should be harvesting for the Lord by witnessing to people about Jesus.
The feast of tabernacles as the final yearly feast represents the future restoration of Israel and all mankind in the final state of eternity. The feast represents how Jesus provided for the Israelites in the wilderness and will provide spiritually for all those who receive Jesus as their Saviour. Whenever the Israelites neglected to celebrate the feast of tabernacles, this was a spiritual decline in the nation of Israel and their rejection of God for idols and false gods. Let all of us never forget Jesus in the feast of tabernacles and our future with him for those who are saved.
