THE MEANING OF THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES
Lev 23:39 “On exactly the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the crops of the land, you shall celebrate the Feast of Yahweh for seven days, with a rest on the first day and a rest on the eighth day. 40 Now on the first day, you shall take for yourselves the foliage of beautiful trees, palm branches, and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before Yahweh your God for seven days. 41 You shall thus celebrate it as a feast (or party) to Yahweh for seven days in the year. It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. (Since the Jewish calendar starts in March/April, the 7th month would be September/October). 42 You shall live in booths (temporary shelters) for seven days; all the native-born in Israel shall live in booths, 43 so that your generations may know that I had the sons of Israel live in booths when I brought them out from the land of Egypt. I am Yahweh your God.” (NAS)
Please note, the Feast of Tabernacles, here, is also called, “Yahweh’s Feast”!
It is important to notice that the reason God commanded them to observe Tabernacles, is because He tabernacled with His Dear Ones in the Wilderness, in His Glory. Please try to picture what it must have been like, with the mighty Pillar of the Fire and Light of the Shekinah Glory of God. Biblical historians tell us that there were between two and one-half million to six million people with Moses in the Wilderness! Can you imagine the logistics of feeding and guiding and counseling this many people in the Wilderness? Just think of the expertise needed for overseeing sanitation, housing, food, water, camping, travel, warfare, and the handling of complaints! The glory cloud had to have been large enough to shelter this many people by day, from the hot sun, and to provide them sufficient light and warmth during the night! Ever since that time, the Jewish people have been, or, were supposed to have been, celebrating this special time. Tabernacles, otherwise known by its Hebrew word, “Sukkot” or ‘shelters’ or ‘booths’, is still being celebrated by the Jews to this very day! When Karen and I were in Jerusalem, we saw one of the temporary shelters that was put together for Sukkot. In Genesis 33:17, we can see what kind of shelter this would be. “And Jacob journeyed to Succoth; and built for himself a house, and made booths (or Sukkot, or succoths) for his livestock, therefore the place is named Succoth.” (NAS)
Traditionally, the Jewish people build a temporary hut, made from branches, and they gather together in families, and have an annual family vacation camp-out!!