Sukkot - The Feast of Tabernacles |
The Feast of Tabernacles, Sukkot, is called Zeman Simkateinu, the Season of Rejoicing, comes after Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement ... so we rejoice in the forgiveness of God. In the days of the Temple the Festival culminated with Praise and the singing of the Hallel Palms.
It lasts for 7 days which can be seen to represent the 70 years of our lives which we live preparing ourselves for everlasting life.
We build booths in our gardens to remind us that life is temporary and we need to look to eternal matters. It also reminds us of God’s care and provision when we came out of Egypt and He led us out into the Promised Land – but this love and care is seen in His provision to deal with our sin, first, through the Temple sacrifices and, ultimately, in the Messiah.
The theme of forgiveness is often overlooked at Sukkot but in Numbers 29 we see that a total of 70 bulls were offered up in sacrifice; when asked why, the great Jewish scholar Rashi, said: “It was to bring forgiveness for them (the 70 nations which comprise the world), so that rain shall fall all over the earth.” Sukkot is unique among the Jewish Festivals as it speaks of God’s loving provision of forgiveness to the entire world. This also speaks to Israel’s role to bless the nations and its priestly role.
During the Temple era there was a celebration of lights which was held in the court of the women when there was dancing by torch light and the great candelabras were lit. This was to commemorate the Pillar of cloud that led them by day and the fire that led them by night on their journey out of Egypt. It signifies the Shechinah Glory of God, His Presence with them in the journey and now in the Temple in Jerusalem.
It was at the end of the Feast when the candelabras were extinguished that Jesus said, “I am the Light of the World, he who follows me will not walk in darkness but have the light of life.” He pointed to this symbol and said that each one could experience this light in their hearts, the light of the Presence of God. It reminds us that we too are on a spiritual journey that leads to an eternity spent enjoying God’s presence and that our ultimate home is not here on earth but in heaven.
Another tradition was the water libation ceremony when a procession led by the High Priest brought water up from the Pool of Siloam - it was a time of great celebration and an offering of wine was also made at the altar along with the water which was poured out at the altar. The Levite choirs sang the Hallel (Psalms 113-118); the high point came when they sang Psalm 118:25 - Save us, we pray, O LORD! - there was singing and waving of palm branches, it was a great spectacle. It is said that the water ran out from the Temple and down the Temple mount.
This is the background to Yeshua’s words in John 7:37-38, “On the last day of the feast, (Sukkot-Tabernacles) the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'"
The other messianic element is seen in the waving of the palm branches - when Yeshua returned to Jerusalem He was welcomed by the crowds who shouted “Hosanna, Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!" (Matthew 21:9). We see this fulfilled in the Book of Revelation where the Redeemed are seen worshipping the Lord, “and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” (Revelation 7:9-10).
Yeshua used the visual elements of contemporary Jewish worship at Sukkot to teach us important truths. Today as Jewish People gather to celebrate this Festival many will eat at least one meal in the Sukka which they have built in their gardens. This is a visual reminder of God’s love. The rabbis teach that as we enter the Sukka to celebrate we are joined by God’s Presence and the call of God’s heart as the Beloved knocks on the doors of our hearts (Song of Solomon 5:2). We are also reminded of how the Israelites spent 40 years living in temporary shelters vulnerable to the elements, yet knew the true source of their protection was God himself. We, too, need to remind ourselves that God is our Rock, our Salvation, and our strength, and the true source of protection.
Also called the Feast of Ingathering, it rejoices in the goodness of God in the land; Deuteronomy 16 explains that we are to come because the Lord blesses the work of our hands. As the people brought in their harvests they brought freewill offerings out of the bounty of their full storehouses. The deeper idea is that as we enjoy God’s blessing we too bring Him our freewill offerings of worship.
This ingathering of harvest is not only connected to the land but to the peoples of the earth and in Zechariah 14:16-18 we see the end time fulfilment of this when all the nations of the earth join with Israel in celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles. How is this to happen? At the moment we see the Church, but is she is ready to join Israel and we see Israel clearly not ready to join with the Church. Only when we become a truly “Messianic Community” where Israel and the Nations of earth are united in Messiah will we see the prophecy of Zechariah fulfilled.
Israel in the days of the Temple right up until Yeshua came offered up sacrifices so that God would forgive and bless the nations of the earth; we now in Yeshua must in turn reach out to Israel with the forgiveness that Messiah brings. What can you do? Firstly, we can all pray and ask the Lord of the Harvest for His people Israel to be saved. Then we can take a deeper interest in the work of evangelism to the Jewish people and if you know a Jewish person find out how you can share the forgiveness of God with them so that they might walk in the Light of Life and know Messiah. This is the heart of God, revealed in this Festival: that Jew and Gentile come together to worship Him.
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