The Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:22- 42)

This Feast was celebrated by the Jews as a remembrance of their redemption from slavery in Egypt and sojourn in the wilderness for 40 years when they lived in temporary Sukkots or booths or tabernacles. Today, they build these temporary Sukkots with fresh leafy branches, fruits and flowers. They spend 7 days with family and friends, reminding themselves of how God redeemed them from slavery and lived among them in a Tabernacle and protected, fed and watered them, that their clothes and shoes did not wear out. Sadly, only Caleb and Joshua, out of the 601,730 souls who had crossed the Red sea, also crossed the Jordan. Numbers 26:51

Many believe that Yeshua was born in the Sukkot (Tabernacle) sometime in September, on the first day of the Sukkot and circumcised on the last day of the Feast. We have romanticized the cowshed and the manger with cows and donkeys, but every farmer knows that by morning the place becomes filthy and stinky.  More likely, he was born in a Sukkot of the farmer and kept in a manger which was a wooden feed box for the sheep.

Bethlehem was the birthplace of King David. It is believed that in Bethlehem Ephrathah (Micah 5:2) farmers raised lambs for sacrifice for the Feasts. Bethlehem means 'House of bread,' "Jesus is the Bread of life, which came down from heaven" (John 6:51) and "Ephrathah, refers to fruit. Jesus identified his blood with the “Fruit of the Vine” “I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until God's kingdom comes." (Luke 22: 18). Thus, his place of birth symbolizes all four aspects of Jesus’ earthly life, the Son of David, the Lamb, the Bread and the Blood.

Over 3000 years ago during this month of Tishri meaning new beginning, “The LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him, "I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. If I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, if My people, which are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2Chron. 7:12-14

Notice that the House of God is primarily a House of Sacrifice. During morning and evening corporate worship, the priests offered sacrifice twice a day. In the Old Testament it was four footed animal sacrifice, “And King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand oxen, and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep. And the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.” (2Chon. 7:5); while in the New Covenant we offer two-legged living lost souls (Romans 15:16). Once a year, after making the sacrifice, the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies and sprinkle the blood on the Mercy Seat and then pray a prayer for the atonement of his own sin, the sins of the people, for prosperity and healing of the land.

The tabernacle, as a dwelling place of God, was but a shadow of things to come (Col.2:17). Now under the new covenant of Yeshua, we are the tabernacles of God (2Cor.6:16). That means we represent the tabernacle, like we provide entrance to the sinners for atonement, we are the light of the world (Menorah), we are the living waters and carriers of the Arch of the Covenant, where the Spirit of God dwelt. Feasts like the Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Pentecost have been already fulfilled. The Feast of Trumpets, and the Day of Atonement, remain to be fulfilled, only the Feast of Tabernacles will remain. This is because once Yeshua returns after the seven years of severe persecution, and establishes the Millennial reign, here on earth, those remaining on earth with go to Jerusalem to worship the King of kings (Zechariah 14:16-17). As there will be no more environment polluting vehicles and airplanes, pilgrims will be going on foot, riding donkeys or on ox carts. On the way pilgrims will be living in tabernacles built by locals. Because the curse of the land will be largely removed, there will be super abundance of food, they will be very glad to feed you. (Genesis 3:17-19; Romans 8:19-23; Amos 9:13-15)

On the last and final 8^th day of the Feast, as the High Priest, went down to the Pool of Siloam, accompanied with a large crowd of priests and people rejoicing. As they were bringing up water in a golden jar to be poured at the altar and then to pray for the rains for next year’s harvest, “Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said: ‘Streams of living water will flow from within him.’” John 7:37,38

Eschatology - the theology of the end times:

When the reaping of the harvest of souls will be completed (Matt. 24:14), Rapture will take place with the sound of Trumpets.  Not all who say Lord, Lord will be raptured but only the remnant whose names are written in the Lamb’ Book. There will be no true church left on earth. Then during the period of Awe until Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) 144,000 virgin Jews will be sealed (Revelation 7:3-9; 14:4). On this holiest day of the year, the High Priest went into the Holy of Holies and sprinkled blood on the Mercy Seat and prayed for the atonement of his people. He also put his hands on a goat’s head and transferred all the sins of Israel and sent the Scape Goat from the East gate of the Temple to the West, on the other side of the Mount of Olives.  During this period Israel will accept that Yeshua shed his blood for their atonement and ascended from the Mount of Olives, thus removing their sins from the East to as far as the West (Psalm 103:11-13). The 144,000 are the “first fruits” of a redeemed Israel which has been prophesied (Zechariah 12:10; Romans 11:25–27). They will be streams of living water to the post-rapture world. These sealed servants will then reap a huge harvest of souls, while suffering the worst seven years of persecution, at the hands of the Anti-Christ, including war of all wars at Armageddon. Yeshua will then come and establish his millennial reign on earth.

He that has ears, listen for the shofar is sounding, and he that has eyes, lift up your eyes and see the greatest ever harvest is nearing completion, and the Day of the Lord is near. It is time for us to repent, resonate with his will that none should perish, realign with his command to reap the ready harvest and do whatever it takes to get our names written in the Book of the Lamb.

Who will enter that Millennial Kingdom:

1.      In the last biblical scenario, a mega crowd from all the 16,000 nations, 6,500 tongues and unnumbered tribes will be standing before the Throne, singing praises to God. Revelation 7:9,10

Question – Whatever you are doing now, will that enable any tribe or tongue or for that matter anyone to stand in that crowd?

 2.  God wandered in a Tabernacle from Moses to David for 430 years. Jesus tabernacled with us, being born in a Tabernacle. He will Tabernacle again with his people in the new earth. (Rev. 21:3)

Question – Whatever you are doing now, will that build Tabernacles of Emmanuel (God with us) in the 2.5 million villages of the world? Think globally, act locally. Matt. 1:23

 3. Jesus said, “Whoever believes in Me, ‘Streams of living water will flow from within him…’”

Question - Have you become a source of living water for the least, the lost and the last, who are spiritually thirsty? Resulting in expediting the return of Yeshua back to this earth, to establish His millennial reign. If not, then better get moving. 2Peter 3:10-12

 4.  he enemy of your souls, Satan, knows his time is short and he is unleashing an unprecedented war against the saints throughout the world.

Question - Do you know that we can overcome him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of our testimony; even willing to be martyrs as we already have victory in the Lord! Because “Greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world!” Revelation 12:11; 1John 4:4