Oct 12, 2022
Imagine the Kingdom of God on this earth—a time when the presence of God is always with us and leading us, when knowledge and understanding of His Word is always available, when there is no disease and people have all the food they need. Well, the Feast of Tabernacles is a remembrance of the time when the children of Israel experienced all those things in the wilderness. We pray, “Thy kingdom come on earth.” But through Tabernacles God can show us exactly what that means.
Show Notes: How important is the Feast of Tabernacles to us as Christians? All of the biblical feasts have relevance for us, but the Feast of Tabernacles is particularly significant to the days we are living in now. Of all the feasts, Tabernacles is the only time the LORD commanded the children of Israel to include the servants and strangers and others living in their towns. It points to the time of His Kingdom when those who were formally strangers and aliens are included, and the earth is filled with the knowledge of the LORD (Habakkuk 2:14).
The observance of this feast involves living in simple booths for seven days. This was to remind the children of Israel of the time they lived in tents as they wandered in the wilderness for forty years. We usually think of the wilderness as a time when God's dealings are on us, or negative things are taking place surrounding us. But the Feast of Tabernacles is about being all together joyful, about celebrating the harvest, about God reminding them, “When you were in the wilderness, I was with you.”
During this Feast of Tabernacles study the Scriptures about it. Learn how it has been celebrated and the events that transpired during the feast, both in the history of Israel and in the life of Christ. It will give you something not just to remember, but to look forward to. Use your imagination and picture in your mind what those days in the wilderness would have been like, when the presence of the LORD was always with them protecting them, leading them, instructing them, providing for them. Wait on the Lord and say, “Show me, Lord. What are these days of Tabernacles? And what do they hold in store for us as believers today?”
Key Verses:
- Leviticus 23:34-44. “You shall live in booths for seven days.”
- Deuteronomy 16:13-18. “You shall rejoice in your feast.”
- Deuteronomy 31:10-13. “At the end of every seven years … you shall read this law in front of all Israel.”
- 1 Kings 8:2-6. “At the feast … the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place.”
- 2 Chronicles 5:1-7. “Then all the elders of Israel came, and the Levites took up the ark.”
- Ezra 3:1-6. “They celebrated the Feast of Booths, as it is written.”
- Nehemiah 8:13–9:3. “The entire assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in them.”
- John 7:2-14. “When it was now the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and began to teach.”
- John 7:37-39. “From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.”
- Matthew 6:10. “Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
- John 18:36. “My kingdom is not of this world.”
- Romans 8:14. “All who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”
- Isaiah 11:9. “The earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD.”
Quotes:
- “We see some of these tremendous advantages of this time in the wilderness that only existed for Israel or on the earth during this time.”
- “God is saying, ‘I want you to remember this time because I'm going to bring My Kingdom to this earth.’”
- “This Feast of Tabernacles is the feast of His presence on the earth, and let us believe to see the glory of the Lord fill all the earth at this wonderful time of Tabernacles.”
Takeaways:
- This feast is referred to as Sukkot, the Feast of Booths, or the Feast of Tabernacles. And one of the great titles for this feast, in my mind, is the Feast of the LORD. This indicates how important this time is; we are to spend it with the Lord. We need to study the Scriptures and lay hold of its true significance for us.
- In our Christian mindset, we often think of the wilderness as a negative experience. But the reality is that there are many aspects of the wilderness experience that describe the experience of God’s Kingdom on earth.
- Isaiah tells us that the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. And it was during Tabernacles that Yeshua (Jesus) prophesied that out of us will flow rivers of living water. So Tabernacles is about the presence of God, the knowledge of God, the understanding of God that will flow into the earth through the believers in Christ.