Israel's Holy Days, Part 5

Israel’s Holy Days

Part 5, The Feast of Tabernacles

Chapter 20, Part 5 Preview: (Back to Part 1). The apostles never said that the Holy Days were dusty archives of events long forgotten! Rather, they are prophetic signs of “things to come”! The modern Israelite nations have almost entirely lost the knowledge of not only their Biblical heritage but also the truth that we were to have an “everlasting covenant” with God. This chapter explains, via the Holy Days, why it is that only the Israelite nations will suffer the prophesied “Great Tribulation”. The penalty for not keeping our covenant will be inflicted upon Modern Israel by the hands “of the peoples” whom we were supposed to set an example for! (Deuteronomy 4:5-10) The other nations suffer afterward:

The Feast of Tabernacles

The next amazing event during this end time saga will occur toward the end of the Great Tribulation. God will offer the Israelite captives literal physical salvation from what would have been genocide had those days not been shortened by Divine intervention on the Jubilee year. Here is the significance of the 7th day from Yeshua Himself! It is either good news or bad news depending on your works:

The Feast of Tabernacles is the twenty-first century equivalent of Israel approaching “Utopia”; this year they will choose to enter it! The lessons begin in earnest at the very first Feast of Tabernacles after perhaps another crossing of the Jordan River. I expect that the Second Exodus will occur on the seventh seven year cycle of the Jubilee cycle, year 49. God has not lost track of when these years occur:

Deuteronomy 31:10-13 Moses commanded them, saying, “At the end of every seven years, in the set time of the year of RELEASE, in the Feast of [Tabernacles], 11 when all Israel is come to appear before [Yehovah] your God in the place which He shall choose, you shall read this Law before all Israel in their hearing. 12 Assemble the people, the men and the women and the little ones, and your foreigner who is within your gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear [Yehovah] your God, and observe to do all the words of this law; 13 and that their children, who have not known, may hear, and learn to fear [Yehovah] your God, as long as you live in the land where you go over the Jordan to possess it. WEB

According to Easton’s Revised Bible Dictionary a Tabernacle is:

“A hut made of the branches of a tree. In such tabernacles Jacob sojourned for a season at a place named from this circumstance Succoth #Ge 33:17. Booths were erected also at the feast of Tabernacles (q.v.), #Le 23:42,43, which commemorated the abode of the Israelites in the wilderness.

This very Feast, by virtue of the name God gave it, pictures residing in a very temporary abode. Hebrew synonyms for Tabernacle are: “booth”, “cottage” and “crude temporary shelter”. In other words, this does not portray our real home, or our destination! However, the Feast of Tabernacles does picture the seven year countdown toward that destination, as I’ll explain soon.

The Feast of Tabernacles was originally only given to the Nation of Israel. While only the first day is a mandatory “holy convocation”, the entire time is to be a celebration. This is not to imply that the other six days are for typical vacationing.

Leviticus 23:34-35 Speak to the children of Israel, saying: The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for SEVEN days to the LORD. 35 On the FIRST DAY there shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it. NKJV

Deuteronomy 16:13-15 You shall observe the Feast of Tabernacles seven days, when you have gathered from your threshing floor and from your winepress. 14 And you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant and the Levite, the stranger and the fatherless and the widow, who are within your gates. 15 Seven days you shall keep a sacred feast to the LORD your God in the place which the LORD chooses, [which was and will soon be again Jerusalem] because the LORD your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you surely rejoice. NKJV

To ancient Israel, the Feast of Tabernacles clearly commemorated only one thing—the Exodus. The significance of this particular Feast was explicitly spelled out when God first revealed His Holy Day plan to Israel, before they arrived in the Promised Land. Israel was to reflect back on the lessons learned during the Exodus! Note this scriptural passage, for it tells you what the Feast of Tabernacles represents!

Leviticus 23:41-43 You shall keep it a feast to [Yehovah] seven days in the year: it is a statute forever throughout your generations; you shall keep it in the seventh month. 42 You shall dwell in booths seven days. All who are native-born in Israel shall dwell in booths, 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 [Yehovah] your God. WEB

In the near future, the modern nations of Israel will look back on another Exodus! The emphasis of the teaching during the Feast of Tabernacles will no longer be a look back at the First Exodus from Egypt. It will look back on the Second Exodus from the North Country!

Jeremiah 23:7-8 Therefore, behold, the days come, says [Yehovah], that they shall no more say, As [Yehovah] lives, who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of EGYPT; 8 but, As [Yehovah] lives, who brought up and who led the [descendants] of the house of Israel out of the NORTH COUNTRY, and from all the countries where I had driven them. They shall dwell in their own land. WEB

Jeremiah 16:14-15 uses almost the exact same words in reference to Israel returning “from the land of the north”. But the next verse describes the zealous effort that God will go to to retrieve His redeemed ones:

Jeremiah 16:16 Behold, I will send for many fishermen, says [Yehovah], and they shall fish them up; and afterward I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the clefts of the rocks.

Some teach that the Feast of Tabernacles represents the Millennial Sabbath—the seventh one thousand year period, which is only mentioned once in the Bible—but without any scriptural basis. Nothing is actually stated to occur during this time except that the saints have become “priests” who “reign”. Only two other things are specifically emphasized in the scriptures in reference to the Millennial Sabbath. First, it is sandwiched between two Satanic rebellions—but nor during it! And secondly there is also a resurrection immediately before and after this period—but nor during it.

Revelation 20:4-8 I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Yeshua, and for the word of God, and such as didnt worship the beast nor his image, and didnt receive the mark on their forehead and on their hand. They lived, and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead didnt live until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over these, the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with him one thousand years. 7 And after the thousand years, Satan will be released from his prison, 8 and he will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war; the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. WEB

So while the end of the coming millennium will close out the first millennial week—the only scriptural peculiarity about the “thousand years” has to do with Satan being gone! Yet the kingdom will last at least a thousand generations.

Deuteronomy 7:9 Know therefore that [Yehovah] your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps covenant and loving kindness with them who love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations, 10 and repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them ... (also 1 Chronicles 16:15 & Psalms 105:8).

The Feast of Tabernacles is an overview of the saga of Israel covering the entire seven year journey mentioned in Daniel 9:27 (covered in Jubilee 2027 AD.) It is a trail of tears. Yet this rocky trail leads to the Promised Land!

Humanity is about to enter into what Yeshua referred to as the “world to come”. However that momentous event will not be realized until there is a New Heaven and a New Earth.

Luke 18:29-30 He said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, there is no one who has left house, or wife, or brothers, or parents, or children, for the Kingdom of God’s sake, 30 who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the world to come, eternal life. WEB

A small but informative offsite article tells this about an interesting Jewish ceremony concerning the Feast of Tabernacles, here is an excerpt:

This ceremony was connected to a very joyous evening celebration, the “Festival of Lights”. This evening festival was so joyful that it was said that According to Jewish historical records, those who kept the festival in first century Jerusalem observed a special ceremony on each day of the festival in addition to the various sacrifices and libation offerings commanded in the Torah (Num. 29:12-40). Sometime prior to the first century this special ceremony, the water libation offering was added to the festival offerings in order to give thanks for the previous year’s rain, to petition God for more rain, and to picture the great outpouring of God’s Spirit that was to come during the 1000 year reign of the Messiah. “He who has not witnessed the rejoicing at the water-drawing huts has, throughout the whole of his life, witnessed no real rejoicing” (Sukkah 53b) ....

These ceremonies and celebrations continued throughout the festival. On the last (7th) day, a change was made to the ceremony. On this day the priests, instead of circling the altar one time, would circle it seven times; this time singing with a loud voice a song of redemption and salvation—“Save now, I pray, O LORD; O LORD, I pray, send now prosperity. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD ...” Psalm 118:25-26—offsite. Link

The Feast of Tabernacles pictures the birth of a new nation:

Micah 4:10-12 Be in pain, and labor to bring forth, daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail; for now you will go forth out of the city, and will dwell in the field, and will come even to Babylon. There you will be rescued. There [Yehovah] will redeem you from the hand of your enemies. 11 Now many nations have assembled against you, that say, “Let her be defiled, and let our eye gloat over Zion.” 12 But they dont know the thoughts of [Yehovah], neither do they understand His counsel; for He has gathered them like the sheaves to the threshing floor. WEB

The rebirth of Israel will take place very quickly! As an aside, the following scripture is proof that the Third Temple will still be standing in Jerusalem, and still be Holy to God just prior to Israel’s rebirth! The Beast will not destroy the Temple that the Two Witnesses’ built, nor will anyone else!

Isaiah 66:6-9 A voice of tumult from the city, [A deliberate contrast to Ezekiel 26:10] a voice from the TEMPLE, a voice of [Yehovah] that renders recompense to His enemies. 7 “Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she delivered a son. 8 Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Shall a nation be brought forth at once? For as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. 9 Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth?” says [Yehovah]: “shall I who cause to bring forth shut the womb?” says your God. WEB

Below is a specific association between “seven years” and the Feast of Tabernacles. Furthermore, the “year of release” associates it with the seven distinct years of release within the Jubilee cycle. The end time year of release will be year 49 of the Jubilee cycle. I expect that the year 2026 AD will be the final year of the Great Tribulation—which will be immediately prior to the Day of the Lord—Judgment Day.

Deuteronomy 31:10-11 Moses commanded them, saying, “At the end of every seven years, in the ‘set’ [appointed—NKJV] time of the year of release, in the Feast of ‘tents’ [Tabernacles: KJV], 11 when all Israel is come to appear before [Yehovah] your God in the place which He shall choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. WEB

These seven years are the birth pangs that precede the birth of the Nation of Israel!

Micah 4:10 Be in pain, and labor to bring forth, daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail; for now you will go forth out of the city, and will dwell in the field, and will come even to Babylon. There you will be rescued. There [Yehovah] will redeem you from the hand of your enemies. WEB

All of God’s people live in temporary shelters—tabernacles. We await our permanent home in New Jerusalem. The Feast of Tabernacles symbolizes the ultimate showdown between good and evil, prior to the Kingdom of God being established—to the amazement of a bewildered and conquered world. During this Feast we should reflect strongly upon the “Babylonian” mindset that precedes the Everlasting Kingdom. This will be a far more significant event than the original exodus from Egypt. In fact, the very nations that “caused” the Second Exodus will ultimately be forced to commemorate it!

A Seven Year Plan

Look again at Deuteronomy 31:10, just quoted, and notice: “At the end of every seven years, in the set time of the year of release, in the Feast of [Tabernacles]”. Israel is commanded to read “all the words of the law” (Genesis thru Deuteronomy) on the “year of release” (Sabbatical Years) “at the appointed time” “at the Feast of Tabernacles” (as in 2005, 2012, 2019 etc). It would seem quite logical that toward the end of the notorious seven year long period, which also ends the 3½ year long Great Tribulation, that as soon as modern Israel is released from captivity, they will be quite receptive of any proposal from God concerning obedience to the law. Isaiah 51 perfectly illustrates the fact that the coming Exodus will have similarities to the first one. It unquestionably compares the coming Exodus to the “ancient times”, to the “days of old”! The greatest point that modern so-called Christianity has conveniently overlooked is the value of God’s law—the very law that will go out from Zion!

Isaiah 51:3-16 For [Yehovah] has comforted Zion; He has comforted all her waste places, and has made her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of [Yehovah]; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody. 4 “Attend to Me, My people; and give ear to Me, My nation: for [the] ‘law’ [08451, torah] shall go forth from Me, and I will establish My justice for a light of the peoples .... 7 “Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, the people in whose heart is My law; dont fear the reproach of men, neither be dismayed at their insults. 8 For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool; but My righteousness shall be forever, and My salvation to all generations.” 9 Awake, awake, put on strength, arm of [Yehovah]; awake, as in the days of old, the generations of ancient times. Isnt it you who cut Rahab in pieces, who pierced the monster? 10 Isnt it you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep; who made the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to pass over? 11 The ransomed of [Yehovah] shall return, and come with singing to Zion; and everlasting joy shall be on their heads: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. 12 “I, even I, am He who comforts you: who are you, that you are afraid of man who shall die, and of the son of man who shall be made as grass; 13 and have forgotten [Yehovah] your Maker, who stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and fear continually all the day because of the fury of the oppressor, when he makes ready to destroy? And where is the fury of the oppressor? 14 The captive exile shall speedily be freed; and he shall not die and go down into the pit, neither shall his bread fail. 15 For I am [Yehovah] your God, who stirs up the sea, so that its waves roar: [Yehovah] of Armies is His name. 16 I have put My words in your mouth, and have covered you in the shadow of My hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and tell Zion, ‘You are My people. WEB

Simply looking into a complete concordance and reading every prophetic scripture that mentions “law”, “covenant” and “Sabbath”, from Isaiah thru Malachi can be an excellent Bible study. Virtually every mention of these words—dozens of them—are in the context of Israel not obeying God’s law, breaking the everlasting covenant with Him—especially in regard to Sabbath keeping. The Feast of Tabernacles pictures the seven year long event in the future when God will intervene in world affairs in favor of His captive people. God will re-establish a marriage like relationship with His people after this! The law of God—the law that “everyone” says is of no value—will again be taught and enforced from God’s throne in Jerusalem. The entire reason for Bible prophecy—the good news of the reinstitution of the twelve tribes of Israel into their ancestral lands and the painful circumstances that precede this time is being entirely overlooked. The watchmen are asleep!

“On the First Day shall be a Holy Convocation”

I believe that the Feast of Tabernacles parallels the seventieth year of Daniels Seventy Weeks Prophecy. To this I would apply the commonly understood day-for-a-year principle.

Why is it that only the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles is specified as a mandatory Assembly? Daniel 9:24-27is one of the most controversial passages in the Bible. Many people teach that it refers to a seven year Tribulation, yet the Great Tribulation only lasts for the latter half of this period. Many of these same people also assume that the Third Temple will be the Beast’s Temple. Actually the men who later serve as the Two Witnesses will be responsible for it’s construction and administration for the first three and a half years of its existence. During the first half of the final seven years GOD’S TEMPLE will be fully operational. I’d love to know how long it will take to get up and running.

Revelation 11:1-4 A reed like a rod was given to me. Someone said, “Rise, and measure [as a surveyor and designer] GOD’S TEMPLE, and the altar, and those who worship in it. 2 Leave out the court which is outside of the temple, and dont measure it, for it has been given to the nations. They will tread the holy city under foot for forty-two months. 3 I will give power to My Two Witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands, standing before the Lord of the earth.

The Temple is an integral part of God’s future plans. The nine chapters of Ezekiel (40-48) that deal with it are quite detailed. The restoration of temple services on the first day of this seven year long period, after having ceased to exist for so many centuries is quite significant in the eyes of God. If for no other reason, we should anxiously anticipate this event because we will be able to determine without any doubt when God’s Kingdom will arrive by the dates given to us by God in the book of Daniel.

On the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, Yeshua elaborated on a Jewish tradition to illustrate a point about “living waters”. That tradition is known as:

Simchat Beit HaShoeivah (Pouring of the waters)—Wikipedia (link 1)

In the days of the Temple in Jerusalem, a unique service was performed every morning throughout the Sukkot holiday: the Nisuch HaMayim... “pouring of the water”) or Water Libation Ceremony. According to the Talmud, Sukkot is the time of year in which God judges the world for rainfall; therefore this ceremony, like the taking of the Four Species [for making booths], invokes God’s blessing for rain in its proper time. The water for the libation ceremony was drawn from the pool of Shiloah in the City of David, and the joy that accompanied this procedure was palpable. (This is the source for the verse in Isaiah: “And you shall draw waters with joy from the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3).

Afterwards, every night in the outer Temple courtyard, tens of thousands of spectators would gather to watch the Simchat Beit HaShoeivah (Rejoicing at the Place of the Water-Drawing), as the most pious members of the community danced and sang songs of praise to God. The dancers would carry lighted torches, and were accompanied by the harps, lyres, cymbals and trumpets of the Levites. According to the Mishnah tractate Sukkah, “He who has not seen the rejoicing at the Place of the Water-Drawing has never seen rejoicing in his life.” Throughout Sukkot, the city of Jerusalem teemed with Jewish families who came on the holiday pilgrimage and joined together for feasting and Torah study. A mechitza (partition separating men and women) was erected for this occasion.—Wikipedia link 2

There is yet another likely impetus for celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles: Yeshua was probably born on that date (off site).

The water pouring custom lasted into the Seventh Day of the Feast of Tabernacles, which is where Part 6 picks up.

Now for Part 6