The Feast of Tabernacles
September 26, 2010
Introduction
A During the first 19 days of Tishri, there are 3 major Jewish fall feasts: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), & Tabernacles/Booths/Sukkot.
1 Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,34 "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'On the fifteenth of this seventh month is the Feast of Booths for seven days to the Lord. Lev 23:33-34 (NASB)
a As with other feasts, its name lets us in on its purpose.
aa Rosh Hashanah (trumpets, bring before the Lord, awakening Israel from sin & slumber, New Year)
bb Day of Atonement (to cover Israel’s sin for a year)
b Feast of Booths (Sukkot) has a two-fold purpose:
aa A time for Israel to bring in the later harvest, last of the crops. Israel’s Thanksgiving (some believe it was this feast that the Pilgrims used to base their first Thanksgiving on-Hebrew scriptures)
bb A time to remember their wilderness experience...habitation (God dwelt with them during their 40-year camping trip, & He is still with them today). Israel was never as close/dependant than when they were in the wilderness.
c Feast of Ingathering
aa Stored harvest, fields were picked...waiting for “latter rain” to prepare for new crop.
bb Land! God’s land, God’s people-both are His!
cc The land was connected to history, & the land/history connected to the mission of Israel.
2 It’s Jewish tradition for families to build their own Sukkah.
a Rabbis got very particular about all the details...Scripture didn’t.
aa Height, width, spacing of branches...shady, but not too shady, open but not too open on 3 sides.
bb Today, Jewish families will build a Sukkah with at least 3 sides (lean-to)-flimsy.
b Made flimsy to remind them that this ol’ body is, in fact, flimsy too.
aa Not going to last forever
bb Scripture from Paul’s writings: For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 Cor 5:1 (NASB)
B There are 3 great feasts: Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles.
1 Sacrifices, church, end-time gathering (Israel & church’s mission is complete).
a The Lord of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain; a banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow, and refined , aged wine.7 And on this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples, even the veil which is stretched over all nations.8 He will swallow up death for all time, and the Lord God will wipe tears away from all faces, and He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; for the Lord has spoken. Isaiah 25:6-8 (NASB)
b ...and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away." Rev 21:4 (NASB) End results are the same!
I For each of the 8 nights, worship focused around a teaching tool called the Lulav. '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 the Lord your God for seven days.41 'You shall thus celebrate it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month.42 'You shall live in booths 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 the Lord your God.' " Lev 23:40-43 (NASB)
A Consisted of a palm branch, citron/ethrog, willow branch, myrtle branch. It was meant to remind Jews of each phase of their journey into the wilderness.
1 “Foliage (or fruit) of beautiful trees”: Promised Land God had given them (sweet smell & sweet taste).
a “Palm branch”: recalling the valleys/plains they traveled over (fruit was sweet, no fragrance).
b “Boughs of leafy trees (myrtle)”: bushes on the mountain heights (sweet smell, no taste).
c “Willows of the brook”: by the waters God had led them in the wilderness (no smell, no taste).
2 Rabbis also taught each item represents 4 different kinds of people (taste=knowledge, smell=works).
a Fruit: sweet smell/sweet taste-knowledge & deeds
b Palm branch: fruit that tastes sweet, yet no fragrance-knowledge & no deeds
c Myrtle: smells good, no fruit-works, no knowledge
d Willow: no smell or taste-no works or knowledge
3 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead , being by itself. James 2:17 (NASB) If a kid was old enough to wave the Lulav-wave it! Bits of willow, myrtle, palm everywhere by the altar.
B At the beginning of Booths, the altar for the burnt offerings was cleaned.
1 The priests would get water from the Pool of Siloam & the Kidron Valley & enter the Temple through the “Water Gate” to pour it on the altar.
a Latter rain also for pouring out of the Holy Spirit.
b Every day, especially in last day!
2 After these things Jesus was walking in Galilee, for He was unwilling to walk in Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill Him.2 Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of Booths, was near. 37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. John 7:1-2, 37 (NASB)
a Jesus is saying the living water that flows in men/women comes from the Spirit! (Not Siloam, not Kidron...from the Spirit).
b Will flow rivers of living water!
aa Constant flowing, outpouring & inpouring
bb Presence!
C Another custom was the illumination of the Temple.
1 Huge menorahs in the Court of the Women stood as blazing candelabra over the Temple.
a Not a court in Jerusalem not lit by them
b Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life." John 8:12 (NASB)
2 It’s Jewish tradition that the pillar of fire/cloud first appeared on the 15th of Tishri.
a Also, the 15th of Tishri was the day Moses announced that the Tabernacle of God was to be among them.
b We know that the Shekanah glory of God came to rest in Solomon’s Temple during the Feast of Booths. (1 Kings 8; 2 Chron. 7)
c I see a future Sukkat. After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands;10 and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." Rev 7:9-10 (NASB)
II God is going to gather all of His chosen, ingathering!
A Jesus gathered all these plants/fruits grown in/around Jerusalem.
1 Symbolized also at end times, God was going to gather worshipers from every corner of the earth to Jerusalem.
a Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths. Zech 14:16 (NASB)
b During the Millennial Reign of Christ, all worshipers/nations will go up & worship the King of kings at Jerusalem.
2 Prophetically speaking...we’re waiting for fall feasts.
a Now we’re in dry summer, in need of rain.
b The harvest is ripe...just prior to the Trumpet we’ll see a turning of hearts, revival.
c We’re moving forward!
3 The Sukkoth is a shabby shack meant to remind us of our brevity, we’re a vapor, just passing through.
a Our 401k’s, homes, retirement, collateral...when we die, they stay here.
b The world is not my home-not yours, either.
aa We treat today as if it’s the only thing that matters.
bb Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable , and we will be changed.53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "Death is swallowed up in victory.55 "O death , where is your victory ? O death , where is your sting?"56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law;57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Cor 15:50-58 (NASB)
4 Betty Bankston’s Uncle Jimmy...80's, stomach cancer, prayed that he’d be saved.
a Spent hours, one Sunday afternoon-got saved.
b Baptized...big ol’ bear hug when he got out!
c I’d love to tell you that he beat cancer & he’s doing fine.
aa Cancer didn’t get the best of him-Jesus did.
bb Cancer tore down his tent...Jesus built him a mansion.
cc He didn’t beat cancer, but he’s doing fine.
5 Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.2 "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.3 "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. John 14:1-3 (NASB)
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