Feast of Tabernacles: The Glorious Kingdom

Review:

Turn to Leviticus 23:33-36, 39-44.

Yom Kippur was the day that the high priest would go into the holy of holies and offer a sacrifice of blood on behalf of the entire nation of Israel. This sacrifice, made once a year to cover sins, pointed towards the Lamb of God, who would be sacrificed once for all to take away sins forever.

Message

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The seven God-appointed feasts of Israel

Passover - redemption

Pentecost - the establishment of Israel as a nation/establishment of the church

Feast of Trumpets - announce and prepare for the Day of Atonement

Day of Atonement - national repentance

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Feast of Tabernacles

Read Leviticus 23:33-36, 39-44.

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There are several names for this feast:

Feast of Tabernacles

Feast of Sukkot

Feast of Booths

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Lesser known names:

Feast of Ingathering - it was the ultimate thanksgiving celebration because it was at the end of the harvest

Feast of the Outpouring - due to water sacrifices at the Temple

It occurs on our calendar right around September/October.

Let’s get some details on the background of this feast and then we’ll learn from Leviticus 23 how it was practiced by the Jews.

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The Historical Background of Tabernacles

During Jesus' day, the Feast of Tabernacles was described as a special time of thanksgiving and rejoicing for the Jewish people. During the feast, bright lights lit the temple, and booths lined the roads leading to Jerusalem as a memorial to the booths the Jewish people lived in during their exodus from Egypt. - Dr. Craig Hartman, page 132

This was the third and final pilgrim feast on the Jewish calendar. Jews from all over travelled to Jerusalem where they gathered for two reasons:

To remember the tents their ancestors lived in as they waited for the Promised Land.

To anticipate their Messiah who would come and setup His glorious kingdom and reign from His capital city of Jerusalem.

This was “the time of the year when the Jewish people raised the messianic hope of the nation to its fever pitch.” - Dr. Craig Hartman, page 132

During the time of Christ, Jews flocked to Jerusalem for these festivals more than ever before. The strength of the Roman Empire brought decreased crime and increased travel thanks to its network of roads. People were better able to travel. Consequently, the population of Jerusalem was probably higher at that time than at any time before. Truly, the coming of Christ to minister on earth was at the perfect time.

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The Practice of Tabernacles

The feast would stretch for an entire eight days.

During this festival Israel [would gather certain tree branches] and buil[d] booths in which to live for the span of the festival. These acts were meant to remind them of the time spent wandering in the desert. - Lexham Bible Dictionary

During the time of Christ, every day of the feast, a priest would take a golden pitcher of water from the pool of Siloam offer it as a drink offering to the Lord at the Temple altar. The water would be poured down these special funnels and filter out the bottom of the altar like rain drops. Psalms 113-118, known as the Hallel, would be sung by the people.

As the people sang the Hallel, they would wave certain tree branches that were tied together. “They would also bring a citrus fruit, called an etrog, representing God’s abundant supply…They repeated these rituals every day amid joy, music, singing, and praises to the Lord…The celebration culminated on the last day, the Great Day of the Feast.” - Dr. Craig Hartman, page 135

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The Significance of Tabernacles In John chapter 7.

John 7:37–38 KJV 1900

In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

In that last day of the Feast of the Tabernacles, everybody wanted to be on the Temple Mount to watch the priests pour out this water upon the altar. The people would be singing the Hallel as loud as they could as they waved the tree branches.

In the final verses of Psalm 118, the closing stanzas of the Hallel, this is what we read.

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Psalm 118:25–26 (KJV 1900)

Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord:

O Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.

Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord:

We have blessed you out of the house of the Lord.

It was in this moment, as thousands of Jewish people on the Temple Mount sang these words and as the priests poured out the drink offering upon the altar, it was in that moment that Jesus stood and cried:

John 7:37–38 (KJV 1900)

If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

In effect, Jesus was saying, “I am here! I have come in the name of the Lord! If any man thirst, let him come unto me!”

Wow! That is one moment in time that I wish we had on instant replay.

John 7:39 gives us some context.

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John 7:39 KJV 1900

(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

Jesus was saying, “believe on me, and one day you will receive the Spirit. He will take up residence within you. He will indwell you and you will become a tabernacle of the living God.”

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The Message of Tabernacles

The Feast of Tabernacles is a picture that anticipates the time when God will dwell with man. But right now, the Holy Spirit is the down payment of the inheritance that we have awaiting us. Right now, God dwells within every single person who has placed their faith in Christ. We are tabernacles of the living God. We look forward to the reign of Christ during the Millennial kingdom, but “in the meantime, we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit.”

By faith, let the Holy Spirit control you and let rivers of living water flow out of your life. Let Jesus’ life shine through yours in all that you say and do.

Are rivers of living water flowing out of me? Or are drops of living water barely trickling out? God wants us to get those around us wet from the rivers of living water flowing out of us. In other words, we need to open the spigot and get out of the way. - Dr. Craig Hartman, page 135

The Feast of Tabernacles: it’s a picture of the coming kingdom of Savior when He will dwell with man. It’s also a reminder to every believer that God dwells within us. By faith, let’s be channels of living water and let Christ shine through us.