All the feast days of the Heavenly Father abound in significant history, prophecies, and of course laws. There are many that claim to be teachers of the Bible, yet they lead our people astray from the footsteps of Christ. By deceiving our people into believing that the feasts of God are not important. John 7:2 “Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand.” In the days when Christ taught that the kingdom of heaven is at hand; the last feast of the seventh month was approaching. John 7:14 “Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.” A person with the belief of Churchianity, as explained earlier, would have lost the opportunity to hear the doctrine of Christ in this holy day. A true believer would keep the feast holy as our Lord Jesus Christ did.
At this instant take the opportunity to be taught by the Word concerning your rich history. Leviticus 23:42 “Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths:” Verse 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 the LORD your God.” This feast is commemorating when our forefathers were saved from slavery in Egypt. Consequently they wandered in the wilderness for forty years; there was no such thing as the land of Israel when this feast was established. Showing us that an Israelite is NOT a member of a religion but a nationality, which is NOT based on being born in the land of Israel. See, How is Race and Nationality Determined? A born Israelite (so called Blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans) is a descendant of Jacob; whose name was changed to Israel.
Today the Israelites are a nation in exile. Please read, Who are the children of Israel? The conditions of our people are similar to our fathers, we are in the wilderness. Looking forward to the promised land and our glorious kingdom. We must learn from the examples left by our ancestors. Ezekiel 20:35 “And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face.” Verse 36: “Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord GOD.” God pleaded with our fathers in the wilderness by giving them his laws and when they refused to keep them, he judged them for their sins. Jude Verse 5 “I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.”
In these last days, those who are lost but are Israelites born will be called to the new covenant (agreement) in Christ. Ezekiel 20:37 “And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant:” Verse 38: “And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.” He destroyed the rebels in the past and did not let them enter the land; those who did not believe in his word but doubted and broke his law. See, Numbers 32:13. Likewise he will do unto any who disobey his word in this generation. Please read, Hebrews 4:1-2 and 1st Corinthians 10:5-11. Therefore we warn our brothers and sisters to put on the faith of Christ, by first learning how to keep the feast.
It was mentioned earlier that the most High God made Israel dwell in booths while in the wilderness. Also that we must dwell in booths for seven days. A booth is a tent/tabernacle made of wood. Leviticus 23:40 “And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs [thick branches] of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.” Verse 41: “And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.”
We build tents of wood to remind us how we used to live in the wilderness. However this is not the only reason; we are the people that built the Tabernacle and sanctuary of God! Please read, Exodus 25:8-9. Egypt is lauded as a great empire built by people with mathematical and scientific skills; those builders were our enslaved forefathers. In every generation we learn that we are builders not only of Egypt but of many other empires. This is encouraging to know; Isaiah 58:12 “And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.” In celebrating this feast that is to be kept “for ever”, you are raising up the fallen tabernacle by the power of Christ. See, Amos 9:11.
The feast is to be kept in the fifteenth day, which begins on the fourteenth night of the seventh month. Leviticus 23:34 “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD.” The first day of the feast and the eighth day (twenty second at even) are Sabbath days. Leviticus 23:35 “On the first day shall be an holy convocation [assembly]: ye shall do no servile work therein.” Verse 36: “Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.” Therefore in these days as the scripture commands us we are not to do any work, or buying and selling. Read, Nehemiah 10:31.
Note: Cooking on the weekly Sabbath, the seventh day of the week is not allowed. See, Exodus 35:2-3. This means that if the Feast of Tabernacles coincides with the weekly Sabbath you must prepare the meal before the Sabbath; since you will not be able to cook. Please refer to the Sabbath report for more information.
Many of our brothers and sisters become confused concerning the length of the feast. Is it seven or is it eight days? Although the scripture explained the feast is to last for eight days. We could learn this from king Solomon, when he kept the feast during the dedication of the temple. 2nd Chronicles 7:8 “Also at the same time Solomon kept the feast seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt.” Verse 9: “And in the eighth day they made a solemn assembly: for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days.” Verse 10: “And on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent the people away into their tents, glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the LORD had shewed unto David, and to Solomon, and to Israel his people.” The scripture is teaching us that the feast ends on the evening (night) of the twenty third day of the month.
Like our righteous forefathers we should use this day to teach righteousness and to hear the words of the law. Nehemiah 8:15 “And that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and pine branches, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written.” Verse 16: “So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the street of the water gate, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim.” Verse 17: “And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness.” Verse 18: “Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner.”
It is extremely fun for the family to build the tent together and dwell in it. Notice that no specific measurements, dimensions, or directions are given on how to build it, except that it must be of wood. Also the tent could be placed anywhere and hooked up really nice inside. The eight days are memorable for the whole congregation (men, women, and children); it is an event with food, music, gifts, etc.. Especially if they did not know the laws; they would learn the joy of being fed with knowledge.
This feast is also known by another name in the scriptures. Exodus 34:22 “… the feast of ingathering at the year's end.” The reason the feast is called after this name is due to the season in which it is kept (fall), the crops must be gathered in to store it for winter. Therefore the “year’s end” means the end of harvest which is in the fall. Jewish people have confused the world into thinking the seventh month is the beginning of the year with Rosh Hashanah. See, Titus 1:14. Remember that our calendar is comprised of twelve lunar months, but they celebrate the seventh month as the beginning of the year. Ezekiel 32:1 “And it came to pass in the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, in the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,”
As the name implies, let us hope that we are gathered and spared from the destruction that will come; that we may keep the feast with our righteous King in his kingdom. Zechariah 14:12 “And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away [by fire, see 2nd Peters 3:10-12] while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.” Verse 16: “And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.” Shalam (Peace)!