Sukkot
Feast of Tabernacles
October 13, 2008
Sukkot begins a few days after Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), on the 15th day of Tischri, the day of full moon in September/October and lasts for seven days.
With Pessach and Shavuot, Sukkot is one of the pilgrimage feasts, meaning those feasts where people in the times of the first and second temple went up to Jerusalem to sacrifice in the temple.
On one hand it is a harvest feast where people thank God for the last harvest and pray for rain in the season to come, but basically, at Sukkot people remember the 40 years in the desert, "Celebrate this as a festival to the LORD for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month. Live in booths for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in booths so that your descendants will know that I made the Israelites live in booths when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the LORD your God", Exodus 23:41-43.
Sukkot is the plural form of sukka = the Tabernacle:
The sukkah is a simple hut which must be easily constructed or taken off, similar to those while wandering through the desert. It is to protect people and give them shade, yet not to hinder them in going on and to seperate them from nature. So it should have at least three side walls consisting of poles, cloth or planks. The roof shall not be covered heavily, it must give shade but stars must still be seen through it. It must be covered with plants, reed or branches with leaves, but not with planks. Sukkot are being build in backyards, porches, even on balconies. In this clip you can see where you can find them in Israel:
In a Messianic church
The sukkah must be big enough to have a convivial gathering, where people can eat and even sleep in (if the weather allows it). Those living in cold countries sometimes arrange and decorate their sanctuary as a sukkah. It shall be nicely decorated and there is no limit to fantasy: it is decorated with fruits, garlands, banners, fabrics and colored lights around colored and transparent windows. In the middle of the room is a festively set table.
praising the LORD together, as a new creation in HIM.
Special fronds are bound, called "lulav", which are the four species used in the daily prayer services consisting of a palm branch, three myrtle branches and two willow branches. Together with a special citrus fruit, the etrog, they are being shaken toward all directions, like sort of a swing sacrifice as a symbol of a hearvest sacrifice, but also of a reconciled people gathered from all four ends of the earth
And happiness is a must! Exodus 23:40 says; "On the first day you are to take choice fruit from the trees, and palm fronds, leafy branches and poplars, and rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days."
Another tradition is the ladling of water. It happens on the last day of the feast. This day is known as Hoshana Raba, 'Great Hoshana'. On this day, the priest was taking water from the well of Shilo and poured it onto the altar while praying for rain. It is the day of which we read in John 7:37 and 38; "On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." So this took place on the last day of Sukkot."
Sacharja 14:16 says: "Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles." This text indicates that Sukkot will also be celebrated in the Messianic Kingdom, in fact by all people, which means that the feast is current also today for all followers of Yeshua in all ethic people.
There is another point for the eternal significance of Sukkot that we can read about in Revelation 21,3-4 "And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God." On this day the whole world will become the tabernacle of God and HE will reign for all eternity. This will be the day of great joy for all of us, who know the love of Christ – both Jews and people of all nations alike.
The eighth day of the Sukkot celebration is called Shmini Azeret which ends one day later with Simchat Torah, which literally means "Joy of the Torah". The torah scrolls are being taken out of the shrine and then people are dancing in great joy around them, everyone can hold them.
