The Feast of Tabernacles in Hebrew is known as Sukkot (Soo-kote). Sukkot is also called the Feast of Rejoicing (Leviticus 23:33-34). This is the last of the fall Feasts and is filled with joy and praise to Yah, who is our provider. The festivities last for eight days. Jewish people constructed a sukkah, a temporary room made of natural materials mimicking temporary shelters during the 40 years in the wilderness. The temporary booths are constructed with four specific plants for covering. They are citron, palm, willow, and myrtle (Leviticus 23:39-40). The shelter has an opening at the top so the children of Israel can look to the heavens and realize our Creator is whom we depend on. A lulav, made of willow, palm, and myrtle branches, is held and waved north, south, east, west, up and down. This wave motion symbolizes our Creator’s presence is everywhere. During the Temple period, on the last day of sukkot, giant golden lampstands were lit around the walls of the Temple, indicating Messiah is the light to the Gentiles (Isaiah 49:6). A priest would carry water from the Siloam pool to the Temple, a symbolic signal when Messiah arrives on Earth. Everyone will know Yahweh “as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9).
John 7:38 Messiah states, “Whoever believes in me, as the scripture has said, streams of living water will flow within him.”
This Feast of Tabernacles will continue to be celebrated as the final Harvest when all nations will share in the joyful celebration in the Kingdom of our King (Zechariah 14:16-19).
A prophetic warning for those who do not keep the Feast of Tabernacles during Messiah’s millennial reign!
Zechariah 14:16-17 RSB, “And it shall come to pass, that everyone that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, Yahweh of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, Yahweh of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.
John 7: 2 RSB, “Now the Jews’ feast of tabernacles was at hand.”
John 7:37 RSB, “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Yahshua stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. As the Scripture hath said, he that believeth on me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
Messiah will be our tabernacle and source of everlasting water as He dwells with His people forever! (Revelation 21:1-3).