Greetings, my friend,

Welcome to The Arsenal, your bi-monthly resource for training and equipping you to live a set-apart lifestyle.

🏕️ Chag Sameach! The Feast of Tabernacles has arrived!

Shalom to everyone beginning their observance today! The fall season’s third and final appointed time on our Creator’s calendar has arrived, and it’s a time for us to worship, grow closer to our King, and most importantly, rejoice! For many, including myself, it’s the most wonderful time of the year!

🤔…what is this “Feast” for exactly?

Sukkot, directly translated from Hebrew as “Feast of Tabernacles” or “Feast of Booths,” is one of the seven appointed times Yahweh commanded His people Israel to observe throughout every single year through the giving of His Torah at Mount Sinai to Moses. All of these appointed times can be found in chapter 23 of the Book of Leviticus, and some of them are mentioned in several other places as well. Here’s a comprehensive list with Scriptures for reference:

📖 How is Sukkot observed per Yahweh’s commands in Scripture?

• Sukkot is a period of seven days observed starting on the fifteenth day of the seventh month on the biblical calendar (Lev. 23:35, Deut. 16:15), known as Tishrei in modern day.

• On the first day of this Feast, we’re to have a holy convocation, which means devoting that entire day to The Father in every aspect. Consequently, this often involves a lot of prayer and worship, often done corporately with other believers as well. We’re also commanded to do no ordinary work.

• Additionally, there’s an “eighth day” of Sukkot, traditionally known as the Last Great Day. This day is also to be a holy convocation. This day and the first day of Sukkot are known as the “high days” of the Feast, and we’re to have a Sabbath rest on both of those days, as we would every single weekly Sabbath.

• Sukkot is also one of the three appointed times that all of Israel’s males are commanded to appear before Yahweh “in the place He chooses,” (Deut. 16:16), which, as we see in Scripture beyond the Torah, refers to the Temple in Jerusalem. Those three appointed times are the Feasts of Unleavened Bread (Feast of Matzot), the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot), and the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). They’re also commanded to bring a gift, specifically, “of each man’s hand according to the blessing Yahweh your God has given him” (Deut. 16:17).

• During the entirety of Sukkot, we’re commanded to dwell in temporary shelters, translated literally from Hebrew as “booths” (Lev. 23:42). This is because Sukkot, like Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, is a memorial: Sukkot is a remembrance of the Israelites’ 40-year journey and camping in the wilderness after the mighty hand of Yahweh freed them from slavery in Egypt as a reminder to all of Israel’s generations of His faithfulness to His people (Lev. 23:43).

• As part of this remembrance, on the first day of Sukkot, we’re commanded to build what’s known in Hebrew as a “sukkah.” It’s constructed from branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook, along with the choice fruit of trees (Lev. 23:40).

• As alluded to earlier, we’re also commanded to rejoice before Yahweh during this time! (Lev. 23:40).

• Lastly, an offering made by fire was to be sacrificed to Yahweh every day of the Feast by the Levite priests. Each day’s sacrifice is also commanded in detail (Num. 29:12-38).

Additionally, the Jewish people have several notable traditions associated with the holiday:

• The Jews take their sukkah built on the first day very seriously: they’ll spend a lot of time in it, eat all of their meals in it, and even sleep in it, with the ability to glance through the branches of the roof to see the stars. They also exhibit lots of hospitality, often inviting their friends and family to eat with them in their festive meals underneath the sukkah.

• A symbolic bouquet of four plants is made up, consisting of a palm frond, a myrtle branch, a willow branch, and a citron. This bouquet is then waved up and down in the four cardinal directions, symbolizing that God’s presence is everywhere.

• As part of the command to rejoice, joyful songs, prayers, and even dancing are part of the festive celebrations throughout the Feast.

🤷‍♂️ But I’m not Jewish, and I believe in Christ as my Savior. What do these appointed times in the Old Testament have to do with me?

Great question. And believe it or not, they have everything to do with us followers of Messiah, actually! Here are some key points to consider:

• ✝️ In His famous Sermon on the Mount in chapter 5 of Matthew’s Gospel, Yeshua explicitly told us He didn’t come to do away with the Torah: He doesn’t even want us to think He did! But rather, He came to fulfill it, complete it, and bring it to full meaning.

• 🤝 There’s an important detail about the New Covenant Yahweh makes with His people that so many believers miss or overlook. During the Last Supper, Yeshua and His disciples took communion for the very first time, and during this time, He mentions the cup of wine represents the blood of this new covenant that is poured out for many through His sacrifice. This is a huge fulfillment of one of the biggest prophecies in the Old Testament, found in chapter 31 of the book of the prophet Jeremiah. Chapter 8 of the Epistle to the Hebrews goes into detail about this.

  Another huge prophecy fulfilled through Yeshua’s sacrifice was that in the last days, Yahweh would pour out His Spirit upon all the earth. The prophets Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Joel all foretold of this ground-shaking event (Isa. 44:3, Ezek. 36:28, Joel 2:28-29), as well as Yeshua Himself (John 14:26). And as most believers know, the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Feast of Weeks, also known as Pentecost, a very short time after Yeshua’s ascension to Heaven. Now, anyone who accepts Yeshua as their Savior and is baptized will receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).

  Why does all of this matter? Because the standard theological belief is that through this new covenant and outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the believers, it’s believed that the conditions of the “old covenant,” such as keeping the laws in the Torah, are now eradicated through the grace of Yeshua. It’s also believed the Torah isn’t needed because the Holy Spirit is here to guide us now.

  This sounds great and makes sense on paper, but what do the terms of this “new covenant” actually say? And how does the Holy Spirit actually guide us? Let’s look to Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 36 for some answers to these questions. The Scriptures speak for themselves!

• 🇮🇱 The Bible states that as believers in the Messiah, we have been grafted into the commonwealth of Israel! That means that the commandments, prophecies, and promises made to Israel are for us too! And that may clear up some confusion that you may have received from seeing the new covenant Messiah instated is for the house of Israel. We of the nations have been grafted into Yahweh’s chosen people through the renewed covenant He made with us through His Son Yeshua. The Apostle Paul explains all of this in his epistles to the Roman and Ephesian churches of his time:

• 📩 In the Apostle John’s first epistle to an assembly of believers living in what is now modern-day Turkey, he told them how we prove we love the Messiah is keeping His commandments. This is John repeating what Yeshua said Himself (John 14:15). And because we know Yeshua told us He only speaks what The Father taught Him (John 8:28), and because we know Yahweh doesn’t change (Malachi 3:6), it’s very safe to assume that “the commandments” being spoken of are Yahweh’s commandments found in the Torah!

And as a final nail in the coffin, John makes a very important distinction, also in his first epistle: We believe that the Messiah atones for our sin. But what exactly is sin according to the Bible? Turns out, it’s breaking the Law, the commandments in the Torah! Some English translations say lawlessness, others refer to it as transgression of the Law. But the meaning is the same: if we want to be obedient followers of Yeshua, truly learn to be like Him and know Him on a deeper level, and not to unintentionally sin against Him, it’s in our best interest to know and keep the same commandments He kept, and the ones that lead us away from what the New Testament calls sin! NOT for salvation, as that comes through faith alone, but because of our immense love for Him and our calling to walk just as He walked.

🌾 So what’s the significance of this Feast for Christians today?

Believe it or not, all of the biblical festivals/appointed times have a very strong Messianic significance tied to them! By closer examination of Scripture, we can see how Yeshua’s sacrifice and atonement for our sins, as well as His prophesied return and rule on this earth, adds another level of meaning to these fall Feast Days in addition to their historic significance!

Below is how Yeshua fulfilled the appointed times in the spring season through His first coming to this Earth:

This is a perfect example of how Yeshua fulfills the Law: He doesn’t get rid of what was already put in place: He brings a new, fresh, beautiful meaning to the standard of holiness Yahweh has set in place for all who love Him and wish to know Him!

The fall’s appointed times, however, have yet to be fulfilled through Messiah. But they will be through His second coming and the events to follow! For example, as we discussed just fourteen days ago, the Day of Trumpets/Yom Teruah is extremely prophetic of Messiah’s second coming, which is accompanied by a loud shofar blast as one would perform on Yom Teruah.

In a similar fashion, Sukkot has a prophetic significance of its own for Christians today: Just as we are to rejoice before Yahweh during this Feast, one day, we’ll be rejoicing at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb of God! The Feast of Tabernacles speaks so much about Yeshua:

• Just as Yahweh dwelt among His people in the wilderness, Yeshua came down to earth and dwelt, or tabernacled, among us in human form during His first coming! And He's still with us now, as He promised us (Matt. 28:20).

• Yeshua Himself celebrated Sukkot, and went up to the Temple per the commandment! In chapter 7 of John’s Gospel, we read the following:

• Prophecy tells us the Feast of Tabernacles will be celebrated during the millennial reign of Yeshua’s second coming. In addition to the prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, the Psalms, and others about a King, identified as Yahweh, reigning from Jerusalem, the prophet Zechariah also prophesied the following:

• From the book of Revelation, we know that “King” who sets up His reign from Jerusalem is Yeshua! He’s titled the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Rev. 19:16), but also the “Word of God” (Rev. 19:13), which is how Yeshua is identified in John’s Gospel (John 1:1, 1:14).

• Because of this description and definition, we can be confident Yeshua will be the One, along with the martyrs risen in the first resurrection, reigning from Jerusalem for a thousand years after He returns. And so, it’s our Messiah who’s the One requiring the nations to come to Jerusalem for Sukkot! Therefore, all of this implies Yeshua expects His followers to be keeping this Feast during that time. But if He’s going to require us to keep it then, what makes us think we shouldn't be keeping it now?

• Finally, this is a time that many people celebrate the birth of Yeshua Himself! While most of the world celebrates this incredible event on December 25th, or Christmas, it’s a well-known and very well documented fact that the holiday of Christmas has pagan origins: The holiday originated in Roman Empire long before our Messiah was born, and it was a day of pagan worship and rituals in celebration of the birth of the sun god Sol Invictus. It was also the date observed as the winter solstice, which has a whole host of pagan rituals on its own. And this was the case for the entirety of our Messiah’s life and ministry on Earth.

  In AD 321, almost three centuries after the death and resurrection of Yeshua, the Roman emperor Constantine became a Christian, and also sought to make Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. In this process, in order to help Roman citizens transition into worship of Yeshua, Constantine took pre-existing pagan holidays and gave them a “Christian" label: Thus, Christmas was born: Sol Invictus was replaced with Yeshua; the pagan star symbol on the tree now represents the star that led the wise men to Bethlehem; gift-giving is now symbolic of the the wise men giving gifts to our Messiah and His parents, and so on and so forth.

• Meanwhile, there’s strong evidence to suggest that Yeshua was actually born in late September-early October, right around Sukkot. And this can be proved entirely from Scripture!

  Luke’s Gospel is the primary source for this. Chapter 2 tells us that on the night Yeshua was born in Bethlehem, the shepherds whom the angels appeared to were “living out in the fields and guarding their flock at night” (Luke 2:8). If Yeshua were truly born on December 25th, this event would be impossible in the dead, frigid Judean winters. Additionally, the whole reason Mary and Joseph were traveling to Bethlehem was because that was Joseph’s hometown, and the Roman government was taking a required census. It wouldn’t make much sense for the Romans to require Jewish citizens to travel potentially very long distances in very cold temperatures, would it?

  But what truly connects the dots? The timing of the birth of John the Baptist compared to Yeshua’s. John’s father, Zechariah, was a high priest in the Temple in Jerusalem. Some historical records tell us he served in the early summer, and very shortly after receiving word from the angel Elizabeth would have a son, John was conceived. This would mean John would be born in the early spring. What's more, Scripture also tells us that Yeshua was conceived months after John, placing His birth in the early fall (Luke 1:24-31)!

So, in summary, this Feast is extremely prophetic of the millennial reign of our Messiah that’s to come one day. And if we’re to keep it then, and we know Yeshua was keeping it here on Earth the first time He was here, it’s in our best interest to start walking in obedience now and enjoy this wonderful time our Father has given to us to rest, rejoice, and fellowship with Him and likeminded believers! It’s also a time to remember the powerful and transformational life of our Messiah and celebrate His birth, not during Christmas, a holiday with pagan roots and that also isn’t commanded for Christians anywhere in Scripture!

🙌 So, how do we observe Sukkot today?

If you enjoy camping and roughing it outdoors, you're going to love the Feast of Tabernacles! Most believers today will live in tents, campers, or RV's for the entirety of Sukkot to fulfill the temporary shelters commandment, and just as many believers will gather together in large groups in campgrounds or even in each other's backyards to do so! Many followers of Yeshua who keep this Feast even travel quite long distances to find large, lively groups to camp, fellowship, worship, dance, and celebrate and rejoice in the goodness of our God with. And for many, Sukkot is the highlight of their year when it comes to their faith! After all, there's nothing like having eight whole days to have deep conversations with other believers, have some good laughs and worship around the campfire in the crisp, autumn air, and enjoy some much-needed rest and relaxation from your chaotic daily routine.

But even though this is a very joyous time and a wonderful opportunity to meet new friends and catch up with old ones, we mustn't forget that Sukkot is all about our Father in Heaven. Like the rest of His appointed times, during Sukkot, He desires to draw near to us, spend time with us, and build a relationship with His people, with you! Make sure to spend some time in prayer, and thank Him for your many blessings and the reasons you have to rejoice in this season, especially on the high days! Spend time in His Word and study His character and His ways, because our relationship with Him is two-sided, and there's sooo much we can glean from understanding and getting to know the God we serve on an intimate level.

It's my prayer that your Sukkot celebration this year is one to remember, and that you have a powerful encounter with our Heavenly Father during this time. Give Him your heart, and unconditionally praise Him for all of the wonderful things He's done for you! He'll show up. And make sure all of that includes the death and resurrection of our Messiah, who gives us an eternal hope we should always be rejoicing over!

Be blessed.