Sukkot
- The Feast of Booths (סֻכָּה) — a thicket or booth (rude or temporary shelter)
- This one actually has a ton of references in scripture!
- Its commandment is laid out in three places:
- Lev 23:33-44
And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
“Speak to the people of Israel, saying, On the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the Feast of Booths to the LORD.
On the first day shall be a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work.
For seven days you shall present food offerings to the LORD. On the eighth day you shall hold a holy convocation and present a food offering to the LORD. It is a solemn assembly; you shall not do any ordinary work.
”These are the appointed feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim as times of holy convocation, for presenting to the LORD food offerings, burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, each on its proper day,
besides the LORD’s Sabbaths and besides your gifts and besides all your vow offerings and besides all your freewill offerings, which you give to the LORD.
”On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the produce of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the LORD seven days. On the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest.
And you shall take on the first day the fruit of splendid trees, branches of palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.
You shall celebrate it as a feast to the LORD for seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month.
You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths,
that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.”
Thus Moses declared to the people of Israel the appointed feasts of the LORD. - Num 29:12–40
“On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall keep a feast to the LORD seven days.
And you shall offer a burnt offering, a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD, thirteen bulls from the herd, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old; they shall be without blemish; and their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for each of the thirteen bulls, two tenths for each of the two rams, and a tenth for each of the fourteen lambs; also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering and its drink offering. “On the second day twelve bulls from the herd, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities;
also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offerings. “On the third day eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering.
”On the fourth day ten bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish,
with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering and its drink offering. “On the fifth day nine bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities;
also one male goat for a sin offering; besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering. “On the sixth day eight bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; also one male goat for a sin offering; besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offerings.
”On the seventh day seven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; also one male goat for a sin offering; besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering. “On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly. You shall not do any ordinary work, but you shall offer a burnt offering, a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD: one bull, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish, and the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bull, for the ram, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; also one male goat for a sin offering; besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering.
”These you shall offer to the LORD at your appointed feasts, in addition to your vow offerings and your freewill offerings, for your burnt offerings, and for your grain offerings, and for your drink offerings, and for your peace offerings.” So Moses told the people of Israel everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
- Lev 23:33-44
- Geez that’s a lot of bulls: 13+12+11+10+9+8+7+1=71. One for each nation at the time, plus Israel
- Gen 10 lists the grandkids of Noah: 26 descendants of Shem, 30 descendants of Ham, and 14 descendants of Japheth. 70 total
- Deut 32:8-9
When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the bordersfn of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God. But the LORD’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted heritage.
- Beyond that, we see this particular feast called out in several spots:
- Deu 16:13–17
“You shall keep the Feast of Booths seven days, when you have gathered in the produce from your threshing floor and your winepress. You shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are within your towns. For seven days you shall keep the feast to the LORD your God at the place that the LORD will choose, because the LORD your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you will be altogether joyful. “Three times a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God at the place that he will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Booths. They shall not appear before the LORD empty-handed. Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God that he has given you.
- Ezra 3:1-7
When the seventh month came, and the children of Israel were in the towns, the people gathered as one man to Jerusalem. Then arose Jeshua the son of Jozadak, with his fellow priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel with his kinsmen, and they built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God. They set the altar in its place, for fear was on them because of the peoples of the lands, and they offered burnt offerings on it to the LORD, burnt offerings morning and evening. And they kept the Feast of Booths, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number according to the rule, as each day required, and after that the regular burnt offerings, the offerings at the new moon and at all the appointed feasts of the LORD, and the offerings of everyone who made a freewill offering to the LORD. From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the LORD. But the foundation of the temple of the LORD was not yet laid. So they gave money to the masons and the carpenters, and food, drink, and oil to the Sidonians and the Tyrians to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea, to Joppa, according to the grant that they had from Cyrus king of Persia.
- Neh 8:13-18
On the second day the heads of fathers’ houses of all the people, with the priests and the Levites, came together to Ezra the scribe in order to study the words of the Law. And they found it written in the Law that the LORD had commanded by Moses that the people of Israel should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month, and that they should proclaim it and publish it in all their towns and in Jerusalem, “Go out to the hills and bring branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, as it is written.” So the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each on his roof, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at the Water Gate and in the square at the Gate of Ephraim. And all the assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in the booths, for from the days of Jeshua the son of Nun to that day the people of Israel had not done so. And there was very great rejoicing. And day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read from the Book of the Law of God. They kept the feast seven days, and on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly, according to the rule.
- 1 Chr 8:12-13
Then Solomon offered up burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of the LORD that he had built before the vestibule, as the duty of each day required, offering according to the commandment of Moses for the Sabbaths, the new moons, and the three annual feasts—the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Booths.
- Zech 14:8-11, 16-19
On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter. And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one. The whole land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. But Jerusalem shall remain aloft on its site from the Gate of Benjamin to the place of the former gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s winepresses. And it shall be inhabited, for there shall never again be a decree of utter destruction. Jerusalem shall dwell in security.
…
Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them. And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain; there shall be the plague with which the LORD afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. - John 7:1-53 (Paraphrase)
- Jesus denies to go up to the Feast and sends his brothers instead (note, this would nullify him as Messiah)
- Jesus goes in secret and stays in Jerusalem the seven days
- In the middle of it, he teaches that his word comes from God and asks a rhetorical: how can you get upset at me doing God’s work on the Sabbath? Do you not work on the Sabbath if it keeps a commandment? Why is it wrong to restore someone’s health then?
- On day 8, he stands up in a crowd and proclaims that any who thirst can call on him
- Then the Pharisees seek to kill him
- Deu 16:13–17
New Testament
-
Ok, so this feast is a big deal, but why?
-
Over the last few weeks, we’ve discussed how each feast has a “present” fulfilment and often has a “Jesus” fulfillment, and then will later have a “future” fulfillment
-
In the case of the Feast of Tabernacles our “Jesus” fulfillment is … well, Jesus himeself!
-
John 1:14
And the Word became flesh and dwelt (G4637, σκηνόω) among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Sonfn from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Strong’s Definitions: σκηνόω skēnóō, skay-no’-o; from G4636; to tent or encamp, i.e. (figuratively) to occupy (as a mansion) or (specially), to reside (as God did in the Tabernacle of old, a symbol of protection and communion):—dwell.
-
Ok, but that’s just a coincidental word choice. He was born at Christmas time
-
Ehhhh maybe not:
- We know that Elizabeth (John the Baptiser’s mother) became pregnant only after Zechariah, his father, finished serving
- We know that he served according to the lot of Abijah, which fell around Pentecost. This means Elizabeth likely got pregnant around the middle of the 3rd or 4th month of the year
- When she’s 6 months pregnant (9th or 10th month of the year), Elizabeth visits Mary who has just been given word from Gabriel that she, too, would become pregnant
- If we assume Mary had indeed just become pregnant, as the text seems to indicate given that John leaps, Mary became pregnant in the latter half of the 9th month and would have given birth 40 weeks later, toward the end of the 6th month of the year, right around the Feast Of Tabernacles
- We also know that the inn was full, meaning lots of visitors were in Jerusalem. This could have been the census or could be because of the feast (most conjecture that they aligned because it’s easier to count everyone if you know they’ll be in one place)
- This, all together, lends me to believe Jesus was born temporarily to this world in the very week that symbolizes temporary dwellings. A time that commemorates God being with us in the wilderness and guilding our path by a pillar of smoke and of fire
- For more, see the Christmas
Future Fulfillment
-
This lends itself to the verse back in Zechariah: we’re required to celebrate Jesus birthday!
-
This also is thought to be the time that, once God’s wrath is poured out, we will feast in heaven with him, at the marriage supper of the lamb, that with the martyrs and saints
-
Rev 19:6-9 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel saidfn to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”
Important
Question: so, what do you think? Is this day worth celebrating? Why do you think there are so many sacrifices? Why are we required to keep it even in the new earth?