Tishrei 15, 5780
Sukkot or Feast of Tabernacles.
Sukkot, plural of sukkah, is Hebrew and is usually translated as Feast of Tabernacles. It is a 7days festival from the 15th day of the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar until the 21st day of the 7th month. The 7th month is called Tishrei or Eythanim. It is also called the Feast of Ingathering or just The Feast.
Some Scriptures on Sukkot are found in:
Leviticus 23:33-34
Numbers 29:12-39
Deuteronomy 16:13-17
Ezra 3:4-5
Nehemiah 8:14 - 18
A brief summary of the instructions about Sukkot are:
1. The date for Sukkot is the 15th day of the 7th month.
2. It is a 7days festival to Yahweh Elohim.
3. The first day is a Shabbat day, a day of rest.
4. Have a set apart assembly on the 1st day.
5. Rejoice before Yahweh your Elohim for seven days
6. This is a law for ever through out your generation.
7. On the first day take for yourself the fruit of the good tree (etrog), branches of palm trees, twig of leafy trees (myrtle) and the willow of the stream. The four species are bundled or tied together and are to be waved in all directions: East, West, North, South, up and down.
8. For the seven days, bring an offering by fire to Yahweh :
I. The burnt offering - speaks of total dedication and obedience to Yahweh.
II. The grain offering--to acknowledge that Yahweh is the source of everything.
III. The drink offering--speaks of joy and rejoicing in the presence of Yahweh.
iv. The sin offering - for cleansing from defilement.
9. You are to dwell in booths or Tabernacles for seven days. This is a memorial to the times of the wilderness when the children of Israelites stayed in temporary shelters. This is a reminder that our bodies are temporary until the transformation or the resurrection.
10. None shall appear before Yahweh empty handed.
11. The eighth day is also :
- a Shabbat day
- a day for a set apart assembly
- a day to bring the burnt, grain, drink and sin offering.
Some people are questioning whether Sukkot is still to be celebrated. But the Scripture is very clear that the law regarding Sukkot is forever. And Yeshua the Mashiach celebrated Sukkot as written in chapter 7 of John's Gospel. In the middle of the Feast, which is the fourth day, Yeshua taught in the Holy Place of the Temple. And on the last day, the seventh day, Yeshua again preached at the Festival. The whole of John chapter 7 is about Yeshua celebrating Sukkot. And in Zechariah 14:16-19 it is written that the whole earth will celebrate Sukkot during the reign of the Mashiach.
Sukkot is actually the celebration of the birth of Yeshua the Mashiach. He was born on the 15th day of Tishrei, the first day of Sukkot. And on the 8th day, Yeshua was circumcised and given the name Yeshua, which means Yahweh saves. The celebration of Christmas is not found in the Scripture. For Christmas is a pagan festival. So those who wish to celebrate the birth of Yeshua should celebrate it at Sukkot, the most enjoyable of the seven festivals of Yahweh.
Prophetically, Sukkot is about the one thousand years reign of Yeshua the Messiah from Yerushalayim. This is written in Revelation chapter 20. The seven days are about the Messianic Shabbat of the one thousand years. And the eighth day is about the new heavens and new earth after the millinium, as written in Revelation chapter 21. Where eight in Hebrew stands for a new beginning.
Sukkot is the 7th of the seven Moedim or the appointed times of Yahweh. Some erroneously called them the festival of the Jews. Although the Jews celebrated the seven festivals, the festivals are the festivals of Yahweh.
Sukkot is the most enjoyable of the seven festivals. It is a 7days of rejoicing before Yahweh our Elohim. The first and the eighth days of the festival are Shabbat days and days of the Holy convocation. The eighth day is called Shemini Atzeretz, which means the eighth day assembly. The seventh day, the last day of 7 days festival, is called HoShanah Rabah or the day of great supplication.
Chag Sameach Sukkot.
Happy Sukkot. - by Lian Paran
