What is the Feast of Tabernacles?
By Kelly McDonald, Jr.
The Feast of Tabernacles or the Feast of Sukkot is one of the Lord’s Feasts discussed in Leviticus chapter 23 and repeated throughout the Bible. In fact, Jesus celebrated this feast in John chapter 7! This celebration lasts seven days with an eighth day for the closing assembly. How do we understand its meaning for Christians today?
Ancient Meaning
In ancient times, the Feast of Tabernacles was a time to celebrate the harvest. It was also called Ingathering. “…the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field…” (Ex. 23:16b, KJV; see also Ex. 34:22b).
“Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the Lord seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath.…” (Lev. 23:39).
This festival was celebrated after the harvest of wheat and grapes. The celebration gave people a chance to rest from laborious work. They also had an opportunity to praise the Lord God of Israel for His bountiful blessings in their lives!
Another ancient meaning of Tabernacles was connected to the Israelite sojourn in the desert. “Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God” (Lev. 23:42-43). When the children of Israel were traveling to the Promised Land, God had them dwell in temporary booths called sukkah (singular form) or sukkot (plural form).
In ancient times, the children of Israel would dwell in sukkot for the Feast of Tabernacles. These were open-air shelters made from the branches of certain trees. This was done to remind them of their ancestors’ sojourn in the days of Moses. For this reason, Tabernacles is also called Sukkot. These temporary shelters were not their permanent home. They received that blessing later when they entered the Promised Land.
The Feast of Tabernacles takes us back to the time of the Israelite journey out of Israel. To ascertain the deeper spiritual meaning within Tabernacles, we start with the Christian meaning in Passover.
Connecting Sukkot and Jesus
In the New Testament, we learn that Jesus is our Passover Lamb (John 1:29-34, I Cor. 5:6-8, I Peter 1:19). His suffering and death granted us the forgiveness of sins when we repent and turn to Him.
Jesus is also the prophetic fulfillment of Moses. In Deuteronomy 18:18, the Lord said, “I will raise them up a prophet from among their brothers, like you. I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him” (WEB). The early disciples understood this prophecy to reference Jesus (John 2:45, Acts 3:22).
In this analogy, there are similarities and differences. Moses led the people out of bondage in Egypt after Passover, but Jesus leads us on an even greater Exodus. Christians are not going to a physical place on earth as did the Israelites. We are led out of bondage to sin through Jesus. We are also making an Exodus from this age and entering the age to come (see Mark 10:29-31, Luke 20:34-36, Gal. 1:4).
In the gospels, we also find a tremendous connection between Jesus and the Feast of Tabernacles. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). The Greek word translated as “dwelling among us” is eskēnōsen. It can refer to the tabernacles or sukkot from the Old Testament.
This Greek word immediately connects us with the Feast of Tabernacles! Jesus is the Word that tabernacled among mankind. Like the temporary shelters from the desert, Christ’s earthly ministry was a short, temporary time conducted in a physical body.
For Christians, the Feast of Tabernacles is first a remembrance of Christ’s earthly life and ministry. We reflect on the amazing example He set for those of us who would follow Him on our spiritual Exodus. The Israelites followed the cloud by day and pillar of fire by night. We deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. In Matthew 16:24, Jesus said, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (ASV). This process is not done in our flesh. We must walk by the Spirit of God (Rom. 8:14, Gal. 5:25).
The Feast of Tabernacles also reminds us that our physical bodies are our sukkah. When the Holy Spirit dwells within the believer, we become part of the Heavenly Jerusalem (Hebrews 12:22-25). We are longing for our true home in the Kingdom of God. That means that our present lives are a necessary step on our journey to that Promised Land.
The ancients also realized that this life was a journey to a lasting home. “Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them… These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect” (Hebrews 11:16, 39-40).
Future Prophetic Meaning
The Christian meaning of Tabernacles is also connected to many prophetic verses! In the gospel accounts, an event in the earthly ministry of Jesus connects Bible prophesy and this feast. In Matthew 16:28, Jesus said: “Most certainly I tell you, there are some standing here who will in no way taste of death until they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom” (WEB). Jesus then took three of the disciples up to the mountain and was transfigured before them. They were allowed to see a glimpse of Jesus in His glorified form. Moses and Elijah also appeared.
The disciples responded to this event by wanting to build sukkot (Matthew 17:4). In Luke’s version of this event, a cloud descended upon them, and the Father reminded them to listen to Jesus. “33 As they were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here. Let’s make three tents (skēnas): one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah,’ not knowing what he said. 34 While he said these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered into the cloud. 35 A voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is my beloved Son. Listen to him!’” (Luke 9:33-35, WEB).
This event connects us to a passage in Isaiah. “And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies (miqraeha), a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence (huppah). And there shall be a tabernacle (vesukkah) for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain” (Isaiah 4:5-6, KJV).
These verses reveal major insight into the celebration of the Lord’s feasts during the Millennium! In this age to come, the Lord will place a cloud and smoke by day and fire by night during all the Feasts of the Lord! This reminds us of the Exodus story, but it is different.
During the Exodus, the people traveled to the physical Promised Land. We know that the people fell away from God; a generation died in the wilderness. The next generation was allowed to enter the Promised Land. The time of the ancient sukkah recalls a time where the initial generation started out well but disobeyed and died. The next generation inherited God’s promises.
In the renewal that happens during the Millennial age, the situation will be totally different! In that glorious time, His natural people will be in the Promised Land. His spiritual people will have their Promised resurrected bodies. There will be no need to pick up camp and move somewhere else. We will be with Him!
The people built a sukkah in ancient times using branches from certain trees. In the times described in Isaiah 4:5-6, the Lord God will provide the cloud and fire and a chuppah or wedding canopy over festival celebrations. He will provide His people a sukkah!
The Israelite’s time in the desert for forty years was a result of disobedience. The prophetic passage from Isaiah reminds us that there is a greater sukkah coming during a time of obedience and cleansing. Many other verses in Isaiah describe the time of restoration on earth that occurs when Jesus comes back to rule and reign. For some more examples, see Isaiah 2:1-5, 26:1-21, 35:1-10, 49:8-26.
Another important reference for the prophetic meaning of Tabernacles is found in Zechariah chapter 14. The immediate context of the chapter is Jesus’ return to defeat the armies gathered at Armageddon (see also Rev. 16:12-16, 19:11-21). The Feast of Tabernacles is mentioned, and Jesus is discussed as King over the whole world.
“And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one…And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles” (Zechariah 14:9, 16, KJV).
The Millennial Reign of Jesus
The order of end-time events in the gospels and the book of Revelation also connects Tabernacles with other prophetic events. In Matthew chapter 24, Jesus described the events leading up to the end of this present age. In verse three we learn, “As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things be? What is the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?’” (WEB)
The end of the age is brought to completion when Jesus publicly returns. “…and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. Then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. He will send out his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other” (Matthew 24:30-31, WEB).
In Revelation chapter 19, we learn about Jesus’ return to defeat the armies gathered at Armageddon. In Revelation 20:1-3, we learn that Satan, who is the god of this age (2 Cor. 4:4), will be put into the Abyss (Rev. 20:1-3). The sequence of events in Revelation 19 and 20:1-3 tie into the prophetic fulfillment of Trumpets and Atonement.
Revelation 20:4,6 discusses the beginning of the Millennium. “I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God, and such as didn’t worship the beast nor his image, and didn’t receive the mark on their forehead and on their hand. They lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years…Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over these, the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with him one thousand years” (WEB).
At the beginning of the Millennium, Jesus and the saints who have already been resurrected will be given thrones of authority. Then, the people martyred during the Tribulation are resurrected to eternal life. When Jesus talked about the age to come, he spoke about the disciples sitting on thrones (Matthew 19:28-30, Luke 22:24-30). As we learned from Zechariah, Jesus will be king over the whole world!
In these verses, three other details indicate the beginning of a new age. 1) the god of this present age is not on earth; 2) there is a new accounting of time (1,000 years); and 3) the thrones are put in place for the saints. However, this age to come is temporary as it lasts 1,000 years. This also deepens our understanding of Tabernacles.
During the Millennial reign of Jesus, the resurrected saints of the Most High will reign with Him. He will be at the head of the Kingdom of God on earth; we will serve under Him! What a tremendous reason to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles!
Jesus tabernacled in an earthly body temporarily for a little over 30 years during this age. His death, burial, and resurrection initiated the last days of this age. Since then, the saints receive the Holy Spirit and Tabernacle with God and Christ on the earth in a temporary vessel. Our bodies have become sukkot at the end of this age.
Jesus’ return will end this present age. He will then Tabernacle with us in a glorified form as King over the earth in the next age for 1,000 years. The world in the age to come will be much different than it is now.
After that time, future ages await where the riches of God’s grace will be further revealed (Eph. 2:7). There is the Great White Throne Judgment (Rev. 20:11-15). Then Jesus turns the Kingdom over to the Father forever for the New Heavens and the New Earth (I Cor. 15:24, Rev. 21-22).
Celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles
As you can see, the Feast of Tabernacles is rife with meaning for Christians. There are many ways to celebrate this tremendous season! In this conclusion, we review some of them.
First and foremost, gather with other believers during this festive time. In Leviticus chapter 23, we learn that all the feasts are miqra or convocations. As believers, we are a Body. When we come together to magnify the King of Kings, it will build our faith and help us to realize that we are not alone. Enjoy fellowship meals with each other. Food helps make the season even more enjoyable!
Secondly, spend time in worship to the Lord God of Israel. “Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord…” (Lev. 23:36, KJV). We have the fire of the Holy Spirit within us (Matthew 3:11-12, Acts 2:1-4). Let’s use that fire to offer spiritual sacrifices (Rom. 12:1-2) and worship our God!
Third, celebrate your natural and spiritual harvest from this past year. In the time leading up to the Feast of Tabernacles, take time to write down the blessings God poured out into your life and the goals He empowered you to accomplish. Fourth, offer praises and thanksgiving to God for the prophetic meaning within this special time. The saints are considered last during this age; in the age to come we will be first. “But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first” (Matthew 19:30, KJV).
Lastly, take the time to study the Word of God. Study the natural and prophetic meaning of this festival season; consider Jesus when He dwelt in a Tabernacle of flesh; consider your life in our bodily tabernacle. As you do these things, you may discover even more meaning within this festival season!
Kelly McDonald, Jr. served as BSA President from 2016-2023. He presently serves as the Pastor of David’s Tent Christian Fellowship www.davidstentjackson.com.