Sukkot has come – halleluyah!
Sukkot, also called the Feast of Booths of Feast of Tabernacles, is called the “time of our rejoicing”, and rightfully so: it is a time for us to look forward to its fulfillment in Messiah, when God tabernacles – dwells – with His people. The last chapter in the Bible paints the awesome picture:
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
The prophet Zechariah prophesies that, in the coming Messianic Age, all nations – even the crazy gentiles – will be divinely invited mandated (ahem) to go to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles with Messiah King:
Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south.
On that day there will be no light, no cold or frost. It will be a unique day, without daytime or nighttime—a day known to the LORD. When evening comes, there will be light.
On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea and half to the western sea, in summer and in winter.
The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name.
Jerusalem will be raised up and remain in its place, from the Benjamin Gate to the site of the First Gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepresses. It will be inhabited; never again will it be destroyed. Jerusalem will be secure.
Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, they will have no rain. If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The LORD will bring on them the plague he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.
What’s more, a number of scholars have suggested that the Feast of Tabernacles is when Messiah was born, thus explaining the large crowds and that there were no rooms available when Yeshua was born.
And how fitting that would be, yeah? Immanuel (“God with us”) being born on the Feast of Tabernacles, when God will dwell with us.
Happy Feast of Sukkot! It’s a week-long feast, with rest commanded for the first and last days of the feast. Later this week, as part of our commandment hierarchy mapping project, we’ll blog about Sukkot-specific commandments.
As a little Sukkot gift to you, fine blog readers, please enjoy the following Messianic music from Steve McConnell, where he puts a traditional Jewish sukkot prayer to a joyful praise song: