The Feast of Tabernacles, also known as the Feast of Booths and Sukkot, is a week-long fall festival that commemorates the 40-year journey of the Israelites in the wilderness. It is the seventh and last feast that the Lord commanded Israel to observe and one of the three feasts that Jews were to participate in. The Feast of Tabernacles is mentioned multiple times in Scripture, sometimes called the Feast of the Ingathering, the Feast to the Lord, or the Feast of Booths. It is also one of the pilgrim feasts when Jewish males were commanded to go to Jerusalem, and it was the time when they brought their tithes and offerings to the Temple.
The Feast of Tabernacles is significant in that it foreshadows the work and actions of the coming Messiah. Jesus also celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles, as recorded in the Book of John, chapter 7. The festival is a clear metaphor for the coming of the Messiah, who would redeem and purify his people. The Feast of Tabernacles is more than just a harvest festival; it is a heavenly-instituted celebration designed to help the Children of Israel look towards the future and the coming of the Messiah.
The Feast of Tabernacles is celebrated on the 15th day of the seventh month, on a Sunday. During the festival, Jewish people gather together in Jerusalem to remember God’s provision in the wilderness and to look ahead to the promised Messianic age when all nations will flow to Jerusalem to worship the Lord. The festival is also relevant for all nations, not just the Jewish people, as it symbolizes Christs Second Coming when He will establish His earthly kingdom.
