Why God Brought Back the Feast of Tabernacles

Ezra and Nehemiah are twin books that cover the so-called “Second Exodus.” In 586 BC, Jerusalem was sieged by the Babylonian armies led by Nebuchadnezzar, who burned the city and razed the temple to the ground. Most Jews were taken as slaves into exile. Those that escaped fled into the desert and formed small nomadic communities. The Ark of the Covenant disappeared and was never seen again.

But God had not fully abandoned them. Babylon eventually fell to the Medo-Persians, who were much more merciful to the captives. Seventy years later after the exile began, the Jews were allowed to go home. But there was no real home to speak of; the once great city of Jerusalem was still just burned ruins wasting away in the desert winds. The long grueling process of rebuilding the temple and city is chronicled by the Ezra, acting as high priest and governor. It is widely believed he wrote both Ezra and Nehemiah; the latter bearing the name of the governor who took over after him. Both men worked closely together to rebuild not just the physical city, but the Jews’ relationship with God.

Chief among these reforms was the re-establishment of sacred holidays. As Ezra stood on a platform and read the Law of Moses aloud for the first time in many generations, the people were grieved at how far they had strayed from God’s Word. And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law (Nehemiah 8:9). Ezra’s response, however, is puzzling. While one would expect him to demand they humble themselves in prayer and fasting, he instead said Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our LORD: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength (verse 10).

Ezra noted that this was “a holy day.” It just so happens that the proclamation was taking place on an important holiday that the Israelites hadn’t observed since the time of Joshua. Verses 14, 17: And they found written in the law which the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month:… And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness.

Moses commanded five celebrations each year: Passover, Pentecost (Shavu’ot), the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), the New Year (Rosh Hashanah), and the Feast of Tabernacles (Succoth). Tragically, the Jews had completed neglected the last feast for almost 1,000 years: each year that passed without celebrating it was sin.

Falling at the end of September on our calendar, tabernacles is also known as the feast of booths or Succoth. Its origins can be traced back to immediately after the Exodus. As soon as the Israelites made it across the Red Sea, their first taste of actual freedom was at a campsite the Bible calls “Succoth,” Hebrew for “Temporary Shelter.” Exodus 12:37: And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children. While there, they built small shelters out of olive branches and palm fronds, called booths or tabernacles. Later, a law was established that all their future descendants leave their homes and live seven days in such shelters in the desert to reflect on freedom God had granted them. Leviticus 23:42-43: 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.

For the most part, Jews have celebrated the feast of tabernacles ever since the time of Nehemiah. In America, they typically don’t actually leave their homes for the wilderness, but take the week-long occasion for feasting, fellowship with family, and meditation on God’s delivering power. But many Middle Eastern Jews still construct palm shelters and dwell in them every year during the feast to experience firsthand what their ancestors went through all those centuries ago.

When we pull back and look at the big picture, we see the amount of effort God put into bringing His plan for humanity’s redemption to pass.

All Moses had written was that observers of the feast of tabernacles stay in palm booths for seven days, but by the time of Christ, it had evolved into a much more elaborate celebration. Understanding the complicated rituals requires looking further into the time and setting. The feast happened to coincide with the dry season, when yearly drought would afflict the Middle East. The Jewish people eventually developed complicated rituals to pray for rain or reflect on how God had brought them through droughts in the past.

On the last day of the feast, they would gather at the temple for two especially noteworthy events. The water ceremony would involve two priests carrying bowls, one filled with water, the other with wine, to the sacrificial altar. The priests would pour each down the altar simultaneously, causing the flowing streams of wine and water to mix together. This ritual symbolized the rock Moses struck, reminding the people that God had miraculously provided water in the past and would continue to get them through another dry season. But the parallels to the blood and water coming out of Jesus’ side as the Roman soldier stabbed Him with a spear are hard to ignore.

The second ritual was the light ceremony. Two tall brick towers were on either side of the outer court; and on the very last night of the feast, priests would climb ladders to the top of each with torches. Each tower had four large bowls that illuminated the night sky when lit. It was said that the flames would light up all of Jerusalem. The people would gather to watch this great spectacle, similar to how we might watch fireworks every Fourth of July.

Jesus did in fact observe all of the Jewish rituals of the time. In John 7:2-3: Now the Jew's feast of tabernacles was at hand. His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. By this point, many were out to arrest or kill Him because of His controversial statements; so under the cover of darkness, He made His way to observe the feast of tabernacles.

At the temple that week, He stopped concealing His identity and stirred up great controversy speaking to the crowds. Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught (verse 14). Most of the rest of the chapter involves His debate with the priests. But what follows is significant. Remember that the water ceremony took place on the last day of the feast? The crowd had gathered. People were praying, singing, and reciting Psalms. The priests began pouring the water and wine. But then, Jesus interrupted everything, shocking the crowd with one of His most famous phrases: In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water (John 7:37-38).

In the midst of a sacred ceremony Jesus had just claimed that anyone was thirsty could come to Him, and that His believers would have rivers of “living water” flowing from their hearts. Reading the rest of the chapter, we see some wanted to kill Him for blasphemy while others hailed Him as the Christ. So there was a division among the people because of him (verse 43).

But He wasn’t finished. Chapter 8 begins with the woman caught in the act of adultery. Scholars have argued that this story doesn’t belong here. It doesn’t appear in the earliest manuscripts of the New Testament, although this doesn’t mean this beloved story wasn’t original to the gospels; the writing style bears a similarity to Luke’s. It’s quite possible that it was recorded by Luke after publishing His gospel; later, some scribe, not sure what to do with this appendage of a text, would have assumed it was part of John (being the last gospel written) and randomly tacked it in somewhere.

We don’t really know for sure, but I think this explanation is plausible, because Jesus’ next controversial statement comes immediately afterwards. Remember that the last day of the feast of tabernacles involved the water ceremony by day and the light ceremony in the evening. The story of the woman caught in adultery creates a somewhat clumsy narrative where it is, because Jesus’ next statement makes more sense taking place in the context of the light ceremony. Imagine the sky is darkening. The stars are appearing. The priests climb the magnificent towers and light the bowl, casting a glow in the dark streets of Jerusalem. The crowd marvels under their brilliance. But Jesus once again addresses the gathering with an Earth-shattering claim. Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life (John 8:12).

In that feast of tabernacles, Jesus had turned years of Jewish tradition on its head by calling Himself the Living Water and the Light of the World. And now we can see the big picture with a new appreciation of the historical context of two of His boldest claims. Going all the way back to Nehemiah’s time, God had brought the feast of tabernacles back as a yearly tradition for the primary purpose of setting the stage for His Son to proclaim His Messiahship to the world.

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Sources:

-Burge, Gary M. Jesus and the Jewish Festivals. Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI, 2012. Pages 26, 68-78.

-Strobel, Lee. The Case for the Real Jesus. Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI, 2007. Pages 90-91.

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Zechariah 14:16-19

...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.

And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.

And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the Lord will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles...

He didn’t bring His Appointed Times back, they never went away. These are His Holy Days, created by Him, for all of His people.

Tabernacles, or Sukkot, on the first day, many people think He that created all things, including His Torah, was born. This could be, but I think He was born on Yom Teruah, 3BC. The appointed days, are the days when His purposes are accomplished. He will return, I believe on Yom Teruah. The judgement seat occurs on Yom Kippur, future. The wedding festival of the Lamb is during Sukkot. He was crucified on Pasach. He rose from the dead on the Feast of First Fruits. He revealed Himself to us, in power on Shavuot several times. The betrovel of His people at Mt. Sinai, where He presented the wedding contract, or ketubah, on Shavuot. The church or congregation in the wilderness. The empowering of His apostles with the spirit of Elijah, His spirit on Shavuot, in the book of acts. The double portion anointing of the Holy Spirit will be, on Shavuot, future.

All big events which His prophets spoke of will occur on His appointed times. We celebrate every key event of the future, the past and present on these, His Holy Days.

Halleluyah!

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