Lesson 11 – The Feast of Booths (aka. The Feast of Tabernacles)
- [Narrator] He who sits on the throne said, "I am making all things new. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I give to the one who thirsts from the spring of water of life without cost. He who overcomes will inherit these things and I will be his God and he will be My son." This is the magnificent hope for all who believe in Jesus, the Messiah of God, to be raised from the dead and settle into paradise homes to live with their maker forever and ever. God's word proclaims that heaven is a very real, physical place that exists on a new pristine planet with magnificent structures of brilliant gemstone colors, flashing and glowing, illuminated by the presence of God and the Lamb.
The One on the throne also tells us that He will dwell among them and they shall be His people and God Himself will be among them and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes and there will no longer be any death or mourning or crying or pain. For the first things have passed away. This is heaven. The spirit and the bride say, "Come and let the one who is thirsty come. Let the one who wishes, take the water of life without cost." And we say, "Come!” Join us to learn about the Feast of Booths and how it foreshadows the Messiah and His redeemed taking up residence in heaven, the paradise of God.
The Most Celebrated and Joyous Appointed Time!
- [Speaker] Welcome to the Messiah of Beyond a Shadow of Doubt. I'm Don McCluskey and in this lesson, we get to explore the most celebrated and joyous Appointed Time of all, the Feast of Booths. See, I'm already celebrating with my shirt of beautiful foliage. What do you think?
For this Appointed Time, the Lord told the people to feast and celebrate and have a great time and that's in order! So, let's see what we can learn about the shadow of the Feast of Booths, and especially about its substance, which is the magnificent hope of everyone whose hope is in Jesus the Messiah.
The Timing of the Feast of Booths in the Bible
In our launch chapter, Leviticus 23, we read, "Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to the sons of Israel,' saying, 'On the 15th of this seventh month is the Feast of Booths for seven days to the Lord.'" In this seven-day feast, the Lord commanded the people to celebrate and to rejoice; not just the heads of the households, but every native-born in Israel, including the sons, daughters, male and female servants, the Levites (who were the priests), orphans and widows, and even the people who are strangers in town. This was a great time for everyone, unless you were one of the 70 bulls that was sacrificed during the seven-day feast.
The Lord told Moses, "On the first day is a holy convocation. You shall do no laborious work of any kind. For seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the Lord. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation and present an offering by fire to the Lord. It is an assembly. You shall do no laborious work."
So, we see that the Feast of Booths, which is sometimes called the Feast of Tabernacles or the Feast of the Ingathering, occurs in the fall during the seventh month of the year, which is in the September-October timeframe. It begins on Tishri 15 and lasts for seven days, the 15th through the 21st of the month.
Like the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the first day of this feast is also a holy gathering and work is forbidden, which means that it's a High Sabbath day. But it's interesting that it is not the last day of the feast that it is a High Sabbath day. Instead, it is the day after the last day. In other words, the ending High Sabbath is observed after the seven-day feast concludes. Now we wonder about the Lord's reason for that, but the answer will become obvious as we gain a deeper understanding of this Appointed Time.
An Outdoor Celebration
This feast was an outdoor celebration, wherein every Jewish household, was to build a festive temporary shelter or a booth, complete with a table, food, and drink, for the purpose of celebrating the blessings of the Lord their God. It was a time for friends, family, and neighbors to casually visit, enjoy food and friendly times together. The focus of this festive Appointed Time was on thanksgiving to the Lord after the ingathering of the fall harvest. But it also had a historical aspect, as the people remembered their forefathers living in booths, which are temporary shelters, during the exodus from Egypt.
So Soon After the Solemn Day of Atonement
Strangely, the Lord set the timing for this joyous feast only five days after the very solemn day of atonement. And we have to wonder why would He order His Appointed Times in such a way. Why would He so quickly move the people's focus from a very solemn occasion to celebration? Wouldn't He want them to dwell on His forgiving mercies of the atonement and on the gravity of their sin? Wouldn't He want them to be mindful of the solemn nature of the atonement?
Well, these are excellent questions, but His reason is also excellent. It is because the atonement of the Lord, the shadow of the Messiah was absolute and perfect. The atonement of Jesus was so thorough and complete that the sins of the people were completely eliminated from the Lord's reckoning. All debts were canceled, all sins were forgiven. Truly there was an excellent reason to celebrate. And when the substance of this Appointed Time is revealed later in this chapter, the reason will become overwhelmingly obvious to you.
Instructions for the Feast of Booths
Now let's return to our launch point in Leviticus 23, to see what else we can learn about this Appointed Time. The Feast of Booths is described in verses 33 to 43. So, let's resume in verse 40.
"Now, in the first day, you shall take for yourselves the foliage of beautiful trees, palm branches and bows of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. You shall thus celebrate it as a feast of the Lord for seven days in the year.
It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations.
You shall celebrate it in the seventh month.
You shall live in booths for seven days and the native-born in Israel shall live in booths so that your generations may know that I had the Sons of Israel live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt.
I am the Lord your God."
Clarify the Terms
Let's begin by clarifying the terminology. The Hebrew word for booth is sukkah, and the plural is sukkot. Thus, people frequently referred to the feast of Booths as simply Booths or Sukkot. You may be wondering, what is a sukkah? Well, a sukkah is sometimes referred to as a tabernacle. It is a temporary dwelling or shelter. During the time of the exodus, sukkot were used to provide privacy for the Israelites as they journeyed through the wilderness. Since the people could not buy a nylon tent from the Rameses Sporting Goods store, they constructed shelters from the provisions of nature that were freely available, which were branches and foliage and whatever else they could find.
The Foliage of Beautiful Trees
The sukkot or booths were covered with the foliage of beautiful trees, palm branches and bows of leafy trees and willows of the brook, which could provide some privacy for each family. During this feast, every household was required to construct a similar temporary dwelling to remind the people of the hardships that their ancestors endured. The main requirement for building a sukkah, is that they were covered with leafy foliage that could provide privacy and protection for the occupants. It seems to be important however, that the primary construction materials were living or organic materials, something made by the hand of God. So, this is a shadow of the Feast of Booths, taking up residence and celebrating in pleasant temporary dwellings, the material of which was created by the Lord.
The Shadow and the Substance
Now let's see what we can learn about the Messianic meaning of the Feast of Tabernacles (Booths) about the Messiah. To begin, we ask what imagery comes to mind as we see joyous multitudes taking up residence with celebration and giving thanks to God? Is there a messianic event on the horizon that has these same characteristics? You know there is! There is something of Messianic significance that is far greater than the annual rehearsal of the shadow. I've come to the conclusion that the Feast of Booths is a shadow of the Messiah and the redeemed taking up residence in their eternal homes in heaven with the Messiah on His throne as their King. This is the substance of Jesus at the Feast of Booths.
Let's take a look. One of the first clues is found in the Lord's instructions for this feast that hints at our eternal rest in heaven. Recall that this seven-day feast has a Sabbath on the first day, but the Lord also proclaimed a Sabbath on the day after the feast ends. What might He be implying by this? Is it possible that it represents something that continues after our time on earth, the eternal rest and eternal life that He promises to the redeemed?
The Great Sabbath Rest in Eternity
The final Sabbath rest begins after the feast ends – it does not end with the feast. It is separate from it, and in a figurative way, it may suggest that this Sabbath rest is ongoing and eternal. The Sabbath is the starting place of the eternal rest and eternal life of believers. The fourth chapter of the book of Hebrews focuses on the eternal rest that the Lord offers to those who believe.
Now, someone might suggest that the rest was simply referring to the rest that the Israelites found by entering the promised land, which Joshua obtained as he led the conquest. But the writer of Hebrews anticipated that idea and reminds us that even after Joshua's conquest, the Lord spoke of another day, another rest, even after the time of Joshua. “So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.”[1] So it follows that the Sabbath that is observed after the Feast of Booths could be a shadow of eternal life and rest in heaven.
Do the Scriptures hold other hints that taking up residence might be the essence of the Feast of Booths? Well consider this, as they journeyed, the Israelites of the exodus took up residence in their sukkot during the years in the wilderness. By observing the Feast of Booths, the following generations were to remember this as they also took up residence in their own sukkah.
The Earthly Residence of the Lord
But what about the earthly residence of the Lord? Well, roughly 500 years after the exodus, king Solomon completed the construction of the temple and dedicated it as a Lord's dwelling place. It was a permanent magnificent structure in Jerusalem. When it was completed, Solomon assembled the heads of the tribes of Israel, the elders of Israel in Jerusalem, to celebrate the transferring of the Ark of the Covenant to its new permanent home.
The Scriptures give a very interesting insight about this event. In 2 Chronicles 5, we read,
All of the men of Israel assembled themselves to the king at the feast, that is in the seventh month. Then all the elders of Israel came and the Levites took up the ark. They brought up the ark and the tent of meeting and all the holy utensils that were in the tent. The Levitical priest brought them up.
Did you notice the timing? This event occurred during the feast in the seventh month, which of course is the Feast of Booths. There is only one feast in the seventh month.
The story continues, explaining how the Ark was placed in the new Holy of holies in the temple under the wings of the cherub that had been crafted specifically for it. After the Ark was in place, king Solomon, along with the congregation of Israel, sacrificed so many sheep and oxen that they couldn't even be counted.
Then Solomon took his place on a special platform that had been set up in the midst of the court of the temple. He knelt, and spread out his hands in prayer toward heaven to the Lord, the God of his fathers in the presence of the entire assembly of Israel. When he finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices and the glory of the Lord filled the house.
And in 2 Chronicles 7:16, the Lord appeared to Solomon at night and said, "For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that My name may be there forever, and my eyes and my heart will be there perpetually." Would it be correct to say that the Lord took up residence in this earthly home during the Feast of Booths? I believe He did. Clearly the Lord took up residence in his house during the Feast of Booths in the year that the temple was dedicated.
The Messiah’s Promise of Future Residence
Later, almost 1,000 years after the temple was dedicated by Solomon, when the disciples were together in the upper room for the Last Supper, they questioned Jesus about where he was going. And he responded, "Where I go, you cannot follow Me now, but you will follow later."[2] And after a brief correction of Peter, Jesus went on to say,
In my Father's house are many dwelling places.
If it were not so, I would've told you,
for I go to prepare a place for you,
and if I go to prepare a place for you,
I will come again and receive you to Myself
that where I am there you may be also.[3]
In these words, the Messiah himself introduced the subject of taking up residence. His words offer insight into two residences, the Father's house and the dwelling places that the son is preparing for His followers. Where is the Father's house and what are the dwelling places that He's preparing? Let's continue to explore.
The Eternal Home of the Messiah and His Bride
Jesus frequently taught about eternal wealth and how His followers should store up treasure in heaven so they will have an abundance when they arrive. But He did not provide nearly as much information about their eternal dwellings, or the paradise in which they would live. But after Jesus ascended to heaven, the Apostle John was given the privilege of seeing a vision, the paradise to come. The fantastic sites are recorded in the 21st and 22nd chapters of the Book of Revelation.
These two chapters were written with a very different tone than the previous chapters of the book. All the apocalyptic nightmares had ended and a new world had been brought into existence, designed for the ultimate Sabbath rest of peace and righteousness. Without question, the centerpiece of this new world is to the throne of God and the Lamb and the tabernacle of God. The throne is situated in a beautiful, magnificent city, the heavenly Jerusalem. Could this pristine dwelling be the fulfillment of the shadow that is cast by the Feast of Booths?
Were the dwelling places that Jesus is preparing for His loved ones part of this fulfillment? Let's take a look at John's journal about this dwelling and try to envision what he saw. The scene in John's vision opens immediately after the righteous judgment of God. If you glance back at the previous paragraph, you will see that our current planet Earth and its heavens had been completely destroyed as they fled from the presence of the one who sat on the great white throne. They were gone, but they had been replaced with a new uncorrupted planet Earth that is the dwelling place of the Lord and his people
Examine the Scriptures
I've compiled an overview of what I believe to be the fulfillment of the Feast of Booths, which is heaven, as it is described in the 21st and 22nd chapters of Revelation. But I need to make a disclaimer about the upcoming information in this lesson and in part two. I've done my best to present the teaching of these chapters as faithfully as possible. I believe the intended meanings of the prophecies are clear, but I encourage you to check my work, study them on your own, to make sure that you are in the truth. So, with that as my disclaimer, let's look into these fascinating visions that were given to John.
A New Heaven and a New Earth
Revelation 21 records his words as if he were approaching this new planet from a distance.
And 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.
And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem
coming down out of heaven from God,
made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.[4]
Doesn't it seem strange that a city was coming down from heaven? Was it levitating in the sky? We'll come back to that thought.
Nonetheless, at that point, John heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men and He will dwell among them and they will be His people and God himself will be among them." What an amazing change from the current relationship between God and man. Imagine the Almighty God, the Creator, dwelling among us and being accessible to us. Once again. We see the magnitude of an event that is foreshadowed by an Appointed Time – the Messiah, and those whom He redeemed taking up residence in the eternal dwellings.
Do you remember the scene at Mount Sinai where the people were terrified when the Lord descended on the mountain in a thick cloud of smoke and thunder and lightning? They begged Moses to talk to God on their behalf because they were filled with the terror of his presence. But in the heavenly Jerusalem, everything has changed. The people are actually able to see the face of God and He will tenderly wipe every tear from their eyes. Because of the cleansing atonement of the Messiah, the redeemed can stand confidently before Him with their souls and consciences washed as white as snow.
The First Things Have Passed Away
Now notice that the dwelling of God is referred to as a tabernacle. Does the idea of a sukkah come to mind? The voice from the throne continues to describe the new world that God created,
And he will wipe away every tear from their eyes
and there will no longer be any death.
There will no longer be any mourning or crying or pain.
The first things have passed away.[5]
Can you imagine a world where there is no death? I mean really, no death! We'll have time in abundance, literally more time than all the time in the world. This will change the way that we live in profound ways. There will no longer be any looming thoughts of dying someday. No need for bucket lists. No more dread, no more fear of walking through the valley of the shadow of death. People might spend their days and months enjoying extended visits with loved ones or enjoying excursions to exotic places on the new earth. But don't worry, you'll not be leaving your friends forever. They'll still be around. The absence of death and pain will eliminate mourning and the tears that accompany it.
Indeed, the first things have passed away. What a beautiful world it will be. And the words of John continue. And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new. And he said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true." The Lord is making all things new, including a new uncorrupted planet with a pristine ecosystem in which his people can flourish. All of the damage that is plagued our current planet because of God's judgment and man's folly, will be undone.
The Heavenly Jerusalem in the Book of Hebrews
Just so you know, this information about the new Jerusalem is not unique to the Book of Revelation. The writer of Hebrews also gives us a brief glimpse of our heavenly home. Imagine this: Hebrews 12 says,
You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God,
the heavenly Jerusalem,
and to myriads of angels
and to the general assembly
and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven
and to God, the judge of all,
and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect
and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant
and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks
better than the blood of Abel.[6]
That's amazing! You are about to enter the city of God, the Heavenly Jerusalem. Myriads of angels will be walking among us in the streets of gold. Myriads of believers, those redeemed by the Lamb will reside here in their homes as citizens of this magnificent metropolis, and greatest of all, God, the righteous judge and Father of all, will dwell in this celestial tabernacle.
An Angelic Tour
Now let's return to Revelation 21. While John was absorbed in this vision of the new heavens and earth and the celestial city, an angel approached him and offered to give him a glimpse of the bride, the wife of Christ. Wow – what an offer! This would be a fantastic tour, a tour of heaven… and the things that John saw, my goodness, they were difficult to describe and difficult for us to imagine, but they are magnificent!
Would you like to follow John on this tour and try to envision what he saw and learned about heaven? I thought you would. Then join me in the next lesson of The Messiah Beyond a Shadow of Doubt, where we will take a tour of heaven. I'm Don McCluskey, and it's been a joy to bring this information to you. I'll see you there.
[1] Hebrews 4:9
[2] John 13:36
[3] John 14:2-3
[4] Revelation 21:1-2
[5] Revelation 21:4
[6] Hebrews 12:22-24
