It’s the time of Sukkot, The Feast of Tabernacles! It’s a time of rejoicing, a festive occasion, and a holiday of special gladness. It is celebrated by the Jews during the 15th – 22nd of TISHRI (TISHREI) 5785 in the Hebrew Calendar, which starts Wednesday at Sunset, October 16th, and will end Wednesday at nightfall October 23rd. It is a seven day feast, during the fall harvest.

The Feast of Tabernacles is found within Leviticus 23:33-44

It was one of the three pilgrimage feasts where the Jewish men were required to meet with the Lord in Jerusalem. At the temple, in the days of old, during the seven days, they would light three massive golden candlesticks that were 75 feet high. They would place it within the outer courtyard of the temple in Jerusalem in the Court of the Women. This was a place where everyone, both male and female, was welcome to praise the one True Living God. The light from the golden candlesticks is said to be so bright that it would light up all the courtyards of Jerusalem. On the eighth day, there was a call for a holy convocation, a solemn, and holy assembly where the lights were put out. This feast is also known as the Feast of Booths, and also as “The Feast” 1 Kings 8:2, 65.

In observance of this feast in our current day, the Jews build booths/huts (a sukkah) on their lawns or place of choice near their place of abode during this time, which is made of wood and canvas. They decorate it with flowers, fruits, and vegetables. They dwell in the booths sometimes sleeping there and having a meal within. This represents how God provided and cared for the Israelites in the forty years of wilderness while they lived in booths. They also wave lulav in four directions and then up and down for the first seven days. When they do this they are acknowledging that God is the Creator, King over all the earth, and provider of everything around us and all good things that can be enjoyed. While waving it they say, “Let Israel say His loving kindness endures forever” and also say “Lord save us.”

This feast serves as a reminder of God’s faithfulness to us and that Jesus has come as a light unto the world! It is also significant of Him being the one who brings water from the wells of Salvation! He provides water for the crops to produce even when we are in a desert land. That water is the Holy Spirit, who will be poured out on us, according to Isaiah 44:3. It is He, the Spirit of God, who produces His crops within our lives bearing forth the fruit of His Spirit within us which is His…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control! Hallelujah! That is more than enough to rejoice about!

“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

“But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”

John 4:14

Prophetically this feast represents harvest time and the nations being gathered back to Him, which is a time of rejoicing and celebration! Every tribe, every tongue, every nation is welcome to come into the Kingdom of God if they receive Jesus as their personal Savior!

It is also believed that the Feast of Tabernacles (Booths) is the foundation of where the holiday Thanksgiving came from.

Enjoy this time of rejoicing during the Feast of Booths, the seventh day is also referred to as “The Great Hosanna.” Hosanna is translated to “please save us” and that is what Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus, The Messiah) has done. He has brought Salvation unto the world. All who believe in Him shall receive everlasting life from the light of the world, Jesus Christ, and never thirst again.