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The Feast of Tabernacles

The final of the festivals that God gave mankind is the Feast of Tabernacles. Today this celebration is commonly known as Sukkot and observed by Jews. There are those of us who as first-century apostolic Christians also observe this festival, though we typically refer to it as the Feast of Tabernacles. This festival occurs immediately after the harvest season and is a celebration and is listed among the Holy Days in Leviticus 23.

Leviticus 23:34-36
Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD. On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.

Leviticus 23:39-43
Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a Sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a Sabbath. And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days. And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month. 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.

A similar passage is found in the book of Deuteronomy.

Deuteronomy 16:13-17
Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine: And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates. Seven days shalt thou keep a solemn feast unto the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD shall choose: because the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the works of thine hands, therefore thou shalt surely rejoice. Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty: Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee.

Among first-century apostolic Christians, how the Feast of Tabernacles is observed varies. There are those who will build a temporary shelter. Others may live in a tent or a camping trailer. Some rent hotel rooms. Some observe all eight days with no work, while others observe the Holy Days and weekly Sabbath. Strangely, none of us offer an offering made by fire to God and according to the book of Deuteronomy, the amount of the offering was to be determined by individual families according to the blessing of God, and here is why. When Jesus dies for us, he was the offering for our sins and no further offering is needed. This means there can be no obligation for an offering to be made on a Holy Day. Freely giving an offering is another matter altogether. Notice how Paul explains how Jesus is our offering once for all in his letter to the Hebrews.

Hebrews 10:10
By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

In other words, we either believe Jesus Christ was the offering that sanctified us or we do not. What is clear from the command to observe the Feast of Tabernacles? It is clear that we are not to do any servile work on the first and eighth day, and that on these days there is to be holy convocation. It is clear that those who are native born Israelites are to live in structures called a booth to remember the forty years of wandering in the desert. It is clear we are to rejoice, with our family, our servants, those visiting or new to the area, widows, and the fatherless. So as we observe the Feast of Tabernacles remember to rejoice and remember to include widows and orphans!

All verses are from the King James Version.
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