by Todd Elder at Exploring Creation
The annual festivals given to the Nation of Israel are summarized in Leviticus 23. These festivals are prophetic pictures of the Messiah's actions for the salvation and redemption of mankind. The spring festivals are symbolic of the Messiah's first coming that occurred about two thousand years ago. This includes the atoning sacrifice made at Passover and His giving of the Spirit to mankind at the time of Pentecost. Similarly, the fall festivals represent the second coming of the Messiah. These events include the millennial kingdom, the great white throne judgment, the marriage of the lamb, and the new heavens and earth. The Feast of Booths represents the new marriage covenant made between the Messiah and the bride of the Messiah. It is also the time for the creation of the new heavens and new earth.
There are two main names by which this seven day feast is referenced. In the Hebrew language this first reference is chag awseef, which means the feast of ingathering. This referes to the autumn season of the year when all of the crops have matured and are harvested and brought in before winter.
The second name by which this seven day feast is referenced is known in Hebrew as Chag Sukkoth. This is variously translated as Feast of Sukkot, Feast of Booths, or Feast of Tabernacles. Technically a 'sukkah' is a temporary dwelling and has nothing to do with a Tabernacle which comes from the Hebrew word 'mishkan'. This is used as a reminder that people lived in booths when He brought them out of Egypt. It is often demonstrated with a shelter much like what shepherds would use while tending their flocks.
One of the instructions for this time is the building of a booth. This booth is a temporary structure and probably similar to what the shepherds of Israel would use while out tending their flocks. Today, many people choose to stay in a tent during this time period. It was commanded to be a reminder that when the Almighty took the people out of Egypt they were made to live in temporary dwellings.
The Feast of Booths is one of the three annual pilgrimage festivals. At this time, the men of Israel were to go to Jerusalem to make a freewill offering.
The Feast of Sukkot has instructions involving four species of plant for use as part of the ceremony. The Scriptures, do not give much detail about these plants which has caused a few theories to emerge regarding what they are, what they represent, and what they are to be used for. The primary theories are to make them symolic of types of people or to use them in the making of the Booth itself.
The week long celebration of the Feast of Booths is a very busy time within the Tabernacle. Following the instructions on sacrifices, there would be over 100 animals slaughtered and sacrificed during this time.
Various themes of family life are used within Scripture to represent the many facets of our relationship with the Almighty. It is often seen where Yahveh is shown as our Heavenly Father while Yahshuah, the Messiah, is shown as our brother. The marriage covenant is another form used to represent our relationship with the Almighty. The prophets speak of Yahveh as having married the Nation of Israel. Scripture also speaks of another wedding which is known as the wedding of the Messiah or alternately as the marriage of the Lamb.
In Hebrew tradition, a wedding feast can last for seven days and is quite a celebration. The week long Feast of Booths represents the celebration of the Marriage of the Lamb which fulfills the many parables of the Messiah and His bride.
It is during this week long event that the new Heavens and new Earth will be created.
This will also be the time of the fulfillment of the New Covenant where all people will know Him.
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Leviticus 23:33-38 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, {34} 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. {35} On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. {36} 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. {37} These are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day: {38} Beside the sabbaths of the LORD, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the LORD.
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. {40} 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. {41} 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. {42} Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: {43} 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.
Numbers 29:12-34 And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work, and ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: {13} And ye shall offer a burnt offering, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD; thirteen young bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year; they shall be without blemish: {14} And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals unto every bullock of the thirteen bullocks, two tenth deals to each ram of the two rams, {15} And a several tenth deal to each lamb of the fourteen lambs: {16} And one kid of the goats for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering. {17} And on the second day ye shall offer twelve young bullocks, two rams, fourteen lambs of the first year without spot: {18} And their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner: {19} And one kid of the goats for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, and the meat offering thereof, and their drink offerings. {20} And on the third day eleven bullocks, two rams, fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish; {21} And their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner: {22} And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, and his drink offering. {23} And on the fourth day ten bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish: {24} Their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner: {25} And one kid of the goats for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering. {26} And on the fifth day nine bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without spot: {27} And their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner: {28} And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, and his drink offering. {29} And on the sixth day eight bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish: {30} And their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner: {31} And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering. {32} And on the seventh day seven bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish: {33} And their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner: {34} And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering.
Deuteronomy 16:13-15 Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine: {14} 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. {15} 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.
Exodus 23:14-17 Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year. {15} Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:) {16} And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field. {17} Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord GOD.
Exodus 23:14-17 Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year. {15} Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:) {16} And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field. {17} Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord GOD.
Deuteronomy 16:16-17 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: {17} Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee.
Isaiah 65:17-18 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. {18} But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
Isaiah 66:22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.
Jeremiah 31:31-34 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: {32} Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: {33} But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. {34} And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
Matthew 25:1-13 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. {2} And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. {3} They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: {4} But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. {5} While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. {6} And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. {7} Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. {8} And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. {9} But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. {10} And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. {11} Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. {12} But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. {13} Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
Revelation 19:5-9 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. {6} And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. {7} Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. {8} And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. {9} And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
Revelation 21:1-4 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. {2} And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. {3} And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. {4} And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.