Sukkot The Feast of Tabernacles
The First Thanksgiving by Terri Gillespie

Did you know that the first Thanksgiving celebrated by the pilgrims in Plymouth was based on the biblical festival Sukkot? In fact, the colonists based Thanksgiving on the passage in Leviticus 23:39, "when you have gathered in the crops of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the Lord for seven days."

Sukkot is Hebrew for huts or temporary dwellings, also known as tabernacles. The Israelites lived in these temporary dwellings for 40 years in the desert until they reached the Promised Land. God commanded that the Jewish people would remember His provision for them in the desert by dwelling in these booths during the festival of Sukkot.

The Lord said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites: on the 15th day of the seventh month, the Lord's feast of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days. The first day is a sacred assembly; do no regular work. For seven days present offerings made to the Lord by fire, and on the eighth day hold a sacred assembly and present an offering made to the Lord by fire. It is a closing assembly; do no regular work. (“these are the Lord's appointed feasts, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies, for bringing offerings made to the Lord by fire—the burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings required for each day. These offerings are in addition to those for the Lord’s Sabbath and in addition to your gifts and whatever you have vowed and all the free will offerings you give to the Lord.") So, beginning with the 15th day of the seventh month, after you've gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the Lord for seven days; the first day is a day of rest, and the eighth day also is a day of rest. On the first day you are to take choice fruit from the trees, and palm fronds, leafy branches and poplars, and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. Celebrate this as a festival to the Lord for seven days each year. This is to be an everlasting ordinance for the generations to calm; celebrated in the seventh month. Live in booths for seven days; all native-born Israelis are to live in booths so your descendents will know that I had the Israelites live in booths when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God."  So Moses announced to the Israelites the appointed feasts of the Lord. (Leviticus 23: 33 - 44).

Once the Israelites were in the Promised Land, the Lord commanded that three of the biblical festivals, must be celebrated in Jerusalem. These were Passover, Shavuot (also known as Pentecost) and Sukkot. Sukkot was sometimes known as the feast of ingathering.

If we look at the three festivals celebrated in the fall High holy season, we see a simple, yet clear gospel message. Rosh Hashanah represents the call to repentance—think of the shofar blasts. Yom Kippur represents atonement for sin by an unblemished innocent animal’s sacrifice. Sukkot is a festival of thanksgiving while inhabiting temporary dwellings.

As I began writing this article, I really struggled with what to put in this piece. Like the festival itself, there is a bounty of meaningful subject matter in Sukkot. Frankly, books have been written about the traditions, New Testament references and prophetic implications.

For you to get a “feel” for the festival, and perhaps stimulate your own symbolic discoveries, I decided to stick with the very basics. If you have additional questions, I’ve included some reference materials. I would also be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Both traditional Jewish and Messianic observance are based on the teachings of the Torah (the first five books of the Bible). Because this is such a joyful festival, many families begin constructing their sukkah right after Yom Kippur.

Construction of a sukkah—especially for the first time—can be a little challenging, but also a lot of fun. It does take planning. The design is simple; essentially it's a little shack, with a few branches over the top. This can be an excellent project for a youth group or Sunday school class as well as for families. In fact, the first year we built a sukkah it was a communal effort. Several families helped us design and build the structure—then we pot-lucked the meals.

Believe it or not, you can buy kits (Google, Sukkah Kits). They vary in price. The following link gives simple instructions how to build your own biblical remembrance.

http://www.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Sukkot/Overview_Sukkot_at_Home/Sukkah/Isaacs_Laws_339/Building_Sukkah.htm#top

As mentioned in the scripture passage above (“On the first day you are to take choice fruit from the trees, and palm fronds, leafy branches and poplars, and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days.”) various fruit and branches are to be used in worship. Traditionally, the Jewish people use the etrog (an Israeli fruit called a citron) and lulav (which contains palm, myrtle and willow branches).

The branches are wrapped together and held in one hand, the etrog in the other. Mostly the men-folk wave and/or shake the items facing East, West, North and South (not necessarily in that order). Sound weird? I thought so until I read Leviticus and until someone explained the symbolism. Okay, I know I said I’d let you find the symbolisms yourself, but—hey—I needed some guidance for this one myself.

For thousands of years it has been taught that each of these species represents a different kind of person:

1. Etrog: the sweet fruit with a delightful aroma, symbolizes a person with knowledge of the scriptures and good deeds.
2. Date palm: although it has a delicious fruit, there is no aroma, which represents the person with knowledge but no good deeds.
3. Myrtle: the opposite of the date palm, the myrtle has a beautiful fragrance, but no fruit, which signifies someone with good deeds but no true knowledge.
4. Willow: with neither fruit nor fragrance, the willow denotes someone lacking in knowledge or fruit.

As the etrog and lulavs are waved, the man calls out loudly, Ana Adonai Hoshiana (Hosanna), which means, Save us, Lord! This intercession clearly proclaims in whatever state of faith—or lack of—only God can save us!

Another tradition is the water libation typically performed on the last day of the festival called Hoshana Rabbah. The priest would take a golden pitcher to the Pool of Siloam, fill it and take it back to the altar and pour it into a bowl.

In John 7, Jesus/Yeshua stood during this ceremony and called out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him keep coming to me and drinking. Whoever puts his trust in Me, as scripture says, rivers of living water will flow from his inmost being . . .” (John 7:37-39)

There can be no doubt what the Messiah was saying, if the people believed in Him, He would pour out His Holy Spirit! Talk about controversy!

As you begin studying the New Testament accounts of this festival prepare yourself to be amazed at the implication of Jesus/Yeshua’s words as fulfillment of these feasts.

Sukkot is probably my favorite of all the biblical festivals—if I had to choose one. For me, the most surprising of all the facts about Sukkot is that God commands the nations—the non-Jews—to celebrate Sukkot in Jerusalem!

The prophet Zechariah wrote: "then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the feast of Tabernacles. If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, they will have no rain."  (Zechariah 14: 16 - 17)

Wow! The very people who have attacked Jerusalem will be worshiping the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as they celebrate Sukkot! End time world revival!

As someone who prays for both the salvation of the Jewish people and the Arab nations, this is a very hopeful prophecy. In fact, there are “first fruits” of this  happening today. Several Christian and Messianic organizations host tours during the feast of Sukkot where believers can literally fulfill Zechariah. Please contact me for more information.

I think I’ll close this with this short list of symbols to hopefully prime your spiritual pump:

1. Living in temporary dwellings
2. Last harvest of the year
3. Celebration of the harvest
4. Celebration for seven days
5. Tabernacle—God dwelled in the Tabernacle while the Israelites were in the desert
6. Etrog’s sweetness and fragrance
7. the complexities of the lulav
8. waving the etrog and lulav in four directions
9. Why would God command the nations to celebrate Sukkot in Jerusalem and not the other festivals?

10.     the water offering

God bless you in your pursuits of and for Him. Shalom, shalom. for

Read More About It: God’s Appointed Times, by Messianic Rabbi Barney Kasdan, Lederer Ministries, 1993, 2007. Celebrating Biblical Feasts—in Your Home or Church, by Martha Zimmerman, Bethany Books, 1981, 2004.

RECIPE:

Barley Beef Soup

For those of you who build your sukkah—or use their porch or deck as a make-shift sukkah—this soup is a real heart (and tummy) warmer on chilly nights.

1 Lb. beef stew meat

Soup bone

3 quarts water

2-3 tsp. kosher or sea salt

Dash of pepper

1 small yellow or white onion

3 medium carrots, sliced into bite-sized pieces

3 stalks celery, sliced into bite-sized pieces

½ cup barley

1 peeled turnip, diced

Combine the first six ingredients. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer one hour. Remove the soup bone and add veggies. Continue simmering until veggies are tender. Season to taste.

This is a great make-ahead soup. After a couple days in the fridge—oh, my—how delicious!

NEXT TIME: Chanukah—The Feast of Dedication