What is Sukkot?
Sukkot (the Festival of Tabernacles)
33 The Lord said to Moses, 34 “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month the Lord’s Festival of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days. 35 The first day is a sacred assembly; do no regular work. 36 For seven days present food offerings to the Lord, and on the eighth day hold a sacred assembly and present a food offering to the Lord. It is the closing special assembly; do no regular work.
37 (“‘These are the Lord’s appointed festivals, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies for bringing food offerings to the Lord—the burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings required for each day. 38 These offerings are in addition to those for the Lord’s Sabbaths and in addition to your gifts and whatever you have vowed and all the freewill offerings you give to the Lord.)
39 “‘So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the Lord for seven days; the first day is a day of sabbath rest, and the eighth day also is a day of sabbath rest. 40 On the first day you are to take branches from luxuriant trees—from palms, willows and other leafy trees—and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. 41 Celebrate this as a festival to the Lord for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 Live in temporary shelters for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in such shelters 43 so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in temporary shelters when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’”
44 So Moses announced to the Israelites the appointed festivals of the Lord. (Leviticus 23: 33-44)
This festival commemorates the Jews living in the wilderness. When God brought the Jews out of Egypt, they lived in temporary shelters (tabernacles) until God brought them from the wilderness into the promised land. God mandated that for 7 days, the Israelites are to live in temporary shelters so that their descendants would know about this part of their history. This is one of three Biblically-mandated holidays requiring pilgrimage to Jerusalem. No work is permitted on the 1st day. (Leviticus 23: 33-44)
Sukkot (aka the Feast of Tabernacles, the Feast of Booths) commemorates when God brought the ancient Israelites out of the desert after wandering for 40 years. During the festival, they are to live in temporary shelters to remind them that God had the Israelites live in temporary shelters when He brought them out of Egypt. The festival is to be both sacred and joyous. Waving branches from palms, willows, and other luxurious trees, this is a time of celebrating and rejoicing before the Lord. (Leviticus 23: 33-44)
The Festival of Sukkot begins on Tishri 15, the fifth day after Yom Kippur. It is a dramatic change from one of the most solemn holidays (Yom Kippur) to one of the most joyous. This biblically mandated holiday is also known as “the Season of our Rejoicing.”
Upcoming dates: Oct 17 2016, Oct 2 2017, Sep 24 2018, Oct 14 2019, Oct 2 2020, Sep 21 2021, Oct 10 2022, Sep 30 2023
Scriptures Read on this Holiday
Torah reading: Leviticus 22:26 – 23:44, Numbers 29:12 – 29:31, Exodus 33:12 – 34:26
Haftarah: Zechariah 14:1-21, 1 Kings 8:2-21, Ezekiel 38:18 – 39:16
Worth Noting
God has ordered the Jewish people to remember the time when He protected them and provided for them in the wilderness for 40 years. God has specifically instructed the Jews to teach each generation how to make the temporary dwellings (tabernacles).
During the Great Tribulation, God will save a remnant of Jewish people by taking them into the wilderness. God will protect the remnant from Satan for 1,260 days. God will provide for the remnant. During that time, they will again live in temporary shelters. (Revelation 12: 6, 14)
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