Please read the one page article “God’s Festivals: An Historical Perspective” for an introduction to the subject of God’s Holy Days.
Lev. 23:33-36, 40-44 and Numbers 29:12-34 tell us of the Festival of Tabernacles (Booths). Beginning on the 15th day of the 7th month and it is kept for seven full days with the first day being designated as a “Holy Day”. The Festival of Tabernacles pictures the coming Kingdom of God on earth with Jesus Christ as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords reigning over all the world. It is the symbolic representation of the 1,000 year millennial rule of Jesus over the earth after His triumphant return to the Mount of Olives.
It has long been a Biblical principle that we journey through this life only temporarily (Rom. 8:18, Revelation 20:4-6). We rhetorically live in temporary booths as we progress though our mortal life in awaiting for our calling and change to immortality with Jesus Christ on this earth. The Festival of Tabernacles accurately depicts this in our lives and is celebrated year to year as a reminder of our temporary existence in our wait for the future Kingdom of God to appear at His coming. God had Israel dwell in temporary homes (booths) while they journeyed toward the Promised Land (Lev. 23:42-43). This is a physical symbolism of our journey and wait to join Christ in the Promised Kingdom of God.
Though history the people of Israel alternately kept and forgot about God and His Holy Days. Remarkably they were reminded of the Festival of Tabernacles by Ezra and Nehemiah and kept the festival with great happiness (Neh. 8:14-17). King Solomon kept a magnificent Feast of Tabernacles (I Kings 8:1-12, 57-68) which included the Last Great Day. Jesus Himself kept the Festival of Tabernacles and preached about Himself in Jerusalem during the Feast (John 7:2, 14-17). He revealed Himself to the Jews of Jerusalem during the Festival of Tabernacles. While in Ephesus, over 20 years AFTER the crucifixion of Jesus, Paul was observing the Feast of Tabernacles. Paul tells us in I Thes. 4:13-17 and I Cor. 15:50-52 of how the Kingdom will begin at the return of Jesus. John says in Revelation 11:15 the Kingdoms of the world become the kingdoms of the LORD and the Kingdom of God will last for 1,000 years on earth before the great White Throne Judgement of God, depicted on the Last Great Day (Seed cscog7 staff Last Great Day for further details).
What of the future? After the return of Jesus to set up His Kingdom, nations will either come to Jerusalem and keep the Festival or they will be destroyed for NOT keeping the festival of Tabernacles (Zech. 14:16-18). The Bible is full of future prophecies of what it will be like in the Kingdom of God which is depicted by the Feast of Tabernacles. No more war (Micah 4:1-5 and Isaiah 2:1-5). Peace and abundance and a change in nature for mankind and all the animals (Isaiah 11:1-9). The desserts will bloom, waters will be crystal clear with abundance for all through the reign of the King of Kings Jesus Christ (Isaiah 35 all). No festival of God is pictured more often or so wondrously than the Feast of Tabernacles.
The Festival of Tabernacles gives us a glimpse of the glorious future of mankind under the supreme righteous ruler Jesus Christ, our LORD and master.
