As with the other High Holy Days, the Feast of Tabernacles is yet another day about the great deeds that the Most High did and would do for the Israelites through Jesus Christ. This page will examine the origins of the Feast and how we should observe it in these times through the Lord and Savior.

Hebrews 9:8 “The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:”

When our forefathers kept the feast of tabernacles or booths, they knew it only as a time to commemorate the heavenly father causing the children of Israel to dwell in booths for forty years in the wilderness. They celebrated the history of when the Lord lead us into the land of promise with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, but this day stands for much more than that. The Feast of Tabernacles actually represents how Christ lead our forefathers through the wilderness to the promised land in the past and how he in this day and time is leading us to the true promised land (kingdom of heaven) if we are willing to repent and follow his example!

Leviticus 23:1-2 “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.”

Leviticus 23:33-36 “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.”

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.”

Nehemiah 9:12 “Moreover thou leddest them in the day by a cloudy pillar; and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way wherein they should go”

Exodus 13:21-22 “And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: 22  He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.”

Nehemiah 8:14-18 “And they found written in the law which the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month: 15  And that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and pine branches, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written. 16 So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the street of the water gate, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim. 17 And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness.18 Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner.”

These scriptures explained how our forefathers kept the feast in the past by building booths and dwelling in them for the duration of the feast. What was the purpose of building the booths? What did the booths represent? How do we keep the day now in Christ? The following scriptures will answer these questions and more.

Deuteronomy 8:2-6  2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, [and] to prove thee, to know what [was] in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. 3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every [word] that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live. 4 Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years. 5 Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, [so] the LORD thy God chasteneth thee. 6Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him.

1Corinthians 10:5-11 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for [their bodies] were scattered in the wilderness. 6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted 7 And do not become idolaters as [were] some of them. As it is written, [“The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” 8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; 9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; 10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11Now all [fn] these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

All throughout the time of our forefathers wandering in the wilderness the Lord suffered them to hunger, thirst and dwell in booths rather than homes. This was a harsh trial that the Lord suffered our people to endure as a test of humility and proof of who would place their faith in him and who would rebel. Although our father dwelled in booths the scriptures still tell us that with most of them God was not well pleased.

1Corinthians 10:6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.

With those words comes a better understanding. The celebration of this feast is not about building booths. It is about us learning from the wicked examples of the past. The Lord is not pleased when our people live in disobedience and sin. But with righteousness and repentance, the Lord is well pleased. What did we learn from building the booths that would lead us to Christ? The scriptures that follow will show us the answer to that question and how to keep the day in Christ.

1Corinthians 10:1-11 “Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3  And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. 8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. 9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. 11Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Revelations 14:1-5 “And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: 3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. 4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. 5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.” 

These days we are not to sacrifice or build a physical booth to keep the Feast. We are to remember the sacrifice that Christ made and acknowledge that it was Christ that led us then as he is leading his true followers now. By repenting, keeping the commandments, and following his example, Christ is leading us through the current wilderness of the nations into the Kingdom of Heaven.