God Appointed his Timing and Design
In this Magnificent
Creation,
We are merely Vessels
for the
Work of Christ
to advance his unique purposes,
according to his plan
God-Ordained Holy Days
Lev 23 outlines seven annual
“appointed times”
of the Lord. The Hebrew word for “appointed times”
translates as “feasts” and/or “festivals” in most English Bibles.
Though called feasts/festivals, they are actually
special Holy Days created
by God
for the purpose of
our meeting with Him
Each Feast/Festival of the Lord has three defining characteristics:
the people of God observe the festivals in the present to
remember past works of God, all the
while looking ahead
to greater future works of God.
The first four feasts were prophetic foreshadows of the
first-coming of Yeshua (Jesus). Consequently,
just as Yeshua (Jesus) fulfilled the
first four feasts in His first-coming,
no doubt
He will fulfill the remaining feasts
in
His second coming.
The Feast of Tabernacles is the seventh and last
of the Festivals of the Lord.
It is also one of the three pilgrimage festivals that required all Jewish men over the age of 20 to return to Jerusalem and the Holy Temple.
The other pilgrimage festivals were
Passover and Pentecost.
Most scholars agree that
the
Feast of Tabernacles is symbolic
of
Christ's Second Coming
when
He will establish His earthly kingdom.
The Feast of Tabernacles
begins on the 15th day of the 7th month on the Hebrew calendar, and usually occurs in late September to mid-October. The Feast begins five days after the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) and lasts for seven days.
(Leviticus 23:33-34, Numbers 29:12, Deuteronomy 16:13)
However, the day after the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles is also a Holy Day. Called the Eighth Day, and more commonly known as “The Last Great Day,” it has its own spiritual and prophetic significance.
(Leviticus 23:36, Numbers 29:35)
Brief Historical Overview
In Biblical times, the Feast of Tabernacles was a
seven-day celebration that
took place annually at the
end of the fall harvest.
(Deuteronomy 16:14-15)
Also known as the
“season of our joy”,
the Feast was a time of thanksgiving for the current harvest. Plus, it commemorated the Exodus from Egypt. (Exodus 16:12, 17:6)
The Feast of Tabernacles began
with a “holy convocation”, i.e. a
Sabbath day, on which no regular (laborious job-related)
work was done. (Leviticus 23:35)
For the duration of the Feast, the people
lived in temporary shelters (or "booths").
These shelters were reminiscent of the dwellings their ancestors
lived in for 40 years
while in the desert.
In addition, the people gave gifts to the Lord in
proportion to how God had blessed them.
(Deuteronomy 16:16-17)
Finally, the Feast of Tabernacles concluded with a holy convocation on the Eighth Day which included a sacrifice offered to God.
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