Sukkot: The Feast of Tabernacles

Today begins the third fall feast in the month of Tishri, the Feast of Tabernacles. Also known as Sukkot, the Feast of Booths, or the Feast of Dwelling, this fall feast is an eight-day celebration commemorating God's love and provision. This feast serves as a reminder of how the Israelites lived in booths, or tents, for forty years in the wilderness after their release from Egyptian captivity (Leviticus 23:42-43). God provided all they needed—cloud cover by day, fire by night, manna, and water. As a festival to honor God's provision both in the wilderness and throughout the year, it is a feast of joy. God's people were commanded to rejoice as they celebrate the final harvest of the season.

During biblical times, the Jewish people traveled to Jerusalem and lived in temporary tents that symbolized God as their permanent dwelling place. Today, booths, or sukkots, are built at home in backyards to honor the feast. They are decorated with flowers and plants and include a table inside where families and friends can spend time eating together and in fellowship during the week.

This feast is a feast of sevens. It is the seventh feast, occurring in the seventh month. It is a seven-day outdoor celebration, and it is connected to the seventh day of creation and Sabbath rest. We are encouraged to rest and celebrate God with family and friends during the Sukkot festival.

Other important aspects of Sukkot include:

• Day one and day eight are Sabbath days of rest. They are both national holidays in Israel.

• We should bring an offering to the Lord during this feast. God's people were commanded not to come empty-handed (Deuteronomy 16:16-17).

• This feast honors the end of the harvest season. God's people should pray for rain for the following year's harvest.

When believers celebrate Sukkot, they rehearse for the future prophetic Sukkot when Messiah will reign on the earth. To celebrate, we can build temporary sukkahs in our yards. You can find a video on how to build a sukkah here. 

The menus for Sukkot usually have fall harvest foods as part of the recipes. You can find Sukkot recipes here.

Happy Sukkot, 

Brandee