Jewish Feasts: (7) Feast of Tabernacles, Succoth

                   Special thanks to Arnold Fruchtenbaum. Most of the notes here are from his article on the seven feasts

Leviticus 23:39–43 (RSV)
39 “On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the produce of the land, you shall keep the feast of the Lord seven days; on the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest. 40 And you shall take on the first day the fruit of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days. 41 You shall keep it as a feast to the Lord seven days in the year; it is a statute for ever throughout your generations; you shall keep it in the seventh month. 42 You shall dwell in booths for seven days; all that are native in Israel shall dwell in booths, 43 that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”


• Requirements / Observations
• Seven day festival
• Silva 15: always (7th month, 15th day)
• Ex 23:17 and 34:23: one of the three feasts requiring attendance in Jerusalem
• Num 29:12-34: describes offerings
• 70 bulls
• Representing the 70 nations of Genesis 10
• This feast connects the Gentiles; something not true of the other feasts
• Deut 16:13-15 Places special emphasis on rejoicing
• Neh 8:13-18. In the story, amazingly, this feast is kept for the first time since the time of Joshua
• The data of dedication of the first temple coincides with the feast of tabernacles, the feast was not observed, only the dedication of the temple
Nehemiah 8:1–3 (RSV)
1 And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses which the Lord had given to Israel. 2 And Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could hear with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month. 3 And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law.
Nehemiah 8:9–12 (RSV)
9 And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. 10 Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” 11 So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.” 12 And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.
• Zech 14:16-19: Messianic significance (discuss later)
• John 7:1-10:21 records Jesus' observance of the feast
• Names for the feast
1. First name is simply the "feast." A lot of unusual pomp and ceremony connected with it
2. Called "Succot" or the "Feast of Booths" or the "Feast of Tabernacles" because Jews were obligated to live in a succah, a booth, or a tabernacle
3. Called the "Feast of Ingathering" in Ex 23:13 because it marks the end of the summer harvest
4. Called the "Eight Day of Assembly." This is actually an independent holiday from the feast of Tabernacles, but is connected because it immediately follows
5. Called "Simchat Torah," which means "the rejoicing over the Law." The name is given to the added eight day (based on Num 29:25-28) because the cycle of reading the law begins anew this day
• Rabbis divided the five books of Moses into 52 parts. Each part is read in the morning synagogue service
• The entire Mosaic law is read every year and finishes on this feast
• Biblical Practice
1. Seven day festival with an eighth day added
2. Observed by building of booths or tabernacles to commemorate 40 years of wandering in the wilderness
3. It is celebrated with for things: a fruit, the citron, and three branches, the palm branch, the myrtle branch, and the willow branch
4. It is a time of rejoicing, especially after the Day of Atonement
5. It was also a time of firstfruits (again), it was the firstfruits of the fall harvest\
• Jewish Observance
• Three key symbols
1. The booth or tabernacle. It is a symbol of a future restoration based on Amos 9:11. Booth is made of flimsy material with a covering of branches. Some shade but be able to see stars at night. Inside decorated with fruits and nuts
2. The "lulav." The lulav combines the three types of branches. It is carried in one hand and waved in every direction. It is also used during the prayer for rain (beginning of rainy season in Israel)
3. The citron, a citrus fruit symbolizing the promised land. It is both a fragrance and a fruit. The palm branch has fruit but no fragrance. The myrtle has fragrance but no fruit. The willow has neither fragrance of fruit
• Two key ceremonies
1. "The pouring out of the water." Priests march from the temple mount down to the Kidron Valley and filled pitchers in the pool of Siloam. They marched back singing the Psalms of Ascent (Ps 120-134) as the ascend the 15 steps of the temple mount. They then pour the water into the large laver. This is followed by great rejoicing. The Rabbis interpret the pouring out of the water as a symbol of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the whole nation of Israel in the last days (in fulfillment of prophecy)
2. Kindling of Lights. Large golden lampstands each with 4 cups were set up in the temple compound near sunset. The light was a symbol of  the Shechinah Glory light
• The reading of the book of Ecclesiastes
• It tends to follow the mood of the people after the long season characterized by repentance and affliction
• The prayer for rain
• Jewish tradition is to pray for rain at this time. It precedes the rainy season
• The time of rejoicing
• It is a time of great rejoicing
• A time when Jewish people sing and dance
• Dances in circuits are very common
• Special foods
• Kreplach. Jewish ravioli filled with beaten meat and onion
• Messianic Significance
• The Messiah's response to the ceremonies
• At the pouring of the water, Jesus gave an invitation in John 7 :38-39
John 7:37–39 (RSV)
37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and proclaimed, “If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink. 38 He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.’”39 Now this he said about the Spirit, which those who believed in him were to receive; for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
• At the second key ceremony, the lighting of the lampstands, Jesus gave another invitation in John 8:21
John 8:12 (RSV)
12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
• The fulfillment of the feast
• It is practiced in the coming Messianic kingdom
Zechariah 14:16–19 (RSV)
16 Then every one that survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of booths. 17 And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, there will be no rain upon them. 18 And if the family of Egypt do not go up and present themselves, then upon them shall come the plague with which the Lord afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the feast of booths. 19 This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up to keep the feast of booths.
• Suggestive that this will be a special day for Jew and Gentile in the future. This will be a time of rejoicing having gone through the Great Tribulation
• This is either the day Jesus returns, the day the people cry out in tears for having not believed, or the day the kingdom is established
• APPLICATION:
• Prayer. I think it emphasizes the importance of remembrance and thanksgiving. What has it taken for God to bring you where you are today? Do we ever spend time praying about what we have gone through in our life and thanking him for bringing us through it?
• Jesus is the living water. Jesus is the light of the world. And Jesus will be the ruler in the Messianic kingdom. So now is the time to let Jesus rule in our lives, not later. We can practice being kingdom subjects now, and in fact we are. We need to bring our decisions to God in prayer