Sukkot

The Jewish people will be observing Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) this year from the eve of Monday October 6th to sundown Monday October 13th. This feast is a reminder of the Jewish people's wandering in the wilderness after the Exodus from Egypt. Don't miss the foreshadowing of Christ in this holiday as well! The following is an excerpt from Finding Jesus in Judaism about the holiday of Sukkot:

Sukkot follows right after Yom Kippur. It is a festive, happy holiday in which we recall the Jews leaving Egypt and wandering in the wilderness. Leviticus 23:42-43 says,

“You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt…”

Thus, we build makeshift “shelters” with no roofs to recall the Jews weren’t in permanent dwelling places. It is also a reminder that God protected them when they were wandering in the wilderness. Some families build a “sukkah” in their yard for the holiday, synagogues build sukkot on their premises. The people gather in the sukkah for special prayers. Usually, the roofs are just beams so you can see the stars. This is a reminder that the Israelites were wandering and didn’t have permanent homes.

The Sukkah itself is built of perishable things that grow from the earth, such as thatch, branches and twigs as a reminder that it was a temporary dwelling place. The Talmud spells out how the Sukkah is to be made, i.e. with three partial walls, not completely enclosed, and large enough for a man to be able to sit in. It is a custom today to drive the first nail into the Sukkah at the end of Yom Kippur. In modern observance, we “dwell in the Sukkah” by taking at least one meal in it, as this is considered “dwelling in the Sukkah.” This “dwelling” reminds us how the Israelites were totally dependent on God during their wandering in the wilderness.

There are various fruits and vegetables hung from the beams in the Sukkah. The fruits and vegetables are a reminder of the fall harvest season. Sukkot is also called the “Feast of Harvest” as it is celebrated at the time of the fall harvest when the Israelites had entered the Promised Land. Exodus 23:16 says,

“. . . and the Feast of Harvest, the firstfruits of your labors which you have sown in the field; and the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you have gathered in the fruit of your labors from the field.”

Nehemiah 8:14-15 and Leviticus 23:40 commands them to take “hadar” (Arba Minim – four species) – which are the palm branches, leafy branches, willows and etrog and “rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days.”

The four species consist of the requirement of “choice fruit from the trees,” which is met in the “etrog.” The etrog is a lemon-like fruit from the land of Israel. The “palm fronds” are called “lulavim.” The “leafy branches” are represented by branches of the myrtle tree. The “poplars” are represented by willows.

These four species are held in the hands and waved in the synagogue during the Feast of Sukkot. The etrog is carried in the left hand and the lulav (palm branch), myrtle and willow are tied together and carried in the right hand. Even young children participate in this event.

In Temple times, being a pilgrimage festival (one of the three pilgrimage festivals in which the people traveled to Jerusalem), the pilgrims would come to the Temple with their offerings. The priests cleansed the altar from sundown to midnight, on the 14th of Tishri. Then they would open the gates to the pilgrims, who came with their “lulavim.” The time from midnight to the ordinary morning sacrifice was spent making sure the sacrifices were acceptable. A musical procession led by a priest would go to the Pool of Siloam to bring three logs of water in a golden vessel. At the same time, another procession would go to a place called Motza in the Kidron Valley, from where they would bring back willow branches to be used for building a sukkah over the altar. As soon as this was done, the morning sacrifice was offered, followed by the special festival sacrifices of bullocks, rams, lambs, and a goat as a sin offering. The priests bringing the water from Siloam would arrive at the temple at the same time, and another priest would be carrying a pitcher of wine for a drink offering. The water and wine were poured into separate basins for the drink offering. After the sacrifices were made, the people would wave their lulavim, praising God with various Psalms and songs. Then the priests would march around the altar chanting “Save now, I pray, O Lord; O Lord, I pray, send now prosperity.” Psalm 118:25

On the 21st day of Tishri, the last day of Sukkot, known as Hoshanah Harabbah (Great Hosanna Day), the priests would march around the altar seven times instead of just once, and the people would take the willows that formed the canopy over the altar and shake them so vigorously that all of the leaves would fall in a pile on the ground. The palm branches were also brought and beaten against the altar.

In modern observance of Sukkot, the Sukkot are built, and the four species are still used. The lulavim and etrogim are used in the synagogue for a holy convocation on the eve of the festival. Everyone then goes home to their Sukkah, or they gather in the Sukkah at the synagogue. The next day in the synagogue, they take the lulav and etrog and recite the Great Hallel, as well as a blessing. The rabbis and others march around the Ark where the Torah scrolls are kept, others carry the lulavim and etrogim, and they chant “Hosanna.” This imitates the ancient practice of the priests circling the altar. On Hoshanah Harabbah (Great Hosanna) or last day of Sukkot, they march around the altar seven times, to imitate the ancient procession around the altar seven times. Then the palms are laid down and the willows are beaten. The beating of the willows is associated with the Geshem, or rain prayers. Sukkot is a time of harvest, so rain was sorely needed. The processions around the altar are reminiscent of Joshua’s processions around Jericho. They marched around the walls once each day, and on the seventh day, marched around seven times. This was the first great conquest in the Promised Land, and it is a picture of Messiah’s victory as King and the coming of His Kingdom when He returns.

New Testament Fulfillment: Does this sound familiar? During the last year of Jesus’ life, He took a pilgrimage to Jerusalem for Sukkot. On “the last and greatest day of the feast” (Hoshanah Harabbah) Jesus stood and proclaimed “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” John 7:37-38. (Remember the drink offering brought to the Temple and poured out by the priests?)

The holiday of Sukkot is a resemblance of Yeshua’s “triumphal entry” into Jerusalem. (John 12, Mark 11, Luke 19) It was also a joyous atmosphere, and the people were waving lulavim and shouting “Hosanna!” (Save us!). This Sukkot event was prophesied in Zechariah 9:9! However, this was not the time of the Feast of Tabernacles. The triumphal entry was right before Passover in the Spring. The first coming of the Messiah was to work the work of Passover: to ward off the angel of death. The fulfillment of Sukkot is yet to come, when He returns in glory to reign in Jerusalem and extend His canopy over the whole world. The triumphal entry was just a preview, a way of identifying Himself as the same Messiah who would come to rescue Israel and all the world from sin and oppression! Revelation 7:15 talks about God stretching over the earth a “sukkah” to cover the whole world. That will be the Kingdom of Messiah. According to Zechariah 14:16, every nation in Messiah’s Kingdom will come up to Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. Prayers for rain are an integral part of the Feast of Sukkot, and verse 17 of Zechariah says that rain will be withheld from any nation that does not keep this feast! For as many as accept God’s free invitation to dwell under His “Sukkat Shalom” (Tabernacle of Peace), the Feast of Tabernacles is a time for great rejoicing. His Tabernacle of Peace is His grace – a free invitation to dwell in His Sukkat Shalom where there will be great feasting and much rain!

“Therefore, they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Revelation 7:15-17

I am indebted to Life in Messiah Ministries who graciously provided Feasts and New Testament Fulfillments: Life in Messiah International, lifeinmessiah.org, Lansing, IL, 2000.