Feast of Tabernacles
The Feast of Tabernacles occurs in the fall/winter season.
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Leviticus 23:34:
“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.”
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Verses 39-43:
"[39] 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. [4] 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.”
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When the children of Israel were delivered from Egypt and were made to wander in the wilderness to learn the commandments of the Most High and also purge out the disobedient from among the people (Numbers 34:13), the ordinance of the Feast of Tabernacles was given unto them to keep throughout all of their generations. Israel was to remember how the Lord made them to dwell in booths (tents) and safely preserved them. However, the unrighteous that chose not to follow after the commandments were cut off and unable to enter into the promised land of Israel. We keep this feast to remind us of the severity of keeping the commandments even in this modern wilderness.
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Ezekiel 20:34-35:
“34 And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out.
35And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face.
36Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord GOD.
37And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant:
38And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.”
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The feast begins on the 15th day (14th day at evening) of the seventh month (7th new moon or month of the year) according to the biblical law. The feast is held for eight consecutive days with only the first day and the eighth day being observed as Sabbath days.
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Leviticus 23:34-36:
“ [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.”
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The children of Israel was commanded to dwell in booths/tents as a spiritual similitude that demonstrates how the Most high dwell within us. This is why we are to keep ourselves clean with righteousness and not uncleanness and the filth of sin.
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John 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
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1 Corinthians 3:16 -17
"[16] Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
[17] If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
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Many erroneously think that the convocations of the Most high were only for the ancient times of Moses and the old testament and does not need not be followed today. The scriptures express that this way of thinking is completely incorrect.
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Leviticus 23:41:
“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.”
Nehemiah 8:17:
"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." Verse 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."
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It is made clear that the feast is to be kept forever and our forefathers kept it well after the time of Moses. The feast continued to be kept in the new testament.
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John 7:2:
“Now the Jew's feast of tabernacles was at hand.”
Verse 37:
“In the last day, (8th day of the feast) that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.”
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Zechariah 14:16-19:
“[16] And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.
[17] And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.
[18] And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
[19] This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.”
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In the new kingdom of the Most High, the holy Feast of Tabernacles will continue to be observed. Let no man deceive you by telling you that the convocations of the Lord do not have to be followed. Our forefathers as well as Christ have kept these commandments throughout history reminding us of the greatness and righteousness of the Heavenly Father.