FEAST OF TABERNACLES
& THE LAST GREAT DAY Most folks' favorite time of the year is the Feast of Tabernacles. It is a most joyous celebration lasting an entire week and then the Eighth Day is the Last Great Day. That is also a special day for us to celebrate. We are actually commanded by Yahweh to go away for this spectacular time to dwell (or live) in temporary housing, meet with others of like faith, feast and have a blessed week out of the world we usually must live and function in.
Let's look at the Bible to see exactly what these days are all about and how we are to celebrate them. We'll start in Leviticus where Yahweh had stated instructions for all His sacred, or special, days (Leviticus 23:33-43): YAHWEH said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites: 'On the fifteenth day of the seventh month YAHWEH's Feast of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days. The first day is a sacred assembly; do no regular work. For seven days present offerings made to YAHWEH by fire, and on the eighth day hold a sacred assembly and present an offering made to YAHWEH by fire. It is the closing assembly; do no regular work.
('These are YAHWEH's appointed feasts, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies for bringing offerings made to YAHWEH by fire--the burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings required for each day. These offerings are in addition to those for YAHWEH's Sabbaths and in addition to your gifts and whatever you have vowed and all the freewill offerings you give to YAHWEH.)
'So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to YAHWEH for seven days; the first day is a day of rest and the eighth day also is a day of rest. On the first day you are to take choice fruit from the trees, and palm fronds, leafy branches and poplars, and rejoice before YAHWEH your Elohim for seven days. Celebrate this as a festival to YAHWEH for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month. Live in booths for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in booths so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in booths when I brought them out of Egypt. I am YAHWEH your Elohim.'
Right off the bat, it sure sounds like a fun time to me! He says to "rejoice;" what do you think that means? The word "booths" means temporary dwellings, which of course, is what the Israelites lived in when YAHWEH brought them out of Egypt. In today's day and age, a temporary dwelling could be a hotel, motel, camper, tent, someone else's home, etc. Most people use this as a time to camp and enjoy all the bounty and blessings of YAHWEH's great outdoors. It is a time for special events including studying, of course, but also hayrides, cookouts, campfires and the like. Many organizations like Yahweh's Assembly in Messiah, Rocheport, Missouri, have events scheduled for the entire week including activities for the young and young-at-heart. Many folks have discussed how long we are to keep the special appointed times of YAHWEH. He has stated on many occasions "for all generations," and "to be a lasting ordinance"-- The book of Zechariah is quite specific in this as we will read. Zechariah 14:9 states, "YAHWEH will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one YAHWEH and His Name the only Name," so we're going to assume what follows will be after YAHWEH is here with us on the earth. Now, let's continue with Zechariah 14:16-19: Then the survivors form all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, YAHWEH Almighty, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, YAHWEH Almighty, they will have no rain. If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. YAHWEH will bring on them the plague He inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.
Kinda' sounds like we'll be observing this fun time of year even after YAHWEH returns to be with us here on earth, doesn't it? What a wonderful thing to look forward to. Just imagine "I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from Elohim, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice form the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of Elohim is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and Elohim Himself will be with them and be their Elohim. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away," (Revelation 21:2-4). Now that you have read a bit about this very, very special time, take the quiz to see how much you remember of what you have read. Then you may do some of the other activities by clicking on them below. We wish you and your family a very joyous Feast of Tabernacles' celebration and pray you find it to be a blessing to you all! Agriculture Word Find Puzzle
Feast Train Plus
HalleluYAH! |
