This Sabbath is the beginning of the Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot. It is also called the Feast of Ingathering because it is connected to the gathering of the fruits of the fall harvest. There are several harvests in Israel that play a role in the Feasts of the LORD. In the spring, around the time of Passover, is the barley harvest. In the summer, at the time of the Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost, it is also the time of the wheat harvest. The Feast of Tabernacles is also connected to the fall harvest of grapes, figs, pomegranates, and other choice fruits harvested from the vines and trees. However, the Feasts of the LORD as He commanded us to keep in His Word, are divine appointments that signify deep and precious things involving our relationship with the LORD. The Feasts are like a progressive picture of the work of Messiah/Christ in us and for us. There is a great deal of information available, and several mentions in scripture, about the Feasts of the LORD, including the Feast of Tabernacles. However, this year, the LORD had me take a different kind of look at this precious, powerful and meaningful fall Feast of the LORD to be kept by all generations.
"Tabernacle" is the Hebrew word miskan/sakan which means: "tabernacle, dwelling place, tents, shepherd's hut/dwell, abide, remain, inhabit, continue, dwellers, cause to dwell and abide, rest, to lie down." Notice that the word for tabernacle does not only mean a dwelling place but also includes those who dwell in it (continually). It means to abide or remain in that place. This reminds me of Jesus telling us to abide in Him as He is the Vine and we are the branches of that Vine. The branches that abide or remain in Him, dwell in Him, will bear much fruit. (see Jn. 15:4-8). The Vine and the branches exist as one. I hear the language of the Feast of Tabernacles here in Christ's words to all of us. We will see more about the branches later.
We see the word "tabernacle" for the first time in scripture as the LORD spoke it to Moses: "And let them (the Israelites) make Me a sanctuary (miqdas/qadas - sanctuary, sacred place, holy place, asylum, of the temple, of the tabernacle/sanctify, dedicate, holy, prepare, consecrate, purified, be holy, to be set apart, to be treated as sacred), that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show you, that is, (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-pattern of the tabernacle, and (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-pattern of all its furnishings (keli- vessel, instrument, artillery, deadly weapon, jewel, armor, utensil, receptacle, yoke, clothing, ornaments), just so shall you make it." (Ex. 25:8-9). We are first told that the tabernacle, specifically the sanctuary set within the tabernacle, is the place where God will dwell with His people. Then we are told that there is a specific pattern from which the tabernacle must be constructed and is to display. That pattern reflects the Messiah/Christ as indicated by the written aleph-tav in Hebrew (see *note below). The tabernacle cannot be built as Moses or any man might decide to build it. It is based upon a specific pattern or form of the *aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega-Messiah/Christ. Also, the tabernacle is not an empty building but contains vessels or furnishings that also must be made after the *aleph-tav pattern. The meaning of those "furnishings" includes deadly weapons and weapons of warfare as well as vessels of rare beauty and ornamentation, clothing and also items of "usefulness" as utensils. The New Testament compares believers in Christ to "vessels" in the house of the Master: "But in a great house there are not only vessels (skeuos - a vessel, implement, utensil, a chosen instrument) of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel of honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work." (2 Tim. 2:20-21, see also 2 Cor. 4:7-10).
There is even the idea of a "yoke" involved in the meaning of keli furnishings above. I remember the words of Jesus: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (see miskan above). Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Mt. 11:28-30). Again, I suspect that the language that Jesus speaks here is also the language of the Feast of Tabernacles.
Earlier it was mentioned that the Feast of Tabernacles is connected to the fall harvest of fruits from vines and trees. Jesus referred to us as branches with Himself as the Vine if we abide or dwell in Him: "Abide (meno - abide, continue, dwell) in Me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." (Jn. 15:4-5). We will find soon that these words of Messiah/Christ are also spoken as the language of the Feast of Tabernacles.
Let us look at the branches connected to the Feast of Tabernacles. This Feast of the LORD carries this command from God: "You shall dwell in booths (suka/sakak - tabernacle, thicket of trees, tents, interwoven boughs, a booth made of leaves and interwoven branches, entwined boughs/cover, covering, defense, fence in, hedge in, join together, shut up in, protect, overshadow, screen, weave together, to cover with armor) for seven days. All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God." (Lev. 23:42-43).
The sukkah or booth, spoken of above, that each household makes for the Feast of Tabernacles is constructed from interwoven branches (see suka above). The LORD described the boughs or branches from which the sukkah tabernacle should be made: "And you shall take for yourselves on the first day (of the feast) the fruit (peri/para - boughs of fruit-bearing tree, fruitful, firstfruits, offspring/branch off, increased, bring forth fruit) of beautiful (hadar - glory, majesty, excellence, splendor, honor) trees, branches (kap/kapap - hand, sole, palm, hand-shaped branches or fronds, power/to bend down, to be bowed) of palm trees (tamar - date palm, be erect, rectitude), the boughs ('anap - to cover, bough, branch) of leafy ('abot/'abat - interwoven foliage, leafy, dense with foliage, entwined/weave together, interlace) trees, and the willows ('arab - have fellowship with, share, intermingle with, engaged, to give in pledge, surety) of the brook (nahal - stream, river, torrent of water, flowing from a fountain, inheritance, to inherit, bequeath, possession); and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days." (Lev. 23:40). These four beautiful and meaningful boughs and branches, one type of which includes fruitful branches (see Jesus' words above), are interwoven together to make this tabernacle booth. The last-mentioned branches from "the ('arab) willows of the (nahal) brook" make me think of the quality of the Holy Spirit. These four types of branches are so thickly woven together that you cannot tell where one ends and the other begins. Some of the branches still have their fruit attached and hanging down into the interior of the booth. It is a booth constructed not of dead branches but of living, leafy, green branches, some of which are still bearing their fruit. The meanings of the trees used are beautiful and powerful, and also include the meaning of "glory, majesty, splendor, excellence and honor" (see hadar above).
The glory of God is connected to the tabernacle/temple and cannot be excluded from the Feast of Tabernacles. The glory cannot be excluded from the construction of the booth or sukkah either because one of the types of branches used for its construction is directly associated with the glory and majesty of God. As King Solomon dedicated the newly-built Temple in Jerusalem, and had the priests bring the ark of the covenant into the holy place, the inner sanctuary, the glory of God filled the Temple: "And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the holy place, that the cloud filled (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-house of the LORD, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-house of the LORD. Then Solomon spoke...'I have surely built You an exalted house (to dwell in), and a place for You to dwell/abide forever." (1 Kings 8:10-13, excerpt).
Jesus again spoke the language of Tabernacles when He prayed to His Father regarding those who believe in Him, and the interwoven relationship and the glory found within it: "I do not pray for these alone (His current disciples), but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are One: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me before the foundation of the world...And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them." (Jn. 17:20-26, excerpt).
We can see above how Jesus prayed about an interwoven (see suka above) relationship between the Father, the Son and the believers in Messiah/Christ. Jesus assured us earlier that if we abide in Him, we are represented within the interwoven branches as the branches of fruitfulness (see peri/para above). This interwoven relationship is filled with the glory of God, as Jesus prayed above, in the same way as the LORD filled His temple/tabernacle with His glory.
Isaiah wrote prophetically about a people filled with the glory of God, a spiritual house of His living people rather than a physical house built of wood: "Arise, shine; for your light has come!...the LORD will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles (also meaning "nations") shall come to Your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising...and they shall proclaim the praises of the LORD...They shall ascend with acceptance on My altar, and I will glorify the house (bayit/bana - household, human bodies, receptacle, those belonging to the same household, descendants as an organized body, temple/build a house, establish a family, obtain children) of My glory." (Isa. 60:1-7, excerpt).
To my ear, all of these things are spoken in the powerful language of the Feast of Tabernacles: the cry of the Lord, both Father, Son and Holy Spirit, to have an interwoven relationship of love and glory with us.
"Heavenly Father, Your Word says that we are a living, spiritual house of God. I cannot help but think of the beautiful and pleasant sukkah of the feast of Tabernacles. Jesus told us that those who believe Him and abide in Him are interwoven with Him and with His Father. He told us that we form a tabernacle filled with Your glory - the same glory given to Your Son. Lord, I pray that I may remain interwoven with You as a fruitful branch in Your living dwelling place among man, established in Your love for Jesus and for us. This is an appointed time of rejoicing in the household of the family of God, and in the fact that You established a living dwelling place with You for each of our households, filled with Your habar glory, majesty, excellence, splendor and honor. I give all glory to Your holy Name in Jesus! AMEN."
*NOTE: aleph-tav written in Hebrew as אֶת, are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The meaning of the two pictographic Hebrew letters can also be interpreted "Adonai (Lord) of the Cross/Covenant". In the New Testament, these letters are translated as Alpha and Omega written as ΑΩ, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. These letters are those by which Jesus Christ identifies Himself in the Book of Revelation: see Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, Rev. 22:13.
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