The Feast of Tabernacles, also known as Sukkot or the Feast of Booths, is one of the three major pilgrimage festivals in the Jewish calendar, as outlined in the Torah. This feast is celebrated for seven days, beginning on the 15th day of the seventh month, Tishri, according to the Hebrew calendar. It is a time of great rejoicing and thanksgiving, commemorating the Israelites' 40-year journey in the wilderness and God's provision during that period.

Biblical Foundation

The Feast of Tabernacles is instituted in Leviticus 23:33-43, where the LORD commands Moses to instruct the Israelites: "On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, the LORD’s Feast of Tabernacles begins, and it continues for seven days" (Leviticus 23:34). The first day is a sacred assembly, and no regular work is to be done. For seven days, offerings made by fire are presented to the LORD, and the eighth day is also a sacred assembly, marking the conclusion of the festival.

Historical and Agricultural Significance

The Feast of Tabernacles is both a historical and agricultural festival. Historically, it serves as a reminder of the Israelites dwelling in temporary shelters during their exodus from Egypt. Leviticus 23:42-43 instructs, "You are to live in booths for seven days. All the native-born of Israel must live in booths, so that your descendants may know that I had the Israelites live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God" .

Agriculturally, Sukkot is a harvest festival, celebrating the ingathering of the produce from the land. It is a time to thank God for His provision and blessings, as seen in Deuteronomy 16:13-15: "You are to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your threshing floor and your winepress. And you shall rejoice in your feast... for the LORD your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete" .

Rituals and Observances

During the Feast of Tabernacles, the Israelites construct temporary shelters, or sukkot, to dwell in, symbolizing the transient nature of life and reliance on God. The festival is marked by various rituals, including the waving of the "Four Species" (etrog, lulav, hadass, and aravah) as commanded in Leviticus 23:40: "On the first day you are to take the branches of majestic trees—palm branches, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook—and rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days" .

The water libation ceremony, although not explicitly mentioned in the Torah, became a significant part of the celebration during the Second Temple period. This ritual involved the pouring of water drawn from the Pool of Siloam onto the altar, symbolizing prayers for rain and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

New Testament Context

In the New Testament, the Feast of Tabernacles holds continued significance. Jesus Christ attended the festival, as recorded in John 7:2-14. During the feast, He taught in the temple courts and made the profound declaration: "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him" (John 7:37-38). This statement connects the physical water rituals of the feast with the spiritual sustenance found in Christ.

Prophetic and Eschatological Significance

The Feast of Tabernacles also carries prophetic and eschatological implications. Zechariah 14:16-19 prophesies that all nations will one day celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem, emphasizing its future significance in the Messianic age. This vision underscores the universal acknowledgment of God's sovereignty and the ultimate fulfillment of His promises to His people.

In summary, the Feast of Tabernacles is a multifaceted celebration that encompasses historical remembrance, agricultural thanksgiving, and spiritual anticipation, deeply rooted in the biblical narrative and continuing to hold profound meaning for believers today.Leviticus 23:34,41
Speak to the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days to the LORD.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Deuteronomy 16:13,15
You shall observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that you have gathered in your corn and your wine:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

The Feast of Tabernacles.
... While it lasted the Jews gave themselves up to festivity and rejoicing. ... at the pouring
out of the water of Siloam at the feast of Tabernacles has never seen ...
/.../johnson/the new testament commentary vol iii john/the feast of tabernacles.htm

In the Temple at the Feast of Tabernacles.
... In the Temple at the Feast of Tabernacles. ... As the feast lasted eight days ... God.] 37
Now on the last day [the eighth day], the great day of the feast, Jesus stood ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/lxxviii in the temple at.htm

The Signs which Preceded the War.
... 2. At one time a star, in form like a sword, stood over the city, and a comet, which
lasted for a whole ... [662] That is, the Feast of Tabernacles, which began ...
/.../pamphilius/church history/chapter viii the signs which preceded.htm

From the Birth to the Ascension of Jesus.
... At the close of the marriage feast, which usually lasted six or seven days, Jesus
went down to Capernaum (John 2:12). ... (9) Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles. ...
/.../tidwell/the bible period by period/chapter xviii from the birth.htm

Anointed for Burial.
... meal was the beginning of the feast of unleavened bread, which lasted for seven
days. ... chanted at the end of the Paschal Supper and the Feast of Tabernacles. ...
/.../johnson/the new testament commentary vol iii john/anointed for burial.htm

The Book of Jubilees
... The Passover and the feast of Tabernacles lasted each of them seven days; seven
weeks after the Passover came Pentecost; the great Day of Atonement occurred in ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the book of jubilees.htm

The Healing of the Man Born Blind.
... of Siloam, from whose waters had been drawn on the Feast of Tabernacles that which ...
This lasted for thirty days at the least, although among the Babylonians ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter ix the healing of.htm

Appendix iv. An Abstract of Jewish History from the Reign of ...
... The war of liberation had lasted seven years, and yet when the small remnant of
the Asmon??an party chose ... But when at the Feast of Tabernacles the Syrian ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/appendix iv an abstract of.htm

The Morning of Good Friday.
... day to bring it during the festive week, which in the Feast of Tabernacles was extended
to the Octave, and in that of Weeks (which lasted only one ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xiv the morning of.htm

The Death and the Raising of Lazarus - the Question of Miracles ...
... branched Candlestick, the Ark, the festive emblems of the Feast of Tabernacles,
and others. ... began the mourning in the house, which really lasted thirty days ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xxi the death and.htm

What is the Feast of Purim? | GotQuestions.org

What is the Feast of Trumpets? | GotQuestions.org

What is the meaning of the Parable of the Wedding Feast? | GotQuestions.org

Feast: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus