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by
Doug Ward |
The fifteenth day of the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar (September 30 in
2023) begins an annual seven-day festival known in Scripture as the Feast of
Ingathering and the Feast of Booths (Sukkot in Hebrew). Under either
name it is a time of joy (Dt 16:14), coming five days after the forgiveness and
spiritual cleansing associated with the Day of Atonement.
As
the Feast of Ingathering (Ex 23:16; 34:22) it is a harvest festival, held at
the time of the fall fruit harvest in Israel. It is traditionally a time to
thank God for the harvest and pray for rain for the coming year. Following
Leviticus 23:40, worshipers rejoice by waving the lulav, which consists
of palm, myrtle, and willow branches.
As
the Feast of Booths, Sukkot commemorates God's gracious protection and
provision for his people during Israel's Exodus and wilderness wanderings (Lev
23:43). For forty years the Israelites lived in temporary dwellings (booths)
while God provided water (Ex 15:22-25; 17:1-7) and food (Ex 16). He was present
in their midst (Ex 25:8), guiding them through a pillar of cloud and giving
them light at night through a pillar of fire (Ex 13:21). The pillar of cloud
was itself a kind of shelter or booth, shielding the people from the heat of
the sun.
A
large number of special sacrifices were prescribed for Sukkot (Nu 29:12-34),
expressing the great thanksgiving associated with the festival. A total of
seventy bulls were offered, symbolizing Israel's mission to be a light to the
nations. (Seventy is the traditional figure for the number of nations in the
world.)
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Sukkot
in History and Prophecy |
Some joyous occasions in Israel's history were accompanied by special Sukkot
observances. The dedication of Solomon's Temple, a time when God again came to
be present amidst his people, was held at the Feast (1 Ki 8). Later, in the
time of Ezra and Nehemiah, exiles whom God had guided back to the land of
Israel held a Sukkot celebration said to be the greatest since the days of Joshua
(Ne 8:13-18).
The
prophets used the imagery of the festival to describe a future messianic age
when God would bring all of Israel back to the Promised Land in a new Exodus
and dwell among them forever. For example, Isaiah pictured Mt. Zion being sheltered
by a protective booth, a new pillar of cloud and fire (Isa 4:5-6). Zechariah
foresaw a time when living waters would flow out from Jerusalem and the nations
would join with Israel in a joyful celebration of Sukkot (Zec
14:8, 16)
.
Following
the prophets, the evangelists use the symbols of Sukkot to convey the full
significance of the coming of the Messiah. In the prologue of his Gospel, John
declares, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (Jn 1:14).
The Greek word for "dwelt" is skenoo,
a word meaning to pitch a tent or encamp. Again, as in the wilderness, God was
"camping out" with His people, this time in the "booth" of
a human body! With his choice of words, John portrays Jesus as the ultimate
"booth."
Later,
in his narrative of the final Feast of Tabernacles of Jesus' earthly ministry,
John emphasizes that Jesus also personified other aspects of the symbolism of
the Feast. As the source of the living waters of the Holy Spirit (John
7:37-38), Jesus was the fulfillment of the water libation ceremony of the
festival. Moreover, as the "light of the world" (John 8:12), he was
the one pictured by another tradition of the festival celebration in
Jerusalem-the nightly illumination of the Temple by the lighting of enormous
golden candelabra in the Court of Women. The pillar of fire guiding the
Israelites in the wilderness and the candelabra brightening the sky all over
Jerusalem pointed forward to Christ, who brings light to the entire world.
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A
Vision of Sukkot Worship in Revelation 7 |
In Revelation 7, John records a vision of the sealing of 144,000 from Israel
and the praise of an innumerable multitude from the nations. His vision is full
of Sukkot symbolism, even though he does not mention the festival explicitly.1
As
in Zechariah 14, people from both Israel and the nations are included in a
great "fall harvest" of souls. In a worship scene at the heavenly
temple, the multitude have "palm branches in their hands" (verse 9),
reminding us of Sukkot worshipers who wave the lulav. At Sukkot, it is
customary to pray the words of Psalm 118:25: "Save us, we pray, O
Lord!" In Revelation 7:10, the multitude praises God for the salvation
they have received through the Lamb.
Speaking
of the multitude, a heavenly elder explains to John that "he who sits on
the throne will shelter them with his presence" (verse 15). The word for
"shelter" is again skenoo, connoting
the idea that God will spread a protective booth over them, so that "the
sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat" (verse 16).
The
final eschatological fulfillment of Sukkot in a renewed world is described in
Revelation 21-22, a section with several parallels to Revelation 7. In both
passages God dwells with his people (17:15; 21:3), wiping away all tears from
their eyes (7:17; 21:4) and providing living water (7:17; 21:6; 22:1-2,17). One
difference is that there is no temple in the New Jerusalem, with God and the
Lamb directly present (21:22) and illuminating the city (21:23).
The
multitude in Revelation 7 "are the ones coming out of the great
tribulation" (verse 14). John's original audience faced persecution, as
have many Christians ever since. His visions encourage believers, past and
present, to persevere in light of the message of Sukkot. As God led Israel in
the wilderness, he will guide us on our spiritual Exodus toward eternal life in
his presence on a renewed earth.
1Interestingly,
in a similar passage in 2 Esdras, a Jewish apocalyptic work of the first
century AD, Ezra is told to "rise, stand erect, and see the number of
those who have been sealed at the feast of the Lord" (2 Esd 2:38).
File
translated from TEX by TTH,
version 3.66.
On 20 Sep 2023, 14:35.
