Let Us Observe the Feast of Tabernacles!

Greetings, this beautiful Holy Day, the First Day of the Lord’s Feast of TABERNACLES 2025! 

Welcome everyone! Our Brethren, Co-workers, and Friends in Christ who are located in India, Singapore, Istanbul, and here in the United States, including Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Thank you for being here today on this holy day, the first day of the fall season, the Feast of Tabernacles! God bless!

Our Lord Jesus ── Savior, Master and Elder Brother ── has commanded His servants to observe the Lord’s Passover, not by sacrificing a lamb every year, but by washing our fellow brethren’s feet along with the partaking of unleavened bread and wine. But, how many of this world’s nominal Christians truly understand that our Lord Jesus also commanded His servants to celebrate and observe the Feast of Tabernacles as well?

Maybe you have never thought of this before ── or you’ve been taught that those Old Testament (Old Covenant) feasts were only for the Jews, and that now the Gentile converts don’t have to celebrate those feasts anymore, because they were “fulfilled for us,” or they were “nailed to the cross”? Yet, our Lord Jesus’ Church ── it is His Church, He built it! – cf. Matthew 16:18 – celebrates and observes the annual Feast of Tabernacles! 

Indeed, we all know that the animal sacrifices and the preparatory washings of the Old Covenant have ceased. Yet, what I want to speak about today ── there are ways, often overlooked ways, in which our Lord Jesus’ Church observes and celebrates the Feast of Tabernacles that differ greatly from the way in which the congregation of Israel observed it.

We Observe In Spirit and In Truth

There is a more heightened and spiritual manner in which we keep and celebrate the Feast that was first enunciated by our Lord Jesus Christ; here He was speaking to the Samaritan woman at the water well ── 

“The woman said to Him, ‘Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20) Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.’ 

21) Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain [which is Mount Gerizim], nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. … 23) But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; …’” – John 4:19-21, 23.

The Old Covenant Feast of Tabernacles, from the time of King Solomon until the establishment of the New Covenant, was celebrated and observed with all its religious rites in Jerusalem only. Yet, here our Lord Jesus Christ is clearly saying that the “place and the manner” of observing and celebrating the Lord’s feasts was changing. And the hour came when we are to worship God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ “in spirit and truth,” not in mere religious rituals. Those religious rituals came by the law of Moses, or rather the Old Covenant ── “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” – John 1:17. And this grace and truth includes how we are to keep and celebrate the Lord’s Feast of Tabernacles. 

Indeed, the New Testament reveals to us concerning the keeping and celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles, and we certainly should be reminded, brethren ── surely during this fall festival season ── of the customs that surrounded the Old Covenant way in keeping and celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles ── the congregation of Israel’s way. Recall that the Apostle John, in his account, commonly used the expression “the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles.” Why? He would often say as well, “the Passover, a feast of the Jews.” He wrote it that way because the Jews had added various additional customs and religious rites ── even there in the first century ── to the original Mosaic regulations for all of the Lord’s feasts.

The Old Covenant Way of the Scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees

What customs or religious rites were the scribes, Pharisees, and the Sadducees ── the Temple elites ── following (certainly customs and religious rites that were not necessarily ordained by the LORD God, and were not continued in the New Covenant)?

The Feast of Tabernacles, also called Sukkot or the Feast of Ingathering, was one of the three major pilgrimage feasts commanded by God in the Law of Moses. Flavius Josephus wrote ──

“When King Solomon had finished these works, these large and beautiful buildings, and had laid up his donations in the temple … The feast of  tabernacles happened to fall at the same time, which was celebrated by the Hebrews as a most holy and most eminent feast.” 1 

Also, the online Encyclopedia Britannica ──

“Sukkot is a Jewish festival of thanksgiving that begins on the 15th day of Tishri. … Jews celebrating Sukkot construct huts that have at least two walls—although they may have up to four walls or partial walls—and have thatched roofs. When the holiday begins, practitioners dwell in these huts either partially or fully—in some cases, only taking their meals there and in other cases sleeping there as well. There is also a practice of waving four symbolic species of plants in six directions during prayers of thanksgiving.” 2 

“The Hebrew Bible also describes the festival of ḥag ha-sukkot (“Festival of Booths,” Leviticus 23:33–44) as a holiday recalling the days when the Israelites lived in huts (sukkot) during their years of wandering in the wilderness after the Exodus from Egypt. The passage in Leviticus 23 relating to Sukkot outlines the rules and practices for the festival.” 3

“’ You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths, 43) that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.’ 44) So Moses declared to the children of Israel the feasts of the LORD.” – Leviticus 23:42-44. 

“When the Holy Temple stood in Jerusalem, one of the special Sukkot observances was to pour water on the Altar. The drawing of water for this purpose was preceded by all-night celebrations in the Temple courtyard; on the 15 steps leading to the azarah (inner courtyard) stood Levites while playing a variety of musical instruments, sages danced and juggled burning torches, and huge oil-burning lamps illuminated the entire city. The singing and dancing went on until daybreak, when a procession would make its way to the Shiloach Spring, which flowed in a valley below the Temple to “draw water with joy.” 4 

All these various customs and religious rites were very familiar to our Lord Jesus Christ. He saw them enacted every year since His birth. But the question is ── how has our Lord Jesus commanded His servants in the New Covenant to keep and celebrate the Lord’s Feast of Tabernacles? 

Our Lord Jesus Is Our Example

How many of us have looked at our Lord Jesus’ example during the glorious Feast of Tabernacles during His ministry? Truly, as many passages in His living word are devoted to it as is the last Passover.

We find our Lord Jesus’ activities during the Feast of Tabernacles in the Book of John, chapters 7 through 9.

“After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him. 2) Now the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. … 

14) Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught.” – John 7:1-2, 14. 

Then, “On the last day, that great day of the feast [the evening of the 21st of Tishri], Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38) He who believes [on] Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ 39) But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing [on] Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” – John 7:37-39. 

Now, what did the Apostle John mean, “the last day, that great day of the feast”?

Well… the annual Feast of Tabernacles is an autumn festival, and it lasts seven days. It begins the evening of the 14th of Tishri, the seventh month of God’s sacred calendar, which corresponds to the Gregorian calendar of September/October. Then, immediately following the seven days is an eighth day, “the last day, that great day of the feast.” Notice ── 

“’ Also on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, you shall keep the feast of the LORD for SEVEN DAYS; on the first day there shall be a sabbath-rest, and on the EIGHTH DAY a sabbath-rest.” – Leviticus 23:39.

Which is the 22nd of Tishri. A one-day festival, which we call the Last Great Day. And, the entire eight-day period is called the Feast of Tabernacles.

Interestingly, our Lord Jesus’ last great day Message ── the Last Great Day ── was a Message concerning a river of living water, the glorious Holy Spirit. As noted above, “The drawing of water was preceded by all-night celebrations in the Temple courtyard.” That symbolized and foreshadowed the pouring out of the Spirit of God upon all nations during the glorious and powerful reign of our Lord Jesus Christ during the Millennium. The basis for this Mosaic water drawing ceremony is Isaiah 12:3 ── “Therefore with joy you will draw water From the wells of salvation.”    

It was to this ceremonial water drawing that our Lord Jesus was referring as He taught and cried out in the temple.

Also, notice ──

“And everyone went to his own house [speaking of the evening of the 21st of Tishri]. 8:1) But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2) Now early in the morning [the morning of the 22nd of Tishri] He came again into the temple, and all the people came to him; and He sat down and taught them.” – John 7:53; 8:1-2.

Here is our Lord Jesus Christ’s example of keeping and celebrating the Last Great Day. Then, just shortly afterwards, the scribes and Pharisees interrupted Him, bringing to Him a woman who had been caught in adultery.

Following that interruption, our Lord Jesus continued setting us an example in His New Covenant, speaking again to the people ── 

“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.’” – John 8:12. 

Among those people were also Pharisees, who again interrupted Him, saying, “’ You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true.’” – verse 13.

A rather heated discussion ensued in which our Lord Jesus was accused of being possessed by a demon, “’ Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?’” – verse 48.

Then, within moments, they “took up stones to throw at Him.” – verse 59.

But that event didn’t just end there. It continues on into the 9th chapter of the Book of John.

“Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.” – John 9:1. Then, our Lord Jesus spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. Then told him, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam.’ The man blind from birth came back with his sight!

Also, later that day ── the last day, that great day of the feast ── that blind man from birth was brought to the Pharisees (verse 13). 

“Now it was a Sabbath [the Last Great Day; the EIGHTH DAY a sabbath-rest] when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. … 16) Therefore some of the Pharisees said, ‘This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.’”        

Here again, we have an example of our Lord Jesus healing on a sabbath-rest.

New Covenant Way of our Lord Jesus Christ and His apostles 

Not one place in all of the New Testament do we see our Lord Jesus directly participating in any of the Old Covenant various Jewish customs and religious rituals that grew up around the holy Feast of Tabernacles. And, it’s not that He condemned them all, the customs and rituals that He commanded the congregation of Israel through Moses were to be kept. But, within the New Covenant, our Lord Jesus Christ set us, the Church of Jesus Christ, which can certainly also be called the Church of God ── an example to follow. And it’s that of teaching the true meaning(s) of the seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles and of the Last Great Day, and of anointing, if needed, those who are sick.

And, this is why the Church of God, during the annual Feast of Tabernacles, teaches, preaches, and prays for the sick rather than participating in symbolic rituals and customs—why we worship God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ throughout the world in “spirit and in truth.” Also, why during the Feast of Tabernacles do we not need to build a booth, and why we are able to keep and celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles throughout the world and not only in Jerusalem. 

Again, some of those customs and rituals of our Lord Jesus’ day did have great foreshadowing! But they were physical, and they were temporary. Today, we are to present to the LORD God a spiritual worship at the Feast ── “in spirit and in truth.”

In the New Covenant, we have direct access through prayer to the Holy of Holies that is located in the upper heavenly realm ── called in His living word, the third heaven. “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus.” – Hebrews 10:19. So then, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” – Hebrews 4:16. Brethren, we are “a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. … 9) But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” – 1 Peter 2:5, 9. 

We have One now that “has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses” – Hebrews 3:3. Our Lord Jesus Christ brought us the New Covenant promise of the glorious Holy Spirit. And He set for us ── His New Testament/New Covenant Church ── the example of teaching concerning conversion and the gift of the Holy Spirit during the Feast of Tabernacles. “For this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps.” – 1 Peter 2:21. □