Five days after the Day of Atonement, the Festival of Tabernacles begins. It is seven days long. The first day is a special Sabbath. The Hebrew name of the festival is sukkot (סוכות), a word that means “shelters, stables or huts.” The same word is often translated into English as “tabernacles” or “booths.” The name is derived from the commandment for all Jews to dwell in temporary shelters for the seven days of the festival as a reminder of the post-exodus years when Israel lived in huts and booths, following God in the wilderness (see Leviticus 23:33-43, Numbers 15:15-16) .
The temporary shelter is referred to as a sukkah (סוכה), which is the singular form of the plural word sukkot.
Sukkot is a time of joy and celebration, a time to celebrate the harvest and revel in God’s goodness. The festival of sukkot comes at harvest time. The joyous mood of sukkot is a dramatic shift from the solemn and austere tone of the high holy days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The celebration of sukkot is so joyous that Jewish liturgy often refers to it as “the season of our rejoicing.” The commandment to move outside of one’s comfortable zone and live in a booth is meant to remind us that God is our provider, sustainer and protector. On the cycle of sanctification, sukkot is an annual opportunity to revel in God’s goodness and take delight in our redemption.
Sukkot is the culmination of all the appointed times. It is to the other festivals what the Sabbath is to the other six days of the week. It is a prophetic picture of the coming kingdom. It foreshadows the great celebration when the entire world will live in peace and brotherhood under the reign and rule of the righteous Messiah King.
Another interesting fact, Yeshua Ha’Mashiach (Jesus our Messiah) was actually born on Sukkot, when His family returned to their hometown for this feast, which the Romans used to collect their census. It is also prophetic of His second coming, when He will Tabernacle with us again.
And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us. We looked upon His glory, the glory of the one and only from the Father, full of grace and truth. – John 1:14 TLV
Please see these teaching videos for a better understanding of what Scripture says.
- Teaching by Passion for Truth
- Teaching by 119 Ministries
- Teaching by Lion and Lamb Ministries
- Teaching by Wisdom in Torah
