SUKKOT – THE JEWISH FEAST OF TABERNACLES
Part A
The Jewish Feast of Tabernacles is associated with the 2nd Advent of the Messiah and His reign over both Jew and Gentile for 1000 Years.
September 27, 2013
http://www,tribulationperiod,com
The Jewish Feast of Tabernacles for 2013 is now drawing to a close.
During the time of the earthly ministry of Christ, on the last day of the feast, a special priest would leave the temple mount and proceed southward to the old city of David, under which a spring flowed through the old tunnel of Hezekiah into the Pool of Siloam. Fresh, flowing spring water that flowed throughout the year was looked upon as providing a source of water that provided life year round, as opposed to springs that dried up during the non-rainy season. So it came to symbolize something that provided eternal life. The special priest would collect two pints of water in a golden vessel, and then carry it back upon the temple mount. It would then be carried to the top of the very high altar that stood in the court of the men in front of the steps that led up to the door of the temple’s Holy Place. In the southwestern corner of the altar a small hole had been made that led down under the altar into the subterranean cavern under the temple. This particular feast is a very joyous one, and as the people waved palm leaves they would cry out to the priest on the southwestern corner, “raise your hand, raise your hand,” to show he had poured the water, finally cheering and shouting for joy when he did. The water would proceed under the temple southeastward in a conduit that emptied into the Kidron Valley for drainage of the blood from the sacrifices. It was a picture of living water, which symbolized the living Spirit of the God of Israel going out from the belly of the temple into the world.
It is very interesting to note the words of Jesus on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, probably uttered immediately after the priest poured the water.
John 7:2,37-39 – Now the Jews’ feast of tabernacles was at hand. [37] In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. [38] He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. [39] (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
During the time of Christ the Spirit of God in the temple’s Holy of Holies was to be proclaimed to all the world. It was a single, local, visible temple. Today there are many local temples that God recognizes individually as His local, visible, temples. And it is from these individual bodies that the power of the Spirit is to go forth into the world. The first such church was formed and organized by its head and foundation, Jesus Christ, during His earthly ministry. This church, which already existed as a local church of about 120, was empowered by the Spirit at Pentecost after Jesus was glorified. And, just as the water flowed out of the belly of the temple into the world was a symbol of the Holy Spirit, so does the Spirit flow out of churches of the same like faith and order as the one empowered at Pentecost.
All believers are indwelt by the living Spirit of God and make up the family of God, and truly their witness of the Spirit is to flow out from within them into the world, but a local church that teaches, preaches, and practices the faith once delivered to the saints is also indwelt by the same Spirit in a special way, and its testimony that goes out into the world is to proclaim the truths of all the Word written by the Spirit.
John 6:62,63 – What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? [63] It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Ephesians 2:22 – In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
John 4:24 – God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Begin Quoted Excerpts From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sukkot, Succot or Sukkos (Feast of Booths, Feast of Tabernacles) is a biblical Jewish holiday celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei (varies from late September to late October). It is one of the three biblically mandated festivals Shalosh regalim on which Hebrews were commanded to make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem. It follows the solemn holiday of Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement.
The holiday lasts seven days (eight in the diaspora). The first day (and second in the diaspora) is a sabbath-like yom tov (holiday) when work is forbidden, followed by the intermediate Chol Hamoed and Shemini Atzeret. The Hebrew word sukkōt is the plural of sukkah, “booth or tabernacle”, which is a walled structure covered with schach (plant material such as leafy tree overgrowth or palm leaves).
The sukkah is intended as a reminiscence of the type of fragile dwellings in which the Israelites dwelt during their 40 years of travel in the desert after the Exodus from slavery in Egypt. Throughout the holiday, meals are eaten inside the sukkah and some people sleep there as well. On each day of the holiday, members of the household recite a blessing over the lulav (closed frond of the date palm tree, bound with boughs and branches of the willow and myrtle trees) and etrog (yellow citron) (Four species).
According to the prophet Zechariah, in the messianic era Sukkot will become a universal festival and all nations will make pilgrimages annually to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast there.(Zech 14:16-19)
Sukkot is agricultural in origin. This is evident from the biblical name “The Feast of Ingathering, “Ex. 23:16, 34:22 from the ceremonies accompanying it, from the season – “The festival of the seventh month”Ezek. 45:25; Neh. 8:14. – and occasion of its celebration: “At the end of the year when you gather in your labors out of the field” (Ex. 23:16);by its designation as “the Feast of the Lord” (Lev. 23:39; Judges 21:19 or simply “the Feast”.1 Kings 8:2, 8:65; 12:32; 2 Chron. 5:3; 7:8 Perhaps because of its wide attendance, Sukkot became the appropriate time for important state ceremonies.David M. Gitlitz & Linda Kay Davidson Pilgrimage and the Jews (Westport: CT: Praeger, 2006), 20-35. Moses instructed the children of Israel to gather for a reading of the Law during Sukkot every seventh year (Deut. 31:10-11). King Solomon dedicated the Temple in Jerusalem on Sukkot (1 Kings 8; 2 Chron. 7). And Sukkot was the first sacred occasion observed after the resumption of sacrifices in Jerusalem following the Babylonian captivity (Ezra 3:2-4).
In Leviticus, God told Moses to command the people: “On the first day you shall take the product of hadar trees, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook” (Lev. 23:40), and “You shall live in booths seven days; all citizens in Israel shall live in booths, in order that future generations may know that I made the Israelite people live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt” (Lev. 23:42-43).
Laws and customs
Sukkot is a seven-day holiday, with the first day celebrated as a full festival with special prayer services and holiday meals. The remaining days are known as Chol HaMoed (“festival weekdays”). The seventh day of Sukkot is called Hoshana Rabbahh (“Great Hoshana”, referring to the tradition that worshippers in the synagogue walk around the perimeter of the sanctuary during morning services) and has a special observance of its own. Outside Israel, the first two days are celebrated as full festivals. Throughout the week of Sukkot, meals are eaten in the sukkah and the males sleep there, although the requirement is waived in case of rain. Every day, a blessing is recited over the Lulav and the Etrog. Observance of Sukkot is detailed in the Book of Nehemiah and Leviticus 23:34-44 in the Bible, the Mishnah (Sukkah 1:1–5:8); the Tosefta (Sukkah 1:1–4:28); and the Jerusalem Talmud (Sukkah 1a–) and Babylonian Talmud (Sukkah 2a–56b).
Building a sukkah
The sukkah walls can be constructed of any material (wood, canvas, aluminum siding, sheets). The walls can be free-standing or include the sides of a building or porch. The roof must be of organic material, known as S’chach, such as leafy tree overgrowth or palm fronds. It is customary to decorate the interior of the sukkah with hanging decorations, the Seven Species.”Judaica 101: Sukkot”. Ajudaica.com. Retrieved 2012-04-03.
Prayers during Sukkot include the reading of the Torah every day, reciting the Mussaf (additional) service after morning prayers, reciting Hallel, and adding special additions to the Amidah and Grace after Meals. In addition, the service includes rituals involving the Four Species. The lulav and etrog are not brought to the synagogue on Shabbat.
Hoshanot
On each day of the festival, worshippers walk around the synagogue carrying their Four species while reciting Psalm 118:25 and special prayers known as Hoshanot. This takes place either after the morning’s Torah reading or at the end of Mussaf. This ceremony commemorates the willow ceremony at the Temple in Jerusalem, in which willow branches were piled beside the altar with worshipers parading around the altar reciting prayers.
Ushpizin
During the holiday, some Jews recite the ushpizin prayer which symbolises the welcoming of seven “exalted guests” into the sukkah. These ushpizin (Aramaic אושפיזין ‘guests’), represent the seven shepherds of Israel: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Joseph and David. According to tradition, each night a different guest enters the sukkah followed by the other six. Each of the ushpizin has a unique lesson which teaches the parallels of the spiritual focus of the day on which they visit. A new tradition has arisen among some Jews to invite seven female counterparts to the above shepherds. A number of different lists exist which may include any of the following: Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, Leah, Miriam, Deborah, Esther, Ruth, and Tamar among others, though these are not accepted by Orthodox Jews
The second through seventh days of Sukkot (third through seventh days outside Israel) are called Chol HaMoed “festival weekdays”). These days are considered by halakha to be more than regular weekdays but less than festival days. In practice, this means that all activities that are needed for the holiday—such as buying and preparing food, cleaning the house in honor of the holiday, or traveling to visit other people’s sukkot or on family outings—are permitted by Jewish law. Activities that will interfere with relaxation and enjoyment of the holiday—such as laundering, mending clothes, engaging in labor-intensive activities—are not permitted. Observant Jews typically treat Chol HaMoed as a vacation period, eating nicer than usual meals in their sukkah, entertaining guests, visiting other families in their sukkot, and taking family outings. Many synagogues and Jewish centers also offer events and meals in their sukkot during this time to foster community and goodwill.
On the Shabbat which falls during the week of Sukkot (or in the event when the first day of Sukkot is on Shabbat), the Book of Ecclesiastes is read during morning synagogue services in Israel. (Diaspora communities read it the following Shabbat when sukkot is on the first day. Otherwise they read it on the Shabbat of Sukkot, as in Israel.) This Book’s emphasis on the ephemeralness of life (“Vanity of vanities, all is vanity…”) echoes the theme of the sukkah, while its emphasis on death reflects the time of year in which Sukkot occurs (the “autumn” of life). The second-to-last verse reinforces the message that adherence to God and His Torah is the only worthwhile pursuit. (Cf. Ecclesiastes 12:13,14.)
Main article: Hakhel
In the days of the Temple in Jerusalem, all Jewish men, women, and children on pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the festival would gather in the Temple courtyard on the first day of Chol HaMoed Sukkot to hear the Jewish king read selections from the Torah. This ceremony, which was mandated in Deuteronomy 31:10-13, was held every seven years, in the year following the Shmita (Sabbatical) year. This ceremony was discontinued after the destruction of the Temple, but it has been revived in Israel on a smaller scale.
Main article: Simchat Beit HaShoeivah
During the Intermediate days of Sukkot, gatherings of music and dance, known as Simchat Beit HaShoeivah (Celebration of the Place of Water-Drawing), take place. This commemorates the drawing of the water for the water-libation on the Altar, an offering unique to Sukkot, when water was carried up the Jerusalem pilgrim road from the Pool of Siloam to the Temple in Jerusalem.
Main article: Hoshana Rabbah
The seventh day of Sukkot is known as Hoshana Rabbah (Great Supplication). This day is marked by a special synagogue service in which seven circuits are made by worshippers holding their Four Species, reciting Psalm 118:25 with additional prayers. In addition, a bundle of five willow branches are beaten on the ground.
Main article: Shemini Atzeret
Main article: Simchat Torah
The holiday immediately following Sukkot is known as Shemini Atzeret (lit. “Eighth [Day] of Assembly”). Shemini Atzeret is usually viewed as a separate holiday.[3] In the Diaspora a second additional holiday, Simchat Torah (lit. “Joy of the Torah”), is celebrated. In the Land of Israel, Simchat Torah is celebrated on Shemini Atzeret. On Shemini Atzeret people leave their sukkah and eat their meals inside the house. Outside of Israel, many eat in the sukkah without making the blessing. The sukkah is not used on Simchat Torah.
In Christianity
Sukkot is celebrated by a number of Christian denominations that observe holidays from the old testament. These groups base themselves on the fact that Jesus celebrated Sukkot (see the Gospel of John 7, additionally John 10:22 shows Christ celebrating Hannukah). The holiday is celebrated according to its Hebrew calendar date. First mention of observing the holiday by Christian groups dates to the 17th century regarding the Subbotniks in Russia.
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