This feast was celebrated at the end of the harvest. The initial details are found in Lev 23:
- Was celebrated in the seventh month of the year to mark the end of the harvest
- The celebration lasted for seven days, meaning that the end of the harvest was totally complete.
- Days one and eight were celebrated as Sabbaths or holy convocations (Saturday and a Sunday)
- The Jews were asked to live in booths for the seven days of the feast
- They rejoiced by waving branches
- Sacrificial offerings were made to God for the duration of the harvest
Significance
- The feast points to the end of times when the saints will be gathered into our eternal reward with great rejoicing
- The waving of branches is anticipatory of the rejoicing and waving of palm branches which is currently taking place in heaven
- The booths may represent the heavenly mansions in which we will dwell
- The days of celebration are important because the sabbath day celebration indicated the end of a season, while the day 8 (Sunday) celebration told the Jews that they had entered a new season. The new season was also a new period of rest.
- Jesus lay in the tomb on a Sabbath, but was he resting or defeating the works of the devil? He must have been doing the latter, because He rose very early on the new day Sunday, the day of new beginnings.
Nehemiah 8 documents one of the actual celebrations of the Feast of Tabernacles. Blessings.
