Why and How is Sukkoth Celebrated?

14And they found written in the Law, which the Lord had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month, 15 and that they should announce and proclaim in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the mountain, and bring olive branches, branches of oil trees, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written.” Nehemiah 8 gives us a glimpse of the Israelites re-discovery of the feasts. The story continues by relating how long they had not done so! As a result they had much gladness and day by day (paraphrasing) they read from the Law and kept the feast all 7 days. Then the day after or eighth day, there is a great assembly or convocation to close off the week.

What is amazing is that they realized that they should be keeping these days; that were long overdue,  forgotten since the days of Joshua. Immediately on discovering this they sent our the word to proclaim in all their cities and Jerusalem. 

Today, the Feast is observed and celebrated throughout Jerusalem and various parts of the world, including the United States. A Sukkat is built, which is like a tent as a form of temporary housing. Some place these in their backyards and live in them for the 7 days. Great planning and preparation is put in this special event and that includes inviting family, friends, guests and strangers to join in. Some local churches may host a larger event with makeshift tents and a great feast is done, lots of food and special reading and activities that are related to the memorial of Moses leading the Israelites and God's providence, protection and provisions for them. Reflections are done as a way of pointing to Christ's second return to forever tabernacle with His bride, the church. This fall feast has been long over-looked and regarded as a Jewish feast. Nevertheless, fall festivals and holidays like Thanksgiving in all actuality were adopted from this original fall feast, modified and as time when by The Feast of Tabernacles became water-down and substituted, while pagan holidays remain.  

Nevertheless, let's look at the four (4) symbols used during this special feast. The four winds as they are commonly called are very symbolic prophetically. These are 1. lulav (the green closed front of the date palm tree); 2. hadass (twigs and leaves of the myrtle tree); 3. aravah (twigs and leaves from a willow tree); and 4. etrog ( a lemon-like fruit of the citrus family). The lulav and the aravah. The hadass,  and finally the etrog. According to tradition,  these four symbols represent four kinds of people. I'm not sure if it would be the four kinds of people that exists among humanity, or the four kinds of people that will be saved. But within these feasts there are multiple layers of semiotics and prophetic meanings. Of course for the Jews this is a considered very special holiday because of their heritage and their forefathers' spiritual legacy. But all of spiritual Israel has inherited that heritage through Christ, our second Adam.

So while it is true that this was given directly to the Israelites after they came out of Egypt as a reminder that God is their shelter. It is also important to reminder that it is God's intention to be mankind's shelter. That all of us have been enslaved or have been in an Egypt or wilderness experience that teaches us to completely rely on God and give Him thanksgiving for bringing us over and across the Red Sea of our circumstances. Have you not been there and needed to be reminded that  God is the one that provides and delivers amidst your trials. That God alone is our Shelter, that our temporary home is but a shadow of what is to come.  In fact He will literally be our Shelter as He will be our Tabernacle or Temple as we will dwell within His literal Temple and He with us. So the Feast of the Tabernacle serves to remind us of God's intentionality even for Gentile believers.  Zechariah 14:16 tells us that all the nations will come to Jerusalem to worship God, during the Feast of Tabernacles. So if we will be keeping the Feast then, why not now? This text is somewhat parallel to Isaiah 66:23 that tells us that the Sabbath will be kept from one new month to the next.  If the Sabbath will be kept then, why not keep it now, many Sabbath keepers ask this question in defense of Sabbath keeping. How about you, what is your stand on this? Are you willing to study more on this and other Holy Feast Days?