What is
Sukkoth? (Succoth, Succoth, Sukkoth)
Sukkoth is the Jewish name for the Feast of Tabernacles or
Feast of Booths.
When is
Sukkoth Observed?
All week long, typically 7 days. So this year September
18-25, 2013. Beginning on the eve of the first day (yesterday Wednesday) on the Jewish/Hebrew
calendar, that is 15th day of Tishri (or Tishrei), which is the first month of
the year of the Jewish Civil calendar. This is different from the Jewish
Religious Calendar that begins always in the first month (Nisan or Abib). The month of Nisan corresponds with March-April (Spring). This same Nisan or Abib is the month that
Passover is observed.
To better clarify this take for example, a student’s academic school year begins in
fall, i.e., sometime between late August to early September. However, the
student’s civil or new year begins and is observed in the month January.
Now back to the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles or Sukkoth, is to be a set aside and treated as a Sabbath day.
Because it is a Sabbath to the Lord. In fact, the Bible strongly point to the Feast of Tabernacles as the time of Jesus' birth, not Christmas. This sheds even more light on one of His names, Emmanuel (God with us). Because He God came and tabernacled with mankind. Therefore, this season should be especially important to all Christians, and Jews a like.
But Why
should Christian Observe Sukkoth
Because God said so in Deuteronomy 16:13-15
13 “You shall observe the Feast of Tabernacles seven days, when you
have gathered from your threshing floor and from your winepress. 14 And
you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male
servant and your female servant and the Levite, the stranger and the fatherless
and the widow, who are within
your gates. 15 Seven days you shall keep a sacred
feast to the Lord your
God in the place, which the Lord
chooses, because the Lord your
God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so
that you surely rejoice.
If we observe pagan holidays that are
contrary to the sound biblical doctrines, why not the observed the ones God has ordained and
set aside for us? The ones that point to the Doctrine of Salvation and Jesus Christ as our one true Lord and Savior?
A Jewish Holiday
No this is not only for Jews. Just think: are Jewish people the only sinners in need of
a Messiah or Savior? Are the Jews
the only people that can reject God?
Are they the only people Jesus Christ died to save? Please be encouraged to know that, the
commandment comes from God Himself, not the Jewish people and includes the
stranger with the gates of the Jews. But if this is true, there would be no
need for Adventists or any Sabbath keeping congregation to keep the Sabbath. It would make no sense to evangelize and invite them to do so either. See the irony in that? But if you
insist that there is no valid reason to observe or acknowledge the importance of such feasts, then we one could argue that we might be left to assume that the Sabbath commandment, that gives a
similar wording stands in err, was
nailed to the cross having no or less importance to believers today. See the hypocrisy with that? Now take a moment and see Exodus
20:8. When you have, please ask yourself, who were these strangers to be included in the observance of the commandments given? And were they all Jewish
or non-Jews? Next, If so, is the Feast of Tabernacles only for the Jewish people or
for the entire Nations? Now, see Zechariah 14:16. It is safe to
conclude from the prophet Zechariah's testimony that this is a future prophecy, yet to take place and that everything about this feast, and all other Feast days foreshadowed
Jesus’ earthly ministry then and
His second coming!
Tomorrow we will look how Sukkoth is and can be celebrated, and also the importance and relevance of the Feast of Tabernacles!
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