Sukkot, or the Feast of Tabernacles, the final holy days of 2021, starts at sundown Oct. 10 and last for eight days.
It will be observed all over Israel as residents observe a special Sabbath to close out the most joyous high holy day on the Hebrew calendar.
Most Christians think of it as a “Jewish holiday,” if they think of it at all.
But, if you believe in the Second Coming of Jesus, Sukkot is for everyone – Jews, Christians, everyone.
What am I talking about?
First of all, God never described His feasts, or appointed times, as for Israel or the Jews alone. Instead, they are called “the feasts of the Lord.” They are His feasts or, more precisely, appointed times to meet with His people.
Second, a clear prophecy of the Second Coming reveals that the whole world will be required by God to observe Sukkot in what is commonly referred to as the millennial kingdom – the thousand-year reign of the Messiah on Earth.
It comes in Zechariah 14:16: “And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.”
What happens if people don’t do that? The next three verses explain the dire consequences:
“And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the Lord will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.”
No rain! Plague! Punishment!
Many Christians recognize Zechariah is a picture of the millennial reign of their Lord, yet others don’t notice this reference to Sukkot. Or, if they do, they don’t make the connection that God expects everyone to observe it.
So I put these questions to my Christian friends: If Jesus expects you to observe Sukkot in the future, wouldn’t it make sense to learn about these holy days now? Is it logical to assume God suspended the observation of Sukkot and other feasts after Jesus came, but didn’t include any notice of that suspension in Scripture? Does it make sense that He told us about these appointed times and commanded observance of them for all time but then suspended them during the last 2,000 years and then will arbitrarily bring them back when Jesus returns?
I think those are good questions for Christians to wrestle with in Bible studies.
Could it be that when God tells us in Leviticus 23 that these holy days are to be observed “for ever in your generations” that He means that literally?
By the way, these “feasts” were observed by Jesus throughout His earthly life. They were observed by all His apostles and followers after His death and resurrection in the first century. Might it be worth considering when they were suspended by the church and why?
Sukkot is an amazing spiritual experience – even when observed to the best of our abilities outside of the state of Israel. It’s a unique opportunity for His children to spend time tabernacling with Him. If it were not so for us today, ask yourselves why it was in the past and will be, again, in the future.
“The Gospel in Every Book of the Old Testament” by Joseph Farah is available in both hardcover and e-book versions.
ALSO: Get Joseph Farah’s book “The Restitution of All Things: Israel, Christians, and the End of the Age,” and learn about the Hebrew roots of the Christian faith and your future in God’s Kingdom. Also available as an e-book.
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