11 The Feast Of Tabernacles
CHAPTER ELEVEN
THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES (Leviticus 23:33-43)
Five days after the feast of atonement the children of Israel began to keep the feast of tabernacles, and observed it for seven days. We have already seen that this last feast of the year was a type of the millennial reign of Christ, immediately following His return in glory to the earth.
And we have noted that it was the outgrowth of the one-day act of the feast of atonement. As in the other feasts of the Lord, the “offering made by fire unto the Lord” (Leviticus 23:36) was a foreshadowing of Calvary’s cross; and throughout the thousand years’ reign of Christ on earth, as well as for all eternity, we shall be reminded of the price our Lord paid for our redemption.
1. At the End of the Harvest Israel observed the feast of tabernacles.
“When ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the Lord seven days,” God said to Moses (Leviticus 23:39). In Deuteronomy 16:13 we read that the harvest was of corn and wine. It was a season of joy, a kind of harvest-home. Its answer is found in the future glory of Christ, when Israel shall be given her rightful place as the head of the nations, never again to be scattered, persecuted, and hated. Then will be fulfilled the words of the prophet:
“Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee” (Isaiah 60:1).
The harvest of corn suggests to us the words of our Lord already referred to in this study:
“Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit” (John 12:24).
Every believer in this Church Age and every tribulation saint will be included in this abundant harvest of redeemed souls. And what a time of rejoicing it will be! Now Israel is scattered throughout the harvest field; this is the long interval between Pentecost and the feast of the trumpets, during which Jews and Gentiles are being gathered into the garner of the Lord
But the harvest-home will come. “And thou shalt rejoice,” God said, “after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine” (Deuteronomy 16:13-14).
The vintage, however, suggests the solemn truth that the feast of tabernacles will not begin to find its fulfillment in the millennial reign of Christ until after He has purified a wicked world with His righteous judgments, at the close of the seventieth week of Daniel.
In the book of Revelation we read of this terrible time of judgment yet to come upon the earth, when the returning Lord Jesus shall tread “the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God” (Revelation 19:15).
My unsaved brother, do not put off your acceptance of Christ until it is too late. It seems as though the feast of the tabernacles were soon to be fulfilled; and before that reign of righteousness begins, there must be the treading of the winepress-the vintage of the earth-that the King of Kings and Lord of Lords may rule over a purified world!
2. A Time of Rejoicing.
The feast of tabernacles was a season of great joy. “Ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days,” the Lord said to His people, Israel. “And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook . . . Ye shall dwell in booths seven days” (Leviticus 23:40; Leviticus 23:42). Therefore, this holy convocation was called the feast of tabernacles; Israel dwelt in booths.
The palm branches ever speak of victory; and Israel in the millennium will be glad and rejoice that her battles are over. She will have triumphed over Satan and all his hosts “by the blood of the Lamb.” So shall we all who love the Lord. His Bride will be ruling with Him in glory; and as members of His Church, we, too, shall rejoice in that day of triumph-in that clay and throughout eternity.
But Israel also made her booths for the feast of tabernacles from the willows of the brook. She will remember her tears, and thank God for wiping them all away. She will rejoice that her nation is no longer the people of the wandering feet, hunted, persecuted, hated, despised. It will be a glad day for Israel when all her tears are wiped away. And it will be a glad day for you and me, my Christian friend, when we shall look back over all the path over which God has led us, and thank Him that His own nail-pierced hands have wiped away our tears. We shall thank Him then for the testings and trials that have been a part of His schooling-to fit us for reigning and ruling with Him in glory.
I am so glad that Israel will rejoice in that day. The most wonderful nation, yet the most tragic-her history indelibly written in blood and tears-will hear the Son of David saying: “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.” And I am so glad that we, too, shall join Israel in an everlasting hymn of praise: “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing” (Revelation 5:12).
3. A Memorial and a “Shadow of Good Things to Come.”
Why did God tell Israel to keep the feast of tabernacles? This is what He said to them:
“Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 23:42-43).
The Lord did not want His redeemed people to forget the Passover or the wilderness journey. He wanted them to remember always that their blessings came from Him. And all who enter into the reign of Christ-His chosen people, the Gentile nations, and His Bride-all will remember Calvary and His guiding, protecting hand.
Throughout the endless ages, of which the sabbath which followed the feast of tabernacles was a type, the Lamb will be “all the glory of Immanuel’s land.”
The feast of tabernacles was a memorial; and it was “a shadow of good things to come,” when Jesus returns to reign.
~ end of chapter 11 ~