Everything to Know About the Feast of Tabernacles (for believers in Messiah)

Sukkot is the last Biblical holiday of the year. This post has all the information you need to know about this set apart time and how to celebrate this holiday!

Tabernacles, Tents, Booths, or Sukkot?

The Feast of Tabernacles goes by many different names. In Hebrew, it is called Sukkot, which is the plural word for sukkah or temporary dwelling shelters. Because of this it makes sense to translate this holiday as the Feast of Tents, Tabernacles, or Booths. Tabernacles is generally the most common name for it in English.

Who invented the Feast of Tabernacles?

This holiday was created by the Creator, the Living God, YHWH himself. He gave directions for this holiday in Exodus 23:15-16, Leviticus 23:33-43, and Deuteronomy 16:13-17, and it is spoken of elsewhere in Scripture in both the Old and New Testaments.

What is the meaning of the Feast of Tabernacles?

The temporary dwellings or sukkahs of this time call to mind historic and prophetic events of the Bible. The Feast of Tabernacles reminds us of when the people of Israel wandered in the desert on their way to the Promised Land, after the exodus from Egypt. This calls to mind that YHWH made a way for them and provided for their needs while they were in the wilderness. As believers in Messiah, we look forward to the day when He returns to dwell or tabernacle amongst us! 

What is the purpose of the Feast of Tabernacles? 

The Creator gifted us a special time, and two extra days to rest! He intended to bless us with this holiday. This time is a pause from business as usual. It was intended to be time off work and time to celebrate with family and friends, as well as grow in our faith. We should view this with the same joyous attitude we have when we don't have to go to school or work because of cultural holidays like Labor Day or Memorial Day.

What happens during the Feast of Tabernacles?

During the eight days of Sukkot, believers are instructed to dwell in temporary shelters. There are many different approaches to this. Some people travel during this feast, staying in a cabin or hotel. Others pack up the RV and meet with other believers to camp. Some pitch a tent at home and sleep in their backyard. Others put up a temporary pergola of some sort and eat their meals out there while sleeping inside.

Is the Feast of Tabernacles in the New Testament?

Yes, it is! It was celebrated in the Messiah's day. In fact, the Messiah himself took part in Sukkot celebrations and had a lot to say at that time. Most of John 7 takes place around the Feast of Tabernacles.

Is Sukkot like Shabbat?

Just the first and last days of this Bible holiday are to be treated as Sabbaths where we don't work, shop, run errands, and so on. Not sure what to do on a Sabbath day? This post will help!

Can you work during the Feast of Tabernacles?

While Tabernacles lasts for eight days, we are only instructed to not work on the first and the last day (also called the Last Great Day or the Eight Great Day), as well as the regular weekly Sabbath during that time. You can feel free to work your regular job, buy groceries, do home or camp chores as needed on the other days. Of course, taking time off to focus on the Feast and time with your family can be special and meaningful if that's an option for you, but it's not a Biblical requirement!

Who celebrates the Feast of Tabernacles?

Historically, Sukkot has mostly been celebrated by those of the Jewish faith, but the Bible says nothing about limiting this holiday to only Jews or it being done away with! Like the rest of the Biblical holidays, the Feast of Tabernacles is for all Bible believers, no matter what your family traditions or ancestry might be. Bible holidays are for Bible believers, and by celebrating them we learn to better see the work of the Messiah in Scripture and in our lives.

Is Sukkot a happy holiday?

Very much so! This is an opportunity to joyfully look back on the miracles in the Bible, God's provision in our own lives, and His promises for things to come!

When is the Feast of Tabernacles this year?

It depends on which calendar you go by, but this year (2022) the days land on October 9-17 on the most used calendar. In Judaism, days start at sundown in the evening, so by this reckoning Sukkot would start the evening of Sunday, October 9th.

Where is the Feast of Tabernacles celebrated?

It can be celebrated anywhere you are! At your home, in your church or congregation, or anywhere you travel to. Many people choose to travel to where a group of believers is celebrating.

Are there Sukkot events to go to?

As a matter of fact, there are more gatherings of believers in Messiah every year! People gather all across the US, Canada, and around the world. This post may have a Tabernacles event near you!

How do you celebrate Tabernacles at home?

Today you can celebrate Tabernacles by pitching a tent in your yard or setting up some sort of canopy on your patio. Start with having meals out there or spending time there in prayer and Bible study. Spread the festivity by inviting friends over or going to congregation or a worship night, if that's possible. Give an offering of financial resources or time to a worthy cause or ministry. Take at least the first and last days off from work and ordinary household tasks like cleaning and cooking. Make good food and do fun things like picnicking or visiting an apple orchard. Not everything you do during this week has to be spiritual - this is a time of joy so feel free to do things you and your family find fun!

What do you eat on the Feast of Tabernacles?

While Passover has added food restrictions to not eat anything leavened, Tabernacles comes with no extra rules, beyond the instructions for Biblically clean eating. Since there is some emphasis on the provision of YHWH through the physical harvest from gardens and farms, you could eat what's in season in your area, or foods from your garden if you have one. If you're camping out, it makes sense to eat traditional campfire foods like hotdogs and s'mores (the Biblically clean version of course). We also like to have a chili cookoff during Sukkot, and a make-your-own pizza night is another tradition in our congregation, but feel free to enjoy foods you like!

How do you keep Tabernacles with children?

Teach your children about this special time. Let them know that God made certain holidays for us to enjoy and learn from. Use this time to teach them Bible stories or do crafts or activity sheets related to the Feast of Tabernacles. Most kids enjoy camping and would be excited to sleep in a tent or in sleeping bags in the living room.

What about the Eighth Great Day?

Tabernacles is eight days long and the Last Great Day or Eighth Great Day is part of that! Some view Tabernacles and the Eighth Great Day as 'separate' holidays, but either way there are eight days of celebration in a row. Biblically, on this day the Messiah announced that if anyone is thirsty we should come to Him and drink! Traditionally, this is a day for celebrating having the Written Word or Torah, and beginning again the reading of the annual Torah portions cycle. 

What Bible verses talk about the Feast of Tabernacles?

Exodus 23:15-16
Leviticus 23:33-43
Deuteronomy 16:13-17
Ezra 3:4
Nehemiah 8:14-18
Zechariah 14:16-19
John 7:1-44

And more.

Did Jesus fulfill Sukkot?

During the Messiah's time on earth there was deep connection to the Feast of Tabernacles, because for a time He did dwell among men. Many scholars believe He was born on or at least near the Feast of Tabernacles, which must have made that year's festival very rich indeed for His parents.

Scripture records in John 7 that He attended Sukkot festivities and went to Jerusalem at that time as the Bible instructs.

However we are still awaiting the ultimate fulfillment of His return when He will once again dwell with His people!

Will Sukkot be kept during the millennial reign?

Yes, Zechariah 14 tells us that all the nations will eventually celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles - or they won't get any rain.

More about the Feast of Tabernacles:
The Biblical Holiday of Tabernacles for Beginners
8 Things Scripture Says about the Feast of Tabernacles
The Feast of Tabernacles: What it Means and Why You Should Celebrate It

The Beginner's Guide to the Feast of Trumpets

Taking part in the Creator's appointed time of the Feast of Trumpets is an option for you, even if it's not something you have ever done before! The Biblical holidays were given to all believers, regardless of ethnicity or nationality, and they are a joy to take part in. I believe that the Creator communicates much to us through these special times, and that our faith will grow by participating in them. Here's how to get started. 

What you need to know about the Feast of Trumpets:

-It is a one-day holiday that typically happens in very late summer or early fall (in the northern hemisphere).

-It is considered a Sabbath.

-The Hebrew name for this holiday is Yom Teruah and that can be used interchangeably. 

-Yom Teruah means something like, "Day of Sounding," or "Day of Shofar Blasts."

-Shofars are a horn used as a music instrument that are typically made out of a ram's horn. Modern English uses 'trumpets' in place of shofar.

-It is a day filled with joyful noise and verbal expressions of praise to YHWH.

Spiritual significance of the Feast of Trumpets:

-The Messiah is expected to return on the Feast of Trumpets. When he said that no one knew the day or the hour of his return, he was using that as an idiom to mean the Feast of Trumpets!

-Trumpets/shofars have sounded at many weighty historic moments in Scripture, including the Battle of Jericho, the giving of the Torah, the coronation of kings, and to announce the start of Jubilee years. See this post for more.

-Starting in Revelation 8, seven trumpets are sounded by messengers. Significant events of the last days happen in this passage, and the shofars of the Feast of Trumpets remind us to be prepared and serving YHWH when those trumpets are blasted.

How to observe the Feast of Trumpets:

-Take the day off of work, errands, homework, and household chores. Since this holiday is considered a Sabbath, we aren't to do any work on it and treat it as we would the weekly Sabbath. Honor YHWH with your full attention on this day.

-Sound the trumpets. If you have a shofar, blast it on this day! Play praise music, sing to YHWH, or host or attend a worship night with live music.

-Gather with other believers, if possible. Attend congregation if that's an option or think about inviting friends and family over for Bible study, worship, or fellowship time.

-Have a special meal. Good food is an easy way to add fun and festivity to any special occasion, so think about what you'd like to enjoy! If you're getting together with other believers, consider having a potluck. 

-Remember! Leviticus 23 tells us that the Feast of Trumpets is to be a "remembrance of teruah." This is an opportunity to remember all the amazing things that YHWH caused to happen at the sound of a shofar. It is also a chance to recall and share how you have seen him at work in your own life.

More about the Biblical holiday of the Feast of Trumpets:
The Meaning of Yom Teruah and Where We See it in Scripture
Yom Teruah Scripture Reading List
Smoothie Bowls for the Feast of Trumpets

The Beginner's Guide to the Biblical Holidays

This post is an overview of the Biblical holidays from Scripture, explaining what the holidays are according to passages like Leviticus 23, and Deuteronomy 16. These are not traditional Christian holidays like Easter and Christmas, but rather set apart times created by the Living God. We will go over the basics of each holiday from Passover to Shavuot to the Feast of Tabernacles, what happened on them historically and what they symbolize.

In addition to the weekly Sabbath, there are seven different holidays that we are instructed by Scripture to set apart. These times are special, and not only because we are told to celebrate them. Each holiday has significance historically, prophetically, and in the life of the Messiah. Paul wrote in Colossians that these times are a shadow of things to come. That means we have a lot to learn from these holidays.

The Biblical holidays are:

Passover
Feast of Unleavened Bread
First Fruits

The Feast of Weeks / Shavuot / Pentecost

Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah

Day of Covering / Day of Atonement / Yom Kippur

Feast of Tabernacles / Sukkot

While specific dates are given in Scripture, the Biblical calendar doesn't mesh perfectly with the Gregorian so the dates move a bit each year. Land of Honey posts the dates for the upcoming holidays at the beginning of each year.

Please note that Bible holidays are for Bible believers. 

Many people are under the mistaken belief that the holidays that YHWH instructed us to keep were somehow only for the Jewish people, but that idea is not supported by Scripture. Deuteronomy 16:14 expressly tells us that foreigners who join the community of YHWH's people should celebrate these days too, so no matter your background, ethnicity, or family traditions the Creator invites you to these times.

When we learn about each Biblical holiday, we learn more about Scripture. It's truly stunning how much meaning is jam-packed into each of these times. And studying these holidays means we remember what YHWH did on these days. The holidays are, as N.T. Wright says, 'kingdom moments' and God has always performed amazing miracles on these days throughout history. Celebrating these holidays is celebrating what God has done.

A brief overview of the set apart times:

Passover: In the Biblical year Passover is the very first feast. We see the Israelites keep Passover just before the Egyptian exodus. They were instructed to brush the doors of their homes with blood from a lamb, we are reminded that the Messiah was the perfect sacrificial lamb. That's not just an allegory either, Yahusha was killed on Passover. 

The Feast of Unleavened Bread: This is a week long celebration that starts the day after Passover. Leavened/yeast bread and other products are forbidden this week. As yeast is a very small ingredient that rabidly transforms all the dough, we are reminded that the small things in our life make a huge impact. And this lack of leaven reminds us to purge the sin from our lives, which is made possible through the Messiah's sacrifice.

First Fruits: This day happens the day after the Sabbath during the week of Unleavened Bread. This is when the first of the barley harvest was to be presented before YHWH. First Fruits is the day the Messiah resurrected from the dead and presented himself to the Father. It is also when we are to start counting fifty days.

Feast of Weeks: Fifty days after First Fruits we are to celebrate Shavuot. This is a day of great significance as the instructions on how to live were given at Mount Sinai and then shortly after the Messiah's ascension into heaven, the Holy Spirit was given on the day of Shavuot. The Feast of Weeks is a celebration of having God's word and the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Feast of Trumpets: The first of the fall feasts, Yom Teruah means something like Day of Sounding. All those verses that talk about a trumpet sounding when the Messiah returns? It will happen on that day. Perhaps the most joyous time in history will be on Yom Teruah at the return of the Messiah!

Yom Kippur: Under the Levitical priesthood this was a very significant day because it's the day that the priests made atonement for all of Israel's sin with the two goats. Today we can celebrate that the Messiah has atoned for our sins. Prophetically, it is thought that this will be the day that the earth is judged and the people who have been atoned for by Messiah will be separated from those who have not.

Feast of Tabernacles: This is a beautiful look ahead to when YHWH will dwell or camp with us. With that in mind, it's no surprise that it is believed the Messiah was born during this time. This eight day celebration usually looks like a camping trip, with the commandment being to dwell in tents. Others build a temporary structure on their property and spend time there throughout Sukkot. We reflect on this world being a temporary place for us, while we look forward to the day when the Messiah returns to dwell with his people!

Related posts:
Why the Bible Holidays are for All Believers
Reasons Why Believers Should Keep the Feasts
Why I Started Celebrating the Biblical Holidays

How Does the Bible Define Sin?

What is sin according to the Bible? Is it when we get angry? Is it when we yell at someone or use poor language? Is sin all about our attitude? Is it something vague that we might not be aware of?

It's important that we have a correct understanding of how the Bible defines sin. Without the right definition of this word, we won't be able to hold ourselves to the standards that the Living God has set for us. We won't know how to live, or the things we should repent of and stop doing. It will also be impossible to understand the Bible properly if we don't know what it means by sin.

1 John 3:4 tells us exactly what sin is.

"Everyone who sins breaks God's law, because sin is the same as breaking God's law." 

Sin is when we break Biblical law. Sin happens when we set aside the commandments of Scripture, in order to do what we want. What a blessing to have been given these commandments, because they tell us how to act if we want to stay away from sin! Sin is not a vague concept Biblically. Sin is when when our actions are without the laws of the Living God.

Related posts:
The Three Types of Laws in Scripture
Faith and Works
Biblical Law and the Woman Caught in Adultery

The Beginner's Guide to the Feast of Unleavened Bread

You can take part in and celebrate the Creator's set apart time of the Feast of Unleavened Bread...even if you never have before! The Biblical holidays were given to all believers, and they are a joy to take part in. Here's how to get started.

What you need to know about the Feast of Unleavened Bread:

-It is seven days long and starts immediately after Passover.

-The first and last days are considered Sabbaths and we are not to work on them.

-During this time we are not to eat regular leavened bread or have it in our homes.

-The Hebrew word for unleavened bread is matzah, and these terms are used interchangeably. The Feast of Unleavened Bread is also called Matzah Week or the Feast of Matzah.

-You can have flour, etc. in your home as long as you are not leavening it. I don't get rid of my flour because I use it throughout the week of Unleavened Bread to make unleavened bread. Of course, it would not be appropriate to make leavened bread with it.

-It is a time for feasting, rejoicing, worship, and celebration.

Spiritual significance of the Feast of Unleavened Bread:

-Matzah Week is when the Israelites hit the road when they fled Egyptian slavery. That YHWH freed his people from slavery is worth remembering and celebrating! During the Feast of Unleavened Bread in Exodus, his people were in that in between place of leaving Egypt, yet not yet entering into the fullness of his promises.

-The bread they ate was unleavened because YHWH changed their circumstances so quickly that they didn't even have time to let their bread rise. No matter how hopeless a situation in our lives may seem, our God can turn that around.

-The Messiah rose from the dead during Unleavened Bread!

-The principle of leaven is very powerful. If you've made bread using sourdough starter or yeast then you know the small amount of this changes the end product significantly! While it can be easy to think that little things in our life don't matter, they can make a huge difference for good or bad. 

-Leaven is typically seen as sin in the Bible. Like sin, leaven shows up in more places than we would expect and we are called to make an effort to avoid it. During this Feast we are to examine ourselves and our lives extra closely and get rid of anything spiritually leavened.

-Unleavened bread is seen as a symbol of the Messiah's physical body. He was sinless (unleavened), and the piercings and dark spots that appear on both homemade and boxed matzah are fitting symbols of him being beaten and bruised for us. Don't forget that Yahusha described himself as the "bread of life." (John 6:35)

How to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread:

-Take a look through your pantry and freezer and take note of what you have that is leavened. This includes things like sandwich bread and frozen pizzas, and also fermented wheat products including soy sauce and beer. Think about storing these things on a certain shelf or area of the pantry so that you can use up anything leavened before the set apart time starts. If you don't have time to use it all then share your bounty with friends, or a food pantry. Burn or throw away the last bits of leavened bread if necessary. 

-As you go through the process of removing leaven from your home, consider how we are called to examine our hearts and actions for spiritual "leaven." Pray and ask YHWH if there is something he would like to clear out of your life as you are cleaning your cupboards of leaven. These questions are a good guide to spiritual preparation for this time.

-Get a recipe to make your own unleavened bread, or order or purchase boxed matzah bread. Boxed matzah is similar to a large cracker, whereas homemade matzah is soft, comparable to naan bread. This is my recipe made with einkorn flour, but you could substitute all purpose or whole wheat flour.

-Think about incorporating matzah into at least one meal a day throughout the week. It's appropriate to eat unleavened bread during the Feast of Unleavened Bread! There are many ways to enjoy matzah. Eat it with sandwich toppings, alongside a bowl of soup or curry, make matzah pizzas, or turn it into matzah toffee! See this post for other ideas for serving unleavened bread.

-Take at least the first and last days of Unleavened Bread off from work, errands, and household chores. If possible, consider taking more time off from work to spend with your family or to make this holiday more special to you. Taking a day trip somewhere during the week can make it fun and memorable - I visited the Ark Encounter during Matzah Week a few years ago!

-Take joy in worshiping YHWH, and studying the Bible. Attend services at a congregation if possible, and watch children's Bible story videos - if you don't have kids do it for fun! 

-Not everything you do has to be 'spiritual' - make the week fun with things you enjoy. Go somewhere beautiful for a hike, play games or do a puzzle with family, make a craft or an omer counter, invite friends over for dinner, make special foods, and take time to relax.

There is some learning curve when you start to observe a new holiday, so give yourself grace about that. It takes time to get used to celebrating the times of the Creator and next year it will seem more natural and be even more fun! The Living God is honored by your efforts to take part in his set apart times!

Other posts about celebrating this holiday:
12 Ways to Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread
My Matzah Week - What Celebrating the Feast of Unleavened Bread Looks Like
Recipes for the Feast of Unleavened Bread

The Meaning of Peter's Vision of the Unclean Animals in Acts 10 (As Explained by Acts 11)

This post explains the meaning of Peter's vision of the sheet of unclean animals descending from the heavens from Acts 10:13. Did you know that Peter himself actually explained the meaning of the words "kill and eat" to mean something besides what we have been told by churches and Bible commentary? Most of Acts chapter 11 addresses it's true meaning to be about people and not once does it say it's about what we eat! 

"Get up, Peter, kill and eat." -Acts 10:13

This passage makes it clear that it's now okay to eat anything and everything, right? Even the animals forbidden in Leviticus 11? I used to think so, but a deeper examination of this passage says otherwise. Are you familiar with Peter's vision of the animals on the sheet in Acts 10?

He became hungry and wished to eat. But while they were preparing, he fell into a trance, and he saw the heaven opened and a vessel like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth, in which were all kinds of four footed beasts, and wild beasts, and creeping creatures, and birds of the heavens. And a voice came and said, "Get up, Peter, kill and eat."
But Peter said, "Not at all, Master! Because I have never eaten anything unclean."
And a voice came to him again and said, "What YHWH has cleansed you do not consider common or unclean." -Acts 10:10-15

Well that's pretty obvious, right? He's looking at animals and being told to eat, so it must be about food. Peter initially thought it was about food too, which is why he responds by saying that he has never violated the dietary instructions of Scripture. That response of itself is very telling. Peter spent more time than perhaps anyone on earth in the presence of the Messiah. If Jesus had taught or believed it was okay to eat things forbidden by Scripture, Peter would have known that. This vision happened around a decade after Yahusha ascended into heaven, and Peter still hadn't eaten anything forbidden. Since he was convinced that nothing had changed, he was very confused by this vision. He was shown this vision of the animals three times (verse 17), and then it says he "doubted within himself" what this might mean. Why was he confused? Because he knew it couldn't have been about what we eat!

Peter was confused. This is a man who heard teachings first hand and received personal instruction from Yahusha the Messiah, son of YHWH for years. Someone who asked the Messiah questions, and had them answered. One of the best preachers of the Gospel in history. Arguably the clearest writer and teacher in the New Testament. He had no idea what that could mean. If Peter was unsure, is it reasonable to assume that we can spend 20 seconds on the text and have the correct understanding?

As you may know, Scripture tells us that while Peter was still trying to figure this out some men came to request that Peter come with them to teach to Cornelius and his household. The same voice that said "Kill and eat," told him to go with them, and he did. Why was a voice from Heaven needed to convince Peter to go? Because Cornelius wasn't Jewish, and going to his home was forbidden by Peter's tribe (Acts 10:28), though permissible according to Scripture. On his way there, the meaning of the vision became clear to Peter.

And he said to them, "You know a Jew is not allowed to associate with, or go to one of another race. But YHWH has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean." -Acts 10:28

Peter himself explains this confusing vision to us. While Scripture is quick to correct Peter, ("Get behind me, Satan!") nothing is ever said to contradict his interpretation. He then reiterates his understanding of this again to the other Disciples in Acts 11, taking up almost an entire chapter to do so. Yes, that's right, there is a chapter of the Bible that explains this vision, showing us people are what we shouldn't call unclean or unfit for redemption. In fact, a fair amount of what happens in the rest of the book of Acts is about Paul and other Disciples going to share the Gospel with people they otherwise wouldn't have, considering them too 'unclean' or common for redemption. This vision corrected bad practices rooted in tradition instead of the word of God!

You see, the Disciples had fallen into some wrong beliefs about who can be grafted into Israel. YHWH wanted to be absolutely certain that no one was excluded from the Good News of the Messiah. He gave Peter this vision to show him that even people who didn't have ancestors in Israel (common), or people that had lived wrongly in sin (unclean), could repent and be welcomed into the family of YHWH.

Having heard this, they were silent, and praised YHWH, saying, "Then YHWH has indeed also given to the nations repentance to life." -Acts 11:18

This vision is about one of the root issues in Scripture...that we can all be grafted into the tree of Israel. It's not about our bloodline or family lineage, or knowing for sure our ancestors were part of ancient Israel. This is about the lost tribes being regathered into YHWH's people. No matter someone's past or where they are from, redemption is possible through the Messiah. 

That's how Peter explained his vision. That's what the other disciples understood this vision to mean. And that's what the Bible says it meant when God showed Peter the unclean animals and he heard the phrase, "Kill and eat!" Even though we have been told that this means God did away with the dietary instructions of the Old Testament, that is not at all what Peter or anyone else in the book of Acts thought about this. Acts 11 explains the meaning and not once does it mention food or what we eat.

More about what the New Testament says about food:
Understanding the Messiah Declaring All Foods Clean
Romans 14 Explained (Key to Understanding New Testament Verses on Food)
Why 1 Timothy 4 Doesn't Mean that All Animals Should Be Eaten