Former & Latter
Feast of Tabernacles
Passport Destination No. 7
Story Destinations:
The Tabernacle,
The Birth, &
The New
Jerusalem
God's Plan for Restoration
God grants rest and joy to those who dwell with Him
On the fifteenth day of the seventh month the Lord’s Festival of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days. The first day is a sacred assembly; do no regular work. For seven days present food offerings to the Lord, and on the eighth day hold a sacred assembly and present a food offering to the Lord. It is the closing special assembly; do no regular work. On the first day you are to take branches from luxuriant trees—from palms, willows, and other leafy trees—and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. Celebrate this as a festival to the Lord for seven days each year. Live in temporary shelters for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in such shelters so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in temporary shelters when I brought them out of Egypt. Leviticus 23:34-36, 40-43
A Tabernacle for God
God, from the beginning of creation has always desired to have a personal relationship with mankind, to dwell with them, not just rule over them. He gifted humanity the shared privilege of work and rest that we might enjoy creating and resting as He did.
Sin contaminated the peace, privilege, and close relationship we once had with God but He did not let our sin keep us separated. Remember, the Sabbath rest was created before sin entered the world, therefore, God's desire has always been to enjoy creating and resting with us. The remaining Biblical feasts are the blueprint to His divine rescue plan to bring restoration once and for all. When we celebrate every feast, every year, we are either remembering a part of the plan and promise fulfilled and/or the plan and promise yet to come.
The Feast of Tabernacles was not yet a plan, but a reality in the Garden of Eden when God Himself walked (Genesis 1:8) with Adam and Eve. Once this relationship was broken, God once again reached out with a desire to dwell with His people when He gave them instructions for building a tabernacle for Him.
“Have the people of Israel build me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them.
Exodus 25:8
The Birth of Yeshua
The tabernacle in the wilderness was only a temporary dwelling. God still desired and sought to be closer to us if we are willing. That is why Yeshua was sent in the flesh to dwell with us and pay the price for us to dwell rightfully in peace with the LORD.
Even though many celebrate the birth of Yeshua on December 25th, His birth was most likely during the Feast of Tabernacles when Jewish families travel up to Jerusalem to celebrate according to God's instructions. This would add to the reason why there was no room at the "inn" once they arrived making a census more convenient and doable without completely agitating the people unnecessarily.
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The name Yeshua means, "the LORD saves" or "the LORD is salvation". Matthew 1:23 not only declares His name shall be Yeshua, but that He will also be called Immanuel which means "God with us!" or as I like to think of it, God came to tabernacle with us...again!
And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus (Yeshua), for he will save his people from their sins.” All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’” Matthew 1:21-23
The birth of Yeshua is a monumental fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles but His birth was just the beginning of His grand rescue mission. He came as a baby boy, grew up to die for our sin, resurrected to life that we may have life, and then returned to heaven to prepare a place for us to dwell with Him forever.
There is coming a day when Yeshua will return as promised to tabernacle with us forever. That is not yet, but soon! Feast of Tabernacles was, is, and continues to be celebrated by God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit as seen in John 7 as the Trinity interacts at this holy festival in a promise to dwell with us forever.
The New Jerusalem
Once Yeshua returns, we will rule and reign (tabernacle) with Him for a thousand years. After those years, everything associated with sin, death, and hell will be thrown into the lake of fire never again to come between us and God. Then comes the promise of the New Jerusalem!
I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. Revelation 21:3
How wonderful to know that when all that has been promised is finally fulfilled, all of creation will be restored to God's original purpose and pleasure without the threat of sin, Satan, and his deceitful, destructive dominion.
And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty, I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children. Revelation 21:5-7
Did you see that God returns to making things new...a new creation! I'm so curious what He will create for us in the New Jerusalem! If you can find beauty in this fallen world with fallen people, fallen colors, fallen food, imagine what it is going to be like to experience these things in perfection!
Eventually, God is going to be done dealing with sin once and for all. When Yeshua died on the cross He said, "it is finished." The Greek word used here was tetelestai, meaning payment (for sin) complete. But, when He says "it is finished" again here in Revelation 21 it is the Greek word Gegonan, meaning a change of condition, place, and relationship!
The final Feast of Tabernacles will result in eternal rest, refreshment, and restoration. No more sorrows, no more trials, no more struggles, no more sin. Amen and HalleluYah!
Now Boarding for Feast of Tabernacles
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Attention all family members...Now is the time to get those passports out and look at your Feast of Tabernacles. You will see a list of suggested destination experiences for you and your family to choose from and complete in order to earn your Tabernacle stamp. Enjoy this journey together and check back here when you are ready to plan your next Biblical holiday destination. Remember to contact your tour guide (me!) if you have any questions along the way.