The festivals of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur focus on the LORD as Creator and Judge, and the One who atones for our sins. Sukkot, October 16-23, 2024, is the climax of the Pilgrimage festivals: Pesach/Passover, Shavout/Pentecost, and Sukkot/Tabernacles (Deuteronomy 16:16). The word simchah, “joy,” appears several times in scripture regarding Sukkot, only once in reference to Shavuot, and not at all concerning Pesach. Deuteronomy 16:13-15 says, “You shall keep the feast of Sukkot seven days, when you have gathered your produce…you shall rejoice in your feast…because the LORD your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you will be together joyful.”
Even with the troubles of the world, this is a time to be joyful. First, because Sukkot is a celebration of God’s forgiveness of sin during Yom Kippur, and God’s miraculous deliverance from slavery in Egypt. Second because the protection and provision in the 40 years of wilderness wanderings, when the LORD tabernacled among the Israelites and the sukkah was actually His Cloud of Glory, His Shekhinah (Exodus 40:35-36). The festival is celebrated by building a sukkah, a temporary hut with a roof of palm branches, or other natural covering so that you can still see from whence your help comes! In 1 Corinthians 10:1-2, the apostle Paul wrote, “For I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea. And all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.”
Third: Sukkot became associated with the final harvest after entering the Promised Land, and was the celebration of thanksgiving for the fruit of the harvest. This was the American forefathers’ inspiration for our Thanksgiving holiday. The sukkah represents our dependance on the LORD for our shelter and provision. The Jewish people eat their meals in the sukkah and the orthodox even sleep there, further affirming their faith in God’s provision for their lives. Fourth: Prophetically speaking, Sukkot foreshadows the coming Kingdom of Messiah when all the nations will “go up” to Jerusalem to celebrate Sukkot (Zechariah 14:16). It may be that Jesus was born during Sukkot, the same verb that says He “dwelt” with us (John 1:14), derives from the root that is the same that refers both to the Tabernacle/Mishkan and the tents of Sukkot.
John 7 demonstrates that Jesus kept Sukkot. In this account, Jesus attended Sukkot secretly because the Jewish leaders wanted to kill him. When He returns, however, it will be very public and “on the Clouds of Glory” (Matthew 24:30; Revelation 1:7). He will once again “tabernacle” among us! Then the visible manifestation of the Shekhinah Glory will be over all of Mt. Zion. As believers in Jesus, Sukkot reminds us that we are just ”strangers and sojourners” traveling through this world, not belonging to it. We are looking forward to the City of God” (Hebrews 11:9-10), and do not need the fleeting things of this world to sustain us. If we believe we are truly sheltered by God’s Presence, then what more could we possibly want? Isn’t that the ultimate joy?
