Welcome to House of Israel’s Sukkoth Service Thank you for joining us.

A Word about the Annual Moadim The Difference between a Moed and a Chag Moed = Appointed Time, appointment Chag = Pilgrimage (Festival), to dance, celebrate There are 3 annual Chaggim, but 7 annual Moadim

The So-Called "Seven Festivals of Messiah." Pesak (Passover) Chag HaMatzah (Unleavend Bread) Bikkurim (First Fruits) Chag Shavuot (Feast of Pentecost) Yom Teruah (Feast of Trumpets) Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) Chag HaSukkot (Feast of Tabernacles)

The "Seven Festivals of Messiah." This is a misnomer based on a misunderstanding of the Hebrew term chag. Actually, as anyone can see by reading through Vayiqra 23 and its parallel in Devarim 16, there are only three annual chags (pilgrim feasts) while there are seven annual set apart appointment days of worship.

The Three Biblical Feasts Feast of Unleavened Bread Feast of Pentecost Feast of Tabernacles The Seven Annual Holy Days 1 st, 7 th day of 1 st month, 50 th day of counting, 1 st, 10 th, 15 th, 22 nd day of 7 th month

Chag HaSukkot The Feast of Tabernacles The Time of Our Joy

*Introduction to the Feast of Tabernacles *Do Only Native Born Israelites Need to Live in Booths? *Why Dwell in Booths? *What Do We Bring to the Feast? *What are the Four Items Mentioned? *What Is the Atmosphere For This Feast? *Has There Been a “Fulfillment” of Sukkot? *What Does the Feast of Sukkot Foreshadow About Our Future?

Introduction to the Feast of Tabernacles

Yehovah said to Mosheh, "Say to the sons of Yisrael: 'On the fifteenth day of the seventh month Yehovah's Feast of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days. The first day is a set apart proclamation (miqra qodesh); do no regular work (melachah). For seven days present offerings made to Yehovah by fire, and on the eighth day hold a set apart proclamation and present an offering made to Yehovah by fire. It is the closing proclamation; do no regular work. (Leviticus 23:33-36)

So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the pilgrim feast of Yehovah for seven days; the first day is a day of rest (shabbaton), and the eighth day also is a day of rest (shabbaton). On the first day you are to take choice fruit from the trees, and palm fronds, leafy branches and poplars, and rejoice before Yehovah your Elohim for seven days. (Vayiqra [Leviticus] 23:39-43)

Do Only Native Born Israelites Need to Live in Booths During the Festival of Succoth?

42 Live in booths for seven days: All native-born sons of Yisrael are to live in booths (Vayikra [Leviticus] 23) Read inclusively, not exclusively Were all those who lived in booths in the wilderness native-born Israelites? What about the mixed throng? The Egyptians who joined them? There is one Torah for the native born and for the alien.

Why Dwell in Booths?

Celebrate this as a pilgrim festival to Yehovah for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month. Live in booths for seven days: All native-born sons of Yisrael are to live in booths so your descendants will know that I had the sons of Yisrael live in booths when I brought them out of Mitzrayim. I am Yehovah your Elohim. (Vayiqra [Leviticus] 23:39-43)

The Exodus During the night Pharaoh summoned Mosheh and Aharon and said, "Up! Leave my people, you and the sons of Yisrael! Go, worship Yehovah as you have requested. Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go. And also bless me." The Mitzrites urged the people to hurry and leave the country. "For otherwise," they said, "we will all die!" So the people took their dough before the yeast was added, and carried it on their shoulders in kneading troughs wrapped in clothing. (Shemot 12:31-37)

The Exodus The sons of Yisrael did as Mosheh instructed and asked the Mitzrites for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. Yehovah had made the Mitzrites favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Mitzrites. The sons of Yisrael journeyed from Rameses to Sukkoth. There were about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. (Shemot 12:31-37)

The Hebrew word sukkot is the plural form of the word sukkah, (Hebrew, hK'su ) which means a thicket, a booth made of inter- woven boughs. This booth could be a shelter in the field for cattle, a shelter for workers in the field at harvest time, or for men in battle, or a shelter from the sun.

Live in booths (Heb. tKoïSu or "sukkot") for seven days: All native-born sons of Yisrael are to live in booths so your descendants will know that I had the sons of Yisrael live in booths when I brought them out of Mitzrayim. I am Yehovah your Elohim.'" (Vayiqra 23:42-43)

By day Yehovah went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people. (Shemot 13:21-22)

In all the travels of the sons of Yisrael, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out-- until the day it lifted. So the cloud of Yehovah was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Yisrael during all their travels. (Shemot 40:36-38)

Take up your stake and follow me Greek stauros, stake, pole “cross”

Chag HaSukkot lasts for seven days. But an additional day following the feast is another set- apart day. This last day is an tr<c,ä[] (pronounced atzeret), which is usually translated as assembly. But this word comes from the root word rc[; which means to restrain, to detain, to retain. While this day does include an assembly for the purpose of miqra (proclamation), the word atzeret is referring to the need to be detained for yet one more day of worshipping Elohim. It is like a bookend, marking the end of the festival season.

What Do We Bring to the Feast?

So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the pilgrim feast of Yehovah for seven days… (Leviticus 23:39)

Three times a year all your men must appear before Yehovah your Elohim at the place he will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Tabernacles. No man should appear before Yehovah empty-handed: Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way Yehovah your Elohim has blessed you.(Deut 16:16-17)

Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year. Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of Yehovah your Elohim at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere Yehovah your Elohim always. Deut 14:22-23

But if that place is too distant and you have been blessed by Yehovah your Elohim and cannot carry your tithe (because the place where Yehovah will choose to put his Name is so far away), then exchange your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place Yehovah your Elohim will choose. (Deut 14:24-25)

Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of Yehovah your Elohim and rejoice. And do not neglect the Lewites living in your towns, for they have no allotment or inheritance of their own. (Deut 14:26-27)

What Is the Atmosphere For This Feast?

We are to Rejoice at this Feast “The Time of our Rejoicing” Hebrew xm;f', (samach)

Celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your threshing floor and your winepress. Be joyful at your Feast-- you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Lewites, the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns. For seven days celebrate the Feast to Yehovah your Elohim at the place Yehovah will choose. For Yehovah your Elohim will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete. (Deut 16:13-15)

17 You must not eat in your own towns the tithe of your grain and new wine and oil, or the firstborn of your herds and flocks, or whatever you have vowed to give, or your freewill offerings or special gifts. 18 Instead, you are to eat them in the presence of Yehovah your Elohim at the place Yehovah your Elohim will choose-- you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levites from your towns-- and you are to rejoice before Yehovah your Elohim in everything you put your hand to. (Deuteronomy 12)

A Look into Our Future: Isaiah See, the Name of Yehovah comes from afar, with burning anger and dense clouds of smoke; his lips are full of wrath, and his tongue is a consuming fire. 28 His breath is like a rushing torrent, rising up to the neck. He shakes the nations in the sieve of destruction; he places in the jaws of the peoples a bit that leads them astray. 29 And you will sing as on the night you celebrate a holy festival; your hearts will rejoice as when people go up with flutes to the mountain of Yehovah, to the Rock of Yisrael.

What are the Four Items Mentioned?

So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the pilgrim feast of Yehovah for seven days; the first day is a day of rest, and the eighth day also is a day of rest. On the first day you are to take choice fruit from the trees, and palm fronds, leafy branches and poplars, and rejoice before Yehovah your Elohim for seven days. (Vayiqra [Leviticus] 23:39-43)

The instruction is to take choice fruit from the trees, and palm fronds, leafy branches and poplars, and rejoice before Yehovah your Elohim for seven days. Literally, the Hebrew of this verse reads, "take fruit of ornamented (plump, swollen) trees, palms of palm trees, and branches of leafy trees, and poplars of the wadi, and rejoice before Yehovah....“ (Lev 23:39)

The Rabbis call the four items named above "the four species." The choice fruit from the trees they interpret to be etrog (citron, similar to a lemon). The palm fronds they identify as lulav. The leafy branches they represent by the chadasim (myrtle). And the poplars of the wadi they represent by the aravot (willows). These four species are collectively represented by the Etrog and the Lulav (see picture).

The Celebration After Returning from Exile On the second day of the month, the heads of all the families, along with the priests and the Levites, gathered around Ezra the scribe to give attention to the words of the Law. They found written in the Law, which Yehovah had commanded through Mosheh, that the sons of Yisrael were to live in booths during the feast of the seventh month and that they should proclaim this word and spread it throughout their towns and in Yerushalayim:

The Celebration After Returning from Exile "Go out into the hill country and bring back branches from olive and wild olive trees, and from myrtles, palms and shade trees, to make booths"- - as it is written. So the people went out and brought back branches and built themselves booths on their own roofs, in their courtyards, in the courts of the house of Elohim and in the square by the Water Gate and the one by the Gate of Ephraim.

The Celebration After Returning from Exile The whole company that had returned from exile built booths and lived in them. From the days of Yehoshua son of Nun until that day, the sons of Yisrael had not celebrated it like this. And their joy was very great. Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of Elohim. They celebrated the feast for seven days, and on the eighth day, in accordance with the regulation, there was an assembly. (Nehemiah 8:13-18)

Has There Been a “Fulfillment” of Sukkot?

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. (Yochanan 1:14, NIV) The phrase, "made his dwelling" is actually a translation of the Greek word, skay-no-o, which means "to tabernacle." Skay-no-o translates into Greek the Hebrew word, sukkah, which means "tabernacle," or "temporary shelter." Young's Literal Translation accurately renders this verse: And the Word became flesh, and did tabernacle among us.

Luke 2:1-7 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register. So Yoseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Yehudah, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.

He went there to register with Miryam, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Luke 2:8-14 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of Yehovah appeared to them, and the glory of Yehovah shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Messiah the Master. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising Elohim and saying, "Glory to Elohim in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which Yehovah has told us about." So they hurried off and found Miryam and Yoseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.

The word manger is the Greek word phatnay. It is the same word translated as "stall“ or “stable” in Luke 13:15, where Yeshua answered the Pharisees, "You hypocrites! Doesn't each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall (Gr. fa,tnh ) and lead it out to give it water?" It is obvious that both of these passages are referring to the shelter where animals are kept.

The Hebrew term for stall or stable is succah. Genesis 33:17 Ya'akov, however, went to Sukkoth, where he built a place for himself and made shelters (Hebrew, sukkot, which is the plural of sukkah) for his livestock. That is why the place is called Sukkoth. The baby was laying in a sukkah! Why?

What Does the Feast of Sukkot Foreshadow About Our Future?

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Yerushalayim, coming down out of heaven from Elohim, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of Elohim is with men, and he will live with them. (Rev 21:1-5)

They will be his people, and Elohim himself will be with them and be their Elohim. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.“ (Rev 21:1-5)

The Greek word employed here (in Rev 21) which is translated dwelling is skhnw,sei, pronounced skay-no-sai. This word is defined by Thayer as "to fix one's tabernacle, have one's tabernacle, abide (or live) in a tabernacle (or tent), tabernacle." And yes, this Greek word corresponds to the Hebrew word sukkah. Literally, it reads, "the tabernacle of Elohim is with men."

When are the New Heavens and the New Earth? 1. First, the New Yerushalayim is compared to a "bride beautifully dressed for her husband." But we also know that the marriage supper of the Lamb occurs at the beginning of the Messianic Age about the time of the coming of Messiah to the Mount of Olives.

2. Second, the "dwelling of Elohim" is with men and "he will live with them" when the Messiah sits on the throne of David in Yerushalayim to reign over the whole earth. This, again, takes place at the beginning of the Messianic Age, when Messiah touches down on earth.

3. Third, this time of the new heaven and new earth is the time for the "old order of things (to) pass away."

Repent, then, and turn to Elohim, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from Yehovah, and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you-- even Yeshua. He must remain in heaven until the time comes for Elohim to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. (Acts 3:19-21)

The day of Yehovah will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of Elohim and speed its coming. (2 Kepha 3:10-13)

That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. (2 Kepha 3:10-13)

Feast of Tabernacles is a remembering of Yehovah dwelling among men. Feast of Tabernacles Forshadowed and was fulfilled by “The Word becoming flesh and tabernacling among us.” Feast of Tabernacles pictures the future Messianic Age when our Elohim will live among us.