1. “Tabernacle” is the Hebrew word for “abide.” It means to settle down and make your dwelling. “Abide in Me” can therefore be also understood as “tabernacle with Me.”
2. The Feast of Tabernacles (or Festival of Booths) was a time to celebrate restored fellowship and intimacy with the Lord. It came after a time of awe and repentance, where the distance between us and the Lord’s holiness would be emphasized. Then, this would be contrasted with the reality of being welcomed into His presence to “tabernacle” with Him. It lasted eight days, bookended by two Sabbaths, the last day being the greatest and most important.
3. The Feast of Tabernacles required that the children of Israel would assemble little “tents” or huts out of branches and bushes, one per family. For eight days the family would eat their meals and potentially even sleep in the huts. This was done in memory of the days when the Lord took them out of Egypt and glorified Himself in their midst as El Shaddai, the All-Sufficient Sustainer and Provider of all their needs. The huts emphasized their dependence on the Lord, and their commitment to place their trust in Him rather than the strength of their houses or fortresses. It is a statement which says, “Lord, You are my House. You are my Rock, my Strength, my Fortress. You provide for all my needs. As long as I tabernacle with You, I will want nothing.”
2. The Feast of Tabernacles (or Festival of Booths) was a time to celebrate restored fellowship and intimacy with the Lord. It came after a time of awe and repentance, where the distance between us and the Lord’s holiness would be emphasized. Then, this would be contrasted with the reality of being welcomed into His presence to “tabernacle” with Him. It lasted eight days, bookended by two Sabbaths, the last day being the greatest and most important.
3. The Feast of Tabernacles required that the children of Israel would assemble little “tents” or huts out of branches and bushes, one per family. For eight days the family would eat their meals and potentially even sleep in the huts. This was done in memory of the days when the Lord took them out of Egypt and glorified Himself in their midst as El Shaddai, the All-Sufficient Sustainer and Provider of all their needs. The huts emphasized their dependence on the Lord, and their commitment to place their trust in Him rather than the strength of their houses or fortresses. It is a statement which says, “Lord, You are my House. You are my Rock, my Strength, my Fortress. You provide for all my needs. As long as I tabernacle with You, I will want nothing.”
I believe that the Feast of Tabernacles is a call for the Bride of Christ to leave her father’s house and come abide with Him. It may look foolish for her to leave a strong fortress to live in a little tent, but in reality, that little tent is going to be the only thing left standing when Christ returns to destroy His enemies. She must come to her Bridegroom now, while she still can, simply because she loves Him and she chooses to believe that He will be her protection against the storms. Leaving everything behind to follow Christ will ALWAYS look like leaving a fortress to live in a hut. It will ALWAYS look like foolishness to the world. “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’” 1 Cor. 1:27-31.
4. Once the children of Israel arrived in the Promised Land, the Lord indicated that the Feast of Tabernacles would also celebrate the harvest. It is celebrated sometime in September or October, so they would be bringing in the harvest at this time. Again, this celebrates El Shaddai as the All-Sufficient Provider. I believe that this also points to the harvest of God’s people. There will be an ultimate harvest at the end, but as with so many Scriptural symbols, there are many, many smaller versions of this which have occurred and will continue to occur. The word used to describe the Feast of Tabernacles is “ingathering,” where the Lord calls His people to Himself to be with Him. Our souls should be harvested in this way every single morning, and every moment of every day. I believe there is a larger “ingathering” of the Bride happening right now. Jesus is calling His Bride to come be with Him, learn His ways and His heart, and be prepared to stand with Him at the last. The ingathering of the Bride must not be ignored.
4. Once the children of Israel arrived in the Promised Land, the Lord indicated that the Feast of Tabernacles would also celebrate the harvest. It is celebrated sometime in September or October, so they would be bringing in the harvest at this time. Again, this celebrates El Shaddai as the All-Sufficient Provider. I believe that this also points to the harvest of God’s people. There will be an ultimate harvest at the end, but as with so many Scriptural symbols, there are many, many smaller versions of this which have occurred and will continue to occur. The word used to describe the Feast of Tabernacles is “ingathering,” where the Lord calls His people to Himself to be with Him. Our souls should be harvested in this way every single morning, and every moment of every day. I believe there is a larger “ingathering” of the Bride happening right now. Jesus is calling His Bride to come be with Him, learn His ways and His heart, and be prepared to stand with Him at the last. The ingathering of the Bride must not be ignored.
“Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, ‘Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put Me to the test and saw My works for forty years. Therefore I was provoked with that generation,
and said,
and said,
“They always go astray in their heart;
they have not known My ways.’
As I swore in my wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest.’”
Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said, ‘Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.’ For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was He provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.” Heb. 3:7-19
5. Ezra and Nehemiah include a glorious account of the Feast of Tabernacles when the children of Israel return from Babylon. This constituted a great ingathering of the Lord’s people after having been separated from Him for so long.
they have not known My ways.’
As I swore in my wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest.’”
Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said, ‘Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.’ For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was He provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.” Heb. 3:7-19
5. Ezra and Nehemiah include a glorious account of the Feast of Tabernacles when the children of Israel return from Babylon. This constituted a great ingathering of the Lord’s people after having been separated from Him for so long.
“And they found it written in the Law that the Lord had commanded by Moses that the people of Israel should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month, and that they should proclaim it and publish it in all their towns and in Jerusalem, “Go out to the hills and bring branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, as it is written.” So the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each on his roof, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at the Water Gate and in the square at the Gate of Ephraim. And all the assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in the booths, for from the days of Jeshua the son of Nun to that day the people of Israel had not done so. And there was very great rejoicing. And day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read from the Book of the Law of God. They kept the feast seven days, and on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly, according to the rule.” (Nehemiah 8:14-18)
Notice the use of myrtle. Myrtle was a symbol of marriage for the Jews. This represents the marriage covenant between Christ and His Bride.
6. Zechariah also references the Feast of Tabernacles. In the last chapter of his prophecy, when the Great Day of the Lord is described in full detail, Zechariah writes,
6. Zechariah also references the Feast of Tabernacles. In the last chapter of his prophecy, when the Great Day of the Lord is described in full detail, Zechariah writes,
“Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, there will be no rain on them. And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain; there shall be the plague with which the Lord afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths.” Zechariah 14:16-19.
The call to Abide with Him, to tabernacle with Him, is extremely serious. Those who obey the call will live with Him. Those who trust in the strength of their own fortresses will perish. The Feast of Tabernacles is the test of all human hearts. “If anyone does not abide in Me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.” John 15:6
7. Jesus Himself will celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, but not until the end, when He is fully joined to His beloved Bride. We read about His interaction with the Jews’ corrupt Feast of Tabernacles in John 7:2-ff. Some important things to notice about John chapter 7:
a. Jesus could not celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles because His time had not yet come. He is talking about waiting for the ultimate Feast of Tabernacles, when all the Bride will be united to Him at the Wedding Feast, as described in Zechariah and at the end of Revelation.
b. The Feast of Tabernacles was supposed to be celebrated with one’s family, and that is why Jesus did not go with His brothers. He will celebrate it one day with His Bride, but it would have been premature and pointless for Him to celebrate it with His biological brothers, who did not even believe in Him.
c. I’ve often wondered if Jesus was being deceptive by going to Judea after telling His brothers that He would not be celebrating the feast. But then I noticed what Jesus actually did at the feast. His actions were shocking and disruptive, even to the point of provoking the chief priests and the Pharisees to send officers to arrest Him. He was not actually celebrating the feast, He was harassing those who were celebrating it! The Jews were not abiding in His Father, they were simply celebrating their own rules. Jesus was preaching judgment against the Jews in the temple during the Feast, and on the last day (the greatest day of the feast) He cries out “Come and Tabernacle with Me!”
"On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” John 7:37-38
The time is now, Church! There is no other El Shaddai, no other strong tower, nowhere else to run and be safe but to Tabernacle with the Lord. Let us leave the semblance of strength in our false constructs and take refuge in His Name alone. He is our Shepherd, He is our Bridegroom, He is our Redeemer. He waits for us outside the camp, in the Tabernacle. “So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through His own blood. Therefore let us go to Him outside the camp and bear the reproach He endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.” Hebrews 13:12-14
7. Jesus Himself will celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, but not until the end, when He is fully joined to His beloved Bride. We read about His interaction with the Jews’ corrupt Feast of Tabernacles in John 7:2-ff. Some important things to notice about John chapter 7:
a. Jesus could not celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles because His time had not yet come. He is talking about waiting for the ultimate Feast of Tabernacles, when all the Bride will be united to Him at the Wedding Feast, as described in Zechariah and at the end of Revelation.
b. The Feast of Tabernacles was supposed to be celebrated with one’s family, and that is why Jesus did not go with His brothers. He will celebrate it one day with His Bride, but it would have been premature and pointless for Him to celebrate it with His biological brothers, who did not even believe in Him.
c. I’ve often wondered if Jesus was being deceptive by going to Judea after telling His brothers that He would not be celebrating the feast. But then I noticed what Jesus actually did at the feast. His actions were shocking and disruptive, even to the point of provoking the chief priests and the Pharisees to send officers to arrest Him. He was not actually celebrating the feast, He was harassing those who were celebrating it! The Jews were not abiding in His Father, they were simply celebrating their own rules. Jesus was preaching judgment against the Jews in the temple during the Feast, and on the last day (the greatest day of the feast) He cries out “Come and Tabernacle with Me!”
"On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” John 7:37-38
The time is now, Church! There is no other El Shaddai, no other strong tower, nowhere else to run and be safe but to Tabernacle with the Lord. Let us leave the semblance of strength in our false constructs and take refuge in His Name alone. He is our Shepherd, He is our Bridegroom, He is our Redeemer. He waits for us outside the camp, in the Tabernacle. “So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through His own blood. Therefore let us go to Him outside the camp and bear the reproach He endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.” Hebrews 13:12-14
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