The Feast of Tabernacles, also called the Feast of Booths or Feast of Ingathering, is a seven day feast with the last day called Hoshanah Rabbah
(the great day of the Feast). Jewish calendars refer to the eighth day as “Shemini Atzeret.” The Hebrew name “sukkot” is the expression for huts, booths, or personal tents. The feast commemorates how our ancestors dwelled in Sukkot upon leaving Egypt while traveling through the wilderness
before living in the promised land. This is also one of the three pilgrimage feasts (along with Passover and Shavuot) that the people were to travel to Jerusalem to celebrate each year. The Feast of Tabernacles is also called the season of joy, and we are commanded to rejoice before the Lord. When the temple was in Jerusalem, the people of Israel would gather all about Jerusalem in their sukkot. At night, great lights wereaffixed in the court of women in the temple and the largest number of sacrifices was offered during the day. On the last day, a water libation ceremony
was observed, using water from the pool of Siloam (“he who is sent”). The priest who was sent for the water was led by a priest with a flute
(called “the pierced one”). Finally, a priest with a pitcher of wine joins with the water pitcher to be simultaneously poured out on the altar. This was the highest altar service, and this was the occasion that Yeshua cried out, “If any one thirsts, let him come drink of Me!” From a prophetic standpoint, Sukkot also speaks of a future exodus from the nations back to the
promised land. The prophet Jeremiah spoke of a time at the end of the ages when there would be a greater exodus and that when we would use the word “exodus,” it would not be referring to Egypt. The meaning of the Feast of Ingathering and its relationship with the future exodus is considered to be the greatest Messianic prophecy. Many Jews reject the Messiahship of Yeshua because this did not happen in His days. But
Messianics know that the fulfillment comes after the exile to the nations, which had not yet happened to the House of Judah in Yeshua’s day.
In truth, it is a prophecy about us and our days. Traditionally, Jews build a sukkah and eat their meals in it for the week. In recent years, many
Messianics travel to campgrounds and set up their travel trailers and tents to observe the feast.