What is Sukkot (Tabernacles, Booths)?

The festival of Tabernacles (aka Booths) is one of three pilgrimage celebrations Heaven instructed Israel in the Torah to celebrate annually. Some of the hallmarks of the seven-day festival are building temporary shelters, decorating them with foliage from the fall harvest season in Israel and a daily water-pouring ceremony.

Rather being a memorial with a single theme, Sukkot like the others of God’s appointments is like a layer cake. Each annual “serving” has multiple levels of significance that build upon each other, rather than replacing the ones that came before.

These slices of Sukkot point to the ultimate goal of Heaven to once again dwell directly with mankind, something foretold via the Tabernacle/Temple, lived out through Yeshua haMashiakh (Jesus the Christ) and promised for the Day of the LORD¹Otherwise known as the “end times,” “latter days” and the second coming of Messiah.

Readings

• Leviticus 22:26–23:44
• 1Kings 8:2–21
• Zechariah 14
• Luke 2:1–20
• John 7:1–8:11

Original meaning

Because Israel lived in tents during the journey from Egypt to the Land, for seven days starting the 15th day of Israel’s seventh month (Tishrei, occuring in September–October) the people would live in temporary dwellings made with several types of foliage (Lev. 23:34–43; Dt. 16:13–15; Neh. 8:14–17).

During Sukkot, shabbaton (rest days — no work) were to be observed with convocations on the first day and the eight day (Shmeni Atseret, Lev. 23:39), which technically is after the seven days Sukkot.

Pesakh (Passover), Shavuot (Pentecost) and Sukkot were the three times a year the men of Israel were to go up to the place God designated for His name to dwell (Ex. 23:14–17; 34:22–23; Dt. 16:16). None were to appear before the LORD “empty-handed,” i.e. without a gift for God. God would protect the pilgrims’ land while they were gone (Ex. 34:24).

What does Sukkot mean?

Booths or tabernacles in Lev. 23:34 and Deut. 16:13 is translated from סֻּכּ֛וֹת Sukkot. It’s the plural of סֻכָּה sukkah (Strong’s lexicon No. H5521), which means temporary abode.²R. D. Patterson, “ס,” Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, 2:624.

The Septuagint translates this name for the festival as σκηνοπηγία skēnopēgiā (G4634, tent-pitching), from σκηνή skēnē (G4633, tent) and πήγνυμι pēgnumi (G4078, to set up a tent, pitch).

‘The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us’

Apostle Yokhanan (John) connected Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus the Christ) not only with Pesakh and Yom haKippurim (Jn. 1:29), but also with Sukkot (Jn. 1:14). Dwelt in verse 14 is translated from σκηνόω skenoo (G4637), which is derived from σκηνή skene (G4633) a base word meaning a tent.

The glory of God’s presence was contained, hidden in the Sukkah of God to protect Israel from death (Ex. 33:20; Isa. 6:5; 1Tim. 6:16). Yeshua contained the glory of God’s Presence in Himself (Heb. 1:3), revealing enough of the Presence to heal and inspire but not enough to kill.

Yeshua pulled back more of that protective “covering” at the “transfiguration” (Mt. 17:4; Mk. 9:5; Lk. 9:33).

Tradition holds that one should invite visitors into one’s sukkah during Sukkot, and especially welcome the memory of the patriarchs and prophets.

There was expectation of the Moshe-like Prophet (Deut. 18:15) and return of Eliyahu (Elijah; Mal. 4:5–6). One of the lessons of the “vision” on the mountain was that Yeshua was the ultimate of the messages of the two witnesses of Moshe (trust and cleave to God) and Eliyahu (return to God).

Layers of meaning in Sukkot

The Flood

There are several historical conjunctions during the period from the 15th to the 21st day of the seventh month.

Noach’s ark came to rest in the Ararat mountains on the 17th day of the seventh month (Gen. 8:4).

Lesson: God’s Ark of salvation finds a home after the first big judgment, the Flood.

Harvest

Sukkot is a celebration following the fall harvest (Lev. 23:39). Another name for it is the “Feast of the Ingathering at the end of the year” (Ex. 23:16) or “at the turn of the year” (Ex. 34:22).

• end = יָצָא yatza’ (H3318), to go out
• turn = תְּקוּפָה tequfah (H8622), turn, circuit

Key crops harvested by this time are wheat and grapes (Dt. 16:13).

Lesson: God provided the crops of the year and will provide rains for those of the next year.

A common assertion among theologians is that because Sukkot is tied to the harvest, the celebration is irrelevant outside of the Land. But we learn from Scripture that there is more to this annual memorial than crop harvests in Israel.

Species of plants in the sukkah = people of God

The species of plants called for in the sukkah (Lev. 23:40; Neh. 8:15) can be seen as symbols of groups of people.³Daniel Agee. “Symbols of Sukkot: Four species of Trees.” Hallel Fellowship. Recorded during day three (Sept. 24) of Sukkot 2013 in Occidental, Calif.

• Palm symbolizes the Torah. Righteous people bend under adversity, like a palm in a gale, but don’t break.
• Willow symbolizes the heart, like David’s in Psalms.
• Myrtle is associated with Esther’s fasting and prayer. Her Hebrew name, הֲדַסָּה Hadassah (H1919), means myrtle.
• Fruit trees (traditionally, lemon-like citrus called etrog in Hebrew; (b. Sukkah 31a) symbolize the 12 apostles and the “fruits of the Spirit.”
• Olive represents the light of God, His eyes, the prophets of God. Later in Israel’s history, olive branches became part of the Sukkot decorations (Neh. 8:15).

While there was the Torah instruction for decorating the sukkah with these plants, a tradition developed the plants would also be fashioned into a hand-held way to vigorously rejoice before the LORD. The palm, myrtle and willow were gathered into a lulav bundle held in the right hand, and the etrog would be held in the left hand.

Various traditions exist for the way the lulav and etrog are shaken and in which directions and order, but the idea is to recite a passage from the Psalms toward the four compass directions to “welcome” the nations to come back to God.

Lesson: Before the Day of the LORD, there will be a great gathering in of peoples. All the components of Ezekiel’s temple (Ezekiel 40–48) (and the Temple in Revelation) are spiritual representations of different types of people who make up God’s temple.

‘God with us’: Dedication and restoration of the Temple

Solomon dedicates Israel’s first temple in the seventh month (1Kings 8:2; 2Chron. 5:3). He prays for it to be a house of prayer for all nations. Solomon prays for it to be a place of reconciliation after Israel strays. He celebrates “the Khag” for 14 days — seven days plus seven days (1Kings 8:65).

Did Solomon’s gifts and prayer precede Sukkot? How could that be, because that would have put feasting on the fast of Yom haKippurim, five days before Sukkot?

God tells Solomon at their second meeting that He heard his prayer and would make the building holy by putting His name, eyes and heart perpetually (1Kings 9:3).

After the exiles to Babylon return, the rebuilt (second) Temple is dedicated on Sukkot (Ezra 3:3–4; Neh. 8:14–18).

Lesson: The house of God is established in the midst of the congregation of Israel. The LORD desires to dwell in the midst of His people (Ex. 25:8; 29:45–46; Lev. 26:11; 1Kings 6:13; Ezek. 43:7, 9; Rev. 21:3).

Gedaliah rebellion

In the seventh month, Ishmael ben-Netaniah sparked a rebellion against Gedaliah, a governor Nebuchadnezzar appointed over Israel after the Babylonian exile of Yehudah⁴Hebrew: Judah. In this case it refers to the southern kingdom of Judah.. Gedaliah was killed, and the rebels fled to Egypt out of fear of the Babylonians. (2Kings 25:25–26)

Like those of Israel who tried to enter the land after trusting the 10 spies rather than God’s promises, these rebels didn’t want to hear the word of God through Yemeriyahu⁵Hebrew: Jeremiah that Yehudah would be in captivity for 70 years.

Lesson: Trying to claim God’s promises in rebellion against God’s punishment for disloyalty ultimately will fail.

Hezekiah’s revival

King Hezekiah called for a heaping of tithes into the temple before Sennacharib invades. Collection of tithes from the people start in the third month (Shavu’ot) and continue until the seventh month (Yom Teruah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot). There was plenty left over. (2Chron. 31:2–10)

This was similar to what preceded the construction of the sanctuary (Ex. 36:3).

It’s a departure from the situation decried in Malachi, in which priests were not bringing in all the tithes to the storehouses (Mal. 3:7–12).

Sukkot parallels Passover

Sukkot and Pesakh/Matzot (Unleavened Bread) start on the full moons, on the 15th day of the first and seventh months, respectively, and both last for seven days, symbolizing completion. They are two sides of the same picture.

“For Christians, the feasts of Passover and Tabernacles go beyond their historical origins, pointing to a greater Christological and eschatological fulfillment. They commemorate not only the beginning and end of the historical journey of the Israelites from Egypt to Canaan, but also the inauguration and consummation of our spiritual journey from Calvary to the world to come. Passover commemorates our liberation from the bondage of sin through the sacrifice of Christ, our Paschal Lamb (1Cor 5:7); Tabernacles celebrates the completion of our earthly pilgrimage into the Promised Land (Rev 21:1-4).”

Samuele Bacchiocchi. “The Feast of Tabernacles in the Old Testament.” God’s Festivals in Scripture and History, Vol. 2, The Fall Feasts. Biblical Perspectives, Berrien Springs, Mich.: 2001, p. 217.

One thousand years after or into the Day of the LORD, God will move the New Yerushalayim to the site of the current Yerushalayim.

Water-drawing ceremony and Messiah the ‘living water’

Though not mentioned in the Torah, a tradition developed of adapting the morning Temple libation offering (wine) with water during the days of Sukkot to pour on the altar.⁶Judah David Einstein, “Feast of water-drawing,” JewishEncyclopedia.com, accessed Oct. 7, 2022.

This ceremony, which came to be called שמחת בית השואבה Simchat Beit Hashoevah (“Rejoicing of the Water-Drawing House”), was associated with “you shall draw water joyfully from the wells of the salvation [ha-yeshua]” (Isa. 12:3; b. Sukkah 48b) and with rain that the world needs on the Day of the LORD (Zech. 14:16–17; b. Taanit 2b).⁷Ibid.

Though this ceremony doesn’t appear in Torah instructions, it became a key teaching tool for the Messiah. We see that Yeshua on the “greatest day of the feast” (הוֹשַׁעְנָא רַבָּא Hoshana Rabbah, “great supplication,” seventh day of Sukkot) stood up in the temple and cried out that the Messiah could truly satisfy the spiritually thirsty (John 7:37–39). This parallels what Yeshua told the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:13–15).

Studies on Sukkot

The sukkah experience: How humility builds community, interdependence and spiritual growth

Daniel October 17, 2024

Why did Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) initially say He would not go to Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles, as recorded in John 7, but then showed up later incognito? This study suggests the answer seems to be in the key element of the celebration itself, living in a temporary dwelling for a week. Sukkot calls us to humble ourselves, remembering our dependence on God. By dwelling in fragile shelters, we recall Israel’s wilderness wanderings — a time of stripping away self-reliance to learn trust in the divine Provider. This annual celebration challenges us to let go of earthly securities,…

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Sukkot: A reminder of Heaven’s extreme makeover of our lives

Jeff September 29, 2023

In the First Commandment, God says, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Ex. 20:2). As ancient Israel fled from Egypt and travelled to the Promised Land, they lived in booths, or סֻכֹּת sukkot in Hebrew. They weren’t supposed to live in these temporary shelters for 40 years in the wilderness. It was only because of their disobedience that they had to live that way for so long. This study explores a key lesson of Sukkot (Festival of Tabernacles): We should be orienting ourselves towards…

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Don’t let your joy in the spiritual world blind you to the harsh reality of this world

Jeff October 10, 2022

The repetitive cycles of our lives feel pointless. God created the world cyclical, but He did not create cycles of suffering and sin. These cycles seem pointless, but what God has created is never pointless. From the Bible book of Ecclesiastes and related passages, we learn that our current world is abnormal. This is not the way God created it. It’s only our “normalcy bias” that leads us to assume that these cycles of history, of life and death are normal. Death is an aberration in time, but we have become accustomed to it because we live with it.

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