Sukkot (fwd)

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Date:         Fri, 13 Oct 1995 13:08:10 EDT
From: Lon Mendelsohn <LDMCC@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject:      Sukkot

This past week has been the festival of Sukkot, the Feast of
Tabernacles, which commemorates the forty years that the children
of Israel spent dwelling in tabernacles (or booths) during their
wandering following the exodus from Egypt.  Sukkot, together with
Pesach (Passover) and Shavuot (Pentecost) is one of the three
pilgrim feasts, on which all Jewish men were required to come
before the LORD in His Temple.  The observance of the feast is
described in Lev. 23:33ff and Deut.16:13ff.  The rabbis have taught
that this feast also commemorates God's protection and provision
for His people during this time, and it is also a harvest festival.
Observant Jews build a sukkah and, if possible, live in it for the
eight days of the feast.  At the very least, Jews are expected to
eat their meals in the sukkah.  The sukkah has three walls and a
roof made of plant materials.  The roof must be sparse enough  to
offer no protection from the rain.  As a harvest festival, it also
symbolizes how God gathers His harvest into His all-embracing
sukkah.  It is a very joyful feast, being the only feast described
in the Jewish liturgy as "the season of our rejoicing," and it is
the only feast on the Law commands that "you shall rejoice in your
feast" (Deut. 16:14).  In the days of the Temple, it was customary
to light torches in the Temple to commemorate God's appearance to
the children of Israel as a pillar of fire.  Also, it was customary
on the last day of the feast to pour out water and sing the verse
>from Isaiah 12:3: "With joy you will draw water from the wells of
salvation."

As a Messianic feast, it has a variety of meanings.  As with the
rabbinical interpretation, Sukkot reminds us of our utter
dependance on God's provision.  It is a feast on which we remember
that Jesus is our "well of salvation" who gives the living water to
all who will believe in Him (John 7:2,37ff), and that He is the
true light of the world.  And finally, as with Rosh haShanah, the
feast has special eschatological significance, reminding us of that
great day of harvest, when God will gather in His children from all
the earth to sit at the table of the greatest Feast, the Marriage
Supper of the Lamb.

One additional comment on the eschatological significance of
Sukkot:  One of the meanings of the feast is the idea that God not
only provides, but that He also dwells with His people.  Thus, a
very important aspect of the fulfilment of Sukkot is God's dwelling
with His redeemed people as spoken of in Rev. 21:3: "Behold, the
dwelling <or sukkah> of God is with men.  He will dwell with them,
and they shall be his people,and God himself will be with them."
This verse speaks of the full restoration of (and goes beyond) the
relationship that God had with Adam and Eve in Eden.  I would even
go so far as to say that one of the major purposes of God in
creating the human race was to have a people among whom He could
dwell for the praise of His glory.  I would say that in the
fulfilment of Sukkot, God will accomplish this purpose.

Shalom,

Lon Mendelsohn

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