Sukkot-Sukkah-Tabernacles?

 

Sukkot - the Celebration of Tabernacles

In addition to the sukkah, the most prominent symbol of Sukkot is the Arba'at Ha-minim (אַרְבַּעַת הַמִּינִים) - "the Four Species," or the four kinds of organic products mentioned in the Torah regarding the festival of Sukkot: "On the first day you shall take the product of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days" (Lev. 23:40). Since these four items pertain to produce from the land of Israel, you will need to purchase them through a Judaica reseller to have authentic "species" from the promised land. 

On the afternoon before Sukkot begins, it is customary to "assemble" the four species into a "bouquet" while standing inside your sukkah. Collectively the four items are sometimes called the "lulav," since the palm branch occupies the central position in the grouping of the four elements:


The Four Species:
 

1. Etrog (אֶתְרוֹג), a lemon-like citrus fruit (citron) referred to as pri etz hadar ["the product of goodly trees"] that is minimally the size of a hen's egg. An etrog with an intact pitam (stem) is considered especially valuable. 
   
   
   The etrog is said to symbolize the heart. The sages say the word "etrog" is an acronym for "faith (אֱמוּנָה), repentance (תְּשׁוּבָה), healing (רְפֻאָה), and redemption (גְּאֻלָּה)."  Also, the initials of the words "Let not the foot of pride overtake me" (Psalm 36:12) - אַל־תְּבוֹאֵנִי רֶגֶל גַּאֲוָה - spell the word "etrog," suggesting that the fruit of the humble heart is most beautiful in the eyes of heaven...
   
   Note: Some people keep their etrog long after Sukkot to make a sugared fruit soup from it that is eaten on the holiday of Tu B'shevat.
    
   
2. Lulav (לוּלָב), a ripe (i.e., green) date palm frond ["branches of palm trees"]. The lulav must be sturdy and straight, with whole leaves that lay closely together and are not broken at the top. Be careful when you wave your lulav, since the leaves can become frayed, bent, or even broken if you hit something!
   
   
   If the etrog represents the heart, the lulav is said to represent the spine or backbone of a person. Notice that the word lulav (לוּלָב) can be broken down as לוֹ ("to him") and לֵב ("heart"). A person who loves the LORD bekhol levavkha, with all his heart, will be given "spiritual backbone," real conviction and strength.
   
   Note: The term "lulav" also refers to the combination of all three types of branches that are bound together for ceremonial waving (see below).
    
   
3. Hadas (הֲדַס) three myrtle branches ["boughs of leafy trees"]. The leaves of the hadas grow in tiers of three leaves each. You will need three hadasim to create the lulav bundle.
   
   
   The leaves of a myrtle branch resemble the shape of eyes, and therefore the sages associate them with seeing and vision.
    
   
4. Aravah (עֲרָבָה), the leafy branch of a willow tree ["willows of the brook"]. The branches grow long and are lined with long, narrow leaves. Two aravot are needed for the lulav bundle. Aravot need lots of water or they dry out. Often they are wrapped in a moist towel during Sukkot.
   
   
   The leaves of the willow are used based on the Scripture: "Extol Him who rides on the clouds [i.e., aravot: עֲרָבוֹת], the LORD is His name" (Psalm 68:4).
   
   Note: Aravot are also used for a separate ceremony on Hoshanah Rabba (the last day of Sukkot) when the branches are beaten against the ground until many of the leaves fall out. This ceremony, called the "beating of the willows," is intended to symbolize ultimate victory over our enemies.
    

The Sefer Ha-Chinuch states: "Etrog refers to the heart, the place of understanding and wisdom; lulav refers to the backbone, uprightness; myrtle corresponds to the eyes,enlightenment; and willow represents the lips, the service of the lips (prayer)." These four items are held together in a fragrant bouquet that is waved during a ceremony called na'anuim (נענועים) for each day of Sukkot. The usual practice is to recite the blessing (al netilat lulav) and then wave the lulav three times in six directions: forward, to the right, to the back, to the left, up, and down (to proclaim God's omnipresence). Since the four items are said to represent the tetragrammaton (יהוה), they are held together while waving.

You can purchase Israeli arba minim(אַרְבַּע מִינִים) at most good Judaica stores. Usually, each of the four items is packaged separately. The following photo series shows you how we assembled ours for this Sukkot (from left to right):

 

First you take the bundle holder and insert the palm branch (lulav) into the center (tighten using the bundle bands as needed).  Take the two willow branches (aravot) and insert them into the left chamber, and the three myrtle branches (hadasim) and insert them into the right chamber. Finally, you take the "fruit of the goodly tree" (i.e., etrog) and get ready to recite the blessing...

The Lord’s appointed times, or mo’adim(מועדים)[i], are unique commemorative gatherings that He commanded the children of Israel to observe shortly after their exodus from Egypt. All the feasts of the Lord are concisely given in Leviticus 23. Let us briefly review some of their key elements as outlined in this chapter:

1. They are holy convocations, which means they are sacred and are to be observed in community.
2. They are Sabbath-rest days, in which customary work is forbidden.
3. With the exception of Shabbat, a burnt offering or sacrifice is required for each appointed time.
4. They belong to the Lord; they are His and they reveal Him to be holy, precise, and perfectly complete.
5. They are permanent statutes.
6. They are prophetic as they foretell of Messiah and His coming kingdom.

As the last article in our series on the prophetic nature of the Lord’s appointed times, it is fitting to focus on the final fulfillment of these feasts, which culminates in Sukkot (pronounced soo-coat), the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths. The Lord commands Moses to instruct the children of Israel to observe Sukkot in Leviticus 23:34-36[ii]:

            ³⁴Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles (חג הסוכות) for seven days to the Lord.³⁵On the first day there shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it. ³⁶For seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation, and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. It is a sacred assembly, and you shall do no customary work on it.

There are a few additional, unique characteristics of Sukkot, which the Lord clearly dictates to Moses in verses 39-43. These are key to understanding the prophetic nature of the feast:

• Harvest – the Lord commands the children of Israel to reap the harvest by gathering fruit, palm tree branches, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; Yeshua spoke of the harvest of souls ready for reaping in John 4:34-38. Harvest is a key element of Sukkot, which foreshadows the final harvest of souls before Yeshua returns to establish His kingdom. 
• Booths – the Lord instructs them to construct temporary shelters (sukkot/סוכות) from that which they have gathered and dwell in them for seven days, as a reminder that they dwelled in booths when He delivered them from Egypt; Yeshua gave us the Holy Spirit to dwell with us in His physical absence until His return (John 16), and He promised that He would be with us until the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). The temporary dwelling of booths is not only a reminder that this earth is our temporary home, but also that we await the day when our Messiah will return to physically dwell with us as our King.
• 8^th Day – this is the onlyappointed time that includes an eighth day Sabbath-rest, which we call Shminei Atzeret (literally, the eighth day of the assembly). This is very important, as the number 8 represents a new beginning, restoration, redemption, and kingdom.[iii] The 8^th day of Sukkot foretells of the kingdom that Messiah Yeshua will establish during His millennial reign before the Ancient of Days appears to reign with Messiah eternally from the New Jerusalem. (Revelation 21; Daniel 7:13-14)
• Rejoicing – the Lord commands the children of Israel to rejoice before Him for seven days. This is very significant in that it not only reminds us that the Lord is our provider, but also that we can joyfully expect full restoration of all that was lost in the Garden of Eden, namely our uninterrupted fellowship with the Almighty God!

It is no coincidence that Sukkot is the final feast of the Lord; it is the climax in God’s redemptive story of mankind! Sukkot foreshadows Messiah’s return to reign for 1,000 years, and to dwell among us once the final harvest of souls has been completed, and the wrath of God has been poured out to cleanse the world of all evil.

The prophets Zechariah and Yochanan (John) both received prophecies concerning this feast as it pertains to Messiah’s millennial reign. Zechariah received a clear-cut vision of the end-times celebration of Sukkot, while Yochanan received a more indirect vision of the feast in the book of Revelation.

In Zechariah 14, we get a very grim picture of the destruction that is coming on Jerusalem, i.e., the day of the Lord. However, we also see that the Lord Himself will come to “fight against those nations” that came up against Jerusalem (14:3). This is the return of Messiah Yeshua as Israel’s warrior! The rest of the chapter, up until verse 16, speaks of the great judgment coming upon the nations, which I understand to be the great tribulation followed by the outpouring of God’s wrath, but also of the great redemption that Messiah is bringing with Him once that is accomplished.

In verse 16, we see that after the earth has been cleansed and purified, those that are left of the nations will actually come up to Jerusalem “year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.” (Zechariah 14:16b) This is a clear fulfillment of Sukkot! It is interesting to note that this is now mandated for the nations and not just Israel. It is yet another reminder that although salvation comes from the Jews, it is for the nations as well. (John 4:22; Romans 1:16)

The vision that Yochanan received pertaining to Sukkot is most clearly connected to Messiah’s thousand-year reign in Revelation 20, and then the ensuing New Jerusalem from which the Lamb (Messiah Yeshua) and the Almighty reign in chapters 21 and 22. Although the Feast of Tabernacles is not written by name, his entire vision of Messiah returning to fight on behalf of Israel, and then reign as King parallels Zechariah’s vision.

In essence, the literal fulfillment of Sukkot acknowledges our deepest longing to restore God’s presence with us in a physical way, much like it was in the Garden of Eden. When the Ancient of Days and Messiah Yeshua will tabernacle, or dwell, with us once again, it will be in a purified state, where we can eternally rejoice and worship our King.

            ³And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of Elohim is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. Elohim Himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴And He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. Revelation 21:3-4

Indeed, great trials and tribulation will come upon our world before the full restoration of His kingdom can come, but we can hold out hope in Him, persevere to the end, and keep our eyes looking to eternity, our ultimate reward!