RUSSELL SANDERS
9-15-2025
THE FALL FEASTS LESSON 6
THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES – PART 2
SUKKOT

October 7 is the first day of the biblical Feast of Tabernacles. The feast lasts eight days as seen in Leviticus 23:34-36. We see that the feast is for seven days, then on the eighth day is a holy convocation (a sabbath) where all the congregation are gathered for a solemn assembly to make sacrifices unto the LORD. Immediately following, by tradition, (not scripture) is an additional ninth day called Simchat Torah which we will explain later. The Feast of Tabernacles is commanded to be observed in Deuteronomy 16:13, 16.

This feast is known today by the name of Sukkot, which is also called the Feast of Booths, or of Rejoicing. So, why is it called Sukkot today instead of Tabernacles?

While Israel wandered for 40 years in the wilderness as a nomadic nation, they needed places to live that could be quickly assembled and disassembled to move to new locations. This meant creating a type of hut that could be carried piecemeal with them. This hut was called a sukkot (or sukkoth, or succoth). It was more like a booth, hence the alternative name, Feast of Booths.

Nehemiah 8:14-18 also addresses the Feast of Booths that was to be resumed after the Jews returned from Babylonian captivity. It was to be observed throughout the land. The people were instructed to fetch branches of olive trees, pine, myrtle, palms, and any thick trees. From the tree branches they were to make booths and to dwell in them for the duration of the Feast. The booths were in commemoration of their dwelling 40 years in the wilderness in sukkots. It was the LORD’s way of bringing to their remembrance of how He delivered them from Egypt and preserved the nation through the wilderness years.

We should also have remembrance of how God delivered us from our “Egypt,” the bondage to sin, and how He preserves us through our “wilderness of life” on this earth as we await entry to our “promised land.” (heaven).

In this we rejoice.