Dear Doves,
The Feast of Tabernacles is a 7 day celebration in which the Israelites were supposed to dwell in temporary booths or tabernacles in order to memorialize the time that they lived in temporary shelters during their 40 years in the desert with Moses. There is also an 8th day where there is to be a sacred assembly and no work was to be done. See Leviticus 23:36.
When the Israelites entered the land of Canaan after their 40 years of wandering, the first city they were allowed to conquer was Jericho. They did so, however, in the strangest fashion. For 6 days, they marched around the city with the ark of the covenant and 7 priests blowing trumpets in front of it. On the seventh day, they marched around the city 7 times in the same manner. But after the 7th time, the people were commanded to shout while the priests sounded their trumpets. As a result, the walls of the city collapsed and they took the city. "On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in." Joshua 6:4-5. Thus, after living in temporary dwellings for 40 years plus 7 days, the Israelites were finally given a permanent home – the Promised Land. Messianic teacher Zola Levitt believed that this was a foreshadowing of the Rapture. There is definitely a parallel to 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever." There is also an interesting tradition in the observance of Tabernacles which connects it to the Jericho story. The priests would make a daily procession around the temple altar, but on the 7th day they would go around the altar 7 times. (Nowadays, some Jews will circle their synagogue.)
The end times are also compared to the days of Noah. "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come." Matthew 24:37-42. God told Noah that it was going to rain 7 days in advance. He directed Noah and his family to enter the ark – a temporary dwelling – at the outset of this period. "The Lord then said to Noah, ‘Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation .... Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.’" Genesis 7:1-4. Here, we see a pattern of judgment and escape from judgment that occurs after a period of 7 days. Someday, our world will enter into a period of judgment after we are taken in the Rapture. Could a specific period of 7 days precede the Rapture?
In the book of Jonah, the prophet was directed to tell Nineveh that it would be destroyed after a period of 40 days because of its wickedness. Nineveh was part of the Assyrian kingdom – an enemy of Israel. Jonah tried his best to avoid his assignment, but after an interlude with a great fish, he went to Nineveh to preach the warning. He went throughout the city stating, "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned." Jonah 3:4. Much to Jonah’s chagrin, all of the Ninevites immediately repented and were spared from judgment. "When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened." Jonah 3:10. As far as the narrative is concerned, the Ninevites are no longer part of the story, but Jonah stays around and sets up a temporary structure. He wants to see if God is going to judge Nineveh. While Jonah is dwelling in his structure, a vine grows and provides him with shade. Jonah is happy about the vine, until God sends a worm to kill it. God then chastises Jonah for caring more about the vine than for the 120,000 Ninevites. Here, we see that God is willing to save Gentiles from His wrath if they are willing to repent.
Although the Church is comprised of both Jews and Gentiles, it is predominantly Gentile in composition. We are told by Paul that this will continue until a certain number of Gentiles have been saved. "I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved ...." Romans 11:25-26. It should be noted that the book of Jonah is traditionally read during Yom Kippur because its subject matter deals with repentance and forgiveness. Even today, many Jews believe that their personal sins and the sins of Israel are forgiven on the Day of Atonement. Wouldn’t it then make a special impression on a Jewish person if a bunch of Gentiles were rescued (i.e. raptured) from God’s wrath right after Yom Kippur? It would force them to re-examine the standard upon which they base God’s forgiveness. It could be the turning point for them, as a nation, to consider the claims Jesus Christ.
I have no idea if the Rapture will occur on a Feast of Tabernacles – much less this one. But regardless of whether we go up to meet our Lord in a few days, let us remember the most important fulfillment of this holiday. Christ came down and tabernacled among us!
Maranatha.
– Lisa Taylor