Hello John and Doves,
Well, we are approaching the last of the Seven High Holy Days for this year - the Feast of Tabernacles/Sukkot/Feast of Booths. It is one of the harvest feasts, marking the end of all the harvests.
In Leviticus 23:33-42, The Lord tells Moses about this "Appointed Festival" - 'On the fifteenth day of the seventh month the Lord's Festival of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days....on the eighth day hold a sacred assembly and present a food offering to the Lord. It is the closing special assembly; do no regular work.....So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the Lord for seven days; the first day is a day sabbath rest, and the eighth day also is a day of sabbath rest. On the first day you are to take branches from luxuriant trees - from palms, willows and other leafy trees-and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days....This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come...Live in temporary shelters for seven days..."
The Jews make for themselves temporary housing in 'tabernacles' or 'booths' made of branches...and live there for seven days.
This Festival comes at the end of harvests in Israel.
Reminds me of Micah 7:1-4 - Micah went out into the vineyard to gather the grapes but the vineyard has been gleaned and 'the godly man has vanished from the land; there is no one upright among the people...The day God visits you has come, the day your watchmen sound the alarm. Now is the time of your confusion."
Sounds like the Rapture has happened, the day the watchmen were watching for...and now those left are confused by what has happened. They are left with evil all around and nowhere to turn for help. Nowhere, but to the Lord.
Maybe the comment Micah makes about the grapes having been harvested is a clue to when this event happens. The grape harvest ends in the time of Feast of Tabernacles.
The Feast of Tabernacles was very important in Jesus' ministry -
When Jesus went out to 'the holy mountain' with Peter, James and John, He was 'transfigured' before them - his clothes became radiant and shone...then Elijah and Moses appeared and talked with Jesus, and while they were talking a cloud came over them. Peter asked if he could make 'tents'/booths for the three - this is what would have been done on the Feast of Tabernacles, so maybe this occurred during this time period.
Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:1-4 talks about our 'tabernacle/earthly tent/human body/temporary earthly residence (per Strong's) and in verse 4 he writes: "For while we are in this tabernacle, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life."
Strong's Lexicon: tent, tabernacle, figurative of the human body; a hut or temporary resident, i.e. the human body.
And in I Corinthians 15:51-53 Paul tells us of a mystery - how we will not all die, but we will all be changed.....the trumpet sounds, the dead are raised, and we are changed. "For this perishable body must put on the the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality."
Will the Feast of Tabernacles be the time period when our temporary human body or tabernacle, be replaced with an imperishable immortal body?
The seventh day of Feast of Tabernacles is "Hoshana Rabbah" - it is the last day of the divine judgment where the fate of the new year is determined. "It is customary to remain awake on the night proceeding Hoshanah Rabbah and study Torah." There is also a Water Drawing Celebration during this Feast. https://www.chabad.org/calendar/view/day.asp?tdate=10/20/2019
Sunday, October 20, 2019 / Tishrei 21, 5780 - Jewish Calendar - Hebrew Calendar
Jesus made His messianic claim when He showed up at the temple during the middle of the Feast of Tabernacles. This story is presented in John 7:14. Then on the last day of this feast (this is believed to actually be the eighth day - refereed to as the Last Great Day - the day following the seven days of Feast of Tabernacles) Jesus talks about anyone thirsting and He will give him living water.
The Feast of Tabernacles last seven days from the 15th day of the 7th month through the 21st day. So the eighth day or the Last Great Day is on the 22nd day of the 7th month. This day is "Shemini Atzeret" ('the closing festival') This day concludes the Fall High Holy Days - concluding the process that began on Feast of Trumpets. The Tanakh has two references to this day: the dedication of the First Temple by Solomon and the return of the Jews from Babylonian captivity. There are no specific rituals associated with this day (other than to do no work)...yet the Lord specifically designates this day as 'special' in Leviticus. Will it have a future prophetic fulfillment?
There are some who believe that the Rapture could happen during this 'appointed time' of seven days or on the Last Great Day.
Since Shemini Atzeret is a 'sacred assembly' the trumpet would be blown on this day also. So, for the fall feasts, then this would be that last trumpet, on 'the last day'. Jesus refers to 'the last day' when he talks about "everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up on the last day." John 6:40 Strong's has 'Atzeret' as coming from Atsar - 'to restrain'. Paul writes about something/someone that restrains and is taken out of the way. 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7
It is on the Feast of Tabernacles that "Then all the survivors from the nations that came against Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of Hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles." Zechariah 14:16
It is very much apparent that this 'appointed time' was very important to Jesus' ministry and to the prophetic timeline of G-d.
The full moon of October is on October 13/14.. Chabad.org has the eve of Sukkot on October 13....with Sukkot ending on October 20 sunset. Shemini Atzeret begins on the eve of October 20 and ends sunset October 21.
Maranatha!
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
Chance