Dear Doves,
Since we’re ending another Jewish
festival cycle, I thought I would mention a few Rapture
patterns and types in the Feast of Tabernacles, the last
in the Levitical feast cycle. Because we are going
to get new bodies at the Rapture/Resurrection, the Feast
of Tabernacles could be significant since tabernacles
also represent mortal or earthly bodies in the
Bible. Wouldn’t it be fitting if our mortal bodies
or tabernacles are transformed into immortal bodies on
the Feast of Booths (i.e. bodies)?
Yea, I think
it meet, as long as I
am in this tabernacle, to
stir you up by putting you in
remembrance; Knowing that shortly I
must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath
shewed me. Moreover I will
endeavour that ye may be
able after my decease to
have these things always in remembrance.”
2 Peter 1:13-15.
“For we
know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were
dissolved, we have a
building of God, an house not made
with hands, eternal in the
heavens.” 2 Corinthians 5:1.
“For we that
are in this tabernacle do
groan, being burdened: not for
that we would be
unclothed, but clothed
upon, that mortality might be swallowed
up of life.” 2 Corinthians 5:4.
There is also another possibility
that Jesus was born on a Feast of Tabernacles,
establishing a birth pattern (i.e. a new body pattern)
for that Feast. According to Leviticus 23:34-44.
Tabernacles is commemorated by dwelling seven days in a
temporary structure or a booth of branches. There
is also an eighth day of assembly traditionally called
Shemini Atzeret.
In connection with the birth of Jesus
in a stable, it should be noted that Jacob made booths
(translated “sukkot”) for his cattle in a location that
was consequently called Succoth – Genesis 33:17: “And
Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and
built him an house, and made booths for
his cattle: therefore the name of the
place is called Succoth.”
Remember that when Jesus was born, He was born in
an animal stall – literally in a tabernacle or a booth
for animals like cattle. And he probably remained
in it with Mary and Joseph until the time of His
circumcision on the eighth day, which would have
fulfilled the 7 day dwelling time required by the
Feast. Amazingly, the infant Jesus may have
literally fulfilled the requirements of the Feast of
Tabernacles or perhaps the Feast itself prophetically
anticipated the circumstances of His birth.
Wouldn’t it be wild if the command to dwell one week in
a tabernacle actually predicted the birth of Christ and
the time that He lived in a stable?
Just remember the many nativity
scenes that populate our lawns at Christmastime.
It could actually be a depiction of the Feast of
Tabernacles – simulations of Jewish families dwelling
outdoors in sukkah.
According to John 1:14: “And the Word was made
flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we
beheld his glory, the
glory as of the only
begotten of the Father,) full of
grace and truth.”; the Greek word for
“dwelt” used in this verse also means to tabernacle; so,
Jesus also dwelled or tabernacled with mankind at the
time of His birth. He dwelt in a human body of
flesh or a tabernacle, while in the womb of Mary.
If Jesus received a new body at the
Feast of Tabernacles, then it would be fitting if we,
who are the body of Christ, also received our new bodies
at the Feast of Tabernacles. Instead of a week of
7 days we will tabernacle with Him in heaven for a week
of 7 years (the Tribulation period) and gather with Him
on the Eighth Day – at the Millennium.
“For in the time of
trouble he shall hide me in his
pavilion: in the secret of his
tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall
set me up upon a rock. And now shall mine
head be lifted up above mine
enemies round about me: therefore will I
offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of
joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing
praises unto the LORD.” Psalm 27:5-6.
“My tabernacle also
shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and
they shall be my people.” Ezekiel 37:27.
Someday we will tabernacle with
God. What a wonderful and overwhelming thought (I
should say fact). Do not be discouraged while we
wait for the redemption of our bodies. The Holy
Spirit tabernacles in believers right now, and He is our
guarantee of our future resurrection.
“In whom ye also trusted,
after that ye heard the word of
truth, the gospel of
your salvation: in whom also after
that ye believed, ye were sealed
with that holy Spirit of promise,
Which is the earnest of
our inheritance until the
redemption of the purchased
possession, unto the praise of
his glory.” Ephesians 1:13-14.
Surely our Blessed Hope will soon
become our Blessed Reality.
Maranatha.
– Lisa Taylor
Post Script Thoughts:
The Great Multitude?
I do not know if this is really the
case, but I’ve heard that 2022 is a Shemita year.
If so, a Shemita year will have a specific effect on the
celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles: “And Moses commanded them,
saying, At the end of every seven years, in
the solemnity of the year of release, in
the feast of tabernacles, When all Israel is
come to appear before the LORD thy
God in the place which he shall
choose, thou shalt read this law before
all Israel in their hearing.
Gather the
people together, men, and
women, and children, and thy stranger that is within
thy gates, that they may hear, and that they
may learn, and fear the LORD your
God, and observe to do all the
words of this law.” Deuteronomy
31:10-12.
Note that a larger group is to be gathered – not
just men as required by the pilgrimage festivals in
general. This could foreshadow a comprehensive
Rapture gathering at the end of a Jubilee year.
If you look
at the Great Multitude of Revelation 7:9-15, it looks
like a celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles:
“After this I
beheld, and, lo, a
great multitude, which no
man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the
throne, and before the
Lamb, clothed with
white robes, and palms in their hands;
And cried with a
loud voice, saying, Salvation to
our God which sitteth upon the
throne, and unto the Lamb.
And all the angels stood round
about the throne, and about the
elders and the
four beasts, and fell before the
throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto
our God for ever and
ever. Amen. And one of the
elders answered, saying unto
me, What are these which are
arrayed
in white robes? and whence came
they? And I said unto
him, Sir, thou knowest. And he
said to me, These are they which
came out
of great tribulation, and have
washed their robes, and made them white in the
blood of the Lamb. Therefore are
they before the throne of
God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he
that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.”
Notice the diverse make-up of the
great multitude – like the celebrants after a Shemita
year. Also, the multitude have palms in their
hands. People are supposed to wave palm branches
as part of the celebration (see Leviticus 23:40.) of
Tabernacles. This sure looks like a celebration of
the Feast of Tabernacles in heaven.
“And one of the
elders answered, saying unto
me, What are these which are
arrayed
in white robes? and whence came
they? And I said unto
him, Sir, thou knowest. And he
said to me, These are they which
came out
of great tribulation, and have
washed their robes, and made them white in the
blood of the Lamb.” Revelation 7:13-14.
I do not know if we are that great
multitude, but if we are, then the Feast of Taernacles
could be a high watch time. Also, Revelation 7:15
states that God will dwell or tabernacle with the
multitude. The Feast of Tabernacles may point to
the season of our departure.
Is Tabernacles next on the
prophetic calendar?
Usually, we consider the Feast of
Trumpets to be the next date on God’s prophetic
calendar, but I propose that Tabernacles could be the
next feast because it is one of the three pilgrimage
festivals.
For some reason God has highlighted
or set apart three of His feasts from the others:
“Three times in a
year shall all thy
males appear before the LORD thy
God in the place which he shall
choose; in the feast of unleavened
bread, and in the feast of weeks, and
in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall
not appear before the
LORD empty.” Deuteronomy 16:16. Jesus
fulfilled Passover through His death and resurrection,
next the indwelling of the Holy Spirit resulted in the
birth of the Church and fulfilled Pentecost, making
Tabernacles the next in line for
fulfillment. Christ is our Passover Lamb if
we accept his sacrifice for our sins and believe that He
conquered death and sin through His resurrection, we
then will be born again by the Spirit, and will
tabernacle or dwell with the Father forever. The
feasts of the Lord may have multiple applications.
For example, the pilgrimage festivals could represent
the most abbreviated route to God. We must believe
that Christ died for our sins and was raised from the
dead (Passover/Firstfruits), repent of and accept His
sacrifice for our sins, and be born again by the Holy
Spirit (Pentecost), if we do this, we will ultimately
become the children of God and live with Him forever
(Tabernacles).
In thisway, the three pilgrimage
festivals show our potential reconciliation to the
Triune God (The Son through Passover; the Spirit through
Pentecost, the Father through Tabernacles).
A Tabernacles’ Wedding?
There is an obvious visual connection
between Tabernacles and a Jewish wedding ceremony.
A Jewish wedding ceremony often takes place under a
tent-like wedding canopy called a chuppah, similarly a
sukkah can be a tent-like structure. Or it can be
as simple as a covering of branches, a sheet or prayer
shawl. A chuppah symbolizes the home and protection that
the groom will provide for his bride. “Their line is gone
out through all the earth, and their
words to the end of the world. In them
hath he set a
tabernacle for the sun, Which is as
a bridegroom coming out of his
chamber, and rejoiceth as a
strong man to run a race.” Psalm
19:4-5.
(See how the bridegroom is connected to the
imagery of a tabernacle.)
God covers us with his protection, we are safe
under His wings, under his chuppah. Jesus, the
bridegroom, is also the Branch that covers us.
“Behold, the
days come, saith the LORD, that I
will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and
a King shall reign and prosper, and shall
execute judgment and justice in the
earth.” Jeremiah 23:5.
In Bible-times, a traditional Jewish
wedding lasted one week. Likewise the Feast of
Tabernacles lasts one week. Perhaps our own
wedding to the Bridegroom could take place on this
feast. It is supposed to be a festival of great
joy (see Deuteronomy 16:14) and it will be important
enough to be celebrated by all the nations during the
Millennium, on threat of punishment (See Zechariah
14:16-19). There is something significant about
this feast – perhaps the anniversary of a Wedding or the
snatching of the Bride?
Rapture Pattern in the
Transfiguration?
Peter made a strange connection to
the Feast of Tabernacles after the Transfiguration of
Christ. If you remember Jesus took Peter, James
and John up a high mountain where they were enveloped by
clouds, heard the voice of God, met Moses and Elijah,
and saw Jesus being transfigured. Likewise, at the
time of the Rapture – the dead and the alive in Christ
will be gathered together up high in the clouds, their
bodies will be transformed or transfigured, and they
will hear a trumpet sound (note thatthe voice of God
which has been compared to the sound of a trumpet in
Revelation 1:10 and Exodus 19:16; Exodus 20:19).
“Then answered Peter, and
said unto Jesus, Lord, it
is good for us to
be here: if thou wilt, let us
make here three tabernacles; one for
thee, and one for
Moses, and one for Elias.” Matthew
17:4.
Why did Peter make this allusion to
tabernacles after witnessing the Transfiguration?
I don’t believe in coincidences in the Bible.
Perhaps we have been given a clue as to when our bodies
will be changed from mortal to immortal.
Sign of Jonah
I have a different take on the sign
of Jonah which is usually associated with the death,
burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
If you remember Jonah also built
himself a sukkah and sat in it in order to watch the
destruction of the Ninevites. It was during the
time that he was sitting in a tabernacle that the God of
Israel delivered a group of Gentiles from
judgment/destruction. If the Church, which is
predominantly comprised of Gentiles, is raptured prior
to judgment/destruction during the time Jews are
dwelling in booths it would be a pretty big sign to the
Jewish people – a sign of Jonah.
Jonah 4:5
“So Jonah went
out of the city, and sat on the east
side of the city, and there made him
a booth, and sat under it in the
shadow, till he might see what would become of
the city.”
Noah’s Ark
The Bible also compares the end times
to the Days of Noah. (See Matthew 24:37.)
Well, those days could be linked to the Feast of
Tabernacles, which starts on the 15th day of
the Seventh month. Note that the flood waters
receded on the 17th day of the Seventh month
(during the Feast of Tabernacles) when the Ark came to a
rest on Mount Ararat. (See Genesis 8:3.)
Remember that the Ark must have been filled with various
animal stalls or sukkah and that the family had to dwell
in the Ark for a duration of 7 days before the Flood
began. (See Genesis 7:10) So, there appears
to be a calendar connection between the Ark (of floating
sukkah) and the Feast of Tabernacles.
Furthermore, the animals on the Ark
can represent the Church. If you remember there
had been an issue about whether Gentiles could be part
of the early Church. In response, Peter was given
the following vision:
“Peter went
up upon the housetop to
pray about the sixth hour: And he
became very hungry, and would have
eaten: but while they made
ready, he fell into a trance,
And saw heaven opened, and a
certain vessel descending unto him, as it
had been a great sheet knit at the
four corners, and let
down to the earth: Wherein were all
manner of fourfooted beasts of the
earth, and wild beasts, and creeping
things, and fowls of the air.
And there came a
voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.
But Peter said, Not
so, Lord; for I
have never eaten any thing that is
common or unclean. And the
voice spake unto him again the
second time, What God hath
cleansed, that call not thou common.
This was done thrice: and the
vessel was received
up again into heaven.” Acts
10:9-16.
Through this vision, Peter learned
that Gentiles were to be accepted into the Church,
because God found them to be eligible. So, the Ark
of animals is like the sheet of animals. Both can
represent the Gentiles of the Church. Since the
animals were rescued from the judgment of the Flood, the
Church will be rescued from the flood of end times
judgment. Here the Ark was perched high up on
Ararat during the Feast of Tabernacles; perhaps the
Church will be perched high up in heaven, perhaps on
Mount Zion, during the Feast of Tabernacles.
“You have not come to a
mountain that can be touched and that is burning with
fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast
or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard
it begged that no further word be spoken to them,
because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even
an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to
death.” The sight was so terrifying that Moses
said, “I am trembling with fear.” But you have
come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the
heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon
thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of
the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You
have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of
the righteous made perfect …” Hebrews 1218-23.
Last Trumpet of the Festival
Cycle
Okay, this is probably too
simplistic, but the Feast of Tabernacles is the last
feast in the festival cycle of Leviticus 23. So,
won’t the last trumpet blown at Tabernacles be the last
trump of a festival cycle? There is also an
intriguing verse in Psalm 81:3 which references two
trumpets blown, one on Rosh Hashanah and the other on
Tabernacles. “Blow the trumpet at the time of the
New Moon, at the full moon, on our solemn feast
day. (NKJV) Depending on the version of the Bible
you are reading for this verse, trumpets are blown at
the new and the full moon festivals. Since Rosh
Hashanah is a new moon festival and Tabernacles is a
full moon festival we have 2 estabished soundings of a
trumpet. A first and last sounding?
Hoshana Rabbah
Okay, this is not Biblical, but I
have a book called
Jewish Holidays and Festivals by Ben M. Edidin
that states that on the seventh day of Tabernacles
(Hoshana Rabbah/translated “Great Help”) pious Jews will
stay up after midnight believing that the heavens will
open up that night.
Festival of Bodies
The booths of Tabernacles represent
the temporary structures that the people dwelled in
until they entered the Promised Land.
Significantly, our mortal bodies are also called
tabernacles in the Bible. Someday we will receive
immortal bodies, or heavenly houses.
“For we
know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were
dissolved, we have a
building of God, an house not
made with hands, eternal in the
heavens.” 2 Corinthians 5:1.
The Feast of Tabernacles (or bodies)
seems to be a fitting time for us to receive new eternal
bodies or homes.
“In my Father's house are many mansions: if it
were not so, I would have
told you. I go to prepare a
place for you.” John 14:2.
If the Feast of Tabernacles is the
birthday of when Jesus received a body of flesh and
dwelled with men, perhaps it will be the anniversary of
when we receive our immortal bodies and tabernacle with
God.
The Temple dedication and Another
Great Multitude
King Solomon dedicated his Temple on
the Feast of Tabernacles.
“Also at the same
time Solomon kept the
feast seven days, and all
Israel with him, a
very great congregation, from the
entering in of Hamath unto the river of
Egypt. And in the eighth day they
made a solemn assembly: for they kept the
dedication of the
altar seven days, and the
feast seven days.” 2 Chronicles7:8-9.
Significantly, we are the Temple of
God. At the time of the Rapture all the parts of
this Temple will be assembled together.
“As you come to him, the
living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and
precious to him—you also, like
living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to
be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices
acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter
2:4-5.
“For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the
Father. Now therefore ye are no
more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with
the saints, and of the household of God;
And are built upon the foundation of the
apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the
chief corner stone;
In whom all the building fitly
framed together groweth unto an
holy temple in the Lord:
in whom ye also are builded
together for an habitation of
God through the Spirit.” Ephesians
2:18-22.
Notice that “a very great
congregation” or great multitude attended this
dedication of the temple on the Feast of
Tabernacles. Perhaps our own dedication as the
Temple of God will occur on a future Feast of
Tabernacles.
“Know
ye not that ye are the
temple of God, and that the
Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” 1
Corinthians 3:16.
Season of Joy
The Feast of Tabernacles is supposed
to be a time and festival of joy.
“And thou shalt rejoice in
thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy
daughter, and thy manservant, and thy
maidservant, and the Levite, the
stranger, and the fatherless, and the
widow, that are within thy
gates.” Deuteronomy 16:14. Something
joyful is connected with this feast. Perhaps a
birth day or the joy at a wedding:
“And the
angel said unto
them, Fear not: for, behold, I
bring you good tidings of
great joy, which shall be to
all people. For unto you is
born this day in the city of
David a
Saviour, which is Christ the
Lord. And this shall be a
sign unto you; Ye shall find the
babe wrapped in swaddling
clothes, lying in a manger.” Luke
2:10-12.
“The
voice of joy, and the voice of
gladness, the voice of the
bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the
voice of them that shall say, Praise the
LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good; for
his mercy endureth for ever: and of
them that shall bring the sacrifice of
praise into the house of the LORD. For I
will cause to return the captivity of the
land, as at the first, saith the
LORD.” Jeremiah 33:11.
“He that hath the
bride is the bridegroom: but the
friend of the
bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of
the
bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is
fulfilled.” John 3:29
Secret Coming
John 7 talks about the time Jesus
went to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of
Tabernacles. His brothers mocked him for not
showing himself to the world.
“Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not
yet full come. When he had
said these words unto them, he
abode still in Galilee.
But when his brethren were gone
up, then went he also up unto the
feast, not openly, but as it
were in secret.” John 7:8-10
Jesus attended that Feast of
Tabernacles “in secret.” Maybe He will come for us
on another Feast of Tabernacles and “in secret.”
Conclusion
Well, I had better stop. I’ve
speculated enough. Unfortunately, I have no real
idea of when the Rapture will be. My bias should
be clear from this post. It will be a great
pleasure to worship with all of you in heaven in that
great multitude. Hopefully soon.
Maranatha.
–
Lisa Taylor