Jesus in the Feasts of Israel

The Feast of Tabernacles

Jesus in the Feast of Tabernacles

That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths when I brought them up out of the land of Egypt. — Leviticus 23: 43.

The Feast of Tabernacles was the last of GOD’s annual festivals. It began on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, five days after Atonement and continued for a week. On the first day was a "holy convocation," and this day was observed as a sabbath in which no servile work was to be done. The eighth day was also a High Sabbath corresponding to the first day of the week. It was called the Great Day of the feast (John 7: 37), the day on which the water was drawn from the Pool of Siloam, a ritual added later by the Sanhedrin.

Animal and food sacrifices were offered on all the eight days, and these were listed in detail by Moses in the Law. The number of bullocks diminished by one every day, till on the seventh day seven were offered, and on the eighth the Great Day of the feast, one bullock was offered. Perhaps the decrease in the number of sacrifices as the feast progressed was to show His people the gradual removal of these sacrifices and their eventual replaced by better spiritual oblations which pleased GOD more than any bullock or lamb. During this time Israelites lived in booths. Lessons of vital importance and lasting impressions were imparted by this festival.