29 September, 2020
💞 Dear Royal Praying Priests, shalom!
💎 “So on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruits of the land, you are to keep the Feast of Adonai for seven days. The first day is to be a Shabbat rest, and the eighth day will also be a Shabbat rest. On the first day you are to take choice fruit of trees, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook, and rejoice before Adonai your God for seven days. You are to celebrate it as a festival to Adonai for seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations—you are to celebrate it in the seventh month. You are to live in sukkot (shelters) for seven days. All the native-born in Israel are to live in sukkot, so that your generations may know that I had Bnei-Yisrael (Israelites) to dwell in sukkot when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. I am Adonai your God.” (Lev 23:39-43)
Sukkot, Feast of Tabernacles, will begin on 2 October at sundown and end in the evening of 9 October this year. It is one of the three pilgrimages festivals on which the Jewish people were commanded to go up to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. The other two festivals are Pesach (Passover) and Shavout (Feast of Weeks). Sukkot is also known as the Feast of Ingathering or Harvest Festival, and it completes the cycle of fall feasts.
Sukkot is also known as the Feast of the Nations. “Then all the survivors from all the nations that attacked Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, Adonai-Tzva’ot (the LORD Almighty), and to celebrate Sukkot.” (Zec 14:16) This prophecy is already but not yet fulfilled. Before COVID-19, we have seen people around the world gather to celebrate Sukkot together with the Israelis in Jerusalem every year, whereas when Yeshua returns and establishes His kingdom, God will dwell or “tabernacle” with men and women. God will be our sukkah (tabernacle) and He will shelter us from death, crying, mourning, pain or tears! All nations will go up to Jerusalem to worship Him! (Zec 14:16-19, Rev. 21:3)
Yeshua Himself also celebrates Sukkot and goes up to Jerusalem. One the last and greatest day of Sukkot, Yeshua proclaims that He satisfies spiritual thirsts, and the Ruach (Spirit) is given to those who trust in Him. (Jhn 7:37-38) How blessed are the followers of Yeshua! Right here in this time, Yeshua quenches all our thirsts and we are filled with the Ruach (Spirit). When He returns, we are fully embraced by Him and will live with Him forever!
🙏 Dear Heavenly Father, we praise You for Your eternal promises, and we look forward to the day when You come to dwell with us, and make Your home with us! We are Your people and You are our God. We long to see both the Jewish and the Gentiles come to worship You and bow down before You. In the Name of Yeshua we pray and bless you, Amen.