Feast of Tabernacles in the Bible: Why Christians Should “Keep” It

By Dr. Mojmir Kallus, Vice President for International Affairs

The Feast of Tabernacles shows up throughout the Bible, but the prophet Zechariah mentions it in 14:16–18:

And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain. If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. 

These verses from Zechariah resonated in the hearts of the founders of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem when it was established in 1980, as they were moved to launch a Christian celebration of the ancient Feast of Tabernacles in the Bible.

The Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot, was a relatively unknown holiday to Christians back then. Such unfamiliarity was symptomatic of the condition of the wider church, which had lost the understanding of many Bible truths since cutting itself off from its Hebraic roots. It is only in recent decades—after the Holocaust and the sudden miraculous restoration of the Jewish nation to their ancestral homeland—that the church has begun to rediscover the very roots on which it was founded. In particular, the Feast of Tabernacles soon became the occasion for the biggest annual Christian celebration in Israel.

Why Celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles?

God’s feasts (“festivals”) “are a shadow of things to come” (Colossians 2:17). Mindful of this, we do not suggest doing it to keep the Mosaic commandments or to bring believers under the yoke of the Law. Rather, it is a way to deepen and enrich their faith walk with God. So what can we learn from this biblical holiday?

The Feast of Tabernacles is a feast of reliance. It declares that we are totally dependent upon God. The agricultural aspect of the Feast of Tabernacles is the ingathering of the fall harvest. In ancient times, the children of Israel were inspired by this festival to acknowledge that ultimately, the fruits of this harvest were a gift from God. It reinforced their awareness that they we totally dependent on Him.

God’s Provision in the Wilderness

The same theme is also present in the historical aspect of the Feast. This aspect commemorates how God provided for His people in the wilderness when they were delivered from slavery in Egypt. He fed them, clothed them, cared for them, and protected them. The people of God were totally dependent upon the provision of God in a harsh environment. That experience teaches us, too, the lesson that we should trust God to provide all we need.

This is what Jesus taught as well. For example, in the Sermon on the Mount, he said:

Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing?

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? (Matthew 6:25–30)

The Feast of Tabernacles is an opportunity to learn to trust God rather than lean on your own strength. Over the years, many pilgrims experienced His miraculous provision in relation to their coming to this very Feast! Some faced impossible financial situations or obstacles to travel. But they relied on God and saw Him make a way where there was no way.

The Feast of Tabernacles in the Bible—a Feast for All Nations

But there’s another unique aspect of the Feast of Tabernacles in the Bible. It is that it is not only for the Jewish people. We find a hint in the commandments in Numbers 29 describing the sacrifices to be brought to the temple during Sukkot. Counted altogether, there are 70 bulls. Jewish commentators say these 70 bulls are offered on behalf of the 70 nations descended from Noah—meaning, the entire world. Also, the tradition of waving the four species (Leviticus 23:40) declares that God is the ruler of the world. Sukkot is thus the time when the reign of God over the whole earth will be manifested.

The kingdom of God begins with Israel but has impacted the whole world. God decided to use Israel as a mechanism to reach all mankind with His salvation. This is the very reason why God called Israel into existence through Abraham, saying: “In you all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Genesis 12:3).

God’s Coming Kingdom in Israel

Now that Israel is back in her ancient homeland in accordance with so many biblical promises, the time is drawing near when His kingdom will be finally established, and Jesus will reign in righteousness and peace from Jerusalem. Indeed, “The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14). At that time, as Zechariah 14 envisions, all the nations will come up to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. 

The Christian Embassy is a ministry of preparation. We are calling the righteous remnant from all nations to discern the times. Prepare your heart for the soon coming of our Lord by worshiping Him in Jerusalem in spirit through our online Feast of Tabernacles this October! Learn more and register below.

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