God’s Appointed Feasts – The Feast of Tabernacles

The Feast of Tabernacles is called Sukkot (meaning “booths”), and also the Feast of Ingathering at Harvest Time. It starts on the fifteenth day of the seventh Hebrew month, Tishri. It lasts for seven days, followed by the Eighth Day. In 2026 the Feast of Tabernacles starts at sundown on Friday the 25th September, and ends on the evening of Friday the 2nd October. It is followed immediately by the Eighth Day, which ends at sundown on Saturday the 3rd October.

SCRIPTURES
“Speak to the children of Israel, saying ‘The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the Lord. On the first day there shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it. For seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation, and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. It is a sacred assembly, and you shall do no customary work on it. These are the feasts of the LORD which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire to the LORD, a burnt offering and a grain offering, a sacrifice and drink offerings, everything on its day – besides the Sabbaths of the LORD, besides your gifts, besides all your vows, and besides all your freewill offerings which you give to the LORD. Also on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, you shall keep the feast of the Lord for seven days; on the first day there shall be a sabbath-rest, and on the eighth day a sabbath-rest. And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of beautiful trees, branches of palm trees, the boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. You shall keep it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It shall be a statute forever in your generations. You shall celebrate it in the seventh month. You shall keep it as a feast to the LORD for seven days in the year. It shall be a statute forever in your generations. You shall celebrate it in the seventh month. You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths.” ‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭23:‬‭34-42‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“You shall observe the Feast of Tabernacles seven days, when you have gathered from your threshing floor and from your winepress. And you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant and the Levite, the stranger and the fatherless and the widow, who are within your gates.” ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭16‬‭:13‬-‭14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work, and you shall keep a feast to the Lord seven days. On the eighth day you shall have a sacred assembly. You shall do no customary work.” ‭‭Numbers‬ ‭29:‬‭12‬, ‭35‬ ‭NKJV‬

HOW TO CELEBRATE THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES AND THE EIGHTH DAY
The Feast of Tabernacles reminds us of when the Israelites lived in tents for forty years, before entering the Promised Land. It reminds us of God’s deliverance, protection, and provision. We are called to rejoice. Deuteronomy 16:14 says: “You shall rejoice in your feast;” and Leviticus 23:40b: “You shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days.”

We can share meals and Scriptures, and be grateful and joyful over God’s faithfulness, salvation, protection and provision. If possible, we can sleep in, and have some meals in a temporary dwelling, for example a sukkah or a tent.

The Eighth Day comes after the end of the seven day Feast of Tabernacles, with the instructions to rest and meet together. It is the closing day of the yearly cycle of the Appointed Feasts. We can read Scriptures and reflect on our journey with God through His Appointed Feasts. We can look forward to the yearly start of God’s Appointed Feasts in six months time. We can reflect on God’s promises in His Word that have already been fulfilled, and also on God’s promises that will still be fulfilled. It has been suggested that God so enjoyed this time together with His people, that He desired to spend one more day with them, on the Eighth Day.

SCRIPTURE
“For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us – by me, Silvanus, and Timothy – was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes. For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.” 2 Corinthians‬ ‭1‬‭:19-20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

We are moving towards permanently living with Him for eternity.