Sukkah

My husband cracks me up. We sent out invitations for some people to come have dinner with us in our sukkah (tabernacle, or temporary dwelling place) we just built for the Feast of Tabernacles and this is what he RSVP'd for his:

"Don't be a sucka....come to the sukkah"!

A friend helped him build it and even Benjamin had a part. His first real sukkah for Sukkot!

In our old apartment in Hayward, we built a makeshift sukkah on our balcony made of bamboo fencing material. I made signs of posterboard for decorations and we ate some of our meals out there. Ben was an infant and won't remember his first sukkah. It was a start. It was our meager attempt at fulfilling the command to dwell in tents once a year to remember how our forefathers, the Israelites dwelt in temporary dwelling places in the desert. We looked forward to the day when we could have friends join us, when the boy could participate and we would be closer to the fulfillment and joy that is the Festival of Sukkot.

Actually, as believers in Yeshua, we have a deep profound richness to the tradition which surpasses remembering and observing. For in the book of John, chapter 1, it is written about Yeshua that "IN the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God and the word became flesh and dwelt (tabernacled) among us" (addition mine). How exciting that the word of God became flesh and lived among us. He still does.

In the Book of Revelation, Jesus is depicted as standing amongst the seven golden lampstands (representing the churches, or congregations of believers). It further says that He also holds the seven stars, which are the seven spirits of God in His hand. This indicates that He dwells among us as believers and He is also at the same time in control, sovereign. This is comforting to the follower of the Messiah.

In Zechariah, there is also a prophecy that talks of the rule of the messiah on the earth and that all the nations of the earth (or at least their representatives) will be required to go up to Jerusalem every year for the Feast of Tabernacles, lest they have no rain on their land for that year. Check it out for yourself. That's what it says. I suppose my husband's comments will apply to those during the millenium as well!

Those and other scriptures speak of a day when Yeshua will return again to the earth with power and great glory. He will reaign on the earth for a thousand years of peace. This is the final fulfillment of the Festival of Sukkot, Feast of Tabernacles.

Until then, we gather with joy and unity of the believers in our feast tent and we sing songs and anticipate the day when the ultimate fulfillment of this feast will be accomplished.

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