THE MILLENNIAL REIGN OF JESUS CHRIST
“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…” (Leviticus 23: 34-35)
The Feast of Tabernacles is a seven day festival. As Israel rejoiced before God in the Promised Land, the Feast of Tabernacles reminded them that they were once strangers and pilgrims as they wandered in the desert for forty years. During this time of wandering, they had no permanent home but lived in temporary shelters called booths or tabernacles. And yet, they were not forgotten because God cared for them and provided for them giving them manna from heaven and water from a rock. Their garments did not wear out, nor did their feet swell during all those years. God never wanted Israel to forget the lessons of this period of their history. And so He said: “You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 23: 42-43)
The lessons of the Feast of Tabernacles are as important to Christians as they were to Israel. “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” (I Corinthians 10: 11) The Feast of Tabernacles teaches us that we are strangers and pilgrims in this world as we look forward to our inheritance that is still beyond the Jordon River. It teaches us that life is temporary as long as we live in these fleshly bodies. And as the Israelites waited for the day when Joshua would lead them into the Promised Land, so we wait for the return of Jesus our Savior to lead us into the Promised Land of God’s eternal Kingdom!
As we consider the many lessons of the Feast of Tabernacles, we are reminded that our Lord once tabernacled on this earth with men. Jesus gave up all of the glory that was His at the right hand of God to become our Savior by suffering on the cross. John tells us: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt (tabernacled) among us.” (John 1: 14) Some actually believe that Jesus was born during the Feast of Tabernacles, a festival which seems to foreshadow His first coming.
The Feast of Tabernacles is also prophetic just like the other holy days. Celebrated after the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Tabernacles looks beyond the immediate return of Jesus Christ. It points to the millennial reign of Jesus when the Kingdom of God will finally be established on this earth. According to Revelation 20: 4-6, those who belong to Jesus Christ come to life in the first resurrection and reign with Him for a thousand years.
In Exodus 23: 16 the Feast of Tabernacles is called the “Feast of Ingathering”. As such, it looks forward to that time when all of mankind will finally recognize Jesus Christ as Lord and King. “Many people shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people. They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war anymore.” (Isaiah 2: 3-4) Later on in Isaiah 11, Isaiah tells us that the wolf shall lie with the lamb, the leopard with the goat, the lion with the calf, and a little child shall lead them. These scriptures are truly Messianic and look forward to Jesus’ millennial reign. Referring to this same period of time, there is an interesting scripture in Zachariah 14: 16 that indicates that all nations will one day celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles: “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.” (Zachariah 14: 16)
“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland.” (Hebrews 11: 13-14)
Joe Weicks