Monte Judah says this about the Future Sukkot to Come: “The
Scripture definitely says much about the Feast of Tabernacles and our future.
The reference to the tribulation saints described in the Book of Revelation is
about the Feast of Tabernacles. After these things I looked, and behold, a
great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and
peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in
white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; Revelation 7:9 And I said
to him, “My Lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come
out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them
white in the blood of the Lamb. For this reason, they are before the throne of
God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the
throne shall spread His tabernacle over them.” Revelation 7:14-15 The palm
branches reveal the setting for the tribulation saints. They are gathered for
the Feast of Tabernacles - the Feast of Ingathering. This is why the Lord’s
throne is spread like a tabernacle over them. This is confirmed by the prophet
Zechariah. He says the first event upon the Lord’s return to 27 Jerusalem after
the Day of the Lord, is the observance of the Feast of Tabernacles. Then it
will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against
Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts,
and to celebrate the Feast of Booths. Zechariah 14:16 That makes sense because
the Feast of Trumpets symbolizes the resurrection, and Atonement symbolizes the
Day of the Lord. It follows then that Tabernacles is the true ingathering of
all of His saints at Jerusalem. Apparently, God intends to use the future Feast
of Tabernacles in the kingdom as the reference counter for the number of years
in the millennial reign. The Feast of Tabernacles, therefore, will commemorate
not only our ancestors’ exodus from Egypt, but also our greater exodus (the
tribulation saints - the final generation) leading into the promised kingdom.
This is consistent with God’s promise concerning the kingdom of David. King
David served as the king of Israel for 40 years and held the greatest amount of
territory in Israel’s history. God’s promise is to raise up David’s booth
(tabernacle) in the same manner in the Messiah’s kingdom. “In that day I will
raise up the fallen booth of David, and wall up its breaches; I will also raise
up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old; that they may possess the
remnant of Edom and all the nations who are called by My name,” declares the
Lord who does this. Amos 9:11-12”
Even though it is not required for the Goyim to dwell in a
Sukkah: Lev. 23:42 Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites
born shall dwell in booths: Nonetheless we see in Zechariah that Gentiles will
convert and end up keeping Sukkot anyhow.
“The Talmud
relates that in the future, when the pagans will complain to God about His
preferential treatment of the Jews, He will tell them that this is because the
Jews accepted and followed the Torah. They were not so much the "chosen
people," as the "choosing people," so to speak; they chose to
follow God's law. The pagans will then plead, "Offer us the Torah anew and
we will follow it." "You foolish people," God will answer,
"he who prepares in advance of Shabbat can eat on Shabbat, but he who made
no preparations, what can he eat? Nevertheless, I have an easy commandment
called Sukkah, go and fulfill it..." Why is it called an easy commandment?
Because it has no expense. Immediately each one will build a booth, a Sukkah,
on his roof, but God will cause the sun to blaze as if it were the summer
solstice. Each one will then kick his Sukkah, and leave... Thereupon God will
laugh, as it is said, "He that sits in heaven and laughs." (Talmud -
Avoda Zara 3a) Although this passage is difficult for several reasons, I would
like to focus on one of its main themes: that pagans will not be able to keep
the commandment of Sukkah. The reason this is so strange is that of all the
holidays, Sukkot has been perceived as the most universal, encompassing all the
nations of the world. The Talmud teaches: Rabbi Eliezer said: "Why are 70
offerings brought on Sukkot? For the (merit of the) 70 nations of the
world." (Sukkah 55b) Rashi comments: To bring forgiveness for them (the 70
nations which comprise the world), so that rain shall fall all over the earth.
The Sages stress that Sukkot has a universal element which is clearly absent in
the other festivals: Passover represents the exodus from Egypt and the
emergence of a Jewish nation; Shavuot celebrates the giving of the Torah to the
Jews. It seems paradoxical to find this expression of the inability of the pagans
to relate to God specifically in the context of Sukkot. We may theorize that
specifically on Sukkot, when the Jews concerned themselves with the welfare of
non-Jews, pagans were expected to respond and to relate to God directly. There
is, however, another passage which makes this approach untenable. "And it
shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations who came up
against Jerusalem, shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the God
of Hosts, and to keep the holiday of Sukkot. And whoever does not come ... to
Jerusalem ... upon them there will be no rain." (Zechariah 14:16) This
passage from the prophecy of Zechariah describes the aftermath of apocalyptic
battles, when the vanquished nations will celebrate Sukkot. This heightens the
difficulty of the story from the Talmud quoted earlier. While the Talmud
contains many explanations of biblical teachings, it does not have a mandate to
argue with the prophets. Our question, then, is quite simple: How can the
Talmud relate that in the future the pagans will be unable to keep Sukkot -
when the Prophet tells us clearly that they will? I believe that in the
resolution of this apparent contradiction lies the essence of Sukkot. There are
two distinct aspects to the holiday of Sukkot, represented by two commandments
in the Torah:
"Also
in the 15th day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruit of
the land, you shall keep a feast to the Lord seven days; on the first day shall
be a Sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a Sabbath. And you shall take on
the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the
boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before
the Lord your God seven days. And you shall keep it a feast to the Lord 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 seven days; all
who are Israelites born shall dwell in booths. That your generations may know
that I made the people of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of
the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God." (Leviticus 23:39-43)
The Torah
speaks on the one hand of taking four species of fruit at harvest time, and on
the other hand of sitting in the Sukkah, as the people who left Egypt did. We
therefore see two commandments: 1) taking the four species, and 2) living in
booths. One commandment has an agricultural impetus, the other a historical
one. The agricultural aspect of the holiday is clearly universal, while the
historical aspect is particular to the Jews.” – “Sukkot: The Universal Holiday”
– www.aish.com
Perhaps many will immigrate to Israel proper also. There is a
loose tradition that claims that if you convert to Judaism you are considered
born again as a native Israeli; based on the Psalms.
Psalm 87:1
His foundation is in the holy mountains. 2 The LORD loveth the gates of Zion
more than all the dwellings of Jacob. 3 Glorious things are spoken of thee, O
city of God. Selah. 4 I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that
know me: behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia; this man was born there. 5
And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her: and the
highest himself shall establish her. 6 The LORD shall count, when he writeth up
the people, that this man was born there. Selah. 7 As well the singers as the
players on instruments shall be there: all my springs are in thee.
But on a Pashat (literal) level vv. 15-16 speak of “The Day”
meaning Judgment Day and is a Jews eyes seen as specifically being Yom Kippur
the Day of Atonements when not only Jews are judges by Gentiles too.
“Edom represents all gentile opposition to G-d’s people…” –
Key Word Study Bible.
17 But upon
mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of
Jacob shall possess their possessions.
Mount Zion is the Temple mount in Jerusalem and this verse
speaks of a future time even from now (5769/2009) when the Temple with the Ark
of the Covenant, which represents the Throne and Courtroom of God, will be
rebuilt and in operation, and God will judge the nations and Israel will again
be one and possess the entire Land of Promise allotted to them since the time
when God promised all this to Abraham.
It says in the Key Word Study Bible, “The Book of Obadiah
concluded with the millennial blessing to the people of Israel. At this time
the tables will be turned and Edom’s persecution of Israel will be returned on
them…”
18 And the
house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house
of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there
shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the LORD hath spoken it.
Jacob, meaning the House or Kingdom of Judah will be as a
fire and Joseph, the Kingdom of Israel will be as a flame, and just like a
unity candle at a wedding these two houses will again be one and inseparable
and will consumed Esau (Edom), their harassers, like straw. It’s a sure thing
and a done deal.
19 And they
of the south shall possess the mount of Esau; and they of the plain the
Philistines: and they shall possess the fields of Ephraim, and the fields of
Samaria: and Benjamin shall possess Gilead. 20 And the captivity of this host
of the children of Israel shall possess that of the Canaanites, even unto
Zarephath; and the captivity of Jerusalem, which is in Sepharad, shall possess
the cities of the south.
Edom has apparently crossed the line with G-d, sort of like
being written out of a will Edom will lose their land to Israel in possibly two
ways, by them possibly ceasing to be a people and by Israel returning in the
Great and Final Exodus to come, but also refers to the past event of Judah
returning from exile.
The Key Word Study Bible tells us, “…God speaks of a future
time when Israel will actually occupy the full extent of its promised land, and
the Edomites will be removed from the land that they seized from Israel after
the Babylonian captivity beginning in 586 B.C.”
21 And
saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the
kingdom shall be the LORD's.
Like the verses prior it comes with a duel meaning, the
restoration after the Babylonian captivity and what the Christians refer to as
the “second Coming” of Messiah Yeshua, when Messiah will come to earth as
Messiah ben David and reign as King over the entire restored Land of Promise as
well as that of the whole world.
Radak even says that this verse refers to “Messiah and his
colleagues” and that they “will exact retribution from the Edomites for their
cruelty, and then God will be recognized as the Sovereign of the entire
universe.”
The word “Saviors” tell us that this will be a Divine take
over through mans joint efforts under the command of God.
CONCLUSION:
From this short prophetic book of only 21 verses we can view
this as a commentary on the Golden Rule and “Judge not lest ye be judged (Matt.
7:1).” But also a good supplement text red with the book of Revelation.
II Peter
3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his
promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not
willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Sometimes it’s difficult to understand why evil seems to
flourish and the wicked seem to triumph, but it’s also hard to comprehend why
it seems judgment is slow coming to the wicked. All we can say is that we view
and understand these concepts from a fragmented, finite and limited perspective
and we cannot possibly fully grasp the “Big Picture” that G-d sees. From the
Scriptures as a whole we can say with solid assurance that YHWH is Holy and
Just and that He does what is right; the righteous will ultimately be rewarded
and the wicked will ultimately be punished. To us on the linear side of
eternity it’s only a matter of time.
I pray you have been edified, enlightened and encouraged by
this simple, humble commentary.
In the service of the God of Israel, Shalom,
-Kris Shoemaker – Yehudah ben Shomeyr
ALL ABOUT SUKKOT COMING NEXT WEEK!
