VIDEO: Spiritual aspects of Sukkot – the Feast of Tabernacles
Sunset today marks the beginning of the 7-day cherished Jewish festival, Sukkot, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles.
It commemorates the Israelites' journey in the wilderness after leaving Egypt, during which they lived in booths constructed out of four special natural materials, as commanded by God. Jewish people worldwide continue to build sukkot and observe this custom to this day.
For believers from all nations, Sukkot represents timeless truths – reliance upon God's care, unity and joy. Pastor Meno Kalisher explores these spiritual aspects in detail, emphasizing Sukkot's enduring significance as one of God's appointed times.
Below is a transcript of Pastor Meno's teaching on Sukkot – the Feast of Tabernacles – slightly edited for clarity.
Shalom to ALL ISRAEL NEWS friends.
My name is Meno Kalisher and I serve as a pastor at Jerusalem Assembly House of Redemption in Israel.
What is Sukkot?
God commanded the people of Israel to dwell in a sukkah, a hut for seven days.
So you may know that I took you out of Egypt from a place of slavery to freedom. So we dwell in the sukkah in the hut for seven days, remembering what God has done to the people of Israel when He took them out of Egypt.
God commanded you to take four specific items with which you built this hut.
So the first one was splendid fruit. The splendid fruit, according to Nehemiah 8 is what lives and is the fruit of our lives.
In Nehemiah 8:15 they celebrated Sukkot after the return from the diaspora. And they have heard from the Bible. They read the Word of God as it is commanded in the Remembrance of the Trumpet and the Day of Atonement. And they did exactly as it is.
The olive – righteousness, holiness.
The second one – the palm Leaves.
Speaking about righteousness, that means standing firm spiritually.
The third one is thick leaves in order to build this tabernacle.
When you check in the Bible, what is the meaning of strong trees?
It speaks about My sovereignty, a kingdom.
So God is telling the people, that's the sign I created for you.
And the fourth are the willows of the brook.
And where do you find willows of the brook?
Next to the brook.
And what does the Bible say about something that grows next to water?
It blossoms!
It has everything it needs.
Also, someone tells us that the tree that grows next to the water blossoms, grows and has life.
So the sukkah is a tabernacle. It's like a little room where you sit together and you dwell with God, reminding you that He took you out of slavery.
For what purpose?
To grow spiritually.
And what did the people of Israel do during the Old Testament time in order to prepare for their job?
According to Numbers 29, during Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacle, the people sacrificed 70 bulls.
Why 70 bulls?
Because God said He created nations according to the numbers of the sons of Jacob that went down to Egypt.
So you see, before even the people of Israel knew they already acted as priests for the benefit of the rest of the nations, of the Gentiles, presenting sacrifices on their behalf.
Now, what does that mean to me today as a believer?
Today as a believer, I’m already after all these holidays. I already rest in my salvation.
Christ Jesus, His Holy Spirit, dwells in me.
I have a fellowship with believers and all of us together as believers serve as priests in this world.
We are God's ambassadors.
We are God's mediator in that sense to the people in the world.
We share the Gospel.
We bring them to know the Lord.
We serve as priests.
So as for myself, I’ve already enjoyed all the holidays.
It has been fulfilled by Christ for me.
And what about you?
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.