Christ in the Feast of Tabernacles

By David Brickner

The author is the current president of Jews for Jesus, a ministry dedicated to reaching Jews with the Gospel. This book is written for Jews, messianic believers, and Gentiles curious about the connection between the ancient fall festival of the Old Testament and Jesus Christ, and for missionaries evangelizing to Jewish people. A companion book to Christ in the Passover.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Moody Publishers
• Release date: May 1, 2006
• ISBN: 9781575674797

Book preview

The Feast of Tabernacles is just one of the fall feast celebrations. That’s what I was taught from my early days in Hebrew school. Author David Brickner brings the Feast out from its relative obscurity in grand fashion. Far from being just another holiday, Brickner reveals the divine connections between the Messiah and Tabernacles that are powerful and enlightening. It’s a must read for every believer.

Jon Weiner

Home Fellowship Ministry

Building U: Home Ministry

Southeast Christian Church

As wild branches grafted into the trunk (Romans 11:24), it behooves all Christians to discover, explore, and celebrate their Jewish roots. David Brickner helps us do just that as he takes one of Israel’s most important, yet most neglected, festivals and brings it alive for 21st century disciples. In an increasingly post-Christian, urbanized, me-centered culture, a recovery of the Feast of Tabernacles is not only a powerful reminder of God’s unfailing, earthy providence—and our fragile transience—but also lifts our eyes toward the final horizon when God’s greatest Provision will return, and our fleeting tabernacle will give way to an Eternity of tabernacling in the unveiled glorious presence of Y’Shua.

Dr. Ronald W. Scates

Senior Pastor

Highland Park Presbyterian Church

Dallas, TX

I have been personally enriched and enlightened by David’s work on this pivotal aspect of Jesus’ ministry. The richness of the cultural backdrop magnifies the reality of the centrality of Christ in all of life.

Joseph M. Stowell

Teaching Pastor, Harvest Bible Chapel

Former President, Moody Bible Institute

DAVID BRICKNER

CHRIST

  in the Feast

              of Tabernacles

MOODY PUBLISHERS

CHICAGO

© 2006 by

DAVID BRICKNER

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright © 2000, 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version.

Quotations from Maccabees are taken from Bruce M. Metzger, ed. The Oxford Annotated Apocrypha (New York: Oxford University Press, 1977).

Editor: Pam Pugh

Cover Design: DesignWorks Group Inc.

Cover Image: www.thedesignworksgroup.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Brickner, David.

    Christ in the Feast of Tabernacles / David Brickner.

       p. cm.

    Includes bibliographical references and index.

    ISBN-13: 978-0-8024-1396-3

    ISBN-10: 0-8024-1396-X

     1. Sukkot—Christian observance. 2. Sukkot. 3. Fasts and feasts—Judaism. 4. Jesus Christ—Messiahship. I. Title.

BT93.55.B75 2006

263′.97—dc22

2006002718

We hope you enjoy this book from Moody Publishers. Our goal is to provide high-quality, thought-provoking books and products that connect truth to your real needs and challenges. For more information on other books and products written and produced from a biblical perspective, go to www.moodypublishers.com or write to:

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This book is dedicated to Moishe Rosen, the greatest Jewish missions leader and strategist of the 20th century. He spent his lifetime telling his fellow Jews about Jesus and teaching others to do the same. I am deeply privileged to be one of those he taught and mentored. His work in developing Christ in the Passover inspired a new appreciation for the Jewish roots of Communion among millions of Christians worldwide. I pray that Christ in the Feast of Tabernacles will in some small way provide similar inspiration for God’s people today.

CONTENTS

Foreword

Glossary

A Note from the Author

1. What’s in a Name?

2. The Elements of Celebration

3. Stories of Celebration

4. Tabernacles in the Time of Jesus

5. Jesus Celebrates the Festival

6. Tabernacles without a Temple

7. Tabernacles in the Future

Appendix A:  Building and Decorating Your Own Sukkah (Booth)

Appendix B:  Worship Service for the Feast of Tabernalces

Appendix C:  Recipes for Sukkot

Appendix D:  Chart of the Seven Feasts

Bibliography

Notes

Index

Acknowledgments

FOREWORD

Why should those who love the Lord study the feasts of Israel? Because it is through the symbols of these festivals that one gains a sense of the full texture of the faith—and the imagination is expanded.

The study of the feasts brings one into the bigger picture of how all Scripture—from beginning to end—works together to produce faith in the hearts of those who love God. The Feast of Tabernacles began as a harvest festival and a prayer for rain. A water pouring ceremony was later added, providing the backdrop for Jesus’ offer enjoyed by believers now—If anyone is thirsty, come to Me and drink. And this great feast will find its final fulfillment in the river of Living Water that flows from the throne of God throughout all eternity.

God’s plan to redeem the world has always included both Jews and Gentiles. The Feast of Tabernacles, Sukkot, is especially important because Scripture says that in the Kingdom Age, believers from all nations, both Jews and Gentiles, will make the pilgrimage to observe this festival.

Christ in the Feast of Tabernacles, thoroughly researched by author David Brickner, will point you toward two themes of this festival—joy and thanksgiving, as the presence and provision of God are celebrated.

Be encouraged, edified, and enlightened as you read on.

MOISHE ROSEN

Founder, Jews for Jesus

GLOSSARY

Aliyah: Literally, going up, referring originally to the fact that God commanded Jewish men to go up to Jerusalem to celebrate the three holidays of Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot; in modern times, an invitation to come up to the bimah to read from the Torah. Also refers to immigrating or going up to the Land of Israel.

Amidah: Literally, standing, the central daily prayer in the synagogue, recited while standing and which includes several benedictions asking God to restore the Land and the Temple.

Aravot: Willows. One of the components of the lulav, also waved separately or beaten on the ground on Hoshanah Rabbah.

Bimah: The raised platform from which the Torah is read; the pulpit.

Chatan Bereshit: Literally, bridegroom of the beginning. The person who, on Simhat Torah, begins anew the annual cycle of reading the Torah. The portion read is Genesis 1:1–2:3.

Chatan Torah: Literally, bridegroom of the Torah. The person who, on Simhat Torah, completes the annual cycle of reading the Torah.

Chuppah: The canopy at a Jewish marriage ceremony, often made of a large tallit, and held by four people (the chuppah holders) over the bride and groom with poles.

Diaspora: The dispersion of the Jewish people from the Land; used to refer to Jewish communities outside of Israel.

Essenes: A sect of first-century Judaism, comprising a monastic kind of Jewish religious community; identified by some as the authors of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Etrog: A citron used in the Sukkot liturgy to represent the fruit of the harvest.

ha-Hag: Another name given to Sukkot, meaning simply the festival, that is, the holiday par excellence.

Haftorah, also Haftarah: Literally, concluding portion. The passage from the Prophets that is read in the synagogue following the weekly reading from the Torah. The word is unrelated to Torah.

Hag ha-Asif: The Festival of Ingathering, another name for Sukkot.

Haggim: Festivals, that is, the Jewish holy days. In particular, the three pilgrimage festivals of Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot are called the shalosh regalim, literally, three legs.

Hakkafot: Literally, circuits; the ceremonial processions around the altar (in modern times, around the synagogue) during Sukkot and Simhat Torah.

Hallel: The group of Psalms (113–118) that are recited on Sukkot, Passover, and certain other holidays.

Hol ha-Mo’ed: The intervening days between the first and last day of Jewish festivals.

Hoshana Rabbah: Literally, the great hosanna. The seventh day of Sukkot, the climax of the festival, which includes prayers imploring Hosha na! (Please save!)

Lulav: The three species of branches (palm, willow, myrtle) bound together and used in the Sukkot liturgy.

Mayim chayim: Living water.

Mishnah: Rabbinical oral tradition and legal commentary on the Hebrew Scriptures, compiled in writing in AD 200; together with the later Gemara, it comprises the Talmud.

Mitzvah: A divine commandment; also used colloquially to mean any good deed.

Parashah, also Parsha: One of fifty-four portions into which the Torah is divided for the annual reading cycle.

Pharisees: A sect of first-century Judaism; the teachers of the Law whose power and influence were based in the synagogues. The forerunners of later rabbinic Judaism.

Sadducees: Another sect of first-century Judaism; the ruling class associated with the priesthood and the Temple worship in Jerusalem.

Shemini Atzeret: The eighth day of the Sukkot festival.

Simhat Torah: Literally, rejoicing in the Law; an additional day added to Sukkot, celebrating the conclusion of the yearly cycle of Torah readings and the beginning of the new cycle. Originated in postbiblical times.

Siyyum: Literally, conclusion; a festive meal used to mark completion of the study of a portion of Torah or Talmud.

Sukkah: The temporary shelter woven from branches and leaves, in which one lives and eats during the holiday of Sukkot.

Sukkot: The Feast of Tabernacles, also called the Feast of Booths.

Tallit: The prayer shawl used in worship, which has special fringes at each corner called tzitzit.

Talmud: The compendium of Jewish oral tradition, legal commentary and folklore, compiled in writing between the years AD 200 to 550. It is comprised of two parts, the Mishnah and the Gemara.

Torah: The Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament); also refers particularly to the legal commandments, or to the scroll containing the five books; and more broadly, as divine or Jewish teaching in general.

Yom tov: Literally, good day; used to refer to any Jewish holiday.

Y’shua, also Yeshua: The name of Jesus, in the Aramaic and Hebrew languages.

A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

If you could celebrate only one Christian holiday, which would you choose? Christmas, with its focus on the birth of Y’shua (Jesus), though that has been largely lost in the secularization of the event? After all, it is a really fun time for the family. Or would you choose Easter, with the celebration focused on the death and resurrection of Y’shua—but mixed with fertility symbols, colored eggs, and rabbits—and not nearly as much fun for the family?

While Christians aware of the Jewish festivals have largely focused on the Passover because its symbolism is closely related to the death and resurrection of Christ, Jewish communities through the centuries celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles in grander style. With Passover observances now more common in many Christian communities, maybe it is time to introduce the joyous and community-oriented Feast of Tabernacles to Christians. After all, as you will see, it