Tabernacles (Sukkot) is for everyone

Thursday begins the eight-day Feast of Tabernacles, of Sukkot, commonly referred to by Christians as one of those "Jewish holidays."

But, for Bible believers, Tabernacles is clearly for everyone, especially followers of Jesus the Messiah.

First of all, nowhere in the Bible does it call the Feast of Tabernacles, or any of the other biblical holy days, including the seventh-day Sabbath, Jewish "feasts." Instead, they are called the "Feasts of the Lord" (Leviticus 23, 2 Chronicles 2:4, Ezra 3:5). They were observed by Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David, all the prophets, Jesus and His disciples.

When did Jesus' followers stop observing the feasts is a point of contention, but it shouldn't be. One thing is for certain: It was a point of contention that caused the feasts to be forgotten by Christianity.

Maybe it's time for a re-evaluation.

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Do you believe in prophecy? If you're a follower of Jesus, it's hard not to. After all, it's through prophecy that we know He's the Jewish Messiah – our Savior, our Lord, the Son of God.

All Christians, by virtue of this fact, acknowledge prophecy is the proof of who Jesus is.

So, what do the prophets say about His return? They tell us that Jesus is going to come again and set up His Kingdom on earth. Sometimes I believe today's Christians, including those who value prophecy, spend too much time dwelling on the prophecies that lead up to His second coming and not nearly enough time on those about what it will be like in His Kingdom, what we will be doing there and what He will require of us.

That's why I wrote the book, "The Restitution of All Things: Israel, Christians and the End of the Age," to set the record straight about the Kingdom.

So, as we approach Sukkot, the Hebrew word for Tabernacles, let's take a look at what His Word tells us.

Zechariah 14:16-19: "And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.

"And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.

"And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the Lord will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

"This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles."

Looks like everyone on earth will be expected to observe the Feast of Tabernacles in the Kingdom.

That raises the question: If the feasts were for Moses and the prophets and for Jesus and His disciples, and they will once again be for all nations and all people in the Kingdom to come, why are they not for His disciples today?

I'm sure I'll get a lot of explanations from readers.

I always do.

And I'm always willing to listen to them.

But it's a question worth asking. I don't think most Christians ever earnestly ask themselves and seek answers from His Word rather than from their teachers.

As I read the gospels, I see Jesus emphasizing one point over and over again. It's the message He gave repeatedly to the Pharisees of old: "But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."

What was He saying? He was telling them to get back to Scripture only – the divinely delivered Word of God. These were the "heavy burdens" that were laid by men on other men's shoulders, not the eternal teachings of God.

Pray about that through Sukkot this year. Learn about it, if you are so inspired. Take it to the Lord in prayer and humility.

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