Do you plan on going camping next week?

[Contrarian]

Since observing the Lord's Feasts are controversial, I thought I would post a poll to see who is observing Sukkot (The Feast of Tabernacles).

Remember, This is a festive holiday, so let's try not to argue.

All Nations are to observe the Feast of Tabernacles

Zech 14:16-19

16 Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. 17 If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, they will have no rain. 18 If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The Lord will bring on them the plague he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. 19 This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.

 

[farouk]

Since observing the Lord's Feasts are controversial, I thought I would post a poll to see who is observing Sukkot (The Feast of Tabernacles).

Remember, This is a festive holiday, so let's try not to argue.

All Nations are to observe the Feast of Tabernacles

Zech 14:16-19

...but with the revelation of Christ in all His fullness in the New Testament, why go back to the types and shadows?

 

[Contrarian]

...but with the revelation of Christ in all His fullness in the New Testament, why go back to the types and shadows?

We'll ALL be observing The Feast of Tabernacles in the future, according to Zech 14:16-19.

Why wouldn't I celebrate a joyous occasion, that God himself wants us to observe?

 

[Knotical]

Even though I know what a tabernacle is, I wonder what this has to do with going camping?

 

[Contrarian]

Even though I know what a tabernacle is, I wonder what this has to do with going camping?

Good Question

Some people may not be aware of what Sukkot is or how to celebrate it. First let's examine the scripture.

Lev. 23:4

These are the Lord’s appointed festivals, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times:

Leviticus 23:4 indicate that these festivals are the Lords, and he would like his followers to observe these Holy Days ... Holidays. So they are God's Holidays, and being a holiday, they are a festive occasion. They certainly were never intended to be some Legalistic Law that would impact our salvation.

The Feast of Tabernacles:
Lev. 23:33-43

33 The Lord said to Moses, 34 “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month the Lord’s Festival of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days. 35 The first day is a sacred assembly; do no regular work. 36 For seven days present food offerings to the Lord, and on the eighth day hold a sacred assembly and present a food offering to the Lord. It is the closing special assembly; do no regular work.

37 (“‘These are the Lord’s appointed festivals, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies for bringing food offerings to the Lord—the burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings required for each day. 38 These offerings are in addition to those for the Lord’s Sabbaths and[e] in addition to your gifts and whatever you have vowed and all the freewill offerings you give to the Lord.)

39 “‘So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the Lord for seven days; the first day is a day of sabbath rest, and the eighth day also is a day of sabbath rest. 40 On the first day you are to take branches from luxuriant trees—from palms, willows and other leafy trees—and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. 41 Celebrate this as a festival to the Lord for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 Live in temporary shelters for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in such shelters 43 so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in temporary shelters when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’”

So here we see that Sukkot is 7 days long ending with an 8th day, which is actually a separate holiday. If you are to observe the festival, you should build a sukkah or tabernacle which is a temporary shelter such as a shack or tent. That explains the "Camping" title.

An interesting side note. A lot of people indicate that these feasts are "shadows of things to come". Well who lived in a shack for 7 days, and on the 8th day was taken to the temple to be circumcised? Jesus!

Sukkot is the celebration of Jesus' birthday. Established by God. (There's more to this study, so I would recommend googling "Jesus' birthday Sukkot" for a full Bible study)

So from a Christian point of view. I'm celebrating Jesus' birthday the way God intended.

Now, some detractors would indicate that "we are no longer under the law". I would point them to the following scripture.

Zech 14:16-19

Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. 17 If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, they will have no rain. 18 If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The Lord will bring on them the plague he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. 19 This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.

This demonstrates that after the Rapture, we will be celebrating Sukkot.

The question I present to you is this "Does God change his mind? Does he intend for his followers to first observe the Feasts, and then during "The time of the Gentiles", not want his followers to observe the Feasts, and then after the rapture require that ALL nations observer the Feasts?

My God doesn't flip-flop on issues.

 

[Knotical]

Interesting. Though, the verse you quoted stating when this Holiday is to take place is a bit confusing. When is this supposed to take place, considering it says:

So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land

Is this saying that it is to be celebrated in March or April, depending on when you harvest your crops. Or some other month?

 

[Contrarian]

Well, it's based off of the Hebrew calendar, which is a lunar calendar. This means that the holiday is celebrated on a different day every year, which is much like Passover or Easter.

The easiest way to learn when to celebrate it, is to look it up on a hebrew calendar.

www.hebcal.com

:D

 

[Knotical]

So, do you celebrate this, and Christmas?

 

[Contrarian]

I do.

I'm definitely not legalistic about it. My church and my parent's church celebrate Christmas. So we observe Christmas Eve with my parents at their church service. We still sing Christmas carols. We still give gifts Christmas morning, but I see it as a secular holiday. You have to admit a Christmas tree has nothing to do with Christianity. In fact,

Jeremiah 10:2-4

This is what the Lord says:

“Do not learn the ways of the nations
or be terrified by signs in the heavens,
though the nations are terrified by them.
3 For the practices of the peoples are worthless;
they cut a tree out of the forest,
and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel.
4 They adorn it with silver and gold;
they fasten it with hammer and nails
so it will not totter.

It's very difficult to completely do away with "tradition", and I don't want to offend others who still celebrate Christmas. And why create animosity with my children towards God, because they didn't participate in Christmas or any secular holiday (although we try to keep Halloween as toned down as possible. No evil costumes.)

It's hard to live in a secular world and instil Biblical values in your children.

And remember this doesn't affect my salvation. I just prefer to see this Time as Jesus' birthday. And celebrate it as such.

 

[Knotical]

How do you observe Sukkot?

 

[handy]

Certainly Christians have the freedom to observe this festival or not...

Leviticus 23:42 couldn't be clearer, the call is for those born Israelites. As far as those of us who are Gentiles... America has never attacked Israel and since the rapture hasn't taken place as of yet, it certainly in no way seems mandatory or even expected.

However, you said this: "So from a Christian point of view. I'm celebrating Jesus' birthday the way God intended."

This isn't God's intention for this particular festival... it's not a remembrance of Jesus' birth, but rather a remembrance of when God led His people out of slavery. However, I truly do believe that Christians can observe these festivals should they want to.

 

[farouk]

We'll ALL be observing The Feast of Tabernacles in the future, according to Zech 14:16-19.

Why wouldn't I celebrate a joyous occasion, that God himself wants us to observe?

It's good to see the unity of Scripture, and to recognize that 'all the promises of God in Him are, Yea, and in Him, Amen, to the glory of God by us' (2 Corinthians 1.20).