Tabernacles Forever*

      This message comes during the Feast of Tabernacles. Many in the Church are not taught the feasts of the LORD, and many believe that the Feasts are only part of the Jewish faith, and not for Christians. However, this is not true. Jesus not only observed the feasts but fulfilled the spring feasts with His first coming and will fulfill the fall feasts with His second coming. The believers of the Christian faith are branches that have been grafted into the root of Judaism, as Apostle Paul wrote. Surely this makes the feasts something the Church should not only study but understand their importance to our walk of faith. The Feast of Tabernacles also includes the traditional practice of the outpouring of water and is also associated with great candelabras of light as we will read. There will also be a link at the end of this post to a blog with further information about this.

     The LORD commanded the Feast of Tabernacles in His Word: "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD. On the first day shall be a holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be a holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein. These are the feasts of the LORD...to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD...when ye have gathered in the (**aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) fruit of the land, ye shall keep a (**aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) feast unto the LORD seven days...and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days...It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month. Ye shall dwell in booths seven days...That your generations may know that I made the (**aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God." (Lev. 23:33-43). This is a command to be observed and obeyed forever. The Feast of Tabernacles is the time of harvest, including the end time salvation harvest of Israel. The promise of God is that "All Israel shall be saved."

     The Tabernacle of God represents His presence among His people. The LORD said: "And I will set my tabernacle amongst you: and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people." (Lev. 26:11-12).

     We will see our first connection between tabernacles and light. The Gospel of John tells us that in the beginning, the Word of God was God and created all things. This is also born out in the written Hebrew of Genesis 1:1. All things were made by the Word: "In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." (Jn. 1:1-5). Who was this Word and Light? The Gospel tells us: "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt (skenoo/skenos - tabernacle, tent) among us, (and we beheld his glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." (Jn. 1:14). The Word and Light is Jesus, the Son of the Father, and He tabernacled with us. Is it possible that Jesus was born on the Feast of Tabernacles? Several details about His birth in scripture might lead us to conclude this.

     Regarding Light and darkness as mentioned in John's Gospel above, the prophet, Isaiah, also wrote: "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising (Isa. 60:1-3)...The sun shall be no more thy light by day...but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I might be glorified." (v. 19-21). We see here light and glory again. The land referred to here is not called Palestine, but Israel, forever. God will have the last Word concerning these things, not man, as we see them taking place even today.

     Israel is a central part of the manifestation of God's promises. The prophet, Ezekial, was given both a vision and prophetic Word from the LORD regarding the people and the nation of Israel that affected all of our lives as well. Israel viewed themselves as dead and dry, like dead, dry disjointed bones. The LORD gave this Word: "Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your (**aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, and shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD...I will make them one nation...and one king shall be king to them all...but I will save them out of all their dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant...for ever: and my prince David shall be their prince for ever." (Ezek. 37:11-25, excerpt, see also Isa. 26:19-21)). Not only will they be dwelling in the land, Israel, that God gave to them forever, but "David", who at this point at the time of the prophecy was many years dead, would be their one prince, their one King, forever. This prophecy of an eternal King who is a descendant of David refers to the Messiah/Christ, who is Jesus.

     The prophetic Word to Ezekiel continued: "Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them...and will set my (**aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify (**aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore." (v. 26-28). 

     The land is forever, the King, the Shepherd over them, is forever, the peace that the LORD will give them will be forever, and His sanctuary and tabernacle in the midst of them will be forever.

     These promises are given to the Gentiles as well. Earlier in Chapter 37, the LORD had given Ezekiel the vision of two sticks being joined together in his hand. One stick represented Judah and his brethren, and one stick represented Ephraim, the son of Joseph, and his brethren. Ephraim was Joseph's son, born in Egypt, to a Gentile mother. There will no more be a separation between the two.

     In the Book of Revelation, the resurrected, glorified, and enthroned Jesus gave His disciple, John, a vision of the tabernacle of God descending from heaven: "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them., and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega (aleph-tav in Hebrew), the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son." (Rev. 21:1-7).

     John continued on to describe that the LORD God Almighty and the Lamb (Jesus) are the temple within this city and the light of this city, and there is no night there: "The nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life." We see the water (fountain) and the light of the Feast of Tabernacles manifested, confirming the prophetic promises which we read above.

     John described also a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and the Lamb. This river was sided on each side by a tree of life whose leaves and fruit were healing for the nations (Rev. 22:1-2). Leaves of branches and fruits from these two trees of life are represented in the observance of the Feast of Tabernacles also. As this city comes down from heaven, the servants of God and of the Lamb " shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads", and there shall be no more curse. God will give the light of this city, having no need of sun nor moon any longer, "...and they shall reign for ever and ever." (v. 3-5).

     The prophet, Zechariah, wrote the Word of the LORD concerning the coming conflict of all nations against Jerusalem and the judgment of the day of the LORD against those attacking nations. (Zech. 14:1-2). The LORD said, "...it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light. And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem...And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one...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 (**aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) feast of tabernacles...whosoever will not come up of all the families of the earth to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain...In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the LORD's house shall be like the bowls before the altar...and in that day there shall be no more Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts." (Zech. 14:7-21, excerpt).

     The day of the LORD to which Zechariah refers above is coming, although we don't know the day or hour, but we can see the signs as the nations, including the United Nations, conspire against, threaten, and attack Israel. The LORD will come against all the nations that attack Israel. Those same nations will be commanded to come to Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Tabernacles and to worship the LORD King, the Messiah/Christ, Jesus, as the LORD makes even the most common thing HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD. If these nations refuse to come, they will be punished and they will receive no rain.

     It is time to stop playing church and to discern the spirits among us that lie and deceive. Israel is established forever, and the Feast of Tabernacles is forever for all nations. Don 't believe the lie!

     *Based upon Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson, Jr.'s 10/20/24 message to the church. If you would like to hear the complete message, you can find it on Dr. Stevenson's Facebook page. To contact or support this ministry, or to request prayer, you can write to PO Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705. To find out more about the Shroud of Turin, and to receive a free e-book now available in several languages, go to http://www.theshroudofturin.org/freebook.

     **NOTE: aleph-tav written in Hebrew as אֶת, are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The meaning of the two pictographic Hebrew letters can also be interpreted "Adonai (Lord) of the Cross/Covenant". In the New Testament, these letters are translated as Alpha and Omega written as Α Ω , the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. These letters are those by which Jesus Christ identifies Himself in the Book of Revelation: see Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, Rev. 22:13.

*Recommended Blog regarding the Feast of Tabernacles:

"The Fountain That Was Sent"



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