WEDNESDAY September 14, 2022
Pilgrimages and Pilgrims
"‘The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the Lord. On the first day there shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it.’ ”
Leviticus 23:34-35
There are three Pilgrimage Festivals in the Bible that the Jewish people kept––Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles. During this time, Jews took a pilgrimage to the Temple of Jerusalem. The Feast of Tabernacles is sometimes referred to as the “Feast of Booths.” In the Hebrew language, the Feast is known as Sukkot. The Hebrew word Sukkot means “shelters,” “booths,” or “tabernacles.”
This important Feast is kept on the 15th day of the Hebrew month, Tishri. Usually, this date falls between September and mid-October. It begins five days after the Day of Atonement at the completion of the fall harvest. The people of Israel rejoiced in God’s provision for them.
The Feast of Tabernacles is kept as a remembrance of when Israel journeyed in the wilderness and for God’s protection during the 40 years of wandering. So they would remember God’s faithfulness, they were commanded by God during the Feast to build temporary shelters:
‘You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God’ ” (Leviticus 23:42-43).
Interestingly, in prophecy, two of the Feasts have been fulfilled in our life- time––Passover and Pentecost. There is only one Feast left––Tabernacles. This Feast will be fulfilled at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Imagine, God will dwell among us. Earth is just our temporary dwelling place. We are pilgrims just passing through––our eternal dwelling place is heaven.
I am a pilgrim in the world, but at home in my God. In the earth I wander, but in God I dwell in a quiet habitation.
~C.H. Spurgeon~
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