It is my position that the Christian Church should focus on the Feast of Tabernacles instead of Halloween, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day during the fall season.
In fact, I believe it would have been better and still is better if the church had decided years ago to hold the biblical Feast of Tabernacles instead of Halloween, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day.
The Feast of Tabernacles is mentioned in Leviticus 23:33-43 as well as other scriptures. It is also known as Sukkot in Hebrew. Sukkot means temporary shelter. It is also known as the Feast of Booths as well as the Feast of Ingathering.
In the Bible once the Jerusalem Temple was built those who could traveled to Jerusalem for the feast. Yet, one would expect that those who could not go to Jerusalem still kept the feast where they lived. Therefore, it is still valid to keep the feast even though there is no operational Jerusalem Temple today.
The Feast of Tabernacles is a seven day fall feast held during the seventh Hebrew month at the end of the fall harvest. However, there is an eighth day immediately following the seven feast days that God commanded. The first and eighth day are designated sabbath days regardless of the day of the week on which they fall. The seventh month occurs in September or October depending on when Spring starts since the Hebrew New Year starts in March or April in the spring.
The Feast of Tabernacles commemorates the 40 years the Israelites spent wandering in the wilderness after their exodus from bondage in Egypt. During this time, they lived in temporary shelters, and God provided for their needs. These temporary shelters are called booths (Leviticus 23:42; Nehemiah 8:14).
Leviticus 23:40 and Nehemiah 8:15-16 describe various material from various trees to be used in building the booths and seemingly in rejoicing ceremonies. Leviticus 23:40 mentions boughs from thick trees. Meriam Webster dictionary defines a bough as a branch from a tree, especially a main branch. Nehemiah 8:15 also mentions branches from trees. Thus, both Leviticus 23:40 and Nehemiah 8:15 indicate the booths were made using branches from trees and other material from trees.
The feast involves setting up these temporary shelters or booths in a special memorialization of what God provided for the Israelites all those years ago. For Christians it is a joyous reminder and commemoration of God’s provision and protection over our lifetime. For Christians it is a time to reflect on the end time when Christ returns, and all nations will worship the Lord together.
Under the New Covenant it is more about keeping the feast in the spirit of the law rather than in the letter of the law. Scriptures such as Colossians 2:14-17, 2 Corinthians 3:6, and Romans 7:6 provide guidance regarding keeping it is the spirit in contrast to the letter.
Formally recognizing the Feast of Tabernacles in the coming years is something I hold that all Christians should consider. Doing so in the spirit rather than the letter means people may recognize it using different methods and means and to different degrees.
For example, some may set up temporary dwelling in their yard, on their balcony or in a community space or other designated place. Some may spend time eating in the dwelling. Some may also sleep overnight in the dwelling. Some may also pray alone or with others or do other holy things in the temporary dwelling during the seven day festival. One does so remembering that only the first day and eighth day are sabbath days so one can still do other things like go to work during the other days of the feast is one is compelled to so do.
Many non-Catholic churches have come to recognize there is something just not right about Halloween no matter how well intentioned it began. Therefore., many churches have gone to what is called something like Fall Festival. However, I tend to hold that Christian Churches might as well go further and make the Feast of Tabernacles the focus of the Fall Festival, again in the spirit of it not the letter of it.
I emphasize in the spirit of the feast of Tabernacles since in fact there is very few who keep the feast exactly as prescribed in the law of Moses. In fact, under the provisions of Colossians 2:16 there is seemingly no mandate to keep it. And if one does there is no mandate to keep it as written.
Keeping the Feast of Tabernacles is not a matter of salvation and seemingly not even for obedience under the provisions of Colossians 2:14-17. Yet, I am suggesting that it is better to keep it especially in contrast to Halloween and even in contrast to what is called Fall Festivals. For in so doing one moves the focus more to things of God rather than things of the world.
See my article entitled Halloween – To Celebrate or Not Celebrate for more information on why I hold this position about the above fall festivals.
