The feasts of Israel were saturated with Edenic symbolism, as God's People celebrated the bounty of God's provision and enjoyed the fullness of life and prosperity under the Covenant. This is particularly true of the Feast of Tabernacles (or "Ingathering," in Exodus 23:16).1
In this feast the Israelites were required to leave their cities and live for seven days in "tabernacles" or booths, made entirely of "the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook" (Leviticus 23:40). Israel usually dwelled in walled cities, as a protection against their enemies; yet, at the very time of prosperity (the end of the harvest) — when attack would seem most likely — God ordered them to leave the security of their cities and journey to Jerusalem, to live in unprotected booths made of branches, palm fronds, fruit, and leafy boughs! God promised, of course, that He would keep the heathen from attacking during the festivals (Exodus 34:23-24),2 and Israel had to trust in His Strength.
The feast was a very obvious reminder of life in Eden, when walled cities were unnecessary; and it looked forward to the day when the world would be turned into Eden, and the nations would beat their swords into plowshares (Micah 4:1-5).3
In my collection of essays, "The Inevitable Coming of the Catholic Workers' Paradise,"4 I examined the prophecies which speak of the world-wide prosperity of the Gospel, when all kingdoms surrender their authority to Christ the King, becoming part of His Kingdom. It is difficult to imagine the world-wide blessings of Edenic restoration without keeping a faithful eye on God's great evangelistic promises. The Feast of Tabernacles did just that. In addition to speaking of the elimination of city-fortresses and a return to Garden- communities, mention is made of the great future out-pouring of God's grace upon all nations. During the feast 70 bulls were sacrificed. Why 70? The number seventy comes up often in Scripture, and most often it refers to the original reference to seventy in the Book of Genesis: In chapter 10 we have the Catalogue of Nations, descendants of Noah from which all present nations have derived. The feast celebrated the Ingathering of all nations to God's Kingdom, thus atonement was made for all.
The contrast between man's efforts to protect himself through a fortress-city and his willingness to trust God in a more agrarian setting was illustrated in the Feast of Tabernacles. The Israelites, who continually lusted after the military strength of the neighboring nations, ignored this Feast until the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, when it was finally observed (Nehemiah 8:13-18).5
Since understanding comes through obedience (Psalm 119:98-100; John 7:17),6 it was at this time that they finally understood its purpose. The prophets informed Israel that this was an enacted symbolic prophecy of the conversion of all nations to the true Faith. On the last day of this feast (Haggai 2:1) God said "I will shake all nations, and the wealth of all nations shall come; and I will fill this House [the Temple] with Glory" (Haggai 2:7). About this same time, Zechariah prophesied about the meaning of the feast in terms of the sanctification of all areas of life by all nations (Zechariah 14:14-21).7
Hundreds of years later, during the celebration of this feast during the "last days" of the Old Covenant, Christ Himself further expounded the meaning: it signifies the outpouring of the Spirit upon the restored believer, so that the Church becomes a channel of restoration to the whole world (John 7:37-39;8 cp. Ezekiel 47:1-12[9]).
As the Gospel is carried to the ends of the Earth and the Spirit poured out (Acts 2:16ff.), God's Presence is manifested and the Garden restored. With the whole world converted, men can abandon their militaristic industrialism and return to a life of peace (Isaiah 2:4, Micah 4:4), as the Feast of Booths taught.
Israel was to be the means of bringing the blessings of the Garden of Eden to
the whole world: Scripture goes out of its way to portray this Great Commission
symbolically when it tells us (twice — Ex 15:27; Numbers 33:9) of Israel
camping at Elim. We are told there were twelve wells of water (the
twelve tribes of Israel). We are also told there were seventy palm trees.
Why seventy? Clearly the twelve wells were to water the trees; what did the
seventy refer to? Once again, it is the original 70 nations from which all nations
are derived. The twelve tribes of Israel are to spread the River of Life to the seventy
nations. God's people are this nation of priests (I Peter 2:9;[10] Exodus
19:5,6[11]), wells of water chosen to bring the water of the Gospel to a world of trees
dried by sin and the Curse. The time when the Feast of Tabernacles will become a
reality is here said to be certain: God's people will fly the Gospel banner and the
whole earth will become the Garden (Isaiah 11:9;12 Daniel 2:35[13]), filled with Blessing
and security, with no need for walled cities
(Leviticus 23:3-6;14
Isaiah 65:17-25;15
Ezekiel 34:25-29[16]), and no need to prepare for war (Micah 4:4).
A basic promise of salvation is given in Isaiah 4:4-5:
When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purged the blood of Jerusalem from her midst, by the Spirit of judgment and by the Spirit of burning, {5} then the LORD will create above every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and above her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a canopy.
This Cloud-canopy of God's Presence,17 full of angels, is called a pavilion, a covering (2 Sam 22:12; Ps 18:11; Lam 3:44; Ps 91:4). And that is why the word covering is used to describe the position of the carved cherubim that were placed hovering over the Ark of the Covenant (Ex 25:20). It is therefore significant that this Hebrew word is the term translated booths and tabernacles when God commands His people to erect booths of leafy branches to dwell in during the Feast of Tabernacles (Lev 23:34,42-43); as we have seen, this feast was a reminder of Eden, a symbolic representation of the fact that salvation restores us to Edenic blessings.
Ezekiel 47:1-12
Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and there was water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east; the water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar. 2 He brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me around on the outside to the outer gateway that faces east; and there was water, running out on the right side. 3 And when the man went out to the east with the line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the water came up to my ankles. 4 Again he measured one thousand and brought me through the waters; the water came up to my knees. Again he measured one thousand and brought me through; the water came up to my waist. 5 Again he measured one thousand, and it was a river that I could not cross; for the water was too deep, water in which one must swim, a river that could not be crossed. 6 He said to me, "Son of man, have you seen this?" Then he brought me and returned me to the bank of the river. 7 When I returned, there, along the bank of the river, were very many trees on one side and the other. 8 Then he said to me: "This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the valley, and enters the sea. When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed. 9 "And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes. 10 "It shall be that fishermen will stand by it from En Gedi to En Eglaim; they will be places for spreading their nets. Their fish will be of the same kinds as the fish of the Great Sea, exceedingly many. 11 "But its swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be given over to salt. 12 "Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine."
(1) "and the Feast of Harvest, the firstfruits of your labors which you have sown in the field; and the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you have gathered in the fruit of your labors from the field." (Exodus 23:16)
(2) "Three times in the year all your men shall appear before the Lord, the LORD God of Israel. {24} For I will cast out the nations before you and enlarge your borders; neither will any man covet your land when you go up to appear before the LORD your God three times in the year." ( Exodus 34:23-24)
(3) "Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the Lord's house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And peoples shall flow to it. {2} Many nations shall come and say, 'Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.' For out of Zion the law shall go forth, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. {3} He shall judge between many peoples, And rebuke strong nations afar off; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war any more. {4} But everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, And no one shall make them afraid; For the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken. {5} For all people walk each in the name of his god, But we will walk in the name of the LORD our God Forever and ever." (Micah 4:1-5)
(4) Contained in Volume 2 of The Most Radical Doctrine of Predestination Ever Articulated in the History of the Church. Oringinally published as Essay Two in the series of essays entitled, Vine & Fig Tree: The Coming of the Catholic Workers' Paradise.
(5) "Now on the second day the heads of the fathers' houses of all the people, with the priests and Levites, were gathered to Ezra the scribe, in order to
understand the words of the Law. {14} And they found written in the Law, which the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month, {15} and that they should announce and proclaim in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying, 'Go out to the mountain, and bring olive branches, branches of oil trees, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written.' {16} Then the people went out and brought them and made themselves booths, each one on the roof of his house, or in their courtyards or the courts of the house of God, and in the open square of the Water Gate and in the open square of the Gate of Ephraim. {17} So the whole assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and sat under the booths; for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun until that day the children of Israel had not done so. And there was very great gladness. {18} Also day by day, from the first day until the last day, he read from the Book of the Law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day there was a sacred assembly, according to the prescribed manner." (Nehemiah 8:13-18)
(6) and we are not to postpone our obedience to God until after we think we "understand" why God commands us
(7) "Judah also will fight at Jerusalem. And the wealth of all the surrounding nations Shall be gathered together: Gold, silver, and apparel in great abundance. {15} Such also shall be the plague On the horse and the mule, On the camel and the donkey, And on all the cattle that will be in those camps. So shall this plague be. {16} And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. {17} And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, on them there will be no rain. {18} If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the LORD strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. {19} This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. {20} In that day 'HOLINESS TO THE LORD' shall be engraved on the bells of the horses. The pots in the Lord's house shall be like the bowls before the altar. {21} Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to the LORD of hosts. Everyone who sacrifices shall come and take them and cook in them. In that day there shall no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts." (Zechariah 14:14-21)
(8) "On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, 'If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. {38} He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.' {39} But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified." (John 7:37-39)
(9) See end.
(10) "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; (1 Peter 2:9)
(11) "'Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. {6} 'And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel." (Exodus 19:5-6)
(12) "They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea." (Isaiah 11:9)
(13) "Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth." (Daniel 2:35)
(14) "'Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it; it is the Sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings. {4} 'These are the feasts of the LORD, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times. {5} 'On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the Lord's Passover. {6} 'And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; seven days you must eat unleavened bread." (Leviticus 23:3-6)
(15) "'For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind. {18} But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, And her people a joy. {19} I will rejoice in Jerusalem, And joy in My people; The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her, Nor the voice of crying. {20} No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, Nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days; For the child shall die one hundred years old, But the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed. {21} They shall build houses and inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. {22} They shall not build and another inhabit; They shall not plant and another eat; For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people, And My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. {23} They shall not labor in vain, Nor bring forth children for trouble; For they shall be the descendants of the blessed of the LORD, And their offspring with them. {24} It shall come to pass That before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear. {25} The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, The lion shall eat straw like the ox, And dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain," says the LORD." (Isaiah 65:17-25)
(16) "I will make a covenant of peace with them, and cause wild beasts to cease from the land; and they will dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. {26} "I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing; and I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessing. {27} "Then the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase. They shall be safe in their land; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke and delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them. {28} "And they shall no longer be a prey for the nations, nor shall beasts of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and no one shall make them afraid. {29} "I will raise up for them a garden of renown, and they shall no longer be consumed with hunger in the land, nor bear the shame of the Gentiles anymore." (Ezekiel 34:25-29)
(17) See Essay Six in Vine & Fig Tree: The Coming ofthe Catholic Workers' Paradise or "Back to the Land!" in Volume 2 of The Most Radical Doctrine of Predestination Ever Articulated in the History of the Church.