Steve Conover: Thank you for joining us for the Friends of Israel Today. I'm Steve Conover. With me is our host and teacher, Chris Katulka. I encourage you right at the start to take note of our website, foiradio.org, foiradio.org. It's there. You can listen to over nine years worth of content on the site. It features Chris Katulka's great teaching and insightful interviews with the hosts of insightful guests. Again, that's foiradio.org.

Chris Katulka: Steve, as we are recording this, Jewish people are celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles. Another name for that is Sukkot, and so today we're going to look at what Leviticus has to say about this amazing celebratory feast and what it means for us as Christians as well. Today is all about the Feast of Tabernacles.

Steve Conover: But first in the news, big news really, Yahya Sinwar is dead. The head of Hamas and mastermind of the October 7 killing of 1200 innocent Israelis was found and eliminated by the Israeli Defense Forces. According to Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “Sinwar's death marks the beginning of the end of the war.”

Chris Katulka: Well, Steve, here's my take with Sinwar's death. World leaders want the war in Gaza to end. They've criticized Netanyahu's phrase, “beginning of the end" as he said, but had Netanyahu taken the advice of world leaders, Sinwar would probably still be alive living underground in Rafah. Let's let Israel finish the war so that it can give its citizens the confidence that they can have, that they could live in a safe country, especially those Israelis living on the border of Gaza and Lebanon. Plus, the true end of the war won't begin until the hostages are released.

Chris Katulka: The Feast of Tabernacles or Sukkot in Hebrew is a great time of celebration for the Jewish people. The feast is the last festival of the year according to Leviticus chapter 23. That means after the Feast of Tabernacles, the Passover season kick starts a new year for Israel's festivals in the spring. The Feast of Tabernacles is a seven day festival that follows Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. It begins on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei, which typically falls in late September or early October. This year it's in late October. This holiday brings about a dramatic shift in the Jewish calendar moving from the solemnity of Yom Kippur to a time of great rejoicing, the name Sukkot means booths or tabernacles, referring to the temporary shelters that the Israelites lived in during their wilderness wanderings. It's a time to celebrate God's provision and remember his guidance during those 40 years in the desert.

Now, like many biblical festivals, Sukkot has both historical and agricultural significance. Historically, it serves as a reminder of the Israelites journey through the wilderness living in makeshift shelters after God led them out of the land of Egypt. Leviticus chapter 23, verses 42 and 43 actually says, “live in temporary shelters for seven days. All native-born Israelites are to live in such shelters.” God says, “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.” The Feast of Tabernacles emphasizes God's protection and care during this time of Israel's vulnerability. It reminds the Jewish people and Bible-believing Christians of its significance marking the humble beginnings out of which God brought his people. Agriculturally though Sukkot is also known as the Feast of Ingathering, it marks the end of the harvest season, a time to rejoice in the produce gathered from the fields. 

For an agrarian society, it was the pinnacle of the year's work, an opportunity to thank God for his provision and pray for rain for the upcoming planting season. While other cultures in the ancient world also held harvest festivals, Sukkot stood apart because it was grounded in the story of redemption and God's covenantal relationship with his people. Additionally, this harvest was a sweet harvest. For instance, the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Firstfruits in the springtime, were the harvests of wheat and barley to make bread. Bread is incredibly important. It's the food that sustains. However, the Feast of Tabernacles was a harvest of the sweet things in life, the olives, the grapes, the dates, the figs, it's the sweet foods that make life feel abundant. God provides everything for us and then he goes above and beyond and provides the extra sweet things we don't deserve. So let's go back to the law.

The instructions for observing the Feast of Tabernacles are found in Leviticus chapter 23, and God commanded the Israelites to live in booths for seven days. These temporary shelters or sukkahs are built with a roof made of branches that allow the stars to be visible, reminding the participants of their transitory nature of life and the reliance on God for sustenance. Today, many Jewish families build and decorate these structures, sometimes hanging fruit and lights or other festive decorations from the roof. And religious families will eat meals in the sukkah and for some even sleep there during the holiday. The celebration begins with a sacred assembly on the first day where no work is to be done. The eighth day, the last day, is known as Shemini Atzeret, is also a very special holiday as well that brings the festival to a close. During Sukkot, a total of 189 sacrifices are actually made according to Numbers 29, which really illustrates the magnitude, the significance of this festival in the life of ancient Israel.

Now water also played a central role in the Feast of Tabernacles, symbolizing not only physical sustenance through food, but spiritual sustenance as well. In biblical times, a special water pouring ceremony took place. Priests would draw water from the pool of Siloam and carry it to the temple where it was poured out on the altar as an offering to God. This act was both a thanksgiving for the previous year's rain and a prayer for the rainy season to come. The water ceremony also carried messianic implications as it was connected to the anticipation of God's ultimate salvation, which comes from Isaiah 12:3 where it says, “with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” It's no surprise then that Jesus chose the Feast of Tabernacles to make a powerful declaration in John chapter seven, where he said, “if anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” Jesus was essentially, think about this, presenting himself as the fulfillment of the spiritual thirst symbolized by the water ceremony of the Feast of Tabernacles. 

The Feast of Tabernacles was also called, think about this, the Festival of Light. In Jerusalem, during this amazing feast, large candelabras would be erected in the temple courtyard and their brilliant light illuminated the entire city of Jerusalem. It was a reminder of God's presence and guidance symbolized by the pillar of light that led the Israelites in the wilderness. It's thought that when Jesus proclaimed in John chapter eight when he said, “I am the light of the world,” he was referencing this very custom pointing to himself as the true source of God's light. Even today, the Feast of Tabernacles is marked by rich traditions. One of the central customs is the waving of the lulav and the etrog.

The lulav is a bundle consisting of palm branches, two willow branches and three myrtle branches. While the etrog kind of looks like a lemon, it's a citron fruit. These four species represent different kinds of people within the Jewish community, symbolizing the unity of Israel. The waving of the lulav is a way of rejoicing before the Lord and acknowledging his sovereignty over all of creation. Another important tradition is the reading of certain biblical texts like Psalm 27. Psalm 27 is recited all throughout Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles and the prayers known as Hoshanot are chanted as participants circle the synagogue with their lulav and their etrog. This is especially significant on the seventh day of the feast, which is Hoshana Rabbah or the Great Hosannah. It's the day of intensified prayer for God's provision and his protection. Sukkot isn't just a time of looking back, it's also a festival with profound prophetic meaning.

Zechariah 14 describes a time when all nations will come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. It speaks of a future Messianic age when God's reign will extend over all of the earth and those who refuse to keep the feast will experience drought as a sign of judgment, according to Zechariah, that's what he says. The prophetic vision points to the universal significance of Sukkot suggesting that its theme of God's provision, protection and redemption extend beyond Israel, really think about it, to encompass the whole world. What's interesting is that there's a historical connection between Sukkot and the American Thanksgiving. The pilgrims who were deeply religious may have drawn inspiration from the Bible when they established their own harvest festival. While we can't say for certain that the pilgrims intentionally modeled Thanksgiving after the Feast of Tabernacles, the parallels are very intriguing. Both involve giving thanks for a bountiful harvest and acknowledging God's providence. Now listen, when we come back, we're going to look more at the Feast of Tabernacles and some of its messianic fulfillment, so stick around.

Chris Katulka: Steve, for 10 years I've had the privilege of hosting the Friends of Israel Today radio show and serving alongside you.

Steve Conover: Chris, I love working with you and the team and it's been my joy to be part of the FOI radio ministry now for nearly 30 years.

Chris Katulka: And really this is why it's an honor for both of us to ask you, our listeners, today to join in on the ground level to help broadcast biblical truth all around the world. Whether Friends of Israel Today is airing on a local radio station or through our podcast, never before has it been so needed to have the truth of God's Word running throughout the airwaves.

Steve Conover: Romans 10:17 says, “so then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” Friends, we need your help to continue to produce and broadcast the Friends of Israel Today.

Chris Katulka: Now, the Friends of Israel Today radio program is supported by donors, listeners, and friends like you. See, we believe that if you have a passion for God's Word, then you should have compassion for God's Chosen People. And our goal is to raise $50,000 this month to continue to produce and broadcast the program that you're listening to right now. With your financial gift today, you will be taking the gospel to the ends of the earth with trustworthy, uncompromising biblical teaching.

Steve Conover: If the Friends of Israel Radio program has been a blessing to you and you'd like to make it possible for all to hear, you can make a gift right now at foi.org/radiosupport and from the bottom of our hearts, thank you. Again, that's foi.org/radiosupport.

Chris Katulka: Welcome back everybody. We are talking all about the Feast of Tabernacles because Jewish people all around the world are celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles. Now, for Christians, Sukkot takes on an additional layer of meaning when seen through the lens of Jesus' life and ministry. The apostle John actually writes in John 1:14, “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” That word, that term dwelling here can also be translated as tabernacle. Again, the Word became flesh and he made his dwelling or tabernacle among us. This echoes the imagery of God's dwelling with his people as seen in the Feast of Tabernacles. Now, some scholars even propose that Jesus was born during the Feast of Tabernacles based on clues from the time of John the Baptist’ birth and the shepherds tending their flocks in the field, a practice more likely that took place during the fall than in the winter.

So whether or not this is the case, the symbolism of Jesus as God's tabernacle among us is incredibly powerful. It shows that through Christ, God not only provided for our physical needs, but also offered the ultimate solution for our spiritual hunger and thirst. And don't forget what Isaiah 7:14 said, “that a virgin would give birth as a sign and his name would be Emmanuel.” You remember, “God with us.” So really Sukkot invites us to reflect on our dependence on God as our shelter and our sustainer. It's God who provides and protects and blesses us with his presence in every aspect of our lives today. If you've placed your faith in Christ, then you are like a walking sukkah, a walking tabernacle of the Holy Spirit where God provides, protects, and again blesses us with his presence in our lives. Also, the temporary booths that God commanded the Jewish people to live in during Sukkot serve as a reminder that our earthly life, it's fleeting, but our ultimate security is found in Christ alone.

This lesson is extremely relevant in today's materialistic world where it's easy to rely on possessions for comfort. But the Feast of Tabernacles helps us remember that everything we have is temporary and our true hope lies in the promise of God's eternal kingdom that's coming in the future. Additionally, the imagery of water and light during Sukkot teaches us about the character of Jesus. He is the living water who quenches our spiritual thirst and he is the light of the world who guides us out of darkness. These themes resonate with the heart of the gospel pointing to the sufficiency of Christ for all of our needs, both now and forever. The Feast of Tabernacles doesn't just encourage us today to keep our eyes on Christ. As we look to the future, the Feast of Tabernacles offers a glimpse of the coming kingdom. Many theologians believe that the prophetic significance of Sukkot will be fulfilled during the millennial reign of Christ.

That's the thousand years after the tribulation period. This will be a time of peace and justice and God's presence dwelling among his people. In fact, Micah 4:1-4 speaks of a time when nations will beat their swords into plowshares and no longer learn war. The theme of Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles, is a celebration, unity and God's sovereignty. That's where it will find its fullest expression in this future age to come. And even today, believers from all around the world come together in Jerusalem to celebrate Sukkot. As I'm recording this message right now, Christians from many nations are gathering for the Annual Feast of Tabernacles Conference in Jerusalem that's hosted by our friends at the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem, ICEJ, to really live out right now Zechariah's prophecy that the nations will honor God during Sukkot giving us a bit of a foretaste of what the kingdom will look like when Jesus does return. Look, whether you travel to Jerusalem to honor the Feast of Tabernacles, or maybe you're just hearing about it for the very first time right now, here's the big takeaway for us as followers of Jesus. God, through this Feast of great celebration, wants to remind us, his children, that he's a God who desires to provide for us, protect us, and that he will be with us. His presence desires to be with us in our everyday lives. Really great reasons for us as believers to give thanks and celebrate his kindness towards us.

Steve Conover: Israel, on the verge of becoming a state, a teenaged Holocaust survivor arrives on her shores alone. His name is Zvi Kalisher. Little did he know his search for a new life in the Holy Land would lead him to the Messiah. Zvi, enthusiastic to share his faith, engaged others in spiritual conversations, many of which can be found in our magazine, Israel My Glory. While Zvi is now in the presence of his Savior, his collected writings from well over 50 years of ministry continue to encourage believers worldwide. Now, Apples of Gold, a dramatic reading from the life of Zvi.

Mike Kellogg: In Isaiah 1:2 it is written, “I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.”

At the bus stop recently, I noticed an old man who needed help boarding. I assisted him and sat next to him on the ride into Jerusalem. I asked him, “Why are you going into town by yourself?  Where are your children?”

He answered, “If I waited for my children to help me, I would never get there.”

“Do your children go to the synagogue?” I asked.

“Of course,” he replied. “They are like me—law-observing, sin-fearing people.” 

I said, “It is written in Exodus 20:12, ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ Are they honoring you?” 

He replied, “It is hard these days to find such children.” 

When we arrived in Jerusalem, I helped him off the bus and said, “If your children were really following the Lord’s commands, they would not leave you alone.” 

He said, “I am 94 years old. Every day I wait to die. I have no hope!”

I then told him what King David said in his time of trouble: “Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me” (Ps. 51:11). I told him, “Even in your old age, you can be fruitful for the Lord; as Psalm 92:14 says, ‘They shall still bear fruit in old age.’”

He commented, “I know the entire Book of Psalms by rote, but I never thought about that portion before.”

I responded, “That is because you know the book by heart, but you do not have it in your heart.”

We spoke for a long time. Then he asked, “Do you go to the synagogue often?” 

“No,” I replied.

“Then how do you pray?” he asked.

I answered, “From the depths of my heart, and the Lord hears and answers my prayers. I do not read prayers written by other people.”

I continued, “I have four adult children, and they respect my wife and me, because they worship the living God rather than following false teachers.”

He really opened his heart and said, “I have five children, and none of them bring me any satisfaction as a father.”

I told him, “Our God will bestow His love and mercy on those who will receive Him.” I then read John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” and Isaiah 53:5 and 10: “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he has put Him to grief.”

This man was so interested in what God had done for us and why He would do this. I took him, step by step, through the plan of salvation, using mostly Old Testament Scriptures.

He asked, “How have I read these passages so many times over the years, and never understood the meaning? Why have I never studied Isaiah 53?”

I told him, “Because your false leaders have discouraged you from doing so. You cannot be saved by killing a chicken, which the religious Jews do on the Day of Atonement.”

He asked, “Then how can you be saved?”

I replied, “Through the blood of our Savior, Jesus Christ.” Again I read Isaiah 53, so that it would sink deeply into his mind and heart.

After several hours, I led him back to the bus stop. He said, “I will never forget our time together. Thank you!”

I pray the Spirit of God will open his eyes and heart and he will come to salvation while time remains.

Chris Katulka: The impact of Zvi's life in ministry in Israel, it didn't end when he went home to be with the Lord. In fact, Zvi's legacy lives on. Our Friends of Israel ministry representatives continue to share the gospel in Jerusalem, Israel, and really all throughout the world. We also serve Holocaust survivors and their families. We provide free food, medicine and clothing, and we even promote the safety and security of the state of Israel and the Jewish people everywhere. So when you give to the Friends of Israel, your donation actually allows us to advance the gospel of our Messiah Jesus. You can give online by visiting foiradio.org. Again, that's foiradio.org. You can click right there on our donate link. Also, be sure to let us know where you listen when you contact us.

Steve Conover: Thank you for joining us for today's episode of The Friends of Israel Today. If the Lord is leading you to support our radio ministry, visit foi.org/radiosupport. Once again, that's foi.org/radiosupport.

Chris Katulka: Steve, next week we're going to look at another important Jewish holiday that really marks the conclusion of the public reading of the Torah for the Jewish people during the year, and it's called Simchat Torah. It's a great time to celebrate the law of God, and so next week we're going to see what the Jewish people are doing as they celebrate Simchat Torah.

Steve Conover: We look forward to it. Join us then. Our mailing address is FOI Radio PO Box 914 Bellmawr, New Jersey 08099. Again, that's FOI Radio PO Box 914 Bellmawr, New Jersey 08099. Our web address is foiradio.org. Again, that's foiradio.org. You can call our listener line. That number is 888-343-6940. Again, that’s 888-343-6940. Our host and teacher is Chris Katulka. Today's program was produced by Tom Gallione, edited by Jeremy Strong, who also composed and performs our theme music. Mike Kellogg read Apples of Gold, and I'm Steve Conover, executive producer. The Friends of Israel Today is a production of The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry. Passion for God's Word. Compassion for God's Chosen People.