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Three times a year every male (speaks of the spirit) was to appear
before the Lord (Deuteronomy 16:16). Tabernacles, Pentecost and Passover are all stepping stones in our spiritual experiences.
The feast of Tabernacles also called the feast of booths took place on the 15th day of the 7th month
and lasted for seven days. The feast begins and ends with the Sabbath day of no work. There is a seven part aspect to the
feast of Tabernacles and they are unity, ingathering, rest, joy, restoration, glory and his appearing. These aspects of the
feast of Tabernacles are being unfolded in our lives in stages and are in no particular order or sequence. It is wonderful
to see creation coming to a greater understanding of the working of the father done in them in love.
The feast of Tabernacles is an individual experience as it is
corporate. Everyman was told to build a booth and everyone was called to leave their place of dwelling and attend this feast.
The feast of Tabernacles is simply the union of God and man. Before we go into this feast in depth, it is of great importance
that we touch on the feast of Passover and Pentecost. If we were to ask any child of God if they have heard or experience
Passover and/or Pentecost many will say yes. In the Baptists circles you will not hear of the feast of Pentecost as in the
Pentecostal circles you will not hear of the feast of Tabernacles. Ask whether there be a feast of Tabernacles and many know
nothing of it. However they do know there is something beyond Passover and Pentecost but in order to obtain it they must first
die and go to some ethereal heaven in the sky. And so many stop at Pentecost and wait to die in hope of going to heaven having
nothing to excite them in their immediate living.
Paul said, Hebrew 6:1 say, Leaving the principles of the doctrines
of Christ (Pentecost) let us go on to perfection (Tabernacles). The truth about Tabernacles is that every son must leave the
elementary stages of infancy (Passover) and adolescence (Pentecost) and becomes his own priest who is a mature son (Tabernacles)
before God. Our growth in God is seen in a threefold stage throughout the word of God.
In the feast of Passover we know Jesus as Savior and Justifier.
In the feast of Pentecost he is the Christ and the Anointed One. In the feast of Tabernacles we must go on to know him as
Lord ruling and reigning in us. We are not told to stay in a childhood state but to leave the elementary stages, for we hear
our beloved brother Paul saying, For now we see through a glass darkly, but when that which is perfect is come then that which
is in part shall be done away with, when I became a man I put away childish things. When we were children we played with toys
but when we became adults we traded those things for the reality. Men no longer get down on the floor and push those trucks
around, they drive the real thing just as women no longer play with dolls but they cuddle and love the real thing. We simply
replace the knowledge with the reality of things.
There is a beautiful story in the bible that takes us from conception
to perfection and it is seen in the life of Ruth. After the death of her husband, Naomi her mother-in-law heard that God had
blessed her people in giving them bread. So she decided to return to Bethlehem (house of bread). And so she kissed each of
her daughter-in-law goodbye, but Ruth the Moabite clung to her. And Ruth said to Naomi where you die I will die and where
you are buried I will be buried. This is where Ruth encountered her first experience known as Passover. She experience death,
burial and resurrection. They began their journey which brought them to the beginning of the barley harvest which is a type
of Pentecost her second experience. After returning to Bethlehem-Judah Naomi had a near kinsman whose name was Boaz a type
of the Lord Jesus Christ, purchased that which belong to the house of Elimelech including Ruth the Moabite. Now the inheritance
belong to Naomi yet she failed to embrace it. And so Ruth went on to marry Boaz and brought forth a son in his likeness and
image. Ruth entered the feast of Tabernacles and inherited the fullness of the inheritance. The question is.......Is there
more in God? The answer is yes and we dont have to die to get it either. Moses said, "The word is very near, in your mouth
and in your heart." Jesus said, "The kingdom of God is in you."
The word Tabernacle means a temporary dwelling much like a tent.
Paul refers to us as the tabernacle of God. John said the word was made flesh and dwelt (tabernacled) in and among us. When
Jesus came he took up residency in our tabernacle and has not left since. I believe Jesus was born in the feast of Tabernacles;
there is enough evidence in the bible to support this. This hold some major truth for us, then this tells us we were born
in Tabernacles. Do you hear what the spirit is saying, then we are not trying to get to some place, in him we are already
there. This is not a feast in some future place but is an unveiling of the Christ in a people today. We are simply walking
out the reality in us.
Let us go on to perfection (maturity) as the mind of Christ is
seen in our booth.
Namaste,
Winston & Sarah
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