DO I HAVE TO CELEBRATE THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES? NO THANKS!

We are in the Jewish holiday week of Sukkot, also known as the feast of Booths or Tabernacles. It is an agricultural festival that originally was considered a thanksgiving for the fruit harvest. Sukkot are hut-like structures that the Jews lived in during the 40 years of travel through the wilderness after the exodus from Egypt.

The Jews were instructed by God through Moses the following: “Begin celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles on the fifteenth day of the appointed month—five days after the Day of Atonement. This festival to the Lord will last for seven days.” Leviticus 23:34 NLT

“This festival will be a happy time of celebrating with your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows from your towns.” Deuteronomy 16:14 NLT

“For seven days you must present special gifts to the Lord. The eighth day is another holy day on which you present your special gifts to the Lord. This will be a solemn occasion, and no ordinary work may be done that day.” Leviticus 23:36 NLT

During this time, many Jews construct what is called a sukkah, a small hastily built hut in which meals are required to be eaten throughout the eight days’ duration of the festival. A sukkah must have at least three walls. Only one can be an existing wall, like the side of a house. The walls may be constructed of any material, generally canvas, wood or metal. Today, it is possible to buy ready-to-assemble sukkah kits.

There are several other rituals and regulations that the Jews need to comply with to celebrate this festival.

But as for me as a born-again Christian, Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior ended the system of the law with its commandments and regulations when He died on the cross and rose from the death! (See Ephesians 2:14-15) Therefore, I do NOT have to celebrate any Old Testament festival that was meant for the Jews for me to be blessed! NO! I will not build a hut! This is another deception that is being taught in the churches today, that you are supposed to keep the Jewish festivals and traditions to receive God’s blessings! That’s a lie! The Bible clearly warns;

“Don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ Himself is that reality!” Colossians 2:16-17 NLT

JEWS ARE NOT SAVED BECAUSE THEY ARE GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE

Why? Because Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. NO ONE can come to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6 NLT

The “No One” Jesus refers to includes Jews and Gentiles. In other words, Jews, like everybody else are only being saved when they believe in Jesus Christ as their true Messiah! (There are many Jews who have accepted Yeshua, the Hebrew word for Jesus, as their Lord and Savior; they are called Messianic Jews.)

While individual Jews must come to Christ for salvation, God is still not finished with the people of Israel. The Bible says the following about this:

“Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ.  And so all Israel will be saved. As the Scriptures say, the one who rescues will come from Jerusalem, and He will turn Israel away from ungodliness.  And this is my covenant with them, that I will take away their sins.”

Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.” Romans 11:25-29 NLT

THEY ARE LYING TO US AGAIN

In the Old Testament Bible Book of Esther, it relates the story of a young Hebrew woman in Persia, born as Hadassah but known as Esther, who becomes queen of Persia and thwarts genocide of her people, the Jews. The story forms the core of the Festival of Purim that is been celebrated by the Jews around the world to this day.

Many false teachers and prophets in the Christian church today are saying that believers ought to celebrate this significant day of the Festival or feast of Purim in order to just like Esther have their trials turned into victory and their tears into cheers. But is that really so? Of course NOT!!!

True born-again Christian believers have no business celebrating any Old Testament Jewish festival or feast to get any blessing! Why? 

Because the Bible says in the New Testament:

“So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for NOT celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ Himself is that reality.” Colossians 2:16-17 NLT

“He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations.” Ephesians 2:15 NLT

Just another lie from the office of the church!