[Leviticus 23:40-43, Isaiah 26:19-21]

10.         The Festival of Shelters (Lev. 23:33–44): Beginning on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, families are to live in shelters made of tree branches to commemorate Israel’s wanderings in the wilderness after their deliverance from Egypt. All Israelite males are to be present at the Tabernacle during this festival.^[1]

III.          Stanza Three—Israel’s Salvation (26:19; 27:12–13): Israel will experience two things:

A.           Resurrection from the dead (26:19)

B.           Restoration to the land (27:12–13)^[2]

Here’s what J. Vernon McGee has to say. 

Lev 23:39-44:

Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the Lord seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath.

And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days.

And ye shall keep it a feast unto the Lord seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.

Ye shall dwell in booths seven days: all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths:

That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts of the Lord [Lev. 23:39–44].

After the great Day of Atonement when there was made a full expiation of their sins, and the harvest and fruit of the land were gathered in, there was observed this very joyful occasion. They were to dwell in booths to remind them of the wilderness wanderings, but also to point them to the future. Hebrews 11 tells us that they all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off. They were persuaded of them and they embraced them. They were looking forward to that day when they would not dwell in booths as in the wilderness, but they would be in the millennial age. That is the hope for this earth.

This holy season will be observed during the Millennium: “And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the Lord will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles” (Zech. 14:16–18). You will find it interesting to read that whole chapter of Zechariah 14.

This feast is not only prophetic of the Millennium, but also points to eternity and the everlasting Kingdom. “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God” (Rev. 21:3). This is the fulfillment of the great Feast of Tabernacles. For seven days in the seventh month they were to rejoice. This speaks of the final and full rejoicing of God’s earthly people. (His heavenly people will be with Him in the New Jerusalem.) Friends, there is a great future ahead for us!^[3]