The 15th day of the 7th month is the start of Sukkot / the Feast of Tabernacles. Sukkot is a 7 day feast in which we are commanded to dwell in booths. But who actually is commanded to dwell in booths (sukkot) during this moed, this appointed time, and why?

Last Updated 4/22/23

[NOTE: The 7th month new moon is expected to be sighted the evening of Tuesday, October 17th, 2023. Based on the calculations this date is almost a certainty. This means that Shavuot should begin on Wednesday, November 1st.

Sukkot is for Israel

Yehovah’s holy nation, Israel, are made up of two groups of men. The first is the Ger, commonly translated as “stranger.” The Ger has repented [this repentance process is the circumcision of the heart], left the country of his birth and joined himself to the Ezrach, commonly translated as “one born in the land” or “native-born“.

The Ezrach were also Ger at one time. Each year at Passover the Ger has two choices; get circumcised in the flesh, eat the slaughtered Passover and become as one born in the land or leave Israel and have his sins remain on him. Sounds like a “no brainer” huh, but so many love the doctrines and traditions of men more than Yehovah’s plain word and ways.

Together these two groups comprise Yehovah’s currently “invisible nation” and what I like to refer to as “true Israel.” They keep only the Father’s statutes, judgments and ordinances and follow no other elohim (law makers of judges) but Yehovah.

“But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live. Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says my Master Yehovah, “and not that he should turn from his ways and live? (Eze 18:21-23)

But the man who is clean and is not on a journey, and ceases to keep the Passover, that same person shall be cut off from among his people, because he did not bring the offering of Yehovah at its appointed time; that man shall bear his sin. ‘And if a stranger [Ger] dwells among you, and would keep Yehovah’s Passover, he must do so according to the rite of the Passover and according to its ceremony; you shall have one ordinance, both for the stranger[Ger] and the native of the land [Ezrach].’ ” (Num 9:13-14)

One law shall be for the native-born [Ezrach] and for the stranger [Ger] who dwells among you.” (Exo 12:49)

At Sukkot, Only Israel’s Seed Dwell In Booths

I have gone through all this because I want you to read carefully and understand the last three verses of Leviticus 23 says about Israel’s Sukkot instructions.

You shall dwell in booths (sukkot) for seven days. All who are native [Ezrach] to Israel shall dwell in booths (sukkot) , that your generations may know that I made Israel’s seed [a.k.a “the children of Israel,” a.k.a. “the sons of Israel,” a.k.a. “my son, Israel,” a.k.a. “Israel’s son”] dwell in booths (sukkot) when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am Yehovah your Elohim.’ ” So Moses declared to Israel’s seed the feasts of Yehovah. (Lev 23:42-44)

Notice: The native-born (Ezrach) of Israel are Israel’s seed, and the heirs of Abraham as well, and they are all men! Becoming Ezrach of Israel is what my “Born Again” series is all about. All Yehovah’s feast instructions are for Israel’s seed; look at the last verse of Leviticus 23.

So Moses declared to Israel’s seed the feasts of Yehovah. (Lev 23:44)

Sukkot Has An 8th Day Attached To It

Sukkot begins on the fifteenth day of the seventh month is actually an eight-day feast but Yehovah commands the Ezrach, Israel’s seed, to dwell in booths (sukkot) for only seven days as seen above.

‘Also on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, you shall keep the feast of Yehovah for seven days; on the first day there shall be a sabbath-rest, and on the eighth day a sabbath-rest. (Lev 23:39)

During Sukkot Israel’s seed dwells in booths for only seven days, but Yehovah added a day, for holy convocation, to it. Could this be a shadow picture of how Yehovah’s righteous men with their families (and perhaps their servants) are to dwell on the earth for 7000 years? Remember what Peter said,

But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment [the end of the final millennium] and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with Yehovah one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. Yehovah is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (2Pe 3:7-9)

Sukkot – Big Picture

I think that by having Israel’s seed dwells in tents, or other temporary coverings during Sukkot, Yehovah is giving Israel a practical demonstration of how His Ezrach, His set apart men live/dwell all year-long and how Yehovah’s righteous men have been dwelling since the beginning of time (the last 6,000 years). We will dwell the same way throughout the millennial kingdom as well. We must learn to dwell in earth, as if in a strange country. This is how Noah, Shem, Eber, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and countless others have dwelt throughout time.

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is Elohim. (Heb 11:8-10)

These all died in faith [faithfully keeping Yehovah’s ways], not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth [they dwelt in heaven]. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind the country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desired a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore Elohim is not ashamed to be called their Elohim, for He has prepared a city for them. (Heb 11:13-16)

So the boys grew. And Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was an upright man, dwelling in tents. [“tents,” Jacob dwelt under Yehovah’s authority – I like to call it dwelling under Yehovah’s “the big-top”] (Gen 25:27)

Is it possible that the reason we only dwell in coverings for seven days is because after the final millennium (1000 years) there will be a new heaven and a new earth and at that time everyone will be under the direct authority of the Creator? I think so, and because of what I have seen here I plan to return home on the morning of the 7th day of the feast. That way I will only be dwelling in a sukkah (temporary covering) for only the seven days and be back home in time for the day of rest.

You shall dwell in booths (sukkot) for seven days. All who are native [Ezrach] to Israel shall dwell in booths (sukkot) , that your generations may know that I made Israel’s seed dwell in booths (sukkot) when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am Yehovah your Elohim [Your lawmaker and judge].’ “(Lev 23:42)

Sukkot – What Do These Booths Look Like?

In Part 2 – What is a Sukkah? I discuss what these “booths,” or coverings, in which Israel’s seed are to dwell, actually are. It is a temporary dwelling place designed to keep the Ezrach protected from the elements and predators. We will see that the construction of the coverings was not the important part of Yehovah’s plan, how we dwelt in them is. We dwell in them as if only a short time. This also is how we, who have left the kingdoms of our birth (mine was the corporation of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA), now dwell on the earth; we dwell on earth as in a heavenly country just as Abraham dwelt in the land of Canaan.

Sukkot – Only Israel’s Seed Dwells In Temporary Coverings

Right now Yehovah is “looking for a few good men.”  These men, because of the new birth, are virgins and follow only one Elohim (one law-maker and judge), unlike the rest of the world. The covering over these men is what the rehearsal we do at Sukkot each year is all about. Only Israel’s seed dwells in temporary coverings. This is the topic of Part 3 – Cover Israel / Chuppah Israel.