Day 1068: Keeping the feast - Zechariah 14 vs 16 - 19

16 Everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. 17-19 And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, there will be no rain on them. And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain; there shall be the plague with which the Lord afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. Zechariah 14:16-19 English Standard Version

The Feast of Booths was the last of seven feasts God commanded Israel to observe, and one of the three in which all males were to keep by going up each year to “appear before the Lord your God in the place which He shall choose” (Deuteronomy 16:16) God instructed Moses concerning this feast that the people were to “dwell in booths for seven days . . . so that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt.” (Leviticus 23:42-43) The 'booth' was a 'temporary shelter' made from the branches of trees.

This feast was also known as Tabernacles. That was a reference to the tent the Israelites set up according to God’s directions through Moses when they left Egypt. God had called Moses up to a Mountain known as Sinai, and we read that “The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days”. (Exodus 24:16) Many years later, King David wanted to build a temple, but God sent him a message through the prophet Nathan saying “From the time I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until today I have not dwelt in a house; instead, I have been moving around with a tent as my dwelling.” (2 Samuel 7:6)

It's interesting then that when the apostle John wrote of Jesus, he said: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) The Greek word for 'dwelt' means to pitch a tent; to dwell in a tent; to tabernacle. Can this have any bearing on how we are to understand today's verses in Zechariah?

Well, as I've noted before, some Bible teachers hold that Zechariah's words are meant to be understood in a literal way. In that case, they see a time when people from around the world will make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Booths. Nations that ignore this will experience famine, and other plagues.

Other Bible teachers, especially those of an earlier generation to ours, hold that Zechariah used pictures that would've been familiar in his generation, to speak of the future destiny of those who would respond to God's call, and those who would resist and oppose it. One feature of the Feast of Booths was that it took place when the Israelites had “gathered in the produce of the land.” (Leviticus 23:39) It came at the end of the harvest season from late September to mid-October. In that sense, it's similar to the 'Harvest Festivals' which many Churches hold.

Because it's associated with the gathering in of the harvest, many have seen Zechariah's words as a picture of the age of the gospel when people from all nations will be drawn to worship God. They spiritually keep the Feast of Booths. It's certainly true that in nations where the gospel was well received, much blessing followed. And nations which have resisted God's call have experienced spiritual famine.

The discussion among Christians as to which view is correct will go on till Jesus returns! But what we can agree on and take to heart, is what Jesus said when He attended the Feast of Booths in Jerusalem all those years ago. “On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, 'If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’'” (John 7:37-38) The feasts find their best fulfilment in Christ.