The following article is a rewrite of an article I wrote a number of years ago for a Messianic/Hebraic Roots youth magazine. It is written with a focus on the younger crowd; however adults can glean inspiration from this as well. The reason this article is written is to offer a perspective about the celebration of Sukkot that it not as readily focused on these days.
It's 1967. I'm a 10 year old girl, who is experiencing Sukkot for the first time with many other brethren. There are over six thousand in attendance. That's a large group, compared to the Sukkot gatherings held these days. I was struck with the realization that all these other folks were there for the same reason as my family and I were. We were a self contained community that functioned in like-manner with the scriptures as our guide. I didn't feel worried or anxious or threatened in any way. Actually, I felt very safe and secure. At that Feast I began to understand what it will be like in Yeshua's Kingdom and I got a glimpse of my noble future.
At home, I always felt a sense of friction with my classmates and friends. We had some aspects of daily life that were common, such as school, sports teams and general playtime. But there were aspects of my life that set me apart from all of them. I observed Sabbath, Passover, Unleavened Bread, Shavuot, Yom Teruah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot. They celebrated Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day and Easter. None of them refrained from unclean foods or shopping on Saturday as I did. In these areas, we differed considerably. Even though I got along very well with my friends and classmates, I was not invited to their homes like all the other kids were. It was clear they were keeping me at arm’s length. Years later as I look back on that, I understand the reason, it wasn’t done out of unkindness, it was done out of sheer ignorance, a lack of understanding which fostered fear about how I lived. Even as a kid, I understood we were not living in like-manner.
At Sukkot, all those feelings of being kept at arm’s length were gone. There was so much common ground among the brethren, so much like-mindedness and so much joy. I could feel it in my soul that I was immersed in Elohim’s way of life. It felt so right. It felt like home.
In many ways, the world of my youth was not so dissimilar to what young people in the Messianic/Hebrew roots community face today. The real difference is that in my day, people would gossip about my family and I behind our backs but appear polite enough to not do so in our face. It still hurt because of the way we were treated when the gossip made its rounds. Today, people are ‘in-our-face’ with their style and opinion. In some ways, the ‘in-your-face’ people may be better to deal with because you get to know immediately where they stand instead of having to spend days and weeks trying to figure them out.
Within the congregation that I attended, we made sure to celebrate the festivals and Sabbath's as laid out in the scriptures. With so much of the scriptures dedicated to prophecy, this was a mainstay topic for our teachers. The books of Revelation, Daniel and Matthew 24 were definite favourites from which they taught the congregations the most (at that time) up-to-date interpretation of the prophecies using world events as clues.
In the 1970’s, there was one occasion (that I recollect), we were instructed from the pulpit that scriptures and world events indicated that on such-in-such a date...the tribulation would start and we should prepare to flee. People responded to these announcements in their own ways with many being proactive by making preparations while others seemed frozen with fear.
How was I feeling about my future that was seemingly coming to an end? At that time, I was a full-fledged teenager who was developing independence and looking forward to a life of my own with the ability to have a good job, a nice home and family. So, with this announcement, was I feeling that it was all going to be wiped away from? Would I ever get to live in my own house, get married and have a family? Was my life going to be ruined? Was I going to die before I grew up? Was there hope?
Actually, I didn’t feel any of this, because I recalled how I felt at Sukkot each year and knew that the reason we kept Sukkot was to remind us of what our future would be about. Sukkot is a time of splendor and feasting for it is the wedding celebrations of Yeshua with His bride. We are instructed to take our ‘harvest’ and celebrate (Deuteronomy 16:15). But, I’m getting ahead of myself here; there will be more about this future coming up in a moment.
So how did I as a former teenager/young person who grew up all those years ago and remained as a Messianic/Hebrew roots believer, get through the constant teachings of impending doom with the tribulation plus all the hazards of life, and yet remain steadfast to the words and promises of our Elohim?
What got me through - and keeps me going today?
Of course, relying on YHVH is the key ingredient, for He is our Saviour and Protector. But is that enough? Actually, He wants to have a relationship with us that is of deep friendship. He has shown His level of friendship towards us to the point that He even died for us so we can live. His death brings us redemption and ultimately salvation – including from the events of this world and the tribulation. He died that we may live, and now we must honour what He did and make sure to live. Is there a way we can reciprocate and develop that same sense of friendship with Him? We can, and it’s about HOW we observe Sukkot.
I’ve mentioned earlier that in my youthful days, the focus during Sukkot was a little different than what it is today. Today, (as we all know) we observe Sukkot as a time to worship YHVH, but also as a time to practice for the three and a half years of wilderness tribulation and prepare for the greater exodus. With the world events clearly showing more collaboration and confirmation of end-time prophecies, this means that the talk and the walk at Sukkot are strongly focused on practicing for the tribulation. Children are growing up only knowing that Sukkot is about practicing for the dreadful three and a half years of tribulation/greater exodus.
Yet Sukkot is much, much more than a time to practice. It is also about what happens beyond the tribulation. Sukkot actually represents the thousand year’s millennial kingdom of Yeshua where we rule with Him as kings and priests. We get to live in an environment that is far greater than any environment we can hope to live here. It will make the lives we had hoped to grow up and have in this physical world pale in comparison.
How did I observe Sukkot in the days of my youth? Well, our congregation read the scriptures that pertained to Sukkot and realized that this was a festival of great joy - really great joy. We learned that the source of this joy comes from this festival, for it is a forecast of us as the people of Elohim having the honour of living in Messiah's kingdom, ruling with Him as vassal kings and priests upon this earth.
This festival reveals to us what it will be like to live life immersed in His kingdom. Each year as we observed The Feast, we got a glimpse of our future.
How did we manifest this as worship during Sukkot? How did we come to believe this promise from YHVH and not become discouraged, faint-hearted and walk away? Well... as instructed in scripture, we would make sure to pilgrimage to Sukkot. That requires money. So, throughout the year we would save what we could. As a youth, I didn't have an income...only an allowance and it was from this allowance that I chose to aside what I could each month to go towards my contribution to our Feast fund. As a family, we worked odd jobs to add to our Feast fund. And we were blessed with lots of odd jobs, quite probably because our hearts were joyous with intent on attending Sukkot. By the time Sukkot arrived, we would have a considerable amount of money - more than anything we had ever had available to us during the rest of the year.
This Feast fund allowed us to travel (or pilgrimage) to the place that YHVH has placed His name (even in the Diaspora). While there, we were able to enjoy the fruits of our labour and rejoice. That is an important part of celebrating at Sukkot…using the fruits of our labours. During the eight days of The Feast, we lived as though we were royalty, experiencing foods that we only had read about in magazines. How awesome it was to sink my teeth into a T-bone steak and to savour the wonderful sweet taste of Baked Alaska for the first time. How awesome it was to do activities which our family could not normally afford to do, like renting a sailboat for an afternoon, or riding horses to a meadow for an afternoon picnic or taking a hot air balloon ride or to be able to buy my mother a piece of good quality jewellery to show my love and gratitude to her. Since our vehicle wasn't travel worthy, we would rent a vehicle that was of a higher quality and stayed in the best hotels we could afford. We did all this and more, to understand what our future would be - to be kings and priests, working and living with the Most High.
As I grew older and had my own income...I was able to travel the world for Sukkot with my family. It was a joy to visit with brethren in Germany, Switzerland, Australia, England and all over the US and Canada. Each location afforded us different activities and experiences that brought joy into our hearts as we shared them with like-minded brethren. In Germany, brethren and I got to enjoy the authentic Black Forest Cake and the beer (yes, we were old enough). In Switzerland, we enjoyed the train rides through the amazing mountains while munching on real Swiss chocolate (that was decadent). In Australia, we enjoyed the delights of a true Aussie bar-b-que and the wonders of seeing the Great Barrier Reef (YHVH sure made an amazing wonder with The Reef). In England, we marvelled at the majesty of Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle and the sense of royalty this nation exudes. We made sure to experience a British pub or two (good food there). In the US and Canada, we enjoyed the sights to behold of the Niagara Falls, the Rocky Mountains, the ruggedness of Alaska, the deserts of Arizona, the beaches of Florida, California and Hawaii. These were experiences that I shared with brethren during Sukkot. We did these activities and utilized the fruits of our labours, just as YHVH commands us to do – and it endeared me to Him.
This is HOW I developed my deep friendship with YHVH and understood that I do not have to fear the future. My family and I lived and we rejoiced before our King and through these experiences we glimpsed and began to understand what He wants to give to us. We kept in mind that all this physical goodness paled in comparison to what He will be giving to us to live. We understood that this physical wealth we enjoyed for a short time was merely a type of the magnificence we would be enjoying forever in His House. We caught sight of what He wants to give to us for our future and that it is good...VERY good. It made us eager to have His kingdom come. It made the scripture come alive about Yeshua preparing many rooms in the mansion for us. This promise became real to us and we learned to believe His promises.
In the Torah portion of Va-Etchannan (Deuteronomy 3:23 to 7:11), Moses teaches us not to add or take away from the Torah (Deuteronomy 4:2) and he also tells us not to turn to the left or to the right (Deuteronomy 5:32). Both of these points reveal that we are to focus on something within this section. What is in this portion?
Well... it's the re-stating of the Ten Commandments and the introduction of the Sh'ma - "Hear O Israel". But how does this help those just starting out in life? It's about faith. Oh boy, here we go again with the faith stuff - ugh. It's unseen and so we assume it to be difficult to explain. Let's try looking at it this way; "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of YHVH" (Romans 10:17). Okay... hearing YHVH's words (such as the Ten Commandments) are instrumental for us to have faith. Now, let's tie in Hebrews 11:1 where it is written that to have faith, one must have substance of things hoped for and have evidence of unseen things. Well, that which is unseen is the hearing the word of YHVH. Can you see words when they are spoken to you? I don't. Let's continue and see if we can understand what the evidence of unseen things is. What does YHVH give in His word? Promises. Promises are things we hope to come to pass. When a promise is made, it becomes an evidence. Just think about how your personal integrity hinges on your good word and deeds. If you promise to do something for someone, you follow through with that promise because you want your name to always be considered good. Your promise is the evidence that you will follow through. Even the Ten Commandments are full of promises - it will go well with us if we hear and do them (Deuteronomy 6:1-3 as one example). Test out these promises, see if you live well, will be well and will go well as you keep the commandments. This will be a present day evidence to show that if He keeps the promises within the Ten Commandments, He will surely keep His promises about our futures.
As that teenager, facing the announcement from the pulpit that the tribulation was about to start on such-in-such day, I did not worry about the losing out on my future as I envisioned it because the future that YHVH showed me through The Feast/Sukkot, was and still is far beyond comparison to anything physical. One of the MANY promises YHVH gives us is about being kings in Messiah's kingdom (Revelation 1:6 and Revelation 5:10). Note the two evidences with these two scriptures. He is making sure we know that He knows His integrity hinges on this coming true.
To this day... my focus is on the outcome, not on the tribulation that comes before. Philippians 4:8 states; "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things." (NKJV) The apostle Paul tells us to meditate on noble things... to me that includes thinking about my future as a king or priest in the Kingdom of Yeshua our Messiah.
Did you know that while Yeshua walked this earth...His focus was on the Father and the life He would be living again when He returned to His Father? He didn't dwell on what He would have to first endure with the crucifixion. He dwelt upon the Kingdom of YHVH in heaven and shared that with us as He revealed the Father to us. Guess what, He was resurrected and now IS there preparing for us to join Him. Sukkot and the rejoicing we do within that festival gives us a glimpse of our future with Him.
What can you do during today's Sukkot? Make sure to have a Feast Fund so you can save a few dollars which will help you enjoy some items during Sukkot that you normally wouldn't get to enjoy. Even though we are observing Sukkot in sukkah's of all shapes and sizes and styles, that does not stop the ability to enjoy items that we may be blessed with by the fruit of our labours. Do you desire something that is normally out of your reach during the rest of the year? Is there something you want to do, but can't do it because it costs too much? With the Feast Fund, you will be able to enjoy the activity or item and rejoice before our YHVH that you could do it. Learn to feel what it is like to live as a king with Yeshua during this festival. Glimpse your future - with Him.
This article may be written by one of the 'older folk', but I look upon myself as more of a middle aged Messianic youth. I have been a Messianic youth who has already faced what Messianic youth face today. I have been surrounded by 'older folk' talking and dwelling on the subject of the end times and I have seen youth give up. And lately, I have been seeing older folk give up as well. But with the wonderful yearly experience of the promise represented by Sukkot... hope about the future lives within me and soon that hope will be manifest and made real - I know because of the first test I mentioned earlier... I go well, I live well and I am (be) well. He's kept His promises to me that are within the Ten Commandments and I know He'll keep His promises about my future. YHVH watches over His word to perform it (Jeremiah 1:12) and He sure performed that for me during Sukkot as I grew up.
As a 10 year old girl back in 1967 walking around the vast arena amongst six thousand people, knowing the world was in chaos, but yet not having any fear or anxiety for my well being because during that festival, I was temporarily immersed within Elohim’s people, experiencing events I otherwise would not experience; I glimpsed my amazing noble future and I still eagerly see it today.
I hope you see your noble future too.
Let this mind be in you that is in Messiah, Yeshua.
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