Feast of Tabernacles: Celebrating the Harvest

Feast of Tabernacles:  Celebrating the Harvest

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

The Feast of Tabernacles, Sukkoth celebrates the completed harvest. The final crop, the fruit of the land, has been gathered.  The Feast also looks forward to that time when all believers are gathered together and God tabernacles with us.  

Sukkoth occurs on the first full moon after the Autumnal Equinox..  The first full moon of autumn is the Harvest Moon.  It is the largest full moon of the year.  The prophetic indication is that the Lord will return in the fullest of fullness of time, when time as we know it will be complete.  

A believer told me recently that if the Lord doesn’t return soon, it will be too late.  Our times are in His hands and not vice versa.  God’s timing is never late.  Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NKJV) declares: He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.”

We cannot possibly fully understand the work of the Lord.  Therefore, we must accept by faith that He is good, that He wants the best for us and that His timing is impeccable. 

Too many of us are so caught up in fear and in predicting the rapture that we are neglecting to follow our Lord’s admonition to occupy until He comes (Luke 19:13).  If the rapture comes tomorrow, I will rejoice.  If the rapture does not come tomorrow, I will rejoice.  I understand things are bad and will become worse in the world.  I understand also that the problems of the world are not greater than my God.  I understand, as well, that in the Kingdom of God, His will being done on earth as it is in heaven, the light of God still shines brightly in the darkness. 

We must arise from our couches of doubt, fear and unbelief.  We must continue to be about our Father’s business.  I love that old hymn “Bringing in the Sheaves” by Knowles Shaw:

1. Sowing in the morning, sowing seeds of kindness,
   Sowing in the noontide and the dewy eve;
   Waiting for the harvest, and the time of reaping,
   We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
2.  
• Refrain:
  Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,
  We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves;
  Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,
  We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
•  
3. Sowing in the sunshine, sowing in the shadows,
   Fearing neither clouds nor winter’s chilling breeze;
   By and by the harvest, and the labor ended,
   We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
4. Going forth with weeping, sowing for the Master,
   Though the loss sustained our spirit often grieves;
   When our weeping’s over, He will bid us welcome,
   We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

Sukkoth celebrates the Lord’s provision for His people.  Sukkoth celebrates the fact that believers are the tabernacle of God.  Sukkoth also celebrates the harvest of the past, the current harvest and the harvest to come. 

I don’t know when the rapture will come.  I do know that we are closer to it than we were yesterday.  I also know that our Lord will provide for us, protect us and sustain us through each tomorrow whether we are on earth or around the Throne of Heaven.  

Hallelujah! His mercies are renewed every morning (Lamentations 3:23).  We are part of His harvest whenever and however that harvest will come. Yes, and when we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be.  So let’s celebrate Him!!!