The Feast of Tabernacles is one of the significant feasts that God proclaimed His people should keep unto all generations (Leviticus 23:41). As we come to Tabernacles, we are looking forward to the great purpose of God in the earth: His presence dwelling among His people. The Jews celebrate Tabernacles as the reminder that God lived with them while they were wandering in the wilderness, and God gave us a sign that Tabernacles will be fulfilled. Isaiah 7:14 says prophetically, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.”¹ The manifestation of Tabernacles was the fact that a virgin gave birth to a son and His name was Immanuel, “God is with us.” Again, God’s presence would dwell among His people.

The Feast of Tabernacles is very much connected with the reality of Yeshua (Jesus) coming to earth. The very concept of Tabernacles is fundamental to our worship in Christianity. In the New Testament we see the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy: “BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL,” which translated means, ‘GOD WITH US’” (Matthew 1:23). So the idea of Tabernacles is that God is with us. The name of Yeshua means “Yehovah saves” or “Yehovah delivers.” There is no question then of tying together this prophecy from Isaiah with the New Testament fulfillment of Christ coming forth. There is no question that He is Immanuel, and that name ties Him to the Feast of Tabernacles. It is saying to us again that we have God tabernacling with man and the presence of God is with us. The apostle John wrote, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory” (John 1:14). The Greek word here for dwelt means “to tabernacle or dwell as in a tent.” The Word became flesh and tabernacled among men. Yeshua is our deliverer. He is our Messiah; He is so many things. But we need to understand that Christ was the sign of Tabernacles, the very presence of God with us.

I want us to have a new relationship with Yeshua as our fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles. With the intervention of the blood of Christ in our lives, God no longer needs to reject us and is literally able to dwell within us and among us (Leviticus 26:11). The New Testament says, “I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE” (2 Corinthians 6:16). The word that Paul used here for dwell is the same as “tabernacles.” He takes this prophecy and pulls it right into our future by saying, “You are the temple. You are the place where the tabernacling of God is going to manifest itself in this generation.”

We anticipate that Yeshua is coming again as the manifestation of Tabernacles to dwell in His people. He is the Word of God made flesh in us. And God Himself will be among His people (Revelation 21:3). Christ is our Tabernacle in order that He and the Father can take up their abode in us (John 14:23). The greatest fulfillment is yet to come as Christ comes forth in us and tabernacles among us. We should eagerly anticipate it and look for Him. The Holy Spirit is saying, “Now is the time.” Christ is our Tabernacle.

¹ All Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995).