In just a few days, the people of Israel will celebrate Sukkot, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles, one of the most joyful holidays in the biblical calendar. This seven-day celebration comes right after Yom Kippur and marks the completion of the annual harvest season. Families gather to thank God for His abundant provision and to rejoice together in His presence.
Sukkot is deeply rooted in history. It recalls the time when the children of Israel lived in temporary shelters in the wilderness, depending on God’s care each day. That is why every year, Jewish families build a sukkah, a small hut decorated with fruits of the harvest, where they eat, spend time together, and celebrate the holiday. In Israel, you can see these sukkot appearing on balconies, gardens, and courtyards everywhere. In religious towns, even apartment buildings are designed with special “sukkah balconies,” open to the sky, so that each family can fulfill the commandment of dwelling under the stars.
Sukkot also carries a prophetic dimension. According to tradition, families invite symbolic “guests” called ushpizin into their sukkah, with the hope that one day the awaited Messiah might enter. For us as believers, this points to Yeshua, the Messiah of Israel, who will one day return and dwell among His people. The sukkah itself is a beautiful picture of God’s promise: just as a wedding canopy (chuppah) symbolizes union between bride and groom, Sukkot reminds us of the coming marriage between Messiah and His congregation.
The Bible foretells that in the days to come, all nations will gather in Jerusalem to worship the King during this very feast. Sukkot therefore not only looks back to God’s past faithfulness, but also forward to His ultimate plan, when His presence will fill the earth, and He will dwell with us forever.
This holiday is a time to rejoice, to give thanks for His covering and care, and to remember that the same God who sustained Israel in the desert is still faithful today.