Note 1 at Jn. 7:2: The Feast of Tabernacles is first mentioned in Exodus 23:16 as the "feast of ingathering" and coincided with the end of Israel's agricultural season when grains, olives, grapes, etc. were being gathered in. It is also spoken of in Leviticus 23:33-43 as a feast ordained by God to remind the Israelites that God made them to "dwell in booths" (or tents--Ex. 16:16; Num. 1:52; 9:17-23; Dt. 1:32- 33) when He brought them out of the land of Egypt, and dwelling "in booths seven days" (Lev. 23:42) was a required observance of this feast. God also made it a statute to observe "forever in your generations" (Lev. 23:41).

The feast began on the fifteenth day of the Jewish seventh month and lasted for eight days although the eighth day was not originally considered a part of the feast, but as a culmination of the annual cycle of feasts. The first day consisted of a "holy convocation" (or large meeting). It was also considered as a Sabbath day (cp. with note 1 at Jn. 5:16, p. 97) in which no "servile" work was to be done. Burnt offerings and sacrifices were made daily and the eighth day, which was also considered a Sabbath day concluded with a solemn assembly.

Included as part of this feast was a celebration of the harvest where, after gathering the fruit of the land, the Israelites were also to gather tree branches and "rejoice before the Lord your God seven days" (Lev. 23:39-40; Dt. 16:13-15). According to Nehemiah 8:13-18, the tree branches were used in later years to make the actual booths. Also, with the temple firmly established in Jerusalem, the booths were constructed on rooftops, in courtyards and streets, and even in the court of the temple. The people lived in these booths for the duration of the feast, which, as stated above, was originally seven days but later included the eighth day.

The Feast of Tabernacles was the last of three feasts in which all the males were required to appear before the Lord "in the place which he shall choose" (Dt. 16:16). The other feasts were the feast of unleavened bread (Passover) and the feast of harvest (Pentecost). In Jesus' day, the feast had been embellished with additional ceremonies and traditions (see note 1 at Lk. 2:42, p. 28). It is likely that Jesus, in fulfilling the law, attended all three feasts yearly.

In Zechariah, chapter 14, which deals with the second coming of Jesus, the feast of tabernacles is mentioned in verses 16, 18, and 19 as something that people of all nations shall be required to observe. Those not coming to Jerusalem "from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts and to keep the feast of tabernacles" (v. 16) will be punished with "no rain" (v. 17) and with "the plague" (v. 18) if they continue to refuse to go to Jerusalem. Thus, the statute that God proclaimed to be observed "for ever" in Leviticus 23:41 is still being observed after Christ's second coming.