The third holy convocation of the High Holy Days is Sukkot, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles or the Feast of Booths. Since this feast was often associated with the fall harvest, it is also referred to in the Bible as the Feast of Ingathering. The biblical roots for this feast are in the commandment that God gave to Moses found in Leviticus (23:42, 43) and Deuteronomy (16:12-15).
God commanded us to keep this feast as a remembrance of how He delivered us out of Egyptian bondage, and how we lived in the wilderness, living in tents and booths under God's protection and care. In the desert wilderness God miraculously provided water to drink out of a rock. It was during the Feast of Sukkot that the Messiah said, "If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink." In the wilderness God led us with a pillar of fire to light our way. The Messiah said, "I am the light of the world. He that follows me shall not walk in darkness."
Sukkot represents life in heaven and in the new earth where we will live and rejoice with God forever. Sukkot is a happy occasion; it is a time for rejoicing in God's love. The feast begins on the 15th day of the seventh Hebrew month known as Tishrei, and it continues for seven days. Sukkot comes just 5 days after Yom Kippur.
