Lehi, Nephi and the shekinah -- Part 5 (The Feasts of Tabernacles)

This is presumably the last post of this series. Here are links to 

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4

In the last part, we read about the expanding tent and the feast for a covenant people in Isaiah 54 and Revelation 19-21 in the latter days. I mentioned that this can be viewed as a grand and final Feast of Tabernacles. This post will discuss the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot in Hebrew, and attempt to tie together a lot of the concepts that have been written on this blog, not only as part of this series, but other recent posts as well. 

Shekinah is a major theme in the Feast of Tabernacles. It is celebrated by creating temporary dwellings (tents or booths) where God can dwell with you, like he did among Israel as they journeyed in the wilderness. Leviticus 23 describes the commandments and instructions pertaining to it

33 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

34 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the Lord.

35 On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.

36 Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.

37 These are the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day:

38 Beside the sabbaths of the Lord, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the Lord.

39 Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the Lord seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath.

40 And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days.

41 And ye shall keep it a feast unto the Lord seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.

42 Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths:

43 That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

44 And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts of the Lord. (Leviticus 23)

I have highlighted several parts that come together with other themes discussed on this blog recently.

Dwelling in tabernacles/booths

First off, there is an evident Feast of Tabernacles theme in the passages discussed in the previous post (Isaiah 54 and Revelation 19-21). Initially, the covenant people, Israel, were living in tents and enjoying the divine presence as he led them out of Egypt to the promised land. Even though they were in a wilderness, he provided for them. This was to be commemorated with a feast where they gathered the harvest and rejoiced. From an ancient Israelite perspective, I can easily see the expanding tent of Isaiah and the feast in Revelation to represent a latter-day fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles. This also fits into a general pattern of fulfillment of Jewish festivals, that I will bring up in a future post.

Give/offer followed by receive/feast

Lord Wilmore has written extensively recently about the small and grand meal, giving/sacrificing and receiving and linked these concepts to the temple. In the video clip linked in this post, the Feast of Tabernacles is in fact mentioned as representing the grand meal. 

In this context of what Lord Wilmore has written, it is also interesting to note the Noahic pattern of giving and receiving described here. The Feast of Tabernacles happens in tents, enwrapped in the shekinah and isolated from the wicked world around, just like the ark. The harvest is gathered like the animals in the ark and some of it is offered as sacrifice. Then you feast on the fruit of the land that you have gathered but ultimately have received from the Lord as a blessing. Again, like Noah, who sacrificed and then had everything delivered into his hands by covenant, the giver becomes the receiver.

Eight days

Incidentally, the Feast of Tabernacles also happens to link to another recent post. This is a follow-up of a previous discussion on the symbolic value of the number 8. The Feast of Tabernacles starts on a Sabbath and ends on a Sabbath so that there is an eight day festival altogether. This is not surprising considering the symbolic meaning where 8 represents new beginnings and abundance. Abundance is found both physically in the harvest and spiritually in the divine presence, represented by the grand meal or feast. New beginnings is the major theme for the events that the Israelites were supposed to commemorate. The journey in the wilderness would culminate in entry into the promised land. This is why I think the passages in Isaiah 54 and Revelation 19-21 can be viewed as fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles. Referring to the video clip here once again, it talks about the meal both as reminder and a pointer to future events. The Feast of Tabernacles therefore also points to a future event in the latter days when Israel is gathered again in a feast in their promised lands and the tent just can't get big enough. It's a new beginning for all involved.

A final note on Lehi and Nephi

True to the title of this series, I end with a note on Lehi and Nephi. In this post I make a case for Lehi leaving Jerusalem at the time of Sukkot. Actually, the case is mostly laid out in the links of that post and especially this one demonstrates clearly how the Feast of Tabernacles is used as a major theme permeating the first part of 1 Nephi. These are not only textual clues, according to ancient Israelite scribal style, to inform the reader that Lehi left Jerusalem at the time of Sukkot. It is used as an overarching theme throughout to teach deeper lessons. As an example, let's return to one of the passages shared in part 2

7 And when we had returned to the tent of my father, behold their joy was full, and my mother was comforted.

8 And she spake, saying: Now I know of a surety that the Lord hath commanded my husband to flee into the wilderness; yea, and I also know of a surety that the Lord hath protected my sons, and delivered them out of the hands of Laban, and given them power whereby they could accomplish the thing which the Lord hath commanded them. And after this manner of language did she speak.

9 And it came to pass that they did rejoice exceedingly, and did offer sacrifice and burnt offerings unto the Lord; and they gave thanks unto the God of Israel. (1 Nephi 5)

The rejoicing and feasting as outlined in the commandment in Leviticus goes hand in hand with the sacrifice. Their joy being full reminds of the fullness that Lord Wilmore has discussed in this context. But it is also possible that the underlying Hebrew is shalom (as in "their joy was complete"). This would constitute a wordplay hinting at the conditions in Jerusalem (Yeru-shalom) at the time and how the Shekinah had withdrawn from it and moved into Lehi's tent instead. The blessings follow the separation from the wicked.

Another Feast of Tabernacles reference is found in 1 Nephi 8:5. But let's first revisit Revelation 19:8 that I discussed in the previous post.

And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

As commented before, this white linen symbolizes how all covenant people become Tsadiks (Righteous Ones) at the latter day grand feast (of tabernacles). Interestingly, the eighth day assembly of the Feast of Tabernacles traditionally consists of a prayer meeting led by a cantor who wears a symbolic white robe. This is also showing up in 1 Nephi 8:5, where Lehi in his dream sees such a leading figure wearing a white robe.

As a final example, consider how the symbolism of 8 just discussed is used by Nephi in light of this Feast of Tabernacles theme.

4 And we did sojourn for the space of many years, yea, even eight years in the wilderness.

5 And we did come to the land which we called Bountiful, because of its much fruit and also wild honey; and all these things were prepared of the Lord that we might not perish. And we beheld the sea, which we called Irreantum, which, being interpreted, is many waters.

6 And it came to pass that we did pitch our tents by the seashore

 

Nephi seems to make a direct link between their journey in the wilderness in tents (lasting for eight years) and the Feast of Tabernacles (lasting for eight days). It ends with the great harvest of much fruit and honey in Bountiful (and eventually the promised land). This is where they obtain the blessings ("prepared of the Lord") for the sacrifices of their journey.

Summary and conclusion

Since we have touched upon many aspects of a bigger theme in this series, I just want to wrap it all up in a summary. The Hebrew verb, shakan, means to abide or dwell. Both the words for tabernacle ("dwelling place") and Shekinah (the divine presence) are derived from this root. There is an idea of a temporary dwelling with God here on earth as preparation for a future permanent dwelling with God embedded in the Hebrew language.

This idea permeates much of 1 Nephi. As Latter-Day Saints, we tend to make fun of Nephi's focus on his father's tent rather than understanding the significance of it. There are textual clues to indicate both that Lehi's tent functioned as a tabernacle where God dwelled with them guiding them on their journey, as well as a celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles at the time they left Jerusalem. We see this theme sprinkled throughout first Nephi, teaching us about the relation between sacrifice and blessings and the importance of making space for God to dwell with us.

There is also a scriptural idea of a future grand Feast of Tabernacles in the latter days, where all children of the covenant are invited. We live in a time where these prophecies are about to be fulfilled and are therefore invited to prepare.