Hello everyone. Hope you’re having a great Sukkot wherever you may be.
My first Sukkot was in 1960, and I’ve been privileged to celebrate Sukkots in various places in the U.S., in Canada and in France. I’ve been apart of Sukkot gatherings with thousands of attendees, and in many with only small groups of hundreds, tens or just my family as is the case this year.
For our family and since I was a little child, the Feast of Tabernacles has always been the highpoint of our year. And it well should be because of what this biblical feast represents in Bible prophecy—a coming time called the Millennium when Yeshua has returned, and has destroyed the New World Order which the Bible refers to as Mystery Babylon the Great with all of its Satan-worshiping and Elohim-hating cast of character. During this time, which some forward-thinking people have referred to as “the world tomorrow”, Yeshua will establish his world-ruling kingdom and rule with his resurrected and glorified king and priest saints teaching the physical humans on this earth the ways and Truth of YHVH Elohim. At this time, Satan will have been bound and placed in the abyss for 1000 years and the world will be at peace as the glory of YHVH covers the earth as the waters cover the sea. It is this paradisiacal time that Sukkot prophetically portrays.
Each year at Sukkot, traditionally my family and I have vacated the city where we live (our “Babylon”) for some beautiful and idyllic place on earth where we can enjoy a small foretaste of Yeshua’s millennial kingdom. This is also why we colloquial refer to Sukkot simply as “the Feast,” for it is a time to rejoice in YHVH Elohim and the blessing he has lovingly and graciously bestowed on us during the past year. Sukkot also represents and points to the marriage feast of the Lamb of Elohim.
In preparation for this “vacation,” we save our feast tithe (or a biblically mandated “vacation fund”) as Scripture commands to help finance our time “away from it all.” During this time, we follow Scripture and use our money to bless others, and to buy whatever our hearts desire and to feast joyfully including with “wine and strong drink.” As we read,
You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year. And you shall eat before the LORD your God, in the place where He chooses to make His name abide, the tithe of your grain and your new wine and your oil, of the firstborn of your herds and your flocks, that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always. But if the journey is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, or if the place where the LORD your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, when the LORD your God has blessed you, then you shall exchange it for money, take the money in your hand, and go to the place which the LORD your God chooses. And you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen or sheep, for wine or similar drink, for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat there before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household. You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year. And you shall eat before the LORD your God, in the place where He chooses to make His name abide, the tithe of your grain and your new wine and your oil, of the firstborn of your herds and your flocks, that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always. But if the journey is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, or if the place where the LORD your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, when the LORD your God has blessed you, then you shall exchange it for money, take the money in your hand, and go to the place which the LORD your God chooses. And you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen or sheep, for wine or similar drink, for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat there before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household. You shall not forsake the Levite who is within your gates, for he has no part nor inheritance with you. (Deuteronomy 14:23–27)
Now some more Hebraic-minded saints declare that it’s impossible to keep the biblical feasts including Sukkot exactly how the Torah commands, and so they take the minimalist approach to scriptural obedience and use this as a justification for not doing the feasts at all. Over the years I have directly confronted this mindset and shown from Scripture how YHVH favors and desires a heart that is inclined to serve him “the best we can” regardless of our location or circumstances. Instead of finding reasons and excuses why we can’t obey him by keeping his feasts, I prefer to look for every reason why we can obey him. This shows him that our hearts are inclined toward obedience and we are endeavoring to love him in so doing. If we fall short in our obedience, his grace covers us. This is a better approach and heart and mind orientation than that of looking for any excuse not to obey him. And truthfully, YHVH has blessed our family immensely both physically and spiritually as he have endeavored to obey him the best we can as imperfect as it may be.
So some of you may be wondering what we do during Sukkot. For the 18 years Sandi and I pastored a local congregation, we sponsored regional Sukkot gatherings where dozens up to a couple of hundred feast-goers came and celebrated. During this time, we scheduled daily meetings, teachings, praise and worship gatherings, family events and activities, group meals and much more. Needless to say, this kept Sandi and I busy organizing, setting up, tearing down, and overseeing and leading. It has been a couple of years since we “retired” from that, and after we did, it all died since no one was willing pick up that mantle and carry on that work. It was a lot of hard work that few were willing to help us with. Since then, because we have no congregation or group to meet with, we simply gather together as a family, which is our own personal tribe where I am the “patriarch.” During Sukkot, on the high holy day Shabbats, I lead my family in prayer, Bible study and music as we endeavor to rest and keep the sanctity of the day. During the rest of the week, we do our best to keep our hearts and minds on the meaning of Sukkot while, at the same time, building family relationships by engaging in fun activities.
So why am I sharing all of this with you? Simply for this reason. Perhaps our example of how we celebrate Sukkot will inspire you and yours to do the same and to find the blessing therein even as we have. We have found that whenever we obey YHVH, there is always a blessing to be found including temporally vacating spiritual Babylon, meeting with Elohim at his appointed times, building relationships with family and friends, and inspiring ourselves to look upwards toward him and toward a future better world that is coming soon where Yeshua the Messiah will be the King of kings.
HalleluYah! Maranatha!! Yeshua come quickly. The grace of our Master Yeshua the Messiah be with you all. Amein
Looks like you all are having a wonderful time. Thanks for sharing this.
So thankful you all are having blessed time here in central Oregon. I see Smith rock from our home here in Powell Butte. It would be a bit better here if the smoke would blow out. And it should soon with the rain : ).
Thank you for every article you post and the wealth of teaching you provide. You are a gift and a blessing to the Body!
Thanks for sharing. My wife and I also came out of the old WCG. Now on our own for over 25 years and still learning and growing!
Wonderful opportunity to come together as a family. I am looking forward to the day our children and their families are able to come together during this time.
We celebrated with our congregation here in Central Michigan. We hosted a Sukkot gathering here for the 6th year in a row (we moved here 6 years ago) and had a blessed time together. The other elder of our congregation had his second daughter married in August. It was a blessing to have her and her husband there with us and seeing the beginnings of the next generation following YHVH’s commands.
This was the 12th year of our family celebrating Sukkot. Each year we learn new things and rejoice in the opportunity to spend this time rejoicing in what our Heavenly Father had done for us.
Many Blessings!
Hello everyone a long time since I have commented but have been reading the posts:
Wonderful Family photos of your very invigorating Sukkot .I would like to say our Sukkot was invigorating also: but we had a Tent in the back yard & barbecue for cook Plus Rainy days- Spring here.. but we held on to the one & only sure HOPE- YESHUA.. & honoured him in our time spent @ home on the range..'” our soggy back yard” . .with the blossom on the trees. 25 degrees & sun out today so very pleasant. .
Have had many challenges in my home State where we live Melb. Aust. very trying as Natan had mentioned in one of his excellent Posts+ articles-links Re :Australia-. Babylon The Great/NWO ..Testing Ground For A Controlled Society (it sure has been) New World Order.
Well Natan & Sandi & Family it has been absolutely terrible here since severe Stage 4 Lockdown commenced Tuesday 4th August. .prior to that it was Stage 3 with strict mask wearing ..I could travel to work up until end of July; now have not been able to attend work since then.. My sons have been in trying positions also.. have to have permitted worker form to travel to work study ..we cannot travel more than 5 kms to buy essential items & do shopping.. many retail outlets closed. .businesses have died a slow death. .hairdressers barbers closed. I wont say any more re that but suffice to say we are in a Huge battle and many professionals eg Drs & one or two public servants-High profile from Senior Vic Treasury speaking up against the huge impact of the Lockdown etc .One has resigned from his post & written a book in the process.
Titled: The Great Hysteria & the Broken State.
Wow!!!! I’ve been hearing about this on the alternative, non-mainstream media, but you’re the first eye witness report of this that I’ve heard. There is no way a free people can imagine such a thing. Though most around me are in denial that this could happen in America, we are incrementally moving in this direction. Revelation 13 and 18 predict this just before the second coming, so it’s only a matter of time.
Australia took a major step in this tyrannical direction when their guns were taken away by the government. I won’t give up mine, and I doubt that most Americans will without a fight. It could get ugly. YHVH Elohim have mercy on us all.
How are folks there surviving without being able to work? This seems to be a precursor to Rev 13:18.
Natan further to your reply- thank you so much for your comment & reply to myself- so appreciate your wonderful input: it is such a great encouragement to me in the exceptionally hard circumstances.
I so appreciated the link you left in the POST re The Tyrannical Rule here down under.. it was a link to The Australian National Review which has had so much good information that I have been able to share with other fellow believers.. I believe Aust. & NZ have been testing grounds for the infamous global elites. wanting to ruin the middle class & mum & dad businesses and cause as much mayhem & heartache that they possibly could .. we can now travel 25 km in a radius from our front door but I am not back @ work as yet hopefully maybe in a couple of weeks. Hairdressers, barbers opened from Mon. .other retail not until Nov 1st.
My youngest son is now able to go back to study his apprenticeship @ the local Taffe College & has gained some employment today.. will hopefully kick off further in 3 weeks
It seems the globalists have a set plan for everything including other countries where their Lock step Plan will play out. I believe they will give us a breather for a while but only the Father knows where we will be in 6 months time.. even into March 2021 seeing the next Davos Economic Forum is due to be held in Jan 2021-(.The Great Reset) .
There are still many unemployed from the Hospitality industry & many other areas also, some building & construction kept going and essential workers but many shops in the CBD remain closed & many vacant up for lease ? who will lease them .Some have closed for good. High youth unemployment as well. Trying times for many
I hear what you’re saying loudly and clearly and agree with you. The Davos folks are on record as saying that they plan to use the Covid “pandemic” as a global “reset” button that they are pushing to move their NWO agenda forward. Some people whose eyes are open get this. Most people are asleep and many are even stopping their ears and hiding their eyes for fear of what they may see that is happening on the world scene. It’s called normalcy bias. The book of Revelation calls it lukewarmness or Laodiceanism. If people were to wake up spiritually, these means they’d have to recognize the times in which we are living, get right with Yeshua and repent and come back to him. This is too hard for most people to do because it would too greatly disturb their little spiritual apple carts and paradigms. We must be those who follow the Lamb wherever he leads us no matter the difficulties or consequences. Ignorance is not bliss; ignorance is just plain ignorance.
Love and blessing to all of our faithful remnant bride warrior brethren in Australia and NZ (and everywhere else too)! Remember 2 Timothy 1:7.
The Australian government is paying to people who have lost their jobs ‘job search allowance’ which they have increased to approx. $ 1,000 per fortnight. Of course, for people who are renting or paying back a home-loan or business loan, life is very tough.
There is also a none eviction policy in place for the moment for people who can’t pay their rent. Although the banks are allowing people to postpone their repayments, it probably leads to added interest in the end.
The government is also paying to some businesses that are not allowed to operate presently a ‘job keeper allowance’ which they pay to their employees; its about $ 1,500 per fortnight.These payments are already being reduced right now.
However, one can expect that many people will lose their homes and businesses.
Sonja
So what happens when “Big Brother” government goes broke and can’t afford to pay people? Taxes go up, the currency is devalued, inflation occurs. As always, the people lose out as the victims of government leftist, socialistic policies. When do people wake up and realize that the supposed cures are often worse than the disease? By the way, what has the death toll been for all of Australia due to Covid? I believe that it’s under one thousand out of a population of 25 million. So does this low death rate really justify all of these draconian government policies? One has to wonder what’s really behind it all. We see the same thing going on in many places in the US as well. In the mean time, the just shall live by faith…
Natan I am so glad you mentioned what you did re “Big Brother”. government etc .It has been known for many months now from many professionals Drs, some good Journalists
and Public servants -especially one heroic man for speaking up from the Victorian Treasury that this severe lockdown has gone beyond what it should have & Dictator Dan – the Premier of our State is aligned with the CCP. (Chinese Communist Party) & is playing into the hands of the socialist/ one world govt. strong cities (George Soros) program that he signed us up for /dirty deals that he has done plus all his lies & inconsistency.
We have been in longer lockdown than Wuhan China.!! just Crazy.
The federal prime Minister slammed the Premier of this state today in the media for delaying easing of restrictions-now have to wait until Nov 1 for another decision from this deceitful man. Cases ( Metropolitan) have gone from 89 active cases on 06 Sept 2020 down to 12 active cases on 02 Oct >>. now down to 4,6 cases-.24 Oct 2020. Regional cases much lower- 5.2- 0.2
Death rates were highest in the aged care sector.. they may have been a total of 800 or so. .
Many have been praying but they have mainly been a couple of dedicated Churches with live stream prayer & intercession .Strategic focus on the strongholds over this Premier & state.. we do need a breakthrough spiritually.
No one really wants to rely on the Govt for handouts and I for one would rather work and earn an honest living until I can no longer do so.. Praise the Father ! .