God has a pattern that unlocks His promises and brings us into His presence. In the Old Testament, we see that God the Father designed seven feasts, as expounded upon in Leviticus 23. They all point to Jesus and the things that will happen in the New Covenant. These seven feasts are God’s own holy days with specific instructions given for their observance. They’re also known as “holidays”, and each individual holiday has a special way it is celebrated. Let’s look at one special holiday in particular: the Feast of Tabernacles.
The overall theme of the Feast of Tabernacles is a beautiful picture of the unity of the saints and the true Church coming forth. On this special holy day, every Israelite had to leave their dwelling place and assemble together in small, humble booths for fellowship and worship. They had one common purpose in mind: to keep the feast of the Lord in its season, and to celebrate the ingathering of the wines and oils. God had provided, and the purpose was to celebrate his provision – all together, like a family.
We have been bought back from Satan and death to God by the blood of Jesus. The Messiah has come and now sits on the right hand of the Father, and He lives to intercede for us day and night. He is our high priest! We are no longer separated by the veil as in the Old Covenant. We have the right to boldly come before the throne of grace anytime, 24/ 7, 365 days a year. God wants a relationship with you through His son Jesus Christ, the only mediator between God and man!
The Feast of Tabernacles is our season of joy. It corresponds to the fruit harvest. It is a time of celebration of the blessings of the Lord. In Biblical times, Sukkot was considered the most important of all the holidays, referred to simply as “the Feast” (1 Kings 12:32). It was a time of many sacrifices (Numbers 29:12-40). After the time of corporate fasting, prayer and giving in the Day of Atonement we enter into the Feast of Tabernacles. It is a Feast of joy, rest, unity, provision and glory.
There are 7 points which describe this feast: 1) Feast of Unity: (2 Chron 5:3) 2) Feast of Joy (Ps 126, Is 65:18-19) 3) Feast of Ingathering (Js 5:7; Hos 6:1-3) 4) Feast of Rest (Heb 4:1-9) 5) Feast of Glory (Change of Priesthoods 1 Sam 4:21; IS 60, Jn 17) 6) Feast of His appearing (God appeared in the cloud) 7) Feast of Restoration (Acts 3:19-21; Ezra, Neh, Esther, Joel) The restoration spoken of in the previous list includes:
1) Increase – A Double Portion
2) Revelation 3) Fresh Anointing 4) God’s Power – Miracles 5) Restoration 6) Financial Abundance 7) No shame but deliverance 8) God’s Presence Now let’s examine specifically the promises as we walk in this “New day of the Lord”… with his blessings and benefits:
… “the Lord shall INCREASE you the more & the more” Psalm 115:14
The word “increase” means to multiply, add and reproduce.. It means to make bigger or more. God does want you to increase as a “whole person” – He desires to put what the broken parts back together, and make you larger as a whole. Increase includes spiritual, emotional, and physical aspects of your life. God desires to give you increase!
“For He has given you the former rain faithfully. And He will cause the rain to come down for you – The former rain, And the latter rain in the first month” Joel 2:23 NKJV
In God’s first month (the Feast of Tabernacles), He begins sending the Former and the Latter rain. This is a DOUBLE PORTION. What does this mean? The former rain deals with the spring rains and the latter rain deals with the fall rains. The first rain prepares the land for seed time, and the latter rain prepares the land for harvest. The “normal” economy in Joel’s world was for the former rains to fall in the springtime in preparation for the grain harvests and the latter rains to pour during the autumn in preparation for the fruit. In the verse above, Joel is proclaiming on behalf of God, as he was the prophet at that time, there is about to be big time blessing where these rains would fall at the same time. Coming down in the First month of the Hebrew year. Joel was proclaiming that the harvest would be happening at the same time as the seed time! It is a move of God so glorious that you will reap at the same time you sow. There will be no waiting for the harvest to develop.
“I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing; and I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessing..”Ezekiel 34:26
The cloudburst that is about to be released is not determined by our schedule but rather the Father’s plan. That’s why the Bible says in Jeremiah 5:24, “Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the Lord our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.” The greatest barrier to receiving what God is preparing for us during this divine deluge is our own obedience or disobedience to God’s awesome plan. The Bible reveals this in the next verse of Jeremiah:
“Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.” Jeremiah 5:25
Let us seek and obey God as never before! When God promises a double portion, it refers to something we obtain through position, not something we work to acquire. It means you will be OVERTAKEN as God’s Word promises! God’s will is that you will never lack in any area of your life. However, it’s up to us as His people to prepare our lives, to repent, to increase our capacity to receive God’s abiding and abundant grace.
