The Blessings of Tabernacles

As we study Sukkot, a/k/a “The Feast of Ingathering,” or “The Feast of Tabernacles,” I want to bring forth to you all the shades of meaning that God places in His Word for us to find. I want to focus on what this feast means as we enter into a great time of harvest, blessing, thankfulness, giving, rejoicing, unity and celebration!
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)

Now about that last item – RESTORATION. Restoration, as expanded by Scripture in the book of Joel, 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

Let’s examine specifically the promises as we walk in this “new day of the Lord” with his blessings and benefits.
The first benefit of the season of Tabernacles is INCREASE. Increase means to multiply, add and reproduce; to make bigger or more.

“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 time, the “first month” is right now. He begins sending the former and the latter rains of the season, which represent an increase in double portion for His people. What does this mean?

The former rain deals with the spring rains and the latter rain deals with the fall rains. The first rains prepares the land for seed time and the latter 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.

However, Joel states in the verse that there is about to be big time blessing where these rains would fall at the same time – coming down in the “first month” (now!) of the Hebrew year (or, right after the Day of Atonement!)

That is the harvest time happening before 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 in-between time 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! There is a double blessing – that is the harvest happening before the seed time.

The greatest barrier to receiving what God is preparing for us during this divine deluge is revealed in Jeremiah 5:24-25:
“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.Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.”

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.

Partake with us in celebrating this Holy time- So how do you prepare your heart to be intimate with God?:
1. Make the time holy, by setting this time apart from your regular routine<
2. Confession and repentance matching your actions
3. Sacrifice- an offering unto the Lord in honor of Him!