The Feast of Tabernacles is a seven day long religious observance that takes place after the final harvest season in the fall of the year.

Free Will Offerings at the Feast of Tabernacles

The Feast of Tabernacles is a time to celebrate and show appreciation toward God for all the blessings He has given us in the previous year. Deuteronomy 16:14-15 describes the Feast of Tabernacles as a time of joy and blessing.

Because God's goal for us is to become more like Him in verse 16-17 He instructs us to bring a gift during the Feast of Tabernacles which serves two purposes:

• A real display of thankfulness for our blessings
• We learn to practice generosity, which should lead us to become more generous in spirit and better reflect the mind of our generous God

Where To Meet For The Feast of Tabernacles

God's instructions are to observe the Feast of Tabernacles in a place He will choose. During the course of history this place of God's choosing changed but was always in the place where the tent of meeting and later the temple were located. For most of the people this meant they had to travel.

Today we do not have a temple of central place of worship. The work of Jesus Christ during His ministry forever changed the role of the priesthood, the sacrificial system and the temple.In a nutshell...

• Christ has permanently taken the role of High Priest to himsel
• Christ's sacrifice of His own life has permanently replaced the offerings of the lives of animals as an atonement for sin
• Through Christ God no longer dwells in a tent, or a temple made of stone He lives within the members of  the body of Christ (the church) 1 Corinthians 3:16

As a results of these changes in the priesthood, sacrificial system and place of worship keeping the Feast of Tabernacles is necessarily different.

Observing the Feast of Tabernacles Today

The central idea of God's instructions in Deuteronomy is that we gather together in His presence. Under the Old Covenant God was present within the tent of meeting and later the temple. Today God tells us He is present within the body of believers... especially when they are gathered together (Matthew 18:20).

Today the Feast of Tabernacles is best kept by gathering together with the other members of the body of Christ and presenting ourselves before God for seven days as instructed.