TODAY IN THE WORD
After the Pilgrim settlers in Plymouth survived their first year in the New World and completed their first harvest in 1621, the governor proclaimed a day of thanksgiving and prayer. Colonists and Native Americans joined for three days of feasting, games, and celebration. During the Revolutionary War, Congress proposed a yearly day of national thanksgiving.

Many Americans may not know that the Pilgrims were probably imitating the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles. Also called the Feast of Booths or the Feast of Ingathering, the Feast of Tabernacles was held in the fall, following the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement. The third and final pilgrimage festival of the year, this feast marked the end of the overall harvest season. Grapes, dates, olives, and other late crops were brought in. During the week, the Israelites lived in tents or booths for both the practical reason of being in the fields to harvest and for the spiritual reason of remembering the wilderness wanderings (23:42–43). They decorated the booths with fruit, leaves, and branches to show God’s provision and blessing.

Interestingly, the Feast of Tabernacles plays a role in end-times prophecy. Symbolically, the end of the harvest season can be compared to the end of history. Zechariah foretold that one day all nations would come to Jerusalem to worship the Lord during this feast (Zech. 14:16–21).

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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
If you are interested in learning more about these celebrations, there are several good books on the traditions and meanings of the Jewish festivals. The Fall Feasts of Israel, by Mitch Glaser and Zhava Glaser, might be a good place to start. Christ in the Passover, by Ceil Rosen and Moishe Rosen, is another helpful title.

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