The Feast of In-gathering or Tabernacles begins on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. The first day is holy. Holy means, of or pertaining to God. Therefore the first day pictures something that God is doing or going to do. Being a fall festival it also pictures the autumn or main harvest. Some have said that this festival pictures the millennium of one thousand years of rule by the firstfruits. We know that this cannot be true, for we are told by Peter in holy scripture that one day is as one thousand years with God 2 Pet 3:8. Since this feast is seven days long, it could not possibly picture a one thousand year event, or period of time. Further, this is a fall festival. Why would it picture events connected with the firstfruits, which are part of the spring harvest?

We are commanded to live in temporary shelters or booths for the full seven days of the festival. This is to remind us that God, made Israel to dwell in tents when He brought them out of Egypt Lev 23:43. Notice that they did not dwell in booths in Egypt, it was when they came out of Egypt that they dwelt in booths. In Egypt they had their own houses, Egypt was their home, but when they left, Egypt was their home no longer. They became strangers, travellers journeying to a far country and no longer having a citizenship in Egypt. This pictures people, called out of the sin of this world; now having no part with this world, but rather in transit, to a promised better world.

We are commanded to cut, on the first day, branches of fruitful trees and rejoice with them for seven days Lev 23:40. Some think that the booths should be made with these branches. Notice that they are commanded to be cut on the first day. Either you are building your booth in the dark at the beginning of the first day or you are not dwelling in those booths the whole seven days of the feast. In building a home on the first day you would be breaking the command to do no work on that day. Finally, there is absolutely NO command to build booths out of branches, rather we are told to rejoice with them the whole seven days. What then does this picture?

The answer is given to us in John 15:5. Messiah said, "I am the vine, you are the branches". The branches are the people of the fall harvest. We rejoice with these branches because they picture the bringing in of the fall harvest into God's family, His temple. In the days of the temple, the people brought their branches into the temple rejoicing. So we also, should obey the command of God and take a few sprigs of beautiful trees and rejoice with them. Acting out the in-gathering of the nations into the temple of God.

Let us therefore bring a small branch with us, into the festival services and truly rejoice. Knowing that each branch represents a beloved child, parent or friend who could be graffed (grafted) into the family of God Rom 11:23-25.  This festival is not about getting ours, it is not about selfish and dominating lordship.  It is about loving service, it is about saving humanity and bringing the harvest of mankind into the temple, the family of God. 

There is so very much to rejoice about when we truly understand the meaning of this festival.  In the past we were told that it was about lording it over others for one thousand years.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  It is about SERVING others and bringing them into the household of God Mat 20:25-28.   This festival is not about domination or lordship or revenge; it is about mercy, love and faith!

The question arises: Does the phrase; "as it is written" Neh 8:15 mean that Moses actually commanded the people to build booths from the branches?  Answer:  The most exhaustive search of the writings of Moses will NOT find any command to build booths out of branches, rather the people were commanded to REJOICE with the branches.  Lacking the knowledge provided by the New Testament writers, Nehemiah simply came to the ONLY reasonable conclusion possible, in his circumstances.  Did he do wrong? 

NO, there is absolutely nothing wrong with doing the best you can with the knowledge that you have.  Building booths from branches  does fulfil the command to live in temporary shelters, yet it does not meet the requirement to cut those branches on the FIRST DAY and rejoice with them. The booths must be constructed before sunset beginning the First Day in order to dwell in the booths for the full seven days..  The term booth, can also mean hut or tent.  Those who observe this festival at a location where it is not possible to build booths out of branches, may simply dwell in travellers lodgings and fulfill this requirement. In colder or rainy climates or because of age or illness it might even be more appropriate to stay in better shelter than simply shelters made from branches. 

If you desire to make booths out of branches, that is fine. Just do not neglect to cut some branches on the First Day and  Rejoice with them.  Dwelling in any type of temporary shelter, acts out the truth that we are no longer citizens of this world, but are journeying to a new and better, Promised Land.  While rejoicing with the branches, acts out the truth that the Festival demonstrates the harvest of humanity being brought into the Temple, the Family of GOD!  That is why, this Festival is called BOTH the Feast of Tabernacles and the Feast of Ingathering!