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Early Manifestations of Tabernacles

Yesterday as I was visiting with a friend, the question was raised as to whether or not we could experience the fulfillment of the feast of Tabernacles early—that is, before the historic fulfillment that is yet to come. I thought this would be a good topic for today’s weblog.

The first thing we must understand is that there are two main forms of fulfillment in the feasts. One is historic, the other personal or individual.

Passover

The feast of Passover was first instituted at the time of Israel’s exodus from Egypt under Moses. Was anyone before that date justified by faith in the blood of the Lamb? Did they have to wait (and miss out) until the feast was established? Better yet, was anyone prior to Christ’s death on the cross justified by faith? After all, Passover was fulfilled historically at the cross, which occurred at Passover.

The answer is obviously YES, although there are some who claim that no one could be saved prior to Christ’s death on the cross. That is the view of a tiny minority, as most understand that Old Testament saints, by offering sacrificial animals, expressed faith that looked forward to the death of the perfect Sacrifice, even as we today look back to that event.

Paul assumes in Romans 4:2 that Abraham was justified by faith.

² For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but before God.

This is affirmed in James 2:21,

²¹ Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?

Paul says Abraham was justified by faith and not by works. James says that faith without works is dead (invalid). Both are correct in different ways, and both agree that Abraham was justified. Justification is established through the feast of Passover, which was instituted long after Abraham’s lifetime.

The term Passover may not have been part of Abraham’s normal vocabulary, but he certainly understood the idea of faith when he covenanted with God, using the blood of sacrifice.

Pentecost

The feast of Pentecost was formally established at the Mount when God came down as fire and spoke the Ten Commandments to the people of Israel. (It was then known as the Feast of Weeks.) The feast was later fulfilled in Acts 2:1 when the Spirit came down as fire upon the heads of the disciples, and the people heard the words of God spoken in their own language.

Yet the prophets also were filled with the Spirit and spoke the word of God long before Pentecost was fulfilled in Acts 2. The main difference is that relatively few people experienced Pentecost prior to Acts 2, whereas afterward, a multitude of people entered into this experience. We today look back to the historic fulfillment of Pentecost, not because we missed out but because we may now experience Pentecost on an individual level.

Tabernacles

This brings us to the feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkoth. In my view, this feast was established when Moses came off the Mount with his face glowing with the presence of God. A greater fulfillment occurred in Matthew 17:2 when Jesus was transfigured on Mount Sion (Hermon) in the presence of Peter, James, and John. This can be seen as a private event, not yet available to the general public. It was the transfiguration of the Head, but not the body as a whole.

Thus, the historic fulfillment of Tabernacles has yet to be fulfilled at the end of the Pentecostal Age, for each historic fulfillment defines not only a day but an age as well.

The question for us to consider today is whether or not we may fulfill Tabernacles on an individual basis prior to the historic fulfillment.

The answer is YES, because we already have Moses’ example. I have also heard testimony of certain ones manifesting the glory of God, glowing in light while visiting in their living room. Such examples, however, as in the case of Moses himself, were a “fading” glory (2 Corinthians 3:7). The outward manifestation faded because of the veil that covered it. That veil is our flesh, which hides the light that resides in all Spirit-filled people. Speaking of this light and glory, Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:7,

⁷ But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves.

It appears that the potential of Tabernacles is already within us, but it is veiled and hidden by our flesh, which Paul calls “earthen vessels.” So when Jesus was transfigured, we should not think of this in terms of the Spirit suddenly coming upon Him, but as a tearing of the veil that revealed what was already residing in Him.

The same is true with us. Pentecost has put the Spirit of God within earthen vessels, and Tabernacles is the outward manifestation of that glory. The potential thus exists for all of us to experience the same—although I will admit that this does not often occur. I believe it will be much more common in the Tabernacles Age to come.

Preparing for Tabernacles

As we approach this Tabernacles Age, I expect to see the glory of God begin to emerge in greater ways than in the past. His glory appears as the dawn. The dawn is a gradual increase of light. Hosea 6:3 says,

³ So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; and He will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain watering the earth.

Again, we read in Malachi 4:2,

² But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall.

When the “sun of righteousness” rises, we see the first rays of dawn called “wings.” The people normally opened the door of the stall to allow the calves to run free after the long night. This is a picture of rejoicing in a time of healing, both individually and nationally.

Healing miracles, of course, have long been part of both Passover and Pentecost, which can be seen as precursors to Tabernacles. Such miracles need not wait for the historic fulfillment of Tabernacles, yet I am certain that they will greatly increase after the historic event.

Jesus made it clear that His disciples were to do the works that Jesus Himself did—and even “greater works” (John 14:12) as time progresses. So we have seen people healed, the dead raised, demons cast out, and so on throughout the Pentecostal Age. The church largely lost this for many centuries when it institutionalized and became fossilized. But just before the start of the Tabernacles Age, we ought to at least equal what the disciples saw in the book of Acts.

From there, I believe we will break through into the experiences and revelations of Tabernacles on a grander scale than before. Yet it seems to me that there will be a final outpouring of the Holy Spirit prior to Tabernacles that will prepare the way for Christ’s coming.