The Festival of Shelters is one of three festivals where God commanded all male Israelites to go to Jerusalem and bring him an offering (see: Deuteronomy 16:16). The Festival of Shelters started on the fifteenth day of the seventh month of the Jewish calendar. The festival lasted seven days. The Israelites lived in tents or temporary shelters during these seven days. They did this to remember the time when God rescued the Israelites from Egypt, and the people lived in tents while they were in the desert (see: Leviticus 23:33-44; Deuteronomy 16:13-15).
This festival is also called “Festival of Tabernacles,” “Festival of Booths,” and “Festival of Ingathering.”
King Solomon brought the ark of the covenant to the temple during the Festival of Shelters (see: 1 Kings 8:1-2). Moses commanded the priests and elders of Israel to read the law of Moses to all the people every seven years during the Festival of Shelters (see: Deuteronomy 31:9-13). Ezra read the law of Moses to the people during the Festival of Shelters after they returned home from Babylon (see: Nehemiah 8:13-18; see also: Ezra 3:4).
Zechariah prophesied that people from all nations would celebrate the Festival of Shelters (see: Zechariah 14:16-21). The Israelites understood that this prophecy was about the time when the messiah would come and rescue them from their enemies and cause there to be peace.
Jesus taught at the temple during the Festival of Shelters (see: John 7).
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