The Word Tabernacled Among Us
Today, I want to share a teaching on the final and seventh Feast of Yahuah — Sukkot. This feast is a shadow of the last 1,000 years, the Sabbath Millennium Era in the 7,000-year Salvation Plan of Yahuah. Truly, it is the greatest story ever told, and at the heart of this story is our King, Yahushua 👑.
As end-time watchmen, we are privileged to see how Abba Father has revealed this profound mystery to us. Let us open our hearts to understand His perfect timing, His faithfulness, and the joy that awaits all who dwell in His presence.
HOW DOES YAHUSHUA FIT INTO THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES?
About two months ago, I had a dream in which I asked Yahushua, “When will You return?” He answered, “At the same time I came the first time.” His words prompted me to research the Scriptures, and this is what I discovered.
Yahushua’s birth date was never hidden or unknown. However, those of us who grew up in paganized Christianity were brainwashed to believe that Yahushua was born on December 25, and we accepted it because, “The pastor said so…!”
I will highlight a few topics here — not only to help determine the date of Yahushua’s birth, but also to give us a better background of the events and aspects surrounding His birth. With this knowledge, we can better discern truth from deception.
We must realize — we do not have to accept everything thrown in our face as absolute truth. Instead, we should investigate for ourselves. In doing so, even those inexperienced in the Word are trained to distinguish right from wrong.
I want to say right away: When we consider the birth date of Yahushua, it becomes clear that any proposed date outside the Fall [Northern Hemisphere – September] can be ruled out. There is simply too much circumstantial evidence supporting this timing. Some have speculated that Yahushua was born in the Spring [March–April], even suggesting Passover as the day of His birth. However, a Spring birth is not feasible, mainly due to the sequence of events and dates outlined in Scripture.
The Biblical way to determine Yahushua’s birth date actually begins with calculating the birth of John the Baptist. As we read in Luke 1:36, when the angel spoke to Miriam [Mary]: “And behold, your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.”
By following this timeline, the Scriptures guide us toward the correct period of Yahushua’s birth.By applying the information in Luke’s Gospel regarding the six-month gap between their births, we can determine the date of Yahushua’s birth.
The Gospel of Luke introduces the birth of John the Baptist before giving the details of Yahushua’s birth for a reason: the two are closely connected in both the chronology of their births and in their ministries. Understanding John’s birth is the first key piece in the puzzle of Yahushua’s birth.We don’t need complex mathematics to make this calculation; we simply need to arrange the events in their proper chronological order.
That is the purpose of this study – to provide a simple guide that encourages people to study the Scriptures for themselves. It is truly rewarding to see how beautifully the pieces fall into place.
Luke gives important clues through John’s father, the priest Zechariah, which help us unlock the timing of Yahushua’s birth. Determining the months and days of John and Yahushua’s births requires some knowledge of Biblical chronology, along with key information from the Old Testament.Luke 1:5 tells us: “In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a certain priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah; and his wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.”
This is a crucial clue. The priestly division of Abijah was the eighth of the 24 divisions that King David, by YHWH’s command, established to serve in the Temple (1 Chronicles 24:1-19; 28:12-13). David organized the descendants of Eleazar and Ithamar, the two sons of Aaron, into these 24 divisions and created a schedule for the priests to serve throughout the year in an orderly way.
By following this timeline, we gain the foundation to calculate the approximate month and day of Yahushua’s birth, guided entirely by Scripture.Each priestly division served twice a year for a full week from Sabbath to Sabbath (2 Chronicles 23:8; 1 Chronicles 9:25).
In addition, all divisions served together during the three Pilgrimage Feasts: Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. This means that in a normal year, each division would serve a total of five weeks: two regular service weeks plus three Feast weeks.
The Hebrew calendar year consists of 12 lunar months of 29 or 30 days, totaling 354 days, which equals 51 weeks. Therefore, in an ordinary year, 51 weeks of Temple service are accounted for: 24 divisions serving twice each equals 48 weeks, plus the 3 weeks of the Pilgrimage Feasts totals 51 weeks.
VERY IMPORTANT!
It is essential to know exactly when the priestly divisions began their Temple service rotations. This cannot be guessed or chosen arbitrarily—it must be clearly established by Scripture.The Biblical calendar begins with the month Aviv, roughly corresponding to April in the Western [Roman] calendar. We must also remember that the seasons in the Northern Hemisphere are opposite to those in the Southern Hemisphere.
The Scriptures provide clear guidance on when the divisions began their service: Exodus 12:2 – “This month [Aviv] shall be for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.”
Exodus 40:1 – “Then YHWH spoke to Moses and said: On the first day of the first month, set up the Tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting. And place in it the Ark of the Testimony and cover it with the veil.”
Exodus 40:17 – “In the first month, in the second year, on the first day of the month, the Tabernacle was set up.”
King David also commanded that representatives of the Temple and heads of families from each of the 12 tribes rotate monthly with the priestly divisions, beginning in the first month—Aviv [April].
1 Chronicles 27:1-3 explains:“Now these were the sons of Israel, by their number, heads of families and leaders over thousands and hundreds, who served the king in all the affairs of the divisions, coming in and going out month by month throughout all the months of the year; each division was twenty-four thousand. The first division, for the first month, was Jashobeam, son of Zabdiel; and in his division were twenty-four thousand. Of the sons of Perez, he was the head over all the commanders for the first month.”
King Solomon maintained this rotation, and even the gatekeepers followed the same schedule as the priestly divisions (2 Chronicles 8:14-15). Rotation took place on the Sabbath (2 Chronicles 23:8).The historian Flavius Josephus records in the first century AD that this division system remained “to this day” (Antiquities of the Jews, Book 7, Chapter 14, Section 7).
This confirms that the first division began service on the first Sabbath of Nisan (April), with each of the 24 divisions serving one week from Sabbath to Sabbath, once in each half of the year.
With this information, we can approximate Yahushua’s birth. Luke 1 tells us that John the Baptist was conceived after his father, Zechariah, returned home from his Temple service, 10 weeks after the start of the year (verses 23-24), during Sivan [June], the third month of the Biblical calendar. John’s birth, therefore, would have been nine months later, in April of the following year.
From this, we can also infer that Yahushua was born 15 months after Zechariah returned home to Elizabeth, making John about six months older than Yahushua.
LET’S MAKE SURE
A key to accurately determining when Yahushua was born lies in the circumstances surrounding Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist. Luke 1:5 tells us that Zechariah held a priestly office “in the division [service group] of Abijah.”Why is the schedule of this division important?
About a thousand years earlier, during King David’s reign, the number of priests in Israel had grown considerably. David organized them into 24 divisions, or service groups, to rotate weekly in Temple service (1 Chronicles 23:6, 24; 28:13). Scripture also shows that all the priests served together in Jerusalem during the three annual Pilgrimage Feasts—Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles (Leviticus 23; Deuteronomy 16).
During the rest of the year, the divisions rotated, each serving one week on a rotating basis. The first service of each division occurred in the first half of the year, and the second service in the second half.
A Biblical year has 51 weeks:The 24 divisions, serving one week each and then again later, account for 48 weeks. The remaining 3 weeks are dedicated to the three Pilgrimage Feasts, as commanded by YHWH, when all men had to go to Jerusalem (Exodus 34:23). This rotation ensured that all priestly duties were covered throughout the year.
At the time of Yahushua, there were approximately 2.5 million people in Jerusalem for these feasts, demonstrating why all priestly divisions had to serve. The first 8 service rotations of the priests, starting with the Biblical calendar year (1st of Nisan [April]): First rotation: first week of April, Second rotation: second week of April FEAST: Passover – all divisions present in the third week of April; all the people and priests gathered in Jerusalem.Third rotation: fourth week of April, Fourth rotation: first week of May, Fifth rotation: second week of May, Sixth rotation: third week of May, Seventh rotation: fourth week of May, Eighth rotation: first week of June – Zechariah’s service according to the division of Abijah (1 Chronicles 24:10)
FEAST: Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) – all priestly divisions present in the second week of Sivan [June], the tenth week of the Biblical calendar year. Because the priestly divisions served during Passover, the division of Abijah—the eighth in rotation—began its service in the ninth week. After this rotation, the week of Pentecost began, so the division of Abijah remained on duty in the tenth week.
Assuming 1st April = 1st Nisan, ten weeks from the start of the year brings us to the middle of the third month, Sivan [June]. Luke 1:5 tells us that during this service, Zechariah’s duties were interrupted by the angel announcing the conception of his wife. Because of his disbelief, he was struck mute during his Temple service (Leviticus 21:16-23) and returned home to Elizabeth, after which she conceived. Therefore, John’s birth would occur nine months later, at the end of winter and the first month Nisan [April] of the following year.
This timeline allows us to clearly understand that Yahushua was born 15 months after Zechariah returned home to Elizabeth, making John about six months older than Yahushua.
🌿 The Birth of Yahushua — The Word Tabernacled Among Us
Beloved, Scripture unfolds the story of Yahushua’s birth with divine precision. When we trace the timeline through the Gospel of Luke, we discover that Yahuah left nothing to speculation — every moment was written in His perfect order.
In Luke 1:26–36, the messenger Gabriel was sent by Yahuah to a young maiden, Miriam, in the town of Natsareth. It was the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, when Gabriel announced, “You will conceive and bring forth a Son, and you shall call His Name Yahushua.” At this point, Elizabeth — who had long been barren — was already six months pregnant with Yohanan (John) the Immerser. This means that Yohanan was about six months older than Yahushua.
From this, the timeline unfolds beautifully. Yohanan’s birth took place around the month of Aviv (April), during the time of Pesach (Passover). Six months later brings us to the seventh month — Tishri (September) — the time of the Feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles).
It was during this appointed season of joy and dwelling in temporary shelters that the Word of Yahuah came to dwell among us.
How fitting! Yahushua, the Living Word, was born when Yahuah’s people were celebrating His presence among them in the wilderness — dwelling in tents, remembering His faithfulness and provision.
John 1:14 declares, “And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us; and we beheld His esteem, the esteem as of the only brought-forth of the Father, full of favour and truth.”
Miriam conceived in the month of Kislev (December), during the Feast of Lights — Hanukkah, when the menorah shone brightly as a symbol of rededication and light. Truly, the Light of the world was conceived during the Feast of Lights, and was born during the Feast of Tabernacles — a divine pattern that speaks of revelation, redemption, and relationship.
Beloved, this was no coincidence. Yahushua entered the world at the exact time Yahuah appointed — to dwell among His people, to shine His light into darkness, and to restore what was lost. The Feasts reveal His timeline, and through them, we see that our Elohim is precise, faithful, and ever present.
May this revelation draw you nearer to the One who came to tabernacle among us. May His light continue to fill your dwelling, just as His presence filled the sukkah long ago. “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and they shall call His Name Immanu’el — Elohim with us.”— Matthew 1:23
🌟 From Light to Dwelling — The Appointed Time of Yahushua’s Birth
Beloved, when we search the Scriptures carefully, we find that Yahuah has woven His perfect order into every detail — even the timing of Yahushua’s conception and birth. Nothing was random, and no moment happened outside of His appointed seasons.When the messenger appeared to Zechariah in the Temple, it marked the beginning of a divine countdown — a timeline written long before the foundations of the world.
From the service of Zechariah’s priestly division to the conception of Yohanan (John) the Immerser, and finally to the birth of Yahushua the Messiah, everything aligns perfectly with Yahuah’s moedim — His set-apart appointed times.
✨ The Light Conceived
Six months after Elizabeth conceived Yohanan, the messenger Gabriel appeared to Miriam in Nazareth, declaring: “You will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His Name Yahushua.” — Luke 1:31
This moment took place around the month of Kislev (December) — during Hanukkah, the Feast of Dedication, also known as the Festival of Lights. Isn’t it remarkable that the Light of the world was conceived during the Feast of Lights?
During this feast, the menorah burned brightly in remembrance of Yahuah’s faithfulness — and at that very time, the true Light entered the world through Miriam’s womb.
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of Lights.” — James 1:17
Yahushua would later confirm this divine mystery in His own words: “I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but have the Light of life.” — John 8:12
Beloved, Hanukkah was not just a feast of remembrance; it was a prophetic foreshadowing — the very season when Yahuah kindled His eternal flame within humanity.
🕊️ The Word Dwelling Among Us
Now count nine months from Hanukkah, and you arrive at the seventh Biblical month — Tishri (September), the time of Sukkoth, the Feast of Tabernacles. “On the fifteenth day of the seventh month is the Feast of Tabernacles for Yahuah, lasting seven days.” — Leviticus 23:34
During this feast, Israel dwelt in temporary shelters, remembering how Yahuah’s Presence was with them in the wilderness. How fitting, then, that Yahushua — Immanu’el, Elohim with us — was born at this appointed time!
“And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us, and we beheld His esteem, the esteem as of the only brought-forth of the Father, full of favour and truth.” — John 1:14
Just as our ancestors dwelt in sukkot (temporary booths), our Messiah came and dwelt in a temporary body, revealing the heart of Yahuah — to be among His people.
🌿 Prophetic Reflection
From Hanukkah to Sukkoth, we see the prophetic journey: Conception at Hanukkah — the Light kindled within Miriam. Birth at Sukkoth — the Word dwelling among us in a humble sukkah. The One who was conceived as the Light now shines eternally as the Presence who tabernacles with His people.
Beloved, this truth calls us to rededicate our hearts as living temples of His light. Let Yahushua, the Light of the world, dwell richly within you.
“For Yahuah, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the esteem of Elohim in the face of Yahushua the Messiah.” — 2 Corinthians 4:6
Dwelling with the King — The Mystery of Sukkoth
When Yahushua was born, He entered the world not in a palace, but in a temporary dwelling — a simple stable, a sukkah. Miriam wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn (Luke 2:7).
Even in His birth, the Messiah revealed a divine pattern — that Yahuah’s presence chooses humility over grandeur, simplicity over status, and obedience over comfort.
The Hebrew word for “stable,” Sukkoth, means booths or temporary dwellings. It reminds us of Genesis 33:17, where Jacob built booths for his livestock and called the place Sukkoth. This was no coincidence. Yahushua, the Word made flesh, came to tabernacle among us — to dwell temporarily in a human body, revealing the glory of the Father to His creation (John 1:14).
Eight days after His birth, Yahushua was brought to be circumcised — fulfilling the covenant given to Abraham and shedding His first drops of blood, a sign that He came to seal an eternal covenant with His people.
Fittingly, this took place on the Eighth Day of the Feast of Tabernacles, a day known as Simchat Torah, which means Rejoicing in the Torah — the celebration of the Word of Yahuah.
The Living Word Himself entered the world during the Feast that celebrates the dwelling of the Word among His people.
The Feast of Tabernacles is prophetic of the coming Kingdom — a time when Yahushua will once again dwell among His people, and every tear will be wiped away (Revelation 21:3). Just as He once came in humility, He will return in glory to reign for a thousand years.
Beloved, the story of His birth calls us to prepare our hearts as His dwelling place. Our lives may be “temporary tents,” but when we yield them to Him, they become sanctuaries of His presence. As we look forward to the coming reign of the King, let us rejoice like Israel during Sukkoth — celebrating the eternal promise that Yahuah desires to dwell with His people.
Reflection:
Is your heart ready to be a dwelling place for the King?
Scripture to Meditate On:
“And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us, and we beheld His glory…” – John 1:14
Yahshua the Messiah is also the Symbolic Tabernacle or Dwelling Place of YHWH. In Him dwells the fullness of YHWH (John 1:14, Colossians 2:9), and YHWH dwells among us through Yahshua (Matthew 18:20).
Let’s pause for a moment and look back at Luke 2:6–7 — why do you think the inns were full? It wasn’t only because of Caesar Augustus’ census (and by the way, when do you think Augustus would have chosen to hold a census? Wouldn’t it make sense for it to happen during one of the three appointed Feasts, when everyone was already gathered together?).
It’s also very likely because people were on their way to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkoth). Bethlehem is very close to Jerusalem, and the surrounding areas and fields would have been lit up with all the Sukkot booths during that time in September.
Joseph and Miriam (Mary) took the Child and fled to Egypt, staying there until they learned that Herod had died. They later brought the baby Yahshua to Jerusalem forty days after His birth for Miriam’s purification ceremony and to dedicate the Child — according to the Torah (Leviticus 12:2–6), this had to be done within forty days after the birth of a male child.
This also implies that Herod must have died within those same forty days, because as long as Herod lived, they could not safely appear at the Temple. (According to the calculations of Flavius Josephus, born Joseph ben Matthias, in his book “The Antiquities of the Jews”, Herod’s death occurred in the autumn [September] of the 4th year before the Common Era — 4 B.C.E.)
ALL IN SEPTEMBER
When we celebrate the Feasts, especially the Feast of Tabernacles, we may not always see it, but there is a deep and joyful reason to rejoice: the GOOD NEWS and GREAT JOY is that the Word became Flesh – Yahushua was born among us.
“And the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you GOOD NEWS of GREAT JOY that will be for all the people.’” – Luke 2:10“
“On the FIRST DAY you shall take for yourselves the fruit of beautiful trees, with palm branches, and branches of thick trees and willows of the brook, and you shall REJOICE before the face of YHWH your Almighty for seven days.” – Leviticus 23:40
“A voice of REJOICING and of Salvation is in the tents [tabernacles] of the righteous; the right hand of YHWH does mighty deeds.” – Psalm 118:15
This Feast not only calls us to celebrate in the present, but it also points to a future time when humanity will dwell with Yahushua, when He will live among us (Revelation 21:3).
As we rejoice now, we remember that every tabernacle and every heart prepared for Him becomes a dwelling place for His presence.
Prayer:
Almighty YAHUAH, we thank You for the gift of Your Son, Yahushua, who came to dwell among us. May our hearts always be ready to receive Him, rejoicing in Your goodness and walking in Your ways. Help us to live in the joy of Your presence now, and to look forward with hope to the day when we will dwell with You forever. Fill our homes, our hearts, and our celebrations with Your love and peace. In Yahushua’s name, HalleluYAH
Shalom,
