Zechariah 14:17Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Thus, the Gentiles, having renounced the blindness of idolatry and the service of evil, breaking free from the shackles of ignorance, will embrace the light of truth and yield to the Savior's guidance. This is indicated by the prophecy that the remnant of those punished or at enmity with the churches—who were countless—‘shall go up every summer to worship the Lord God Almighty and to celebrate the feast of tabernacles.’

The Law of Moses stipulated that the feast of booths be celebrated on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, following the harvest season, hence its designation as the feast of booths. It instructed to ‘take branches of palm trees, and the boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook, and rejoice before the Lord’ (Leviticus 23:39-43). The feast commemorated Israel’s dwelling in tents after their liberation from Egyptian oppression, symbolizing Christ’s sacrament. We, too, have been liberated from the tyranny of the evil one and are invited into freedom through Christ (Galatians 5:13), submitting to the Sovereign King and Life itself, dismissing the harshness of our former masters.

We observe the true Feast of Tabernacles, commemorating the day of Christ's resurrection, when all bodies are established in Him, despite their susceptibility to decay and death. He embodies resurrection and life (John 11:25), being the firstborn from the dead and ‘the pioneer of those who sleep’ (1 Cor. 15:20; cf. Acts 26:23; Col. 1:18; Rev. 1:5). He enriches us with spiritual abundance, allowing us to lay up treasures in the heavenly storehouse, as if gathering from the fields. He promises us eternal joy in paradise, a bliss that is spiritual, for those who have triumphed over sin and radiate with the fragrant and beautiful produce of evangelical living, marked by holiness and righteousness.

A hint of this is found in the observation that they had the branch of a palm tree, and the fruit, which was red, mixed with others (for the festival). He is the ‘stream of delights’ that God the Father has given us to drink from (Psalm 35:9). He serves as the fountain of life and the ‘river of peace’ that flows to those called from the Gentiles (Isaiah 66:12)—a topic that is elaborated upon elsewhere. Therefore, those who ascend to worship the Almighty and observe the Feast of Tabernacles are justified through faith in Christ. In contrast, those who do not rise to worship are warned of impending destruction and punishment appropriate for their actions, as those uncommitted to love are deemed adversaries; indeed, Christ proclaimed: ‘Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters’ (Luke 11:23).

This Jerusalem is situated not in lowly areas but upon a lofty mountain, of which the Saviour remarked, "The city set on a hill cannot be hidden" (Matthew 5:14). Thus, those who worship the Lord of Hosts in Jerusalem are drawn to the high places. Conversely, those belonging to the nations and tribes of the earth, unable to render worship to the Lord, shall find neither the timely rains nor the late rains, nor shall the dampness of heaven nourish the earth. Alternatively, according to the interpretation of the Seventy, it is understood that those from the tribes of the earth who fail to go to Jerusalem to worship the King of the Lord Almighty will be united with those who oppose Jerusalem, resulting in the decay of their flesh, the dryness of their eyes, and the rotting of their tongues.