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Fall Feasts Overview! |
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The first four spring feasts (Passover through Pentecost) begin the biblical year and typify our salvation in Messiah Jesus. As we saw in last month's Shmooze Letter, the seventh month of fall feasts is a time of completion. Leviticus 23 points to the final work of redemption in the three final feasts. Yom HaTeruah The Feast of Trumpets, or Yom haTeruah (lit. "the day of blasting," Lev. 23:23-25) is commonly called Rosh Hashanah or the Jewish New Year. Why is that? When the Jewish people came out of Babylonian captivity, they adopted the Babylonian civil New Year as their own. So, even though it falls on the first day of the seventh month, it is called New Year's day. Because there is very little biblical information on this feast, Jewish tradition teaches that this mysterious Feast of Trumpets recalls the ram horns Joshua and the Israelites used at Jericho, and the ram that Abraham sacrificed in place of Isaac. Though Scripture notes a time when Israel is gathered back to the land by the "blowing of the great ram's horn" (Isa. 27:13), in the New Covenant Paul explains this mystery to be when all believers will be gathered to Messiah (1 Cor. 15:51, 52; 1 Thess. 4:16-18). Since none of us know the exact time of this future "blowing of the trumpet," the Feast of Trumpets should motivate us to readiness and service. Remembering "our Blessed Hope" (Titus 2:13), we want people to believe now, before the day of wrath appears (1 Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9). For right now we must be ready to be with the Lord (Revelation 22:7, 12, 21). Yom Kippur Ten days later comes Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement. In Jewish tradition, this day is for Jewish individuals to 'get right' with God. Biblically, it was a day for Israel to be restored to God as a servant nation (Lev.16 and 23:26-32). Prophetically, it points to the time when Israel as a nation will be gathered to Messiah Yeshua. At the end of the Tribulation, the national Israel will "look on Me [Messiah], the One they have pierced, and mourn for Him as one mourns for a firstborn son" (Zech. 12:10). In that day, national Israel will receive "cleansing from sin and impurity" (Zech. 13:1). In that day, the great confession of national Israel will be lamented, "All we like sheep have gone astray, each one has turned to his own way, but the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isa. 53:6). And in that day "thus all Israel will be saved!" (Romans 11:26). National Israel will be grafted back into "their own olive tree" (Romans 11:23-24). The Day of Atonement reminds us that this national gathering of Israel is coming. Let us be hopeful and be sharing Messiah especially to the Jewish people and equally to the Gentiles. But Let us not be merely religious, but truly restored to the Lord ourselves. Sukkot Finally comes the Feast of Sukkot, or Booths or Tabernacles in (Lev. 23:33-43). This harvest festival is called "Booths" for Israel would live in booths each year during this feast to remind us that in the wilderness the Lord alone was their protection and security. When the Tabernacle & the Jerusalem Temple stood, 70 bulls were ceremonially sacrificed (Num. 29:12-32). Early Jewish teachers saw the number of bulls representing the nations of the world (Sukkah 55b). During Sukkot these days, the lulav (a palm branch along with other branches) is waved in four directions since God is sovereign and will be one day acknowledged as King throughout the four comers of the earth. This hope is prophesied in Zechariah 14:9: "The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day it shall be 'the Lord is One... and his name One." This feast marks the final gathering together of all people before God and will be celebrated with the most joyous celebration of all time (Rev. 7:9-15). All nations will be gathered before God, waving "palm branches in their hands" (7:9) and will be covered by "the Lord's tabernacle" (7:15). Every nation, tribe, people, and language will give honor and praise to the Lamb, the Lord of hosts. We will rejoice in His rule over our lives! The Great Gatherings of God We see the seventh month as a time when G-d completes His redemption plan: the gathering of the Body (Feast of Trumpets), the gathering of the nation Israel (Day of Atonement), and the gathering of the nations (Feast of Booths). If we have trusted in His Passover salvation we're ready for Him, restored to Him, and ruled by Him. Let's be mindful of this season reach out and share His message while we still can! Invite a friend and "gather" with us for special services celebrating these great fall festivals! Y |
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