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The Autumn Feasts (Leviticus 23)
The Autumn Feasts of the Lord are: Trumpets (Yom HaTruah aka Rosh HaShannah), Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) and Tabernacles (Sukkot). They are like prophetic signs that point us to the work of the Messiah.
These Feasts are still celebrated by Jewish people today preserving a tradition and continuity that goes back to the time of Moses. With time, certain things have been dropped and other traditions added but the essence of the Feasts have remained. Many of the Feasts are mentioned in the New Testament too, we just might not recognise them. For example, the “last and greatest day of the festival” mentioned in John 7:37, is the Feast of Tabernacles and Jesus used one of the activities during the Feast to teach about himself as the giver of living water.
Sunset 2nd - 3rd October 2024
YOM HATRUAH
DAY OF TRUMPET SOUNDING
Bible Reference
Leviticus 23:23-25; Numbers 29:1-6
Themes
The Sounding of the Shofar (rams horn)
God’s Kingship
Judgement Day
The Creation of the World
How to Celebrate Ideas
Reconcile: “First go & be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.” (Matt 5:24)
Feast: celebrate with a festive meal - dip sliced apples in honey for a sweet new year
Blow the Trumpets: Sound the alarm to get ready!
Prophetic Significance
Blowing of trumpets and getting ourselves ready reminds us of the return of the Lord (Matt 24:29-31; 1 Cor 15:52)
Unlike the other Appointed Times, this holiday has no name - it’s simply referred to as the day of sounding the shofar (ram’s horn) or Feast of Trumpets - literally the day of making a loud noise.
It’s celebrated at the beginning of the Hebrew month of Tishri. Tishri is the seventh month in the Biblical calendar and is seen as a parallel to the seventh day - the Sabbath - a special and holy time to seek God. The previous month of Elul is a time of preparation just as in Jewish tradition, Friday is a day of preparation for Sabbath. This season is a time for reflection, contemplation and getting things in order and putting right our relationship with God. Just as a bugle call summons the army to pay attention, Yom HaTruah calls us to pay attention and get ourselves ready.
In the Hebrew calendar, Yom HaTruah (Feast of Trumpets) and Yom Kippur are the holiest days even today in the Jewish year.
In modern times you might see this day referred to as: Rosh HaShannah or the Jewish New Year. Although Tishrei is the seventh month of the religious calendar, it is the first month of the civil calendar - it’s when the new calendar for dating the year starts. On October 2nd this year we will enter the Hebrew year: 5785.
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Sunset 11th - 12th October 2024
YOM KIPPUR
DAY OF ATONEMENT
Bible Reference
Leviticus 23:26-32 Leviticus 16:1-34;
Themes
Fasting
High Priest enters the Holy of Holies
Praying for the sins of the nation
The cost of entering into God’s presence
How to celebrate ideas
Read : The Book of Hebrews
Fasting and Prayer: Thankful for what Jesus has done for us. This day is also a good reminder to pray for your nation. Pray also for Jewish people to receive a revelation of Yeshua as they seek God especially on this day.
Prophetic Significance
A picture of Jesus, our great High Priest
Yom Kippur meaning The Day Of Atonement is the day when the people of Israel were to be judged and atonement made for the sins of the nation. In the Old Testament it was a reminder that the regular sacrifices made on the altar of burnt offering were not sufficient to atone for sin. No one was holy enough to enter God’s presence. On this one day of the year, the High Priest was allowed to enter into the holiest part of the Temple/Tabernacle on behalf of the people bringing atoning blood into God’s earthly throne room.
The whole design of the tabernacle and the rituals performed were illustrations to teach the people that sin hindered access to God’s presence. The Book of Hebrews in the New Testament makes many comparisons between the rituals of this day and the atoning work of Yeshua (Jesus) as our High Priest who shed his own blood as an atoning sacrifice, once and for all.
Without the Temple, Jewish people today mark this most holy day with penitence, prayer and fasting. The 10 days of preparation from The Feast of Trumpets (Rosh HaShannah) have led up to this day when it is believed that God writes the names of the righteous in His Book of Life. Many Jewish people who would not normally call themselves religious will refrain from working, fast and attend Synagogue services on Yom Kippur. In modern Israel, the whole country shuts down, no cars on the roads, no tv, no flights - it is day like no other.
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Sunset 16th - 23rd October 2024
SUKKOT
FEAST OF TABERNACLES
Bible Reference
Leviticus 23:33-44, Deut 16:13-17, 2
2 Chron 7:8-10, John 7:2-53
Themes
Building temporary shelters
Harvest Festival / God’s provision
Time of Rejoicing
Pilgrimage
How to Celebrate Ideas
Build: A temporary shelter outside - decorate it with flowers, leafy branches, and scriptures. Sit out in it and enjoy your tabernacle. Traditionally, all meals are eaten there during the week.
Feast: Gather around a festive meal and celebrate God’s abundant provision by eating lots of fruit and vegetables. Pomegranates are traditionally eaten on this feast.
Prophetic Significance
Points to end times Kingdom harvest and to a future time when God’s people will Tabernacle with God. “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.” (Revelation 21:3)
“Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.” (Zech 14:16)
Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) is a week long autumn harvest festival. Occurring just 5 days after Yom Kippur, it is a drastic change from solemnity to the most joyous feast. The Hebrews were commanded to live in temporary dwellings during this Moedim to remind them of their time in the wilderness. The Feast is both a historical and agricultural event. Historically it looks back to the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, remembering their dependence on God and his provision until he brought them into the Promised Land. It is also a time of thanksgiving for a successful harvest.
In Biblical times, this was one of the pilgrimage feasts when the people gathered in Jerusalem. Tabernacles (a temporary dwelling/ shelter) were made from the boughs of trees and palm branches. Water was also an important part of this festival. In Biblical times, golden pitchers of water (precious after the long, rainless summer) were brought from the Pool of Siloam to the Temple. The Priests would pour the water over the altar to signify Israel’s gratitude for the rain that had produced the harvest and in faith that God would send rain again for the following year.
The last day was called Hosha’na Rabba (The Day of Great Hosanna). As the celebration continued, the priests blew trumpets and waved branches and people sang the Great Hallel (Psalms 113 to 118). In Jewish tradition today, four species (a lulav) are gathered to wave before the Lord: branches of palm, myrtle, willow and a citron fruit (Lev 23:40). When Ezra reinstated the Feast he used olive branches too. (Neh 8:15). Zechariah 14:17 says that in the future, people from all nations will come up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles with the Jewish people in Jerusalem.
The Gospel of John records Jesus attending Sukkot. On several occasions he taught in the Temple courts during this Feast. On the last and greatest day of the Feast of Tabernacles (the day the Priests poured out the water), Jesus stood, and with a loud voice proclaimed Himself as the very fountain of living water (John 7:37-38). He was officially announcing his divinity to the Jewish people gathered. It was audacious and bold and his enemies were amazed.
This Moedim reminds us we are pilgrims on the way to our eternal home. Our material possessions are temporary - God is our shelter and provider. Our destiny is to dwell with Him forever.
On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.
John 7:37-39
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Sunset 22nd- 23rd October 2024
SIMCHAT TORAH
REJOICING IN THE TORAH
Bible Reference
Leviticus 23:34-36,39; 2 Chron 7:9
Themes
Celebrating God’s word given through the Torah
How to Celebrate Ideas
READ: Start a new Bible Reading plan.
Prophetic Significance
Yeshua the word came down into our world. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John: 1)
The eighth day after the final day of Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) is a Sabbath dedicated to the Lord (Lev 23:36).
This is also when the last reading of the weekly Torah portion is read in the synagogues. The scrolls are rewound all the way back to Genesis 1 and the first portion of the Bible is also read and the annual reading cycle begins again.
In Israel, this day is celebrated with dancing with the Torah scrolls in the Synagogues, often also spilling out into the streets with much joy and jubilation.
Here is half of the annual Torah portion reading cycle that begins on Simchat Torah at the end of the Feast of Tabernacles. This first half takes you to Passover. We will include the second half in our next magazine. These are read every week in Synagogues around the world, so it is a great opportunity to pray for the Jewish community as they hear the word of the Lord. The New Testament suggested reading has been added by Messianic Congregations who want to add New Testament revelation to their reading cycle.
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