The Festival Codes

“Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” - Matthew 2:2

Haggai 2

Haggai 2:1–23 LSB

1 On the twenty-first of the seventh month, the word of Yahweh came by the hand of Haggai the prophet saying, 2 “Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people saying, 3 ‘Who among you remains who saw this house in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem like nothing in your eyes? 4 ‘But now, be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares Yahweh, ‘be strong also, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all you people of the land, be strong,’ declares Yahweh, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ declares Yahweh of hosts. 5 ‘As for the promise which I cut with you when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit is standing in your midst; do not fear!’ 6 “For thus says Yahweh of hosts, ‘Once more—in a little while—I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. 7 ‘And I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the desirable things of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says Yahweh of hosts. 8 ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ declares Yahweh of hosts. 9 ‘The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,’ says Yahweh of hosts, ‘and in this place I will give peace,’ declares Yahweh of hosts.” 10 On the twenty-fourth of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of Yahweh came to Haggai the prophet, saying, 11 “Thus says Yahweh of hosts, ‘Ask now the priests about the law: 12 ‘If a man carries holy meat in the fold of his garment and touches bread with this fold or cooked food, wine, oil, or any other food, will it become holy?’” And the priests answered, “No.” 13 Then Haggai said, “If one who is unclean from a corpse touches any of these, will the latter become unclean?” And the priests answered, “It will become unclean.” 14 Then Haggai answered and said, “‘So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,’ declares Yahweh, ‘and so is every work of their hands; and what they bring near to Me there is unclean. 15 ‘But now, oh set your heart to consider from this day onward: from before one stone was set on another in the temple of Yahweh, 16 from when it was that one came to a grain heap of twenty measures, then there would be only ten; and from when one came to the wine vat to draw fifty troughs full, then there would be only twenty. 17 ‘I struck you and every work of your hands with scorching wind, mildew, and hail; yet you did not come back to Me,’ declares Yahweh. 18 ‘Oh set your heart to consider from this day onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month; from the day when the temple of Yahweh was founded, set your heart to consider: 19 ‘Is the seed still in the barn? Even including the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree, it has not borne fruit. Yet from this day on I will bless you.’” 20 Then the word of Yahweh came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, 21 “Speak to Zerubbabel governor of Judah, saying, ‘I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. 22 ‘I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations; and I will overthrow the chariots and their riders, and the horses and their riders will go down, everyone by the sword of another.’ 23 ‘On that day,’ declares Yahweh of hosts, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, My servant,’ declares Yahweh, ‘and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,’” declares Yahweh of hosts.

Codes of Ancestry

Matthew 1:12-16

Codes of Calendars

Hebraic or Lunar - Using the Sun, Moon, and Stars to calculate the seasons

Gregorian/Julian Linear- First, second, third, etc.

Yahweh’s Appointed Times

Leviticus 23:2 LSB

2 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘The appointed times of Yahweh which you shall proclaim as holy convocations—My appointed times are these:

a. Passover

b. Unleavened Bread

c. Firstfruits

d. Pentecost or Weeks

e. Trumpets

f. Atonement

g. Tabernacles/Booth

Spring - Life/Death

Fall - Hope/Return

There is a four month gap between the two “seasons.”

Feast of Booths or Feast of the Tabernacles

Exodus 23:14-19; Leviticus 23:33-36, 39-43, Numbers 29:12-38, Deuteronomy 16:16-17; 31:9-13; 2 Chronicles 8:13.

With transformation comes discouragement

With transformation comes encouragement

The greatest transformation that occurs is the transformation of glory from oneself to glorifying God

The Temple is the dwelling place of God - the feast of Tabernacles was instituted to emphasize the “nomadic” or wilderness period. It lasted 7 days.

Haggai’s Prophecy is one of warning and encouraging.

Feast of Dedication/ Hanukkah

The last 3 messages are given on Dec. 18, 520 BC. They are messages of rituals, traditions, and what sets the nation of Israel apart from every other nation.

The celebration of the rededication and “cleaning” of the temple after the desolation of the temple.

Celebration began during the intertestamental time period, the beginning of the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the Sanhedrin

Jesus Celebrates Hanukkah - John 10:22

The Coronation of the King of the Jews, and the recognition of the Messiah of the World