Feasts of the Lord - Overview

| THE FEASTS OF THE LORD

And an overview of the fall feasts |

I have been involved in leading a Messianic Congregation since 1984 and I can honestly say that every year I have become more and more convinced of how important the Feasts of the Lord are. I learn something new and fresh about them every year. Many believers have asked me over the years, should Christians observe these festivals. Were they not given to the Jewish people? I always say that as New Covenant believers we are grafted together as Jews and Gentiles into the same Olive Tree and are fellow partakers of the blessings of the Covenant. The festivals of the Lord are part of God’s covenant blessing to His people.
Over the past 1900 years Satan has deceived and deprived the Church of much of their Biblical heritage and in particular the Feasts of the Lord. Sadly, the Church has drawn many of their traditions and customs from unholy roots and substituted them with holidays that were pagan in origin thus robbing the Church of great spiritual blessing. This is one purpose why God is raising up Messianic Congregations in the Church today. To be a voice. We are a presence in the Church that is causing many Christians to feel uncomfortable. For so long the Church has been taught that Jewish people give up their identity and heritage once they accept Jesus as their Messiah. They are no longer Jews. Traditionally the Church has taught that she replaced Israel in the plan and purposes of God because of their failure to recognize Jesus as their Messiah. Throughout history it has been taught that the law , the Sabbath, the Feasts of the Lord as well as many other Jewish Biblical customs have been done away with. But now, many in the Church are hearing that this is not so. Prior to 1948 the Church thought that God was finished with the Jews. But defying all odds Israel miraculously became a nation after being scattered for 2000 years. That was 51 years ago. Over the last 50 years the Church had to rethink much of their theology regarding Israel and the Church and in particular the Feasts of the Lord. I trust that after I share this message with you it will open your eyes and help you to see that there is so much of Gods word that is yet to be discovered.

I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE FIVE BASIC REASONS
WHY WE ARE TO OBSERVE THE FEASTS OF THE LORD:
(Historic, Messianic, Prophetic, Redemptive, Instructive)

1. The Feasts of the Lord are historic as they relate to Israel as a nation. They help us to understand the historical & Hebraic roots of our faith through the nation of Israel.
2. The Feasts of the Lord are Messianic in that they point to and our fulfilled in Yeshua.
3. The Feasts are also Prophetic types and examples that foreshadow significant events in Gods plan of redemption. In fact God has chosen to coincide significant events on the anniversary of these Holy Days. They were intended to serve as a prophetic timetable and guide to future events describing Israel’s past as well as Israel and the churches future..
4. The Feasts of the Lord are redemptive. We can learn and understand the whole plan of redemption. Each one of the feasts describes an essential part of our redemption and what man must do to appropriate God’s redemption.
5. The feasts of the Lord are part of the Torah (the word Torah means instruction). The purpose of the Torah is to instruct us and be our schoolmaster or tutor that leads us to the Messiah.

GOD’S APPOINTED FEASTS

Leviticus 23 outlines the Feasts of the Lord in the exact order in which they are observed on the Jewish calendar.
Moses said in Lev. 23: 1-2 “These are my appointed feasts, the appointed feasts of the Lord, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies.” God said that these feasts are my appointed feasts!

Three times in Lev. 23:1-4 God emphasizes that these are my appointed Feasts. God claims ownership of them. This is one of the most overlooked points regarding the Feasts. They are neither Old Testament Feasts, nor are they the Feasts of Israel or Jewish Feasts. God says "These are My Feasts". Israel did not establish these feasts to commemorate their achievements. God established them as part of His covenant with Israel and with all of mankind. Israel was the custodian, the stewards of the grace of God as Romans 9:1-5 says. Since they are God’s appointed Feasts that means that they do have relevance for all believers not just Israel and the Jewish people.

They have a spiritual application that is intended to bring God’s people into a deeper experience of spiritual renewal and refreshing. It is important to understand that all the Feasts we observe throughout the year are not disconnected and with no relationship to each other. On the contrary they are all connected together by the scarlet thread of redemption.
God gave us these appointed times in the season, to give us direction and focus in our spiritual lives. In fact God’s calendar serves as a devotional tool to prioritize our time. As we learn to live by God’s calendar it provides a spiritual guide for us through the year.

It becomes a means of spending consistent time with our Father on a weekly basis (Shabbat (incidentally is considered one of the feasts and it pre-dated Israel) as we gather together as a corporate family ) on monthly basis (Rosh Chodesh) and then on annual occasions, (seven times a year) Think of it this way. The Lord has his own appointment book in heaven in which He schedules appointments to meet with his children. These are His appointed times with us. Leviticus 23 is a copy of God’s heavenly schedule. If we approach these appointed times of sacred assembly with the right attitude, with humble, contrite and thankful hearts, we will experience anointed times of praise, worship, fellowship and seasons of refreshing. God will reveal His presence through these special appointed times that He has chosen as He spends time with us reminding us of all that He has done for His people.

OVERVIEW OF THE FEASTS

Passover, Firstfruits and Pentecost are most familiar to Christians because these feasts were fulfilled in the Messiah at His first coming when the “Church age” began. Most believers are not very knowledgeable with the fall feasts of Rosh Hashanah (Feast of Trumpets), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) and Sukkot (Tabernacles).

The first four feasts are interconnected; Passover, Unleavened Bread and Firstfruits occur within the same week, with Pentecost occurring fifty days later. The Fall Feasts are interrelated, numbering ten days between Trumpets and Atonement and five days until Tabernacles. The fall feasts follow a twenty one day cycle from beginning to end. Just as the first Spring Feast Passover is a seven day celebration so also the final feast Tabernacles is a seven day celebration.

The seven feasts of the Lord are also progressive in nature. Passover is a time of redemption while Sukkoth is a time of rejoicing. Passover represented atonement for a family (Ex. 12: )Yom Kippur atonement for a nation, and the Messiah’s atonement is for all who believe both Jew and Gentile. John 3:16

It is not enough to know that God has provided for our redemption we must appropriate it. The Spring Feasts describe God’s provision for our redemption. The Fall feasts describe what we must do to appropriate this redemption in our lives.

1. REPENTANCE as observed on Rosh Hashanah
2. ATONEMENT for sin on Yom Kippur
3. REDEMPTION–The promise of rejoicing at Sukkot. The promise of God’s abiding presence when the Holy Spirit comes in and dwells among us and seals our redemption with the Holy Spirit of promise.

The fall festivals occur during the fruit harvest and the autumn rains as the Spring festivals take place during the spring rains and the barley and wheat harvests. The Spring Feasts begin the religious calendar , the Fall Festivals end it. In the same way, the Spring Festivals begin what we understand the Church Age with the first coming of the Messiah; the Fall Feasts will end this age with His Second Coming.

The Spring feasts have three levels of interpretation. A historical fulfillment for Israel, a spiritual, prophetic fulfillment in the Messiah and an ongoing spiritual experience in the Church. However the Fall feasts are different. The three levels of interpretation are there but they have a prophetic element that is yet to be fulfilled. The fall feasts have an experiential fulfillment in the believer and the Church BEFORE they have a literal and PROPHETIC fulfillment in both Israel and the Body of Messiah. Just as the Spring feasts were fulfilled to the exact day so also the fall feasts will have their literal fulfillment.

Ancient Rabbis acknowledged that although these fall festivals did have spiritual meaning to Israel, they were prophetic of future events. According to the sages they taught that the Falls feasts have five basic themes. The theme and mood of the fall feasts are repentance, holiness, judgement, Kingship and marriage.

The Fall feasts are all observed in the same month, the seventh month of Tishrei. This seventh month is an overlapping month. It is the end of the religious calendar which began at Passover thereby completing the cycle of the feasts. It is also the beginning of the civil calendar commencing a New Year. The seventh month is both a beginning and an ending.
The Fall Feasts will have a prophetic fulfillment and will end what we call the “Church Age” and begin the “Kingdom Age” (The Millenial Kingdom) . This transition from the Church age to the kingdom age will take place when the Messiah returns.
As we approach the Fall Feasts on the prophetic calendar we will see their prophetic fulfillment unfold during these endtimes.
The very mood of the fall feasts describes the type of mood that will characterize the last days. Repentance, Judgment and then Rejoicing..

Because these fall feasts are so important, the sixth month of Elul is intended to be a month of preparation for the 7th. month of Tishrei which begins the holiest month on the Jewish calendar. During this month we are to prepare our hearts to embrace this season, with all readiness, to receive from God the blessing He has for us. The following is a quote given by the Jewish author Blu Greenberg who wrote regarding the sixth month of Elul.

“You don’t rush headlong into repentance and renewal. You warm up to it. You get yourself in a proper mood. You reflect. You contemplate. The High Holy Days without Elul would be like a symphony without an overture, a championship fight without training, giving a sermon without preparation. ”

FEAST OF TRUMPETS- ROSH HASHANAH

Rosh Hashanah which begins the fall feasts with the sound of the Shofar is a call to repentance.
Jewish tradition teaches that there are five themes associated with this feast:

1. The blowing of the Shofar
2. The birth pangs of the Messiah (the time of Jacobs trouble, Daniel’s 70th. week)
3. The sealing of redemption ( the judgement of all living souls)
4. The coronation of King Messiah when He begins His reign on the earth
5. The wedding of the Messiah and His bride.

Rosh Hashanah introduces the holiest month on the Jewish calendar known as Yamin Noraim- “The Ten Days of Awe” ending on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.

This season of the year is intended to be a time of intense soul searching of self examination, a call to repentance (Joel 2:12-17a)
According to Jewish tradition it is during these ten days that all of mankind passes before the heavenly throne. God opens three books. One for the righteous, one for the wicked and one for those in between.

Judgement will be decided on the Day of Atonement to determine whether ones name will be written in the Book of Life or blotted out. There is a traditional greeting associated with this day. Lashana Tova.. May your name be inscribed for a good year…
The Biblical name for this feast is the Feast of Trumpets because it is the blowing of the Shofar that characterizes this day. It is also known by several other names: Yom Teruah- The day of the Awakening, Yom Hadin – The Day of Judgement, Yom Hazikkaron – The Day of Remembrance, Yom Hakeseh – The hidden Day.

As we understand the Feast of Trumpets it is important to have some understanding of the Shofar. The origin of the rams horn dates back to Abraham. It was during this time that God tested Abraham by telling him to offer up his one and only son on the altar of sacrifice. God instead substituted Isaac with a ram and so the ram became symbolic of this feast. Rabbinic tradition teaches that it was on Rosh Hashanah that Abraham offered up Isaac.. It is also believed that Samuel the prophet was born on this day and Joseph was set free from prison to become ruler over Egypt on Rosh Hashanah. It is also believed that God created the world on Rosh Hashanah. One reason for this is because of the word “Beginning”, in Genesis 1:1 when God said, In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The word beginning in Hebrew is “Bereshit”. If you rearrange the letters of Bereshit. Genesis 1:1 would read Aleph b’tishri. On the first of Tishri God created the heavens and the earth. We are now in the year 5759 on the Jewish calendar which dates back to Adam and Eve. ( a more accurate year is 5999, out by 240 years).

The blast of the Shofar calls at least five events to remembrance that have strong Messianic and Prophetic implications:

1. A call to remembrance that God is the creator. The Feast of Trumpets marks the beginning of a New Year on the Jewish calendar.
2. The second reason is to herald the beginning of the Ten Days of Awe.
3. The call to remembrance of Gods Covenant with Israel at Mt. Sinai. The sound of the Shofar was heard in the giving of the law.
4. A call to remember the Akeda- “The binding of Isaac”.
5. To remind Israel of her coming redemption. The prophets spoke of the time when the Shofar will sound and gather back thescattered remnant of Israel from among the nations. We have been witnessing this since 1948, millions of Jews have returned home. At the end of the Six Day War of 1967, the Israeli Air Force flew a prominent Rabbi to Mount Sinai, to blow the Shofar and call the Jewish people home.

THE TEN DAYS OF AWE

The second reason above describes the blowing of the Shofar is to call God’s people to awake and prepare for the Day of Atonement. It is the sound of the Shofar that begins the ten days of Awe. The trumpet blast is intended to awaken Gods people. The next ten days will determine the future of Israel and of the world as all of mankind passes through a time of examination.
Israel’s stand before God on the Day of Atonement could mean the judgement of the world or the fulfillment of redemption in the coming of the Messiah. The Jewish heart trembles before God with fear knowing how important the ten days of Awe are. This will be the condition and the mood that will characterize the world just prior to the coming of the Messiah. The book of Revelation speaks of the Trumpet judgments which begin the wrath of God. The scriptures teach that when the Messiah comes it will be with the sound of the Shofar at the last trump. What this mean prophetically is another message.

THE DAY OF ATONEMENT

The Day of Atonement is considered to be the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. Lev. 23:6 It was the most remarkable of all the Feasts because it was the one day of the year when the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies, into the very presence of God. He entered in properly clothed. He would lay aside his golden garments and clothe himself in pure white linen garments (called a kittel today) . The Lord’s purpose on the Day of Atonement was not only to judge the sins of the nation but also for His presence to appear in the glory cloud upon the mercy seat, within the Holy of Holies. The three main compartments of the Tabernacle and the temple relate to the three major Festivals. Passover relates to the Outer Court, Pentecost to the Inner Court (the Holy Place) and Tabernacles to the Holy of Holies, when the High Priest would enter in on this one day of the year. The scriptures spoke of two goats that were offered on this Day of Atonement. One was killed for the Lord, the other called the scapegoat was let loose in the wilderness after the High Priest would lay hands on it and transfer the sins of the nation to this goat. He would be led into the wilderness to die. This goat was released as a testimony that all the sin of the nation had been atoned for and had been forgiven. This goat carried the sin away outside the camp. He was the scapegoat taken outside of the city speaking of the presence of sin being removed. He who knew no sin became sin on our behalf…

We know that it was on this day when Yeshua offered himself as the Passover lamb and our atonement the veil of the temple was rent from top to bottom representing that the way into the holy of holies was now made available for Gods people. Heb 10:19

According to Josephus and other historians, a miracle occurred when both goats were accepted before God. A scarlet woolen cord tied to the entrance of the temple miraculously turned white. However this ceased about 40 years before the temple was destroyed. On the Day of Atonement during the year after Yeshua was crucified, the cord stayed red. No longer was it the blood of the goat which taketh away sin but the blood of the Passover lamb.

There are three themes associated with Yom Kippur: The Closing of the Gates, The Great Shofar and Face to Face.
According to Jewish tradition when the Shofar is sounded on Rosh Hashanah to announce the ten days of Awe the Gates of Heaven are opened.

It is during this time that God allows the righteous into heaven but also provides opportunity during these ten days for mankind to pray and seek forgiveness and redemption for their sin, hoping that their name will be written in the book of life. This door remains open during these ten days until the end of Yom Kippur when the final Shofar is sounded and the gates of heaven are closed.

FEAST OF SUKKOT
SPIRITUAL MEANING OF THE FALL FEASTS

I want to conclude my time by sharing with you a word of challenge regarding the spiritual meaning of the Fall Feasts.
We know that summer is a time of laboring in preparation for the fall harvest. Traditionally, it is also a time of leisure of recreation and relaxation, enjoying the pleasures of the summer season. The summer season can takes its toil on our spiritual lives. Temptations abound and there is a tendency to let our spiritual lives slide. For the most part, many of us are not as diligent and disciplined in our relationship with God as we know we should be. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. I know that I look forward to getting back to a normal and more structured schedule in the fall. God designed man to operate best with order, structure and stability in our lives. I believe that God placed the fall feasts at this time of the year because He knows our hearts.

We all need time to re-focus and restructure our lives, to take a yearly inventory, to examine our lives and get our spiritual house in order. The Fall feasts provide opportunity for God’s people to do just that. The fall season is a call to return to our first love, to fall in love with God again and rededicate our hearts anew to Him. How many of you feel a need to be refreshed and renewed in your spiritual walk with God? I know that I do. There are times that we experience a dryness and a weariness in our spiritual walk. At times we feel as though we are going through a wilderness experience.

The summer months in Israel are a time of dryness. There is usually no rain from the end of Shavuot until the end of the Fall Feasts some time after Tabernacles. In the Fall there is anticipation of the fall rains and the cooler weather to come and refresh the dry and parched ground. This is a also picture of our spiritual walk. The message of the fall feasts is repentance. Repentance means to turn around and go in the opposite direction.

It involves a change of ones heart. Purposing that you will return to that which is most important in life.

The story of the prodigal son is a beautiful picture of the wayward son who left the presence of His father who loved him and longed to be with him. The son decided to go into the world and experience life; to squander his inheritance on the pleasures of the world. He soon realized the futility of this empty desire when he spent all of his money and became destitute begging for food. He hit bottom so badly he was forced to eat the pods that the swine ate because no one would help him. It was then that he came to his senses and realized how foolish he was- Luke 16:12,15-24

The Prodigal son repented and returned to the Father who loved him.. This is what God is calling us to do. Return my children. Turn from your sinful and stubborn ways.

The Fall feast of Rosh Hashanah and the blowing of the Shofar is a call for God’s people to wake up. Most of God’s people are complacent and lack discernment of what is coming. God has been putting a deep burden in my heart about the need to get our spiritual houses in order.

It is amazing how I am hearing this same message from so many of God’s people. God is speaking to His people , to those who are listening and who have spiritual ears to hear they are responding and taking appropriate action.
Amos 3:7 says Surely the Lord God does nothing unless He reveals His secrets, His plans to His servants the prophets.
I don’t claim to be a prophet, but I do have a prophetic message that God is burning in my heart and He is calling me to be obedient and to shout it from the mountain tops, to speak it forth to warn God’s people of this coming judgement. History has borne out this truth; that God has always raised up prophetic voices to warn God’s people of impending judgement. Noah warned a generation of people of God’s coming judgement and no one heeded this warning.

God raised up many prophets in Israel’s history to warn them of His judgment unless they repented and yet they ignored these warnings. Many Jews in Europe were warned of the coming holocaust and yet they chose to ignore these warnings and six million of our people perished.

And so also in our generation we are now hearing many prophetic voices that are warning us of coming judgment in the form of persecution and like history has shown, there will be many in our generation who will not heed these warnings.
Including many of God’s own people. A time of persecution is coming to the household of faith that will be unprecedented in world history. This will be our wake up call.

There will be a great time of shaking that will separate those who are genuine in their faith from those who have only an outward form of godliness. Those who claim to be religious but lack the reality of a true and living faith.
1 Peter 4:17 also says, For the time has come for judgment to begin in the household of God and if it begins with us first what will become of the godless man and the sinner?

God longs to perfect His bride, one that will be holy, without blame, spot or blemish. One that is radiant in all of its glory.
Yet we know that the Bride today has lost its first love. We have become lukewarm. and complacent. We are a sleepy bride. We have lost our spiritual passion for our bridegroom. “Yeshua said to the Church of Ephesus, “ I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember from where you have fallen and repent”.

Just as there are many husbands and wives who have been married for a number of years and have lost their passion and the intimacy for each other that they once experienced, so also has many of the Messiah’s bride have lost their love and zeal for Him.
Rev. 3:17-19 God will bring us through a time of refining as a bride to remove the impurities and the worldliness, to purify His people so that we will be able to see clearly again through our spiritual eyes. Our vision has been impaired by the things of this world. We have become distracted by all the glitz and glitter, the comforts and temptations of the world. Yet I believe those who think that they will escape this time of testing that is coming upon the earth will be sadly mistaken. Mt. 24:9-13 – Yeshua spoke of what His people would experience. Many of God’s people are waiting to escape all of the things that are coming upon the earth. I would love nothing more than to be raptured into heaven and to live happily every after. Yet I believe that God has a plan and purpose for His people. And we will not be taken out of this world until He accomplishes that purpose through us. Shaul said , “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God:One thing that will characterize events prior to the Messiah’s coming will be the quickness and suddenness in which events will occur. They will come so quickly and suddenly that most people will by caught unaware just as Shaul said. When they say peace and safety then sudden destruction will come.

May we not be a people that will be caught unprepared. That we will be a faithful bride prepared and waiting for our soon coming bridegroom.