Beginning at sundown this Friday evening is the start of the High Holy day in the Jewish calendar; Yom Kippur or Day of Atonement. Two weeks ago I wrote a post about the Feast of Trumpets/Yom Teru'ah or Rosh Hoshana (see Days of Awe, Sept. 3). Some may ask why we as Christians should even care about the Feast or Holidays of the Jewish faith, and not too long ago I might have agreed with them. But, again not too long ago, my eyes were opened to the prophetic pictures that were laid out by God when He gave these feasts to the Children of Israel.
Leviticus Chapter23 lists the Feasts of the Lord. You will notice that there are eight festivals or feasts listed. Some will argue with me and say that there are only seven feasts, but notice that He lists Shabbat (Sabbath) as the first and the most important. It is so important He listed it as the fourth Commandment (Exodus 20:8-11), right after 1) I am the Lord your God, you shall have not other gods before me, 2) Don't make any graven images, or bow down to them 3) don't use my name in vain or vulgar usage 4) remember the Sabbath. It's that important to God that He makes sure his people understand the most important Feast/Holy day comes every seven days.
The Greeks understood this when they tried to Hellenize Israel during the second Temple period. During that time they forbade the use of the Jewish Calendar on the theory that if you don't know what day it is, you don't know when to worship. Not realizing that every priest knew the calendar by heart and could reproduce it on demand. Also, the Greeks were unable to stop the cycle of the Moon or the seasons, and all farmers know that better than anyone. The Jewish calendar is on a Lunar schedule, and looks like this:
This is the more common design for the Jewish calendar in that it can slide the Gregorian (common calendar that we use) around inside the Jewish. The notes around the outside point out the various feasts. Starting in the First Month (Nisan - *Note here, all of the names of the months listed are essentially Babylonian in nature. If you read through the Old Testament or Torah you will not find a month named, it will be identified as a number of the month) on through the 12th month, with the 13th short month which was added every 6th year which allowed them to fudge the days forward or back as needed to get the days in align; as the calendar is based on the moons schedule not the suns.
By looking at the calendar, you might notice something else; all the feasts fall into two specific time periods Spring and Fall. For an agrarian society, this could really make sense, as most of the work will have already been done and you would have time to do the celebrating. But I feel God had a better reason, here He was giving a big hint about His plan of Salvation, Redemption and the coming of our Lord Yeshua HaMachiach (Jesus the Messiah).The first four feasts, known as the Spring Feasts, start with the First month on the 14th day, the children of Israel are instructed to remember and celebrate, and remember, the great Passover. This will be followed by the 7 day Feast of the Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:4-8). During this time they were to eat bread without any yeast (chametz). These two were to commemorate Gods mercy on His people when He sent the last plague upon the Egyptians, and took the lives of all the first born in their homes (Exodus 12:1-28). Only if the people of Israel had been faithful, and followed the command of Moses (Moshe) and placed the blood of the sacrificial Lamb upon the doorposts and lintel of their homes would the angel of death 'pass over' that home. The unleavened bread was to help them remember the haste with which they left Egypt, not enough time to let the yeast work through the lump of dough and make it rise.
The next two feasts, First Fruits and Shavu'ot, are agriculture in origin, but have been also given liturgical significance. On the 16th of the first month (the day after the beginning of the 7 day feast of unleavened bread) they were to take the first of the grain they harvested (barley) to the priest to offer as a wave offering before the altar of the Lord(Leviticus 23:9-13). The next day would then begin the counting of 7 weeks full weeks (or 50 days after the wave offering of first grains) for the next feast; the Feast of Weeks (Leviticus 23:15-22). 50 days (Pentecost in Greek) represented the time from the crossing of the Red Sea by the Israelites to the reaching of Mt. Sinai and receiving of the Law. This Feast represented the beginning of the Summer Harvest. On the completion of the counting (on the 50th day) they were to offer two wheat loaves baked WITH yeast (the only bread baked with yeast that ever entered the temple) were waved before the altar of the Lord.The significance of these first four Feasts for the Christian church is paramount. Christ was our Sacrificial Lamb who came as the Suffering Servant Messiah (Mashiach ben Yoseph) (Isaiah 53), who was the sacrificial lamb, slain for our sins on the afternoon of day before Passover, who arose as the First Fruits of the grave on the day of the offering of First Fruits. Christ then appeared to the disciples for 40 days before He ascended into heaven, and the angel of the Lord told the Disciples to wait in Jerusalem; they waited for 10 days before the Holy Spirit came upon them (50 days). This represents the First of the Harvest (the birthday of the Church) of the Gospel of Christ. The two loaves, baked with yeast (chametz) represents the Church being both Jew and Gentile. Through this we can see that Christs first comming is represented in each of the Spring Feasts and can be celebrated as such; but what about the Fall Feasts, how is He represented there, or is He?
On the first day of the 7th month is the Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:23-25), throughout Israel (and anywhere there is a Jewish congregation) you will hear shofars (rams horns) being blown. It is a day of rest, a sacred congregation. It was, and is, a call to remind people, to wake them up to their faith; it was exactly 10 days before the High Holy day, the Day of Atonement. On the 10th day of the 7th month was the day set aside for Judgment (Leviticus 23:26-32). For the Jew, this is the day of the sealing of the Books of Life or Death for the year; if he was righteous and had made atonement for his sins, his name was inscribed in the book of Life, if not, otherwise. The period between these two days are called the Days of Awe, and are used to reflect upon the past year, to determine if there were any sins of commission or omission that need to be repented of before the books are sealed.The last Feast is the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). Five days after Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) the 15th of the 7th month, begins the 8 day festival of living in booths, it was to help them remember the times of wandering. God wanted the Jews to celebrate the fact that He provided shelter for the Israelites in the wilderness (Leviticus 23:33-43). Jews will worship, eat meals, sleep overnight, and decorate the booths; it is a time of celebration of what the Lord has done for them.
For the Christian, we can see the prophecy of the second coming time of the Lord in the Fall Feasts. The Feast of Trumpets is seen in the coming of Christ, as the Bridegroom who comes to take His Bride, the Church home with Him (1Cor. 15:51-53). Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) represents the Final Judgment (Rev. 20:11-15) by God on the Great White Throne reading what was written in the books; Praise the Lord, we have the confidence that our names are written in the Lambs Book of Life (Rev. 21:27). The Feasts of the Tabernacles helps remind us that we are just sojourners here in this world, this is not our true home. The huts also helps remind us that Christ has prepared a new home for us (John 14:2), and represent our homes in Heaven with Him.Chaverim, how could we ignore such a beautiful prophetic look at Christ's sacrifice for us, the birth of His bride, the Church and His Second Coming for His Bride and not stand in Awe? L'Shana Tova Tikatevu – May you be inscribed (in the Lambs book of Life) for a good forever.
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