YAHUWAH’S SEVEN APPOINTMENTS WITH MAN THE OUTLINE OF THE PLAN OF SALVATION AND REDEMPTION
Leviticus 23: 2, 4, 37, 44 "Feasts” in Hebrew is "mo-aw-daw”, which means "to fix by agreement or appointment, to meet, to gather together at a set time, assemble at a set time—an appointment or a fixed time or season, a place of meeting, a signal as appointed before time, an appointed sign”. (#4150 James Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible/Hebrew Dictionary) This is the same word for "season” in Genesis 1:14, describing the purpose of the sun and moon, to create seasons for harvest. Elohim’s planetary order of the sun, stars and planets are perfect, to the second at all times in their orbits, or we could not exist on this planet. Elohim uses the same words to describe His set-apart appointments with man with to-the-second timing. These seven Festivals are the outline of His plan of salvation and redemption of His people--Israel. Leviticus 23 gives the overview of all these appointments.
I Thessalonians 5:1 "But of the times and seasons brethren, I have no need to write to you”. The believers in Thessalonica understood that Paul was referring to the appointments of Yahuwah of the plan of salvation. The new believers went to the synagogue to learn the Torah of Yahuwah, and to participate in His set-apart signs and festivals. The word for "times/seasons” in the Greek is "kairos”, #2540 in the Strong’s Greek dictionary means: "a specific, appointed time for an occasion, a fixed time”. As Father keeps the planets, sun, moon and stars moving in perfect order to the fraction of a second, so He fulfills His set appointments with man, literally. The seven Festivals/Feasts outlined in Leviticus 23, were given to the covenant-keeping children of Israel by Yahuwah, so that they could rehearse every year, the whole plan of His salvation from beginning to end.
The word "convocation” (KJV) in Leviticus 23:2-4 is #4744, "mik-raw”, in the Strong’s Hebrew dictionary. It means: "something called out, a public meeting, a rehearsal, assembly”. These meetings, or rehearsals, were to be celebrated forever. In eternity future, these seven appointments will be celebrated with Yahushua and Yahuwah on earth with His people. For approximately 4,000 years, the Father Yahuwah has had His people rehearsing all of His plans for their redemption and eternal blessing. The word "holy” means to be "set-apart”. These seven Festivals are to set apart His people unto Himself. Within these Festivals are "high Sabbaths”, which are also to set His people apart unto Himself, as are the weekly Sabbaths from Friday night at sundown to Saturday night at sundown. These are set-apart signs of who belongs to Yahuwah, Elohim of Israel, and His Salvation, Yahushua, and who does not belong to Him. He has set-apart dietary laws also, so that our bodies function as the Creator designed them. The Instructions of Yahuwah are only for our absolute and maximum good--in mind, emotions, spirit and body. He is a such a good Father! Four of these appointments have been fulfilled, and three remain to be fulfilled. We look back on the four and rejoice. We look forward to the last three with great expectation, for they picture the coming of Messiah Yahushua and His Kingdom on earth. When we come to Yahushua for salvation, we enter into a Covenant relationship with Yahuwah through His blood and His resurrection. We give to Him all that we have and are after repentance for our sin, and He gives to us Himself and all that He is and has. Repentance cuts the ties with anything that is not of His liking. In this Covenant relationship we have responsibilities to fulfill our part of the Covenant, which is obedience to His set-apart teachings and instructions, called the Torah (Instructions and Teachings). The Torah is contained within the first five books of the Scriptures, which is the foundation on which the Prophets, the Writings and the Messianic Scriptures are built. Without an understanding of His foundation, we cannot properly understand the full ramifications of our salvation, our purpose for life here, or our eternal destiny. We cannot understand what is required of us to please the King of the Kingdom, and what is right ruling for our good standing in His Kingdom. Without Hebraic understanding of His Covenant with His people, and His eternal plan for His people, we cannot understand our destiny. By observing His Festivals His way, we understand the full plan of salvation. In Psalm 23, we read: "He guides me in the tracks of righteousness, for the sake of His name”. (Hebrew Scriptures Translation) The "tracks of righteousness” is the yearly path of the Festivals, and the weekly path of the Shabbat/Sabbath. In Exodus 31:16 and Leviticus 23, the Feasts are called "perpetual statutes”. As we see in Isaiah 66:22-23, even when the Father comes here, and creates a new heaven and new earth, the new moon celebration, the Shabbat, and the festivals of Yahuwah will be practiced.
THE SEVEN APPOINTMENTS OF YAHUWEH
THE SPRING FESTIVALS
First I will give the Hebrew origin of the celebration, and then give the fulfillment of it through Yahushua and the Ruach Yahuwah.
PASSOVER/PESACH:
Exodus 12 Yahuwah’s New Year Yahuwah changed the day of the New Year (Exodus 12:2). The days had been counted from creation, beginning with first day of the month of Tishre (Rome’s September/October). But, He changed the New Year’s Day to the first day of the month of Abib or Nisan (Rome’s March/April). He did this to begin the cycle of the seven festivals in the first month of their salvation from Egypt. So Abib 1 is New Year’s on His redemption calendar. This Feast began the plan of His salvation for the deliverance of His people. The procedures required for this Feast were for the purpose of delivering them from the 10th plague on Egypt—the death of the firstborn. On this night at, by following Yahuwah’s instructions, they were delivered from the death angel that passed over Egypt at midnight, killing the first born of man and animals.
By carefully following His instructions, we avoid the troubles that come on most people--in this life and for eternity. On the 10th day of Abib (March/April), the lamb was to be brought for inspection into their homes for 4 days, to make sure it was without spot or blemish. The Lamb was killed "between the evenings”, which is between 3:00PM and sundown on the 14th of Abib. It was eaten after sunset. The lamb was roasted with a stake running up through its body. The intestines were taken out and wrapped around the lamb’s head. It was called "the crowned sacrifice”. The roasted lamb was then to be eaten quickly. They had no time for their bread to rise, so they made unleavened bread. The blood of the lamb was applied to the top of the door and the sides of their house. They were to have their sandals on their feet, and their bread in their bowls and be ready to leave as soon as the death angel passed over Egypt at midnight on the 14th. When the death angel saw the blood on the doors of the Hebrew’s houses, he would not kill any first born in their houses, or of their animals. The death angel "passed over” the houses of the Hebrews, thus giving the name of the feast—Passover, or in Hebrew "Pesach”.
THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD:
Exodus 12:17-18 The Hebrews hastily left in the middle of night of the early morning on 15th of Abib, after the death of the firstborn of the Egyptians at midnight, at the command of Pharaoh, with all their livestock and possessions from Rameses. They traveled by the light of the full moon toward Succoth to pick up the bones of Joseph. At the time of their leaving Egypt in haste, they had unleavened bread to eat. By the time that Pharaoh’s grief turned to rage, he was assembling his army to go after the Hebrews. The Scriptures say there were 600,000 men plus women and children—so it supposed there were over 2 million Hebrews in all with their livestock and possessions.
THE FEAST OF FIRST FRUITS:
Exodus 14 The Hebrew people were trapped in a canyon that exited at the Red Sea, and Pharaoh was pursuing. He knew that he had given them three days to go into the wilderness to worship their Elohim. Because of his pursuit, however, they could not return in the three days, thus they had to keep running to escape Pharaoh’s wrath. On the 17th of Abib, they reached the Sea while it was night. The Red Sea was before them, and Pharaoh and all of his army was behind them. It was here that the greatest miracle on earth occurred so that they could be delivered, and Pharaoh and his army killed, thus releasing the Hebrews from their ownership by Pharaoh. As the sea parted for the Hebrews to walk across on dry land, the sea came back together to drown Pharaoh and his army, loosing his ownership over all the Hebrews forever.
THE FEAST OF SHA’VU’OT/THE FEAST OF WEEKS/THE FEAST OF PENTECOST:
Exodus 19 and 20
The Hebrews received the Torah (the Teachings and Instructions of Yahuwah), which were the terms of the marriage covenant between Elohim and His people, at the "mountain of Elohim”--Sinai/Horeb. Mt. Sinai is in modern Saudi Arabia, in the Midian mountains, as the Bible tells us. It took them 50 days to reach the "mountain of Elohim” from the day they crossed the Red Sea. "Pentecost” is Greek for "fifty”. The terms of the marriage covenant are covered in the 10 Commandments. It outlines the character of the one He wants to be His Bride. The 10 Commandments were written with the "finger of Yahuwah”. Yahushua tells us that the "finger of Yahuwah” is the Ruach Yahuwah.
THE FALL FESTIVALS
The Festivals of Yahuwah are all based on harvest cycles. The first three Spring Festivals are based on the barley harvest. Pentecost is based on the wheat harvest. The Autumn Festivals are based on the fruit harvest. The five species of fruit are: pomegranates, figs, dates, olives, and grapes. Thus the Festivals revolve around what Israel calls: "the seven species”. This is why instructions were given in the wilderness for these festivals, but the Hebrews could not celebrate these Festivals until they entered the land and began the harvest cycles.
THE FEAST OF TRUMPETS/YOM TERUAH:
This Festival commemorated the blowing of the silver trumpets and the shofar to gather the people together for set-apart convocations in the wilderness. It was originally the New Year celebrated from the day of creation, on Tishre 1 (September/October). The people gathered together to honor the first sliver of the new moon, which marked the day of creation, on Tishre 1, with the blowing of trumpets and shofars.
THE DAY OF ATONEMENT/YOM KIPPUR:
Leviticus 25 This was and still is, the most somber day of the year for the nation of Israel. It is a feast only for those whose sin is forgiven by the blood of Messiah. It is a day of fasting and mourning for those whose sin needs to be forgiven, or whose eternal hope rests on their good works, or church baptism, or those Jews who have no blood sacrifice now because they have rejected the blood of Yahushua. It was the day that the High Priest went into the most set-apart place, where the Ark of the Covenant was, and where the presence of Yahuwah dwelt, to present the blood of a goat, for the covering of the sin of the nation for that year. (Leviticus 16) It was the day of national salvation. It was also considered the day of the "closing of the gate”—when the wicked who chose to be outside of His Covenant were sealed to damnation. This day also marked the years until Jubilee, which was declared every fiftieth year with the sound of a "great shofar” (Leviticus 25). Only on the eve of Yom Kippur, in Jerusalem, are the religious Jews allowed, by their Rabbis, to pronounce the Name of Yahuwah.
THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES/THE FEAST OF BOOTHS/SUKKOT:
This Festival, lasting 8 days, was for the Hebrews to celebrate their wanderings for 40 years, so that they would not forget how Yahuwah led them, fed them, gave them water, healed them, disciplined them, and brought them into the "promised land” victorious over all their enemies. It was a week to dwell in booths, or tents (tabernacles), to remember the desert journey. Thus in Israel each Sukkot, the Jews put up succahs--little booths--and eat in them and sleep in them, and have parties in them for the whole 8 days of the Festival. It is a very joyful week. On the last day of the Festival they dance with the Torah throughout the streets, in celebration of the Word of Yahuwah.
THE SEVEN APPOINTMENTS AND THEIR FULFILLMENT IN MESSIAH
THE FEAST OF PASSOVER/PESACH
Yahushua entered Jerusalem on the 10th of Abib, as the Lamb, for inspection by the leaders of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the people in general. It is generally called "Palm Sunday”, because of the praise and worship that Messiah received, the waving of palm branches and other signs of devotion, as He entered Jerusalem on that Sunday. (John 12:12-16; Matthew 21:1-9) They asked Him all sorts of questions, but could find nothing wrong in Him. They inspected Him for the full four days, and the leaders, puppets of Rome, realizing that He was challenging their positions perhaps as King of the Jews, decided that He must be killed, though they could find nothing to accuse Him of rightfully. (Luke 13:34-35; Luke 19:28-44; John 11:47-53) They did not know that He had come to lay down His life, to redeem the House of Israel back to Yahuwah, renewing the Covenant also with the House of Judah. He said in Matthew 15:24, "I have not come except for the lost sheep of the House of Israel”. The northern 10 tribes, after Solomon’s death, separated into Samaria. They became so idolatrous, that Yahuwah had to "write them a bill of divorce”. (Jeremiah 3:8) Judah was sinful, but not like the northern 10 tribes (called the House of Israel, or the House of Ephraim, or the House of Joseph). Though the tribe of Ephraim held the birthright of all the 12 tribes, his descendants, like Esau despised his birthright and went whoring after the gods of the nations. Therefore, by 786BCE they were all scattered into the gentile nations, and lost their identity, being absorbed by the gentiles. (Hosea chapters 1-3 give us a clue as to who these people are today). Today, from history, archeology, legend, and Biblical tracing, we know that most of them ended up places north of Iraq/Iran, and in Western Europe and America. Because--in Matthew 10:5-6--Yahushua told the disciples not to go to the gentiles, but to go to the "lost sheep of the House of Israel”, when they did leave Jerusalem, they went north and west with the reconciling message of Messiah and return to Torah and their Elohim, Yahuwah. Yahushua actually came, by Torah instructions, to die, in order to break the then existing marriage contract with the House of Israel, so that He could rise again, and remarry her under the renewed covenant in His own blood. Excepts from Jeremiah 31:31-34: "`Behold, the days are coming’, says Yahuwah, `when
I shall make a renewed covenant with the house of Israel, and with the House of Judah,… I will put My Torah in their hearts. And I shall be their Elohim, and they shall be My people…for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them’, declares Yahuwah. `For I shall forgive their crookedness, and remember their sin no more’”. This was the "renewed covenant in His blood” (Matthew 26:28). In this renewed covenant, He could include also the House of Judah, the southern Kingdom with its 3 tribes, and also the gentiles outside of the covenant with Israel—those pagans and heathen, out in the world. (See Ephesians 2:8-19) His death, therefore, was mainly to restore and redeem the House of Israel, the northern 10 tribes of Jacob, back into the fold, so that they would keep, from their heart, the Torah of Yahuwah. As we will see later, that is what Pentecost is all about. Yahushua died near sunset on the 14th of Abib. He was the High Priest, who sacrificed Himself. This signified that the debt that we owed to Yahuwah, which was eternal death, had been "paid in full”, and now we were made just in the sight of Yahuwah. (John 19:30; Colossians 2:13-15) Deuteronomy 21:2223/Galatians 3:13: "Cursed be anyone who hangs on a tree”. He hung on a stake, a pole--a tree. He fulfilled, to the second, the instructions for the Passover Lamb of Exodus 12. I Corinthians 5:7-8: "…Messiah, our Passover, has been sacrificed for us. Let us therefore, celebrate the Feast...” The Festival of Passover, of Unleavened Bread, and of First Fruits covers one week, and is generally called the Feast of Unleavened Bread or "Passover Week”. The unleavened bread, or matzo, is a picture of sin. No leavened bread, or any product with leaven in it, is eaten from sunset beginning the 15th of Abib until the completion of the seven-day Feast—matzo is what is usually eaten in place of bread. Before the night of the Passover meal (the "Seder Supper”), the night that begins the 15th of Abib, we must get all leaven out of our houses, as Yahuwah commands. This is symbolic, as I Corinthians 5:7-8 tells us of getting out the sin from our lives.
Messiah celebrated a special Passover meal with His disciples, on what we call Tuesday night (or the beginning of Abib 14). Notice, this "Last Supper” did not include the Passover Lamb or the bitter herbs. I Corinthians 11:23-25 tells us that on the night He was betrayed, He took the bread and the wine. It was a preparatory meal that explained His coming sacrifice. In this meal He revealed Himself as the Messiah, taking the third cup of wine—the cup of redemption—and proclaiming that it was the renewed covenant in His blood. He gave them the picture of His death, and then proceeded at midnight to go out to the Garden of Gethsemane where He was betrayed. (See I Corinthians 11:23) He died not long after 3:00PM (Matthew 27:45-50) The 4th day of the week the 14th of Abib, at the time that the priests were also killing the Passover Lambs for each household in the Temple. "Behold the Lamb of Elohim that takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). He had to be in the earth, as Jonah was in the belly of the whale, for 72 hours, to fulfill Yahushua’s words in Matthew 12:40, before sundown. Sundown would begin the 15th of Abib. He had to go into the ground before the beginning of the mid-week Shabbat, the High Shabbat, for the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Therefore, since the High Shabbat, and beginning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread began at sundown, He was taken from the stake and placed in the tomb of Joseph of Aramathea, before sundown. That is why the quick attempt of Joseph to claim the body of Messiah before Pilate.
THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD
Messiah was buried before sunset, which began the 15th of Abib, and the weeklong Feast, before the High Shabbat of Unleavened Bread. (Mark 15:42; Luke 23:50-56) That night the Passover meal was eaten with roasted lamb and bitter herbs and unleavened bread. Regarding Unleavened Bread: Yahushua was the "corn of wheat” that was put into the ground in death, which brought forth "much fruit”. (John 12:24) In Revelation, we read that He entered into Hades in the heart of the earth, and took "the keys of death and hell” away from Satan. (Revelation 1:18) He then stepped over into Paradise, also at that time in the heart of the earth, and proclaimed His coming to all those set-apart ones from Adam until that present time. (Acts 2:26-31 and Luke 16:20-31) At His resurrection, He opened heaven’s gates to them, and to all of us. (Matthew 28:50-52; Ephesians 4:8-10) He told the thief on the stake, "Today you will be with me in paradise”, not heaven. He did not open heaven until He was raised from the dead and took "captivity captive” with Him. (Luke 23:43)
THE FEAST OF FIRST FRUITS
He arose from the dead after 72 hours, "early on the first day of the week”—or after sundown on Sabbath night, towards the dawn of the morning, of Abib 18. As He came up out of the grave, He loosed us from Satan’s power over us, opening heaven’s gates for us. He is our "first fruits”. He is the "first fruits of those who slept”. (I Corinthians 15:20-23) As the children of Israel crossed the Red Sea, going into its depths on dry ground, and coming up out of its depths to new life in a new land, so Yahushua in going into the heart of the earth, and coming up out of the heart of the earth, in our place, caused Satan and all of his hosts of demons to be loosed from us, their power over us destroyed. Pharaoh owned all of the Hebrew people—they were his possessions. Satan owned us totally. Pharaoh and all his army was drowned, thus the Hebrew people were no longer slaves, owned by Pharaoh. When Yahushua came up out of the heart of the earth, all ownership by Satan over us was cancelled! HalleluYAH! Remember that Yahushua fulfilled all of these feasts to the second in His timing, related to the actual event.
THE FEAST OF PENTECOST – SHA’VU’OT
Exactly 50 days after Yahushua rose from the dead, counting from the Feast of First Fruits, the Ruach Yahuweh descended on the waiting Apostles and disciples in the Temple in Jerusalem, just as it took exactly 50 days after the crossing of the Red Sea to reach Mt. Sinai. The people in Jerusalem saw the tongues of fire, and heard the wind, and the people speaking in the languages of the earth. Rabbi Joseph Hertz in his Authorized Daily Prayer Book, page 791, states: "The revelation at Sinai, it was taught, was given in desert territory, which belonged to no one nation exclusively; and it was heard not by Israel alone, but by the inhabitants of all the earth. The Divine Voice divided itself into the seventy tongues then spoken on earth, so that all the children of men might understand its world embracing and man redeeming message.” The Torah tells us that there is one Torah for all mankind. It is the will of Yahuwah for all people! The Word tells that Mt. Sinai shook, and that there was a loud blast from a shofar in the sky, and it was smoking from the fire that came with His presence. There was a mighty wind, and the people were terrified (Exodus 19). On Pentecost, He came with fire, and wind, and languages. He came to empower the believers in Messiah with Himself, to baptize them into Messiah, to bring them to the Father, to teach them the Word as Yahuwah would have it taught, to unify the believers into one people in Messiah, to impart supernatural gifts to His people for the edification of the congregation of His people, and to write the Torah, which Yahushua had expanded, into our heart, so that we would keep His Kingdom Instructions with joy, peace, love and righteousness.
ALMOST 2000 YEARS OF "SUMMER” -- Jeremiah 8:20; John 4:35 The time between the festivals is the time when the grain harvests are finished, and it is too hot to plant and reap, for the summer has come. We have been in summer time, spiritually, since the resurrection of Messiah. He told us: "Don’t say there are four months and then comes the harvest, but lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, for they are white already to harvest”. Between the month of Sivan (May/June), when Pentecost occurs, until the month of Tishre and the fruit harvest, are 4 months. He told us go forth and bear fruit from ourselves as well as to harvest the "fruit of the earth”, which are the souls of fallen man. (John 15:1-7) James 5:7-8: "Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain. Be also patient, establish your hearts, for the coming of Messiah draws near”. The early rains come in the Autumn at the fruit harvest, and the latter rains come in the Spring before the Barley harvest. James 5:7-8 is talking about the Father, who waits for the "fruit harvest” at the Feast of Trumpets, Yom Teruah. This is a harvest of the souls of mankind into His Kingdom, following the outpouring of the Ruach--then the Messiah will return. It is the time for the proclamation of the "The besorah of the Kingdom”, the message of
repentance and return, to restore Israel back to Yahuwah and the Torah. That is what the first Apostles and disciples did—they went into the areas where the "lost sheep of Israel” went, and proclaimed the Messiah’s death and resurrection, and the Kingdom to come, restoring the Torah as the foundation of believe and practice to His people. (Ezekiel 18:30-32; 33:11-19) About the mid-1st century, Greek believers in Messiah’s death and resurrection, rejected the Father Yahuwah and His Kingdom’s Torah, thus breaking away from the teachings of Messiah Yahushua and His Apostles, to form their own sect, which they called "Christian”. "Christian” was not a new term, for the worshippers of the sun god Serapis, in Egypt, had also been calling themselves "Christians”, and their religious leaders were called "the Bishops of Christ”. Under Rome, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire in 325CE. So, in the last 1,700 years, the Greco/Roman religion of Christianity has become a gigantic institution of approximately 1.8 billion people, because people, like the early Greeks, enjoy the idea of eternal life, but refuse the responsibility to Yahuwah, His Torah, and His Kingdom. Now, at the end of the time of spiritual summer, Yahushua, the Messiah of Israel, is restoring to us the simple faith that He left to us. The faith that was taught by His early Apostles and disciples, who were believers in Messiah and also Torah observant. He said that "few” would find the truth and walk in it. Now we are preparing or the fulfillments of the Fall Feasts—His coming, His restorations, and His dwelling on earth with His people.
THE FEAST OF TRUMPETS – YOM TERUAH
This Feast pictures the meeting with Messiah in the air, as He comes with the wrath of the Father upon the wicked, and comes to resurrect all those who have died in Him, and all who are still alive on the earth at His coming. This is what He calls the "harvesting of the earth”. (Matthew 13) He has a definite path of return. He comes from the East to Mt. Sinai first, then comes directly north over ancient Edom, from the port of Aqaba, up the King’s Highway, to Mt. Paran, over the ancient town of Teman, over Mt. Seir, in which is Petra, Jordan, and then on to the Mt. of Olives--Matthew 24:27-31; Isaiah 63:1-6; Habakkuk 3, Deuteronomy 33:2-3 and about 220 other passages all through the Word. The Feast of Trumpets falls on Tishre 1 each year. It is over 3 days, by the Roman calendar, over 2 days by the Hebrew calendar. Therefore, "no man knows the day or the hour” in which the third trumpet (a shofar/ram’s horn) will be blown. Three trumpets are blown, and everyone waits for the "last trump” to be blown, which signals the opening of the gates of heaven, and the descent of Messiah to gather those in who are righteous. This is Messianic hope among the Jews, and the believers in Messiah. Messiah cannot come at any time—this is man’s thinking. He can only come to fulfill this Festival on the 1st or 2nd of Tishre. Of course, there are always 2 days upon the earth at one time.
Then the Word tells us that 3 ½ years, on the Enoch Calendar of 360 days a year, He will come. He does not want the children of light to be in the dark. He does not come as a "thief in the night” to those watching, praying, and hearing the Ruach Yahuwah. That is clear from I Thessalonians 5:1-10. Therefore, the children of light know the seasons by the Festivals. Here are some of the 220 Scripture passages regarding His second coming: I Thessalonians 4:13-18; I Corinthians 15:51-58; Revelation 11:15-17; Philippians 3:20-21; Revelation 19:11-16; Zechariah 14:1-5; and Jude 14-15. He comes at the "last trump”—the 7th trumpet of the tribulation. This is clear from both I Corinthians 15:52 and Revelation 11:15-19. It is quite plain from the Scriptures that Yahushua comes with the wrath of the Father, which is so severe that no one can withstand it without His protection. So, the Feast of Trumpets is the celebration of our gathering together unto Him, but also of judgment on the wicked. It is a day of separation and justice.
THE DAY OF ATONEMENT – YOM KIPPUR
Ten days after the Feast of Trumpets, Yom Teruah, begins the Feast of national Atonement. This pictures the first action of Messiah after His marriage and the wedding Feast. There are seven days between Yom Teruah, the "last trump”, and the beginning of the Day of Atonement. During these 7 days, Messiah will marry His Bride, and they will be in the wedding chamber. At the end of the 7 days, the couple will come out of the marriage chamber, and there will be a Feast with the wedding guests and attendants. (So beautifully has Messiah and will Messiah fulfill all the requirements of the ancient wedding Feast. Please ask for my article, The Ancient Jewish Wedding Ceremony, which includes the terms of the wedding covenant, sealed in His own blood, in terms that make it understandable in modern terminology--It clears up a lot of questions). After the wedding Feast, Messiah and His wife will go to Jerusalem, and He will call all nations to the Valley of Jehoshaphat for judgment as to how they treated the people of Israel. The Valley of Jehoshaphat is directly in front of the Eastern Gate—in the north Kidron Valley. Here is where the goods Kings of Judah, cleansed the Temple, after evil Kings had defiled it, by burning idols and evil priests. Here, Messiah will sit and divide out who will be judged and who will not. (Joel 2 and 3 and Matthew 25:31-46) The other aspect of the Day of Atonement fulfilled by Messiah, is that on this day, "all Israel will be saved”—national redemption. It is the day that He announces to all those faithful Israelites, of all ages, that they are justified in Yahuwah’s sight because of His Atonement. On this day, Yahushua, the High Priest, enters into the courts of Yahuwah, and sprinkles His own blood on the mercy seat, and atones for the whole House of Jacob. (Romans 11:26; Ezekiel 36:22-38; Jeremiah 31:31-34: Jeremiah 50:20 and hundreds of other verses throughout the Word). This is the day of the mighty restoration of the two Houses in their completeness, as per Ezekiel 37:15-28, in which He restores them into one Kingdom again.
THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES
On this day, 5 days after the Day of Atonement, Yahuwah proceeds to tabernacle with man for 1,000 years. It pictures Elohim living with His creation. (Revelation 20:11-chapter 22) This Festival will demand required attendance each year, or there will be penalties – Zechariah 14:16-19. This is the time that Messiah was born. He came to "tabernacle among us” – John 1:14. It is the time of the restoration of all things. Acts 3:19-20 In John 7:37-39, we read: "On the last day, the great day of the Feast”, during the celebration of the water pouring, Yahushua stood up and declared "If any man thirst, let him come to Me and drink. He that believes on Me, as the Scriptures has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spoke He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive…)” The Bride of Messiah will rule and reign with her Bridegroom, not only for this 1,000 years, but in the New Jerusalem, forever. (Revelation 19-22) There are many passages in the Word, which describe the peace and prosperity of this time. But, since all modern technology will be destroyed, we will go back to an agricultural society. Man will work 6 days, and on Shabbat, he will rest. He will attend the seven Festivals in Jerusalem, and keep the Torah. Yahushua, and those who rule with Him, will enforce the Torah "with a rod of iron”. It is wise now, to enter the covenant relationship with Yahuwah through Messiah, and guard His Torah, for He comes with a "fiery Torah” to the earth, and those who are obedient to Him, will have great privileges. This Feast also pictures the coming of the Father to the earth, at the end of the 1,000 years. He will come to raise up the wicked, and judge them, sending them justly to the lake of fire. He will create a new heaven and a new earth, and bring His City—the New Jerusalem—down over the earth, where He will reign from forever.
The Festivals of Hanukkah and Purim
The Festival of Hanukkah usually falls in December. John 10:22 shows that Yahushua went up to the Temple during this Festival, also called the Festival or Feast of Dedication. It is a celebration of a historical victory by the Jewish people around 167BCE, without which we would not have the Hebrew Scriptures. Greece wanted to destroy anything of Hebrew culture. The Jews fought back, and won. This festival also will have its fulfillment in those who stand against the anti-messiah during the Tribulation, in his attempts to destroy anything to do with Yahuwah and His Torah off the earth. The Feast of Purim is from the book of Esther. It also shows the victory of the Jews over a leader who wanted to destroy them. It, also, will be fulfilled during the tribulation, as the world ruler will try to destroy all Torah-observant Jews and Messianic Torah-observant believers out of the world. The Word does not require us to celebrate these two festivals, but in remembering them, as Yahushua did, we are learning to look to His victory in
the days of severe testing. These festivals are the heritage of those who belong to Yahuwah, along with the weekly Shabbat. These are signs of who belongs to the Messiah of Israel, and who does not. His calendar is not laborious and heavy. It is light and joyful, and through obedience to His Festivals, Shabbats, and laws for our good, we maintain a healthy, balanced life, in mind, emotions, spirit and body. Shalom and blessings to you, Yedidah.