Holidays of God in the Fall Feasts

8/13/2019 Holidays of God in the Fall Feasts

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THE HOLIDAYSOF GOD

The Fall Feasts

IIf observant Jewish people areright, the ancient festival cycleof Israel is a timeless source of

spiritual renewal. If those who callthemselves messianic believers

are right, the seven holidays ofGod are more than mere Jewishtradition. Those who believe thatthe Messiah has already made anappearance believe He fulfilled thespiritual meaning of the first fourfeasts, leaving the three final feastsfor fulfillment in the last days.

In the following pages, RBCstaff member Kevin Williams givesus the second of a two-part studyon the Holidays Of Godthisone focusing on the three fall

feasts. With years of experiencein messianic congregations, Kevinshows us the profound relationshipbetween the annual cycle ofJewish holidays and their amazingspiritual and prophetic significancefor people of all nations.

Martin R. De Haan II

Managing Editor: David Sper Cover Photo:Tony Stone ImagesScripture quotations are from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by ThomasNelson, Inc. Used by permission.All rights reserved. 2000, 2004 RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, Michigan Printed in USA

CONTENTS

The Holidays Of GodChart. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Gods Fall Feasts . . . . . . . 3

The Feast Of Trumpets(Rosh Hashanah) . . . . . . 6

The Day Of Atonement

(Yom Kippur) . . . . . . . . 12The Feast Of Tabernacles(Sukkot) . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

EncounteringThe Messiah . . . . . . . . . 30


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GODS FALLFEASTS

The Lord spoke to Moses,saying, Speak to thechildren of Israel, and say tothem: The feasts of the Lord,which you shall proclaim tobe holy convocations, theseare My feasts (Lev. 23:1-2).

WWith these words,the Lord of Israelestablished an

annual cycle of holidays thatare still observed in Jewish

communities all over theworld. Whether thesecommunities are Orthodox,Conservative, or Reform;

whether they are Russian,Yemenite, or American,

these feasts form a commonthread in global Jewishculture.

In the Hebrew language,the word for My feasts,pronounced mo-a-deem,

literally means appointedtimes or appointed feasts.In Jewish culture these

appointed times of theLord are important formany reasons. Theseevents, as listed in Leviticus23, are part of a nationalsystem of time-outs.Together they provide

weekly, monthly, and yearlyrests from the commonroutines of daily life. Theyalso provide a preplannedschedule for reflection and

worship. These holidaysof God are sacredconvocations thatsummoned a nation not

only to the grandeur andmajesty of the temple, butalso to quiet and simple

worship in the home.Together these appointedtimes of the Lord give

every home, whether richor poor, an occasion toremember the holiness,power, and longsufferinglove of the God of

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Its important for us tounderstand, however, thatthis cycle of holidays is not



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just about Jewish culture.Even though they are linkedto the harvest cycle of theland of Israel, and eventhough the festival calendaris used to retell stories ofJewish life and origins,these holidays provide apanorama of history thathas strong implications forall of the families of theearth. Seen individually

and together, these feastspaint a compelling pictureof the past, present, andfuture work of a Messiah

who is the source of life,hope, and peace for all thenations of the world.

As we saw in TheHolidays Of God: TheSpring Feasts (Q0407),many Jewish and Gentilebelievers in Jesus sharethe conviction that thefirst phase of Messiahsdeliverance has beenrecorded on the centerpage of human history.

According to a group ofJewish eyewitnesses, theplan of God was revealedduring the holy days ofPassover, UnleavenedBread, Firstfruits, and

Pentecost. With a suddenturn of events, the first fourfeasts of Israel took on thepersonality of a miracle

worker who bore themarks of Gods Messiah.

On Passover, Jesus becamethe sacrificial Lamb whoseblood marked all whobelieve in Him fordeliverance. During theFeast of Unleavened Bread,

He died to take away oursin and to give us, in theplace of our own efforts,

4

These holidaysprovide a

panorama ofhistory that has

strong implicationsfor all the families

of the earth.

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the bread (life-sustainingprovision) of His eternalpresence. On the Feastof Firstfruits, He arosefrom the dead toshow that it wasby Gods power thatHe carried out ourrescue. Then 50days later on theFeast of Pentecost(also known asthe Feast of

Weeks, orShavuot),Jesus sent His

Spirit to showHis presence with all whoare willing to stake theirlives on Him.

As you consider the fallfeasts, imagine the scene in

ancient Israel. Severalmonths have passed sincethe end of the spring feasts.The growing season hasended. Payloads of olives,

grapes, pomegranates, and

citrons (a lemon-like fruit)are in from the fields, andthe people of the land are

getting ready to thank Godfor the harvest. Families allacross Israel prepare to

make their way to thetemple in Jerusalemfor the third pilgrimfeast of the year.Together they willwalk dusty paths to

celebrate the fallharvest and

to expressdependenceon God forthe rainsthat will

be neededfor the following year.

As worshipers prepareto make their way toJerusalem, the city of God,the blowing of a rams horn

(shofar) from the city wallsof Jerusalem signals thebeginning of the fall holidayseason. All day, the rams-horn trumpets are blown asa summons to gather before

El Elyon, the Most HighGod.



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THE FEAST OFTRUMPETS(ROSH HASHANAH

OR YOM TERUAH)

Speak to the children ofIsrael, saying: In the seventhmonth, on the first day of the

month, you shall have asabbath-rest, a memorial ofblowing of trumpets, a holyconvocation (Lev. 23:24).

TThe shofar was blown

on the first of Tishri,the seventh month

of the Jewish religiouscalendar. It was YomTeruah, the day ofblowing. Traditionally

called Rosh Hashanah,it marked the year-endharvest as an occasion for

the whole nation to seekrelational and spiritualrenewal.

THE SHOFARSCALL TOREPENTANCEThe blowing of the rams-horn trumpets providedan important spiritualreminder: It was anadmonition to those whohad just finished bringing inthe harvest by the sweat oftheir own labor. When

workers were tempted to

look at the results of theirown effort and congratulatethemselves for the harvest,they needed this God-centered ritual to remindthem that in all of their

work they were dependenton the creating andsustaining power of Godon their behalf. The workerplants, weeds, waters, and

waits. But it is God who

gives the increase!Of the blowing of the

shofar, Alfred Edersheim,

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Trumpets

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noted 19th-century scholar,writes, One of its mainpurposes was to rouse mento repentance. In fact, thecommentator Maimonides(1135-1204) makes use ofthe following words todenote the meaning of theblowing of trumpets: Rouse

ye, rouse ye from yourslumber; awake, awakefrom your sleep, you whomind vanity, for slumbermost heavy has fallen upon

you. Take it to heart, beforewhom you are to give an

account in the judgment.

THE SHOFARSLOOK TO THEFUTUREMany believe that Yom

Teruah also has a propheticsignificance. The first fourfeasts have a strikingcorrelation with final eventsin the life of Jesus (His firstadvent). Many Bible

scholars believe that theFeast of Trumpets refersprophetically to the last-

days events (His secondadvent) that will call thenation of Israel, and the

whole world, to repentancein preparation for Hiscoming messianic kingdom.

Compare this messianichope with a Rosh Hashanahprayer from an Orthodox

Jewish prayer book: Mayit be Your will that thesounding of the shofar

which we have done willbe embroidered in the veilby the appointed angel, as

You accepted it by Elijahof blessed memory and by

Yeshua, the Prince of the

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Bible scholars

believe that theFeast of Trumpetsrefers prophetically

to the last-days

events.

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Face [i.e. Prince of GodsPresence] and the one

who sits on Gods throne.May You be filled withcompassion toward us.

Deserving of praise are

You, Lord of compassion(Birnbaum, Behind TheCurtain, p.282).

With this prayer, Jewishsynagogues have invokedon Rosh Hashanah the

name of Gods coming King:Yeshua. Most Jewish rabbisinsist that this reference to

Yeshua has nothing to dowith Jesus, the anglicizedname for Yeshua (literallysalvation). One reason for

rejecting Jesusas the Messiahof Israel hasbeen therabbinic opinion

that God wouldnever requirenor

accepta humansacrifice. Yet, in

contrast to thisteaching, there iswithin the tradition

of many synagoguesa practice that

remembers a daywhen God did ask father

Abraham to offer his onlyson Isaac as a sacrifice.

THE SHOFARSLOOK BACK TOISAACEach autumn duringthe High Holy Days,

synagogues all over theworld remember theAkeidah (Hebrew term



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referring to the bindingof Isaac as described inGenesis 22:1-19). Thepreeminent symbol of RoshHashanah or Yom Teruahis the rams-horn trumpet.The rabbis see a significantconnection between it andthe substitutionary ram that

was provided by God whenAbraham offered up hisonly son Isaac as a sacrificeon Mount Moriah.

In many synagogues,theAkeidah (the bindingof Isaac) is read every

weekday of the year as amemorial, but from RoshHashanah to Yom Kippuritis particularly emphasized.In the process, many rabbisteach that when Abraham

offered up Isaac on MountMoriah (the eventual site ofthe Temple Mount), Isaacactually died and wasresurrected!

A book titled Rosh

Hashanah: Its Significance,Laws, & Prayers states, Areading of the Talmudic

sources makes clear thatGod thinks of Isaac as if hehad actually been sacrificedand his remains burned onthe altar (p.31). One story

claims that Isaac was soterrified that he died offright, but at the sound ofthe voice of the Angel ofthe Lord he came to life

again. If we read thebiblical account in Genesis22:1-19, we do not find any

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One reason for

rejecting Jesusas the Messiahhas been the

rabbinic opinionthat God wouldnever requirenor accepta

human sacrifice.

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indication that Isaacdied or that his body wasburned or resurrected. Wedo learn, however, someprovocative similaritiesbetween Isaac and anotherSon who, according to NewTestament witnesses, wasoffered as a human sacrificeby a loving Father.

Consider thecomparison betweenIsaac and the Yeshua of theNew Covenant. Both weresons of promise. Theircomings were heralded by

angelic beings. Both cameinto the world by means ofa miraculous birth. Throughboth men the entire world

was to be blessed. Both werebeloved sons of their fathers.

They were blamelessneither one deserving capitalpunishment. Both had tocarry the wood of their

judgment on their shoulders.Many believe that both

Jesus and Isaac were intheir early to mid-thirties atthe time of their trials. Both

were brought to a mountfor their sacrifice. Both went

willingly to the slaughter,without saying a word intheir defense; yet both livedto see their heirs. These are

just a few parallels of themany we can find betweenthe Hebrew Scriptures andthe Gospels of the NewCovenant.

If we add to ourcomparison the OrthodoxJewish view that Isaac wassacrificed, died, and was

resurrected, we find evenmore striking parallels.Some of the rabbis even

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Has God placedwithin rabbinictheology and

tradition a clue tothe identity of His

own Messiah?

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teach: Isaacs ashesare before [God] alwaysa living reminder of Isaacscovenantbecause anascent to such spiritual

heights as theAkeidahnever dies. Therefore, too,Isaacs life after theAkeidah

was of a different order

than any other. He was aliving sacrifice, sanctified,and spiritual (Rosh

HoshanahIts Significance,Laws, & Prayers, p.34).

Are thesecomparisons, whetherscriptural or traditional,

mere coincidences? Or hasGod placed within rabbinictheology and tradition aclue to the identity of His

own Messiah?

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PICTURES OF JESUS IN THE PERSON OF ISAAC

Parallels Isaac Jesus

A Hebrew Gen. 21:3 Mt. 1:1

A son of promise Gen. 17:19 Lk. 2:29-32

Foretold by an angel Gen. 18:10 Lk. 1:26-33Miraculous birth Gen. 18:13 Lk. 1:34-35

A blessing to the world Gen. 22:18 Lk. 2:29-32

Beloved by father Gen. 22:2 Mt. 3:17

Only son Gen. 22:2 Jn. 3:16Undeserving of capital

punishment assumed Heb. 7:26

Carried wood to thesacrifice Gen. 22:6 Jn. 19:17

Around 30 years old rabbinic Lk. 3:23

Brought to a mount Gen. 22:2 Jn. 19:17

Went willingly to slaughter Gen. 22:9 Acts 8:32

Sacrificed rabbinic 1 Cor. 5:7

Resurrected rabbinic Acts 2:31

Lived to see offspring Gen. 25:21 Heb. 2:10

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DAYS OF AWEIn the fall holidayseason, Rosh Hashanahis the beginning of a10-day period knownas the Days of Awe.In Jewish communities,the blowing of the shofaris followed by a time ofintrospection, when

worshipers look into theirown hearts for misdeedsagainst others and fortransgressions in thought ordeed against God. They aredays of repentance, when

individuals attempt to rightthe wrongs they havecommitted. It is a time toprepare for the coming Dayof Judgment, Yom Kippur.

In the temple period this

national time of repentanceand restitution was anannual event, and itcontinues today as aserious practice amongthose who observe the

holidays of God.

THE DAY OFATONEMENT(YOM KIPPUR)

The Lord spoke to Moses,saying: Also the tenth dayof this seventh month shallbe the Day of Atonement. It

shall be a holy convocationfor you; you shall afflict your

souls, and offer an offeringmade by fire to the Lord(Lev. 23:26-27).

YYom Kippur(literallyday of covering)falls on the tenth day

of the month of Tishri andbrings to a close the periodof repentance begun on

Rosh Hashanah. On thisnational Day of Atonement,the high priest of the temple

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Atonement

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used compelling andcolorful ritual to show Gods

willingness to forgive thesins of the previous year.

Seven days before YomKippur, every effort wastaken to ensure that thehigh priest was kept in astate of ritual purity. Onthis day of days, he wouldundergo five immersionsand have an entourage ofabout 500 Levites with himeverywhere he went, to help

guard him from anythingthat might render him

unclean.On every other day

of the year, the highpriest dressed in his formaluniform, whichincluded the

golden crown,colorful robes,a breastplate,and jewelsinscribed withthe names of the tribes

of Israel. On the Day ofAtonement, however, he setaside his normal splendor

and wore only a white linenrobe, which was symbolicof purity.

Because the Day ofAtonement was a day ofsacrifice, the high priests

white linen robe was soonspattered with blood. Toatone for his own sins, hesacrificed a bull before theLord. Then to atone for thesins of the nation, the highpriest took two kid goats andcast lots to determine theirfate. Depending on how thelots fell, one of the goats was

sacrificed as a sin offeringfor the nation. When this

sacrificial goat wasappointed,the high priestpronounced, For

Jehovah, and thethrongs of worshipers

would fallon their

faces and call out,Blessed be the Name; the

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The other goat, knownas theAzazel, or scapegoat,became a second picture ofnational atonement. Firstthe high priest symbolicallyplaced the sins of thenation on the head of thelive goat. He did this bylaying both of his handson the goats head whileconfessing the sins of thepeople. Then, with thesins of the people on thehead of the goat, the highpriest sent theAzazel offinto the wilderness. It

was a dramatic pictureof Gods willingness toseparate His people fromtheir sins. In the secondtemple period (515 BC to

AD 70), the scapegoat was

led to a cliff and forced overthe brink to make sure itdidnt return.

Then, only on this oneday of the year, the highpriest risked his life to carry

the blood of the sacrificedanimal into the Most HolyPlace of the Lords house of

worship. Going behind theveil that separated the HolyPlace from the Most HolyPlace, the high priestentered the presence ofGod to sprinkle the bloodof the sacrifice on the

golden Mercy Seat thatcovered the Ark of the

Covenant. If any aspectof the ritual was notfulfilled according to Godsinstructions (Lev. 16), the

high priest could be struckdead. Only when the highpriest came out alive did

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This sacrifice isa picture of amerciful God,

concerned aboutwiping away eventhe smallest oftransgressions.

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the nation rejoice that forone more year God hadaccepted the sacrifice fortheir sins.

An additional factabout the scapegoat is

worth noting. In thesecond temple period,the Talmud records thatthe Levites tied a scarletthread of wool around ahorn of theAzazel. Afterthe goat was driven off acliff, witnesses were sentto examine the thread.For centuries, this

thread is reported to havemiraculously turned white,indicating that God hadaccepted their sacrifice andforgiven the nation of Israel.It was believed that this

was in fulfillment of Isaiah1:18, Though your sins arelike scarlet, they shall be as

white as snow; though theyare red like crimson, theyshall be as wool.

The Jewish Talmudrecords, however, that 40

years before the destruction

of the second temple, thethread ceased to turn white.Is it a mere coincidencethat at the same time as thedeath and resurrection ofJesus, around AD 30, therabbis themselves took noteof the fact that the MostHigh began rejecting the

Azazel sacrifice?

YOM KIPPUR:LOOKING BACKMany believers of bothJewish and Gentile originsee in the sacrifices of the

Day of Atonement aforeshadowing of a Messiah

who would come to makeatonement for our sins.Many believe that Isaiah53 speaks of this suffering

Savior when it says, Itpleased the Lord to bruiseHim; He has put Him to

grief. When You make Hissoul an offering for sin, Heshall see His seed, He shall

prolong His days, and thepleasure of the Lord shallprosper in His hand (v.10).



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Instead, we can reflect backon an empty tomb and onthe compelling testimoniesof the appearances ofthe One whose bodilyresurrection proved that theprice for our sins has beenpaid in full and that wehave been accepted byGod. Now we can confess,Yes, I have gossiped.

Yes, I have had lust inmy heart. Yes, I have beenangry with my brother. Yes,I have been arrogant. Yes,I withheld love from God

and sinned against Him incountless ways. Yes, I have

withheld love from myneighbors, and sinnedagainst God by not givingothers the consideration I

want for myself. Yes, I havesinned, but by the bloodof His own Messiah,the Father has paid thepenalty. As we havetrusted Him, so He has

forgiven us.Yom Kippur, the Day of

Atonement, is a day to be

mindful of our sin and theoffering that was made onour behalf. It is a day to be

mindfuland gratefulforthe grace afforded throughthe perfect, everlastingsacrifice, Messiah Jesus.

YOM KIPPUR:LOOKING AHEADThe Day of Atonement alsopoints us to the future. Onthe heels of a last-days call

to repentance there will bea day of final reckoning forall who have not repented

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Yom Kippur, theDay of Atonement,

is a day to be

mindful of our sinand the offeringthat was madeon our behalf.

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of their sins. According toHebrew prophets, in thelast days there will be a

great and awesome Dayof the Lord that will revealthe judgment that awaitsthose who have not takenadvantage of the atonementof God. Here we can let theScriptures speak forthemselves.

The Lord gives voicebefore His army, for Hiscamp is very great; for

strong is the One whoexecutes His word. For

the day of the Lord isgreat and very terrible;who can endure it? . . .The sun shall be turnedinto darkness, and themoon into blood, before

the coming of the greatand awesome day of theLord (Joel 2:11,31).

Behold, the day iscoming, burning like anoven, and all the proud,

yes, all who do wickedlywill be stubble. And theday which is coming shall

burn them up, says theLord of hosts, that willleave them neither rootnor branch (Mal. 4:1).No one can afford to be

uncovered or unatonedfor on the final YomKippur. That day will be

inexpressibly hopeless

for all those who havespent the days of their livesresisting the evidence andclaims of Gods Messiah! It

will be the kind of regretanticipated by the prophet

Zechariah when he wrote:I will pour on the houseof David and on the

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No one canafford to be

uncovered orunatoned for

on the finalYom Kippur.

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inhabitants of Jerusalemthe Spirit of grace and

supplication; then theywill look on Me whomthey pierced. Yes, theywill mourn for Him asone mourns for his only

son, and grieve for Himas one grieves for afirstborn. In that daythere shall be a greatmourning in Jerusalem,like the mourning atHadad Rimmon in the

plain of Megiddo. Andthe land shall mourn,

every family by itself(Zech. 12:10-14).

What is the futurehope of those whorejecting Jesus asMessiahstill have

no temple, no priest, andno Yom Kippursacrifice toassure them of Gods mercyand forgiveness? Can theyfind assurance in theirrepentance, prayer,

and good deeds, hopingthat God will forgive?Moses said:

The life of the flesh isin the blood, and I have

given it to you upon thealtar to make atonementfor your souls; for it isthe blood that makesatonement for the soul(Lev. 17:11).

After the temple wasdestroyed in AD 70, therabbis from the known

world gathered for acouncilthe YavnehCouncil. Their purpose

was to decide the futureof Jewish worship without

priesthood or sacrifices.The religious customsestablished at Yavnehare the basis of modernrabbinic Judaism andhave remained relatively

unchanged over nearly2,000 years. Rabbi

Yochanan Ben-Zakkai,the most influentialmember of the counciland still a widely studied

commentator, appearsto have exhibited littleconfidence in the new



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synagogue systemsability to save his soulfrom judgment. On hisdeathbed, the rabbi isquoted as saying, NowI am being led before thesupreme King of Kings, theHoly One, blessed be He,

who lives and endures forever and ever. If He isangry with me, He is angryforever. If He imprisons me,He imprisons me forever.If He puts me to death, Heputs me to death forever. Icannot persuade Him with

words or bribe Him withmoney. Moreover, there aretwo ways ahead of me: oneleads to Paradise and theother to Hell, and I do notknow which one will take

me. How can I do anythingbut weep? (Brakhot 28bTalmud).

Yet, in fulfillment of theDay of Atonement, there isevidence declaring that God

has not left us without hopeor atonement. He has notleft us devoid of hope,

without sacrifice, or withouta way of apprehending Hismercy. In the pictures oftheAkeida, and in thepictures of the sin offeringof Yom Kippur, we can

see the character andforeshadowing of GodsMessiah, our assuranceof salvation. These picturesare not just remarkableparallels or coincidences.

They are Gods revelationto Israeland to allnations.

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In fulfillmentof the Day of

Atonement, thereis evidence

declaring that

God has not leftus without hopeor atonement.

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THE FEAST OFTABERNACLES(SUKKOT)

Speak to the children ofIsrael, saying: The fifteenthday of this seventh month

shall be the Feast of

Tabernacles for seven daysto the Lord (Lev. 23:34).

FF

ive days after the Dayof Atonement, the last

of the fall feasts begins.

Sukkot (Hebrew forbooths) is known bymany different names: theFeast of Tabernacles, theFestival of Booths, the Feastof the Ingathering (Ex.

23:16), the Festival of theLord (Lev. 23:39), and theFestival at the inauguration

of Solomons Temple(1 Ki. 8:2). Each titlereflects a unique aspectof this annual observance.

As we will see, this feastpresents a beautiful pictureof how God provided forHis people in the past,provides in the present, and

will provide in the future.

SUKKOTOF THE PASTHistorically, Sukkot is aholiday that remembers insymbolic and colorful ways

the 40 years the Israelitesspent wandering in the

wilderness living inmakeshift shelters. For4 decades, the Hebrewnation relied entirely on the

provision of God Almighty.Their clothes and shoes didnot wear out (Dt. 29:5), andtheyand their flocksdidnot lack for food or water(Neh. 9:15,20-21). God

provided everything.In remembrance of this

miraculous expression of

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provision, the Lord Godcommanded the Jewishpeople to camp outsidein temporary shelters toremember how He hadprovided for their fore-fathers:

You shall dwell in boothsfor seven days. All whoare native Israelites shalldwell in booths, that your

generations may knowthat I made the childrenof Israel dwell in boothswhen I brought themout of the land of Egypt:

I am the Lord your God(Lev. 23:42-43).

As one of the threepilgrim festivals, along

with Passover (Pesach) andPentecost (Shavuot), the

Feast of Booths (Sukkot)was the third appointedtime for all Jewish malesto come to Jerusalem withtheir tithes and offerings.

At this time of year, and

for the 8 days of Sukkot,Jerusalem would have beenoverflowing with people. By

Tishri 15, the normalpopulation of about600,000 people swelled tobetween 2 and 3 million.

Amid the throngs ofpeople and the din of

activity, the priests of thetemple had their ownendless jobs to do. Behindthe scenes of temple life,they meticulously carriedout instructions given to

them in the Torah. Part oftheir duty was to sacrifice atotal of 70 bulls during the

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Sukkot presentsa beautiful

picture of howGod provided forHis people in thepast, provides inthe present, and

will provide inthe future.

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festival of Sukkot (Num.29:12-39). Jewish teachersand rabbis apply greatrelevance to thisinstruction.

In the sacrificial system,bulls were offered on behalf

of a nation ornations. On Yom Kippur,the high priest sacrificed abull for his own sins as herepresented the nation of

Israel. During Sukkot, manyrabbis assert, the 70 bullsrepresented the 70 nationsthat descended from Noah,the ancestors of all theGentiles of the world. These

bulls, according to Hebrewscholars, were sacrificed forthe peace and well-being of

the Gentiles, that theymight one day acknowledgethe God of Abraham, Isaac,and Jacob. This wasdoctrine for hundredsof years and, thoughmany Jews remain unawareof it, their prayers were

answered: Gentileswho believe in the

Messiah of Israel havebeen faithfully grafted in(Rom. 11:17-24) and havebecome adopted childrenof Abraham (Gal. 3:29).

SUKKOTTODAYToday the booths ofSukkot take on manyforms and features. InIsraeli cities like Jerusalem,Tiberias, Tel Aviv, or in the

Jewish neighborhoods ofBrooklyn, New York, youmight see wooden shelters(sukkahs) built onto high-rise apartment patios. Inresidential areas, they are

often constructed directlyonto ones back door. Theyare elaborately decorated



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with colorful lights andvines. Fruits and treatshang from achicken-

wire

roofthat is

covered bypalm fronds (in

tropical regions) or cornstalks. In mostsukkahs,some picture or referenceis made to living water,because Sukkot is thefestival that ushers in the

rainy season in Israel.The annual traditions

of Sukkot remain a festive,realistic reminder of how

good God was in takingcare of His people as they

circled for 40 years in thebarren wilderness ofSinai. It is a pause inan otherwise busy world,for 1 week out of 52,to remember Gods

faithfulness to provide forHis people and to give Himthe honor He deserves.

The colorful objectlessons of the Feast of

Booths have anapplication for

everyone who hascome to know the

God of Abraham, Isaac,and Jacob. The application

goes beyond the Jewishpeople. Believers in Jesusare inclined, especially in

times of prosperity, to forgetthat everything we have

comes to us from the handof God. It is good toremember that God

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In our wanderingsthrough life, God

has been theunseen Providerwho has been

faithful to us even

when we haveforgotten Him.

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provides for us at every stepon our way, just as He didfor the children of Israel inthe wilderness. In our

wanderings through life,He has been the unseenProvider who has beenfaithful to us even when wehave forgotten Him. He isthe One who says, I willnever leave you nor forsake

you (Heb. 13:5).In a remarkable similarity

to ancient Israel, we liveand breathe and walk intemporary shelters. In

the transient tents of ourown bodies, we wanderthrough lifes wildernessrelying on the provision ofthe Most High. He is theOne who provides for us as

we make our way on ourown amazing journey.

SUKKOTINTHE FUTUREIn the future, the Feast

of Tabernacles will bean international holiday.

According to the prophet

Zechariah, in the last daysthis feast will be a globalholiday:

It shall come to pass thateveryone who is left of allthe nations which cameagainst Jerusalem shall

go up from year to yearto worship the King, theLord of hosts, and to keepthe Feast of Tabernacles(Zech. 14:16).During the millennial

reign, when the MessiahKing of Israel is enthronedin Jerusalem, the institution

of Sukkot will be more thana metaphor. It will be anannual reality. In fact, it willbe so important that a grave

warning is given to thenations who do not keep

the Feast of Tabernacles:It shall be that whicheverof the families of the earthdo not come up to

Jerusalem to worship theKing, the Lord of hosts,

on them there will beno rain. If the family ofEgypt will not come up



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and enter in, they shallhave no rain; they shallreceive the plague withwhich the Lord strikesthe nations who do notcome up to keep theFeast of Tabernacles(Zech. 14:17-18).

At the Feast ofTabernacles in the lastdays, the whole world willcelebrate what was hiddenin the Messiah in the daysprior to His death andresurrection. God will liveamong us in the person of

Jesus Christ. He will behonored not just by thepeople of Israel but by allthe world as the Provider

who has given us life sothat we could know Him.

In this dramatic day ofMessiahs presence, theFeast of Tabernacles will bethe ultimate fulfillment ofthe first six feasts. As Godlives among His people, all

the world will make its wayto Jerusalem to worship theLamb of God, who will be

revealed as the Lion ofthe House of Judah.

THE GREAT DAYOF THE FEAST(HOSSANAH RABBAHOR SHMINI HAERETZ)

On the eighth dayyou shall have a holyconvocation, and you

shall offer an offeringmade by fire to the Lord.It is a sacred assembly,

and you shall do nocustomary work on it(Lev. 23:36).

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As God lives amongHis people, all theworld will make itsway to Jerusalem

to worship theLamb of God, whowill be revealed as

the Lion of theHouse of Judah.

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Sukkot is an 8-day festivalending with what hastraditionally come to beknown as the HossanahRabbah, translated in mostEnglish Bibles as thatgreat day of the feast.Remarkably, though itis celebrated among theJewish people, you wontfind that name in theHebrew Scriptures butonly in the New Testament

gospel of John (7:37).During the second

temple period, Hossanah

Rabbah developed into aday when the Jewish nationcame to the temple

waving palm fronds,willow and myrtlebranches, carrying

citron fruit, andpraying for Godto usher in therainy season.The fruit harvestof grapes,

pomegranates,and citrons had cometo an end. Now Israel

needed rain for the nextgrowing season, the grainharvest that coincides withPassover and Pentecost.

On this great day of thefeast, the high priest would

gather living water (i.e.ceremonially clean waterfrom the Pool of Siloamthat was fresh and notstagnant) into golden

vessels. Amid the blowingof the temple shofars, these

golden vessels were carriedup to the holy altar. Therethe water was poured out

with new wine, as priestsand people prayed

for God tosend thelatter rains.

As the

water andwine were

poured out,they read

passagesfrom the Hebrew

Scriptures about rain toremind God to pourout His Spirit, who was



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associated with rain in theJewish mind. For example:

Ask the Lord for rainin the time of the latterrain. The Lord will makeflashing clouds; He will

give them showers of rain(Zech. 10:1).

I will pour water onhim who is thirsty, andfloods on the dry ground;I will pour My Spirit on

your descendants, andMy blessing on youroffspring (Isa. 44:3).It was at this service, as

the water and blood (ofgrapes) were being pouredout, as the people prayedfor Gods Spirit, that Jesusstood and cried out, saying,If anyone thirsts, let him

come to Me and drink. Hewho believes in Me, as theScripture has said, out ofhis heart will flow rivers ofliving water (Jn. 7:37-38).

He who poured out

water and blood from Hisside (Jn. 19:34; 1 Jn. 5:6)promised that living water

would flow from those whobelieve in Him. In this He

was referring to the Spiritof God.

One of Judaisms mosthonored rabbis, Rashi,states that this observanceof mingling water and wine

was the most joyous of allIsraels festivals and was a

direct fulfillment of Isaiah12:3, Therefore with joy

you will draw water from

28

If anyone thirsts,let him come to

Me and drink.He who believesin Me, as the

Scripture has said,out of his heart

will flow riversof living water.Jesus (Jn. 7:37-38)

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the wells of salvation.As in the other

holidays of God (the Lordsappointed times), we onceagain encounter Jesus, forin this verse the Hebrew

word translated salvationis none other than JesusHebrew nameYeshua.Isaiah 12:3 could then betranslated, With joy you

will draw water from thewells of Yeshua.

REJOICING INTHE TORAH

(SIMCHAT TORAH)This is not abiblical holiday buta traditional one. Itfalls immediatelyafter Hossanah

Rabbah outsideof Israel (buton the sameday in Israel),and is another

great day of celebration.

In Jewish communities allover the world, worshipers

gather together in their

synagogues and re-rollthe Torah scroll. Unlikea book that can be turnedto any page, a scroll isone continuous lengthof parchment. Whenone reaches the end ofDeuteronomyas is true onthe day of Simchat Torahthe scroll must be re-rolledall the way back to Genesis.The Jewish community

gathers together to hear thefinal words of Deuteronomyread:

Since then there has

not arisen in Israel aprophet like Moses,

whom the Lordknew face to face,

in all the signs andwonders which the

Lord sent him to do inthe land of Egypt, beforePharaoh, before all his

servants, and in all hisland, and by all thatmighty power and all the

great terror which Mosesperformed in the sight ofall Israel (34:10-12).



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Great celebration,music, and dancing ensuesas the scroll is wound backto the beginning, whenthey listen to the firstdeclarations of Genesis:In the beginning Godcreated the heavens andthe earth (Gen. 1:1).

At first glance, a non-Jewish world might lookat this rabbinic holiday ashaving little relevance or

importance. Yet, in the firstcentury, one of Jesus titles

was the Living Torah

Living Word of the MostHigh. In the gospel of John

we read:In the beginning was theWord, and the Word waswith God, and the Wordwas God. He was in thebeginning with God. Allthings were made throughHim, and without Himnothing was made thatwas made. In Him waslife, and the life was thelight of men (1:1-2).

ENCOUNTERINGTHE MESSIAH

IIf you have read all theway through this study,you have encountered

the Messiah of whom the

apostle John spoke timeand again. His presencein the feasts of God is nocoincidence. Neither is the

joy of these festivals acoincidence to those who

discover that all of thesymbolism and depth ofmeaning celebrated in the

30

In the firstcentury, oneof Jesus titles

was the LivingTorahLivingWord of theMost High.

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our God, King of theuniverse, who bringsHis truth to those whoseek it. I now see thatJesus is the Messiah ofIsrael. As I come to

You with no merit ofmy own, I invite Youto come and enterinto my heart and toremove my iniquitiesaccording to Yourdivine plan. Thoughmy transgressions areas scarlet, make them

white as snow through

Your holy sacrifice,Jesus the Messiah.In His name I pray.

Amen.If you prayed that

prayer and meant it with

all your being, please writeand let us know. And maythis be a day of rejoicingfor you!

BIBLIOGRAPHYMessianic Services For

The Festivals & Holy Days,by Dr. John Fisher, 1992,Menorah Ministries, PalmHarbor, FL

Rosh HoshanahItsSignificance, Laws, &Prayers, 1983, ArtscrollMesorah Series, MesorahPublications, Ltd.,Brooklyn, NY

The Soncino Talmud,1996, Davka Corporation,Chicago, IL

SuccosIts Significance,

Laws, & Prayers, 1989,Artscroll Mesorah Series,Mesorah Publications,Ltd., Brooklyn, NY

Torah Club Volumes1 & 2, 1995, First Fruits

Of Zion, PO Box 31997,Jerusalem, Israel

Yom KippurItsSignificance, Laws, &Prayers, 1989, ArtscrollMesorah Series, Mesorah

Publications, Ltd.,Brooklyn, NY



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Holidays of God in the Fall Feasts

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