Fall Holidays

I don't know how many of you follow the Jewish holidays, but I've always found them fascinating as they relate to Christians. My late friend, Janice, was Messianic Jew and helped many Gentiles to learn much more about the Jewish holidays. We are entering into the fall holidays and I recieved a newsletter from a prophecy mailing list I belong to. I am posting the parts pertaining to the upcoming holidays for those who may wish to learn more.

Fall feasts…



There were three fall feasts. These feasts begin at sundown the day before before the date shown:



Yom Teruah (Feast of Trumpets, Shouts/ Rosh HaShanah):



** Date: September 19, 2009. Yom Teruah always begins at the full moon. The feast was originally one day in length, but a second day was added during the time of the prophets.



** Representative Scriptures for Yom Teruah:

► Leviticus 23:23-25: Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD.' "

► Numbers 29:1-6: [The LORD spoke to Moses] “'And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work. For you it is a day of blowing the trumpets. You shall offer a burnt offering as a sweet aroma to the LORD: one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year, without blemish. Their grain offering shall be fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths for the ram, and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs; also one kid of the goats as a sin offering, to make atonement for you; besides the burnt offering with its grain offering for the New Moon, the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings, according to their ordinance, as a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD.’”



** Significance for Israelites/Jews: Trumpet blasts announced God’s presence in the land, announced two major holidays that would occur later in the month, and signaled the finality of God’s plans for the year’s harvest. Jews had mixed emotions about this feast. It was joyous because it marked the beginning of hope for a better new year, but sad because it brought to mind moral failures that had occurred during the past year.



This time was for solemn reflection, preparing for the Day of Atonement and planning to be a better person during the next year. In this respect, it calls to mind our New Year’s resolutions, although the Jews were probably much more serious than we are. The day began with the blowing of the shofar, an animal's horn trumpet. The priest chosen for this honor was trained in shofar blowing from childhood. He stood in front of the temple with two other trumpeters and blew the penetrating notes of the shofar as a signal that the day had begun and as a call to each person’s conscience to awaken to God’s requirements for his or her life– literally, a call to repentance. One-hundred shofar notes were sounded during the day. Psalm 81 was reverently read on this day. Much of the day was spent in the synagogue. The ram was commonly chosen as the source of the horn trumpet, but other animals could be used. A popular choice today is the Yemenite shofar– the longer, straighter, gently curving shofar– made of the horn of a kudu, an antelope.



Apples, dipped in honey, were eaten as a wish for a sweet new year. (In the South, where I live, we eat blackeyed peas on New Year’s Day for "good luck" in the new year. Any day blackeyed peas, one of my favorite foods, are cooked, "good luck" has already appeared!) Israelites/ Jews practiced “casting off,” by walking along a stream of water and emptying debris out of their pockets into the flowing water– symbolically ridding their lives of any sin that they had committed during the past year. Persons greeted each other with the wish, “May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year,” which related to an old teaching about the Days of Awe.



** Prophecy of Jesus’ life and ministry: Jesus has promised that He will return in the clouds to resurrect (raise to life) those who died, believing in Him as Savior, and rapture (snatch away) those who live and believe in Him as Savior. Yom Teruah is a prophecy of Jesus’ return in the clouds to gather His church to Him (the Rapture/ Resurrection), at which time believers will hear the trumpet of God and the shout, “Come up here!” In the twinkling of an eye, all saints (believers) will be resurrected, if dead, or translated (raptured), if alive, to live in Paradise/ Heaven with Jesus forever. For your interest: Some prophecy teachers suggest that the Rapture may occur on the Day of the Trumpet, for several reasons including Paul’s teaching about the sound of God’s trumpet at the Rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:16a). Jesus warned us that no man will know the date and hour of His return, however. These teachers have a 1 in 365 chance of being correct, but do not make a false assumption that once Yom Teruah has passed, you can take life easy for a year before thinking about Jesus’ return in the clouds.



** Comment: This day marks the first fall feast and begins the Jewish civil calendar. The day is popularly called Rosh HaShanah (English: “head [first] of the year”), which is not a Biblical term. Yom Teruah is translated to “the day of the sounding of the shofar [trumpet].”



Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement):



** Date: September 28, 2009



** Representative Scriptures for Yom Kippur:

► Leviticus, chapter 16 (which is too lengthy to reprint in these notes)

► Leviticus 23:26-32: And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: "Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the LORD your God. For any person who is not afflicted in soul on that same day shall be cut off from his people. And any person who does any work on that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. You shall do no manner of work; [it shall be] a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls; on the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your sabbath."

► Parts of Numbers, chapter 29 (which are too lengthy to reprint in these notes)



** Significance for Israelites/ Jews: This day has always been the most solemn and important day of the year for Jews, because it was set aside for atonement of sins. Jewish thought was that any sin for which atonement was not made during the Days of Awe, which preceded Yom Kippur, would be sealed in God’s book on the Day of Atonement. The Day of Atonement was each person’s last chance to appeal to God for forgiveness.



On this day, no work could be done and complete fasting (no food, no water) was expected, with certain exceptions (pregnant women, children, and persons with health needs). Other restrictions were placed on this day: no bathing or washing, no use of cosmetics or deodorant, no wearing of leather shoes, and no sexual activity. White clothing (for purity) was traditionally worn. Much of the day was spent in the synagogue. The day ended after nightfall with the blowing of the shofar. Extensive liturgical readings and prayers were offered in the synagogue. Prayers of personal confession, repentance, and petition for forgiveness were offered to God. At the end of the service, the ark– a cabinet containing the Torah scroll– was opened before the congregation, and all members stood in reverence of God’s Word. When the shofar was blown and when the doors of the ark were closed, it was referred to as "the closing of the gates" (because the last chance to atone for the preceding year’s sins had passed).



After personal asking for forgiveness of sins and repentance through the shedding of blood of sacrificial animals, two goats were sacrificed for the nation. The blood of the LORD’s goat was sprinkled on the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant. The scapegoat– the goat for Azazel– was prayed over by the High Priest (symbolically transferring the nation’s sins onto the goat), and the goat was led away into the wilderness and pushed over a cliff in order that the transferred sins would not return to the people. These two goats represented God’s eternal promises to forgive and to forget sins, if we petition Him in the appropriate manner. (These goat sacrifices may seem naïve and crude to us, but remember that the Israelites did not have the benefit of the Bible, as we do today, and their understanding of God was in a somewhat primitive state.) Remember from an earlier newsletter about the three crimson (scarlet) cords. A cord was tied to each of the two goats and the third was affixed to the door of the temple or synagogue. If God accepted the nation’s pleas for forgiveness and the sincerity of their repentance, the crimson cords turned white. Jewish writings indicate that this sign from God always occurred every year except for the forty years (one generation) before the destruction of the Second Temple in AD 70. This forty-year period extended from the beginning of Jesus’ ministry until the destruction of the Second Temple. We now know the failure of the cords to change color was a sign from God that He no longer would accept the sacrifice of animals because He provided the perfect sacrifice for remission of our sins– the crucified Passover Lamb, Jesus.



** Prophecy of Jesus’ life and ministry: Yom Kippur represents the two judgments during the Tribulation:

(1) Persons “left behind” will experience the worst times in history– a mix of God’s judgments and man’s inhumanity through the Unholy Trinity (Satan, Antichrist, False Prophet). The purpose of these cruel times is to break reprobate men and women, and cause them to seek God's offer of salvation. Untold millions of unsaved persons will be saved during this time due to the ministry of the 144,000 Jewish evangelists (Revelation, chapter 7). Paul promised that the Jews would finally be saved (Romans 11:26-27): And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins."

(2) Persons who are raised to Paradise to be with Jesus forever (the Rapture/ Resurrection) will be judged at their Bema Judgment.

► Romans 14:10c: For we shall all stand at the judgment seat [Greek = bema] of Christ.

► 2 Corinthians 5:10: For we must all appear before the judgment seat [Greek = bema] of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.



Read a prophecy newsletter concerning the bema judgment that I emailed earlier this year. This newsletter may be accessed at www.prophecyfulfillment.com/en004a.html .



Rewards for good works in each person’s earthly life will be given or withheld, depending upon Jesus’ judgment as to the worth of these works. There are at least five crowns which may be awarded: Crown of Glory for Faithful Servants (1 Peter 5:4); Crown of Rejoicing for Soul Winners (1 Thessalonians 2:19); Crown of Righteousness for Those Who Love His Return (2 Timothy 4:; Incorruptible Crown for a Victorious Life of Purity (1 Corinthians 9:25); and Crown of Life for a Christian Martyr (Revelation 2:10).



Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles, Feast of Indwelling):



** Date: October 3, 2009



** Representative Scriptures for Sukkot:

► Leviticus 23:33-43: Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the LORD. On the first day there shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it. For seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation, and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. It is a sacred assembly, [and] you shall do no customary work on it. 'These are the feasts of the LORD which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire to the LORD, a burnt offering and a grain offering, a sacrifice and drink offerings, everything on its day— besides the Sabbaths of the LORD, besides your gifts, besides all your vows, and besides all your freewill offerings which you give to the LORD. 'Also on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, you shall keep the feast of the LORD for seven days; on the first day there shall be a sabbath-rest, and on the eighth day a sabbath-rest. And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of beautiful trees, branches of palm trees, the boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days. You shall keep it as a feast to the LORD for seven days in the year. It shall be a statute forever in your generations. You shall celebrate it in the seventh month. You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.' "

► Deuteronomy 16:13-15: [The LORD said] "You shall observe the Feast of Tabernacles seven days, when you have gathered from your threshing floor and from your winepress. And you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant and the Levite, the stranger and the fatherless and the widow, who [are] within your gates. Seven days you shall keep a sacred feast to the LORD your God in the place which the LORD chooses, because the LORD your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you surely rejoice.



** Significance for Israelites/ Jews: As somber as was Yom Kippur, Sukkot was the opposite. It was a week of joy, laughter, feasting, thanksgiving, and sharing happiness with families and friends. Sukkot was like a seven-day American Thanksgiving. Indeed, some scholars believe the Pilgrims may have been inspired by and incorporated some practices for the American Thanksgiving from Sukkot celebrations they observed in England prior to their journey to New England.



Sukkot served as a reminder to the Jews of the time their ancestors lived in booths (tents) in the wilderness, while they tabernacled (lived) with Jehovah and basked in His Shekinah (Glory).



During their forty-year sojourn in the wilderness, Jewish families lived in temporary shelters. For centuries (and even today) many Jews have built temporary huts out of natural materials (tree saplings, corn stalks, etc.). Such a hut, often little more than a lean-to shelter, is called a sukkah (plural: sukkot). Families lived and slept in their sukkot for one week, looking at stars through somewhat open roofs; enjoying each others’ company; and reflecting upon the good lives they now enjoy, thanks to the blessings of God and the sacrifices of their ancestors.



In Leviticus 23:40, the Israelites/ Jews were commanded to prepare and worship with the fruit if the beautiful tree, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees, and willow branches– the four species. The Jews use an etrog and a lulav. The etrog is a green or yellow fruit (citron), with a strong, pleasant lemon smell. The lulav branches are bundled together. On the first day of Sukkot, the etrog is gently scraped to release its pleasing, citrus aroma. The lulav is shaken in four directions. Rabbis teach that the lulav is shaken toward the four corners of the earth. Christians recognize that the celebrants unwittingly make the sign of the cross.



** Prophecy of Jesus’ life and ministry: Sukkot represents the Millennial Kingdom. During the thousand-year reign of Messiah, He will live with us on Earth, preparatory to the descent of New Jerusalem (Heaven) to the Earth for our eternal use. We will not live in make-shift huts during this time. Rather, Jesus, the Carpenter for Galilee, has promised that He will prepare mansions for us (John 14:2): [Jesus said] "In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you."

http://www.thegoldenreport.com/asp/jerrysnewsmanager/anmviewer.asp?a=1311&z=1








Rosh Hashana
Posted: Saturday, September 12, 2009
- written by jerry golden Printer-friendly version
E-mail to a Friend







Rosh Ha Shannah

Tishri 1, 5770 or Sept. 19, 2009





This report is for those who would like to observe God’s Holidays. This has absolutely nothing to do with the Law; this has everything to do with the Holidays God has given us to be observed. It is not complete, and if I tried to make it complete it would be more than most would want to read. So I do hope it wets your appetite.



The Hebrew word Rosh means “head” or “Beginning” Ha means “the” and Shannah means “year”. It’s only used once in the Tenach “Old Testament” Ezekiel 40:1 says, “in the beginning of the year” in the Hebrew it says Rosh Ha Shannah. The more common Biblical name is “Feast of Trumpets.” Lev.23:23-25 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, In the seventh month in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord.



Rosh Hashannah is considered the Jewish New Year, but it comes on the seventh month on the first day. In the Jewish world it is considered the birthday of the world. If you count from the first day of Elul (the 6th month) until the 1st day of Tishri (7th month) which is Rosh Ha Shannah you will have counted 30 days. Known as the 30 days of preparation ending with Yom Teruah, Yom in Hebrew is “day” Teruah means “Trumpets” so it’s the day of sounding the trumpets, or known today as Rosh Ha Shannah.



If I haven’t lost you yet, you are doing well, don’t let this get to complicated, because it will come to you in time. Now lets go on…. Rosh Hashannah is the Spiritual New Year, not the regular new year, for it would come on the first day of Nisan, the first month on the Jewish calendar. Much like the 6 days of creation, the 7th day is the Sabbath. The same is true with the first 6 months and the 7th month being a Sabbath, and the 1st day of the 7th month is Rosh Ha Shannah, the spiritual New Year. Recognized in Israel and the Jewish world as the New Year.

Rosh Ha Shannah is the beginning of the ten days called High Holy Days or “Days of Awe” They are also called the Days of Repentance, Days of Admitting, Days of Returning. These ten days end with the Day of Atonement, “Yom Kippur”



It’s interesting living in Israel during these ten days of repentance, everyone you know will most likely call you and make sure everything is all right with you and them. They will ask you to forgive them for anything they may have done during the year that may have offended you. There seems to be more nice people in Israel during these ten days.



Traditional Jewish Observance



In the Synagogue the Shofar (Trumpet) is blown daily to be sure that everyone knows that the time of Judgement is near. Most of the orthodox will take a water immersion called in Hebrew (tevilah mikveh) better known to you as baptism. It means that one has cleansed his ways. Or been separated unto a Priestly Ministry. This is what John the Baptist was calling the Jews to do, but with a Messianic meaning.



Because of the meaning of repentance this day takes on a somber character, but with a hint of hope of God’s forgiveness there is room for a festive meal. It is the custom to serve a fish cooked with its head. Placed in front of the father. It shows that he has been ordained by God to be the head of the family.



It is also a time to test the first fruits of the new harvest. Find a fruit that gets ripe in your region and do not eat any until this meal. Make it an occasion for the family, they will enjoy it much more than if they have eaten it earlier. Make the meal even more interesting by blowing a shofar, or trumpet, you don’t have to be a professional to do this. In the Synagogue there are four different notes blown, tekia (blast) shevarim (broken notes), teruah (alarm) and tekia gedolah (the big blast). In Biblical times the Shofar was blown to Hail the King, on this day it’s said that all Israel is said to be before the King in anticipation of personal judgement.

It’s customary for slices of apple to be dipped into honey, this is in hope that the coming new year will be a sweet one. After dipping the apple in honey, the Father says a special prayer.

Instead of the regular twisted loaves of bread, the challah, for this meal you have round bread, symbolic of our desire for a full and round year. If you bake your own bread, save a little dough and form a small latter on the top of the loaf. Showing that your prayers are for God Who sets on high, that when we pray we are not just talking to each other, but to God through the Person of Yeshua our Messiah.



When the meal is over and the grace has been said, (the Jewish way and biblical way is to say grace after you’ve eaten) then read the story of Abraham and Isaac Gen. 22:1-14. Talk about God’s provision of a ram to be sacrificed in Isaac’s place. A living picture of what was to come in His greater gift to us “Yeshua” Jesus.



TASHLICH

“Thou shalt cast unto the sea”



Tashlich, on the afternoon of Rosh Ha Shannah it is traditional to go to a river or a body of water. This Hebrew word Tashlich means “thou shalt cast unto the sea”. Bring your kids to the lake, river, sea, or any body of water. Make sure they wear cloths with plenty of pockets, and fill them with pebbles or small stones. Throw the rocks into the water each time designate each rock with a sin. Each time asking God to forgive you of that sin in your life. Micah 7:19 and thou shalt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. And see how far you can throw each stone Ps. 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

It almost always happens that a child will find a very pretty stone that they want to keep, and it will give you a wonderful opportunity to talk about the sins we seem to like, but must cast off as well. It is a great family experience. For the child it opens the door for the Holy Spirit to do a work. Much like when you introduce another to Yeshua and open the door for the Holy Spirit (Rauch Ha Kodesh) to do a work in their life.



There are many special foods for this day, and I could go on and on, but I will close this article with this. The Holidays that God has given us are real and pure, not pagan like so many celebrated in the Church today, like Christmas, Easter, Good Friday etc, etc. Try this one, you will love it, your kids will be brought closer to God because you did.



Shalom, jerry golden

Related Articles :


Email This Article To A Friend - Print This Article
Articles can be E-mailed to a friend and you can get a printable version of the article.
Use your own buttons and links!
Search All Reports and Articles :
Search our Article Archive by Entering the word or phrase you are looking for in the box above. Then Click the >> Button.