A PROPHETIC REVIEW OF THE FALL FEASTS WE
HAVE JUST FINISHED OBSERVING
Today I’ll review the prophetic “dress
rehearsal” that the fall feast are meant to teach us.
The Feasts of the Lord are meant to be holy convocations and
a type of “dress rehearsal” for the second coming of our Lord Yeshua. The
Hebrew word “moed” means appointed times and “Miqra” means rehearsal or
practice for a future event.
Yom Teruah – Feast of Trumpets
In the Hebrew culture this is often called “The Day of
Blasting” as in the blasting sound of the shofar (trumpet). The Jews also
consider it to be the beginning of the civil calendar or new year—Rosh Hashanah
or “Head of the Year.”
The Apostle Paul says:
“For this, we say unto
you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain unto the coming
of the Lord shall not precede those who are asleep. For the Lord
himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the
archangel, and with the trumpet (shofar) of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we
who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds,
to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4.15-17
Prophetically this is the announcement of the coming King—the
blowing of the shofar—representing the second coming of Yeshua. Shofar’s sound
the alarm and alert us to gather together so the Lord will remember us (Numbers
10.1-10).
This feast represents the day of His return.
The Days of Awe
Here is something quite interesting. From the Feast of
Trumpets until Yom Kippur—Day of Atonement is ten days. They are known as the “days
of awe.” Trumpets begins on the 1st of Tishri and Yom Kippur on the
10th of Tishri on the Hebrew calendar. The number ten is very
significant in Hebrew culture. Here is a description of the number ten from betemunah.org:
Ten is a unity made up of parts. The nature of the parts is subsumed into the
nature of the unity. This explains how a minyan of ten men in the synagogue
becomes a spiritual entity at prayer
time. An entity capable a saying kaddish and other
special prayers
that can only be said when a congregation of at least ten men is present.
The number ten is represented by the Hebrew
letter
yud - י, the smallest Hebrew
letter
of all. And, whereas all other Hebrew letters
are usually composites of other letters, for example, in Sofrus, the
style of writing used for a Sefer Torah, an aleph is made up of two
yuds (י) and a vav (ו), the yud is not
composed of other letters, therefore, it also represents
sublime simplicity.
The number ten represents both plurality and
unity.
The Talmud says that ten symbolizes perfection and
completeness. Every number until ten is viewed as incomplete. Messiah's
presence resides among ten, and no activity of sanctification can take place with less
than ten. The number ten symbolizes a community. The number ten is used to represent a spiritual
full set. The number ten is a full integer count, a symbol of
being complete.
The number ten is a traditional symbol of
fulfillment, a return to unity after having gone through the experience
represented by single-digit numbers. The number
ten symbolizes the concept of totality.
The number ten represents kedushah (holiness and
wisdom in the word).
Ok, think about that. There are 10 days from Trumpets to Atonement. These ten days in Hebrew culture are called the days of awe. These 10 days represent the coming together of Yeshua’s community which will open the Millennial thousand years (MK)! A minyan is ten men. In a synagogue no official prayers or activity of sanctification can take place without a minyan of ten men —a complete community in a sense. The MK will be our completed community!
Consider how perfectly this all fits with Yeshua’s second
coming. This is truly beautiful. Understanding our Hebrew foundations opens our
understanding of the word and coming events.
The “days of awe” will be significant days of organization
and preparation for the coming Millennial Kingdom (MK). The MK is our completed community. We become a minyan and will live in our spiritual immortal bodies.
Yom Kippur—Day of Atonement
After the “days of awe” comes the most serious and holy day
on Yahweh’s calendar—the Day of Atonement. Yeshua died on the cross for our
atonement. This coming day will be the day of His complete victory over sin and
death. We met Him in the air on the Day of Trumpets. We were resurrected from
the dead and received our new immortal bodies (1 Corinthians 15).
The Day of Atonement is the day of our redemption—but for
the wicked it is the day of wrath!
For
God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus
Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we
should live together with him. 1 Thessalonians 5.9-10
The Apostle Paul is speaking here of this coming day of
redemption and salvation.
The Day of Atonement is called the “closing of the gates”.
It is the day of wrath upon the wicked but our day of completion as a community
(the number 10). Look at Matthew 13:24-30. Here is a great description of the
Day of Atonement. The wheat and tares are gathered together at the time of
harvest. The tares are burned but the wheat is gathered into the barn.
These are fall feasts—harvest feasts. Wheat and grapes are
harvested during these feasts. Grapes make wine. Yeshua was crushed like a
grape and poured out His blood for us to save us on this Day of Atonement. The harvesting of the grapes represents the final day of judgment on the wicked.
Interestingly, on the Day of Atonement, it is customary to
wear white in the synagogue. White represents the linen garments of the Lord’s
saints. The Jewish people do all these things—but are missing the truth—that Yeshua
is the Messiah—their Messiah!
Aren’t all these things amazing confirmations of the truth
of God’s word? All of this is within the fall feasts and even in the way the
Jewish people celebrate them—it is hidden from them in plain sight. BUT—this day
in history will be the day of Israel’s salvation as Paul says in Romans 9
through 11.
Sukkot—Feast of Tabernacles
Five days after the “closing of the gates” or Day of Atonement is
the Feast of Sukkot or Feast of Tabernacles. We look at betemunah.org again for insight:
The number ten
denotes a complete set, because we have ten
fingers.
Five is therefore representative of half of a set.
The number five represents the perfection of
the natural order (the number four),
with the addition of one: Messiah Himself. As the thumb connects
the other four
fingers,
so Messiah connects with the four
of this world
to perfect the natural order.
Four is the number
representing exile, and five is the number
representing redemption.
Five is also the number of fingers
that make up the hand. The number four
is a number
of separation, and represents dispersal in all four
directions. We see scripture describing division and separation as:
Five is closely connected with Torah as we have five books
which make up the Torah and we have five books of Psalms
which are a commentary on those five books of the Torah.
Here again we see how the Word and Hebrew foundations
confirm the scriptures and give us deeper understanding of the feasts. It is the day we are united with our Messiah. It represents the perfection of the natural order--the MK.
Sukkot is when the Jewish people build little dwellings out
of palm leaves and wood. They are told to dwell in them and celebrate for seven
days. The sukkah’s, as they are called, represent God dwelling among His people.
This also is representative of Messiah’s wedding feast. It is a time of great
rejoicing as we enter into the MK. Exodus 25 through 40 represents God dwelling
with man in His tabernacle.
The Apostle Paul tells us we are God’s dwelling or
tabernacle—the Body of Christ (Ephesians 2.22).
After the five days between the Day of Atonement to Sukkot we are gathered together from the four directions of heaven, no longer separated from our Lord, but now connected with Him and our community to enter the MK.
This Feast is also called the “Ingathering” as it represents
the final harvest of grain, grapes—and souls. Those who have been scattered and
dispersed are now gathered in. Our exile is over!
Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah—the Eighth Day
This is the feast we often forget about but is required in
Leviticus 23.34. This is called Shemini Atzeret in Hebrew culture. Jewish
synagogues begin the cycle of reading the Torah on this day each year. It is
called Simchat Torah. This is explained by http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday6.htm
Shemini Atzeret is a
holiday in its own right and does not involve some of the special observances
of Sukkot. We do not take up the lulav and etrog
on these days, and our dwelling in the sukkah
is more limited, and performed without reciting a blessing.
Shemini Atzeret literally means "the
assembly of the eighth (day). Rabbinic
literature explains the holiday this way: our Creator is like a
host, who invites us as visitors for a limited time, but when the time comes
for us to leave, He has enjoyed himself so much that He asks us to stay another
day. Another related explanation: Sukkot is a holiday intended for
all of mankind, but when Sukkot is over, the Creator invites the Jewish people and righteous saints
to stay for an extra day, for a more intimate celebration.
Simchat Torah means "Rejoicing in the Torah." This
holiday marks the completion of the annual cycle of weekly
Torah readings. Each week in synagogue
we publicly read a few chapters from the Torah, starting with Genesis Ch. 1 and
working our way around to Deuteronomy 34. On Simchat Torah, we read the last
Torah portion, then proceed immediately to the first chapter of Genesis,
reminding us that the Torah is a circle, and never ends.
We may look at this feast as the day of new beginnings. The
eighth day begins a new week. The eighth day follows the seventh day of the MK.
It represents the “new heavens and new earth” in Revelation 21.
Remember, at the end of the MK in Revelation 20.7-15 the
nations rebel for a final time, fire from God consumes them, and the White
Throne Judgment settles wrath and redemption for all time.
The number eight always alludes to a departure from the “natural” world and entry into the supernatural world in Hebrew thought.
Rejoicing in the
Torah is rejoicing in the Word made Flesh—Yeshua our Messiah who in the Torah
incarnate.
This is a short summary of
what we have been rehearsing for the last 22 days from 1 Tishri to 22 Tishri on
the Biblical calendar. It is our dress rehearsal for the day of our salvation
and His glorious return! The sublime truths contained within these feast are truly beautiful.
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