Friday, August 23, 2013

The Feast of Tabernacles – Happy Birthday Jesus!

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The Feast of Tabernacles – Happy Birthday Jesus!

A number of Messianic Torah teachers make a good case for placing the birth of Yeshua during the Feast of Tabernacles. It is compelling because the Apostle John uses a word in the beginning of his gospel that is the equivalent of the Hebrew for “booth” or “tabernacle”.

Jn 1:14 And the Word (Torah) became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father...

Dwelt = Skenoo #4637 to tent, encamp, to reside (as God did in the Tabernacle of old)

When did they begin to build the first tabernacle in the wilderness? On the Feast of Tabernacles! To prove this with the Scriptures would be another teaching in and of itself. For purposes of this study and brevity, we will present a rough timeline.

Nisan 14 – First Passover in Egypt
Nisan 15 – Israelites leave Egypt. They journey for 50 days.
Sivan 6 – Israel agrees to accept the Covenant at Sinai/Shavuot or Pentecost
Sivan 7 – Moses goes up the mountain to receive the Tablets. On mountain 40 days/nights. Tammuz 17 – Moses descends, sees Golden Calf, breaks Tablets.
Tammuz 18 – Moses ascends to pray for forgiveness. On mountain another 40 days/nights. Av 29 (eve of Elul 1) – God forgives the people. Moses descends to tell the people.
Elul 1 – Moses ascends to receive 2nd set of Tablets. On mountain another 40 days/nights. Tishri 10 – Moses descends on Yom Kippur. Tells people to prepare to build the Tabernacle. Tishri 15 – They begin building the Tabernacle.

On Nisan 14 the following year, the Tabernacle was completed and dedicated.
With Yeshua’s birth, God came once again to tabernacle among men just as He had done with Moses and Israel in the wilderness. Let’s begin our journey together in the gospel of Luke. I’m going to show you something that you have maybe wondered about. Most Christians just skip over it because they have no idea what it means. But you’re going to know what it means! God doesn’t waste any of His words, and if something is in the Scriptures, it is there for a purpose. Let’s see...
Lu 1;5,8,9 In the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias (John the Baptist’s daddy) of the course of Abijah, and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth (Elisheva in Hebrew). And it came to pass that while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course, according to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the LORD.

Have you ever wondered what time of year this took place? And what in the world is “the course of Abijah?” Well, I’m going to tell you...and it leads to some interesting conclusions about when John the Baptist was born, and from that, we can figure out when Yeshua was born.
So, John the Baptist’s daddy was a priest. The priests were divided into divisions or courses. Let’s go to 1 Chronicles.

1 Chr 24:1-2, 10, 19 Now, these are the divisions of the sons of Aaron. The sons of Aaron; Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. But Nadab and Abihu died, before their father and had no children; therefore, Eleazar and Ithamar executed the priest’s office.

So, here we have the same phrase that is in our passage in Luke. Then the verses go on to explain how each of the priests ended up in their divisions or courses. They were divided by lots, and then starting in verse 7, we have the explanation of who was first, second, third, etc.
Go to verse 10: The seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah...verse 19: These were the orderings of them in their service to come into the house of the LORD, according to their manner.
There were a total of 24 courses and the 8th went to Abijah. This ties us directly to our passage back in Luke 1.

On our calendar, there are 52 weeks in the year. Well, on the Jewish calendar there are 51 – slightly different. There were 24 courses or divisions of priests, and since there are 51 weeks, that meant that each division would serve for two weeks during the year. 24 + 24 = 48. So this would mean there were 3 weeks left. Well, during three times each year, all the males came up to Jerusalem during Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles. All the priests would minister during these times, so that covers the entire year. The priests would minister for one week, and then they would minister another week at another time during the year. They did not minister for two consecutive weeks. There would be some months of time in-between.
So, the first course started in the month of Nisan (which would roughly be our April).

Nisan 1-7 = first course (April)
Nisan 8-14 = second course (April)
Nisan 15-21 = Passover, so all priests would minister (April)
Nisan 22-28 = third course (April)
Nisan 29-Iyar 5 = fourth course (May)
Iyar 6-12 = fifth course (May)
Iyar 13-19 = sixth course (May)
Iyar 20-26 = seventh course (May)
Iyar 27-Sivan 4 = eighth course (June)
Sivan 5-11 = Pentecost/Shavuot (June)

But the eighth course was just before the Feast of Pentecost (Shavuot)...and then Zacharias would have ministered with all the priests, so it is very likely that he was ministering during the Feast of Pentecost! Every priest wanted the opportunity to perform the incense offering, which was the most highly desired part of the service. Since there were more priests than there were opportunities for the offering, they drew lots for it. This service was the closest that a regular priest could get to the most holy place. It was the closest to God one could get. A priest would only be able to perform this service once in his lifetime. And after years of prayer, the lot fell to Zacharias!

Look at Luke 1:10-11 And the whole multitude of the people were praying at the time of incense. And there appeared to him an angel of the LORD standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
The word “multitude” in the Greek is Strong’s #4128 plethos – it is the word from which we get “plethora”. It means a large number, throng, populace. Why was there such a huge multitude? Because this was taking place during Shavuot or Pentecost and Jerusalem was the most crowed with pilgrims and they were required to be there according to the Torah!

Then, when we read on in Luke:
Luke 1:23, 24 And it came to pass that as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house. And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months.

So, right away when Zacharias’ time of ministering was over, he went home. And Elisabeth became pregnant with John the Baptist...and she was in seclusion for five months. That puts us in the month of Chesvan ( November). Let’s count the months in order together:
Month 1 (Sivan to Tammuz, June to July)
Month 2 (Tammuz to Av, July to August)
Month 3 (Av to Elul, August to September)
Month 4 (Elul to Tishri, September to October) Month 5 (Tishri to Chesvan, October to November) Month 6 (Chesvan to Kislev, November to December)

Now, let’s look in Luke again.

Luke 1:26, 35, 36 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth; and the angel answered and said to her, the Holy Ghost will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore also, that holy thing that will be born of you will be called the Son of God. And behold, your cousin Elisabeth, she has also conceived a son in her old age. And this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
So, here we have the angel visiting Miriam, announcing the conception of Yeshua in Elisabeth’s sixth month. That would be December, or the month of Kislev! I believe that Miriam conceived during Chanukah – the Festival of Lights!

Now in Luke 1:56 it says that Miriam (Mary) stayed with Elisabeth three months. Why would she do that? 6 + 3 = 9. She waited until John the Baptist was born! This would have been about Passover (roughly April on our calendar).

Luke 2:6,7 And so it was that while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Over the centuries, Bible scholars have been speculating about why was there no room for them. Well, let’s look at this. If Miriam was in her 3rd month when John the Baptist was born, what happens about six months after Passover? The Feast of Tabernacles! Why was there no room in the inn? Because all the Jews were in Jerusalem and overflowing into Bethlehem, which is about 2 miles away. And why were all the lodging places overflowing? Because it was the Feast of Tabernacles! If Yeshua was conceived on Chanukah, and you count nine months, that puts his birth on or during the Feast of Tabernacles!

He was wrapped in swaddling clothes. What in the world are swaddling clothes?
Swaddling clothes: #4683 sparganoo (meaning to strap or wrap with strips); to swathe (an infant after the Oriental custom)

Many of you may know that during the Feast of Tabernacles, there was an amazing celebration in the courts of the Temple. There was a huge light show every night.

At the end of the first day of the Feast, three eighty foot high golden candlesticks were set up in the Temple’s Court of Women. Four golden bowls were placed on each candlestick, and four ladders rested against each. A youth of priestly descent stood at the top of each ladder, pouring oil from a ten-gallon pitcher into the bowl (Talmud: Sukkah 5:3) The worn-out liturgical garments of Priests were used for wicks. The light from these candlesticks was so bright that it was state, "There was no courtyard in Jerusalem that was not lit up with the light at the water- well ceremony" (Talmud: Sukkah 5:3).

So we see that it was the strips of priestly garments that were worn out and cut up into strips that served as the wicks for the lamps on the temple courtyard during the Feast of Tabernacles. Yeshua was wrapped in priestly garments when he was born!

The word for manger is a crib that the cattle ate out of. The Jews also built booths/succot for their animals. This is where Yeshua was born – in a succah, where the animals were. That’s why he was laid in a manger!

He tabernacled with men, and light has come into the world!
Now, I know we have been taught that Yeshua was born in December. This is not possible. It is very cold in Israel in December. There is often snow. Nazareth is in the north of Israel, and it is mountainous. To get down to Bethlehem, it is 44 miles and through snowy mountains! Do you think a woman who is nine months pregnant is going to take a 44 mile trip through the mountains, riding on a donkey? No way! He was not born in December. There would have been no shepherds with their flocks in the fields in the cold, snowy hills of Bethlehem! They wouldn’t be feeding their flocks in the snow! Right after the feast of Tabernacles, they took all the sheep down to Bethlehem to put into the sheepfolds.

Let’s look again at what Luke tells us with new “lenses” on our eyes:
Luke 2:1 And it came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
Tell me this. Do you like being taxed by the IRS? If you are the governor, are you going to send the people out three months after their harvest, when they have had time to hide all their wealth so they end up paying less taxes, or are you going to wait for them to come to you because they have all their wealth, all their harvest and money with them to bring before the LORD as He commanded? I think if you want to collect taxes, you would do it during the feast! This is another “clue” that helps to place Yeshua’s birth during Tabernacles.

One of the main aspects of the holiday of Sukkot (Tabernacles) is the commandment to rejoice.
Deut 16:14 And you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant and your maidservant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless and the widow that are within your gates.
No matter who you were, you had to rejoice! Talk about a great party! The LORD determined there would be a party on His son’s birthday, and everyone would rejoice! He had King David write the songs for His son’s birthday a thousand years before He was born!

Ps 118:14-15, 21 The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation <Yeshua>. The voice of rejoicing and salvation <Yeshua> is in the tabernacles of the righteous; the right hand of the LORD does valiantly. I will praise you, for you have heard me and have become my salvation <Yeshua>!!!!!

Look at the continuous theme here: rejoicing, salvation and tabernacles!
Luke 2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
What were they supposed to do on the Feast of Tabernacles? Rejoice!!! This sounds like rejoicing to me. The shepherds are on the hills of Bethlehem, and they would be able to see the lights at the Temple. The people in Jerusalem would be watching all the celebration in the temple courtyard, with the priests, and they didn’t even realize that while they were singing, their salvation had indeed come...in the city of David, was Yeshua the Messiah, the King!

Let’s look at another interesting aspect of this time of year that fits perfectly with Yeshua being born at this time of year.

Num 29:35 On the eighth day, you will have a solemn assembly.
This “solemn assembly” is today known as Shemini Atzeret , the Eighth Day or Simchat Torah, rejoicing in the Torah.
What else does the Bible tell us happens on the eighth day? Let’s have a look.
Gen 17:10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your seed after you: Every man child among you shall be circumcised.
Luke 2:21 And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called Yeshua, which was so named by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
So, Yeshua was brought on the eighth day to Jerusalem, to the Temple to be circumcised. On the eighth day of Sukkot, He is shedding His blood in the Temple (circumcision) confirming the covenant with Abraham.

Now, for one last connection:
Luke 2:22-24 And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the LORD; (As it is written in the law of the LORD, every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the LORD;) And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the LORD, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.
So, she is to present a pair of turtledoves or two pigeons. But this isn’t exactly what the Torah says. Luke is quoting the verse below in Leviticus.

Lev 12:6, 8a And when the days of her purifying are fulfilled, for a son, or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or a turtledove, for a sin offering, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest; And if she can’t afford to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons; the one for the burnt offering and the other for a sin offering.

Miriam was commanded to bring a lamb to the Temple for a burnt offering, and two turtledoves or pigeons for a sin offering. But if she was too poor and she couldn’t afford a lamb, she could bring brought two turtledoves for her burnt offering. This tells us they were not a wealthy family. But guess what? Mary did have a lamb – she had the Lamb of God, who would take away the sins of the world!!!

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Friday, August 9, 2013

Rosh Hashanah is the First of the Fall Feast

Rosh Hashanah is the First of the Fall Feast.

What Does Rosh Hashanah

Have to Do With Me?

By Chris Suitt

Many of my friends ask, “Why do you as a Gentile pastor celebrate and teach the 7 Jewish Feasts?” My standard answer to them is found in Romans 15:4: “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” What were the Scriptures Paul had? The Old Testament or what many refer to as the Hebrew Bible. Thus, I teach about the 7 Jewish Feasts because the more we understand the Jewish background of our faith, the better we will understand our faith and how to be healthy believers.

With that in mind, I’d like to talk about the upcoming 5th Jewish Feast that the Bible calls “The Feast of Trumpets” or what is commonly referred to today as “Rosh Hashanah” (the head of the year). Passover is the beginning of the religious New Year, and Rosh Hashanah is celebrated as the beginning of the civil New Year. It is also called the Day of Remembering and is the celebration of the creation of the world. For Jews, the 5th Feast is a time of spiritual renewal through prayer and deep personal reflection that leads up to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Rosh Hashanah is when the Jewish people recognize G-d as King and Judge over all living things. On this particular day, the shofar (a ram's horn) is blown and bread and honey are handed out, symbolizing fullness and completion, and apples are dipped in honey to symbolize prayers for a sweet new year.

While these traditions certainly have meaning and significance, I want to do what Paul said and study the Word itself to discover what it teaches about this 5th Feast. This, according to Paul, is what can bring us encouragement and hope in our faith. When studying a particular passage in Scripture, it can be very revealing to take note of the particular words that the Spirit chose to impart revelation. Adding to or taking away from these words will distort the meaning and obscure what the Spirit wants us to know. Though the traditions mentioned earlier show us important aspects of the Lord's character and spiritual truths, I believe that they are "adding to" the original meaning of the 5th Feast listed by Moses in Leviticus 23:23-25 and Numbers 29:1-6; those traditions can distract us from what the L-rd wants us to know. It's easy to understand, however, why additional meanings were given to the 5th Feast. At first glance, it seems the Bible didn't give us a lot to go on.

Firstly, Moses does not specifically give a name to the 5th Feast in either Leviticus 23 or Numbers 29. Of the 7 Feasts listen in the Bible, only the 3rd and 5th Feasts are not specifically given names. Then there's something else about this 5th Feast that is noteworthy: of all the Feasts, it is the only one that the Bible does not give a reason for observing it. So, it seems as if the Spirit of G-d is drawing attention to Feasts 3 and 5 for some reason. They are not given names. And the 5th Feast is even more conspicuous since the Bible does not even give a reason for observing it. Why is that so? Of course there's a reason, and we just need to open our hearts and minds a bit to discern what the Spirit is trying to show us. I find it interesting that Leviticus 23:24 states that the 5th Feast was a day to hold an assembly “commemorating” with trumpet blasts. The word for “commemorating” means to remember, to call to mind, or to recall. This is why it is called the Day of Remembering. Yet keep in mind two things: This day is not given it a specific name and the Bible does not tell us what we are supposed to remember in this day. All of the other 6 Feasts are tied to something that was known. But not this one. Hmm… Hold onto that fact and let's keep looking at Leviticus 23:24.

Because the passage states that this day was to be remembered with “trumpet blasts”, people have given the name The Feast of Trumpets. But what does “trumpet” actually mean here? I think it is interesting to look at the meaning of the Hebrew words used in Leviticus 23 and Numbers 29 to get a fuller understanding. The Hebrew words "shofar" and "terua" are used. Let's look at other passages to see contexts in which these words are used: In Joshua 6:16, the word "shofar" and "rua" (a form of terua) are mentioned in the context of the Jericho walls coming down. 2 Samuel 6:15 also uses both words when the people shouted (teruah) and blew the trumpets (shofar) in celebration of when the Ark came into the city of Jerusalem.

If the Spirit uses different words, He must have a reason. I believe He is telling us that there is a difference between the two words shofar and terua. Job 33:26 reveals that seeing G-d's face causes one to shout for joy. Psalm 33:3 says to sing a new song to the L-RD and shout for joy! The Psalmist states (47:5) that G-d ascended amid shouts (teruah) of joy and the sounding of trumpets (shofar). According to Joshua 6:4, only the priests carried the trumpets or shofars. What did the rest of the people use? Nothing but their mouths! In Numbers 23:21 teruah is translated by the NIV and KJV as “the shout of the king.” The king is here, so shout!

What I believe the Word is teaching us about the 5th Feast is that a whole lot of shouting is going on, not necessarily trumpets blowing. What difference does it make? What can we learn from this? I believe the 5th Feast is talking about when the King comes for His bride, the Body of Messiah to the marriage supper of the lamb (Revelation 19:7-9). Paul calls the Body of Messiah a mystery in Ephesians 5:32 as He relates the relationship between the Messiah and His Bride, the Body of Believers on the earth. In Scripture, very often a mystery is something that was hidden in the Old Testament, but is brought to light in the New Testament. In other words, I believe the Old Testament is the New Testament concealed and the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed. Together they form a complete message. Paul states that the L-rd will come from heaven with a “loud command” or “shout” and the “trumpet call of G-d” in 1 Thessalonians 4:16. What will happen after this shout and trumpet call? The dead in Christ and then those believers left on this planet will be “caught up” or raptured.

I find it interesting that this shouting and trumpeting mirror another example in the Word- a Jewish wedding. In Yeshua’s day, a groom would negotiate a price for his bride and sign a document - ketubah or betroth. At this point she is his wife. They are married. The groom would then return to his father’s house to prepare a place for them to live in. Only when his father felt he was ready would the groom come to get his bride, usually at night with his best man in a torch-lit procession. The bride knew her husband was coming, but never knew when. She was always to be ready and to anticipate his coming for her. When the groom came, guess how he let everyone know that he was coming - shouts and trumpets blasts!

Yeshua came and negotiated the price for us - His death on the cross and signed the ketubah in blood. Yeshua taught in Matthew 24-25 that His Bride was to live as healthy believers (i.e. putting their faith into action) every day in order to be ready for His return to come get her, which could take place any time the Father said for Yeshua to come. 1 Thessalonians 4 tells us that Yeshua’s coming for His Bride, His Messianic Community/ Church, will be preceded by a shout and a trumpet blast of G-d the Father. It is my belief that that this 5th Feast, called by some the Feast of Trumpets, others Rosh Hashanah, is the day the Yeshua will appear in the sky for all the world to see and rapture His Bride. Some will counter, “But the Bible says you can’t know the day or the hour, so are you not predicting it by saying Feast 5 is the day of His return?” No I am not. First of all, keep in mind that the previous 4 Feasts took place on their days, why not this one? Second, we still don’t know on which Feast of Shouts He will come; thus, we can’t know the exact date or hour of His return, but Yeshua Himself commands us to know the "times and the seasons" of His return.

Yeshua told many parables to highlight the importance of believers being found faithfully doing what their Master told them do when He returns. If Yeshua doesn’t return this Rosh Hashanah, in His grace, G-d is giving us another year to get right with Him and start doing what He has called us to do - reap a harvest! Can you mess around all year and get your act together just before He comes? If you waited until days before the Rapture to get right, you will be like the person in thorny soil - green stalks but no corn! You can’t plant the seed two days or even a month before you need the fruit to be eaten. It has to be in the ground long before. The point is that we are to live each day in light of tomorrow. If Yeshua doesn’t come this Feast of Trumpets, in His grace G-d is giving us another year to plant seeds of character and the gospel now, so we might reap a harvest.

In Judaism, a time period of a month called Elul precedes Rosh Hashanah. Elul is used to prepare for Yom Kippur where a Jewish person performs a daily “cheshbon”, a spiritual accounting, in order to evaluate their lives to see how they can improve the next year. The shofar is blown every weekday until the day before Rosh Hashanah to help remind people to deal with their “stuff”. So this coming month would be a great time to evaluate your life. The shofar is blown as a call for repentance, to return to the path as outlined in the Scripture. It helps us remember who our Creator is and our need to live for Him. It is time to evaluate our lives. Are we ready for Yeshua’s return? How healthy is your faith in Yeshua seen on a daily basis? Are you asking the L-rd to send you into the harvest? (Matthew 9:35-38) Are you willing to let go of your distractions and fears so that you can see those who are without hope, those who have pasts that are eating them up in the present, come to faith in Yeshua? The Feast of Shouts is coming and so could our L-rd Yeshua Messiah. Are you ready? You could be hearing the shout and trumpets from heaven soon.

Sunday, August 4, 2013

The meaning of Teshuvah

The meaning of teshuvah

September 14, 2010|By Rabbi Avi Weiss

The central theme of Yom Kippur is teshuvah, commonly translated as "repentance." We hear so much about this term, but what, in fact does it truly mean?

On the simplest behavioral level, writes Maimonides, teshuvah involves "returning" to a situation in which one had previously failed, and not making the same mistake a second time. (Laws of Repentance 2:1) It means being given a second chance. No wonder, Yom Kippur has elements of joy. We celebrate being given a second chance. In too many of life's pursuits, we are given only one shot. If we miss, it's all over. On Yom Kippur, God says, "no matter if you have failed before; you can still return."

A chassid once asked his rebbe, "why pray on Yom Kippur, after all, we'll inevitably sin again." In response, the rebbe asked him to look out the window behind him. Outside was a toddler learning to walk. "What do you see?" asked the master. "A child, standing and falling," replied the disciple. Day after day the chassid returned to witness the same scene. At the week's end, the child stood and didn't fall. The child's eyes expressed the achievement of having attained the impossible. "So with us," said the rebbe. "We may fail again and again, but in the end, a loving God gives us the opportunities we need to succeed."

The mystics understand teshuvah differently. For them, teshuvah means "returning," to being righteous. But suppose one has never been righteous, what does one return to? Says the Sefat Emet, the soul of every person is fundamentally righteous. There may be a layer of evil obscuring the inner being, but all people created in the image of God are inherently good. Teshuvah then, means to return to the inner kernel of goodness we all possess. And so, we sing, and dance on Yom Kippur. We celebrate the opportunity to discover our true selves.

Another classic story. Reb Zusha was on his death bed, and tears were streaming down his face. "Why are you crying?" asked his disciples. "If God asks me why I wasn't like Moses or Maimonides," answered Reb Zusha, "I'll say, I wasn't blessed with that kind of leadership ability and wisdom." But I'm afraid of another question," continued Reb Zusha, "what if God asks, 'Reb Zusha, why weren't you like Reb Zusha? Why didn't you find your inner being and realize your inner potential? Why didn't you find yourself?' That is why I am crying."

A third approach. Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, among many other thinkers, understands teshuvahto mean "answer." That is to say teshuvah is a dialogue. On Yom Kippur we stand before God, a caring God who asks the question(s). We offer the answer(s). A God of love seeks us out. As much as we are in search of Him, He is in search of us. A comforting thought on Yom Kippur.

Yet another chassidic legend. A young girl came to the Ba'al Shem Tov — the father of chassidism — crying. "Why do you cry?" the rebbe lovingly asked. "I was playing hide and seek," said the young girl, "but no one came looking for me." "So, too, is it with God," reflected the Ba'al Shem Tov. "He, too, is crying. For as much as He is looking for us, we rarely look for Him."

It was left for Rav Avraham Yitzchak ha-Cohen Kook, the first Chief Rabbi of Israel to offer an understanding related to the establishment of the modern State of Israel. Teshuvah, according to Rav Kook, ought be understood eschatologically. It quite literally means "go home," to our homeland. It is not only an individual quest, but a communal mandate to establish a land that is different from all others. A land that is a light to the nations of the world: a land that marks the dawn of redemption, a land at peace. On this Yom Kippur — let it be, let it be.

Jesus Born on the Feast of Tabernacles

Jesus Born on the Feast of Tabernacles

I believe The Feast of Tabernacles to be the day that Jesus was born. Since the fourth century, December 25 has been recognized as the day of His birth, but it is generally recognized that this date was likely set due to the “Christianization” of pagan holidays. December 25th was a pagan holiday called Saturnalia, which celebrated the winter solstice.

Many different factors point to Jesus’ birth being in the fall rather than the winter. Scholars have calculated that John the Baptist was likely born on Passover based on the schedule that the priests served in the Temple, since John’s father, Zechariah, was performing Temple duties when the angel appeared to him and prophesied John’s birth. Zechariah’s wife Elizabeth became pregnant shortly after. We know that Elizabeth was six months pregnant when the angel appeared to Mary to tell her of Jesus’ birth (Luke 1:26-31). If John the Baptist was born on Passover, Jesus was born six months later, during the month of Tishri, the month of the Feast of Tabernacles.

Another factor which suggests that Jesus was born on the Feast of Tabernacles is that we know that there was “no room in the inn” when Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem. The Feast of Tabernacles was one of the three feasts when the men of Israel were required to appear before the Lord (Deut. 16:16). Since everyone would travel to Jerusalem to appear before the Lord, the surrounding area would likely be very crowded, thus “no room in the inn”. We also know that shepherds were watching their flocks in the fields when Jesus was born. The flocks around Bethlehem were normally brought into a “sheepfold” or corral during the winter (approximately November through February).

How appropriate if Jesus (Immanuel, God with us) should make His dwelling place with us during the Feast of Tabernacles.

A custom on the Feast of Tabernacles during the time of Jesus was a ceremony of pouring water. On the last day of the feast, called Hoshanna Rabbah, a priest would fill a water pitcher from the Pool of Siloam and carry it back to the Temple, followed by a procession of the people dancing, singing and chanting Psalms. The procession circled the altar seven times then the priest poured the water at the Temple altar. This was followed by rejoicing.

It was at this time during the Feast of Tabernacles, that Jesus made the declaration found in John 7:37-39:

On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.” (NIV)

A Theory of Jesus’ Future Fulfillment of Tabernacles

The Feast of Tabernacles is a time to rejoice! Many believe that on this day, the Messiah Jesus will establish His kingdom on earth for one thousand years.

The saints reigning with Jesus for one thousand years is described in Revelation 20:4:

“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and Judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshipped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Messiah for a thousand years.”

When Jesus establishes His kingdom on earth, all nations will celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles (Zechariah 14:16-19):

Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. (NIV)

The Prophetic Nature of the Fall Feast

The Prophetic Nature of the Fall Feasts

Deborah Galiley

The Fall Feasts are almost upon us! By that I mean Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot. Each of these feasts has a universally accepted meaning to Jewish people in general, but to those of us who have received Yeshua (Jesus) as our Lord, and to the believing Gentiles that have been grafted into the House of Israel, there is a deeper, more prophetic meaning. Let’s take a look at each of them in turn.

Rosh Hashanah is the Day of Trumpets. It is widely celebrated in the Jewish world as the civil new year, and is the entranceway into the ‘Days of Awe.’ The blasts of the shofar are our wake-up call to repent before it is too late. Even those of us who have received salvation need to be shaken out of our complacency and pushed to higher levels in Messiah. As believers though, we are desperately awaiting that time when the Lord Himself will return to this Earth. Scripture states in 1Thessalonians 4:16-17 that the “Lord himself will come down from heaven with a rousing cry, with a call from one of the ruling angels, and with God’s shofar; those who died united with the Messiah will be the first to rise; then we who are left still alive will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and thus we will always be with the Lord.”

There are different positions within the Church on the timing of this passage in 1Thessalonians. Some believe in a pre-tribulation Rapture in which all of the believers are whisked away before the seven year Tribulation. Others insist that the Lord only returns once and that when He’s back, He’s back and it’s done. Whatever your stand, it’s safe to say that the blast of the shofar on Rosh Hashanah will signal the end of the world as we know it. And then, “It will take but a moment, the blink of an eye, at the final shofar. For the shofar will sound, and the dead will be raised to live forever, and we too will be changed.” (1Corinthians 15:52) So we approach the Day of Trumpets with Godly fear and repentance.

Yom Kippur is considered to be the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, after Shabbat. This is the day in which we make atonement for our sins before the Lord. This is the day of somber reflection, prayer and fasting. In ancient Israel, after the high priest sacrificed the bull and goat for the sins of the people, a second goat, known as the scapegoat, was taken by the high priest. He would lay both hands on its head and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites and put them on the goat’s head. He would then send the goat away into the desert to a solitary place. (Leviticus 16:20-22)

As Believers, we know, of course, that our atonement is Yeshua Himself. It is only through His sacrificial death on the executioner’s stake that we can receive forgiveness of sins. He is the scapegoat, sent to die outside the camp for all of our wickedness and rebellion. It was all placed on His head, thus causing Him to die the most horrible death in all of human history. The atonement of Yeshua reaches backwards and forwards so that every person who has ever existed has the opportunity to repent before God and be saved. What an awesome thing!

Sukkot, or the Feast of Tabernacles, is the most joyous celebration of all. The Lord commanded the Israelites to build booths and live in them for seven days: “All native-born Israelites are to live in booths your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in booths when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 23:42-43) We are also commanded to “take choice fruit from the trees, and palm fronds, leafy branches and poplars, and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days.” (Leviticus 23:40) Sukkot is the ingathering; it’s the time to remember how the Lord provided for us as we wandered in the desert for 40 years.

Jesus Born on the Feast of Tabernacles?

The Feast of Tabernacles may be the day that Jesus was born. Since the fourth century, December 25 has been recognized as the day of His birth, but it is generally recognized that this date was likely set due to the “Christianization” of pagan holidays. December 25th was a pagan holiday called Saturnalia, which celebrated the winter solstice.

How appropriate if Jesus (Immanuel, God with us) should make His dwelling place with us during the Feast of Tabernacles.

It was at this time during the Feast of Tabernacles, that Jesus made the declaration found in John 7:37-39:

A Theory of Jesus’ Future Fulfillment of Tabernacles

The Feast of Tabernacles is a time to rejoice! Many believe that on this day, the Messiah Jesus will establish His kingdom on earth for one thousand years.

The saints reigning with Jesus for one thousand years is described in Revelation 20:4:

When Jesus establishes His kingdom on earth, all nations will celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles (Zechariah 14:16-19):

Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. (NIV)

Prophetically, though, Sukkot points us to the time when God will dwell with us in the holy city, Yerushalayim. “(Jerusalem) This is what the Lord says: ‘I will return to Tsiyon and dwell in Yerushalayim. Then Yerushalayim will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the Lord Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain.’” (Zechariah 8:3) Imagine what it will be like when the Lord returns to this earth and sets up His throne and all peoples stream to Him! “The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.” (Zechariah 14:9) Now we need to be commanded to be joyful, then there will be no holding back the exaltation!

Our bodies are temporary structures, like the booths at Sukkot. A day is coming when we will be given new bodies, we will realize eternity, and the Lord will be with us always. “For the Lamb at the center of the throne will shepherd [us], will lead [us] to springs of living water; and God will wipe every tear from [our] eyes.” (Revelation 7:17)

Deborah Galiley is Rebbetzin of Congregation Beit Shalom
in Utica, NY

How To Spot A Goat

MAY 14, 2013 BY PSALMNINETEENFOURTEEN

How to Spot a Goat

Sheep and Goats (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I recently read an article with the intriguing title “How to Spot a Legalist.” The article begins by discussing how “legalists” will tell you that salvation comes by grace and then adds to it by telling you a list of do’s and don’ts to follow. The author then goes on to say, “21st Century Pharisees have replaced circumcision and keeping of the law with a more accepted evangelicalized list of do’s and don’ts. These pious sounding party poopers are getting Christians to doubt their salvation, get discouraged in their salvation and trying to prove, keep and/or earn their salvation. They are robbing believers of the joy that was once theirs in Christ and replacing it with the heavy yoke of legalism (Acts 15:5-11)” One of the problems I have with that statement is the only time that following the commands of God become a heavy yoke and therefore burdensome is when people keep the commands for their salvation. The Scriptures clearly and explicitly tell us that the Law is a delight (Psalm 1:2, Psalm 19:7-11, Psalm 40:8, Psalm 119, Romans 7:22) and His commands are not burdensome (1 John 5:3). We are saved by grace through faith…a faith that leads to obedience and good works (Ephesians 2:8-10). After all, we are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20), the precious atoning blood of our Messiah. We are sternly warned against trampling the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 10:26-31). And, I will reiterate my point from previous posts Law vs. Grace and Law and Grace Collide, that it takes both to fully and totally follow God.

The next thing the author does is to write a list of 10 ways to spot a legalist. Well, I got to thinking and pondering about that and I thought about the wheat and the weeds and how they grow together. “He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while people were sleeping, his enemy came, sowed weeds among the wheat, and left. When the plants sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also appeared. The landowner’s slaves came to him and said, ‘Master, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?’ “‘An enemy did this!’ he told them. “‘So, do you want us to go and gather them up?’ the slaves asked him. “‘No,’ he said. ‘When you gather up the weeds, you might also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time I’ll tell the reapers: Gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles to burn them, but store the wheat in my barn.’” (Matthew 13:24-30) And, I also thought about how Jesus will separate the sheep and the goats and how they are both believers…but judged by their works. (See Matthew 25:31-46).

Then, I came up with a list…How to spot a goat.

They cheapen grace by saying it doesn’t matter what you do; you can go to Heaven because you’ve said a prayer. But the bible says believers are called to good works (Matthew 5:16, Romans 2:6-10, 2 Corinthians 5:10, Ephesians 2:10, Titus 2:14, James 2:26 just to name a few!)
They’ll say non-sensical things like, “Salvation is free and you don’t have to conform your life to His…you can keep on living however you want to live.” But the bible says believers are called to conform their lives to His (Romans 8:29, 2 Corinthians 3:18); believers are called to die to self (John 12:24-26, 1 Corinthians 15:31, Galatians 2:20, Galatians 5:24 etc.).
They give their stamp of approval to everyone, even if their fruit stinks. But the bible says believers are called to hold each other accountable (Proverbs 27:17, Ezekiel 33:7, Matthew 18:15-17, Galatians 6:1-2, Colossians 3:16, Ephesians 4:25); and to recognize good and bad fruit (Matthew 7:16-20).
They focus on things like salvation without repentance. But the bible says believers are called to repent (which means to turn completely away from sin; change your heart and your mind) (Matthew 4:17, Mark 6:12, Luke 13:3, Acts 2:38).
Their “gospel” teaches it’s okay to sin because grace covers a multitude of sin. But the bible says believers are commanded to, “Go and sin no more.” (John 8:11, Ephesians 4:22-24)
They let people run amok with too much grace and not enough justice. But the bible says believers know God loves them unconditionally (Romans 5:8), but that He is also a God of justice (Psalm 33:5, Acts 17:30-32), and they will be held accountable for their actions (2 Corinthians 5:10, Hebrews 9:27).
They conveniently leave out the entire Old Testament (which is the foundation) and then James, 1 John, and any other books or verses that tell us we have to do something after we’ve been saved. But the bible says believers are called to obey God’s commandments (John 14:23-24, Romans 2:13, Hebrews 5:8-9, 1 John 2:3-6, 2 John 1:6).
They discard any verse that opposes their viewpoint and say, “Well sometimes the Bible contradicts itself.” But the bible says believers are called to rightly divide the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). God’s Word never contradicts itself (2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:16-21)…however, our interpretation of scripture can be contradictory.
They concoct a grace alone recipe that holds fast to the traditions of man and leads people to the wide and smooth path that leads to Hell. But the bible says believers are to enter through the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14).
They cheapen grace and cause nonbelievers and believers alike to steer clear of Christianity because of the hypocrisy that goes on day in and day out. They honor God with their lips, but their hearts are far from Him. (Matthew 15:8-9). But the bible says believers are called to be ambassadors for Christ and therefore represent Him wherever we go (2 Corinthians 5:20).

The author then goes on to state, “But grace that cannot be abused is no grace at all.” Uhmmm…excuse me…doesn’t God’s Word say in Romans 6:1-2, “What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it?”

I absolutely agree that salvation comes by grace alone. It is undeserved mercy. We don’t deserve to get out of Hell, but Jesus paid that price for us. It’s what we do with that grace that matters. Are we going to take it lightly and trample the blood of Jesus to continue to live our very same lives? Or are we willing to give up our lives, crucify our fleshly desires and follow Him in all the ways He walked? Are we willing to allow the Holy Spirit that lives inside of us as believers to transform us into His image? Are we willing to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions and live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age? Are we willing to be slaves to righteousness? Are we willing to stop cherry picking which verses we will follow and submit ourselves to the whole word of God?

Choices………………………..and eternal consequences.