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Of all the three major pilgrim festivals, Shavuot (Pentecost) is unique. The word Shavuot actually means “Weeks.” Why is it called this? It is not because the festival lasts for many weeks! Rather, it is called the Feast of Weeks because of the way you find out when it is to be celebrated.

Unlike Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles, the Feast of Weeks is dateless. In order to celebrate Shavuot you had to count “seven weeks” from “the day after the Sabbath” of the Passover, and the next day, the fiftieth day, would be Shavuot (Leviticus 23:15-16).


Israel was to count fifty days so that in order to celebrate Shavuot they would never forget Passover.  May it never be that Israel would reckon itself from the giving of the Law and not from the true foundation of their life as a nation at Passover. 

Remembering the Redemption
Passover is to be the foundation and head of the year (Exodus 12:2). It celebrates Israel’s redemption from bondage, and redemption is the foundation of our salvation. Thus the foundation of Israel’s redemption was provided only in Passover, not Shavuot. Every year as Israel counted the weeks from Passover to Pentecost they remembered that their redemption as a people was found in the lamb of Passover. Likewise, we are never to forget our Messiah who gave His life for us, and with that, the unspeakable riches of our new birth in Him. Like Israel’s redemption from bondage, our foundation of faith as believers in Messiah Yeshua is forever tied to Passover and our redemption in the Lamb of God.

We are not firstfruits to God just because we look to the Holy Spirit, but when we look to Yeshua as the true foundation for our spiritual lives. Through Him we are a firstfruits offering, for God’s use only (Romans 8:29).

Giving of the Law of Moses
For the traditional Jewish community, Shavuot was first celebrated around the time of receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai, about fifty days after leaving Egypt (Exodus 19:1). Therefore, Shavuot is called “The Season of the Giving of the Law.” It is also considered the spiritual birthday of Israel since the Torah brought twelve tribes together into one corporate people. From Shavuot’s fulfillment in Acts we can also call it, “The Season of the Giving of the Spirit” since the Holy Spirit makes all believers, from many tribes, into one family in Messiah.

Luke, the writer of the book of Acts depicts the events of Acts 2 as a second “Mount Sinai experience.” When the Law was given, there was fire and noise as God descended on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:18-20). When the Spirit was given there was fire and noise as well (Acts 2:2-3). The rabbis comment in the Talmud that when the Torah was given at Mount Sinai, “Every single word that went forth from the Omnipotent was split up into seventy languages for the nations of the world” (1 Sotah 32a, 36a, Shabbat 88b).  When the Holy Spirit was given, men from every nation spoke in other languages as the Spirit enabled them: “Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven” (Acts 2:4-5).

This true fulfillment of Shavuot is also depicted in contrast to when the Torah was given at Mount Sinai. While the people waited for Moses to return back down from the mountain, an almost incredible chain of events began to transpire. Now, the Israelites had just witnessed the ten horrendous plagues upon Egypt, the opening of the Red Sea, and the supernatural revelation of God at Mt. Sinai. We had seen God work awesome wonders. In light of these events, the following verses are almost unbelievable:

“Now when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled about Aaron, and said to him,“Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” And Aaron said to them, “Tear off the gold rings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” Then all the people tore off the gold rings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. And he took this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, and made it into a molten calf; and they said, “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 32:1-4)

Tired of waiting for Moses, the people sinned by committing idolatry with a golden calf. Moses did make his way back down the mountain, but by then the party was in full swing. Upon Moses’ arrival, God’s verdict upon their sin was read, and the party was over. Sadly, judgment came at the giving of the Law, revealing the disastrous consequences to the idolaters’ decisions:

Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered together to him. And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Every man of you put his sword upon his thigh, and go back and forth from gate to gate in the camp, and kill every man his brother, and every man his friend, and every man his neighbor.’” So the sons of Levi did as Moses instructed, and about three thousand men of the people fell that day (Exodus 32:26-28).

Giving of the Holy Spirit
Lest we forget, sin has a terrible end: 3,000 people died at the giving of God’s righteous and holy  Law. What a difference when Shavuot was fulfilled and the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) was given. We read in Acts 2:41,

“So then, those who had received his word were immersed; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.”

When the Spirit was given there were 3,000 people redeemed and made spiritually alive in Messiah. The law reveals sin that condemns us, but the Spirit reveals the Savior who saves us.  Happy Birthday, Body of Messiah!

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You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day when you brought in the sheaf of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete Sabbaths. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to the Lord. (Leviticus 23:15-17)

Of all the three major pilgrim festivals, Shavuot is unique. “Shavuot” actually means “Weeks.” Why is it called this? It is not because the festival lasts for many weeks! Rather, it is called the Feast of Weeks because of the way you find out when it is to be celebrated. Unlike Passover and The Feast of Tabernacles, the Feast of Weeks is dateless.

In order to celebrate Shavuot, you had to count “seven weeks” from “the day after the Sabbath” of the Passover, and the next day, the fiftieth day, would be Shavuot (Leviticus 23:15-16).

Why don’t the Scriptures just give the date? In this fast-paced, “day-timer”-controlled world we live in, we would have been inclined to say to Moses, “Forget counting fifty days, and just give me the date and I’ll show up and worship!” No, you had to count fifty days regardless of how busy your schedule might be. Why?

In the same way, can you imagine if your mother never told you your birthday? Rather, suppose she told you to celebrate it fifty days after the anniversary of your Uncle Murray’s death. When you are very young, this might be okay, but in high school, it would be embarrassing not to know the date of your birth. “Hey Joel, when’s your birthday?” “Well, it’s fifty days after the day my Uncle Murray died.” You would eventually run home, insisting on knowing the date of your birthday. Mom would reply, “It’s fifty days after your uncle Murray died.”

“But, Mom why do I have to count fifty days from Uncle Murray’s death?”

“Because, your Uncle Murray left you his fortune and I never want you to forget your Uncle Murray!”

Israel was to count fifty days so that in order to celebrate Shavuot they would never forget Passover.

May it never be that Israel would reckon itself from the giving of the Law, and not from the true foundation of their life as a people at Passover. Shavuot is traditionally remembered as a time when God made Israel one people in the Law. Nevertheless, it was Passover when God redeemed us from bondage and destruction through the blood of the Lamb.

Passover is to be the foundation and head of the year (Exodus 12:2). It celebrates Israel’s redemption from bondage, and redemption is the foundation of our salvation. Thus the foundation of Israel’s redemption was provided only in Passover, not Shavuot. Every year as Israel counted the weeks from Passover to Pentecost they remembered that their redemption as a people was found in the lamb of Passover.

Likewise, we are never to forget our Messiah who gave His life for us, and with that, the unspeakable riches of our new birth in Him. Like Israel’s redemption from bondage, our foundation of faith as believers in Messiah Yeshua is forever tied to Passover and our redemption in the Lamb of God. We are not firstfruits to God just because we look to the Holy Spirit, but when we look to Yeshua as the true foundation for our spiritual lives. Through Him we are a firstfruits offering, for God’s use only.

Every Shavuot, believers are to remember Passover and the Passover Lamb, Yeshua. Though Pentecost is the ‘birthday celebration’ of the Body of Messiah when the Holy Spirit came, we are never to look to the Holy Spirit as the foundation of our faith either individually or as a body of believers. No matter how big or small our congregations may be, we are not secure in congregational size, wealth, or prestige. Our security is experienced only when we look to Yeshua as our foundation of faith. Our confidence is in the Lord and in Him alone. The Passover redemption of the believers reminds us each year that despite all that the world, the flesh and the devil may throw at us, we are secure in Messiah.

Passover was meant to be like the foundation of a house in a storm:

Yeshua said, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24-25)

How strong is your foundation? Do you trust in someone or something besides the Lord (Jeremiah 17:5)? If you are trusting in anything or anyone else, stop! Place your faith in His eternal atonement for your sins and receive new life in Yeshua, the Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).

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For followers of Yeshua, Passover not only reminds us of the Exodus story, but how redemption in the Lamb affects our lives now and even into eternity. In the Scriptures God progressively reveals this truth of the Lamb of redemption so we may grow into the image of the Son: the Lamb of God.

A Lamb for the Person
A lamb for sacrifice is first specifically mentioned in Scripture in Genesis 22. God commanded Abraham to offer his only son as a sacrifice. He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you” (Genesis 22:2).

This trial went to the very core of Abraham’s being. Isaac was a miraculous gift from God to Abraham and Sarah. Moreover, Isaac was the child of promise through whom all the nations of the world would be blessed. If he sacrificed Isaac, what would happen to God’s plan? Rather than attempting to figure it all out, Abraham simply trusted and obeyed, and with confidence stated, “I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you” (Genesis 22:5). He would return with the child!

Carrying the wood for the burnt offering up the mountain, Isaac was described by the rabbis “like a man carrying his cross” (Genesis Rabbah 56:3). He and Abraham went willingly to the place of sacrifice, confident that God would work out the details. At just the right time, God halted Abraham, and provided a sacrifice “in the place of his son Isaac” (Genesis 22:10-13).

Why did God require a sacrifice lamb for Isaac? Even though he was a good, obedient son, the requirement for sacrifice pointed to the truth that even the best of people need the Lamb. We often think of Messiah’s sacrifice as sufficient for the worst of people, but all have sinned (Romans 3:32). At the first reference of a lamb for sacrifice, we see that there is a lamb for the person.

A Lamb for the Family
When the first Passover took place during Israel’s exodus from Egypt the lamb was required. God told Moses that the blood of the lamb would be a sign for the “houses where you are” (Exodus 12:13). The lamb would insure the safety of each Israelite family:

They shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for a house. And if the household is too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls. (Exodus 12:3-4)

Please note that it says, “if the household is too little for the lamb.” The household may be too little for the lamb, but the lamb is always more than enough for the household! It is not your hard work, your income, or your sacrifice that will secure your family-- it is His sacrifice. Your family needs the Lamb of God, and thankfully there is more than enough for your family. Parents, the best service you can provide for your family is to share the Lamb of God with them. There is a Lamb for the family.

A Lamb for Israel
In the days of the prophets, Israel had become more than just families and tribes, but a nation. With greater size, comes greater sin. What would meet the needs of this people? Isaiah wrote that Messiah would be the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6-7), and the prophet recognized that even he and his people needed the Lamb. Isaiah 53:6-8 says:

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth… He was cut off from the land of living for the transgression of my people was he stricken. Yeshua went willingly, “as a lamb led to the slaughter” to the place of sacrifice, “for the transgressions of my people.” There is not only a lamb for the person and the family, but there is a lamb for the people.

A Lamb for the World
As we move along with God into the New Covenant we begin to understand what this world needs: Messiah!
In politics and the media the ideal of peace is a frequent topic. In our world’s efforts to bring about peace, one factor is often overlooked: sin. This world does not possess the power or the wisdom to deal with the unrepentant evil that resides in human hearts. In the New Covenant we read, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). There is no wisdom for attaining peace without purity from sin, just as “wisdom from above is first pure then peaceable” (James 3:17).
God has provided what the whole world needs–forgiveness of sins by faith in Messiah– and one size fits all. The best fit for the greatest need of this world is the Lamb of God, and the best news we can share with the world is the Good News. There is a Lamb for the world.

A Lamb for Eternity
In the book of Revelation, John describes how he saw a “strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?’” John then tells us how he wept because no one was found worthy to open the book.

One of the elders said to me, “Do not weep: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.” (Revelation 5:5)

John turned and saw, not a lion, but a lamb, standing as though slain. He tells how he saw and heard all creation saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing… unto Him that sits upon the throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever” (Revelation 5:12).

We see here that there is a Lamb for eternity! What will secure your life forever? Is it that house, car, or career that you have invested your life in? I often tell the story of the Microsoft investor who was asked, “If you knew before what you know now, what would you have done differently then?” He answered, “I would have invested more; I would have invested everything!” Yes, those who are growing into maturity live out the eternal values of Heaven as they live their lives on earth.

God is committed to growing us into His love and life through concern for the individual, the family, the nation, the world and living with eternity in view. In eternity every tribe and nation will praise Him. Believers from all ages, Jew and Gentile, will be there. Will you be there? The Lord has provided Himself as the Lamb for eternity. Trust in the Lamb!

Adapted from the book  Messiah in the Feasts of Israel by Sam Nadler
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The barley for the Passover firstfruits offering (reishit) was laid together in a sheaf and brought to the court of the Temple. Yeshua died as our Passover Lamb. That was not the end of the story, however! The Torah states that following the Sabbath after the Passover, the priest would present the firstfruits of the barley harvest to the Lord so that the rest of the harvest would be accepted. When the Temple stood, Firstfruits was observed the day after the Sabbath of the Passover. The Sunday after Passover would be the observance of Firstfruits.

Passover had begun when Yeshua died, and on the third day, early that Sunday morning, the priests were in the Temple offering up the firstfruits of the harvest. At this very time, our Messiah and High Priest was raised from the dead, offering up Himself as our atonement. In so doing, He became the firstfruits of the rest of the harvest of believers in Him. Therefore Paul writes:

But now Messiah has been raised from the dead, the Firstfruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Messiah all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Messiah the firstfruits, after that those who are Messiah’s at His coming. (1 Corinthians 15:20-23)

On the first day of the week, Yeshua was raised bodily from the dead, to fulfill the symbolism of this yearly festival which falls within the days of unleavened bread. As Passover pictures Messiah as the Lamb who was slain, Firstfruits pictures Messiah who was ‘raised up’ as firstfruits, in whom alone those who are asleep will be “made alive.” Firstfruits could not be celebrated apart from Passover; and, Messiah’s Resurrection can never be celebrated apart from His Passover sacrifice for us. This would be to separate the fruit from the root.

Firstfruits was celebrated only after entering the Promised Land (Leviticus 23:10). After all, how could it be celebrated in the wilderness where there is no harvest? So also, Messiah’s resurrection speaks of life after and beyond this wilderness journey of struggle. This resurrection life will not be fully understood while in the bondage of sin. In fact, it was not until after Firstfruits was observed that the new growth of grain could be eaten. Likewise, it was not until after Messiah’s resurrection that believers could fully partake of the new growth, even the new life in Him. It was only after He had been raised and ascended to the Father that we received “the firstfruits of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 8:23).

Firstfruits gave assurance that the rest of the harvest would be accepted: “He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord for you to be accepted” (Leviticus 23:11). God does not just barely accept us, but in Messiah, He is delighted and well pleased with us. He accepts us completely.
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Passover Faith 03/23/2012
 
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The classic portion on the subject of faith is found in Hebrews 11, and it provides extensive teaching regarding salvation. Beginning with Abel and spanning throughout Biblical history we find that these heroes anticipated Messiah’s coming through the various demonstrations of their lives of faith. Moses likewise was looking to the salvation that would be provided in Messiah. He established his faith through keeping the Passover even before the Exodus took place. We, too, can glean spiritual principles which are evidenced in the Passover that is kept by faith.

By faith he [Moses] kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. (Hebrews 11:28)

The word kept (make or do) is in the certain tense, which means that when Moses kept the Passover, had permanent redemptive results.
Paul reiterated this concept in 1 Corinthians 5:8 by teaching a mostly non-Jewish congregation, Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Paul teaches us that “Messiah our Passover [Lamb] has been sacrificed” and we are to testify and express this truth each time we celebrate the Passover, which is an ongoing testimony of God’s redemption in Messiah. Because of our faith in Messiah, like Moses, we must look by faith to the Lamb of God.
As Moses pointed to the greater prophet, Messiah (Deuteronomy 18:15-19), the Passover also points us to a greater redemption. In Hebrews 11:24-26 we learn that Moses refused the pleasures of Egypt for the reproaches of Messiah because by faith he sought the heavenly reward.
Keeping the Passover has eternal results because Messiah is the Passover Lamb. Today, we keep Passover by faith not only to remember the redemption story from physical slavery in Egypt, but more importantly, to testify that the same God who redeemed us from spiritual slavery continues to be faithful to us every day. Passover is the ongoing testimony of our God who is able to deliver, to protect, to strengthen and to restore us back to Himself.

Faith in the Blood
The blood was a necessary element in order to bring redemption. Therefore, “Moses kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood,” which points to two essential aspects of redemption. The first Passover pointed us forward to the greater deliverance that Messiah would bring and the blood of the lamb on doorposts points us toward the bloody sacrifice of Messiah as the Lamb of God for Israel and the world (John 1:29; 3:16).
The blood in both cases provided a substitute for those that deserved judgment. Leviticus 17:11 confirms this eternal truth that “the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.”
The first Passover only had effectiveness because the blood was applied to the doors of the homes. The blood on the outside of the door was seen by God as their testimony of faith in His way of salvation (Exodus 12:7, 13). Therefore, applying the blood of the spotless lamb on their doors was essential and effective for Israel because it was done by faith, a faith that ultimately found fulfillment in the Messiah, the Lamb of God.

Secured by Faith
Hebrews 11:28 continues to explain the clear purpose for keeping Passover and applying the blood, “so that the destroyer would not touch the firstborn.” The blood would protect and secure the Israelites from God’s judgment on Egypt. In the Scripture, the usage of the word firstborn is applied to Israel as God’s firstborn of the nations (Exodus 4:22).
The judgment on the Egyptians was certain because God declared that what the Egyptians had done to Israel, His firstborn of the nations, would be done to the firstborn of Egypt (Exodus 4:22-23). One might ask, why did Israel need to apply the blood of the lamb, if God already declared His judgment upon Egypt? This is vital to understand because the first Passover was redemption by faith, not merely physical deliverance from Egyptian bondage. This faith was demonstrated when households in obedience to God’s word applied the blood on the door. If they refused to put the blood on the door, even though they were Hebrews and the firstborn, they would have been condemned along with Egyptians. God requires all to have faith in His plan of redemption. When we trust in Messiah we are secured in Him because we share the rights and benefits in Yeshua, who is our righteousness and the firstborn among many brethren. (Hebrews 12:23)

Furthermore, the author of Hebrews gives more insight when he writes, “the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel” (Hebrews 11:28). This security from judgment is emphasized by the word touch. In Hebrew, nagah, translated as touch simply means to come into physical contact with another, meaning that the destroyer had the authority to kill those who had no blood applied on their door, but had no authority to touch those under the blood.
Likewise, we as His firstborn are delivered by the blood of the Passover Lamb and have immunity from the judgment to come on the world. Moreover, we enjoy God’s daily security as we live in light of His eternal salvation. Let’s keep the Passover Feast with deeper appreciation for the Lamb of God.

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The Feast of Booths (Sukkot) is a harvest festival. Sukkot was a way of both looking back to remember God’s provision in the wilderness for forty years and also rejoicing in God’s goodness and blessing of the present harvest in the promised land. As a harvest feast, it reminds us of the Lord’s wonderful provision for our lives. One of the provisions from the Lord is His security when we are vulnerable. 
In the wilderness, the Israelites appeared easily conquerable by the desert tribes living there, but the Lord was their secret weapon that guaranteed victory. As Israel was redeemed from Egyptian bondage by God’s power, so they are kept through the wilderness trials by God’s power. It is all the sovereign work of God. At Sukkot we are reminded of Passover, where we see the secret to enjoying both the sufficiency and security the Lord has for our lives. During Sukkot we are commanded to dwell in a booth or sukkah for seven days as a memorial. The booth pictures not only freedom from bondage, but also true security in God. 

Today, in our ‘wilderness journey,’ reliance upon Him is still our hope and protection. Sukkot reminds us that the people of God can never live as if we could manage spiritually on our own (Leviticus 23:43). We need the Lord. He is our sufficiency. As illustrated in the wilderness, our protection is in the Lord, for He Himself is our booth. As John writes:  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1, 14)
The Greek word used for “dwelt” among us is skeine, which is the verb form for the sukkah, alluding to Sukkot. Messiah appeared weak, frail, flimsy, just as a booth would appear. Little did people realize that beneath that ordinary exterior was the fullness of the omnipotent El Shaddai, God Almighty, the Holy One of Israel.

OUR COVERING
The word sukkah means to cover, as in protection. God’s hand was Moses’ sukkah in the cleft of the rock. When Moses asked the Lord to show him His glory, God said to Moses: Behold, there is a place by me, and you shall stand upon a rock: And it shall come to pass, while my glory passes by, that I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and will cover you with my hand while I pass by.” (Exodus 33:21-22) 
Whatever victory king David achieved, he acknowledged that the Lord was a sukkah of protection in the battle. He praised God with this song of deliverance from Psalm 140:7, “O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.” 

OUR PROTECTION
And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain. (Isaiah 4:2-6)
When the Scripture promises, “there shall be a tabernacle” that, too, is the sukkah. In the Kingdom, Messiah will be all the protection Israel or any nation will ever need. Our security is not found in our own abilities or possessions, but in Him, our Sukkah. Though to the world we may look weak and frail, in Messiah we are secure and strong. He will cover and protect us. Paul seems to hint at this very idea when he writes, Therefore if anyone is in Messiah, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. (2 Corinthians 5:17) 
In Yeshua we are a new creation, but only in Him. Whether in war or wilderness, in Yeshua our Sukkah, and in Him alone, we are secure. God has fully provided our salvation and new life. 

There is an additional reason God wants future generations to remember the wilderness experience. Sukkot testifies to the transitional nature of this world, and helps us remember the temporary nature of this life. There was no true rest in the wilderness. The booth itself had to be a temporary dwelling, we are to “dwell in a temporary abode” (Leviticus 23:42). 
When you live in booths you testify to your neighbors that this world is temporary and is not your home; we are all just passing through. Whatever you and I own now will one day pass away. My certain hope is to one day be with God, in the true Promised Land of Heaven. Even the Patriarch Abraham had this hope.
By faith he [Abraham] lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise. For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. (Hebrews 11:9-10)
All of this present age (Olam HaZeh) is like the wilderness. Therefore, just as we were not to live as permanent residents of the wilderness, so let us not live as though this temporal world is our permanent home. Like Abraham, we also look forward to our heavenly home, which our Lord has gone ahead of us to prepare: 
Yeshua 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. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (John 14:2-3)

OUR ETERNAL SUKKAH
One day we will be in the very presence of the Lord, and still Sukkot will be pictured as the eternal hope of all who believe in Yeshua. There will be no more hunger, thirst, or weeping because “the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 7:17). Why will this be so fulfilling? We will be covered by “the Lord’s tabernacle [sukkah]” (Revelation 7:15). Every nation, tribe, people, and language will give honor and praise to Yeshua, the Lamb, the Lord of hosts, “when He comes, in that day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe” (2 Thessalonians 1:10). This will happen because Messiah our Sukkah will dwell among us: 
And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and be their God.” (Revelation 21:3)
As we anticipate Thanksgiving Day, let us be thankful for His protection and provision in all circumstances, and appreciate the covering He provides in all seasons of our lives. 
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Leviticus 23 points to the final work of redemption in the three final feasts. The first four spring feasts (Passover through Pentecost) begin the biblical year and typify our salvation in Messiah Jesus. The fall feasts in the seventh month is a time of completion, with each feast illustrating a facet of the fulfillment to God’s redemptive program.

  Yom HaTeruah
The day of Trumpets (yom hateruah, lit. “the day of blasting,” Lev. 23:23-25) is commonly called Rosh Hashanah or the Jewish New Year. Why is that? When the Jewish people came out of Babylonian captivity, they adopted the Babylonian civil New Year as their own. So, even though it falls on the first day of the seventh month, it is called New Year’s day.  Because there is very little Biblical information on this feast, Jewish tradition teaches that this mysterious Feast of Trumpets recalls the ram’s horns Joshua and the Israelites used at Jericho, and of the ram that Abraham sacrificed in place of Isaac. Scripture notes a time when Israel is gathered back to the land by the “blowing of the great ram’s horn” (Isa. 27:13), and in the New Covenant Paul explains this mystery as a time when all believers will be gathered to Messiah (1 Cor. 15:51, 52; 1 Thess. 4:16-18). And because none of us know the exact time of this future “blowing of the trumpet,” the Feast of Trumpets should motivate us to readiness and service. Remembering “our blessed hope” (Titus 2:13), we want people to believe now, before the day of wrath appears (1 Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9). Right now we must be ready to be with the Lord (Revelation 22:7, 12, 21).

Yom Kippur
The next time is Yom Kippur, or day of Atonement. In Jewish tradition, this day is for Jewish individuals to ‘get right’ with God. Biblically, it was a day for Israel to be restored to God as a servant nation (Lev.16 and 23:26-32). Prophetically, it points to the time when Israel as a nation will be gathered to Messiah Yeshua. At the end of the Tribulation, Israel as a nation will “look on Me [Messiah] whom they have pierced, and mourn for Him as one mourns for a firstborn son” (Zech. 12:10). In that day, all Israel will receive “cleansing from sin and impurity” (Zech. 13:1). In that day, the great confession of national Israel will be lamented, “All we like sheep have gone astray, each one has turned to his own way, but the Lord has laid on Him (Messiah) the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). And in that day the natural branches will be grafted back into “their own olive tree,” and “thus all Israel will be saved!” (Romans 11:23-26).
The day of Atonement reminds us that this national gathering of Israel is coming. Let us be hopeful and be sharing Messiah especially to the Jewish people and equally to the Gentiles. Let us not be merely religious, but truly restored to the Lord ourselves.

Sukkot
Finally comes the feast of Sukkot, or the feast of Booths or Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:33-43). This harvest festival is called “Booths” because Israel would live in booths each year during this feast, to remind us that in the wilderness the Lord alone was our protection and security. When the Tabernacle and the Jerusalem Temple stood, seventy bulls were ceremonially sacrificed (Numbers 29:12-32). Early Jewish teachers saw the number of bulls representing the nations of the world (Sukkah 55b).
In current times, the lulav (a palm branch along with other branches) is waved in four directions since God is sovereign and will be acknowledged one day as King throughout the four comers of the earth. This hope is prophesied in Zechariah 14:9:
“The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day it shall be ‘the Lord is One... and his name One.”

This feast marks the final gathering together of all people before God and will be celebrated with the most joyous celebration of all time (Revelation 7:9-15). All nations will be gathered before God, waving “palm branches in their hands” (Rev. 7:9) and will be covered by “the Lord’s tabernacle” (Rev. 7:15). Every nation, tribe, people, and language will give honor and praise to the Lamb, the Lord of hosts. We will rejoice with His sovereign rule over our lives!

The Great Gatherings of God
We see the seventh month as a time when God completes His redemption plan: the gathering of the Body (Feast of Trumpets), the gathering of the nation of Israel (Day of Atonement), and the gathering of all nations (Feast of Booths). If we have trusted in His Passover salvation, we’re ready for Him, restored to Him, and ruled by Him. Let’s be mindful of this season to reach out and share His message while we still can! Invite a friend and gather with us for special services celebrating these great fall festivals!

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A few years ago I was encouraged to see young people wearing WWJD wristbands. I was delighted to think that as these committed believers went through their day facing various issues, they would ask themselves, “What Would Jesus Do?” I prayed for them to have the courage to follow Messiah’s example in those challenging moments.
Over time I saw fewer and fewer “WWJD” wristbands, and I figured another fad had come and gone. However the question raises a vital issue. In order to understand what Yeshua would do we need to examine how He lived.  When we study the life of Yeshua from a Jewish frame of reference it becomes easier to understand just what was important to Him and what example He wanted us to follow.

Scripture clearly teaches that Yeshua observed Hanukkah, the Feast of Tabernacles, and Passover. In fact, the reason that we know Yeshua ministered for just over three years is because John’s Good News account records three Passovers Yeshua celebrated.
It seems we can often become distracted by man-made ideas that relate to various celebrations and forget the beautiful truths that our faith is founded upon.
Yeshua, the Apostles, and all the first century believers understood Messiah’s Resurrection in light of the prophetically central events of Passover and First Fruits. With the ultimate focus of our redemption being the Lamb of God, Passover helps us understand the meaning of redemption, and the absolute necessity of having resurrection life in Yeshua. In fact, in order to continually appreciate the new life that we have in the Lord, Paul expected all believers to keep the feast of Passover. Thus, Passover redemption is the foundation of our First Fruits resurrection, our Pentecost experience, and our anticipation of the Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. 
Yet, many believers are unaware of God’s appointment calendar clearly given to us in Leviticus 23. Why do most believers in Yeshua no longer celebrate the feasts?

In order to understand why this took place we must be aware of the history of the church, so that it can be contrasted with what the Bible actually teaches. Now, we must recognize that historic church councils have helped to articulate and distinguish biblical truth from error on many crucial issues of the faith.

Unfortunately, in the fourth and fifth centuries, these same councils made questionable decisions pertaining specifically to Jewish people and the Jewish essence of our faith. Such decrees were made to separate the faith from its “Jewish roots.” The Council of Nicea in AD 326 and the Synod of Sardica in AD 344, influenced by several powerful and anti-Semitic church leaders conducted a deliberate and apparently quite successful effort to remove all Jewish expressions of the faith from the celebration of the faith.  

There were various reasons these decrees were developed. In some cases it was to demonstrate the superiority of Christianity over Judaism, and of the church over the synagogue. Also, Emperor Constantine insisted on unity in his Roman Empire, and that meant religious unity as well through his new state religion, Christianity. This unity meant defining the enemy:

When the question relative to the sacred festival of Easter arose, it was universally thought ... to be particularly unworthy for this, the holiest of all festivals, to follow the custom of the Jews, who had soiled their hands with the most fearful of crimes, and whose minds were blinded. In rejecting their custom, we may transmit to our descendants the legitimate mode of celebrating Easter... We ought not, therefore, to have anything in common with the Jews, for the Saviour has shown us another way... we desire, dearest brethren, to separate ourselves from the detestable company of the Jews… How can they be in the right, they who, after the death of the Saviour, have no longer been led by reason but by wild violence, as their delusion may urge them? They do not possess the truth in this Easter question... it would still be your duty not to tarnish your soul by communications with such wicked people [the Jews]… For this reason, a Divine Providence wills... on the one hand, it is our duty not to have anything in common with the murderers of our Lord; and as, on the other, the custom now followed by the Churches of the West, of the South, and of the North, and by some of those of the East... that we should have nothing in common with the Jews.

What was intended to be some sort of victory for the church has instead meant confusion for many believers. The student tries without success to relate the teaching of Scripture to the replacement traditions which have been handed down through history.
Worse, these anti-Jewish decrees were devastating to the Gentile believer’s witness to the Jewish community. When Gentile believers are unaware of the Jewish essence of their faith, when Yeshua’s death and resurrection is removed from its Jewish context, then the fulfillment of the Messianic hope, which is found only in Yeshua, is all but hidden from the Jewish community. 
The blatant removal of the Jewish roots of Scripture, accomplishing devastating results for the body of believers today, is really a symptom of a deeper problem of the heart. The calling of Gentile believers has always been to make the Jewish people jealous of faith in Yeshua, the Jewish Messiah (Romans 11:11, 17). But rejection of the Jewish people and their “customs” has turned this glorious calling on its head, making it seem an absurd, even malicious joke. Consider how much time, effort and money believers put into celebrating Christmas and Easter, and how little time is given to the Feasts of the Lord. To separate Jewishness from the Good News effectively estranges this message from the Jewish people. The story of Yeshua, forgiveness of sins, and being made right before God is presented out of context.

What can be done? There is hope! We have a rich heritage and history of faith waiting to be discovered in the Scriptures. And celebrations are not meant to merely be read and about studied, but celebrated! One step to reclaim what God has for you in Messiah is to encourage your congregation to enjoy an annual Passover Seder which can then lead to a celebration of Messiah’s resurrection. Some of the recommended resources give practical suggestions for observing the other days. Let us go past mere traditions and follow the truth, looking unto Yeshua as the substance of our celebrations.
You can make a difference in your family, congregation and community. Who knows? Perhaps God has His hand on your life “for such a time as this!” 

**Excerpt from the book  Messiah in the Feasts of Israelby Sam Nadler
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The appointments which arrive in the Fall are the most important in the Jewish calendar. They are called the High Holy Days and include both the Feast of Trumpets, also known as the Jewish New Year, as well as the Day of Atonement.   

Next month we will take a deeper look at these important Biblical observances but this month let us consider together  this  traditional time of spiritual preparation preceding the High Holy Days and the Fall Feasts.



Get Ready, Get Set, Pray!
Preparation for the High Holy days of Trumpets and Atonement begins in the sixth month of the Hebrew calendar, Elul (August 30th – September 28th). One of the customs is the reciting of Selichot, that are special prayers for forgiveness which are also said on days of fasting. In the Sephardic (Spanish, Arabic) tradition, these prayers are said throughout the month, whereas in the Ashkenazic (Eastern European) tradition the prayers are added to the morning services toward the end of the month. These prayers continue through the High Holy Days as individuals consider the profound issues of life and death, sin and forgiveness.

The significance given to these prayers in traditional Jewish thinking shows up in the three levels of forgiveness which people hope to attain. Traditionally, these three levels are identified by three Hebrew terms: selichah (pardon), mechilah (wiping away), and kapparah (atonement). They are all related to forgiveness, but each has its own shade of meaning

In Israel a common word for “pardon” or “excuse me” is selichah. This is the first step someone takes if a sin has been committed, whether against God or man. One asks for forgiveness, saying to the offended party, “I am sorry for what I did; I sincerely regret having done it, and will never do it again.” It is considered cruel to disbelieve a person’s sincere apology and not accept it.

Mechilah is usually translated as “wiping away” and it responds to the request, “can we normalize our relationship back as it was before I offended you?” In this level the relationship gets a “reset button.” It is more difficult than slichah but not impossible. 

Kapparah is usually translated as “atonement,” (as in Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement). This level is the deepest of all and deals with a person’s guilty conscience. It is recognized that only God can heal and comfort the conscience of a person. In traditional Jewish circles “Kapparah” completes this three-part process on Yom Kippur.

Complete cleansing
What can truly bring the deepest level of forgiveness between man and God? We remember how the Jewish people sinned at the giving of the law at Sinai when they created and worshipped a golden calf. Beginning in the month of Elul, Moses prayed to God for Israel’s spiritual restoration. God’s favorable response was to provide a new set of tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments, and to renew His presence in the people’s midst. It is said by the sages that when Moses went up the second time to receive the two tablets, our people blew the shofar to remind themselves not to fall into idol worship ever again. Thus the shofar is also blown at the beginning of the month of Elul, to remind us of our fraility and how easy it is to stumble. 

The New Covenant shows us that there is one who can fully forgive sins even to the core of our being and to the cleansing and healing of our souls (Matthew 9:6).

How much more will the blood of Messiah, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:14)

Our prayers are now of praise and thanksgiving; because of His once-and-for-all atonement, there is never a need for any other offering for sin (Hebrews 10:18). As we confesss our sins, it is Messiah’s atonement which is enough to enjoy the renewal of our souls before God (1 John 1:9).

In Messiah’s atonement we have the grace of God to forgive one another for any offense done against us (Ephesians 4:32). Indeed, by that same grace we have in Messiah atonement, we can not only forgive but also comfort any who are guilt ridden by their consciences (2 Corinthians 2:7). In Messiah’s atonement is full forgiveness, not merely restoration to a previous relationship, but “forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith” (Acts 26:12).

Therefore, let us be prepared, indeed! The Feast of Trumpets reminds us of the day when Messiah will return; let us prepare our hearts that we will not be “ashamed at His coming” (1 John 1:28). The Day of Atonement reminds us of the day when Israel will nationally trust in Messiah’s atonement and therefore will be restored back to God in service (Zechariah 12:10, 13:1). So let us plant those seeds of faith by sharing Yeshua with all we can, to the Jew first and also to the Gentile. The Lord loves all people, even as the Feast of Tabernacles reminds us that one day He will reign over all as He is glorified by all peoples (Zechariah 14:6).

As we approach the High Holy Days during this month of Elul, let us commit to pray not only that we would be prepared, but that in the true forgiveness which comes only through Messiah, Israel and all people will be prepared to meet with the Lord:

“Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel!” (Amos 4:12).

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You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day when you brought in the sheaf of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete Sabbaths. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to the Lord. (Leviticus 23:15-17)

Of all the three major pilgrim festivals, Shavuot is unique. “Shavuot” actually means “Weeks.” Why is it called this? It is not because the festival lasts for many weeks! Rather, it is called the Feast of Weeks because of the way you find out when it is to be celebrated. Unlike Passover and The Feast of Tabernacles, the Feast of Weeks is dateless.

In order to celebrate Shavuot, you had to count “seven weeks” from “the day after the Sabbath” of the Passover, and the next day, the fiftieth day, would be Shavuot (Leviticus 23:15-16).

Why don’t the Scriptures just give the date? In this fast-paced, “day-timer”-controlled world we live in, we would have been inclined to say to Moses, “Forget counting fifty days, and just give me the date and I’ll show up and worship!” No, you had to count fifty days regardless of how busy your schedule might be. Why?

In the same way, can you imagine if your mother never told you your birthday? Rather, suppose she told you to celebrate it fifty days after the anniversary of your Uncle Murray’s death. When you are very young, this might be okay, but in high school, it would be embarrassing not to know the date of your birth. “Hey Joel, when’s your birthday?” “Well, it’s fifty days after the day my Uncle Murray died.” You would eventually run home, insisting on knowing the date of your birthday. Mom would reply, “It’s fifty days after your uncle Murray died.”

“But, Mom why do I have to count fifty days from Uncle Murray’s death?”

“Because, your Uncle Murray left you his fortune and I never want you to forget your Uncle Murray!”

Israel was to count fifty days so that in order to celebrate Shavuot they would never forget Passover.

May it never be that Israel would reckon itself from the giving of the Law, and not from the true foundation of their life as a people at Passover. Shavuot is traditionally remembered as a time when God made Israel one people in the Law. Nevertheless, it was Passover when God redeemed us from bondage and destruction through the blood of the Lamb.

Passover is to be the foundation and head of the year (Exodus 12:2). It celebrates Israel’s redemption from bondage, and redemption is the foundation of our salvation. Thus the foundation of Israel’s redemption was provided only in Passover, not Shavuot. Every year as Israel counted the weeks from Passover to Pentecost they remembered that their redemption as a people was found in the lamb of Passover.

Likewise, we are never to forget our Messiah who gave His life for us, and with that, the unspeakable riches of our new birth in Him. Like Israel’s redemption from bondage, our foundation of faith as believers in Messiah Yeshua is forever tied to Passover and our redemption in the Lamb of God. We are not firstfruits to God just because we look to the Holy Spirit, but when we look to Yeshua as the true foundation for our spiritual lives. Through Him we are a firstfruits offering, for God’s use only.

Every Shavuot, believers are to remember Passover and the Passover Lamb, Yeshua. Though Pentecost is the ‘birthday celebration’ of the Body of Messiah when the Holy Spirit came, we are never to look to the Holy Spirit as the foundation of our faith either individually or as a body of believers. No matter how big or small our congregations may be, we are not secure in congregational size, wealth, or prestige. Our security is experienced only when we look to Yeshua as our foundation of faith. Our confidence is in the Lord and in Him alone. The Passover redemption of the believers reminds us each year that despite all that the world, the flesh and the devil may throw at us, we are secure in Messiah.

Passover was meant to be like the foundation of a house in a storm:

Yeshua said, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24-25)

How strong is your foundation? Do you trust in someone or something besides the Lord (Jeremiah 17:5)? If you are trusting in anything or anyone else, stop! Place your faith in His eternal atonement for your sins and receive new life in Yeshua, the Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).
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