part Six
The Biblical Feasts - A Portrait of Our Messiah
- A Symbolic Picture of the Redemptive Plan of Our Messiah -
Those who understand the biblical Holy Days will find them to be a beautiful portrait of our Savior and a holy road map defining the straight and narrow path leading us victoriously into His eternal kingdom”
Yahveh Almighty is called “the Ancient of Days” and what originates from Him and is inscribed in His word, is the only truth. (Daniel 7:9,13,22) Our responsibility is to know the truth so “the truth can set us free” from all of Satan’s deception that was sown into Yahshua’s (Jesus’s) pure harvest field. (John 8:32, Matthew 13:24-30) We have got to “stand at the crossroads” of these last days and “ask for the ancient paths” so that we can look at what we have embraced as truth in the church system, compared to what the Scripture originally said. (see Jeremiah 6:16) May you have eyes to see what Messiah is revealing to us, in order to wholeheartedly walk in alignment and agreement with His holy word and will. Yahveh our God implored His people to remain at a great distance from the practices of the pagan nations around them. He admonished them to respond even to rumors regarding the unholy practices of the Gentiles entering the holy camp and worship of Yahveh. He continues to emphasize that all who seek righteousness “shall investigate and search out and inquire thoroughly” (Deuteronomy 13:14) regarding any inkling of such forbidden compromises. He continued by saying, “If it is true and the matter established that this abomination has been done among you [the mixing of pagan practices with Yahveh’s holy requirements]”, then all that was impure was to be “utterly destroyed” (Deuteronomy 13:14-15)
Even if something has been erroneously perpetuated as the truth for 1700 hundred years, does not mean that it becomes holy with time, if it does not line up to the word of God."
Yahveh is not taking anything away from His children, the reality is He gave biblical Holy Days for Jews and Gentiles who love and worship Him. It is Satan who gave the counterfeit pagan rooted holidays so that the worldly people and the deceived believers would move away from the biblical gifts of the biblical calendar and embrace the counterfeit that originated in him, “the ruler of this world’s system”. (John 14:30) These days have infiltrated and replaced the true Holy Days for most “professing believers”. The hour is upon us for separating from our lives and practices all that is profane and unholy. Most of us who know and love our God and Savior have embraced many cherished doctrines, traditions, customs, and holidays of Christianity, believing that they were from the holy root of biblical purity. Even if something has been erroneously perpetuated as the truth for 1700 hundred years, does not mean that it becomes holy with time, if it does not line up to the word of God. Many of the things we hold dear, sacred, and celebrate year after year, have their root system is the very thing Yahshua (Jesus) warned, “the enemy Satan came and sowed seeds” of deception in My harvest field. (Matthew 13:24-30) If you are going to clutch something that you find out is unholy, it is still a lie, and cannot be camouflaged and dressed up to become righteous, regardless of how you or even the multitudes have viewed it. It is written, “No lie is of the truth!” (1 John 2:21) In our Holy God’s sight, lies added to the truth creates an unholy mixture, a counterfeit, which replaces the truth with that which is an abomination in His sight. The enemy, with his wicked deceptions, replaced Yahveh’s biblical calendar with a calendar that stem from the worship of pagan gods. We are to “extract the precious for the worthless.” (Jeremiah 15:19) Yahveh has the precious, His biblical calendar and holy feast days that center around the Lamb Yahshua (Jesus) and His sacrificial atoning blood.
In-Depth Teachings on Passover and Unleavened Bread
The Lord Yahveh said, 'My appointed times are … holy convocations which you shall proclaim at the times appointed for them” (Leviticus 23:2,4). The holy feasts are an awesome prophetic tapestry, woven together throughout the Old and New Testaments, magnifying Yahshua (Jesus) “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) Our Savior was born to die as the Passover Lamb. He lives eternally and will be memorialized in the Kingdom as the slain Lamb by all the blood redeemed righteous multitudes (Revelation 5:6). He is the fulfillment of every detail of all the biblically ordained feasts — even to the exact hour of the exact day. The spring feasts were fulfilled with precision on His Father’s perfect timetable, the scriptural calendar. Our Savior’s death and resurrection were the fulfillment of the first and second holy Feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread and the third Spring Feast of Firstfruits. The fourth biblical feast, the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), was fulfilled precisely on divine schedule when Yahshua (Jesus) poured out His Holy Spirit at Jerusalem exactly fifty days after the Feast of Firstfruits (His resurrection) (Leviticus 23:15-22, Acts 2:1-4).
In-Depth Teachings on the Feast of Weeks
During the time of the Feast of Weeks, as the Jews from all nations were gathered at the temple in Jerusalem, three thousand of our Savior’s Jewish brethren came to salvation through repentance and accepting Yahshua (Jesus) as their long awaited Messiah. The time in between the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) and the concluding fall feasts beginning with the Feast of Trumpets is the season of the summer harvest. This has been the extended time when the Jewish Messiah mercifully included believing faith filled Gentiles to become one with redeemed Israel. This prophesied gracious inclusiveness of the Gentiles is what Apostle Paul describes in Ephesians 2:14-15, “For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, … so as to create in Himself one new man from the two [Jew and Gentile].” We have been in a long summer harvest with multitudes of believing Gentiles coming into faith in the Jewish Messiah through the same mercy and grace that came in divine order to the Jews first (see Romans 1:16). The Fall Feasts will soon be fulfilled by Yahshua (Jesus) with the same accuracy as the Spring Feasts.
In-Depth Teachings on the Feast of Trumpets
The fifth feast, the Feast of Trumpets on the Almighty’s calendar is the appointed season for us to come prayerfully before His holy presence with a “humble repentant heart that trembles at His word” (see Isaiah 66:2). The Spirit of truth is getting our attention, sounding like a loud shofar [trumpet] blast, alerting us to take our focus off this perishing world and place it upon the Most High God who requires loving obedience to His Word and Commandments. The Feast of Trumpets point to the conclusion of the age. During this season there is a heightened awareness and urgency for the need of repentance,” The three concluding biblical Holy Days beginning with the Feast of Trumpets point to the conclusion of the age. Prophecy is quickly being fulfilled; we are witnessing the rapid succession of diverse judgments. Scripture tells us that this end time scenario will become more fierce, dramatic, and perilous as these judgments continue as “birth pains” coming closer and closer, faster and faster together, as we approach the end of this present world, as we know it (Matthew 24:8). Yahshua (Jesus) said, "But when these things begin to take place, straighten up [repent and turn to righteousness] and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near … Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:28,36).
Our God and Savior’s voice is like a “loud heavenly trumpet” (shofar blast), urgently getting the attention of “those who have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying” in these last hours (Revelation 1:10, 2:7-3:22). The Almighty commissions His prophets and obedient servants, “Cry loudly, do not hold back; Raise your voice like a trumpet/shofar, and declare to My people their transgression … their sins!” (Isaiah 58:1) The Feast of Trumpets is as a Loud Shofar and Shout from heaven beseeching the listening heart to, “Repent and turn from all disobedience and sin to escape the coming judgments. The shofar is waking us up and calling us upward. It is high time to wholeheartedly turn to the Holy God and Redeemer who says, “Be holy, for I am holy” “without holiness no one will see the Lord” (1 Peter 1:16, Hebrews 12:14).
In-Depth Teachings on Yom Kippur
From the first day of the Feast of Trumpets when the shofar sounds calling the people to prayerful introspection, there are ten following days called “the days of awe”. This is a time of sobriety and reverential fear of the Holy One causing His people to prepare their hearts with the conviction of sin that they have “godly sorrow that leads to true repentance” and the merciful provision of the substitute sacrifice and covering of its blood on the holy altar at Yom Kippur, the following Fall Feast. (2 Corinthians 7:10) It is a time when Israel knew that their lives hung in the balance. They knew that the Mighty God of Israel had called their attention through the sounding of the ram’s horn to the fact that He provided them a substitute [Yahveh Yire meaning Yahveh provides], symbolized by the ram caught in the thicket to spare Abraham’s son Isaac from death (Genesis 22:13). The Almighty God and Creator, the Holy One of Israel, instituted the sacrificial system to precede and point to Yahshua [Jesus] our substitute, “the once and for all final sacrifice” (Hebrews 10:10). He bore our sins in His body, crucified on the tree at Calvary, so that our sins would not cause us to be separated from Him and His eternal righteous Kingdom. This was the fulfillment of the Almighty’s grace to provide the substitute, the final provision for a remnant who would behold the Lamb and by His Spirit uphold His blood through humble repentant hearts. Yom Kippur, the sixth biblical feast points us daily for the need of Yahshua’s blood covering over our repentant sins. The writer of Hebrews encourages us, “let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). May you rejoice in the outpoured atonement, the blood of Yahshua [Jesus] the Lamb Who is always merciful to forgive and cleanse us with His blood. This is why Apostle Paul says, “I determine to know nothing but [Yahshua our Lamb] and Him crucified”, slain for our sin (1 Corinthians 2:2). As we work out our salvation, the Holy Spirit in mercy continues to convict us “of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” pointing us to Yahshua’s infinite love expressed in His sacrificial blood (John 16:8). Yahshua (Jesus) longs for us to come humbly with faith knowing that He is quick to cover our sins and clothe us in His righteousness.
In-Depth Teachings on the Feast of Tabernacles
The Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) it is also called the Feast of Ingathering because it was observed after all the crops had been harvested and gathered. It is the seventh and concluding holy day on the Almighty’s biblical calendar (Leviticus 23:33-44, 23:16). Tabernacles is a time of great rejoicing. It is the seventh feast, in the seventh month, and we are to “rejoice before Yahveh [the Lord] our God for seven days” (Leviticus 23:40). Seven is the Almighty God’s number and it refers to His perfection and completion. The Feast of Tabernacles is a prophetic preview, it points to the fullness of the God of Israel’s plan of salvation to tabernacle (dwell) among His blood-redeemed remnant, composed of both redeemed Jews and Gentiles. It points to the ultimate eternal rejoicing in the long awaited Messianic Kingdom with our God and Savior. The fullness of time and the fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles are near. It is written, “Keep seeking the things above, where Messiah is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:1-2). The Holy Spirit is leading His blood-redeemed remnant out of this world and its temporary worthless preoccupations and cheap thrills. He is directing our hearts and minds to be reprioritized and wholeheartedly focused on seeking and doing the will of God and having our hope and joy in Yahshua (Jesus) and His coming kingdom. It is written, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). It is the eternal Feast of Rejoicing, joy unspeakable filled with His glory!
These Seven Feasts of Israel are a symbolic picture of the entire redemptive plan of our Messiah, who fills them full of meaning in that they point specifically to Him. Those who study and understand the biblical Holy Days, will find them to be a beautiful portrait of our Savior and holy road map clearly defining the straight and narrow path by which to follow Him out of this doomed world, the sinful flesh, and ultimately leading us victoriously into His eternal kingdom and the Wedding Feast of the Lamb.
The world and everything in it, including it’s man-made calendar and holidays are all going to pass away. The Holy One’s Word, including His biblical calendar, is going to continue eternally in His righteous Kingdom as is recorded in Scripture"
- Matthew 26:29, Zechariah 14:16, Isaiah 66:23 -
Yahshua (Jesus) is the Jewish Messiah, bringing deliverance and eternal salvation to all who repent of their sins and are covered in the Passover Lamb’s blood. The Savior’s disciples were all Jews, they knew and observed Yahveh’s biblical calendar even after the Messiah’s resurrection from the dead. Apostle Paul a “Hebrew of Hebrews”, and a Pharisee and scholar of the Scripture, was chosen specifically by Yahshua (Jesus) to teach the Gentiles {the non Jewish) about the Holy One of Israel and the Jewish roots of their faith (Philippians 3:5, Acts 9:15). Most Christians have been erroneously taught that Paul the great “apostle to the Gentiles”, was teaching the Gentile believers that the biblical feasts only pertained to the Jews and not to them. (Philippians 3:5, Romans 11:13) The truth is, the apostle Paul was emphasizing, that the holy festivals lead to and bring a greater “light of revelation” of Yahshua (Jesus) and “the narrow path” by which to follow Him into the Kingdom of Heaven (Luke 2:32, Matthew 7:3-14). His specific exhortation in Colossians 2:16-17, was not to disregard the feast days. He was encouraging non Jewish people (Gentiles) that no one was to legalistically judge others regarding the manner in which they celebrated these biblically ordained appointed times on the Almighty’s calendar. (See the following references: Acts 18:21, KJV, Acts 20:16, 1 Corinthians 5:7, 1 Corinthians 16:8 showing the importance of the appointed Feast Days in Paul’s ministry).
Obviously, the Almighty’s biblical calendar was not nullified when the Gentiles came into salvation."
Our God and Savior says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away” (Matthew 24:35). The world and everything in it, including it’s man-made calendar and holidays are all going to pass away. The Holy One’s Word, including His biblical calendar, is going to continue eternally in His righteous Kingdom as is recorded in Scripture (Matthew 26:29, Zechariah 14:16, Isaiah 66:23). Obviously, the Almighty’s biblical calendar was not nullified when the Gentiles came into salvation. Yahveh the Author of the Holy Scripture gives warning and says, “Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, … Or [I] will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar” (Deuteronomy 4:21, Proverbs 30:6). At the end of the age, the Holy One is “restoring the ancient foundations” of biblical truth (Isaiah 58:12). That foundation is, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and His divine order and plan that has come forth through the Jews to the non Jewish people (the Gentiles). “The restoration of all things" must happen on its true and holy foundation, which is Jewish through and through, and will be so into all eternity (Acts 3:21). The holy root system is in, and of, and from the Jewish Messiah (Romans 11:18). The holy root supports you in order to produce holy fruit to the glory of the Eternal Living God.
The Kingdom of Heaven will be filled with the righteous remnant who wholeheartedly heeded the call in their pilgrimage on earth, “to behold the Lamb and uphold His blood”. They will be in His kingdom forever proclaiming, "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise! And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever”
- Revelation 5:12-13 -
