Bible Study A review of the Fall Feasts (High Holy Days) of God, and a small testimony

[Ben Avraham]

SHALOM TO ALL: Well, I'm back in El Salvador after spending 6 wonderful weeks of family time and ministry in Miami, Florida.
No, the hurricane did not hit South Florida, but rather the Central part.

Testimony: Well, What can I say? I visited and participated in the Erev Shabbat and Shabbat services of Kehilah Beth Hesed with Rabbi Jimenez and the others of the congregation. We celebrated the High Holy Days together and shared in oneg (food time) and wonderful fellowship.

I also ministered as a volunteer chaplain at the Everglades Correctional Facility, part of the Florida Dept of Corrections on the Sabbath from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM. The inmates had been asking for a Messianic rabbi to come in for a long while. Well, through "Rise Up Outreach" ministries with Pastor Alonso, I met the prison's assistant Warden who invited me to minister to the inmates. I met the warden through his wife when I was playing basketball with my son at the park, where she was running as well, and we ran together and we talked and she invited me to "Rise Up Outreach" and you can figure out the rest. Yes, it was a God thing.

In mid-September, the assistant supervisor of GMO (Global Media Outreach) invited me to Orlando. GMO is an online missionary outreach ministry that can be done through one's own PC. I have been doing that for six years now. I went to Orlando via the "BrightLine" express train service that goes from Miami to Orlando. At Orlando, I visited and got to bring the Erev Shabbat message at "Shalom International Ministries" (Casa de Israel) a Hispanic Messianic congregation.

I also spent valuable family time with my kids and grandkids. We went running in the park, played basketball, threw the football around, soccer games, went fishing and diving in the Florida Keys, (Isla Morada). I like swimming and my son David likes fishing. It was sad to leave and come home again to El Salvador. It was the first time seeing Cuba from the air. Brought home a lot of cheese, cheese you really can't get here. I like cheese.

No, I haven't forgotten about the Midrashim. This comes next. So, stay tuned, or pause and get a cup o coffee or tea, then come back.


A REVIEW OF THE HIGH HOLY DAYS. WHERE DOES YESHUA FIT IT?

A good place to start is in Leviticus 23. verses 23-44. This talks about the fall feasts which we just went through. Right now, we are going through the days of Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles. It is day 4 now.

YOM TERUAH: The day of trumpets, sounding of the shofars. The beginning of the 10 days of Awe. During this time we are reminded of our relationship with Adonai. Where do we stand? Where do I stand? If we could rate our personal relationship with the Creator of the Universe, from 1 to 10, 10 being 99% like Yeshua, and 1 being really carnal and in the flesh, how would we rate ourselves? be honest. Maybe a 3, maybe? The trumpets are calling our attention; "The King is coming, the King is coming!" Prepare the Way for the LORD. Repent! Teshuvah! According to tradition, we have 10 days to get our act together. 10 days to get right with God. Yet we know that repentance is a 24-7 thing 365 days a year, not just 10 days in the months of September or October. We serve a loving Savior, a righteous Redeemer who can wait and does not want anyone to die in their sins. He will give the sinner all the time that the sinner needs. Some of us are born again and perhaps have gotten off the trail and need to find our way back. Others have not yet found the "Yeshua Trail" and are still looking. They still need to be "born again" When we die, our fate is sealed. A young man once asked a preacher; "Preacher, when would be a good time to accept Jesus as Savior and LORD?" the preacher responded; "Oh, about 10 minutes before you die?" "But preacher" continued the young man; "I don't know the hour of my death!" "So", the preacher responded, "Better accept him NOW!"

YOM KIPPUR: The 10th Day of Tishrei, is Yom Kippur. We never say "Happy Yom Kippur" since it is the day when, in the past, the High Priest went into the Holy of Holies once a year, to atone for his sins, his family's sins, and the sins of the entire nation. He would put off his priestly apparel and dress in plain white linen clothing. He would enter the Holy of holies and sprinkle the blood of the sacrificed animals on the Mercy Seat of the Aron HaKodesh (Ark of the Covenant). But why white? White is the color of purity. That is the way God sees all of us through the Blood of Yeshua and only through the Blood of Yeshua, since we don't have a righteousness of our own, we still have the sin nature (Yetzer Hara). Aaron is going before the King of the World as a humble servant, therefore, he is dressed in humble clothing. When he goes out again, he puts back on his priestly apparel because he is going before the people as a "mediator" once again. It is like "A king before the people, and a servant before the KING" Yom Kippur according to tradition is when God's books are closed and sealed. The time of repentance is over, now we have to face judgment. BUT...we know that, as I explained, God's time for repentance is 24-7, 365 days a year. Then, our death seals our fate. Another thing to note is that all the animal sacrifices pointed to Yeshua! The 2 goats also symbolized Yeshua, taking our sins to the Cross and being the sacrifice Lamb. Also, the goat that was sent off into the wilderness means our sins are "away from us, never to return. This is also a fast day, no food, no water, a time of afflicting our souls. Have you gotten right with the LORD? Don't wait until it is too late!

SUKKOT or FEAST OF TABERNACLES: The 15th day of Tishrei, (Oct 17th this year) It is commanded for us to "rejoice" It is a feast time, a time to be glad, happy, "Simcha" "Hag Sameach" This is a festival of 7 days, and one extra day, "Shemini Atzeret" We celebrate the Coming of Messiah Yeshua/Jesus. We remember during this time that he came to "tabernacle" among us all. God came down from Heaven dressed in human flesh and during this same time (if we do the math right) he came to Beit-Lechem" (Bethlehem) "The House of Bread" It is befitting that the "Bread of Life" should be born in the "House of Bread" He came as a "humble servant" to teach Torah, to heal the sick, raise the dead, and to die for our sins as the "Sacrifice Lamb of God" Yet Sukkot also points to the future coming back of Messiah Yeshua, who will return to earth as King, Judge, and Ruler of this planet for 1000 years. He will conquer his enemies as the "Lion of Judah" He will return with vengeance! Sometimes we picture God as only love and not a God of wrath. He is both! A "Sukkah" is a temporary dwelling place. The Israelites lived in tents in the wilderness, (Sukkot) Our own bodies are "sukkot" or "tabernacles" They are temporary dwelling places for our soul/spirit. The Greek word is "Skenos" it always refers to our bodies as such. Just as the tabernacles in the desert had to be maintained and upkeep, so our biological tabernacles need to be maintained, through wholesome food, water and fruit juices, vitamins, and exercise. It was during this time of Sukkot that Yeshua was in Jerusalem, as it was one of the festivals when all the people had to travel to Jerusalem to attend. It is believed that there were more than 2 million visitors came during this time. No wonder Mary and Joseph could not find a place at the Inn. All the rooms had been rented out. It was at this time when Yeshua proclaimed "I am the Light of the World" (since at that time, Jerusalem was known as the "City of Light" because of 4 lamp posts with 4 lamps on each, 16 in all, blazing light throughout the night) He also proclaimed "If any man thirsts, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water (John 7:37,38) This was when the priests brought up water from the Pool of Siloam to be mixed with the blood of the sacrifices. Remember on the cross? what came out of Yeshua when the Roman soldier thrust Him through with the lance? Blood and water! At the end of the celebration, we begin Torah study again in Genesis 1:1. So, this is a review of the three fall feasts. HAPPY SUKKOT. We still have 3 days left.

Ben Avraham

 

[Carry_Your_Name]

Yes, the seven feasts are not feasts of the Jews, but feasts of God, they God's appointed time, the milestones in the long journey of the entire human history! It is a common belief that Jesus has fulfilled the first three (Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruit) with his death, burial and resurrection, the Holy Spirit fulfilled the fourth (Pentecost) where the church was born in Acts 2, and at the end Jesus will fulfill the last three (Trumpets, Day of Atonement and Tabernacle) corresponding to his return, judgement and celebration. And there may be an eighth - Hanukkah on 25 Kislev, exactly 75 days from Yom Kippur (10 Tishrei). The point of this is that right before the second coming, there's a great tribulation which would last "a time, times and half a time", that's 1260 days, then "all these things shall be finished" (Dan. 12:7). Now suppose Yom Kippur is the judgement day when "all these things shall be finished", then you move 75 days ahead from there, you land on Hanukkah, the holiday for the "rededication of the temple", and there you also get 1335 days, that's so far the most reasonable explanation for the cryptic message in Dan. 12:12 - "Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days." I'm still not sure about the 1290 days, though, maybe the extra 30 days are an additional leap month.

 

[Galgal]

And there may be an eighth - Hanukkah on 25 Kislev, exactly 75 days from Yom Kippur (10 Tishrei). The point of this is that right before the second coming, there's a great tribulation which would last "a time, times and half a time", that's 1260 days, then "all these things shall be finished" (Dan. 12:7). Now suppose Yom Kippur is the judgement day when "all these things shall be finished", then you move 75 days ahead from there, you land on Hanukkah, the holiday for the "rededication of the temple", and there you also get 1335 days, that's so far the most reasonable explanation for the cryptic message in Dan. 12:12 - "Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days." I'm still not sure about the 1290 days, though, maybe the extra 30 days are an additional leap month.

1335 days is the period between the Jewish holidays of Tu BiShvat (New Year of the Fruit of the Trees) and Simchat Torah (8th day of Sukkot, Tabernacles) of the 4th year after the tree was planted in Israel, according to Leviticus 19:23-25.

The holiday of Tu BiShvat is not in the Torah. This holiday was invented by the sages to fulfill the law:

And when ye shall come into the land, and shall have planted all manner of trees for food, then ye shall count the fruit thereof as uncircumcised: three years shall it be as uncircumcised unto you: it shall not be eaten of.
But in the fourth year all the fruit thereof shall be holy to praise the Lord withal.
And in the fifth year shall ye eat of the fruit thereof, that it may yield unto you the increase thereof: I am the Lord your God.
(Leviticus 19:23-25)

The age of a tree is determined by the beginning of the civil year on the 1st day of the 7th month, Rosh Hashanah. This day is in September-October, and the fruits of the trees may already be ripe by this time. It is necessary to somehow determine those fruits that belong to the 4th year of the tree. It was decided to consider the fruits of the 3rd year of the tree, the ovary of which formed after the 15th day of the 11th month of Shvat (January-February), as permitted for consumption after the beginning of the 4th year.

The first 3 years the fruits of the tree are considered "uncircumcised" and are forbidden to eat. In the 4th year these fruits can be eaten on the autumn feasts of the Lord, only in Jerusalem and only in a state of ritual purity. In the 5th year the fruits of the tree planted in Israel can be eaten by everyone.

Thus, the expression "blessed is he who waits and reaches the 1335 days" can be interpreted as "blessed is he who waits and reaches the time when he can enjoy the fruits of his activity in Israel." Well, something like that.

I also need to say a little about the Lord’s feast Simchat Torah. This is the greatest feast of the Bible. On this day, the annual cycle of reading the Torah ends and on the same day, a new cycle of reading begins. The name of the feast speaks for itself: "The Joy of the Torah" or "The Triumph of Learning".

Now we need to talk about the name of the holiday Tu BiShvat. "Tu" is the Hebrew letters "tet" and "vav", in Hebrew numerals are written with letters, and these two letters give the number 9 + 6 = 15, the 15th day of the month of Shvat. Why not in the decimal system? Because if we write in the decimal system, we need to write the letters "yod" and "he", 10 + 5, and these are the first two letters in the sacred name of God, in the Tetragrammaton. Superstitious tradition forbids Jews to use this name.

If we are not subject to this superstition, then we would write the name of the holiday as "Yah BiShvat ". The word "shvat" is not only the name of the month in Hebrew. "Shvat" also means "tribe", in the sense of the tribe of Israel. Then the name of the holiday will mean "Yah[weh] in the tribe [of Israel]."

Now we must also add that in the Jewish calendar, a year can have different lengths: 353, 354, 355, 383, 384 or 385 days. Accordingly, the term of 1335 days is fulfilled not every year, but approximately once every three years. For example, if we start counting 1335 days from Tu BiShvat in 2023, then the term of 1335 days will be fulfilled exactly on Simchat Torah in 2026. But if we start counting in 2024, 2025, 2026 or 2027, then the term of 1335 days cannot end on Simchat Torah.

In 2023, on Tu BiShvat, there was a sign from God: on February 6, two earthquakes occurred in Turkey, with magnitudes of 7.7. And on Simchat Torah of the 1st year, on October 7, there was an attack by Hamas...

Here's some more food for thought. The Sermon on the Mount contains 9 "beatitudes" (although, strictly speaking, these are not commandments, but simply a statement of facts). Each such commandment contains "blessed," referring to a multitude. But Daniel 12:12 says "blessed" to one, and this verse, as it were, completes the commandments of the Sermon on the Mount to the number 10, as the Ten Commandments.

In the Third Temple, according to the description in Ezekiel 40:49, a staircase with 10 steps leads inside the Temple (this is not in many translations, you need to look at the Masoretic text version). Since it is considered more convenient when the passage of the staircase has an odd number of steps, the steps there are planned to be made like this: one passage of 9 steps and another step separately. Between the 9th and 10th steps there will be a distance of 1335 mm. This should serve as a clear warning that after the saints fulfill all 9 beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount, the fruits of this feat can NOT be used yet! Until the main thing is accomplished, the entire period of 1335 days will not be completed - until the city of Yahweh Shammah appears in Israel.