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Jewish Holidays

"Six days ye shall labor and do all your work but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord and in it you shall do no work nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth and sea and all them that is, And rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath and made that day holy."

The Ten Commandments says, "Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy." What is God saying to us? He is saying that we are to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. The Rabbis and the Sages teach out of the Talmud that when you read this one portion. “Remember it and Keep it,” another word for keep is guarded. Don’t let anyone steal it. Don’t let anyone take it from you. That’s why Paul in the New Testament said, be diligent to enter into the Sabbath rest. Don’t let any tradition keep you from doing it. And so the Talmud the Sages teach that no teacher can teach this to you and no hearer can hear that. No mouth can teach it, no ears can hear it. In other words, God has hand picked you to be an example of His blessing so that the rest of the world will come back to Shabbat. And when the rest of the world comes back to Shabbat, it will bring the Messiah back.

Shabbat begins at sundown on Friday night and continues through sundown on Saturday night.

Passover

When John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the Jordan River he declared, “Behold the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world.” Why did John, who was a Jew, make this statement about another Jew? The answer lies in the observance of the spring holiday of Passover or Pesach, meaning to pass over. This feast of freedom, observed in the first month and on the 15th day of Nissan, celebrates the exodus of the Jews from the bondage of Egypt. It causes us to look back to the original sacrifice of the lamb at Passover and remind ourselves of all that we have received through the Lamb, God’s Son, Jesus and His blood.

What do the four cups mean?

There are four cups during the Passover Seder. Most Christians when they do communion, only do one cup. But when Jesus celebrated Passover with His disciples He drank four different cups. Each cup has a very important symbolic meaning and a promise. There is the cup of sanctification, with God’s promise, “I will take you out of Egypt.” This cup reminds us of the blood of Jesus. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done, the blood of the Passover Lamb which is Jesus, has washed your sin and my sin away.

The second cup is deliverance. God says “I will deliver you.” Jesus not only washed away our sins he delivered you and me from the curse. If all He was going to do was die, He could have died when they beat Him. He could have died when they whipped Him. He could have died when they were going to throw him off the cliff. He had to get to the cross to die for our sins. And he had to get to the cross to break every curse off of our lives. He has broken the curse off of our lives.

The third cup is Redemption – “I will redeem you with a demonstration of my power.” This is the cup that releases the power of God and the blessing of God into every area of our lives.

And the fourth cup is restoration. “I will acquire you as a nation.” It means, I will take you as My people. This is the cup of consummation. It’s the cup where Jesus told his disciples, and all those who would believe, “Drink this in remembrance of Me.” But it’s the cup He didn’t drink. Why? Because Jesus said, I won’t drink this cup until we drink it together at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

What does the word Pesach mean?

We get the word Pesach or Passover from an Egyptian word that means, I will stand in front of your door and I will forbid the angel of death from coming in to your house. When the angel of death saw the blood of the sacrificed lamb that had been placed on the doorposts and on the lentil of the children of Israel, it passed over. Jesus is our once and forever Passover Lamb. He’ll break the curse of addiction. He’ll break the curse of sickness. He’ll break the curse of poverty. Everything you put your hands to He will cause to prosper. Because of His blood every curse I broken and every blessing is released.

 

Pentecost

The Feast of Weeks, Shavout or comes at the end of Passover. After the Exodus from Egypt the children of Israel were led into the desert so that Moses could receive the revelation of the Torah at Mt. Sinai. God took the Israelites out of Egypt and the bondage there so that they could become His people – holy and separated from the pagan cultures that had previously surrounded them.

According to the sages, the new moon of Nisan marks the start of the sacrifice of the Passover lamb. The first day of Unleavened Bread brings a remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt. The 7th day of Unleavened Bread is a reminder of the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea. The counting of the Omer marks the days before the giving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai. And Shavout, or Pentecost remembers the giving of the Torah which occurred exactly seven weeks after the Exodus.

Where were the followers of Jesus on the day of Pentecost?

We have been taught that the disciples and the followers of Jesus were in the Upper Room. Let me show you something from the Word of God. Acts, Chapter 2, verse 1 says that on the Day of Pentecost or Shavout, they were all in accord in one place. But what was that place? Some Bibles don’t have the word place, but instead they have the word house. Strong’s Concordance, which has both Greek and Hebrew words, says they were in one accord in the temple. The 120 believers that had been in the Upper Room for 49 days, left the Upper Room and went to the Temple to celebrate Shavout.

You and I are not separated from the people of Israel. Instead, we are connected to the people of Israel and to the promises and the covenant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

What actually happened at Pentecost?

On Pentecost, Moses received the Torah. He got the Word of God. He got the Ten Commandments. And when God gave Moses the Torah there was lightening and thunder and fire in a bush that was not consumed. Then, 1500 years later, the followers of Jesus come out of the Upper Room to the Temple. They are sitting in the Temple and at 9:00 in the morning the high priest, the Gadol Kohen, lifts up the double offering unto God in the Holy of Holies. Forty-nine days before the curtain had been ripped apart when Jesus said “It is finished.” The curtain was ripped from heaven down to earth. There was no way that curtain could have been repaired. Every one knew for the first time that the presence of God had been opened to every one as the curtain of the Holy of Holies was torn apart.

Behind that curtain was the Ark of the Covenant. In the ark were the pieces of the Ten Commandments, the two tablets that Moses threw down in anger against the people. They gathered the up, and there in that place was the power and the promises of God.

And now the followers of Jesus are sitting in the Temple and the High Priest is lifting up the offering and all of a sudden, lightening and thunder, fire and wind fills the temple and something supernatural happened. And it’s happening today in the house of God.

Purim

Purim, or the Feast of Lots is a celebration of deliverance for the Jewish people. The story goes back to the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon who conquered the land of Judah, attacked Jerusalem, burned the Temple of Solomon and put the Jewish people into captivity. In this time that would become known as the Babylonian Exile. While they are in Babylon, it is destroyed by the Kingdom of Persia by King Cyrus. Under the reign of this Cyrus, the Jewish people found favor again.

Then King Cyrus hears of the ancient prophesy that in 70 years the Jewish people would be allowed to come back to their land and rebuild the Temple of God. So he releases the Jewish people to return to Jerusalem. Only five percent of the Jews leave for Jerusalem and the rest remain in Persia and prosper. But, King Cyrus dies and a new king comes to the throne who is threatened by the blessing of the Jewish people.

Both King Agag and his second in command Haman continue their hatred of the Jews and try to prove that there is no God and that everything is happens by chance. Haman rolled the dice to see on which day he would kill the Jews. When he did the dice came up 1,3 and 3 which in Hebrew is the number of King Agag. With that roll of the dice Haman was certain that it meant that he and King Agag were more powerful than God. But the numbers on the bottom of the dice revealed something else. Those numbers, which were hidden were 6,4 and 4 or the number of King David. In all of this, the hidden hand of God is revealed in the casting or rolling of the dice, which is the meaning behind Purim.

God raises up Esther after the King Agag kills his wife Vashti. She, along with her uncle Mordecai are used to bring deliverance to God’s people and death to Haman and his lineage in the hangman’s noose. It is God who turns the story of Esther and Mordecai and the Jewish people upside down as He delivers them once again.

What was hidden on the bottom of the dice when Haman rolled it?

Haman rolled the dice and it came up 1,3 and 3 which in Hebrew were the numbers of King Agag. But, remember that the Book of Esther is about the hidden face and the hidden hand of God. The bottom numbers, which Haman couldn’t see were 6,4 and 4 which were the numbers of King David, the King of Israel, and the bloodline from which Jesus, the Messiah would come from.

When you celebrate Purim, and you read the story of Esther, the children get to participate. Whenever you say the name Esther they say “Yeah.” And when you say Haman, who is the villain, they yell “Boo.”

What does the Romans 8:28 have to do with this story of deliverance in the Book of Esther?

The story of Esther and Purim is that God is moving behind the scenes in every situation. Romans 8:28 says, “God works all things together for good, to them that love God and are called according to His purposes.” God is always working, as he did in the life of the Jewish people, Esther and Mordecai to turn your story upside down and work it all to your good.

Hanukkah

Chanukah or Hanukkah means dedication and marks an eight day winter celebration that commemorates the victory of the Jewish people and the power of the miraculous in the face of all odds.

Why did the Jews ask Jesus during the Feast of Dedication to tell them if He was the Messiah?

Jesus was in Jerusalem in the winter for the Feast of Dedication. As he walked into the Temple in Solomon’s porch, John 10, verse 22 says that the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do you keep us in doubt? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”

During the Festival of Lights the menorah is central. It is a foreshadowing of the Messiah. So here is Jesus surrounded by a group of Jews, this miracle time and ask Him if he is the middle candle?

What is the history of the celebration of Hanukkah?

One hundred and sixty-eight years before Jesus the Syrian army attacked Israel and murdered thousands upon thousands of Jews. The first thing they did after the occupation was to walk into the Temple of God and defile the Holy of Holies. They defiled the altar with unclean animals. They brought their pagan beliefs and their many idols. Then they made a law that no Jew could celebrate the Shabbat, own the Torah or follow the laws of God. The Syrians made the Jews break the laws of the Temple and refused to let them eat kosher. Finally they sacrificed a pig, the most unclean animal on the altar and told the priest to eat it. But he refused and they killed him.

A father and his sons had enough and killed the Syrian army and then fled to the hills of Judea. The King of Syria sent forty thousand of his best soldiers to do battle with these handful of men. And God gave them a might victory

They returned to Jerusalem and to the Temple. They cleaned up all the idols and they rededicated the Temple to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They were going to light the menorah, which is symbolic of the Holy Spirit and the power of God. It also represents victory, peace, forgiveness, prosperity, long life and joy. And as they are going to light it they found only one jar of oil to light all the nine candles and it was marked cohenhagadol which means the High Priest.

They lit the menorah knowing that they could not keep it lighted through the Sabbath. It takes a week to make the oil kosher. And they came in the next day and the light was still going. And the next day it was still going. And it keep going for eight days. Why eight days, because all they needed was to keep the flame going until the next Sabbath. But God was saying to them, when you serve me, I am not the God of just getting by, I am the God of more than enough.

What is the middle candle called?

The middle candle is called the shammash which is representative of the Messiah. All the oil to light the other candles have to run through the middle candle of the Messiah.

Rosh Hashanah

In Rabbinical Judaism the fall feast of Rosh Hashanah means “the head of the year” and is traditionally celebrated as the Jewish New Year’s Day. It is observed on the first day of Tishri which generally falls between September or October. It is a ten-day period marked by prayer, self-examination and repentance which concludes on the fast day of Yom Kippur. These ten days are also called the Days of Awe which Jews remember the creation of the universe.

Why do the priests blow the shofar thirty days before this celebration?

The rabbis teach in the Talmud that the reason that the shofar is blown everyday is not only to get you ready for war, but to bring the people back to worship God. It also is blown to confuse the devil and make him think that the Messiah has already come. The Book of Revelation says He says Jesus will return with the sound of the trumpet or the shofar.

For thirty days before Rosh Hashanah, everyday the High Priest would blow the shofar to announce that the Messiah is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. To announce to the enemy that we’re at war and the banner of God is over the army and that because of that our King can defeat your king. Our King can defeat sickness. Our King can defeat debt. Our King can defeat racism and poverty.

What books are opened up during the thirty days before Rosh Hashanah?

Three books are opened up during Rosh Hashanah. One is the book of the righteous. God opens this book and sees if you have been serving Him, paying your tithes and whether you have been gossiping, backbiting, or you’ve been being the light of the world and the salt of the earth. The second book that is opened is called the book of the wicked. The last nook is the book of the lukewarm, or those that are in-between.

So is Rosh Hashanah like the five wise and the five foolish virgins that John speaks of in the Book of Revelation?

This is a time when God is looking at our life over the last year. And He’s giving us a chance to change. The ten were all virgins, but five we wise and ready for the coming of the bridegroom, and five we foolish, and we’re trying to find oil to fill their lamps. Their light had gone out. And that light is a sign to the bridegroom that the bride to be hasn’t changed her mind, that’s ready for the bridegroom to come.

The five foolish had fallen asleep. They weren’t paying attention. To put it a way that we all understand, they had stopped coming to church. They had stopped praying. They had quit reading their Bible. They weren’t tithing anymore or giving tzedakah. And God blows the trumpet so that they can go and refill their lamps, but they have no oil. They have no light. They are not ready.

Sukkot – The Feast of Tabernacles

The last of the feasts given to Israel is Sukkot or the Feast of Tabernacles. Celebrated in the fall it is observed from the 15th to the 22nd of Tishri. Often Jewish families construct a small hut to eat meals under through the festival – a reminder of the days when the children of Israel lived in huts during their 40 year journey in the wilderness after the exodus from Egypt.

Once the children of Israel left the wilderness and entered into the Promised Land, they began to observe the fall harvest and the Festival of Ingathering.

When is Sukkot and what happen during the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles?

After Rosh Hashanah, at the completion of Yom Kippur, the day of atonement there is the Feast of Tabernacles. This is a time in Hebrew, called a season of great joy. It’s a feast to celebrate the fact that God has given us a new beginning. It’s recognizing the fact that we have survived another year. It’s celebrating that while we got a great harvest last year, that a greater harvest is coming during the next year.

Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles and the festival of joy is what America originally celebrated as Thanksgiving. If you go back and study your history, the Pilgrims first had Thanksgiving during the Jewish celebration of Sukkot. The rabbis teach that the Pilgrims were religions people. They came out of Europe, which is symbolic of Israel coming out of Egypt. When Israel came out of Egypt, the Red Sea parted. The Atlantic Ocean, to these Pilgrims, was the Red Sea. When they got to American, it was their promised land. And so, the reason why this nation was founded is so there could be freedom to worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

What do we remember during this time?

We remember that our sins are forgiven and that God’s given us a new beginning, and for the next year. We remember the joy of walking in the goodness of God. All of this came from Israel’s journey of 40 years in the wilderness. By every natural law, when Israel came out of Egypt, they should have died after 40 years in the wilderness. But if you look at the miracles that God gave them, they are amazing. He caused Pharaoh to let them go. When they left, the Bible says they plundered Egypt and the wealth of the kingdom that had held them in bondage and captivity for 400 years was put into their hands, because the Word promises, the wealth of the wicked is laid up for the just, the righteous of God. They left Egypt with all the silver and all the gold. They got to the Red Sea. God supernaturally parted the Red Sea. They walked onto dry land, and the water on either side destroyed their enemies. Then, when they get to the desert of the wilderness, water comes out of a rock. They have no food, so God causes manna to fall from heaven. They had no sickness among them. Their shoes, for 40 years, never wore out. Their clothes never wore out. And so God says, I want you to build me a booth that reminds you of your temporary dwelling when you were in the wilderness. I want you to remember that I am Jehovah Jireh. I am the one who heals. I am the one who delivers. I am the one who destroys your enemies. I am the one who brings you water. I am the one who brings you food. He wanted them to remember and not forget what He did for them so that when they got to the Promised Land they would remember who caused them to prosper and gain wealth.

Yom Kippur – The Day of Atonement

Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement is considered to be the holiest day of the Jewish year. The biblical name for Yom Kippur is “The day of the covering, canceling, pardon, reconciling.” It is the only time when the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies and call upon the Name of YHVH to offer the sacrifice for the sins of the people. It is also the great day of intercession for the people of Israel.

The Day of Atonement also has a prophetic insight and points to the Second Coming of Messiah (Mashiach), the full restoration of the nation of Israel and the last judgment of the world.

In Rabbinic Judaism, Yom Kippur is the end of a ten day period of repentance called the Days of Awe. Yom Kippur begins at nightfall on the 9th day of Tishri and continues for 25 hours. That time is spent in complete fasting, prayer and special synagogue services.

Is Yom Kippur tied to the White Throne Judgment?

Yom Kippur gives time to get right with God. And it also gives us time to get right with each other. We can’t get right with God unless we get right with each other. We’ve been saved by grace, but we need to repent. We’re having too many divorces in the Church. We’ve got too many people in the church world committing adultery. God’s ways are above our ways. God’s thoughts are above our thoughts. God’s plan is above our plans. We need to do it God’s way, not the world’s way.

We need to be ready for the rapture. That’s what Rosh Hashanah is about. God opens the books and looks at our life. He says, check and see if you’re lukewarm. The rapture is God’s judgment on the Church. If you are one of the five foolish virgins, instead of being one of the five wise virgins, and you’ve become lukewarm, lost your oil, and the light of your life isn’t lit, then the bridegroom won’t be coming to your house. You’ll miss the rapture.

But God will give you seven years to get your heart ready. That’s what Yom Kippur is about. It’s a time to repent, turn around and go a different direction – God’s direction. It’s a rehearsal for the coming Great White Throne Judgment. God gives you time to repent and change.