There are seven holidays that God instituted which were intended to be special times to meet with Him. The Lord spoke to Moses saying, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: These are my appointed feasts, the appointed feasts of the Lord, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies” (Leviticus 23:1-2). Four feasts are in the Spring and three are in the Fall: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot.
Rosh Hashanah means “head of the year”, which correlates to “new year” (September 17). It is also known as the feast of trumpets. On this day the shofar is blown to call people to repent and to remind them that the holy days are arriving. These are known as “the 10 Days of Awe” which culminate on Yom Kippur, “the day of repentance” (September 26).
During these 10 days the people were to seek forgiveness from one another for wrongs or offenses committed during the year. They had to make things right between their brethren before the sacrifice for sin could be offered and accepted on the day of repentance. This meant that no offenses could be allowed to continue into the new year.
In similar manner, Jesus taught in Matthew 5:23-24: “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest (and the Holy Spirit will bring it to your remembrance) that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” He also taught us in the Lord’s Prayer to ask the Father for forgiveness of our trespasses as we forgive those who have trespassed against us! Jesus said that if we do not forgive others, we will not be forgiven (Matthew 6 & Luke 11). By honoring the Fall feasts, God’s people were assured of walking in forgiveness, love, and obedience.
Imagine what our churches would be like if we obeyed the mandate that no offenses could be allowed to continue over a year!
The 10th day, Yom Kippur, is the most solemn holy day of the year. It was the final day of judgment when God judged His people. It was a day of fasting when no work was done. The high priest sacrificed an animal to pay for his sins and the sins of the people. Only on this day did he enter behind the veil into the holy of holies, where he poured the blood upon the covering, the lid of the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant. This meant that the sins of the people were “covered” and God’s mercy was extended to them another year. When Jesus died on the cross, the veil in the temple was ripped from top to bottom, opening up the way unto God to all (Luke 23:44-46). Christ, our High Priest, entered into the Holy of Holies in Heaven by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption for us (Hebrews 9:11-28).When Messiah returns, Israel will look on him whom they pierced on this day of repentance, and will be forgiven and restored (Isaiah 66:7-14, Rom. 11:26).
The Feast of Tabernacles
The feast of Sukkot is eight days of joyous celebration and is also called the feast of booths. (October 1-9). During this very festive time, the Jews build temporary shelters of branches to remember how the Hebrew people lived during their 40 years in the wilderness. In Bible times, it served as a reminder of God’s faithfulness and protection and the joy repentance brings when God dwells amongst His people, a time when the people rejoiced in God’s forgiveness and material blessings (Lev. 24:40-43).
On the last day of Sukkot there were two ceremonies: People carried torches, marching around the Temple and then set lights around the walls of the Temple, indicating that “Messiah would be a light to the Gentiles” (Isaiah 49:6). Secondly, a priest carried water from the pool of Siloam to the Temple, symbolizing that when Messiah comes the whole earth will know God “as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9). When Jesus attended the Feast of Tabernacles, on the last day of the feast, He said: “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:37-38). The next morning while the torches were still burning, He said: “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). It represents the final harvest when all nations will share in the joy and blessings of God’s kingdom, and is the one feast that believers will continue to celebrate during the millennial reign of Christ in God’s kingdom (Zech. 14:16-19).
The final day is called Simchat Torah meaning “rejoicing in the Torah, the first five books of God’s Word.” In the wilderness, the Israelites were instructed to read the Torah during the Feast of Tabernacles. On this day, the people marched around the temple with the Torah (scrolls,) singing and praising God. The Torah is the written Word of God and Jesus is the Living Word: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and The Word was God….And the Word became flesh and dwelt (tabernacled) among us” (John 1:1 & 14). This is what God intended in the Fall Feasts:
Rosh Hashanah: Repent and make things right with God.
10 Days of Awe: Make peace with one another.
Yom Kippur: God accepts repentance as genuine.
Sukkot: He came down amongst His people with an outpouring of His joy.
God delights in dwelling among His people and in pouring out unspeakable joy in our hearts. This joy flows from repentance and forgiveness from God and from one another. Forgiveness is not only commanded… It’s highly recommended!
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