Elul and the King in the Field – The meeting of Bride and Bridegroom

The Month of Elul which is the name given to the sixth month in God’s Calendar, precedes the Seventh month with God’s Appointed Times of Trumpets, Atonement & Tabernacles. The Fall Feast Days, as they are called denote the 2nd Coming of Yeshua, The Judgement and The 1000 Year Kingdom He is going to establish among His people, ending with a New Heaven and New Earth. So it’s no wonder that the month of Elul is considered a month of repentance and self-examination in the earnest wait to meet the coming King.

The word Elul is mentioned in Jewish Writings* to be an acronym which stands for “I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine” from Songs of Solomon 6:3, the actual phrase being “Ani L’dodi V’dodi Li” ( אני לדודי ודודי לי). This fits in with the picture of the Bridegroom(Yeshua) who weds the Bride (His People) at the End of Days.

Furthermore, This month has also been called** the month where “The King is in the field”. This denotes the Fall Harvest, where God sends out His Angels to collect the Wheat unto His Barn and burn the tares. It also shows a picture of a King who the worker may not see everyday, who has come in His abundant mercy, to meet the common man.

The Story of Rebekah & Isaac
How Rebekah meets Isaac is a picture and symbolizes how God chose Israel and how Yeshua is coming back for His People. Let’s look at the many Allusions made in the story of Rebekah and Isaac and how they speak about coming events and the Month of Elul when the King is in the Field.

Abraham sends his servant to procure a Bride for his son (Gen 24:1-10)
Eliezer was no simple servant. He was in line to inherit Abraham’s possessions as we see in Gen 15:2. He is tasked with finding a Bride for His Son from a far away land. In the same way, God tasks Moses, His Servant(Num 12:7) to go get Israel, His Bride(Jer 3:20) from a far away land. In the same way, God tasks Yeshua, His Servant(Mat 12:18) to go get Israel, His Bride(Joh 3:29, 2Cor11:2) from the ends of the earth, for a Newly Resurrected King – Yeshua.

Rebekah is willing to leave her life to be joined to Isaac (Gen 24:46,58)
Rebekah shows her love and kindness to Eliezer who by his message, makes up her mind to leave her present life for a suitor who she has not seen. Israel puts their trust in Moses and leaves a place which provided for them (Exo 16:3) to the promised Land and a God they have never seen. In the same way, we have chosen to follow Yeshua, leaving our old life, after believing He is the Saviour even though we have not seen Him

Rebekah is brought out by giving the bridal price (Gen 24:53)
Rebekah’s Kin is given “precious things” (H4030/G1435- Gift, Offering, Sacrifice) to take her away from them. Israel is brought out by the precious blood of a lamb and similarly we are also bought by the Blood of our Messiah – the unblemished Lamb(Joh 1:29)

Rebekah receives gifts as a promise from said suitor (Gen 24:22,53)
Eliezer gives precious jewels of Silver, Gold and Clothing to Rebekah as a deposit. Similarly Israel came out with a lot of jewels of Silver, Gold and clothing (Exo 12:35,36). In the same way Yeshua left the Holy Spirit with us as a pledge of the promise He has made(Eph 1:13,14)

Rebekah goes to her suitor with a procession (Gen 24:59,61)
Rebekah leaves her family, but does not travel alone – but with a procession. Israel also comes out with a mixed multitude(Exo 12:38). It is the same with the Bride of Yeshua (Rev 19:7-9). Some would be the Bride while others will be invited to be in the procession(Rev 19:7,9).

Isaac comes from the Well of the Living One Seeing Me (Gen 24:62)
Isaac is mentioned to come from the well known as “LahaiRoi” which means the Well of the Living One who sees me. This is an allusion to Both God(Psa 36:8,9) in Israel’s story of receiving the Covenant as well as Yeshua(John 4:10,11)

Rebekah covers herself with a Veil (Gen 24:65)
Rebekah puts on a cloth and covers herself just like a modern bride in front of her bridegroom, denoting modesty. This is the same way God wanted His people to act (through obeying His Covenant) and Yeshua wants us to live(1Co 7:34) as He is our Husband.

Isaac takes Rebekah to her mother’s Tent and makes her his wife (Gen 24:67)
Rebekah is then taken by Isaac with love, as a wife and given the tent of his mother. In the time of Israel, they reached the promised land as the completion of the promise that God gave them. In the same way, Yeshua has promised us that we will enter His Kingdom as a wife in the end of days(Rev 19:7).

Isaac & Yeshua – The King in the Field
Now we must also understand that Isaac was not just a normal man but a King/Lord. Abraham was a wealthy man with riches who even fought against Kings and was offered tribute (Gen 14:14-24). Kings made covenants of peace with both Abraham(Gen 21) and Isaac(Gen 26). Isaac was then a Prince and a King in the time. Now let’s read Isaac’s meeting of Rebekah.

Gen 24:63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming.

This is a symbol of “The King in the Field”. Just as Isaac meets the Bride in the Field, Yeshua also comes to meet us especially at this time – the days of Repentance – The Days of Elul, before the “Day of Atonement” when everyone will be judged. The best time to call to Him and meet Him is the Days of this Holy appointment. As we await His Return for His Bride, let us make supplication at this time so that we may grow closer to our Heavenly Groom!

 

*Avudraham, Seder Rosh Hashanah, ch. 1; Reishis Chochmah, Shaar HaTeshuvah, ch. 4.
** Likkutei Torah – Re’eh 32b (English translation: Sichos In English, 5750) where it says “Before a king enters his city, its inhabitants go out to greet him and receive him in the field. At that time, anyone who so desires is granted permission and can approach him and greet him. He receives them all pleasantly, and shows a smiling countenance to all”

Was Christ born in December?

With December comes celebration and merry-making. The celebration of the birth of Christ, one which was non-existent in the early church. In earlier studies, we have taken a look at the origins of Christmas:

The Chronography of 354 – What was celebrated on December 25th before it became Christmas?
Pagan influence on Christmas – Where did Christmas come from?

We have also seen the present “Christmas story” is critically flawed, as the “Magi” appeared close to two years after Christ’s birth according to the Gospel accounts:

The flawed Christmas story – What’s out of place in this picture?

Today, let’s attempt to narrow down the month of Christ’s Birth using only the Old Testament Scriptures and the New Testament Writings. Was He born in December? Let’s look at the Biblical evidence.

People of Interest and the YEAR of His Birth:
There are a few key figures that are linked to history, mentioned in the Gospel accounts of Chris’t Birth. Using the following historical dates and the Gospel accounts we have studied, we can narrow down Christ’s Birth to 7BC to 5BC.

Caesar Augustus (Luk 2:1) – Augustus was a Roman statesman and military leader who was the first Emperor of the Roman Empire, controlling Imperial Rome from 16 January 27 BC until his death in 19 August AD 14.

Publius Sulpicius Quirinius (Luk 2:2) – In 6 CE Quirinius, the newly-appointed Imperial Legate (governor) of the province of Roman Syria, was tasked to carry out a tax census of the new province of Judea, one of the three territories into which the kingdom of Herod the Great had been divided on his death in 4 BC.

Herod the Great (Mat 2:1) – Herod was a Roman client king of Judea, who reigned from 37BC to 4BC.

Herod Archelaus (Mat 2:22) – Archelaus his son was ethnarch (Govenor) of Samaria, Judea, and Idumea (Edom), including the cities Caesarea and Jaffa, from 4 BC to 6 AD.

We know that Herod died in 4BC, at which time Joseph returned from Egypt according to Mat 2:20-23. We also know that Yeshua was close to two years old, when the Magi visited(Mat 2:16). If Herod died the same year he ordered the killing of the children, that would place Yeshua‘s birth 2-3 years before Herod’s death. Which gives us an approximate 7BC – 5BC as His birth.

The Priestly courses and the MONTH of His Birth:
To calculate the month of Christ’s birth, we must look into the Birth of John much closely, as Luke provides some key details in his Gospel.

Zecheriah, father of John, was a Priest in the course of Abijah(Luk 1:5). Which was the eighth course out of 24(1Chr 24:7). Each of these priestly courses worked at the Temple for a period of one week(Josephus, Antiq 7, Chapter 14, Verse 7). And all 24 priestly courses were present at the 3 main feasts of Passover/Unleavened Bread, Pentecost & Tabernacles(2Chr 5:11, 2Chr 8:12). The Luni-Solar year according to the Scriptures consist of 51 weeks (A Lunar Cycle is 29.53 days X 12 Months). When you add the 3 weeks that all the priests work at the feasts to the 2 revolutions of 24 Priestly courses, you end up at 51 courses [(24×2)=48 +3 = 51].

Luk 1:5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.

1Ch 24:7 Now the first lot came forth to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah, The third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim, The fifth to Malchijah, the sixth to Mijamin, The seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah, The ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecaniah, The eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim, The thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab, The fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer, The seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Aphses, The nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezekel, The one and twentieth to Jachin, the two and twentieth to Gamul, The three and twentieth to Delaiah, the four and twentieth to Maaziah. These were the orderings of them in their service to come into the house of the LORD, according to their manner, under Aaron their father, as the LORD God of Israel had commanded him.

Josephus, Antiq 7, Chapter 14, Verse 7 He divided them also into courses: and when he had separated the Priests from them, he found of these Priests twenty four courses: sixteen of the house of Eleazar, and eight of that of Ithamar: and he ordained that one course should minister to God eight days, from sabbath to sabbath. And thus were the courses distributed by lot, in the presence of David, and Zadok, and Abiathar the High Priests, and of all the rulers. And that course which came up first was written down as the first: and accordingly the second; and so on to the twenty four.

Mishneh Torah, Chap 3, Verse 9 – Samuel the prophet and David the king divided the Levites into twenty-four divisions; each division served for one week. The chief of a division divided the men of his division into subdivisions [family groups].— — The chiefs of the subdivisions distributed assignments among those serving on their particular day, each man performing his own task.

Mishneh Torah, Chap 4, Verse 3 – Our teacher Moses divided the priests into eight divisions, four from the family of Elazar and four from the family of Ithamar. They functioned that way until the time of Samuel the prophet, when he and King David divided them into twenty-four divisions. A chief was named over each division. One division a week would go up to Jerusalem for service. The divisions would change every Sabbath day, one leaving and the next one entering, until the cycle was completed. Then they would begin the cycle over again.

2Ch 5:11 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place: (for all the priests that were present were sanctified, and did not then wait by course:

2Ch 8:12 Then Solomon offered burnt offerings unto the LORD on the altar of the LORD, which he had built before the porch, Even after a certain rate every day, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts, three times in the year, even in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles. And he appointed, according to the order of David his father, the courses of the priests to their service, and the Levites to their charges, to praise and minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required: the porters also by their courses at every gate: for so had David the man of God commanded.

Looking at the above information, we can attempt to create a depiction of the events that took place in their approximate time periods, as given below:

 If Zecheriah was engaged in his duties in the 9th Week of the year, he would have had to also work on the 10th week and would have gone home to Elizabeth in the 11th Week. If we estimate that Elizabeth conceived in the 12th Week, she would have given birth to John approximately at the en of the year. As Mary conceived 6 months after Elizabeth’s conception, we can then narrow down Mary’s conception to around the 39th Week of the year. If so, our Saviour Yeshua would have been born fairly close, if not right on the Day of Sukkot, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles.

There are a few reasons to believe that the Birth of Christ happened on Tabernacles
1. Emmanuel
Matthew quotes Isaiah 7:14 in Matthew 1:23 as he explains “Emmanuel” which means “God with Us” in Hebrew was a prophecy that came true, this day. The Feast/Appointment of Tabernacles was the one feast which commemorated “God Dwelling/Tabernacling among His people”. Furthermore, John 1:14 speaks of Messiah the same way using the word “Dwelt”(Skaynoo- G4637) which meant Tent or Encampment in Greek.

2. Perfect time for a Census
Luke speaks of a Census for the purpose of Taxation which was carried our by Rome. At the time of the 3 main Feast Days, all Jews come to Jerusalem to participate. So it would make perfect sense to keep a Census at this time

3. Locality of Bethlehem
Bethlehem was situated less than 10Km away from Jerusalem and a 2 hour walk away. This would have been an ideal situation for Joseph and Mary, as they could register with Roman authorities as well as attend the Feast which is close to where they would have stayed.

4. No room at the Inn
Lodging would be hard to get by in the time of a Feast, as many Jews travel back to Jerusalem at this time. This makes perfect sense with Luke’s account as many pilgrims would have already occupied all the establishments which were available.

5. Born on the 1st Day, Circumcised on the 8th
The Feast of Tabernacles is an 8-day feast(Lev 23:39). The 1st day and the 8th day are special/high Sabbath Days. Could it be that Yeshua was born on the 1st Day of Tabernacles and circumcised according to the Law(Lev 12:3, Luk 2:21) on the 8th Day of Tabernacles?

6. Shepherds grazing sheep in the cold?
As Luke mentions in Luk 2:8, there were shepherds grazing their flock in the night as Christ was born. It is highly unlikely that this would have been possible in the cold of December. It may have been possible around the 7th Feast as the fall rains would have made the pastures lush for the sheep to graze on. But would not have been too cold for them as close to the 9th Month (November/December) when the atmosphere is most cold.

The above clues may point to Yeshua’s Birth happening right on the Day of Tabernacles(Sep/Oct in our Gregorian Calendar). One other reason is that Yeshua’s Death happened on Passover (a feast day), He resurrected on Firstfruits (a feast day), He sent His Holy Spirit on Pentecost (a feast day). So it is very likely that God intended His Birth also on a Feast Day.

Other Possibilities
But we should also inspect a few other possibilities as well according to the above graph. Every Priestly course worked 5 times a year ; twice according to their course and thrice at the main feasts along with all other priestly courses. So there maybe 4 other possibilities as well. Let us see whether eith of them can lead to a December 25th Birth.

i) If Luke’s account of Zecheriah working in the temple was in Pesach/Passover, Christ’s birth would have taken place around the 22nd Week which is the end of the 5th Month (July/August in the Gregorian Calendar).

ii) If Luke’s account of Zecheriah working in the temple was in Shavuot/Pentecost, Christ’s birth would have taken place still on Sukkot/Tabernacles as it would have not changed the time he returned to Elizabeth.

iii) If Luke’s account of Zecheriah working in the temple was in Sukkot/Tabernacles, Christ’s birth would have taken place around the 45th Week which is the 11th Month (January/February in the Gregorian Calendar).

iv) If Luke’s account of Zecheriah working in the temple was in the 35th Week, which is his 2nd course for the year, Christ’s birth would have taken place around the 3rd Week which is in the 1st Month around Pesach/Passover (March/April in the Gregorian Calendar).

Conclusion
According to Luke’s account, we can make an approximation of Christ’s Birth to Sukkot, which makes sense in several different ways when looking at prophecies such as Isaiah 7:14 or the other particulars in the story. I would not disregard any of the other possibilities as well, but it would be more probable that He was born on Sukkot. But it is certain that he could not have been born in December.

The 8th Day – A comparison timeline of the 7 Days of Creation & the 7000 year age

In a previous study we looked at a Biblical timeline from Creation upto the Exile. While this comparison was briefly touched upon in that study, the below chart contains the dates, ages and the necessary Scripture passages to make it easy for self study.

As you see below, The Creation account itself gives us a prophetic overview of everything which would happen on earth. Some could dismiss this idea. But you be the judge of the similarities given below.

1st Day – Light and Darkness (in the 1st 1000 years, Adam sins, bringing darkness into the earth)
2nd Day – Separation of Waters (in the 2nd 1000 years, the Flood happened separating Noah from all other people on earth)
3rd Day – Earth brought forth trees through seed (in the 3rd 1000 years, Abraham is promised to be father of Nations through his Seed, bringing forth the nation of Israel referred to as a tree)
4th Day – Lights in the firmament (in the 4th 1000 years, Messiah brings light to our world)
5th Day – Multiplying of creatures (in the 5th 1000 years, Populations soar, Many nations and Religions come into existence, the main ones being Roman Catholicism & Islam)
6th Day – God creates Man in His image (in the 6th 1000 years, the time period we live in, it seems that God is creating a people for Himself)
7th Day – God ended His work (in the 7th 1000 years, yet to come, Messiah will rule and reign on earth as it is written in the Scriptures)

Click on Image to enlarge and open in new window/tab

 

Referred to as the “Great Day”, the 8th Day of the Week of Tabernacles is the culmination of God’s Prophetic Calendar. This Day points to a time which is beyond our age, where God creates a new Heaven and new Earth and He Himself is the light in it. Click on the above image to enlarge it, and feel free to download it if needed.

You can also view studies on the other Appointed Days of God through the links given below.
Passover
Firstfruits
Pentecost
Trumpets
Atonement
Tabernacles

A Graphical Study

God’s Appointed Times – A graphical study

Learning about YHVH‘s Appointed times was the turning point in my life, in which I saw a pattern that God had laid out. Seeing that Christ died on “Passover“, being buried at the beginning of the “Week of Unleavened Bread“, Resurrecting on “Firstfruits” and the Disciples receiving the Holy Spirit on “Pentecost” (which is another of God’s Feast days from Lev 23) started a curiosity in me, which has fueled my passion of study and research. The Icing on the cake was that there were more feast days which were yet to be realised, but of which we had all heard in some sermon or bible study. The Feast of “Trumpets” signified His 2nd Coming, The “Day of Atonement” signified judgement and “Tabernacles” signified His 1000 year reign. “I was blown away”. Putting all of this together with Scripture to back it up, I hope the below Graphical Study Board will help you see God’s Plan and His Word in new Light. Click on below image for enlarged view.

Click on image for enlarged view

Pentecost and the Feasts(Appointed times) of God

The giving of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost is nothing new to Christians. Most of us have read the Pentecost event over and over again, and it remains one of the main events in Christian history. While Pentecost is celebrated throughout all Christian congregations, the unknown fact is that Pentecost is first mentioned not in the New Testament of our Bibles, but in the Old. Today, we will delve into the Pentecost event and learn the hidden meaning behind this event and how it is part of “The Feasts/Appointed Times” instituted by God Almighty in Lev 23.

Let us find out the meaning of the word Pentecost from the Original Greek Manuscripts
Strong’s Greek Concordance – G4005 – πεντηκοστή – pentēkostē – pen-tay-kos-tay’ – fiftieth

Pentecost literally meant fiftieth. But what was this event, and where did it originate from? Pentecost is mentioned 3 times in the New Testament. Namely in Acts 2:1, 20:16 & 1Cor 16:8
We know that According to Acts 20:16, Paul was keen on being in Jerusalem for the “Day of Pentecost” (Fiftieth Day, as Pentecost means Fiftieth). To learn more about “Pentecost” or “The Fiftieth Day”, we need to go to Lev 23 to learn about God’s Feast days, as Pentecost is only one of God’s 7 Feast Days.

Understanding the Feasts (Appointed Times) of God
In Lev 23:2 God spoke to Moses saying, “Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations*, even these are my feasts**.

Let us look at the definition of the word translated as “Feast” in the Original Hebrew Manuscripts. Strong’s Hebrew Concordance – H4150 – מועד – mô‛êd – mo-ade’ – appointment

A better word for “Feast” would be “Appointment” as per the original meaning.
God proclaimed that these are “Holy assemblies*” & “His Appointments**“, in Lev 23:2

The “Feasts” or “Appointments” of God are mentioned 1st, not in Leviticus, but in Genesis.
Gen 1:14  And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
The word “Seasons” in Gen 1:14 and “Feasts” in Lev 23:2 is the same word in the Original Hebrew Manuscripts, “H4150 – Moed – Appointment”. When Gen 1:14 talks about seasons, we would automatically think of “Spring, Summer, Autumn & Winter”. But God is actually talking about His Appointments.
It would be vastly different if we read this verse as:
Gen 1:14  And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for “appointments“, and for days, and years.

Brief Summary of the Appointments of God written in Lev 23
1. The Sabbath – Every 7th Day (Lev 23:3)
2. Passover & the week of Unleavened bread – 14th of the 1st Month is Passover / 15th to 21st is the week of U.B. ; The 15th and the 21st are Special Sabbaths (Lev 23:5-7)
3. First Fruits – The day after the 7th day Sabbath, which is right after Passover (Lev 23:10,11)
4. Feast of Weeks also known as Pentecost – The 50th day counted from First Fruits (Lev 23:15,16)
5. Trumpets – 1st day of the 7th Month (Lev 23:24,25)
6. Atonement – 10th day of the 7th Month (Lev 23:27-30)
7. Tabernacles – 15th to 22nd day of the 7th Month ; 15th & 22 are Special Sabbaths (Lev 23:34-36)

Note: God’s month starts with the new moon(1Kin 8:2 contains H3391 – yerach – month & H2320 – kho’-desh – new moon which are both translated as month in the English translation).
The new year dawns when the new moon coincides with the Harvest becoming Green. (Exo 23:15 contains H24 – aw-beeb’ – young ear of grain, green ears of corn which means “Abib” meant when the harvest was turning green).
This might look primitive to us who are living in the age of technology, but God made this system, so that even a simple farmer could go out and figure this out for himself even if all methods of technology got destroyed tomorrow.

Feast/Appointment of Weeks which is also called Pentecost in Greek Lev 23:15,16
And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.

The above verse talks about the 4th Feast in the list of Appointments given by God Almighty, to His people. It is generally known as the Feast of Weeks in the Scriptures(Exo 34:22, Deut 16:10,16, 2Chr 8:13). This was known as the Feast of Weeks because the people had to count 7 weeks from the Feast of First Fruits. (7days x 7 +1 = 50days)

“Pentecost” or “Feast of Weeks” as it is known in the Old Testament, was one of the 3 Appointments that God Specifically said all men should appear before Him.(People were supposed to come from their cities, wherever they lived, to God’s Temple in Jerusalem- Deut 16:16). These 3 appointments were,
1. Week of Unleavened Bread, which included Passover   2. Weeks   3.Tabernacles

Going back to the New Testament, Acts 1:3-5 records that Yeshua (Jesus’ true name) was seen by the disciples for 40 days after His resurrection, and that He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem till they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. We know that according to the Bible, Yeshua rose on the Feast/Appointment of First Fruits. (Read this article for more information on this topic). If He ascended to the Father after 40 Days, this means that Pentecost would have been 10 days away. Acts 2:1 records that the Disciples were all together for the Feast of Weeks/Pentecost. The reason behind Jews from every nation to be in Jerusalem, at Pentecost according to Acts 2:5, was that they had come for this Feast of God according to God’s Commandment (discussed above) which said every male has to appear before God on these feasts(Deut 16:16).

Furthermore, “Pentecost” or “Appointment of Weeks” fulfilled some major prophecies given in Scripture. God had said that He will put a new Spirit in people, that they may walk in His Commandments (Ezek 11:19,20, 36:26,27).  In Acts 2:17-21, Peter also refers to what the Prophet Joel said in Joel 2:28-32 about God’s Spirit being poured out to people. Is it just coincidence that God gave His Spirit on the Feat of Weeks? Let us look at the significance of these says which are mentioned in Scripture.

The Significance of God’s Feasts/Appointments
1. The Sabbath – Weekly appointment to remember God is the Creator of all things who created the universe in 6 days and sanctified the seventh (Exo 20:11) & it is a sign between Him and His people forever (Exo 31:13,17)
2. Passover & the week of Unleavened bread – Appointment to remember how God saved His People from Egypt & Bondage through the blood of a lamb and how they did not eat leaven which signified Sin (Exo 12:5-7, 11-20)
3. First Fruits – The Appointment in which people brought their Firstfruit to the priest to be offered upto God. It is believed that Israel crossed over the Red Sea on this day (Num 33:5-8)
4. Weeks, also known as Pentecost – The Appointment in which God wanted people to bring the best of their Harvest. It is believed that God spoke out His Commandments on this day (Exo 19:1)
5. Trumpets – The appointment established as a wake up call to the impending day of Judgement when one is to atone for his/her Sins (Lev 23:24,25)
6. Atonement – The appointment in which the High priest would enter the Holiest of Holies to offer a sacrifice for the people’s sins, so that God’s judgement would not overcome them (Lev 23:27-30)
7. Tabernacles – The appointment to remember that God was with His people throughout the wilderness journey. (Lev 23:34-36,42,43)

Renewed Significance of God’s Feasts/Appointments in Yeshua
1. The Sabbath – Weekly appointment to remember God is the Creator of all things and that we have entered into His Covenant, keeping the Sabbath as a sign between Him and us, that we are His people. This is the only appointed day that is repeated all throughout the year, bringing us to remembrance of He who has saved us, also looking forward to the impending rest given by Yeshua which is Life after Death (Heb 4)
2. Passover & the week of Unleavened bread – Appointment to remember how God saved His People from Egypt & Bondage through the blood of a lamb and how they did not eat leaven which signified Sin. Also that God saved us from bondage to Sin & death through the blood of Messiah Yeshua who was our Passover Lamb(1Pet 1:19) and that we are to live a sinless life putting out our old sinful ways which signified leaven(1Cor 5:8) [Yeshua died on a Passover, and was in the tomb by the 1st Day of Unleavened Bread]
3. First Fruits – The Appointment in which Yeshua was offered up as the Firstfruit of all who died (1Cor 15:20) and that we also should follow in His footsteps to become a chosen people, a Firstfruit unto God (James 1:18) [Yeshua rose on the Day of Firstfruits]
4. Weeks, also known as Pentecost – The Appointment in which God started to Harvest his own fields, which are His People(Mat 9:37) The Holy Spirit was given to bring to remembrance what Yeshua taught, which were not His words, but His Father’s (John 14:23-26) [Holy Spirit given to all who follow God through Yeshua, perfectly on God’s appointed day]

Another thing to point out, is that the first 3 Appointed days happen from the 1st Month to the 3rd Month(Passover, Firstfruits & Pentecost/Weeks). Then there is a period of silence. The next 3 Appointed days happen in the 7th Month(Trumpets, Atonement & Tabernacles). The first 3 coincide with the 1st wave of Rain in Israel and the First Harvest. The last 3 coincide with the 2nd wave of rain in Israel and the Second Harvest. This in turn is also prophetic as, when Yeshua came for the first time, He initiated God’s Kingdom on earth and His followers became the first Harvest. When He comes back the second time, He will Establish God’s Kingdom on earth and collect the rest of His Harvest according to His words(Mat 13:30). Just like there is silence from the 3rd to 7th Month, today we are in a period just like this, living after the first 3 appointments and awaiting the second 3.

5. Trumpets – The appointment established as a wake up call to the impending day of Judgement. Yeshua will return on a Day of Trumpets in the future. Is this an assumption? Why is then the trumpet mentioned when it talks about Christ’s return? Mat 24:31, 1Cor 15:52, 1Thes 4:16 (Some are under the impression that we cannot know when Christ will return. This is not entirely true. We do know when He will come, even though we do not know what year it will be. 1Thess 5:4 – We will do an in depth study of this in the future)
6. Atonement – The appointment in which the people are judged. This will probably be the day when God Judges the Earth. The day which is called the Great white throne judgement (Rev 20:11)
7. Tabernacles – The appointment to remember that God was with His people throughout the wilderness journey will probably be the same day that God will “Tabernacle” with man when a new heaven & a new earth is created by Him (Rev 21:3)

In short, all of these “Feasts” or “Appointments” are REMEMBRANCES of what God has done in the past and REHEARSALS of God’s future plans that are yet to happen.

In conclusion, I would just like to reiterate that Pentecost is not a New Testament celebration. It was not instituted after Yeshua’s Death. It was instituted by God in Lev 23. It is one of the Appointments He calls “My Feasts” Lev 23:2. If God stuck to a particular calendar and gave this calendar marked with His Appointments to us, shouldn’t we be present for these appointments?

Yeshua died on the Passover eve exactly according to God’s Appointed Times. Yeshua rose on Firstfruits exactly according to God’s Appointed Times. The Holy Spirit descended on His people on Pentecost/Weeks exactly according to God’s Appointed Times. There are 3 more of His Appointed Times which have not yet come to pass. (Trumpets, Atonement & Tabernacles) Shouldn’t we be paying a bit more attention to His Word & His Times? Or are we discarding these as pure coincidence? Pentecost is celebrated by many around the world, without them even knowing the significance of it. And some celebrate Pentecost but discard the other Appointed Days as “Old Laws”. “Old Covenant things”. “Done away in Christ”. I hope you have adequately seen the significance of these Appointments. My request to you is, that you read the Word for yourself, and check everything that is mentioned in this post.

I have given answers to some of the FAQs down below. I would be happy to answer any other questions that you may have, to the best of my ability.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Feasts written in Lev 23
Q: Aren’t these Jewish Feasts?
A: God calls them “His Feasts” in Lev 23:2. Furthermore, these appointments were given to all 12 tribes of Israel. Jews descend from Judah, which is only one tribe of Israel. The reason they are known as “Jewish Feasts” is because the Jews are the ones who obey and keep these appointed days. But like His Commandments, these feasts were also given to His People, Israel.

Q: Why do we, as gentiles, need to commemorate these feasts if they were given to Israel?
A: (First of all read the definitions of Jew & Gentile here) A simple reason is that God said they were “His Appointed times”. The word “Seasons” in Gen 1:14 and “Feasts” in Lev 23:2 is the same word (Strong’s Dictionary – H4150 – Moed – Appointed time). Which means God talked about these appointed times at creation itself, when He created the Sun, Moon and Stars.
Furthermore, The 10 Commandments were only given to Israel. Don’t we need to Keep His Commandments even though it was given to Israel? How can we then pick and choose what to obey and what not to?

Q: Did Yeshua teach us to commemorate these feasts?
A: Yeshua kept the Feasts, thereby showing us how we should follow Him, even though there is no record of Him saying that we have to keep them (Luke 2:39-52, John 2:23, John 7:37-39). The bottom line is, that Yeshua taught people to obey God & His Word(John 14:24) and The Feasts/Appointments of God are part of His Word.

Q: Did Paul & the 1st Century church keep these feasts and teach about it?
A: The 1st Century church including Paul, would have kept all of the feasts in obedience to God. Some of them are recorded as well. (Acts 2:1-4, 18:21, 20:6, 20:16 / 1 Cor 16:5-9 ,5:7-8). Paul asked people to keep the Feasts(1Cor 5:8). Paul even asked people, not to let anyone judge them for keeping the Feasts(Col 2:16) – this verse is commonly misinterpreted as Paul saying not to let anyone judge them for not keeping the feasts(Read Q6 on this link for more info).

Q: Aren’t the Feasts only up till Yeshua?
A: Then why did Paul and the Apostles keep them? The best evidence for this question lies in prophecies that are yet to come to pass about Yeshua’s 2nd coming. We will need to keep these feasts even when Christ returns in the future (Zechariah 14:16-19 / Isaiah 66:22,23). So are we to believe that the Feasts were in effect upto the 1st Century Church. Now it is invalid. And it will be in effect again when Yeshua returns?

Q: How am I supposed to keep the Feasts?
A: Read the Scriptures and obey whatever God says. These are not rituals in any way. You do not need to light special candles and say special prayers. Just obey what God has said in His Word to the best of your ability, even if you are alone in doing it.