Jewish Holidays

A Holiday where it is good to eat bitter herbs?? How about a holiday where you build a little hut and sleep in it? How about one that you celebrate it by gambling? Or blowing trumpets? Unusual? Yes, but there are all kinds of Jewish holidays.

The Bible lists seven basic Holidays or Feast Days: Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, Weeks, Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Tabernacles. Leviticus 23 Then there are the traditional historical holidays, such as Hanukka (Dedication) from the book of John, & Purim ("Lots"--a little like dice) from the book of Esther, and more! Then there are the more modern historical holidays, like Israeli Independence Day, Holocaust Remembrance Day, etc.

Let's concentrate first on the Biblical Holidays. Actually the L-rd calls them His Holidays, so maybe we should pay close attention to what He says about them.

When we want to check to see what days are important in the coming months, etc. we look at our calendar. It is the same when we want to see what is in our future - but we must look at God's calendar. Leviticus 23 lists 7 Biblical Feast Days & the basic ways we should celebrate them. The first four occur in the Spring, then a harvest time is mentioned, then the other three holidays are in the Fall.

There are three main harvest times in Israel, because of the three climate zones. The winter harvest comes in about the time of Passover/Unleavened Bread/Firstfruits, then the Spring harvest comes in about the time of Shavuot (Weeks). There is harvesting going on all summer long in Israel, depending on what the crops are and where they are planted. Finally the last of the abundant summer harvest comes in the Fall about the time of Tabernacles.

Each of these festivals also represents a future event! G-d has outlined history in His Calendar. If you want to know about prophecy, check with the Holy Days first!

1. Passover Pesach(Nisan 14) celebrates the deliverance of the slaves from Egypt. It is the story of redemption by the killing of the Passover Lamb. The blood of the lamb was applied to the doorposts of the houses of the Israelites. When the Angel of Death passed through the land & saw the blood, he passed over those houses & did not kill the first born. Exodus 12 We remember & identify with the bitterness of slavery by eating the bitter herbs & the matza. Passover is a picture of what Y'shua, our Passover Lamb did for us- he died and became our redemption. The Messiah fulfilled this holiday when he was crucified on the tree! He took our bitterness that we may live the abundant life. The innocent died for the guilty. Sacrifice not only means death - it also means LIFE! Isaiah 53

    

2. Unleavened Bread Hag HaMatzot (Nisan 15) is the beginning of 7 days of eating unleavened Bread (matzah). No leaven (yeast) may be eaten in those days. Leaven is a symbol of sin. I Cor. 5:6-8 Our Messiah took our sins upon himself & when he was buried, he arose pure and spotless. Y'shua fulfilled this holiday when he was buried! He has become our righteousness! Rom. 6:4, II Cor. 5:21

    

3. Firstfruits Yom HaBikkurim (Nisan 16) celebrates the bringing of the firstfruits of the winter harvest to the Temple - it is the promise of more to come. The Messiah Y'shua fulfilled this holiday when he rose from the dead - a promise of more to come! I Cor. 15:-20-23 The first 3 holidays are fulfilled by the crucifixion, burial & resurrection of Y'shua. We identify with him in that we have died with him on the tree, were buried with him and have risen with him to new life! II Cor. 5:17

    

4. Weeks Shavuot -counting 49 Sabbaths from Passover & adding one day - this Holy Day should always fall on a Sunday, however the modern Rabbis have changed it since they did not want it to fall on a Sunday. (This day is also known among Christians as Pentecost - 50 days) On this day, two loaves of bread with leaven are waved before the L-rd. This is the only time leaven is allowed in the temple sacrifices. The book of Ruth is read, the story of a non-jew who was accepted into the household of Israel & became the grandmother of King David who was an ancestor of Y'shua!

   This Holiday is fulfilled by the coming of the promised Holy Spirit of G-d (Ruach HaKodesh) in power on the disciples of Y'shua in the Temple. It was the birth of the "church" - the body of Messiah on earth - Jew & Gentile -both with sin in their lives, but lifted up before the Lord and set apart as holy to Him! Acts 2, John 14:15-18, Ephesians 2:11-22

   (Leviticus 23:22 talks of a time of harvesting: this is where we are at the present time in history. Y'shua said, "Lift up your heads, the fields are white unto harvest. Pray the L-rd of the harvest to send forth laborers into the harvest." John 4:35)

    

5. Trumpets Yom HaTeruah (Tishri 1): blowing of trumpets to bring the people together & to warn them to repent because of the coming days of awe (the 10 days between Trumpets & the Day of Atonement). On this holiday a series of trumpets are blown, followed by the great trumpet blast. Much effort is made during this time to make amends & apologize for past offenses. Forgiveness is sought after & attempts are made to establish peaceful relationships.

   This is the next future event on G-d's calendar! The trumpets will sound & the believers in Messiah Y'shua will be gathered/resurrected to Him & so shall we be with the L-rd! This holiday will be fulfilled by the Rapture, the supernatural taking away of all the believers from the face of the earth. So shall we be with the L-rd! I Thess. 4:13-18, I Cor. 15:50-54 However, this event also signals the call for repentance - time is short! Judgment is coming upon the earth - the events of Revelation will begin to unfold. The wrath of G-d will fall upon the earth & at the same time, many will repent and turn to him.

    

6. Day of Atonement Yom HaKippur (Tishri 10): the Day when sacrifice must be made for the sins of the nation which were committed in ignorance. Again a series of trumpets are blown. (Trumpet Judgments of Revelation) The L-rd will bring Israel to the point where she says "Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the L-rd." - a welcome for the Messiah! The L-rd Himself shall descend and he will make an end of the sins of Israel. They will call for the Messiah Y'shua to return to them & they will mourn for him. This day will be fulfilled by the Second Coming of the L-rd to the earth. Matt. 23:37-39, Hos. 5:15 thru 6:1-3, Zech. 13:8,9 Zech. 12:10, Zech. 13:1, Ezek. 16:61-63

    

7. Tabernacles Sukkot (Tishri 15) a week-long celebration of the Final Harvest by making small huts & dwelling in them. The huts are decorated with palm branches, willows & other seasonal branches & fruit. It culminates in a big celebration on the 8th day. It is a reminder of the days in the wilderness when the Israelites lived in tents & huts and the L-rd lived among them. It is to remind us of the temporariness of life. This holiday will be fulfilled by the ingathering of the Final Harvest of souls & the setting up of the kingdom of the Messiah on earth. The L-rd will live among us again! In that day He will reign from Jerusalem and every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that he is the L-rd of lords & King of kings. It is a prelude to the eternal order. It will last 1000 years & then begins the eternal order for all of us! Hallelujah!

Through these Holy Days, the L-rd's Plan will be worked out for mankind. May the L-rd be exalted in us as we celebrate His Holy Days!

This is just a bare outline of the Holy Days of G-d. There will be more added to this site as time & space allow.

Please see the teaching on the Ancient Jewish Wedding Ceremony & how it relates to the coming Rapture in the future.

Lura Maiman. Congregation Yeruel, Israel