Musing – What’s the Significance of HIS (FALL) Feast Days?

 Hebraic Musing – What’s the Significance of HIS (FALL) Feast Days?

Understanding the message or significance of the FALL FEASTS is exciting for both the Jew and for today’s Christian because they foretell of our walk and future events leading up to Yeshua’s 2^nd coming:

Rosh HaShanah, or Yom Teruah, is the start of the High Holy Days in late autumn and God’s Wake-up Call with Shofars and Trumpets, recognizing that Judgment Day is near!  We can see this as the day the church will be re-gathered.  So, the Jewish custom is to do good deeds to get our name written in the Book of Life.  Obviously, the best deed we can do is to recognize Yeshuah as the Messiah!  The day starts with the Shofar blown 100 times to start a serious New Year Holiday.  Read Lev.23:23-25 & Numbers 29:1-6.

Yom Kippur, or Day of Atonement, is the Holiest Day of the Year.  This is the day the High Priest entered the Holiest of Holies to make atonement for all the people and a scapegoat is released to carry our sins away.  Yeshua entered the Holy of Holies (heaven itself) once for all, not more need for blood sacrifices.  The veil tore because He’s no longer hidden!  This represents the Final day of Judgment when God judges his people.  Many Jews attend Rosh HaShanah & Yom Kippur services even if they have not attended services the rest of the year.  Typically, it’s a day of total fast, reflection and/or confession of our sins in order to repent and be cleansed.  Since the Jews can no longer offer blood sacrifices (temple torn down in 70 AD) they substitute prayer and good works.

Sukkot, or Feast of Booths or Tabernacles, is celebrated for 7 days by living in booths. (And God requested they stay an extra 8^th day for fellowship with Him.)  Israelites were thus reminded of the 40 years living in the wilderness.  We Christians could use this time to reflect on the time we spent in our wilderness before we entered the promised land.  Many believe Jesus was born at this time and He ‘tabernacled’ with us; and that He may return during this feast.  This represents the final harvest when all believers will celebrate this feast.  Some believe that the Early Pilgrims celebrated “Tabernacles” and history has altered the name to “Thanksgiving”.

Simchat Torah, the 8^th day of Sukkot, celebrates “The Joy of the Torah”.  This day was appointed by God as a sacred assembly in Deut.31:10-13   "At the end of every seven years, in the year for canceling debts, during the Feast of Tabernacles, when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place he will choose, you shall read this law before them in their hearing.  Assemble the people — men, women and children, and the aliens living in your towns — so they can listen and learn to fear the Lord your God and follow carefully all the words of this law.  Their children, who do not know this law, must hear it and learn to fear the Lord your God as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess."  I think the Lord wants us to read the Torah, to listen, learn to fear Him, and follow carefully all the words.  And it is for all His children, of whom I am one and so are you.  We believers are to be rejoicing with the Living Torah – Yeshua HaMashiach.

BTW -- Irene & I “experienced Jerusalem” by celebrating Sukkot and Simchat Torah in Jerusalem in 2014; so recent events on that date have special significance for us! 

SUMMARY of the significance of the God’s Feast days represent a complete salvation message.  Remember our deliverance from slavery (salvation), learn to live without sin, know that the bread of life arose so we can have everlasting life, with His commandments written on our minds and hearts for our own good, as we recognize and acknowledge preparation for a judgment day, when there will be a final harvest.  So, let’s read and listen and fear and share the LIVING TORAH – Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus, the Messiah). 

Points to Ponder

What have we been missing by not celebrating the God’s Feasts with His perspectives?

A song we sang to celebrate Simchat Torah:   
♫ The joy of the LORD is my strength; He heals the broken-hearted and they cry no more; He gives me living water and I thirst no more; He fills my soul with laughter; The joy of the LORD is my strength! ♫

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                      January 30, 2024
Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith”
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”     Weekly “Hebraic Musings” 

Note – Edited version of June 17, 2009 Hebraic Insight #24’ “Significance of His (FALL) Feast Days”

P.S. – For more information I highly recommend “A Family Guide to Biblical Holidays” by Robin Sampson & Linda Pierce -- Good in-depth teachings as-well-as activities for children/family.